The Game Thread

[tibbius]

Haha hadn't even thought about that.
Doesn't it have healing properties though? Maybe if we mix it with water we will create a healing potion.
Or am I reaching here and the healing soup wasn't meant to be taken literally?

FAAFO ...

How much is the sackful of gems worth in gp?

Probably a hundredweight of silver. (Each gem, if cut, might be worth several pounds. But you'd need to find a gem cutter. Still, if you could find one, you could make your fortunes full.)

[jemmus]

Delx heats his flagon over his torch's flame long enough to melt enough ice for a gulp of water. He scoops up some wholespice powder, puts it on his tongue and washes it down with a swallow.

[Grognardsw]

As Delx drank the powder mix, Elroon evaluated the minerals.

"A hundredweight of silver I'd guess
But much more if cut to gems
We must needs find a cutter to enjoy excess!"

The cursed bard put his share of minerals and powder vials in his backpack. He hefted the dwarven armor, which would be worth a pretty platinum to dwarfs, trying to decide if its weight and size would be too cumbersome to lug around.

...There are a few dozen smallish iron chests or caskets stacked around the walls. They each look like they might weigh twenty pounds empty or significantly more if filled.

"Well, many more chests
No time to rest!"

Elcroon repeated his paranoic precautions and careful opening process with each chest, avoiding the caskets which usually held unpleasantries. But before even approaching the stacks around the walls, he tossed the the empty chests across and onto the floor (should there be pit traps triggered.) He observed the walls and corners for grooves or scratches that could reveal the ceiling drops down; for pin prick holes from which gas could come out; for water stains that could indicate the room fills up with water; and any other unusual features. He propped the dwarf armor in the doorway, to act as a stop should a stone drop down to trap them inside. He tied a rope around his waist, giving instruction to be pulled out if something untoward occurred. He cautioned the others back as he followed his previous precautionary practice in opening the chests.

Not sure to what extant you want to play out this aspect, or just hand wave to conclusion...

[Juramenta]

Black dog does as instructed while making sure she has easy access to the other end of the rope.

[tibbius]

Delx heats his flagon over his torch's flame long enough to melt enough ice for a gulp of water. He scoops up some wholespice powder, puts it on his tongue and washes it down with a swallow.

Pure wholespice has a very strange mouthfeel. Grander and softer than whiskey or cayenne, it doesn't exactly burn or tingle but more kind of sparkles and warms. It's numbing in the throat.

Delx's fingers stop hurting.

Elcroon's efforts bear fruit (as poorly illustrated by Midjourney):

a_dimly-lit_DEAD_END_treasure_vault_had_DOZENS_of_iron.png (823.57 KiB) Viewed 810 times

[jemmus]

Delx lets out a low whistle. You did alright, friend Elcroon. Black Dog, if we can get some of this to a town, you'll be eating beefsteaks and venison liver and tongue and lapping up sweet cream for a week! He happily rubs the dog's head and smiles. He divides the vials of powders and the coins into two piles. Elcroon, what do you think? The weight of all of this is something to consider. The armor and axe are heavy and bulky, but they've got to be magical. We could separate the armor into pieces, and divide the burden of it and the axe between us.
But would we then have to foresake some of this glorious coin? If it comes to it, which do you think the better? Toting the wondrous old magic dwarven steelcraft, which might be invaluable to some few? Or the coin, which is readily accepted by any Tom, Dick, Harry, Jane or Jill in any hamlet along the way? His inexpert and rather bohemian mind wonders what the ratio of weight to value of precious metals, vials of powder, uncut gems, and magic dwarven armor and axe might be....

For the first time in his life, the wandering spearman-flautist feels the prospect of a life of... having enough, and even more than enough. But he has to admit to himself... a king's treasure is of no use to a man dead or petrified man, in an under-mountain city of ghosts and long forgotten by the living. Or... maybe we should just take the powders for now, and come back for the rest on the way back out. Except for the axe.
I'll take the axe, Elcroon lad, since you don't want it. It's not favored weapon either, but-- a magical axe in a fight is a magical axe!

[tibbius]

Denizen? [_3d6]=(1+5+4)=10

[Juramenta]

Black dog happily barks as he talks about all the delicacies that await them.
I am so happy that you are talking to me. That is so tasty. Did I really earn all that master? she thinks while looking at him waggling her tail.

[Grognardsw]

Elcroon nods in agreement and purses his lips, silently searching for a Bag of Holding.

Logically speaking, we should leave now while we’re ahead and get down with as much as we can. Though the chasm and mountain present a challenge for that. Then return for another go (after appropriate splurging, carousing and wenching).

Elcroon’s earlier musings about another exit out lower down the mountain is probably right, but we’d either not make it (especially loaded down with gold), or it would take a year of game play to do it. So I’m leaning toward leaving now and return after.

[Juramenta]

Does this world have magical item vendors? If we go back and we sell all the loot, would they be able to upgrade their gear or get other beneficial items?

[jemmus]

I'd agree with getting out with as much loot as we can and coming back unencumbered.

[tibbius]

The two boxes first opened probably have the most practically valuable treasures (after the armor and axe): vials of spices and uncut gems. The rest of the boxes just spilled coins, mostly gold, which are valuable but have a lower value:weight ratio compared to the gems and spices. There are still a couple of unopened boxes in a corner.

[Grognardsw]

If the remaining boxes were not caskets, and were not locked, Elcroon using his usual cautionary procedures to attempt to open them.

[Juramenta]

Black Dog’s ears perk up as she watches Elcroon go about his cautious handling of each box. Her curiosity gets the better of her, making her tiptoe closer. One cautious pawstep at a time, sniffing the air for any hint of danger.

[jemmus]

Delx scoops any remaining wholespice back into the vial and put the vial in his pack. He observes as Elcroon tests the remaining chests.

[tibbius]

The other chests are fairly light, but solidly locked.

[jemmus]

We could maybe give them taps with the axe. Heavy enough to crack them, but not so heavy as to wreck the loot.
Err, the contents.

[Grognardsw]

Elcroon deferred on the locked chests.

“Aye, a few whacks
with your magic axe.”

The bard stepped back to beyond the doorway and watched.

[tibbius]

Elcroon deferred on the locked chests.

“Aye, a few whacks
with your magic axe.”

The bard stepped back to beyond the doorway and watched.

From the second step up the cramped staircase, Elcroon watched Delx bash at the first chest.

A gust of gas gushed forth ...

Delx please test ST at disadvantage

[Grognardsw]

Elcroon, mouth wrapped in wet cloth, from beyond the door, tried to lasso Delx and pull him out in case his companion was respiratorily disadvantaged.