There was a soft drip, drip, drip as the group pressed into the dungeon's first shadowed hall. And those who were particularly aware--whether it be by the lights so many of them carried, or simple caution--could take note of something just before their paws, claws, or hooves could trigger the-
-oh. Down came the paws, claws, and/or hooves that hadn't been so observant: the tread of Halcyon, simply unaware; the little paw of the jackal Fleas; the blinded stumble of the dragon Valkhound Menkheperre, the unseeing tread of the young wolf Zephiran.
Each stepped on a stone brick underfoot that, instead of simply being a piece of the floor, grinded audibly. And suddenly, from the ceiling, black iron spikes came plunging down!
...TRAP!
...Luckily, these spikes were dulled or rusted by age. A few simply turned to dust, the others cracking. Those hit would barely be cut or knocked aside--nothing too severe. And those with fast enough reflexes might even be able to help them avoid the danger.
Ahead, at the end of the room and hidden in the shadows, the gap of a doorway awaited them, along with whatever lay ahead.
Some Gembounds have triggered pressure plates, and a trap of spikes falling from the ceiling. Characters should post their reactions and results, and then proceed through the rest of the trapped room safely, into the doorway beyond...
Those who succeeded (barely+) in their rolls may avoid the danger. They may also choose one other to aid.
Those who failed their rolls and who are not helped by someone who rolled a success/barely will take a minor injury, such as a scrape or painful bruise.
Those who critically failed their roll cannot be helped by others (Menkheperre only).
This quest is now closed to new entrants. The next post will take place in four days, on June 11th, afternoon/evening GMT.
@Genghis @Halcyon @Spark @V-Chaos-Eleven @Fleas @Callista @Angel @Yew @Menkheperre @Mai @Audland @Thalia @Zephiran
Eleven did not know what a spike trap was. But the sound of stone grinding on stone made her bristle with sudden alarm, and then there was the
awful sound of ancient, screeching metal-
And then she was faced with a decision. Would she let whatever was falling from the ceiling crush the Gembound underneath? Or would she do what most people would do in this situation: Help?
It wasn't that much of a choice for her, at least.
Someone else's words came back to her as she darted for the largest of the endangered. Something about big white ones that she was supposed to fight - but it was irrelevant right now, right? This thing was to spindly and weirdly cute to be a Drone.
They moved to yank them by the ankle with their jaws, the bite light but urgent, pulling them backward and away from where the trap was falling.
@Halcyon
Even if they saw it coming, their whole body tensed as the hidden mechanisms stirred to wretched, half-life, screeching downward like some awful bird of prey. They were not in immediate danger - but someone else was.
Adrenaline fueling them, they grabbed Fleas by the scruff with their own canine set of teeth, pulling them to the side as the rickety trap collided with the stone floor. Maybe the panic was an overreaction, in retrospect - the lattice of metal spikes had become toothless in its old age. This only made Spark think of how horrible they were when they were newly installed, and what would've happened if they'd fallen with the swiftness of a well-oiled machine.
Horrible, horrible things, no doubt.
Despite the fact they'd not been the one underneath it a moment ago, they were visibly shaken by the close call.
"That was close." They observed mindlessly, golden eyes wide and staring.
Their hackles fluffed, then flattened as they attempted a factory reset, moving onward through the doorway ahead.
@Fleas
I used to think that the day would never come
I'd see the light in the shade of the morning sun
The feline had stepped in front of many of the group, eagerly moving deeper down the hallway when the sudden grinding sound of the trap behind her made her turn. She watched, wide-eyed, as some of them were knocked to the side by the old trap, making no move to really help anyone. Maybe if she'd had more of a protector's instinct, she would have reacted faster, but at the moment, she just watched.
And shrugged. Damn. That sucks. Good thing she didn't get caught in that.
Anyways, she turned back and continued forward, never moving too far away from someone that had a source of light.
That my life would depend on the evening moon
That the night would never comе
