Phyrric Legacy - Shackled City IC Thread

Jon prepares to head back the other way. "Then, I suggest we also check this other 'Z' door. It could have a key to help us bypass the other doors we will encounter."

Jon's plan seems agreeable, so the party leaves the kitchen and its troubles behind. Passing by the tunneled entrance to the strange forest room, the group backtracks west to the room where they were ambushed by the pair of skulks. The skulk that Remen cut down still lies on the ground here. From there, it's a short way back through the mask room with its disconcerting noises, and down the west hall to the 'Z' door.

After carefully examining the situation, Flannad takes out the rod-shaped key, and, locating a tiny diamond-shaped slot in the frame of the gear door, he holds his breath and inserts the key.

To everyone's great delight, no traps or other hazards manifest themselves. Instead, the gear door simply rolls to the side within its stone frame, making a soft scraping noise as it does so. The circular opening it leaves reveals the room within.

The 20x20 chamber's furnishings - three small cots, a small table, and a dresser - have been smashed to flinders, the wreckage strewn across the floor. A lonely chain hangs from the center of the ten-foot-high ceiling, and a lantern lies smashed in one corner.

Actions? (Note that on the map I've place a red 'x' indicating the party's general position, and three yellow arrows showing unexplored routes.)

"The key opened to gnome quarters? Let's pray there's another key here, or we're back to dodging knives in the dark."

The scholar holds his breath while Flannad tries to open the door, and lets it out in a rush when the door opens safely. But his relief is short lived when he notices the destruction in the room. "What happened here? There may be something underneath this rubble, but, with everything else going on, I'm afraid there is some gnomish deviousness afoot. Flannad, I will assist you to search the place if you can vouchsafe it."

"And mayhap there's a secret door in one of these bedchambers as well. Placing such behind a locked door would make it more secure."

"There may be another tunnel here........the new residents might have been responsible for the destruction. Lets proceed with caution........." Liracor positions himself near the door as he speaks. "Lets get the light a little closer here."

Jon gets closer to the door so the light can shine in.

Flannad's scrunched face eases back in relief to it's usual appearance as the door opens without drama - it has already been a long day for the young gnome and the doors are starting to distress him a little.

Nodding in agreement with Jon, Flannad moves into the room and begins a thorough search - for more keys and secret doors.

Dowlee, still shaken from the near-death experiences, is unusually quiet. She follows the group around, her bow arm shaking just a little. <How did I miss? Would it have changed anything?> When there's a lull in the discussion, she mentions, "Well, the one skulk said that he got around without using any of the doors at all, didn't he?"

Jdvn1 said:

Dowlee, still shaken from the near-death experiences, is unusually quiet. She follows the group around, her bow arm shaking just a little. <How did I miss? Would it have changed anything?> When there's a lull in the discussion, she mentions, "Well, the one skulk said that he got around without using any of the doors at all, didn't he?"

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Jon nods. "Yes, he did. And we found those tunnels. And looked what it cost us almost," he says, feeling the echo of the wound on this back. "I think we are trying to avoid those tunnels if possible to keep safe from them. Afterall, if we can safety open the doors, we know we are avoiding them."