Chapter 2: The Heist

[Enoch]

I assume it's moving past us to go through the door we just opened (i.e., back toward the rest of the house)?

As the great cat turns to flee, Raamiz slashes at its hamstrings, but the cat is well out of range and the blade passes harmlessly behind it.

Melee attack, short sword [1d20-1] = 7-1 = 6, damage [1d6-1] = 4-1 = 3

[drpete]

They came at you in the area of the door to their room, the vault door you opened. It's just running back into
its room, toward the corner. For good or bad, it's not trying to escape the basement, at the moment.

[drpete]

Fiapy also tries to swipe at the jaguar as it retreats back into the room, with no success. The jaguar paces anxiously along the opposite wall of the room, bleeding from Fiapy's attack, and roars sadly.

Fiapy Melee Fiapy Longsword Attack [1d20+1] = 3+1 = 4 + Deed Die [1d3] = 1; Damage; Deed die+[1d8+1] = 8+1 = 9

Fiapy, I think your bonuses in your attack rolls are all wrong... I think you get a +1 to attack and damage, not a +3 to attack, no damage bonus...

[shaidar]

does the internal door appear to have a lock as well?

[Enoch]

Raamiz pauses, lowering the tip of his blade as he watches the cringing beast.

"It seems a shame to destroy such a noble creature without cause. Do you think there is any way to spare it?"

[shaidar]

Shmehk

"Agreed. Perhaps Fiapy and I can guard you while you look at the second door?"

[Enoch]

Nodding, Raamiz takes a cautious step toward the internal door, his eyes on the cat. He approaches from the far side of the door. "Perhaps I can shoo him toward another corner--and away from the door."

[drpete]

Besides the cats, the room contains little. Scraps of meat, a large sand filled box containing cat scat, and a rope- handled bucket containing water. In the center of the ceiling, there is a 3' square opening.

A stout bronze door of curiously crimson tint bars further passage into Igrik’s vault. The face of the door is inscribed with flame-like patterns and strange sigils line the edges of the valve. A single keyhole set in the middle of a circular plate rests in the dead center of the door.

The jaguar, chastened, stays in the corner of the room, and doesn't seem to want to approach.

[shaidar]

Shmehk glances around the room and up at the ceiling "We could move some crates so it can climb up and escape?"

So the opening has no hatch or covering? Can we see stars or anything else through it?

[drpete]

The opening is the start of a shaft that runs up about 20 feet before ending in a grate. It looks like it goes into a space upstairs in the building, rather than outside... you don't get a fresh air smell, or see stars.

You probably could stack some stuff up beneath it then shimmy up, if you wanted to... (there'd be a strength check, but not an extreme one)

[shaidar]

Shmehk sighs

"It looks nobody is getting out that way. Maybe we can leave the door open when we leave and it'll find it's way out. Unless one of us wants to climb up and take a look?"

[Enoch]

Raamiz twists his neck and flexes his fingers several times. "Climbing a rope should be no real problem, especially if we do stack a few crates up--unless our warrior friend would prefer to do it?" He looks over at Fiapy with an expectant gaze. "I suppose they draw the bucket up to the grate and fill it that way, though perhaps we could lever the grate off."

He pauses a moment. "Whomever remains down here should, perhaps, make sure there is not a key left hidden in that sand. Unpleasant, yes; but that is precisely what makes it a good hiding place."

[shaidar]

Shmehk

"I'll search the sand. Although even if we lift the grate I'm not sure the cat will be able to get up the shaft, but it will be useful to see where it leads, even as a additional escape route"

[Enoch]

Raamiz taps the side of his nose and replies in a merry, piping tone: "Exactly, my friend. Even if it does not lead inside the vault, it is always useful to have another way out, in case of...unpleaseantness. But! I am sure we can be through that door quickly, and leave with no one the wiser."

[drpete]

So, you want to bring stuff in from the storage room to make a pile under the shaft? The opening of the shaft is in the ceiling, 10 feet up, and it continues 20 feet further.

[shaidar]

I'm up for that, 5 foot of crates at least, to get us within reach of the shaft.

[Enoch]

Sounds good to me. Just to be clear: there's a shaft that extends 20' up beyond the ceiling, with a grate at ceiling height, with a rope descending through the grate and attached to the bucket at floor level, correct?

[shaidar]

are there any longer items in the other room, like planks?

[drpete]

There's an open hole in the ceiling. A shaft runs straight up from there 20 feet. At the *top* you can see a grate.

There is no rope. There is a bucket with a rope handle, which is beneath the shaft, but no sign of how/if it was lowered. If you want to climb, it's with back against one wall, feet against the opposite wall, shimmying up.

https://youtu.be/3j1lOkxhAOw

The other room has lots of crates and barrels... enough for these purposes, but nothing long enough to act like a ladder

[ctcharger]

Fiapy:

"Not a fan of the vertical approach but if I am the last one here, not much I can do but climb. Last guy is a sitting duck if someone shows up."