This is not your grave

[at]

Darrian studied the barricade - it was not the one that Ka'lion fell into, at least not unless it wound under the valley - even underground the dwarf had a keen sense of his location.

More water would certainly stop the skeletons in their tracks, though would also begin to flood the rest of the complex.

[harknail]

"No we don't," agreed Vadania. "Especially since that tunnel was filled with water all the way up to the top of the ridge! But we might use that to slow down the skeletons more while we make our escape by some other route."

[sageaqua]

"Your not going to outrun the water once you freed it. Our best chance is to climb out the chimney. The skeleton's can't follow us out because climbing is a skill they can't possiblely have and that is good enough for me. I just don't know anything about mining, or much about traps or about stone to get us out of here. That would take a dwarf that wanted out. So far that is not what I am seeing. I think Darrian wants to stay down here for some reason." says Ka'lion

[namklim]

Sorry for late reply, been busy with family since I just had my graduation ceremony. Besides the forge and the barricade, is there anything else around us? I am a little out of touch with the events and am trying to sort everything out.

"Ka'lion, you may be skilled at climbing, but most of us aren't. We may need to consider increasing the stream's flow in order to give the rest of us the time needed to climb out." Aelos then turns to Darrian. "Is there any reason for us to remain here? If not, we should focus on escaping, no point in finding treasures if we will die where they are buried."

[masterfrog]

Darrian ponders for a moment before responding.

DM, what would Darrian know? As a player, Vadania's reasoning makes sense, but I'm sure Darrian knows more than I do.[rand=001310110557824373286931683891452852875881129875779706728202290833]

[at]

Dec 18, 2012 15:53:24 GMT -5 namklim said:

I am a little out of touch with the events and am trying to sort everything out.

It appears to be a storage area for the mine, though much smaller than you would have expected - the material must have been moved away for processing elsewhere.
The entrance to the mine has been barricaded from this side while the entrance to the complex itself has been collapsed from the outside. The chimney has also been blocked but it's impossible to tell much about it's condition past the thick metal bars above the forge.

Dec 18, 2012 16:28:12 GMT -5 masterfrog said:

DM, what would Darrian know? As a player, Vadania's reasoning makes sense, but I'm sure Darrian knows more than I do.

Darrian studied as a spellcaster since he was a child, while he spent time underground his knowledge of mineworkings and architecture is limited.
Did you have a specific question?

[masterfrog]

Darrian responds, "Elf, I do not know much of the structural integrity of mines, but your theory on water flow sounds strong to me. It should give us the spare time we'd need to escape."

[sageaqua]

"Aelos, how many of you are strong swimmers?" asks Ka'lion, "I'm not and I can swim. You will drown wearing armor."

[namklim]

So, in short, we are stuck in a corner with the only unblocked way out past the skeletons?

Aelos replies, "I wasn't suggestion we flood the place completely, only increase the flow the of the water. The skeletons are having issues wading through it as it is, if we can increase the flow enough, it may give us enough time to make a way open for us to escape through."

[at]

Dec 19, 2012 12:11:19 GMT -5 namklim said:

So, in short, we are stuck in a corner with the only unblocked way out past the skeletons?

Unless the water slackens the skeletons still need some time to fight through it - long enough to clear one route, but one route only.

[sageaqua]

GM your last message makes no sense to me.

I'm not an engineer and it would take a lot of experience to figure out how to control how fast water moves and where if goes. Washing the skeletons away does not destroy them and the skeletons need to be buried or destroyed or they well remain a danger to the uninformed and innocent in the future. If we can report what we have found a army can be sent to deal with the seal, undead and any other dangers that may fallow us. We should capture one of the skeletons if we can so we can prove they have awaken. Some people would refuse to believe such an unlikely claim.

[at]

Decision time then -

Choose your destiny:

If you want to clear the chimney, turn to page 34
If you want to enter the mines, turn to page 162
If you want to poke at the collapsed entrance, turn to page 14
If you want to stand and fight, turn to page 100
If you have Tiamats stave, and wish to use it, turn to page 72


(i'll go with the majority in a day or so, unless everyone posts before then)

[sageaqua]

Ka'lions okay with 34 or 100. The rest we just don't have the skill set if something goes wrong.

[masterfrog]

Page 14 first, but if I need to be a tie breaker, page 34. Can I turn to page 74 to sneak a peek? ;D

[masterfrog]

Also, with the holidays fast approaching, I'll try to be available but may not check online daily through the new year. We'll see how it goes...

[namklim]

Staying to fight will probably not end well for us. We have taken out less than half, and I only have my Orisons left for spells. I'd use my Tiamat's stave, but I think I left that with the rest of my super-magical gear back in the temple. I don't think going into the mines will help us out much, except for putting more distance between us and the skeletons, and further away from possibly the only escapes. As for poking at the water source, I'd like to point out that we have little idea of what the others are capable of, so Aelos is mostly suggesting it in the hopes that someone does have that skill (remember, we can't see other's character sheets). The chimney depends on the amount of time it'll take to clear it so we can climb out. I don't suppose I could turn to page 50 and pray for Pelor to just destroy the oncoming hordes of undead could I? In case that doesn't work, I'm going to go with page 34 and suggest that Ka'lion clears it so he can tie a rope up there to help the rest of us climb out. I imagine it is not big enough for multiple people to go up there at the same time, so the rest of us could stay behind and keep skeletons off of his back. Is there anything around that could be used to help prevent the skeletons from approaching? You said it was probably once a storage room, so I'm wondering if there was anything left in it.

[sageaqua]

.I don't know which book your talking about but it is not the gm or players. I looked. In any case we have as much time as we are getting. I would like to know how large the waters entrance way is. perhaps the doors to the store rooms could be used to block access.

[harknail]

The exhaust vent is both blocked and bared, plus we expect that there is a second set of bars further up. It's going to be a tough exit, especially since we don't have anyone strong enough to bend bars. Plus there's the question of getting everyone out of a tunnel where only one person at a time can leave, we may have the last few people fighting a hoard of skeletons by themselves (which would be very bad for their health). If we could block the entrance to the forge room to keep skeletons out, that might be our best chance.

Playing with the collapsed entrance is tempting, but it would be very easy to release too much water and sweep us away with the skeletons. If it wasn't flooded that would probably be our best exit, but it is flooded, so no leaving in that direction. Unless... When we passed by there, was the water seeping out the top, or just though openings at the bottom? If the water is just flowing though cracks at the bottom of the barricade, it could be that the water isn't any deeper there.

Mines might have a second exit, but often don't. without a map we'd be in for a long and possibly fruitless search.

Fighting the skeletons is sort of the default choice if the option we pick doesn't work. If the water has washed some away and diminished their numbers, it might even be survivable. Or we could be setting ourselves up for endless waves of skeletons.

If water is coming only from the bottom of the collapsed entrance, I chose page 14

If we can close and seal off the forge room with us inside, and if it's big enough to get everyone up including Ylva, then page 34

Otherwise it's take our chances in the mines or stand and fight. In which case I'd like to open the mine while we can so we have an escape route if we need it, then try to stand and fight to see how many are actually coming.

[sageaqua]

"I just don't want to be unable to see anything. Perhaps we can block the skeletons with a fire wall. Not sure how well that would work but it might be worth a try." said Ka'lion

[at]

Dec 20, 2012 22:20:05 GMT -5 sageaqua said:

.I don't know which book your talking about but it is not the gm or players.

It's a joke reference to the old Fighting Fantasy books.

Fearing that they might be washed away or drowned should the barrier at the entrance give out, and not knowing what the mines hold, the group set up a defensive position at the end of the tunnel while Ka'lion and Darrian seek to clear the chimney using the Gromril blade as a chisel to work around the bars.

Though the barbarians suggestion to burn the skeletons in the flooded tunnel initially seems absurd Madaline notes that the lamp oil will burn on the surface - not in the fast flowing water of the tunnel but it may work if the group is forced back to the forge, a last ditch defence that would fill the rooms with smoke and flame.


Work on the chimney progresses slowly and the skeletons edge ever closer, thrown rocks fell a few but the horde seems unending. Madaline arrives in the forge to tell the others that the undead are only minutes from breaking through just as Ka'lion begins to climb.

Holding a glow rod he encounters his first obsticle - what appears to be the remains of an unfortunate individual blocking the chimney...


(ho ho ho)