Old-School Essentials: Stonehell

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Egare sees Copperhand go towards the door and bows pointing towards the door. "Be my guest" he says as he moves past.
 
OOC: Just to put the map again (I should update it a bit, but that doesn't matter for this)

mymap.jpg

So we have returned to the original green room. The door Simon Hogwood Simon Hogwood is suggesting to open is the bottom left. The room with the bowl containing the silver is the one just up from the very bottom (crudely octagonal) room). So I think we have two options:

(a) Go through the bottom left door and it might reconnect with the passage near the silver bowl room.
(b) Head back through the cave system (light blue).
 
The door opens readily to Copperhand's hard pull. The room beyond is about 25' square. Its floor is covered with scattered bones and crumbling rags, and ancient bloodstains blot the stone in places.

In the center of the floor are a few glittering coins. You see a trail of them lead out the door to your left.

Obvious exits:
  • Back the way you came.
  • Through a door set in the center of the left-hand wall. The trail of coins leads up to it.
  • A doorway opens in the center of the right-hand wall. It is blocked by a portcullis. Through the rusty bars, you can see the corridor travels only 10' before coming to a wall where it branches right and left.
 
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"Well we want to head right to reach the silver bowl room..."

She eyes the floor and Tessa's wound.

"...But we've got coins here. Obviously it's probably a trap. But gold coins are gold coins. Let's check if they're fake or not. If they're real how about we just head through and see where they lead to? Hopefully spilled from some poor predecessor of ours' pouch as they ran"

OOC: Assuming Copperhand might be able to tell true gold from fake
 
The coins are actually silver, not gold. There's a total of fifteen in this room, spaced out roughly a foot from each other, from the center to the door. They appear to be authentic (dwarf-approved) and are minted with the seal of the Duke of Blackrock.
 
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"A coin in the hand is worth two in the hoard, as my mother used to say," says Copperhand, pulling an empty sack out of his pack.

OOC: How do we want to handle who carries the treasure?

Also, are the coins leading up to a closed door, an open doorframe, or something else? If it's open, Copperhand goes and looks through it.
 
"What do you say we open that door?" Hildegard asks.

OOC: Would one of the retainers be suitable? Ruul maybe? No torches, just the shield.
 
Ruul sees Hildegard looking about and sighs. "Don't worry, I got this." He strides up, plants both feet, and gives it a mighty pull. With a loud squeak, the door yawns open.

On the other side is a corridor. It travels straight for 20' before turning left. The trail of coins continues.
 
Ruul sees Hildegard looking about and sighs. "Don't worry, I got this." He strides up, plants both feet, and gives it a mighty pull. With a loud squeak, the door yawns open.

On the other side is a corridor. It travels straight for 20' before turning left. The trail of coins continues.
"Alright scoop up the coin and let's head along?"
 
Egare keeps his eyes peeled while the others gather coins.

"This feels wrong. Not oh don't do that kind of wrong but this is too easy ki d of wrong" he says.
 
Ruul looks at the trail thoughtfully. "Maybe someone is carrying a sack of coins with a tear in it." Bellitus raises her eyebrows skeptically.
 
"This feels wrong. Not oh don't do that kind of wrong but this is too easy ki d of wrong" he says.
"Maybe someone is carrying a sack of coins with a tear in it."
"Either that or there's something nasty waiting at the end of this trail. Look sharp, all," Copperhand muses as he creeps towards the turn, eyes peeled and weapon ready.

OOC: I've started a tally on the character roster of how much treasure we've recovered - SP35, by my count. Let me know if Copperhand needs to hand off the bag to Ruul or something.
 
Copperhand muses as he creeps towards the turn, eyes peeled and weapon ready.
Copperhand edges slowly towards the bend in the corridor. After 10' he peers around the corner to the left. After 20', it opens up into a room with a spiral staircase heading upwards, flush with its right wall. However, after 10' the hallway also branches to the right. The trail of coins heads down this way.

The trail leading from the door to the corner where Copperhand now stands consists of ten coins.
 
"Certainly this is too easy, so let's proceed carefully. We check the floor for traps, especially hidden pits as we've seen them in operation before.

Bellitus watch the ceiling in case something lurks above us"
 
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Bellitus waych the ceiling in case something lurks above us
Bellitus replies with a sharp nod of assent.

Tessa is starting to feel flush all over her body, breaking out into cold sweats, as pain begins to radiate from her abdomen.
 
Copperhand continues to cautiously follow the trail of coins.
OOC: It sounds like the party is keeping pace, and since Copperhand is normally in the front rank, I'll assume standard formation with him out a little ahead.

The party follows the coins around the corner and then down the left branch, Copperhand in the lead. His eyes casting about the darkness, looking for unusual stonework and tapping gently with the spike atop his war hammer. Unfortunately, despite Copperhand's dwarven way with stonework, he's surprised when the false floor of reeds and slate gives way underfoot.

OOC: Simon Hogwood Simon Hogwood roll a saving throw against paralyzation to avoid Copperhand falling in.

Dwarves detect construction tricks and traps 2-in-6, and I gave a bonus of +1 for Séadna Séadna specifying wariness of pit traps (I rolled a 5). Also that caution is what gets Copperhand his saving throw and avoids the risk of anyone else falling in. But if you had been very specific about how you wanted to search for pit traps and it was a good method, you may have automatically spotted it.
 
Copperhand wheels around, swinging the war hammer at the wall to arrest his fall, but it gains no purchase. He tumbles into the hard stone pit below.

OOC: 2 HP damage - lucky as hell if I remember your current score correctly
 
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OOC: 2 HP damage - lucky as hell if I remember your current score correctly
OOC: You do indeed.

From the bottom of the pit, Copperhand issues a mighty groan. "That . . . that's bad." He calls up to his companions. "I'm all right for now, but I.I . . . I can't take another hit like this."
 
Hildegard rushes forward to the edge of the pit and looks over.

"Let's climb down like last time and get the dwarf out" she says gesturing to Egare for rope.
 
Hearthglow roots through her pack. "Damn, I think I brought everything but a rope! Are you well, Mr. Hand?"
dice-5-png-7.png
 
"I have rope," Tessa says simply, as she begins to get it out of her pack.
 
Hildegard will try to climb down into the pit and help Copperhand out.
 
Egare chuckles and says "You know we're supposed to fail in new ways not repeat the same one."
 
OOC: Interpreting from what I've been told...let me know if any of this needs to be changed.

Ruul suggests that he and another brace themselves in the doorway of the room behind you. Bron spits on his hands and joins him at the threshold, while Ingri stands behind them with a torch. Hildegard climbs down into the pit with Copperhand, while Tessa and Hearthglow stand at its edge. Egare stands just behind them, lending a wry quip to the labor. Bellitus stands between both groups warily.

As the warlock prepares to help the dwarf, you suddenly hear the scrape of a boot from the other side. Emerging from the darkness, three rough-looking men quickly move into position at the edge of the pit. One is armed with a bow and two carry slings. Others quickly shuffle in behind them, leering nastily from the shadows.

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Hildegard looks up at the newcomers, she'll try to get Copperhand out as fast as possible.

"Have all of you come here to extract treasure from this acursed place? Why not join us?" she shouts to them.

OCC: Goodbye cruel world!
 
Hildegard looks up at the newcomers, she'll try to get Copperhand out as fast as possible.
"Hold there or get feathered," says a voice from a man standing behind the archer, with a mocking grin.
"Have all of you come here to extract treasure from this acursed place? Why not join us?" she shouts to them.
"Yes to the first, but no thank you to the second," says the mocking brigand. He purses his lips and eyes Hildegard and Copperhand. "We're providing lessons to green adventurers. Not for free, mind you! It looks like you stumbled across our training camp. That will be 100 GP for each of yuhs," the man says, pointing at the pair in the pit.

The rest of the bandits chuckle darkly. One slaps another on the shoulder. "Zeke, your cover worked like a charm. Ya even caught a dwarf!" The one named Zeke crows with pride.
 
Egare attempts to slip into the shadows. If he can duck out of sight he'll back up and prepare to throw a flaming oil flask should things get testy. Obviously he won't light it until the last minute.
 
"I haven't got 100 GP. Why would I be here in this dreadful place if I did"
 
OOC: the trio is on the other side of the pit from us, correct?
 
Egare attempts to slip into the shadows.
OOC: Roll your hide in shadows.
OOC: the trio is on the other side of the pit from us, correct?
OOC: Correct. And just to be clear, there are a bunch more than just three guys there, but it's only three in the front row threatening your friends in the pit.
"I haven't got 100 GP. Why would I be here in this dreadful place if I did"
The leader squints at you and his eyes scan through the party. Then he breaks out in a smile. "I'm pleased to announce a discount for new customers. For the mere price of two suits of plate armor, two shields and two swords, we will let both of you live to see another day." Gesturing at Bron in the back, he continues, "I hope you're a good friend of this dwarf, because he's only wearing a child-size suit of leather armor, which is of no value to us. Or if you all can scrape up one-hundred crowns for your stout little friend, that will also work."
 
Using the larger bodies of her compatriots as cover, Tessa readies her sling, waiting for the right moment to wipe the smirk off of one of these asshole's faces.

OOC: what sort of armor, if any, are they wearing?
 
Copperhand tries to unobtrusively ready his hand axe and whispers to Séadna Séadna Hildegard, "If I go down, lass, grab my pack and go - we don't want to let these scum profit off us any more than we have to."
 
Hildegard nods to Copperhand.

"I fear my own ability to escape this pit, but in the confusion of a fight perhaps..."

For the mere price of two suits of plate armor, two shields and two swords, we will let both of you live to see another day." Gesturing at Bron in the back, he continues, "I hope you're a good friend of this dwarf, because he's only wearing a child-size suit of leather armor, which is of no value to us. Or if you all can scrape up one-hundred crowns for your stout little friend, that will also work
"So the plate, shields and armour and we escape from here? Alright and what guarantee do I have you won't just kill us anyway?"

Hildegard is stalling slightly, peering up to gauge their numbers. She tries to go the mystical intimidation route.

"My masters in the order of the Honoured will see my soul trapped in the pits of Xeglaghin if I don't procure what they have sent me here for. So I am in no mood to test their rage by dying..." she looks around in feigned fear "...they watch me even now" she says quieter but still audible.
 
"...they watch me even now" she says quieter but still audible.
"Hey, masters of the Pits of Whatever!" the smirking bandit cries out to the air. "You need to send better errand girls!"

The ruffians behind him chortle and guffaw at his jape. It takes almost ten seconds for the laughter to subside into evil snickers.

"No, seriously: it's gold, steel or blood. Let's not take all day. Drop the goods into the pit and we'll let you climb out and scuttle away. Easy-peasy if you pleasey."

Bron steps the fore of the party. "Gutless churls!" he spits, staring at them darkly. "Alas, you have us at a disadvantage! We must confer before I consider acceding to your foul demands."

The apparently leader chuckles humorlessly. "Don't take long."

Bron turns to the party members at the top of the pit and whispers urgently:
"I will surrender my armor if it's the only way to save a comrade. But my heart cries out to deliver justice to these blackguards! Is there aught we can do? I have no weapons of range," he confesses glumly.

"If we do agree to their demands," Bron continues, "we should trade one at a time. Our friend Copperhand can take no further punishment. They would have no reason to betray us before they get both ransoms."
OOC: Apologies to Brock Savage Brock Savage!
 
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