Dexter shrugs at the Cardinal's orders and follows along with the others.
Dexter places the circlet and the symbol in his pockets. He leaves the fragile goods acquired from Tiadora back in the room and brings the rest including the circlet and the symbol. On his belt pouches are the 6 potions he has created.
"If this place is in the basement, I should go first in case there are traps. Basements and dungeons usually are riddled with them".
Isabella places the circlet on her arm, a plain metal band providing minimal ornamentation, and similarly hides the holy symbol. "Lead on." She says to Dexter with a nod, slowing her pace to fall in at the back of the group. She glances back up to Tiadora once as they head into the basement. "You said there were others here that also signed the contract." She says softly to Lukasz, "Perhaps we're being measured against them in the retrieval of this item." Although her attention is focused toward the front of the group, the scientist's anxiousness at what they'll find in manor's basement gets the better of her senses.
Lukasz didn't immediately respond to Isabella, silent as they walked with the marvelous, yet suspect Tiadora. Once they have arrived and the destination Tiadora was taking them and left he finally responds, "That certainly is a possibility. Though if our groups are competing for the same assignments or all play a part of the Cardinal's larger plan, I do not know," Lukasz hated being in the dark on anything he was involved in and was determined to figure out what the Cardinal's plan was, but if he could figure it out without those close to the Cardinal knowing, all the better. "Keep aware once we are down there and remember that once we are free of this manor, discretion will likely be the name of the game, so best to begin practicing."
Dexter lights a torch in case it is dark and heads down the stairs cautiously...
Perception
Allyson draws her blade with a resounding ring, letting her eyes adjust to the flickering torchlight before proceeding. She stutters her step one behind Dexter as he is able to deal with the traps that are likely laid out for them. One step behind, ready to spring at any enemy the may find.
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As the party moves out and manages their order, Payn nods in silent acceptance as Isabella orders her to the rear. As they march along, Payn gently lifts the vivisection's hand and asks, quietly, "How many lives have these hands ended?"
She holds the hand gently, scrutinizing the wrinkles in the soft skin.
You walk down into a stone cellar. Across the room on the east side is a door.
Dexter approaches the door slowly checking both the floor and the door itself for traps.
Perception
A set of stone stairs leads down, through an archway and into an unfurnished chamber beyond. Inscribed upon the archway in the common tongue is: “Deception is a tool. Self-deception is death. Deceive always thy enemy but never thyself.” The room beyond is lit by a small oil lantern hanging from the center of the chamber.
Dexter's care reveals the presence of a pit trap in front of the door.
Isabella laughs lightly, thinking about the sloppy, frightened guards in Branderscar "It's unfortunate, rather, that they aren't able to endure the suffering needed to make us strong."
Turning her attention to the task before them, Isabella pays the cryptic wisdom above the door little mind, instead stepping around the pit trap to examine the door for herself.
"No wires on the door? Axes waiting to fall out of the ceiling?" She asks Dexter, seeing nothing odd herself, but too uncertain after the first revealed trap to open the door.
Dexter holds his hand up, "I will disable this trap first in case we need to flee from this place and recover our strength".
Disable Device
Dexter fiddles with the mechanism for a minute and believes it's safe.
Allyson takes pause at the doorway, reading the inscription and then once more for good measure. As Dexter sets about working on the trap, Allyson has an idea. "If you do not mind, wait a moment before opening that door. I do not believe it is our way out." Moving to search the various walls for any secret doors. "I believe the inscription is meant to serve as a clue for us. The Cardinal did imply this was a test after all. Testing our ability to see through deception seems like a likely first test."
"I concur. While the pit trap could very well be the deception mentioned in the script, let's use the time we have cautiously to see if anything else can be discovered." With that, he will also look around to see if anything else can be discovered.
Allyson finds a secret door in the northern wall. Once opened it reveals a small niche with a pedestal in it's center holding a pale blue gem. It's cold to the touch.
Seeing the gem, Allyson starts to reach for it but pauses feeling the cold breeze coming from the gem. "Doctor, I think you and the Captain may wish to look at this. The gem is cold." Allyson withdraws and moves to the far wall, to aid Lucky in searching for good measure.
Taking twenty takes awhile. Wait for other players to make actions.
You're unable to identify it.
Dex takes a look at the item that Leekoo has snatched from the wall.
Crafts Alchemy -
You're able to ascertain that what lies within an exquisitely carved quartz container is liquid ice.
"Liquid ice eh? A strange bauble to be left hidden here".
"This gem could likely prove useful down here then, if the Cardinal's history of gift giving is to be judged," Lukasz said as he searched along the south wall.
Lukasz checks the southern wall and finds nothing to indicate any secrets.
Dexter will check the eastern door for traps.
"Be patient my friends, where there is one trap there are often many traps..."
The second Dexter steps on the towards the door the floor falls out from underneath him, unable to react in time he falls towards the spikes below
He hit four spikes that thankfully don't pierce through him.
If you show me a post indicating you were actually wearing your studded leather armor, I will make the appropriate changes. Otherwise you take thirteen damage. EDIT: Never mind, I can see you gathered your items and updated your character sheet but not the mini stat block, unfortunately it doesn't help you at all and you still take the full damage.
Dex groans, "Check the floor first Dex, the floor first..." he mutters to himself.
He stands up cursing and quaffs a potion looking at the walls to determine how best to scale them. He then calls u, "Floors Trapped!"
CLW
Leaning over the edge of the pit, Isabella frowns down at Dexter. "You pointed that out before you fell in, Ser." Rummaging in her pack for a moment, she drops a length of rope down to the man. "Seems to me you and the crazy one should get along pretty well, often as you're getting yourself hurt. Maybe avoiding the pit traps is a better rule of thumb than trying to disable them."
After helping Dexter out of the pit, Isabella will collect her rope and take position northwest of the door, waiting for Dexter to open the way to the next room.
He brushes himself off, "As I said traps everywhere, can't be too careful..."
He checks the door for traps
How are you reaching it to check it for traps with the pit in front of it?
How are you reaching it to check it for traps with the pit in front of it?
You'll have to pull up the floor, alternatively you could Convince Leekoo that you know the door to be safe. And you can't take twenty on DD to disable a trap, only to open locks.
Leekoo, unless someone can show me otherwise I'm ruling you can't take ten or twenty while using ride skill to direct the bat to hover so you can use skills. I will be looking further into this and get back to you.
Dex mumbles a curse, "Isabella dear I believe I'll need your rope again, I need to climb back down into the damn pit and tie the rope to the damn floor to get close enough to inspect the door. I imagine that damn thing is trapped as well".
Looking at the predicament that they found themselves in, Lukasz commented, "If rigging the trap so that we can pass over it safely doesn't work, then maybe we can find some way of covering it. Does anyone have something solid and large enough that we can use to support our weight?"
"So... you mean to suspend yourself over the pit with the rope to more closely examine the door?" Isabella asks as she hands the braided hemp to Dexter, looking around the room for places to secure the rope, trying to understand the smith's plan. She turns to Lukasz, "The pit's not too wide. Once the door is opened, if there's no trouble waiting on the other side, it'd be a simple matter to jump across. Maybe Leekoo's pet could even pull one or two of us for a little boost." She nods to the goblin and his bat flying around the room. "And if there is trouble." She shrugs, again indicating their airborne companion and hefting her javelins.
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Leekoo directed She to hover over the pit while the other long legs debated on how to take care of the hungry floor. Maybe the devil man needs to feed it more often? Not his fault the others can't fly! Shaking his head, he looked over at the door. Maybe it'll dance!
But unfortunately the door didn't dance for his delight, and Leekoo looked over at the others. "Leekoo Weekoo stare at door. Leekoo Weekoo think it bore," he said in disappointment. "Leekoo Weekoo open up? Leekoo Weekoo not some pup."
Letkoo is sure the door is unwrapped.
Dexter leverages the trapdoor back into place and works to lock it into place. He believes it will hold this time.
Placing a hand on Dexter's shoulder, Isabella points to the inscription above the door. "Deceive your enemies, but never yourself. The trick may be how easily the trap resets." Moving north of the trap, Isabella waves for the others to clear the area in front of the door. After everyone moves, she leans out over the trap and attempts to open the door.
The door opens. There's a bricked up wall behind it
Dexter mutters another curse, "If there was I did not notice".
He will start to inspect the southern wall for another door.
"We already found a door north, perhaps we missed one to the south".
Perception
Dexter's skilled fingers find a loose stone, as he pulls a section of the wall swivels outward revealing a new path.
Dex turns back to the others, [b]"It seems we went the wrong way..."{/b]
Dex checks the exit for traps in light of the raps laid so far in this room.
Perception
You find no indications of traps.
The short passage from the north ends in a wooden door with another inscription: Following the herd is for fools. Fear not their icy derision. Instead, fear only thy Infernal Lord.
Dex again checks the door for traps.
Perception
You do not find a trap.