Bram was concerned for the clearly distressed girl, but he tried to put her at ease.  "You needn't worry any longer.  You're with friends now, and we're not far from the cave entrance.  We can show you the way out and accompany you to Red Larch.  Otherwise, I intend to delve deeper into the mystery of this place, and you're welcome to come along.  In either case I think we need at least a brief respite after that ordeal.  Shall we discuss further outside?"  He then asked, "How long have you been lost in this cavern?  Are you in need of food or drink?"

"There's a passage back this way," Asano says from where Bramwell dragged him earlier. He retrieves his focusing wand from where it had fallen from his lifeless grip, checking the crystal over carefully before returning it to it's position on his belt. "A rest may be wise, though we shouldn't tarry too long. The Lord of Lance Rock seems to have a secrets, and I do enjoy bringing the hidden into the light."

"What other things have you encountered here?" Morg says as he removes a torch strapped to his backpack, takes out his tinderbox, and holds them out to her, "You can borrow these if you're struggling to see in the dark."

"Shall we rest in the first chamber near the cave's entrance? It should be easy enough to defend if we can hold the two chokepoints. I don't need to rest, so I can stand guard."

---

"I can keep an eye out as well." Mayon agrees, having been healed by Jak earlier in the fight and feeling much better. "Although...well, whenever we continue on again, maybe someone else should go ahead of me. I seem to have a knack for getting caught in close fights that I'm not exactly equipped for." He says with a sheepish smile.

"Why backtrack so far," Asano asks to the group. He waves a hand to the corner opposite himself. "If we clear those crevices, that area should give us a defensible position. That should allow those of us walking wounded to bind this injuries and allow the rest to catch our breaths."

Dweeble stared wide-eyed at the bespectacled half-elf as he spoke.  Her mouth moved to mirror his words even as he offered her help, her obviously skittish nature making it hard to be sure if she was truly hearing anything the paladin was saying.  After a moment, her lips mumbled out, "Friends?"

She shook her head, clearing away whatever fog was clouding her mind and her previously timid nature was lost once more.  "Way out?  There's no way you're sending Dweeble off and taking her treasure!  Dweeble's got just as much right to it!"  She crossed the few feet between them and poked the half-elf in his chain mail clad stomach, a suddenly fiery look in her eyes.  "Dweeble's gonna make it out flush yet, you hear me?  Guess I'll have to keep watch so you don't steal what's hers!"

As if that was the end of the conversation and concern, she tugged firmly on the leather strap holding one of her shortswords in place and stomped a foot down, staring at the half-elf's glasses-clad eyes with at least a small amount of distrust.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:05, Mon 06 Mar 2017.

"Friends, yes..."  Bram pondered what manner of isolation had caused her to regard companionship as such an oddity, but was startled by a sudden poke in the stomach!  He met the halfling's unexpectedly accusatory glare and was silenced for several moments by the shock of it.  He then stammered out an ineloquent self-defense, "I, ah, I wasn't seeking to steal any treasure?  We came to investigate rumors of a plague and, um, some self-styled Lord who dwells here!  If you are resolved to continue your treasure hunt you're most welcome to accompany us!  I only thought that after being lost underground, you might like to see the sky...?"

Once he'd collected himself somewhat he suggested to everybody, "I'd like to find a safer location to rest before pressing on.  It is too confined here, and there's no telling what other dangers these cracks conceal.  Perhaps we might return only to the previous cavern where we stand less risk of being trapped and can better defend ourselves?"

The group retreats back to the prior cavern for a brief respite. The smell of death and decay continues to permeate the air, but it becomes less noticeable the longer they remain. The caves remain quiet and still.

---

You can take a short rest in room B, uninterrupted. If you want to spend hit dice go ahead and roll them in your next post.

After the short rest it will be around 2:30pm.

Spending my 1 HD during the short rest and thankfully heal up to full!

16:53, Today: Bramwell Caulder rolled 11 using 1d10+1.  HD healing.

Mayon's good on health and slots, so he's just going to help keep watch for anything unusual or threatening while they camp, if that's possible/necessary. If so:

18:04, Today: Mayon Graycross rolled 23 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 19.  Perception

20:27, Today: Asano Breathkill rolled 6 using 1d6+1 with rolls of 5.  Short rest heal. Did anyone think to check the bodies for clues, treasure, or anything?

After a time, the group returns to the cave where they found the strangely dressed undead. After a thorough search, only two of the cracks in the walls are found to be large enough for the whole group to fit through - a narrow tunnel to the southwest, and a slightly larger tunnel leading southeast.

A search of the undead turns up nothing, though the pile of bones that marked the animated skeleton's passing are made up of some curious shapes.

The group starts down the southwestern passage, sometimes needing to turn sideways to make it past particularly narrow bits.

---

Nothing was found on the bodies of the undead.

I put you partway down the southwest passage - if you want to keep going this way go ahead and post that next; otherwise, you can turn around and do something else if you like.

Updated map & marching order.

While walking down the southwestern passage, Morg drops his hemp rope on the ground, holding on to one end should they get disoriented and need to quickly find their way back.

He peers over his shield looking for trip wires or other traps, while staying just ahead of Jak's lantern light.

---

05:00, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 6 using
 1d20+3.  Perception check for traps.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:03, Wed 08 Mar 2017.

Morg moves forward cautiously, but doesn't see any traps as the party advances down the narrow tunnel. Eventually the tunnel ends in a small cavern, empty save for two iron chests resting on the floor.

---

Map updated. The iron chests are marked in P35 & Q35.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:47, Wed 08 Mar 2017.

Morg walks southward, to give the rest of the party some space to move in, making sure not to touch the chests while looking up at the roof of the cavern.

---

Move: to O36.
19:10, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 7 using 1d20+3.  Perception check, looking at the cavern roof.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:11, Wed 08 Mar 2017.

Dweeble, just behind Morg, quickly moves forward as she spots the pair of chests laid out so simply for them.  Whether she rushed towards them out of any kind of treasure lust or simply to make room and examine them was hard to say.  With her back turned to the group, she licked her lips and rubbed her palms eagerly, though her tactile curiosity was kept in check as her eyes swept the pair for anything wrong or unseen.

---

Move to Q36.
10:38, Today: Secret Roll: Dweeble rolled 11 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 8.  Perception, checking area ahead for traps.

Morg studies the ceiling and finds that it looks...odd. He can't quite put his finger on why.

Dweeble doesn't notice anything odd about the chests, however. They both look like normal iron chests, with no traps in evidence.

Bram stepped into the cavern and peered about, following Morg's gaze up to the roof and then investigating the pair of chests.  He frowned and mused aloud, "This seems a rather odd place for a storehouse.  Who would bring chests here, and to store what?"

11:51, Today: Bramwell Caulder rolled 10 using 1d20+4.  Investigation (roof).
11:51, Today: Bramwell Caulder rolled 12 using 1d20+4.  Investigation (chests).

Mayon eyes the chests cautiously as they enter the room around them, hands tensed to spellcast should that be needed.

"Anybody have something to toss near them? See if a trap is triggered by proximity or by touching them?"

Bram and Mayon move into the room and look about. Bram notes a straight line in the ceiling right above the chests. It's hard to tell what it is, but it may be a crack of some kind.

Bram doesn't see anything particularly interesting about the chests, but as he approaches them a mumbling sound becomes audible to everyone in the room. It seems to be coming from the wall behind Morg.

---

Map updated.

I'm assuming no one has actually opened one of the chests yet - if you want to open one just let me know explicitly.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:26, Wed 08 Mar 2017.

Mayon tenses up at the sound of the mumbling, and strains to hear more while studying the wall intently for any signs of something off. He grips his quarterstaff, raising it cautiously for a more physical test if needed.

Checking to see if Mayon can hear enough to make something out of the words or if the wall appears to be hiding a door, or if it's really even there.
15:59, Today: Mayon Graycross rolled 10 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 6.  Perception (wall).
If he doesn't get anything from that, he's going to maneuver up to O35 and give the wall a cautious poke with his quarterstaff. Again, trying to establish if it's an illusion.

Bram stood peering up at the slot in the ceiling and pointed it out to the others, "See that small fissure in the ceiling, directly above the chests?  It has an unnatural straightness about it, as though it were intentionally carved."  He looked back down to the chests and concluded, "The alignment of the slot leads me to suspect that approaching a chest would trigger something unpleasant to fall from it.  Not knowing the danger nor the location of any triggering mechanism, I believe it would be wisest to leave this alone."

The half-elf perked up at the curious mumbling sound coming from behind Morg.  He immediately turned toward the sound and set to searching the wall for its source.

15:56, Today: Bramwell Caulder rolled 16 using 1d20+4.  Investigation.

Dweeble looked up as Bram spoke, looking for the signs of whatever it was the half elf was talking about.  Of course, with such low light, it was hard to be sure if she saw anything at all up on the ceiling.  She turned to the bespectacled half elf with an annoyed furl in her brow.  "Yer just tryin' to keep Dweeble from her shinies, aren't ya!?  Look, ya big silly, Dweeble's got the magic touch.  Even if there is a trap, which I haven't seen nothin' of, there ain't no way Dweeble would trigger it.  Got it?  So stand aside and let her get to work."

Turning back to the chest before her with an annoyed 'harumf', Dweeble pulled a dagger from her belt and began teasing and testing the edges and seams on the chest.  Obviously, while she was convinced of her own correctness when it came to the possibility of traps, she seemed to have a proper method for checking and testing anyways.  No matter how unhinged she may be, she wasn't stupid after all.

Using a dagger to test the seam of where the chest at Q35 would open, the corners/edges touching the ground, and the handle for anything.  Whether it's strings, mechanisms, or whatever.
16:44, Today: Dweeble rolled 13 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 8.  Investigation.

Asano watches the rest of the group swarm around the chests, staying well back in the tunnel. He keeps an eye back down the tunnel, just in case something tries to attack them from the rear.

Morg turns around, taking out his warhammer and raising it above his head, ready to attack - but only something he'd be very sure was undead.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:39, Thu 09 Mar 2017.