2. The First Delve

Ricard, having finished heroically soloing the rampaging green slime, double times it back into formation and follows Swan down the new passage...

Gabbro whispers to the others in the Kitchen as he holds the door open: "There's somebody coming from the mouths...let's move! Go down the passage there!" He points south in the same direction as Swan.

No, those without infravision can see the red glow as well.

Druin hustles forward to join Swan and head down the south passage.

"The things can't have followed us from where we slew the other?" he says. "More likely they infest the upper passageways here, that might explain the state of that burned room."

"Last thing I want is to have to fight other treasure seeking people. I like to keep that to find treasure for my fights." As she considers which side passage in the south to take to get out of sight. "Need to kill our light source when we get out of sight."

You leave the kitchen and hurry down the south-easterly exit from the Grand Foyer. As already shown on Gabbro’s map, you quickly arrive at a corridor on your left heading east. That corridor continues straight for 10’ before arriving at a north-south T-junction.

If you ignore that turn-off and continue south from the Grand Foyer, the passage turns to the west (again, as already shown on Gabbro’s map). After that turn, it continues west for 10’ before ending at a closed door.

Looking back over your shoulders, your view is obscured by the spiral staircase, but you sense that the Fire Beetle(s) has/have arrived in the Grand Foyer. Without stopping to investigate, you cannot tell whether it/they has/have noticed you or has/have any interest in you.

---
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 ...

Seeing the closed door, Gabbro turns back and heads to the T-intersection to scan what's to the north and south. He's inclined to head north again...

Swan took no time at all as she figures they will be on top of us quickly, so she took the passageway to the north fast to get out of sight. She doesn't go down it all just enough go get around the corner. She waits there to help coax the rest of the party around it.

Druin doesn't take much coaxing and turns quickly up the northern passage at Swan's urging.

He figures the worst case here is that they get caught between the beetles and something else so that they have to fight on two fronts; instead he focuses on moving fast enough to only have to worry about whatever lies ahead.

The DM makes various suspicious rolls behind his screen ...

OK, we need to rewind a little bit …

Keen to evade the Fire Beetle, you head down the short east-west corridor towards the T-intersection. However, at the corridor’s mid-point, Swan and Druin suddenly feel the floor give way beneath them. Pit trap! They both plummet 10’ and land in a heap at the bottom. The other Hellions manage to bring themselves to a halt before following the lead duo in.

---
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 ...

Oh, we have our first casualty - poor Druin. It was actually him, rather than Swan, that triggered the trap. So, presumably, he was the first to drop and was not only injured from the fall but subsequently crushed by the plate mail-wearing Swan.

@MinMin - if you’d like to continue playing, feel free to roll up a new character in the "Session Zero" thread and we’ll introduce you back into the game straight away.

---
Day 1, 2:30 pm
Druin, Dwarf 1: *Dead*
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Orelia, Cleric 1: 3/3
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 5/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...

A young-looking Elf stumbles around the corner from the Grand Foyer, her plate mail clanging audibly as she bumps into the rear of the party.

"Oh, hey, hi," she says, looking up in surprise. "Are you all exploring for magics, too? Neat! Mind if I join in."

She stands on her tippy toes to see what everyone in front of her is starting at down in the pit.

"Ugh, well that looks unfortunate. Little guy probably shouldn't have tried to jump down so far. Always with the Dwarves and the short man syndrome, am I right?"

"Druin, no!!!"

Ricard hurriedly pulls out his rope and lowers it down to Swan,

"We're moving too fast! We need to slow down. Alas poor Druin, I hardly knew him."

When the elf appears, Ricard reaches for his blade but then the friendly manner of the newcomer puts him at ease.

"It seems we have room for one more..."

Gabbro teeters on the edge of the pit for a moment, then rocks back on his heels. "Druin! Swan! Oh no!" He turns to Tess, Ricard, and Orelia. "Have any of you got some rope so we can help them get out?" Then he sees Ricard already unspooling his coil. "Ah, good, good. How do you all feel about jumping across? We should really help them get out on the other side, if possible...that way the beetles will be on this side. Wait - those fire beetles can't fly, can they?"

"Good question..."

Ricard sizes up the jump to see if he thinks he can make it...

"We can probably step across the corners more easily."

Swan landed with a lot of metal sounds with brief cry of pain muffled as best she could. She was sure Druin was dead lifeless under her as he painted her armor red. "Noble sack. Shame I liked him." she thinks. With a subdue voice, "Druin didn't make it." as Swan tries to figure out her situation but was difficult till some light creeps down to the pit."Hey Tess. Can you shine some light down here."

Ricard tosses the slime-killing torch down to Swan...

Swan catches the torch and exposes her dear situation. Sure, enough Druin dead from the fall. Swan armor is cover in his blood as she stands on the bottom of the pit. You can tell from her expression she really doesn't like this situation. And the demise of Druin doesn't at all help. But she is a practical person. She is thankful for just haven't some minor bruising.

She calls up, "Yeah. Some rope to haul myself and Druin would be great."

She ignores the sounds of someone new up top. Nothing she can deal with right at the moment. She starts searching the bottom of the pit for whatever is there besides dead body and bones. This includes Druin's body as she can see that he isn't going to miss anything. (Search)