The Reconquista: Part I (Shadows over Istivin)

[James Heard]

"Aye, a wee bit ill foresooth. Not as bad as when I challenged that goblin to a drinking contest though...Just a bit sluggardly. Abettedly, if we scurry ourselves into another one of those then perhaps I'll be asking for The Mother's blessings from th'Witch Eshanna." Mavic said, looking a little green about the ears.

"Or maybe it's just the memory of that horrible place." he snarled, in an almost true semblance of his unwounded self over his shoulder."Mayhaps the guards also were scared off by that horrid thing rumbling in the stench-mire?"

"Or maybe they weren't scared fast enough, and it soaked it's belly with them," Eshanna said. Uncoothly though, her eyes alit with a sort of gleeful magnificence at the thought. It was quite disturbing.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Two staircases provide exits on the far side of the room, both of them going up. The right-most staircase is steeper and bends to the right within 10 feet, while the left-most staircase continues straight.

The place is completely empty of occupants, but seems to have been hurriedly abandoned. One chair lies on its side, and dice and cards paused in mid-game are strewn on the table next to a plate of half-eaten sausage. You still detect the smell of burning wood from the stove, although it can't be putting out much heat, as the room is fairly chilly.

"There goes the element of surprise," Reivik mutters, and hustles across the room. If a quick glance up the left staircase shows nobody on the stairs, he'll head up the right-hand staircase at pace.

 

[Branding Opportunity]

"There goes the element of surprise," Reivik mutters, and hustles across the room. If a quick glance up the left staircase shows nobody on the stairs, he'll head up the right-hand staircase at pace.

The straighter, left staircase is indeed empty prompting Reivik to head for the other exit. The rest of the group is quickly left behind as the armored dwarf hustles out of the room, the head of Bar bobbing up and down on his shoulder.

The staircase makes a 90 degress to the right before ending in a small landing after about 40 feet. A similar iron-bound door to the one George picked before blocks further progress.

 

[Scotley]

Morley Human Ranger

Seeing his is holding up progress, Morley pulls himself together and heads off after the dwarf, his bow at the ready and his dog at his heels.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The staircase makes a 90 degress to the right before ending in a small landing after about 40 feet. A similar iron-bound door to the one George picked before blocks further progress.

Reivik checks to see if the door is locked - if not, he'll take a peek through.

If it is locked, he'll glance back to Morley. "Open it?" he asks softly, hefting Bar. "I've got the key, but it's not the quietest..."

 

[Branding Opportunity]

Reivik checks to see if the door is locked - if not, he'll take a peek through.

Reivik gently tries to open the door but finds it locked. The lock itself looks pickable but from what George said earlier, they are quite challenging (OOC: At least DC 25, probably higher).

 

[Thanee]

Latalya

“Yes, that key surely won't fit the hole. George's tools are better suited for that task. I don't think we are in a hurry right now, or are we?”

 

[Hypersmurf]

“Yes, that key surely won't fit the hole. George's tools are better suited for that task. I don't think we are in a hurry right now, or are we?”

"Whoever just fled that guardroom is off about to raise an alarm somewhere," Reivik points out...

 

[Thanee]

Latalya

“Of course, but we won't catch them, anyways, before they do. Therefore we should act with caution and not with haste.”

 

[Ranger Rick]

George scoots up to the door, "thanks for letting me know it is locked, let me see....hmmm...." Waving the others back, George takes a few minutes to see what this door is made of. He crouches down and pulls out a few tools wrapped in a buckskin satchel which he uses to explore the lock and the rest of the portal (OOC: "Taking 20" on Search check). Finding the door untrapped and locked, he focues on the lock, concentration obvious in his furrowed brow (OOC: "Taking 20" on Open Locks). Once he is sure that the door is unlocked he carefully puts away his tools and pulls out a small metal dropper filled with mineral oil, with a needle-thin nose. He inserts this nose in between the door and the door frame and gives the dropper a quick squeeze, once at chest and once at knee height. You know he does this to coat the recessed hinges with the oil so as to decrease the chance of them squeeking. Having done so, he recorks the dropper and stows it with the rest of his gear. George then steps back and motions one of you silently to lead the way.


Search for traps +19 open locks +23....Sorry for the plagerism, but it is a nice SOP and I really can not improve on it.