As the last flame of her pan fades away, Argy hisses: "Shiver me timbers, in the dark again!" She clings to Grog'tial and continues to the nearest lit place (bunny chamber).

If she gets to know something -from her Fairy Tales book or from some "Arcturian" tale she might have heard in her past life- about the fearsome vorpal bunny, she'll throw a cupcake at it (or the Holy Grenade of Antioch, should she recognize it as well...)

Else she'll turn to Cap'n BenKii: "Look! That be some peaceful 'armless creature, an' cute indeed, unlike yer bloody feral rats. Go feed it, no worries!" She'll hand BenKii the carrot in her pockets, with a warm smile and her most charming puppy eyes

Argy will also send the bat back to the previous chamber, as a warning crewmates entering it about the trap above. She'll order the bat to fly in front of their faces and above, and also to the wooden parts on the walls around.

Slightly relieved at seeing Rocky, Grog'tial turns back to the room with the rabbit. If the rabbit as much as twitches its nose wrong at Argy (or any other crew member), he'll shoot it with a regular bolt. If the rabbit doesn't put up much of a fight (as should be expected for such animals), his paranoid mind will immediately conclude that the rabbit was a decoy for some other fearsome enemy lurking about in this room, so he'll take great care with scoping out the room for such (as well as traps) before entering. The book and any other interesting objects will be investigated with the dirk.

"Guys there seems to be another trap on the stairs"

Kyp sees if he can activate the trap door by throwing the head cut by the last trap on it, and looks around for any levers, buttons, if he sees none he will throw the head on the trap door. If that doesn't work he will start pressing stones in the walls that may be hidden buttons.

'Why is Argy smiling at me like that while handing me a carrot?' thought BenKii, 'Clearly this bunny is not vegetarian with all that pickish stuff around its mouth. It ain't strawberries, that's for sure. Is she trying to get me back from getting her to feed those feral rats? Or did she remember that I slapped her. Yeah... she knows I slapped her.'

*gulp* BenKii reluctantly accepts the carrot but will not feed the bunny. He'll hold onto it for now but if the bunny is eyeing the carrot then he may toss it into the hole to distract the bunny long enough to perform his other actions.

Count Karnstein was just approaching the, probably very aptly named, trapdoor when the unexpected voice stole his full attention and he stood still, suddenly mortified. His vision was still spotty from the flashing light and he remembered the smell of earth and the dodgy murmuring and he knew it was some foul magic at play.

He goes back and clings to the wall next to the suspicious door, on its hinge side. The question, now hanging in the stale air like an offensively sweet odour of decay, was surely rhetorical, he has no doubt of it. No point in pretending then. In a few seconds while it all happened, he came up with the most devious answer he could think of under the circumstances and, trying to sound the most cunning, whispered closely to the door the words: "It depends who'd like to know."

Afterwards, he jerked his head away from the door and waited tensely, not knowing what to expect other than it can't possibly be good.

Bellandra saw flickering light spilling out as Gilius opened a door, only for him to back away as a shrunked head rolled out, then as the door closed Kyp's form seemed to pick up the head throw it, and she heard a trap triggering. That did not seem like an opportune door.

She heard BenKii's suggestion to stick with a party member who saw better in the dark and agreed. But then she felt her senses pick up something in the dark, beyond the stairs, what seemed like a light? And something beyond - perhaps beings of wood?

When the light of Argy's pan went out and the clamor ended, she told the others, "Friends, I sense there be something beyond the stairs, a light and mayhap some being. Whether friend or foe I know not but I would like to seek it out."

It she could see to help Kyp, she would have offered to use her cracked mirror to look for things unseen. Or she would have tried the spyglass to see further. But the dark kept both options away. But she kept in mind that she could loan either item to a crew member with darkvision if the situation presented itself where they could use it.

Then she heard the feminine voice's call. This was not the being she had sensed, this voice was too close. And a mechanical ticking had started, a countdown? Was this voice trying to help or to delay? She feared the latter, but still, perhaps best to investigate it first while they looked for another way forward. To BenKii's suggestion to investigate the bunny room she replied "Methinks both doors may be distractions. Traps, treasures and tall tales, all while the clock ticks."

To the voice she called out "Who be ye?"

Mission 7 - The Tunnels, Turn 14
*Turn Ends 9PM UTC, 25 April 2025.*

In order: Kyp, BenKii, Count, Bellandra, Gilius, BenKii, Argy, Kyp & Count, Grog'tial, Rabbit

Kyp: (roll dice*8) (Weakened) "Guys there seems to be another trap," you call out to the others. You ignore the sweet feminine voice calling from behind the left side door. Your feelings are still a little tender from the stern old Queen of Hearts words to you earlier. Instead you concentrate on the trap you're sure you see. Striding back the 20ft/6m to the stairway behind you, you pick up the two halves of the shrunken head and return past the doors to study the ceiling above the trapdoor carefully. Testing the light weight, you throw the top half of the head at it like casting a net. *Hit* The shrunken half-head wobbles through the air in a carefully aimed arc and impales on a sharp spike. Nothing happens. Eerily, the shrunken head's dull eyes now seem to watch you from where it is stuck on one of the spikes above the trapdoor. Looking around you don't see any levers or buttons, just the handle to the trapdoor. You throw the lower half of the head at the trapdoor itself. *Hit* The head wobbles around on the trapdoor until it comes to a rest, grinning at you. Still, nothing happens. When that doesn't work you carefully begin pressing the stone bricks in the walls, searching for hidden buttons. There doesn't appear to be any.

Captain BenKii: With the light now sputtered out and multiple threats on all sides, you make a quick suggestion. "Let those of us that can't see well go into this room and deal with that," you say, motioning to the door Gilius had backed out of. (roll dice) You didn't quite manage to see what was in it but you know it has a light source you might be able to procure. "Everyone else who can see in the dark should prepare to fight that golem unless it is indeed Rocky then perhaps scout ahead in the darkness but beware of that door calling for help. The last time some damsel in a dungeon did that, it turned out to be an evil Hag that kidnapped poor Roosevelt." [The rest of your turn will continue after Gilius as you conditioned it on that.]

Count Karnstein: (roll dice*3) (Weakened) You are approaching the probably very aptly named trapdoor when an unexpected feminine voice steals your full attention. You come to a complete standstill as you are suddenly mortified. Your vision is still spotty from the flash of the light and you recall the the smell of freshly turned earth and the dodgy murmuring you heard behind the left side door. Clearly there is some foul magic at play. You swiftly go back, clinging to the wall next to the suspicious door, making sure you are on the hinge side. Sweetly voiced or not the question, still hanging in the stale air like an offensively sweet odor of decay, was surely rhetorical ... you have no doubt of it. No point in pretending then. Within the mere seconds you may have, you come up with the most devious answer you can think of under the circumstances.

Count, trying to sound your most cunning, you lean in and in a low baritone whisper closely to the door. "It depends, who'd like to know." You quickly jerk your head away to wait tensely, not knowing what to expect other than it can't possibly be good.

"Me, silly," comes the sweet reply with a delightful feminine giggle.

"Mmmm, that whisperrr. He sounds sexy," purrs a low sultry female voice. "That's promising. Is he one we're looking for?"

"I spoke to him first and I don't know yet," murmurs the sweet voice, hushing the other. Then she calls out louder with ill-disguised anticipation. "Are you someone we're looking for?"

Bellandra: (roll dice*5) You saw flickering light coming from the room at the intersection as Gilius opened the door, only for him to back quickly away and close the door when an object looking like a shrunken head rolled out between his legs and right past Grog'tial. Kyp quickly snatched the object and threw it further down the tunnel and you heard a trap trigger. Kyp then continued down the left tunnel with Count. As you looked that direction you swear you caught a faint brief flash of a light. And beyond the stairs you sense ... perhaps beings of wood? Hearing BenKii's first suggestion to stick with a party member who sees better in the dark, you agree. But hearing his next suggestion to investigate the room from which the shrunken head came, you think this be not seeming like an opportune door. Then the light of Argy's pan extinguishes and the clamor ends, plunging you all into darkness as heavy footsteps approach from the golem room. If you could see you would offer to use the cracked mirror to help, or the spyglass to see further, but the dark keeps you from it. However you keep in mind that you might loan either item to a crew member with darkvision if the situation presents itself. Instead you tell the others, "Friends, I sense there be something beyond the stairs, a light and mayhap some being. Whether friend or foe I know not but I would like to seek it out."

Bellandra, on hearing the feminine voice call out, you don't think this is the being you sensed, it sounds too close. Then you barely hear Count whisper something as you call out, "Who be ye?" Frustrated that you cannot see anything as the heavy footsteps draw closer and that faint mechanical ticking starts again, you strain to hear the sound of the feminine voice replying, "Me, silly," and a little time later, "Are you someone we're looking for?" It sounds amused, with the tinkle of laughter and anticipation. [You can only hear the louder replies, not what Count whispers. The murmur and the second voice is too quiet for Bellandra to hear through the door from this distance.] Is this another countdown? Is this voice trying to help or delay? You fear the latter, but determine it still might be better to investigate first while looking for another way forward. "Methinks both doors may be distractions," you warn the others. "Traps, treasures and tall tales, all while the clock ticks."

Gilius: (roll dice*5) [Rocky, 2 Turns reserved] Now that the shrunken head is taken care of, thanks to Kyp, you can turn your attention to other things. The hammering noise has stopped and instead you hear heavy footsteps coming towards you. Hearing the feminine voice, you yell at Count and Kyp, "Don't open the doors!" Meanwhile you hold the rabbit room door firmly shut as you look down the corridor towards the golem room. You see a form appear, almost as tall as the ceiling and somewhat lumpy with boulders and rocks. You let out a relieved breath as you see Rocky returning to you with the hammer. He is staggering a bit and has obviously taken some damage.

Gilius, while Rocky is returning you try to concentrate and feel the nature in the rabbit. *Success* You sense the rabbit is not a being of nature, but a fiend, a demon in rabbit form. As Rocky stops near you, you tell him to return to his pet rock form, knowing he will heal in while in that form. He does so, dropping the massive heavy hammer in the middle of the intersection floor. [You will be able to summon Rocky for the 2 Turns left later should you decide to.] You reluctantly release the door to be able to go pick up Rocky's pet rock and replace it in your pocket. "Try t'deal with it," you say to BenKii and the others. "Be openin' the door just enough fer ye but not enough fer 'im t'go out!" You see BenKii and Argy slip through the door. After picking up the pet rock, you return to the door and hold it barely open just enough for Grog'tial to follow them, then push him further inside so you can pull the door shut enough to block the opening with your body and foot.

Captain BenKii: (roll dice*10) You hear the feminine voice behind the door down the tunnel ask, "Are you one we're looking for?" Bellandra, Gilius and yourself have warned them. You can only hope they listen. You have another task. Once Gilius leaves the door, asking you to deal with what's inside, you slip in. The room is decently lit, but you are disappointed that it is from a brazier hanging from the ceiling. There are no torches you can grab. Glancing around you see a dark opening descending into a cave or tunnel entrance at the back of the room with some decapitated skulls, scattered bones and old bloody pieces of what looks like knight's armor. However you don't see anything that could have done this. Could there be something here that drove them to attack each other, or maybe a monster in the cave? You raise your musket and listen carefully, but hear nothing. An overturned golden basket lies on the floor with several shrunken heads spilled from it. You've heard Gilius muttering before about voodoo. Perhaps that is what spooked him? Your eyes stop when you see the table next to the wall. On it sits an actual large old hand written and illuminated book. You're all supposed to be looking for a book, and Count said he saw the flying skull near here.

BenKii, as Argy and then Grog'tial enter behind you, you see a white bunny hop out from the darkness of the cave to regard you. Keeping your musket and rapier trained on the bunny, you sidle your way along the edge of the room toward the book. You ask them to cover you while you check for traps or other mechanisms such as a gravity switch. Argy smiles at you warmly while handing you a carrot. Why is Argy smiling at me like that while handing me a carrot? you think to yourself. Clearly this bunny is not vegetarian with all that pinkish stuff around its mouth. It ain't strawberries, that's for sure. Is she trying to get me back from getting her to feed those feral rats? Or did she remember that I slapped her. Yeah... she knows I slapped her. *gulp*

BenKii, you hold onto the carrot along with your rapier, watching a moment to see if the bunny is eyeing the carrot. Instead the bunny's red eyes are steadily watching the three of you as if waiting. Quickly returning to your inspection, you look over the dried blood-splattered page and note a reference to 'the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch', reading just enough to know it sounds like a good thing to have and similar to Argy's cupcakes. You could swear you've heard of this before. You gaze around the room to see if the Holy Hand Grenade might be here, maybe amongst the items on the floor, but you see only the shrunken heads, skulls, bones, armor ... and the waiting bunny. Unless it is somewhere in the dark cave or tunnel, it isn't here. This book was obviously put here. You wonder if the book might be important, and while you don't see a trap that doesn't mean there isn't one. Especially in this dungeon. Remembering another holodeck program, you sheathe your rapier, holster your musket and shove the carrot in your pocket to have both hands free. Then you take out your Extraplanar Hoax book and attempt an Indiana Jones style swap with the book on the table. *Success/Crit!* You carefully and expertly balance the Extraplanar Hoax book in one hand as you shake out and prepare your empty hand. Then you strike like a cobra and grab the 'Book of Armaments', leaving your book in its place. You did it! Before you can celebrate or look over your prize, you see the white bunny bare long sharp teeth, its eyes now glowing blood red as it swiftly hops forward. Hanging tight to the book, you turn and run out of the room, pushing past Gilius at the door. Not seeing it in the dimness, your foot catches the handle of the hammer lying on the floor of the intersection and you trip, splatting face first onto the floor. The 'Book of Armaments' flies out of your hands, sliding down the tunnel into the darkness.

Argy: (roll dice*11) [Bat summoned through Turn 15, Pirate Pete's Rum lasts through Turn 16] "Shiver me timbers, in the dark again!" you hiss as you cling to Grog'tial. You send the bat back to the trapdoor area as a warning to crewmates about the trap above the area, ordering it to fly in front of their faces and above as well as back to the wooden parts (the doors). You see Captain BenKii slip through the right side door and follow him into the lighted room. Inside you see the spilled golden basket with the shrunken heads on the floor and immediately have a suspicion why Gilius hurried back out and shut the door. There are also some scattered bones, skulls and pieces of heavy armor. Captain BenKii seems interested in a book sitting open on a table next to a side wall. You can tell you would have to go up to the table and stretch on your toes to see what it's about. You hear Grog'tial follow you in when you see a fluffy white bunny emerge from the dark opening at the back of the room. It stops, sitting calmly, regarding you all. It's cute. It even has pinkish fur around its mouth and cheeks like some of the makeup you've seen certain ladies wear. Keeping his weapons pointed at the bunny, BenKii asks you to cover him as he checks the book for traps. Cover him from a bunny? You look back at the bunny and try to think if you've ever heard any fairy-tales of bunnies besides the children's stories of rabbits in the cabbage patch, [*Fail*] but you don't remember reading any. Nor do you remember that mercenary, Beldarion, referring to any in telling those tall tales of his adventures.

Argy, you turn to Captain BenKii. "Look! That be some peaceful 'armless creature, an' cute indeed, unlike yer bloody feral rats. Go feed it, no worries!" Still holding your pan in one hand, you put your cupcake back in its special pocket. Then you reach into another pocket and pull out your carrot, handing it to BenKii with a warm smile and your most charming puppy eyes. BenKii takes it with a gulp, still holding his rapier while he looks suspiciously at the bunny. Shaking his head, he turns back to the book. A few moments later he sheathes his weapons, pockets your carrot and after some strange hand exercises, takes his own book out and like a striking snake, swiftly exchanges the books and turns to run out the door. The moment BenKii steals the book the bunny bares exceedingly long sharp fangs and leaps.

Kyp, (roll dice*3) you are still trying to push and find hidden lever stones when Argy's bat comes back from around the corner up ahead and starts flying in your face and up above your head. Luckily it doesn't seem to trigger the trap or cause you to. It continues until it drives you the 10ft/3m back down the tunnel to where Count Karnstein is standing by a door, its sonar cries hurting your half-mer hearing when that close to your ears.

Count, as if what was on the other side of the door isn't enough for you to deal with, Argy's bat is now flitting around your head, driving you into the middle of the tunnel and going back and forth between the doors as if determined to keep you and Kyp back and away from them.

Grog'tial: (roll dice*16) You peer down the corridor you just came through, waiting to see if it is Rocky or the stone golem coming your way. Slightly relieved at seeing Rocky, you first wait to make sure the golem won't be following before you turn back to the room Gilius is holding the door to. You see Argy follow BenKii inside and follow her. You try to stay in the doorway, but Gilius insists on pushing you inside so he can draw the door to where it is barely open while he blocks the slight opening with his foot and body. Once inside you scope out the room, looking for enemies or traps. There are none you can see from where you are. You note the spilled 'eggs' are actually shrunken heads, which explains Gilius' nervousness, the fancy book on the table, the decapitated skulls, scattered bones, pieces of heavy armor and the downward sloping entrance to a dark cave or tunnel at the back of the room. You are about to check out the shrunken heads and basket with your dirk when a white rabbit hops from the darkness. It stops and sits calmly, regarding the three of you with its red rabbit eyes as BenKii sidles along the wall to inspect the book, asking you and Argy to cover him. Argy hands BenKii a carrot, telling him to, "Go feed it, no worries!" You smirk as BenKii takes the carrot but declines to feed the rabbit.

Grog'tial, you watch the rabbit, ready to shoot if it so much as twitches its nose wrong at Argy or other crew. When the rabbit doesn't put up much of a fight, as should be expected for such animals you think to yourself, your paranoid mind begins to conclude that the rabbit is a decoy for some other fearsome enemy lurking about in this room. You wonder at the chances of that flying skull having left the book lying around in the room with the rabbit. How is a flying skull able to carry a book anyway? Or, come to think of that, fly? First order of business when returning to the dwarven tunnels will really be to outlaw all magic.... You maintain your alertness and line of sight aim on the rabbit as you start to edge towards BenKii, wanting to check out that book yourself with your dirk. You've been keeping an eye on your dirk, but it hasn't reacted. Suddenly BenKii steals the book in a lightning fast switch with his own and spins to run out of the room. Your charm flares brightly to life as the rabbit bares its surprising overlarge sharp teeth and attacks. You shoot, but the rabbit is too fast! *Miss!* The rabbit changes targets with unnatural speed and leaps for you, its feral demonic eyes fixed on your throat. It's on you before you can dodge! You literally feel the evil emanating from its hell-spawned hot breath! *Success!* Suddenly your brooch flares and the rabbit hits an invisible barrier in front of you at full speed. Between the barrier and the light from your charm, the demon rabbit is thrown back 2m/6.5ft where it lies briefly stunned. Your hands are shaking as you fumble to reload, struggling with the shock of finding yourself still alive. Maybe magic isn't always bad after all. [Brooch of Shielding, 1 charge left.]

-----
Available: a very large heavy metal hammer [intersection]; the Book of Armaments [several feet down the tunnel towards the stairs]; a golden basket, 4 shrunken heads, 3 skulls, bones, battered & bloodied pieces of heavy armor [bunny room]

Dungeon corridor T intersection: Bellandra, BenKii [flat on the floor], Gilius [outside rabbit room door]
Dungeon, rabbit room: Argy, Grog'tial (still alive!), Rabbit [briefly stunned]
Dungeon tunnel near left side door: Count [weakened], Kyp [weakened]
???: Aylar, Devin, Cliodhna, Aeshma, Refyx, Rummyfangs, Baldbeard

Argy is confused. What did just happened? It seems Cap'n BenKii triggered some curse or something. Why didn't he just feed the bunny? Nevermind...
Argy will pull Grog'tial out of the room as swiftly as she can, closing the door behing them, but leaving a triggered cupcake inside. She'll look for any light source and continue ahead of the corridor, heading to the left tunnel where Count and Kyp are, hoping to find a way to help them get past the trap. And to warn them about the chamber beyond it...

If she doesn't find any light or fire source, she'll order the bat to stay around here for guidance in the dark. Else the bat will stay in place with Kyp and Karnstein.

"Oww!" exclaimed BenKii, face planted on the floor, "Dammit, Gilius! Did you drop that damn hammer here? You know I can't see crap in this dark!" Just then BenKii realized the book he had successfully stolen was no longer in his hands but had been thrown several feet down the hall where it was too dark for himself to see. Luckily he got a good enough glimpse at the pages to know what it was. The Holy Hand Grenade was a powerful weapon that could be used on this feral bunny to defeat it. Sadly no such grenade presented itself but Argy did possess those cupcakes that had similar explosive potential. Turning his head back to face the bunny room, he yelled out to Argy, "Argy! Use that cupcake of yours to blow that bun bun up to smithereens then get yourself and Grog'tial out of there!"

If the bunny is defeated, then BenKii will proceed back into the room and go down the bunny hole as long as it was safe to do so and collect whatever loot that was down there careful of any traps in the area. He'll have his weapons ready in case there were more enemies down the hole.

If the bunny is not defeated, he will leave it alone and proceed down the hall to meet up with Count and Kyp while avoiding the step Kyp mentioned was booby trapped. He will also retrieve the Book of Armaments along the way.

"Nay, I didn't ! Rocky did ! :)"

Gilius ws happy to see his crewmates get out of the room safe. "Is this fiend dealt with ?", he asked with a shivering voice. Seeing no positive answer from them, he kept the door closed and blocked with his body. He also looked further down the corridor for the book to make sure that it was still in sight and didn't magically disappear in the dark.

Grog'tial needs to start making a list of animals to avoid and/or keep as pets. For the latter category, dogs and ice elementals are firmly in, while bunnies now join spiders for the first. While the bunny lies stunned, he's briefly tempted to lunge at it with his dirk, but then Argy drags him from the room, and ... well, he finds it hard to resist when she wants him to do something (just as long as it isn't dancing in public).

Outside the room, if he judges the structural integrity of the room and door to be sufficient, he'll help keep the door closed until the explosion has happened. If he judges everything to be at risk of collapsing, he'll be the one dragging Argy away, shouting at fellow crew to also make haste with getting away.

Afterward, he'll assist fellow crew where he judges the need to be greatest; either BenKii back in the room, or preventing the Count from walking into an obvious trap, and/or helping him fight if it's too late for that.

Count Karnstein sighs quietly and rolls his eyes in irritation. This is obviously going nowhere. Maybe Captain BenKii could fell for such a low-effort scam like this, but he was not that stupid.

"Yeah, sure. Fat chance, sweetheart," Count snarks at the door, but then frowns. Curious wording, though. Aren't they supposed to be, like, imprisoned in there? How can one look for someone while being locked up in a cell? Waiting, perhaps, but hardly looking. He realizes that he never checked whether the door was locked or not and becomes really worried for some reason.

His thoughts go back to the disorienting way they were brought here, the ticking clock, the hideous hag with her awful cackle and her very words: "...or else leave you to the entertainments of the shadowy one." It is all a game. Twisted battle royale set up for amusement of some jaded, immortal beings. Who knows how many parties were abducted to participate, how many different, mutually exclusive objectives were issued. Some oriental babes from some esoteric order of courtesans-assassins were told to hunt him down. What were they supposed to take of him? Also a book? Now their paths finally collided, only a lousy door separating him from their daggers dripping with deadly, exotic poison. "COME 'N GET IT, YOU WHORES!" Count shouts, but only in his own head. Maybe he got it wrong after all?

"Tell, aren't ye... imprisoned?" he says in his normal tone while taking a step away from the door, eyeing it suspiciously.

When the mad bat appears pestering him, Count will flail his arms above his head and dash to the opposite side of the corridor.

He will watch the "left side door" keenly all the time, and if he sees it opening, he will make effort to keep it close. If the door opens outward and whatever trying to come out is stronger than Count, he will try strategically give up in a right moment and use the momentum of a pushing creature to throw it in a direction of the trapdoor.

If the door is locked, he will hope it stays that way while waiting for the party to regroup and move on.

If he is wounded by the poisoned blade, he will promptly use Cure Poison Bandage on the wound.

GM Note: Due to Argy's and BenKii's currently posted actions there will be light enough for Argy, Bellandra and BenKii to see past the trapdoor of the left side tunnel ahead of them.

You'll have to wait and 'see'. :P