(062) The Basal

[danhem]

"Quickly, let's see how thick that cover is," Ulric says is a commanding voice. "Grab those picks and see if you can knock off a big piece of the edge so we can use the shovels as levers to lift it open. Highbough, can you see if you can work your way around the pit and see what is around the corner? I'll be right behind you; we don't need any more surprises."

[Olroda]

As noted earlier, Beringar is no stranger to hard work, so he´ll get to it without fuss.

[waysoftheearth]

[p Man,leather,spear,hand,12,7/7]Beringar[/p] and [p Man,leather,short-sword,hand,12,7/7]Armando[/p] take to the stone floor with their picks, making Thor's Own Din as they pummel the rocks relentlessly by the light of [pp Man,robes,lantern,hand,12,9/9]Ulric[/pp]'s lantern and [pp Maiden,leather+helm,sword,torch,12,9/9]Josiane[/pp]'s torch...

1d6=6

...their first blows only jar their hands and raise a dust cloud, but with a half dozen shuddering strikes the pair dislodge a couple of good-sized rocks near the edge to reveal the "mechanism" of the trap. The "lid" is a segment of 10ft long cylinder, wedge-shaped in cross-section, with one flat edge facing up. The whole of it pivots along a metal axle embedded in the floor and through one corner of the wedge, allowing the "floor" to drop--with all haste--and swing harmlessly into a back-cavity adjacent to the pit itself. It appears [p Man,leather,spear,hand,12,7/7]Beringar[/p] has just knocked a couple of stones out from over the back cavity... a hole beneath the ledge where Highbough stood. It's about 6ft deep.


| It is two minutes since the trap was sprung.

What now? |

[flightcommander]

Armando assesses the possibility of using say, a pick handle to jam the trap door open.

[waysoftheearth]

[p Man,leather,short-sword,hand,12,7/7]Armando[/p] hastily reckons it that--should a few more rocks be levered away--a man would swiftly be able to leap down in the back-cavity adjacent to the pit proper, and there walk under the 2ft wide ledge that Highbough stands upon quite unhindered, and gaze up at the underside of the trapdoor lid. With the lid of the pit trap still closed (as it firmly is) he could--from that position--very easily leap into the chute, or belay himself down on a rope...

| The astute reader will have noted that turns are passing minute-by-minute rather than in regulation ten-minute exploration turns... |

[doctorx]

"Keep digging," growls Josiane.

She maintains her watch, fore and aft, although her gaze frequently darts towards the accursed trap.

Her eyes burn. You could almost imagine sparks of grey light flying from them, to hiss and fizz on the stone floor...

[mushgnome]

HIghbough pulls his dark cloak over his face and carefully peers around the corner.

No more surprises, the senile Elf mumbles. We're spread too thin already...

[Olroda]

Violence solves any problem, at least in Beringar´s experience. Usually by making them disappear.

...With that in mind, he´ll do his very best to remove some more rocks.

[waysoftheearth]

[p Man,leather,short-sword,hand,12,7/7]Armando[/p] and [p Man,leather,spear,hand,12,7/7]Beringar[/p] hastily excavate half a dozen more stones--creating enough space for a man or elf to drop down through the floor level and into the back-cavity...

Meanwhile [p Old Elf,leather+helm,spear,hand,12,10/10]Highbough[/p] pads beyond them in his night dark cloak to peer around the adjacent corner. He spies in the dimness that the passage makes a "U turn", doubling back upon itself, and ending in another dark, open door arch on the far wall...

  Code:

......Wolf.......
......Face.......
....##&&&######..
....#...Pit...#..
....#.+/-+....#..
....#.|..#....#..
....#.|..#....#..
....#.+--#....#..
....#....#....#..
....#....#......?
######..#########.
..................
......Stair.......
........Room......

[mgtremaine]

Wen would creep forward after Highbough if possible, arrow at the ready and some paces behind, he would watch for movement or any sign of danger.....