The Gaming Den

I suspect this may be a trap but I’d still go for the gold.

I vote to reach under the bridge.

Your hand feels about and closes on cold metal. You draw up a golden dipper attached to the bridge by a mithril chain. Engraved in the bottom of the water-filled dipper are some runes. Drink from the dipper?
Drop the dipper back into the pool and choose an exit from this room?

Character Sheet:
Nanli Fullbrow
Level 8 Dwarf
Gender: Male
Strength 12
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 9
Dexterity 12
Constitution 10
Charisma 9
Armor Class: 4 (chain and shield)
Main weapon: Sword +3. Will hit a -8 AC on a 20, will hit a 10 AC on a 2
Damage: 1d8+3
Hit Points: 5/40
Alignment: Lawful
Sword +3, Dagger +1, Backpack, Tinderbox, Iron Spikes, Large Sack, phial of red liquid labeled "Poison for sword," three ~50-gold-piece figurines, three bags of assorted gems worth 2,000 gp total, 2500-gold-piece emerald necklace, wolf's head ring
Coinage: 600 gold, 50 electrum, 501 silver
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Kobold
Infravision
Detection of Traps and Stone Construction
Saving Throws:
Poison or Death Ray 4 (must roll a 4 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Magic Wands 5 (must roll a 5 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Paralysis or Petrification 6 (must roll a 6 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Dragon Breath 7 (must roll a 7 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Rod, Staff, or Spell 8 (must roll an 8 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Victory Boxes: 2

It says “drink” in Dwarven runes so drink from it.

If the water was ok to drink from normally, may as well drink from dipper.

You compulsively drain it in one swallow. Your veins catch fire, and a burning vigor spreads through your body, healing your wounds. Regain (1d6+1) 5 hit points. You stand refreshed, ready to examine the rest of the hall.

Go back through the north corridor?
Go through the western doors?
Try to open the closed eastern doors?
Try to unbar the southern door?

Character Sheet:
Nanli Fullbrow
Level 8 Dwarf
Gender: Male
Strength 12
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 9
Dexterity 12
Constitution 10
Charisma 9
Armor Class: 4 (chain and shield)
Main weapon: Sword +3. Will hit a -8 AC on a 20, will hit a 10 AC on a 2
Damage: 1d8+3
Hit Points: 10/40
Alignment: Lawful
Sword +3, Dagger +1, Backpack, Tinderbox, Iron Spikes, Large Sack, phial of red liquid labeled "Poison for sword," three ~50-gold-piece figurines, three bags of assorted gems worth 2,000 gp total, 2500-gold-piece emerald necklace, wolf's head ring
Coinage: 600 gold, 50 electrum, 501 silver
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Kobold
Infravision
Detection of Traps and Stone Construction
Saving Throws:
Poison or Death Ray 4 (must roll a 4 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Magic Wands 5 (must roll a 5 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Paralysis or Petrification 6 (must roll a 6 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Dragon Breath 7 (must roll a 7 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Rod, Staff, or Spell 8 (must roll an 8 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Victory Boxes: 2

I assume that we can't keep drinking until we're at full.

Go through the western doors, since they're the only ones we can definitely open.

I vote to go through the western doors as well.

Unfortunately, the dipper's magic is on a long cooldown; you can drink more water from it but quickly find it does not heal any further (nor will it work for any other dwarves who come through here anytime soon). You are in the eastern end of a great hall. You hear a low grumbling. A large, semicircular stone table fills the center of the hall. Bold runes are carved on its front. The center of the table is open, with room for a dwarf to sit comfortably. The table is ornately carved, as is the ceiling above you. Over the years, the table has been filled with trash. A set of doors stands at the eastern end of the hall (you just came through them). You hear several loud voices behind the door to the north.

Listen at the north door?
Open the southern door?
Go back through the eastern doors?
Investigate the trash in the table?
Walk to the western end of the hall?

Character Sheet:
Nanli Fullbrow
Level 8 Dwarf
Gender: Male
Strength 12
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 9
Dexterity 12
Constitution 10
Charisma 9
Armor Class: 4 (chain and shield)
Main weapon: Sword +3. Will hit a -8 AC on a 20, will hit a 10 AC on a 2
Damage: 1d8+3
Hit Points: 10/40
Alignment: Lawful
Sword +3, Dagger +1, Backpack, Tinderbox, Iron Spikes, Large Sack, phial of red liquid labeled "Poison for sword," three ~50-gold-piece figurines, three bags of assorted gems worth 2,000 gp total, 2500-gold-piece emerald necklace, wolf's head ring
Coinage: 600 gold, 50 electrum, 501 silver
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Kobold
Infravision
Detection of Traps and Stone Construction
Saving Throws:
Poison or Death Ray 4 (must roll a 4 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Magic Wands 5 (must roll a 5 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Paralysis or Petrification 6 (must roll a 6 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Dragon Breath 7 (must roll a 7 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Rod, Staff, or Spell 8 (must roll an 8 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Victory Boxes: 2

I vote to investigate the trash in the table.

Yeah, investigate random stuff.

You poke through the debris. Clouds of dust billow up, filling your nostrils. You sneeze violently. Burying your head in your arms and hoping no one hears, you duck behind the table and wait. No one comes. You have found nothing of interest in the trash pile.

Listen at the north door?
Open the southern door?
Go back through the eastern doors?
Walk to the western end of the hall?

Character Sheet:
Nanli Fullbrow
Level 8 Dwarf
Gender: Male
Strength 12
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 9
Dexterity 12
Constitution 10
Charisma 9
Armor Class: 4 (chain and shield)
Main weapon: Sword +3. Will hit a -8 AC on a 20, will hit a 10 AC on a 2
Damage: 1d8+3
Hit Points: 10/40
Alignment: Lawful
Sword +3, Dagger +1, Backpack, Tinderbox, Iron Spikes, Large Sack, phial of red liquid labeled "Poison for sword," three ~50-gold-piece figurines, three bags of assorted gems worth 2,000 gp total, 2500-gold-piece emerald necklace, wolf's head ring
Coinage: 600 gold, 50 electrum, 501 silver
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Kobold
Infravision
Detection of Traps and Stone Construction
Saving Throws:
Poison or Death Ray 4 (must roll a 4 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Magic Wands 5 (must roll a 5 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Paralysis or Petrification 6 (must roll a 6 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Dragon Breath 7 (must roll a 7 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Rod, Staff, or Spell 8 (must roll an 8 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Victory Boxes: 2

I vote to walk to the western end of the hall.

You are standing in a large, drafty hall. It is filled with a dull, rumbling sound. A sliver of bright light from outside pours in through the open gate on the west. A campfire burns dimly in front of you, casting light across the floor. The hall has been ravaged by man, weather, and time. Remnants of a once-fine mosaic floor can be seen among the leaves, refuse, and mud brought in by the winds and rains. A scratchy voice rings out, "Shut up, out there! I'm trying to sleep!" You have difficulty placing its source. You see no sign of a guard.

Murder holes lace the ceiling, but thick cobwebs hang through them. You notice a partially open door on the north wall. Through it shines a dim light. You also notice that much of the mud on the floor leads to a door on the south wall. Another door, in the southern alcove, is boarded shut with a few planks. A death's head has been crudely scrawled on it in charcoal.

Investigate the northern door?
Open the door in the northern alcove?
Walk to the east side of the hall (please vote for where to go from there if you choose this one)?
Unbar the door in the southern alcove?
Open the muddy southern door closest to the gate?
Go through the west gate, which looks like it leads to the front entrance to Thunderdelve?

Character Sheet:
Nanli Fullbrow
Level 8 Dwarf
Gender: Male
Strength 12
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 9
Dexterity 12
Constitution 10
Charisma 9
Armor Class: 4 (chain and shield)
Main weapon: Sword +3. Will hit a -8 AC on a 20, will hit a 10 AC on a 2
Damage: 1d8+3
Hit Points: 10/40
Alignment: Lawful
Sword +3, Dagger +1, Backpack, Tinderbox, Iron Spikes, Large Sack, phial of red liquid labeled "Poison for sword," three ~50-gold-piece figurines, three bags of assorted gems worth 2,000 gp total, 2500-gold-piece emerald necklace, wolf's head ring
Coinage: 600 gold, 50 electrum, 501 silver
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Kobold
Infravision
Detection of Traps and Stone Construction
Saving Throws:
Poison or Death Ray 4 (must roll a 4 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Magic Wands 5 (must roll a 5 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Paralysis or Petrification 6 (must roll a 6 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Dragon Breath 7 (must roll a 7 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Rod, Staff, or Spell 8 (must roll an 8 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Victory Boxes: 2

I vote to open the muddy southern door closest to the gate.

May as well

As you open the door, you hear the snort and stamping of a heavy animal. The room holds three horses. One is a beautiful animal wearing a blanket of scarlet trimmed in gold thread. The other animals are mangy. One wears a bearclaw necklace around its neck. The horses grow skittish at your appearance.

Search the room?
Try to take the bearclaw necklace?
Go back to the hall and make a different choice?

Character Sheet:
Nanli Fullbrow
Level 8 Dwarf
Gender: Male
Strength 12
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 9
Dexterity 12
Constitution 10
Charisma 9
Armor Class: 4 (chain and shield)
Main weapon: Sword +3. Will hit a -8 AC on a 20, will hit a 10 AC on a 2
Damage: 1d8+3
Hit Points: 10/40
Alignment: Lawful
Sword +3, Dagger +1, Backpack, Tinderbox, Iron Spikes, Large Sack, phial of red liquid labeled "Poison for sword," three ~50-gold-piece figurines, three bags of assorted gems worth 2,000 gp total, 2500-gold-piece emerald necklace, wolf's head ring
Coinage: 600 gold, 50 electrum, 501 silver
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Kobold
Infravision
Detection of Traps and Stone Construction
Saving Throws:
Poison or Death Ray 4 (must roll a 4 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Magic Wands 5 (must roll a 5 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Paralysis or Petrification 6 (must roll a 6 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Dragon Breath 7 (must roll a 7 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Rod, Staff, or Spell 8 (must roll an 8 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Victory Boxes: 2

Normally I'd advise searching the room, but it seems like these horses are going to make a lot of noise. Just take the necklace and run.

I vote to take the bearclaw necklace.

You approach the horse slowly and speak quietly to the animal. As you do so, you reach up slowly and take hold of the necklace. The bearclaws are old and have not been properly preserved. You try to take the necklace but you are too short to reach the top of the horse's neck, where the necklace is tied.

Search the room?
Go back to the hall and make a different choice?
Attempt to work the necklace off the horse?

(Not automatically moving on because from the look of the votes, at least one voter expected taking the necklace to be a much quicker procedure.)

Character Sheet:
Nanli Fullbrow
Level 8 Dwarf
Gender: Male
Strength 12
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 9
Dexterity 12
Constitution 10
Charisma 9
Armor Class: 4 (chain and shield)
Main weapon: Sword +3. Will hit a -8 AC on a 20, will hit a 10 AC on a 2
Damage: 1d8+3
Hit Points: 10/40
Alignment: Lawful
Sword +3, Dagger +1, Backpack, Tinderbox, Iron Spikes, Large Sack, phial of red liquid labeled "Poison for sword," three ~50-gold-piece figurines, three bags of assorted gems worth 2,000 gp total, 2500-gold-piece emerald necklace, wolf's head ring
Coinage: 600 gold, 50 electrum, 501 silver
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Kobold
Infravision
Detection of Traps and Stone Construction
Saving Throws:
Poison or Death Ray 4 (must roll a 4 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Magic Wands 5 (must roll a 5 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Paralysis or Petrification 6 (must roll a 6 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Dragon Breath 7 (must roll a 7 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Rod, Staff, or Spell 8 (must roll an 8 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Victory Boxes: 2

I vote to attempt to work the necklace off the horse.

Speaking to the horse quietly, you work slowly, and rotate the necklace around the horse's neck until the knot is in your grasp. You carefully untie it. Vote on whether to wear the filthy bearclaw necklace and whether to leave this room (and what to do next, if you choose this) or search it.

Character Sheet:
Nanli Fullbrow
Level 8 Dwarf
Gender: Male
Strength 12
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 9
Dexterity 12
Constitution 10
Charisma 9
Armor Class: 4 (chain and shield)
Main weapon: Sword +3. Will hit a -8 AC on a 20, will hit a 10 AC on a 2
Damage: 1d8+3
Hit Points: 10/40
Alignment: Lawful
Sword +3, Dagger +1, Backpack, Tinderbox, Iron Spikes, Large Sack, phial of red liquid labeled "Poison for sword," three ~50-gold-piece figurines, three bags of assorted gems worth 2,000 gp total, 2500-gold-piece emerald necklace, wolf's head ring, filthy bearclaw necklace
Coinage: 600 gold, 50 electrum, 501 silver
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Kobold
Infravision
Detection of Traps and Stone Construction
Saving Throws:
Poison or Death Ray 4 (must roll a 4 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Magic Wands 5 (must roll a 5 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Paralysis or Petrification 6 (must roll a 6 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Dragon Breath 7 (must roll a 7 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Rod, Staff, or Spell 8 (must roll an 8 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Victory Boxes: 2

I vote not to wear the necklace and to search the room.

You find nothing but hay and tack. The horse in the scarlet blanket begins to paw the stone, its ears laid back. You see a dark bundle tied against the wall in the back corner.

Risk retrieving it?
Leave the room and:
Investigate the northern door?
Open the door in the northern alcove?
Walk to the east side of the hall (please vote for where to go from there if you choose this one)?
Unbar the door in the southern alcove?
Go through the west gate, which looks like it leads to the front entrance to Thunderdelve?

Character Sheet:
Nanli Fullbrow
Level 8 Dwarf
Gender: Male
Strength 12
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 9
Dexterity 12
Constitution 10
Charisma 9
Armor Class: 4 (chain and shield)
Main weapon: Sword +3. Will hit a -8 AC on a 20, will hit a 10 AC on a 2
Damage: 1d8+3
Hit Points: 10/40
Alignment: Lawful
Sword +3, Dagger +1, Backpack, Tinderbox, Iron Spikes, Large Sack, phial of red liquid labeled "Poison for sword," three ~50-gold-piece figurines, three bags of assorted gems worth 2,000 gp total, 2500-gold-piece emerald necklace, wolf's head ring, filthy bearclaw necklace
Coinage: 600 gold, 50 electrum, 501 silver
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Kobold
Infravision
Detection of Traps and Stone Construction
Saving Throws:
Poison or Death Ray 4 (must roll a 4 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Magic Wands 5 (must roll a 5 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Paralysis or Petrification 6 (must roll a 6 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Dragon Breath 7 (must roll a 7 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Rod, Staff, or Spell 8 (must roll an 8 or better on 1d20 to succeed)
Victory Boxes: 2

I vote to risk retrieving the dark bundle.