Fourth Expedition

[beermotor]

"Don't be afraid, lads," Grim says. "Just stay close and keep a sharp lookout. Sing out if you see something."

[Corsair]

"Sing out?" whispers Colgher to Torvid. "Is that what Dwarves do?"

"Dunno," whispers Torvid in return. "Probably. I hear they sing all the time, going to work, coming home from work..." He lets the sentence trail off as he sees the other Dwarf, Themble, glancing in their direction. Everyone knew Dwarves could hear better than Humans.

[Raven Crowking]

The others just continue to nervously clutch their weapons and keep watch as they follow Grim to their doom.

Passing through the arch, you can see into the area where bricks have been knocked aside. It is a mere 10 feet deep, seemingly a simple stone cell. Coming closer, you can see that some of the bricks have been piled up here -- it looks like the work perhaps of a sledge hammer, a year or more ago.

The slanted passage goes approximately 25 to 30 feet and enters the corner of a triangular room, perhaps 40 to 50 feet in length on it south and west walls. There is a door in the south wall, and a door in the triangle's hypotenuse. Someone has scrawled, in the common tongue Abandon all hope, you who enter here, in blood, in large letters along the longest wall. Underneath, in smaller letters, with what appears to be ink: I screwed the barmaid at The Brazen Strumpet. Lucius wrote this.

Where the walls meet at a right angle, to the southwest, crouches a hideous stone statue of a great winged gargoyle. It appears to be looking at its left hand, but the left arm is missing at the elbow, and so it stares at nothing.

[beermotor]

The slanted passage goes approximately 25 to 30 feet and enters the corner of a triangular room, perhaps 40 to 50 feet in length on it south and west walls. There is a door in the south wall, and a door in the triangle's hypotenuse. Someone has scrawled, in the common tongue Abandon all hope, you who enter here, in blood, in large letters along the longest wall. Underneath, in smaller letters, with what appears to be ink: I screwed the barmaid at The Brazen Strumpet. Lucius wrote this.

Where the walls meet at a right angle, to the southwest, crouches a hideous stone statue of a great winged gargoyle. It appears to be looking at its left hand, but the left arm is missing at the elbow, and so it stares at nothing.

I'm not quite clear on how this layout looks... so there's a door to the south wall and a door to the north? Or on the NE wall heading to the NE?

Grim barks a single word. "Halt." He sniffs the air. Then he directs whoever's holding the pole to tap along the floor immediately inside the triangular room. "Check for traps. Slowly, now, slowly."

Assuming everything is okay in here, he'll inspect the gargoyle statute a bit closer. Could it be moved? What's it made out of? Carved or cast stone?

Cisneros will inspect the blood inscription. Is it very old, or fresh? Likewise on the ink.

[Raven Crowking]

I'm not quite clear on how this layout looks... so there's a door to the south wall and a door to the north? Or on the NE wall heading to the NE?

There is a door on the south wall, and a door on the northeast wall, closer to the southeast corner of the triangle - about 10 feet away from the corner. The door to the south is about 20 feet away from the corner.

Grim smells no gold or silver, and no gems, although a smell of burnt flesh is upon the air, faintly, as though the burning happened some time ago. Tapping with the pole reveals nothing, so Grim moves forward to inspect the gargoyle statue. It is carved from blue-grey granite, which Grim knows to be a very hard stone, and not unusual for carvings of this sort. It is larger than man-sized, and while it does not appear to be attached to the dais it crouches upon, it would be very heavy, maybe 3,000 lbs or so.

When Cisneros inspects the inscriptions, he determines that they are neither extremely old or extremely fresh. He gets the impression that the blood was written before the ink...a matter of weeks, probably. He also notes that there is another inscription under the blood, which he can make out to read Remember: Up Then Down, but there is no immediate clue as to what this might mean, if anything.

[beermotor]

Cisneros reads the inscription he found out loud. "Remember: Up ... <cough hack> Then Down." <wheeze>

Grim arches an eyebrow. "Whazzat? 'Abandon Hope all Ye Who Enter Here'? 'I screwed the barmaid at the Brazen Strumpet.'?"

<Assuming nothing happens...>

Grim motions to Daryll. "Take a look at this thing. See what you think."

Daryll checks it out. (Find Traps roll = 8 + 1 = 9.) Does anything move or rotate on the statute? Does the other hand move? Head? Teeth or claws? Wings? Could it be tipped off the base that it's on?

[Raven Crowking]

Sorry, Find Traps is rolled by the judge because you have no idea of whether you are successful or not, unless you find something.

In any event, Daryll finds no traps. The statue does not appear to have any moving or rotating parts; the remaining (right) hand is on a knee, which would make it hard to knock the claws off. The tip of the thumb, perhaps, is vulnerable. It's mouth is closed, but teeth are carved to appear jutting from both upper and lower jaw in places. The creature does have wings; they are relatively tight to his body (which Grim realizes is probably due to the necessity of the statue bearing their weight - if they were more outspread, they probably wouldn't be part of the statue anymore). The left arm was away from the main body, rendering it vulnerable to being broken off, as it indeed has been. There are horns atop the gargoyle that could likewise be potentially knocked off with a hammer, if someone were to climb up it and give it a few good whacks.

It would be possible to tip the statue off the base that it's on, but the base seems also to be of stone, and there is no indication that there is anything underneath. Certainly, cobwebs and dust indicate that, if there were, it would not have been accessed in a long time. This would be a major feat of strength, but using tools (crowbars) and working together, you may be able to do it.

[beermotor]

Okay, thanks.

"Don't look like nothin'," Daryll says. "But let's knock it over. Maybe somethin' underneath."

Grim nods, and motions for everybody to join in and push to topple it off the base. However you want to work it...

[Raven Crowking]

Before I adjudicate the results of this, I would like to give others the chance to chime in.

[beermotor]

This should be interesting...

While that's going on, HP will go and listen at the two doors, to see if he hears anything beyond them.

[Raven Crowking]

HP steps over to the northeastern door first. Listening, he makes out what seems like quiet voices, but he can make out no words. There is then a sound like a clanking chain, a sound like dripping water, and more murmur of voices.

Does he continue to the southern doors.

[Dogma]

Willem the halfling approaches the statue and holds out his crowbar, "I gots this here cro'bar iffen it will help. But does we wanna be makin' a buncha noise like that? This here thing will go down like a 3 master crashin' inta the shipwrecker reef. Everthing an' their brotha' be knowin' we be down here. after that."

[Corsair]

"I've got a crowbar as well," offers Colgher, moving to stand by the statue on the opposite side of the Halfling. Torvid stands next to his friend, ready to offer some muscle if needed.

Themble ignores the toppling party and continues to search the room, tapping with his pole and checking for secret doors.

Malgaliir the Elf moves to listen at the Southern door while HP is at the northeastern.

[Raven Crowking]

No noise is heard at the southern door, but the faint smell of burnt flesh lingers more strongly there.

[beermotor]

HP skedaddles back to the group, wide-eyed. "Guys!" he says in an emphatic whisper. "I heard voices on the other side of that door! And the clank of a chain! What ELDRITCH HORRORS LURK beyond the PORTAL?!"

This guy is gonna be so fun if he lives, you guys.

Grim reconsiders the idea to push over the statute. "Well, whatever's on the other side of that door will definitely hear us. Let's get the jump on them first. Form up around the door, defensive positions!"

Grim will move to be directly in front of the door, Daryll will stand to the side of it, ready to open it up. Gunnar stands behind Grim, Kent next to him. Cisneros stays by the statute, and HP huddles near him. Kent and Gunnar hold torches and prepare to throw them. Grim readies his warhammer (I think his default deed will be a headshot).

[knight.errant]

Jeren takes up a position in the second row with his pitchfork pointed at the door, shaking slightly with fear after HP's mention of Eldritch Horrors.

Podrick lines up next to Jeren, nodding silently to him as he forces a smile.

Ellie slides back towards the rear of the group, perhaps back behind the statue, somewhere near Cisneros. She wonders if maybe these horrors can talk, and what they would say. Maybe they want something. She wonders what it's like to be as powerful as an Eldritch Horror.

Kadatheron looks up, then down. Then around for some source of fire or a potential source for the smell of burnt flesh. He moves closer to the statue and inspects it, wondering if it might be some sort of trap that sets things on fire. He looks for burn marks, and sniffs the air as he moves, to try an determine if the smell is stronger in one area than the other.

[Dogma]

Willem holds out two yards of sail cloth. "Maybe we could try 'n toss this atop whatever be comin' through the door. Make it as blind as a clam, we could. Might just be givin' us the upper hand."

Olaf hefts his hammer and joins the second rank, softly whistling a tune under his breath. because as you know, dwarves are always singing and such

Jonas also joins the second rank, eyes wide with fear and expecting the worst, but trying to be brave anyways.

Garth takes a position about halfway between the door and the statue, "just in case anything gets by the rest of ya."

[beermotor]

Once everybody's in position, Daryll will open the door.

[Corsair]

Colgher and Torvid move among the more martially-oriented members of the party, Torvid with a sigh of resignation as takes the other end of Willem's sail cloth. Colgher swallows loudly, holding his crowbar in two hands as if it were an axe.

"I don't know from Old Rich's Horrors," says Colgher Colgher. "Who's he, anyway? Wasn't he the stable owner over in Ballast? Had that son with the funny eye?"

"The smell of burned flesh eminates from the Southern door," offers Malgaliir, pointing as he gathers with the group and ignoring the turnip farmer. "You say there are voices? Has anyone tried speaking to them? Through the door, I mean? I'm happy to do so, before we leap straight to violence."

"Buck up Mal, ya pansy!" snorts Themble. "Ain't nothing on the other side of that door wants talking to. It wants killing! Am I right, Olaf?"

"Yes," replies the Elf calmly, "but has anyone tried that yet?"

[beermotor]

"If it can talk, we'll talk," says Grim. "If not, it pays to be ready."