Vesh stands and quickly shoulders his pack.
"The trap's disabled," he whispers to the group, "but if the trapdoor isn't replaced in a minute, it's going to reset and explode."
Pointing to the door that they just came through, he says, "I suggest we wait it out in there with the door closed. Let it go off, and then go down. It might be the only way back out."
"I thought I heard hear muttering though. If we let the trap go off then theres no chance of us finding away to get the element of surprise and I'm no fan of fair fights. Still, its probably best if we do things the way you suggest." I say eyeing the apparently booby-trapped door "How did you find that anyway?"
"How did you find that anyway?"
"Explaining here is bound to get us burned." Whispers Vesh with a frown, He puts his arm around the sailor's shoulder, he proceeds to lead him to the other room .
"I have," he whispers matter-of-factly to Malcolm, "a certain talent with magic." He allows the others to enter ahead of him, and then ushers Malcolm in as he continues.
"Not in the same way that Slidell or Salome does, mind you." He enters and closes the door behind him. "But similar to theirs. Slidell could give you more detail on how the spell is cast; I just know the motions and the word."
Standing to the side of the closed door, he continues, "I could then see the aura of the magic that was cast on the trapdoor." He then crouches without another word, and puts his fingers into his ears.
"Huh, never figured you for the magician type. Anyway, guess its good you were around eh? I don't fancy the thought of being blasted to bits in a dusty old storeroom." I reply, crouching behind the door and waiting.
Slidell looks at Vesh with an unusual look in his eye. "Very Good. Very good indeed. Well! " HE says not too loudly, indicating the open hole. "Unless I'm mistaken, that won't last long, right? Rather than rush through, I say let's get back a safe distance, and let the thing go off. It'll doubtless make those below think we blundered into it exactly as they hoped! And overconfident foes are far easier to defeat!" He says, grinning. Grabbing his lantern and heading back out into the previous room over the pile of debris, he stops half way across and looks back.
"Well, shake a leg! I don't know how powerful the caster was who set that, and I don't want to test the range of that spell the hard way!" HE exits the room, and as the others follow, indicates that they should move clear of the doorway. He appears to be muttering under his breath, and you realize that he is counting,... "50 Magic Missile, 51 Magic Missile, 52 Magic Missile,..." He continues for a few beats more, and then promptly plugs his fingers into his ears, watching the doorway expectantly.
I take a step into the wreckage of the room and look around. I clap Vesh on the shoulder and quitely say "Much indebted to ya Vesh." I creep up to the trapdoor and, trying to keep a low profile, peer down into the passage.
At Malcolm's complement, Vesh turns red despite himself and says awkwardly, "thanks."
"I heard something. Down there. Some..." looking for the word, she scratches a wall, "some...ah...scrape sounds and someone shouted in the distance. How best we get down there?"
"I heard something. Down there. Some..." looking for the word, she scratches a wall, "some...ah...scrape sounds and someone shouted in the distance. How best we get down there?"
Vesh turns to Salome and reaches into his backpack simultaneously. "Rope," he says as he produces the same. His frown turns into an uncharacteristic smile.
Slidell offers Vesh a pat on the back as he is blushing at Malcolm's complements.
Slidell moves to cover the hole with his crossbow while Vesh starts to tie off his rope to something that isn't burning. "Wait" He says quietly, holding out his hand to prevent Vesh from tossing down the rope.
"Tie it off, but keep it here. Let them think we set it off by accident." He whispers. "With any luck they'll use the ladder to come up and investigate. Let them come to us. Douse my lantern!"
He looks around the room. "Do we hide in the other room and wait for them to come to us, or take them as soon as the first one clears the ladder?" He asks smirking.
"And how long do you propose we wait, majji? The goblins have left and that elf-man is far ahead of us. Kuhrran said he thought Ameiko could be already dead! If our haste can buy her some time, we should go now."
Vesh looks from Salome to Slidell and back. His mouth is slightly open.
"She's right. Speed is of the essence; Ameiko is in danger and the longer we wait the more time they'll have to prepare. We don't want to give them time to dig in, fortify their position, maybe build a few more traps. He rigged that shelf pretty quickly." I say, rubbing the swelling on my head ruefully and continuing "I don't really want to see what he could cook up if we delayed. We should procede quickly but with caution. Maybe Vesh or I could scout ahead? Or Veren?"
"I have to agree with Salome as," Says Corran to Slidell quietly. "I think we need to make haste. I think whoever was down there may be moving away from us."
Turning to Vesh he says, "Toss the rope, I'm going down first than Ehlissa. Then Malcolm and Vesh. The rest thereafter as Salome suggested before."
"Everyone ready?"
Vesh nods at Corran and tosses the rope down the hole. "You're up," he says to the warrior.
Corran sheaths his sword and puts the rope behind his torso and grasps it with both hands. Taking up slack, he leans back over the hole against the tension of the rope and lowers himself down quickly and as quietly as he can.
As Corran disappears down the hole, Vesh helps ready Ehlissa. "You're next, milady. Then Malcolm."
-----------------------------
"That mi'lady part had sure as hell better not be referring to me." I say with a crooked grin as I easily climb down the rope and jump the last few feet, landing in a crouch and drawing my weapons, alert for trouble.
Having taken the blade offered to her, Naelah spoke softly in response. "Tha vath shtar lathilath ol najel.*"
Watching as quietly as he companion, her gaze lingers for long periods, first on Salome, then Vesh, then Slidell, her thoughts moving rapidly. Clearly, her absence had changed something - and this new woman, she knew not what to make of her. At once fierce and kind, strong and soft - she reminded Naelah of the ones she held most dear - reminded her of her family.
When Vesh pulled his trick with the entrapped door, Naelah's eyes widened. "The wind speaks to you also? Never have I seen so many people with wind-gifts in one group."
"Veren can lead the way. His strong senses will be a boon to us, I should think." She suggested, interjecting her opinion into the discussion. Once Ehlissa had been helped safely into the hole, Naelah whistles to her companion. With a slight huff, the gray wolf leaps to the floor below, his feet landing with little sound.
-------------------
Shoanti:
Ehlissa purses her lips slightly at her friends' constant banter.
"Yes, well done Vesh, but we must keep going!" she says quietly. Readying herself for further confrontations with snickering foes, the young woman's face takes on a grim cast.
Slidell looks from person to person as they all agree to forge ahead quickly. He makes a couple of attempts as if to speak, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, and then shrugs.
"I agree, speed IS important. I was just trying to get the lil buggers to come to us!" He whispers with a grin. "That, and I was hoping to use that ladder! Ropes are NOT my speciality!"
He waits for everyone else to go first, his cross bow ready to cover both the hole and the door they entered if necessary. As the last one enters, he resets the safety on his crossbow, drops his staff to someone's waiting hands, grabs the rope, and with a forlorn look at Veren, slides down the rope to stop with a muffled 'WOOF' as he lands on his bum.
Veren, standing on the edge of the hole, shakes his head and mutters, "Humans, AWK!" And after taking one last look at the shadows in the room, flaps down to rejoin his master regaining his feet, if not his dignity, below.
Ehlissa sheaths her sword. No sense trying to swing in these conditions she thinks. She draws her dagger (more of a small sword than a paltry knife) and makes sure that everyone else is ready.
Slidell happily hands over his lantern to whoever will be leading this parade.
Seeing the conditions and size of the tunnel, Sli slings his staff onto his back with it's strap. After another moment, he puts the safety on his cross bow and lets it dangle, still loaded, at his hip.
"No sense in accidentally shooting somebody in the back, but we may need it soon," he mutters. He then pulls out a dagger, and holds it as he sees Vesh doing. He then begins muttering under his breath. With the odd motions he is making with his hand, it is clear that he is reviewing his other options.
He lines up in the center of the group as they enter the tunnel, bending over slightly to make sure he doesn't hit his head.
Once at the bottom of the rope, Vesh replaces the ladder at the trapdoor. "In case we need to beat feet," he says to the others.
Vesh looks at Malcolm who is bringing up the rear. "Do you have a lantern? You'll need light in case we've got to reverse course. I've got torches, but the are better for being seen than seeing."
Vesh draws Ameiko's dagger and lines up with Slidell.
"Good thinking. I've got a lantern but I'm afraid its back in my room at the Dragon." I say, sheathing my rapier.
When Veren 'speaks' to her, Naelah quickly relays the information to the group. "Blood. Veren scents blood an fear." She says taking her position near the back of the group. "We must hurry, this 'Tsutso' is dangerous."
Naelah hefts the borrowed scimitar in her right hand, testing its balance.
Realizing they needed light, Naelah mutters something under her breath, her voice taking on rhythmic cadence. having her left hand in an odd-looking motion, her hand bursts into flam - shedding light into the corridoor.
Corran readies shield, but draws a dagger instead of his longsword. "I'm ready," he says.
Naelah mutters something under her breath, her voice taking on rhythmic cadence. having her left hand in an odd-looking motion, her hand bursts into flam - shedding light into the corridoor.
Vesh looks at Naelah. "We had better move," he says to everyone, "That flame won't last forever, and as I'm remembering, it can be thrown like a weapon."
Salome falls to the back of the group, watching everyone sort themselves out. She checks her crossbow. "Sarenrae of the sun, I have no light to give..." she prays silently and she finds her mind wandering.
"What had the man who gave his water to the thirsty, his bread to the hungry, he coat the the cold, and his light to the blind?" Mejjur De asked his acolytes.
"Nothing," answered Salome. "He gave all that he had. There was nothing left." Mejjur De sneered. Salome braced herself for his humiliation, lowering her eyes and head with contrition, but inside she burned with anger.
"No," he heard his words echo in her head. "You have nothing. And with 'nothing,' he is still more than you. You are only here because of charity," he hissed to her. And addressing the rest of the students, he finished his lecture with a broad smile: "And that is what he had. CHARITY!"
Salome falls to the back of the group, watching everyone sort themselves out. She checks her crossbow. "Sarenrae of the sun, I have no light to give..." she prays silently...
As the party finishes making quick preparations to file through the low-ceilinged passage, Vesh removes a torch from his pack and approaches Naelah.
"May I?" He asks sheepishly. He then lights the torch with her flaming hand.
Turning back to his position in the line-up, he hands the torch to Salome just as Veren, Corran, and Ehlissa plunge into the passage. "Here we go," he says to Salome, "Watch your back...and mine for that matter." He turns and follows Slidell into the passage, Ameiko's dagger in hand.
Sli's & Veran's Listen rolls: (1d20-1=11, 1d20 2=14)
;P
Slidell freezes with the rest, once more grateful that he doesn't have armor to contend with. When the scuffling sound is repeated, Slidell taps Vesh on the shoulder, points to the bird on his shoulder, and winks.
Veran's HIDE & Move SILENT rolls: (1d20+10=23, 1d20+2=18)
Slidell Taps his bird on the head, and points down the tunnel. Veran bobs his head a couple of times, and then flaps almost noiselessly past the group to land just past Veren's nose. The black bird then 'crow hops' down the tunnel, keeping to the side were the floor meets the wall, his black feathers blending perfectly into the darkness as he leaves the light behind.
[ooc] Veran going to take a peek, then come back and tell me what he sees. He made decent Hide and Silent rolls. And he has Low-light vision. IF he is discovered, (heaven forbid!) he will high tail it out of there! He has half of MY HP, and half of nuthin is less than nuthin! :)
Ehlissa forges ahead, making sure to keep close to the group.
As Veran returns in a flurry of feathers and excited chittering, Slidell finally notices the noise from down the tunnel.
"What's that? Who's what? What's what?!? Slow down!" Slidell hisses at the agitated avian.
"No! Not you!" He waves at the ones in front who had turned to look at him. "Fight! Two up ahead, one bound, probably Ameiko! Attacked by a,,... something! Go! Go!" He shouts at the last, waving frantically. "Before it hurts Ameiko! Tsuto was carrying something, watch out for it, and watch your footing, the floors slick!" He adds as he hustles to keep up with the others while digging for something in his vest pocket with his free hand.
Veran clutches Slidell's shoulder while ducking his head down, looking as if he is riding a toboggan.
An expression of confusion passes across Ehlissa's face, and her eyes narrow in concentration as she tries to make out the gibberish that Slidell is spouting.
Once he makes himself clear, she nods to Corran and presses ahead at speed.
"Does he know we're right here?" I ask hurrying along the narrow passage and holding my shortsword at the ready, cursing as my head scrapes along a few knobby spots on the ceiling.
"I don't think so," Slidell huffs as he ducks a possible noggin-knocker. "But Veran didn't hear much, Tsuto wasn't exactly monologuing."
Ehlissa puts her finger to her lips and turns to Slidell and Malcolm with a quick intense motion indicating for quiet. She sheathes her dagger and draws her sword slowly.
She continues cautiously ahead.
Perception check (1d20+4=16)
Initiative (1d20+1=11)
Bumping through the tunnel at the back of the queue, Salome feels herself growing frustrated and impatient, unable to see ahead or hear the whispered conversations ahead. She focuses on the scraping, dragging sound she heard before. Despite the damp and cold, she feels the heat rise to her face and her senses heighten. Still carrying a torch, she lifts her crossbow, but focuses on the canvas bag -- Could that be Ameiko? -- while waiting for those ahead of her to proceed.
Vesh's Perception and Initiative rolls (1d20-4=7, 1d20+6=21)
Vesh grips Ameiko's dagger and puts the cowl of his hood up. He stays near the passage that the party has just come through, moving to allow Salome to pass him.
Corran's Perception and Initiative rolls (1d20+5=13, 1d20+2=5)
Corran draws his longsword and moves beside Ehlissa.
Slidell & Veran's Perception Checks: (1d20-1=17, 1d20+5=9) Slidell's Initiative roll:(1d20+2=13)
Slidell keenly eyes the darkness, for once paying more attention to whats going on than Veran, who seems to be distracted by the shiny object on the floor.
He silently sheathes his dagger, and picks back up his crossbow, his lips moving in silent phrases as he reviews a spell. He moves to the side to allow others to pass freely, while trying to stay in position to cover the opening barely visible across the way.