# Too Proud to Die - the Fighting Ignorants

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [April 19, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657 "2010-04-19T19:58:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 31

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**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/601 "2010-07-16T13:39:15Z")

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“Sweet, Auto. I knew you’d make yourself useful.”

I’ll lower Auto and a torch down the well slowly so he can look around and find any other hidden compartments or passageways.

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**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/602 "2010-07-18T07:13:10Z")

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**Auto** rides the rope all the way down to water level without finding anything. It’s dark and scary down there. Just as the last turn of rope is coming off the windlass, there is an audible click from the direction of the locked door.

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**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/603 "2010-07-18T16:46:56Z")

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“Was that caused by me or is someone on the other side?”

I’m going to wind Auto as quickly as possible. If the door starts to open I’ll abandon winding him up to draw my ax and shield to prepare to fight.

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**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/604 "2010-07-18T17:04:33Z")

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**Melon** takes position to the side of the door (the side that opens) with his shield up and weapon ready, just in case.

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**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/605 "2010-07-18T19:01:40Z")

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\*\*Frodo \*\*takes position besides (_and a little bit behind_) Melon, his staff on the ready

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**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/606 "2010-07-18T19:19:25Z")

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_Auto finds nothing_ “Hey, there’s nothing down here! Oh well, you know what they say, all’s well that ends well.”

_Rope and bucket climb up at an alarming rate_ “Woah, not so rough! What’s going on up there guys?”

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**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/607 "2010-07-19T01:11:10Z")

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I have my holy symbol out and ready in case there is undead behind the door.

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**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/608 "2010-07-19T19:44:15Z")

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Is the door opening or did it merely unlock?

In either Case, I’ll duck and hide.

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**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/609 "2010-07-19T20:17:13Z")

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Undead? Funny you should mention that. There appears to be a dry rattling of bones from beyond the door, echoing as in a stone-lined passageway as the door creaks open. Your torches do a poor job of illuminating the gloom. **Oredigger** , you can either crank away furiously for another round or put the brake on the windlass - it seems up to now to have been in working order. **Appleciders** is still on the safety rope and willing to follow your lead.

You catch a glimpse of some of the approaching dry bones. They look nothing like what was depicted in the mural earlier.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/610 "2010-07-19T20:56:40Z")

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“Wave the Wand at it! Wave the Wand at it!”

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**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/611 "2010-07-19T21:51:22Z")

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I Wave the wand at it with little hope of success, “is it some kind of walking dead?”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/612 "2010-07-19T22:17:25Z")

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“Sorry Auto, I hope you’re comfortable.”

I’ll lock Auto in place, draw my shield and mace and position myself between the skeleton and the rest of the group. I’m not going to attack until we find out if these marking work or not.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/613 "2010-07-19T23:01:34Z")

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“My plan of staying safe in the well is working perfectly…yeah…”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/614 "2010-07-20T03:22:59Z")

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You can’t just climb out yourself? Sheesh, some rogue!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/615 "2010-07-20T04:21:45Z")

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The rope is wet I think, or something.

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**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/616 "2010-07-20T13:44:24Z")

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I’ll stay in the back of the room and see what we’re up against exactly before I actively engage it.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/617 "2010-07-21T13:42:25Z")

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“I think those markings are working - It doesn’t seem to be attacking. Looks like you were a coward for nothing, Auto”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/618 "2010-07-21T21:10:58Z")

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“Cowardly? I prefer to call it smart.”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/619 "2010-07-21T21:22:52Z")

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**Auto** can try to climb if he likes - the inside of the well is reasonably dry where he is at the moment, and the stonework not too smooth. But there’s no-one to take up the slack on the safety line at present and it will take at least four rounds (and hence four checks) to get out.

Meanwhile… Waving the wand achieves nothing - popular rumour has it that you need a command word or phrase, assuming this is a magic wand (and even the wizards have seen tolerably few of them). There seem to be a number of animated skeletons entering from beyond the open door. As previously stated, they don’t look much like the figures in the murals, nor are they showing signs of being deterred by those symbols you’re carrying/wearing.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-proud-to-die-the-fighting-ignorants/536657/620 "2010-07-22T00:21:30Z")

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After waiting for a while, I begin to get bored. “Guys, what’s going on up there?” No response. I hear signs of a scuffle, and decide against my better judgment to attempt to climb up to join my fellow ignorants.

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