Bands of Power - Game thread

The pack appears empty or at least lightly packed, and when you open it you can see it is empty. Either the pack was emptied sometime before or he didn’t bring any gear other than his weapons.

Yeah, nah. He actually did bring an empty pack! Maybe he was planning on max loot?

@dante_dark: Yes, please. Give me an Int Roll against a DC12, as you look around the room for likely signs of a hidden portal of some sort.

Anyone else doing anything? Two of your have potentially interesting potions on your persons. You've a corpse and a splat? I think Borgo was going to do some more snooping?

Borgo stands watching as Thak and Lattremond "bumble" squinting and tapping at the walls. Berith accomodatingly repositions herself to allow her torchlight to cover the room, avoiding the lumply black mess. After a few moments, Borgo shakes his head and moves about the room giving the rooms remaining furnishings a quick once over. The crates, move relatively easily being seemingly empty or partly filled with books and scrolls; whether they were being packed away or unpacked, you do not know. He walks by the workbench to the bookcase which is made of thick wood and wouldn't be easy to move, laden as it is. After a quick scan, he disregards it and moves to the large stone chest opposite. Thak has his foot upon it's wooden lid as he leans over listening at the cold stone of the wall behind. Waving the Warrior away, Borgo removes the lid and sets it aside. The bottom of the chest is covered in old yellowed scrolls and bundled paper, but he notices that the floor of this stone walled chest is appearently wooden. Clearing some of the papers aside, he can find a small cut-out in the wood, which allows him to lift the flooring up slightly. Piling the crumbling papers on the side of the chest and removing the floor reveals a downward passage with a metal rung buried in the stone. A ladder leading down into darkness.

Lattremond abandons his futile efforts at searching after he see Borgo looking about. Remebering the two potions, with one tucked hastily under his belt, he return to their investigation. Taking the red potion from Elsbaeth, he holds it up and swishes it around. He can also see the strange eddies in the thick red fluid. He can see where Eslpaeth was going, but can determine no more than she with just his eyes.

As Borgo moves away from the bookshelf, Elspeath appoaches it and vainly tries shifting it. Quickly, giving this up she begins pulling at bound volumes and shifting papers, but no hidden mechanism is found before Borgo announces his find.

The party naturally congregates near the downward passage to have a look. Even with Berith's torch right above it, you can't see the bottom. The passage itself is well made, being lined with stone for 10-20 feet, before giving way to what seems to be natural stone that have been carved out for at least another 10'. The rungs that you can see all appear well made and sound. No rust or corrosion is apparent. Cool dry air drifts up from below, carrying the acrid smell you with it. No sounds can be heard.

Okay! Secret passage located! What will you find down in the darkness should you dare plumb it's depth?!

The Potions? You'll need to do more than look at them to try to get a good idea of what they might do.


Light Sources:
Berith - Torch (2)

Initiative Order:
Borgo
Thak 2/7HP
Lattremond
BerIth 5/10HP
Elspeath

Borgo and Thak, prepare for their descent. The little investigator pulls the torch from the two loops securing it to his pack and double checks the fastenings aren't left too loose. Quickly checking the rest of his gear as proof against droppage, he lights his torch and clambers into the chests opening preparing to descend. The rungs are indeed secure, and he makes his way down into the tunnel a very short way. He has room to shift and look below without blocking the torchlight.

Looking back up, he can hear Thak stowing his weapon just before a meaty hand grabs the edge and a big Orky face peers down at him.

Okay, Borgo and Thak are prepared to head down. Has anyone been doing anything in the last few of minutes? Anything before they head down?

Borgo begins the awkward climb down the ladder, with the others following after one by one. Every 5 rungs or so, he casts a glance downwards and it isn't long before he sees the floor below come into view. He's only descended about 20 or so feet, before an opening and the flags below are revealed by the torchlight.

Thak halts his own progress as he sees the Goblin slow and the floor come into dim view turns to wave up at Eslpeath who has only just started to come down.

You surmise the tunnel to be about 50' long from top to bottom. The exit is opposite the ladder so those coming down are currently facing away from it (and above it). There are 20'-25' to the opening and about 30' to the floor itself. In the moment of silence while everyone has stopped questioningly, you don't hear much but the soft crackle and whoosh of your torch in the closeness of the tunnel.

Borgo, Thak and Berith have mounted the stairs, with Elsaeth at the top half poking out of the chest. Berith and Lattremond remain upstairs with the corpses. ...Mwah ha ha haaaa!

Apologies if I wasn’t clear. You are currently 20’ down a 50’ vertical tunnel. You have 30’ of ladder climbing down the tunnel to go before you set your feet upon the floor.

You can see the floor down below you (30’). You can tell that there is an exit to the tunnel. The exit appears about 5’ high, so you have 25 more feet to go before you might be exposed before you see wherever it leads, presuming you just climb down "normally".

I didn’t want to make decisions for you guys about how you might choose to proceed so stopped to tell you what you are seeing partway down.