(I/C)
The party decided that the door with the statues was not to be opened any time soon. After getting a heads up from Wyn and Brendon as to what was ahead of them, Kovid, who had to be told multiple times about TWO doors down the right corridor, said, “Let’s go check out that door in the corner down the east hall. Yeah the one in the shadows that’s hard to see. I didn’t see it but Brendon says it there... Abraxas, will you do the honors again?”
"No problemo companions,” Abraxis replied. “I will open las puertas, with my shield and this meer-roar to guide me. After Señor Lankas searches for traps of course. He has good eyes and nimble fingers on him."
“Slow and steady, my friend,” Brendon agree, smiling at Abraxas.
The group drew up in order, Brendon and Kovid once again at the head of the line. With eyes wide and ears open (<Group Hear Noise +15% bonus, Red 34) they proceeded with caution. Walking slow, they traveled north 35’ or so to the “T” intersection, and then making sure nothing was down either side, turned right to the east and traveled on with methodical steps, waiting and ready.
Once at the corner, the passage turned to the SOUTH again, with a DOOR on the east wall, and a dozen long paces further, was another DOOR on the east wall. They waited until sure nothing was around and then Brendon went up to give the door a final look over (>Find traps, Red 36). After a few minutes he felt comfortable that the door was safe and sound and stepped back for Abraxas to do the honors.
The fighter had withdrawn the FANCY SILVER MIRROR from his sack and tucked it into his armor belt. Then, Shield in front of him, he gave the door a final look over (>Search, Blue 6) not seeing anything amiss. Kovid was muttering about “laser eyes” and Lyra could be heard whispering to herself that “there is no shame in running away if a gorgon is back here. Aine pretty much demands it, she’d understand.”
“The sun will come out…” Abraxas sang softly as he turned the knob and…pushed.
“Manana…”
With the mirror held before him, the Fighter tried to look through the reflection to see…a set of stairs going down.
A lot.
Like as far as the lantern shines and it STILL kept going down.
“Holy shit,” Lannis exclaimed softly. “Does this go to hell?”
“If I was a gorgon,” Lyra offered. “I’d totally stay down here.”
“Seriously, Cleric,” the Magic User cursed at her, “I am one fucking finger snap from shitting my pants and bolting and I don’t need you stoking the party’s fears.”
“Just saying.”
“Well, don’t ‘just say’, ok?” Lannis turned to Kovid and Brendon. “Well? Go do your thing.”
Brendon gave Lannis a blank stare. “You want me, to go down the dark long steps of darkness and doom? To do what? See if there is more steps? Are you normally out of your gourd or is this a new thing?”
“Hey, what the fuck are we paying you for?”
Brendon (Wis <9) stepped up to the Magic User (Cha <9) and got in his face. “You don’t pay me a fucking thing. And you’re not my damned supervisor.”
“Back up, lug nut,” Lannis squared his shoulders, rising to his toes to stare the scout in the face , noses almost touching, “or you’ll be needing a straw to piss out of after I spellblast your apparently metaphorically enlarged cock off.”
Abraxas put his hand on both their shoulders and drew the two men apart. “Hokay, we be are getting tres loco here. Let’s dial it down close to nada for a bit, hokay?”
Kovid tapped the scout on the elbow. “10 steps, Manling. I’ll go with you. 10 steps. Lets see what we can.”
Brendon drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. Turning to the dwarf he nodded. “Let’s go. Professional.”
The two of them, back lit by the lantern, slowly walked down the steps one at a time, listening ahead of them, the dwarf paying careful attention to the stone (<Stonework, Yellow 3). Brendon stopped on the 10th step and crouched low, looking about while Kovid ran his fingers on the walls and sniffed the air.
“Water,” Brendon said after a minute. “In the distance, very very faint, I can hear the sound of slow dripping water. One drop at a time. For the depth of these stairs, the middle of them are clear of debris and grit, meaning these steps are used often and enough. No prints though, just obvious to my touch that they are used.”
“Hard to tell,” Kovid added, “but I believe that the stone becomes unworked further down. There is a feeling that naked stone is at the bottom of the steps. Less castle, more cavern.” He paused. “But like Brendon, all I can hear is very very faint slow dripping water, and nothing else obvious below.”
The two of them turned back to the top of the steps. “What’s the plan? Down or back up?”
Time is 12:57
(OOC)
These steps go at least 30’ down and then some.
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