Year 2949: The Marsh-Bell

[Vladim]

"Not drowned and not dead," Asfrid says after a moment to the gathered group in the strange underground chamber, "is good. Others should know though, yes? I go tell them...then we explore?"

Despite the horror of the situation and the stink of the surroundings, the wanderlust that had propelled the warrior into a lifetime of travel was readily apparent in her tone. Though she wouldn't likely fight others if they prevailed with better sense and a more clear-cut desire to see another sunrise, Asfrid clearly wants to get the band back together and see what they can see down here.

[Vladim]

Ewald tried to look around at the walls and ceiling of the dimly lit chamber as Barin spoke to him. This was amazing, he thought, while still trying to catch his breath from the fatiguing swim.

When Asfrid turned up the same way Ewald had only minutes before he quickly moved to help her out of the water. It seemed she had fared better during the swim so when she offered herself to go back and tell the others about their finding Ewald nodded. "Yes we should gather everyone down here and then see how much we can explore of this. If this is the old Northman palace as Bofri thinks, it will be amazing to see what wonders this place may hold. But there may also be threats so we need to stick together and be wary if that bell starts chiming again."

[Vladim]

(OOC: Assuming no one else disagrees, then that's exactly what Asfrid will do, Vlad. She's happy to relay the message.)

[Vladim]

Fareth dived into the cold, murky waters soon after Regin had disappeared. It was difficult to swim, given the complete opaqueness of the water, so she had to relied on her sense of touch – the only thing that could now guide her under the water. Quickly she found that beneath her was wrought stone and marble, not the muddy bottom of the swamp she had expected to find. The stone-work seemed to continue underwater, making a submerged path that she could follow by swimming or walking slowly.

When she broke through the surface on the other side, she was almost out of air. She drew a deep breath and regretted it almost instantly: the air here was stale and foul, heavy with the smell of death and decay. As she took a few moments to observe her surroundings, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Now she could see that she was standing in the crumbling steps of a water-logged tunnel that led into another passageway. On her left lay darkness mostly, and also the source of the foul odour that permeated the ruins. On her right, the light was slightly brighter, and from that direction she heard muffled voices – the voices of her companions. Bofri was not standing near her, but his voice was amongst those coming from the right.

[OOC: You may now return to the surface, or explore the corridor – you can go either to the left, and see what lies there, or to the right, and rejoin the rest of the fellowship.]

 

Asfrid swam towards the surface, using the same submerged tunnel that had led her within. This time, she remembered the way, and thus the swim back up was made easier. As soon as she broke through the surface, Dwalin and Lara greeted her. They were elated to see her, and followed up with a barrage of questions: was everyone well? What was underneath? Was this the East-fort of old? Were there any dangers?

From them she learned that all companions, save those two, had dived into the waters, though Fareth had chosen a different path from everyone else, and had swam down the opening through which Bofri – not Barin – was lost. This was only moments earlier. As for those two, they had chosen to stay up, at the surface, to keep a look-out while the rest searched for Bofri and Barin and explored the submerged ruins.

[OOC: You may return to the ruins using either of the two submerged paths (the same you used before or the other one, that Bofri and Fareth took. If you go for the latter, give me another Athletics check, this time at TN 12. You may also try to convince Dwalin and Lara to follow you with an Inspire or Persuade roll (TN 14), though that would mean that no look-outs will be left above.)

 

With most of the fellowship now gathered in the great cellar, Barin dared explore the room somewhat, though with great caution.

He first inspected the six openings: three on the left and three on the right of the flooded chamber through which he had come. The first archway on the left seemed to lead into a winding way, and it was from here that the foul stench that permeated the complex came. He listened carefully, and thought for a moment that he heard the sound of splashing waters, as if some other companion had just arrived this way.

On the right, under the archway most distant from the flooded chamber, the one decorated with colourful stones, lay a flight of marble stairs that descend into darkness. Barin elects not to go that way – not for now, anyway.

The other four archways lead into narrower passages, also too dark to see in. These ways are very cramped, and would hinder anyone entering them greatly, making their exploration somewhat more difficult.

In the main chamber, the wall opposite the opening to the flooded cellar, there is a narrow vertical chimney, leading to the surface. A faint breeze can be felt coming from above. Inside the chimney hangs a bell rope. The floor inside the confined space of the chimney is littered with gore-crow feathers and bird deposits.

There seem to be no traps, but no treasure either.

[Vladim]

Before diving back down, Asfrid says to the two lookouts, "You should come. Not so scary once down there, I think. Is good to have lookout, true, but then again, is not so good to split up the fellowship any more than necessary. Is good you follow me, yes? I know way! Come!"

With that, and perhaps a bit hastily, the warrior dove back into the murky depths.

[Vladim]

Hearing Bofri was apparently safe, Fareth paused to consider her options... She could return to her fellows, but she feared the dangers they might all face from what she sensed in the darkness. She gazed down the dark tunnel, as if willing her eyes to penetrate the blackness. She shook her head, then proceeded to quietly, slowly, proceed down to the left in the hopes she might be able to stealthily discover any dangers before the fellowship was endangered.

[Vladim]

Dwalin shook his head at Asfrid's words, refusing her request. 'Perhaps it is so,' he said, 'but better be safe than sorry. Tell the others that we are keeping the watch, and do not tarry needlessly down below. That bell did not ring itself!'

The path beneath the waters was not too different from the one Asfrid took before, and soon she broke through the other side, finding herself in a similarly dark, flooded chamber, devoid of features. Ahead of her two paths led to the left and to the right. The foul smell was stronger here, and it seem to come from the left. From the right, she could hear the muffled voices of her companions.

Fareth followed the winding, dark tunnel as far as she could. After a few moments, she discovered that the tight and twisting passage suddenly opened into a wide, semi-circular room. At its entrance, however, a great wooden gate stood, set into the stone wall. Those that had built it must not have been great craftsmen, for its construction was makeshift, and instead of bars they used tree-branches that they had found in the forest. The gate itself did not seem to be locked; it appeared heavy, but Fareth thought that with some effort she could open it.

Fareth looked on through the gaps in the gate: beyond it, the great room seemed to be a natural cave, and the stench in this complex seemed to come from there. But as she examined the floor, something else caught her eye: a glint from below, and then another: Fareth soon realised that there were many coins, gold and silver, as well as other trinkets strewn all about. From behind the gate, it was impossible to discern more, but Fareth paused for a while, to consider the next course of action.

[OOC: There seems to be treasure in this room. Does Fareth open the gate and investigate, or return to her fellows to tell them?]

[Vladim]

Turning to the right, the warrior said to her allies, "They stay and watch. Is good, I suppose. Now we go?"

[Vladim]

Fareth studied what she could see of the treasure and the door, noting every detail, then quietly crept back to relate what she'd seen to her allies.

[Vladim]

OOC

Congratulations, you have all made it into the same room! Except from Lara, that is, whose player seems to have dissapeared. Rather than make another detailed IC post describing everything again, I'll summarize what is happening:
Fareth moves down the tunnel towards the large room where the rest of the fellowship (including the NPCs Bofri and Regin) are. En route she picks up Asfrid, who just came through the same submerged passageway that Fareth did, a couple of minutes earlier.
The dwarves (Barin, Bofri, Regin) are inspecting the large room.

Here's a description of the large room again, for those PCs who have not been there before:

You enter what appears to be the main cellar. Under what few rays of light make it past the leafy canopy of Mirkwood and the partially ruined, overgrown roof, you can see uncovered before your eyes a vast vaulted chamber, presenting six arched openings, three on either side. Under each arch lies a passageway, leading deeper into the ruins. The farthest doorway to the right is the largest and most remarkable, its arch decorated with stones of many colours.

Note to all: Fareth / Asfrid rejoin the fellowship through the winding pathway that lies under the first arch to the left, if taking directions from the submerged room where everyone (except Fareth) initially entered.

Here's an attempt at a crappy map:

-------------------
A3...................A4
- ................... -
A2...................A5
- ................... -
A1...................A6
- ................... -
- ................... -
- ................... -
-----........-------
-------SC---

A1: Archway through which Fareth / Asfrid come and rejoin the fellowship.
A4: Archway decorated with colourful stones.
A2, A3, A5, A6: Other archways
SC: Submerged Chamber (leading to the surface).
------- Walls
........ Empty space
Anyway, the point is that now you can all interact with everyone else, so no need for more private posts. I will not interfere until you have a plan of action (provided that you do not take too much time, as things may start happening independently of your actions). But I may role-play some NPCs. Good luck!

[Vladim]

"All together again?" the warrior woman asked, smiling and shaking the water from her hair much like a wet dog might. "Is good. Now we see what we see, yes?"

With that, Asfrid moves to inspect the grand-looking arch replete with stones, searching her mind to see if anything in her travels might have mentioned such a thing.

[Vladim]

Fareth's eyes smiled at Asfrid's pleasure, despite their recent travails.

'I saw a poorly closed gate in the darkness back the way Asfrid and I came - and that's where the displeasing odor seemed to emanate from. Should we pair up and check these side passages before we go through any gates or that grander entrance?' she asked the group.

[Vladim]

"That probably wouldn't be a bad idea," Barin replied to Fareth's question, "although most of them seem to narrow down quite quickly. They'd be difficult to get down more than single-file, which could make defending ourselves difficult if it came to a fight

"Someone should probably try to tie that damned bell-rope up somewhere out of reach as well, just in case it gets rung again whilst we're not around"

[Vladim]

Ewald was still exhausted from the underwater swim but when Asfrid and Fareth joined him and the dwarves in the chamber and everyone was gathered again he stood up and started exploring the ruins with the others.

"I think we should stick together as much as possible. It's easy to get lost in these dimly lit chambers. Let's just see what's inside those archways, but if the farthest one is bigger than the others and that's where the odor comes from it's probably more important for some reason."

[Vladim]

The company followed the tight and twisting passageway that lay underneath the first archway on the left. Soon they saw that it suddenly opened into a wide, semicircular room, or rather a natural cave that had been incorporated into the palace. A wooden gate stood at its entrance, set into the stone wall. Beyond it, through the gaps in the wooden planks that made the gate, the companions saw, strewn all about the floor, things that shined and glittered: many coins and trinkets were scattered about.

The gate itself was unlocked and poorly made, and the companions had no difficulty pulling it open. Its hinges cringed as it opened, and quickly the company entered the stinking treasure-room. Now they could see more clearly the treasure that had been gathered here: a great heap of polished gold and other shining objects: silver cutlery, cups and dishes, lamps and candlesticks.

 

OOC / Treasure rules

I need a Wisdom check at TN 14 from every PC. Those that fail are captivated by the sight of the gold, and for a few moments they focus on it. No Shadow points are gained upon failure.

Additionally, and independently of the above, you may also examine the Hoard for treasure. We will follow the magical treasure rules from the ‘Rivendell’ book. Treasure works a bit differently in this game, but basically you have here a chance to gain some treasure points, or a magical artefact such as a magical ring, or even magical weapons or armour.

If examining the hoard for treasure, you may roll a feat die twice. If you obtain a result of 11 or 12 on either roll, then you have a chance of finding a precious item; I will provide the additional rules after those that want to roll do so. Even if you do not obtain an 11 or a 12, you can still gain up to 20 treasure points here, though carrying them all with you may prove tricky.

Note that, even if your PC has a personality that would not make them interested in treasure, you can always write the flavour text in any way you want – so perhaps they are not actively searching, but something small catches their eye and they decide to examine it.