Vixie shrugs. She hasn’t come across many levers in her day-to-day life.
"I expect this is a simple game of numerical order. If there's a '1' lever, it stands to reason there's a '2', and so on. We likely only need to pull them in the correct sequence. Pulling '1' first is probably safe...but we may wish to look for the others first just to be sure it's not more complicated than that." Bertrand rubs his hands together in eager anticipation. "I do hope it's more complicated than that!"
Adriana says, "I am thinking the same thing...so I guess everybody should go looking for more levers."
Smiling enthusiastically, Bertrand explores the pillared area further, being careful not to step on any light-colored areas.
Nodding, Khalaban began switch hunting.
”I-I’ll stay by this lever,” says the halfling, not trusting her own ability to spot the traps.
Adriana nods to Vixie and goes looking for levers...
Forgot the +1 from Bertrand... so a total of 14.
Vixie takes the moment to switch her equipment around, stowing her shield and trident and carrying her bill in both hands.
To Bertrand's credit, he doesn't step on a light-coloured tile. He steps on its black seam instead.
There's a loud *CLICK* as the floor beneath him gives way!
On the bright side, Khalaban & Bertrand both find another lever in an alcove to the east of the trap.
Bertrand stumbles a bit as the trap door opens, but jumps deftly towards the lever, narrowly avoiding falling. "Whoops! Close one!" He peers down towards the pillows. "Though we've certainly run into far less comfortable hazards today." He turns to Khalaban. "I can continue searching if you'd like to keep lever number 2 company?"
Khalaban waved a hand. "If you wish to run this pillowy gauntlet, I will be happy to remain for now."
Bertrand continues to search for levers while avoiding traps.
Bertrand takes it slower and more carefully this time, spotting the remaining pit traps and deftly walking around them to reach the final switch in an alcove on the northern end of the chamber. There's a '3' carved in its stone head.
“Found ‘3!’” Bertrand calls out. “And I believe this is the final switch. Madame Vixie, if you’d be so kind?”
”M-Mamas always told m-me to be k-kind!” chimes Vixie absentmindedly.
There’s a moment of silence.
”O-oh! The s-switch!” She pulls it into position.
There's a *CLICK* from the lever, followed by a *CLICK* from the southern door.
Khalaban gave the second one a yank.
Another *CLICK* from the lever, followed by another *CLICK* from the door.
Bertrand pulls the final lever with a satisfied grin.
One last *CLICK* and the southern door swings open.
Breathing a sigh of relief that it hadn't all gone pear shaped, Khalaban headed for the door and peeked through.
Khalaban sees that beyond the stone door is a corridor that branches off in two different directions: one to the west and another to the south. The crying is coming from the south--and it sounds like it's coming from a grown man.
Vixie—herself rather pear-shaped—follows behind, bill raised.
Ready Action: Total Defense if obviously-dangerous baddies are present.
"I guess I will take the lead."
Adriana with sword drawn head carefully to the south paying full attention.
Maxilla had no good way to help the rest of the party find traps, but every so often the little dragon will shout words of encouragement to the team and then to the south when the door opens.
Vixie heads toward the southern hallway, clutching her bill with little white knuckles.
"I h-hope the sheep are okay..." she whispers.
Khalaban followed, rubbing his neck with his free hand.
Bertrand takes up the rear (*giggle*), crossbow at the ready.
The party follows the sounds of the crying down another corridor, strewn with a host of cracked & broken bones. They reach a half-open oaken door that opens with a push. Inside, seated on a wooden chair, is a pale-skinned, gaunt young man dressed in filthy grey clothes, his frightened brown eyes turning red with tears. His brown hair is wild & unkempt, with what appears to be spatters of old blood near his scalp.
He looks up when the door opens, his eyes widening in fear. He pulls a loaded crossbow out form under his chair and points it at the door. "N-NO! More walking bones! More walking bones come back to end it all! Stay back! BACK!"
Vixie freezes on the spot. ”W-we’re from K-Kassen!” she blurts out.
Adriana lowers her sword and says in a soothing voice, "We are not those walking bones. We are here to help...are you hungry? We have food..."
Ooc: I get a additional +1 from the trait charming if he is sexually attracted to me.
The little dragon respects the distance but tries to help out!
"It's okay. It's going to be okay. We took care of the walking bones at the entrance. Please don't hurt us, okay?" Max offers in hopefully soothing tones. "We're here to visit the Everflame!"
The frightened man notices Adriana--and her rather generous assets--and seems to calm down for a brief moment.
"K-Kassen? Hungry? Not a trick of the walking dead?" He tentatively lowers his crossbow and steps back. "Not a trick of the one who speaks?"
"No...no...we are friends...relax...here is some food and water."
Adriana carefully reaches into her bag for some food and waterskin offering it to him with a friendly smile.
The man's hands tremble as he takes the offered nourishment and starts eating.
"Thought no one would come to help. Thought it was the end. Thought..." He starts, then his lip trembles.
"This is all wrong. This is all wrong. Six went in, only two still remain--my sister and I."
"Slow now. Careful. Don't want to over-eat too fast. Easy." Maxilla offers. Not everyone has the guts of a dragon, and eating too much too fast makes humans puke it back up.
"Take it easy...you are safe now. We need to know what happened...to help your sister."
"Would this be easier for you out of this place?" Khalaban offered. It might calm the man to get out of here.
He nods. "Yes... yes, the beginning of it all."
"My name is Roldare--I came here with friends and family to prepare this crypt for the Trial of Everflame. A taste of adventure--just enough to satisfy the young." Roldare shakes his head. "Traps with pillows, puzzles to test the wits--no real danger, but enough to spin a tale or two."
"Then the walking bones fell upon us--took Bianca, killed the others. Hid in here and couldn't muster the courage to leave." He slumps against the wall.
Vixie frowns. ”H-how many did you say, M-Mister Roldare? W-we only found t-two bodies...”
"Well we are prepared for a real fight...we can rescue your sister. But first we can escort you out."
"S-Six... two dead at the entrance, one taken by the bones, myself, and two others--doubtlessly dead."
"Well we are prepared for a real fight...we can rescue your sister. But first we can escort you out."
Roldare tenses up. "NO! No no no! Can't leave! Can't leave without Bianca!"
"This room--this room is safe. Was meant for the challengers to rest in." He waves a hand at the room. There's several comfortable-looking pallets in the room, with thick blankets and pillows for resting. There's a leather backpack hanging on a peg on the far wall of the room.
"I think we can safely say that the challenge is done," Khalaban mused thoughtfully. "But what can you tell us about it? And this place? The more we know, the better. Like the pillow pitfall traps. Not dangerous - but they did slow us down. A map, with as much information as you can muster, would help us a great deal."
"Also, if this place is safe, we could use it as a staging area and recovery -- we had a rough time getting past the bones at the front." Maxilla notes thoughtfully.
Vixie, blood still smeared over her face, wanders over to check out the backpack.
Bertrand does his best to calm Roldare's nerves, smiling encouragingly.
"There there, love, you're safe now. We've got this well in hand."
Roldare pauses, then nods at Khalaban. "Yes. Yes yes yes. Worked on this crypt before everything went wrong. Here..."
He digs out a sheaf of parchment & a stick of charcoal before hurriedly scribbling on it. It takes several minutes before he finishes sketching a crude map of the crypt. "Keys... you will need keys to proceed further. One is two rooms south of here. Another is beyond the western entrance doors. We sought to make this place safe enough to venture into--we couldn't finish our work in time."