Chapter 1 - The Caverns

[tenkar]

Tenkar extricates himself from the ropes. Turning to Bitsa he asks: "Lad, have you checked the dead yet? Not that expect them to go anywhere."

[monstermike]

Obeying a curt command from 'Nasan, Herman brings the lantern closer to the bodies of the dwarves. As the wizard squats down to examine the corpses he is repulsed by the smell of decay but simultaneously attracted to the mystery of the neck-rings. He sees at once that the rings are indeed magical. However he is disappointed to find that the characters stamped into them are not ancient runes of mystical power, but simply common letters. One ring is stamped "CIII", another "LIX", and the third "XXV".

A short incantantion to reveal more about the workings of the rings shows to Aonghasan that the function of the rings is to change in size - from large enough to fit over one's head down to very small. The size of the rings is controlled by the simultaneous use of a special spell and some sort of controlling device.

[Bookkeeping: 'Nasan gains 10 AP INT, WIZ remains unchanged at 20, staff has 25 uses left.]

Game time 4/4 12:50

Please have your next move posted by noon, Tuesday, Dec. 14.

[Edit - very minor wordsmithing - can't help it sometimes]

[ProfGremlin]

Bitsa nods at Tenkars question, "Yea, they weren't twitchin'." he says with a ghost of a smile, "Looks like they may have been some of the dwarven miners. Aonghasan is looking over the brass collars they have on." The little hobb motions to Pan and gestures at the rock pile where the wizard and his lightbearer crouch at it's base. "Lets see if we can find a safe, quiet way up."

The two companions walk over to the cone of tumbled rock. Light from the lantern Herman holds illuminates the bearer and Aonghasan as they crouch to examine the dwarves. Ignoring Aonghasan's muttered lecture to Herman the hobb and satyr begin a visual survey of the tumbled debris pointing out possible safe routes and discussing the merits of each. Picking out a path in the play of stygian shadow and highlighted edge left them with a slight sense of disquiet. In the end, they decide upon the most likely path and, with Bitsa keeping an eye upon the opening above, sling in hand, Pan begins a careful ascent.

[monstermike]

[Interstitial]

The pile of rock reaches a height of about 6 or 7 meters above the cave floor. Pan finds the ascent to be relatively simple. Once he reaches the apex of the cone, Pan can see that it is still about another 7 or 8 meters of climbing up the vertical cave wall to reach the opening. There is no sign of light or activity around the opening. Craning his neck, Pan sees that there is a decent sized vertical crack coming down the wall a short distance from the bottom of the opening that looks as though it could catch an hold a grappling hook.

[ProfGremlin]

[Hobb Rogue Lvl 2 Att: 2d+28 Def: 1 Con: 22 Luk: 22 Wiz: 10]

Bitsa follows in Pan's hoofprints at the satyrs gesture. The hobb is careful as he climbs, setting each hand and foot hold carefully to avoid sending a rock pitching into the gloom below and rendering Aonghasan speechless. Worse would be to destabilize the pile both he and Pan now stand upon.

Upon reaching Pan, Bitsa shifts his pack off one shoulder and swings it around to reach inside. He withdraws a grappling hook and attaches it to the rope Pan holds ready making sure the knot is double tied and secure. Bitsa resettles his pack and then climbs back down part way to clear the way for Pan's swing.

[monstermike]

[Interstitial]

Pan nods his thanks at Bitsa as he sets his feet to make the cast. Keenly judging the distance and height to his target, he begins to spin the grapnel on the end of the line. The hook begins to make a soft swishing sound as the spun circles get larger, then with a perfectly timed release, Pan throws the hook up and into the opening.

The cast has plenty of height and Pan's aim was true. The grapnel lands with a dull clank in the opening above with the line trailing down through the rough crack. Pan gently pulls the rope and feels the grapnel wedge into the crack. He gives it a harder tug to seat the hook, and then tests it with all of his weight. The line holds firm.

"Gentlemen, I believe we at last have a way into the mines," he announces softly to the party.

[Bookkeeping - Pan gains 8 AP STR and 8 AP DEX]

[kwll]

Still wounded in his self esteem by his blunder while crossing the chasm, Owynn proposes himself to climb first. "There might be something dangerous up there, and my armor could be an advantage in that case. Besides, being the last one to cross did not give me luck a while ago..."

That said, he progresses along the slope to take the rope from Bitsa's hands and start climbing.

[monstermike]

[Interstitial]

Owynn climbs the rope, his feet walking up the cavern wall. He has a short scramble at the top to get over the edge and into the opening. It is pitch black - he can see the pool of lantern light below in the cavern, but it does nothing to illuminate the area he is now in.

Feeling around with his hands for a bit it seems as though he is in a tunnel about 5 meters wide and 2 meters high. He can feel a faint rush of air coming through from the tunnel, and also faintly hear the clink of picks and the scrape of shovels as though from a great distance.

[Bookkeeping: Owynn gets 7 AP DEX, 2 AP STR, and 50 general AP for making it into the Mines]

[gaptooth]

"The neck-rings are numbered" 'Nasan tells his companions, while jotting everything down in his journal. "The enchantment on them is inconsequential, but they are counting down. It is a bad omen, but fear not. You still have my staff guarding you from the fell powers of this place."

[OOC: Do the dwarves have any pockets in their shabby clothes, or tools? If Aonghasan finds nothing else of interest...]

When he is finished examining their remains, he climbs up the rocks and the rope in turn, instructing Herman to keep the light low until we hear report from Owynn or others who have gone ahead-- we don't want to broadcast our arrival if there are signs of movement or life above the rockfall.

[monstermike]

Aonghasan finishes his examinations of the neckrings and carefully returns his notebook to its storage place. The pockets of the dwarves contain nothing of interest - just a dirty bit of string in one and an apple core in another.

He attempts to scale the wall using the rope as an aid, but athletic endeavors like this don't seem to be his strong point. He manages to get a few feet up the wall, but his feet keep slipping on the rock face and he has to give up his attempt as his arms tire.

[I'll allow 'Nasan two more attempts at the climb if you want to try it.]

[Bookkeeping: 'Nasan gains 5 AP DEX and 5 AP STR. Also recovers 1 WIZ]

Game time 4/4 13:00

Please have your next move posted by noon, Thursday Dec. 16.

[tenkar]

"Ack! Tis a shame they met their end in this manner. Assuming we finish this excursion with our heads still firmly planted on our shoulders, I'll give them a proper farewell when we return."

Turning his attention to the others, he moves to await his turn to climb the rope with the others.

[monstermike]

[Interstitial]

Tenkar picks his way up the cone of rock, joining 'Nasan, Bitsa, and Pan near the apex. The lanky loremaster is taking a moment to recover his breath and rub the soreness out of his arms. With a studiously blank expression masking his amusement at 'Nasan's seeming inability to climb a rope, Pan passes the dangling line to Tenkar.

Tenkar wraps his gnarled hands around the rope, leans his weight away from the rock face, and plants his feet on the wall. Going rapidly hand over hand and step by step, he walks up the wall as casually and easily as one might walk to fetch the morning paper.

Reaching the top in about 60 heartbeats, he scrambles over the edge to join Owynn in the tunnel.

[Bookkeeping: Tenkar takes 8 AP DEX and 8 AP STR, plus 50 general AP for entering the Mines.]

[ProfGremlin]

[Hobb Rogue Lvl 2 Att: 2d+28 Def: 1 Con: 22 Luk: 22 Wiz: 10]

Bitsa takes hold of the rope after Tenkar reaches the top and disappears into the tunnel opening. Shifting his shoulders to settle his pack, the hobb follows Tenkar's example and walks up the wall. Bitsa carefully moves up the rope, first one foot and then the other then one hand followed by the second. Moving one limb at a time Bitsa ensures he has at least three points of contact at any given time. Slowly and steadily he advances up the wall.

[gaptooth]

"How insufferably inconvenient," mutters Aonghasan while catching his breath. "Why couldn't they have put that ledge waist-high or thereabouts?! Those blighted rock-splitters had to break through over thirty cubits from ground level, and they couldn't even be bothered to build a staircase before expiring. And why oh why must they make everything out of vile dirt and drab stone?"

After getting his wind back, 'Nasan makes another attempt to scale the rock wall.

[monstermike]

[Interstitial]

After Tenkar summits, Bitsa takes the rope and scales the wall like a hobbit with a lot of experience breaking and entering through rooftops and high windows. In a twinkling he is up the wall and at the ledge. Tenkar and Owynn give him a hand up and over, and move back further into the tunnel to make room.

While 'Nasan gets his wind back and rests his arms, he watches carefully how the dwarf and the hobbit keep the angle of their bodies at about 30 degrees to the wall. He observes that this allows them to maintain good traction on the wall and support most of their body weight on their feet, while their arms do a much smaller share of the work.

Learning from his observation, 'Nasan tries again, emulating the experts' technique. It goes much easier this time, and he actually approaches gracefulness in his attack on the wall. In a few moments, he makes it to the top of the rope and joins Tenkar, Bitsa, and Owynn in the tunnel mouth.

Pan is still on the rockpile, and Herman is waiting instructions at its base with the lantern and the packs.

Other than the continuing far away sounds of mining, there is no sign of activity or hostile presence in the dark tunnel mouth.

[Bookkeeping: Bitsa gets 5 AP DEX and 7 AP STR. 'Nasan gets 12 AP DX, 7 AP STR. Both receive 50 general AP for entering the Mines. Good dice!]