The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho

[Telurian]

As the confines get tighter Jacob debates closing in behind Jat to guard his back and flank. He realizes that his armor would spoil most of whatever chance at stealth that Jat had, but there are just too many angles that an attack can come from. In the end, he had to decide to let Jat do his job, and trust him to carry it off.

Jacob

[lostsole31]

Jat understands Jacob's falling back. The light source is a problem, but if they know we're coming anyway ... the bad guys will judge distance to the light, not Jat ... and it might still be an effective surprise or even flanking maneuver.

[UserClone]

((This part to be carried out via PM))

[lostsole31]

Jat comes out of a little nook where he had crawled in. "Chest in there that I can't get out. Too little ceiling too lift, and it's embedded in the rock, it seems. Lock on it, and I'm not strong enough to do anything about that. Lots of little critter-pawprints on the ground ... four fingers total? Yeah."

[DM, please tell me if I missed anything since I'm collating several PMs in unfriendly browser windows.]

[Telurian]

Jacob turns to the others, "Well I don't think there's much that I can do to open it or pull it out that you can't, maybe Salyr's magic can do something? Or Sophie's strength? I will help if I can, but it sounds like tight quarters in there."

Jacob

[lostsole31]

"We can muck with that later. Let's check out these other exits ..."

Which is what Jat goes to do.

[UserClone]

...other exits? Could you please be more specific? I'm not sure there's one you haven't explored yet.

[lostsole31]

"Hmmm. You know, this whole place is gonna' favor folks like me over you ... just not my fighting style. Let's go back into this treasure chest way ... I have to crouch, but you guys'll be on your bellies. Big weapons - spiked chain, bigsword - useless. Need close-in weapons like my dagger. Do we dare?"

[Telurian]

Jacob shrugs and says, "I have to hope that it will open up a bit beyond the chest or something, I don't have any smaller weapons. I can always try stabbing with my sword in a pinch, but it will be much less effective. I don't suppose one of you has a spare dagger? Maybe Salyr should be just behind you while Sophie guards the rear and I try to do my best in front of her."

Jacob

[lostsole31]

[If you use weapon groups, you are not automatically proficient ... but I since even with weapon groups you have to have "Basic Weapons Group" then you are proficient with quarterstaff, dagger, and club.]

[tonberryking]

Sophie

"Good thing my mentor told me to invest in Mr. Spikey back then; it's the only close quarters weapon I have..." Sophie helpfully adds. "Um... I'm not sure I can fit in that tight space, but what if we got some rope and tied it to the chest? That way I could yank it out? I'm just as strong out here and I would have better space to get it free...

[lostsole31]

"Chest's inset into the ground. Gotta gnomehandle it in there ..."

[Telurian]

Jacob has been thinking a bit, and finally blurts out, "What about this. Some kind of levers or prybars to let Jat use his strength more effectively to lift the chest out of the inset, and then Sophie can pull on a rope to help move it out of the alcove? If we get a long prybar, even a staff, and Jat can get it into position I can be behind him to push up on that one while he pushes on the shorter prybar from the forward position?"

Jacob

[lostsole31]

"Do we have levers, prybars, and staffs? Salyr, any comment?"

[UserClone]

Salyr shrugs. "I-I'm sorry, Jat. I mean, I don't have anything you can use to pry, other than this dagger...and almost all my magic is for combat or protection."

[lostsole31]

Jat shrugs. Seems like this chest may have to wait until we're better outfitted. Jat goes walking over to the puddle. Now, you told me there was a length of severed rope in a puddle. Does the puddle seem like just that ... a puddle? Or does it seem like a pool where my darkvision does not extend past (due to depth, refraction, sediment, what-have-you)?

If I can't tell the depth looking at it ... "Sophie, can you use your big sword as a depth stick? We may just have to get wet." On that last comment, he looks at Jacob ...

If he can tell it's depth, and it's only a puddle, "Hmmm, who's the tallest one here? Let me stand on your shoulders, I wanna' see something ..." Jat will look straight above the point of the severed rope, since his darkvision couldn't extend far enough at his normal level. He wants to see if he can spot a trailing edge or rope or something else above, if not even just the limits of the tall cavern.

[UserClone]

((Sorry, guys. I dropped the ball. ))

Sure enough, from Jacob's shoulder's, Jat sees a hole in the north side of the ceiling, directly above the severed length of rope. Looks large enough for the humans to crawl through for sure.

[lostsole31]

....
....
....
....

"I'm naturally low to the ground for a reason. Why'd it have to be heights?" Jat mutters and signals for Jacob to let him down.

"There's a hole up there big enough for you big folk, just out of range of my darkvision normally ... but good enough for me to see on Jacob's shoulders. I'd say 65' to 70' feet up, on the north side right above the rope here."

[Telurian]

Jacob sighs in exasperation, "Good grief, are we supposed to think of everything before coming in here and investigating? First it's lanterns, then prybars and tools, and now it's rope and climbing gear and expert climbers to lead the way. Well I'm not any of the above, so I guess I'll start trying my luck by wading in the pond. I'll fetch that piece of rope so we can try that dropoff if nothing happens.

Jacob

[lostsole31]

Jat shrugs. "Well, let's go back to the chest. Perhaps it has some money tucked away in it that will help us buy supplies in town. But yeah, we need supplies."

Jat heads back towards the cave with the chest, hoping an idea pops into the head of the smarter or wiser folk.

[Telurian]

Jacob wanders through the puddle, splashing a bit, but never getting as deep as he feared. He fetches the cut piece of rope, and then returns as Jat is talking about setting out for the chest. He offers the cut ends of the rope for everyone to look at to see if anyone can see if there's any clue or anything unusual about it. "It's not really that we don't have money for basic tools and supplies, we do, we just aren't that well prepared, it seems. Let's give your ideas on the chest a try, but if nothing looks likely to work why not just return to town to purchase them. Let's see, we need a bullseye lantern, some rope, let's say a hundred feet or so minimum, and some way to get the rope hooked up above. Don't they call that a grappling hook? Or is there a better way? Perhaps some magic, Salyr? Either that or we might have to hire an expert climber, I'm not sure we can throw a grapping hook high enough. Oh, wait, we have that dropoff area to check out too, this rope should be good enough for that, right?" Once Jat has checked out the chest again, Jacob will lead the way to where the dropoff was and search for a place to tie off the rope. "Is anyone any good with ropes? I would just tie it a bunch of times trying to make sure it held, with no real skill."

Jacob

[UserClone]

Looking at the rope, Sophie's keen eyes note that the rope is not cut nor frayed, but it does have some flattened parts, as though it had been knotted at one point, and then untied.

[tonberryking]

Sophie

"Hey, this rope feels pretty sturdy; no rotten parts or anything... I think putting it to chest removal use first isn't such a bad idea; just tie it around it a bunch and then I'll see about yanking it free."

Sophie offers one end of the rope to Jat, silently mouthing another, but specific prayer to Kord in preparation for a great feat of strength.

Spoiler

Show

Yeah, I'm using my daily Strength Domain Power! (1d20+4)[18] Take THAT, chest!

[lostsole31]

Jat is getting to be pretty tightly wound by now ...

"Get your pretty little bulk into the room and see the chest yourself ... then YOU figure out how to apply your strength. I told you the chest won't pull, you gotta break the lock, sister! Now move!"

[Telurian]

Jacob looks from one to the other a bit, then lets out a breath and says, "Look, Sophie, Jat said that the rope simply can't be used to pull out the chest, it's inset into the floor, it can't be dragged without lifting it out of its inset first. Let's just go use it to check out that section past the dropoff." Jacob then takes the rope with him to go to the dropoff section, looks for a likely place to attach it, and does so. If someone assists, he will happily let them try tieing a couple of the knots in the rope since he's using simple everyman knots and the more the merrier. Once the rope is attached, he asks Jat and Salyr to keep an eye out while he climbs down, and does so, lowering himself to dangle off the ledge and dropping lightly to his feet. Once down he pulls his sword and shield back out to hold back any attackers, and steps forward to make room for the next person.

Jacob

[lostsole31]

Jat goes down the rope. It's not the progress he was looking to achieve ... but at least it's progress.