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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 426117" data-attributes="member: 6294">Amberdale 0 : "An Introduction to Amberdale" by PDabble Games - Part 10Rose moves up to the doorway, and the light spilling into the tunnel reveals the approaching creatures to be zombies, just as the party has surmised.  There are two of the beasts, shuffling slowly forward on bare and wrinkled feet."Yaaaaaaaarrrh!" Elspeth draws her blades and charges straight down the narrow tunnel.  Her scimitar strikes wide, but the shortsword in her left hand bites deeply into the first zombie.  The creature comes to a stop, staggered by the blow, and swipes back in response, but its claws scrape weakly across Elspeth's armour."Back foul beasts, in the name of St Cuthbert!" the Padre lowers his crossbow and invokes the holy might of his deity, but proves unable to properly focus his will: neither of the two zombies seems to have been affected."Elspeth!" Mantreus calls, crossbow to his shoulder, "Pull back!  I can't get a clear shot!"And indeed it is clear that the elf's sudden charge has left her alone in battle with the undead.  The dank tunnel is only a few feet wide, with no space for anyone to stand beside her, and she is squarely in the way of any missile fire the group may attempt.Begrudgingly, Elspeth retreats back into the room, forming a cordon at the tunnel entrance with Stormstrider, Rose and Ming Li.  With the way now open, the Padre raises his crossbow again and looses a bolt that takes the lead zombie right between the eyes.  The creature rocks back, but then presses forward again, the crossbow bolt bobbing up and down with each shuffling step.It is not much longer for this world, however, as it is cut to pieces within moments of emerging into the room.  The rangers and the monk combine with brutal efficiency to strike it down, and just as quickly dispose of the second beast, which manages only to claw futilely at Stormstrider's armour before Ming Li crushes its skull with her quarterstaff.With the threat destroyed, the group quickly explore the tunnel from which the beasts emerge, but it proves to be a simple dead end, terminating at a small and featureless chamber.Stifling his revulsion, Mantreus gingerly picks through the zombie's clothing, and discovers an ornate key in the pocket of the second creature."Must be for one of the other doors." He surmises, "Maybe even all of them.  Is that one locked?" he points at the nearest door - one that they have already checked for traps.Elspeth tries the handle, and nods in response.  So Mantreus moves up and inserts the key into the lock, then turns it.There is a flash of light as the key vanishes, but there is also the soft click from the lock."Don't open it yet." Mantreus warns, as he and the Padre move to cover the door with their crossbows. "There might be more undead in there."The group fans out, preparing for danger, and only once every is ready does Stormstrider step up and open the door.The room beyond is small - only a few paces across - and the far wall is covered in a confusing array of levers and buttons.  The group counts them rapidly:"Twenty in all.  Ten of each." Mantreus clucks his tongue, "Anyone got some dice?"The Padre fixes the rogue with a stern look,"That's a dangerous attitude." He disapproves, "We should look for other ways forward before we risk touching any of those contraptions."Mantreus shrugs, quite evidently unabashed."Those two doors are locked," Ming Li indicates the other two doors they have already tried, "but we have not investigated that one there." She points at the door which is furthest to the right.The group quickly agrees to her suggestion that they try opening it, and once more adopts a position of readiness, prepared in case of monsters bursting from whatever room is revealed.Ming Li steps forward and tries the door.  It opens easily, and the young monk has just enough time to register the blank stone wall behind it, before the pit trap opens beneath her feet.</blockquote>

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