Nyssia, walking around the ruins just to escape Ero and his frustrating attitude, came to the room with everyone in it, and looked at the fellow gnome with a frown. "Hmm...company. How nice." She mused.

She then noticed the hole in the ground, and looked at the others. "Ok boys...i leave you for five damn minutes and your digging up the place - what have you found?"

Victor gives Nyssia a big grin and says, "Trouble, I hope!"

Broson seems really in his element and starts singing "Hole dig a hole diggy diggy diggy hole!"

By now, it wasn't so much digging the hole as it was just widening it by smashing up some more of the floor.

Within ten minutes it was large enough to accommodate even the most heavily armored fighter.

Looking down through the hole reveals a room that matches that shown on the map.

Nothing can be seen to be moving down there, and only dust and debris from your excavation seem to mar the floor below.

"If you wish, I shall descend first in order to search for any traps," Kassan offers. "There are bound to be many."

He then notices the newcomer standing in the doorway that shouldn't be there in the first place.

"Greetings, Miss. I am Kassan. Will you be joining us as we explore this crypt?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:28, Mon 27 Feb 2023.

Having become fascinated by the process of widening the hole and discovering what lies beyond, Portia greats the rest of the party somewhat distractedly.

"Er, yes, I'll join you if you'll have me, thanks."  She peers down the hole and says to  Kassan, "If you're going first, please take my blessings along with you, if you'll have them."


OOC: If Kassan consents to her touch, she'll cast Guidance on him:

"Once before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to one ability check of its choice. It can roll the die before or after making the ability check. The spell then ends."

That could be a skill check or even initiative, if it comes to that.

Portia will be concentrating for the next minute.

"I'll follow from just far enough that my creaking joints don't give you away. If you shout, I'll call out to the others, and come running," says Victor.

"Tha's verra thoughtful miss, I'll try ta be helpful too." Broson will also give Kassan a blessing to enhance his dexterity, it will last an hour if Brosons concentration isn't tested before.

He will then start securing his rope so the party has an easier way in and out of the hole into the chamber below.

"Uncle, do you know anything aboot tha dungeon or what we might be walkin inter?"

OOC: Enhance Ability - Cat's Grace: The target has advantage on Dexterity checks. It also doesn't take damage from Falling 20 feet or less if it isn't Incapacitated.

Nyssia shakes her head at the men, a half smile. "Trouble, no doubt there."

She looked down the hole and nodded. "I'll follow after you - anything to escape that egotistical fool elf back there." She frowned at the thought of Ero....though she respected his skills (and she'd never tell him that), his people skills was so far lacking that his ego wouldn't fit in the room, let alone the hole.

The lute on her back, she smiled and strum the instrument, and stepping off the lip, floated down a little, but stayed in mid air. "Gods....i love this thing." She muttered.

---

<OOC: Casts fly on herself, and flies through the hole and stays near the top, watching for any danger>

Having dropped his rope through the hole as soon as it had been made, the Warforged Trickster was surprised at the sudden boosts given him by the newcomer Portia and Broson.

"Much obliged, folks," he thanked them. "That will certainly make things go a little easier."

He carefully slid over the edge of the hole until he was dangling in the air and smiled at Nyssia floating so effortlessly there.

Lowering himself down the rope, he could now see that the floor of the chapel had been the cover stone. With the hole in the middle, it was now neither.

Nothing happened while he dropped the 40 feet to the room below and soon he was standing there looking up at the others.

For a minute or so, he just stood there and surveyed the room, paying particular attention to any way in which what he was viewing differed from the map.

As the map depicted, there are three doors leading out of this chamber--two side ones and a third double door forward.

In both forward corners, a sturdy brass brazier sits poised to be lit, filled with charcoal.

The two side doors appear to be normal oak doors, but the forward double doors have a much more exotic look to them... black and brass, probably ebony to match the checkered floor.

On the wall next to the side doors there is also a torch holder with an unlit torch in it.

There is a small black wooden box affixed to the forward wall.

And the map did not show that the floor is a diagonally-aligned checkered pattern of 2-foot square pieces of alternating light gray and black slate.

There are no symbols or art on any of the walls.

Ero hurries to join the others.  "The lot of you couldn't wait for me?  I had to pack up the tent, you realize.  It would have been nice to have had some help."

"Nevermind, it probably would have been damaged."

"How's it look down there?" Portia calls softly to Kassan. "Is it safe to follow you down?"

Having gingerly eased himself off the rope to the floor so as not to set off any traps, Kassan then made a specific search of the floor for any traps.

Finding none, he moved over to the two braziers and ignited the contents with his sizzle stick. Old oil quickly caught fire with a whoosh before settling down to burn the coal.

As the room lights up, he calls back up to Portia and the others.

"Seems safe enough so far! Come on down!"

The beautiful redheaded cleric greets Portia. "I am Lureene Raventree, of the Raventrees of Waterdeep, priestess of the Lady Firehair", she introduces herself. "I am pleased to meet you."

She watches the group crack open the floor, helping clear the debris, and then climb down. At Kassan's indication, she smiles and moves to climb down the rope. "More dusty catacombs... well, it does come with the territory."

Nyssia watched as Kassan made his way down, and once safe, she landed, looking at the doors in turn. "Interesting...this one is more ornate than the other, and the box affixed to the wall, hmm.

She made no move to collect anything until the others came down.

Victor went down the rope in a controlled slide, his armor clanking a bit when he his feet reached the ground. "Probably best to check these side chambers, first. Kassan, if you'd do the honor of checking for traps, I'll go in first."

Portia follows next. Clearly no fan of the height, she nevertheless quickly, if a bit clumsily, slides down the rope.

Taking a position near the bigger warriors, she whispers, looking around, "I'll help you search."

Broson will find out what his uncle wants to do then he will head down the rope into the chamber below.

Having been all healed, Ordun wishes to explore the crypt, too, since that's why he was here in the first place.

Thus, in short order, the following are gathered in the room below:

Kassan
Nyssia
Portia
Victor
Lureene
Broson
Ordun

Ero ???
Thressa ???

Those that remain up top include Biff, Manaen, Star of the Morning and Viridovix.

Nyssia went about the room, looking for ways to open the doors, traps and even hidden areas, walking around people as they came down.

---

<OOC: Nyssia rolled 19 using 1d20+8 with rolls of 11.  investigation check.>

Neither side door appears to have a lock but the box on the rear wall has a locked door on it. And while Nyssia can't see any lock on the double doors, they do seem to be secured some how.

Probably due to the way the dust from the ceiling fell, both Nyssia and Portia have no trouble spotting the pit trap on the floor in front of the box. The 5-foot square drops away on the left if too much weight is put on it.

And, of course, the symbol that was on the map and the floor of the chapel above is not on the floor down here.

Portia is quick to alert the others to the presence of the pit-trap.

She offers anyone who might need it the divine intervention of her deity (guidance spell,  +1d4 on a skill check).

"That is much appreciated, Portia," Kassan says. "I cannot think of an immediate need for such guidance, but I will keep it in mind."

"Does it not seem like an odd place for a trap? Nor does it bode well for the rest of this crypt that no one was ever supposed to visit again."

"There is also something significant about that box on the wall. Nyssia, would you consider flying over to the box and check for an additional trap on it?"

Nyssia smiled at the rogues thoughts. "Read my mind." She muttered as she concentrated and flew over, looking for traps on the box, then removing some thieves tools, smiled.

---

<OOC: Will fly over and inspect the box for a trap.  If not, will open it.

Nyssia rolled 14 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 9.  Thieves tools check.
Nyssia rolled 16 using 1d20+8 with rolls of 8.  investiation check.>