The Ruins of Ramat - 0-level funnel

[fireinthedust]

Copromancer and Jenkins rush over to the pillar.

Copromancer takes a look at the symbols, desperately trying to see if there is any meaning he can discern (or other buttons to press).

Jenkins is trying to jam the button in place, so it doesn't go further in.

Marvin covers his mouth and looks for another entrance to the room.

The halfling Xim runs after Marvin. He's looking to see if there is anywhere he can climb up to (if the gas seems to stay low) or if being short helps him (if the gas is like smoke, at the ceiling).

Joe the Shepherd and his pup likewise rush away from the stone door, hoping to find some place else to get away from the gas.

Some d20 rolls in case you need them: 11, 8, 5, 11, 5, 17, 13, 7, 4

On the bright side, at least we know that I'm not cheating. Yikes! Let's see who's left!

[Judge Perky]

ROUND 1

Fat Andre shouts "The top stone! This started when it began sinking into the pillar! We have to pull it back out!"

Lyanna and Squire Jon reach up and try to press the protruding square with their pitchforks. Ragged Rob begins slinging stones at the square.

Copromancer and Jenkins rush over to the pillar.

Copromancer takes a look at the symbols, desperately trying to see if there is any meaning he can discern (or other buttons to press).

Jenkins is trying to jam the button in place, so it doesn't go further in.

Marvin covers his mouth and looks for another entrance to the room.

The halfling Xim runs after Marvin. He's looking to see if there is anywhere he can climb up to (if the gas seems to stay low) or if being short helps him (if the gas is like smoke, at the ceiling).

Joe the Shepherd and his pup likewise rush away from the stone door, hoping to find some place else to get away from the gas.

Ok. Lyanna, Squire Jon and Jenkins' ministrations have no effect on the sinking square, which continues to sink slowly into the pillar.

Marvin finds no other entrances.

Xim finds the walls to be well-worked, and slick with lichen or moss. Climbing would not be easy and in any event, the gas is light and is already filling the room.

EVERYONE IN THE ROOM TAKES 1 HP OF DAMAGE. INCLUDING CHICKENS.

By my reckoning, La La Farfoot and Fat Andre drop to the floor of the room like sacks of flour.

[Judge Perky]

ROUND 2

Lyanna, Squire Jon and Ragged Rob all look at each other sheepishly. Then they run around to the other side of the column and try to push in the block opposite the block that sunk into the column.

What do the rest of you do?

[Max_The_Judge]

Fat Andre falls to the ground and gets busy dying. My other characters look for another protruding stone in the pillar.

[fireinthedust]

Copromancer starts pushing other buttons down the column, starting with the ones directly below the lowering one. Jenkins will start pressing from the top right down, and Marvin (seeing what's going on) will rush over and do the left side. Xim and Joseph will likewise run over and start up from the bottom left and right.

OOC:

[Judge Perky]

As Lyanna, Squire Jon and Ragged Rob run around to the other side of the column, they immediately notice that there is a corresponding glyph in high relief directly on the other side of the column from the sinking one.

Quickly, they depress it, and three things happen.

First, the sinking glyph pops back out.

Second, the hissing sound of gas entering the room stops.

Third, there is an audible clank at the door, as if a locking mechanism has been withdrawn.

Well played, doddwaco!

I'm going to assume that everyone now runs to the door, opens it, and exits the room unless anyone says otherwise.

Each character must now make a FORT save (DC 10) to see if he or she can make it out without suffering another HP of damage from the remaining gas...

[Max_The_Judge]

OOC: Fort Saves: Honest John (14+1), Ned Starch (19), Ken Katcherman (10), Red Robert (10+1)

The four remaining characters I control cover their mouths and head out of the room.

[fireinthedust]

14, 15, 14, 3, 2

Copromancer, Marvin, Jospeh, Jenkins, Xim... 6 for the dog?

And they run!

(thought the picture may have been part of the puzzle. Drat.)

[doddwaco]

Covering their mouths, Ragged Rob, Lyanna and Squire Jon all rush out of the room.

[Fort Saves: 19, 15, 20--HEY-YO!]

[Judge Perky]

Ok, you're out of immediate danger, back in the corridor. Before you can start congratulating each other, the dog staggers, then weakly lies down as if to sleep. He will never awaken again...

OOC: Looks like Jenkins and Xim are down to 2 HP each, is that right?

So what now? The original corridor you had started down still beckons.

[doddwaco]

Ragged Rob stares longingly back into the room.
"That halfling chicken girl had a perfectly good lantern on her." He sighs, and the trio head down the hallway. Using their pitchforks, he and Lyanna tap the stones in front of them, trying to find any traps.

[fireinthedust]

Joseph hangs his head. "Blasted ruins. What are we doing here, anyway? Surely that beast in the first room, the spider-thing, is what took the dog. We're no heroes, why continue on?"

Jenkins looks back down the hallway. "Yeah, but did you see a spiderweb? The body of that girl's dog? I sure didn't. Means it's probably still down here. And we've no heroes in town, in case you didn't notice."

Copromancer thinthks. "I don't recall any other passages along the way. If the spider nested in that room, perhaps among rocks (as some do, rather than catching bugs in their nets), then perhaps the body of the dog was down there, tucked away where we could not see. Otherwise, the true enemy is in these ruins."

Joseph curses. "So what you're saying is we didn't check the first room, but blundered into bloody ancient ruins and menfolk have *died*, instead?"

Xim coughs, lungs still burning from the gas.

Marvin speaks. "We saw no dogs in that room, Shepherd, and no dog ever solved a puzzle like that pillar. Now we see these ruins, which clearly were not made on the cheap, and it seems to me we could do more than slay whatever threat is planning on killing our loved ones, up top!"

The group quiets.

"I believe there may be treasures down here, gold enough to pay debts owed by this village. Not to me, but to the armies that our tax money goes to pay off! You could go back to scratching out wheat from the fields, but we'll like as not need more in the coming days. Wars, and the plagues and famines that follow them, and we're what's left in the village? If we leave without killing that beast, at least we could have the sense to get some gold along the way. Otherwise, we've a long and hungry winter ahead of us, and fewer hands to help with the harvest. And no gold to pay heroes to do the job properly, if we can't do it ourselves!"

Marvin has his sword out, and looks down the hallway.

Copromancer, much more interested in solving the ruins for their own sake, had been studying the hallway the entire time. He watched the villagers tapping the floor, looking for traps.

OOC: if it's clear, follow them. Otherwise, help them leap back if they trigger a trap?

[Max_The_Judge]

Ned Starch says: "Gee, I wonder who owns these ruins."

[Judge Perky]

Ragged Rob, Lyanna,
Squire Jon, John,
Ned, Ken,
Robert, Jenkins,
Xim, Joseph,
Copromancer and Marvin

OCC: Did I get that right?

Slowly, you tap tap tap your way down the corridor. After about 40', it turns right and 20' beyond that you stop.

On your left, you see a small doorless chamber, with objects of various kinds on the floor that you can't quite make out from this distance.

Ahead of you, the corridor opens up after 10' into what appears to be a much larger room, its ceiling supported by large circular stone pillars.

[doddwaco]

Ragged Rob, Lyanna, and Squire Jon take the right and start tapping their pitchforks down the hall.

[fireinthedust]

"We should stay to the left, keep track of our path here. And see what objects those are." Copromancer suggests to those moving past the room.

OOC: I'd go in alone, but I won't split the party.

[doddwaco]

Ragged Rob shrugs. Lyanna frowns. Squire Jon fusses with his cloak.
"Alright, then," Lyanna growls. "Let's go in." She heads into the chamber to the left. Squire Jon sighs and rushes up beside, and Rob slinks along behind.

[Max_The_Judge]

Ken Katcherman: "I wonder what's coming to kill us next..."
OOC: Ken suspects an ambush may be imminent and readies a sling stone as he follows.

Red Robert: "Likely something that is comfortable living underground and eating interlopers."
OOC: Rob is circumspect, with good reason. He carries his bow and one arrow in his left hand as he follows.

Ned Starch: "So far we've haven't had much difficulty with things that want to eat us. It's pillars that are deadly!"
OOC: Ned follows, ever vigilant for deadly pillars.

Honest John: "Can I borrow a weapon from someone? Or some money? Or both?"
OOC: John follows, feeling unarmed and penniless.

[Judge Perky]

OOC: Acknowledged.

This is a small room, no larger than 20' square. It houses tattered clothing and a few crumpled bronze vessels that may have once been used for religious ceremonies. A large pile of rubble is visible in the northwest corner.

[Max_The_Judge]

Red Robert: "I wonder if there is anything worth taking in that pile over there."
OOC: Robert walks to the rubble pile and investigates it.

[doddwaco]

Ragged Rob, Lyanna and Squire Jon spread out and sift through the rags and vessels for anything of value.

[fireinthedust]

Marven with his sword, and the others, follow Red Robert, monitoring the pile of rubble in case of danger.

Joseph is the exception, and works with the others searching through the room.

OOC: Whoever needs help, I'm helping.

[Judge Perky]

Ok.

Nothing special turns up among the religious miscellania.

Those checking the pile of rubble give me an INT check...

[Max_The_Judge]

OOC: Red Robert rolls an 11

[Judge Perky]

OOC: Red Robert rolls an 11

As he approaches the pile of rubble, he hears the sound of what seems to be the soft whimpering of a small animal coming from behind the pile...