The Secret Compartment

While his companions recovered in the hallway where he’d dragged them to, the dwarf sourly paced the bottom of the stairs that led to Dentiata’s evil workshop. “Nicolai managed to open the compartment before he triggered that trap. I should go back up and check it out.” But he didn’t move that way quite yet. Who knew what other sort of evils the mage had guarding his secrets? Things more foul than darkness and mere sleeping gas. Thoughts of such kept the dwarf with the group and in a bad humour.

“Praise Halav the tray was not fatal.” Maruc said with feeling as soon as he realised what had happened. He looked with concern at his other formerly-unconscious friends but was relieved to see that they also were groggy, but fine.

Miklos was surprised when he awoke with the priest bending over him. “I’m fine, I’m fine, stop fussing.” He snapped.

After a brief recap over the events that lead to the trap being triggered Maruc commiserated with the young rogue, “Oh well , Nicolai this sort of thing happens to the best of us, think nothing of it. Be thankful rather that it wasn’t worse. Perhaps now we can discover what was protected by such an elaborate trap. Are you up for it?” He asked Nicolai.

“Yeah, sorry about that guys. I would have thought that might have been a touch more lethal considering he came downstairs to confront us earlier. He might’ve tried to stay hidden, and hope we’d all fallen under that sleeping gas.”

Miklos had been thinking the same thing, but then reconsidered it aloud, “Dentiata quite plainly thought himself impregnable. This trap was designed for the capture, and probably torture of miscreants. He may well have a score of hapless thieves in his dungeon ready for experimentation, poor souls… I wonder what Dentiata took great pains to conceal and protect?”

The group once again made their way back to the darkened area for a final search of the recess.

Inside the compartment they found three items:

• a huge over-sized black leather-bound book matching the dimensions of the altar’s podium
• a rolled up piece of parchment
• a small, sturdy black case covered with runes and a strange lock with no keyhole

Sleeping It Off

Saeth held her breath, and scanned the room–were there any windows, to help vent this poison? With no time to open them, she descended the steps, then stood panting at the bottom as the indefatiguable Dwarf went back to drag the others out.
Feldard didn’t dare speak and waste precious breath instead he motioned for Ashira and the Elf to descend the steps. The dwarf then made his way deeper into the gas-filled room and tried dragging the others over to the stairway without breathing in the noxious fumes. He grabbed the Cleric first and spent a moment at the stairs gaining back his breath before going back in for Miklos and lastly Nicolai. He didn’t know how long the fumes would last but the dwarf took no chance.

As he dragged Nicolai back, he glanced at the altar. It seems that Nicolai was at least able to open the secret compartment. He did not have time to examine it at that moment—his priority being to get the young man safely out of the room.

Thankfully, the three unconscious friends seemed only to be knocked out and not poisoned. After a few minutes, the effects of the gas wore off and they recovered.