A Front Storeroom
Continued From A Discovery after The Tale of Augvald and Nor, Demi-Gods is related and the DM recovers from Condition Poor
Summary
At the bottom of the hole, Embla finds some sort of storeroom where she is momentarily spooked by a goat's bladder filled with blood that had seemed to move threateningly. The rest of the party makes it down and they find that at the back of the room, a passage has been walled off with wooden staves. With a little experimentation, they figure out how to remove them and begin doing so.
Original Page
The DM: Embla, I presume you are using some kind of light source, beyond the open hole above you. For now, that hole will dimly light the environment you're in; forgive me for moving you five feet from the bottom of the 20 foot slope, but where you are you're safe; and you'll need to make room for Engelhart when you give the signal.
[if this is too dim, I'll brighten the picture]
You can see that they've collected 8 barrels of something from the outside world. There is human blood on some of the barrels, dried; two of the barrels are sitting on a bench, which is slightly bowed from the weight ~ so without touching them, you can see those barrels are full. The room is made of stone that has been mined out; except the furthest edge of 0405, which has a line of wooden posts, about four inches thick, forming a wall from floor to ceiling. They're ten feet away at the moment, and you haven't named a light source, so you can't see how they're fixed in place, but there seems to be no door.
Nor can you see clearly into the cubbyhole with six barrels in it. Not until you approach it with a light source. Being around the corner, half that corner is in very dim shadow.
Your heightened sense of smell suggests that there is some form of fermented drink in the barrels, but it smells . . . off. Like they've done something to beer.
Embla: I'm using the lantern. I slowly make my way towards the barrels.
The DM: As you raise the lantern, you see something red and globular between two of the barrels. Please make a roll against surprise.
Embla: [Oops.] That's a 1 on a d6.
The DM: You are surprised.
The creature in the dark seems to pulse; or perhaps that's your imagination. You can barely see it. Whatever it is, it doesn't attack.
Roll initiative.
Embla: I rolled a 3 on a d6.
The DM: I rolled a 1. You have initiative. Action?
Embla: I call up "Something down here", put the lantern down, and draw my battleaxe.
The DM: It doesn't attack.
Embla: How long until someone else gets down here?
The DM: About three rounds.
You're growing aware of the fact that this blob doesn't seem to have moved at all in 12 seconds. And on second glance, it isn't pulsing. Not one little bit.
Embla: Ok. I pick up the lantern and try to shine more light on I. I'll get a hex closer if necessary.
The DM: [When you said you moved towards the barrels, I took it as your entering 0404)
With more light and patience, you see that you're looking at a goat's bladder that has been filled with - your nose tells you, as you peer close - blood. Of course, you smelled blood before, it was on the barrels; but the smell is stronger now as your adrenaline subsides.
There is no monster here.
The DM: All right. As everyone descends, I take a closer look. With my heightened senses, can I tell if blood and alcohol are the only things I smell?
The DM: Those seem to be the most powerful odors, the strongest ones. You smell the mustiness, of course, like each person does as they come down.
Trust me, I shall endeavor to give you complete information regarding your sage ability; I will forget once in awhile, of course. You can poke me, ask if I'm forgetting to describe the odor: "Please describe the odor" or the taste, or the sound, but I will do my best to be thorough. It is going to be a challenge, as detailed odor is not a typical setting addition.
Embla: From the smell alone, do I have any idea what kind of alcohol is in those barrels? I.e. Are the frogs trying to poison people with their drink, or is this liquor for the frogs themselves?
The DM: Not without opening one. It smells like beer, but it smells wrong.
[Now come on! I get no comment on trying to fake you with a jump scare? Where's the abuse for the DM?]
Embla: [:) Oh, you got me good. I had no idea what possibly might be red and pulsing in the dark, and I was not eager to find out without backup!]
Hrm. On the off chance that it is laced with something, I'd rather not go chugging some frog's booze (it's just rude). I wait for my fellows to come on down.
The DM: It's a small space; let's assume the party is down and that the three others are just behind them. Bergthora will hang on the wall, Willa will watch with her bow while Fjall watches her back.
Embla: [and I need to head to bed. Sorry, Alexis. Can we pick this up tomorrow?]
The DM: [Have I driven everyone off?
[Once again, the party is in the lower chamber, together. Does anyone want to take an action?]
Embla: Can I tell if the posts are structural?
The DM: They seem to be fitted into the floor and ceiling in a way that can't be removed, very close together so you can't see through them. You could try to force them out, but it could be a trap of some kind. You don't know.
Embla: Hmm. What else is down here besides the barrels, bladder, and wood staves?
The DM: This seems to be the entirety of it.
Embla: I knock on the planks to see if there's a chamber beyond.
The DM: ...and then you remember that if there is something on the other side that will be woken up by your knocking, it will be too late to change that.
Some DMs think this question isn't appropriate, but I will be your conscience here: Are you sure?
Embla: Hmm. Would I be able to use a dagger to separate the boards enough that I could get a peek through?
The DM: That might be possible; the wood is a flexible sort and it is a bit damp. I'd say you'd have to make a wisdom check on how much pressure your dagger could take before either succeeding or giving up.
Embla: That is a 4 for the Wisdom check.
Engelhart: I wish to gently try and understand if the wood might slide up, down or to either side. If it has any give, so to speak.
There's no sense in have a storeroom that you must access the long way around from the exterior, this has to be a door, albeit not necessarily a traditional one.
The DM: I'll take the two actions in order of posting, beginning with Embla and then Engelhart.
Embla, you can just wedge a sliver between two wooden shafts, without breaking your dagger, to find the following: that a) the air beyond is much colder to your sensitivity; b) there's a large space beyond; and c) that you can smell a very slight fresh, watery moss odor in the air beyond. Then your wrist hurts and you have to pull your dagger.
Engelhart, a close examination suggests that the shafts were placed in order to permanently block the space. Holes were knocked into the floor about half a centimeter deep, then green shafts of poplar were popped into place, hammering their tops into the ceiling, which seems to VERY SLIGHTLY slope downward.
To get the shafts out, you'll have to pull at the top of them; once the first shaft is released, there will be enough purchase to begin pulling out the others.
Engelhart: Uhm, an abrupt cave drop, possibly.
There doesn't seem to be a lot to it, I'll signal Lothar for his Sword and try and insert it in such a way that it can be used to wrench out the central shaft.
Pandred, for her strength, is an obvious candidate, too.
The DM: Embla has demonstrated that she can move a shaft with her dagger, so she is strong enough. Moreover, it will take someone tall to do it, and Embla is the tallest in your party.
Embla: I begin removing the shafts.
The DM: I have created a new post.
Continued on A Wet Cavern
