Turn 83 -- Behind Door #1!

"I just don't want ta have ta think about what kind o' creature would need a door so big," remarks Gnore as he stares up at the door in wonderment. "I'll guard the way we came. Let me know what comes out of that thing." Gnore grins to the others. As he walks past Ortho and Druckner though he can be heard mumbling about being sprawled by a filthy orc and worst, Ortho scoring another kill.

Druckner turns to Gnore as he passes him, "That's a sissy kill, Gnore. A hog-tied prisoner orcling hardly counts. I'm the one who knocked 'im cold, eh. I'm the one who'll notch me axe!"

"Aw, Druck, you wound me," begins Ortho with mock surprise. "You go ahead and notch your axe. I'll keep my axes sharp so I can hit what I swing at."

Druckner is about to respond in kind to Ortho when he is interrupted by Talimar, "Gentlemen, please, we can take up this discussion at another time. For the moment, we have this door to be concerned with. Kre, Ras, why don't you examine the door for traps. While you do that I think I will just stand over here." Talimar moves back away from the door and behind a large stalactite with his bow ready, remembering the last time they tried to remove a trap.

"Once you are happy that the door is safe, try the keys we found to open it. When you get it open the dwarves can charge in."

"Well that's kinda obvious," begins Ras as he looks up at the large door, "but let's try those keys we found. I guess we should check for traps first. I can do it but maybe Kre should. I didn't have much luck the last time." As he remembers his near death experience, goose-bumps form on his arms and he pulls his sleeves down over them.

Kre grins at Ras, "I'll check for the traps but even if I don't find anything, I'd rather you check too....Never know if I miss anything and I'd rather not find out if I did by being poisoned!"

After pondering the situation for several moments, Dain speaks up, "Checking for traps would be wise... The keys may fit. If not Ras or Kre could always attempt to pick the locks. And if all else fails we could look through the keyhole to try and see what lies beyond and then knock the door down. Anyone have any other suggestions?"

As the others gaze at the huge door, Garth turns to Bob, "Can you tell us what is behind this door?"

The bandit captive looks at the dwarf before him and casually shakes his head no. As he does this, Kre moves forward eye level to the first keyhole and begins to examine it closely, keeping care not to trigger anything by accident. After several anxious moments of investigation, he decides there is nothing out of the ordinary with the lock and moves on to the second keyhole. Several more moments of searching turns up nothing unusual about this lock either. The half-elven thief turns to Ras, "I found nothing, you give it a look."

At this point Druckner moves forward with a look of indignation on his red-bearded face, "Now, Sirrahs Kre and Talimar, I'll acknowledge that I'm not the world's most stealthy individual and I'll gladly let sneaking and scouting responsibilities to Kre, Ras and Kersath who are much better at it than me. But when it comes to dealing with doors, my fingers fly you might say. I'm not claiming that I will always succeed, or that Kre and Ras can't show me a trick or two but I'd be most grateful to ye if ye acknowledged my humble wish and if you'd let me take a look at this here door. Thank you most kindly." Druckner bows and proceeds to make his own inspection of the door.

Talimar blinks, then remembers about Druckner's other....skills. The elf shrugs, "Good point, you also check the door Druckner."

Druckner continues his inspection and checks all along the outside of the doorframe as well. After several moments he steps back and shakes his head. "I can't find nothin' wrong with the door either," he answers as he looks to Kre. He walks back away from the door and winces slightly as the pain in his shoulder continues.

Ortho moves forward to join his dwarven brother, "Now why don't you let me take a quick look at your shoulder? Might be something Ah can do." Druckner relents and Ortho puts his hand beneath Druckner's leather armor and tunic, touching the shoulder and bringing a wince of pain from Druck. Closing his eyes and mouthing a prayer to Moraddin, Ortho is soon releasing the healing energies of his god into the broken bones of Druckner's shoulder. After Ortho finishes his prayer Druckner begins to slowly move the shoulder around, making wide circular motions as he smiles to Ortho. "Much better. Thank you friend Ortho."

"Don' mention it," answers Ortho as leans down to one knee, allowing the exhaustion to wash over him.

"Kre, I believe you have the keys," asks Talimar as Ras has finally given his approval that the door is safe. The half-elf steps forward and draws forth the skeletal key taken from the keep as well as the one secured from Shilek. Placing both keys in the locks, Kre and Ras turn them simultaneously. With a resounding click, the locks turn and become free. Everyone becomes deathly quiet as the two thieves listen at the door for any sound or movement on the other side. After a fair amount of time, they step back and nod to Talimar that everything is ok on the other side. Talimar nods to Kersath and the dark elf slowly opens the doorway.

Looking inside, Kersath's heightened vision shows him a chamber beyond that is perhaps 80 feet across and 60 feet wide. To the south, the chamber splits and heads east. As the door becomes fully open, the group hears a voice call out to them from the chamber beyond. The voice is most definitely orcish.

"Halt! What's the password?" asks the orc from beyond.