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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carlo-One" data-source="post: 8069364" data-attributes="member: 7015827">Darrow carefully and steadily used the handholds to descend the side of the pit, pausing only briefly when he reached the slipknot tying the two ropes together, in order to gauge how far he had traveled. Dermot and Shanni kept hold of the rope on their end and played it out as the dwarf kept going, until finally it went slack and they felt a single tug on it. His companions at the top of the pit were relieved and also curious; in response to simultaneous questions from Aerikoth and Shanni about the distance, Dermot indicated that the rope length had been fully played out.After a short debate, it was decided that Aerikoth should go next, in part because the wizard in any case lacked the physical strength to help support the others, should something go wrong. Darrow, after some delay and tugging back and forth, untied the rope from his waist and it was hauled back up to be fitted around Aerikoth. Somewhat regretfully, the wizard mentioned that he had not prepared a spell that would make his descent much easier. He stowed his staff in a magical bag and moved to climb over the rim of the pit as soon as Dermot and Shanni had signaled they were ready with the rope. Just as the wizard began descending, Helrud exclaimed that he thought he had heard a noise, but then said it was nothing.Aerikoth did his best to climb down the face of the pit, carefully looking and reaching for each handhold. Shanni was distracted enough by Helrud’s comment that Dermot told her to go take a look, as he was up to the task of anchoring the wizard’s descent. Helrud wondered if it might be Rahnee, coming to find them, but then dismissed the idea of her abandoning her post. As Shanni strung her bow and moved off, Helrud picked up the rope slack, trying to be helpful. He commented that the wizard was almost as light as a feather as the rope went slack and Aerikoth untied it. Expressing his eagerness to see the hoard for himself, Helrud brought up the rope and tied it around his waist as Shanni returned. The dwarf then started descending the handholds, leaving Dermot and Shanni up top. He reached the bottom, undid the rope and pulled on it to signal that he was down.After a bit of discussion, it was agreed that Shanni would go next and Dermot would be the last. As she attached the rope around her waist, the ranger joked that if anything happened while he was climbing, he could just jump and figure out something on the way down; she gave a lop-sided grin in response. The petite rogue, to her own surprise, made the descent down the pit wall relatively easily, although she had to stretch for the handholds, which were placed far apart for someone her size.Seeking some additional insurance against a fall, Dermot looped the rope around some rock outcroppings, but lost about ten feet of length in doing so. The ranger tied the free end of the rope around his waist and then climbed down using the handholds, finding them easy enough to use, but ended up about ten feet above the bottom as the rope reached its full extension. He undid it from around his waist and clambered down the remaining distance, joining the others a short distance away.Shanni had lit a torch by this point and everyone was standing around, in awe of the piles and piles of gold in view. Hot gusts of air periodically blew at them from the far side of the cavern, although the source was not yet visible. Darrow exclaimed happily that he was up to his waist in treasure, while Shanni knelt and dug her hands into the coin piles, which extended as far as they could see in the torchlight. Aerikoth, having been occupied placing spells of protection on the others, offered to do the same for Dermot as he arrived. The ranger asked if there was a fight in the offing, to which the wizard was noncommittal, saying that he at the very least wanted to be prepared. Once spells had finished being cast on Dermot and then on Aerikoth himself, the party was ready to further explore the bottom of the cavern and its mighty treasures.</blockquote>

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