RED OAK: Return to the Pass of the Hounds

[Longman]

Runes - scribed! Runes - smashed!

Actually, there is a crackle of a kind of red-purple energy that emanates from the triangle as the runes are smashed and for a split second Kilian thinks his days might be numbered but it turns out to be totally harmless. Pretty soon - in about twenty minutes - the triangle is totally destroyed. One of Bruce's throwing hammers takes a bit of a beating in the process.

The door is locked. It can be locked from this side. Kilian rates the walls as quite stable. In fact...he suspects the door frame might even be dwarf work. Which would be a bit odd since as this isn't Malagosbe.

Next stop - the tower runes - scribed and smashed! Some bright spark recommends keeping them in a different sack to the gump growing ones. Tiana can already see the runes are quite different on each triangle.

2.5 EP down in the day. According to what you have written, you so far have not tied opening the oak door, and a few other things....

The door is about 10' tall, wood and iron in a frame like the one pictured. The keyhole is on the right hand side, quite low down, in the middle. As Freya peers at it she can see the evidence of previous occasions where something has tried to bash the door, and even a few burn marks.

[Woe]

Yay! Our first castle conquered!

The party will thoroughly search (1EP?) the castle. They've already searched the tower, but not the keep nor the rest of the area. I imagine nothing will be found, but I'll still explore.

After that, it will be door work. Freya will attempt to pick the lock. Kilian will try to figure out how to work around the door, and if necessary, will look at what it takes to dig under the door.

[Longman]

The door resists attempts to have the lock picked. She is not quite sure how the lock mechanism works but the door won't budge. It might be stuck.

Kilian doesn't know for sure about digging under or around the door. He could give it a try? Maybe a day?

As you are searching the castle and checking out the door - and indeed finding very little - Abigall approaches, making Fido bark.

"About half an hour ago, the strange feeling passed. I don't know what happened but now I find I am able to approach the place quite easily! What did you do? I smell smoke!"

Abigall enters the tunnel, sees the door and reports - 'there's magic on that door! And not the good kind either, like we use. The dark kind. Like the old wizards used. Bah!''

[Woe]

"Abigall! You're safe!" Tiana gives her a hug. "Here, do you know what these runes mean? We found them making foul creatures, what we call gumps. There were two, one here and one in the tower." She shows her the runes.

"Magic? Hmpf. Nuthin' that can't be solved by dwarven ingenuity." He'll take a look whether the door can be pried from the frame. "Heh. Digging through all this rock 'ill 'ake the dead. Ye say magic. Can ye defeat it?"

[Woe]

I forgot to mention, if all of dwarfdom's ingenuity fails to defeat the door and Abigall isn't too concerned about bounceback, Tiana knows a knock spell which would be perfect for these types of situations.

[Longman]

Abigall peers at the transcription. "No, Miss. Never seen nothing like them. I've mostly seen the old human magic on...um...never mind."

Kilian's dwarven ingenuity reveals no obvious way to prise the door off its hinges and in trying, he also determines that he door seems to be stuck fast.

You going ahead with that Knock spell?

3.5 EP down.

[Woe]

Knock knock
'hoo's dere?
Elf 'hoo?
Drak girl, I dunnae remember da punchline. Just 'urry up 'ith da spell.

say Kilian

[Longman]

Is that a yes?

I'm going with it.

Elven incantion!
Tiana reaching out with her telekinetic mind powers to unstick the lock on the door
KNOCK!
CREEEEEEEEAK...

Half the door opens outward. Tiana sees an ancient stairway that continues south at a gentle angle for about thirty feet and then turns back to the east, meaning it is running under the courtyard area but considerably below it. It is about 8 feet wide, enough for 2 abreast, or one person wielding a two handed sword.

https://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/maps/

full map - Copy1.jpg (22.06 KiB) Viewed 2192 times

You cannot see around the corner.
MARCHING ORDER?
and
Who has lights?

Cartography for this dungeon by DYSON LOGOS AT https://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/maps/.

(Full map has been clipped to show area characters can currently see.)

[Woe]

Freya is scouting ahead.
Dwarves are the first rank, with Bruce having a torch.
Talin is next.
Anna and Tiana follow, with Tiana carrying a torch.
Fido comes last.

Abigall can be wherever she wants. She can ride on Fido with a lance?

Oh, and they clear out the mud.

[Longman]

Freya sneaks down the stairs - 30' ahead of others or less? Let me know.

Rounding the corner first, she sees the following:

full map - Copy (2).jpg (33.26 KiB) Viewed 2171 times

In the far corner, at the edge of torch light, is a humanoid figure that startles her until she realises it's a statue, male, of a human holding out a bowl in front of it.

The door in the north wall looks wooden and not too solid. She can't sense or see anything in the alcoves.

There are a few torch brackets on the walls but no torches remain.

Kilian can see this place is made for humans, but dwarves have had a hand in things. It isn't full-blown master stone work but it's built to last. Maybe humans hired the dwarves, back in the day?

Dyson Logos.: https://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/maps/