Expedition: White Plume Mountain

Boide glances around at the group, then grunts and mucks through to the trap door. He secures his battleaxe and shield, then pulls on the door handle with his strength.

Ohica is prepared to jump down the hole with Boide.

Ohica attempts to help.
Ulaa, that's heavy!

Boide pulls himself up to a sitting position. "Ha!" he shouts, flicking muck off his hands, though this simple act does not magically clean the rest of his body. "Told ya we'd get it open!"

"That was more entertaining than if the hatch had actually been trapped!" Tolvaj chuckles through a smirk as he watches Biode flicking himself clean.

Moving over to the hatch he takes a peek down but sees no ends to the ladder. Stepping aside he looks over the group: "Volunteers?"

Ohica sputters for a few moments, then spits some slop out of her mouth.
"Now, now, there's a clear order to these things: the greatest warrior traditionally goes first. Isn't that right, Xasu?"
Ohica is completely bewildered when the half-orc fails to volunteer, or even respond in any way.

Feeling like the whole world has gone topsy-turvy if Xasu isn't jumping headfirst into danger, Ohica pokes him in his superbly muscled abdomen. "I said: Isn't that right, Xasu?"
*What's next - vegetarian dragons, humorless halflings, well-mannered harpies?*

Eithne doesn't understand the pack's hesitation. She lopes over to the trapdoor and pokes her head in, sniffing the air inside the shaft.

The feral druid pops back up, reaches into her pouch, and pulls out a sprig of what looks like spruce. On this she sprinkles what looks like ash, muttering quietly as she does. She waves the sprig around, flicking ash onto everyone's hair and clothes. A palpable hush settles over the group. Eithne makes sweeping motions with the sprig and the cave's shadows seem to gather closer, deepening, shrouding the group. Eithne flashes a toothy grin, and pokes her head into the hole again.

Casting Pass Without Trace: +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks and can’t be tracked except by magical means. A creature that receives this bonus leaves behind no tracks or other traces of its passage.

Boide remains seated for a little while longer as the group inspects the entrance. He exhales, feeling a bit too much of the exertion from opening the door. Yes, that must be it.

He finally rises to his feet, habitually dusting his rear. Of course, that just adheres more muck to his hands, so he spends some time flicking the grime off, even going so far as to rub his hands on the wall.

"Well, if no one else is going." Tolvaj sighs as he walks over to the hole and proceeds down the ladder.

He'll go about 10' down the ladder and take a look around.

Ohica sniffs in disdain at Xasu - the very IDEA of warriors not leading the way! It's just not done! - smiles at Eithne (so kind, little lost thing!) and follows Tolvaj down the ladder.

Tolvaj will move the rest of the way down the ladder and wait on the stairway while the others make their way down.

Boide gathers his equipment, then stands above the ladder. He is ready to descend next, but waits for the current occupants to clear before he starts. Once Tolvaj steps away, Boide begins to climb down.

Eithne scurries down after Boide to Tolvaj's position at the top of the stairway and peers down into the gloom..

Valinar follows the others down, taking his lights with him.