Blue takes a long pull from an ale skin
'That's why I only stick tah one kind of medicine. One ya can find in damn near every Inn'
Maud makes her way east down the hallway, stopping at the first turn. As she peers down the hallway she sees that it turns right (west) after only 20'. The hallway continues for 10' and appears to end in another large metal door.
Blue pats Maud gently on the shoulder and leans in to whisper
'Pick one, and we'll all take tha other. Yer luck donnit seem ta be tha greatest'
He holds forth an ale skin to help her come to a decision.
Maud laughs a little bit at Blue's comment and says, "Seems that's the truth!"
She pulls a copper coin from her pocket and flips it on her hand.
"I say tha' way," she points her finger in that random direction.
Maud heads toward the large metal door, followed by the others. No traps or secret doors are detected.
Upon inspecting the door, she discovers it is locked.
Maud pulls out her lockpick and fiddles with the lock on this iron door, hoping it might be easier to open than the one they previously encountered.
"Gah! Stuck tight, and I doubt this'un will be easy for Blue to break down."
Blue sizes up the large metal door. He gives the barrier a few exploratory knocks, shrugs, and throws a shoulder in to it.
'She's a tough 'un. She might open it if I try again, but I'll make a lot of noise.'
The large man rubs his ramming shoulder.
"Allow me to try with divine backing."
"Ughhhh!"
"Look out, I've had decades of doing this . . . "
The door is weakened by the heroes ramming it, and when Drizzle gives it a firm shove, it slowly creaks open.
Inside, you see wooden debris and dust littered throughout the room, and a small hallway ending in another door about 25' away. At first glance, there's nothing particularly interesting about the room.
"You know, I had simply intended to suggest we try the other direction. But I suppose you wanted to take a direct approach," Tydeus comments as the others loudly smash in the door.
Maud nudges past Drizzle and takes out her pole again to advance through this next chamber.
Assuming she makes it to the door with nothing happening, she'll take a look and assess whether it's also locked.
'I think we made plenty a' noise gettin' this far. I reckon it wouldn't be such a bad idea ta stop announcin' ourselves.' Blue takes a swig from an ale skin.
"They can probably smell the liquor on your breath anyway. Lets keep a look out for any more spiders . . . or centipedes . . . always seems to be centipedes in the first level of basic dungeons and---oh good, the thief is moving on again."
"Lets get back into marching order folks we still need to find the source of the evil coming from this place."
Maud does not detect any traps. She inspects the door on the far south side of the room and finds it to be... locked.
Drizzle's keen eyes search for secret doors and rooms.
Drizzle, please roll 1d6.
Drizzle does not detect any secret doors. The door forward is locked.
"Can you pick it Maud? If not maybe we should go down the way Tydeous suggested."
'Or, ya know, we could bash this 'un down too' Blue adds, hoping his suggestion is helpful.
"Third time's the charm," Maud says sarcastically... "let me at least try openin' this one first."
"Yeah, alright, I give up. Why'd I even bring these!"
'You want me to try it?' Blue says, clearly excited. He begins rummaging for an ale skin.
"Aye, I don't see why not."
Maud rubs at her chin thoughtfully.
"Actually... Let me try first, I wanna see if I can bash open a door like the tough guy." She grins and throws her weight against this door
"See... I can be tough too."
The door forcefully creaks open from Maud's magnificent feat of strength!
As you peer south down the musty hallway, about 20' away you see it open into a larger room. You can see 6 open, broken stone sarcophagi along its walls.
"This looks like a tomb. Beware of undead."
The cleric said as he brandished his holy symbol towards the room.
Drizzle used his gift of elven sight to look for possible threats and secret doors and passageways.
You don't find any secret doors, passages or traps as you approach the room.
As you get closer, you hear crumbling and shifting from within the room, and you see six skeletons rise up from the sarcophagi! They immediately come at you, arms outstretched and ready to attack!
Skeleton 5
Skeleton 2
Skeleton 4
Tydeus
Drizzle
Skeleton 1
Skeleton 3
Blue Petes
Caron
Maud
Robious
Skeleton 6
Skeleton 5 lunges forward and takes a swipe at Robious!
And misses!
Skeleton 2 follows and swipes at Blue Petes!
And hits, digging into Petes's flesh with both hands!
Skeleton 4 staggers at Maud!
And also misses!
Blue begins to wonder if the last pull of ale had been one too many as he fails to see the skeletons. He's convinced it was and begins to ponder how deeply he'd buried his waterskin as the skeleton that had gotten the jump on him sunk it's claws into his torso.
'Piss!' He bellows.
Tydeus gives another startled yelp! Not wanting to engage the skeletons directly, he cautiously stays in the back and looks at Robious. "This is your area of expertise, Father..."
Maud says nothing but her face looks grim. I wish I had picked the lock on that door instead of shoving it... we might have been able to just close them up inside and run! She will draw her dagger and stab the skeleton closest to her.
Robious sets his feet and displays his holy symbol with confidence.
"Your state of undeath both defies and offends the lawful balance of the universe! Begone! Go back the the grave!"
Robious attempts to turn back the skeletons using his holy presence, but unfortunately his deity appears displeased with him today!
Meanwhile, Maud strikes back at the skeleton that swiped at her, and by luck, its level of decay was such that her dagger strike takes its skull clean off and it crumples to the floor, lifeless again!
Skeleton 1 swipes at Robious, with some faint recognition that he's a holy cleric!
And the skeleton misses Robious!
Meanwhile, Skeleton 3 pushes forward in the fray and lunges at Drizzle!
And also misses!
Caron pulls out his short sword and scowls at the creatures, "Back to Hell with all of you, undead fiends!" and takes a swing at Skeleton 3!
Unfortunately the old fellow is as rusty as his sword and misses!
Blue growls as he swings Loretta down on the skeleton that had injured him.
"Ghaw! What the hell was that Cleric?! Aren't they supposed to run or crumble away to dust?!"
Drizzle attacks with his sword.
"Uh, I don't know, I've never actually tried that before ya know! It's not like we have undead roaming around inside the church to practice on for cripes'sake!"
"I am pretty certain you should try to use blunt weapons if possible though. But, again, I only read that in some first edition book someplace. This is my first time actually meeting a not actually dead skeleton!"
Blue manages to screw his face from a grimace of pain into a look of confusion.
'Ya met some livin' skellingtons before?'
Blue Petes takes a swing at Skeleton 2, but sadly the ale hasn't done much to improve his aim.
Drizzle fares nearly better, narrowly missing Skeleton 3.
Skeleton 6 lunges forward at Maud, swiping at her!
The skeleton connects!
Thankfully, it's only a scratch.
Skeleton 2
Maud
Skeleton 6
Blue Petes
Skeleton 3
Skeleton 1
Drizzle
Robious
Tydeus
Caron
Skeleton 5
Skeleton 2 takes a swipe at Blue Petes, seemingly offended by the stink of cheap ale.
Fortunately the fumes from the spirits thwart his aim, and he misses!
Confidence bolstered by her initial success and by the other skeleton's attack only injuring her slightly, Maud strikes back out at the skeleton which attacked her
Maud, apparently having earned the gods' favor today, takes out another skeleton with a deft strike!
However, Skeleton 6 swipes at her!
And misses!
Blue takes a quick pull of his vivid chestnut with a tight head. He admires the Light lacing. Blue detects a delicate herbal scent, and he also gets some sherry and molasses. Lovely fruity flavor, accompanied by lilac and plum. He savors the tightly carbonated mouthfeel and dry finish. He then swings Loretta at the offending skeleton.
Sadly, the tap runs dry as Blue Petes again misses a skeleton!
Soberingly, Skeleton 3 takes a swipe at Blue Petes,
But misses! No delicate finish for him!
Meanwhile, Skeleton 1, offended that Robious would try to turn him, takes a swing!
He connects, but perhaps Robious is on the path to redemption as he makes it with all his organs intact!