Back to Camp

Continued from Morning of July 18th, in Camp

July 19 of 1650, morning

The DM: Not long after Dilhak leaves, it begins to rain. Laying in the tent, listening to it fall, you can’t help think about how Dilhak is walking in it. The rain is light, becoming a drizzle by daylight and still going by 9 am. The temperature is cool and there’s just the lightest air movement.

Lexent: When I awaken I spend the hour and 15 minutes to prepare my spells.

The DM: Accepted. But I did assume that; I won't police your spell memorizing nor claim you couldn't have done it. It's the sort of thing I'd rather retcon if there's an issue with it. After all, you wouldn't forget; you were trained at a seminary for years to get up every morning and pray. You'd have to will yourself not to do it.

Vafrandir: Do we want to head back down today? There are probably a handful more ghouls and ghasts about, as well as that tomb - which we're not sure how to enter yet.

Vafrandir: How are the sappers faring?

Lexent: Everyone is fully healed.

Lexent: Nadia's wages accounted for.

The DM: If the sappers have the hit points, they’d rather come along than stay behind. It occurs to me, I need 2d6 rolled for Helga. Can someone roll it please?

Pandred: 9.

Vafrandir: I would like someone to stay behind with Ole again. Arvid did last time. Let's see what this roll for Helge yields.

The DM: Helga was stunned in the fight with the ghasts, and also in the earlier fight with the ghouls; I never had her roll a morale check, though she never did rejoin the fight after the ghasts. But, I should have checked her morale anyway. I’ll lump them together and since her original morale was 9, and Pandred cleared, that, please lower her base morale to 8. This is her morale when Pandred isn’t around to influence it further.

Pandred: I'm not against Helga staying behind, her hit was substantial. I'm sure she's champing at the bit to get down again though.

Vafrandir: It might be better to have her with us and thus around you. Would Marit be willing to stay?

Marit: "If it pleases you sir – might we draw lots?"

Vafrandir: "I think that's a good and fair idea. I know you all wish to go."

The DM: Leaving Arvid out, the other four agree to draw lots with stones, holding none or one in their hands, then guessing if the sum is odd or even. There are two, and everyone guesses even except Asger. He agrees to stay behind.

Lexent: That settled, assuming the weather is still fit (enough) for travel, we head up to the dungeon.

Pandred: Passing Arduin the +1 Spear, readying myself with Battleaxe. "Let's crack this tomb lads."

The DM: If you’ll permit, you re-enter the main hall together, without any trouble. Marit will beg your pardon again and ask if anyone’s wondered yet where all the furniture came from, between the hall and the chieftain’s room.

Lexent: "I had assumed from other parts of the complex, but the way it was stacked toward the door seems odd for that. Maybe some means of magical conveyance? We should take a look at the markings on the floor of that room again."

Lexent: We should endeavor to keep better track of the time this go around. What time is it when we enter the dungeon?

Vafrandir: Yes, I need to reread the previous pages to remind myself what we examined.

Lexent: I strap on my shield and head for the chieftan's room.

Vafrandir: I do the same.

The DM: About 10:30. You started last time after having travelled there that same day.

Vafrandir: I do not believe we examined the circle on the floor.

Lexent: Is the room as we left it?

The DM: No one’s been here. Vafrandir, Lexent checked it for magical emanation, but no one has actually looked over it. You see a notch in the wall above it out of the corner of your eye.

Vafrandir: One of the other may be better suited to examine the symbols. I'll look it over in case I recognize anything. What shape is the notch?

Lexent: I start inspecting the circle on the floor. "Marcule, take a look at this with me, would you?"

The DM: the notch seems designed for some kind of hook

Pandred: A large hook, or a small one? I try to give the notch a little tug with a finger or two.

The DM: Something gives, but your finger isn’t strong enough to put enough pressure on it.

Vafrandir: We've got hooks. I'll ask the sappers for one and hand it to Pandred.

The DM: As Pandred pulls, a seam forms in the middle of the wall and a secret door opens that’s 5 feet wide and ceiling high. The doors, now revealed to be made of wood and not stone, slide to the left and right and disappear into the walls.

Behind the Secret Door

The DM: Looking through the rooms, with all due care, it’s about 10:50 by the time you’ve finished a good search. The furniture seems to have mostly come from the upper room shown, where there is additional debris over the floor. The bed hasn’t been touched in months and is covered in dust. The doors leading out are heavy, reinforced doors, about 2¾ ft. wide and 5½ ft. high.

There are six fly carcasses as big as watermelons scattered about, one in the hall and five in the “bedroom.” They’re dead and desiccated, looking like flies that have died near a window, except that they’re enormous for flies. They have a distinct dark green colour, large glass-like wings and large black orbs for eyes. Anduin hasn’t the experience with bugs and spiders he needs to identify what they are, beyond them being a kind of fly.

The DM: With this, I’m going to bow out for the day. I need to make a character shape for Anduin before Friday and pick something for Arvid as well.

Lexent: "What do you think? Shall we try the door at the end of the hall?" (1519/1520)