Old-School Essentials: Stonehell

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"Onward," Copperhand confirms. "To the chamber on the right, I think we decided?"
OOC: There's an exit to the left and none to the right; since it's the only other way out, I'll assume you meant that.

The party proceeds through the tunnel to the left, but that immediately branches forward, and to the left. The left branch slopes slightly downward, and you notice a rivulet of water running along the wall, starting in the first cave you met the Pig-Faces and down this tunnel. After about 25', the tunnel makes a sharp right turn.

Continuing forward, the tunnel curves slightly to the right to open into a wider cave. From here, you can see natural stone draperies and hear the twittering of bats. In the light of your torches, you can see an opposite wall with a small cluster of entrances.

Obvious exits:
  • Back to the small cave with the well
  • Left into a downward sloping tunnel that turns right after 25'
  • Slightly right into another cave
 
Bron agrees with the general consensus of "clear and map this first area before heading down".
 
OOC: Is this just strategic talk or does it imply an immediate action?
 
OOC: Sorry the net has been up and down here the last few days!

Hildegard agrees with the others, we'll head to the cave slightly to the right first, rather than heading down.

OOC: Is this just strategic talk or does it imply an immediate action?
OOC: If others agree I would say immediate action, i.e. go to the right
 
The party proceeds through the cave entrance to the right. This opens into an irregular natural cave with a very uneven floor, the walls composed of flowstone and draperies of rock. A small colony of bats squeaks and rustles overhead. On the ground is a haphazard cluster of tin buckets on the floor that are partially filled with guano. A trail of the stuff leads to a tunnel on the other side of the room that branches to the left.

Obvious exits:
  • Back to the branching tunnel
  • Forking passage at the end of the cave branches right and left
 
"I bet those are worth somethin' to somebody back in Ogdenburg," Copperhand says, indicating the guano buckets. "Not so sure we want to carry them around with us until it's time to leave." He goes to the other end of the room to look down the forking tunnels.
 
He goes to the other end of the room to look down the forking tunnels.
Copperhand strides across the cave to peek down the two tunnels.

To the left, it opens into another small cavern at a slightly upwards angle. This chamber is choked with stalactites and stalagmites. The sound of chirping bats becomes a cacophony, and a strong scent of ammonia wafts from that direction.

To the right, the tunnel becomes a stone corridor after 10', and another 10' after that, it comes to a four-way crossing. In the center of that intersection is a short post with a rusted metal square with writing that Copperhand can't read from where he stands.
 
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"To the right then I assume?" Hildegard says. "Seems to be leading out of this cave system"
 
"Sounds right to me. Maybe we should know this floor of caves before looking elsewhere." Egare says in response to Hildegard.
 
"I think," says Copperhand, squinting at the sign in the distance, "that's the corridor we came through before. Apparently "Da Dragon's Den" is further below than we expected . . . "
 
OOC: Excuse my confusion, but I can't tell if there is a consensus to go down the right tunnel or not.
 
OOC: I think there is, to confirm the sign is what we believe.
 
The party ventures down the right branch of the tunnel, bringing them to the sign and the four-way intersection. The sign is marked with deep scratches. An arrow points back the way you came, accompanied by the text "Da Dragon's Den."

Obvious exits:
  • Back the way you came.
  • To the left, the hallway continues into darkness.
  • Forward opens after a short distance into a chamber that's cramped with clutter. A scent of mold and decay issues from that direction.
  • Heading right comes to an archway after 10' carved with the face of a fanged monster, surrounded by disporting little devils. Past it, the corridor seems to continue.
 
"We know where we are now. Should we go back and finish looking through the caves?" Egare asks.
 
"We know where we are now. Should we go back and finish looking through the caves?" Egare asks.
"Well our options are either that or explore other areas of these stone tunnels in the complex itself. Think it's more likely treasure still remains in the 'civilized' sections, or that it's been moved to the caves? The kobolds are out and about in tunnels and we're officially at war with them now"
 
OOC: was that the room with the well? To be honest, I've lost track.
OOC: Just past it. Basically we turned left out of that cave with the well and found a slope going downward and another tunnel heading onward. That tunnel then branched right and left, we headed right to where we are now.

I'll try to post my attempt at a map so far soon. Hopefully it doesn't contain errors that doom us all!
 
OOC: Just past it. Basically we turned left out of that cave with the well and found a slope going downward and another tunnel heading onward. That tunnel then branched right and left, we headed right to where we are now.

I'll try to post my attempt at a map so far soon. Hopefully it doesn't contain errors that doom us all!
That would be very old school!
 
"I suggest we tackle the stone corridor network first. More likely to have treasure of some form I think"
 
"You mean the one with all the bats?" Ingri asks, wrinkling her nose.
 
"The one with that horrible smell, yes let's head"

OOC: The one marked Forward above to be clear.
 
"Ah, my mistake," replies Ingri. "I thought you meant to return to the caves. You mean this place," she says, waggling her spear straight through the intersection.

"They never told me adventuring would smell so bad," Hearthglow wryly remarks.

You all notice that the torches are both nearly consumed, and Hearthglow's gutters unsteadily.
 
Bron suggests that the party pause exploring for a moment until fresh torches are lit.
 
Copperhand retrieves his tinderbox and takes charge of the torch situation.
Ruul clears his throat and chimes in. "These torches look to be a little more than halfway used-up."
You all notice that the torches are both nearly consumed, and Hearthglow's gutters unsteadily.
OOC: Wait, are we talking about all the torches, or are we on the same ones we've been using since we entered?
 
OOC: Wait, are we talking about all the torches, or are we on the same ones we've been using since we entered?
OOC: The latter.

EDIT: To clarify, you haven't yet been in the dungeon for two hours, which is what I thought to be the approximate duration of a torch's illumination. But you're not far off. I've been tracking time closely.

EDIT AGAIN: Just checking now, the duration is actually one hour. Oops! But that should not have an impact on you other than retconning that you're nearly at the end of the second set of torches instead of the first.
 
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OCC: Oh yeah...

Copperhead asks the retainers to refresh torches, and they both (Ingri and Hearthglow) do so. "Two down, three to go, Mr. Dwarf," pronounces Hearthglow.
 
"Three to go, alright let's find something of worth. I've been thinking a bit and perhaps that vomit inducing place isn't the best place to visit.
If we turn to the right we'll head back to the spiral staircase. There was another passage heading south after that we never followed.
If we head left we'll follow the corridor that ended in that T-junction where we met the Kobolds.

I suggest we follow the corridor and take the right turn at the T-junction unlike last time. Just to get the Northern End of this place mapped out and checked off.

If we are nearing the end of those torches without finding anything we quickly head to the room with the basin of silver coins and try to extract what we can.

Thoughts?"
 
Bron agreeswith Hildegarde and advises that he brought a batch of torches as well
 
"Yeah I brought torches too. Who goes to a dungeon without light?" Egare asks rhetorically.

"Sounds like you have a plan. I say we go with that." He says to Hildegard.
 
The party determines to follow Hildegard's plan. They make a left at the infamous "Dragon's Den" sign, leading down a corridor that ends, yes, in a T-intersection. To the left it opens into a room with carved walls after about 15'. To the right, it extends beyond the range of your torches. You resolve to head to the left.

After about 75' feet, the party reaches a new T-intersection.

Obvious exits:
  • Back to the prior intersection.
  • Straight ahead into more darkness.
  • Right down another hallway. You can see a doorway on the righthand wall about 30' down this way, and it continues past that.
 
"Door looks interesting to me. Mind if I go check it out?" Egare asks the group.
 
Egare nods. He takes a torch and heads towards the door. At about 20' away he'll start prodding the ground in front of him with a 10' pole. Assuming nothing of interest is found he'll stop at the door and observe it's construction.
 
Egare nods. He takes a torch and heads towards the door. At about 20' away he'll start prodding the ground in front of him with a 10' pole. Assuming nothing of interest is found he'll stop at the door and observe it's construction.
Egare carefully prods the ground for trapdoors, tripwires and pressure plates, but a thorough test finds nothing. So he approaches the door and examines it.

Construction is very similar to other doors you've seen so far: thick moldering oak bound by black iron. There's a large pull ring on the front. Egare sees nothing unusual about the door.

From the position in front of the door, however, he can see a little further down the corridor. It continues for about 25' more, whereupon it opens into a dark room. Another hallway branches off to the left immediately before that.
 
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