The White Room

[Provengreil]

Sometimes I hate that rolling mechanism: (1d20+7)[23]

[DuSlaanesh]

You both see a distant figure, running off into the mountains. A set of three plumes of smoke can be seen rising off from them, all coming from the same area but spread a bit apart.

You can see the white castle floating to the left of the mountainous region, remaining in one position some distance from the mountains and spinning around very, very slowly... If you were to remove your outfit tops, the tattoos on your chests would be glowing. Aalem, shirtless, notices his and covers it with his hand, asking in Draconic:

Spoiler

Would anyone mind giving me a strip or two of your uniforms? This thing will give our positions away, unless I decide to forego the use of one of my hands...

[Provengreil]

One of the items in my inventory is a length of silk rope. I cut off ten feet of it and help him wrap it around his chest.

Use Rope check(if needed): (1d20+2)[6]

After that, I tell the group to keep moving and not lose our quarry, repeating the phrase in both languages.

[lothbrok]

i run after the figure still in cohesion saying quietly to the group "i hate it when they run, why can they never stand and fight like men?"

"what do you think that fire marks?"

[Provengreil]

"No idea. And I have to ask, what exactly makes you think anyone will want to risk standing up to you?"

[lothbrok]

*scoff "why wouldnt they? if they have not the stomach to face me man to man and sinew to sinew they have no place on a battlefield. if they run they are cowards and will be cast from my fathers halls."

[Provengreil]

"While such thoughts have their place, you need to wake up and realize where you are, because the alternative is you barreling into a trap and cursing them for their cowardice even as they kill you. I once had to fight a guy like you. You think I just out and fought him? No way, I'd be dead. I grabbed a few mates, and we spent a whole night digging out a pit on the underside of some pestilent alley, then filled it up with most of the dirt that started there and a lot of water. Led the guy down the alleyway and the resulting muck sucked him in until he could barely move, and we shot him a few times with some stolen crossbows. That's what our enemies are gonna do, and you know why? Cowardice or not, fair or not, they'll be the ones alive when the fight's over."

[lothbrok]

"do not fear my friend. i may hold them in contempt for their valorless ways but i am no fool. i know they are cowards without honor but i've seen to many men die from cheap and cowardly tricks to underestimate their danger." grinning "besides i have a trick or two of my own yet"

[DuSlaanesh]

Aalem wraps the ropes, with Ignus' help, around his chest, obscuring the glowing light of the symbol in a secure way.

Following the running figure into the mountains, you see him run into a cave. The cave itself is about 15 feet wide. The plumes of smoke remain distant, and are further into the mountains.

[Provengreil]

We go up to the cave's entrance.

"Alright. We don't know what's ahead, but if he's cornering himself in a cave he's likely to have a trick or two. Be careful."

Draconic:

Spoiler

"Keep your guard up, and be ready for something more than a stand up fight. He had to know we gave chase, he had to have seen us. He wouldn't corner himself for nothing."

I enter the cave, moving at half speed down the pathway until I enter a room, see our target, or come to a split.

[lothbrok]

"or hes trying to hide like the thrice damned craven coward he is"

[DuSlaanesh]

A short ways into the cave, it veers left about 45 degrees, the pathway sloping noticeably downward. 20 feet after this, the pathway widens into a larger, cube-shaped room.

Four torches line the walls, three of them evenly spaced apart on the wall to your left and one straight ahead. A small tunnel has been carved into the wall straight ahead of you, with an entrance of about two by two feet. A large bloodstain has pooled in the middle of the floor, coming from a pile of mangled body parts that are barely recognizable as anything other than pockets of meat with a few protruding bones. The right side of the room is darker than the rest.

[lothbrok]

pointing with my axe at the mangled mess "five gets you one that is all that remains of our craven friend."

[Provengreil]

"Well....that, um, was not expected. Ulrik, see if you can figure out if that pile used to be our target. I dunno, i'm staying the hell away from it.

Stammering a bit in draconic:

Spoiler

Aalem...i don't know. That's just wrong, that there. see if you can find something.

I'll cross over to the hole and peer into it. (I have it correct that it's across the room, yes?)

[lothbrok]

"hahaha my friend if you think im going near that thing you have another thing coming. but give me that rope i have an idea."

[Provengreil]

I'll toss the rest of my rope back to him as I cross the room to look down the tunnel.

[lothbrok]

i tie my warhammer to one end of the rope and loob it into the mess on the ground

"i've heard that many folk are capable of builiding traps activated by weight. might as well see if we have something like that here."

[lothbrok]

while doing that i say "ignus see if you can get your friend to take a lok into the shadows over there" pointing to the right

[DuSlaanesh]

Ignus, you find that fresh air is flowing out of the tunnel.

Aalem takes a careful look at the pile in the middle of the floor, removing one of the protruding bones and using it as a tool to dig through the rest. Finding nothing, he tosses the bone back in.

[DuSlaanesh]

As Ulrik tosses his hammer into the pile, Aalem, who was leaning in close to inspect it, is splattered with the residue. He looks visibly sickened, and has to visibly restrain himself from pouncing on Ulrik.

He leans against the wall opposite from the small tunnel.

[Provengreil]

"Air vent, nothing special. I dunno, maybe he got mauled. but where would the bear or whatever creature did this be..."
Draconic:

Spoiler

"If we're gonna look around, might as well be thorough. Take a quick look into that dark corner, if we don't find anything we'll pull back and think."

I myself head for the other darkish corner, along the wall opposite the entrance.

[DuSlaanesh]

Aalem begins to look onto the wall Ulrik was pointing towards, muttering under his breath in Draconic:

Spoiler

I have half a mind to shatter his organs with sound and go take a bath...

He then turns to Ignus and says, in Draconic,

Spoiler

I can see a small recess to the left and an odd, out-of-place rock to the right. Would you check out the hole while I check our the rock?

[lothbrok]

o ignus "my friend you are scarecly the tallestman i have ever met but still i rather doubt you could fit in there. perhaps you feathered friend might have better luck?"

[DuSlaanesh]

Looking into the corner, Ignus, you see a small recess carved into the wall. It has the words "The Treasure You Find..." written above it, that actually begin to glow a pleasant blue light as you approach.

[Provengreil]

"No, it just leads outside. Aalem says there's another back here, though. I'll check it out. Get your axe out of that gore...and you can keep the rope. I still don't like this."

EDIT(ABOVE POST APPEARED WHILE TYPING): "This cave seems to be engineered by the cultists...hmm. The treasure you find... looks like we've some goodies, I wonder?"


to Aalem:

Spoiler

I know how you feel, but something is off here. try to stay sharp.

I look into the hole.

[lothbrok]

to aalem "haha sorry my friend i misjudged the mess it would make. my sincere apologies"

[DuSlaanesh]

Looking into the recess, Ignus, you see a metal bar.

Aalem ignores Ulrik, looking at the rock, and sniffing the air towards it...

[Provengreil]

"Oh happy coincidence, I believe we just found our bolt hole. There's a lever back here."

I'll reach in and pull it.

[lothbrok]

i retrieve the rope and hammer put them away and get my axe out again

i then join ignus

[DuSlaanesh]

Ignus, please make a Reflex save.