"Good point, Gora," Augie agrees, "or would that be 'bad point'?"

"Brankx is also correct... we can't keep lugging all this equipment around with us. It also seems a shame to just destroy these weapons. They don't look all that well-crafted, but still..."

"What if we hide them? We could stick all the javelins under one of the mattresses... all lined up neatly so it'd just feel like a flat bed."

"Not sure about the maces or the armor. Maybe go hide them in the kitchen?"

"Anyway, I'm all for continuing to explore this dungeon. I've never been able to comprehend the reason for why someone would make a dungeon like this... or any other, for that matter! Too many twists and turns and ups and downs."

"I like that idea!" Zinashi responds. "It appeals to my sense of humor... to hide the weapons right here in the barracks."

As he talks, he begins gathering up all the javelins, flipping one of the straw-stuffed mattresses off the bed, and then lining the bed with the javelins all side by side.

"Well, at least they fit! Just barely. Spears would have been too long, but they'd also have been too long to be wielded down here in the tight spaces of the dungeon."

"Brankx, how about if you keep watch while the others go stack the armor and maces in the kitchen? And while they are doing that, they can double check to see if there's another way out of this end of the dungeon."

"I didn't mean that it was another OUT of the whole dungeon... just an alternate way to get to the other parts of the dungeon."

Like himself, Brankx didn't appear to be very strong/muscular. He was a finesse fighter... if it came to that. He'd be far better at listening for anyone coming down the corridor than he would be hauling armor and weapons.

After cleaning up the area and staging the barracks room to look like the bugbears were just sleeping, the group moved out, back down the hallway they'd come through, to the passage that branched off now to the left.

It appears to be an irregular corridor, going 5 feet before turning right, going ten feet before turning left again, going another 5 feet before shifting 5 feet to the left and then shifting another 5 feet to the left before straightening out and disappearing into the darkness.

Listening at the beginning, you don't here any sound coming from down the hallway. But then, the twists and turns would probably dull any sound.

Listening again just before it straightens out, you do hear faint sounds that you can't readily identify. Peering around the corner just shows darkness.

Brankx walks at the head of the group, and holds his hand up for quiet. "Let me go first - i'm quiet enough ter sneak up on whatever th' hell it is."

He then drew his dagger and made his way, listening for the sounds

---

<OOC: Brankx rolled 18 using 1d20+4.  listen check.
Brankx rolled 7 using 1d20+4.  hide check.
Brankx rolled 10 using 1d20+4.  move silently check.>

"Be my guest," Augie whispers encouragingly. Try as he might, though, he doesn't hear whatever it is that the Dwarf hears.

Lowrra stood ready to back her friend up

Brankx steadily makes his silent way down the dark hallway until he realizes it opens into a large room. All he can make out in the dark is several beds in the room.

The sound he hears seems to be coming from the other side of the room on the left. Although it's still faint, it's a bit clearer--he thinks it's the sound of digging.

"What do you think we'll find?" Zinashi whispered to Augie and Gora while he waited for Brankx to return and report.

"I'm kind of hoping for piles of gold! Or really awesome magic items!"

Lowrra nodded with a grin
"Or maybe some adorable badgers!!!"

Brankx returned, hearing the comments, he shook his head. "To th' left i can hear diggin'. Hard ter tell how many, but we go, we may find a fight there."

In reply to Brankx (msg # 797):

"when one goes looking for trouble! it should be noted that it is not very far away"

The dwarf looked at Gora with a sniff. "We've come looking fer trouble - of course we gonna find it. We just gotta find it on our terms lass."

Lowrra was excited and eager
"Let's go check it out "

In reply to Brankx (msg # 799):

"over the negotiation table?  somehow I do not think evil ever wants to talk peace until they absolutely have to

Verily Lady Lowrra lets us go peruse the area if it is amenable to the majority?
       Lord Draegal how say you?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:43, Sat 28 Jan 2023.

Brankx smiled, daggers in hand. "Lets be persuausive, huh."

"Of course! Onward and downward," Zinashi replies. "Keep in mind that Augie can't see in the dark."

"Do we want to risk providing a light for him?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:22, Sat 25 Feb 2023.

Having scouted the area ahead and found a room with some signs and sounds of activity, Brankx returns for the others and leads them back to this new room.

Taking a little more effort, Brankx and the others can now tell that there is another room off to the left corner where the sounds of a sleeping person can be heard.

Straight ahead in that corner there is a square hole in the floor. The top end of a wooden ladder can be seen sticking up out of the hole while rather faint sounds of digging seem to be coming from down the hole.

"That's not a key, you idiot!" a voice chastises someone down in the hole.

"Of course not," a second voice replies, "but it could be important. It's a talisman, but I don't recognize the symbol."

"Anyway, bow do you know this isn't the 'key'? Chok never said it had to look like a key."

The sounds of digging continue.

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 804):

Lowrra listened intently, trying to identify the language and perhaps species of the diggers.

OOC:
18:26, Today: Lowrra rolled 18 using 1d20+6.

The two voices are speaking Common, and sound like they are Human, but with an accent. Not a local accent, though.

Zinashi taps Lowrra on the shoulder and indicates he and she should check out the snoring person in the unlighted side chamber.

He takes extra precaution as he lightly pulls Augie along with him.

Once he reaches the corner, he listens to see if he can detect more than one sleeping person and also what size the room might be from the echoes.

16:04, Today: Zinashi Draegal rolled 20 using 1d20+5 ((15)).

Does he hear anything other than his own heart pounding?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:08, Sat 25 Feb 2023.

Brankx hears the sounds and moves up to the hole, slowly, holding a hand over his lips, as he grabs one of his axes from his hip. he crouches and listens to the people spaking.

not really being one with all this sneaking about Gora advances to within detect evil range and starts her work... on the sleeping one that Lady Lowrra has shown interest in.

Firstly ascertaining that the entity was indeed human and then the strength or lack of their malevolence.

Zinashi hears only the sounds of one person sleeping... a bit of snoring and rustling as he shifts in his sleep. It also sounds male.

The room provides echoes that inform Zinashi of its general size and irregular shape. Both side walls are rather jagged and converge at the opposite end of the room. There does not appear to be any other exit out of this room.


Gora, regardless of which direction she turns--diggers or sleeper--detects only moderate evil. Both detect as Human as well.


For the next few minutes, neither of the diggers speak, just grunt as they continue digging.

"ahh! good news Lady Lowrra! there is selfishness, self interest and such standard natural survival attitudes but nothing really to worry about.

Well at least with this one:)"

Lowrra raised an eyebrow in confusion but nodded in agreement and got ready to attack