Masks of Nyarlathotep

[accalia]

Are you planning on looting everything mentioned from the alcove? Including the pelt, its contents, the cloak, gloves and sceptre?

If she can stuff most of it in something like pockets and this bag, then yes. Will leave the cloak and gloves if pushed to choose I guess.

[Commando]

(William's only taking the book and headband himself, it'd be good if James and Evelyn could say what they're taking if there's anything Poppy can't carry easily.)

[Greentitch]

Stuffing things into pockets, bags and under coats, you can carry it all easily between you. I don't think we need to worry too much about who has what at the moment.

[accalia]

[So are we going to lift this block up and look down the well or whatever it is?]

[Commando]

(Sorry, this week has been manic. I was waiting for a reply to my second-to-last post though:

"Also, could someone take a look at those drums? We heard chanting earlier but I don't remember hearing drums, and I don't believe Mrs McKay mentioned anything about hearing drum noises."

William wanders over to the long poles with the leather strips attached and examines them more closely.

)

[Greentitch]

I was waiting for a reply to my second-to-last post though:

Just testing...

The drums are tall African drums in lines around the walls. They look well used but nothing in particular stands out about then.
The straps look worn and are blood stained in places. It looks like they have been tied together at times, possible to attach something to the poles.

[Commando]

Backing away from the poles, William glances briefly towards the heavy rock embedded in the floor before turning to look at the blood-stained straps again.

"Ah... I believe I may have an idea of what these poles are used for. It looks suspiciously like they're used to feed whatever is trapped under that rock. By the looks of these blood stains, it's a fan of raw meat. Lots of raw meat. And from the length of the poles, I suspect those feeding the creature may have been concerned that it wasn't going to be too picky about whether it ate the food or the feeder."

William looks at the winch system, trying to determine how close to the rock someone would have to stand in order to raise it, and how many people would be required to lift so much weight.

[Greentitch]

The winch is designed so that two people can work together. It is located near the door, around 5 feet from the edge of the stone slab.

[Septih]

James comes over and gestures to help William with the winch.

[Commando]

William thinks for a moment. "If we're going to do this, I want to be prepared first. Let's drag the corpses of those creatures over to the edge of the slab, between us and whatever's down there. If my suspicions about those poles are correct then it feeds on flesh, and if it's hungry I'd rather it didn't come after mine.

"Secondly, take anything heavy we want to bring with us when we leave upstairs, so we're not burdened by it if we decide to run. That toolbag, for example.

"Lastly, if either Evelyn or Miss Bell could take one of those poles then we'll have something to defend ourselves with a little while we make our escape."

(If everyone agrees to this preparation then I'm happy to help James raise the slab by about a foot to see what happens.)

[Greentitch]

Happy with your plan, except that the poles are fixed in place and you can't just pick one up.

[Commando]

(Even more worrying. Okay, make it one of the spears from upstairs then.)

[Greentitch]

You clear out the items you want to take with you from the lower chamber and move them to the shop upstairs. Dragging the corpses near the stone block is a gruesome task, but you leave them lying on the edge. While the men take their places by the winch, the ladies grab a couple of spears and stand nearby.

Any objections just say

[accalia]

[None here, sorry about lack of attention, it's manic here too. Someone can crawl!]

[Commando]

(Heheh, no problems. Ready to lift the block by a foot or so.)