IC: Dichotomy's Age of Worms Redux, Part I

[TiCaudata]

Shavora pecks at Breth's head. "Wake up!" If this doesn't yield any result she'll catch the wind and fly out of the tunnel.

 

[michael_noah]

"Not again!" shouts Boldak at the click of the floor tile. He immediately runs for the rope and climbs back down as fast as he can.
[sblock=OOC]Boldak will perform any acrobatics necessary to catch on to the rope and/or chain when, if his belief is correct, the wind blows him out of the tunnel.[/sblock]

 

[TiCaudata]

"The colors! They're so pretty!"

 

[Dichotomy]

As the force of the wind grows stronger, Boldak quickly makes his escape and starts down the rope. Fortunately, with the knotted rope and the chain, his safe descent is assured.

Exercising sheer force of will, Breth throws off the effects of the magic. Seeing that Breth has snapped out of it, Alendar quickly makes his own escape.

The wind, propelled by some great force, increases in velocity. As Boldak an Alendar continue their descents, Breth begins to run to the rope. But the gale at his back throws Breth to the floor, he picks himself up and runs to the edge of the passage.

The wind's force increases still more, but Breth, astoundingly, holds his footing. He clamours for the rope and climbs down.

Even from the safety at the bottom of the passage, the hurricane-force winds roar around the group. You can hear that when the wind blows through the other parts of the cairn, the whispers sound like shouts. The cacophany continues for a full 10 minutes before the wind finally dies down.

And now there seems little question about the fate that befell the body you found...
[sblock=OOC]Wind increases to "severe"; Breth's lantern doesn't blow out
Boldak: climbs down; can't fail
Breth: attempts to save; 20!, success
Alendar: runs back to the rope; begins climbing, can't fail
Viktor: runs toward NE passage
Boldak: climbs down more
Alexis: does something; I decided not to wait, since there's nothing immediate she can do to help
Wind increases to "windstorm"; Breth's lantern STILL doesn't go out
Breth: fort save against wind, 9+3=12, fail; knocked prone; stands up; runs for chain
Everyone else: climbs down or does something that can't help Breth
Wind increases to "hurricane"; Breth's lantern goes out
Breth: fort save against wind; 17+3=20, SUCCESS; climbs some down the rope

Init:
Breth: 22
Alendar: 16
Viktor: 13
Boldak: 10
Alexis: 7[/sblock]

 

[michael_noah]

After making his way to the center of the cavern again, Boldak addresses the rest of the group, "I have to apologize. I've been quite the failure as a scout so far..."

He looks about again and says, "Hopefully I can make up for it later, or in other ways. Speaking of which, did you ever examine the alcove after moving the sarcophagus?"
[sblock=OOC]Boldak goes and does that.[/sblock]

 

[TiCaudata]

"Finding all of the lanterns suddenly seems like a much better idea." Breth follows Boldak to the center room. "Nothing a couple of days rest can't patch up. I'm still breathing here for the most part."

As Boldak searches the yellow alcove, Breth sits slumped against the sarcophagus.

"Maybe we should keep moving the everburning torch as we turn this?"

 

[michael_noah]

"That seems a good plan, Breth," says Boldak to the idea of moving the torch. "I'd also agree that we should try lighting all of these as soon as possible, so we can examine that passage a bit more safely."

 

[Dichotomy]

As Boldak examines the northwest passage, Alendar quickly retrieves the everburning torch and follows him. The circular stone at the end of the tunnel has been pushed up. Now there is a five-foot-diameter cylinder protruding about eight feet up from the floor. The side of the cylinder facing forward is open, revealing a small empty chamber, about large enough for a person to fit inside.

Alendar gives Boldak a quizically look. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" he muses.

 

[TiCaudata]

"I don't suppose that would work for all of these circles? I suppose if it comes up it must go down to somewhere. Unless it was storage for other bodies. If it does go down somewhere, we would have to leave someone up here to move the arrow back and forth."

 

[michael_noah]

Boldak walks around the elevator while thinking, then remarks, "I don't relish the thought of sending someone off alone in this thing, assuming it even moves down. Let's try turning the arrow back, and if that works, we'll at least have something we know we can repeat."

The dwarf returns to the sarcophagus and attempts to turn it back in the hopes that it will send the cylinder back down.