V: The Lower Level

[marionarsis]

Random claps his hands to his ears, and heads out of the room by the door they entered, to the east. 

[colbite]

<Zagnar>: I head in the direction the group wants to go.

[khaboom]

Khloemar puts his fingers in his (very clean) ears and follows Random.

[andrew]

The party rushes back into the hallway, escaping the threat posed by the menacing voices. There, they regroup and consider their options.

Up ahead, to the south, is the east-west intersection. A short distance beyond the intersection is the obstruction in the hall noticed by Khloemar when he looked through the Eye of the Savant. Down the east-west tunnel, Random and Winip noticed a rough, stone archway with a closed door in the northern wall to the west, and to the east they noticed a stairway cut out of the rock leading up. There's a door in the southern wall alongside the stair.

Before deciding on a course of action, doubt creeps into the minds of Random and Mal. They can't help but wonder if they've correctly remembered Veranya's instructions. 

OOC: Random, yes, any sword placed in the jeweled scabbard has a "Vorpal Blade" effect for the entire combat, not just the first round.

[colbite]

<Zagnar>: "This is becoming more confusing than I expected it might be. Now what Random, Mal, Khloemar?"

[marionarsis]

Outside the room, Random gathered himself after the maddening voices tried making him lose what little sanity he had left. He thought of Vernaya, and what she'd said. Something was bothering him, but now the light that never goes out above his head got brighter.

"Nothing confusing here, Zagnar. It just takes a little thought. Maybe Veranya meant the first room in the eastern wall we come to, not necessarily the first room we come to while traveling east."

He pointed a slender elfen finger. "It has to be close to the entry of this level--maybe, just maybe in a STRAIGHT LINE--or her statement wouldn't make sense. I think it's even more important we scout until we find a door in the eastern wall. Khloemar, if you would, come with me, and let us go down this hallway straight ahead and scout, beyond the obstruction you discovered, and let us see if this eastern door is down that way."

And now, with purpose in his stride and guile in his heart, Random began walking south.

[mahrundl]

"Yes, the first room that is to the east is what we should be seeking.

Khloemar, what form does that obstruction take? You have not said. From what has been told, we cannot see the obstruction other than through the Eye. Perhaps we should approach more closely and get additional detail."

[khaboom]

"A walk in the park this is not - a walk in the dark more like." Khloemar nods and joins Random.

[andrew]

With Random and Khloemar leading the way, the group heads south, into thick shadows. Soon, they come to the obstruction Khloemar beheld earlier via The Eye. It's a long wooden crate set at an angle away from the wall, so that it sticks out into the hallway. Its lid is secured by a massive padlock.

Farther ahead, about another fifteen feet down the hallway, Khloemar sees a door. It's set in the eastern wall. This southern hallway continues for a short distance beyond the door, before bending to the east. The party notes that the temperature has risen slightly, the air more muggy and oppressive than experienced heretofore.

[colbite]

<Zagnar>: "We can still explore and stay together. Might not be as stealthy, but better to be alive than dead. This feels like a trap of some kind."

[marionarsis]

"That padlock is tempting me sorely. Should I try it or do we press on to yonder eastern door?" 

[mahrundl]

"While it may seem an unnecessary risk, I think that we need to check the crate. We know that somewhere on this level is the poison-coated vase that we seek; we should not ignore the possibility that it is within this receptacle."

[marionarsis]

"Let's see if I can open this crate," Random starts. "But let us not forget the vase with the coated mupriozin rests, according to Baron Zolag's visionists, on a shelf."  

Random stoops down, giving the crate and lock a careful look. He then pokes it with his sword, then if nothing explodes, Random begins working on the padlock with the lockpicks.
Lockpicking: 2d6 7

[khaboom]

"What have we got to hurt vampires?" Winip asks apprehensively.

[andrew]

Random gives the crate a look, and pokes it with his sword. It doesn't explode. Mindful of a trap, he goes about picking the lock on the crate. After a few seconds of manipulation, he realizes something isn't right, and it's then the poison needle springs from the lock, searching for skin and a bloodstream. He jerks his hands away, avoiding the lethal dose of poison on the tip of the needle.

With the threat gone, he returns to the task at hand, and the lock pops open a few seconds later. Inside the crate is clothing--a cloak, a cap, a pair of calf-high boots, a belt, and a ... domino mask.

Detect Magic reveals all of the items to be magical.

Random L3SR-DX, rolled 7= +21 APs

Mal's ST=14/16
Khloemar's ST=17/22
Random's ST=10/13