Din works carefully...
[dice=Architecture ]1d6
And is rewarded!
A wooden panel, cunningly fitted gave itself away to her questing fingertips... too well crafted compared and placed compared to the others...
The mage shrugged sheepishly, You’re ..uh … welcome.”
Moving the panel to one side Nilelane steps into the space revealed.
Click!
Nilelane has a single action in a post to tell me what she's doing!
An aged metal spring released and sharpened metal blade scythed through the air missing her moving legs by a hair's breadth. Had the trap been maintained? Well... it would have been another matter.
Convinced, after checking, hindsight being 20-20, that there was no further traps in the entry Nilelane edges into the room holding her lamp high. The room is filled with dust and cobwebs... it seems neither goblins or other inhabitants had stumbled upon the large room. Moving cautiously more and more of the room is revealed.
In the center of this hidden room is an old forge that looks like it hasn't been used in ages. On the south wall an old lamp hangs forlornly, its glass filled with cobwebs and dust, and a wooden wall mounted board where a few rusted iron tools still hang. Against the north wall is a pile of what is likely coal or charcoal with a short pile of wooden chunks next to that. The anvil, again rusted somewhat by the passage of years sits near the forge along with an enamelled bath or tank... dry and empty of anything except webs.
The forges chimney runs upwards and into the ceiling... likely now blocked by the ruin above.
Once Nilelane declared the passage as safe , Terion moved ahead to peer into the room, and smiled - the whole set up brought him memories of his father - ”I wonder who used to work here…” - he pondered aloud, moving inside and peering about, curious as to the items which might have been produced here.
Nilelane attempted to dilute the surging adrenaline through her muscles with careful reason and pragmaticism. "A good defensible room here...maybe I could salvage what's left of that hidden slicer..."
”Would you be able to reset the trap if we ever decided to come back here for a rest? That would definitely be sweet”
Nilelane figures it's worth about a quarter of a trap kit because at the end of the day it's a heavy spring and a levered sharpened length of metal bar... the real good bits are the trigger component buuuuuut if she digs it all out, it can't be reset. The good news is that she CAN reset it now and always trash it for parts later.
Also, if you can get the forge up and going (which won't be hard, the worst part is gonna be the chimney), you could use it to repair any armor damage etc with a tinker roll... once. Or until you get more fuel in.
Din looked into the room and agreed, ”This will make a nice place to fall back to. Just make sure we all no how to get in without setting it off.” He considered for a moment, ”Or don’t set it until we are all in the room.”
Sarn looks at the rusted equipment, running his hand over the anvil and poking about at rusted tools on the wall. He remembers the clang-din of Brother Xerpikas’ smithy, and smiles a rueful smile, both happy at the remembrance and sad at the loss of agency this ruined centre has experienced. Reverie finished, he carefully steps back out into the corridor and resumes his rearguard.
The corridor winds onwards, again the quality of stone work is not exactly tip top. The ceiling is rough hewn stone, 7 or so feet high, and the corridor is straight and still approximates 10 feet wide. Again wooden panels, and beams still seem to either support the structure or were never removed after construction finished. While the floor has been worked to keep it flat and somewhat even (for a given value of 'Flat"), at times either cut off stones or the odd board of wood has been placed in deeper divots.
Rounding one corner, with due care a door is spotted, again aged and iron bound. On nearing the door and looking down the connecting corridor another door is spotted in the shadows at the edge of Nilelanes lamplight.
-- Players Up.
”First door first as I always say,” the mage unnecessarily chimed in.
As they reach the bends in the tunnel, Terion stands on alert, listening for any sounds - he waits for Nilelane to give the 'all clear' sign, before opening the first door.
Squinting ahead in the poor light of his torch , Sarn get’s ready to meet the friendly rabbits Nilelane has evidently found.
Conies for breakfast!
Sarn, thinking of rabbits, and keeping watch hears something weird... a clucking or chugging... or is there a squeak in those sounds? The echoes of the corridor makes it difficult to pinpoint where the sound is coming from or what that sound is.
From his place at the back Sarn clears his throat and listens again.
Hmm, must have been a…no! There! Some…thing.
”I hear something. Clkk…squeek…chggg. Very strange.”
Din looked around and clutched his staff a little tighter.
Many pairs of eyes reflect red light from the corridor south of the door... low to the ground.
Din raised his hand, palm facing down the corridor and muttered a quick incantation. A blueish white light leapt forth from the palm of his hand illuminating the corridor.
Terion snarled, bringing his weapon and shield to bear, and readying himself to smack the first whatever thing which comes out of the dark - "Let them come"
A 'mischief' or pack or rats are revealed... and pack may be the better word because while some of the rats are large... others, the more stand out ones are as large as a small dog. These ones give a small 'hiss' and the mass of rats edges forwards.
Seeing the stiffening of stances and the readying of shield Sarn interprets quickly.
”So…not rabbits, then?”
”Ah. Rats. The goblin’s version of rabbits. Throw fire at them, that should give them pause.”
Din waits for the rats to enter the oily surface and then throws the torch he is holding.
The rats flinch at the breaking ceramic and when the torch lands the darkness turns to light as the oil burns into flames with an audible Woooomph.
The effect is immediate. Some of the smaller rats, spattered with oil scream and tear around this way and that while the main group of rats sprints off into the darkness, squeaking as they go.
In short order both oil puddle and rats burn themselves out leaving the smell of smoke, burnt oil and singed hair.
With the rats dealt with Din lights another torch and announced, ”Ready.
The door isn't locked... and doesn't seem trapped. The treasure Hunter expert pushes the door open and reveals a room filled with broken pottery and shelving in disrepair. It seems to be a defunct store room. The jars, both intact and broken, are large enough to have stored a decent amount of grains or similar when the were last likely in use.
This leaves you with just the corridor south and the door near where the rats had massed up...
"Well done" - Terion nodded approvingly of the way the group dispatched the rats - "I wonder how the gobbos were passing by these without getting bit" - he pondered, before moving in to search what seemed to be the storage area - "Maybe we can find something useful here" - he commented as he poked around.
Nothing of interest apart from some old grains among the pottery and what might have been dried fruit, long past edible, is discovered.
This room seems to have seen a lot of traffic throughout the years, but it appears to have been last used to keep wild animals. You can see a large cage with bits of dark fur in it, with a leash and belt next to it hanging on a rack.
Peering in, Sarn frowns at the rack.
”I do not want to meet whatever was chained here…”
Din shook his head in agreement and added, ”We should have asked the dwarves for a map instead of those filthy goblins. I think they left out a bunch of details
She's sure it would fit a wolf, large cat like a mountain lion or a skinny bear or similar. She packs the leash and harness,
"Might come in handy" - Terion nodded at Nilelane when she grabbed the leash, then peeked ahead and waited for their scout to lead the way.