Lost Mine of Phandelver

Under the weight of Ronk's doll, the spittoon lowers about a tenth of its height depressing the floor switch. Two of the vessels containing the water-like liquid then shatter, spilling their contents onto the shelving, as the mechanism begins to clank and turn in the floor beneath their feet.

Ronk winces at the commotion of the... Whatever was happening. "Uh-oh. Uh-oh! Did I break it?!"

Marcon startles and let out a goblin curse in surprise. And as he stood there for a few moments look flustered between the shadow vessels and the others, his attention is eventually drawn down to the floor. "By Lathander's Balls -- What the fudge is -- I-I guess that works? Sheesh." He admits, rubbing the back of his neck now fully alert. "I-I don't think you broke it, Ronk. But uh... So, uh... Should we wait, or do we gotta add more to whatever the heck this all is? Maybe add a bit more weight?" He asks the others.  

"Yeah, add more weight, but do it slow." Adds Rigel.

Ronk nods and says the command word to the doll again, this time making it three pounds.

Marcon had nodded warily as well in agreement, and had started to reach for one of the drinks before going, "Oh, ah, right. The doll. It can and uh.. yea.. eheh.." He pulls away rubbing the back of his neck, and then stepped a few feet more as to avoid any splash back from shattering glass and strange liquids; shield held up before his head as further insurance against trouble.

As the weight of the doll increases, another water vessel shatters and the spittoon sinks lower into the floor (but only half as far as it had the first time). The machinery begins to clank beneath their feet again. At this point, 3 lbs. of weight is in the spittoon, which has caused it to sink approximately 15% of its total height into the floor.

"It looks we n..need a little m..more" nods Garet

Ronk shrugs and gives the command word again, going all the way and making the doll weigh 10 pounds.

The spittoon sinks further this time and is now half way recessed into the floor. The machinery rolls and clanks louder and faster as seven more vessels of water shatter, spilling their contents onto the shelves and floor. This time the party sees the shelves at the center of the room (opposite the door they entered through) separate along tracks set into the wall and the floor in this area recedes into a shallow stairwell. At the bottom of the stair is a heavy, iron-banded door, which is locked.

Flinching as several more glances shatter, Marcon warily lower his shield only after things quiet there, then turned to the others with a wary grin. "Guess that settles that for the most part, eh?" He said, before looking towards the door and heading his way over to investigate it. 

Hidden Mechanism & Trap Search: 13. 

"Dang nabit!" He exclaimed all the same after which. "Don't s'pose any of ya'll re good at, uh... lock.. picking?" Marcon shoots a quick glance back to the door. "Otherwise, uh.. I mean, I assume we'll have to start pouring the rest into that thinga-ma-bober, right?" 

"I think we'll have to anyway. Let's go with another clear vial of liquid since those seem to be tied to the pot moving." Says Rigel as he plucks a vial of what looks like water from the shelf. Popping the stoper, he wafts his hand over the top directing any aromas towards his nose with out putting his face directly over the bottle. If he detects nothing he will pour the liquid into the spitoon.

Investigation: 15

Marcon spots a trap on the first step leading down to the door

Through the cracks between the floor stones, Rigel notices a mechanical linkage that appears to run from the pressure plate under the spittoon down the stairs and to the door

Rigel takes out his fortune taller card and asks, "If I disconnect the linkage will the door open?" Turning the card over he reads the answer.

"Whoawhoawhoa! That was a close one." Marcon comments as he only just barely backpeddles away in time to avoid the trap. "Ya'll gonna wanna mind this first step too. Bloody thing is booby trapped. Though, I wager if the thing over there-..." He thumbs the general direction of the spitton. "Gets full enough, it 'might' not go off? ... Maybe? Man, shoot, I dunno. Just noone step on it I guess." He suggested as Rigel gets his reading.

Rigel flips the card over and watches as the word "WEAL" slowly appears on the back of the card.

(OOC: this item functions like an augury spell.)

Ronk looks around at the shattered containers. "I guess it needs ten more pounds? We should probably pick carefully, though. Probably don't want all the containers broken with only 19 and a half pounds in the spittoon... Anyone got some heavy, small stuff to put in?"

"I think if we remove the mechanics here below the stones the door will open." Says Rigel. He tries to pry up a stone for better access.

(A d20 roll is probably needed. Here is the base roll.1)

As the party looks at the remaining containers, they find the none contain water, only the strange colored liquids.

Ronk is unable to loose the floor stone.

"Uh, well, yea?" Marcon replied to Ronk. But before he could commit any resources to adding to the weight, Rigel's suggestion left him scratching his head and saying, "Or we could do that." When the half-elf however couldn't quite move the stone, it took Marcon a second, but eventually he snaps his fingers with an "Oh right! I got this!"

From his backpack he produces a crowbar, and under Rigel's guidance, he goes to town trying to wedge the bar in place before raising the stone.

Crowbarring: 11. (flat roll due to exhaustion)