Hairy Minotaur
Explorer
Riddle me this
Nameroc sits isolated and fuming while the rest of the party sleeps. He had spent the early part of rest period, confirming that while the structure still has walls, they been changed somehow. They don't feel like stone, move like the unblemished surface one would find akin to a wall of force.
He did learn that the basin, pump, and demonic dispenser where still attached to the far wall. Nameroc wondered if Paquito intended to use this device to escape. He studied it for hours and through smell and taste, confirmed that the demonic face does indeed dispense a blood of some type. The dried remnants of it's last usage still clung to the face's teeth.
Nameroc's mind played out what it thought the "savior's" plan would surely be. He seethed at the notion that the minotaur was the only one who could possibly save them. Nameroc took that as an insinuation that he was worthless, even worse that both elves in the party were worthless.
Benat was right, Paquito was nothing more than a glorified BS'er, and now he was playing around with people's lives. Well, Nameroc wasn't going to stand for it, he intended to save this party and disgrace the minotaur at the same time.
Nameroc grabbed the pump and raised it up, the sound of rusting metal scrapping together echoed. The asleep members stirred in their sleep, but did not wake. Nameroc forced the metal handle down, and a low gurgling noise emanated from beneath him. A couple more pumps and the gurgling had become like a torrent of water rushing through the floor.
The rest of the party woke with a start, as the sound crescendoed.
"No! Stop!" Paquito's shout of protest was drowned away by the din.
Nameroc pumped harder, as Paquito leaped to his feet and raced to Nameroc. Nameorc forced the handle down another time and the sound ceased as a heavy iron smell erupted from the demonic face, followed closely by a thick liquid that glowing black that oozes from the face's mouth.
Paquito reaches Nameroc as the liquid spills into the basin below. Nameorc sees now that instead of a glowing black liquid, it's more like the liquid is absorbing light.
"Ha! You're not the only one who can save the party." Nameroc gloats
"I don't know what you just did, all I intended on doing was having you cast your soften earth spell and have the giants dig us out. I closed the door so we could get some rest. No?" Paquito answers
The blood drains from Nameroc's face as panic sets in, trapped in cell with no walls with three idiots and an old elf with no backbone, Nameroc breaks down and slumps to the floor.
"Hey! The wall is gone." Finrod shouts followed by him dropping to the floor beneath him and issuing another statement. "And so is the floor below the wall."
"Hole in floor here too." Gronar states, "With stairs."
It does not take much prodding to get the party down the steps, where the stairs open onto a landing with four corridors branching out to the north,east,west and south.
The party searches the four corridors and finds each one ends in a door, upon which a different riddle is written:
A moth ate a word. To me it seemed, A marvelous thing when I learned the wonder
That a worm had swallowed, in darkness stolen, The song of man, his glorious sayings,
A great man's strength; and the thieving guest, Was no whit the wiser for the words it ate.
(north door)
My house is not quiet, I am not loud; But for us God fashioned our fate together.
I am the swifter, at times the stronger, My house more enduring, longer to last.
A times I rest; my dwelling still runs; Within it I lodge as long as I live.
Should we two be severed, my death is sure.
(west door)
I am valued by men, fetched from afar, Gleaned on the hill-slopes, gathered in groves,
In dale and on down. All day through the air, Wings bore me aloft, and brought me with cunning
Safe under roof. Men steeped me in vats. Now I have power to pummel and bind,
To cast to the earth, old man and young. Soon he shall find who reaches to seize me,
Pits force against force, that he's flat on the ground, Stripped of his strength if he cease not his folly,
Loud in his speech, but of power despoiled To manage his mind, his hands or his feet.
Now ask me my name, who can bind men on earth, And lay fools low in the light of day.
(east door)
Time was when I was weapon and warrior; Now the young hero hoods me with gold,
and twisted silver. At times men kiss me. At times I speak and summon to battle
Loyal companions. At times a courser, Bears me o'er marchland. At times a ship
Bears me o'er the billows, brightly adorned. At times a fair maiden fills me with breath;
At times hard and headless I lie on the board, Bereft of beauty. At times I hang
Winsome on wall, richly embellished, Where revelers drink. At times a warrior
Bears me on a horse, a battle adornment, And I swallow, bright-shining, the breath from his bosom.
At times with my strains I summon the heroes, Proudly to wine. At times I win back
Spoil from the spoiler, with sounding voice, Put foemen to flight. Now I ask what I'm called.
(south door)
Nameroc sits isolated and fuming while the rest of the party sleeps. He had spent the early part of rest period, confirming that while the structure still has walls, they been changed somehow. They don't feel like stone, move like the unblemished surface one would find akin to a wall of force.
He did learn that the basin, pump, and demonic dispenser where still attached to the far wall. Nameroc wondered if Paquito intended to use this device to escape. He studied it for hours and through smell and taste, confirmed that the demonic face does indeed dispense a blood of some type. The dried remnants of it's last usage still clung to the face's teeth.
Nameroc's mind played out what it thought the "savior's" plan would surely be. He seethed at the notion that the minotaur was the only one who could possibly save them. Nameroc took that as an insinuation that he was worthless, even worse that both elves in the party were worthless.
Benat was right, Paquito was nothing more than a glorified BS'er, and now he was playing around with people's lives. Well, Nameroc wasn't going to stand for it, he intended to save this party and disgrace the minotaur at the same time.
Nameroc grabbed the pump and raised it up, the sound of rusting metal scrapping together echoed. The asleep members stirred in their sleep, but did not wake. Nameroc forced the metal handle down, and a low gurgling noise emanated from beneath him. A couple more pumps and the gurgling had become like a torrent of water rushing through the floor.
The rest of the party woke with a start, as the sound crescendoed.
"No! Stop!" Paquito's shout of protest was drowned away by the din.
Nameroc pumped harder, as Paquito leaped to his feet and raced to Nameroc. Nameorc forced the handle down another time and the sound ceased as a heavy iron smell erupted from the demonic face, followed closely by a thick liquid that glowing black that oozes from the face's mouth.
Paquito reaches Nameroc as the liquid spills into the basin below. Nameorc sees now that instead of a glowing black liquid, it's more like the liquid is absorbing light.
"Ha! You're not the only one who can save the party." Nameroc gloats
"I don't know what you just did, all I intended on doing was having you cast your soften earth spell and have the giants dig us out. I closed the door so we could get some rest. No?" Paquito answers
The blood drains from Nameroc's face as panic sets in, trapped in cell with no walls with three idiots and an old elf with no backbone, Nameroc breaks down and slumps to the floor.
"Hey! The wall is gone." Finrod shouts followed by him dropping to the floor beneath him and issuing another statement. "And so is the floor below the wall."
"Hole in floor here too." Gronar states, "With stairs."
It does not take much prodding to get the party down the steps, where the stairs open onto a landing with four corridors branching out to the north,east,west and south.
The party searches the four corridors and finds each one ends in a door, upon which a different riddle is written:
A moth ate a word. To me it seemed, A marvelous thing when I learned the wonder
That a worm had swallowed, in darkness stolen, The song of man, his glorious sayings,
A great man's strength; and the thieving guest, Was no whit the wiser for the words it ate.
(north door)
My house is not quiet, I am not loud; But for us God fashioned our fate together.
I am the swifter, at times the stronger, My house more enduring, longer to last.
A times I rest; my dwelling still runs; Within it I lodge as long as I live.
Should we two be severed, my death is sure.
(west door)
I am valued by men, fetched from afar, Gleaned on the hill-slopes, gathered in groves,
In dale and on down. All day through the air, Wings bore me aloft, and brought me with cunning
Safe under roof. Men steeped me in vats. Now I have power to pummel and bind,
To cast to the earth, old man and young. Soon he shall find who reaches to seize me,
Pits force against force, that he's flat on the ground, Stripped of his strength if he cease not his folly,
Loud in his speech, but of power despoiled To manage his mind, his hands or his feet.
Now ask me my name, who can bind men on earth, And lay fools low in the light of day.
(east door)
Time was when I was weapon and warrior; Now the young hero hoods me with gold,
and twisted silver. At times men kiss me. At times I speak and summon to battle
Loyal companions. At times a courser, Bears me o'er marchland. At times a ship
Bears me o'er the billows, brightly adorned. At times a fair maiden fills me with breath;
At times hard and headless I lie on the board, Bereft of beauty. At times I hang
Winsome on wall, richly embellished, Where revelers drink. At times a warrior
Bears me on a horse, a battle adornment, And I swallow, bright-shining, the breath from his bosom.
At times with my strains I summon the heroes, Proudly to wine. At times I win back
Spoil from the spoiler, with sounding voice, Put foemen to flight. Now I ask what I'm called.
(south door)
