Chapter I: So, you all meet up in a tavern

[Bluetongue]

Harker

"I say we spike another couple of knotted ropes or with foot and hand loops in to the pillars. We have some extra 50'ft ones so doing that will mean acessing below in pairs not single file. Unless anyone wants to jump. We can pull the ropes up for security so no one can climb up from below while we camp."

I will also tie a lantern to the rope on the block and tackle, descending it so that it lights up the chamber below.

I am going to suggest the npc's Filbert the halfling and Toug the torch bearer stay up the the ante-chamber with the supply mule and Tyson the mastiff.

That leaves the the player characters and Quall the mercenary to explore below. The lantern should stay lit for four hours and that gives us a timescale for a recon then camp for the night. Returning below the next morning if conditions are favourable.

"I will descend first with another volunteer. Any dangers haul our asses' back up on the ropes. If it is safe, come down in pairs. Whoever goes first now takes a backseat next time. So we rotate the risk and dangers and rewards equally. Sound fair?"

After we secure the extra ropes I will descend taking with me a couple of torches to strike, some oil flasks, hammer and spikes and one of the big sledgehammers. Who is coming along?

[Bree-yark]

Jacor

I will go with you into the pit.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

Helps knot some loops into the ropes and secures them to the stone square pillars.

"Sounds like a good plan. Careful of the collapsed wall. The forge dwarf reminded me of the unstable nature of these places."

He covers the descents with his bow, allowing the next pairs, (Endor & Blaive, Mal & Quall) to proceed ahead.

"If we hear the dog bark or you sound an alarm we will scoot back." he says to those staying in the room above before he descends the ropes himself.

[Lance]

He covers the descents with his bow, allowing the next pairs, (Endor & Blaive, Mal & Quall) to proceed ahead.

Is anyone planning to get us from the outside where we still are?

[sirravd]

Jacor spends another turn searching, but is unable to find any secret doors.

You all descend without incident. The room is 30' x 30' square. The frescoes, you now observe, show a burial procession leading to a burial mound. There is rubble and debris throughout and smells of dampness and death. Graffiti lines the walls: Cannot get out! A 10' wide corridor leads out to the east.

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[Bluetongue]

Harker

"Toug call the others. We need everyone in here." 

for Endor.


Descending one of the ropes, the warrior strikes a torch. He proceeds down the corridor. From the picture it looks like some side corridors and some door frames are on either side. Stopping just briefly to read any carved writings or stuff on doorways that might indicate who rests in tombs behind the doors. I am thinking each one might be a specific crypt. I will go as far down the corridor as I can.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

Arrives last of the explorers. He looks at the walls of the chamber, staying away from the western portion. As well as graffiti, does he note anything like a map scrawled on the stones
. The procession mural may well indicate the path we came on and the ring of stones. Does the fresco show anything we could relate to down here. For example chained slaves being entombed alive with the dead person or the pall bearers carrying gold, frankincense, myrrh, relics or weapons?

[Lance]

Endor takes his turn downwards, putting the crossbow on his bakc and switching to his hand axe. Once the immediate surrounding seems clear, he switches back and uses his keen eye to survey the area.

[sirravd]

The procession depicts a sword-wielding man in chain armor being entombed; two of the pallbearers, you notice, wear hideous masks, like those of gargoyles.

You head down the corridor. 20', corridor leading north for 20', then reaches a door. 30', door to the south. 50', doors to north and south. 110', door to the north. 120', corridor ends, door to the east. All the doors are wooden and, apparently, swollen shut with moisture.

Turns elapsed: 1

[Bluetongue]

Harker

I'm tempted to bypass all the doors of the corridor and open the far door on the east at the very end. But it could lead to lots being missed. Still it seems to go further into the crypts."

He muses what to do, do many choices. The obvious one is a logical step by step. Okay, let's choose north over south.

Perhaps one of the thieves will listen at the first door on the north with me and the other thief listen at the 2nd north door with a bodyguard. Check for traps and stuff. Three in each group and one person watching both teams from a spot they can see if one group is in trouble and we can support each other.

Harker goes up the north corridor.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

Okay while Harker and a thief checks out the north door up the corridor, I will take up the guard position on the corner with my bow to watch both groups listening and trap finding along the two corridors.

[Lance]

Endor joins Harker in the north corridor, checking whatever door he points to, first for traps, than for sounds.

[Bree-yark]

Jacor goes to the north corridor as well. I started drawing a map of the area:

[sirravd]

Neither Harker nor Endor hear anything. One turn passes.

Turns elapsed: 2

[Bluetongue]

Harker

"No traps, no sounds. Empty pockets too."

He signals to the on-guard elf at the bottom of the corridor that things seem okay. He has the sledge hammer so will use that to barge the door open (presuming it opens into the place beyond otherwise Endor can use a crowbar to pry it open towards us).

'Bash' on the sodden wedged door.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

Signals to the others if they want to bash down a door too. Better one loud bang than a couple. Open up two rooms and pick the best to search.

[Bree-yark]

Jacor

Those doors look like they won't open too easily. I agree with bashing them down quickly. We should have a plan for what's on the other side. If there is one big creature we should rush in and surround it. If there are a lot of little creatures we can hold the hallway to keep them from swarming us.

[Hadarai]

Brother Blaive

The cleric nods at a Jacor, "I'll keep on guard ready to turn any undead if they are lurking in this room!" he voice trembles with a mixture of excitement and fear as he continues to clutch the holy symbol in his hand. "If it is anything else I will sling it with stones."

[sirravd]

The doors use the usual force-doors rolls; if you can't open them immediately, you can automatically do so after a turn; or you can bash them down immediately, but that is so loud as to elicit two wandering-monster rolls. Crowbar/sledgehammer gives you +1.

roll "open doors" for Harker: [1d6] = 2

The door opens easily, onto the eastern half of a square room, 20' x 20'. Immediately across from the door to the north is another door, of the same construction. Two huddled corpses, one a human and one a halfling, in the northwestern part of the room.

Turns elapsed: 2

[Bluetongue]

Harker

Give the door a hefty whack, satisfied it caves in at the first attempt. undoubtedly anyone in that next room heard the door. Perhaps in the ooc thread we could discuss merits of prising doors for a turn or a bash that may alert guards?

"Quall with me to secure that door opposite." He drops the sledgehammer and draws his longsword, agreeing with Jacor that we should rush the room to secure it.

not sure who else has light sources, the lantern is tied to the rope in room one. I struck one in the corridor. I probably passed it to someone as I bashed the door in. I think Mal & Blaive should still have a torch each also.