[Ptolus/AD&D] IC Thread #2 - Underground (part 1)

[Benoist]

Dallow, one of Ylarum's porters, is now lowered down the well into the room. He is wearing some basic equipment to carry stuff along with his friend Liir. Snave looks at the basket as it makes its way to the floor with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety, like he is anticipating the action that is sure to follow.

Your group is all gathered  in the room.

[Cole]

"Who are the Knights of Rattle and Spear?"

With the rest of the party here, Ulas takes a position up the dais and watches the north and west with bow ready.

[Benoist]

Snave shrugs at the question, unsure what to say. "Never hea'd of them."

To the north, behind the red lantern, you can notice a whole lot of clutter: pieces of lumber, stones of various sizes, dust, etc. On each side of the lantern, you have a door: one to the west, and one the the east (where the two goblins fled).

Just between you and the red lantern, in the corridor leading to it, you see two enormous pieces of crystal embedded in the wall, each round and flat on the surface, a bit like the top part of a diamond used as a vertical decoration on a wall, but these are between 15 and 20 feet wide! One piece (on the NE wall, from your position) has a kind of orange hue to it, while the other (on the NW wall) is violet.

There is nothing but silence to the west of your position. The features beyond the indigo lantern seem fairly similar to the ones you've seen beyond the yellow lantern (to the east, aka polearms room). An interesting detail is that there is no clutter around the indigo lantern like there is around the yellow one.

Reposting our latest map for reference here (I'll update it later on):

[Cole]

Blue lantern...blue door...Othos, do you think that's the direction that Delbaeth warned us about?

[Drohem]

Seeing that all of their company has assembled now, Rissthil says, "it's time to earn our pay.  The way I see it, our only option is to press forward and attack their position beyond the east door.  Prepare yourselves for battle, lads."

"Perhaps Gareth or I should check the doorway for any deadfalls or pit traps first though," Rissthil adds as an afterthought.

[Lilaxe]

"These lurking goblins need to be dealt with, cant have them at our backs."

"It makes we wonder as well - whatever evil it is that has possessed these creatures, has not removed their fear - so they are not mindless at least not enough to fight to the end like undead"



DM: can we deduce that these two doors might link up, or is that too metagamy?

[thedungeondelver]

(DM: is my whole retinue down now)

[Benoist]

DM: can we deduce that these two doors might link up, or is that too metagamy?

DM: doesn't seem like a stretch to me, concidering the curve/angle of the walls. It's a reasonable in-game assumption that these two doors might connect somehow.

(DM: is my whole retinue down now)

DM: Yes, they are. Everybody's down now.

[thedungeondelver]

Ylarum, to his retinue: "Hold here, lads."

Ylarum will carefully walk over to the trough and walk around it, carefully, and then onto the rubble and into the far room.  Among the polearms are there ransuers and hook-fauchards?

If so, I'm taking two of each and moving out the way I came, back to the group.

[Benoist]

Ylarum, to his retinue: "Hold here, lads."

Ylarum will carefully walk over to the trough and walk around it, carefully, and then onto the rubble and into the far room.  Among the polearms are there ransuers and hook-fauchards?

You do so, and proceed without any major issue. You do find ranseurs and fauchards there.

If so, I'm taking two of each and moving out the way I came, back to the group.

You proceed, once again without having much trouble.

[thedungeondelver]

Ylarum asks Tarm and Json: "You fellows know how to use these to disarm a man?  I've seen footmen do it when I was in the levies, but ne'er had the occasion to learn how."

(I'm hoping that as they're heavy footmen with polearm that they do in fact know how.  Also what's the reach on the ranseurs?)

[Benoist]

Ylarum asks Tarm and Json: "You fellows know how to use these to disarm a man?"

Tarm and Json look at each other, then back at you: "Guess we'll know soon enough, Sir!"

They grab the weapons.

[Drohem]

Rissthil says to the Ylarum as he sheaths his longsword, "cover my back.  I'm going to examine the area before the east and west door of the northern hallway."

He leaves the dais and heads up the northern hallway with his torch in hand.  He stops short of the two large crystals in the wall and starts checking the area for any discernible traps like pressure plates or trip wires.

[Cole]

Rissthil says to the Ylarum as he sheaths his longsword, "cover my back.  I'm going to examine the area before the east and west door of the northern hallway."

He leaves the dais and heads up the northern hallway with his torch in hand.  He stops short of the two large crystals in the wall and starts checking the area for any discernible traps like pressure plates or trip wires.

"Take care before trying to cross those crystals, Rissthil. Some kind of discharge might set off between them if the wrong person tries to cross."

Ulas readies an arrow from his position on the dais.

[thedungeondelver]

Tarm and Json look at each other, then back at you: "Guess we'll know soon enough, Sir!"

They grab the weapons.

"Good, both of you.  If you can't grab a man's - or monster's - weapons, then stab the shit out of them.  Here's what we're going to do.  Liir and Dallow are going to carry the hook fauchards and your spears.  Sling your shields on your backs.  Our marching order through the halls here...Smeads and Gareth are light of foot and not wearing heavy armor, they should scout ahead, perhaps fifteen or twenty good paces*.  At any rate far enough out so those keen elven eyes of Smeads and Gareth aren't spoiled by the light from the lantern.  Our vanguard should be Runch, me in the middle, and Tudd on the right.  Now, Tarm and Json, you two are close up behind us, behind yes but march so you see between Runch and me and Tudd.  That way you can stab with those polearms  and you needn't worry too much about yourselves.  Ulas, you should take up position with them, unless you feel you can scout foreward with the elves without too much trouble in the dim light.  Snave, you stand behind them with the lantern open and at the end of that pole - give us all enough light to see by.  Friar Othos, you and Nimten should stand akimbo Snave.  The good Friar can lay on with healing as needs be, Nimten can employ spells as well from where he stands.  Rissthil, Liir and Dallow in the rear, but close up!  Don't want anything coming up and nabbing any of you.  Now is that all of us?"