Vapourware RPGCodex plays Dungeon Crawl Classics

[nikolokolus]

Siegbert shouts, "Cave in! Run, run, run!" He churns his stumpy, deformed legs for all they're worth trying to get to the edge of the pool. "Hob, gimme a hand ootae 'ere."

 

[Siveon]

"Wait, what?!" Barry yells in confusion. "Get out of there you dolts!" Wesker screams.

Pobbin and Barry both try to climb out of the empty pool. Wesker runs towards the crumbling hole, preparing to help the two should they need a boost.

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Striken by panic, Siegbert, Pobbin and Barry quickly climbed out of the pool. Once the adventuers have calmed down a little, they saw that the bottom of the pool isn't actually collapsing yet; however, the floor is indeed crumbling, and you're not sure what will happen if you were to continue with your mining operation.

OOC

Spoiler

Siegbert has 9 crystals. Ogin has 17, Gylan has 8, Pobbin has 8 and Barry has 7.

 

[nikolokolus]

Siegbert scratches his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm ... I wonder? Hey Hob, er somebody fetch me a rope. I think we can get the rest o' these crystals if'n we're smart, but I'm gintae to need several o' ye tae belay me while I work. I'll tie the rope around me waist, ye keep it nice and tight and if'n the floor gives way, ye catch me and I doon fall tae me death. Who kens, maybe there be a treasure chamber 'neath this pool?"

 

[Siveon]

Pobbin laughs. "Aren't you a brave one? Aye, I guess I'll help this one time. Don't think about haunting any of us from the grave, now." Pobbin nudges Barry. "How about you lad, want to indulge this madman's plan?"

Barry simply looks worried. "I can't be sure, friend. With all the traps and such throughout this place, what's there to deny another dangerous contraption being sprung from that hole? What say you, Wesker?" Barry looks towards the elf for some sort of guidance. Wesker shrugs, "It's a risk to be taken, but I do not think it's that grand of a risk. I'm sure we can lift the dwarf together, and should any traps come our way we pull him off and run towards the exit."

"Oh, and I thought you were the sensible one." Barry crosses his arms. "I'll join in, but I'm holding from the back, where it's safe."

 

[Alchemist]

Upon seeing the risk of the crumbling floor both Ogin and Gylan quickly climb out the pool along with the others.

Ogin says "Seems like a solid plan" to Siegbert's idea. "I'll certainly help secure you if we can get a rope rigged up. Didn't someone have a rope around here?" He looks around.

Arbin sighs and says "If you must - you can use some of my remaining fabric to tie up a harness of sorts..." and he offers 2 yards of fabric which might be used for securiing Siegbert. "I do hope we get something out of this ordeal. Good fabric doesn't come cheap you know."

 

[Monstrous Bat]

The fabric seemed sturdy enough, though you aren't quite sure if they could hold Siegbert's weight.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

OOC: I thought we had a rope? If not, then forget about Siegbert's plan

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Poul clears his throat and says, "You boys ready to try for that door now, or are you waiting for something else to crumble?"

Hep moves to the portal mentioned and holds the mechanism to open the door. "Ready when you are..."

 

[Monstrous Bat]

nikolokolus

Spoiler

You do have a rope (two actually), but both are carried by dead people. Though I guess you could say that Cepheus took the grappling hook while he was running away from the monument.

 

[Alchemist]

OOC:

Spoiler

I thought we only had one coil of rope - and it was Slolth's that Cepheus used on the monument. If not, then it's on Slolth's body in the monument room. Someone also had a chain (Siegbert?).

Ogin says "Oh yeah, eh... the rope we have seems to be left back in that infernal monument room. It was a good idea Siegbert but I ain't goin' near that thing!"

If the hanging dwarf plan is aborted, Ogin, Gylan, and Arbin wander toward the door about to be opened. Gylan puts his crystals in Ogin's bag for safekeeping.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

OOC: Nicomedes nicked Cepheus' chain. However I was never explicit about Cepheus retreiving the rope and grapple from the statue, so indeed it is in the room with the giant statue

Siegbert "Nico, bring that chain o'er 'ere. I'm gintae loop me belt through one o' them links in tae end and ye blokes is gintae 'old ontae me. Got it?"

Nicomedes looks up from his reverie as he finishes examining the door for traps, satisfied (hopeful?) that none are there. "Alright stumpy, hold on to your hat ... unless you really are itching to shuffle off this mortal coil as quickly as you can."

After Siegbert finishes fastening himself to the chain Nicomedes and Hob take hold of one end and Siegbert goes back into the pool to chip away at more crystals with his pick.

 

[Alchemist]

Ogin also assists in holding the chain and will help haul him up if the floor collapses.

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Siegbert felt a bit uneasy as he fastened himself to the chain. It just feel weird to be held to a chain like that... The dwarf quickly forced these unrelated thoughts out of his head and resumed working.

2... 3... 4... 5...
...
41... 42... 43... 44...

Time pass, and Hob's bag grew heavier and heavier. Meanwhile, the lakebed seemed to become more and more unstable. Then, as Siegbert had just begun to digging out the 47th crystal, the floor collapsed. There was a deafening noise as the lakebed crashed down to the space below, followed by the sound of crystals shattering. Fortunately, Siegbert was safe. Hob and Ogin quickly pulled the chain up and found out that the dwarf, though nauseated and dizzy, was unharmed by the cave-in.

Spoiler

Siegbert managed to dig out 46 crystals before he sent the floor down crashing. Also, prop to nikolokolus for bravely facing the consequences of his action and not retroactively add the grappling hook to Cepheu's possesion.

 

[nikolokolus]

Siegbert pitches wildly at the end of the chain in the yawning gap where the bed of the pool once was; a sack in one hand and his pick in the other. His belt cuts uncomfortably into his pendulous belly momentarily distracting him from the wave of vertigo and disorientation that washes over him. Adrenaline surging through him he reflexively starts laughing uncontrollably and sputters,"Heeheehee, ohohohoho, ahahahahahah, weeeeeee!! Hahahaha!! Gods balls Hob, 'aul me up, I doon feel tae good. *urp*" He belches a little and clamps down his mouth for fear of losing his lunch.

With Siegbert safely up Nicomedes cautiously peers over the edge seeing what he can see.

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Nicomedes'... uhh... association check? (1d20+1=5)

When Nicomedes gazed through the massive shaft left by the collapse he saw what could only be described as a huge mess. There's another huge chamber down there, now cluttered with mud, debris and shards of shattered crystals. An eerie green light seemed to shine somewhere down there, but it's not helping much in terms of illumination. All Nicomedes could see clearly was that there's a massive pit down there, filled with... things that Nicomedes couldn't quite make out.

 

[nikolokolus]

Moving things?

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Nicomedes doesn't think the "things" are moving, though given how messy it is down there it's hard to tell for sure.

 

[Alchemist]

After Siegbert is pulled up safely, Ogin looks down toward the collapsed pool floor. "You did good work, gatherin' what you could. You have my respect!" he says heartily to Siegbert. "And now we have another way to go if all hell breaks loose - hah! I reckon we're done in here for now though - unless we can fetch that rope and grappling hook to climb down there. Hmm.. we might end up down there in any case."

Arbin kneels down by the side of the pool and looks down into the hole, aided by his halfling infravision - trying to make out any details of what might be in the room below. "Just a quick look... before we go." he says.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Poul waits at the far door, but simply nods at Arbin. "Nice work with the chains, lads."

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Even with infravision it's still difficult to see what's down there. Arbin could see that there's indeed a large pit in the chamber below, filled with certain "things". Arbin was unable to make out the details at this distance, but the "things" are definitely humanoid in apparence. They're partially submerged in water (presumbly from the collapsing pool) and many of them seems damaged; some have even been knocked down - which may have something to do with the fallen ceilings. None of the humanoid "things" seemed to be moving.

 

[Alchemist]

"Something... humanoid down there. They don't move - statues perhaps? More crystal men maybe. Some are broken." Arbin describes to the group. "Well I suppose we'll see if we ever get down there. Shall we move on through that door?"

Ogin and Gylan nod as the trio make their way toward the unopened door. Ogin signals to Hep, who holds the door handle, "We're ready - let's see what's next".

 

[nikolokolus]

Siegbert lifts his head from between his knees and notices Ogin Gylan and Arbin moving toward the far door. "Oy, doon get tae far ahead. We're comin' " He hefts the sack of crystals that Hob was holding for him. "We done good lad, now lets see if'n there be more treasures beyond that door." He hands the sack of booty back to Hob, hefts his pick and moves in behind the others. Hob sighs but follows after him with a somewhat resigned shrug. Nicomedes loops the chain over his torso, tucks his handaxe into his rope-belt and hefts his spear before shouting at Siegbert "Hey Sig, take this if you're going to go first. It'll probably do you some good if you run into something nasty." he tosses the spear to the dwarf and falls in behind Hob.

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Ogin opened the door and was strangely unsurprised to find out that the door did not lead to another room, but a short, narrorw corridor which ends in a spiral staircase leading downwards. The staircase, carved out from rock, is cramped and dark. You see no sign indicating that anyone, or anything, had stepped upon the stairs recently... or ever.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

"Hmph," Hep grunted. "Someone hand me a torch and I'll go down to check it out."

"I don't have a torch, but I'll stick close to you and back you up," Poul answers.