Action Thread #5 - The Plains

[ragnboneshopper]

As the party moves forward through the fortress, Thurinor will look for signs of hidden doors in the walls, not at all trusting that some untimely evil is not about to spring at the party. "You dwarves have a penchant for hiding important doors, I've heard," he mutters.

"Let's cross this pit with care, now, shall we? I'll cover you, Ogirdor." Hefting his crossbow, he considers how best to get past the pit and the uncomfortable feeling he will have once the pit is yawning directly behind him at the bottom of the stairs with some automaton marching around above.


OOC: Going up the stairs, are we? Vargr, can we very easily bypass the pit now we know it's there, leaping across the corners? Shall a few of us cover our frontliners with bows until they can secure a foothold at the top of the stairs?

[Stonjuz]

"When I said 'we just go knock on the door explaining our problem', I was only kidding, boys."

[Vargr1105]

Day 3 - Afternoon - Grassy Plain/The Lake Fortress


The party ascends the small flight of stairs and nears the door. It is plain whatever original door had once barred the entry to the fort proper is long gone and someone, or something, has placed this one has a replacement. It is a shoddy job more fit for a peasant's dwelling than a fortress, lacking even a handle or lock.

The door swings inward without resistance and the adventurers gaze into a short corridor. Halfway down it one the left wall another door can be seen. On the right side at the corridor's end there seems to be something else but none can discern it from this distance.





Stonjuz gets the impression that this building may indeed have been build by members of his race, but if so they must have been among the least skillful of their kind and/or pretty poor custodians.

[ragnboneshopper]

"What wonderful suspense," Thurinor whispers, his breathing shallow and rapid for one of his race, his eyes a bit on the wild side as he scans the room. "And what is waiting for us down at the end, there?" He concentrates on detecting magic as the party proceeds, until reaching the end of the short corridor, where he will look for secret doors if there is no obvious opening.

[zebediah]

Ogirdor looks around assessing all the area of the small corridor Ozborn, some time ago you mentioned having some experience with traps. Can you see if there is any hidden threat around here?

[Stonjuz]

"Yep,yep. Dwarves a be makin the finest o traps since ....since the beginning o' time. My favorite is the blades on the ole log roll. Maybe when I was a younger dwarf of say... 99. Step right on up thar laddie. I'll be feeling for it, but i dontareckon to find any new construction. Ha""

[Buzz]

"I doubt traps still linger here, not to offend the builders of course, but this place feels so old..."

[zebediah]

"I doubt traps still linger here, not to offend the builders of course, but this place feels so old..."

My bruises beg to differ my friend.

[Vargr1105]

Day 3 - Afternoon - Grassy Plain/The Lake Fortress





The adventures advance carefully down the corridor. Thurinor concentrates and gazes upon the premises with his second sight but detects no auras to speak of. Ozborn's roguish skills likewise find no sign of new traps, and none of the companions detect secret passages or hidden ways.

As they reach the middle door on the left side of the corridor the unmistakable smell of dried fish assails their nostrils, coming from whatever lies beyond it.


The forward members of the party are now in the square just before the "c" on the map. As a note, any letters or symbols on maps are just a module reference of that area for the GM. They do not indicate anything that is actually in that location/square in-game.

[Stonjuz]

In his native dwarven tongue, Stonjuz asks, "Kashtonk spoonkashtii Druv?"
ooc: "Want me to say something in Dwarvish?".

[Sir Clarence]

Andrin waits for the fighters in the front to decide what to do. From time to time he turns around and looks down the stairs as he wants no tadpole-man to surprise him.

[Vargr1105]

Day 3 - Afternoon - Grassy Plain/The Lake Fortress


Andrin takes a few steps from where the party congregates around the door and peeks down the right-hand passage. He sees a flight of stairs leading down into the darkness.

[ragnboneshopper]

Thurinor sniffs at the smell of dried fish. "We could do worse than find out who belongs to that fishy smell. I wonder if we're invited to dinner"

OOC: I'm for investigating the door/smell first. Don't need a surprise waiting at our backs...

[Stonjuz]

Maybe knockin' on the door ain't such a bad idear after all. What's the worst that could happen?

[Sir Clarence]

"That we lose the element of surprise?"

[zebediah]

Keep an eye on the stairs, I will check the door. the ranger will try to open the door

[Vargr1105]

Day 3 - Afternoon - Grassy Plain/The Lake Fortress


The door open easily inwards as it is not locked. Inside the ranger sees...

Dried fish, more dried fish and yet more dried fish!





From wall to ceiling and from wall to wall this square room is crammed with wooden racks holding hundreds of fish and eels, and neatly slit and dried. The smell is overpowering and depending on each individual's feeling towards cured sea (or more accurately, river) food, either off-putting or reminiscent of thoughts of dinner.

Two open window-slits on the middle of the front and right walls allow some light to stream in from the outside. Near where the left and front walls meet there seems to be some square-ish protrusion on the ceiling.

Given the wooden racks and their fishy hangings all about and obscuring vision, this is all Ogirdor can perceive from where he stands by the door.


The "u" and square on the map is where the ceiling protrusion is located.

[ragnboneshopper]

Thurinor wrinkles his nose but considers following into the fishy room, intensely curious. "On second thought, maybe this way should be avoided..." If the party explores the room fully, he will look out the window slits at the first opportunity.

[zebediah]

There is something in here Ogirdor mutters half to himself as he steps in the room. He tries to get a better view of the protrusion, pointing his spear up in case it needs to be used.

[Stonjuz]

Stonjuz takes a position looking down the stairs, as requested, with staff readied and using infravision if possible. The smell of fish is making the turtle a little more active in the attempts to get down, or fed, or both.