Challenge 2: "Dungeoneering"
In this part of the skill challenge, the PCs, using the information they gleaned in the first part of the encounter, must find the location of the entrance described in the Map of Mynares and enter the subterranean tunnels described therein.
Skills: Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Dungeoneering, History, Intimidate, Perception, Stealth, Streewise, Thievery.
5 successes before 3 failures
[sblock=Game Notes]Note: Failure in Challenge 1: "Streetwise" results in a -2 penalty applied to every skill check made in this part of the skill challenge.[/sblock]
Decision Point - Success: The PCs located the Well of Mynares, enter it without setting off any of the traps guarding the entrance to the tunnels, and avoid pursuit (if any).
Decision Point - Failure: The PCs find the Well of Mynares, but one of the following has happened: either the PCs have set off one of the traps guarding the entrance to the tunnels or have been caught by pursuing thieves or city guardsmen. The PCs will need to deal with the consequences of this failure before moving on.
Results
"We need to distract that guard," Hamil says, looking in said guard's direction.
"I dunno if I can stand fer lettin' out any prisoners," Thalnek says. "The lass is locked up fer a reason."
"Technically, we aren't letting her out," Vastyrnil points out. "We're letting ourselves in."
"That's tricky elf-logic," Jhani says. "Mebbe we can get in from the other side."
"You're welcome to try, fair dwarves." Vas looks down at the cell door. "I believe this is the way into the caverns."
"Either way," Hamil says. "We gotta get past that door and distract that guard to do it. Or this is gonna be a short venture."
"I can do one or the other," Syl points out, producing a set of lockpicks from inside her left sleeve. "But probably not at the same time."
Seeing the lockpicks, Lira's eyes light up. "Not to worry, lass. I'm handy with a set of those tools as well."
"It's decided then," Vas says. "Syl, use your charms on the guard and Lira," he says, handing the lockpicks to the prisoner, "get this door unlocked."
Jhani frowns. "I don't like this. My brother and I... we're gonna check out this cell over here." He takes Thalnek by the hand and they move to the adjacent cell.
[sblock=Game Notes - Bluff and Thievery Skill Checks]Syl is going to attempt a Bluff check on the guard, while Lira attempts to pick the lock on her cell door. Success on both checks is required to consider this stage a Success.
Syl scores a 25 on her Bluff check to distract the guard. Since this is such a good result, she keeps the guard away longer and grants Lira a +2 bonus to her Thievery check.
Lira gains a total of +6 to her check (+2 from Syl's check above, +2 circumstance bonus on her Thievery check because the lock is so old, and a +2 item bonus from the Thieves' Tools). She only gets a result of 19, which is enough to pop the lock open. Good thing she had those bonuses!
1 Success versus 0 Failures[/sblock]
As Vastyrnil watches Lira work the lockpicks, he smiles. "You are quite skilled with those things, aren't you?" He looks over at where the guard once stood watching the corridor. "Syl's been away for longer than I expected. You don't suppose... "
Hamil grunted. "Guard's probably having a time of it. Nothing to worry about."
Vas frowned. "At least we've gotten past this door. Dwarves?"
Thalnek and Jhani, still trying the door to the adjacent cell, look back. "I ain't lettin' no prisoners escape!" Jhani says. "That's final."
"They'll be along," Hamil says, entering the cell. "We've got to find this secret door or whatnot, and fast."
"The dwarves could help, of course," the elf wizard replies. "If they weren't so busy being intractable." Vastyrnil enters the cell as well and has a look around. "Ah," he says. "Here are the scribblings you described, Lira." The erstwhile scribe kneels to examine the runes. "Yes, these are of dwarven make."
Syl appears in the cell's doorway, buttoning her leather armor. "It's done," she says. "And I see you had no trouble getting inside. That's good. We need to move, however. That guard won't be... distracted... for much longer."
The dwarves look to Syl and, hunching their shoulders, approach the open cell door. "This still seems wrong," Thalnek says.
"So, this secret door, leads to a treasure horde or something?" Lira asks.
The dwarves enter the cell. "Yes," Jhani replies. "No doubt. Only reason most of us are here." The priest sees the ancient dwarven runes the wizard had found. "Step aside, golden hair. The dwarves should handle this." Both Jhani and his twin brother move to the corner and start feeling about.
Vas steps back and joins Syl and Lira in watching the dwarves work.
[sblock=Game Notes - Dungeoneering Check]Jhani and Thalnek Grudgeborn must try to find the secret door. Thalnek will use Perception as an Aid Another check to assist Jhani's Dungeoneering check.
Thalnek gets a result of 10, just enough to give Jhani a +2 bonus.
Jhani scores a total of 21, which beats the DC.
2 Successes versus 0 Failures[/sblock]
"Here 'tis," Thalnek says, pointing a stubby arm at a small crevice in the corner of the cell. "No, over here!"
His twin, Jhani, moves to where Thalnek gestures. "How daft could I be? Of course." The dwarven priest starts purposefully touching parts of the wall, pushing other pieces, in an effort to find the secret entrance. "I think I've got it," he says as everyone present hears a grinding noise.
The dwarves step back from the corner. A hole slowly appears in the corner.
"I told ye," Thalnek says.
"Very well," Vastyrnil says. "It looks as though bringing the dwarves along carries a double blessing. Not only are they adept at reading their strange runes, they also tend to have some ability with finding holes in walls and such."
"Got lucky is all," Jhani replies. "Are we heading in or havin' a discussion group?"
The group carefully approaches the revealed secret entrance and, one by one, enter. Hamil lights his lantern and goes in first, followed by Syl. Next in line is Thalnek, followed by Lira, and finally, Jhani. Vastyrnil takes one last look around the cell, watching to see if the guard returned, before being the last one inside.
"Mind you close the door behind," Jhani says. "Touch that loose stone."
The elf did as instructed and again, the grinding noise caused the secret entrance to close behind the adventurers.
Hamil lead the group through an incredibly tight, rough-hewn passage, barely wide enough for Hamil and the dwarves to pass. Syl, Lira, and Vas, being much thinner, had no trouble whatsoever, though a claustrophobic would have had fits in the tight space.
Eventually, the group comes to a large opening. They take this opportunity to take an assessment of the situation.
"What we're looking for now is this Well of Mynares," Vastyrnil says. "It should be around here somewhere."
"Isn't that the point of all of this?" Syl asks.
"So, who is this Mynares person, assuming it's a person at all?" Hamil asks.
Vas once again produces the map and unfurls it. "The name, Mynares, appears in several places on this map. In fact, for that reason, I'm terming this the "Map of Mynares". In any event, there is a well, which I have termed the "Well of Mynares". It is this well that provides us the entrance to the cave network below and eventually to the treasure that we seek."
"That didn't answer my question," Hamil says.
"Of course," Vas replies. "I don't know much about this Mynares. I suspect we will find out more once we explore what's shown on this map."
The group, based on the map, takes the left passage out of the larger cavern and follows the passage for a good hour, stopping occasionally to get bearings and once again read the map. As the group is about to start again...
"Stop!" Syl says, and everyone does. "Something's not right here."
Indeed. The group comes to a stop at a cavern that looks more man-made than the rest of the place they had thus far discovered and explored.
"Vas, you said there could be traps here, right?" Syl asks.
"Like wards to keep people out?" Lira asks. "People like us?"
"Of course," the elf replies. "I would expect nothing less."
"Let's be careful here, then," Hamil suggests. "We should have a look around before movin' on."
[sblock=Game Notes - Perception Checks]All of the PCs will make a group Perception check, with Syl taking the lead. Each PC (except Syl) will use Perception as Aid Another to bolster Syl's check.
Hamil gets a 6.
Jhani gets a 10.
Lira gets a 4.
Thalnek gets a 13.
Vastyrnil gets a 10.
and Syl gains a total of +6 to her Perception check. She scores a result of 14. Not enough to detect anything.
2 Successes versus 1 Failure[/sblock]
The group looks around, being careful where they step. Eventually, Syl declares that there are no traps. As she says this, however, she stands on a slight pressure plate that, with her standing on it, activates a trap below.
"Let's continue on, then," Vastyrnil suggests.
As the group pressed on, they found more and more instances of worked stone and even some dwarven runes to roughly match those found in the prison cell. The dwarves remark that the stonework here doesn't seem like the handiwork of their brethren, unless perhaps it was cut long ago. Still, the presence of dwarven runes suggest that dwarves or someone familiar with the dwarven alphabet was here. Vastyrnil suggests that it may be Mynares himself.
They come to a chamber comprised completely of worked stone. The room seems to be in fairly good condition, especially given its assumed age. At the center of the chamber is a ring of stones set into the floor. The stones surround a hole in the chamber's floor.
"Is this yer Well of Mynares, then?" Hamil asks the wizard.
"It very well could be," Vas replies. "I have to say that this exploration has been far easier than I would have expected."
"We're just now commin' to the entrance, wizard," Jhani says. "I wouldn't 'spect to run inna too much traps and such 'afore then."
"Vas is right," Syl says. "If there were traps, I would expect them to at least protect the well, if that's the entrance to some secret treasure trove."
"Or guardians," Hamil adds, readying his battle axe and shield.
Seeing this, Syl draws her longsword, prompting Thalnek to ready his craghammer and shield. The rest of the group remains relatively calm.
"I'd like to have a look at this well," Lira says, approaching the opening in the floor.
"We should all have a look around, before proceeding," Vastyrnil suggests.
The group fans out across the large chamber, checking for traps or signs of guardians.
[sblock=Perception and Thievery Checks]All of the PCs will make a group Perception check, with Syl taking the lead. Each PC (except Syl) will use Perception as Aid Another to bolster Syl's check.
Hamil gets a 11
Jhani gets a 10.
Lira gets a 4.
Thalnek gets a 5.
Vastyrnil gets a 8.
and Syl gains a total of +4 to her Perception check. She scores a result of 27. This is a such a good result that, not only does she detect a trap warding the well, she gains a +2 bonus to the Thievery check to avoid it.
Lira uses Thievery as an Aid Another check to bolster Syl's Thievery check but only gets a 9.
Syl makes a Thievery check to avoid the trap and gets a result of 19, which is enough to do it.
This stage of the challenge nets 2 Successes!
4 Successes versus 1 Failure[/sblock]
Syl kneels down at the edge of the well. "Lira, what do you think of the lining, just there?" she asks as she indicates an area of concern.
Lira has a look. "I don't see anything."
Syl reaches down and, feeling along the underneath edge of the lip of the well, finds two small holes. Inside are sharp objects of some kind. "This is trapped, all right."
"How do we avoid it, if possible?" Vastyrnil asks as he approaches.
Syl pulls a few wads of cloth out of a pouch. "I suppose I could stuff these into the holes. Should prevent the darts, or whatever they are, from firing at us." Before anyone says another word, Syl starts stuffing the cloth into the small ports.
Hamil walks to the edge of the well. "And that's everything?"
Syl and Lira look down into the darkness of the well, now at least partially illuminated by Hamil's lantern. Syl takes a copper coin from her pocket and drops it into the darkness. In less than half a second, the coin hits rock. "Can't be that far to the bottom," she says.
Hamil uncoils a hemp rope from his pack. "This should do, at least to get us down there." He looks around the chamber. "Nowhere to tie it off, though."
"I'll hold the thing, while the rest of ya climb down," Thalnek suggests. "I'm plenty strong enough to hold, don't worry yer heads."
"How will you get down, sir dwarf?" Lira asks.
Thalnek edges towards the well and looks down. "I can climb. Born in the mountains, was I."
Lira is the first down, as it's between her and Syl as the lightest. She has no trouble descending around 50ft to the bottom of the dry well. Next down is Syl, who also has no trouble. Thalnek has absolutely no difficulty in bearing the weight. Next down is Vastyrnil, who weighs little more than the females. Thalnek's twin, Jhani, is next down, followed by the Shinn warrior, Hamil, the heaviest considering his equipment. No one is present to see Thalnek somewhat struggle with Hamil's weight.
Thalnek tosses down the rope. "I'm commin' down," he announces. "Soon as I doff this armor." When the dwarf has removed his limiting armor and places it in his pack, he starts down the well.
[sblock=Game Notes - Athletics Check]Thalnek must attempt an Athletics check to climb down the well. The walls of the well are considered rough surfaces, so this isn't as difficult as it may seem. Still, it's a 50ft climb down.
Thalnek has a base Speed of 5, so he moves 2 squares (1/2 Speed) for each Athletics check. He will need to succeed on a total of 4 checks (he can drop the last 10ft without taking damage if need be).
For his first check, Thalnek gets a 11. This fails by 4 or less, so Thalnek doesn't move.
For his second check, Thalnek gets a 11. Same result.
For his third check, Thalnek gets a 18. This is a success, so he moves 10ft down (30ft to go).
For his fourth check, Thalnek gets a 17. This is a success, so he moves another 10ft down (20ft left to go).
For his fifth check, Thalnek gets a 13. This fails by 4 or less, so Thalnek doesn't move.
For his sixth check, Thalnek gets a 12. Same result.
For his seventh check, Thalnek gets a 13. Same result.
For his eighth check, Thalnek gets a 19. This is a success, so he moves another 10ft down (10ft left to go).
For his ninth check, Thalnek gets a 20. This is the final success he needs!
The PCs SUCCEED in this part of the Skill Challenge![/sblock]
The rest of the group watches as the dwarf struggles to find good footholds. The walls of the well aren't as forgiving as Thalnek thought at first, but after many stops and starts, he gets down without incident. "Told ya," he says.
The adventurers now stare at an iron door. Carved on the door is a single symbol. Vastyrnil recognizes this as Mynares' personal signet. "We're here," the elf says.
[sblock=Game Notes]This part of the skill challenge is worth 300xp, or 50xp per PC.[/sblock]
THUS ENDS ENCOUNTER 1, "AROUND PARALANE".