This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Well, the door is locked. I didn't expect it not to be, but it was still worth checking. Now we just need to figure whether there's a key we need to find or maybe we have to force our way through." She moves away from the door and moves closer to the item in the centre of the room. She looks at it and searches for any moving parts or markings that might indicate its purpose.
@Neff: A cave-in completely blocks the west end of the chamber. At short intervals, small amounts of rubble and dirt come spilling into the room. Several large stones appear to have wedged themselves tightly, closing the collapse. There does not appear to be any opening leading back to the surface.
@Abomwe: On the northern wall, there are three niches.
Left: In the same style as the center display, you see what looks like a river scene; a dozen fishermen gather rushes, fish with nets, and carve a dugout.
Center: Twelve commoners are engaged in farming, planting maize and harvesting wheat. Standing guard are what appear to be five tribal warriors, and an elaborate priest in a bird costume is blessing the fields.
Right. This display portrays a temple upon a tiered pyramid. Seven commoners are bringing small offerings of gold and jade. Before the temple stands a priest handling a what looks like a snake. Around him stand three costumed warriors. One, dressed as a winged serpent, holds a spear; another is dressed as a bear with razor claws; the third represents a coyote holding a torch. There are also several stone statues of the gods.
There are three more niches on the south wall you can investigate.
@Neff, (where do you wish to attach the piton?)
@Esilia. Upon examining the center display, you observe the figurines are not secured to the scene and may be moved. The figurine of the scout once held a staff, but that has been removed by a member of your party.
"Shpeeny, get over here,"says Esilia. "Go through the gap above the door and tell me what's on the other side. Maybe there's a handle." She raises her hand as a spider appears in it and reaches her hand as close to the gap as she can reach. Then, she sits down on the floor. "Let me see through your eyes," she says as she switches to using the familiar's senses.
Esilia releases Shpeeny(?) the spider near the top lintel of the stone door. The spider slides left and right a little, looking for the least narrow point to squeeze through the crack between the door and the keystone above it. Finding a good path, it compresses its tiny frame and maneuvers deftly through and beyond.
Esilia sits on the ground before the door, now in a trance, her eyes rolled back, her hands steadying herself on the cold stone floor. She now sees and hears only what her tiny companion does....
The tiny spider Shpeeny pokes its head through the crack. The amber haze fills this new corridor in the same manner as the room it just left. In front of you is the short leg of an L-shaped corridor, extending barely 20 feet before turning to the left. Looking left (north) you both see a passage way heading away and to the north. The stone walls of this corridor are carved to resemble a stack of bamboo-like logs. The passage slopes down from the single door on the corridor's western leg, through which the spider just navigated--the lintel of which has been crafted to represent a stylized cavern entrance; their is no handle on this side of the door. The sloping passage to the north leads roughly 50 feet to double doors of beaten bronze, worked to resemble a forest of seaweed.
(Yeah, that's how Esilia chose to name her familiar. I think I mentioned it in my first post.)
Esilia ends her trance and mentally commands Shpeeny to come back, extending her hand up so the spider could climb her hand down to Esilia's left shoulder where she usually sits. Esilia stands up and speaks: "Well, I'm out of ideas. Was anyone able to find something useful? I'm afraid it may require some teamwork to get out of here alive, unless someone thinks they can break the wall down."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Joel begins to examine the holes in the door, patting around his pockets for something to poke into them before pulling out the small metal staff he'd collected and trying it, praying again to his deity for guidance.
After some guidance from Joel, Syvis' fingers carefully stroked the sun symbol carved on the stone door, feeling the grooves and depressions in his fingertips, while keeping an eye on any subtle changes or irregularities on the wall, searching for a possible hidden door. After an extensive searching, Syvis sighed, dropped his hand in some disappointment and took a few steps back. "Doesn't seem to be any secret mechanisms, not that I can find. I do believe it may just need to be pulled open."
After Esilia finds that there is no handle on the other side either, he watches as Joel tries to poke through the metal staff, having faith in the human who proved to be the most smart and knowledgable one in the group.
Joel concentrates on finding a suitable place for the Shepard’s staff. Perhaps it’s a key of some sort. Carefully tracing the outlines of the door, near and around the strange holes, up near the thin gap at the top, finally something catches your eye. You see what appears to be a small keyhole hidden under the keystone above the door. The key fits and a sudden click can be heard as if some mechanism has released.
Neff perks with a bit of a smile while holding his potential tug of war utensil in hand absent mindedly as he see the door open, but it fades as he sees the hall continues into more gloomy darkness.
"Well, at least we aren't trapped in this room anymore." He says in a bit of a shaky yet smooth almost feminine voice while conjuring a ball of light just above the doorway to illuminate the next area. (Dancing Lights)
"Perhaps a scout is in order?" Neff says to Syvis while putting away the rope and Piton. "I'll be just behind" Stealth 22
Cautiously, Neff readies to follow her heretical cousin into the unknown with a ten foot pole in hand, and even offering it to Syvis since it would make more since for him to use. "Keep an eye on the floors, walls, and ceilings."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Drow enthusiast Lover of lore and magic. -The White Crow-
Joel gives a satisfied nod as the door unlocks and helps force it open completely. Seeing the continued foul smelling haze he renews the light on his shield and follows the others, "I'll stay at the rear, I'm intelligent enough to know that sneaking is not my strongest skill. But I don't think it'd be wise for us to get too separated in case of trouble, so perhaps stay just ahead of my light?"
As they move forward he'll keep a careful eye on their surroundings, looking for more frescos or dioramas or anything to explain more about this place they find themselves, as well as for a source of the haze.
(OOC: The door is on the corner of an L shaped corridor, right? That means we have two different corridors we can walk in.)
"You had the key this entire time? Why did you wait so long?" Esilia says as the others open the door. "Well, left or right? I always go left in these situations and would like to do so this time as well." She lowers her voice a little, a bit embarrassed for showing such an irrational superstition. "It's ah... going left always proved more lucky to me."
As you all get into position, Neff seems to fade into the haze---well hidden from your view. The amber haze fills this new corridor in the same manner as the room you just left. In front of you is the short leg of an L-shaped corridor, extending barely 20 feet before turning to the left. Looking left (north) you both see a passage way heading away and to the north. The stone walls of this corridor are carved to resemble a stack of bamboo-like logs. The passage slopes down from the single door on the corridor's western leg, the lintel of which has been crafted to represent a stylized cavern entrance. The sloping passage to the north leads roughly 50 feet to double doors of beaten bronze, worked to resemble a forest of seaweed.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Abomwe marvelled at the stone work and something itched in her fingers, carved tunnels in the stone...this is how her ancestors were said to have lived....she missed the green, but admitted to herself there was a certain beauty to it.
When a scout was mentioned Abomwe went ahead though this was nothing like the terrain she knew it was still her job so she would do it.
She moved towards the bronze doors scanning the wall and floor and investigating the two indents? she could see partway along...she was worried about traps, this place was reminder her of a fish-trap a little too much.
Walking in the middle of the group, or at least neither first nor last, Esilia takes time to investigate the place they're in, running her hands over the walls and taking time to appreciate the fine work done to make the walls look like bamboo logs. "I wonder what was this place built for... and by whom," she speaks out her thoughts.
Feature: Historical Knowledge
When you enter a ruin or dungeon, you can correctly ascertain its original purpose and determine its builders, whether those were dwarves, elves, humans, yuan-ti, or some other known race. In addition, you can determine the monetary value of art objects more than a century old.
"Yes, but I'm afraid still a long way before we can reach the surface." Syvis responded to Neff with a soft sigh, turning to glance back into the narrow room they were trapped in, leaving the confined space, the air still filled with a toxic fog that stretched down the corridor.
He takes the excessively long pole Neff handed him from his hand and weighs it in his hand before chuckling lightly, "Of course, if you are willing to part with it." He takes Neff's suggestion and stealthing swiftly ahead (Stealth: 16), keeping a distance from the rest of party, while keeping an eye on the walls, floors, and ceilings for any traps or hidden mechanisms, poking distantly at anything that looks suspicious. Upon arriving at at the bronze double doors at the end of the corridor, he looks over it carefully for a way to open, or any traps that it may set off.
(Are those indentations about halfway doors or more alcoves with dioramas?)
These are not doors, but rather represent some of the artistic carvings in the walls—bamboo logs that decorate the corridor.
@Esilia
As you contemplate this miraculous place you find yourself in, you get the impression is was built by a people native to Chult. Definitely over a century old, this place has the unmistakable feel of a tomb—perhaps of an ancient line of royalty or heroes. It took decades to construct this shrine, and its value is immeasurable by conventional standards.
As Syvis and Abomwe take the lead, as a group you head down the corridor cautiously, staying alert and investigating the floor, walls, and ceiling for any danger or irregularities. Syvis darts ahead probing with her pole at the floor, Abomwe and Neff follow behind. The group is staggered and are careful as they make their way down the corridor, sloping downward towards the bronze doors. Being staggered is goodthing, Syvis thinks suddenly, for she notices an oddness about those last steps she just took. Turning towards the group, using the pole as a probe, she realizes part of the floor she just traversed, and upon which Syvis and Neff are currently standing, is not right in some way.
Esilia admires the decorations for a bit longer, telling the others the thoughts that go through her mind. "It feels like a tomb to me. Many others in which I've been in the past had this feeling. Something about the way they make these corridors... I'd say it's probably a couple of centuries-old, not that it's a very surprising thing to say about these kinds of places. Those that were constructed in our times aren't nearly as fascinating. Needless to say, someone important was buried here. No one builds such a marvellous place for a mere commoner." She turns back to the party, ceasing her short lecture, knowing people don't usually care about that. Most of the ones she encountered in the past only cared about the treasure that often lies within these places. Once she notices that the elf in the front is stopping and looking back to her as if she were actually listening. "Wait, why did you stop?" She asks in excitement but disbelief that people actually listened to her. Then never really do. "Do you actually find this interesting? Finally, a person I can talk to. We should probably keep going though, find ourselves an exit. I wouldn't want to share my knowledge here until our food and water run out. Corpses can't remember any of it, after all."
Syvis stops immediately as he suddenly notices something odd about the floor. He instinctively grabs Neff and halts him to a stop, afraid of something is going to go wrong once they move off the tile. He turns back and unexpectedly meets Esilia's surprised excitement, a little confused as to what she was talking about. He was focusing on staying inconspicuous and keeping an eye on the corridors ahead, wasn't paying attention to Esilia's speech. In fact wasn't even aware that she was talking.
"Stay there," he says abruptly, seeing Esilia excited and not wanting her to accidentally step on the tile as well. He holds the long pole behind him, blocking the hallway in case any of them wants to come closer. He squats down to investigate the part of floor that is under them.
"You know, " Syvis comments, "with all the poison gas and the traps in here, I'm sure they will take us along before hunger and thirst does."
"Well, the door is locked. I didn't expect it not to be, but it was still worth checking. Now we just need to figure whether there's a key we need to find or maybe we have to force our way through." She moves away from the door and moves closer to the item in the centre of the room. She looks at it and searches for any moving parts or markings that might indicate its purpose.
Investigation: 19
Varielky
@Neff: A cave-in completely blocks the west end of the chamber. At short intervals, small amounts of rubble and dirt come spilling into the room. Several large stones appear to have wedged themselves tightly, closing the collapse. There does not appear to be any opening leading back to the surface.
@Abomwe: On the northern wall, there are three niches.
Left: In the same style as the center display, you see what looks like a river scene; a dozen fishermen gather rushes, fish with nets, and carve a dugout.
Center: Twelve commoners are engaged in farming, planting maize and harvesting wheat. Standing guard are what appear to be five tribal warriors, and an elaborate priest in a bird costume is blessing the fields.
Right. This display portrays a temple upon a tiered pyramid. Seven commoners are bringing small offerings of gold and jade. Before the temple stands a priest handling a what looks like a snake. Around him stand three costumed warriors. One, dressed as a winged serpent, holds a spear; another is dressed as a bear with razor claws; the third represents a coyote holding a torch. There are also several stone statues of the gods.
There are three more niches on the south wall you can investigate.
@Neff, (where do you wish to attach the piton?)
@Esilia. Upon examining the center display, you observe the figurines are not secured to the scene and may be moved. The figurine of the scout once held a staff, but that has been removed by a member of your party.
(Time in shrine = 0:04)
Rhodes - Half-elf, Warlock - The Lost Dungeon of Rickness
Si the Demander - Hill Dwarf, Cleric - The Princes of the Apocalypse
"Shpeeny, get over here," says Esilia. "Go through the gap above the door and tell me what's on the other side. Maybe there's a handle." She raises her hand as a spider appears in it and reaches her hand as close to the gap as she can reach. Then, she sits down on the floor. "Let me see through your eyes," she says as she switches to using the familiar's senses.
Varielky
Esilia releases Shpeeny(?) the spider near the top lintel of the stone door. The spider slides left and right a little, looking for the least narrow point to squeeze through the crack between the door and the keystone above it. Finding a good path, it compresses its tiny frame and maneuvers deftly through and beyond.
Esilia sits on the ground before the door, now in a trance, her eyes rolled back, her hands steadying herself on the cold stone floor. She now sees and hears only what her tiny companion does....
The tiny spider Shpeeny pokes its head through the crack. The amber haze fills this new corridor in the same manner as the room it just left. In front of you is the short leg of an L-shaped corridor, extending barely 20 feet before turning to the left. Looking left (north) you both see a passage way heading away and to the north. The stone walls of this corridor are carved to resemble a stack of bamboo-like logs. The passage slopes down from the single door on the corridor's western leg, through which the spider just navigated--the lintel of which has been crafted to represent a stylized cavern entrance; their is no handle on this side of the door. The sloping passage to the north leads roughly 50 feet to double doors of beaten bronze, worked to resemble a forest of seaweed.
Rhodes - Half-elf, Warlock - The Lost Dungeon of Rickness
Si the Demander - Hill Dwarf, Cleric - The Princes of the Apocalypse
(Yeah, that's how Esilia chose to name her familiar. I think I mentioned it in my first post.)
Esilia ends her trance and mentally commands Shpeeny to come back, extending her hand up so the spider could climb her hand down to Esilia's left shoulder where she usually sits. Esilia stands up and speaks: "Well, I'm out of ideas. Was anyone able to find something useful? I'm afraid it may require some teamwork to get out of here alive, unless someone thinks they can break the wall down."
Varielky
Joel begins to examine the holes in the door, patting around his pockets for something to poke into them before pulling out the small metal staff he'd collected and trying it, praying again to his deity for guidance.
Investigation: 21+1
After some guidance from Joel, Syvis' fingers carefully stroked the sun symbol carved on the stone door, feeling the grooves and depressions in his fingertips, while keeping an eye on any subtle changes or irregularities on the wall, searching for a possible hidden door. After an extensive searching, Syvis sighed, dropped his hand in some disappointment and took a few steps back. "Doesn't seem to be any secret mechanisms, not that I can find. I do believe it may just need to be pulled open."
After Esilia finds that there is no handle on the other side either, he watches as Joel tries to poke through the metal staff, having faith in the human who proved to be the most smart and knowledgable one in the group.
Joel concentrates on finding a suitable place for the Shepard’s staff. Perhaps it’s a key of some sort. Carefully tracing the outlines of the door, near and around the strange holes, up near the thin gap at the top, finally something catches your eye. You see what appears to be a small keyhole hidden under the keystone above the door. The key fits and a sudden click can be heard as if some mechanism has released.
(Time is shrine = 0:08)
Rhodes - Half-elf, Warlock - The Lost Dungeon of Rickness
Si the Demander - Hill Dwarf, Cleric - The Princes of the Apocalypse
Neff perks with a bit of a smile while holding his potential tug of war utensil in hand absent mindedly as he see the door open, but it fades as he sees the hall continues into more gloomy darkness.
"Well, at least we aren't trapped in this room anymore." He says in a bit of a shaky yet smooth almost feminine voice while conjuring a ball of light just above the doorway to illuminate the next area. (Dancing Lights)
"Perhaps a scout is in order?" Neff says to Syvis while putting away the rope and Piton. "I'll be just behind" Stealth 22
Cautiously, Neff readies to follow her heretical cousin into the unknown with a ten foot pole in hand, and even offering it to Syvis since it would make more since for him to use. "Keep an eye on the floors, walls, and ceilings."
Drow enthusiast
Lover of lore and magic.
-The White Crow-
Joel gives a satisfied nod as the door unlocks and helps force it open completely. Seeing the continued foul smelling haze he renews the light on his shield and follows the others, "I'll stay at the rear, I'm intelligent enough to know that sneaking is not my strongest skill. But I don't think it'd be wise for us to get too separated in case of trouble, so perhaps stay just ahead of my light?"
As they move forward he'll keep a careful eye on their surroundings, looking for more frescos or dioramas or anything to explain more about this place they find themselves, as well as for a source of the haze.
Perception: 13
(OOC: The door is on the corner of an L shaped corridor, right? That means we have two different corridors we can walk in.)
"You had the key this entire time? Why did you wait so long?" Esilia says as the others open the door. "Well, left or right? I always go left in these situations and would like to do so this time as well." She lowers her voice a little, a bit embarrassed for showing such an irrational superstition. "It's ah... going left always proved more lucky to me."
Varielky
As you all get into position, Neff seems to fade into the haze---well hidden from your view. The amber haze fills this new corridor in the same manner as the room you just left. In front of you is the short leg of an L-shaped corridor, extending barely 20 feet before turning to the left. Looking left (north) you both see a passage way heading away and to the north. The stone walls of this corridor are carved to resemble a stack of bamboo-like logs. The passage slopes down from the single door on the corridor's western leg, the lintel of which has been crafted to represent a stylized cavern entrance. The sloping passage to the north leads roughly 50 feet to double doors of beaten bronze, worked to resemble a forest of seaweed.
(Time in shrine = 00:09)
Rhodes - Half-elf, Warlock - The Lost Dungeon of Rickness
Si the Demander - Hill Dwarf, Cleric - The Princes of the Apocalypse
(Are those indentations about halfway doors or more alcoves with dioramas?)
Abomwe marvelled at the stone work and something itched in her fingers, carved tunnels in the stone...this is how her ancestors were said to have lived....she missed the green, but admitted to herself there was a certain beauty to it.
When a scout was mentioned Abomwe went ahead though this was nothing like the terrain she knew it was still her job so she would do it.
She moved towards the bronze doors scanning the wall and floor and investigating the two indents? she could see partway along...she was worried about traps, this place was reminder her of a fish-trap a little too much.
Stealth-7
Investigation-16
Perception-18
Walking in the middle of the group, or at least neither first nor last, Esilia takes time to investigate the place they're in, running her hands over the walls and taking time to appreciate the fine work done to make the walls look like bamboo logs. "I wonder what was this place built for... and by whom," she speaks out her thoughts.
Varielky
"Yes, but I'm afraid still a long way before we can reach the surface." Syvis responded to Neff with a soft sigh, turning to glance back into the narrow room they were trapped in, leaving the confined space, the air still filled with a toxic fog that stretched down the corridor.
He takes the excessively long pole Neff handed him from his hand and weighs it in his hand before chuckling lightly, "Of course, if you are willing to part with it." He takes Neff's suggestion and stealthing swiftly ahead (Stealth: 16), keeping a distance from the rest of party, while keeping an eye on the walls, floors, and ceilings for any traps or hidden mechanisms, poking distantly at anything that looks suspicious. Upon arriving at at the bronze double doors at the end of the corridor, he looks over it carefully for a way to open, or any traps that it may set off.
Perception: 6
EDIT: The door looks very safe.
These are not doors, but rather represent some of the artistic carvings in the walls—bamboo logs that decorate the corridor.
@Esilia
As you contemplate this miraculous place you find yourself in, you get the impression is was built by a people native to Chult. Definitely over a century old, this place has the unmistakable feel of a tomb—perhaps of an ancient line of royalty or heroes. It took decades to construct this shrine, and its value is immeasurable by conventional standards.
Rhodes - Half-elf, Warlock - The Lost Dungeon of Rickness
Si the Demander - Hill Dwarf, Cleric - The Princes of the Apocalypse
As Syvis and Abomwe take the lead, as a group you head down the corridor cautiously, staying alert and investigating the floor, walls, and ceiling for any danger or irregularities. Syvis darts ahead probing with her pole at the floor, Abomwe and Neff follow behind. The group is staggered and are careful as they make their way down the corridor, sloping downward towards the bronze doors. Being staggered is good thing, Syvis thinks suddenly, for she notices an oddness about those last steps she just took. Turning towards the group, using the pole as a probe, she realizes part of the floor she just traversed, and upon which Syvis and Neff are currently standing, is not right in some way.
(time in shrine = 00:11)
Rhodes - Half-elf, Warlock - The Lost Dungeon of Rickness
Si the Demander - Hill Dwarf, Cleric - The Princes of the Apocalypse
Esilia admires the decorations for a bit longer, telling the others the thoughts that go through her mind. "It feels like a tomb to me. Many others in which I've been in the past had this feeling. Something about the way they make these corridors... I'd say it's probably a couple of centuries-old, not that it's a very surprising thing to say about these kinds of places. Those that were constructed in our times aren't nearly as fascinating. Needless to say, someone important was buried here. No one builds such a marvellous place for a mere commoner." She turns back to the party, ceasing her short lecture, knowing people don't usually care about that. Most of the ones she encountered in the past only cared about the treasure that often lies within these places. Once she notices that the elf in the front is stopping and looking back to her as if she were actually listening. "Wait, why did you stop?" She asks in excitement but disbelief that people actually listened to her. Then never really do. "Do you actually find this interesting? Finally, a person I can talk to. We should probably keep going though, find ourselves an exit. I wouldn't want to share my knowledge here until our food and water run out. Corpses can't remember any of it, after all."
Varielky
Syvis stops immediately as he suddenly notices something odd about the floor. He instinctively grabs Neff and halts him to a stop, afraid of something is going to go wrong once they move off the tile. He turns back and unexpectedly meets Esilia's surprised excitement, a little confused as to what she was talking about. He was focusing on staying inconspicuous and keeping an eye on the corridors ahead, wasn't paying attention to Esilia's speech. In fact wasn't even aware that she was talking.
"Stay there," he says abruptly, seeing Esilia excited and not wanting her to accidentally step on the tile as well. He holds the long pole behind him, blocking the hallway in case any of them wants to come closer. He squats down to investigate the part of floor that is under them.
"You know, " Syvis comments, "with all the poison gas and the traps in here, I'm sure they will take us along before hunger and thirst does."
Investigation: 10
Perception: 11