As Neya finishes saying those words, four out of every ten glyphs light up in a dark green color, akin to the reflection you might get from a jade stone. The slab slowly begins to fade away, starting from beneath the monk's hand. Before long the entire slab disappears, revealing a dark hole in the floor. The bottom of the pit, which was already quite tight for the five of you to stand on simultaneously, is now even tighter.
The torch Utar had kicked in falls through the newly formed whole, illuminating the chamber below. The firelight reveals a passage that drops further down, and which would be otherwise completely covered in darkness. Musty, moist air wafts up from the void. Once the dust settles, the dim sunlight coming from outside now faintly penetrates the chamber as well. From above, you see your own dancing shadows on what appears to be some sort room with a finished, tiled floor.
The rope Graxx had affixed 20 feet up continues to unravel once the new chamber is uncovered, hitting the new bottom with its last 10 feet left still unraveled.
(OOC: Uncovering the chambers beneath the West Tower marks the end of ACT II. Each of you becomes the proud new owner of 550XP. Details can be found in the OOC Chat. Congrats!)
Praxx and Drazzim follow Utar down the rope, joining Neya and Graxx at the bottom. The hole you entered bores through about five feet of solid rock before emptying out into a room of irregular cavernous walls, approximately 60 feet by 45 feet, with a low ceiling about 10 feet high. Once the half-orc activates his trinket, the party can see their surroundings a bit better. While the floor is stone, it is covered by a layer of thin mud. The constant sound of dripping water can be heard coming from all around you, both close by and from a distance. An indistinguishable mix of rot and mildew fills your noses. A beaten brass door leads out of this room to the east, or so it would were it still standing on its hinges. A 40-foot coil of rope is tied around the top step of a 12-foot ladder that rests against the north wall (you are close to the south wall). The other end of the rope is sliced clean and coiled on the ground as if dropped from above.
Despite being taken aback by the foul smell, Graxx still manages to catch muddy tracks of several human sized creatures wearing boots. These footprints lead east towards the broken door. Neya notices that somebody cleared parts of the walls, which revealed the remnants of some kind of fresco. Unfortunately, the piece of art is too faded to identify.
A few seconds pass, and a strange noise is heard behind and above you. The stone slab has manifested itself back into existence, its faulty glyphs blinking out of unison. Its reappearance not only closes your path back out, but also severs the rope you used to land safely in this chamber. Thankfully, this side of the slab also displays a hand imprint, if only you can manage to reach it.
"I reckon if I hosted Graxx on my shoulders, then you and Drazzim threw Praxx up..."
Utar trails off as he realises that the fact the ladder is still here means that whoever thought to bring it here is likely still somewhere down here too...
Praxx nods and smiles at the thought of being flung up to the hand on the slab. “That would be a blast...” Praxx says as he notices Graxx’s moontouched sword come out of its sheath.
Praxx then steps up slowly behind Graxx and begins slowly nose breathing with a sort of booger whistle. “Do you hear anything Ugly?” Praxx says with a chuckle
As the group ponders on their eventual exit plan, they take in a few more details on their surroundings. The walls and corridors of the temple are partially carved out of natural caverns. The walls however, seem to be somewhat thin in sections, based on all the dripping noises and ambient sound you can hear from deeper into the caverns. There is also a gentle but noticeable downward slope on the ground. Your surroundings are chilly and moist, while the floors are muddy, uneven, and slippery. You get a sense that running in this place might be a tricky endeavor.
Graxx then approaches the brass doors on the ground, near where they should have been standing upright. With the help of his glowing sword, the barbarian peeks ahead and sees an corridor of uneven walls slowly curving northward, in a circular manner. He tries to listen ahead for any additional clues but the silly noises Praxx is performing out of his nose are too much of a distraction (what a talented gnome!)
That is... until a strange sound can be heard by all five of you coming from the inner chambers somewhere. The sound of dripping water is interrupted by something else. It becomes louder as the sound travels the cavernous walls until it reaches all of you. Is it a voice? Perhaps... laughter?
Or perhaps, a trick of the mind? The keep has already proven a strange place. So who was to say otherwise...?
But no... Though listeners would have to strain themselves, or move closer to the tunnel past the fallen doors to be /absolutely/ sure, raucous laughter definitely seemed to be echoing off the walls from some further deep. What tension raised can be in part soon set soon at ease. For the laughter, at least for the time being, did not seem intentionally directed at the party.
After a short while the echoed laughter peters out into silence. But following a brief delay, far softer sound of other voices filled in the gap left behind by the laugh. Others, for none matched the deep, richness to the first voice, or carried the same clear mocking behind them for that matter. By that same token it is impossible to distinguish words -- if any -- were exchanged between speakers.
Mayhaps more would be revealed traveling further inside?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"That confirms it... We are not the only living ones in here. What's more is that they are surprisingly close by! Shall we follow the laughter to its source?" Neya says in a slightly hushed tone as she cautiously moves through broken doorway.
"Yes, watch your step. This is not good fightin' ground." Graxx says hushed as well. Graxx looks down to Praxx, "Put all those years underground to use and spot these people before they spot us." Graxx will follow Neya through the doorway.
The rest of the party moves forward, following Neya and Graxx into the wide and curving hallway. All five adventurers are being careful not to slip up in the treacherous thin mud layer on the floor, following the barbarian's warning. Utar brings his light source near the back of the party, while Graxx lights the path ahead with his magical sword. Even so, Praxx is the first to see it from a distance due to his underground-trained eyes: along this hallway of sorts, there is a narrow ledge about seven feet above the ground, revealing a two feet high, ten-foot deep alcove in the wall. The recess is filled with calcified skeletal remains. As the gnome approaches it though, the angle makes it hard for him to see the remains in more detail (i.e. looking up from ground level at a ledge that is seven feet up on the wall).
Up ahead, yet another set of beaten brass doors is found on the ground, long removed from their hinges. The group can see another chamber beyond the threshold ahead. Some of the reverberating voices continue to travel through the cave system, although understanding them is still a somewhat tricky endeavor.
The voices do not reach the magnitude of the laughter, and no amount of straining changes that. Yet. But their frequency is if nothing a small comfort, for the way could be safe ahead? Or maybe not. With the way they echoed off the walls, it could just as well be the sense of nearness felt before to be nothing more than natural auditory illusion. Though even so, people were still down here for one reason or another.
They would need to keep pressing on... Eventually...
(@Grx: *waves hands about* You don't see anything~)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
“We are getting close friends but it’s so hard to understand anything with the echoing” Praxx whispers to the group.
“There is definitely someone or something down here with us” Praxx says. He shakes Graxx’s leg and when he looks down he points up to the ledge. “If you hoist me up maybe I can take a look at that before we head deeper” says Praxx.
*OOC- if Graxx does this I will make a Investigation roll*
Investigation- 19
*dust seems to immediately fly off the ledge into my eyes*
"You want me to put my hand in it?" Graxx says to Neya holding out his hand.
"Perhaps if this doesn't work, we could use your hand - along with the rest of you - to help move this thing."
Neya moves her hand into the indentation and speaks loudly and clearly, "Toe mono. Toe megalo!"
Extended Signature
As Neya finishes saying those words, four out of every ten glyphs light up in a dark green color, akin to the reflection you might get from a jade stone. The slab slowly begins to fade away, starting from beneath the monk's hand. Before long the entire slab disappears, revealing a dark hole in the floor. The bottom of the pit, which was already quite tight for the five of you to stand on simultaneously, is now even tighter.
The torch Utar had kicked in falls through the newly formed whole, illuminating the chamber below. The firelight reveals a passage that drops further down, and which would be otherwise completely covered in darkness. Musty, moist air wafts up from the void. Once the dust settles, the dim sunlight coming from outside now faintly penetrates the chamber as well. From above, you see your own dancing shadows on what appears to be some sort room with a finished, tiled floor.
The rope Graxx had affixed 20 feet up continues to unravel once the new chamber is uncovered, hitting the new bottom with its last 10 feet left still unraveled.
(OOC: Uncovering the chambers beneath the West Tower marks the end of ACT II. Each of you becomes the proud new owner of 550XP. Details can be found in the OOC Chat. Congrats!)
"Well done!" Graxx says, "Might as well keep on goin' "
Graxx will slide down the rope to the new bottom and look around.
Perception: 7
Neya will also descend into the new entrance and survey the area.
Perception: 17
Extended Signature
Following on Utar descends the rope, standing with Neya and Graxx at the bottom.
Taking his driftglobe in his hand, he whispers it's command word, casting light.
Praxx and Drazzim follow Utar down the rope, joining Neya and Graxx at the bottom. The hole you entered bores through about five feet of solid rock before emptying out into a room of irregular cavernous walls, approximately 60 feet by 45 feet, with a low ceiling about 10 feet high. Once the half-orc activates his trinket, the party can see their surroundings a bit better. While the floor is stone, it is covered by a layer of thin mud. The constant sound of dripping water can be heard coming from all around you, both close by and from a distance. An indistinguishable mix of rot and mildew fills your noses. A beaten brass door leads out of this room to the east, or so it would were it still standing on its hinges. A 40-foot coil of rope is tied around the top step of a 12-foot ladder that rests against the north wall (you are close to the south wall). The other end of the rope is sliced clean and coiled on the ground as if dropped from above.
Despite being taken aback by the foul smell, Graxx still manages to catch muddy tracks of several human sized creatures wearing boots. These footprints lead east towards the broken door. Neya notices that somebody cleared parts of the walls, which revealed the remnants of some kind of fresco. Unfortunately, the piece of art is too faded to identify.
A few seconds pass, and a strange noise is heard behind and above you. The stone slab has manifested itself back into existence, its faulty glyphs blinking out of unison. Its reappearance not only closes your path back out, but also severs the rope you used to land safely in this chamber. Thankfully, this side of the slab also displays a hand imprint, if only you can manage to reach it.
"This place must have been a sight to behold at its peak..."
"That aside, we are fortunate that someone had a plan to get out of here.." Neya points at the ladder.
Extended Signature
Noting the ladder Utar shrugs.
"I reckon if I hosted Graxx on my shoulders, then you and Drazzim threw Praxx up..."
Utar trails off as he realises that the fact the ladder is still here means that whoever thought to bring it here is likely still somewhere down here too...
"Yea, I say let's follow these tracks and then worry about getting out. There are several humans down here based on these tracks."
Graxx will get his Moontouched Greatsword out to assist with light. Graxx will then proceed to the broken door and listen.
Does he hear anything?
Perception: 7
Praxx nods and smiles at the thought of being flung up to the hand on the slab. “That would be a blast...” Praxx says as he notices Graxx’s moontouched sword come out of its sheath.
Praxx then steps up slowly behind Graxx and begins slowly nose breathing with a sort of booger whistle. “Do you hear anything Ugly?” Praxx says with a chuckle
As the group ponders on their eventual exit plan, they take in a few more details on their surroundings. The walls and corridors of the temple are partially carved out of natural caverns. The walls however, seem to be somewhat thin in sections, based on all the dripping noises and ambient sound you can hear from deeper into the caverns. There is also a gentle but noticeable downward slope on the ground. Your surroundings are chilly and moist, while the floors are muddy, uneven, and slippery. You get a sense that running in this place might be a tricky endeavor.
Graxx then approaches the brass doors on the ground, near where they should have been standing upright. With the help of his glowing sword, the barbarian peeks ahead and sees an corridor of uneven walls slowly curving northward, in a circular manner. He tries to listen ahead for any additional clues but the silly noises Praxx is performing out of his nose are too much of a distraction (what a talented gnome!)
That is... until a strange sound can be heard by all five of you coming from the inner chambers somewhere. The sound of dripping water is interrupted by something else. It becomes louder as the sound travels the cavernous walls until it reaches all of you. Is it a voice? Perhaps... laughter?
Or perhaps, a trick of the mind? The keep has already proven a strange place. So who was to say otherwise...?
But no... Though listeners would have to strain themselves, or move closer to the tunnel past the fallen doors to be /absolutely/ sure, raucous laughter definitely seemed to be echoing off the walls from some further deep. What tension raised can be in part soon set soon at ease. For the laughter, at least for the time being, did not seem intentionally directed at the party.
After a short while the echoed laughter peters out into silence. But following a brief delay, far softer sound of other voices filled in the gap left behind by the laugh. Others, for none matched the deep, richness to the first voice, or carried the same clear mocking behind them for that matter. By that same token it is impossible to distinguish words -- if any -- were exchanged between speakers.
Mayhaps more would be revealed traveling further inside?
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"That confirms it... We are not the only living ones in here. What's more is that they are surprisingly close by! Shall we follow the laughter to its source?" Neya says in a slightly hushed tone as she cautiously moves through broken doorway.
Extended Signature
"Yes, watch your step. This is not good fightin' ground." Graxx says hushed as well. Graxx looks down to Praxx, "Put all those years underground to use and spot these people before they spot us." Graxx will follow Neya through the doorway.
OOC: OH SNAP! Welcome @Orileo!
The rest of the party moves forward, following Neya and Graxx into the wide and curving hallway. All five adventurers are being careful not to slip up in the treacherous thin mud layer on the floor, following the barbarian's warning. Utar brings his light source near the back of the party, while Graxx lights the path ahead with his magical sword. Even so, Praxx is the first to see it from a distance due to his underground-trained eyes: along this hallway of sorts, there is a narrow ledge about seven feet above the ground, revealing a two feet high, ten-foot deep alcove in the wall. The recess is filled with calcified skeletal remains. As the gnome approaches it though, the angle makes it hard for him to see the remains in more detail (i.e. looking up from ground level at a ledge that is seven feet up on the wall).
Up ahead, yet another set of beaten brass doors is found on the ground, long removed from their hinges. The group can see another chamber beyond the threshold ahead. Some of the reverberating voices continue to travel through the cave system, although understanding them is still a somewhat tricky endeavor.
The voices do not reach the magnitude of the laughter, and no amount of straining changes that. Yet. But their frequency is if nothing a small comfort, for the way could be safe ahead? Or maybe not. With the way they echoed off the walls, it could just as well be the sense of nearness felt before to be nothing more than natural auditory illusion. Though even so, people were still down here for one reason or another.
They would need to keep pressing on... Eventually...
(@Grx: *waves hands about* You don't see anything~)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Peering through the gloom, Utar takes a closer look at the skeletal remains. He really hopes they are not fresh...
Perception 9
OOC Does our DM now have a hype man?
“We are getting close friends but it’s so hard to understand anything with the echoing” Praxx whispers to the group.
“There is definitely someone or something down here with us” Praxx says. He shakes Graxx’s leg and when he looks down he points up to the ledge. “If you hoist me up maybe I can take a look at that before we head deeper” says Praxx.
*OOC- if Graxx does this I will make a Investigation roll*
Investigation- 19
*dust seems to immediately fly off the ledge into my eyes*
Without a word as Graxx knows he is at a disadvantage with his human eyes he drops his blade and hoists Praxx up with two arms.