4. The First Expedition

As soon as she enters the vast new chamber, Ellagel scans the different exits from the room, most of which are shrouded in shadows, given the irregular lighting emanating from the different torches. The elf approached the closest torch sconce, and studied how long the torch must have been burning in this room; torches burned for roughly an hour: if the room was illuminated by consumables, someone must return to this chamber often to replenish the sources of illumination. She suspected these torches were perhaps yet another source of magical lighting: the elf approached an exposed finger to determine if the torch produced heat, as well as light. Once she was satisfied with these preliminary examinations, she would move to the southern wall's central archway, careful to approach it obliquely. She wanted to have a look at what might lay beyond the portal.

Our dwarven fellow wanders over to the slumped body by the west wall.
Prolly too late fer any healin’, Grim mutters gruffly, and mostly to dwarven self.
Grim stoops low and examines the body.

Thrudmarr keeps a healthy distance from the statue while Jacky pokes at it.

"Maybe dead guy take eyes, make statue man mad."

Zacharias, having a healthy fear of prodding the unknown drilled into him over the past two days—or was it ten years—stays well to the middle of the room. When there would be something to slice, he would slice it. Until then, let the others do the poking and the prodding.

Jackie tentatively prods the arms of the giant statue with his ten-foot pole to check if they are moveable. Indeed they are. They are pinned at the shoulders and rotate in the same manner as the statue at the top of the pyramid. (I've assumed you've only nudged them gently at this point and haven't attempted to move them to any significant extent.)

Meanwhile, Ellagel checks the room’s torches. They appear entirely normal, giving out heat and light in exactly the way she would expect. Moving to examine the central southern archway, all she can see is that a passageway extends from it for at least 20’ due south. That is as far as the light sources in the current room extend, and those light sources disrupt her infravision. The corridor is 10’ wide, has a 10’ high ceiling, and is of the classical Archontean construction of plaster-coated stone walls. The plaster is more complete here than on the stairway, revealing the original frescoes to a greater extent.

The body that Grim and Thrudmarr examine appears to have been slain recently. There are wounds to the chest and left arm that look to have been inflicted by some sort of weapon. It’s clear the body has already been looted - the pockets are turned out and the boots have been removed. However, Thrudmarr’s rummage does reveal a scroll stuffed into the corpse's trousers. It’s incomprehensible to Thrudmarr, but Grim recognises it as containing a "Find Traps" spell.

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10:40 am, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 90’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 90’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

The elf stood in silence for a few brief moments, looking into the darker shadows beyond.

Grim takes the scroll into calloused hands. We’ll be needin’ dis, he grumbles.

What is that you found, Master Griffnose?, Zachary asks as he sees Grimidek pick up a scroll of some sort.

Jacky looks over the stone chest under the statue before sharing his findings with the others. Is it free of dust like the statue? Or does it look tampered with, as he suspects?

Err ... I have no idea how easy or difficult it is to tell how much light is left in a torch by looking at it. Torches burn for 1 hour. Let's say, as far as Ella can tell, she reckons there's no more than 20 minutes of illumination left. But it could be less than that. If anyone has any specialist torch knowledge, please advise!

The corpse is a human male.
It is largely dust free, yes.

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10:40 am, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 90’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 90’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

"Grim want paper? Must be good then. Glad I found!" Thrud studies the corpse with growing concern. "Something hurt person with weapon. Maybe still around. We be careful, yes?"

His grip tightens around his axe, eyes darting between the rooms many dark entrances. The flickering torchlight casts shifting shadows that make every doorway seem to hide some lurking beast, and Thrudmarr can't help but imagine what sort of horrible creature might return at any moment.

"Wait a moment and don't move," Jacky calls out to the others. His attention is on the dead body. "Look at the ground. Are there any prints leading from the body that's not from Thrudmarr or Grimidek? That might tell us where the killer went."

"The box. Must be to receive sacrifices. So maybe we don't try to take anything out just now?" Ella said from the southern part of the chamber, as she kept watch.

Jasper, can you tell how long has that body has been dead? Has it perished from fright, perhaps? Zach's mind cannot escape his encounter with the specter at the base of the mountain.

Jacky calls for the rest of the party to stand still and stoops to examine the dust and debris around the corpse. Apart from the disturbances created by Grim and himself, the only other prints show traffic to and from the location of the body along an east-west direction. There are no obvious signs of a scuffle - just prints going back and forth - suggesting the body was perhaps dumped here.

The corpse seems relatively fresh. Probably dead for a matter of hours rather than days. The visible wounds to the body’s chest and left arm appear to be the likely cause of death.

Just as Jacky rises from his crouched position, you hear a voice call out from the east.

"Well, well, well … what do we have here? A new party of adventurers? You’ll be wanting to purchase a licence, no doubt. Good job you found us!"

The greeting, which is delivered in a cheery and welcoming fashion, comes from a rather grizzled-looking halfling. He is followed by five other halflings who are all wearing studded leather armour and carrying spears and shields. From the light cast by the leader’s torch, you can see that they’ve emerged through an iron gate that is set 10’ east of the southernmost archway on the eastern wall.

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10:40 am, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 90’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 90’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’


Link to Jacky’s maps …

"More little folk!" Thrudmarr exclaims, startled by their sudden appearance. He keeps his axe at ready and remains wary, eyeing their weapons as he sets his lantern on the floor. "What license mean?"

He glances uncertainly between Jacky and the new halflings, hoping his friend might help explain. Though the leader's tone seems friendly, the presence of the fresh corpse makes Thrudmarr suspicious.

Grim greets the halfling folk with a customary dwarven Hmph.
Our dwarven fellow speaks dourly to the other party, Now, now. We’ve right fer ta be here jus’ as you lot.
Dere’s plenty o’ dungeoneering fer all o’ us.

Zacharias sighs. Finally, something his simple mind can comprehend. A halfling mafia. Zach may be ignorant, but he isn't stupid, little folk. Zach has seen these kinds of extor-, explorshu-, exformatio-, robberies before. Are you sure you wish to rob us, little folk? Zach tightens his grip on his shield and brandishes his bastard sword with a flourish.

While the others raise their voices, Jacky sighs and makes sure of his shortbow. He'd have an arrow nocked should the need arise.

An immediate, direct confrontation isn't how he would have liked to approach this - calling this Plummy and his gang thieves to their faces! - but what's done is done.

"Master dwarf, you are quite correct. The Halls are indeed large enough that we need not be treading on one another’s toes. And, of course, you are free to access The Halls by any other entrance, of which I am sure there are many. But this particular entrance belongs to my good friend Phlebotomas Plumthorn. And if you wish to use it you must procure a licence. Surely 25 gold pieces is a small price to pay for the convenience of unfettered access to the safest, most accessible and best-maintained entrance?"

The halfling leader pointedly ignores Zacharias; he seems completely unfazed by his aggressive posturing.

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10:40 am, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 90’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 90’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …