Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[Siveon]

Marcán returns Ker excitement with a smile. "Nothing more than what Brule knows, but it is an excellent find, indeed. At the very least it looks like a good enough shield. We should hurry onward, however, lest we push our luck any further."

 

[Grimgravy]

While Ker is digging, Rhenmyr scouts the passage outside the door.

OOC

No way I'm hanging around for half and hour waiting for the roof to collapse.

 

[Helly]

"I'll be honored to keep it, and proud to use it in battle." Ker straps the shield to his arm.
"Sorry for the wait, let's keep moving!"

 

[nikolokolus]

While Ker busies himself with sifting through stones and debris, Rhenmyr squeeze through the partially opened door to reconnoiter. With torch held aloft, you step into a narrow passage, with a low-arched ceiling about 5 feet wide and 25 feet long. walking to the end of the passage opens up into a hallway with high vaulted ceilings about 10 feet wide

To the right (north) the hallway slopes downward at a shallow angle and ends at a set of double doors 20 feet away. To the left (south) you note two side passages with steps leading down, and beyond that an open room of undetermined size lies just at the farthest reach of your torchlight.

 

[Grimgravy]

First, Rhenmyr investigates the double doors to the north.

 

[L'ennui]

While waiting for the party to follow Rhenmyr, Urash lights a torch. He then takes up the rear guard with a last look at the decrepit chamber behind them.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Cormac moves forward, out of the danger area of the deteriorating room.

 

[Helly]

Ker follows the party to the north, staying in the middle while pondering how much money he can make out of this old mouthy shield.

 

[nikolokolus]

With Ker's investigations complete, the party joins Rhenmyr in the hallway, where he is standing in front of a set of bronze double-doors that are slightly opened, peering into the opening reveals a short flight of steps leading down about ten feet, that appears to open into a wider chamber. Looking carefully at the doors, nothing appears to be unusual or out of place. A light pull causes them to easily swing open on they well greased hinges that support them.

Torch aloft, you descend the few steps and reveal a rectangular room. Tall slabs of stone support the nearly 30 feet high ceiling here. On the opposite wall, two hammered bronze braziers rest before a towering stone door at the end of the chamber. The door is carved with hundreds of spiraling runes, spinning into infinity. Inscribed above the portal is the image of an enormous wolf being crushed to death by a giant snake. The floor is covered by what appears to be thousands of thin, translucent strips of vellum. To your horror, you realize the crackling dried strips are the discarded skins of an untold number of snakes. Aside from the snake-skins, the chamber floor is otherwise empty.

 

[Grimgravy]

"How do snakes figure into the stories of Blaidd Mawr? I don't recall hearing of them before."

 

[nikolokolus]

Brule speaks, "Ulfheonar's sigil was a coiled snake, but as to real snakes there is nothing in his legend about them." He kicks at one of the skins and it turns to dust. He looks around the dimly chamber with a look of concern.

 

[L'ennui]

Staying close to the entrance, Urash crouches down to observe the shed skins. He pokes at them slowly with his staff, watching them crumble.

Spoiler

Do the skins all look about equally old, or do some look "fresher" than the others?

 

[nikolokolus]

Urash spends a few moments poking at various snake skins. Each appears about equally decrepit and disintegrates on contact.

Spoiler

Everyone roll 4d6

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

[4d6] = 14

 

[Siveon]

[4d6] = 16 (ignore the 4)

 

[ERYFKRAD]

[4d6] = 13

 

[Grimgravy]

Snake room: [4d6] = 15

 

[L'ennui]

[4d6] = 14

"I hate snakes..."

 

[Helly]

[4d6] = 17

Spoiler

I won! But what did I won?

 

[nikolokolus]

Urash creates quite a cloud of dust with his kicking.

Borric and Cormac notice something peculiar; instead of clouding up the room with choking dust, the motes swirl in the torchlight and are quickly sucked up into a narrow gap above the lintel of the doorway you just passed through. Moving your hand near the two-feet wide void reveals a palpable draft of air.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"That is interesting. I wonder where that draft of air is moving to. The front entrance is sealed, so there must be an opening elsewhere in the tomb."

 

[L'ennui]

Nodding at Cormac: "Must be... Anyone care to peek in there? I'll give you a lift."

Urash goes down on one knee in front of the doorway and cups his hands together to lift up whoever the brave volunteer will be.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Cormac steps up to look.

 

[nikolokolus]

Cormac gets a lift from Urash and holds a torch up to the narrow chimney, Immediately the flame begins to gutter and flicker as a perceptible breeze pulls at the dancing flame. You peer through the slot revealing a narrow passage about 2 feet wide and tall that immediately makes a 90 degree turn to the right and goes far enough that your torch can't see the end. The floor of the passage is made of dressed stone, and the walls are earthen. Curiously the ceiling is composed of a thick mat of vines and roots.

The gap looks wide enough that an average sized man, unencumbered by armor or pack, could probably crawl through it, but the space looks confined enough that a weapon any larger than a short-sword would probably be unusable.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"It looks like a passage. I can probably crawl through it. Let me drop my gear and then boost me back up. I hope nothing is in there." Cormac removes his pack and armor and prepares to climb into the tunnel with his club.