"I'm sure he'll have quite the story to tell, and hopefully he's learned a valuable lesson."
Gig doesn't know what this trial entails, but he's sure it's quite unpleasant.
"Yeah! Right! By the way, what all exactly's in the gauntlet?"
Uhe is seem taking copious notes as the Investigator begins to Pursue A
Thief? Nice. Let's go find the little bugger!
Once the party is ready to enter this sweet sounding Gauntlet, the Investigator drinks some vials.
Antitoxin
Antiplague
"The gauntlet used to be mining tunnels, but the Blacknoon claimed them and converted them into a nasty maze. I’ve heard it’s got traps and secrets—maybe some monsters you’re better off avoiding—but I’ve never been in there. Best you pack plenty of lights and snacks."
You make your way over to the entrance to the Blacknoon Gauntlet. The gauntlet is dark and damp, with walls scarred by millennia of chisels and picks. Patches of fungi litter the ground, occasionally disrupted by a past applicant’s footprint.
CONFOUNDING PASSAGES (OBSTACLE)
The Blacknoon Gauntlet is a tangle of passageways, and it’s easy to become hopelessly lost.
Brijetta immediately begins having second thoughts when she hears about the traps and monsters, but then her mind flashes back to hear fearless uncle, and she steels her resolve. Still, she stays toward the back as the group progresses in search of poor Fazil.
Despite that, it's almost like something's guiding her through the area as they pick their way through.
Uhe is seen Mapping every twist and turn makesing for tedious enjoyment for the Investigator!
My dear! Have you noticed the surgery of precision that these formations of these passages, paths and even this particular part up there....
The excited dwarf maps every step they take. Every move they make....
Brijetta leads the way unerringly through the tunnels.
PAINFULLY OBVIOUS TRAP (OBSTACLE)
There’s a visible tripwire, obvious seams in the floor, and projectile launcher ports, suggesting that this trap was made by an amateur or that the real trap is hidden nearby. Fortunately, spotting the second trap enables you to vault over or squeeze past its trigger plate, helping each other across.
Gig follows nervously down the tunnel, hoping to keep out of trouble.
Mal grabs Giggikam by the back of his collar and bodily hauls him back a few paces. "Gig! What in blazes are you doin'?! If you're not gonna watch your feet, shift on to the back!"
Mal is unable to grab Gig before he accidentally steps on the pressure plate. A volley of darts flies out of the wall at him, scoring a critical hit!
Gig is badly hurt, but Mal is able to guide him past the trap. Examining the four darts stuck into the bard, you can see they each bear a special makers' mark. In addition, one of the darts is a +1 dart.
DEAD THIEF (OPPORTUNITY)
A short ways past the dart trap, the passage moves along a deep ravine. A dwarf's body is crumpled precariously on a ledge partway down the ravine. He wears studded leather armor etched with runes and a backpack. You might be able to recover the body, but if you're not careful, it will tumble down out of reach!
Cricket, who has been quiet for the moment, deftly moves towards the body, showing expertise in navigating in such terrain. "This place is deadly alright..."
"Oh, we've seen this mark before. It's like Clan Molgrade’s seal. That makes sense, since they're known for their smithing expertise. All the forges say how much they like working with them..." Brijetta observes.
Cricket easily retrieves the dead thief and can claim his gear. He wears studded leather armor etched with a shadow rune and a pair of moonstone earrings (worth 4 gp total) in his left ear. His backpack contains an infiltrator’s elixir, a soapstone carving of a goat (worth 8 sp), and 37 sp.
"How interesting." Gig mumbles at Brijetta's observations on the dart that was recently pulled out of him.
He takes Mal's advice, staying toward the back and humming a little tune to himself to help his wounds close.
Mal carefully examines each dart for debris etc. before carefully selecting the proper salves for Gig's wounds.
"Pff. Magic's fine an' all, but if you don't get those wounds cleaned you're gonna be much the worse off for it."
"Thanks, Mal!" Gig smiles at the delver. "I'm really out of my element down here. Sort of shocking, considering how much of dwarven history played out in tunnels like these."
Uhe smiles at the ease in which Gig....
That looks like it smarts a bit. Can I see one of these, if you’re done holding on to it, that is?
Assuming that Gig is indeed done with a dart, the Investigator take it our to better study.
Shrugging, the dwarf hands the dart back to Gig.
Probably poisoned.
Uhe begins examining the corpse!
A bit less agile than Cricket, the dwarf stops.
The plot thickens.
He glances at Gig, making a not so good sigh....
Mal quickly shakes her head at Uhe's diagnosis.
"Don't worry 'bout it."
You continue on your way...
DEATH TRAP (COMPLICATION)
Cricket motions the others to stop as he examines something curious. "Hum... another trap? And a deadly one!"
Indeed, Cricket spots the trap, designed to inflict a series of compounding misfortunes. A spring-loaded hammer would swing down at the victim, knocking them off balance and forward into two other snares: a spigot that spews acid, plus a barbed wire whirligig that rends the legs. The ranger is able to guide you past the trap safely.
Once you do so, a kobold with green and silver scales cautiously peeks out from behind an outcropping ahead. He matches the description of Fazil. "Stay there! Who are you?" he demands hesitantly.
"We are friends of Ussa and were sent here looking for a kobold named Fazil." Cricket says somewhat smiling. "We were told this fellow Fazil is a good hearted one, but believes there is a short path to a good life by risking his life."
The kobold snickers. "Yeah, that sounds like something Ussa would say. I'm Fazil!"
He scampers out from his hiding spot and smiles at you. "Sorry about the trap! I ran into some xulgaths a while ago and thought they might still be after me. I must admit, I got a bit turned around in all these tunnels, but now that you're here, we can team up!
"I've been making a map, see? I think we are very close to the center of the gauntlet. Then I can get a Blacknoon coin of my very own and prove my worth to the guild! And I'm sure there will be riches aplenty that you could also recover. Let's do it! With our talents combined, there's no way we can fail!"
"Nice to meet you, Fazil. I'm called Cricket." He says, offering his hand.
"Very well, riches aplenty, uhn? Proving your worth to the guild? Good, good." Cricket nods. "Suppose, they would not mind you being lost here for a couple days and then only leaving the gauntlet because five other fellows decided to give you a hand?" He asks in a way to let the kobold reach his own conclusions.
Fazil shrugs. "I'm sure they don't care how I get a coin, so long as I get one!" he declares confidently.
Cricket shrugs and shakes his head, showing some doubts. "Say you have an accident, uhn? Nasty business. A blade slashes your gut and you are on the brink of life. You'll need someone to patch you up nice if you are to see another day."
"Would you rather have six somewhat unskilled people poking your insides, or a single skilled one? Both will cost the same." He asks, raising his eyebrow. "I'm old, and to me, I'm pretty sure I'd rather hire a single skilled fellow to make a one-person job than a crew of novices."
He shrugs again. "But I'm old and you are new. Perhaps it makes sense in this new world... I think, young Fazil, that if you can't beat the gauntlet on your own, you should rethink this whole business."
Brijetta hesitates. She certainly hadn't planned to help Fazil get his coin -- but if that's the only way to get him to leave, maybe they have to? Would that make them all members of the thieves guild? She tries to think what her uncle would say about that idea...
"Being a made thief would certainly make an interesting story. I'm sure you can get us through this," Gig gestures to Cricket, Uhe, and Mal.
Uhe takes out his note book, ink and quill.
... A spring-loaded hammer would swing down at the victim, knocking them off balance and forward into two other snares: a spigot that spews acid, plus a barbed wire whirligig that rends the legs. Simply brilliant!
At the appearance of the Kobold, Uhe looks at him. He looks at the trap. He looks at the Kobold.
Seems a bit like ancestral profiling to me, but ok.
The Investigator raises an arched eyebrow at the mentioning of them joining a Thieves'Guild.
Guild, huh. I joined a Guild once in my younger days. It was an accident actually. I thought that they were just giving those wet T-shirts away.
Fazil bristles at Cricket's chiding. "Well, I'm going to finish what I came here to do! I'm going to get one of those coins. You guys can come with me if you want, or you can turn around and go home."
The kobold moves to continue deeper into the gauntlet...
"We can't let him go off by himself!" Brijetta declares and moves to follow Fazil.
"Hey now! Ain't no one ever said a word 'gainst cooperation that weren't foolish. We've got your back li'l fella."
Her brow furrows. "Wait how in blazes did you run into xulgaths by mistake?! Didn't you smell 'em comin'?" She peers sideways at Fazil. "You're sure you're up to this?"
Uhe holds up a finger (quill dripping ink on his hand).
But what about the traps!
"Traps shmaps. Long as we don't have Gig takin' point we can keep a good eye out for the traps!"
"Hey!"
Gig looks momentarily shocked.
"Wait, that's actually a great point. I need all my fingers and toes!"
"Yeah, I smelled 'em, but they'd already heard me by that point," Fazil says about the xulgaths. "Fortunately I made good my escape, but keep your eyes and nose open for 'em, just in case! Now, let's go!"
ECHOING HALL (OBSTACLE)
This small cavern’s shape and smooth walls provide shattering acoustics, painfully amplifying all but the faintest sounds. Those moving silently should avoid harm. Someone with a keen ear might identify a few “quiet spots” where imperfect acoustics would muffle any sounds originating from those points.
"Now, pay attention to where my feet go, uh?" Cricket says to Gig, since he has been struggling lately. He moves his left leg some, which produces a slight creaking noise, as an old rusted door, though after a couple movements it becomes silent. "Oh, the old times, when my joints were properly lubed..."
Like a very silent bug, Cricket skitters across the hall.
Even though she's mostly used to people ignoring her, Brijetta's also used to trying to stay out of the way. Her anxiety at being down here gets the best of her at first, but after watching Cricket, she quickly sees where to go.
Mal listens to Brijetta's echoes, noting where they bounce and muffle, then carefully traces the quietest path she can find.
Mal brings Uhe along with her, and soon you are moving on through less perilous passages.
RARE FUNGI (OPPORTUNITY)
After several more minutes, you discover a broad swath of fungi carpeting a tunnel. None of it is hazardous, though one species is especially valuable: a gilled fungus known as Urgathoa’s eyebrows, said to grow only where someone died a tragic death. A roughly 4-foot patch of the fungus grows amid the other species.
Mal's eyes sparkle. "Lookit how gorgeous those mushrooms are! Very sad that they grew of course" She concentrates for a moment to receive the guidance of the spirits and then sets to harvesting.
Mal gathers up all the mushrooms! You continue on your way.
LOCKED GATE (OBSTACLE)
An iron portcullis blocks the way, its base anchored into the ground by a single padlock.
Mal extends her fingernails into talons, adds some extra mass to her arms and hands and gives the portcullis a mighty Heave!
Uhe seems to be cataloging each and every step that Mal drags him.
But. That may. Oh, my! Was that rat waiting to see if I stepped in it?
Uhe practically dives into the Fungi patch! The Investigator reach8ng for tools!
Can you believe somebody just leaves such valuable fungi about!
Uhe helps gather the fungi. At the locked gate, Mal easily hauls it open! "Nice! Come on!" Fazil says, scurrying ahead.
At last, you reach the gauntlet’s center! The tunnel descends gently toward 5-foot-high iron double doors. Although heavy, the doors slide open easily, recessing into the walls. Beyond stretches a vault about 15 feet wide and 60 feet long. Several shallow troughs are carved into each of the long walls like inset shelves and a single standing trough runs down the center of the room. Each trough is filled with coins.
Fazil's eyes widen! "We did it! Look at all that money!" the kobold says with glee.
Uhe smiles as he helps gather the precious fungi. Smiling the dwarf looks up just in time to watch Mal make short work of the portcullis.
Huh.
Approaching the final chamber of the fearsome, dreaded pirate Roberts...errr...gauntlet’s chamber, the Investigator stares out into the suspiciously absent of Traps room.
+1 Traps[/ooc]
Dis be where da demons come....
Brijetta looks around, somewhat tempted by the coins herself. But she doesn't want to become a thief.
"Watch out for poison! In stories, treasure like this is always poisoned!" Gig strolls up behind everyone who has so ably defeated the gauntlet. "Very dramatic, though. This would make a great set."
Mal's eyes narrow. "Seems to good to be true, dontchya think?"
She sets up by the doors in case they try to slam shut.
"The only coins I care about are the Blacknoon coins! They're copper pieces with a sun eclipsed by a mountain on both faces. That's what I need to get into the guild!" Fazil says as he starts to search through the troughs. Most of these coins have minimal worth, with a mix of copper, tin, brass, and even painted wood. Interspersed among them are more valuable treasures, including precious currency from a variety of countries and semiprecious gems.
Unfortunately, even though Uthe ddidn't find any traps in his initial sweep, it doesn't mean that there aren't any to speak of! As Fazil rummages through the coins, a few slip down a drain at the bottom of the trough and rattle down a hidden pipe. Unseen clockwork gears begin to tick away ominously, and the doors behind you start to slowly close. "I'm not leaving without that coin!" Fazil insists!
LOAD-BEARING TREASURE (OPPORTUNITY)
You can try to gather up as much treasure as possible before the doors close! The amount of treasure you gather is dependent on the amount of Infiltration Points you gain over 2 phases. These skill checks represent you trying to slow the doors as they close, searching for valuables, and trying to jam the traps. During the second phase, poisonous gas begins entering the room, at which point you might rely on your fortitude as much as your senses, withstanding the vault's toxins until the last second.