"Well there you have it. Thanks, Nilelane for making that choice for us!. Ok, Kraz lower me down, and the rest of you ready range weapons and spells, just in case the whats-it comes back. Ok, let's go!"
Jack lowers down into the streambed and examines the items he finds there.
Jack reaches the chasm floor, and scans the coins and objects scattered there and under the water of the shallow stream. The coins appear to be mostly copper, with a scattering of silver and gold. The items that appear to be useful are a handaxe, the beautifully made short sword near where the gambado sprang from, and a medium-sized flask.
”Get the stuff and get back up here Jack. That thing will come back.”
Jack, not wanting to take too much time, gathers up the shortsword, handaxe and flask. He leaves the coins (for now), then tugs on the rope for the others to help him climb back up.
Jack scrambles up, feeling a prickling sensation on his neck as he imagines the fearsome gambado watching his vulnerable back as he half climbs, half gets lifted back to the ledge.
"Well, now that all that excitement is finished with, let's get back to the job at hand, shall we. Ok, I am heading over now...give me some slack on that rope Kraz..good! Now here I go."
Jack carefully walks across the narrow bridge. Once on the other side, he ties the rope to the door, then waits for the others.
Acrobatics:
Jack makes his way across the bridge, with Beerg paying out the rope as he goes. As he nears the other side he almost slips, but he regains his balance quickly and skips the last few steps to the far ledge. Once there, the only option for tying off the rope is the door handle of the sturdy, reinforced door.
Sorin follows as soon as the rope is taut.
With the rope tied off at both ends and seeing the others head over Beerg will grasp the rope firmly in one hand as he watches Nilelane nervously work the bridge. Beerg has one hand out and is in a braced squat position ready to react. grab my hand if you need Nilelane
Kraz follows suit across the gap.
"Kraz wonders if we will run into Gumbo again.."
”It didn’t seem to be able to get to us up here.” Sorin looks to Nilelane and Jack. ”Ok, which is first? The key lock or the magic lock?” she says motioning to the door. ”Beerg will be over momentarily. “
Beerg moves out on to the bridge, holding the rope... and about halfway, slips, loses his footing... and just barely holds onto the rope , saving himself from tumbling into the ravine. The whole crew is now on the far ledge.
As Nilelane approaches the door, two runes suddenly begin to glow with a fierce blue light. The first, the common warning rune for "magic here", appears on the door itself, while the second appears on the floor before the door. The light suddenly becomes almost too intense to look at, then disappears in a bright flash, leaving behind the after-image of a third rune in arcane script.
As Nilelane waves the parchment in front of the door, it illuminates in her hand, sending a beam of light at the portal, which glows in response, then fades. The door itself remains locked, however, until Jack pulls out the iron key from Thurbal and turns it in the lock.
The door seems to resist being opened for a moment, then it whips open, and a sudden gust of wind rushes out, tousling your hair but otherwise having no other effect. The open door reveals a 5' wide, 20' long hallway that ends in another door, of much the same sturdy construction as the first, but featuring a pull ring rather than a door handle. Wind rushes in to the hallway through the cracks between the door and the floor, ceiling, and walls.
Jack takes a moment to inspect the hallway before the group heads down to the other door.
Perception:
"Just a moment folks as I check our way onward. Seems to me this hall would be a good place to trap someone they did not want them coming up or going down into the tunnels below...and I do not want to get trapped here!"
Tapping a finger against his teeth, Jack looks up at the roof for a few minutes before shrugging his shoulders and carrying on to the door.
"Roof is rigged to collapse, but I cannot see a trigger anywhere...maybe it is manually done. Anyway, we are good to go, let's just check this door before we open it."
Perception(traps):
Jack walks to the door... without triggering any traps. He looks carefully at the portal.
"Kraz thinks maybe the other way is the way we should go? Maybe we should see the way Ole' Gumbo went."
”From a defensive perspective, the ceiling could be an original trap for those trying to get past the magically sealed door. Perhaps pulling the door with a rope would be the most appropriate though to be safe. If the door does not pull open that way we can look for a detour. ”
"This door is a bit of a puzzle as well. Notice the fresh pannels and crossbracing, but the ring and hinges are almost rusted through. Strange that!"
Jack tests the door to see if it will easily open, and will go slow so as not to trigger any trap that might result in the roof caving in on them!!
”Could be the new residents beyond reinforces their He door from their side. Are you sure you don’t want to pull the ring with the rope?” Sorin steps back toward the previously enchanted door preparing to jump out of the hallway should something terrible occur.
"Hmmmm, could the fresh timber be a result of the door being smashed from these rocks before?
[ooc]Okay, so Jack's pulling gently on the door, Nilelane's examining it, Sorin's hanging near the entrance of the hallway... That about right?[/ooc[
With the rest of the party back near the entrance to the the hallway, Jack tugs gently on the pull ring. The door doesn't give at all, but the ring pulls out from the door about a half an inch... and the entire stone ceiling rushes down at Jack's head.
Jack drops into a crouch immediately, and the huge stone block that was the ceiling grinds to a halt about four feet off the ground; even so, with a slower reaction, Jack would have taken a nasty blow to the head. The straining of machinery can be heard above.
Wide eyed the big oaf states..
"Kraz doesn't think that is the way to go Jack.."
"I think you might be right Kraz!", Jack calls back. He musters his courage and, with all speed, rushes back out of the corridor to the rest of the party.
Offering a hand to help pull Jack forward faster when he gets close Sorin steps back from the falling block. “Whew! Chasm it is. Perhaps our “Gumbo” friend...” nodding at Kraz for the reference “...can show us how to bypass this door.”
“Get out of there Jack” beerg yells as the ceiling stops just above his head. cut the rope and we will pull you back through
Jack flees the passageway, ducking out from under the suspended stone block. The party is now gathered on the stone ledge outside the original, open door. The mechanisms of the trap shudder and grind for maybe ten seconds more, before something gives, and the block slams into the floor of the hallway. The corridor is now completely blocked.
"Whelp.. Looks like Kraz and his good friends go find Gumbo then.."
He moves to start readying a rope to lower himself into the crevice.
"Well look on the bright side...we can fish up all that loose coinage while we are down there!"
Jack makes sure the rope is tied off and climbs over the side down into the ravine.
Acrobatics:
Sorin reaches into her gi and produces a dart. Moving to the Edge of the chasm she prepares to throw the dart if the creature returns while of the others are descending.
for
Beerg will head down after jack to help should gumbo come straight back.
hold on Jack, don’t go down alone.
Once his feet hit the ground he grips his maul with both hands and scans the area.
The chasm runs in both directions, to the northwest (left as you entered) and the southeast. The gambado, having fled to the southeast, has shown no sign of itself yet. Jack and Beerg wait for the others to descend, peering about, their hands on their weapons.
The coins glitter in the stream, reflecting the glow of Nilelane's magical light. In the direction that the gambado disappeared, the darkness beckons.
When everyone else finishes climbing down, Sorin descends the rope.
Jack nods in approval as Sorin collects all the coins.
"Woman after my own heart. Now where to? Follow Gumbo, or go in the opposite direction? Anyone good at tracking?"
Beerg in anticipation of the Gumbo returning puts away his Maul and pulls a spear, takes a few steps forward with the spear prepped for flight. He peers into the darkness watching the young deer venture into the darkness..