Teodore draws his sword quietly and readies his shield as he moves to take position just off Fiene's shoulder. He examines the passageway and ceiling beyond the archway, estimating how much room they'd have in a fight, should it come to that.

The hallway was ten foot wide, much bigger than the entrances into the smaller Gatehouse they had previously explored. With lantern lit they entered, the hallway was short only fifteen foot long then it opened into twenty foot by twenty foot square room with an open trapdoor in the centre. A spiral staircase descended down the hole in the floor, the lantern light did not reach the bottom of the stairs.

The walls of the room were covered in graffiti, the floor was bare and well worn. The entrance to Stonehell Dungeon was at their feet.

OOC
Day: 3. Time: 9:30am. Turn: 3. Weather: Cloudy. Vision: Daylight. Movement: 20'

Lantern oil used
Ben: 28 Turns
Fiene: 29 Turns

ooc: Fiene restocked his oil supply before leaving town.  Should he be on turn 1?

Fiene waits for one better armored to go down the stairs first.  "I don't expect to be ambushed at the bottom of the stairs, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious."  He urges Ermangard to keep close.

Devin dragged his feet at the very back of the large group.  It had been a lot different on his own and he wasn't sure if it was better or not.  Though he had learned which cave a bear was supposed to live in.  So knowing not to go into that one was good.

With such a large group, he'd expected a lot less tiptoeing around, but he'd sit in the back and keep his mouth shut as he'd been doing all morning.  The others were all much more experienced than he and knew their way around so he'd just follow until he was needed.

Or if they were attacked from behind.

He looked back to make sure he wasn't about to be attacked from behind.

Ben can't resist reading some of the graffiti before helping light the way down the stairs. Did the teens from Fourtower Bridge dare the bravest among them to leave their mark on these walls?

On inspection there were two types of graffiti. Ben read many names scrawled on the walls perhaps from teenagers or fellow adventurers. The other type was in a different language than common.

OOC Yes Fiene can refill his lantern. I was just counting from what remained from last delve. I will reset to zero.

Teodore nods to Fiene and quietly says, "If I get cut down before I reach the bottom, you can all divide up my gold and equipment... such as it is." With that, he starts slowly down the spiral stairs.

Leah had been at the back of the group, since following when you do not know where you are going was a good idea. However, she discovered Devin was now last, following her. She eyed him very suspiciously and said, "Okay you can follow me, but do not try to hold my hand. I already told you no romance. And I need both hands for my pole."

When they started to go down the stairs, she paused to pick up a rock and add a bit to the graffiti, so Ben would have a nice picture to look at when they returned back up.

Fiene nods back to Teodore.  "Of course.  I'll drink to your memory." He says, gesturing towards the stairs, and following the man down.

 Brandli is in the middle of the group -- close enough that engaging with her spear shouldn't be too difficult, and far enough that she can sling bullets if need be.

As Teodore carefully made his way down the stairs with Fiene close behind to provide his lantern light Leah made a quick carving into the walls for any subsequent adventurers to read. The rest of the party followed, those at the rear close to edge of the lantern light. Outside of the lantern light all around them was darkness as they descended the spiral stairs.

The stairs went around and around many times, Teodore decending one hundred feet before he placed his foot on the dungeon floor. The stonework of the dungeon was rough faced limestone blocks, flagstones and ceiling slabs. The floor was worn by regular travel. The floor, walls and ceiling all had signs of cracks and crevices. The air was not fresh but was musty and dank.

The foyer was a forty foot by forty foot square chamber with a vaulted ceiling. The staircase was in the middle of the chamber. There was five exits. To the south west an archway led south. To the south east a corridor led south. To the east was a door. To the north east a short ten corridor ended in a door. To the north west was an archway that resembled a fanged ogre mouth with murals of cavorting imps on the walls beyond.


Squares are 10 foot by 10 foot.

Northwest ogre mouth archway
OOC Day: 3. Time: 9:40am. Turn: 4. Weather: Cloudy. Vision: Daylight. Movement: 20'

Lantern oil used
Ben: 28 Turns - not lit
Fiene: 1 Turns - lit
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:15, Sun 14 Mar 2021.

Leah wanted to yell loudly as they descended to hear the echo, but she had a vague sense that would not make the rest of the group very happy, especially if they had a hangover. So she remained silent until they reached bottom and had a moment to take in their surroundings.

She looked at the possibilities and then give her Very Wise advice(tm).
"Okay, all the treasure is kept behind doors, probably in chests, so we will have to go through them. But maybe first we should go look down some halls first? That way if we have to run away from things, we can run down places we already know, instead of running some place where we are lost. This would be the best, because then I know where I am, and then we will not be lost anymore. Did I already tell you that I do not get lost when I know where I am? So I can know that. Oh! also, I forgot to say, I know a lot about Stonehell because I talked to people about it and they told me some very good information that is important to know while we are down here."

She walked over to the stone ogre. "This could be very scary, but we should check." Leah poked the stone ogre in the eye with her pole to see if it blinks or if either of the mouths close down.

Bertilak frowns at Leah's poking. "I think, with several other options at hand, the ogre passage, which may well be some sort of trap, may be left for later. Granted, the more dangerous parts of the ruins are likely to have more treasure in them, since fewer brave souls would have ventured into them and made it out alive. But this early on in our explorations, I would say prudence should rule the day."

After asking everyone to hold down the noise for a minute, Bertilak will listen for any sounds beyond the door in the east wall.

Devin moved to the north wall to stand quietly between the two entrances.  His shield was still slung and the hammer through his belt.  He didn't want to tire himself out holding them at the ready all day.  Just when he needed to.

The stone ogre did not react to Leah's prodding regardless of where she poked with her pole. It acted as if was a stone carving.

Devin rested by the wall whilst Bertilak listened at the eastern door. The green wizard did not hear anything.

OOC Anyone else doing anything whilst Bertilak is listening at the door.

After Ben lights his lantern, he picks Leah out of the sizable group and offers a correction: "If we don't know what's behind those doors, we won't know where we are."

He lets that sink in, falsely assuming there is some fertile soil in which the seeds of knowledge and wisdom can germinate.

He further offers, "Instead of saying everything out loud that you would normally say out loud, think it to yourself, and then share the most important part in ten words, just as many feet as your pole has. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

OOC Let's open the eastern door.

Leah replied to Ben, "You might now know where you are, but I already know where I am, and that is on this side of the door. But if a dozen orcs behind that door chase us that way or that," she pointed down the two unexplored corridors, "then I might not know where I am anymore either, only the orcs will know, and I would rather that the orcs don't know where I am at all."

She paused, touched a thumb to her fingers, than added, "How many was that again?"

While she still thought it better to take the corridors and scout the immediate area, even if she could not convey the thought well, she would not heading out on her own. She would stay with the group, since they might need her Stonehell lore and magic pole.

Teodore keeps quiet and waits as Bertilak listens, ready to defend the group should something attack.

Fiene waits quietly.

Lilith will do her best to check for traps and listen for clues...

The pair Bertilak and Lilith began their checks of the door. Bertilak did not hear anything and Lilith did not notice anything peculiar.

Leah poked at the ogre mouth and Ben lit his lantern whilst the others waited patiently.

OOC Day: 3. Time: 9:50am. Turn: 5. Weather: Cloudy. Vision: Daylight. Movement: 20'

Lantern oil used
Ben: 29 Turns - lit
Fiene: 2 Turns - lit

 Brandli only looks at the ogre's mouth.  "Wonder if any worms'll come out it.  Ogre came too close to my village, once.  Mage was visiting said she made it 'prowl-lapse'.  Big, white and grey worms come out its mouth." Brandli stays where she is, but cranes her neck as if to look for these "worms".

If everyone seems okay with it, Teodore will open the east door.

The east door was four foot wide and eight foot tall. The door was made of five inch thick, iron banded timbers. It was stubborn to open but Teodore had the strength to open it.

The open door revealed a short ten foot corridor which led to a twenty foot by twenty foot room. There was another short corridor and door to the north.

The room smelt foul. Smashed crockery and rusty utensils were scattered around the room. A sink and pump were in the south east corner.

Leah listened with interest to Brandli's story. "Does 'prowl-lapse' mean die? Because that is what happens when you die. Big worms come out of you. We had to dig someone up because we thought he might have been a vampire, but he was just a bunch of worms and bugs. I never saw an ogre though."

Leah was fortunate to be right behind Ben in the marching order. So he was right there for whenever she had important information to provide, information such as "Do not sorry, I will make sure nothing sneaks up behind us as we go, because that is my job, to guard us from behind. That is very important, because when bad things sneak up on you, they almost always do it from behind. But I will see them coming and keep them back. Also, do you think vampire worms could be a thing?"

Unfortunately, she also noted that she was right next to noted roué Devin in the marching order. "Just keep your mind on Stonehell instead of on me, and we will be fine," she informs him brusquely.

Despite whatever fears the others might have about her guarding the rear, she would actually do a good job of it, frequently turning and scanning behind them to make sure nothing was trying to creep up on them. She took a comfort in the role as well- she had been behind herself before, so she would not be lost there if they all had to turn around and have her lead the way.

Once they entered the room, she looked about and said, "This is a kitchen. That makes sense, since orcs have to eat. I was told they cooked over a firepit or ate people raw, but they must also have other things they like to make and eat too. Maybe they have bed and breakfasts?" She laughed. "I am going to start a bed and breakfast, but you can bet I will not have orcs cooking in the kitchen, so do not worry about that if you come to stay."

Since there was nothing immediate to fight in here, and the corridor was only 10', she then said, "I will watch out where we came, in case something is coming, I can warn us. But if you need me, just call, because I am only a pole away." She went back the ten feet to the door they had just opened and watched intently, looking and listening to make sure nothing came out of the corridors.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:22, Sat 03 Apr 2021.