Vapourware [Play-by-post] Lamentations in Averoigne

[AdamReith]

"Ouias, that is what I mean. Let's properly examine the cobweb room, then follow the southern hallway and check each door and what's behind it."

Sent from my SM-N770F using Tapatalk

Spoiler

Do you mean eastern hallway, if so, yes.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Spoiler

also I vote Grimgravy for bossman

 

[SoupNazi]

Spoiler

Do you mean eastern hallway, if so, yes.

Spoiler

yeah, there's two hallways leading east, one is up top of the map one is south. So the southern hall that leads east

Sent from my SM-N770F using Tapatalk

 

[Grimgravy]

At Vandal's prompting, Ganelon kneels by the corpse and and performs the last rites.
At the discussion of plans going forward he remarks, "I think we should scout and secure the area near the entrance before venturing deeper into this...complex . We will be through this area often if we make many trips so we should know it well. Then if run into trouble, we know the ground we must retreat to and through."

 

[nikolokolus]

At his mistress's bidding, Sancho steps carefully over the trapped flagstone and kneels next to the badly decomposed corpse, he pinches his nose with one hand and rolls the dead man over on to his back. His badly rusted maille hauberk crunches and his left arm falls off at the shoulder and his head separates from his body and the great helm containing it rolls around on the floor. This man appears to be wearing armor that was probably at the height of fashion and cutting edge protection over a hundred years ago. It seems strange that he is as well preserved as he is. Judging from the condition of his helm and the large concave dent in its side, it seems reasonable to assume that he was bludgeoned to death, but it's really impossible to say for sure without stripping him. Sancho pats him down and pulls on a badly decomposed coin purse from the man's rotted belt and hands it over to Madeline. She empties the purse and 8 gold coins of an unknown provenance spill into her hand. They are large, nearly 3 inches (7-8cm) in diameter and hefty; it's the first time you've ever actually held a coin like this in your hand. If they are made of pure gold they could be extremely valuable. Sancho also finds a silver cross suspended from a thin gold chain around the dead warrior's neck. The cross is about a handspan long and is inset with small semi-precious stones, and its center is encircled with a golden halo. This warrior must have been a man of means or quite the thief to be walking around with something as valuable as this.

With nothing else of obvious value on the man's body and nothing else but detritus, dirt and some loose masonry blocks visible inside the 20x20 foot room, Sancho and Madeline quickly withdraw and proceed to the door recently breached by Vandal and Guillmenin. Carefully searching as they enter the chamber for any hidden trip wires, loose stones, discoloration or other nasty surprises they reach the ancient pile of ashes and kick it about, but find nothing of interest. Glancing up at the thick cobwebs in the ceiling, little black shapes can be seen scuttling about through the webs, retreating from the lantern light -- spiders of some uknown sort with abdomens as big as the end of your thumb and nearly as wide as the palm of your hand from the tips of their legs to the others. The door to the south has also swollen into its frame and looks as though it will take some brute force to get it open.

Leaving the door to the south alone for now, the group goes back into the eastern passage and attempts to pull on the first door to the left. Vandal gives it a hard push and it groans in protest before finally giving with a loud *crack* as some of its ancient timbers splinter and buckle. Beyond is a 20x20 foot room, thick with cobwebs. Along the eastern wall is a stone plinth or bier made of dark gray marble, about waist high, and a full arm-span wide. Atop the stone platform are three highly polished skulls that are almost blackened with age. There are four burned out torches in scones in the center of each wall. The room is otherwise empty.

XP reminder

Just a reminder that you don't get the XP until you're safely back to town and until you sell jewelry, etc. to convert it to silver pieces -- same goes for ancient gold coins that need to be converted to "modern" currency

 

[SoupNazi]

Maddie would encourage the group to move to the partially caved in entrance to the next room to the east; of course having Sancho carry the loot discovered so far.

Sent from my SM-N770F using Tapatalk

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Vandal will light one of the torch sconces in the room, the nearest one.

 

[AdamReith]

Spoiler

Though highly polished these are just regular skulls right?

I propose not touching the skulls and proceeding to the next room.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Though highly polished these are just regular skulls right?

I propose not touching the skulls and proceeding to the next room.

Vandal lights a torch and replaces the one of the burnt out stubs in the sconce on the western wall. With ample light cast by the torch and the lanterns the room is extremely well lit now.

Vincent cautiously approaches the bier and carefully examines the skulls. The bone is aged to a dark brown patina and each appears to have been polished to a bright sheen that reflects the light of your lantern and torchlight in the room; they almost appear to be lacquered with some kind of varnish if you didn't know any better. Without touching them, they do appear to be much the same as any other skulls you've ever seen. The only thing remarkable about them is that you notice that each's lower jaw is intact and they each possess all of their teeth.

 

[AdamReith]

Spoiler

Is it possible that the skulls are obscuring anything? Can we see underneath them clearly?

If it's just skulls Vincent shivers and leaves the room.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Is it possible that the skulls are obscuring anything? Can we see underneath them clearly?

If it's just skulls Vincent shivers and leaves the room.

Vincent holds his lantern close to the skulls and tries to look under them. They all appear to be resting on the stone bier, but it's impossible to illuminate everything under them and see everything clearly. But if there is something under the skulls it would have to be very small.

 

[AdamReith]

Spoiler

Man, I really want to touch these skulls.

...

Let's get out of here.

 

[nikolokolus]

Discretion being the better part of valor, the troupe leaves the skulls alone and exits the room and proceeds east to the rough opening in the wall where, apparently, something burst from within at some point in the past. Peeking inside the chamber reveals an empty room devoid of any debris, detritus, or distinctive marks; it appears to be made of the same dark basalt stone that the rest of the complex is built from, is visibly damp, with little rivulets of water trickling down its walls and little pools of water have collected in low spots and other declivities on the flagstone covered floor. It is unremarkable and appears identical in most respects to the passage you stand in now and the other rooms you've seen.

 

[Grimgravy]

Ganelon peers through the rough opening and checks the ceiling looking for an opening or other source of the water.

 

[nikolokolus]

The water seems to be trickling down from unseen pores in the rock (to be clear, the drip of water is nearly constant in here and everywhere else you've seen. Perhaps not surprising, given this place's proximity to the nearby swamp.)

 

[L'ennui]

Guillemin spits in visible disdain at this badly lit, cold, damp, dirty place. He steps back from the group examining the cavity in the wall, and makes his way to carefully inspect the nearby South-facing door, starting by poking at various spots on the flooring in front of the door.

 

[Snorkack]

While in the Skull room, Daphne lets one of them disappear in her knapsack for later analysis.

 

[nikolokolus]

The skull easily rolls off the table and Daphne pockets it into the depths of her pack. Why does it grin at me like that? She wonders idly . . .

Guillemin taps at the floor, carefully inspects the door jamb, and lightly traces his fingers along the edge where the door meets the shallow archway. After about 10 minutes of careful study he can find nothing about it that seems out of place or hazardous.

 

[L'ennui]

Not feeling terribly confident about this whole endeavor, Guillemin signals for some backup. If someone joins him, he will attempt to open the door.

 

[AdamReith]

Vincent nods reassuringly to Guillemin and prepares to give anything that emerges unexpectedly from the door the slashing of its life.

 

[Grimgravy]

Ganelon nods as well and backs Guillemin with his mace.

 

[nikolokolus]

Guillemin leans into the door as it provides a little bit of resistance and then flings open. There is a sharp *twang* as a wire on the other side of the door is tripped and then a *snap* and crack*. A badly rusted, crossbow-like contraption is suspended just above the lintel inside the room, angled down and seemingly ready to fire at whatever soul is unfortunate enough to disturb the contents of the room. Fortunately for Guillemin, one of the arms of the crossbow appears to have snapped off when the tripwire triggered its firing mechanism. Moments later an ancient, rusted iron bolt tumbles out of the device and falls harmlessly to the floor at Guillemin's feet. Mon Dieu! but that was close!

When Guillemin collects his wits he looks inside the room with lantern light supplied by his companions and sees a 20x20 foot wide room, with a low ceiling that is easily touched if one were to stretch out their arm overhead. Set into each wall are a dozen or more small, triangular-shaped alcoves about a cubit high. Most alcoves are choked with cobwebs and appear to contain small, homely clay urns. However, a handful of these alcoves are empty and broken shards of clay litter the wet stone floor beneath them, as if someone has already been here and hastily searched a few of the nooks.

 

[Snorkack]

"Behold, something about those walls does not feel right! I feel like there is something hidden in here, are these rooms not supposed to be larger?"

Spoiler

Have a look at the map. To me it looks like there is a 10 by 20 ft space encircled by the lower east-west floor, the room above the party location marker (the room with the 3 2 skulls, correct?), the room with the broken wall (this is the room with the broken crossbow trap, right?) and the room beyond the portcullis

Daphne starts searching the skull room for hidden levers, mechanisms or crevices. "Someone have a closer look in the eastern room with the crumbled wall as well, please".

Spoiler

Sorry, was on mobile the last few days and I keep getting confused about who's where, what room description corresponds to which map location etc.
Please ignore anything of my post that does not make sense

 

[Snorkack]

Spoiler

ackshually, looking at the map it also seems like there might be a hidden room of the same 10x20 size north of the Skulls room as well, so Daphne also fondles the northern wall of the room as well while she's at it.

 

[Snorkack]

Spoiler

Aahrg sorry, I'm a real slowpoke in this game. Confused a.f. Didn't realize that we moved along way further already. Please ignore the last two posts of Daphnes actions. But let's keep this in mind, maybe we can search for hidden rooms when we pass by again.

Spoiler

if we pass by again.