The Westgate Campaign Chronicles - serial

[Carlo-One]

Impatient, Darrow tried one of the doors and was zapped hard by some force, although the stoneskin absorbed most of it. Turning to using their brains (for once --R), Dermot and Shanni worked to recall the colors on the misty door in the entrance corridor – yellow, orange, and blue – which they noted matched orbs held by certain of the statues. Having finished his study of the walls, Aerikoth interjected that the colors that predominated in the deliberate, repeating pattern there were black and red.

Shanni again observed that the doors by the statues with yellow, orange and blue sphere led to other places – unlike some they had found that were false – but did not offer a way out. Aerikoth meanwhile had approached the statue with the black sphere and touched it, causing it to disappear, as it had merely been an illusion. The wizard repeated the trick with the red statue.

Dermot at this point got an idea and retraced his steps through the secret doors and corridors back to the room with the chest that gave off a flash of light when opened. The ranger, followed by the others, slipped on the gold ring he had found in the room and opened the chest. The flash of light appeared again, but nothing else happened. Dermot repeated the action after placing the ring in the chest, with the same result. Aerikoth studied the chest and declared that it had an aura of illusionary magic, but he not could tell its purpose.

The four adventurers made their way again through the stone corridors, but this time they heard something up ahead. Dermot whispered to the others that someone was there and Shanni hugged the walls in response, as a group of vampires came into view ahead of them, moving quickly. Darrow let out a war cry and leaped forward into their midst, trusting in his armor and the axe Haelgrim. The dwarf nearly disappeared under the assault of several vampire warriors, however, while a pair also broke away to go after Dermot and Shanni.

In the rear of the vampire ranks a coldly beautiful female mage cast multiple spells into the swirling combat, at first sucking life from the party. As blood continued to spill from Darrow and the others, however, a frenzy came upon her and a storm of fire shot forth from her hands, engulfing everyone in the corridor ahead of her. Darrow expired and his companions were hurt badly, but so were the vampire mage’s allies, who were quickly finished off by Dermot, Shanni and Aerikoth. Seeing that she was now alone, the vampire mage hissed her frustration and disappeared into the darkness.

 

[Carlo-One]

Shanni cursed as she scrambled for something in her pack, then the petite rogue brought forth a magical scroll. She intoned the words rapidly, ending with a simple “please work.” Darrow then stirred, coughing and wheezing, to Dermot and Aerikoth’s approval and relief. Seeing the ranger slumping against the corridor wall, Shanni passed him a ring, indicating that Darrow already had one after Dermot objected that the dwarf needed it more. Aerikoth also offered his, as apparently everyone except the ranger possessed a ring offering magical healing.

Darrow soon felt better and dug in his pack for an ale, thankful for the assistance of his companions. Shanni with a grin mentioned that she kept a piece of paper handy for those who stood between her and trouble. Once various healing and other potions had been consumed, the four adventurers took stock of their situation. Aerikoth observed that the vampire spellcaster had escaped, and seemed strangely indifferent to the damage that she had done to her comrades.

They soon found their way through another secret door and into a passage that led to a dark chapel, in which a blue-glowing altar was placed in front of two columns of benches. Two bronze gongs flanked statues against the wall, along with a throne inlaid in gold. An orange-glowing door could also be seen to the side of the room. Darrow commented on profusion of gongs as Dermot warned them not to sit down on the chapel benches, a piece of advice which seemed unnecessary to Shanni.

A ghost then appeared in front of them, declaring that they were free to pay their respects in any manner they chose. To Dermot’s question as to what there was to worship, the ghost simply said a greater power than themselves. Shanni and Dermot declined the ghost’s offer to be seated. In response to Dermot and Aerikoth’s questions, the ghost informed them that it was the officiant of the chapel, which was dedicated to the lord of that place, along with whichever god ruled the domain of the dead. The ghost complained that Myrkul had not been answering his prayers, which prompted Darrow to explain that it was now Kelemvor that he was looking for. The ghost sighed and departed, after Shanni explained that they were all just passing through. (Another intriguing indication of the age and remoteness of the crypt complex. Myrkul was slain during the Time of Troubles, a fact seemingly unknown to the ghostly chapel officiant. --C)

The four began exploring the room. Darrow searched through the urns that dotted the area, finding small items including gems, scrolls and arrows. Dermot discovered a secret door, offering them an alternative way out of the chamber. Shanni scooped up the gems and arrows while Aerikoth took a scroll. The wizard explained that a pouch of dust they found would remove invisibility from someone, which Dermot thought would be handy.

They then turned their attention to the secret door, which they discovered was locked. Neither Shanni’s tools nor Darrow’s axe were successful in allowing themselves to enter. Aerikoth wondered if there might not be a release for the door on the throne. Shanni examined the secret door lock and observed that it there was a depression in the shape of a ring. Dermot then cursed as he realized that he had left the ring they found back in the room with the illusionary chest.

 

[Carlo-One]

While Aerikoth and Shanni remained to study the chapel further, Darrow and Dermot ran back to the room, where Dermot expressed his relief upon discovering the ring was still there. The ranger and the dwarf made their way back to the chapel, but in the gloom did not see their two companions, who were inspecting the far reaches of the room. Bored, Darrow rang one of the gongs, which brought the ghostly chapel officiant back briefly, before it decided the two adventurers made poor company. Darrow then drew the attention of all his comrades by screaming loudly and slumping to the floor dead, after touching the glowing altar. (The dwarf shows a consistent and rather remarkable lack of wisdom, despite his other qualities. Also a tendency to visit the realm of Kelemvor rather more frequently. --R)

Dermot instantly grabbed a scroll from his pack and read out its contents, restoring life but little health to his dwarven companion. Shanni ran over and Aerikoth also quickly made his way to the side of the moaning dwarf. Darrow disdained some brandy, but weakly accepted some beer and then downed a healing potion, visibly becoming less pale and declaring he could fix himself up from there.

Following a brief study of the altar, Aerikoth hypothesized that it was attuned to evil and would strike down those of opposed alignments. However, the wizard also observed that it might simply strike down anything living that touched it, considering that they were in an ancient hold of undead. He therefore urged none of them to touch it again.

There was no argument to that, so the group turned to discussing how best to exit the chapel. Dermot held up the gold ring he had retrieved, which they could try in the secret door. Darrow explained that he had passed through the orange-glowing door of light, which just led to an alcove with some grates in the ceiling and floor. The dwarf mentioned that he and Dermot had chatted with some unseen vampire lady near there, after returning with the ring. She had been quite keen on them leaving, Darrow said, before she apparently departed the area herself.

While the dwarf seemed phlegmatic about this occurrence, Dermot was more concerned and suggested that they get moving. The ranger went over to the secret door and placed the ring inside its depression, which allowed him to slide the door aside and revealed another corridor. The four adventurers then exited the chapel quickly.

 

[Carlo-One]

The new corridor featured a spider pattern inlaid into the stone, which Darrow remarked on. As Shanni carefully led the way, Dermot relayed more about the conversation in the chapel with the vampire. She had said she did not who the Night King was, also denying that he was the master of this place. (An intriguing development. The party had more or less assumed that this ancient vampire complex was associated with the Westgate vampires and their leader. Yet that was never certain and now appears to not be the case. --C). Conversation abruptly stopped as Shanni, probing ahead, triggered a pit trap and barely avoided falling into it. This one was just a small pit, but despite Shanni slowing her progress to a crawl, she triggered another trap and shrieking, fell into a larger one, to the cries of her companions.

Dermot waved his light from above and was rewarded with sounds of Shanni cursing below. The ranger then secured his last remaining rope to a torch bracket and dropped it down the hole. Shanni stopped cursing and in a more excited tone mentioned she had found a dead guy and a chest. After a short wait, her companions heard the sound of creaking and the petite rogue yelled up that she had found a helmet of some kind. This was followed by the sound of a lid dropping and a small shriek as she discovered more bones and a door in the pit.

Shanni finished looting the bodies and climbed out of the pit. She then set out on the floor a plethora of her finds for the others to see. Aerikoth examined the helmet and a set of magic arrows, both of which the wizard declared would be quite effective against the undead. The helm was known as a greater circlet of blasting and could project sunlight three times a day. Dermot speculated that the items had belonged to an undead hunter from long ago. Shanni then pointed out the ring she had found, which Aerikoth carefully looked over, but could not determine what it did. The mage said it had to be significantly powerful, though, to require further study from him. The others agreed that he could hold onto it.

After dividing up the remaining items, including some healing potions and gold, they somewhat reluctantly decided to continue moving along the corridor rather than chance the pit door. Despite Shanni’s pessimistic expectations, nothing further untoward happened to them as they inched their way along, avoiding two more pit traps and eventually coming to a spot where an orange glow could be seen through a crack in the wall. The petite rogue determined that they must be behind the glowy spot in the chapel. The party discussed the significance of the crack, including the likelihood of the female vampire having been able to assume gaseous form and use it.

Shanni had just warned them to be careful when a glowing suit of armor emerged from the darkness ahead and attacked them. Darrow eagerly let out a battle cry and began laying into it as Shanni retreated behind the dwarf. Dermot then drew his twin swords and assisted in cutting their metal opponent to pieces. Aerikoth observed that the construct had been animated by magic.

Moving ahead, they found a room at the end of the corridor, with no obvious exit. Shanni urged them to look closer and she and Dermot began poking the walls and tapping the floor. The party noticed a thumb’s-width slit in the stone at the end of the corridor, which Dermot thought was similar to the one in the chapel, but did not find any secret doors. Shanni took the lead in backtracking to the other pit traps in the corridor, which she determined were spiked and ten feet in depth, but not likely to lead anywhere. With no other obvious recourse, the four adventurers then descended into the large pit where Shanni had found a secret door.

 

[Carlo-One]

After some commentary on the fate of the previous pit occupants, they tried the door and found it to be locked, to Shanni’s chagrin, without a way to pick it. Aerikoth volunteered to attempt his chime of opening before Darrow’s “dwarven locksmith” technique was applied. The wizard pulled forth some small chimes from his magical bag and struck them, the sound filling the small space followed by a click from the door mechanism. Relieved that it had worked, Shanni gingerly turned the handle and was immediately impaled through several parts of her body. The petite rogue fell to the ground, limp, but still barely breathing. (It may seem harsh, but employing the "dwarven locksmith" strategy in such scenarios may in fact prove to be the best approach, if one is not sure there is a trap involved. A fully armored dwarven fighter no doubt can take punishment better than a petite rogue. --R)

Darrow rushed forward with a healing kit and applied it to her wounds as she continued to bleed, also slipping his magic healing ring on her finger at Aerikoth’s encouragement, as Dermot fumbled for a potion bottle that might help. As Shanni’s bleeding slowed, Darrow began carefully easing her off the spikes as she whimpered while unconscious. Dermot tilted her head up and carefully poured in the contents of his bottle, murmuring that pain was just a moment in time.

The magical healing and her companions’ care put Shanni upright, if shakily, in relatively short time. She tossed up her red ioun stone, which began orbiting her head, and tried the door again, this time opening it easily if gingerly. A corridor was revealed and Dermot soon found another secret door inside. The ranger poked it and then opened it to reveal another, darker corridor. They decided to pass it up for the moment and return after they investigated the area, as Aerikoth advised.

Dermot and Shanni continued poking the length of the corridor walls, finding nothing of interest except for an old book that crumbled to dust in Shanni’s hands. They did note some differences in the stonework in the main corridor, once past the secret door, but could not determine anything of significance about it. They therefore went back to the secret door and entered the new corridor, finding it was covered with spiderwebs. After moving down it a ways, Darrow spotted another door, one which Shanni said had spikes protecting it, as well as something buzzing beyond it.

 

[Carlo-One]

Shanni was unfortunately unable to disarm the trap and the adventurers, seeing what had happened the last time, were reluctant to attempt the door. Darrow wondered if they could shoot the trap from a distance, while the petite rogue bit her lip and stared at the door. After rummaging through his pack, Dermot came up with nothing helpful, so the ranger decided to ask Aerikoth if he could maybe just blow the door of its hinges.

The wizard indicated that might be possible and started studying the stone door. This prompted Darrow to say that he would be just around the bend and Shanni to join him. Aerikoth eventually settled on targeting the door with a flight of magic acid arrows, which succeeding in dissolving their target.

Shanni was the first to peer inside the room that was revealed, which she declared contained loads of stuff. Darrow thought it looked creepy. Moving inside, the group saw what appeared to be a wizard laboratory, complete with vats, a gong (as Darrow pointed out) and something in a corner that Aerikoth identified as a flesh golem. Shanni looked appalled at this and Dermot was similarly unsettled by the golem and all of the apparatus in the room. Aerikoth for his part was impressed by the significant arcane skill that the construct had taken to create, as he explained to the others that it was not actually an undead creature. (The depravity of a mind that would create such a construct, however, suggests that it would be comparable in its evil intent. --C)

The four carefully examined the room. Dermot and Shanni poked at the walls as they passed, finding them quite solid. Dermot turned his attention to the large amount of books and vials, while Shanni found a lot of weird bits of animals, as she put it. Dermot located a locked desk drawer, which Shanni successfully picked. Inside was a book about making some kind of slave from the dead, she noted with distaste. Dermot meanwhile found himself in front of a large mirror, which instead of his own reflection, showed a scene with a man falling off a narrow stone bridge, to the ranger’s consternation.

Shanni and Darrow in turn looked at the mirror, experiencing various different visions, all disturbing in some respect. Shanni saw one featuring a young woman and told the others that a voice had whispered in her head that it was “Achmaal’s daughter.” Seemingly through a stroke of blind luck, Darrow must have been paying attention one day in class, and remembered the name being that of an ancient human lord of the Dragon Coast.

As the others were struggling to recall anything more, Shanni poked around in one of the vat pools and an ocher jelly leapt from it, attempting to engulf the petite rogue. Darrow chopped it to pieces as she screamed, however more from disgust than pain, it seemed. Dermot declared ironically that the room had lost its charms and suggested that they do one more sweep of it before leaving. The ranger, perhaps looking more carefully this time, indeed found a secret passage.

Once inside the dark corridor leading away from the laboratory, Shanni found some skeletons on the floor – evidently victims of traps – and used one of their bones to wedge open the door behind them, just in case. She then encountered more traps, which indicated to her that no one else had gotten that far.

The petite rogue had just regained some of her previous swagger when the sound of spikes snapping closed caused her to reflexively jump out of the way. She declared that at least they should be safe now, having reached the end of the corridor. However Darrow soon proved her wrong, as the dwarf advanced and suffered an impalement from a spike trap. Grumbling, he sat down in the hall and let his healing ring do its work.

 

[Carlo-One]

It became evident to Shanni that the spike trap in the corridor had reset itself, so she advised her companions to jump over it, past where Darrow had impaled himself. Dermot quickly followed her advice, but misjudged the distance and received a spike through his leg, wincing and collapsing against the wall afterwards. Darrow took a bandage kit out and began working on the ranger’s wounds, as Shanni passed her healing ring over.

Having benefited so far from his patience, Aerikoth inquired whether Shanni could flag the exact trap location, but the rogue said she could not see the mechanism. Impassive, the wizard then asked if she could tell if there was another, further down the hallway. Shanni in response moved forward, springing and avoiding another trap. Aerikoth then indicated he would remain where he was until the others had reached the end of the hall.

Darrow, scrutinizing the corridor’s stonework, asked Shanni if maybe they could avoid the resetting trap by sticking close to the wall. She thought they could, then was proved wrong the hard way by both Dermot and Darrow, whose blood now coated the stone floor. Dermot said he was getting the eerie idea that they weren’t supposed to survive the hall. Just as Shanni was getting ready to jump ahead, the ranger called out to stop her from going forward, suggesting they go back to what they thought was a bricked-up door before the laboratory.

Aerikoth in response said that the heavily trapped corridor and the laboratory led him to think that was where they would need to travel eventually, if they wanted to explore the place thoroughly. However, the wizard stated that he was indifferent to doing it then or at a later time. Shanni, showing some impatience, decided she would prefer to just go look, backing up and doing a run and jump over the blank stone floor. She dropped, to the floor, steady on her feet, having avoided the trap, then found and edged around another one before reaching the end of the hall. Darrow remarked that he hoped they didn’t have to run from anything.

She called out to the others that the corridor looked like it had collapsed, but then shortly thereafter found a secret door. Dermot and Darrow then carefully avoided the traps, doing what Shanni had done, while the ranger held a torch up for Aerikoth to see. The wizard saw the torch and then Dermot’s form underneath start moving back towards him, then spoke a word of power and appeared next to Darrow, to the dwarf’s delight. Shanni, slightly sourly, said it was a neat trick, but cheating.

The petite rogue, after some sighing at the door and expressing some pessimism about her prospects, shooed Darrow and Aerikoth back, so she and Dermot could open it and scout ahead. Shanni called out that it was okay and the other two passed through the door into a large room, which had a throne in the center but otherwise was a total mess, with all the furniture looking like it had been tossed about.

Dermot was about to say something but then yelled as the room’s floor and walls shook violently, hurling him and the rest of the party from their feet. Staggering back up with the others, Darrow wondered what had triggered it, but no one knew. Aerikoth meanwhile had been standing in the doorway, watching the others, so was unharmed.

As Dermot pointed out the throne looked like one that had been displayed in the laboratory’s magic mirror, Shanni eyed the coffers that were strewn about the room, fingers twitching open and closed. Eventually she gave in to her instincts and leaned over to reach the nearest one, opening it and scooping some coins out of it. She then started eyeing the coffer in the opposite corner, which prompted Dermot to distract her by pointing out an exit door. Even Darrow expressed concern going after the coffer wouldn’t be the best idea.

Shanni managed to regain control over her greedy instincts and somewhat reluctantly agreed to move forward, but discovered quickly that the apparent exit was a false door, pushing on it then sighing. Scowling and bruised, Dermot quickly ran his hands around the walls, then continued scowling at them, stymied. Shanni meanwhile gave into temptation and picked something else out of the coffer.

 

[Carlo-One]

Dermot cursed as he and Darrow failed to see a way out of the room. Darrow wondered aloud if the whole purpose of the room was that of a trap, asking Aerikoth if he bought that. The wizard again observed that they were likely missing something, since it would be odd to have such an extensive lab with a secret exit, only to end there – in a fake trap room, as the dwarf put it, frowning.

Despite this, the others eventually agreed to backtrack, which Aerikoth did, reluctantly, this time joining them in jumping over the resetting trap. Ironically the slight wizard cleared it effortlessly, to Shanni’s encouragement, while Dermot lacked the dexterity to do anything but barely avoid it. They then re-entered the laboratory. Darrow poked around in a vat of brown liquid with his weapon, but nothing happened.

Dermot and Shanni then led them back to the dead-end corridor that held the secret door entrance to the lab, wanting to test the apparently walled-up area. Darrow agreed that the stonework there looked newer – perhaps only a decade old – and had a different color and feel to it, the latter being established after the dwarf hit it with his fist. He then took a hammer to the wall, which did not do much beyond knock off a small chip of plaster.

Frustrated, they spent a good deal of time examining the wall and also re-examining the path that had led them to there, both literally and figuratively. Lacking any better ideas, they went back inside the laboratory and continued poking and prodding the various pieces of apparatus, including the vision mirror and a strange mechanism. After a time, they heard a hiss come from the wall and a female, throaty, dark voice asked what their purpose was there.

Dermot let out a minor oath as Aerikoth tilted his head in response, face expressionless as usual, and declared they were there for exploration and discovery, asking who inquired. The voice continued, stating that they rang the gongs and explored the crypt – why? Her Lord had sent her to understand their purpose, she declared. Dermot piped up, after Shanni in a low voice queried if they were going to ask the obvious, saying that they were there to learn and asked who was her Lord, a question echoed in a more detailed way by Aerikoth.

The female voice told them that the Lord of that place would reveal himself…at the end, if they wished to speak with him. Darrow boldly asked if she might help with directions and was told to go forward past the traps. If they survived and entered the throne room, her Lord would hold audience with them. If they did not, they would not be worthy. Pushing further, Darrow asked about going past the big tilty room, as the dwarf put it, and the voice confirmed that there was more, before it hissed again, retreating away. (Our Order - rightly so - treats all undead as abominations and enemies, but this sometimes obscures our understanding of the actions of the more intelligent kind, dare I say it. The curiosity of the female vampire mage is another indication that the adventurers' current opponent is not their ultimate enemy. --R)

Aerikoth indicated that be believed that she had meant the traps in the corridor and Dermot cursed some more in reaction, wondering out loud if this was just to get them killed, again. Somewhat fatalistically, they made their way back to the long, trapped corridor past the laboratory and carefully went down it again, Shanni pointing out the area where she thought the resetting trap was. She and Dermot then leaped over it, the ranger once again having trouble with his landing, but luckily was steadied by his petite companion. The wizard, meanwhile, had pointed out that his spells were depleted and that he could not get them all out, if it came to a confrontation with the lord of that place.

 

[Carlo-One]

After another series of jumps, which this time saw Shanni fall flat on her face, ankle giving under the landing, she and Dermot finally managed to leapfrog to the end of the trapped corridor (again). Darrow missed the first trap, due to a misunderstanding about where Shanni said the next trap was, and let loose a reference to Moradin’s balls as a spike went through his foot. Aerikoth, evidently not looking forward to risking himself again, inquired whether a sort of bridge using broken furniture from the room could be put over the traps.

Darrow continued complaining in a loud voice as Shanni dropped an arrow on the floor as a marker for the last trap. Reluctant to try their luck again in the corridor, Aerikoth and Darrow went back to the laboratory, where the dwarf started moving furniture, spilling alchemical contents all over the floor as he dragged a table off toward the corridor entrance. Shoving it down the stairs, he then pushed it in front of him, triggering the trap, which damaged the table but jammed the spike mechanism as well.

Shanni and Dermot edged round a trap in between and rejoined Aerikoth and Darrow, the ranger informing them that they had missed something in the room, something in the wall opposite the throne. Somewhat shamefaced, he said he thought he had looked around, but maybe had been wrong. The four made their way for a final time back down the trapped corridor to the room beyond, where Dermot located a grey brick in the wall opposite the throne and pressed it. Despite his success at revealing an exit, the ranger continued cursing at having missed it before.

Shanni scouted ahead through the door and indicated the way was clear to the others. They then made their way down a corridor to a four-way crossroads. Standing there, they considered what to do, somewhat shaken from their painful experience in the trapped corridor. They were also mistrustful of what they saw, as Dermot could make out only one door – which Shanni pointed out meant nothing, around there – and the petite rogue could not see any traps. Cursing, she observed that also meant nothing. Grumbling and still sore from the spike through his foot, the dwarf sarcastically told her he’d be sure to tell her when she was about to step on a trap.

Shanni told the dwarf to pipe down, as his groans were worse than the spooky sounds they heard emanating from the walls. After examining the door, the petite rogue was able to use her tools on the door lock successfully, but was not quite able to disarm the trap she had detected on it. She rummaged through her pack, hoping to find a potion that would beef up her focus, but failed to find anything of use. She asked Aerikoth if he had anything appropriate and the wizard offered her his ring that assisted with clear thought. It did appear to help his companion, who narrowed her eyes and stuck her tongue out, concentrating for a moment, followed by a click. She then handed the ring back, making a note to get herself one of them.

Just then Dermot announced, by this point to no one’s surprise, than he had found a hidden door. Shanni pointed out that the door in front of her had just been de-trapped, but also raised the point that the less obvious way might be best, which Darrow and Aerikoth agreed with, but without certainty as to their chosen way forward. (One can sense the fatigue and strain which now accompanies the adventurers, who nonetheless must be praised for their persistence and courage. I must say that I probably would not have chosen to traverse the deadly trapped corridor quite so many times, were I in their place. --C)

 

[Carlo-One]

Eventually they decided to leave Darrow in the crossroads, as the dwarf still needed to fully heal and also wanted to keep an eye on the now-unlocked door there. Aerikoth, Dermot and Shanni then entered the secret door Dermot had found. In the chamber beyond, they found the way forward split by a wall, with red arrows in the floor leading to an old iron door on the right side, while a long corridor receded into the dark in front of them on the left. Suspicious of the arrows’ meaning, Shanni checked the door, but found it warded by a magical lock.

The petite rogue gave the long corridor a baleful look, no doubt recalling the last one they had traversed repeatedly, and agreed to let Aerikoth try his magical chime of opening on the door. Shanni exclaimed with pleasure as she heard the door mechanism unlock with a ting. Once past the door, however, her face fell as she saw several bodies laying on the floor of a short corridor, which turned left out of sight. She observed that all of them had been smashed.

Shanni moved carefully right up to the edge of the first skeleton and paused, looking all around. After some bickering about their predicament, Shanni pointed out to the others that it looked like an older skeleton had been smashed trying to run towards the iron door they had entered from, while a fresher corpse had evidently been moving the other way.

She speculated that whatever it was had smashed them might be at the end of that corridor, so wanted to wedge the door behind them open to avoid being trapped. Dermot tried to wedge his skinning knife into the iron door’s hinge, but then judged the door was too heavy for that to work. Shanni however was able to convert one of her spike traps into an effective doorjamb.

They continued down the corridor and around the bend, noticing a number of skeletons with broken bones as they passed. Shanni, cursing and edging along nervously, warned the others to be ready to run. They soon reached a large stone slab of a door blocking the way. Shanni paused by the wall for a short while and then pushed at some parts of it, opening the door. As soon as she stepped forward, the petite rogue fell flat on her face and stopped moving, to Dermot’s consternation.

A few moments later, Shanni groaned a little and rolled over, then stood up slowly. As she got to her feet, they could all hear a single thud in the distance, as of rock against rock. It was unclear exactly where the sound was originating from. Dermot immediately urged the others to get moving, observing that something had changed. Another thud sounded as they considered which way to go.