Episode One

"Torfinn and I don't need light to see in the tunnel. Maybe I scout ahead, see if I can track anything, while Torf guards the flank?  I have no military training, what do you think, Gwen, Torf?  We could also go together close quarters, then I have an ability to amplify the brightness of the torches we burn."

Survival [Roll 15 + 6 =21]
Looking for signs of people or creatures.

"How'd you get your legs back under you, crip?"

"My theory is that my legs were intended on bending in the manor you see (like a horse/ram), but the transformation didn't take place in my legs immeadiately. When I was beaten by thugs, my healing spells were unable to tell which way my legs intended to heal. So the Doc, had to break them further along the placement of the moved joints. Then let the set for a few hours and here I am."

"So... what you're saying is that you're shit at anatomy, and someone who's better at it used magic to fix you up right." Gwen paused and rubbed her chin. Then she spread her limbs and turned slowly, making sure to bend each of her joints individually in an exaggerated way. "Take good notes. If you need to fix me up, this is how I work."

"Well, it's good to see you walking without trouble," Alibastar says to Nocturne. He peers into the tunnel, then back to the group. "Let's get this unlocked then. We'll be back in no time, Bear."

"What? No, I know anatomy of humanoids. My cure magic didn't understand my elf/infernal hybrid biology. I KNOW HOW KNEES BEND!" "...Shit, there goes the element of surprise..."

"Good job tall, purple, and bendy." Gwen crosses her arms and nods toward the door. "We'll take you're suggestion now, no problem. You go on ahead."

Nocturne notices scratches along the walls that would indicate the presence of large rats. Her thinking is confirmed when a draft from the tunnel brings with it a faint smell of rat feces. The cold, dark, and damp nature of the tunnel means that it could play host to any number of other creatures that are attracted to that kind of environment.

Alibastar drew his rapier, prepared for any unwanted encounter. "I can also see down there, so our formation isn't quite as limited as you thought. I'll take point, we can't be wasting any time." With that, he eagerly took a a few deliberate and light steps into the tunnel. [Stealth Check 14=11r+3]

Gwen looks around at the party. "Am... am I the only one who can't see in the bloody dark?"

Alibastar reaches into his pack and produces a pinch of phosphorus. "Here," he remarks, then recites a short chant and snaps his fingers, creating his orbs of light. "My dancing lights will only dimly illuminate about 30 feet, but it should help you. Of anyone sees or senses danger, just say cease and I'll extinguish them." He keeps one orb just in front of him about 10 feet, the others hovering in a staggered trail behind. With that, he advances into the dark.

Gwen looks at the little sparkling ball and shrugs. "Good enough." She draws her dagger, and stomps down the passage after Alibaster. (Stealth 8 = 2r + 6)

"I will take the front with you. Hey Gwen, this is how you sneak.

"Why are we sneaking? There isn't any torchlight or noise coming from in there. Plus anyone in there is bound to have heard us moving all of the crates. Unless you don't want to wake up the rats." Gwen sniggers.

The smell of mold and musk assault your nostrils as you proceed into the tunnel. A chill wind blows in and seems to stick to you, leaving a sheen of condensation on your bare skin. Ahead, you can see that the tunnel slopes downward; shallow steps are carved into the floor, granting purchase for your feet as you descend. While you walk, cobwebs attach themselves to you relentlessly and are possibly the only thing more irritating than the constant sound of dripping.

Meanwhile, back in the store room, Torfinn continues chewing a particularly tough bite of carrot whilst thinking back on his glory days. Back then, boiled carrot and potato stew was served almost nightly as his battalion made camp. Not the most interesting dinner, but a hot bowl of soup after a day's march in drafty ancient dwarven halls was always more than welcome. Torfinn chuckles to himself as he remembers the time they loaded Oghren's bowl with 5 fire peppers they acquired from a merchant. The only thing funnier than his howling after a few bites was the howling he did the next morning in the latrine.

"Hey, guys," Torfinn says as he swallows his bite, "Did I ever tell you about the time-- guys?" The realization dawns on him that everyone has left without him. Without a moment's hesitation, he hurries to catch up.

Torfinn nearly bowls the rest of the group over as they are nearing the bottom of the tunnel. The group had come to a stop as they came into view of the gate; a few yards inside, a swarm of rats scampers about, looking hungry

"This is the most disgusting, dank, and dirty hole I've been in in a long time. What's that scamperi--oh. Rats. Of course." Gwen draws her bow and notches an arrow. "Should we scare them off before we go through? Or toss them something to distract them?" (To know what rats are scared of or would be distracted by: Nature 7 = r4 + 3) "Like a stick or a bone? Or is that dogs?"

"Hey noc, I know you speak rodent. How bout chatting these buggers up? If not I'm not against eating rat, I havnt eaten a whole lot and some greens back in the store room had me thinkin soup." Torfinn twists his mace in his hand, wondering if a light strike would make them tender or obliterate them beyond edibility.

"I used that ability on the squirrel army. I'd prefer not to have any unnessisary blood spilt. We have plenty of vegitables to quell the hunger of the rats."

"With the keep being under siege, I don't think we should be throwing away our food stock to vermin."

"We wouldn't be throwing it away. We will be feeding the rats. Honestly, I don't know how they keep all this food down here anyway. Raw vegetables don't store very long and cellars."

"Well, maybe we could store find and use rotten stuff?"

"I like this, let's do it!"

I'll move back to the main room. I glance around for old food box labels and odd smells. [Perception: Roll 3 + 4 = 7] I get distracted by the smell of aged cheese.

Gwen taps her foot while she waits for Nocturne to come back, then gets impatient and follows her. She walks into the cellar, looks around for a moment with her keen Chef's eye (Kitchen knowledge, aka Investigation, 19 = 14r + 5), walks over to a crate and points at it. "That one."

The crate Gwen points to does in fact contain rotten food. This fact is confirmed after wiping the dust away to reveal a date stamp from more than a year ago. As you pry open the lid, the pungent smell nearly knocks you off your feet. Inside, the food is unrecognizable; completely black with mold and it appears to be quite squishy.