(004) The Dunjon Door

[waysoftheearth]

verhaden wrote:
Sorry, I just grabbed names from The Cast thread, and your character wasn't there.

[waysoftheearth]

tombowings wrote:
If there are not further issues with the march order, I say we descend the stairs and make out way to the bared door.

[waysoftheearth]

coffee wrote:

Sorry, I just grabbed names from The Cast thread, and your character wasn't there.

I keep meaning to get him posted there. Maybe sometime this week...

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
All being now prepared, you take a last breath of fresh air and descend into the grim underworld...

The stone stair is scarcely 2ft wide and drops steeply some dozen yards into the cold, dark dunjon.

Taines bravely takes the lead, with Anwyn close behind, followed by Victor, Ulric, Dieter, Mads, Caine, Olaf and Rodrick. The file is a dozen yards long, so as Taines reaches the foot of the narrow stair, Rodrick is only just beginning the descent.

Down below, the dunjon is air is chill, silent and claustrophic. Ahead is a 3ft wide passageway hewn roughly from the earth. It is uneven, slanted, and shored-up by dubious stonework. The Dwarf leads on cautiously to the four stout timber doors -- the party members' boot crunching ominously in the dark behind him. As Taines passes the cells -- three of the low doors barred and the fourth hanging ajar -- Rodrick is at the foot of the stair and entering the dunjon proper.

By the dim yellow glow of Taines' and Ulric's lantern fires, you proceed. The Men find the passageway particularly cramped, with their heads almost touching the low ceiling. There is scarcely room to swing your arms, let alone a sword...

As Taines advance a further dozen yards to the intersection, Rodrick reaches the cell doors.

At the intersection, there is a door directly ahead. It is taller, and better made than the previous cell doors, and has a rusted, iron handle. It is not barred, nor does it have a peep-trap. To the left and right the narrow passage continues on into the dark. When Taines turns his head -- and thus the soft yellow beam of lantern light -- he spies another door at the end of a short passage to the right, and an open doorarch leading into gloomy chamber to the left. Anwyn points out a few dried blood drops on the ground a few paces down the passage to the left.

The air is stuffy and still all about, but Anwayn thinks she can barely hear a faint... trickle of water? over the breathing and fidgeting of the party.

"Something smells foul," mutters Taines to himself...

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:
From near the back, Olaf whispers a bit loudly so the others around him can hear, "These doors are still barred. Did you look behind them when you came down yesterday?"

Olaf reaches over to one of the wooden planks holding the doors shut as if to lift it, but only rests his hand on it and looks to the others expectantly, "We shouldn't leave them behind unchecked, should we?"

[waysoftheearth]

TheMyth wrote:
"Why don't we thoroughly search the open room first? Then we can check each barred door..." Anwyn wonders aloud as she looks back on her companions.

[waysoftheearth]

verhaden wrote:
Mads the Fair

Loud enough to hear, but with care not to unduly alert others of their presence "Perhaps we could split into two groups?"

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Near the back of the file Olaf feels a shiver of anticipation as he ponders whether or not to open the barred door to his left. Rodrick can go no further while Olaf delays, and Caine likewise must pause as Mads turns his head and suggests the rear group split off from the rest of the party...

Ahead of them all Dieter and the others trudge on, along with both of the lit lanterns, edging cautiously further down the cramped passage, and leaving Rodrick, Olaf, Caine and Mads in deeper shadow with every step. Very soon the feeble light from the stair behind them will be all the illumination they have...

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Meanwhile, at the intersection, Taines follows Anwyn's call and proceeds into the dark passage to his left. Anwyn, Victor, Ulric and Dieter follow in that order, taking the lantern light with them...

The gentle trickle of running water carries to their ears as they approach the room...

Half way down the passage -- some dozen paces -- Taines' lamp light begins to reach into the chamber ahead. It is still another dozen paces ahead, but the Dwarf and the Elf behind him can see a diamond shaped excavation with dreary earthen walls. It is of similar proportion to the tower rooms above, and the passage way appears to continue on into the darkness beyond the room.

More interestingly, however, is a large circular fountain that squats in the center of the room. It is graven from rough stone into a low but wide stone basin, with an inanimate tangle of twined sea-serpents rising from it to the height of a Man. A barely visible sheen of water burbles from the numerous upturned mouths to run down stone scales and into the basin.

Before the fountain lie two bodies -- one of them is hanging over the basin, face down in the water, while the other sprawled gracelessly on the ground...

[waysoftheearth]

verhaden wrote:
Mads the Fair

Looking ahead at the vanishing lamplight, Mads waves forward and picks up his speed. I need to learn to talk and walk at the same time.