Rescue at Rivenroar (Game Thread Continued)

[Nanshork]

Tanthalus looks to his companions.  "Whatever you think is best, you have more experience with this place than I do."

[Melblen_Cairn]

"I can continue on if you all will. As for the woman, bring her along, she can care for the boy when we find him. Before we leave we should heed Galadren and check in those sarcophagi. The last ones we looked in had some useful things, we may find more."

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Shandien has 4 HS's and 1 AP left but used his daily already.

[Inspectre]

"Let's check out these sarcophagi, and then check out those other two doors.  If we don't find anything, then we can consider retreat."

Galadren frowns as he considers his next suggestion, knowing how well it was going to go over.

"Perhaps Jalissa should stay here while we check out these other two doors, just so that she's safe from harm?  I don't think we'll be going any further than that."

[VennDygrem]

"Very well, I'll help."

Dunor begins pushing open the nearest sarcophagus.

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Strength check: 1d20(15)+3=18 (or 23 if Athletics is applicable).

[Inspectre]

Galadren does his best to help.

STR check (Aid Another):

Rolled 1d20-1 : 15 - 1, total 14

[Melblen_Cairn]

Both Dunor and Galadren heave at each of the sarcophagi lids and the each grind slowly off the holes they covers. The first two let out a hiss of dust and air and the corpse within quickly shrivels and flakes away. The third does the same but there are some articles that remain as the corpse quickly degrades. The hole contains a metal box with gold and silver hammered metal images of dragons taking flight about it. The lid is not locked and peering in reveals two small vials and a large piece of flint among a healthy number of pieces of gold. Held in it's rapidly decaying arms is a leather bound book, bordered and clasped in silver. The book is empty of any writings but in flipping through it you quickly discover that it seems to have vastly more pages than it could possible contain for a book of that size. While the rest of the body's aged clothes fall apart; the cloak around it's neck, of quality thread and craft, remains.

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Congradulations! you have found;

A high quality metal box with precious metal dragons taking flight around it. (worth 50 gp)
50 gold pieces in coin
2 potions;
     Potion of Healing          Level 5 
     Potion 50 gp
     Power (Consumable ✦ Healing): Minor Action. Drink this
     potion and spend a healing surge. Instead of the hit points
     you would normally regain, you regain 10 hit points.
The book;
     Blessed Book          Level 1
     Wonderous Item 360 gp
     Property The book has the standard size and weight of a
     normal ritual book but holds 1000 pages.
The cloak;
     Cloak of Resistance         Level 2
     Level 2   +1     520 gp
     Item Slot: Neck
     Enhancement: Fortitude, Reflex, and Will
     Power (Daily): Minor Action. Gain resist 5 to all damage
     until the start of your next turn.
The flint;
     Hunter's Flint         Level 2  
     Wondrous Item 520 gp
     Power (Daily ✦ Illusion): Standard Action. Use this flint to
     light a campfire. The fire burns without smoke or sound.
     The light of this magic campfire is invisible from outside
     its 10-square radius, though creatures and objects within
     that radius can be seen normally with darkvision or if
     existing light allows. The campfire is a normal fire in all
     other respects. The fire lasts for 12 hours (requiring no
     additional fuel) or until extinguished normally.
     The flint can be used to light lanterns and other fires as
     normal, but such fires gain no magical effect.

[Shadowhunter]

Having stayed silent for the past few minutes, Thepsias chimes in. "Stay here Jalissa, while we check out the other two rooms. Well then, let's move people." Trusting his companions to follow him, Theo returns to the room they were in before and goes up to the next set of doors, attempting to open them.

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Figured we could use a bit of a jump start, I've been missing in this scene for quite a while IRL. Since I'm not sure which of the three doors we entered, Theo will approach the nearest one. If we went into the middle one from room 15, then he'll go to the top one.

[Melblen_Cairn]

Approaching the doors, Theo opens them soundlessly and reveals a darkened stair going upwards.

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Updated the overall map.

[VennDygrem]

"Shall we proceed?"

[Inspectre]

Interested more in proceeding quickly than an equal distribution of the finds at the moment, Galadren takes the flint, gives the 2 potions and book to Tanthalus, and hands the cloak over to Dunor.

"We can figure out who keeps this stuff later - for now let's see if we can find Thurnan before we leave this place."

Seeing that the western door leads upward again, Galadren shakes his head and points to the northern door.

"Let's check over there first - Thurnan was supposed to be close-by, aye?"

Following his own advice, Galadren listens carefully at the door, aware he was unlikely to hear much through the thick stone, and then opens the door once the rest of the group is in position. (And following along behind the group if he is overruled and we go up the stairs instead.)

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Rolled 1d20+9 : 9 + 9, total 18

[Nanshork]

Tanthalus takes the gear and stows it in his backpack, and motions to Jalissa to do as Thepsias said.

[Melblen_Cairn]

Jalissa looks to Tanthalus at Theo's command and stays back after reassurance from the Cleric, though she keeps the group in sight from the darkened doorway.

Galadren listens at the northern door and hearing nothing of note, pulls the latch and swings it open. The light of the sunrods from those behind him casts a long shadow down a hallway that intersects with another hallway before reaching a stairwell down. Pausing a moment, the elf hears the shuffle of multiple feet from somewhere.

[Inspectre]

Returning to the others, Galadren whispers as he takes one of the still operational sunrods (I think we had two running, didn't we?).

"There's a hallway through that north door.  I hear something moving around down there - going to go check it out.  Dunor, you're welcome to come with me if you'd like - the rest of you stay back by the door and cover me?"

The elf suggests, and then he carrying one of the sunrods he slips through the door, pushing it back open before it can swing all the way closed again.
He gives an underhand toss to the sunrod, rolling it into the intersection.
He brandishes his crossbow, waiting and listening to see if anything is moving to respond to the sudden light.

If nothing seems to change, Galadren will cautiously slink down to the intersection and peers around the corner - first left, then right.

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Talk to the party, ask them to cover me, Dunor to accompany me if he wants.
Borrow one of the party's sunrods - if we only have the one left, Galadren will activate the second one that he's carrying.
Throw sunrod into the intersection, and then wait and listen to see if anything/anyone is attracted by the light.

Perception:

Rolled 1d20+9 : 11 + 9, total 20

If nothing appears, sneak down to the intersection and peer into the adjoining hallways and such.

Stealth:

Rolled 1d20+9 : 5 + 9, total 14

[VennDygrem]

Dunor nods and follows the elf. While he can't seem to detect anything, he sticks to the shadows and tries to remain out of sight.

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Perception: 1d20(1)+5=6

Stealth: 1d20(17)+9=26

[Melblen_Cairn]

The rod clinks across the floor and bounces to a stop in the intersection. Dunor and Galadren move up to it and see closed doors one either side. Stepping across the intersection and looking down the stairs, the light reflects off a still pool. The walls and stairs a slick with water as droplets slowly travel down toward the pool. There is a dank feel to the air and the cool humidity is heavy as you breathe.

Galadren picks up the sound of a door latch being opened and then a moment later closed. It seems to come muted through the door on the left and echoes up from the stairs below a second later.

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Map is updated with what you see.

[Inspectre]

Tapping Dunor on the shoulder to get his attention, the elf points at the stairs before bending down to retrieve his sunrod.
It had sounded like someone had gone through a door down the stairs, after passing through somewhere just beyond to the door to their left.
That implied that whoever had done this was now down the stairs by the pool, but sound could be deceiving.
Nonetheless, even if there was a group waiting in ambush, if they were going to try to loop around behind him and Dunor by using these side passages, they'd only find themselves caught in between them and the others waiting back by the doorway.

With a confidence that he didn't feel, Galadren quietly advanced towards the stairs, and then carefully picked his way down them, sweeping the room with the pool with his crossbow as he reached the bottom of the stairs.  Hopefully he and Dunor could handle whatever was waiting for them down here.

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Move towards the stairs, and then down them if they look clear.  Not getting too close to the pool just yet if I can help it though and still check out the room.
Stealth:

Rolled 1d20+9 : 10 + 9, total 19

Perception:

Rolled 1d20+9 : 4 + 9, total 13

[Melblen_Cairn]

The room has a cold humidity to it caused by the still pool that dominates the floor of the room. Feeding it is a sheen of droplets that cover the walls and run down and converge with the body.

[Inspectre]

As he looks around the damp room, Galadren begins to feel that perhaps this was a bit of a waste of time, and that he was straying too far ahead of the others.
It seems like this was more of a complex than a room, and it would need more time and effort to explore.
Turning back to rejoin Dunor, Galadren had to admit that his tired body was starting to complain of all the aches and pains from the day's battles.
Remembering the boy, Galadren grit his teeth and pushed onward.

"Doesn't seem to be anything down there except stairs - let's try this door over here."

Galadren says, moving down the intersection to the east (right-side of the map), and preparing to push open the door.  Before shoving it open (or trying to, give his scrawny nature), Galadren turns back to Dunor.

"Think we should have the others come down here and join us to breach?"

[VennDygrem]

"We shouldn't stray too far from them. There are Goblins coming out of the walls in this place, sometimes literally."

[Inspectre]

Galadren nods at that and returns to the intersection, beckoning for the rest of the party to come join them.
He then takes his usual position beside Dunor as they prepare to go through the eastern door.

"Let's do it."