Freddy takes some good, clear photographs of the walls before you proceed to what Sir Godfrey called the hall of posts- a wide, low-ceilinged chamber made up of many columnar stones set irregularly into the the floor and ceiling and held in place by dozens of wooden posts, standing floor-to-ceiling and at odd angles.
It looks to be almost impossible to cross the room without moving or removing posts, accidentally or otherwise. Your light doesn't reach far enough to see the exit- perhaps you could toss something over there or just start making your way north and hope the cave-in the directions refer to are closer than you think.
Amadeus starts sighting out which posts are only there to shore up other posts, looking for opportunities to remove and replace supports.
The PI scratches his chin trying to puzzle out the room, but doesn't come up with much.
Anatoly will call upon his knowledge of Architecture, and how the toll of the ages might have effected the design, to try and help avoid the weak spots, and fall zones.
Spend (1) Point of Architecture, and (1) Point of Archaeology.
Athletics (With 3 point spend)
"Come. This way is safest I believe".
While not necessarily claustrophobic, Evelyn finds herself growing increasingly uncomfortable, especially as the distance between them and the ceiling decreases. She hesitates in front of the posts, moving only when Anatoly leads the way.
Slowly and with the utmost care, Anatoly and Amadeus instruct everyone on how to proceed through the hall. Evelyn and Anatoly pull out and quickly replace each post in the way, occasionally pushing one into a better position. Their breath catches in their throats when flakes of stone and pebbles fall from the ceiling to dust their hair, but each time the ceiling holds.
As Anatoly and Evelyn approach the north end of the chamber, they can see that that the catacombs above have partially collapsed into the Neolithic ruins. Above a tangled heap of rubble, they can see the worked stone of the 17th Century catacombs above.
Amadeus navigates the hall with less issue than Anatoly and Evelyn, putting what he can remember of mechanics and elbow grease from back in West Virginia to work.
Two point spend
Freddy and Joseph follow suit, pulling aside and replacing posts in their path to the roof collapse on the other end.
You all carefully scale the loose stones piled up where the roof collapsed to reach the inner catacombs underneath Donovan's warehouse. From over the mound of rubble, you can see that you're entering a descending passage of the catacombs filled with dirty water that has a weird oily, orange sheen.
"Nectar," Evelyn says with a frown, after briefly scrutinizing the filthy water. "We... must be getting closer to the Mouth."
The doctor hesitates, clearly not eager to risk getting soaked by the substance.
All you know about it is that it can be ingested to get high and, at least at the Los Angeles cult orgy, people were just fine with being licked by the Mouth. You see some bones floating in there, but surely they must be ancient...
Evelyn sighs, knowing full well that it didn't matter whether the water was dangerous or not. It's not like there was an alternate path for them to take.
"Well, time for some wet work," she says to the others, trying to lighten her own mood. "The literal kind, I mean."
The doctor starts to proceed, cringing as she comes into contact with the oily water.
Joseph tosses a fist sized rock into the water- it falls in with a plop and then is still. Despite the pollution, it may just be filthy water.
Evelyn wades in, the disgusting water coming up to her chest. She holds her purse and pistol over her head to keep them from getting wet. The smell of the water, the oily feeling of it and the decayed bones and flotsam floating in it assault her senses and make her gag. But she must wade forward to try and find the stairs leading to the false wall of Donovan's tunnels.
Freddy slides into the water behind Evelyn, holding his gun and camera up from the water.
Joseph and Freddy follow Evelyn into the seawater/Nectar/tomb filth stew, choking back their disgust. The oddly warm water soaks their clothes as they slosh forward. A short distance ahead they spot the staircase leading to the false wall into Donovan's tunnels...
Evelyn pushes onward, doing her best to keep it together. Nauseating smells were nothing new to her, considering her line of work. Unfortunately, getting out of the water does not bring much relief, what with her being soaked to the bone. The doctor starts to slowly slink up the stairway, aware that they are approaching enemy territory.
Amadeus wades in, clearly disgusted by the implications.
Stability
Stealth (I forgot how to roll if no ranks)
And Anatoly is concentrating so hard on keeping the dynamite package out of the water, he accidentally splashes some of the stuff up into his face, sitting off a fit of coughing and hacking.
The smell, the dust, the environs are too much for Anatoly and he starts coughing- first low and suppressed until it starts building in intensity. Thinking quickly, Evelyn pulls the handkerchief from his shirt pocket and ties it around his nose and mouth while Anatoly keeps the bag full of dynamite above his head.
You all creep up the stairs to the false wall, sodden with Nectar and sea water but committed to your dreadful task. This is it; the Mouth of Malta is terribly near, thick rivulets of the amber liquid flowing from under the door to join the diluted Nectar welling up in the catacombs.
Opening the false wall seems like a fairly simple task- the wall is only plaster and rocks and a good push will open it up.
Evelyn grips her pistol tightly, growing increasingly anxious as they draw closer to the Mouth. Seeing the thick, raw Nectar, she shudders involuntarily, reminded of their last encounter with the hideous thing. And this one was going to be bigger. Perhaps this thought finally gets to her, because she gives the false wall a much heavier shove than is necessary.
Her nerves jangling, Evelyn pushes on the false wall a little harder than she meant to. The wall swings open with a tumble of loose stones splashing into the flow of Nectar.
You all cringe, freezing in place as you hear a voice not too far away remark, "Eh? Dak X'inhu?" followed by slow sloshing footsteps approaching . In your time in Malta, you've picked up enough Maltese to know that's simply an innocent "What's that?"- but it could mean that you're made if you don't act soon...
The footsteps get closer and closer.
Freddy spins around Evelyn trough the door, and grabs whomever is on the other side, attempting to put them in a choke hold.
Moving far faster than what a man of his size might appear capable of, Freddy grabs the man that was approaching. A guttural, strangled grunt is all the worker can manage by way of protest. He's a Maltese guy in his early thirties, wearing stained coveralls suitable for a factory worker. A face mask is tied around his neck, resting on his chest.
The false wall lets out into another set of tunnels made of tightly mortared brown stones. It's a tight space, with various crates and barrels of supplies stacked against the walls and rubber mats on the floors. Cables run across the ceiling with bare light bulbs illuminating the tunnels. The flow of Nectar makes the floor slick here, the liquid running in a trail around the corner ahead on your right.
"Alright, that got us one set of coveralls. Who wants to put them on? Should be whoever is in front." If nobody else wants to, Freddy will don the garb and put the face mask on.
Freddy subdues the worker and strips him of his coveralls and mask. A small vial of Nectar stuffed into his sock rolls loose in the process.
Freddy pulls the coveralls on over his soaked clothes, tying the face mask over his mouth and nose.
Peering around the corner in the tunnels, you see that the corridor continues straight ahead into a much larger room. You can hear liquid splashing from the ceiling and a horrible gurgling sound from up ahead, a large industrial-sized jar with a funnel on top and a ladle sit abandoned next to the entrance. Nectar spills from the room and down the corridor. About halfway between your position looking around the corner and the entrance to the Nectar chamber is another hallway.
Without really thinking, Evelyn picks up the vial of Nectar and stuffs it into her purse. It would save her the trouble of remembering to collect a raw sample from the source. Not having a disguise of her own, she follows Freddy at a distance.
His voice strained and shaking from the combination of trying to keep the explosives safe, and negotiating the terrifying terrain silently, Anatoly nods at the hallway ahead. "How about that hallway. Anything is better than this".
"I'm inclined to just drop the explosives here, and bring down the whole thing".
"That might not do us any good Anatoly. An explosion from here might bring the building down on top of this thing, but these sickos would just did it back out." Freddy nods then. "Alright, I'll go ahead into the room and look down the hallway. I'll signal if it's safe."
Amadeus follows the other, clearly not used to this level of cloak and daggery. His is usually a more refined con artistry.
The hallway is similar to the one you're in: tightly fit stones, rubber mats on the floor and bare light bulbs strung from the ceiling. There's a lot less Nectar on the floor and the hall is crowded with various crates and bottling supplies. At the end of the hall is a T-shaped intersection running north to south (you're looking west). Freddy doesn't see any other doorways, but can hear the sounds of other people walking around or working.
A rumbling moan of ecstasy too deep for a human voice emerges from the room to your right, followed by a splash and a fresh tide of Nectar rolling across your shoes.
Freddy grimaces at the sound and walks back to the group. "Looks like the hallway leads deeper into the complex. I can hear a groaning noise coming from that back room though. Maybe we got lucky and ended up near the mouth? If so, we can blow it and take off the way we came."
"I'm sick of this place already. Let's see if we can take the Mouth out now". Anatoly checks over the explosives carefully.
He then looks up and slaps his hand to his head with a groan. "I just thought of something. We must find a quicker way out. Once I set the charge, we can hardly hurry through the dangerous areas".
"How much time does that thing give us?" Freddy gestures toward the bomb.
Freddy nods to Joseph. " Me too. These kooks will just dig thing back out if we bury it. It's gotta be destroyed."
Freddy glances back over his shoulder. "Let me take a look in the room up ahead. Se if I can catch a glimpse of the mouth from there. If this thing is really 30 feet long, that certainly could affect our plans."
The PI will creep up to the room with the moaning and peek around the corner.
Freddy sneaks toward the room from which the Nectar is overflowing, turning on his flashlight to get a better vantage.
You turn your flashlight up to see the source and find what you had dreaded: at the apex of the vaulted ceiling grows the enormous Mouth of Malta, fully thirty feet wide and dribbling, spitting and oozing Nectar from its cracked and foul lips. The pungent, mossy scent of the Nectar is overpowering within though the face mask helps.
Freddy heart drops and his stomach turns as he sees the thing.
Stability two point spend
Freddy's pulse quickens, his stomach lurching. The PI's ears start to ring as his vision blurs and he stumbles away from the chamber.