Chapter 8: A Puzzle

[Solomoriah]

So what now? Descend the remaining ten feet into the water, or climb back up, or what?

[Hywaywolf]

Shybolt keeps going down to the water.

[Solomoriah]

Shybolt found the water quite cold, but it seemed fairly shallow, a foot or two at most. As he hung there, just above the water, he found that he could see an opening, a doorway perhaps, off to one side of the room. A few steps went up to it, and Shybolt could see water trickling into the room down a well-worn path from the corridor beyond.

[Hywaywolf]

When I lower myself to the floor can I see or feel any pottery pieces laying around? Is there anything in the water. Can I hear any noise or feel a breeze. Is the air warm or cold.

[Nekron99]

The darkness and quiet in the hallway along with the tense atmosphere in the room is getting oppressive.

Brother Arven glances over at his tense companions. He says, "Hey? You guys wanna head back up top to get a bite to eat?.....No? Mind if I run back up and make a sandwich? I can bring you both one. Irene had some bacon slices left after breakfast, I mean thick juicy ones. There aren't any of the crunchy ones left, I ate all of those but those thick ones are really good on some bread.....No seriously, the stairs are right around the corner, I will be back before Shybolt knows I am gone, I could bring him one too, I mean he's small, how much can he eat?"


Can Shybolt hear me, or can we hear him down below?

[Hywaywolf]

Shybolt's belly grumbles and he looks around frantically expecting an attack before he realizes he is hungry. Someone must be talking about food.

[jstater]

Grumm will indeed stand ready to kill anything nasty that follows the halfling up the rope. And yes, he could go for a sandwich.

[Solomoriah]

Shybolt found the water quite cold on his nether regions. Just beneath the water was a broad variety of... stuff. Bones, mostly, and slimy stuff, and of course two bags of pottery shards.

Brother Arven took Grumm's agreement to heart and quickly ascended the stairs to the inn.

[Hywaywolf]

After seeing the pottery shards, shybolt feels more comfortable with the situation. He will scramble back up the rope to tell the others what he has found. He is in a hurry to get back down there with everyone and continue exploring. He is not particularly shocked to find the cleric missing from the group. In the meantime he will look for a place to tie off the rope, seeing the spikes driven into the floor near timorrel, he quickly sets to driving a few more spikes into place and arranging the rope so that it will hold even grumm's weight.

[Solomoriah]

Just as he began to pull himself up out of the water, Shybolt felt something... serpentine... brush by his leg.

He made record time climbing the rope.

Timorel found his sudden appearance (as if by magic) surprising.