(038) The Concourse Catacomb

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Rufus pokes his head over the stair well and gives a good long listen (1d6) as Wendel, Mads and Dugel the dwarf come up behind him... Wendel still busily preoccupied with inking out a sketch on paper.

The Halfling keen ears hear nothing more than the low moaning of restlessly moving air, and the distant clamour of far off echoes. Apparently these catacombs must extend for some ways underground.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Wendel's impromptu map now looks something like this...


......=........
..+---=---+....
..|.......|....
..|.......|....
..\......./....
...\_____/.....
.../..|..\.....
../...|...\....
...........\...
............\/.
............v\.


v stair down

[waysoftheearth]

heartless wrote:
Rufus says to his new crew, "Stay together and have your weapons ready for the first sign of trouble, for you never know.." he leaves his words hanging. "Lets go down, and find the Old Vault. I hope one of you can read so we can get the numbers off it?", adds Rufus.

Rufus will be just ahead of the others and will try to keep to the shadows and will search for traps as he goes, and will regularly stop and listen and look for anything that may surprise them down here. [img]images/smiley/angry.png[/img]

He will first have a quick look down the passage the other side of the stairs about 10 feet.

Then if he doesn't see anything Rufus will move down back to the stairs below to locate the Old Vault.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Without better light or further trespass, there is nothing much to see down the passage opposite the stair. Rufus shrugs and descends cautiously, going ahead of the others and keeping a careful eye out for tricks...

The stair seems to turn abruptly to the left several times during the descent, but eventually leads to another cool and dark chamber. Rufus can't yet see the extent of it, but there is a damp, foul smell in the air... as if vegetables have been left out to rot. And there is the sound of trickling water from farther off it in the dark.

[waysoftheearth]

heartless wrote:
"Quick bring down a light so I can see", says Rufus not wanting to be caught off guard in the dark.
He will keep to the wall in the shadows to hide in shadows as best as possible at all times down here and now.

[waysoftheearth]

verhaden wrote:
Mads the Enlightened

Mads slowly approaches the sound of Rufus's voice, holding the lantern as high above his own head as is comfortable. His other hand rests lightly on the handle of his sword...

"Rotting vegetables are preferable to rotting meat," sniffs Mads quietly to himself.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
As Mads approaches from the stair above and behind, the others see a great and ancient chamber of low, lichen-covered stone walls slick with moisture and a film of filth.

The dark space extends some dozen or more yards both to the left and to right, and only 10 yards directly ahead. The entire length of the place is polluted by a slick of fouled water that creeps gradually from left to right, entering and exiting this room through a low tunnel.

Directly ahead, and across the befouled stream are a run of three steps that lead up from the flow to an open door arch that looms over a pitch dark passage...

(1d6)

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Dugel and Mads, please state for the record which spells you have memorised.

[waysoftheearth]

verhaden wrote:
Mads the Enlightened

Mads has memorized the Eerie Lambent and the Genuflect Yaw.

[waysoftheearth]

verhaden wrote:
Mads the Enlightened

Mads perks his ears and slowly continues his approach forward, careful not to slip on the moist floor. He lets his lantern drop out down near waist level...