(020) Exploring the South-East Stair

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 12:18 am

heartless wrote:
"Door looks safe to me to open, though oddly it doesn't seem entirely dark within. Let me get my short bow out first and I will stand ground behind you all so no one sneaks up on us from these dark passages. I have a torch so lets also light this first too so we have light in and out of the room. Becareful Olaf the door appears safe to open", says Wibert and stands back.

Wibert will keep an eye down the left and right passage ways with his short bow ready.

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 3:40 am

waysoftheearth wrote:
Wibert mumbles something about the light, and steps back to the stair to get out of the way. He unshoulders his pack, then unstraps it and rummages about within for a moment before he manages to locate a torch and a tinderbox.

Olaf looks on with a perplexed expression as Wibert prepares a little pile of tinder and then sets about striking a spark off his flint and steel so that it flies into the tinder. He strikes it sharply once, then twice, then thrice before he gets a spark into the tinder.

Meanwhile the others wait nervously in the dark...

(1d6)

When a tiny ember at last catches into the tinder, Wibert blows gently upon it to encourage the it to burst into flame. A few puffs of smoke appear first, before finally he has a hungry little blaze going. Then he deftly holds the tarred end of his torch over the little flame and at laaaaaaaaast his torch sputters to life. Its light is dim and ochre compared to the brilliant blue-white light of The Scepter, but Wibert holds it up triumphantly.

Now he thinks about his bow, but at last realises (wisdom 5) that he will not be able to hold his bow ready and carry the torch at the same time. So he holds the torch in his right hand, and his short bow in his left, with its arrows still safely in their quiver.

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 3:50 am

waysoftheearth wrote:
Meanwhile, Olaf finally pushes open the door, and ducks to the side in case of any mischief.

The door gives a creaking moan as it swings inward, and then there is silence.

Oalf peers in to see a large, low space that resembles nothing so much as an abandonned parlour. The walls are decorated with old curtains and a few mis-hung paintings, and there are a number of small round tables in view with variously askew and knocked over chairs between them.

Right at the far back of the parlour (if that is indeed what it is), some 60 or more feet away from the door, there is what might be a performers' stage. A single beam of yellow-white light shines steadily down upon the centre-front of the stage from some piece of rigging attached to the ceiling before it.

This must surely be the gambling den, but the entire place is silent and still...

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:02 am

waysoftheearth wrote:
It looks approximately like this:

####################################
#################~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~####
#################.......*.......####
#################./---stage---\.####
#################/.............\####
#################.....+()... .??####
##############...+.....+..+.????####
############...+.().......???????###
##########.......+....+.????????####
#########.+.........+.##############
########...().+..().################
########..+......+.#################
########......+...##################
#######........().##########
#######........+.+##########
#######...........##########
#######...........##########
#######...........##########
###########..###########
...D.......O....K.......
#########W-##-G#########
####down##/#|\###up#####
########################

() tables
+ chairs
~ curtain
* spotlight

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:20 am

ehiker133 wrote:
Desmond watches the torch lighting process in all its difficulties and, seeing Wibert's dilemma with bow/arrow/torch, offers to take the torch in his left hand (sword in right) so Wibert can properly prepare himself.

"I'll hold the torch for yah, Wibert. Shall we check out the gambling den?"

That said, Desmond enters the room.

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 7:02 am

heartless wrote:

ehiker133 wrote:Desmond watches the torch lighting process in all its difficulties and, seeing Wibert's dilemma with bow/arrow/torch, offers to take the torch in his left hand (sword in right) so Wibert can properly prepare himself.

"I'll hold the torch for yah, Wibert. Shall we check out the gambling den?"

That said, Desmond enters the room.

"Many thanks Desmond you are a true friend in deed", says Wibert. "I feel more safe in this dark place with extra light...Now to get an arrow into my short bow."

If need be Wibert can put down is short bow and grab a dagger quickly from his dagger belt if the need arises.

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 10:06 am

tonneau wrote:
Gustave raises himself from the (rather uncomfortable) stair where he was resting while watching Wibert's antics with the tinder.
"A fine effort I must say, but not a patch on that Great Felucci chap from the Court of Latt. His flaming head-stand was truly something to witness", he mutters to noone in particular as he follows the others into the chamber.

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 10:53 am

waysoftheearth wrote:
Desmond takes the burning torch enabling Wibert to draw an arrow from his quiver and set it ready on his bow string. Then Desmond crosses the threshold and enters the parlour...

The place is musty with the smell of stale ale, cigar smoke, mysterious spice and the sweat of Men. The greater part of the parlour is gloomy, with the strange yellow shaft of light silently burning a central spot over the stage, while Desmond's torch and Olaf's scepter cast eerie fingers of exploratory light between the many tables and chair legs.

As he moves cautiously into the room, Desmond spies upon the tables a few empty glasses, cigar stubs, and a few playing cards, dice and knuckle bones. All the signs indicate that the den has been used often, and recently.

Desmond is almost at the first parlour table and Gustave is moving into the room behind him. Olaf is still in the doorway. Koch and Wibert are keeping a careful watch in the passage outside.

What now?

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 11:27 am

heartless wrote:
"Lets look around in side and search the stage and then get out of here and rejoin the others before coming back", suggests Wibert.

Post by **waysoftheearth** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 12:00 am

Professor P wrote:
KOCH steadies his helmet and loads a stone in his sling. He then takes up his shield in his left hand (loaded sling in his right) and enters the room. He never goes further than Wibert into the room. He searches the walls and behind the mishung paintings for secret panels.