| Logs |
2002 March 03
| Birthright |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Birthright Logs |
Chapter 11
The intrepid party, having forcibly subdued Big Joe and Jonesie and tied them up to bunks, at only a small cost to their own physical health, and having suborned Stormy who now awaits further results in the kitchen, where he can stay safe and watch the door, now return to Ferg's room where the key to the mystery may possibly lie.
Tilara says, "He went in here, and he didn't come out. A secret panel somewhere? Have to be either the ceiling or the floor..."
Yuri says, "Someone keep watch on the common room, I'll look for a secret door."
Starguard nods, and takes the watch, staying safely out of harm's way.
Yuri says, "I remember Jonesie and Big Joe saying something about dumping Kiel 'down the hole'. I wonder if that's under the bed."
Tilara is peering under the bed when she notices something odd. "There's no dust under here. Let's move the bed."
Yuri says, "A-ha. Here's a trapdoor."
Yuri says, "Let's be careful here. We already know that Ferg likes traps."
The trapdoor, wellhidden under the bed, has shiny well oiled hinges, and an obvious latch, sunken in the lid, which can be used to pull the door open.
Tilara says, "I don't trust him, either. I'd suggest lifting the door with a piece of rope."
Yuri carefully unrolls Ferg's cloak, showing the items from the trapped chest. "What do you guys make of this? It's Ferg's 'stash'.
Yuri says, "He had these," pointing at the needles, "in the sackful of coins. One of them poked me. Pretty nasty design."
Tilara says, "Hmm. Feathers. Why feathers?"
Yuri says, "It's pretty obvious what the needles are. Anyone have a guyess about the daggers, ring, belt, or feathers?"
The feathers are long and full, and carefully dyed in alternating orange, red, blue, and white stripes.
Tilara concentrates, murmuring under her breath as she looks for magical emanations.
The bag glows visibly, as do the feathers, in the glow of Tilara's spell. The others lie quietly.
Tilara nods. "Yep. The bag itself is magic, and so are the feathers."
Yuri says, "You wanna take charge of those, Tilara? If Ferg gets loose, we don't want him to be able to use his toys against us."
Yuri checks the belt carefully, in case it's a moneybelt or something.
Tilara nods. "You've got the needles out of the bag?
Andreth scratches his head. "Magical feathers? What're they for?"
The belt is a plain leather belt, with a cloisonne clasp; the design is etched out in shades varying shades of orange.
Yuri holds up a lump of cloth torn from a bedsheet, wadded thickly around the needles. "Yep, got 'em here, where I can see them.
Yuri says, "Now, let's see about this trap door. Emphasis on the 'trap'."
Tilara reaches into the bag, to see how big it is inside.
The trapdoor opens easily. It seems to be hinged in the middle as well, so that the door folds in half, thus allowing the door to slide out of the way under the bed.
Yuri says, "Someone fetch the lantern? We should have a look down there."
Tilara hands Yuri the lantern. "Here ya go."
Starguard peers in. "What have you found? Ash is guarding the commons, so..."
Yuri looks carefully down the trap door.
Looking down, Yuri sees a plain ladder leading down to a corridor, some twenty feet down. The ladder looks well used, but not broken down. The corridor looks well built, with stone walls, although the hole leading down passes through loam first.
Yuri hmms.
Yuri says, "This is damn odd. What would a reinforced tunnel be doing under an old farmhouse?"
Yuri says, "I remember some old stories about a bunch of bandits, more than a century ago... they had a reputation for popping up in an area, sucking trade dry, making the roads unsafe, and then moving on. I wonder if Ferg's heard the same story and has found their old lair."
Yuri says, "Anyway, let's go. Who's first down the hole?"
Starguard says, "I think I should stay in the middle with Tilara... Andreth, would you lead?""
Andreth nods to Starguard. "Okay..."
Tilara says, "Sounds fine."
Yuri says, "Guess I'll bring up the rear, then..."
Andreth begins climbing down the ladder, staying close to the wall...
Yuri quickly runs to tell Ash what's happening, then returns.
Tilara says, "Wait... before you go too far, Andreth... Yuri, could there be traps on the ladder?"
Yuri says, "Well... I dunno of any specific ladder-traps, but some malicious sod could easily saw halfway through a rung if he wanted to make our life difficult."
Yuri says, "So be careful what you put your weight on."
Andreth hmms. "Got any spare gloves?"
Yuri says, "No. Just take mine."
Yuri says, "Guy who goes first gets the gloves. And hey, they'll protect you from any nasty splinters, too."
Andreth nods, and makes his way slowly down the ladder, testing each rung with his weight before going on, Tilara just above him with the lantern. A thought occurs to him, and he keeps his gaze firmly fixed straight ahead or down.
Reaching the bottom of the ladder safely, Andreth steps onto the corridor floor. The corridor stretches out before him, and he can see muddled footprints in the dust and dirt covering the stone floor.
Andreth steps aside to let the others down, being careful not to step on the footprints too much.
Yuri says quietly, "Maybe you should let me go first.
Andreth nods to Yuri, keeping his voice low. "Who d'you want behind you with the lantern?"
Yuri says, "You, big guy. Someone good at hitting things."
Starguard frowns, worried. Already, he knows that the young ones are tired, and he can't call on the stars many more times...
Andreth nods, and takes the lantern from Tilara, falling in behind Yuri.
Tilara says, "Why would he be so careful to stay in the center of the tunnel?"
Yuri says, "Dunno. That's why I'm going first."
The corridor stretches out past the limits of the lantern's light. As do the footsteps.
Starguard grumbles. "They'll see us coming, but there's no help for that..."
As Yuri slowly moves down the corridor, Andreth follows him, holding the lantern high to maximize light. For about a hundred steps, the footsteps in the dirt hog the center. Then, suddenly, they skirt the left side of the wall. Yuri pauses, and investigates.
Tilara offers Yuri her quarterstaff. "Want to poke it and see what happens?"
Yuri says, "Good idea."
Yuri tales Tilara's staff and uses it to poke the floor ahead of him from now on.
Finding nothing, Yuri looks around once more, and then carefully follows the steps which hug the wall for seven steps, before moving back to the center.Another twenty two paces, and the footsteps stop. At this point the corridor has obviously been swept, as can be seen from the little piles of debris and dust lying up against the walls. The roof, here, dips down a little more.
Yuri swears softly.
Yuri says, "Guess we don't have a lot of choice. Everyone still here?"
Yuri takes a quick head-count.
Tilara peers past Yuri's shoulder. "Sneaky little slime, isn't he?"
Starguard nods. "Lazy, isn't he? Could have swept the whole thing.
Yuri moves ahead, scanning the walls, floor, and cieling, poking every meter or so with the end of the staff.
Tilara says, "True. Wonder why he did it here all of a sudden? Kind of a giveaway if there's a trap."
Starguard says, "Knowing there's a trap and finding it are two different tricks."
As Yuri moves forward, carefully poking with the quarterstaff, he suddenly hears a click. As the gound underneath him collapses away, he scrambles in mid air for a moment, before falling 20 feet. And landing somewhat less than gracefully on the cold filthy floor.
Starguard swears. "Yuri!" he calls down. "Are you alright?"
Yuri groans. "I think I broke something."
Suddenly the light goes out for Yuri, as the plaque of stone, apparently counterweighted, swings shut again, presenting a pristine corridor to the rest of the party.
Tilara swears. "Have we got a rope? This is going to be a nuisance, I can tell."
Yuri gets up gingerly and sees if he's ambulatory.
Tilara waits for an answer, but no one volunteers. "Okay... looks like it's up to me. I'm going to spring the trap, and I want you to hold it open. I'm going down and get Yuri out.
Andreth frowns.
Andreth says, "I don't know... that stone's prob'ly got a /lot/ of weight."
Starguard nods. "And Yuri's got the quarterstaff down there..."
Yuri feels around in the dark, discovering... a ribcage. "Oh, gross."
Andreth says, "I think we need a closer look at this thing..."
Yuri carefully searches the inside of the pit, feeling around.
Tilara gets out her little bottle of spiders. "Can't have that much if it drops under Yuri's weight. If it closes, wait a minute and trigger it again, but try not to fall in." She takes her boots off, prepares her spell and then casts it. Gingerly, she walks out, crouching to move on all fours just before she reaches the point where Yuri fell in.
The ribcage appears to be attached to the spine, and the spine is attached to the pelvis, and the pelvis is attached to the hip bones, and the hipbones are attached to the knee caps, and so forth. The skelton seems to be either very old or very naked.
Other than that, Yuri finds primarily dirt. And the skull of a largeish rodent.
As Tilara slowly crawls out over the centre of the corridor, the door again swings up against the far wall. Tilara, stuck like glue to the trap door, swing with it up against the far wall, where it hangs, shaking a little.
Yuri looks up and sees the pit open again.
Starguard quickly sticks his morning star in to wedge the thing open, holding it in place...
Tilara grins down at him. "You okay? Hang on just a moment..." She moves down just a little, hanging on while the others wedge the door open.
Tilara wedges the hinge on her side, and waits until Starguard blocks the closure on his. Then she climbs down, gingerly switching from the trapdoor to the wall when she reaches the end.
The trapdoor swings back up but, impeded by the wedges, does not shut entirely. A thin line of light illuminates Yuri and Tilara.
Tilara sighs, and climbs down the rest of the way. That'll have to do. When she gets down, she gives Yuri a quick hug. "You've got to hang on as I go back up. Don't let go!"
Yuri says, "... I hope there's another part to this plan, Til."
Yuri hugs Tilara back.
Yuri holds on tightly to Tilara as she climbs back up.
Tilara says, "It's a good thing you're not heavy..." She starts back up the wall, slower now that she's encumbered by Yuri, but there is after all not far to go. When they reach the top, she grabs the opening with her hands and tries to pull it down."
Andreth, as he sees Tilara's hands go over the edge, hmms. "Would it help if I sat on the edge and pushed it open with my legs?" He takes a dozen or so paces back, then runs up and leaps over the pit, easily clearing it and coming to rest on the far side.
The trapdoor slowly falls open again under the pressure of Tilara's weight and Andreth's legs, coming to rest up against the wall once more.
Yuri continues to cling to Tilara.
Within a few more moments, Tilara and Yuri have made it back on to level ground, sitting next to Andreth. Only Starguard remains on the far side of the pit.
Yuri takes some time to check the corridor on this side for a lever or other control for the pit.
Starguard smiles. "That explains why he swept to this point...
Starguard idly looks at the walls and ceiling. "How does Ferg get across?
Yuri says, "That's what I'm wondering. He wouldn't go through all this shit himself. I'm thinking a lever or something."
Tilara says, "Maybe he just jumps, since he knows where it is."
Yuri looks over at Tilara and Andreth.
Starguard tosses the packs over to Andreth, ridding himself of the weight.
Yuri says, "Hey, stand on top of the other lip, that will make the counterweight heavier, then we can actually walk across."
Yuri says, "I mean, that's the easiest way to defeat this thing, right? If we had a hundred pounds of rock on top of the other lip it wouldn't move at all."
Starguard says, "Clear the way folks. Here comes the old man..." With that, he takes a few steps back, to get a running start, and charges at the pit."
Yuri says, "No, wait!"
Yuri tries to catch Starguard, seeing he's not going to make it.
Yuri makes a note of the dimensions of the trapdoor, if it goes all the way across, or if it's possible to skirt the edge without tripping it, and so on.
As Starguard races up to the edge of the trap he wonders for a moment what he will do for a weapon, now that his morning star has fallen into the pit. Shrugging, he takes off, stumbling a little, but landing in the outstretched arms of Yuri and Andreth, who drag him into the corridor.
Andreth offers to loan Starguard his dagger, since he can do without it. And indeed, better.
Yuri says, "Let's get our stuff together and try to be more careful this time. Sorry about that, guys."
Yuri says, "I hope Ash and Stormy are doing OK topside. I guess if they weren't, we'd have heard the explosion by now."
Starguard says, "No worries. Are you alright? The Stars still have a few favours to show me..."
Starguard says, "It's alright, Andreth. I seem to be better with this thing."
Starguard hoists his crossbow, smiling ruefully.
Andreth shakes his head and offers the hilt to Starguard again. "No, take it. Seriously. You need it more than I do, specially if someone gets too close for you to load that thing."
Starguard smiles, and takes it. "Alright. But I hope I don't have to use it."
Yuri recovers Tilara's quarterstaff and continues to poke and prod the walls, looking for more nasty surprises.
The corridor is swept clear for a few more paces, before the footsteps resume. Yuri carefully follows the footsteps, looking at everything cautiously before touching anything. Another sixteen slow careful paces brings Yuri to T intersection in the corridor. The footsteps go left, and the other side of the corridor goes right, roughly at right angles ...
Yuri says softly, "Ferg went left. We could go right thinking that he WANTS us to go left, because he wants to lead us past more traps, or we could just go left.
Yuri says, "What do you all think we should do?"
Andreth says, "We're after Ferg. If we go right, we could end up /anywhere/. I say we just keep following him. Carefully, of course."
Tilara says, "We're trying to locate Ferg. Might as well go the way he went."
Yuri says, "I'm not eager to fall down any more holes. The next one may have something pointier than rat skulls in it."
Yuri nods, and leads the party left.
Starguard says, "Hold on, does anyone have rope?""
Andreth shakes his head, frowning.
Yuri says, "I don't think so. If it's like the last trap, the leader would get smashed into a pulp."
Starguard shrugs. "Well, let's go then."
Yuri nods. "And keep quiet, folks.
To the left the corridor continues for another sixty paces or so, with Yuri again carefully, slowly, leading the way. The footsteps still stay in the center off the corridor, but are spaced more widely. And at one point Yuri sees a footstep that seems to be a different size foot.
Yuri says, "Umm... Starguard, I'm pretty banged up. Can you do anything about it?"
Yuri says, "I think he was running here... or maybe jogging."
Yuri examines the walls and cieling around the footprint, then the floor around it, and then the odd footprint itself.
Starguard hmms, and nods. "Here, Yuri. If you're leading..."
Yuri says, "Thanks, brother."
Yuri says, "Let's just go around it. I dunno what it means and I don't really want to find out."
Yuri leads the party around the odd footprint, hugging the wall.
Starguard smiles, as his hands glow weakly, very slowly healing some of Yuri's bruises. "I must keep one in reserve, though..."
Yuri says, "I won't begrudge you the one, Brother."
Yuri says, "Besides, I don't know how long we can stay down here anyway, at this rate."
Starguard holds Yuri back. "Just jump, Yuri. Skip a step.
Tilara looks at the odd footprint. "You sure that's not just a place where he always steps? Like it's the only safe spot?
Yuri sighs. "Maybe we should be more careful here, then...
Yuri crawls up and sweeps off the floor around the footprint.
Yuri sighs, stands up, and leads the party ahead. "Maybe he just tripped. C'mon, time's a wasting.
Starguard says, "I think you should step there. Maybe it disengages the next trap."
Andreth says, "Just prod it real hard with the staff, then, and let's get going."
Yuri steps on the larger footprint on the way past, and continues to poke the walls, floor and ceiling with the staff.
The corridor again splits, this time in a Y intersection, with the corridor behind you forming the extended lower stem. The footsteps turn right.
Yuri prods the floor in the left direction, just out of curioisity.
As Tilara obligingly holds the lantern uphigh, Yuri can see that the left corridor continues for perhaps another 30 feet or so, before disappearing in a rubble of a rock fall.
Yuri says, "Well.. guess he didn't go that way..."
Yuri shushes everyone. "Quiet. I hear something.
Yuri listens carefully.
Andreth pauses. "Me too." His brow furrows, his voice at a whisper. "Snoring... /and/ screaming?"
Tilara nods and points up ahead. "Snoring... maybe some of 'em are sleeping, and Ferg is yelling about it?"
Starguard says, "Maybe Ferg and Kiel..."
Yuri says, "Come on, guys. We must be getting closer..."
Yuri leads the party down the right fork, a little faster.
As Yuri heads down the fork, the illuminates the footsteps. But perhaps forty feet down he can see the lintel of a stone door.
Andreth pauses. "I'm gonna sneak ahead a little, see what I can see. I'll wave if the coast is clear. Or if I just need more light."
Yuri nods to Andreth, and spends the time checking the walls and floors around the area where they've stopped.
Andreth waves to the others, then holds a finger to his lips, hoping there's enough light for the others to see the gesture.
Andreth slowly walks down the corridor, moving as quietly as he can. Coming within a few feet of the door, he can see that the door is made of wood, hangs on iron hinges, and above all is closed. The hinges look fairly new, or at least have absolutely no rust on them. The sound of snoring comes from beyond the door, while weak screamaing emanates from a little further down the corridor.
Tilara slowly slides up to the door. She looks at the others and mouths silently, "Now what?"
Andreth motions everyone into a huddle, so he can whisper as quietly as possible and still be heard.
The footsteps both continue down the corridor and turn in a the door here. Moving just a little further, Starguard sees a second door on the other wall of the corridor. The right hand side this time. And that door has a huge padlock on it.
Yuri listens carefully at each door.
Yuri says, "Right. Looks like we gotta bust in on the snoring guy and get his keys."
Tilara sighs. "If he has the keys."
Andreth says, "Can we re-light the lantern if we douse it? Or can we hide the light somehow?"
Abdreth carefully shutters the lantern, and then pushes open the door. Something creaks alarmingly, but beyond is utter darkness. Utter suddenly very quiet darkness.
Tilara holds her breath, not moving a muscle. Just a bad dream. Go back to sleep.
Yuri waits for someone to unshutter the lantern, this could get ugly.
Tilara slowly, carefully brings her hands up...
Yuri whispers to Andreth, 'Light 'em up, or we'll be waiting a long time.'
After a minute that lasts an hour, the snoring slowly resumes ... at a lower volume. And something seems to be shifting in its sleep.
Andreth unshutters the lantern, shining it into the room, and pushes the door all the way open, making no more attempt at silence or secrecy. Let the dice fall where they may.
Andreth mutters, "I'm gonna regret this" under his breath as he does this.
As the light comes back, blinding everyone for the barest moment, they see a squarish room containing a bed to the left and a single chest to the right. There really isn't room for anything else.
The door, on opening, emits another loud creak.
Yuri waves the others to a halt, and tries to sneak up on the bed, keeping the lump covered with his crossbow.
Tilara watches the rest of the room, trying to decide where that thump came from.
The lump lies there, and completely fails to notice Yuri's approach.
Yuri gets out of the line of fire and lets SG take his action.
Starguard moves up, opening the door as far as it can go, which means it's opened all the way up against the wall. Moving with the door, he finds himself standing at the foot of the bed, which is about a foot away from the wall on the left, and about four feet from the wall against which the door is now jammed.
Tilara frowns and looks back up the tunnel before stepping closer to the door.
Yuri assumes he still has Tilara's staff, and carefully uses it to turn back the covers, crossbow pointed at the lump.
A small crossbow bolt ricochets off the wall behind Yuri.
Yuri's bolt disappears under the bed, landing in something with a definite thud. The snoring stops.
Dropping to his belly, Starguard grins as he sees the movement beneath, letting a bolt fly at the pinned target.
The bolt shoots under the bed, embedding itself in an exposed piece of thigh. Starguard, contorted as he is, can see that whoever it is has a few crates down there, providing further cover.
Tilara drops down and looses a bolt of her own, but manages to hit one of the crates instead of her target.
And in counter fire, there's a brief snickt and a bolt flies back at Tilara as she lies prone on the ground, hitting her shoulder.
Tilara hisses as the bolt hits, and then groans and collapses.
Andreth sees Tilara slump to the ground and yells, "Starguard, get out here!"
Yuri, in a fit of rage, dives under the bed, Ferg's own bundle of poison pens in hand. He firmly jabs the entire bundle into the side of whoever is under the bed, and stays there, continuing to jab the needles harder to make sure they stick.
Andreth darts in, stepping over Tilara's prone body, and pulls back the blanket, throwing it as far as he can under the bed. Underneath it turns out the hump is formed by a bodypillow that's about ferg's height; with a wig stitched on loosely, using large stitches. Andreth stops a moment, groans, and steps back to stand in the doorway.
Starguard scrambles towards the door, making space for Andreth to get in while his hands come down on Tilara's back. "Stars, shine your healing light down upon this one. Cure Light!" he calls, invoking the divine healing he has been granted.
Tilara waits for Yuri to get out of the way. That was very unpleasant, whoever you are.
Yuri faces the body, who twists around and shoots him at point blank range. The bolt hurts as it goes in, but doesn't really begin to burn until a few moments later.
Yuri thinks, as he passes out from the pain, Next time I won't stay to twist the knife...
Andreth sees Yuri's legs go limp, and rushes into the room, dragging his fallen comrade out of the line of fire as quickly as he can.
Tilara waits until Starguard has dragged Yuri clear, then growls out the syllables of the spell. "Burn!" A wash of flame rolls under the bed.
The flames wash under, igniting everything in their path. Ferg screams, lunges up and half lifting the bed with him. Smoke begins to waft, as the woollen blanket has caught fire.
Ferg bellows, his hands momentarily empty before he leans over to pull out a rapier. Charging, he aims straight at the back of Starguard.
Starguard yells as the sharp rapier makes a neat hole in his shoulder, his arms spasmiing up from Yuri. He begins to bleed, but Andreth closes on Ferg...
As Ferg stumbles out, Andreth concentrates his ki, and rushes forward, delivering a kick to the side of Ferg's head with a deafening "KIAI!"
Ferg collapses into the burning remains of his bed, completely stunned.
Tilara winces at the noise. "I hope he's alone down here..."
Starguard winces, feeling his shoulder. "I don't think we could fight off anyone else..."
Tilara says, "So, do we pull him out of that? Heck, we need the keys..." She goes over to pull him out of the fire. "Shall we kill him, or take him back for a trial?""
Andreth says, "If we're gonna keep him alive, we're gonna have to make damn sure he doesn't get loose. I don't trust him."
Tilara says, "He's not going anywhere right now."
Starguard carefully pulls out his dagger. "I think I can weaken him for hours...without killing him."
Andreth sighs at Yuri's unconscious form, borrows his gloves, and begins methodically searching Ferg.
Ferg is dressed in a slightly charred tunic, his legs covered by simple hose held up by a belt.
Starguard drags Ferg from the flaming bed, letting him lie unconcious on the floor while he carefully bleeds the theif with his dagger. "There. That should keep him out, and no permanent damage done.
Tilara looks at the chest, and at Yuri. "I'm not going to try opening that. Where's my quarterstaff?"
[Previous Log] [Index] [Next Log]