Taurven continues down, breaking through the invisible barrier, triggering... nothing?
No reaction occurs.
Eventually you reach the bottom, and discover two things. Firstly, Mirrender detects another spell in the well: a permanent Gust of Wind pulling down air from above and pushing it into this chamber. The reason for that is perhaps the second discover: That the boxes are full above the brim with rotting garbage. Old food, old clothes, even a few dead rats and cats fill the air with a terrible, appalling stench.
To the south there is a thick wooden door. The walls around you are worn brickwork.
Also surrounding and making up a substantial proportion of the garbage is a liberal amount of faeces, heavily garnished in urine.
"Good... uch. Good thing I brought this..." As the tiefling drops off the rope onto the floor, he reaches into a pocket and draws out a long-beaked mask, the kind worn by doctors. Slipping it on over his face, Blast sighs. "Not perfect, but it keeps out some of the smell, and the herbs in the nose make it more pleasant."
He glances around at the feces and rubbish. "You summed it up, Jelani--and it's a good thing I haven't been creating sparks. I'd hate to think what an open flame could do to whatever gases might be hanging around here..."
Casey looks around the place, making sure they haven't been spotted, and acting as if he smells nothing... or is use to it. "I don't like it. Seems to dadgum easy. I'm thinkin' that alarm went off anyhow. Just not where we can hear it. Pretty clever. Without us hearin' it, they're thinkin' we're suppose to think they don't know we're here. But if we'd a heard it, then we'd prepare for an attack, 'cause then they'd know we know. But seein's how we didn't, we best be ready."
"I hate to say it, but I think this stink is intentional," Mellany says. "Like they want to cover up something worse. I think the spell is to keep the neighbors from noticing. Getting a local kid to haul your trash away for a few coppers would be easier than the enchantment. Something's up with the rubbish."
|
"Oh, we triggered the alarm alright. It was probably a silent -- err, mental -- alarm. And this ... this does not bode well." Out of reflex, Mirrender moves close to Mel but continues to speak.
"There are creatures that feast on this sort of refuse. There are also creatures that prefer this sort of refuse for a number of reasons ... though I cannot remember any of them off the top of my head."
The air was going somewhere, of course, but where? And why? More importantly, where was the next trap?
"This is probably the part to keep the casually curious from venturing too far. But that doesn't mean that it's not dangerous."
"Right then. You clever-eyed crewmen, cast 'em about. I'll be the first steps ahead, when we take 'em; I'll heal better, though not on my own. Healers, if you've no path to aid victory, and I'm sore hurt for leadin', aid me. As you might, I suppose."
Gunser goes south to where the room starts to narrow. "Safe enough here?"
Taurven steps up to the door and gives it a quick check. looking for trap triggers, poison needles in the door handle, and suchlike. Also taking note of which side of the door is hinged. If the hinges are on this side it swings out; if on the other side it swings in. (Usually.)
Taurven notices nothing of the sort; he does find that the door swings out, however. He also spots that the door fits very well into the frame, with little or no gap between the floor and the walls.
As Taurven checks the door, Casey pulls out a vial from his pack and readies to use it when the time is right.
"What's got your eye on that door, Taurven?"
Orwen whispers to Gunser, "Don't worry old man, I gotcha if you get hurt hehe."
"Only if you got extra time. You put the hurt on them, first.", Gunser whispers back.
Orwen nods and puts a hand on the handle of his greatsword then whispers back, "Always do sir, why do you think I carried such an arsenal here.
Taurven gets ready to open the door. He has a dagger out and ready. If the door handle will allow it, he uses a dagger in his other (right) hand to open the door. Of course, if the door has any kind of door nob or latch
mechanism he will use his hand to open it.
Before he opens the door, Taurven waits silently for everyone to move into position. Once he thinks everyone is where they want to be, he gestures, using the index finger of his left hand: One. One. One.
Taurven still maintains his grip on his dagger as he does this.
Then, on the third count of one, he pops the door open.
"Aye. 'Ware ye, that door's airtight. Stink'll rush ahead of us."
Gunser's words prove prophetic.
As Taurven pushes the door open, the rush of air from the wind spell pushes forwards, carrying the foul odor and slamming the door wide.
You find yourself in a kingly entrance hall, with rich carpets and a few crests adorning the walls.
On the far side, sitting atop a simple wooden throne, is a knight, clad in black, only his mouth showing beneath his full-helm.
Watching you, he speaks, his deep voice booming out. "Visitors. I suspected as much, when the spell went off, but I had yet dared hope that perhaps this day might not be interrupted. Well, it seems it must."
Slowly, he stands, reaching out to grasp hold of an odd weapon which the military-minded of you recognize as a Fauchard.
"Who sent you? Chivallus? Stomop? Kyle? Answer me truly, and I will be merciful once you are all lying in your own blood and defeat."
About ten feet from the door you spot a small hole in the roof where tiles have been removed; above is only blackness. It is about 5ft wide.
"I've no knowledge of the names you speak. Our intent is your defeat, an opening blow against the Tail Takers. Renounce them, and we might parley. I am Gunser of Biston, knight. What say you?"
The knight pauses, evaluating this sailor with a palpable air of curiosity.
With his free hand, he lifts up his helmet and removes it, revealing a brown-haired man with the slightly pointed ears of a half-elf bastard. He is clean-shaven and his hair us cut short.
"Idealists..." he speaks, a tone of wonderment in his voice. "Here, in Cheliax? Fascinating..." Blinking as he remembers, he adds "Mekalus Noneson, I name myself."
"I wonder... does the name Thelion mean anything to you? Or a rider named Eckbert?"
He pauses for a moment before adding "Oh and do shut that door. I know you are here so that vile odor is no longer necessary."
The knight is visibly shocked by this, almost recoiling back.
"You managed to best Thelion? Eckbert I counted as naught but a blaggard, but Thelion was... something else..."
Clearly thinking he continues "Why should I surrender? Even if you best me now, what proofs do you have that Kore and the rest of us will not fall upon you and kill you all, and kill me for allowing myself to be captured without a fight? Prove to me your chances; what have you learnt about us?"
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"Hah! Why would we tell you anything? You've got two choices, surrender and tell us everything you know about the gang, and then be allowed to leave the city with enough money to get somewhere else. Or you can die, crushed inside that tin can you're wearing. Ripped and torn as the dented metal tears through your organs. Drowning as your lungs fill with your own blood."
Gunser chuckles. "Well, Mister Hammer's sincere enough, for all he's too eager. And he's right; we'll not be sayin' all we know, nor how. But I'll be sayin', if Thelion were a friend to you, know he lives. Did our best to see he'd wake with a note, and a second, if the first were lost. And the note? Tellin' him to beware the gnome ridin' the eagle. Gnome had ordered one of ours to kill Thelion, see? Hopin' his mind-twistin' magics might do the trick. From where I sit, you're in as much danger with such as friends as with such as enemies. And that's before addin' Mister Hammer to the math."
"Pardon his bluster, and his errors. We've come with plans to fight, if we'd need, only the greatest fools come down a well past spell-alarums, without such a plan. Hammer's part stayed the same, so there's parts he's not aware of. I suspect a lack of blood might disappoint, but there's others comin', aye?" Gunser smiles.
Casey looks on, staying alert as he awaits the armored man's response.
Blast keeps near the rear of the group as they burst open the door, knowing he's a prime target in a fight with Tail Takers. Looking at the knight, the tiefling almost scoffs. Armor does nothing but slow you down, fool... Trying to hide his grin, Blast moves to stand near the wall, hoping his tail isn't obvious, and readying to throw a bomb if necessary.
Mellany advances into the room behind Gunser, "You left that rubbish on your front step for an alarm when you already had a magic one? What's the matter, didn't trust the caster?"
"The Hammer is not overeager. We didn't come here for pleasant tea, and conversation, Sea-Wind."
Taurven begins his song.
"I used to watch highway-patrol, whittling with my knife."
"But the thought never struck me, I'd be black and white for life."
"I was raised on law and order, in a community of strife."
"Became a restless boarder, and I never took a wife..."
The knight continues to hesitate, raising an eyebrow as the bard starts singing.
"Oh no Ma'am, I trust my own casting. We have merely had the occasional issue with rats falling down the well; a secondary means of intruder detection was necessary, I decided."
"As for you, sailor, and hammer... wait. Music, idealism, no common uniform or race..." Examining you carefully for a moment, the knight lets out a loud grown. "Oh, gods... adventurers."
He raises his weapon. "I will not allow myself to be defeated or captured by some country layabout scum who breeze through their hallucination of how this world truly is, with all the care and intent of a madchild." He points at Blast, and smiles ferociously. "I never understood Kore's obsession with tails, demon-spawn, but right now I must admit, yours will look damned good nailed to my wall..."
...If people are observing you using any of their senses (but typically sight), you can't use Stealth. Against most creatures, finding cover or concealment allows you to use Stealth...
Darkvision is the extraordinary ability to see with no light source at all, out to a range specified for the creature... It does not allow characters to see anything that they could not see otherwise—invisible objects are still invisible, and illusions are still visible as what they seem to be...
The knight raises his blade and calls out "Begin." He moves forward off his throne and takes up a defensive position in front of you. From above in the hatch, you hear an odd 'cawwing' sound.
A puff of smoke erupts in front of Gunser, dispelling to reveal an enormous crocodile which lashes out with its tail and then bites him.
Teeth biting into Gunser, it tries to grip him tightly.
Gunser's torso is trapped beneath the snapper's teeth.
Meanwhile, out from the hatch zooms an eagle, zooming down to fly in circuits around the back of the room.
"Layabout?! Now, just a minute, McAlice!", Gunser fumes, stopping short as he's amubushed by a ninja alligator.