(004) The Dunjon Door

[waysoftheearth]

danhem wrote:
"Agreed," Ulric says after peering down the corridor. "But first let's make sure we're not leaving anything behind here as well."

Ulric moves over to the open archway to the left and shines his lantern down the dark hall. He is expecting to see yet another T-junction, but he remains cautious.

"Too many spiders down here," he mutters to himself. "It always has to be spiders."

[waysoftheearth]

verhaden wrote:
Mads the Fair

"I've seen naught but darkness." Mads says tentatively. "But that spider's still down there."

[waysoftheearth]

tombowings wrote:
"By the almighty Thuul, I'm with Mads. I hate the idea that we could be unwarily jumped by anther spider. Maybe we should check it out," Rodrick says.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Taines, Rodrick and Olaf have each depleted their supplies by a further one half day.

By my reckoning Caine and Ulric each have 5 days remaining. Dieter and Olaf have 4 days remaining. Everybody else has 4.5 days remaining.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Ulric strides efficiently across the fountain chamber, his robes swishing, and thrusts his lantern boldly forth so that the yellow finger of light reaches searchingly into the last of the dark passages leaving the now quiet fountain chamber. His wary light stretches as far as it is able into the gloom, but the passage way seems without end. For what Ulric can make out, it is another tight, roughly hewn tunnel like the others. There are a few stray fallen rocks on the uneven floor, but that aside it is empty and still...

............Interesection
............back to entry
.....................
.................#..#
.................#..#
.................#..#
.................#..#
.................#..#
.................#..#
................#(..)# <-- Open door arch
...............##....##
#..#..........##......##
#..############.T..V...###############..
#.Damp?..........(**)...U.....Long dark passage?
#..############...AM...###############..
#..#..........##......##
...............##....##
................#(..)# <-- Open door arch
.................#..#
.................#..#
.................#..#
.....................
...............Spider?

Not exactly to scale.
Not everyone show.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Meanwhile, the majority of the party have by now agreed to turn back toward the cell doors.

Resuming, more or less, the former marching order, Taines bravely takes the lead with his helm lantern lit and axe in hand, followed closely by Anwyn with bow at the ready. Behind them come Dieter, Victor, Caine, Olaf with his torch and Ulric, with his lantern. Finally Mads and Rodrick fall in at the rear. The complete file is a dozen yards long, so as Taines is trudging over ghastly ruined corpses and reaching the intersection, Rodrick is taking one last glance over his shoulder into the fountain room and entering the passage...

"Git owta the way!" Taines grumbles, kicking a brutally decapitated head solidly into the dark passage toward the open door and absolute blackness from whence the undead came. He then turns back toward the stair and the surface, and soon arrives at the four barred doors. By this time, Mads and Rodrick are at the intersection, with broken corpses and butchered body parts beneath their feet...


.............Undead
................?
..............#..#
..............#..#....................Barred
..............#..#.....................doors
..............#..#.....................?.....?
.............##..#####################(=)###(=)#######
. Closed --> ().R..M..U..O..C..V..D..A..T..... --> Back toward stair,
.. door .....##..#####################(.)###(=)####### and surface
..............#..#...................#...#...?
..............#..#...................#...# <-- Empty
..............#..#...................##### ....cell
................?
............Fountain
Not to scale.

[waysoftheearth]

tombowings wrote:
"What's holding up the line guys? You find anything?"

[waysoftheearth]

Harry wrote:
Axe in hand, Taines moves to the first door (OOC as we look at the map the top right hand side), pressing his ear against it, listening for any movement within.

Looking back to the rest in the column "Are ya ready lads?", winking Taines rests his axe against the wall and attempts to lift the bar holding the cell door shut.

[waysoftheearth]

TheMyth wrote:
Anwyn pulls back her bowstring

"Ready, dwarf," she hisses in the flickering light of the torches.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Taines hefts the heavy bar (at chest height for a Dwarf) -- it being the very same bar that Anwyn but in place the previous evening.

With a huff and a grunt Taines has it dislodged, and stands it end on by the side of the door. Above Taines's eye level there is, of course, the closed peep-trap.

As Rodrick calls out from the back of the line, Anwyn hisses in readiness, and Taines pulls the heavy, door open as suddenly as he can. It is stiff on its hinges, however, and protests with a sore creak, but yields none the less.

Inside is a small, grim cell perhaps a half dozen yards square. The stone walls are rough and uneven, and the ceiling crude and low. Thankfully, the cell appears empty...