In reply to Levkojen (msg # 65):

Dourdoff approaches the one with the shovel who looks to be ready to dig and says "An there n you look ta be ready to do some more diggin with that thar shovel o yours. I am always glad and handy to put me mining pick here to good use with ye if than being if ye need any help or wanting any for that matter."
Dourdoff then leans on his mining pick.

The human ,Bill ,says to no one in general "Hmm.. There is always something intriguing about an entrance that is not easily opened.."

Dourduff and Sidd, with shovel and pick, free more and more of the flagstone from its embrace of soil. Smiling greedily, they both slip their fingers underneath edges and heft on the count of three. Ungh. It goes nowhere and Sidd yelps when his thumb rushes free and feels his nail rip. There it hangs, half on, half off, the pale, pink bed mostly exposed.

Dourdoff scratches his head with dirty fingers and says to Sidd "Ouch! Seems thar's gonna be more n diggin and muscle to get this n here to budge. Hows the hand ? He nods towards the damaged nail ..

''OUCH! Ouch! Ouch ouch ouch ouch! Ooooouuch.'' Sidd is in pain.

''Hush, you fool!'', he's rebuked by Zar, ''you'll bring down the guards of the gatetower on us!''

Del decides that getting out of the courtyard wouldn't be that bad and takes a closer look at the tower's door. She hasn't been a locksmith's apprentice for nothing. Deftly she slips out her thin dagger and inserts it into the tiny crack between door and doorframe, to see wether she can do anything about that bolt.

She's mainly using her left hand though, causing her to be somewhat clumsy.

16:54, Today: Levkojen rolled 5 using 1d20. Del: Pick Door.

The tower door's not locked, just barred from within.

There is probably a better way to lift the flagstone.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:00, Sat 06 July 2013.

In reply to Autarch (msg # 70):

Dourdoff has an idea and says to Sidd "I wonder if n that o' stone there is not so much n' needed to be dug up but more n' the need to be step on or some more burly weight be put n' on it to make the durned tower door open?"

Sidd looks at Dourdoff. ''You know, that sounds really... far fetched.''
He sucks at his smarting thumb. ''How about the crowbar?''

In reply to Levkojen (msg # 72):

Dourdoff replies "Maybe it is a little to tall of a tale.. Aye the crowbar seems to be a good of start as any. I can pry with me pick too at the same time."

The better way wouldn't involve any handheld implements.  The flagstone doesn't need to be pried open; it needs to be lifted out of the earth and hoisted above.

Try to imagine that you need to lift a massive stone slab that's sunk into marshy ground.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:41, Sat 06 July 2013.

"I don't get it," Dante admits.  "Why are we all so eager to hoist up this big stone?"

Dourdoff studies the flagstone to see if he can see any sigils and make out what they say if any are seen..

19:22, Today: Dourdoff rolled 4 using 1d10. Translate Sigils.

Zar joins the small group around the stone slab. ''Never mind the reason. The thing has a sigil, that's enough! What we need, I think, is a winch. Maybe like the one by the well...''

"Right!" Nyll replies to Zar's stroke of genius. "Maybe if we can dig enough mud out from underneath the slab, we can then fasten a rope around the exposed edge and then just hoist 'er up?"

Nyll also suggests that they could simply drive iron spikes into stone, both at an angle, and then affix a rope between the two to possibly lift the slab. This was of course assuming one possessed spikes and a hammer.

Nyll will gladly assist with either course of action.

OOC: the spikes would need to be spaced closely to one another and angled to create an 'X' formation, such that the bottom, upside-down 'V' would provide the "hook" to fasten the rope to.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:39, Sun 07 July 2013.

Dourdoff reaches behind his back into his belt and produces a iron spike and says to the group "Well here is one o' me iron spikes but I don't have another and we be needing a hammer too it seems .."

Before any more work is done on the mysterious (and quite likely useless) slab, the three prophets gather around the big stone. The rational and scholastic Zar. The rather mystic and patient Sidd. And unwillingly even the chaos-touched and divining Del. Of course, looking at them from another angle, they are just a parsnip farmer, a ditch digger, and a runaway locksmith apprentice, and they might know nothing about sigils...

14:41, Today: Levkojen rolled 7,10,4 using d10+2,d10+2,d10+2. Sigil knowledge, Zar, Sidd, Del.

It works like a dream. A collection of literate and semi-literate farmhands and dirt movers decipher a line from a specialized language of demonologists.

Or maybe not.

The flagstone, buoyed by the miracle of levers and pulleys, rises forth from the sodden ground verily on the wings of angels, revealing a small, coffin-like nook, walled and floored with stone. A hide-wrapped bundle sits atop a pair of wooden rests.

Before the contents have even been exposed, Dave and Virgil appraise the hide. Dave simply says, "panther," and Virgil strokes his chin and agrees, pronouncing the previous owner to have been a "pánthēr." Inconceivably, one of the assembled asks, "Would that be a loan word or a calque?*"

But the question is lost as excited hands unfurl the bundle, from which issues forth a noisome gas. This effluence heralds a fly-specked idol, with most of the insects happily feeding its coating of green mold and gray decay. A few buzz forth. Although its features can not be fully distinguished beneath the slime, they betray multiple bloodlines, with the curved spine of rattus rattus and the noble chin of homo sapien.

Within is also a fur-tufted longbow and a leather quiver containing 25 arrows. Multiple voices ring out, too many to count really, that question its craftsmanship and condition. The bow, but not the arrows, would be risky to use.

A longsword forged of milky steel sheathed in a jewel-encrusted scabbard.

And a leather pouch containing a granular green powder and a roll of five cloth bandages.

OOC Loanword, duh!
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:02, Sun 07 July 2013.

Dave looks excitedly from the one lonely arrow in his quiver to the bundle of them that his allies just uncovered.  Wisdom gets the best of him (for once), and instead of just taking the lot he says to the group If anyone else here is handy with a bow, I'll split those with you.

Felix is more focused on the idol.  He dons a pair of gloves and gingerly picks it up.  Flies, slime, ratman, he says.  Or is it manrat?  Either way, looks like we got some kind of decay theme going on here.  I wonder where it's all leading?

Josh rolled 10 using 1d10+1. identify idol.

Callum licks his lips at the sight of the finely crafted long sword that has been found. He moves towards it and asks to the group "Me always wanted me a fine o' bit o' steel for me own. Suppose it be ok if n' I got that thar nice long sword for meself eh?"
He then picks it up and marvels at its beauty..

Sidd gingerly picks up the poach with the green powder. After all, it might be suitable for his new censer! And also it does remind him of the pound of very fine dirt he had to leave home in his hovel, due to a general lack of a sack.

If no one else does, Zar will take care of the bandages. They might be soaked in ancient healing balm, he thinks - either that, or the mildew inside will inflame any wounds they'll come in contact with. Around fifty fifty, if you're optimistic about it.

Despite his misgivings about lifting the flagstone, Dante's eyes light up when he spots the bow.  He is an elven forester, after all, and since the bow he formerly used belonged to his uncle, he had to leave it behind when he took up adventuring (against said uncle's dire pronouncements).

"If no one else..." but it's pro forma.  His hand is already on the weapon.

He takes Dave up on the offered split, and feeling a bit guilty for claiming the bow so greedily, he offers the man 15 arrows while he takes 10.

"I'll take the hide," Virgil says.  "Given time and tools, might make something useful out of it."  For now it is rolled up and tucked into his belt.

"A curious discovery," Milton says from atop his chest again, "but we're no closer to getting inside the keep, where our story must take us.  Unless ours is the tale of fifteen youths who scaled a hill to dig around a bit and were back by lunch."

He casts his eyes this way and that.  The pit seemed a bad idea, the door was barred, the shrine was looted.  Had they missed something?  Or was the descent into hell their only option?

"How about we search about for a secret entrance somewhere along the wall?" one of the Brothers asks aloud, probably Finn.

"Either that or we just use our crowbar and force an entry on that barred door," Nyll proffers.

Jobb wonders how this large group has thus far managed to avoid detection by the gatehouse sentry. Clearly they must not take their job very seriously, or perhaps they were asleep?

Finally, the elf offers, "Or, we could scale the wall to gain access from above?" He glances back at the rope. "After all, we have the proper tool..."

''The well...,'' Del whispers, ''the well might offer an entry...''

Sidd and Zar, who have been standing near to her, instantly take a step away and act as if they hadn't heard her at all.
''The sinkhole,'' Zar brings up. ''It might easily have opened an access to any cellar room and tunnels beneath the castle...''

Sidd moves away from him a bit, too, to make sure.

In reply to Levkojen (msg # 87):

Bill asks the group "Or what about behind? On the back side of the tower? Is there a way to access there? Maybe a way in lies there.."

Felix looks confused by Bill's suggestion and says Aren't we already on the back side of the tower?  Or do you mean you want to go back outside the wall, around to the part of the tower that's facing the wilderness and the potential invaders, and see if there's a door there?

I'm for just smashing it down.  We got this flagstone to move; think there's enough of you tall folk to make a good battering ram out of it?

In reply to Josh (msg # 89):

Bill replies "Ah, I see what you mean. Do forgive me for my thinking out loud as most times, it makes little sense to any other than the voices in my head. I need to get more familiar with the area indeed."