Perception
The darkness makes it hard for Khepri to see anything useful.
"Were the ratmen wearing boots? I don't think so, I remember the sound of claws on stone when they moved. This is something else."
Noting the booted tracks and pointing out the clear patch of ground he raises an eyebrow and says. "Odd. Let me take a look".
Love moves carefully towards the patch. Checking for disturbences or strangeness as he goes. Is the "ground" in the bare patch earth or stone? If earth is it disturbed. Any indication what the wall/patch area was used for? Raised flowerbed? House wall?
The ground on the path is disused cobbles that have been covered over by years of detritus - scattered stone debris, the occasional well gnawed bone and bedded in filth. So in some cases it is down to the cobbles, in others a packed pad of accumulated sand/stone/guano. The ground within the buildings tends to raw stone, or in some cases sand beneath badly rotted wood.
The curiously bare patch within the ruined building is smooth stone, and drawing near to it Love can pick out the thin outline that indicates it is a trapdoor. There don't appear to be recent tracks to or from the basement to your eyes.
"Bit of a dilemma. Like others said earlier, I don't like the possibility of something coming up behind us. But, I like the possibility of getting trapped below even less. I'm inclined to move on and come back if we've explored more, but if you all want to check out the trap door, I think we need to leave one or two of us up top to watch our flank."
"Another thing that troubles me about your description--the door is free of debris, implying frequent use, but there are no recent tracks apparent. I'm curious what may use it and leave no tracks, and concerned that none of the things that do leave tracks down here seem to have investigated it closely. What do they know that we don't?"
Before returning to the others Love removes a length of white chalk from a belt pouch. Moistens it and carefully rubs some of the wet chalk into a small length of the crack seperating the trapdoor from the surrounding stone. He then scatters some light dust to help conceal his tracks.
"They could have just swept up after themselves I suppose. The chalk will tell us if the door's been opened if we want to go on."
Love scratches his beard.
"Personaly I would open it and check inside. Likely an old pit trap but who knows."
Love easily figures out the mechanism, there is a concealed handle near to one edge and when the trapdoor is lifted - a projectile will be flung from below. But that's easily avoidable now you know of it's existence.
"In this place, I am tending to agree with Love. He's about the only one of us that seems comfortable moving around this place quietly. If he wants to check the trap door, that's fine with me."
Padrym nods at Dolgrym's logic.
"We'll go where you lead, Love. We're here to scout and you're the best scout."
"Although I cannot see without light, I will go down first to make sure it is safe if you would like. It makes me nervous having anyone split off alone for too long."
Love opens the trapdoor a couple of inches, before reaching in with a short blade to suppress the trigger mechanism. Made safe he then throws the trapdoor open... and you are all hit with a wave of the scent of rotting flesh. Nothing emerges from below and you hear no movement, so mouth and nose covered with cloth you chance a look.
Set seated against one corner of the room is the corpse of a humanoid in a reasonably advanced state of putrescence. There is little evidence of rodent activity, but the corpse has by now rotted beyond easy identification. There corpse has a bag on it's side and bears a longsword at it's waist. The rest of the basement is reasonably spartan, though there are a barrel and unmarked crate along one side of the room.
Know NAture
Know Engenieering
Dolgrym casts Detect Magic and then closely looks at the corpse. "Be careful. If that trapdoor shuts, there is no way to open it from the inside, as this poor human learned the hard way, it seems.
The man's bag radiates a faint aura that you readily identify as one of curative liquids.
"He was a clever guy, though. Got some healing potions in that bag. One of us can go scoop that bag up, while the others make sure the door doesn't come shut behind them."
Embroidered scarf tied across her face, Cynara peers into the hole. "I'd like to get a closer look at the body; not everything interesting is going to radiate magic. And I'm a little curious why there's a human down here. Gnolls, dark stalkers, wererats, undead horrors--these are all expected. Humans, though--not so much."
If there's a ladder, she'll climb down carefully.
Cynara descends the stairs.
The healer starts by making a closer examination of the body. Are there any signs of trauma?
Then she moves on to take the sack and check the longsword and the rest of the body for any sort of identifying badges, casting guidance before she starts her search.
Then, unless anyone else has come down to help, she'll look at the barrel and the crate, again casting guidance before she looks them over.
Looking over the corpse and the telltale bloated belly, Cynara wagers that the man died of starvation and thirst. The bag and longsword are removed easily enough, though it is partially coated with human effluence. The longsword is well made (masterwork), but unremarkable beyond that. Mercifully the waxen leather of the bag has protected the interior from fluid seepage or damage.
The bag holds a couple of healing potions (CLW), a small collection of spelunking equipment (lantern, empty waterskin, etc) and a few minor dwarven artefacts - a couple of carved stone figures a hand high, and a circular seal bearing Torag's sigil. The body bears no externally recognizeable badges or signs of origin.
The barrel contains a well spoiled half-measure of wine. The sour vinegary smell overpowered by the carrion smell of decaying flesh.
The crate is more interesting, bearing dwarven religious accoutrements. The cloth altar setting is too badly aged and has come apart, but the cloth weights and religious symbols cast in silver and iron were protected by the controlled environment in the basement and are still in reasonably good condition. However the best find is a series of small marble cut statues but 4 inches high - they depict each of the ten gods in the dwarven pantheon.
Once she realizes what they are, Cynara doesn't touch any of the items in the crate further. "Feigr? Come down here, if you would--I believe these may lie in your area of expertise and interest. Our late friend here seems to have been a mostly-successful thief. And Dolgrym or Padrym, when I get up I'll need some cleaning for the personal effects."
"No problem Cynara. Honestly I think it's ok to just bring those items up rather than lower Feigr down. You're with dwarves so Torag will understand."
"And better her than nearly anything else in this place that could have found it"
Well, I did the polite thing, at any rate. Best to err on the side of consideration. Cynara starts carefully passing things up the stairs. "Does anyone else want to look down here before we close it up and move on?"
"Padrym is right Cynara. Sorry I'm a little slow today. It was a rough night. We can properly clean and reconsecrate those items when we get back to camp. But I do think I should come down to have a look around and make sure we aren't missing any secret doors." Feigr joins Cynara in the basement and takes a look over all of the items to confirm that none bear further investigation at this time. Then he proceeds to help with searching the basement for anything else.
Feigr cannot discern any further details or features in the basement.
Love stays above and plays door monitor until the other folks are done.
To all quiet voice. "Let this poor bastard be a lesson for us. Don't get greedy, and check doors before you close them."
Once everyone is out Love does a silent but obvoius headcount to be sure then softly closes the door.
Feigr reviews the icons and judges them well made by dwarven standards but there is nothing special beyond that.
"This was quite the interesting and productive detour, but we shouldn't let it distract us from our original plan."
"I agree, Cynara. Let's get back on course...following Love. Too many dangers around here to be sloppy."
"So, you're thinking we should continue toward the stockade and pass by the side street?"
"For the nonce. Speaking only for myself, I prefer being able to navigate out by following a wall, and there's something comforting about a flank we can't easily be attacked from."
The trap door closed Love turns to the others.
"This place is a maze. If we start randomly snooping we will get lost and torn apart. We have a plan, lets stick to it until we find a good reason not to."
Love takes point again, ranging about 10-30 feet ahead of the group as he checks the path and walls for traps. I am assuming the roof is to high to check but Love keeps an eye up there just in case.
"Once we secure an area maybe we can do some extra exploring and clearing. Until then I agree with sticking to the plan"
Keeping to the wall of the cavern the group manages to make slow but steady progress through the transept. The side street is left behind and is replaced by a long stretch of shopfronts and houses - mostly collapsed and turned to ruin. You keep your eyes open for anything more of interest, but there is naught but debris and broken stone. After what was likely only a few hundred feet, but seemed like miles you see the cavern wall open up on the left.
At the extreme edge of your darkvision you see that the cavern opens into a large archway that disappears to your left. The path you are on continues straight, and there is also a thoroughfare leading deeper into the chamber. Beneath your feet there have been some signs of booted feet travelling forward and back, though you cannot ken from this distance whether the thoroughfare sees use.
There is more than enough rubble and ruin around to mask your approach if you chose to move forward stealthily for a closer look at the side-passage and arch that goes over it.
Best let the trackers see what they think about the footprints. I wonder what the arch might signify? Just an architectural feature or does it represent a particular area? We'll probably have to get closer to tell.
The arch has runic writing upon it, but you'd need to close in to read it. You'd wager it's merely an architecural feature that covers a major offshoot tunnel... likely to the Stockades judging by it's position.
Feigr pauses and whispers, "Looks like we've probably found the entrance to the Stockades. Any of you have any idea what those footprints might be?" He pulls out his flask and takes a drink to prepare himself against possible shades of the dead while everyone decides what to do.
"I'll take a look. Stay strum."
Love vanishes from sight amongst the rubble
Love finds no opposition as he steals forward. The tunnel to the left tilts downwards and continues beyond the depth of your sight. The runes above the arch read да траже да раде правду - which is To seek to do justice in Dwarven.
The avenue leading to the right continues a short distance before opening into a wider courtyard that has an imposing edifice in it's center. Just in your field of view from your place of concealment, the building at the courtyard's center is made of stout stone and seems to be mostly still standing.
You can see that the booted tracks run in all directions at the crossroads, but the most density is going between the tunnel and the path leading deeper along the transept's wall.
Dolgrym follows silently, waiting for the okay from the trap spotter before wandering around in the mines, trying to not disturb any of the footsteps in case they hold a clue for Love.
Khepri stays where he is until given the OK to follow. Khepri remains alert for any danger, but for now stays out of Love's way to not disturb anything he may find.
Feigr waits by Khepri whispering, "Aye, I'm many things, but quiet isn't one of them. I'll stand ready to rush to his aid, but stay out of his way."