Linndell steps into the lift and slowly begins to turn the crank. The wood and metal creaks as he moves it, and after little more than one revolution, the rope makes a strained sound...and snaps! A split second later, the whole lift comes apart, clearly cut in strategic and hidden places, collapsing down the hole in a loud clamor.
Gii gasps as the elevator collapses. "Linndell!" he shouts as the contraption falls to pieces.
Linndell tumbles down the lift-shaft, bits of the sabotaged lift falling after him and hits the ground with a thud. He rolls to the side to avoid the destroyed contraption, but some of the heavy wood pieces strike him all the same.
FirstMap
Linndell gathers himself and listens to see if anything or anyone comes towards the crash.
After a minute of listening, he calls to his colleagues.
I am fine....the lift....not so much. Be careful coming down.
He then turns and waits for the rest of the party.
Blue Heron makes her way down the tunnel. The barbarians of this region love their traps.
[dice=Climb 2]1d20-2
[dice=Climb 3]1d20-2
[dice=Climb 4]1d20-2
Paul moves to the edge of the ledge and looks at Gii, watching him fall back to the bottom of the ground.
Realizing that voices can echo underground, he keeps his mouth shut and doesn't yell; knowing that he'll find out soon enough what happens when he gets down there.
He turns to his comrades and looks at who is next.
Hey...remember we have the hook. Lower the rope and I will pass up my kit...it might help.
Linndell takes out his climber's kit and readies it to send it up, but still watches down the passage in case anything comes.
Hey...remember we have the hook. Lower the rope and I will pass up my kit...it might help.
Linndell takes out his climber's kit and readies it to send it up, but still watches down the passage in case anything comes.
Paul glances down at Linndell and calmly takes the rope that is tied at the top of the shaft and begins to make knots in it at three foot intervals; but says nothing as he works.
Blue Heron climbs down in fits and starts before falling the rest of the way.
Gii and Blue Heron make their way down, but unaccustomed to the rope and perhaps distracted by the evens of Linndell, they follow suit in short measure, each falling to the mine below.
"Oww," Gii moans as he lays sprawled out on the mine floor. "Nethys guide me, for climbing is not my path," he complains as the cleric slowly lifts himself off the floor.
Paul watches Blue and Gii at the bottom now; he hopes that Gii won't channel energy on everyone until they're all down, but says nothing more at this time but simply offers the now knotted rope to whoever wants to go next.
Paul will wait until the others have gone first before he tries it; but if there is no other escape from the mine than the knotted rope then he knows that making sure it is easy to climb out may be more important than climbing in...
Linndell helps his fallen colleagues after their tumble down the shaft.
Well, now that we are all here....is everyone ok? I am a bit banged up, but can continue.
Linndell looks at Paul with a cocked eyebrow.
I thought you said the lift was intact? Next time, you go first, all right? Linndell says with a touch of sarcasm mixed with morbid humour.
Linndell helps his fallen colleagues after their tumble down the shaft.
Bart watches the others climb and instead of going down right away, waits. He knew full well that his own skills when it came to climbing were piss poor, and Alar couldn't even hold onto the rope. Normally that would lead to some difficulties, but the fall wasn't that large. "We've practiced this before. Once they're out of the way, get ready."
Alar gives Bart a silent reply and once the others are out of the way, he leaps forward and down the hole. Bart had little trouble staying in the saddle, but even with his graceful landing Alar felt his muscles creek a little and ended up lying down on the ground. Bart pets the creatures head, gently, and says, "Thanks. That would have been worse if I had tried like Gii and Ms. Proper."
Paul watches Bart fall twenty feet on the lion and marvels at the fact that the boy doesn't suffer at all from the force of the fall which would likely jolt through him.
He turns and looks at Ayreth but doesn't say anything.
He looks back at the hole and decides to act.
Like the lion, he doesn't bother to climb, he simply jumps.
He hears Linndell and walks over to him.
Linndell looks at Paul with a cocked eyebrow.
I thought you said the lift was intact? Next time, you go first, all right? Linndell says with a touch of sarcasm mixed with morbid humour.
He looks at the elf.
"No worries - next time I won't say nothing," he says with a soft voice, hoping it doesn't echo - but he gives Linndell a small smile at the elf's dry humor.
He waits for his companions to decide what they want to do - once he knows their plans, then he'll file in.
A bit banged up....but could be worse.
Linndell packs up his climbing kit and prepares to head down the passage.
Gii finishes standing up, and starts rubbing his lower back. "Better than a log to the chest, at any rate," the man says, the corners of his mouth turning up into a small grin at the quip.
Blue Heron shakes her head as if to clear cobwebs. Why didn't I think to jump down? That would have been much less painful? Those dreams cloud my judgment.
Paul leans against the wall of the tunnel and props his foot up against it to balance better.
He crosses his arms over his chest and glances aloft toward the opening of the tunnel, then he glances down the blackness of the tunnel.
Despite the seeming good spirits of his companions he was filled with a sense of tension.
He glances toward Linndell.
”I think that that the lift was rigged as a trap; it seemed solid but it wasn’t, and we’ve dealt with traps before on this caper.”
”I think there will be more traps to come.”
”I think that if I was making a trap that I'd put an alarm on it to alert anyone in this place that intruders were coming when it went off.”
He pauses, then he pulls something from his pouch and fits a quid of tobacco into his lip and begins to chew on it absently.
”You know, there were footprints in the dirt made by humanoids outside; I think human, but I don’t know for sure.”
He scratches his chin for a moment, glancing above as he thinks a little.
”Maybe some other folk, likely human, came in here a few hours before us – maybe they set the trap on the lift when they came in – maybe they’re able to hear if it went off – maybe there’s danger in front of us down the tunnel, be it another trap... or maybe an ambush.”
He looks back toward Linndell.
”I'm just saying - I’d be careful if you’re on point,” he says with a little shrug.
”As for me, I reckon I'm probably going to wait by this shaft until – or unless – we get some light down here.”
He tugs on the lobe of his obviously human ear and grins sardonically.
”I don’t know about you; but I can’t see worth a damn in this hole…” he says, then spits a stream of tobacco into the dust.
In Elven
Linndell reaches into his pack and pulls out his Ioun torch. He activates it and light appears.
That should help.
Linndell the heads 20 feet down the passageway, bending down examine the floor closely.
In Elven
Linndell reaches into his pack and pulls out his Ioun torch. He activates it and light appears.
That should help.
Paul gives Linndell a small grin and nods at the light.
"Thanks for the light - but remember; I can see that from roughly sixty feet back... But anyone sixty feet in front of you can likely see it too... Be careful."
He watches the elf advance down the tunnel and turns and looks at the rest of the crew, curious to know what they'll do and where they'll go before he advances.
Blue Heron moves up to guard the person on point.
Blue Heron moves up to guard the person on point.
Paul glances at Blue Heron and watches her stride forward to support Linndell.
He looks at whatever tracks that may have been in the dirt before Linndell advanced and Blue followed and watches them disappear.
He turns to the others and cocks his head, watching the others to see who will move next.
Linndell moves into the front, carefully looking at the ground. He and Paul note there are a number of footprints, overlapping. There has been a lot of traffic here lately. Ahead the light illuminates further down the corridor as it turns to the northwest, and just beyond you can barely see that it splits in a Y going two separate ways.
Linndell moves into the front, carefully looking at the ground. He and Paul note there are a number of footprints, overlapping. There has been a lot of traffic here lately. Ahead the light illuminates further down the corridor as it turns to the northwest, and just beyond you can barely see that it splits in a Y going two separate ways.
Paul looks at the others moving ahead - he watches Gii advance; his eyes quickly flicking to Ayreth, Bart and the lion-like creature that clings to the boy like a shadowy darkness...
He reaches his hand forward to Gii's shoulder, pulling him back slightly.
"Keep five feet between us - if something happens, you could get hurt."
"You're the only gods damned doctor in the crew; don't risk all of our lives by being too close to danger," he adds with a flat voice.
Gii cocks his head at Paul, his brow furrowed. "What?" he asks.
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Gii cocks his head at Paul, his brow furrowed. "What?" he asks.
Paul stares at Gii with frustration on his face.
"Skai! Keep back, keep back pushdug; not so close to danger, no!"
"Art thou simple in thy head? Keep distance between danger, oh man!"
"Och! Lad, don't be a bloody fool! Keep yer ass back from the others a wee bit..."
He stares at Gii's uncomprehending face and sighs, shaking his head and keeping his voice quiet as he spits a stream of tobacco to the side.
"Five feet between us; safer..."
Gii blinks at Paul, before raising a questioning eyebrow. "Right..." he trails off, walking deeper into the mine.
Gii blinks at Paul, before raising a questioning eyebrow. "Right..." he trails off, walking deeper into the mine.
Paul watches Gii move off with narrowed eyes but keeps his mouth shut.
Bartholomew understood two of the languages that the man had used, but not why he used them. Once again he called upon his power and quickly cast a very subtle spell. The power weaved through the ears of those who accepted it, and it was quickly followed by Bart's voice whispering in their ear. "Alright, everyone's linked up. Remember, you guys have to talk through me to speak to someone else, but I'll happily convey your message. Otherwise just whisper to me, within say... 150 ft, and I should be able to hear you. Everyone got that?"
When he got a confirm from everyone, Alar would look to Bart, who would move the Lion's side and cast another spell, this one a little more potent then his message spell keeping the group linked. Translucent armor encases the lion, brilliant as stars, but then the shadows surrounding Alar seem to engulf and consume the armor until it was as black and twisting as the Lions form. Then a nod, without a word from the lad, and Alar start heading forward ahead of the group to scout.
"Alright, everyone's linked up. Remember, you guys have to talk through me to speak to someone else, but I'll happily convey your message. Otherwise just whisper to me, within say... 150 ft, and I should be able to hear you. Everyone got that?"
Paul turns a strange gaze toward Bart and his sorcery...
His eyes are narrowed; his jaw is set - he has stopped chewing the tobacco for a moment as he examines Bart with a penetrating look; but he says nothing... He seems suspicious of the boy for some reason...
He watches the dark beast push past Linndell and slide into the blackness; the broad, shadowed paws pushing through the dust and dirt and the tunnel floor until it pushes far beyond the elf.
Wherever the lion-like creature has gone, Paul no longer knows...
For a moment his gaze flicks back and he looks at Ayreth.
Then he turns his eyes back to watch the foul place of darkness which looms before them...
Bart's eyes are hidden by his goggles once more, the ruby tinted items keeping the stars that often shined when he cast spells a secret. But the general direction of his head and the way he was intently staring that way seemed to give the impression that he was keeping track of Alar, who had already moved well ahead, being the quietest and probably most durable of the group thanks to Bart's magics. Bart didn't like the idea of not going with him but Alar had insisted, albeit through their link, that this be the case until whatever was ahead could be determined safe.
Ayreth returns Paul's look with her own steely gaze and stays behind to take the rear.
Paul returns her gaze for a moment; his own eyes now equally hard but his expression unreadable.
He says nothing.
Paul then turns from her and proceeds down the tunnel, his eyes on the source of the light as Linndell advances, his sword loose in his hand.
New Nesher Mine Map (The red line denotes the end of the ioun torch light.)
Taking the right passage, and advancing 15 feet, Alar comes to an alcove on the left side. Alar communicates via the link to Bart the following: The small alcove only holds a couple of wooden carts with stones, picks and shovels. Nothing of great import or threat.
Steathily advancing another 35ft (from the alcove), Alar detects, via his scent, one stronger, musky scent -- human -- somewhere ahead of him in the dark, open area.
Bart quietly informs the others through his message spell, his whispering voice reaching each steadily despite the distance from some of several feet, "Alar smells someone. A human, he thinks. He took a right. Only one scent in the alcove that's filled with wooden carts that have... stones? Yeah, stones, picks and shovels. Guess it makes sense for a mine."
Alar turns around and heads back down the tunnel until he reaches the fork again, then takes a left.