Prepare to enter Deathtrap Dungeon

[Custom_Hobby]

Dekion opens the door and looks in

OOC: I think we can assume everyone else is doing the same and is still prepared.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

As the door opens, hundred of candles in the room beyond illuminate a rather large collection of stattues. They are really well carved, true masterpieces. As Dekion enters the room he feels a slight change in air pressure behind him as if the doorway had suddenly been sealed off. Ellion notices that some sort of spell effect has gone off (she's got that magic tingling feeling) but Rhana isn't so sure. However, should anyone attempt to step through the doorway they will find it blocked, as if by an invisible wall of force (because nothing in the spell description says it produces a visible effect and that would just be cheesy - surely the spell effect itself should be impressive enough without putting some great big giant cartoony signifier up, especialy since spells are meant to be hard to identify :p).

As Dekion casts his eyes about the rather impressive selection of stattues, a wiry ragged old man jumps out from behind one of the stattues at the back of the room and cackles with glee. "Oh good," he crows, "another foolhardy adventurer has stumbled upon me. I am the first of the trialmasters, we help keep the dungeon running and ensure that it's of an appropriately challenging nature."

With a sweep of his hand he indicates the, now rather ominously realistic looking stattues. "As you can see, many who have come before you have failed my task, and fallen prone to a rather stiff punishment." At that he cackles heartily at his witty comment. "Now then young fellow me lad, I am going to ask you a simple question, simple, yet complicated, as riddles often are." He gloats for a few seconds before continuing. "If you get it right, well, you'll get a nice prize, but if you get it wrong, you'll end up like this fellow here," and with that he indicates a stattue that looks exactly like the knight who entered the dungeon ahead of you, standing still with a resigned look of despair upon his face as if he knew he'd just done something wrong but also accepted his helplessness to do anything about it.

"So, the question, the riddle, the answer, as it were...." continues the old man. "Let's keep it simple eh? This man," at this he indicates the knight once more, "weighs one hundred pounds plus half his weight. How much does he weigh?"

In the original adventure the hero was offered multiple choice answers, since it was a gamebook, but they were not part of the question so I've left them out. Since this is a life or death situation I'm giving you a twenty four hour time limit to answer Mike, and given the fact that the wall of force probably doesn'tblock sound conferring is allowed, however it might not be a good idea because this isn't Chris Tarrant. He's not going to sit there for ages giggling and asking if you're sure that's your final answer. He'll take the first thing you say, and if someone else outside says something, well, he's a bit old so he might just decide you said it out of spite, you know, he can pretend to be hard of hearing if he wants to be :).

[Custom_Hobby]

Dekion looks back at the group, turns to the trialmaster and says "200 pounds"

[Balgin Stondraeg]

The old man peers intensely at you for a few seconds before uttering his reply. "Well done stranger. Here is your reward." He hands Dekion a ring, wishes him good luck, casts a spell and vanishes from sight (Ellion & Rhana will probably know that he dispeleld the wall of force and cast invisibility on himself to make it look as if he's teleported away).

When worn the magic ring grants the wearer a +4 dexterity bonus.

[Custom_Hobby]

Dekion smiles and puts on the ring. He turns back to the group "Passed that one without my weapons. Want to search the room and see if anything else is in here?"

[Keeper]

"Have a quick look at the adventurers to see if they've got any gemstones you can see, but I don't think the trialmaster would welcome you searching his room too much.  I've a feeling he's still able to see what we're doing.  Let's try the next door.  Want me to open it?"

[eyeolas]

"I reckon there isn't much more in there except stone bodies. Onward?"

[Custom_Hobby]

"Just give me a second to look around then" Dekion takes some time to search the room and then follows the group to the next door.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

A quick look over the room reveals no visible gems (that would have been turned to stone with the people holding them) and if the wizard is there then he's either hiding very well, or he's already left. You don't find him.

Moving swiftly on the group advances to the second door beyond which the tunnel still stretches off a very long way into the distance. Not even Ellion can see the far end.

[Custom_Hobby]

Dekion steps to the door and looks to see if he can see any traps. He checks the wall behind him, looks above and below as well. If he doesn't find anything he opens the door and looks in (ready to srping out of the way if need be).

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Beyond the door (hahahah it's not revealed! I was getting so sick of that word) is a small room on the far side of which are stairs leading downwards! Everyone regains two points of used luck for making it this far (I'll update character sheets in a moment or two).

However, what draws people's attention more than the stairs is a knakcred in old sksleton in tattered armour, probably a former adventurer who collapsed, unable to go on, and expired from his wounds. His armour is practicaly falling apart and a rusty old sword barely rests in his hand. His other hand losely holds a scroll which may bear an important message he swcrawled down as his life ebbed away.

I haven't bothered putting the rest of the corridor on the map because it's easily over 100' long past this door. Feel free to explore that way 'though if you want.

[Custom_Hobby]

"Damn, this looks like another trap! Sarian can you check the room and the skeleton to see if there are any traps you can find (and maybe disarm)?" Dekion searches around the room to see if he can spot anything.

OOC: I take 20 if I can. Are any of the items on the skeleton salvageable?

[eyeolas]

I do as instructed

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Sarian has a bit of a poke around (not that there are that many things to check) and determines that there are no traps in the room. Whilst examining the throne he observes writing* on the furled scroll clasped within the skeleton's grip. It is held losely enough to extract the scroll without causing it harm. His fingers hover briefly over the scroll whilst he decides what to do.

* You know how writing "shows through" when backlit. He sees hints of writing on the other side where the ink seeped through a bit (someone probably had to blot it a bit so there weren't great big stains obliterating the meaning of the text).

[eyeolas]

I take the sword and see if it looks anywere near usable (if it crumbles I use my sword), and poke the skeleton with it. If nothing happens I'll cut off the arm and take the scroll

I have a bad history of undead coming back to life