Fourth Expedition

[beermotor]

Grim mutters to himself, then speaks out loud to the others. "Well, there's something ... gemmy ... here. And some silver. But I think these bones are on top of it. I know we came down here to find fame and, more to the point, fortune, but now that we're here, and seeing these bones, I'm not so sure about fiddling with them."

Daryll rolls his eyes and walks over to the bones, pushes in front of Grim and uses his dagger to poke around and shift the bones around gingerly, without disturbing them too much.

[Raven Crowking]

The first thing he notes is a clay tablet with writing on one side of it.

[Dogma]

[quote="Raven Crowking
Which of the six areas is Garth poking around in? The one the "ghouls" were in?[/quote]

Yes.

[Raven Crowking]

Apart from some mould growing where water has seeped down the walls, and a few well-gnawed bones, there is little here. The floor where the creatures hissed and cuddled in the dark is a little damp and smells slightly foul.

[beermotor]

The first thing he notes is a clay tablet with writing on one side of it.

"hmm, what's this?" Daryll takes it and looks it over.

[Raven Crowking]

The first thing he notes is a clay tablet with writing on one side of it.

"hmm, what's this?" Daryll takes it and looks it over.

Lifting the clay tablet reveals an ulna and radius still wearing a silver bracelet bedecked with alternating blue and red gemstones. Looking at the tablet, Daryll's expression goes slack as an ancient curse falls upon him. The clay tablet falls to the floor, shattering. His Intelligence is reduced to 3.

(You may counteract by spending enough Luck to raise his save by 6. In this event, the tablet is also not dropped.)

[beermotor]

The first thing he notes is a clay tablet with writing on one side of it.

"hmm, what's this?" Daryll takes it and looks it over.

Lifting the clay tablet reveals an ulna and radius still wearing a silver bracelet bedecked with alternating blue and red gemstones. Looking at the tablet, Daryll's expression goes slack as an ancient curse falls upon him. The clay tablet falls to the floor, shattering. His Intelligence is reduced to 3.

(You may counteract by spending enough Luck to raise his save by 6. In this event, the tablet is also not dropped.)

Oof! I had to spend 4 Luck to get 6 points... sigh. Current Luck: 7 (-1). Also, does he have any idea about the very close call he just had? If so, he's going to fling the tablet against the wall, immediately.

"Ooh, shiny," Daryll says, and slips the bracelet off the remains of the arm. "This what ya lookin' fer, elf?" He smirks. "How much ya give for it?"

If Cisneros sees a gem that seems suitable, he'll double over in a fit of coughing, before croaking out a "Yes!"

[Raven Crowking]

Daryll certainly does have an idea, so the tablet is smashed.

Looking at the bracelet, it is a pretty thing, and Daryll believes that it is actually quite valuable....intact. There is a red gem Cisneros thinks might due - although he is no expert - although removing it will reduce the value of the piece.

[beermotor]

Daryll certainly does have an idea, so the tablet is smashed.

Looking at the bracelet, it is a pretty thing, and Daryll believes that it is actually quite valuable....intact. There is a red gem Cisneros thinks might due - although he is no expert - although removing it will reduce the value of the piece.

How many gems precisely?

[Raven Crowking]

Six smaller blue gems, five smaller red gems, one larger red gem, about the size of the end of your thumb past the joint.

(Unless you have unusually large or small thumbs, of course.)

[beermotor]

Six smaller blue gems, five smaller red gems, one larger red gem, about the size of the end of your thumb past the joint.

(Unless you have unusually large or small thumbs, of course.)

Cisneros's eyes gleam. "That one! <hack hack> There. The ... big one."

Daryll says, "Hmmf. What y'all say? Give the elf here what he needs, but he forfeits any other share of money? This thing'll still have some value with the biggun gone, but not as much as it woulda."

Cisneros coughs and sputters. "Whatever conditions ... you want. Doesn't ... matter."

Grim nods. "I think it's fair that he should forfeit any other share during this expedition, and maybe the next, depending on when we leave here." He jerks his beard at Gunnar. "I still want to find my cousin's bones and give them a proper burial, away from this forsaken place."

Daryll tosses the bracelet to Grim. "You can hold onto it for now, dwarf. Let the rest have a say in what we do." Then he goes back to digging carefully through the bones with his dagger, to see what else might be hidden.

[Raven Crowking]

Nothing else is located in the bones, except a few scraps of cloth and what might be bits of dried flesh yet clinging to a bone here or there.

[Dogma]

Garth lets out a sigh of disappointment before wandering over to the other. When he spies the gems and jewelry a gleam of avarice sparks in his eye.

"'Bout time we found something worthwhile down here. When do I get my cut?"

[beermotor]

Cisneros's mouth twitches. "I need ... the gem ... now! Must ... <hack cough wheeze> get out ... to appease ... my patron."

Grim frowns. "I don't think we're ready to leave yet, are we? Unless someone strongly objects, I'll hold onto the bracelet until we get back to town." Gunnar nods his agreement.

"Sssscuse me," HP says, and then smirks a bit. "What if, perchance, some foul un-dead thing were to fell one o' our brave band, hmmm? What then of the split of the treasure? And," his eyes narrow, and he makes a dramatic gesture at the dwarf, "what if the one who carries all the treasure were to fall? Shall we then get nothing for our troubles in this hellish place of rot and disease? Split it now, I say!"

Daryll scratches at his missing ear. "Man's got a point."

[knight.errant]

Ellie pipes up, echoing Daryl's sentiment: "Now is better than later. May not be a later for some of us."

Kadatheron motions to Cisneros. "If these things can smell blood, we may do well to leave now before our friend here loses any more. If that gem will ensure he stops bleeding, I say we give it to him."

Podrick scans the area for any signs of rat-things or undead advancing on them.

[Raven Crowking]

All seems quiet for the moment.

[Dogma]

"If the bleeding one wants to take his gem and go, I say let him go." Olaf pipes in. "I'm for staying though. I came down to make my fortune, an a few small colored stones ain't going to amount to much split between all of us."

"Aye," says Willem, "and if Grim be holden' on'ta this bit o' treasure, then some other body should be holden' whatever we find be diggin' up next. Divides it up proper so thar's less chance of losing it all to a bit o' fickle fate."

I have decided that Willem the Clumsy, being a sailor and all, will now be talking like a pirate

[beermotor]

"Well, we haven't got a jeweler among us, have we?" Grim says. "I think it's a wise idea to split it up, but wouldn't want to chance smashing the gems. I think we ought to wait until we go back to town to split it up. And maybe we'll find some more stuff down here, too. Perhaps we can give it to someone... trustworthy. And nimble, if the battle goes ill." He glares pointedly at HP.

Kent raises his hand. "I would be honored to have your trust vested in me. I won't let you down."

Unless there's an objection or a better idea, Grim will pass the bauble to Kent to hold, and he'll stuff it in his backpack.

"Shall we move on? I'd like to see what's beyond this intersection here," Grim says, and marches the party to the T-intersection at the eastern end of the hall. Sniff for gems/gold when there...

Actually, wait, we haven't looked behind the third set of curtains have we?

[Raven Crowking]

You have made a casual inspection of the areas behind the third set of curtains.

Walking to the intersection, you can see that the passageway goes at least 30 feet to both the north and the south. To the immediate south, there is an open pit. Sniffing the air here, Grim smells nothing of value.

[beermotor]

Grim peers over the edge of the pit. "Hold that torch here so we can see down in there."

Then, "I think we should backtrack to the intersection back there, and see what's behind us. There were a couple doors, and a larger room. Let's make sure we know what might be lurking back there before we go any further."