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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 3832931" data-attributes="member: 11760">Now finally able to fully explore the previously visited portions of the cavern, Katadid squeaks with inarticulate emotion when he discovers, just before the portcullis, a carefully concealed hole about an inch and a half in diameter. Nothing is visible through the hole, but putting his ear to it, he can hear the slight echoing of a chamber beyond."Light needed!" Katadid chirps, trying to shove his eye into the small hole. "Quickly!"His emotions build to a near-frenzy as the others depart to find Renraw. Katadid runs his fingers along the walls and murmurs to himself. He blinks in surprise when he discovers, on the far side of the portcullis, still on the north side of the passageway, evidence of a secret door.Kat can barely contain himself as he reaches toward the hidden mechanism to open the door when he realizes something: Tock explicitly told him not to explore anything outside of what they had already explored.But Kat simply HAS TO OPEN THE DOOR.But Tock said NOT TO EXPLORE.But Kat HAS TO OPEN THE DOOR.But Tock ...Kat leans up against the passage wall and moans to himself softly, banging his head back against the stone and counting even prime numbers.Meanwhile, Tock and Ragglus find Renraw with his back turned, arms and hands moving at a furious pace at something at his midsection. Ragglus thinks he can feel what little bratwurst he ate this morning preparing for a return trip."Ah, Rod?" Tock carefully interjects. "Ah, oh. Sorry, fella, but you're needed up front. Katadid's found something, and we could use some ... er ... light. If you want to be left alone, perhaps we could just take your staff?""What?" Renraw blurts, looking over his shoulder in surprise and frustration. He slowly realizes what the others are thinking. "Oh, oh, dear. Well, this is embarrassing. Just, ah, just give me a moment to tidy up here ... Do you think you could turn your backs for just a moment? Terribly sorry."Tock and Rags gladly turn around for a moment. It isn't long before Renraw quickly walks past, magic light in hand."Let us never speak of this again."The trio rejoins Katadid just as he is about to lay his hand on the door."Bird, no!" Tock yells."What's this about a hole, then?" Renraw asks, attempting to take command. "Should we try the hole or open this queer door? I think maybe we should all rest and tackle it after that. Should we put it to a vote? Both Rodger and Renraw vote 'rest.'""Well," Katadid says, simultaneously relieved the others are back, but worried Renraw's desire to wait will carry the day. "W-we can LOOK through it a-at least."In the end, the Gentlemen Delvers outvote Kat and decide to bed down for the evening to rest and regain spells. They retire to the cavern where they faced the dwarf. Some of them hold an internal debate with themselves as to whether or not to risk the flea-infested furs in order to have a comfortable rest.Surprisingly, Renraw volunteers to take the first watch. He assures the others that his spell is still in effect for the escape tunnels to the north, and if the alarm sounds, he will come running. Meanwhile, he will take his magic staff and plant himself at the nearest unexplored fork in the cavern.The group spends a quiet few hours in the caverns. The guard on duty sometimes thinks he can hear a badger snuffling in one of the corridors leading off the dwarf's den, but the alarm spell never triggers and the sleepers are never disturbed.The group awakes several hours later, with Renraw and Katadid both irritable and uninterested in discussing why.Kat slams his spellbook shut after having prepared his final spell. He stands up and starts walking back toward the secret door and its attendant hole, twitching the entire way.Renraw, irritated that Kat finished preparation before him, gathers his things and follows."Come on, you two," he says to Tock and Rags. "He's going to have a seizure if we don't hurry up and explore this place.""Had me a dream a badger tried to skewer me yesterday," Ragglus yawns, equipping his sword and shield. "Hope today goes better."The quartet makes their way to the concealed hole before the raised portcullis.Sniffing at the hole, Katadid detects the smell of decay and rot. Kneeling, he finds some pale cave moss and wraps it wetly around a sling stone. Katadid murmurs a magical word and the stone begins to glow with light. He pokes it into the hole, using a dagger to get it all the way through the wall. It drops on the far side with an audible thunk.Peering through the hole, he sees some short figures in rusty armor begin to shuffle toward the secret door, and the whole party hears a low groaning."Uh, run," he says."Grease the spot in front of the door, Leach!" Renraw bellows. "Do it!"Tock races past the secret door just as it begins to creak open, back across the pit, and beckons the others to follow."Never mind, Kat!" Renraw yells, following on Tock's heels. "The pit! Grease the pit! We'll slide them right into it!""And hope to hell they don't have bows," Tock snaps."In that event, we'll just keep the lid shut!" Renraw says brightly, colliding with Tock on the far side.The group pulls the boards bridging the pit across with them just as the first figure emerges from the secret door.It's a dwarf or, rather, it was a dwarf. A blunt object has caved in his head from behind and the moist caves have caused his skin to bloat and begin to slough off his bones. Sightless milky eyes stare straight ahead as the figure shambles forward after the Gentlemen Delvers. Beyond them, by the flickering light of Renraw's staff, more dead dwarves begin to come into view."Little folk," Tock says. "Destroy them all."Four undead dwarves shamble into the light towards the pit, spears held low from listless arms. Their chain mail and metal caps all bear the marks of the fatal blows that murdered them.Renraw leans in and whispers to Ragglus, making sure the zombies can't hear."If they fall into the pit, perhaps one of us could go and get Tock's old bow from the other room. If they're in the pit, we can try to hinder them climbing out by sinking arrows into them."An arrow thunks into the first dead dwarf's chest, who groans in vague protest, but still keeps coming.Katadid's sling stone goes wide, ricocheting off into the darkness.When the dwarves reach the pit, they fall in, one after another, groaning in confusion, vaguely poking upwards at the Gentlemen Delvers above (who keep the trap door open with a spare foot or two) with their spears, but taking no other actions."This is awesome!" Tock lets another arrow fly as he begins to sing a song of dwarf-killing.Kat blanches a bit as the dead dwarves moan uselessly and he backs up a step."The d-dead shouldn't move. It's just not ..." Kat looks nervously around and is a little surprised that the others aren't nearly as shocked as he is. He takes another bullet and lets it fly at the dwarf with the arrow sticking out of it.Renraw runs to get Tock's old bow and arrows and returns as quickly as he can to join in the fun.And so the Gentlemen Delvers, unable to find flies to pluck the wings from, settle in for a rousing game of "shoot the zombie," betting on who can hit one in the eye or through the mouth or in the crotch.Eventually, though, the zombies are no longer amusing, and instead are just smelly immobile corpses.</blockquote>

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