The First Adventure

[ehiker133]

Dougal agrees and leads the way, lamp held high* so the others can see as well.

*still not much more than 4'3" due to Dougal being a hobbit

[Tonneau]

"Oh poor fellow", laments Potty, leaning over the gruesome remains of one of his victims. "Well I did offer you a mushroom. Perhaps next time, a little consideration of a friendly overture is in order yes?"

He wipes the end of his walking staff on the rats fur, then follows his comrades.

[mushgnome]

Turn 21

Our heroes move on from the rat battle, filling in an area of their map and discovering a tunnel to the west.

At the spot marked X is a small wooden chest.

[waysoftheearth]

Ooooh, let's hope it's food! whispers Tets. He looks up and down and around to see if there's any strings or wires or other tomfoolery about.

[mushgnome]

Tet pokes his head into the alcove and takes a look at the chest. It is an antique "pirate style" chest, about one foot wide. Tet doesn't see any strings or wires. Where the lock would be, there is a rectangle of aged leather, like a luggage tag. The tag is attached to a short length of chain, which goes through the keyhole and inside the chest. On the tag are embossed the words: PULL ME

Tet hears a faint ticking sound from within the chest, like a clockwork mechanism.

Listen roll 1d6=6, nice!

[waysoftheearth]

That ain't breakfast, says Tet, his disappointment clear. That's mischief!

[ehiker133]

Dougal shrugs, "Could be another one of those 'helpful' chests, like what we saw in the first big room. I say pull it."

If Tet doesn't want to pull the tag, Desmond Dougal will.

Yeah... they sorta feel similar sometimes...

[acodispo]

Willie doesn't want to lose any more teeth today, so he stands back behind the corner while Dougal pulls the tag.

[mushgnome]

Dougal cautiously pulls the tag and hears a series of 'tick tick tick' noises from within, like a winding gear. When he has pulled the chain about six inches, he is startled to hear voices from inside the chest! It sounds like a group of a half-dozen Hobbets, mixed male and female. The voices sound tinny and far away, yet paradoxically they are also quite loud. The Hobbet voices from inside the chest recite in unison:

How do you fix a broken tomato?

Dougal feels the chain has not yet reached its end, and he could continue pulling, if he chooses. What does he do? Do the other Hobbets wish to approach or interact with the chest?

[ehiker133]

Dougal chuckles at the age-old joke he learned when he was a kid.

"Tomato paste, of course!" he replies, hoping it is loud enough for the hobbets inside the chest to hear.

He waits a moment to see if there is a reaction from inside the box before he pulls the chain any further.