The Lichway Dungeon Crawl

[Dragonslayer495]

Having received directions and a few rumours from the locals, you have discovered a passage at the back of a cave. You hope to find the lichway, a crypt of the sandlanders tribe which was attacked by lizardmen. However, the treasure is thought to still remain. The passage led you to another huge water-filled underground cavern into which a subterranean river gently flows. A wooden bridge crosses this river to an open door beside a 15' high tower leading to Korm Basin.
Your rumours are:
1. The wealth of the sandlanders tribe still lies undiscovered in their lichway somewhere on the tidal Korm Basin.
2. Dark Odo, a saturnine female wizard, and her henchmaen set off some months before in quest of thelichway and have never returned.
3. Only a few hours previously a band of four men, considered by the law-abiding locals to be of dubious character, set off in the same direction as Dark Odo.
4. Ferro the woodsman saw a band of marauding Green Star Svarts, a cross betwen goblins and kobolds with bright blue skin and orange eyes, pursuing a few panic-stricken kobolds toward the Korm Basin.

Spoiler: Map

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The area on the map is what you can see at the moment. Each square represents 5 feet. The numbers relate to rooms or items of interest, the thing by number 2 is a sealed door, as is number 3. The arrows are stairs
Along the water's edge are three small fortified towers (15' high) between which are to docking bays and steps down into the water. The steps are litered with rubble and masonry which is covered for the 2' nearest the water level with wet green weed and slime and a few small barnacles and sea snails. In the eastern docking bay there is a rotting wooden barge within which is a skeleton. Where 2 is are double doors, arched and 20' high, covered in carvings depicting a border of intertwined skeletons framing a large flame. The doors have four thick metal bars across the front, the lowest of which is 3' above the ground, and shackled to the door are a dozen corroded padlocks, keeping the door from opening. The eastern gate where 3 is 20' high and seals the entrance, but is at the moment raised.
What do you do?

[Snoiepix]

Nim marvels at the sight as the passage opens up before her. She completely forgets the monk she has learnt to know as Hari and the conversation they had ongoing as she wide eyed looks around the cavern. "Is this it? Korm Basin. She gently asks as to not disturb her surroundings.

[esorscher]

Podig moves carefully over the corridor, searching the hallway for traps. "If someone gives me a boost I can try and unlock these padlocks."

Search (Take 20): 24

[d20 Miscreant]

Orrik studies the area hand on his walking staff, eyes full of wonder. After his eyes rest on the skeleton he whispers a soft prayer, "Your mortal journey may be over, but may you tread with Fharlanghn in spirit." Podig's voice brings him back to the hear and now. "I'll lend you a hand." Orrik moves to help her.

[esorscher]

"Excellent, thank you Orrik." With the cleric's help, Podig fiddles with the locks until they spring open. "These are so rusty, they may need to be smashed."

Take 20 on each lock: 28.

[Yas392]

Hari opens up his senses to try and sense anything before aiding the rogue in opening the door. As will I. Whether they are open or not, he will use the shadow as his cloak to obscure his location thereafter.

Spoiler: Checks

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Listen - (1d20+4)[22]
Spot - (1d20+4)[21]

After aiding Podig...

Hide - (1d20+4)[13]
Move Silently - (1d20+4)[9]

[Brenthion]

Brenthion reaches into his backpack. He takes a long pull on his gallon of ale before setting it back in it's place. With a belch, he draws his axe and shield and clutches them tightly. Prepared to take on anything on the other side of the door.

"Bring 'em on," Brenthion mutters. "Me axe has a thirst for blood worse than me own for ale."

[Snoiepix]

As Brenthions belch echo's through the cavern she snaps out of her wonder and starts to carefully search the area.

Spoiler: Search

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Seach: (1d20+5)[6]

[Dragonslayer495]

Congratulations, you have just done what my real life players keep doing, you've broken my dungeon! I may not have made it clear but the published dungeon intends for the door to not be opened, but I will let you open it, it doesn't make too much of a difference anyway.

Podig
The padlocks are too rusted to break open, but as you try you notice a secret door underneath the lowest bar. When it opens, a lever is revealed.

Orrik
As you look at the skeleton, you notice a rusted metal chest sitting in the boat.

Nim
Your searching is of no avail, but Podig seems to have found a secret door, and Orrik has found a chest in the boat with the skeleton.

Hari
There is nothing to hide from as Podig finds a secret door revealing a lever. However you notice a chest in the boat with the skeleton.

Brenthion
With horror, you realise there is nothing to fight, as the door never opens! Podig does, however, manage to open a secret door hidden in the door. A quick glance at the lever and the stone behind, tells you that the stonework behind this door is newer than the surrounding stonework. Perhaps the door was bricked up after the lizardmen attacked? Or maybe it was bricked up more recently?

I won't update the map quite yet, as you haven't discovered a new room or an enemy.

[Brenthion]

Indeed, it is with great horror that Brenthion finds there is nothing to fight. But his interest in precious metals, gems, and the stonemasonry required to build secret doors keep him occupied for the moment.

He places himself between the rest of the party and the secret door as best he can, axe and shield still clutched tightly. He is interested in the discovery of the chest and the secret door, but even more interested in a fight.

[esorscher]

"Hey, there's a lever here," says Podig as she pulls the lever.

[Yas392]

No! Hari overreacts with horror. Is it not too soon to be doing that?!

[d20 Miscreant]

"There's a chest in the boat over there-" Orrik says as he points and moves towards the boat. Podig's words stop him in his tracks and he looks around, waiting for something to happen.

[Dragonslayer495]

All
The lever is pulled… But nothing happens. The lever either does nothing, or activates something that has already been activated.

[Snoiepix]

Nim, half struck by terror from Podig's bald move. Relieved once satisfied that nothing happend. As she draws her ceremonial dagger and thretenly pokes Podig she utters "Careful you." with a stern face, clearly not amused.

[esorscher]

Podig just smiles broadly and walks over to the chest Orrik found. "Let me take a look at that." She inspects the chest and attempts to open it. If it is locked, she attempts to pick the lock.

Search (take 20): 24
Open Lock (take 20): 28

[Dragonslayer495]

Podig
In the chest you find an ornate golden goblet, a small stoppered flask with what you think is alcohol in it, a stoppered blue gourd full of white sand, and a plain silver armband. There is a rusted shield and a rusted dagger beside the chest.

[esorscher]

"Off to a good start. Can anyone tell if this lot is magical?" Podig says, displaying the loot to the party. She unstoppers the flask and wafts the scent emanating (if there is any) into her nose as a chemist would, attempting to discern its identity.

[Dragonslayer495]

Podig
The flask is full of an alcoholic spirit.

[esorscher]

Podig takes the smallest sip from the flask. "Well, here's to it not being poison." Her cavalier attitude demonstrated with the lever continues with this potential threat.

[Dragonslayer495]

Podig
You don't die, it tastes just like alcohol.

[esorscher]

Podig stoppers the flask once more. "Well, I'm pretty sure it's alcohol."

[Brenthion]

Brenthion's ears perk up at the sound of booze and treasure, but refocuses his attention on the situation at hand.

"There has to be some kind of way into this place," he says half to himself. He conducts his own search, using his innate dwarven knowledge of stonemasonry to see if there are any hidden doors about or anything else unusual about the stonework.

Spoiler

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(1d20+2)[22]
(OOC: Lol, best roll I can ask for)

[esorscher]

"What about that big open doorway? We should probably wedge something there just in case the gate drops down behind us?" Podig points at the "eastern gate where 3 is 20' high and seals the entrance, but is at the moment raised."

[Brenthion]

"Well lets move onward then," Brenthion says, spitting on the cold floor and readying his axe and shield. He approaches the double doors and decides it better for the burglar to search the door before opening it.

He waits for the halfling to conduct his search of the door, though standing close in the event of an ambush. He takes one long pull on his ale before placing it back in his backpack, taking a combatative stance.

[esorscher]

While Podig searches, she suggests, "Hey, maybe we can stick that boat in between the gate and the floor, just in case? I'm not strong enough, but..." her voice trails off, leaving the suggestion hanging in the air.

(Take 20--24 on Search)

[Brenthion]

Brenthion takes initiative and either drags and places the boat upside down and horizontally to provide a few feet to crawl under, or vertically to provide running space.

Meanwhile, he keeps his axe and shield close.

[Dragonslayer495]

Brenthion
While searching you find a secret door in the back of the bricked up gate. It opens into a long, narrow passageway. You decide to wedge the gate open with the boat anyway, and decide it would be more secure if you placed it so that you would be able to crawl under the gap.

Podig
You notice that Brenthion has found a secret door.

[d20 Miscreant]

" I'll take a look at those items." Orrick casts detect magic. If any of the items in question are magical, he will concentrate for three rounds to determine as much as he can about the aura(s).

Spoiler: Spellcraft check (if needed)

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Spellcraft: (1d20+4)[20]

He continues to concentrate and scans the whole room as best he can.

[Dragonslayer495]

Orrik
Sorry, the items aren't magical. (just following the book)