FIVE HUNDRED TWO
(I/C)
"Amigos,” Abraxas said, crouched down and looking over the fireplace, “we should let Dude Luck get una vista Buena en el fireplace, y wait por que sus vista."
“I’ll do it,” Brendon said, coming over and placing his hand on the side of the chimney, head cocked and looking up the flue. “Wyn would you mind creating me one of those light coins again? Also, if I get to the top, should I spritz the shrooms with poison?”
“If you see anymore shriekers,” Lyra asserted, “Yea, definitely kill them.”
Taking out a copper coin, Wyn walked over , concentrating on a spell. “Oui, du Lac. I give ye a light coin wit de infinite light. En oui, kill any shriekers you might find.” He cleared his throat, “FAIT LUX ETERNIUS. *MAAAAAGIC!!!*” The coin blossomed with light, radiating around the room. Wyn handed it to Brendon who took it with a thanks.
“If it’s clogged, should I lower the items down quietly with rope to you guys?” he asked.
“Let’s see what we have to work with first,” Kovid said, “Anything with stonework, let me take a look and shot at it first, ok?”
“Will do,” Brendon placed the coin betwixt his teeth and started to climb.
Wyn glanced over at the door and said, “I cen take ova Monsieur Offop’s watch of de door while du Lac ees exploring.” He grabbed a chair to bring over and jam under the knob, “But first…”
“That will trap Lannis out there,” Lyra said.
“Que?”
“He’s down at the “T” intersection, looking that way, said he was going to hit them with a fireball if anyone dared to show.
“Seriously?” Wyn frowned. “Un moment,” he said, inching down the hall to the end and glancing left. Sure enough, there was the Magic User with a torch perched at the corner, eyes peeled and watching. “Monsieur Offop?” Wyn asked.
"Hey, where did Janeway go?” Lannis asked with a harsh whisper. “I get it, just going to leave me alone here? Whatever,” he waved his hand absently, “I’ll have to settle for you, Universal Soldier, to keep watch over me, mmkay?"
“Ugh,” Wyn frowned, “Whateva.”
Brendon was climbing (<Climb, Red 09) without issue, picking his way across the stones and then through the pitch. He made the turn again up as Kovid whispered from below, “What do you see scout-friend?”
“Hang on…I’m here.” He looked over the grating. The cotter pin was still there, but there was a layer of stones, heavy block type, stacked over the grating and covering the entirety of the hole. “Yeah, they’ve blocked it up. Let me try…” He slipped the pin free, pocketed it, and then tried to lift the grate…but to no avail. It only went up about 3 inches and then was stopped by the blocks above. “Nope, can’t lift it, guys. Can’t get the grate open.”
“Hinges?”
“On the wrong side,” Brendon frowned. “Going to have to rip it out, or maybe chip away at the stones holding the frame?”
“That’s my job,” Kovid said. “Tie off a rope and let me go up and take a look.”
“On it, Li’l Man.” Brendon took out his rope and tied off the end of it to the frame of the grate, letting it slither down the chimney behind him. “Coming down.” He came down swiftly, hand over hand, until he emerged from the chimney, feet first. “Give it a go,” he said.
Kovid took the light coin and jammed it under partially under his wrist greave. He then reached up and proceeded to climb with a noisome grunt (<Climb, +2 rope help, Yellow 7). Hand over hand he went up foot by foot, shifting his leg until he could clamber over the pitched section, and then using the rope, pulled himself up the rest of the way. When he finally got to the top, he braced his legs on the opposite walls and took stock of the situation. “Yep. This a what we call a Thor’s Chili Day Sized Dump of a problem.”
“Seems rather specific,” Lyra called up the flue. “Can’t you fix it?”
“By fix it, you mean, rip out the grate? Yep. Let me get my pick out here…” Kovid pulled his mining pick off his belt, set himself up, and placed the tool between the metal and stone by the first hinge. “Let just…Grrrrr…Ruh!!” (>Str check +1 tool, Yellow 5) The grate squealed and bent…but did not snap free. “Thor’s balls. Let me try again.”
(2nd attempt on BB/LG. =Str check, +1 tool, -1 2nd attempt, Yellow 3) He pulled and grunted, feeling the deep pins shift and give way, then a bit more, then it finally ripped free with a grinding squeal and the metal grate fell free, dangling at the end of the dwarf’s pick.
(WMC: Red/Black 4 – nope!)
“Senor? You muerte?”
“Nope, haha, not yet. Ok, got that part done. Let me see what we’re working with above here.” (Stonework: Yellow 1) “Ok…yep…uh huh. Ok, we can do this, and by we, I mean me. I have a pick and my hammer, but I am going to need some way to break up the mortar between the rocks here. Spikes…prybar?”
“I think we’ve got them,” Brendon said.
“How long?” Abraxas asked.
“half hour minimum, maybe as long as an hour. And as I do this, there will be raining blocks coming down.”
“We can help clear it,” Lyra said.
“30 minutes is a long time,” Wyn said from the door.
“At minimum,” Brendon frowned.
Abraxas called up the chimney, “For quiet, what about wrapping the tools in a towel or cloak?”
“It would deaden the noise,” Kovid agreed, “But reduce the effectiveness of my work. Assume minimum twice as long if I wrap the tools to muffle it. An hour to 2 hours, assuming there aren’t any problems or surprises.”
“Do we have that time?” Lyra asked.
“Let me know what you want me to do,” Kovid called down.
Time now is Day 11, 1:20 PM
(OOC)
Ok! So, we doing this or not?
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