Third Expedition

[bitflipr]

Morgan is going to approach the door down the northern passage and listen at the door. He's still holding the torch in his hand.

Murq turns to his brother's body and checks for any sign of life, while crying out "Brother! Don't leave me."

[beermotor]

[Did Loden die also? Took a 4hp hit...]

Daryll will light the torches of anyone who needs it, then pull the bodies of Leopold and Turq (helping Murq) back away from the hateful archway. He'll gently compose the corpses with their hands folded over their chests; he remembers that's how they did it at the funerals he's been to. He holds the chattering teeth of the corpse together until they stop. Then he'll start rifling through Leopold's belongings to see what he left behind. If anyone says anything, he'll look perplexed: "He ain't gonna need it now, is he? Did you see them things? If there's something in here worth finding, gonna need all the help we can get!" [Daryll is particularly interested in the Thieves' Tools kit that Leopold was carrying, assuming he stumbles across it. He'll suggest someone tougher take the longsword and helmet.]

Grim wipes the sweat from his brow and looks pointedly at his cousin. They don't say anything, their faces ashen. Then Pikar lets out a big sigh and says, "Yeah." Grim claps him on the shoulder twice, as if in thanks. The two dwarves walk over to where Murq kneels over his brother's body. Grim looks up to see Milner climbing up the rope in his chainmail and snorts. "Typical."

Cisneros walks over to stand near the dwarves. "Hmma, hate to suggest this, yes? But, hmma," <cough cough>, "perhaps deez bodiez should be burned? If wee gowe further on, what's dead here might rise again and block our only escape..." The elf's eyes drift back up to the rope and the dark opening at the top.

[Dumnbunny]

[Did Loden die also? Took a 4hp hit...]

[Yup.]

Jedak pales at the thought of actually touching Loden's ruined remains, his person, but he helps himself to his torches. Jedak mutters to no one in particular about how useful they've proven to be, and not wanting to wind up on like Loden. Sigur follows Morgan down the hall, torch held before him like a talisman, Dugar close behind him with an arrow knocked.

[beermotor]

Daryll will also compose the body of Loden next to the other two in similar fashion.

"Ya think we oughtta burn 'em or what?"

[Dumnbunny]

Jedak looks down at the corpses. "Hmm, maybe. Do we have any oil?"

[beermotor]

Daryll shrugs. "They got clothes on, they'll burn up just fine."

[bitflipr]

Murq will scoff at those suggesting burning Turq's body until he can be convinced that he's dead. He embraces his brother on the ground while weeping.

If Morgan does not hear anything on the other side of the door, he'll attempt to open it by whatever means. He'll look back at Sigur and Dugar behind him and whisper "Whatever we find here, we'll keep to ourselves. Alright?". Morgan wants to find some treasure quickly while others are distracted, so that he won't have to share with the entire group.

[beermotor]

Grim looks up and takes a headcount of those in the room with the deceased.

"How many've we got? Hey, are we missing some people?" [So, in this room, there's Grim & Pikar, Murq, Daryll, Jedak, Cisneros, and that's it? Deceased: Leopold, Turq, and Loden.]

[Raven Crowking]

You are able to recover any goods on the bodies.

Morgan hears nothing at the door, and opens it easily. Beyond he can see a room, about 20 feet square, with another door opposite him. The room seems empty save cobwebs and dust.

In the other room, Grim, Pikar, Murq, Daryll, Jedak, and Cisneros remain with their deceased: Leopold, Turq, and Loden.

[bitflipr]

Murq checks his brother's vitals and detects no signs of life. With a sniffle he closes the eye lids of Turq, and turns to the others "I will not have my brother raising as un-dead, so I agree they should be burned". He grabs Turq's hand with chisel still in its grasp, grabs his other hand, and clasps them together in a proper burial position. He'll also relieve Turq of the 48 cp in his pocket. Murq will then proceed back and pick up the chest.

Morgan will advance towards the second door slowly, quietly.

[Raven Crowking]

As Morgan advances into the room, one of the flagstones depresses with a soft click. A wall shoots across the doorway behind him, cutting him off from retreat, as the far door opens. Seven (yes, seven!) skeletal figures are behind the doorway....they advance into the room with a noise of clacking bones. They are hunched over things, with wolf- or dog-like skulls, and long bony claws on their fingertips.

The odds are not in his favour. It will take a great deal of luck for Morgan to survive this!

[bitflipr]

Morgan will let out an in-human scream at the top of his lungs. He'll wave his torch back and forth frantically to stave off the creatures while hoping that someone will be able to re-open the way behind him.

[beermotor]

[HAHAHAHA... wait wait, sorry....

Hahahaha... Chaotics, man.]



Assuming they hear the scream right as they are about to light the bodies, Grim will yell out "Flank the archway again! Defensive positions! Get torches ready!" He'll move to stand and block part of the door, and Pikar and Daryll will take up positions behind with torches ready to throw.

Cisneros will drop his staff and light two torches, one in each hand, and then light the bodies.

If we need initiative just put me on 2.

[Raven Crowking]

Nothing is coming down the corridor that the main party can see. The high-pitched screaming sounds like it is muffled, as though coming from behind a wall, somewhere not too distant.

Poor Morgan waves his torch around as the skeletal creatures lope into the room. Only four of the un-dead creatures manage to hit him, but even so he is quickly torn apart, to the tune of 19 points of damage. He manages to strike a skeleton with his torch as he falls, but does minimal damage.

Among the main group, the muffled screaming is heard to end in a high-pitched shriek of pain. Then silence reigns in the Barrowmaze once more.

[Dumnbunny]

Sigur and Dugar back away slowly, their eyes fixed on the closed off doorway, until they get to the intersection. There they pause, hearts thudding in their chests, ready to bolt back to the others if the wall moves back.

[beermotor]

Grim calls out, "Oy! What's going on down there?"

[Raven Crowking]

All remains silent. The wall does not move.

[beermotor]

When Sigur and Dugar arrive, Grim will try to marshal everyone together. "First, what happened?" After he's told the story, he says, "Rule Number One: STAY together! Rule Number Two: WORK together! Keep talking, don't go running off on your own, or you'll end up like Morgan. No more opening doors until we're all ready. Okay?"

After the corpses are lit, he'll say, "All right. Who's got a pole, longer the better?"

Daryll snickers.

Grim scowls. "That's enough outta you." Looking around at the group, does it seem that he and Pikar have the best armor because they have shields? "My cousin and I will stay in front. We go SLOW. If we've got a long pole, somebody walk behind us and probe the floor in front of us. Everybody who has a free hand, keep a torch in it. Okay? Let's go."

Can you describe the hallway beyond the archway again?

[Raven Crowking]

Sure. 10 feet beyond the archway, a passage heads to the north. Immediately beyond that, there is a door south (to your right), then another passage north, then a set of doors to the north and south. The passage seems to continue beyond those doors, but you cannot be certain in the flickering torchlight.

[beermotor]

"Morgan went to the first north, right? What killed him? Is there any way it can come after us?" Grim says.

"Let's go check that south door," Daryll says.