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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 1209260" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 71The stone door grated open on its pivot, revealing a quiet, dark space beyond.They moved inside, Illewyn’s light playing out over the spacious interior of what appeared to be a considerable entry hall.  Thick columns of stone carved in flowing, twisting patterns rose up along the walls to buttress a domed ceiling a good forty feet above.  Condensed moisture shone on the walls, and the entire place had a musty odor.  A second exterior door was visible to their left, and several interior doors provided access to other parts of the complex, including a large set of double doors directly across from the entry.  A long wooden table dominated the center of the room, ringed by functional wooden chairs.  “Looks like nobody’s home,” Dannel said. “Don’t bet on it,” Arun offered.  “Which way?” Illewyn asked, holding the light aloft with one hand, and clutching her mace tightly with the other.“We should try the side doors,” Mole suggested.  “See what we can find, without stirring up the whole place.”“A sound approach,” Dannel said, and they moved together to the single door in the wall to their left.  The portal was of similar construction as the exterior door, if not quite as thick or imposing.  Arun was able to open it without difficulty, but what they saw beyond gave them pause. The room was small, roughly square, with walls of plain unadorned stone and a single other door in the wall to their right.  However, strung across the floor, maybe a hand’s span above the surface of the stone, was a network of thin white cords.  The cords formed a lattice, crossing and crisscrossing each other and forming little spaces of varying size between their matrix. “Well, that’s a trap, obviously,” Dannel said, looking in.  “Though I can’t quite make out what it sets off...”“Some sort of alarm, no doubt,” Mole said.  “I think I can make it through, though.”“Are you sure we want to risk it?” Zenna asked.  “We can try another way.”“Well... maybe the trap means that there won’t be as many guards this way,” Mole said.  “And there’s no guarantee that the other ways won’t be warded by other traps, less obvious than this one.”A sound of something heavy dragging across the floor drew their attention around.  Arun was there, bringing one of the chairs from the table.  Zenna was the first to see what he intended, and she quickly stepped in to intervene.  “Um... I don’t think that’s a good idea...”“Why risk one of us?” the dwarf said.  “We set off the trap, go charging in, and even if an alarm is sounded, we’re doing damage before there’s time for the guards to react.”“While it will no doubt cause my honored ancestors to cry out to hear my agreement with a dwarf, I have to say, there might be something to his logic,” Dannel said.  “No doubt the trap is obvious for a reason, and there may be a hidden danger to complement the obvious one.”“Well, I say why risk it at all?” Zenna persisted.  “When there are other options...”As the others debated, Mole turned and looked into the room once more, examining the network of tripwires and the walls and ceiling.  After one more glance over her shoulder to verify that the others weren’t looking, she nimbly hopped forward into the room and started across toward the door. Illewyn happened to turn and spot the gnome’s action, and her startled exclamation drew the attention of the others around.  “Mole!” Zenna hissed, darting to the doorframe with the others close behind.  The gnome didn’t turn, her attention on her feet as they darted into the tight spaces between the wires, already halfway to her destination.  “Ah, the inevitable logic of chaos,” Dannel commented, an arrow held to his bowstring in readiness for a quick draw.  “For a group with two practitioners of lawful faiths in its midst, we certainly do seem quite devoted to it.”“Quiet, elf,” Arun said, still holding the chair.  Mole darted through the maze of wires, her magical boots lifting her in precise little hops that made her seem like she was bouncing across the room.  The others held their collective breaths as she reached the door, which had a small open space before it that was devoid of the tripwires.  With a grin, she turned and offered a low bow to the others.  “Careful, there may yet be something dangerous beyond,” Zenna cautioned. “You worry too much,” Mole said, but her actions belied caution as she scanned the door for traps and then lowered her ear to the flat stone to listen.  Satisfied, she reached up and tugged at the door’s handle. Mole was strong for her size, but the door resisted her pull stubbornly.  She grimaced and pulled harder... and the door suddenly sprang open, moving smoothly on its greased pivot.  Caught off guard, she tried to adjust, and for a moment she teetered off balance......before stepping back into a mess of tripwires.</blockquote>

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