"What twist bastard would think of such things? Bloody cowards."

Gilly looked sideways at Veskard, in that he was the twist bastard that did just think of such a thing, but he shrugs and continued to reach forward with his stick.

[OOC: How long is his stick? I've been waiting all my life for someone to ask me that! Being he is a halfling -- a bit less than four feet tall -- and he brought it along to tap on the floor and push at things from far enough away that he wouldn't be in the line of flight of any trap he might trigger, I've got to think it's about 3 feet long

09:05, Today: Gillifian Bristlebeard rolled 11 using 1d20.  GM Request.]

Gilly doesn't see anything that indicates a trap. His stick isn't quite long enough to reach the bag, but he can reach a single gold coin with it, if he wants to drag that coin to where his hands can reach it.

Carnalore stands back, watching and listening.

Gilly will drag the one coin to within reach of his fingers. He plucks it up with a little chortle and examines it.

Gilly and those near him see that the coin is not round, but has 12 sides. The "tails" side of the coin has a few words in a language they don't recognize--though it does seem to use the same alphabet as Urdish common--and a crude rendering of a five-pointed star. The "heads" side has the single word "Densha" and an even more crude profile of a man with a bull neck, heavy jaw and long, flowing hair.

With a final check of the door to the cell to see if it might be able to slam shut if he enters, Gilly will step forward and grab at the whole bag of coins.

Please read my most recent OOC post before you read or act on this post.
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The cell door hinges screech, but otherwise it opens smoothly. Gilly steps forward, but when his hand is less than an inch from the bag he sees there is a patch of goldenrod-colored mold on the floor on the other side of it! He gasps in horror; he's heard tales of this mold that can eat a man's flesh away! He steps back to the door hurriedly.

Now that you know there's mold under the bag, do you want to try to recover the other coins that are outside it or just move on?

Gilly's heart is pounding with terror at the close call with the disgusting mold, but his soul is equally consumed with greed for the gold coins he sees so casually spilled around on the stone floor. If any of them seem untouched by the mold, he will flip them over -- away from the bag -- with his stick to be certain and then pick them up -- gingerly.

He also looks up at the ceiling. Slimy things on the floor could come from slimy stuff up above.

" Master Gillifian, a few coins be not worth it."

"I agree. Let's seek treasure that might be less... contaminated."

Leleanne produced a handkerchief from somewhere, and gently dabbed her cheek; she silently cursed herself for losing her emotions, particularly given she looked unsightly after crying. The priestess composed herself. "I agree. Let's move on."

Gilly mutters darkly about it being all very well for the high and mighty to walk past perfectly good gold that just lying on the ground, but he is willing enough to leave the gooey danger behind.

Moving forward, still tapping with his stick, looking and smelling with all his focus for unseen dangers, the halfling leads the group along the hall to the next pair of cells.

You peer through the bars into the next pair of cells.

To the west you see a cell that is empty except for a pile of moldy straw on the floor, a battered metal food dish, and a set of broken chains set into the opposite wall.

The cell to the east is similar to the others; however, in the far corner is a damp wooden barrel.

Argon had been providing protection as the others searched the various cells. As the group slowly crept forwards as each cell was checked he would follow while watching the rear of the group and taking the chance to listen when he could.

-

You move further south and peer into the final pair of cells.

To the west is the cell that is missing a door. It appears to have been ripped off its hinges by great force and is lying on the hallway floor in front of you. Inside the dank room is a pile of straw and several large thigh bones, apparently quite old. They have marks on them such as would be made by large, blunt teeth.

To the east, the cell door stands open. The floor of this cell is lined with old, damp straw.

Carnalore looks into the cell -- anything further inside? If not, let's continue onward!

Following the group with his sword at the ready Argon again watches the path they have just made as the other investigate the cells.

Argon rolled 7 using 1d20.

Leleanne, perhaps scarred by her recent experience, left the searching to the others. She kept her mace and shield readied.

There is nothing further to be seen in either cell.

As the party moves forward, Argon thinks he catches a brief rustling sound from the room ahead, but before he can be sure, it stops.

As you get closer to that next room, you see that the carvings around the archway are of human faces, and each has an expression of suffering or is frozen in a silent scream.

Wyrran ponders aloud about the carved faces, how the sculptor was able to capture the feeling so truly on the stone... He must have had much experience with the pain (torture?) of OTHER people... He then tries to take a closer look at the faces. Is it possible that the faces are so detailed because they once were real faces?

Argon indicates to the others that he heard something in the room ahead. As he to stops to look at the strange carvings that surround the arch.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 19:22, Mon 26 Feb 2018.

Looking more closely, Wyrran and Argon can see a tool mark here and there, plus the faces are not amazingly lifelike, but somewhat stylized. They were definitely carved here.

Given it close proximity to the cells and the horror visage before them Argon surmises this was the torture chamber. With a look of grim determination on his face Argon raises his shield and walks into the room ready to face whatever horrors still reside there.

-

This room is furnished with torture implements,including a rack, a brazier, and an iron maiden. Manacles hang from the far walls, while the nearer walls are festooned with hand-held torture devices like whips, flails, branding irons, knives, and pincers. All the metal implements are rusty, and the wooden items such as the rack appear rickety.