As Ohwatoo and Mordikarr examine the room, levers, and mechanism, Maro and Durego check out the fountain, leaving Locky as rear-guard. Rawon takes position in the hall near the intersection, keeping watch, while Ingvild examines the door in the fountain chamber with Dagmarten watching his back. Raúguey takes the warning not to touch the levers as a sign that nothing exciting will happen there, and moves into the fountain chamber as well.
Mordikarr's careful examination of the interior of the lever room reveals no secret crevices, seams, or cracks, but as he walks out the doors to join the others in the hall he notices these two doors have solid stone thresholds beneath them, unlike the other doors in the area, which simply have flagged floors extending into the room. He points this out to Ohwatoo, who spends a few moments trying to probe the edges of the threshold with his dagger, to no avail. "Whatever it is, it's very well-built," says the mage. "In fact all these tunnels, even the unused areas, are surprisingly sound. Clearly whoever built this had great skill. Dwarfs perhaps?"
Meanwhile, the others have examined the fountain chamber. The fountain itself is a squared-off pool surrounded by a low stone wall. The object rising from the center was once a metal urn or vase with several flower-shaped spouts or funnels at the top, but this has long since given in to the forces of corrosion. The two-foot deep water in the pool is clear, but the bottom is coated with a thick layer of mud. Faint ripples near the center indicate some water source feeds the basin, and several small holes around the perimeter appear to be drains.
The thick rusty iron grates along the walls cover openings that lead down several feet, into narrow tube-like passages. They're pretty firmly rusted in place, though it appears they could be moved with sufficient force.
"I don't see any traps on this door," says Ingvild, indicating the door on the south wall of the chamber. "Shall we check it before we turn south?"
Raúguey nods and moves up to do the honors, while the others take up stations in the fountain chamber or the hall nearby. The fighter yanks the door wide, prepared for anything. He has time to peer inside and see a short hall opening into a wider area beyond before a warning cry alerts him to trouble!
In the hall intersection Rawon and Maro both see a door open, "Movement!" they call out simultaneously.
"Where?!" calls Locky, still in the EW hall by the iron doors.
"There!" call both the elves, pointing. Unfortunately they're pointing down different halls!
In the S hall the door in the E wall has opened, and a pair of trogs have tumbled out, weapons at the ready. The view down the SE hall is partially obscured by the pillars, but the SW door (the one barely seen) has opened, and something has moved into the shadows beyond the edge of the party's light sources.
"They're coming out of the walls!" calls Durego, still standing near the fountain.
And so it begins. With only a split second to decide what to do, party members spring into action!
Round One - party initiative
Durego prepares a spell!
Ohwatoo prepares a spell!
Maro prepares a spell!
Dagmarten prepares a spell!
Raúguey takes a hasty look in the room beyond the door (nothing), slams the door, kicks a spike in between floor and door, hesitates, thinking of crossbow versus sword in hand, then moves to the corridor without wasting time swapping weapons. Ingvild moves to cover his brother and Ohwatoo, sword ready.
Mordikarr shifts forward, careful to keep out of Rawon's line of sight, but ready to guard the bow-armed elf. He yanks a tomahawk out of his belt and prepares to throw. Locky takes up position near the western door of the mechanism room, sling ready.
Rawon is the first to attack, his glowing arrow streaks down the pillar-shadowed SE corridor. A cry of pain indicates success! [3 damage] The glowing arrow dispells the shadows, and reveals three of the creatures at the door, with several more heading SE in the hall. Mordikarr uses the light to select a target: he hurls his weapon and also hits. [4 damage] Locky thinks about firing, but his line of sight is blocked by the angle of the corridor, so he holds his action and keeps his eyes peeled to the E.
Incantations end, and spells happen! Those clustered at the intersection feel sudden power flow into them as Dagmarten's blessing spreads over them, while in the fountain room, things are suddenly crowded as two more Ohwatoos appear! Durego gestures down the S hall at the trogs he sees there, and two stiffen to statues, caught in the act of hurling javelins. Maro follows Rawon's arrow with a magic missile, striking the same target with a glowing purple missile [6 damage] The creature falls, whack dead!
The enemy doesn't advance, so those prepared for melee brace for missile impact. The third trog in the S hall and the two visible in the SE hurl javelins at the party, aiming for Raúguey, Mordikarr, and Rawon respectively. All miss! [what terrible rolls]
OOC:
- Three trogs, two now paralyzed by hold person, in the S hall.
- Three trogs, one now dead, in the SE hall.
- Two or more trogs (?) disappearing down the SE hall.
Round two - party initiative
Made bold by apparent quick success, Mordikarr, Maro (drawing ELFSWORD), Raúguey, and Durego advance to engage their respective foes while Rawon moves to give Locky line of sight and Ingvild moves to provide some melee protection for the remaining casters / missile users should anything leak past the front line. The Ohwatoos hold off on a second spell, and positions himself so he can see down both corridors, the perfect epicenter for a fireball!
Rawon and Locky fire at the nearest trogs in the hall, but neither manages to connect. Dagmarten unlimbers his sling and fires down the south hall at the only active trog, scoring a hit! [2 damage] Raúguey and Durego follow up the sling stone with melee attacks as they close, missing and hitting respectively [4 damage] This leaves the last standing S hall trog in very bad shape. Meanwhile, Mordikarr and Maro close, one on each remaining foe in the SE hall, both attack and Mordikarr hits, a mighty blow that cleaves his foe in two. [11 damage] Maro is not so lucky and ends up facing off against the last determined foe.
As the fleeing (?) creatures disappear from sight, the remaining trogs attack their foes, targeting Durego and Maro. The blow aimed at Durego slides off his shield, but Maro is not so lucky, he takes a blow to the side that draws blood. [3 damage]
Round three - party initiative
With targets in close melee with allies, the ranged folk hold off, turning their attention to covering exits and halls. In the S hall, Raúguey and Durego easily fell their foe [too much damage to mention], while to the SE Mordikarr and Maro focus on their last enemy [also too much damage to mention]. Ingvild darts forward and slits the throats of the downed creatures, while the front-line fighters peer through the open doorways, looking for further foes. This quick look shows an empty room with crude pallets on the floor, indicating living quarters for six or eight creatures. The room joins the S to the SE corridor.
OOC:
At least a few creatures disappeared down the SE passage. If you want to pursue you can. Note that Bless lasts 6 turns, Mirror Image 1 turn. Maro has suffered 3 points of damage. There are six stinky dead trogs in the hall.
Round Four - ??? initiative
Raúguey pokes his head in the room between the two groups, and sees Maro in the other hall, stooped over one of the fallen trogs. "Open the next door if there is one, we'll hit them from all sides! Durego, in here!" Raúguey himself ducks back out and heads S in the hall, ready to hit the door there.
Maro seems distracted, but Mordikarr moves forward in his place with Rawon trailing. Durego moves into the room, and the trio back at the corner, Ohwatoo, Dagmarten, and Ingvild advance down the S hall to the first room's door. Locky, unwilling to be the sole guard in the EW hall, sidles down the hall to stand near Maro, still holding his sling. "What about the ones that ran away?!" he cries.
Round Five - ??? initiative
Locky's cry is too late. "NOW!" shouts Raúguey, having barely given the others time to get in position. He yanks open the door in the S corridor and quickly steps inside, ready for battle! In the room, Durego follows suit (a push rather than a pull here), and in the SE corridor, Mordikarr tugs open the door there, which was already ajar.
This does not work as intended.
Raúguey and Durego find themselves in a large L-shaped chamber with sleeping pallets scattered around the edges. Four circular open pits run down the center of the room, each about four feet across, depth unknown. There's a crude brazier in the SW corner, a trickle of smoke still rising from the coals.
Mordikarr and Rawon, on the other hand, enter a small lopsided room with a second door at the far end. There's another sleeping pallet, with an actual blanket, and a small chest here, but no sign of the inhabitant.
Meanwhile, Maro has searched the nearest bodies, recovering 3 small pouches of goodies. Stooping over one of the dead, he whispers, "Who are your masters?" He waits, eyes closed, for the answer to come. Silence, more silence, then a single word hammers his senses, like a bolt of black pain, "Jadrago!" He blinks and shakes his head, trying to shake off the pain. He's rising when he hears it again, "JADRAGO!" He cries out and clutches the wall, almost falling before the wave of dizziness passes.
Round Six - ??? initiative
Raúguey looks at Durego. Durego looks at Raúguey. Durego turns to the door at his side, yanks it open, and is nearly skewered by Mordikarr for his troubles. Rawon and Locky hear Maro's cries and turn to aid him. Raúguey growls a curse and runs for the other door to the SE, hoping it will open into the other hall. It does, though not as expected. instead of a SE hall he finds himself in a three way intersection marked by a hacked and defaced statue standing in front of a rotted tapestry. Passages lead away S NW (the others are up there), and E.
Meanwhile in the pit-room, Durego hears something, "Help! Please, help!" Is that coming from the pits?
OOC: Durego and Mordikarr are in the room with the pits. Raúguey is near the statue. Rawon, Maro, and Locky are in the SE corridor near the northernmost door on the SW wall. the Ohwatoos, Ingvild, and Dagmarten are in the NS corridor near the S door.
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