Rotating the watch thru the night with the exception of the wounded Robern, who slept the whole time, the party stirs after Ered, on the last watch announces the West door was jiggled, then thumped during the last hour. The spikes held, but he listened and couldn't discern any particular noises thru the door. No secret doors were found during watch searches, so after a quick breakfast, Robern rolls for recovery. Eight HP recovered and he's back to full strength. Time to find some gold!!
Both doors of the room (3) are unspiked, and they listen at the West door. Nothing! Ered opens the door to an empty hallway heading West, and the party proceeds 30' to a door in the South wall. Ered bounces off this door, but Bertin on the second try, succeeds and the door opens to a room (5).
Bertin steps in, and when Ernan's torch shines into the room he shrieks " Skeletons!!". The closest of 3 skeletons strikes at Bertin. A very close miss, but it strikes again before Bertin can react!
Luckily another miss, and Bertin shifts to the corner of the room . Ered steps back from the doorway and Robern moves into the room, brandishing weapon and shield, commanding " Back! Back foul spirits!
A roll of 7 and the three skeletons cower away from Robern, towards the opposite end of the room.
The rest of the party leaps into the room and the fighters fan out to help Robern take on the skeletons!
Bertin scores a hit, and even with 1/2 damage using an edged weapon, he delivers a kill.
On the second exchange of strikes with the skeletons, both Robern and Ered kill theirs without suffering any damage. Ered and Robern then move to cover the doors to the room, while Bertin and Ernan search the room. There is a goblin body in the room, presumably from the gang that they met in room 3 yesterday. He has 100 SPs in a bag on his belt (stolen during the town raid?), and appears to have been killed by the skeletons. During a room search Ernan discovers a secret door on the South wall but the map indicates it's merely a hidden passage to a hallway they have already been down. They note it on the map; it may come in handy later. No noise is detected behind the door in the West wall; unfortunately it does not open.
They secure the silver, and exit the room heading West down the hallway. It is empty and intersects with the hallway they explored yesterday. They head South to verify if the hallway will link up with room 2 but end up at an empty 30x20 chamber (6)
A roll of 1 indicates a secret door is discovered on the West wall. Ered opens the door which leads to a hallway.
The party follow the hallway which curves around to the right and ends. At the end is a hole in the floor.
Searching reveals a secret door on the far side of the hole. No results from listening. The party takes time to discuss and plan. The hole seems about 30 ft deep from a small stone dropped down it (it can be heard hitting a floor). No sounds can be heard from down in the hole and no distinct odor can be smelled.
Decision is made. The secret door on the other side of the hole is left alone. Ernan hands the 100 SP over to Ered and props his torch by the lip of the hole. Bertin ties loops in the rope 5 ft apart while Ered puts 2 spikes in the floor near the hole. Bertin and Ered will belay and lower Robern and Ernan down the hole at the same time. Ernan and Robern step in the lowest loop, and grasp arms thru the next highest loop. Robern has a flask of oil in his free hand, and Ernan lights a new torch to hold in his free hand.
Robern says "On belay." Ered replies "Belay on." And they begin to lower them into the hole....
NOTES:
So far the random dungeon generator has really worked well. I was afraid it would turn into a slog of right turn, left turn, empty 20x20 room, rinse and repeat, but I have had some good rolls for secret doors, and was not anticipating the hole in the hidden passage way at all. It's been more interesting than I hoped for, and I really have been entertained by the process.
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