Princes of the Apocalypse, Game Thread

Olaerys hears nothing on the other side of the iron door

Ankita heads through the gate and stands at Olaerys's shoulder as he prepares to go through the iron door.

After he points everyone to the door, Olaerys busts through the iron door attempting to surprise whoever might be on the other side.   

The passage leads to a gate made of iron bars that blocks the way north, secured with a chain and padlock. Just beyond the gate, worn stone steps descend and turn left. This is no mine tunnel — the stonework is near-perfect despite its evident age. 

Randall looks at the stairs down.  "Hmpf.  If they keep the lich in the basement, I have interest in learning what lives in the subcellar."  He turns instead to the locked gate.  "Think you can break that down, Shrek old man?"

(Note there is a tunnel going south too, that looks kind of like a mine shaft

[Is it dark?  Is Randall using the darkvision Melchor cast on him yet?]

It is! And yes, you are using dark vision atm

A grin appears on Shrek's face, quickly replacing his horror-stricken demeanor from the previous room.  "Ahhh, Master Randall!  Shrek on it!" he announces with glee.  He then lifts both hands in the air, realizing that one hand is 'used' by the umber hulk claw.  "Hmmmm, Shrek not sure if able.  Will try."

With one free/good hand, and one clawed hand, Shrek will attempt to rip the chain off of the bars:

Athletics: 8

Olaerys sees the struggling gargantuan and tries to go over and help, using his axe to try and help pry, break it.  

Athletics :  13 

The lock and chain hold fast,even with Olaerys's help

“Wait a minute!”  Olaerys pulls out the key from Qarbo and tries it in the lock…

It appears that whatever is past that gate was beyond Qarbo's pay grade, as the key does not fit

Melchor steps up with an exasperated sigh, and looks carefully at the gate, its lock and the nearby walls, to see if he can find a more expedient way to open the gate…

(Investigation: 27)

Ankita giggles as the goliath and the knight try and use their strength to bring the gate down.  As she notices that the key doesn't fit, she wants to have a go at it.  She waits until Melchor is out of the way, then with a bit of a feminine war cry, she sticks her club in for leverage and tries to pry them open.

Athletics 11

A little mesmerized by his new darkvision abilities, Randall walks 15 - 20' down the mineshaft to the south, peering into the darkness.  Is this what gnomes see every day? Wow...

Melchor: it seems like a standard lock that could be forced open if you had enough muscle.

Ankita: the iron bars bend a little but, impressive the men, but not much.

Randall: the passage goes south and then turns east. There appears to be a fungus on the walls.  

Melchor points to a specific area of the bars. ‘Someone try here, I think there’s a slightly weaker point…’ 

(Melchor is trying to leverage his decent Investigation result into the Help action for someone with actual muscle!)

“Shrek you have the best chance here.  Break that thing!”  Olaerys attempts to offer his help in any way that he can as well.  

Randall tries to scrape off some of the fungus with his spear point to bring it back to the others for identification.