The fog lingers (it is earlier today than yesterday when you left) but visibility is at worst about 10 yards. Geoff leads the way back through the bog and along the hill to the crumbling cliff. The fog has burned off and it looks to be another sunny cloudless day. Sarg, Father Durrant, Dawn, and Geoff cross the base of the cliff to the western end. Bart, Lars, and Mr. Louglynn remain at the eastern end. The two groups can see each other along the 120 yard cliff.
Bart and Sarg tie ropes around themselves and begin the tedious process of inspecting the cliff face for traps. They search along the lower five feet for forty feet, then climb up to search the next five feet as they work their way back. It takes them about an forty minutes to declare the first forty foot section clear of traps. They begin on the next sections while Lars uses his spear and Geoff uses Sarg’s great axe to probe the depth of the sand and gravel. The gravel sits on a flat bed of rock. The weapons can be forced into the cliff until the hit the rock. As Geoff and Lars climb higher, the weapons no longer can reach the rock, nor to they hit rock when forced straight back. Until the stone ledge 20 feet above is reached. There the gravel fills the hollow under the overhanging ledge, but your probing weapons reveal the stone of the hill dropping straight down.
After a brief discussion, it is decided that Geoff and Lars will start digging out the sand and gravel at the eastern end of the cliff while, Bart and Sarg continue their inspections. Mr. Louglynn will stay will stay with Sarg, Dawn with Bart, and Father Durrant with the diggers.
The excavation starts about twenty feet from the eastern edge of the cliff. Digging is slow and hard work. Both Lars and Geoff have shed their armor and most of their clothes. Father Durrant shovels the excavated sand toward the bog. A couple hours later, they have cleared a ‘V’ into the side of the cliff to the stone wall. Suddenly, a small avalanche tumbles into the cliff at the right side of the ‘V’ revealing a small dark opening.
Lars climbs up and clears more rock out of the way. He hears the
gravel echo as it skids down into the tunnel. It is dark within.
Father Durrant bids Geoff and Lars to clear a crawl space than signals
to the others to gather around. Mr. Louglynn and Sarg are just starting
the forth forty foot section when Father Durant signals. They head
toward the priest. Dawn and Bart have also stopped and join Mr. Louglynn
and Sarg. There is about 120 feet of the central cliff yet to be
checked for traps. When everyone gathers, Lars and Geoff have cleared the
upper left corner of a tunnel into the rock wall behind the sand and gravel
cliff.