Barrowmaze Part Two: The Forbidden Antechamber

[cailano]

You all climb down the ropes and into the vaulted chamber. You prepare your torches and lanterns and look around.

The frescoes are time-worn and depict a burial procession leading to what looks like a barrow mound.

Below one section of the frescoes, you find the words "Pullo was here" written on the wall in charcoal.

The footprints seem to have been made by several people, all wearing boots. They lead to the hallway and continue for a few feet, but the floor gets rougher beyond that point, and the prints become impossible to follow.

The skeletons in the room have all been picked over.

Seeing nothing else of interest in the room, you form a marching order and head into the hall, Dougal prodding the floor ahead of you at every step.

After twenty feet, you reach an intersection. You can either continue straight ahead (east) or turn to the north. To the left, the hallway ends at a door after thirty feet.

The main hall extends to the east beyond the reach of your light.

There are closed doors along the south wall and additional intersections. It would be very easy to get lost here.

What do you do?

[cailano]

Serpe

That oppressive sensation is everywhere down here, and you think you finally recognize it. While training as a cleric, the senior priests would use a dark artifact to animate the corpses of hanged criminals so you and the other chosen acolytes could practice turning them. You only did it twice, but you remember the feeling of dread that filled you watching a dead body stand and walk.

That same dread is what you feel here. Only it's amplified and nearly tangible.

But you're no coward. It's not the fear that bothers you; it's the sensation that the energy somehow blocks your connection to your goddess. It's not entirely blocked, but it feels filtered. Like a pale orb of sunlight glimpsed behind dark clouds.

What evil could stand against the might of Arcantryl? Whatever it is seems to call this place home.

 

** See OOC.

[Sellsword]

"We should make sure there's nothing roaming these halls before we start kicking down doors. I'll scout ahead, check the corridors if someone wouldn't mind following me with torch. The rest of you mind keeping watch on those doors?"

OOC: Do the doors open inward or outward towards the corridor? I'd like to peek down the visible corridors, make sure there are no baddies lurking (at least as far as the torchlight or maybe a lantern will reach.

To the group--take anything I suggest with a grain of salt, just throwing out options. If it's clear, then I think we listen at each of the doors before choosing one to open. I'll keep checking the corridor for traps, then will check whatever door we choose (hopefully along with Thomas--two sets of eyes are better than one!).

[LarsWester]

---

HP 5/5 | AC 16 | Base To Hit +1 | StatsStr 14 (+1)
Int  6 (-1)
Wis  11 (0)
Dex 16 (+2)
Con 15 (+1)
Cha 11 (0) | SavesDeath/Poison.....13
Wands................14
Paralyze/Stone..13
Dragon Breath...16
Spells.................15 | Thieves Abilities Open Locks .......25%
Remove Traps....20%
Pick Pockets.......30%
Move Silently.....25%
Climb Walls........80%
Hide...................10%
Listen.................30% | Bullets/Silver x20/5

---

As Dougal continues down the corridors Thomas moves forward up to the first door on the south wall. He carefully inspects the door, it's hinges and the frame for any mechanical contraptions or other possible traps. Once convinced that it's safe to do so he presses his ear close to the door listening for any sounds that he might detect behind it. He motions for the rest of the company to be quiet.

 

 

[Excior]

Allen continued to hold his lantern aloft, providing maximum illumination as he positioned himself at the intersection of the halls. "I will stand here so everybody can benefit from the lantern light," he announced to his companions, ensuring they had ample visibility in both directions.

Calling after Black Dougal, he inquired, "BD, what does the door appear to be made of?" His voice echoed softly in the hall as he awaited a response, his senses alert for any signs of danger lurking in the shadows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

OOC: Allen will stand in the 10-foot square, allowing him to see both the north hall and the east hall.

Edited May 7 by Excior (see edit history)

[Raistlinmc]

Zaivie stands guard while scouting occurs, eyes flicking from direction to direction.

"Sure are a lotta directions Death could be comin' from down 'ere," the warrior mutters softly.

[Sellsword]

"Don't forget death from above," Dougal points out, sticking a finger towards the ceiling. "I get the heeby jeebies every time I think about those centipedes."

[Malkavian Grin]

---

HP 6/6 | AC 13 | To Hit +1 | StatsStr 14
Dex 17
Con 14
Int  9
Wis 13
Cha 12 | SavesDeath/Poison.....12
Wands................13
Paralyze/Stone...14
Dragon Breath....15
Spells.................17 | Arrows x25

---

Serpe helped to reassure the archer. He didn't know much about the gods or what made the world move. The priest seemed to create something of an anchor for Cyrus. "Arcantryl huh? You'll have to tell me more. And don't worry, I've got eyes on everybody." He gave the man a solid nod as he disappeared into the dark.

Allen and Black Dougal both then went down, leaving Cyrus by himself for a moment. A shiver ran down his spine again. Quickly he made his way down the rope.

At the bottom the group began to spread out and explore. Cyrus pulled an arrow and kept it nocked as they moved forward. He made a face at BD's words. "Bleh, don't remind me. I swear I can still smell it every now and then."

[matt_s]

Tharnakalian for now will douse his torch.

I might need that more lantern, I reckon, he mutters to himself.

Let's check the hallway at least close to where we are, then the doors.

For now, he will keep an eye on the entrance as a rear guard.

[cailano]

You move along the hall slowly, past another intersection that leads to the north and an empty room visible because something broke through the wall at some point. Eventually, you reach a place where the hallway ends at another door.

The halls are eerily quiet. Other than the water dripping from the marsh above, the only sounds are your breathing and footsteps.

 

** OOC: See updated map. You're currently standing about thirty feet west of the end of the hall.

[Sellsword]

"Looks like the way ahead is clear, at least for now. I say we backtrack a bit and take a look at those two doors," Dougal says, pointing at the doors next to one another on the south wall. "We could open them, one at a time, see what might lie behind them. Either that, or take a look at the corridor heading north just past the room we dropped into. Any thoughts?"

OOC: When it comes to doors, Dougal will give them the standard runover looking for any sign of traps. He'll avoid actually touching door handles and such as much as possible, using a boot or his staff where it allows. As a last resort, he'll open doors like a normal human being, but only after doing his best to make sure a poisoned needle or something isn't going to end his life prematurely.

"Safety first!" he says to himself, a look of surprise that he spoke out loud on his face. He was clearly interrupted from whatever he may have been thinking about.

OOC: I'll defer to anyone else that has strong opinions, but I think clearing rooms closest to our exit first makes the most sense. And the thought of something bursting through a wall like the Kool-Aid Man is pretty terrifying.

[matt_s]

Tharnakalian looks at the empty room and the hole in its wall.

Do you see how that wall was broken? Any tool witness marks or indications of claws or what have yeh? Room seems empty, so was it trying to get out, or get in?

Aye, let's clear the rooms by the entrance first, one by one. I'll stand guard at this junction for now.

The junction being the left hand forking of the tunnel.

[Raistlinmc]

"Jus' don' get too far away, Tharny," Zaivie says somewhat sagely, happy to help check the two doors closer to the entrance. "I reckon gettin' too far away down 'ere is near th' same thing as fallin' on yer sword fer th' fun o' it."

[Sellsword]

"The room looked empty, but I admit I didn't get close enough to the hole to see what might have made it or what direction it was going. Whatever it was, I hope that whoever came in here before us killed it! Or if it killed them, hopefully its belly is full and it is hibernating."

Dougal nods at Tharnakalian. "Sounds like a plan!" As Thomas is already looking over the first door on the south wall, he'll quiet down so that the thief might be able to hear whatever terrible foe lurks behind it.

[Excior]

Allen followed closely behind Black Dougal as they returned to the first door. The underground environment seemed to weigh heavily on the fighter, visible in his tense demeanor and the apprehensive look in his eyes. He remained on edge, his senses sharp and alert to potential threats lurking in the darkness.

In a harsh whisper tinged with a hint of fear, Allen spoke up. "I got your back, BD," he assured his companion, his voice barely audible in the eerie silence of the underground. "When you enter the room, be mindful of me and try to allow me to enter as soon as possible to help fight if needed." His words were a testament to his loyalty and determination, despite the palpable unease that permeated the underground