1. The Gates of Hell

Stonehell Dungeon is located beneath the foothills of a mountain chain that lies half a day's travel from the nearest large settlement. Its location is well-known to local residents and directions are easily obtained. You take an old military road that splits from the main thoroughfare a few miles outside of town and head west.

The road skirts past a dank marsh from out of which the foothills rise. There are rumours that flooded tunnels beneath this fen connect with the dungeon, but these tales have never been proven. Once past the marsh, the road rises gradually, threading its way through the rocky hills and cliffs that lie at the base of the mountains.

After several miles, the road terminates at the mouth of a narrow box canyon that bisects a high cliff wall. The steep cliffs and the tall mountains beyond the defile loom overhead. Across the mouth of the canyon stands an old curtain wall and gatehouse. These fortifications once barred entrance to the canyon, but the curtain wall has crumbled in places, leaving large gaps that allow easy access into the canyon beyond.

The gatehouse‘s doors lay rotting on the ground before it and its rusty portcullises are as gapped as a codger‘s smile. Those opting for a more direct route can enter the canyon through the gatehouse‘s central passage.


Rumour time - let's see what titbits of gossip and hearsay you've picked up about Stonehell during your preparations. Everyone roll me a d20.

---
Day 1, Noon
Druin: 5/5
Gabbro: 7/7
Ricard: 7/7
Swan: 6/6
Tess: 3/3

Gabbro gazes up at the gatehouse. "I wonder if the prisoners themselves built these walls..."

Druin steps forward and examines the crumbling stone work with obvious disgust. Sure, all of this was shoddy work to begin with, but it hurts him to see a structure in such a level of disrepair. "I'd rather enter through the holes in these walls than the gatehouse, seems to obvious a spot to set up an ambush.", he muses aloud

"Yer right at that dwarf," Ricard draws his blade as he skirts the gatehouse in favor of the wall,

"This whole place stinks of bandits..."

Rumour time - let's see what titbits of gossip and hearsay you've picked up about Stonehell during your preparations. Everyone roll me a d20.

Swan mentions, "I think those holes in the look to be a fine entrance to me too. I sure hope we don't go too low here. I don't swim well in plate."

As Tess approaches the infamous Stonehell Dungeon, she racks her brain to see what she recalls about what lurks within...

So, those rumours … the following will have been picked up in town before you ventured forth …

A tavernkeeper tells Swan that he’s heard that a group of enterprising kobolds has set up an underground bazaar in Stonehell offering goods and services for sale.

A travelling merchant, who has clearly overstocked on rope, insists to Ricard that a bottomless chasm exists in Stonehell.

Gabbro hears that sleeping within Stonehell causes insanity. The deliverer of this information gives the impression that they may have spent a night or two in the dungeon themselves.

Of the more outlandish tales, Tess hears stories of an ever-burning skeleton haunting the dungeon’s depths, whilst Druin is reliably informed by an old-timer who wasn’t on his first drink of the day that "spinning the great cube summons a djinn who grants wishes". Exactly what the "great cube" is wasn’t clear.

—

As Druin approaches the stonework of the gatehouse, he sees that much of the outer wall is covered in graffiti. The two great iron-bound doors that once stood at the entrance to the passageway that leads through the gatehouse were battered open long ago; they now lie upon the ground in a state of advanced decay. A cursory inspection of the gatehouse passage, which leads to the canyon beyond, reinforces the dwarf's concerns - it is flanked with arrow slits and there are open murder holes overhead.

The canyon runs away to the west, with the gatehouse and curtain wall running north-south directly in front of you. If you’d like to avoid the gatehouse tunnel, the two navigable holes in the curtain wall are at its northern and southern extremities, where it meets the canyon walls. Will you head towards the northern gap, or the southern one?

---
Day 1, Noon
Druin: 5/5
Gabbro: 7/7
Ricard: 7/7
Swan: 6/6
Tess: 3/3

Swan looks over the gaps in the wall, "Lets check out there. Riches await us." as she points to the northern gap.

Druin shrugs and grunts in agreement, pausing for any other the others to object before following her lead.

Before crossing beyond the wall he'll want to inspect the entry for any obvious signs of frequent use--heavier graffiti or trampled plants, etc., but they've got to start at one end or the other and North seems an auspicious direction.

Ricard follows Swan's lead and clambers up towards the Northern gap. Fearing not just traps and ambush but also structural instabilities, the warrior pauses before the hole to throw a few large pieces of loose mortar at the rubble around the breach as well as through it. He listens for the sounds that arise from his prodding...

Tess follows the rest of The Hellions to the North. Her mouth feels dry and she can hear her heart pound away in her chest.

Well...here goes nothing. Tess old girl, what are you thinking? You should of stayed in town where the pickins were easy and far less dangerous.

Despite her reservations she feels the twinge of excitement of what could be if she makes it out alive with a small fortune.

She readies her sling in anticipation of an ambush.

You make your way along the outside of the gatehouse to the northern breach. There are obvious signs of recent passage in the nearby mud, but the coast seems clear. You carefully traverse the rubble and step into the canyon beyond.

Nestled between limestone walls that rise 200' into the air, the canyon is a natural defile averaging 150' in width and narrowing as it extends to the west. The floor of the canyon is a grassy meadow, interrupted by upward-jutting spurs of rock and small stands of trees. The sound of falling water carries from the west.

A number of cave mouths are visible in the walls of the canyon: some natural, some man-made. Within the canyon are several ruined buildings, their tumbled stone walls and rotted timbers overgrown with weeds and covered with drifts of fallen leaves. Due to time and exposure to the elements, the original purpose of these buildings is impossible to discern.

I won’t usually share maps but, for this overground area, it’s the best way of giving you a clear overview of your surroundings. The gatehouse is on the eastern edge of the map. You entered the canyon through the northern breach (A). Point (B) marks the graffiti-strewn outer walls. Point (C) is the gatehouse tunnel. Points (G) are open entrances to the gatehouse that you can see. The ruined buildings are numbered (6-9). At point (F), a rabbit sits motionless atop a tree stump, watching you.



---
Day 1, Noon
Druin: 5/5
Gabbro: 7/7
Ricard: 7/7
Swan: 6/6
Tess: 3/3

As the group approaches the northern breach, Tess notices the graffiti on the walls. Can she tell what any of them say?

At a quick glance, the messages seem to be written in a variety of languages, and time and the elements have made many of them difficult to discern. It will take a turn of careful examination to decipher anything legible from amongst the dense scribblings. Do you want to spend that time?

---
Day 1, Noon
Druin: 5/5
Gabbro: 7/7
Ricard: 7/7
Swan: 6/6
Tess: 3/3

Druin will keep his back to the northern canyon wall and stop a short distance into the breach. He focuses his attention between the closest of the buildings and the open northern entrance to the gatehouse to see if anything reacts to their approach.

Swan doesn't pay the graffiti on the walls really any attention. She isn't all that keen on reading either.

Ricard moves through the breach with his sword and shield at the ready. He cautiously moves towards the nearest ruined building and motions the party to follow.

"We should clear these buildings first, make sure no surprises await us within."

Gabbro stops just 10' past the breach, his sling ready, and listens carefully as he scans the area.
How loud is the waterfall in the canyon? Can he hear anything else?
Looking at the trees he can see (west past building 6, southwest by building 6, and south past the rabbit), how tall are they and how much foliage? Are they stunted and leafless, or tall and full of leaves that could hide observers?
How tall are the ruined buildings (6, 7, 9), and how intact are the walls? Are there cracks and breaks in the wall (or windows) enough that something could be watching and/or aiming bows at us? Can we see the 20' cave opening to the southwest, or is the view blocked by ruin 7?
Looking at the ground-level cave opening south of the rabbit, does it appear natural or man-made?
After looking for a long minute, Gabbro will share his observations quietly to the other Hellions. "What do you think? Where should we start? I think the caves will have the most treasure, but I don't know how I feel about leaving these buildings unexplored before we turn our backs on them..."

Well plated Swan says, "This place has been home to many others, we aren't going to find anything out here but trouble. I'm sure anything around this entrance isn't likely to bother us. Let's not fool with it too much. Not looking for trouble here. Further on there is treasures."

"The girl speaks sense," Druin agrees. "There won't be much of value of here on the surface, I imagine everything will have been long picked over. We just want to ensure there's no one here that will be able to get behind us and leave us without a clear exit."

You scan your new surroundings, looking for any potential sources of trouble.

Three of the nearby buildings (6, 7, 8) are completely ruined, with low, collapsed walls containing plenty of gaps. You can be fairly confident that there’s nothing substantial waiting to ambush you from within.

The fourth building (9) is much better preserved. Although fallen in places, the walls still rise up to support the cracked arches that hold the roof aloft. It’s entirely possible that there could be someone or something inside this building that you cannot see.

The nearby trees are all mature and in leaf, but the foliage is not sufficiently dense to conceal someone. However, there is a much larger copse away to the southwest (beyond building 8) that would make a good place to hide.

The opening due south of you in the southern canyon wall is clearly man-made. It is a neat rectangular opening of dressed stone. The adjacent cave is natural. Both are too distant and dark to give any clue as to their contents.

The nearby entrance (G) to the gatehouse is similarly gloomy. Studying the gatehouse structure you notice a series of upper-storey arrow slits, four on each side of the central gate, covering the canyon. Broken battlements protrude from the gatehouse roof. Although there are no signs of life, you cannot be certain that the gatehouse is unoccupied, or that you aren’t being watched.

The sounds of the waterfall are not particularly loud; nothing out of the ordinary from what you might expect in such a location.

Your overall impression is, strangely enough, one of tranquillity. Apart from the distant sound of falling water and the occasional birdsong, everything is calm and still. The noon sun bathes the canyon in a warm light, and there’s the merest hint of a breeze.

The rabbit on the tree stump (F) continues to watch you.

---
Day 1, 12:10
Druin: 5/5
Gabbro: 7/7
Ricard: 7/7
Swan: 6/6
Tess: 3/3

Swan says "I give up. What's with the rabbit."

With some energy she strides over to the rabbit and not expecting it to even flinch. She says as she approaches it, "You see enough."

"Wait, I'm not sure that's such a good..." mumbles Druin at Swan's back as she strides off across the canyon.

Not quick enough to catch her, he moves 30' south from the wall to take up Swan's prior position. Sighing, he watches from there with his weapons readied to see what transpires.

He's less concerned with the rabbit itself than whether something might be watching her from the gatehouse doors or the other structure still in decent repair as she crosses the wide-open space between them.

"It's a rabbit, what of it?" Ricard pays no heed to the bunny and instead keeps his attention on the un-ruined building nearby. He "slices the pie" across the doorway to get as much of a view inside without actually sticking his head in...

Just so I'm clear, Ricard is heading over to building (9) on the map to check it out?

Gabbro follows 10' behind Swan, ready to sling a rock the moment something jumps out of the tunnel behind the rabbit. He's a little puzzled. "Who do you think was here, cutting down trees recently?"

Swan and Gabbro stride towards the rabbit. It remains, unflinching, atop its tree stump until Swan is about 15’ away, at which point it dashes off towards the ruins at (7).

Meanwhile, Ricard walks over to the less ruined building (9) and peers inside. Enough light passes through the various holes in the ceiling for him to get a good look. A tessellated stone floor is visible beneath the moss and dead leaves that cover much of its surface. A statue of white granite depicting a human male dressed in archaic plate mail stands at the centre of the north wall. The figure kneels upon one knee, his head bowed, and a simple helm placed upon the ground beside him. Although the statue shows nicks and gouges, and a patina of lichen has grown upon its surface, it is generally in excellent condition.

Ricard - please make a Wisdom ability check to see if you recognise the figure depicted in the statue.

---
Day 1, 12:10
Druin: 5/5
Gabbro: 7/7
Ricard: 7/7
Swan: 6/6
Tess: 3/3

Ricard - you recognise the figure in the statue as St. Ras, the patron saint of duty and fidelity.

---
Day 1, 12:10
Druin: 5/5
Gabbro: 7/7
Ricard: 7/7
Swan: 6/6
Tess: 3/3

Ricard cautiously enters the shrine and drops to one knee in reverence. He makes the sign of Saint Ras and offers a prayer to the patron. If this anointed saint watches over this canyon in any way then he deserves to be honored in the mind of the soldier.

Swan chuckles as the rabbit makes a fast race away. "Pesky beast." Swan moves between the "6" and "7" leaving the front area per say.

Druin is glad to see that no movement beyond that of the fleeing rabbit. He returns to the northern canyon wall to inspect the closest opening.

Tess approaches the northern canyon wall with Druin to see if she can hear anything moving beyond the closest opening.

Gabbro follows Swan to the west, looking to see if there's any sign of Ricard, and he'll wave an "all-clear" sign to Druin and Tess over the crumbling stones of the ruins between them (6).

After paying his respects to the idol, Ricard walks out of the shrine to rejoin his companions.

"An old temple to St. Ras. Let's push on towards the prison, the day grows long."

Is there anything specific in the wording of Ricard's prayer?

Whilst Swan and Gabbro advance between the ruins (there’s no sign of that rabbit), Druin and Tess inspect the first opening in the canyon's northern wall. Without entering, they can see that an outer stone archway leads to an initial 10' passageway, which in turn opens out into a chamber beyond. At the far side of that chamber, immediately opposite the entrance, is a closed door. The opening, passageway and chamber are all man-made (i.e. it's not a natural cavern), although the floor is littered with dirt and debris blown in by the wind. From the north-west of the chamber comes a very faint red glow. It's not possible to discern any further detail without entering with a light source (or Druin's infravision). Tess can't hear any sounds coming from within.


---
Day 1, 12:10
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Swan seeing that Druin and Tess seems to be sidetracked with that spot on the northern wall, she calls over, "Anything of interest over there." as she moves to close distance to them.

Swan...keep quiet. We dont want to let anyone know we're here.

She approaches Swan and tells her what was seen. Then she says:

I think i should sneak down a little ways and poke my head around the corner to see what the red glow is and then report back. What do you think?

"Hmm. Let us find out." as she says it loud enough for the others to hear. Swan has drawn her sword and mounted a shield. Obviously, now she is expecting trouble. She is going to move to check out this red glow. Silence is not Swan's thing as she is wearing the second/third hand scale mail. That and she has that attitude of let's get this done. An obvious answer, No. She does care to have Tess scout ahead.

Druin will fall into step alongside Swan to offer support if the chamber proves less deserted than what they've explored so far.

Advancing slowly into the cool darkness, he immediately feels relief at stepping away from so much open sky and back under carven stone as the gods intended. The archway and design here implies to him that this was an intentionally planned piece of construction and not some stray scavenger's cave.

The party gathers outside the entrance to the chamber, Swan lights her lantern, and she advances through the archway alongside Druin.

Entrance Chamber
The 10’ long entrance corridor* opens out into a 30’ x 20’ room** in which the floor is covered with dirt and leaves. Immediately opposite the entrance is a mildewed door in the centre of the northern wall. There are two further exits:

- One in the northern half of the eastern wall. This heads east for 30’, before turning to the north.

- One in the west-most section of the northern wall (just to the west of the door). This heads north for 10’ before turning west. It is from this direction that you can see the very faint red glow.

(Yes, Druin’s infravision is messed up by Swan’s lantern).

* You can assume all corridors are 10’ wide, unless stated otherwise.
** I will always refer to room dimensions as (length west -> east) x (length north -> south).

---
Day 1, 12:20
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Ricard hurries to join the others and readies his spear as he takes a position in the second row...

Swan will make her way to the area where the red glow is and investigate that.

Tess stows her sling and draws her short sword, staying behind the better armored fighters.

Gabbro steps up behind the others. While Swan swans off down the northwest corridor, he takes a moment to look at the mildewed door. Is the mildew spanning the gaps between the door and the jam? Or is there any other sign that the door hasn't been used in a while? Do the hinges indicate that the door opens outward, or inward?

Druin takes a quick look around the chamber, he's also curious as to what may lie beyond that door, so he's glad to see Gabbro move to take a closer look.

But he decides its best not to let Swan wonder off alone, so he stays with her and goes to investigate the faint red light.

Since the dwarf was moving with Swan, Ricard decides to stay with Gabbro in case anything should suddenly pop out of the door they're examining...

Without hesitation, Swan strides across the entrance chamber and exits through the northerly corridor in the direction from which the red glow is coming. Druin’s little legs struggle to keep up with the fighter, whilst Tess tags along behind. After 10’ the passage turns to the west and Swan, Druin and Tess pause to take in the scene that confronts them.

Ahead, the corridor continues west for a further 10’ before opening out into another chamber. Within that chamber, 30’ ahead of you, you see the source of the red light - a large, 3’-long black beetle with two glowing glands above its eyes and a third towards the back of its abdomen. It’s feasting on an animal carcass, but your non-too-stealthy approach alerts it to your presence and it turns to face you. It rears upwards, flexing its mandibles in a clearly aggressive display.

Meanwhile, Gabbro and Ricard inspect the door in the entrance chamber. The mildew coverage is extensive, and it doesn’t look like the door has been opened recently. There’s a heavy smell of rot and decay coming from the other side. It appears that the door would open away from you, into the space beyond.

---
Day 1, 12:20
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Swan was never one good on foresight. So much a now person. And can see now that there is a problem. Its hungry and probably can move faster than Druin here. It's going to follow us if we run. Swan puts down the lantern as there is plenty of light in here now and puts on her shield. She is going to need all the defense can muster against this monster. Still she is slightly fascinated by its many lights.

All that matters now is that it needs to die. Sword point first she is ready to kill it. "We have to kill it here."

Druin would have been happy to back off on the assumption the buggy is mainly defending its prey and wait for the others to come help squish it if it didn't leave. Not knowing whether the beetle is simply a scavenger or if it took down its meal, they'll need to consider it dangerous.

With Swan charging the thing, he's sure it'll get all agitated now and buzz all over the place, so he might as well help flatten it before it causes any trouble. He moves forward to attack.

"I'm sure I've swatted crawlies at least this big before in the mines."

The elf mutters, mostly to himself. "This doesn't seem like it's been opened for a while, but it sure smells bad..." Hearing Druin and Swan talking (they're only about 20' away from him), Gabbro straightens up from his examination of the door and then addresses his companions in a whisper. "Whoops! Sounds like they found something! Let's see what it is, Ricard and Orelia!" Gabbro heads north after Tess, toward the light (bug and lantern).

I'll be buggered Tess matters to herself, That thing is huge."

She let's the two warriors attract its attention and tries to sneak up behind it for a backstab attack.

Ricard grunts a laugh at Tess's joke,

"Well played" he mutters as he falls into the tight space with spear and shield at the ready.

OK, let’s pause briefly at this point to clarify a couple of points before proceeding …

Firstly, as she didn’t indicate otherwise, I’m going to assume that Swan "packed" her shield when she swapped it for her lantern (in order to preserve her 90’ movement rate). Therefore, it will take her 1 round to retrieve and equip her shield. Does she want to spend the time to do that, or is she going to initiate combat shieldless?

(I am going to be strict about encumbrance and inventory slots. It’s a key part of the game. Therefore @GeneCortess, I really think you’ll make life much easier for yourself (and me!) if you revert to an unmodified character sheet template in which you can easily cross-reference your movement rate with your item slots. Your slots will fill up with treasure and items as you adventure, and your movement rate will change. The slot-based approach allows you to see at a glance when that happens, rather than having to count items.)

Secondly …

As Swan advances up the northern corridor with the party’s only light source, the eastern side of the entrance chamber is darkened. As Gabbro turns away from the mildewed door, he spots something he hadn’t noticed before: a message on the chamber’s eastern wall. It reads:

R. -

As agreed, the jewels await you two levels down in the chamber past the acolytes’ cells. How you deal with the wasps is your own concern!

Gabbro wonders briefly why he hadn’t spotted these words previously until it dawns on him - infravision! The writing has been marked in such a way that it’s only visible through his infravision.

---
Day 1, 12:20
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Swan isn't moving and has put her lantern down and has unpacked her shield. So that is her round. So, she has Sword and Shield in her hands.

So ... does Druin wait whilst Swan retrieves her shield, or will he advance on the beetle regardless?

Druin holds position whilst Swan puts down the lantern and equips her shield. The rest of the party assembles behind the front line.

You’re currently at the corner where the northern corridor from the entrance chamber turns to the west. The beetle is still 30’ feet in front of you. It hasn’t advanced, but it maintains an aggressive stance, positioning itself between you and its prey.

---
Day 1, 12:20
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

"Best not to come between a three foot beetle and it's meal, eh? Maybe we just back out slowly..."

Ricard holds his position to see if his words get any traction...

Swan isn't looking for getting killed over a bug. "Why do we backup and looks someplace else for riches." as she moves back to retreat while putting away her sword a moment and picking up the lantern.After we back away, "Really need someone to hold this lantern so to keep my hands free."

Yes…let’s let it be. I came here for treasure. This giant beetle is not worth the trouble

"Very well, since we're heading back, now I'll mention that I just saw writing on the wall by the east passage:
'R- As agreed, the jewels await you two levels down in the chamber past the acolytes' cells. How you deal with the wasps in your own concern.'" Gabbro points to the wall where the writing could be seen except for the lantern light. "That inclines me to go down that corridor. There's also this door, but I really don't like that smell..."

"Smells of death and rot, can't be good."

Ricard backs away from the beetle in step with the others, never lowering his spear until the bug is out of sight.

"Seems wise, why bother the beastie if we don't have to?" agrees Druin. "We can always come back if other paths turn up empty but I doubt that will be the case."

He remains facing the beast as the party backs up, just in case it decides not to let them leave without a fight.

Leaving the insect to its meal, you retreat back to the entrance chamber. The lantern, now carried by Tess*, disrupts Gabbro’s infravision (and Druin’s for that matter) and the writing on the eastern wall is no longer visible.

In terms of unexplored areas, you have the mildewed, smelly door to the north and the corridor leading east. Or you can exit back to the canyon through the southern passageway.

*Swan and Tess, please update your equipment slots.

---
Day 1, 12:20
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

"It sounds like we have votes against the trying the door, so that would seem to say we head East?"

Druin will move away from the center of the chamber and try to inch down the eastern passageway just far enough to use his infravision for getting a rough idea of its length and occupancy.

Druin scouts the eastern corridor. It continues for 30’ before turning to the north. It then carries on a further 10’ before opening out into another chamber. Druin’s infravision doesn’t pick up any obvious signs of life, although there is an unusual heat tone emanating from a small object on the floor of the chamber ahead.

(I've assumed Druin has paused at the point where the corridor turns to the north. He can see all of the above from this vantage point.)

---
Day 1, 12:30
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Ricard stays back near Tess and the light as the two demi-humans scout ahead. He keeps his shield up and spear at the ready, facing to the rear in case the beetle should decide all was not forgiven.

Gabbro, coming up behind Druin, peers around the corner, too. "What do you think that is?" he whispers to Druin. "Should we look, or wait for the light?"

"Sending scouts ahead isn't a good idea. Bound to get into more trouble than they can handle and may not be able to clean up the mess."

Your infravision has a much longer range than lanterns or torches - 60' vs 30'. So, yes, you can see the far wall - the chamber is 20' deep (north -> south). You can't gauge how wide (west -> east) it is from here. The unusual object is close to the far wall, so about 30' away from you in total.

"I think it's best to wait for the others," Druin replies. "No need to charge into danger alone if we don't have to."

Druin will head back toward the main chamber to wave the others forward and report their findings.

"I'd suggest we identify what's in the eastern chamber before heading north."

Ricard nods as Druin waves the humans forward and advanced down the east corridor with the others.

Seeing the okay sign, Swan strides up in her rental scale armor with a shield and sword ready for action as she looks about. "Looks safe here."

There's three obvious ways to continue: the room with the beetle (reached through the northwest passage), the mildewed door to the north, and the room to the northeast (reached via the eastern passage). On the premise that it's good to avoid monsters and everyone agrees to NOT go through the mildewed door (for the time being anyway), Gabbro will quietly advance 10' north from the point where the eastern passageway turns, proceeding just to the entrance of the chamber for a quick glance around and listen. "I'm just going to get a closer look before the lantern light spoils my view. Then I'll tell you what I see." He sidles along, peering into the darkness, wondering if there's any truth to the message written on the wall, and, if there is any truth to it, how someone is supposed to get down two levels. Are there stairs somewhere? Or...a trap slide?

::Get it together, Gabbro. You're jumping at shadows. Don't borrow trouble that isn't there. There's no reason anyone would trap this passage, as it's the only way in...unless the smell behind the door was a trick to get people to not use the correct entrance....::

Orelia has remained silent and pensive during the group's foray into the long dreaded dungeon. She had her shield at the ready, as well as her mace, upon following Gabbro and Ricard to the aid of the other against the beetle. She thanked her goddess silently as the group backed away from it.
"I hope nothing looms ahead," she mutters as Gabbro moves forth from the false protection of the lantern light.

Old Camp

Gabbro advances north and peers into the room. It's empty, but seems to have been used relatively recently as a camp. Discarded ration wrappings litter the floor. There are signs of an old campfire. A broken brandy bottle lies discarded in a corner.

The single bright object in Gabbro's infravision is a small cylinder, about 4" long and with a diameter of 0.5". It's buried beneath the litter.

Mapping information: rectangular chamber, 30' x 20'. The corridor enters through the centre of the southern wall. There are no other visible exits.

---
Day 1, 12:30
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

"I see a bunch of trash. Someone camped here recently..." Gabbro narrates to his companions behind him as he moves into the room, "...but not too recently: the campfire's completely cold. There aren't any other obvious passages or doors, so we might have to go back after all. I'm looking to see if I can find anything hidden..." Gabbro skips a bullet off of the pile of litter, trying not to hit the cylinder, but to trigger any snare or similar pressure release trap. "There's something warm under the litter, though..."

Good question. This is how I generally handle searching ...

If you describe searching for something specific, in a specific way, I will generally let you find it without the need for a roll. For example "I check the bottom of the chest for a hidden compartment" or "I check the torch sconce to see if it is a concealed lever".

If you want to do a generic search, e.g. "I search the east wall for secret doors" then I will make the roll in secret. That way, if you don't find anything, you won't know whether that's because there isn't anything, or that there is something but you failed to spot it.

The real penalty of searching though is time (= wandering monsters). It takes 1 person a full turn to search a 10' x 10' area. So, if you were to search all of the walls in the current chamber for secret doors, it would take 9 turns (although, obviously, multiple people can search simultaneously). So use searching judiciously. An accurate map can be a great aid in spotting potential locations for secret doors.

Nothing triggers. The bullet bounces harmlessly off the floor, and then off the far wall, before coming to a rest.

While waiting for the others to join him in the room, Gabbro will retrieve his bullet, pull out his handaxe, and poke through the refuse until he can see the cylinder.

Swan strides in but just glances about as she watches others frisk the place. She is playing lookout.

Entering the room with the rest of the Hellions, Tess assesses the situation. She approaches the pile of refuse and uses her short sword to rummage through it.

Seeing Gabbro move to secure the cylinder, Druin will simply enter the room and stand guard. He'll idelely inspect the old campsite and see if he can get an idea of how many were here and how recently.

Ricard stands beside Druin on guard as the others root through the trash.

"Looks like a boarding house on the shady side of town, let's get back out to the canyon and find the real entrance to the prison."

"There's a few doors more here to check out before we leave. Perhaps this place wasn't raided hard."

As the rest of the party, including Tess with the lantern, enters the room, Gabbro’s infravision fades. In normal light, the previously bright object reveals itself to be a stick of orange chalk.

Looking at the remains, Druin reckons the camp consisted of no more than five members and is probably weeks (rather than days or months) old.

A cursory search through the debris reveals nothing obvious of interest. You may undertake a more thorough search, but that will take at least a turn.

---
Day 1, 12:30
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Leaving the others to search the rest of the chamber, Orelia approaches the wall straight ahead from the passageway. If she sees any ridges or round bumps, she'll casually, yet cautiously, run a finger over them.

"I wonder if that was the chalk used to write the message on the wall that you pointed out to us earlier?" Druin ask Gabbro.

He turns to Ricard. "Before we head out to the main area, we may want to consider what that message told us--there may be gems here for the taking, that sounds promising. However, it said at the least we'd have to get past some wasps and the acolyte cells to get at them. The only insect we've seen so far is that beetle--could it really be a wasp? In any case, I doubt it would be alone, does some type of giant wasps' nest and a cult of whatever the acolytes are sound like the sort of thing we'd be willing to risk for the reward?"

"That's a very good guess about this chalk!" Gabbro takes the chalk (is it warm to the touch?) and tries writing a "G" on the wall. Is the writing visible in the lantern light, or not?

"As for the risk...I must admit that I don't want to fight giant wasps, but the note didn't mention GIANT wasps, just wasps...of course, I'd rather avoid ANY wasps." He turns around and leans on the wall. "But I've got to be honest with you: I spent my last copper on this mission; I need to find something of value here or I'm going to starve to death back in town. Either that, or I'll have to scavenge or steal to survive. That prospect...doesn't appeal to me. So I think it's worth investigating more." He puts the chalk in his pouch and dusts off his hands. "All that said, let's not borrow trouble from tomorrow. The acolytes and wasps are 'two levels down;' we haven't even found stairs yet! Or a ladder, or a chute, or any kind of a slope leading downward! I say we look around a bit further and deal with what's in front of us, then worry about the wasps and acolytes if we manage to find a way down. Do we want to open that foul door, deal with the beetle, or go back outside to check the other entrance on the far side of the ravine?"

It generally feels like ordinary chalk, but it does have a very slight warmth to it. When you attempt to write on the wall with it, although you get the sense the chalk is being deposited, it doesn't leave a visible mark in lantern light.

It works as you suspect. You can mark this on your inventory as "flame chalk" (your first magical item!). Any writing created by a stick of flame chalk is invisible to the naked eye, but the substance produces a faint heat that makes it legible to creatures with infravision. It's small enough to not require an inventory slot, so make a note of it somewhere else on your character sheet.

The wall consists of rough-faced limestone blocks of generally poor quality. There are plenty of cracks and crevices, but nothing that strikes Orelia as out of the ordinary.

---
Day 1, 12:40
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

"Let's keep exploring deeper. We aren't deep enough for treasure yet. No need yet to check every place for a dropped copper." Swan urges for further scouting.

"That chalk might be great for someone else. I don't see in the dark. Best those that can be a looking for notes. I take the notes we have seen so far with a bit of salt. Just tells me where some treasure might be."

"We should know the entrance to Stonehell when we see it, they built a curtain wall with a gatehouse to defend it so it'll probably match in some way. This looks like an old scavenger camp. Probably bandits or the like."

She hasn't said that she's searching yet, but seeing Orelia begin to inspect the wall inspires Gabbro to search the section of wall next to her. "Just give me a few minutes to see if there's anything here..."

Gabbro searches the easternmost 10' of the north wall.

As the others begin searching the walls, Ricard joins in and searches the section next to Gabbro.

Tess hold the lantern while Gabbro searches the wall.

If you don't find any hidden entrances, I think we should check out the main gate.

Between them, Orelia, Gabbro and Ricard explore the central and eastern sections of the northern wall, and the northern section of the eastern wall (so between 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock, if that makes sense). They discover nothing of interest.

---
Day 1, 12:40
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

"Seems we should check that door we passed while going to the big beetle problem." Winks that is accord of spaceseeker19 fine mapping ability.

"The door with the stink? Bet you two to one it's corpses in there."

Ricard doesn't like the smelly door one bit but makes ready to breach nonetheless. Spear and shield in hand he takes a position to one side of the threshold...

"Ugh, I just hope they're not the moving kind." mutters Druin.

He'll take up position alongside Swan.

With a deep breath as she is expecting lesser in smell. "Lets see what is being here. Perhaps it has kept others out." she tries the door and if she has to put her weight in, she will.

Gabbro hurries to follow the others, readying his sling again as he positions himself behind the others, between the mildewed door and the southern (entrance) passage.

"The moving kind? What the blazes does that mean? You don't believe in the wives tales about restless spirits, do ya? Heh-heh, yer puttin' me on!"

Ricard laughs even as the lump in his throat rises...

The party gathers outside the mildewed door in the entrance chamber.

A note on doors in Stonehell …

Most doors in Stonehell are "stuck". Unless I tell you otherwise, you can assume this is the case. The timbers are warped, the hinges are rusty and the floor is often uneven.

You therefore have two main options when it comes to opening doors.

1. If you want to maximise your chances of surprising anybody/anything on the other side of a door, then you can attempt to forcefully and suddenly barge it open. This will require a successful "Open Doors" roll. Bear in mind, that this might mean that the door opener crashes into anything that is immediately on the other side of the door. It might also lead to a penalty on any subsequent reaction roll (nobody likes to be rudely interrupted in such a way!).

2. If you’d like to take a more measured approach to opening a door, you can do this without a roll, but anybody/anything on the other side of the door is likely to be alerted to your presence.

The other characteristic of Stonehell’s doors to be aware of is that they will generally swing shut unless held open.

---
Day 1, 12:40
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Swan did option 2 as the door is obviously going to be stuck. 'More measured approach to opening a door, you can do this without a roll, but anybody/anything on the other side of the door is likely to be alerted to your presence.' She did not use her 4 in 6 to open the door.

Spoiled Storage

The foul smell intensifies as you open the door to reveal what was once a storeroom but whose contents are now in an advanced state of decay. Rotting crates and barrels lie haphazardly, many of which have long since relinquished their contents to leave a layer of slime upon the floor. A pile of mouldy rolls of cloth lies in one corner alongside an equally decrepit-looking heap of leather.

Mapping information: square chamber, 20' x 20'. The door opens into the western section of the southern wall. There are no other visible exits.

---
Day 1, 12:40
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

"Now that is nasty. Now out of there by looks. We are going to have to kill that beetle."

She steps away from the entrance in case someone else wants to waddle in there, "Perhaps that beetle has kept others from hunting treasures."

I see no reason to fight the beetle over his meager kill. We still need to check out the main gate.

"By all means, let's not seek out a fight, certainly! But I think we should at least look in the room to see what's there, don't you?" Gabbro looks around, and realizes that everyone is looking at him. "Oh! I guess...that means me, huh?" Shield and sling in hand (still), Gabbro will creep northwest around the corner and down the 10' to the edge of the room, just to see its dimension and whether there are other exits. He's trying to move softly in the (relative) darkness so as to not alarm the beetle.

Swan says as she starts to head toward the beetle spot, We can fire on the beetle at a distance and kill it. It didn't attack us on sight.

[ooc]She has her handaxe now and sword is put away. She still has her shield in her off hand. She has full intentions to throw her handaxe and draw her sword against the beetle./ooc]

How close to the beetle would Swan like to try to get before throwing her handaxe? Within 10' gives her a +1 to hit; 11-20' is no modifier; 21-30' is -1 to hit.

Oh boy..here we go.

Tess grips the hilt of her sword and reluctantly follows the rest of the Hellions to their first battle. Staying behind the front line fighters to wait for an opportunity to sneak up behind the beetle to backstab it.

Druin will follow Swan down the passage toward the beetle. He'll keep his sword at the ready and do his best to stand out of her way as she takes aim, but stay close by enough to step in and defend her if the insect becomes aggressive after being attacked (which he's fairly certain it will).

OK, so Swan has initiated combat. There's no surprise on either side (you're well aware the beetle is there, and you've made no particular attempts to be stealthy so it will sense your approach). Please can any Hellion roll 1d6 for initative.

Needless to say, if the party follows him to check out the room (presumably bringing a light source), Gabbro will be resigned to a fight. When Swan comes up behind him and throws her handaxe, Gabbro will sling a bullet at the giant beetle, too.

Beetle Battle - Round 1

The fire beetle wins initiative.

The fire beetle, angered at being disturbed for a second time, scuttles forward and attempts to bite Swan …

It's a ferocious attack, one that would have surely killed Swan had it connected, but the fighter neatly dodges away.

Beetle Battle - Round 1

The Hellion’s are up. As the beetle moved first, it advanced out of the western chamber to engage you in the east-west corridor. This means you can fight it two abreast. I’ll assume the front rank consists of Swan and Druin. Ricard may attack from the second rank with his spear if he wishes to do so.

As Swan is now engaged in melee, she may no longer throw her hand axe.

As everyone will have moved to engage before Gabbro can get his sling shot away, and given the beetle is quite low, it is going to be very difficult for the elf to get a clear shot. He may do so, but at a -4 penalty to hit and a risk of hitting a Hellion if he misses.

Please let me have your actions (and let me know if you’d like to modify any of my assumptions above). Those that are attacking may go ahead and roll to hit and damage. The order of events will be movement -> missiles -> spells -> melee.

---
Day 1, 12:40
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

"Look out!" Druin yells as the creature comes scurrying forward, its speed catching him off guard.

He stabs at it desperately with his sword, trying to distract it from its attack on Swan.

Man that is a big bug

Tess stays behind the front line fighters. If an opening appears she will sneak through it to get behind their foe.

Ricard thrusts his spear over the shoulder of Druin from the second row. He aims for the beetle's head hoping to put it down in one clean strike...

Swan swings with her handaxe as the beetle has aggressively attacked.


How do you handle natural 20's? and she hit for max damage too.

Gabbro is alarmed at the speed with which the beetle cleared the distance between them, and is relieved when Druin steps up to assist Swan. He doesn't have anything close to a clear shot, and doesn't try to hit the monstrous bug, as even trying to swing the sling would be likely to hit one of his companions. "Yes!" he cries as Ricard stabs their enemy, and then "Excellent!" as Swan's axe cleaves into it.

With ruthless efficiency the bug is dispatched, Ricard pinning it with his spear whilst Swan delivers the killing blow. Rather eerily, the beetle's three glowing glands, two above its eyes and one on its abdomen, continue emitting red light.

Nothing special for a natural 20 other than a guaranteed hit.

---
Day 1, 12:40 pm
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Gabbro leaves the carcass to those who earned it, commenting "Those glands might be valuable." He looks down at them, still glowing. "Useful, at any rate, if they keep glowing. Also, a wizard might be able to use them for something other than light." He steps past the others to pursue his original goal: examining the chamber. What was the beetle devouring, what are the room's dimensions, and is there anything else obviously of note in here?

Ricard knows the value of flameless light when he sees it and begins harvesting the three light organs, one of which he keeps and the other two are handed over to the other humans in the group to divide between them.

Druin looks at Swan and Ricard with newfound respect as he watches them so methodically kill the creature that he was unable to strike.

"Well done, everyone."

He has no interest in carving up the slain beetle, so he leaves Ricard to it and follows Gabbro forward to inspect the room beyond.

The chamber where the beetle was feeding is 20’ x 30’. The beetle’s meal, what’s left of it, was a mountain goat kid. You can see nothing else of obvious interest in the room, nor are there any other obvious exits.

Anyone who takes one of the three glowing glands, please mark it on your character sheet. Each will take up one item slot. They will function as makeshift lanterns, although their useful light radius is restricted to 10’.

---
Day 1, 12:50 pm
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Swan says, "Why don't we search these walls too for something hidden before we leave."

Wow! I hope all of our battles are that easy!

Tess enters th room and takes a good look around. Can she tell what the beetle was eating?

Druin looks around the empty chamber. "How do we suppose a goat got in here?" he remarks, and he begins to search the chambers for any signs of hidden entrances/exits.

"We head out if we can't find some hidden entrance here." She has put away the handaxe after cleaning it off and has her sword back in hand.

Gabbro nods at Swan's suggestion, and chooses to search the western half of the northern wall for secrets. "Very well. I'll search here. It does seem likely that there is more here than just these three spaces: why would whoever lived here previously have a storeroom to supply just two other fairly small rooms?"

Druin will start his search in the southwestern portion of the far (i.e. West) wall and work north along that wall as he searches.

Orelia sighs with relief as the skirmish was over in a flash. A large bug like that was unsettling to the acolyte. However, the prospect of using one of the removed glands as a small source of light brought her little joy... She will, however, take one and place it within her sack.

After hefting her just about heaving sack back on, Orelia joins the others in searching the walls. She'll take the portion of wall directly to the left (south) of the corridor's opening.

Ricard joins in the search and checks the western portion of the southern wall.

After a short rest, you start to search the beetle's chamber. The sections of wall that you investigate do not uncover anything of interest.

A note on resting: you must rest for one turn every hour or suffer a -1 penalty to hit/damage until you do so. In order to keep the game moving, I will generally assume that you do this if it seems reasonably safe. I've updated the time in the footer accordingly.

---
Day 1, 1:10 pm
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Swan says after the search appears a bit fruitless. "Lets head back up and search someplace else for treasures." She is marching back up to the surface.

"Agreed. How about we head into the prison proper? That's where the real treasure is!"

Ricard heads back out into the fresh air where he cleans the beetle guts off of his blades.

"Hmm..." Gabbro muses, following the others back out into the canyon. "I wonder why they camped here, if there is nothing else of interest here, and why the message was written here. I just can't make sense of it." He shakes his head. "I guess we can't know. Maybe the two parties agreed to use this space because it was known to be "safe," so they declared in advance that they'd meet and/or camp here? That's not a bad idea, come to think of it. Maybe when we find our way into a larger complex, we should mark a place to meet if we get separated..."

Orelia looks a bit disappointed that the search was fruitless. Though, she could not expect much of a place that was once a prison to hold many secret passages. Else, there would long have been a stream of inmates long, long ago when the place was used as such.
She follows the others outside, veiling her eyes under a hand against the noon sun.

The party returns to the bright light and grassy meadow of the canyon floor. Tess extinguishes the lantern (I assume!).

Where to next?

---
Day 1, 1:10 pm
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

With the thoughts mentioned, Swan his heading to the entrance to the prision, (I think that is C.) "Lets hope hunting is good."

"Now we're talking!"

Ricard follows along towards the entrance to the Stonehell prison, keeping a weary eye on the tree stand on the southern edge of the canyon.

Druin sighs as they step out of the cliffside. He was hoping not to have had to be out in the open air again so soon. At least this time he knows they're headed right back underground where a dwarf should be. Pity their pockets aren't any heavier. Ah well, that'll come soon no doubt.

Swan avoids saying that she never really wanted to go into the cliffside in the first place. It wasn't her idea. She followed. Now she really wants to do what she wanted earlier to do. Find a spot to go deep into this place where the cheap hunters don't go. TREASURE. Which is obviously what is driving her. The COIN. She is a gal with a one-track mind. And obviously she isn't afraid of combat, but she really like to avoid it if she can. Darn beetle was too fast, but she did waste it nicely after it got speared and pinned down. She has her shield up and ready and her sword to end any problems. Onward. She is just a moving set of metal with sharp edges.

Gabbro proceeds with the others, but detours around the low, ruined walls at 6 to keep some cover between him and the cave mouth 60' above them in the northern canyon wall. Someone with a sling or a bow up there would be able to hit pretty much anything in this canyon... His one consolation is that it's a steep climb to that cave, meaning it'd be tough for attackers to get down as well as for the party to climb up. Even the 20' cave opening to the south is above a steep slope...

As they traverse the middle of the canyon (crossing the fold from the right hand map to the left), Gabbro looks at what's ahead.

- What can they see at the end of the canyon (C on the left map)?

- What is the condition of the ruin they are approaching (at A and 3 on the left map)?

- Is the switchback path (at B on the left map) connecting the two cave mouths to the south overgrown, or is it clear?

(edited to make the three questions more clearly distinct)

You make your way cautiously westwards towards the far end of the box canyon. This takes you past the ruined shrine to St. Ras, past the waterfall and the pool into which it flows (which is noticeably teeming with life - reeds, lily pads, algae and the loud croaking of frogs), between the two copses of trees, and past a final ruined building.

You eventually arrive at a stone archway (10‘ wide, 15‘ high) carved into the cliff face (point C on the map of the western half of the canyon). Beyond its gaping mouth lies blackness and the smell of mildew and decay. A flat stone plaque is carved above the archway‘s apex, the writing that adorns it eroded by weather and the passage of time, yet still legible …

Beware All Who Enter
These Benighted Halls of Stone.
Within Lies No Solace
Nor Any Comforts of Home.
Toiling For Our Crimes
We Must Dig Where We Dwell,
With No Freedom or Mercy
In Our Vast Stony Hell.

---
Day 1, 1:30 pm
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Swan looks at the stone plaque and reads it. "Yeah. Right." is all she has to say. Obviously, she can read. Letters are big enough.

She goes forward and puts her weight on the door (Using #2) as she is sure that is most likely stuck.

Ah - we cross-posted ... let me answer your questions ...
See above.
It's similar to the ruins in the eastern half of the canyon ... little more than the remains of stone walls and rotted timbers. Thick growths of weeds are taking over the floor, and piles of fallen leaves from the nearby trees congregate in corners.
The path is clear.

---
Day 1, 1:30 pm
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

"Hrmm," Druin shrugs. "Was hoping we'd find a side entrance rather than having to stroll through the front door. But this is clearly the place."

He fidgets a bit with his armor and the strap of his shield making sure everything's secure and heads in once all the group is assembled.

"A poem for the damned. I wonder if anyone ever escaped?"

Ricard readies behind Swan with his spear...

"Well, they say that some got out when they closed the prison." Gabbro points to the switchback path up the canyon wall to the cave entrances on their left. "But some clearly stayed. Their descendants may still be here, judging by how that path looks to be in good condition and not overgrown." Gabbro waits for Swan to finish opening the door while he keeps a wary eye on the cave mouths. "I wonder how they get their food..." Without taking his eyes off of the cave mouths for too long, he flicks his gaze around the canyon to see if there's a herd of goats grazing nearby.

Before we enter the dungeon will we be using the lantern, or the glowing antennafrom the beetlefor our light source? Tess asks the party.

"I have torches if you wanna save your lantern..."

Just keep that lantern going. If you need more oil, I have plenty.

There is no door - it's an open archway. Peering into the gloom you see a 20' wide corridor extending west for 30' before opening into a larger space. From the outside, you can't see any more detail than this.
You can't see any animals nearby, but there are signs of their passage, particularly to and from the pool. It's easy to spot various hoof and paw prints in the ground. Some of the paw prints are quite large.

---
Day 1, 1:30 pm
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

"Hellions, what sorts of animal do you think live in these caves?" Gabbro inches toward the archway. "There's some pretty big tracks out here. Wolves, perhaps? Bears? What else lives in caves and leaves big prints like that? Any big cats that live in caves?" He muses for a bit more. "Seems to me that, no matter what kind of animal it is, there's unlikely to be much profit in hunting them down. No treasure, and maybe only pelts...not worth the risk, I think." Gabbro looks to see whether any tracks are leading in or out of the archway before we scuff them all by heading in.

Probably not inside.. those tracks probably are from the outside. The place isn't secured. It is a bit dark and gloomy here. With no threats, Swan continues further to see more.

Gabbro crouches to examine the ground outside the archway. The entrance is worn and clearly in regular use. There are two types of footprint discernible within the mud - those made by boots (of average human size) and smaller humanoid barefoot prints with claws.

Swan advances into the darkness beyond the archway but, without the aid of light, she cannot see any further. She'll need to take the lantern, or other light-bearers will have to accompany her.

---
Day 1, 1:30 pm
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Gabbro softly points out the tracks: "Goblins? Kobolds?" Then he gets up and dusts off his hands. "Either way, they can see in the dark."

"What do you think, Druin?" the elf murmurs to the dwarf. "Should we scout ahead in the dark and maybe see them without announcing our presence, or do we proceed as a group with the lantern - safety in numbers - but lose any chance of surprise?"

Swan calls back, "You know I can't see in the dark. Really need to keep up."

"I have a feeling if there's someone waiting to pick off hopeful treasure hunters like ourselves as we enter, we'll be spotted light or no light--given the frequency of these tracks from goblins and the like." Druin responds. "So, I think we forego the scouts and keep together in a pack that's big enough to fight off whatever hits us, as there's also a good chance that'll threaten them off before the fight even starts."

She muses and says, "I have always thought of scouts as cannon fodder."

"Scouts are an important part of a regiment, in the field at least. Down here? Hard to say, but I do think we should stay together... All of us."

Ricard calls that last bit after Swan who this far had a habit of rushing ahead into unknown situations that, considering the circumstances, could prove deadly

Aye. Staying together would be wise. No reason to spit up and make it easier for the denizens to pick us off. Lets ventureforth Hellions! Our fortune awaits!

Gabbro nods at Druin, and then at everyone else joining in on their whispered conversation. "Good. Let's catch up to Swan, then, before she realizes that she's acting as the scout at the moment."

Then, a bit louder as he heads into the passage after the big fighter, Gabbro adds: "Who's got the light this time?"

Tess relights the lantern.

I’ve got it. Let’s see what awaits us.

Hell's Entrance Hall

The wide entrance passageway opens into a 40' x 40' square chamber whose ceiling arches to a height of 30'. At the centre of the well-worn floor, a stone spiral staircase descends into the depths.

The walls are covered with graffiti. This mostly consists of the names of individuals, but Druin also recognises messages scrawled in Kobold. These are all simple instructions or notices, e.g. "Clear up trash, dumb men!".

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Day 1, 1:30 pm
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

"See this place is infested. We may have to take away their share."

Druin points out the kobold graffiti to the other Hellions.

"Interesting, I hadn't really expected it, but this along with the number of tracks implies a sense of community here, doesn't it? As in, there may be an active village rather than a deserted dungeon?"

Swan says, "Thats the problem with infestations. You get a some and next thing you know. They are everywhere. Lets hope some has already reduced their numbers."

Orelia glances aside towards Swan and says "Even those we label monsters can have their homes. This was once a prison - now some may indeed call it home. One could call the town we ventured from an "infestation" if they were of a bloodthirsty disposition.
We are entering in the hopes of finding wealth. I enter to find a little more than that. If anything, we are the invaders. Alas, such is the way of an adventurer's life..."

After she has said her piece, she will peer at the ominous stairway down.
"Well then... Shall we delve into the depths below?"

"That'd almost make me feel bad," says Druin, pausing to spit in the dust of the tunnel. "Except I need the gold either way, and I suspect they didn't send most folks here for no reason. "

"By all means, let's go!" Gabbro replies to Orelia, still keeping his voice low so to prevent it from carrying more than a few yards.

To Druin's remark, he responds: [b]"The rumors I've heard about Stonehell is that many groups have come to settle in different parts of the prison in the hundreds of years since it was closed and the prisoners released. So it's not totally a surprise...what is surprising is the idea of kobolds working with men. Kobolds usually kill men on sight, and sometimes eat them."

Gabbro considers this as he follows the others to the stairs (and presumably they start to descend). [b]"Does that mean that the kobolds are somehow less evil than usual, or that the men are more so?"

Ricard silently regards the graffiti while his companions philosophize on the nature of community. Preferring not to think too deeply on the matter, the warrior takes his place in the line as the group descends the stair well...

Swan adds in, "Only good Kobold is a dead one." expressing just how she feels about them. As she now goes forward with light.