2. The First Delve

Fenwick sighs. "I can't imagine if we needed the element of surprise we've maintained it with all this arguing. Mister dwarf, I guess you'd better somehow explain what the danger is or where you're taking us or we won't be joining you. " She watches the dwarf to see if he does more than repeat his earlier pantomime.

"God dam, you guys are so noisy." Slaps Dwarf on the back. "He will get us to the Korners."

The dwarf shrugs in an "I give up" sort of way. With a shake of the head, he draws his warhammer and hurries away to the south.

Is anyone going to follow him?

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Day 2, 12:00 pm
Fenwick, Elf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 5/6
Tiberious, Magic-User 1: 5/5

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...
Link to Tiberious' mega-maps ...

"Huh, weird. Brave guy if he needed our help, but it's not like he should've been expecting anyone to wander by, so hopefully he can handle whatever it is himself." She shrugs. "So...that seems to rule out going south. Think the other dwarves said we were supposed to head east from here. Maybe we try lifting that portcullis? Probably should check around it for traps first."

"Uhhh, to be honest I really thought the dwarf was a trap... Now I feel like maybe not!"

Swan shrugs her shoulders and takes off right behind the dwarf.

Tiberious sighs Alright. I guess we will continue to follow the dwarf. Please note that he drew his weapon. We should all prepare for battle. He pulls his dagger and falls in behind the first line of defense.

As we continue, Gabbro scans behind the group, just to see if there's anyone else creeping up behind the party...

Fenwick joins Gabbro, but she walks more slowly now, careful to constantly check the floor in front of her with her spear because they've lost their guide and she's uncertain of the traps in this area

"Sure, I want to follow the dwarf and everybody argues. I agree we maybe shouldn't trust him and..." she trails off in irritation gesturing exasperatedly in front of her with her weapon.

Checking that that coast is clear behind you, you set off southwards following the silent dwarf ...

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Day 2, 12:00 pm
Fenwick, Elf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 5/6
Tiberious, Magic-User 1: 5/5

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...
Link to Tiberious' mega-maps ...

There’s a 30’ stretch of corridor between the Chamber of the Woods and a new room to the south that the dwarf scurries towards. However, at the mid-point of that corridor, Swan gets that familiar sinking feeling in her stomach as the floor beneath her and Ricard gives way, plunging both of them into a pit trap beneath. The other Hellions manage to halt their advance before they too fall in.

Ahead of you, the dwarf turns, a look of ecstasy upon his face as if he’s drinking up the pain that he has just lured the two unfortunate fighters into.

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Day 2, 12:00 pm
Fenwick, Elf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Ricard, Fighter 1: 5/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 2/6
Tiberious, Magic-User 1: 5/5

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...
Link to Tiberious' mega-maps ...

"That's it." Gabbro has HAD it with this sketchy dwarf! "You like pain? How about this?"

"Damn it! Last time I don't listen to my gut!"

Ricard removes the rope from his pack and tosses one end up the hole.

Swan says through pain, "That dwarf better not be up there when we are." Swan is 2 out of 6 HP now.

Fenwick raises her shield before her but keeps her spear tip back and continues to tap at the floor ahead of her as she skirts around the edge of the pit, positioning herself to block the dwarf or any as of yet unseen assailants from attacking Gabbro or Tiberius. This dwarf is clearly a jerk, but fortunately he doesn't seem to have killed anybody...yet. Maybe Gabbro's attacks will scare him away, she isn't about to charge at him headlong since he obviously knows how to use traps to his advantage.

Tiberious grabs the end of the rope and tries to hold his composure. He struggles to keep a straight face, but a giggle escapes him. He tries to hold back, but soon is laughing. I am truly sorry my friends he says through fits of laughter, barely able to hold the rope I am not laughing at your pain. I just cannot help myself. Come, pull yourselves up quickly and we will teach this dwarf a lesson

OK, a quick summary of the current situation …

Lanhkmer has wandered off somewhere and is nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, Sister Jessica has just stumbled across you and joined the party (as I have said previously, I’m not concerned with matters of continuity when it comes to players leaving and joining; I’m treating this as an old-school-style "open table").

Ricard and Swan are both at the bottom of a 10’ deep pit, injured but still alive.

Fenwick, Gabbro, Jessica and Tiberious are on the north side of the pit.

The dwarf is on the southern side of the pit. Gabbro’s sling stone distracts him from savouring the suffering of Ricard and Swan. He turns tail and runs away into the darkness of the chamber to the south.

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Day 2, 12:00 pm
Fenwick, Elf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Jessica, Cleric 1: 5/5
Ricard, Fighter 1: 5/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 2/6
Tiberious, Magic-User 1: 5/5

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...
Link to Tiberious' mega-maps ...

"Yeah, you'd better run!" Fenwick shouts after the dwarf.

She'll hold position guarding against approach from the south as the others work on freeing Ricard and Swan, in case he's gone off to find help.

"You guys okay? It's really too bad we don't have much in the way of healing magic."

Though we can presumably inch our way around the open pit as we've done with others, Gabbro recognizes that they won't be able to do it in time to catch the blackguard dwarf. So he helps Tiberious with the rope, helping to anchor it so Swan and Ricard can climb out again. As he does so, he addresses the magician. "This is serious, man! That person was either one of the dwarves we met, or they were impersonating one. That could mean that the dwarves are not to be trusted, or that there's someone or something in here that can mimic others well enough to fool all of us. I don't like either one."

When get up, she shoves the rope into Tibs chest, "Make yourself useful laughing boy." She looks to the others, "Let's get that body we left and head to town."