D&D 5E CB's Stonefast IC -- COMPLETE

At Fulgrim's and Guran's suggestion, Meriene steps into the hallway stretching west-east and takes a quick glance around. She notes that, 45 feet to the east at the end of the west-east hallway is perhaps an opening of some sort without a door on the north side of the hallway. While Meriene pauses to note the location of the opening at the far eastern end of the hallway, Fulgrim continues listening and constructing a mental map.

Guran's ears prick at what might be faint scuttling somewhere beyond the west-east hallway, but whatever it is is distant and hard to detect from inside the antechamber. No one else hears anything.

At Guran's request for more light, Colden takes a moment to remove a torch and tinderbox from his pack. Two lit torches improve visibility in the dark passageway. Once Colden has the new torch lit and has stowed his gear, Eldon moves into the hallway and begins searching for locked doors and traps. Before Meriene can check the door on the north to what the group suspects may be a second antechamber, Eldon darts forward. At the northern antechamber door (Door 3), Eldon eyes the sturdy oak door, notes the intact steel reinforcements on the door, and finally delicately runs his fingers over the door frame. Satisfied by his visual and tactile inspection, the Halfling tests the knob and finds the door is unlocked. Similar inspections of Doors 1, 2, and 4 reveal doors that appear to be untrapped and unlocked.

[sblock=Eldon]So, I had to educate myself on how one picks locks and finds traps in 5e. I hope I've done it correctly. It's a Wisdom (Perception) check to find a trap or a secret door, and Dexterity to pick a lock or disable a trap. Eldon's Wisdom of 8 means his ability check to find a secret door or a trap would go at -1, save that he gets a +2 proficiency bonus for some things (Acrobatics, Deception, Perception, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth...none of which are at issue here while Eldon is searching for secret doors and traps). Eldon's +2 proficiency bonus would, however, turn into a +4 bonus if he were called upon to use Thieves' Tools (to pick a lock or disable a trap, I surmise). So...I get Wisdom (Perception) -1 to find traps and secret doors, and Dexterity +7 if Eldon uses his tools to pick a locked door or disable a trap. Oh, I also note that Eldon is Lucky and gets to re-roll a 1 on an attack, ability check, or save. Let me know what I fubar'ed on that.[/sblock]

Shrugging, Eldon steps aside and permits Meriene access to the unlocked Door 3. Meriene opens the door and peers into the dark haunt of the northern antechamber. In the northeast corner of the room stands a three foot tall stone pedestal, upon which is a large book. The book is open, intact, and not covered in dust. Even in the dim shadows cast by the residual light of Guran's and Colden's torches, Meriene can see that the lower third of the walls in the northern antechamber are covered in dried mud, as is the stone floor. In this respect, the room is similar to the antechamber through which the party entered Stonefast. There are no tapestries hanging on either wall.

Fulgrim felt a rush of excitement as he spotted the book resting on the pedestal. Knowledge was something he cherished, particularly anything that related to the history of his people. Tapping Eldon on the shoulder, he said in a low voice, "Might I ask you to inspect the pedestal for traps? I'd like to examine that book, it may hold information that could be useful to us. While I wouldn't think the occupants of Stonefast would lay a trap at the entrance of their holdings, one never knows."

The mage took a moment to inspect the antechamber for magical auras.

Fulgrim peered intently up and down the length of the west-east hallway. Although he noted four closed doors and one open entryway without a door, none of the doors or the rooms beyond the doors, nor anything else in the west-east hallway emanates magic. Sadly, neither does the northern antechamber, not the room or the tome on the pedestal. From a distance, the book looks expensive, though. And possibly old.

During a lull in the conversation, Guran quietly mentions in passing that he thinks he may have heard something that sounded vaguely like scuttling noises coming from beyond their immediate (and potentially visible) environs, but he couldn't be sure; and the sounds, if there really were any, seem to have stopped anyway.

Colden curses under his breath and stows his shield, transferring his torch to his left hand. Drawing one of his handaxes he moves closer to Fulgrim.

At Fulgrim's request Eldon slips forward to inspect the tome and the pedestal it rests on. He slowly looks it from bottom to top and and all around.

[sblock=Eldon's Perception] Perception (pedestal and tome) total 11[/sblock]

Eldon examines first the pedestal and then the tome. Neither appears to be trapped. The book looks as if it simply rests in the open position atop the pedestal and can be lifted and removed, if desired.

Once the majority of the group exits the first antechamber and enters the west-east hallway, Guran's ears re-prick. The dwarf hears, once again, some scuffling. This time, Colden hears it, too. When the pair are in the hallway, the scuffling is more easily heard emanating from the far eastern end of the west-east hallway, down at the end where there is an opening in the stonework wall on the northern side. It's faint, but it's definitely movement. When Guran and Colden look down the hall, however, neither sees anything in particular.

When Eldon's inspection turned up no cause for concern, Fulgrim approached the pedestal and began reading the book.

Roscoe the Barbarian

From the end of the hall you hear a shout.
"I can see you but beware! ... I'm armed, dangerous and oppose to you no threat"
From around the corner comes a small Halfling with bare chest and a deer hide as pants. He is armed with a short sword, a shield is strapped on his left hand and four javelins are tied to his back above a backpack.
Roscoe approach with caution and when he sees a group with a dwarf, elf and a human his facial expression somewhat relaxed ...
"Adventurers ?"

Having left Fulgrim to his reading at the book on the pedestal, Guran had concluded that the stonework in the antechamber with the unbroken door was as plain as that in the other one, so he returned to the east-west hallway and looked briefly toward the central side passage, wondering how far it went.

When he heard the scuffling sounds coming again, he got ready to remark about it to the others; but it seemed that Colden might have heard the sounds too, so he looked toward Colden for confirmation. Before the two of them could discuss it, the shout came; then a halfling advanced toward them, coming partway into the torchlight.

"Adventurers? Maybe: we are on a quest -- though I suppose having Adventurers is better than having Debenturers, if a person has a choice. Who needs debt?"

He observed the newcomer a bit, and wondered how the halfling had gotten around the unlit passages without springing traps. Guran intended to ask about that later if the topic came up.