Arn took the coins, placing them in a small sack in his backpack. He grabbed the dice as well. No need for anyone to blame the guards for being inattentive and if that makes any more nervous, so much the better.

Arn then took his place in the second rank of the group, behind Barlo, replacing his sword with his bow. He was far more skilled with his bow than his sword and staying back might give him some interesting opportunities once melee begin.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:41, Thu 13 Jan 2022.

Zaryk joined Barlo, taking the lead, sword in hand.

---

I figured 2nd rank was right behind Barlo! So the order is something like this: Barlo / Zaryk / Annya / Makaniua / Arn
This message was last edited by the player at 05:25, Fri 14 Jan 2022.

OOC:
You're welcome to stay back with Arn, Zaryk, but he was in the back of the group.

Annya moved along with the others, occupying the center position, her sacred, custom short bow in hand.

She found being surrounded by unliving stone to be somewhat wearing, spiritually speaking.  But she gave silent thanks this was so far going well, with no injury to these highly competent companions.  Or herself, for that matter...

Continuing the exploration of this odd place was undoubtedly going to lead to even more questions.  Why there were such long tunnels, for example, yet they were quite narrow.

At the end of the hallway, the door was ajar enough to look beyond into a large empty room.  In addition, just before reaching the door, there were halls leading off to the right and the left.  Where the other goblins might be, that was another question altogether.

"Truly, this place is a maze of corridors!

My instinct is to search this hall leading back in the direction where we started, to ensure there are no goblins behind us."

---

The long hall, near the big room, heading toward the bottom of the map.

Arn nods at Zaryk's suggestion. He actually didn't care so much as long as their searching was orderly. It was curious, though, about the passageway back towards the entrance. Were their additional entrances and exits to this complex as well as the one through which they had come? If so, that suggested to him some sort of communal dwelling rather than a fortification. He found it difficult to believe that goblins had built it.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:33, Tue 18 Jan 2022.

When the group made their way down the corridor, they saw that there were doors just inside the alcoves--to the right and to the left.

Barlo shrugged and turned left. He looked to Arn to see if he objected to that door before opening it.

Opening the door revealed a room that had another door straight ahead.  The wall to the right was dominated by what appeared to be a very old, rather rusty, oven.  In the corner to the left, near the door, was an empty wooden barrel.

"I'm no expert, but I doubt this complex was built by goblins."

Giving the kitchen a cursory glance, Zaryk adds, "Let's ensure that door across the hall leads to an empty room, before moving forward.

I'm also starting to fear leaving any foes behind us!"

"Would you be ok if I some a few minutes searching to see what I can find?" Arn asks. "It might reveal some clues as to who built this place and might possibly help us."  Might also find some things of value.

Barlo nodded in agreement, "Most wise," he offered. "Arn, I think searching this room would be an excellent idea, have a care, though, while we make sure nothing is lurking behind." Walking back towards the "T", Barlo opened the other door to make sure that the area behind them was clear.

Barlo opened the other door, revealing a room that had likely been a pantry.  All that remained now was a very green side of bacon hanging from a hook and a few empty sacks on shelves.  Beneath the bacon on a shelf was a small earthenware bowl which contained salt and three copper coins.

"Tell me we are NOT going down there," Makaniua said quietly to no one in particular.

"Of course we are, that's where the goblins are waiting to die."

Zaryk pushes the barrel away from the trap door so Barlo can see it.


"I'm afraid Barlo is right...we need to go through every inch of this place if we are to deal with the plague of inky goblins.

But...it occurs to me that this trap door might have nothing to do with the goblins...if they were using the trap door, why would there me a barrel on top of it? Perhaps this is from the original owners of this place.

I will suggest that we explore this level before we down the trap door."

If there are no objections, he will move the barrel back to its original position.

Arn frowns looking pensive. "It might go be something substantial, a hidden level by whoever created these chambers. Then again, it might be to just a single room used to store things of note or perhaps of value. I think the latter is much more likely. I don't think it would be possible for anyone to move or remove the barrel from below. Hence, I don't think they were living or hiding down they. More likely, they were keeping below something they wanted to keep hidden."

"How about I take a quick peek? If it's a single room, I can look around and see if there is anything of note. If I see doors or passageways, I'll come right back up and we can explore it later. Is that ok?" he asks, moving right beside the trap door.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 11:46, Mon 24 Jan 2022.

"Very insightful, as usual, sir Shadowtop," Annya said to Zaryk, regarding the concealed passage.

"And, although musty, hidden holes have about as much allure as donkey dung, perhaps there will be some better bacon down there?" She shrugged.

And nodded to Arn.  "I think that's a good approach.  Just please be careful."

Annya again withdrew an arrow from her quiver.   And as well, the syllables of a light spell were at the fore of her mind.

---

Arn gingerly descends the trap door, moving quietly. He returns almost immediately and signals the others to close the trap door. Once the door is closed, he says, "It's not a room below but a passageway, so it does look like it may be rather substantial," he says with a nod to Zaryk. "However, it is rather clogged with barrels. It looks passable though if you're willing to do some climbing over and squeezing past some barrels. My guess would be that those living here were or are trying to barricade the passageway against someones or somethings but that's just a guess. Probably best to move this barrel back to covering the trap door and continue as others have suggested."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:57, Wed 26 Jan 2022.

Zaryk reaches down to give Arn a hand back up. Once the barrel is covering the trap door again, he looks to the others.

"Lots of choices, the large room had a door that faced in this direction...that would be my choice, just to be methodical."

"Oh, good. The ravenous, drooling pit thing from the bowels of hell, no doubt.  I'm  tempted to toss the bacon down there.  But I doubt even a fiend would want it.  I'm all for letting barrels lie, and moving onward." 

Makaniua shifted her stance and relaxed her shoulders, obviously relieved to not be heading down. Bow ready, she stepped into the hallway to allow others to take the lead.

Barlo shrugged, "Doesn't seem to be much threat. Which way now?"