Lightbringer accompanies Janosz for a quick check of the darkened western corridor.
I'm rolling with LB.
Gil will remain in the staging area watching for any new friends.
Runzyl will remain with the main group while LB, Rod, and Janosz investigate.
The party splits and Lightbringer, Rodergo and Janosz head down the corridor to the barracks area.
I got 30 foot darkvision; do you guys want light? I can cast light on my morningstar, or a torch. If somebody wants light I whip it up.
I'll cast on my morningstar then.
Rodergo invokes the Flame and a silvery radiance emanates from the head of his morningstar. Then, with Lightbringer and Janosz, they head away from their companions.
Rod and co:
Then a roll for Janosz's perception;
Explorers:
Sideroomers...
Explorers:
Unless there is disagreement from the others, Lightbringer does just that.
After a few minutes, Janosz, Lightbringer and Rodergo return unscathed.
"Anything to report?"
"Dead guards everywhere, but they are all ancient history, covered in dust in their cots. Someone went in reasonably recently and didn't come back out. He's either dead or in hiding, so we decided to ignore that one for now. Let's move on."
"Do we go onward or try to set up the tent? I'm of mixed feelings; I think we're all pretty depleted, but.....we gotta finish quick if Rolund's going to get cured of his malady...."
"Do not use my condition as an excuse, Purified. We need to move onward."
“Onwards,” agrees Lightbringer, leading the way south.
"Do not use my condition as an excuse, Purified. We need to move onward."
"Are you mentally afflicted as well? That's pretty much what I said."
The party continue onwards along the corridor.
The dust here is deeper and contains brick dust and rubble. It appears that some sort of minor earthquake occured, perhaps at the same time as the Mourning. While the corridor is passable, some piles of shattered brick partially fill the corridor. The light here is bad - the everbright lamps smashed or buried - but beyond there seems to be a large chamber that is lit. Somewhat concerningly, the chamber doesn't seem to be on Norn's map.
Gil appears to be distracted as the party moves forward and remains unusually quiet as they navigate the gloomy hall.
"Ah." Janosz, leading the party, slows down a little and shifts to one side of the corridor, pointing to the tracks in the dust. "See here? Big tracks, headed for the exit. We know who that was. Also, some smaller tracks headed further into the complex. Who that is... we don't quite know yet."
"Oh, and mind this area." He stops completely, pointing to the roof. "Unsafe ceiling - see there and there. We need to be careful here to avoid being buried under tons of rock."
Lightbringer follows Janosz’s directions down the passageway. As they approach the large chamber he has his sword in hand, and looks about warily.
Lightbringer, despite his best efforts, scrapes the ceiling on his way over the rubble. A few bricks fall in a shower of mortar dust, but the ceiling stays in place for the moment.
"Sorry," says Lightbringer, glancing up as dust showers down around him.
perception
dex
Both Ezreal and Rodergo crawl through.
Runzyl cautiously creeps through the rubble.
Rolund follows the others as carefully as he can.
Bor and Basher bring up the rear.
The adventurers all manage to negotiate the weakened passage without causing a collapse. They move on into the next chamber. It appears to be a large chamber, with brick pillars supporting the vaulted ceiling. Tables are set out in rows with chairs, and at the far end is a counter and a hatch in the wall leading off into a kitchen. More bodies lie collapsed over the tables or on the floor. Dust swirls lazily in the air. Doors lead off east, west and south.
Gil can't help but marvel once again at the suddenness of whatever happen that fateful day. Quietly, "Do you think they felt it when it happened?"
"Wonder about that later," Janosz mutters to Gil's question. "Now here's a riddle for you. See how that dust swirls around? There's no wind in here. So why does it move?"
"point it out to me;"
for perception;
then Rod will try to detect thoughts.
While Rodergo attempts to detect thoughts, Lightbringer stares intently at the swirling dust, silently asking the Flame to make him aware of any evil in the area.
The dust coalesces into four vaguely humanoid figures. They float towards the group, their incorporeal forms simply drifting through and around the interposing tables and chairs.
“Wraiths,” speaks Lightbringer grimly, pulling a protective potion from his beltpouch, knowing enough about the evil spirits to realise that his armour plating will offer little protection against them.
"Uh-oh."
Gil intones a spell and transfers its magic to Rolund. She whispers, "Can you do something with these?" before stepping behind him, not really waiting for a response.