Grezzor was unable to avoid the trap, the smile gone from his face as soon as he is hit by the magical cold.
"How did this elude my magical detection?" - he ponders, wearing a deep frown.
"Arlok think trap room big trap. Use greed. Arlok think we no need what behind traps. Should move on."
"Brok thinks we should check magic ring and book." the goblin ranger counters.
and then "Three more chests to check."
Brok moves to chest number 4 and checks for traps.
(+2 for traps)
"Arlok no hurry. Arlok no get blow up or poison either. Arlok go pull arm off dead priest. Arlok snack and watch."
While the godling speaks words of wisdom, the roguish pull for treasure and the looming battle of skill against skill sways the shadowy figure. With a sweeping motion of his black cloak, or what remains of the ragged garment, Keil joins Brok at the next chest. He watches the goblin's routine but finds a flaw, "You've over looked the back panel." Pointing a lithe finger the fetchling indicates the spot, "There."
Brok easily finds yet another trap upon the chest, this one a simple mechanical trap consisting of a scything blade.
Grezzor examines both the ring and book carefully. While the book's powers elude his discovery, the ring is much easier to Identify...being a Ring of Iron Will .
Keil grins mischievously, he'd seen this kind of trap before. Tools in hand, the shadowy man slips one of his long hooks into a gap at the side followed shortly by a sharpened rake. With deft skill Keil loops a wire and jams it neatly inside.
Grey tapped Grezzor with the wand as well, then he backed up well away from where the scouts were working.
Keil easily disarms the trap, yet the results are less than satisfactory as the chest hold only the mundane items similar to the previous ones.
By now the fetchling is fully expecting every chest to be trapped. Adopting a position in front of the next chest Keil trains his skilled eyes on the outlines of the chest taking in the wood grains and gaps along the lid's edge and sides. He is careful to miss nothing, highly suspicious of even a mundane scratch.
He continues sitting and munching on his arm snack.
Brok watches the fetchling deal with the fifth chest.
Keil finds yet another trap upon this chest, a poison needle trap by the looks of it.
Keil stands up and scratches his head. Looking down at the chest the fetchling places his hands on his hips and shakes his head. "Huh. This one's clean." Turning to the others the shadowy man waves Varg over, "The lid is stuck."
Brok will search chest number six while Varg opens number five.
(+2 for traps)
As Vargrenz heads towards the poison-trapped chest, Brok examines the final chest and is not able to find any traps upon it.
Grezzor stands back turning the ring and book over in his hands, further examining them while Brok and Keil continue the search.
"Take a look?" Brok asks Keil, gesturing to the final chest.
The book appears to be a text upon various magical theories and such, including elemental schools of magic. Further details will require perusing its contents.
Amused with himself, Keil raises a hand to Brok to acknowledge the goblin's request and makes his way over. As before the shadowy man kneels to examine the chest. Yellow eyes trace every line, studying the grain of wood, the fit of its construction and the scratches of use. Ahh! The scratches. Keil points to a set of fine scratches along one side, "See those?" With Brok watching over his shoulder Keil bends closer for a better look.
Keil's sharp eyes manage to pick out the hidden line of runes showing this chest is trapped magically.
Keil retrieves his tools. He is about to slide a rake between the joining pieces near the lid and body when the fetchling remembers Brok's simple solution for dealing with runes. Unfortunately, these runes are etched. With no acid handy to burn the runes away Keil draws a dagger and uses the tip to scratch a line through the first of the runes. Yellow eyes filled with concentration but the dagger's tip barely leaves a mark the first time. Abruptly, Keil is forced to take a quick correction, dragging the blade across the second rune.
Keil manages to disrm the trap...barely, after nearly triggering it. The contents of the chest do not appear to be any different than the other chests you have opened up.
The trick with the dagger successful, Keil returns his attention to the door. The shadowy man examines the faint silvery set of runes set around the hinges and ponders if goblin spittle will do the trick or should he just use his dagger once more. Feeling emboldened, Keil's hand reaches within the folds of his cloak producing a pyramid pick from his folder of tools. Carefully the fetchling positions the instrument before the first rune and with a deft sweep, attempts to scrape away part of the silver powder.
Once again Keil defetas the trap upon the door, though it was touch-and-go for a moment there.
"Make sure everyone together before you open scary door." Brok tells Keil.
|
Seeing the trap smiths indicate that a poisoned lock has been found, or at least assuming that is why they want his assistance, Varg heads over to the trap and opens the lid. When he feels a prick in his finger, he pulls it back and licks the drop of blood off the tip of his finger. He then looks to the others.
Anything useful in here?
Vargrenz cracks open the chest...
...and feels a prick of the needle entering his flesh. The poison, as expected, has no effect.
The chest contains similar mundane articles of clothing as the other chests.
Grezzor stows the book away with his other tomes for now, as the group explores the remaining of the area.
"Why so many traps? To protect what?" - the wizard mutters, still rubbing the cold from his bones.
"Why indeed." With the door freed of its surprise, Keil ponders the same question. He looks at the items from the chests; robes and trinkets. Clearly the living quarters for those priests. Six beds, only two accounted for. "Others residing here. Perhaps working here." The shadowy man points to the east door. "That place is important. Or, why trap it so? The traps were strong, one or more among them is powerful." Keil fingers one of the robes, "We should not take them at strength but dispatch them one at a time. Two of us could disguise ourselves, pose as the dead priests. Then wait in ambush. Someone is sure to come looking." It is clear from Keil's line of thinking that he is not in a hurry to open the east door.
Arlok takes the ring when tossed to him.
"Shiny thing for Arlok." He looks at it a moment then slides it on.
"Voice in Arlok head get louder, remind Arlok that Arlok is Arlok. Arlok ready kill more goat priest now."
"All we know is that the door was trapped with magic. Hard to spot, but disarmed now.[b] Brok says.
[b]"Rest of room was full of traps with only magic ring and book left behind."
"Do we have any reason not to try door?"
"Yes." Keil looks directly at the goblin in response to the ranger's question, "Who set those traps? Where are they now?" The shadowy man points towards the door, "My guess is in there."
Folding his arms stubbornly Keil adds, "There was powerful magic in those devices."
"We should gather as much information as we can before proceeding - knowledge is power" - Grezzor comments.
Keil gestures towards Grezzor and tilts his head in the kind of nod that says, 'see, he gets it'"More the reason."
"Where ever you want to go."
"So Arlok open door then?" He continues to crunch and chew on his arm snack.
"You tell Arlok when go. Arlok sit why you talk."
Arlok waits on the scouts.
Do the doors open in or out?
The doors open inwards.
To Arlok, Grezzor, Varg, and Grey: "Are we doing this?" gesturing to the door
"Arlok ready." Arlok will activate his wind armor and open the door.
Brok grimmaces and makes himself small behind one of the chests.
The godling strides through the door without fear, and sees a short passageway heading further east before ending at a set of huge double doors, carved from deep-black stone. The doors’ bas-relief carvings indicate that some great evil lies beyond. Lifelike details in the skulls, screaming faces, unholy symbols and demons are carved into the doors.
Grey moved in at the back of the pack, his Ogre Skeletons pulling up rear guard.
Grey does not see any magical auras surrounding the door, though the symbols upon the door indicate the area beyond the door is desecrated to the Demon-Prince Orcus.
"This is a sanctum to the goat prince." Grey said, unless that wasn't obvious.
Grezzor watches the doors with curiosity - "Definitely" - he nods.