Ice says in a voice of fright, "Wow, I wonder what that is? I am not going to stick around long to find out though. I think we should find the gold and get out out here."
He then turns to Althea and says, "Let's use your rope and grappling hook to help us cross these tracks."
Ice decides to come to the front of the group. This means everyone crawls out of the tunnel and crawls back in again with Ice at front. From this position it is very difficult to throw the hook, but you mange to get it hooked on a track up to where the pillar in the center is located. Ice thugs at it to see if it is secure and she confirms this with the group.
Ice now carefully comes out of the tunnel and stands erect on the tracks leading to the pillar while she holds the rope. She jumps on it ever so lightly and then builds up to a stomp, but the tracks seem unmoveable. You wonder if you should cross now, but as you think about it the howling from below begins again.
GM: Say what you will do now.
You all agree to allow Ice to cross first. As this decision is made a gust of strong wind comes from the bottomless pit and blows in your direction through the tunnel, you brace yourselves until it passes. Ice straps her belongings to her and then crawls on the tracks holding on to the rails with tight grip. She gets to the other side, stands up, looks around and then sees herself as 'safe'. She beckons the others to follow in like fashion.
Everyone is now on the center pillar.
You attempt to throw your grappling hook to the other side and make it hook onto what you believe is a track going into the tunnel on the other side. You then cross the tracks in similar fashion until everyone is on the other side.
Ice is in front she has to stoop like the last tunnel and shines her torch down the current tunnel which seems to be built in the same fashion as the others. It heads south east and is dark and long. The tracks continue into the darkness as usual.
GM: Say what you will do now, you current party order cannot be changed until you are out of this tunnel.
Being undecided causes you to linger in the tunnel longer than expected and this causes Elda to develop a cough which starts and stops every few seconds, but now it is becoming very violent and you wonder if this will not give away your current location. You look around, behind you and in front to see if any signs of movement are apparent. You realize something about your environment that you did not think about before... it now seems close to the description of a coffin; dark, cold and closed in the deep earth.
GM: Say what you will do now. This game needs to go somewhere. It is moving extremely slow.
You crawl forward and come into a cave room about the same size as the one you first entered after the bashed door. The tracks end in this room (near the middle). There are large heaps of dirt and rock to the south. To the west is a whole going down, you can see a ladder there. There is a fork and shovel on the ground next to one of the heaps (south). To the south west is a large door that is behind one of the heaps (about 3/4) and on the door itself is the symbol of a skull and crossed bones. The heap has been pushed against the door in such a way to prevent it from being opened.
In the mean time Elda continues to cough while you look for a remedy. She drinks some water as her eyes become red. She puts her hand on her forehead and expresses the need for fresh air.
GM: Say what you will do now, including the order you will do it in.
Ice and Sokei investigate the whole in the ground and down the ladder and they see that it leads to another hole in the ground. You get on your knees and then prostrate yourself on the ground so your eyes are closer to the hole without actually going within and upon inspection you see that there is another ladder going down and you begin to wonder how deep the mine is.
Elda and Althea listen carefully at the door with skull-and-crossbones and hear nothing. They examine the heaps of dirt but cannot ascertain where it has come from, but it is obvious that it was dug from somewhere. There is no evidence of gold here as far as you can see.
GM: In your next party order you need to say who actually takes what rather than 'They will pick up the fork and shovel and stow in their packs. Say what you will do now.
Elda's cough rages on and she starts to foam a bit at the lips. She manages to utter...
"I need fresh air from this cursed place"
She makes her body small enough to fit through the tunnel from which you recently came and she crawls out while coughing.
You look on in amazement as she moves rapidly as though she were without air and needed to come above water. You shine your torch helping her see her way... her own torch marks her path which is now in the distance as you look on.
You wonder if you should try to stop her, follow after her or just let her be...
GM: Say what you will do now.
The sound of Elda's cough disappears along with the outline of her body and you return to matters at hand when you notice that you do feel a little faint. You look over at the canary which is now lying on its' side, not dead, but dazed somehow.
GM: Say what you will do now. If I post again without party order the results might not be pleasing.
Althea says, "No way do I want to open that door with the skull and crossbones. Let's open the other door."
Ice looks around and says, "What door? I don't see any other door." I am going to get out of this room quickly.
Sokei says, "I think the gas will be worse the lower we get."
Ice looks around the room confused as to what door she missed, but there is only one door marked with a skull, a hole leading below and the same entrance from whence you came and through which Elda left. Ice motions to the party to begin the descent down the ladder. Ice goes first and finds another hole leading to yet another level. The others cannot come down to see because there is only landing sufficient for one person.
You see that there is a torch lit at the bottom of the next hole and that voices and movement can be heard.
GM: Say what you will do now.