The Ninth Adventure

[mushgnome]

Which 10' section of wall is Robur checking for secret doors? (be specific)

It takes a Hobbet 1 turn to search a 10'x10' square. Stopping to search will (of course) increase the chances of a wandering monster encounter. With 12 in the party, if the whole party chooses to search, y'all can search a dozen 10'x10' squares for secret doors, per turn.

(Or, if Robur is the only one checking for secret doors, let me know what the rest of you are up to, while he does that.)

[kipper]

Dame SImonetta already thinks Level 4 is dangerous enough and doesn't want to proceed to Level 5 yet, thank you very much! Nor does she want to waste time searching every wall for secret doors, unless there is a very specific reason to suspect one.

She is in favour of continuing to explore the passage to the northeast (or perhaps even heading back and exploring somewhere closer to the exit!)

[Bastet1002]

Robur won't proceed with a search unless all agreed, and continue on with the others.

It's maybe too hard to cover the whole area attaching corridor without everyone involved, and too difficult to explain a precise location without cooking up a map of my own...

[mgtremaine]

Kiplyn would watch Robur start searching and shrug. "Let's head northeast, level 5 is a bit too much right now for us."

[mushgnome]

OOC: Spoiler alert there is at least one secret door on every level of the dungeon. So in that sense, I don't want to discourage you players from looking for them. It's not a waste of time, per se. However, without any clues, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. One suggestion is to map out the whole level as best you can, and then look for "blank" spots on the map, which might indicate a secret/hidden area.

Passively "scanning" for secret doors as you travel is a special ability of Elves.

[mushgnome]

Heading north, the tunnel gradually slopes downward and "corkscrews" back under itself. To help you understand the topography of this dungeon level, areas 4-5-6 are "high" elevation, areas 1-2-3-7-8 are "medium" elevation, and area 9 is "low" elevation.

Area 9 is a medium-sized natural cavern with 4 additional exits (3 leading north and 1 leading southwest). The air is damp, and there is a foul "barnyard" stench.

Right where the number 9 is on the map, there is a stone statue of an armoured warrior. The warrior is some type of humanoid, taller than a hobbet but shorter than a human. Its back is toward you and you can't see its face, so you can't tell what kind of creature the statue depicts. Both of its hands are raised up in front of it, palms forward, in some kind of gesture. (Maybe casting a spell, or turning undead?) The statue is extremely well-crafted, almost hyper-realistic, down to the hairs on its head.

[rredmond]

Besides armor is the statue wearing anything? Weapons, shield, that we can tell?

[mushgnome]

Good question. The statue is wearing plate mail, helmet, and a backpack. There is a sling hanging from its belt. It does not have a shield or any melee weapons. Its hands are empty. (The equipment is stone, and part of the statue.)

[Bastet1002]

Robur wants to get a closer look at the front side of the statue and see what the front looks like and maybe if the direction it's facing is important. Robur says, "How about I look for traps around the statue and then we can get in close for a careful look at it?"

[mushgnome]

The statue is facing toward the middle of three northern tunnels. Robur approaches, checks for traps (DM rolls in secret) and finds nothing suspicious.

Looking at the statue from the front, Robur sees a squat, sturdy humanoid with a feminine figure. She has a big nose, rugged jawline, and 'mutton chops' facial hair. She is wearing an owl medallion around her neck (part of the sculpture, not a separate item). Her hands are held up in a defensive/protective gesture. There is a look of absolute terror on the statue's face.