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| Oddsdrakken not shown. |
Engelhart sees, as shown earlier in the map, a squarish room with nine square pits, each surrounded by large green orbs, glowing slightly in the torch light. Nothing appears to be moving, but you can't be sure you're alone. You cannot see the bottoms of the other pits from where you are, but the adjacent pit is about 8 feet deep. It has a collection of sharp stones on the bottom, about two to five inches in height, that would make for a nasty fall.
You cannot tell what the orbs might be, with your present knowledge; no one in the party can.
On the far wall (I'm afraid, not shown ~ I'll fix it after), are three alcoves, directly cross from the three furthest pits.
After Engelhart and Pandred enter the room, a giant tick emerges from the center pit. Engelhart and it roll initiative, and the party wins.
Actions, please. Here is the adjusted layout:
54 comments:
I'll tuck the handaxe into my belt, giving an appreciative nod to Oddsdrakken.
"Good hustle."
Then I'll approach the orbs in 0208 and examine it visually, asking for Engelhart's torch if need be to see it better, but holding it away from the curious clutch to avoid any kind of ignition.
When you tell us each pit is "surrounded" by orbs (and going from the illustration) you mean that they are, what, floating over each pit? Embedded in the lip of the pits? Stationary, moving?
Are they eggs or eggsacks of some sort?
Stationary, clinging to the edges and walls of the pits; you don't know what they are.
I advance to the middle of the room (let's say,0405), so as to get some light onto the alcoves to reveal what they may contain.
As you take a step into 0307, on your way, the upper part of a giant tick will emerge from the pit edge of 0505, 15 feet away. I don't think there's a chance you're surprised. Please, Engelhart, roll a d6 for initiative.
I roll a 2.
You're in luck. I rolled a 1. Working on a new image.
Pandred, before I forget again; Englehart's torch is out. It was thrown at the beetle and was snuffed. It needs relighting.
There, I've added another image to the above post.
I move to 0406 and let loose.
Attack roll: natural 20, followed by a 14.
Damage roll: 8.
That's one less tick in the room.
Not quite. It certainly stuns. The tick slides back down into the central pit.
Wait, the 8 damage still gets to be doubled to 16. Sorry if I wasn't totally clear.
Ah, yes; don't leave it to me to double the number. Always double the number yourself.
The tick therefore slips and falls into the pit dead.
I start again across the room, so as to shed light onto the alcoves as was originally intended, keeping on the lookout for further creeps.
Ha, I can't light this thing, and anyway I may just need both hands free after all!
I'll rest the torch against the wall in 0209 and move to join Engelhart while he moves deeper in.
0404, then.
I make a point of checking every hole as I pass by. We're going to have to check every nook either way.
I use my flint to relight the torch, then move into the room to get a closer look at the orbs. Might they be able to be removed?
A closer examination of the orbs shows that they are connected to light crystal stems, that extend upwards from the bottoms of the pits, making it look like the orbs are clinging to the pit sides. Each orb is enlongated, and covered with a thin blonde fuzz.
Engelhart's examination of the three alcoves [not shown at the top of the map] indicates that the ones in the center and on the left are mortared stone ... but that the one on the right seems to be a stone wall without any mortar.
[get ourselves going at a gentle pace]
I use a javelin to gently prod one of the orbs, seeing what sort of texture the orbs have and also whether or not the fuzz can be scraped off.
So the orbs are like seed pods on long stalks that are leaning over against the sides?
The pod gives a bit. The fuzz does not scrape off. The orbs may be seed pods; you're not sure.
How deep do the pits go?
How big, exactly are the orbs? Could I grasp one in one hand or would it take two to not drop it into the pit if the stem were to be broken?
Could be seed pods. The pits are about six feet deep. The orbs are accurate on the map; so about the size of watermelons.
Can I get a sense of how heavy one would be?
From poking it with a handle, about the weight of a watermelon.
Wait a minute...
I shine a light up into the ceiling, to try to get a sight of where these "crystal stems" flow down from.
"... to light crystal stems, that extend upwards from the bottoms of the pits ..."
Up, not down. They appear to grow out of the floor. The ceiling is natural rock, unevenly six to eight feet over your head.
I grab hold of one of the orbs with both hands and try to pull it off the stem. If I can't pull it off, I ask someone to break the stem.
I'm going to assume you have gauntlets? If not, I'll have to assume you did it with bare hands.
You have to give a bit of an effort, but the orb breaks free, taking about four inches of stem with it. You can see that the stem goes right up into the orb, rather than the orb being attached to it. The stem is about a centimeter, or 3/8ths of an inch, in diameter; the broken piece is sharp as the tip of a new dagger. But it is clearly quite fragile.
[OOC: just to let you know, I'll be on call for the campaign for the next four hours; I'll step off at 4pm, my time].
Ok, since Lothar did pry one out, might as well get the thing open for inspection. I'm figuring these to be the egglay of something nasty, but then I'm a pessimist at heart.
I do have a pair of gloves. For my next trick, I slice the thing open with my dagger.
It does not seem to be an egg.
The interior is black-blue in color, darker than midnight blue. There are two light grey pods inside; each is attached to a fork of the crystal, which goes up right into the orb.
It looks like some kind of fruit.
Hmm... very interesting. I wonder if someone upstairs would know what these are. For now, do we want to harvest a few of these to take back to town? I'm sure the apothecary would know what these are, and would have more use for them than we do. Maybe take half of them (in case they are time sensitive like the fire beetle glow sacs)?
Agree with Lothar.
Alexis: is it established that we checked the whole perimeter? Or are there pits left unlit?
If all is truly clear, talk to us about that stone wall. Can I see anything through any joints in it?
Regarding the wall, the stones don't give enough room to see through anything; there's no ligh coming through for certain and holding up the lantern does not give enough light that holding it up at one point of the wall, and trying to look through at another place, shows any light.
However, it occurs to you [and we don't need to wait for Embla to jump in, as that will just waste time], that the assassin's "heightened senses" may help. Embla can confirm two things:
a) there is a little bit of air flow through the stones.
b) something is alive on the other side.
Something else: what is the consistency of the bottom of these pits like, anyway?
Is there mud or liquid? Would you care to poke it with your staff, Lothar?
[OOC: incidentally, Lothar, I worked out the rules for your water discipline sage ability:
http://tao-dndwiki.blogspot.ca/2018/04/water-discipline-sage-ability.html
This came with the help of some rules on dehydration. At the moment, as we're in the middle of this adventure, I won't harass the party about their water supplies ~ but following the next opportunity to re-equip, expect that water is going to start being an issue.
My plan is to implement water, food and proper CLO rules in the next few months].
The pits and flooring is all mortared stone, and very clean. You do get an uncomfortable feeling about the pits themselves, however, that you can't put your finger on. I can't remember; is there someone in this part with a character background relating to curses, or does Engelhart have a detect malevolence spell? Or am I remembering a different party?
Let's break down this wall and confront whatever is lurking there.
Nothing here. Myths and Legendary Creatures is my nearest point of expertise.
I'm good with breaking down the wall, obviously.
How would you go about breaking the wall down?
In that case, how hard would it be to break up with hough the wall? Do our resident sappers have their digging equipment?
There are just the four of you and Oddsdrakken. Valda, Willa and Fjall are up at the entrance.
Do you have any appropriate tools?
Not with me. Weren't there some discarded tools by the entrance to this room?
I don't have any either. How about we gather up these fruits and take them to town and see if we can convince Valda or Fjall to come down with us when we come back?
I don't feel great leaving these folks alone with whatever nasty is behind the wall.
Allow me to remind the party that the workmen had called in a party of "cleaners" ... and that you four stepped in because those cleaners had not arrived yet. If you step out to town, you can be sure the cleaners will have gotten here in the interim.
And thus any further claim to loot. Right. Well let's see if we can convince Valda or Fjall to come down now that the ticks are dead. Or at least let us borrow some tools.
Well, we shouldn't waste time here. Send Oddsdrakken, who will ask; Fjall and Valda talk it over and Valda agrees to come down. Meanwhile, the rest of the party should eat a pound of food to keep their energy up and we'll pick up with Valda looking over the wall.
"We might just push it in," she says.
"Works for me."
I will begin pushing it in.
I assist Pandred.
Pandred is strong enough that, if he can get purchase against something, she can shove the wall right down. Pandred can get any other character to brace her foot ... and with a shove, down comes the wall.
I am writing a new post.
Sorry Embla, I missed that. The new post is in place; please feel free to consider Embla to be in Lothar's hex.
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