Immersive Ink

doctorx wrote:
"We should take care before we all descend," Josiane whispers to Olaf;"I dislike leaving our escape from yonder depths hanging quite literally by a thread. Have we any more rope?"

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Basement
(Gustave, Desmond/Mondes, Dieter, Highbough)

Highbough arrives in the basement with a graceful lack of noise.

Desmond/Mondes inspect the two buttons atop the pedestal. They are indistinguishable from one another, aside from their position. They are aligned in a vertical column, one above the other.

Meanwhile, Gustave casts his light further afield. The basement is broad indeed... there appears to be a large, cluttered workbench occupying much of the dimly visible space, backed by racks and shelves.

The same acrid scent as was encountered in the cellar is vaguely detectable on the otherwise stale air.

Without warning, there comes a prolonged groan of stressing timber from within the deeper dark of the basement... and then an alarming clatter.

What now?

mushgnome wrote:
Highbough keeps one hand on the Ire Spear and his other hand on the rope. He doesn't panic.

tonneau wrote:
"Ah..." says Gustave, pausing mid-stride.

Backtracking to the others (mailed feet clinking on the stones in the suddenly ominous quiet), he hands the lantern back to its owner with a whispered, "thanks so much", before unstrapping his shield from his back and fitting it to his free arm.

doctorx wrote:
"Oh dear," sighs Josiane at the ominous sounds beginning to emerge from below.

She considers a rapid descent of the rope, but decides against it in case her friends conclude that to ascend themselves may be the wisest course of action.

In the mean time, she maintains her watch for any sight or sound of further danger.

danhem wrote:
"I'll be more useful below I think," Ulric says. "Someone may want this." Ulric places his own lantern on top of the nearest crate and then descends the rope into pit.

sulldawga wrote:
Dorgan is staying up top in case anyone needs help getting hauled up quickly.

eris wrote:

sulldawga wrote:Dorgan is staying up top in case anyone needs help getting hauled up quickly.

At this point so is Olaf. He isn't happy splitting up, but someone needs to secure the escape route.

rleduc wrote:
Seeing that the escape route well-secured, Guntrum will descend the rope.

waysoftheearth wrote:
Very well.

Ulric lowers himself over the lip and begins to abseil down the side, followed shortly by Guntrum.

Dorgan keeps a steady hand on the rope, ensuring the knot over the top pedestal is good.

Before Ulric reaches the bottom there comes a deep thud from the dark. Then another. As if something very heavy were moving in the dark... then the (very large) work bench at the periphery of Gustave's sight is wrenched violently aside with a great clatter, and a massive figure hoves into view. No less than 10ft tall, surely, and twice as wide as any Man, the huge thing seems armoured head to toe in a broad and featureless earth coloured material. It voices no sound but head directly toward the dais with menacing intent.

There will be combat next round (unless you somehow evade).

What now?