2. The First Delve

"We seem to be safe, for now." Druin says softly.

Still puzzled by the state of the Burned Room, he inspects whether any of the items in the Dining Room are positioned such that they could direct fire toward the doorway; and tries his hardest not to think about what the artwork says about the meals likely served in this room.

"No idea who else is here but I'm sure that would not turn out well. Only one way to go deeper from here. Let check that out. Does seem to be going the wrong direction for by passing that one passage." With a touch of caution considering we just had company, Swan take a moment to listen to the door.

She doesn't hear anything and when the party is ready she will force the door open (Option 2). She is armed sword and shield.

There’s nothing in the Feast Hall that could obviously have been the source of the fire in the Burned Room. The only items are the dining furniture and the wall decorations.

Swan double-checks Gabbro’s listening at the Feast Hall’s southern door. When she doesn’t hear anything, she forces it open to reveal a 10’ x 10’ corridor that leads into a room that is 20’ long in the north-south direction. The room also extends to the west, but for how far you cannot see from your current position.

The room is a kitchen, albeit a ruined one with a particularly foul smell. The place is littered with smashed crockery and rusty utensils, and an ancient-looking water pump sits in the southeast corner.

A note on listening (and searching) - such checks will generally be made by the DM. That way, you cannot be certain whether the roll failed or there is simply nothing to be discerned.

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Day 1, 2:20 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

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...

Ricard attempts to work the water pump to refill his skin, checking the water for odor and clarity before filling up.

Gabbro follows Ricard into the kitchen, scanning quickly to see if there are any obvious threats and/or exits...anything he might see in the low light before the lantern light arrives with Tess.

Swan strides along as the light gives her space. Not holding a lot of interest in the kitchen and spends a few moments just looking around as expecting trouble.

Ruined Kitchen

As Ricard operates the water pump, it’s clear that it hasn’t been used in quite some time. The mechanism is rusty, stiff and squeaky, but he gets the sense that it’s working, i.e. that liquid is being drawn from somewhere. After half a dozen pumps it disgorges its contents. Unfortunately, it’s not water. Rather a viscous Green Slime spews forth …

Fortunately, Ricard manages to dodge the Slime and it falls to the ground near his feet.

Mapping information: from the Feast Hall, a 10’ x 10’ corridor opens into a 20’ x 20’ room. The corridor enters in the eastern section of the northern wall. There’s a second 10’ x 10’ corridor heading west in the southern section of the western wall. If your map is correct, this should tie up with the door in the eastern wall of the Grand Foyer.

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Day 1, 2:20 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

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...

She just looks at the nasty slime that came out and deciding that she isn't interested in fooling around with it.

"Seem we aren't finding a way to bypass to that mouth passage. Perhaps it is a good time to check those open passages we saw when we first came down here. Hopefully whom ever made that noise is gone."

"Don't want this oozing it's way to a door jamb or anything..."

Ricard lights a torch from his pack and, at a healthy distance, extends it before him to burn up the slime...

Gabbro takes a wide berth around the spilled slime, nods approvingly at Ricard burning it, and listens at the western door to see if there's any sound from that other group.

Swan watches on to Gaddro at the door and Ricard burning action. She is waiting to move on as nothing here seems to drive her attention. Then again if it isn't shiny that is probably the reason.

She asks Druin the Dwarf, "You think they have moved through here aleady."

"I believe they're gone," Druin answers Swan. "Most likely they went down one of the other passages, as it is clear they didn't follow us through the door."

This dining room unnerves him, so he's happy with the suggestion to return back to the main passageway and follow another path and returns to the doorway that opens into the Burned room.

Ruined Kitchen

The Slime is essentially a static target, and Ricard has no trouble destroying it with his burning torch.

Gabbro hears no sound beyond the kitchen's western door.

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Day 1, 2:30 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

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...

"Well, I don't hear anything..." Gabbro whispers to the others in the room. "But just in case they're just being quiet, I'll try to surprise them going through this door..." The elf tries to open the door back into the Grand Foyer quickly (option 1).

Druin will reverse course and cross the room to back up Gabbro as he realizes the latter means to proceed through the door on the western side of the chamber.

OK - make an "Open Doors" roll (2-in-6 for Gabbro).

Swan the Slayer is ready to lead off now that the door is open and get back to the Grand Foyer where the south path looks like it goes a bit and then splits.

Grand Foyer

Gabbro bursts through the kitchen’s western door, back into the Grand Foyer, and …

… finds it much as you last left it.

Except … there’s a familiar red glow emanating from the northwesterly corridor. It’s getting closer.

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Day 1, 2:30 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

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...

Sawn leads off by motioning to the south passage that splits. "Lets see where that passage goes. Before that red glow catches up with us." There is a sense of urgency in her voice about not letting the red glow catch up.