It could just as likely be used against us if we don't lock it open... oh, nevermind. I'm sure either way it can be used against us. If that's the way you want it, I'll leave it alone, and we'll hope for the best I suppose.
Navith frowns.
"Yes. I had not considered that. Let us disable it if we can!"
Zokama sets the two levers to the open position, turns the winch a few times, raising the portcullis fully open. She then turns the twin handles to the locked position. She takes a pair of copper coins from her pouch and wedges them into the teeth of each mechanism, wedged lightly against the bars easily sliding back.
The portcullis is open and locked. If it is necessary to drop it then it can be done, the bard telling each of the party where and how to remove the coins.
The makeshift bracing column remains in the hallway, positioned beneath the bars high above. You can leave it standing or easily kick it over.
Which way do you wish to proceed? Do you follow the eastern passage you have not explored, or track back along the zig zag passage to the room you battled in, with a western room unexplored and a trio of southern doors not fully examined?
Musami scratches his beard as he looks down the two passages. I think we head back the way we had begun to clear. Lets finish one way before we choose another. That way we can try to keep them from our backs.
There is a slight clink as he settles his armour into a slightly more comfortable position and grasps the black mace in his right hand with the shield strapped on his left arm.
Zokama kicks over the makeshift brace so that their work there isn't obvious, and then goes the direction that Musami suggested.
"Let's go there, then." Braggi follows.
Navith hangs his head.
If we do not go further this way, those that use the gate will discover our tinkering and undo all our work. But my companions have patiently accepted my disagreements enough - time to perhaps let them have their head. Pelor give me strength.
With a backward glance at the mechanism-alcove and up at the gate itself as he hurriedly passes under it the Pelorite shuffles off after the others.
You return to the room with three doors, and several gnoll bodies. The dead remain very much where they fell, the stench of blood, bile, and feces strong in the windless chamber.
It appears as though a single figure passed among them shortly after death, splattered tracks of blood splotching the floor here and there. What you had not recovered has been pilfered by another, small bits of gear, better pieces of armor, etc.
The rumpled bedding was untouched, and the doors still appear closed.
There are three doors equally spaced along the southern wall, the easternmost giving a faint odor of damp and earth as Filnefillan previously indicated. The westernmost gave away nothing of it's portal. The middle door was not checked, nor has been the passage from which the gnoll leader had exited.
Which way? One looks as good as another to me. Musami waits for someone to indicate a door. If no-one does he will look to the eastern door and set himself nearby to storm the door.
Braggi checks whether some smell or sound can reveal something.
"Wait for it..."
Of the southern doors Braggi confirms Fil's suspicions about the one door, the other two give no sound, vibration, or scent beyond earth and stone.
A soft light flickers from the gnoll's passage, though it too is silent, smelling heavily of animal musk and stale bodily wastes.
"I like not the pale light coming from that way" Navith indicates the gnoll's passage.
"So let us open these doors and be done with them, unless they lead further."
The Pelorite sighs audibly.
"I like this place not at all..."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Navith manages to open the western and centered of the south facing doors, but the eastern passage seems to be partly swollen and stuck.
The two doors that opened appear to front solid stone walls, roughly hewn and nearly flush with the door when closed. A small trip chain pulled on the western portal, but aside from the pin clanking to the floor nothing else sounds elsewhere in the dungeon.
Zokama examines the eastern door to see if there is any way to get it unstuck besides brute strength.
First she examines the physical structure of the door to see where it is failing:
She can't really tell anything from that, though, so she tries approaching it as though it were trapped and/or locked, to see if she can jimmy it just right.
"Let's see if we can get this done..." murmurs Braggi, giving a go at the South-Eastern door.
"Aw" he moans, rubbing his shoulder after unsuccessfully slamming it against the door.
Musami will have a go at the door that Braggi tried.
Let me have a go at that
Zokama can tell the door has swollen slightly in it's frame, likely from the dampness and chill on the other side. She suggests perhaps a pry bar or straight-iron with someone working the pull ring in unison.
Braggi llaves the responsibility to other, but is otherwise ready to help.
"If Zokama can't open it, I swear I'll tear this door to splinters."
I'll take the lead here. Musami once again puts his shoulder to the door and heaves with all of his dwarven might.
Zokama takes out her Traveler's Any Tool and alters it to a prybar, handing it to Musami. Then she casts Open at the same time he uses it .
Working together the group manages to pry at the door frame and pop the swollen door free. A wave of damp air heavy with moldy mustiness and the slight greasy taint of rot sweep into the room along with a soft, chilling breeze. The passage beyond feels easily 5 to 10 degrees cooler than the gnoll room, which itself already has that cool and claustrophobic feeling of a tomb 20-30 feet below the earth.
The passage stretches roughly 20' southward, sloping down at a slight incline, perhaps 3-5 degrees. At that point the wet flagstones level off, the passage opening into a side passage which angles off to the South East as well as continues to the South, sloping downward again. The breeze seems to come from the SE, while the smell of damp and death comes from the South.
Feeling the breeze on his face Musami points down the South-East passage. Air moving from there. Likely it is a way out. Lets head the other way and see what lies there that smells so awful.
He take a step down the South passage.
Zokama puts away the tool/prybar, draws her bow, and follows Musami down the South passage, glad he is short enough to shoot over if they run into anything. Not that she would say that out loud, of course.
"A foul, deathly smell. I'll wager we'll find something debased this way - only two things smell as the dead - the truly dead, and the living dead. We have little to fear from the former, but the latter - well we have met more than our fair share of those. Be wary kind sirs. And Zokama, aim true!"
With his prattling sermon over, Navith follows on.
As Musami moves to start down the southern hallway he spies an offshoot hallway branching off to the west. Before he can inform the others a dark shape springs from the shadows and lashes out at him, a thick and nauseating stench reeking from the humanoid shape.
Zokama is overcome by the foulness of the creature, becoming Sickened for .
The creature seems to exude cold and foulness in equal measures, sharp and filthy gnashing at Musami's armored form, but fail to pierce his mail. The thing thing attempts to and at the dwarf's face, but his shield keeps the dog-faced undead from doing more than smearing putrid muck and grime across his cheeks and beard.
Initiative Order
First Group: Ghast
Second Group: Braggi, Filnefillan, Musami, Navith, Zokama
The strange undead creature howls eerily as it assaults the party, a dull greasy funk settling over the stonework around it.
Musami swings his mace upward in an attempt to snap the things head back so hard it falls off.
Braggi steps carefully forward to leave room for another team mate to gang up, then strikes hard at the undead abomination.
Whether it is from the stench or the suddenness of the attacks, but both Braggi and Musami find their efforts failing to connect with the bestial monster flailing about against Musami. Musami's mace skimmed across the thing's chest, skimming a bit of reek and slime from it's left breast but doing no damage. The thing side stepped the sailor's blade while ululating it's call slightly lower in pitch.
Initiative Order
First Group: Ghast
Second Group: Braggi (acted), Filnefillan, Musami (acted), Navith, Zokama
Zokama, sickened by the stench, shoots at the thing while trying not to throw up.
(sickened)
(sickened)
Zokama's arrow punches deep into the creature's shoulder, striking the bone and enraging the bestial dead. It snarls at her and the men before her, continuing it's strange calling howl.
Initiative Order
First Group: Ghast
Second Group: Braggi (acted), Filnefillan, Musami (acted), Navith, Zokama (acted)
Filnefillan and Navith seem to be somewhat overcome by the suddenness of the attack and the subsequent nauseous cloud which followed the bestial dead abomination. They ready themselves into defensive postures while trying to keep their meager breakfasts down.
The ghast renews it's attacks on Musami, it's teeth in a biting lunge nearly taking his chin, while likewise one clawed hand and then the across the warrior's armored chest, , the last piercing between chain links and scoring flesh deep beneath, . The wound begins to tingle and burn almost immediately, the flesh puckering back tinged an ugly red, .
The thing pauses a moment to lick Musami's blood from it's claws before resuming it's keening wail.
Initiative Order
First Group: Ghast
Second Group: Braggi, Filnefillan, Musami, Navith, Zokama
Braggi manages to squeeze threough the creature's defenses, getting a valuable flanking position and discharging his sword capitalizing from the advantage.
The ghast snaps angrily at Braggi as he attempts to pass it in the narrow hallway, but fails to pierce the armor on his shoulder.
Braggi's strike successfully skewers the thing, the long blade erupting out the beast's chest and spraying Musami with a bit of gore and gobs of putrid puss.
Initiative Order
First Group: Ghast
Second Group: Braggi (acted), Filnefillan, Musami, Navith, Zokama
Navith nods grimly as the undead strikes.
"Cleanse creation of this menace, Pelor!"
Standard Action: Channel positive energy.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Braggi - I hear sounds from the south, likely a number of creatures!" Navith shouts.
Braggi takes a super quick look behind. Though he doesn't see anything wrong, he nods at Navith, thanking him for his advice. "Copied!"
Zokama, still sickened by the stench, shoots again.
(sickened)
(sickened)
Zokama also hears something coming from the South, and after shooting she looks that way, trying to make out anything coming.
The undead beast seems to shrug off most of the energy Navith called down, staggering though in the effort. Zokama's arrow however catches in the throat and finishes what her companions had started, dropping the thing to the ground in a quivering, filthy heap, dead once more.
Looking past the others two shapes move into view, one a burly, scaly humanoid with a high frill ridge running along it's head and down it's back. Large fangs protrude from it's mouth, carved and dyed in runic patterns.
Beside it a rather ugly man in heavy armor strides forward, his shield adorned with the Flaming Eye emblem.
By the Darkened Eye you shall not proceed further he calls, before both he and the beast mutter strange phrases under their breaths, casters it would seem.
Initiative Order
First Group: Reptile, Priest
Second Group: Braggi, Filnefillan, Musami, Navith, Zokama
Zokama casts Silence.
Chaking that the warning has turned out to be real, Braggi quickly turns to face the two humanoids. He decides the one who speaks must be the boss, so he does what he can do best and charges recklessly.
Musami takes a run at the oponant right in front of him. He hits him low and tries to push him back, breaking the blockade.
Navith sees the new threat, hears their mutterings. He moves to support Musami, and casts a benison from his sun-god...
Move Action: Move 20' to just next to Musami (on north side).
Standard Action: Cast bless.
Braggi's charge brings him into a thick and cloying cloud of reptilian musk, ammonic vapors, and greasy funk wafting off the brutish creature beside the human priest. Having grown up along the wharves, fishmongers, and doxie dens of home the man easily takes measure of his breathing and holds it against the bile, continuing unabated, albeit missing the mark with his strike.
Musami's rush however had him drawing in a lungful of the foulness as he moved, such that his stomach instantly rebelled against him, causing him to be Sickened. The shift was enough to foul his rush and enable the dull looking lizard to grin and grip against him, the pair clashing and abutting but neither giving ground.
Navith moved quickly into the cloud, but his long training at the monastery against the reek of the dead and dying enabled him to push past the nausea and keep his core intact and unaffected.
The reek is so strong even Zokama finds herself within the cloud, gagging and gasping as she attempts to complete her spell. Already sickened she finds herself nearly retching from the odor.
Filnefillan again seems strangely enthralled with the proceedings, and stands defiantly against the oncoming enemy, but takes no other action.
The reptilian beast mumbles something foul under his breath, wreathing his right arm, encased in a glassy spiked gauntlet, with dull gray vapors and at Musami, missing as the dwarf recovers enough from his charge to roll back on his heels.
The priest smirks smugly at Braggi before lunging out with his right hand, calling a foul curse out from his dark master, , Let the Flaming Eye forever burn the strength from your body despoiler!
Initiative Order
First Group: Reptile, Priest
Second Group: Braggi, Filnefillan, Musami, Navith, Zokama