Gerrard:

”Good point, Brother Fiercehammer, though if we go slow and take our time we should be okay,” he responds, moving up to feed Kei a Goodberry or two from the stash Boko gave him earlier.

Backing off into a more secure room, Gerrard speaks to Peri and says, “You can summon the invisible spirit again given time, right?”

As Kei recovers from the powerful ballista strike with the aid of his friends, Dwal takes another look at the mithral half plate armor. The metal is light and flexible, and the armor tailored for a medium-sized humanoid (AC = 15 + Dex modifier (max 2); no stealth penalties). It consists of shaped mithral plates that cover most of the wearer's body, but does not include leg protection beyond simple greaves that are attached with leather straps. Mildly magical and traditionally associated with elven smiths, the design of this armor strongly suggests an ancient dwarven armory, based on its cut, and the subtle designs etched into the silvery plates. Would it make a dwarf look like a dwarven lord? Quite possibly (at least to other dwarves sizing him up.) But it also looks ancient, out of another era entirely. Formal, old-fashioned, a little bit costumey, but definitely exuding a sense of importance and power to those who might take the time to examine it.

Rather proud he was "gifted" this, Dwal runs his hands over the armor. Dwal then turns his attention to Kei, helping the bard to his feet. 

"Is it tha job that we're tryin' ta find out all tha nooks and crannies of this place or is it greed?" he asks Gerrard. "We've found enough gold fer a small family an' tha deeper we go tha more chances we have ta not come back from this.:"

Gerrard:

”I can speak only for myself, Brother Fiercehammer.  My intent is to fulfill the request of the Saltmarsh Council and remove the danger from this place—or at least identify and isolate it, like the buried skeletons,” responds Gerrard.  “I would hate to tell them the island is clear and have some unidentified threat affect whomever they send here.”

Bokotiger tries to nudge Kei into the newly opened room and use a paw to pull the door partway closed. She turns around to look at Peri expectantly and sits down, waiting for 10 minutes if it comes to that.

Peri:

He shrugs. "Yeah, I can bring it back once more. Doesn't take any time really." He makes an arcane gesture in the air and the servant reappears. Or rather, fails to appear, but materializes or whatever. "Okay, it's back. You want it to go down that tunnel or open this door? If it's this door I can just duck around the corner into the room with the ballista and open it with a mage hand. Saves the invisible servant. Everybody clear out and I'll open it."

Peri sends his Unseelie servant down to the tee in the corridor ahead and ducks into Kei's ballista room. When everyone tells him they're in a safe position he will cast mage hand and use it to open the door beside the one Kei opened.

((OOC: I had to verify Mage Hand wasn't Concentration; I didn't want to summon the US and have it disappear immediately. If Peri had more than -1 INT he'd have waited until after the door was opened, just in case he takes damage and has to make a Concentration check, but he's not. Gerrard asked for an invisible helper, he got an invisible helper.))

Gerrard:

”Thanks, Master Fenwader.  Let’s move around the corner and clear the hallway, just in case,” he responds, moving himself around the corner to the south to avoid any hallway-filling traps.

Kei

The ballista bolt ricochets off his armour but not before cracking a rib or two and almost dislocating his shoulder. He stumbles backwards into Dwal. His stout companion providing a steadying hand, it is all Kei can do to not fall to his knees. With a grimace he turns to look at Dwal. "You can open the next one" he gasps. 

At Bokokitty's insistence Kei takes up residence in the newly opened ballista closet while the others open the next door in a more sensible fashion. He retrieves his cittern while they open the door and manages to play out a chord or two of a healing tune.

CW 5

((If the manipulates the roll, it was originally 5 total and I've updated my sheet accordingly))

"Like hell I will" Dwal tells Kei. "Only if ya stand directly in front." 
Dwal chuckles a little. 

The party hears a loud crack as a large chunk of the ceiling falls onto the floor near the end of the hallway. Peri's invisible servant is crushed under the massive slab.

After the remainder of the party (who isn't hiding in the ballista closet) rounds the corner, Peri remotely opens the eastern door.
Another *bang*. Another ballista. This one bounces loudly off the empty hallway wall and clatters northward up the hall.

Two more traps.

Gerrard:

"Right then, I'm up," says Gerrard bravely, moving up to where the massive stone block just crushed the unseelie servant.  Holding his glowing rapier out forward, Gerrard tries to see around the corners without actually stepping past the masonry slab, wary of setting off another trap.

Perception:  14

"Alright" Dwal says sternly, his voice a bit louder than normal. "Thats enough of that shight" 
He turns to Gerrard. 
"I ain't gonna die by tha death of a thousand cuts! We've done what tha council asked, they got their island back. Let 'em send their soldiers in ta do clean up here. We ain't gettin' paid enough ta be their pin cushions."

With that Dwal turns and walks back to the entrance to this part of the place and exits.

Gerrard peers around the corner from atop the fallen stone. The corridor extends east and west as far as his rapier can cast light. Gerrard spots no traps, doors, occupants, nor anything else of interest.

Gerrard:

Somewhat disappointed by Dwal's decision, Gerrard is not particularly surprised, though the grumpy dwarf is gone before he can formulate a proper response, as it happened while Gerrard was striding forward.  Calling over his shoulder to those remaining, the young noble says,  "I hope when Brother Fiercehammer attempts to reclaim the underground citadel near Saltmarsh his companions stay with him until the job is finished instead of leaving to go stand out in the rain."

Sheathing his off-hand weapon and holding his glowing rapier up high, Gerrard takes a chunk of the masonry shattered below him and slides it vigorously along the hallway to his left, attempting to send if off into the darkness and possibly trigger any tripwires from a distance, ducking back behind the corner as he does so.  He repeats this effort down the hallway to his right, moving back into cover again, just in case.

Bowling for tripwires:  Acrobatics, perhaps?:  10     19

Peri:

Peri just watches as Dwal stomps off in a snit to rival Kei's. "Must be somethin' in the air," he mutters to himself. "Well, go on then! But if we find us a fancy dwarven hammer I'm keepin' it, just outta spite!" he shouts at the dwarf's retreating back. He strides toward Gerrard with purpose -- definitely not in a snit of his own. "Well? Whaddya see up there?" he asks. Without waiting for an answer he spider-walks up the eastern wall and peeks around the corner, using his Eldritch Sight. "Lousy dwarf, runnin' off leavin' the job half-done! Guess he's got his fancy armor and a pocket full of gems, he doesn't need to risk his neck. Probably go sit in a big house somewhere like Aubrek and pay some other dopes to do all his dirty work. Well I ain't leavin' til we at least find out what that illusion magic was I saw from the treasure room. Plus, I'm tellin' ya, there's gonna be some ancient evil artifact down here that's been corruptin' everyone who settles n this island, and the only one who can destroy it is someone pure of heart, like me. Well, like you or Boko maybe. But that's how it goes in the stories!"

Kei 

Somewhat composed after his near death experience, Kei shouts after Dwal "Well, I hope your kind don't mind bein' led by Lord Half-assed. Here comes Lord Fiercehammer, proud conquerer of....nothing, because he never had the stones to finish what was layed out before him." Kei taunts the grumpy dwarf in the hopes he hits a nerve forcing Dwal to stay. "Oh Brother Fiercehammer, please heal my severed arm....." He musters his best dwarf impersonation "I could but you have another. That will serve you fine." 

When his sarcastic attempts fail Kei finally blurts out "Dwal STOP! We need you!" And then more emphatically "I need you."

As Dwal storms off to a mix of insults and entreaties, Gerrard begins sliding bricks and chunks of stone down the dark hallways.

Sploosh!  The first brick disappears through the floor, about twenty feet to the west, followed by a hollow splashing sound. The brick has vanished.

Gerrard's second chunk of stone hits something about ten feet to the east. Wham!  Another large and heavy chunk of the ceiling falls into the corridor, burying Gerrard's missile under it.

Meanwhile, Dwal makes his way back to the main room of the cellar. The rain has eased somewhat outside. Distant thunder grumbles.

Dwal will call back to Kei.

"What we need is a proper rest." he calls back. "One where we can face what ever ya want an' I got my healin' back properly. We keep running head long inta tha abyss an' we'll pay fer it, especially in a temple dedicated ta a god that wants ta destroy tha world."

Dwal pauses and says: There's a storm outside so we ain't going no where till it eases." 

Gerrard:

Meanwhile, at the end of the hallway, Gerrard has discovered  a new sport involving sliding masonry at unseen traps.  With Peri on a nearby wall, Gerrard asks, “Did you see where that stone disappeared into the floor, Master Fenwader?  I can head that way and tap with my rapier if necessary.”

Still focused on completing the mission, Gerrard seems to have not heard the distant response from Dwal, still thinking the dwarf is planning to leave the island instead of perhaps moderating his course of action to the suggestion of a spell-replenishing long rest.

Boko follows silently in tiger form, only briefly pausing to bat around some pieces of masonry with a massive paw, eyes otherwise alert ahead.