After the discovery of the box and gems, you come to another another secret door that descends. The door is closed.

You also can continue to the left of the map where you've also discovered another secret/concealed door.

Which way would you like to go?

Bruno admires the box and gems and looks about the room, "It seems there is another door down there... Anything somebody tries to hide is more interesting to me than one they don't, eh?"

Clarification: You guys are in the tunnel where you fought the spiders. As you move left along the map, you find another concealed/secret portal that travels down, or you can stay on the current path heading left.

Uthecar agrees and will turn to head down the hidden passage once everyone is ready.

Gildan follows Uthecar, giving the dwarf plenty of space to navigate the narrow passage.

Kullonar follows Uthecar's lead farther down into the tunnels...

OOC: sorry guys, work be crazy.     Please assume that Zan will use his thief skills to help check out things as needed.

Zan will check the box for any hidden compartments as well as scouting ahead for the group so that we don't have to unnecessarily blunder into troubles that can be more easily avoided.  Checking for traps and things hidden.  He mumbled, "I'm so ready to be done with this place"

Zan is no doubt echoing what most of you feel, although the dwarves don't seem to mind much (HiHo, HiHo...).

Uthecar takes the lead, followed by Gildan & Bruknar, then the rest of the party in normal order. The passage snakes downward for about 70' in a gentle curl, then opens into a narrow cavern that runs approximately 15'x45'.

The cavern is unfinished. It has that moist smell to it that you've become familiar with during your sojourn in the dark. You note a few things as you peruse the surrounds:

There appear two large statues, one in upper portion of the cave, the other in the lower portion of the cave. They are human sized, but not human. They depict some sort of fiendish, or perhaps demonic figure, both with four arms instead of two, in each hand is a weapon. The statue at the entrance carries two short swords and two daggers. The statue at the top end wields a great sword two handed, and twin throwing axes. But they are only statues...

Other items of interest include:
A tapestry hanging on the wall that's covered in mold.
Twin coffers that sit beneath the tapestry; both are closed and appear to be locked.
Various coins and a few odd gems scattered about the floor of the cavern.
What appears to be a small vein of silver running through the wall across from the tapestry.

The dwarves seem particularly interested in the vein. Bruknar ambles over for a look...

What do the rest of you?

OOC: So, is this room #54 on the map? It's about 50' long and 10' wide? I'm basing my assumptions here on that room, so if anything I write doesn't actually make sense given those assumpions, mea culpa and I'll edit!


Taking in the cavern and the wealth of interesting things it contains Bruno decides this is a good place for his final Light spell. Since he has a lantern and the spell's radious is insufficient to light the entirety of the room from a single location he casts it upon the blades of Myrrick's halberd, "Here's a bit more light, eh? Let's you and me keep to either side of the party to better enlighten our investigation of this place.", he says to the elf.

He then follows Bruknar, but while he is certainly interested in ascertaining the mineral nature of the vein in the wall, he is even more focused upon the tapestry. He will stand across the room from it near the silvery vein and see if he can not make out what is upon it.

Likewise it is the vein of silver that most interests Uthecar initially, though he is content to see it gleam in the brilliance of the new light spell cast by Bruno rather than approach it for a closer look.

Given the additional light Uthecar moves to the statues, picking up a gleaming gem or two from the floor as he goes not being able to help himself.  Such little delights, he places them in a belt pocket almost absentmindedly.  Once he draws closer to the statues he inspects the stonework and detailing closer.  How life like does the work appear and where does he see the makers mark upon them?

Kullonar struggles a bit to take it all in.
And then he says, "Why would they leave coin just lying around on the floor?"
He walks around the trove, stooping to pick up and examine a gem or two.
Kullonar watches the statues and then looks to the tapestry and the coffers beneath. Standing, he wanders over to examine the coffers.

ooc: yes, 54 is where you're at. I apparently am having trouble conveying directions. Given that the passage isn't linear, rather it winds a bit, that adds several feet to the dimensions.

Myrrick will check the coffers for traps and try to unlock them.


OOC they are not just statues. who you tryin' to fool?

10:28, Today: Myrrick rolled 29 using 1d100.  open locks.
PASS
10:28, Today: Myrrick rolled 49 using 1d100.  open locks.
FAIL
10:28, Today: Myrrick rolled 20 using 1d100.  find traps.
PASS
10:28, Today: Myrrick rolled 58 using 1d100.  find traps.
FAIL

The coffers pop open without hurling poison or fire, happily for you. Inside are copper bits (half a copper piece each). There are perhaps a handful.

However, seperate from the coffers, you hear a grinding noise like stone on stone from both sides of the cavern. Those looking toward the entrance to the cavern see the statue with two short swords and two daggers step off the pedestal and start in your direction. The same occurs with the statue with the great sword and hand axes. They wear grim visages as they draw near.

Statues' initiative: 5

Party members roll your initiative/attack and damage rolls, please.

Side note: Statues are average human sized 5'10 or so.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:30, Sun 10 May 2020.

06:30, Today: Uthecar Hornskin II rolled 6 using 1d6.  Initiative.  Man I'm glad Uthecar rolled that given my intended post.

Uthecar suspected something fishy with the statues hence the look for the makers mark.  As soon as he hears (if not beforehand) any sort of grinding noise or a flicker of movement he'd look to break/snap the weapons of the nearest statue, or preferrably if possible use his prodigious strength to topple it before it was rightly formed into a more fluid form.  In my minds eye he doesn't really have the bulk for a running charge to knock it over, so maybe grabbing a leg and using the strength of his own leg muscles to lift and topple the thing before it is fully aware of what the situation is that has automated it.

If that is not possible then he goes to strike with his battle axe.

Today: Uthecar Hornskin II rolled 8 to hit (doesn't even make the combat table)

Bruno gasps when he sees the statues move and he grabs his holy symbol and begins to ask for Moradin's blessing.



16:20, Today: Bruno Rhunthane rolled 3 using 1d6.  Initiative.

Casting Bless

+1 Attack, y'all!!!

"Cuthbert protect us!" Kullonar mutters upon seeing the statues come to life.

He takes up his morningstar and prepares to attack the first one that comes near him.

14:17, Today: Kullonar rolled 3 using 1d6.  Initiative.
14:17, Today: Kullonar rolled 15,5 using 1d20+1,2d4+1.  Attack on statue.

Bolstered by the bless spell, Gildan's fires two perfectly aimed arrows at the statues.

OOC: 15:33, Today: Gildan Stalker rolled 7 using 1d6+2.  Damage 2.
15:33, Today: Gildan Stalker rolled 4 using 1d6+2.  Damage 1.
15:33, Today: Gildan Stalker rolled 27 using 1d20+8.  Bow attack 2.
15:33, Today: Gildan Stalker rolled 21 using 1d20+8.  Bow attack 1.
15:33, Today: Gildan Stalker rolled 8 using 1d6+4.  Initiative.

Myrrick rolled his eyes, of course the statues were attacking them... what in this place wasn't attacking them. He moved to slash at the statue nearest him, trying to sever a leg with his magical halberd. If they weren't mobile, they weren't as big a threat.

22:21, Today: Myrrick rolled 11 using 1d10+4.  hurt.

22:21, Today: Myrrick rolled 10 using 1d20+3.  hit.

22:21, Today: Myrrick rolled 3 using 1d6+2.  init.

Round 1

Gildan looses twin arrows in less time than it takes to blink. Both missiles fly true, you note pieces of stone flecking off the statues, but they continue inexorably toward the party.

Uthecar has next initiative, but there were extenuating circumstances, so I'm going to allow him to review my thought, then he'll take his turn in normal order.

The statues converge from both sides. The one at the top of the cavern has two each, short swords and daggers and it swings all four weapons at Bruknar. It hit once, but that once landed sharply: Critical hit to Bruknar for 8 HP Damage

The second statue draws near, takes aim at Bruno as he chants a prayer for blessings from the Soul Father: The great sword does only glancing damage, but the hand axe bites into his arm. The pain is severe his spell is broken. Total of 6pts damage to Bruno

Bruknar shouts an ancient dwarven warcry and attacks with his hand axes: his first attack is clean, dealing 4 points damage to his foe. The second attack hits, but does not penetrate the stone of the statue.

Kullonar brings the pain with his morning star - a weapon worthy of a half orc priest - and scores and additional 5 points damage against the statue with the great sword.

Myrrick, who was below the tapestry checking on the coffers, sneezes loudly, then attacks the statue with the big sword. Despite his best effort, his strike glances off the statue with no apparent damage.

As the statue with the great sword parries Myrrick, Zan sneaks behind him for a backstab attempt: the sword clangs against the statue and rebounds, reverberating up and down Zan's arm so that he rethinks his tactics for the next round.

Round 2 begins

Reminder: NO BLESS BONUS

ooc - will wait for Uthecar, as mentioned above.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:32, Fri 15 May 2020.

In reply to The Seer (msg # 105):

OOC: I don't recall 'broken spells' from AD&D, but if this is a House Rule it makes sense. Is a broken spell lost or may it be recast in a future round?

Myrrick swings again, with redoubled efforts, seeing his friends take damage and unsure exactly how long it would take to dispatch the statues.

21:56, Today: Myrrick rolled 11 using 1d10+4.  hurt.

21:55, Today: Myrrick rolled 19 using 1d20+3.  hit.

Bruno is pushed back by the attack as he was not expecting the statue to be so quick. He recovers, drawing his sword and attacks. As he swings he also shrugs his shield off his shoulder and doing so throws off his swing.


Wow... It's gonna be one of those combats!

22:52, Today: Bruno Rhunthane rolled 8 using 1d20+4.  Short Sword Attack.

I might be a little out of place, in my own mind Uthecar was up inspecting the statues as they began to animate, but they might have begun moving pryer to him getting close.  He will look to grapple one to the ground wrapping his arms about the legs and using gravity to work to our advantage.

Uthecar leads off the party's initiative. Go ahead and state your action and I'll slot it in there and edit accordingly.