Back to Basics Chapter 1: Where are we ?

[ewancummins]

Dalorna mutters...''They delved too greedily, and too deep..."

She drops to her knees and searches the interior of each open chest.

"Why would anyone both locking an empty chest? That's odd, isn't it? Maybe there is something hidden...hmmm..."

[Lord Skybolt]

After the through search of the barracks like room . The party moves onto the room(its unlocked) at the northern end of the corridor where they had there meeting with the pair of Gricks .
This room is only 15' wide by 25' long . With them coming into by way of a door in its southern corner with it going off 25 feet from the door to the end of it . There is nothing in it besides some dust on the floor . This room does look like that it was mined out though .

[ewancummins]

Once the party has properly cleared and checked the room, Dalorna will suggest that they double back and check any other doors or rooms on this level.

[VAN]

"Yes better make sure we have searched the whole first floor before leave so tomorrow we can go downstairs."

[BigBadQDaddy]

"Once again I find myself in complete agreement. Best to be thorough."

[Lord Skybolt]

On going over the rest of the level the only thing that is left on this level is Safe in the secret "Office" room .

[Roofdrak]

To Isidar-
"If it isn't like any mine work you've seen, what is it? What do you mean?"

"These mines were shaped with magic. A powerful stone shaping spell in particular. What purpose to create this mine with magic and then disappear? If the chests are empty then the owner's must have had time to empty them. We should surely ask Ping when we return to the village. Although, he was not particularly forthcoming when it came to information on this mine, or maybe he truly did not know what was happening it these depths." Isidar lifts up the safe, "Maybe we should take the safe with us, in order to try to open it at our convenience in the village."

[VAN]

"It's very odd indeed. I don't think we should go to Ping before we check all the mine, maybe we will find more things we want to discuss with him downstairs. I also agree that is better try to open the safebox tomorrow and not today that we are already wounded and tired."

[ewancummins]

"It's very odd indeed. I don't think we should go to Ping before we check all the mine, maybe we will find more things we want to discuss with him downstairs. I also agree that is better try to open the safebox tomorrow and not today that we are already wounded and tired."

''Right; let's haul the safe-box outside. We can use mule-power to carry it back to town. Al's waiting anxiously for our return, no doubt!"

[VAN]

Sara tries to move the safe box and finds out that is surprisingly heavy or glued to the ground.

"This safe box will be very difficult to lift. In case we cannot evn drag it maybe we should try to open it here or tomorrow when we come back."

[ewancummins]

Dalorna tries to help with the box--but to no avail.

''Ouch! I think I pulled a muscle."

She looks over the chest, the floor and the nearbu wall for a moment, and then suggests-

"Maybe we could tie a rope to it, and we could all try to shift it at once?"

[Lord Skybolt]

On taking a closer look at the safe Dalorna see's that the safe is completely set against the wall, so as such there is no way to get a rope around it to drag it any where .

[ewancummins]

''We could try to bust this safe open, if you can't pick the lock, Sara. Maybe acid..."


She sits down next to the safe and carefully studies it for weak points.

''Isidar, I'd appreciate your help with this. You know more about this sort of stone and metal work than any of us, I'll bet."

After a moment, the girl asks Sara-

"That magical exploding powder of yours...does it work outside of your iron wands? Could you use it to blow open the lock-- perhaps, if I had first weakened the mechanism with acid?"

[kintire]

Alia takes a brief glance towards the rapid preparations. For a moment she looks thoughtfully at the lock, then opens her mouth... but closes it again, confident that the wise intellects focussed on the problem will find the way.

She chooses to watch their backs and await their success from just OUT side the door of the room. And a little to the side. With rock between her and the coming explosion. Wouldn't want to be.... in the way.

[VAN]

"I can shoot at the lock when you have weaken it with acid or I can take the gunpowder out of the bullets and use it as petard. This will cause a bigger explosion but might damage whatever is inside. So better try the acid and then we will decide what to do with the gunpowder. But first let me try to open the lock normally."

Sara studies the lock for a few moments and then tries to open it.