Passage to Paradise

[madtinker]

OOC: I found the stats I made months ago for Sam, so you may notice a difference in some of his rolls (it wouldn't have changed him falling though).

You heave at the stone, (1d20+1)[13] but it doesn't budge.

[Manwhoisthisman]

Are there any markings on or around the knob or door lines?

[madtinker]

None that you can make out.

[Manwhoisthisman]

Ok, I'll try pushing and pulling on the knob.

[madtinker]

As you work the knob back and forth, the crust of years loosens and you pull a tapered stone plug from the wall. Behind it you find the handle of what appears to be a long lever that disappears down into the wall.

[Manwhoisthisman]

I'll try to pull the handle.

[madtinker]

This lever must have been protected from the weather, because it pulls smoothly, if heavily towards you several inches. You hear some clicking and whirring, and the rectangular slap to your right pivots along its center, revealing an opening in the cliff face.

"By Pelor's gaze, what did you do?" Sam exclaims.

[Manwhoisthisman]

"Pulled a lever." I'll put the cap back and enter the cave and wave for Sam to follow me.

[madtinker]

Spoiler: DM only

Show

number of darts - (1d4)[2]
attack - (1d20+10)[27],(1d4+1)[2]
attack - (1d20+10)[24],(1d4+1)[3]
attack - (1d20+10)[13],(1d4+1)[5]
attack - (1d20+10)[18],(1d4+1)[2]

As you step inside you hear a slight hiss of escaping air, and feel two stabbing pains. Iron darts have embedded themselves in your thigh and shoulder (Take 5 damage).

[Manwhoisthisman]

"Gah! Hang on." I'll stop and pull the darts out and examine them.

[madtinker]

"What? Oh. That looks painful."

The darts are about as long as two of your knuckles. They are tapered to a sharp point on the end that stuck you, and have three iron fletchings on the rear. The diameter is less than the tip of your little finger. It is surprisingly heavy for being so small. You notice it lacks anything similar to a nock like you would expect on an arrow or crossbow bolt.

[Manwhoisthisman]

"This certainly does look unusual. We should watch out for any more traps." I'll look around to see if I can understand this trap without setting it off again. (I'm not sure what skill rolls to make)

[madtinker]

You can't tell much more about the trap, except it seems to have been triggered by a moving floor plate, and that powerful jets pf air puff out of holes in the wall as you shift weight off and on the plate. Perhaps if you disassembled the mechanism it would be easier to understand.

[Manwhoisthisman]

Well, I don't think that I'm really well enough prepared to do that. "Sam, keep an eye out for holes like these - walls, ceilings, and floors." I'll do the same as I move forward into the tunnel.

[madtinker]

Sam takes a close look and nods. You don't make it more than ten feet inside the entrance before coming upon a rusted oak portcullis. The wood has corroded the iron rivets; its obviously been sitting here for many years.

[Manwhoisthisman]

I'll call down the corridor through the portcullis, "Hello?"

[madtinker]

The only reply is your own echo.

[Manwhoisthisman]

Ok, I'll take out my spear and use the blunt end to push on the wood and rivets to get an idea of how decayed it is. Do I think I could bash through it?

[madtinker]

The portcullis flexes slightly under the pressure of your spear. A few good whacks could probably reduce it to splinters.

[Manwhoisthisman]

I think I will make some noise taking the portcullis down then.

[madtinker]

It actually takes only one hit before the portcullis is reduced to sawdust. The place must have termites. With that out of the way, you finally get a good look around. A 10x10 ft trapdoor in the ceiling lets in dim light, and you're able to make out a roughly octagonal room 30 feet across. The floor is rough hewn stone and the ceiling is about fifteen feet overhead. On the far right wall are embedded iron rungs leading upward. Near the base of the wall forward and to the right is a fissure in the hewn stone wall. Directly opposite you is what appears to be an wooden desk and chair. Forward and to the left is a stone archway and dark tunnel. On the wall to the left is a pair of iron cages. A indistinct but roughly human shape is supinated on the floor of the cage farthest from you.

[Manwhoisthisman]

Ok, first things first; I'll manifest empathy, suppressing the display concentration - (1d20+5)[12] vs. dc 16 to check if the supined figure is feeling anything. Also, where is the trapdoor that is letting in light relative to the rest of the room stuff, particularly the ladder?

My look of concentration as I scan the room is accompanied by a mental chime, which Sam would probably hear. Possibly also the figure if it can hear and if it is within 15 feet (methinks probably not).

[madtinker]

The figure in the cage feels absolutely nothing.

Sam whispers "Did you hear that?"

The large trapdoor is in the center of the ceiling; there's a smaller hole where the rungs disappear up past the ceiling.

[Manwhoisthisman]

"Hear what? -- I think we should check upstairs first."

[madtinker]

"Okay...what are we checking for? This place gives me the creeps. It looks like no one has been here for years."

[Manwhoisthisman]

"I agree on both counts. But this was also a place worth guarding once, and that alone makes it work investigating."

I'll begin making my way to the ladder, while attempting to locate any traps. I'll probably be focusing around my feet.

[madtinker]

The floor is a little uneven, but you don't notice any obvious traps. You reach the ladder safely, with Sam following a safe distance behind.

[Manwhoisthisman]

I'll whisper to Sam, "I think the glidewing will be up there, I'm going to take a peek."
I'll then test the ladder, and if it seems secure, try to quietly climb up.

[madtinker]

You climb the ladder so quietly and carefully that Sam's breathing is the loudest thing in the room.

You reach the second level of the tower to discover a storeroom, piled high with moldering sacks of grain and what appear to be casks of wine. The ladder continues upward, and light filters in through another trapdoor opening in the center of the ceiling.

[Manwhoisthisman]

I'll continue up the ladder to the next floor.