Gaelin finds a valuable gold ring on the skeleton.

OOC: Yes advantage on the portcullis and the ring Gaelin found is worth 25gp.

Gaelin moves back to the rest of the group.

OoC;  Roll(1d20)+7:  5,+7  Total:12 - Stealth

Gaius crouches down and helps lift the portcullis.

OOC: Strength roll

1d20 + 4 =
13+4 = 17
9+4 = 13

Chompski sneaks a few rocks in underneath the grating as Gaius and Fenlen are lifting the portcullis to give them some relief.

OOC:
Guidance +1d4 (3) - add 3 to his roll
This message was last edited by the player at 19:49, Sat 05 Sept 2020.

As Gaius strain against the portcullis it starts to barely raises off the ground Chompski arrives behind and the portcullis slowly raises and is now open.

Gaelin returns just as the portcullis goes up. ”Oh shit.”she whispers.  ”Now it can get out and murder people. I guess we’re doing this.”

Fenlen nods at Gaius, then steps across the threshold into the chamber beyond. He gestures with his shielded arm at the rest of the group to follow.

Gaius nods at Fenlen, and says a quick prayer to Helm as he moves forward, sword drawn.

Gaelin, drops her pack and fishes out the light crossbow and loads it.  She repacks and leaves her worldly possession, with the exception of the crossbow, bolts, spear and her new ring, in the room, but where they can easily be grabbed while fleeing in terror.  As the others move into the chamber, she hangs at the back of the group and does not cross under the portcullis.

"Keeping an escape route in mind, Gaelin? That might be prudent if we end up facing more than we can handle in there. Discretion is the better part of valor, as they say."

The water is 2 feet deep. The ledges and central dais are 5 feet high (3 feet higher than the water's surface), and the chamber's ceiling is 16 feet high (11 feet above the dais and ledges). The chains dangling from the ceiling are 8 feet long.

Half embedded in the east wall is a wooden wheel. The wheel, raises or lowers the nearby portcullis.

The hole in the west wall leads to a naturally formed alcove. There is a half-submerged pile of refuse that fills it.

Chompski looks down at the dog pets it. "Hey there buddy, it's okay. Have you heard that chanting before? Have you been down here?"

OOC:
Check to see if the dog seems to be interested or concerned with anything in particular in the room.
Perception: 1d20+1d4+3 (23)

Gertrude cowers by Gaelin at the Portcullis.

Fenlen wades through the water and steps up to the top of the dais, looking around the room. "There's no one here? I don't mean to sound like a cliche at this point, but this is unsettling. Who do all these voices belong to? It's like they've been coming out of thin air this whole time."

From the dais, he surveys the chamber more closely, finally locking in his gaze at the pile of refuse.

OOC: Perception check rolled 19 using 1d20+3.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:05, Tue 08 Sept 2020.

The chanting rises once more as thirteen dark apparitions appear on the ledges overlooking the room. Each one resembles a black-robed figure holding a torch, but the torch's fire is black and seems to draw light into it. Where you'd expect to see faces are voids.

"One must die!" they chant, over and over. "One must die! One must die!"

"One is the loneliest number... but it will be difficult to do math without it. Perhaps we could get rid of 37? Who really needs that number?" Chompski suggests in a strained jovial tone as he lifts his crossbow to the ready.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:28, Thu 10 Sept 2020.

"If they are implying one of us has to die, I say we offer them to join us."

OOC: I'll tie my rope to one of Gnome's crossbow bolts and whisper to him to hit one of them and I'll pull them down.

The apparitions continue to look down and chant, "One must Die."

"They do seem to have bought into this more than we have, so it makes sense they should contribute first." Chompski whispers to Gaius as he loads the bolt Gaius has tied his rope to. He takes aim at the closest cultist and fires.

OOC:
To hit: 1d20+6 (21)
Damage: 1d8+4 (12)

The bolts passes right through the center mass of an apparition. The bolt falls to the ground and the apparitions continue their chant.

Gaelin is uncharacteristically quiet standing just on the happy side of the portcullis. She looks at her companions,  down at the dog, then in the room behind her.

OoC; Roll(1d20)+4:  12,+4  Total:16 - Perception

Gaelin is shaken by the appearance of the Apparitions and the call for one to die. She does not see anything else however.

"I...I...I think we should leave them to it then." Gaelin states after looking around nervously.  "It doesn't appear there is much to learn here.  I'm not the world's foremost expert, actually I may be depending on what world we currently inhabit, but they obviously sacrificed poor Walter during some black magic summoning ritual.  We can just shut the door and head back up.  Perhaps Chompski would be so kind as to collapse a couple tunnels along the way to make sure no one gets in or out of this place ever again."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:40, Sat 12 Sept 2020.

As Gaelin makes her intentions known the portcullis slams down in front of her blocking her off from the rest of the group. The chanting changes to "Come Destroyer, Come Destroyer". The water around the dias starts to bubble and froth. Pieces of bone and masses of flesh start to exit the water and begin forming a huge mass in the center of the room.

Gaelin shouts a string of curses in Goblin as the portcullis drops.  She races to her backpack and retrieves her crowbar, which she uses to try and lift the portcullis or make a wider opening depending on where the crowbar finds purchase.

OoC; Strength
Roll(1d20)+1: 10,+1 Total:11
Roll(1d20)+1: 9,+1 Total:10