The Khuzan ruins

Discussions regarding plotlines, paranoid musings, and other related ruminations

Moderator: Imarë

Postby Sir Baris » Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:48 pm

Imarë wrote:In my thought, they took the trouble to conceal an opening from what I call the quarry, to the point that only an elf could even tell there was a difference. The entrance, on the other hand, seems to have been filled with rubble and not made to match the surroundings.... From what we have seen, this was not a minor operation. It took a lot of time and resources to make this place and it was carefully concealed when they left.


This is confusing. Presumably the dwarves crafted the intricate "plug" by the quarry, making this entrance almost completely invisible to outsiders. Yet only 400 feet away (by my notes) was the entrance we entered by, and it was hardly hidden at all. There were just a few rocks stuffed outside the cave. Strange that the dwarves would go to such trouble to hide one entrance, but do almost nothing to hide the other.

Perhaps, as you say, our entrance was discovered long ago and that is why it is visible now. Maybe there is a blindspot in dwarven psychology, and they couldn't imagine others exploring the hill and finding their entrance, so they didn't bother to hide it. Or they may have had to leave unexpectedly (did they dig too deep? :shock:), before finishing preparations to hide the other entrance properly.

At the very least, though, this inconsistency is a mystery, and we should look out for clues.
Vemion delenda est.
User avatar
Sir Baris
Squire
Squire
 
Posts: 136
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 12:55 pm
Location: Attleboro, MA

Postby Sir Baris » Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:02 pm

On the subject of lights, perhaps we should check the door right before the large room on the first floor before moving on. It was mentioned that if someone is currently using the place, they may have stashed a light source near the entrance. IIRC, we did not check that door out. We should at least check it out to avoid any unpleasant surprises coming from behind... if we can avoid it, anyway.
User avatar
Sir Baris
Squire
Squire
 
Posts: 136
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 12:55 pm
Location: Attleboro, MA

Postby Lord Ewen » Fri Jan 08, 2010 5:22 pm

Perhaps the invisible plug in the cliff face is not so much "hidden" as an artistic flourish to be admired by other stoneworkers, returning the rock face to its original, beautiful (to a dwarf's mind) natural state. Or perhaps they anticipated the flooding of the quarry, if that's what it is, and needed a waterproof seal in case the water rose that high.

Or, perhaps all of the really nasty traps are near to the "obvious" entrance. :twisted:

Or, as Matt suggested, the terrain once originally did a better job of concealing the cave entrance (ages ago, remember), but the hole by the pond would have stuck out like a sore thumb if it hadn't been well plugged.

At any rate, I do agree with Teddy's suggestion we canvas the region closest to the entrance before we venture too far in.
User avatar
Lord Ewen
Baron
Baron
 
Posts: 1055
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:27 pm
Location: Greensboro, NC

Postby Lord Ewen » Fri Jan 08, 2010 5:28 pm

And just a random thought. If it was a quarry, I wonder whether the Khuzan deliberately flooded it when they abandoned the place, by tapping into an underground stream they knew was present. One possible corollary to this theory would be a possible water trap behind a closed, water-tight door: hundreds of tons of water crushing the unwitting fool who can't read the Khuzan runes on the big heavy door. Just a thought, mind you 8)
User avatar
Lord Ewen
Baron
Baron
 
Posts: 1055
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:27 pm
Location: Greensboro, NC

Postby Imarë » Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:25 pm

On the water, I recall Matt saying that the water table in this area is very high. I think any depression in the earth would be flooded over time without being done so deliberately. If you recall stories of old mines in the west, they often have water flooding the lower levels due to natural action. This is not to say I don't put anything past the little rats.

I had speculated earlier that the local inhabitants in the past had discovered the entrance (or knew where it was). This is a very real possibility. That someone still knows about it would be the question.

As to investigating the area, heck yes! I don't put lethal traps beyond the scope of dwarven mentality. They hold grudges too.

As I also speculated earlier, I don't think they intended to abandon whatever this was forever, why leave furnishings (table, chairs, tapastry). They are not going quietly into the night, they are kicking and screaming the entire way.
"Hello Sir Baris. Come and play with us. Come and play with us, Sir Baris. Forever... and ever... and ever."
User avatar
Imarë
In the Blessed Realm
 
Posts: 1347
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2004 8:02 am
Location: Easton, MA

Previous

Return to Plots Have I Laid ...

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

cron