Continued Adventure

As Borgo takes his run up for the leap, either nerves or outlandish misfortune causes the Goblin to mis-step and his ankle collapses as he springs for he leap. Instead of sailing through the air, he collapses and rolls a few feet across the floor. Borgo sits up, and wincing and reaching for his ankle when he suddenly drops out of sight along with the floor beneath him!

Though prepared for the possibility, Marev is still surprised by extent of Borgo's failure and the noise of the trap. Though the Goblin is slight, the sudden jerk from his weight pulls Marev forward two small steps before he sets himself properly. The halted drop is almost immediately followed by sound of Borgo smacking into something hard, and a few Goblin curses.

Berith, move forwards to shine her torch above the now looming pit to see Borgo hanging upside down 4-5 feet below the top of the level of the floor. The Goblin is obivously alive and relatively unharmed, as he awkwardly tries to right himself with one last relieved curse. You can both see plainly what lay at the bottom a good 15 or so feet down; a deadly looking array spikes. Dozens of the thin dark metal stakes are arrayed symetrically across the floor of the pit. If the fall itself hadn't been enough to kill or cripple, the spikes certainly would have. The proof of which is on display as there lay at the bottom the dessicated body of a robed figure impaled by many of the spikes below.

Hurriedly handing off the torch to Elspaeth, Berith lends Marev and hand in hauling up the Goblin. After the Goblin is standing on the edge nearly out of the pit, a soft ticking noise begins. Those out of the pit notice the false floor which now lay against the far side of the pit, begin to slowly move upwards to cover the opening again. Looking back, Borgo, quickly brings himself fully up into the hall with a huff, and works to catch his breath and clear the adrenaline.

Turning and bending over to look carefully at the body as Elspaeth’s torch fully illuminates the base of the pit, you all can see pack straps running over the front of the dark stained grey robe, and the hint of a backpack beneath. Hanging on a thick cord belt it a dark coloured pouch. Around a thong on its neck is some kind of bangle or medallion which you can’t make out.

The hands are visible, one partially clasped around a spike piercing its abdomen, and they seem strangely shrivelled. The head and face are covered by the robes hood, perhaps thankfully so.

The false floor continues closing.

Shifting his avaricious eyes to the slender pointed spikes, Borgo can see that they have been placed with great care, being evenly spaced in both directions along the bottom to form a very regular grid.

Someone evidently had a thought for recovery and clean up. Just looking he can see there is plenty of space to walk carefully between the spikes. At a guess they only come up to his knees, plenty long to pierce a torso, but no trouble for dwarves. Or goblins. He should have no trouble so as long as he doesn't squat down without care or, Gods fobid, trip again.

At it's heart, you all think Marev's plan a good one, but looking down at the bottom of the pit 15' below, it seems that whatever mechanisms are moving the floor will likely be at the top, well out of reach of anyone standing below. Unless more than one went down and you try to boost someone up?

Jamming though, is a very good idea for stoping the floor from closing...

Berith doffs her pack and grabbing the crowbar waits on one knee for the floor to close so she can try her plan.

Borgo taps Marev’s waist and after the ranger sets himself stands on the edge ready to be lowered down.

With Elspeath standing guard with torch out thrust, Berith shimmies out over the edge almost to her hips, using the wall as she can for some support. After several attempts, the crowbars edge is set between the rising floor and the wall. With a loud scraping the floor stops. From somewhere not far ahead and below you hear a groan of stressed wood.

Using the crowbar to push herself back, you see that the partially raised floor now leaves about a two foot gap between its edge and the wall of the pit and is holding tight.

Borgo, signals Marev that he’s ready and heads down in the gap.

Elspaeth kneels at the edge and holds the torch down past the edge of the gap to provide the goblin as much light as possible as he descends, while Berith dons her pack and stands guard.

Moving carefully, Borgo, now out of direct sight of the others, steps across the spikes to the corpse. Working quickly and carefully, he cuts the pouch and thong free. Dangling from it is a flat metal ovoid as long as your thumb, with a small dark stone at its centre. Cutting the side of the pack you see it contains the normal accoutrements of a traveller or adventurer and one palm sized wooden box with an oval shape etched into the top.

Tucking what you want away, you move back to the wall of the pit, making sure to ensure the top doesn’t tangle along the spike and signal to be lifted out.

Once up above, you all stop and quickly survey the goblin's findings.

The amulet is a bronze oval with a small dark red gem at it's center. Held up to the torchlight, you can see faint black lines spiderwebbed through it. Even hanging on an old thong you're sure it would fetch a fine price. Though for some reason, you don't like to touch it. Though, clean, it feels unusually slick or slimy in your palm and the feeling doesn't lesson no matter how you wipe or your hands.

The small box with what is now obviously an egg carved into the top is also made with care. In addition to the ovoid, it is carved with bands of interwoven bands with small circles etched in them. Inside are several sticks of finely crafted but incredibly rank incense. It smells not unlike the acrid smell of the creatures, but different with earthy or musky overtones. Many were smashed in the fall, but not all. This also will be worth a fair penny even it you have to ditch the incense to find a buyer.

Elspeath is currently holding the torch: 40 mins left

Do you wish to investigate these things more closely? Continue on?

The quiet assaults your ears as you stand near the lip of the pit.

Will you stay here and closely examine your find? Continue across to the other side of the pit? Or turn back for some other route?