IC Story Thread: Ch.1, Ad.3 - Black Hand

The catacomb and the stairwell that lead you up to it are all deep within the heart of the mountain peak. There is nowhere for the smoke to go but in these spaces. So you figure the best place to burn them is probably at the bottom of the spiraling stairwell, so as to give the smoke the most volume and best chance to dissipate in, so as to not alert anyone who might be beyond the chambers of the catacomb.

On the bright side, there are only four tomes, and although they are sizeable, they shouldn't produce tremendous volumes of smoke.

The catacomb has a ceiling a foot or so higher than the top of the doorway, and so that should help contain the smoke as well, or at least delay it's procession into the rest of the keep that lies beyond the catacomb, and give you time to proceed quicker than it does.

Or you figure you could seal the secret door behind you to keep basically all of the smoke within the stairwell. Which would guarantee that no one above you would detect it.

But that would also make escape from the inner stronghold impossible by that route, should it be needed.

With bones interred and the tomes aflame, you look to move forward, the smoke filling the headspace of the catacomb and threatening to soon chase after you.

There is only one way out of the catacomb, and that is by a short hallway that dog-legs into a narrow stair heading up perhaps 7 meters of elevation. At the top of the stair you can see there are the remnants of a decayed and rotted door hanging from hinges, and beyond it a larger room or perhaps a very wide and tall hallway.

You don't hear anything immediately.

Moving slowly and quietly, you reach the top of the stair and find that you're all looking in on a large hallway with what-appear-to-be cells, like for imprisonment, lining one side of it.

Though the bars and doors are mostly long ago corroded and fallen to the ground.

At the far end of the wide hallway, you see a person peering into one of the cells, they're holding up a torch and literally-sniffing about - likely searching for the source of the faint smell of smoke.

There is another stairwell at the far end of the hall going up, beyond the person peering in the cell, and if they came from there; then there is one cell they've already searched behind them and three more ahead. And then your stair. They're likely moving your way...

They have a torch in one hand, and what looks like a hand-axe in the other. If they're wearing armor, it is just padded or perhaps leather. They haven't noticed you yet.

The man looks over and grunts when the arrow clatters upon the stairs, he comes over toward your position, the light of his torch only revealing your location too late...

A look of recognition passes over his face, and indeed you recognize him, as one of the young men from the courtyard who stayed and ultimately joined Astalor, after he struck himself and his cult-priest with lightening.

His look of recognition quickly turns into confusion, as you make your moves...

Between your coordinated actions, the young man goes down with no resistance and little sound, his hand axe and torch clattering to the ground.