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<blockquote data-quote="ltclnlbrain" data-source="post: 2512034" data-attributes="member: 12882"><p><strong>Chapter 7</strong> </p><p></p><p>"Tash!" cried Davi, stomping around the strange platform. "Tash?"</p><p></p><p>"<em>Pthrari!</em>" Keira exclaimed loudly. "What kind of devilry is this!?" Fierce eyes wide in anticipation of danger, she lunged at Sardonic and gripped him by the breast of his clothing. "What have you done with him, little man?" Her eyes were glowing in uncertain anger. "Get him back or I'll gut you like a lamb ready for roasting." She shoved him away and looked around wildly, her eyes moving quickly from lantern to lantern, unsure what to expect.</p><p></p><p>The barbarian appeared to be thinking about something, then grabbed at Sardonic again. "Think quickly, little man! The sun's light rose at the calling of the blue sky. And so it remains. Will the sun glow the color of pumpkin if the arrow is rotated? Or become grass if further rotated? Are the lanterns just different hides for the sun to lie on?" </p><p></p><p>"Calm down, Keira," Davi said peaceably, but with certain firmness. "And let Sardonic go; he did no harm to Tash--though he's a total idiot if he thinks I'm willing to lose him to the-gods-know-where." She thought about Keira's confusing words, trying to make sense of them. It seemed that the barbarian thought that the arrow platform called up a chamber, and the lanterns told it where to go. "Let's test your theory," she added. "Carpal, Ju'lindra, rotate the dias to point out the indigo lantern, and Keira, light the lantern again with your torch. Tash shall survive this trap, may the Witch Queen preserve him."</p><p></p><p>Carpal shrugged. "Well, what if it isn't a trap? I mean, it could be a chamber as Tash suspected. I will do as you wish, but if we change something, Tash may not be able to get back up." </p><p></p><p>Davi bit her lip while considering Carpal's thoughts. "Well... Uh... Gee, this is the kind of things I brought Tash along for." The halfling folded her sleeves us within each other; it was plain on her face that she had no idea what to do. </p><p></p><p>"Hang on, Tash! I'm coming!" Sardonic cried suddenly. He rushed toward the open chamber, intent on getting inside before the others could stop him. As he was about to pass the threshold, however, the doors slammed shut. His life flashed before his eyes as the cylinder wall rushed towards him. Not that he had much to view given his age. The flash concentrated on the more tawdry bits. Then he smashed into the wall and sprawled out on the floor, dazed.</p><p></p><p>The cylinder rumbled as it sank back into the ground again, then it reemerged a few seconds later. Tash stood within, completely unharmed.</p><p></p><p>Davi whipped around to see the source of the sound, and nothing but pure, sweet relief was apparent on her face when she saw Tash. She beamed at the gnomish wizard welcomingly, and she lifted back the hood of her priestly robe to wipe her brow, inadvertantly revealing her long, wavy brown locks for the first time in the trek. She hardly thought about this however. Her mouth even gaped open for a few seconds, until she finally remembered her propriety; so great was her relief. </p><p></p><p>So it took her a few moments to gather her wits, but then she spoke, her welcoming smile curving into a smirk. "Oh hi, we were just talking about you. Where've you been?" she asked Tash, all innocence and nonchalance. </p><p></p><p>"I'm okay," Tash said, grinning. "I had just stepped out of the chamber when it slammed shut and went back up. It looks like these chambers are transportation devices, going down into other rooms. There's a button down there that I pressed to call the chamber and come back up. I suggest we go down this chamber and explore the place below before trying anything else."</p><p></p><p>Keira walked over to stand beside the small gnome, imposing for her strength and near six feet in height. Bending down, she put her fist around the gnome shoulder and tried to form it inside her fist. Tash squirmed from the pain, and Keira relented. It seemed, at least, that the process of being swallowed by a metal cylinder did not change him in any apparent way. </p><p></p><p>"I don't like this place," the barbarian commented to nobody in particular. She was starting to have doubts about this whole business. They were invading a tomb of the dead, after all, something which rather strangely excited Davi Knockdoor. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. "Davi Knockdoor, is the purpose of this mission to invade the tombs of the dead, and remove the treasures of the afterlife? I do not wish to tamper with the dead themselves, but they have not need for treasures. How are the ancestors of our people supposed to guide us if they spend their time counting coins?" She gave Davi a serious look and a frown. She wanted to know what she'd signed up for, simply because several facts had taken their time registering in Keira's mind. "To whom does this tomb belong and what do we know of its history?"</p><p></p><p>Davi listened considerately to Keira's concerns, and the halfling seemed to take the barbarian's thoughts into careful deliberation. "In truth," she began at last, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear and folding her arms back together, "I know very little of the origin of this tomb, called by the title 'Whispering Cairn' on a single map of Carpal's. I believe it to be the resting place of someone related to a former mine manager, or possibly the manager himself. As for what it holds or any dangers therein, I haven't a clue; it was the very unknown nature of this place that led me to gather aid in the first place.</p><p></p><p>"As for grave-robbing, I assure you that for all that we might take, the resting body is not to be harmed or even touched by us. My elders at the church sanctioned this journey under that very caveat. However, we do wish to see if any object or records of note were buried here as well, something that could be utilized by our facilities to further our purpose. As you yourself say, Keira, the departed souls guide us, at least through what they leave behind; I am merely seeking that wisdom." Finished, Davi replaces the hood back over her head, adding a more formal, clerical feel to her appearance. "So, then, what is our course of action?"</p><p></p><p>"I wonder what would happen if we lit all the lanterns at once..." Pyrius mused idly.</p><p></p><p>Ezreal had watched the whole panicked proceedings with a mixture of amusement and derision. <em>Turn this, light that, jump in here, now rearrange them all before Tash comes back, and then light multiple lanterns before trying to pursue a path we know is currently not lethal. Apparently we are not so strong on logical behavior as a group.</em> </p><p></p><p>The rogue cleared his throat and spoke from his position leaning against a wall. "At this point it's pretty clear that this is merely a gateway to the rest of the tomb rather than a trap. There is no path left unexplored other than these shafts and we haven't encountered whatever Ms Knockdoor was expecting as of yet. It is possible of course that one or more of the shafts descends into an area that is lethal, but why design a trap that takes at least two very strong and curious people to actively trigger? It doesn't make any sense. As traps go they could have designed anything that would heve been more effective, less expensive, and required hundreds of hours less to craft. We haven't seen anything so far that would act as a guide or clue to whoever would be a welcome guest in this tomb unless there was a hidden message or clue in the fresco indicating which combinations to avoid. So we know that by restoring the system to the settings when Tash went below, we can explore further without getting anyone killed immediately, and we can return to the surface at will. That sounds like our next move to me. Not that anyone was asking, mind you, but it does make sense. I would add that I'm not going down any shaft as long as you all keep tinkering with the system as much as you possibly can before you have any idea what it does. Multiple lanterns, spinning that sarcophagus back and forth. 'dimmara's dice! It's like you are all trying to get someone killed. You'll never figure out what mechanism does exactly what if you keep changing them all at the same time." </p><p></p><p>Carpal chuckled at his friend's statement. "Davi, what Ezreal says makes sense. We should see one path through to its completion before causing more changes."</p><p></p><p>The cleric nodded. "All right." She gestured toward the metal cylinder, still waiting patiently at with its door open. " Let's see what you found down there, Tash."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ltclnlbrain, post: 2512034, member: 12882"] [B]Chapter 7[/B] "Tash!" cried Davi, stomping around the strange platform. "Tash?" "[I]Pthrari![/I]" Keira exclaimed loudly. "What kind of devilry is this!?" Fierce eyes wide in anticipation of danger, she lunged at Sardonic and gripped him by the breast of his clothing. "What have you done with him, little man?" Her eyes were glowing in uncertain anger. "Get him back or I'll gut you like a lamb ready for roasting." She shoved him away and looked around wildly, her eyes moving quickly from lantern to lantern, unsure what to expect. The barbarian appeared to be thinking about something, then grabbed at Sardonic again. "Think quickly, little man! The sun's light rose at the calling of the blue sky. And so it remains. Will the sun glow the color of pumpkin if the arrow is rotated? Or become grass if further rotated? Are the lanterns just different hides for the sun to lie on?" "Calm down, Keira," Davi said peaceably, but with certain firmness. "And let Sardonic go; he did no harm to Tash--though he's a total idiot if he thinks I'm willing to lose him to the-gods-know-where." She thought about Keira's confusing words, trying to make sense of them. It seemed that the barbarian thought that the arrow platform called up a chamber, and the lanterns told it where to go. "Let's test your theory," she added. "Carpal, Ju'lindra, rotate the dias to point out the indigo lantern, and Keira, light the lantern again with your torch. Tash shall survive this trap, may the Witch Queen preserve him." Carpal shrugged. "Well, what if it isn't a trap? I mean, it could be a chamber as Tash suspected. I will do as you wish, but if we change something, Tash may not be able to get back up." Davi bit her lip while considering Carpal's thoughts. "Well... Uh... Gee, this is the kind of things I brought Tash along for." The halfling folded her sleeves us within each other; it was plain on her face that she had no idea what to do. "Hang on, Tash! I'm coming!" Sardonic cried suddenly. He rushed toward the open chamber, intent on getting inside before the others could stop him. As he was about to pass the threshold, however, the doors slammed shut. His life flashed before his eyes as the cylinder wall rushed towards him. Not that he had much to view given his age. The flash concentrated on the more tawdry bits. Then he smashed into the wall and sprawled out on the floor, dazed. The cylinder rumbled as it sank back into the ground again, then it reemerged a few seconds later. Tash stood within, completely unharmed. Davi whipped around to see the source of the sound, and nothing but pure, sweet relief was apparent on her face when she saw Tash. She beamed at the gnomish wizard welcomingly, and she lifted back the hood of her priestly robe to wipe her brow, inadvertantly revealing her long, wavy brown locks for the first time in the trek. She hardly thought about this however. Her mouth even gaped open for a few seconds, until she finally remembered her propriety; so great was her relief. So it took her a few moments to gather her wits, but then she spoke, her welcoming smile curving into a smirk. "Oh hi, we were just talking about you. Where've you been?" she asked Tash, all innocence and nonchalance. "I'm okay," Tash said, grinning. "I had just stepped out of the chamber when it slammed shut and went back up. It looks like these chambers are transportation devices, going down into other rooms. There's a button down there that I pressed to call the chamber and come back up. I suggest we go down this chamber and explore the place below before trying anything else." Keira walked over to stand beside the small gnome, imposing for her strength and near six feet in height. Bending down, she put her fist around the gnome shoulder and tried to form it inside her fist. Tash squirmed from the pain, and Keira relented. It seemed, at least, that the process of being swallowed by a metal cylinder did not change him in any apparent way. "I don't like this place," the barbarian commented to nobody in particular. She was starting to have doubts about this whole business. They were invading a tomb of the dead, after all, something which rather strangely excited Davi Knockdoor. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. "Davi Knockdoor, is the purpose of this mission to invade the tombs of the dead, and remove the treasures of the afterlife? I do not wish to tamper with the dead themselves, but they have not need for treasures. How are the ancestors of our people supposed to guide us if they spend their time counting coins?" She gave Davi a serious look and a frown. She wanted to know what she'd signed up for, simply because several facts had taken their time registering in Keira's mind. "To whom does this tomb belong and what do we know of its history?" Davi listened considerately to Keira's concerns, and the halfling seemed to take the barbarian's thoughts into careful deliberation. "In truth," she began at last, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear and folding her arms back together, "I know very little of the origin of this tomb, called by the title 'Whispering Cairn' on a single map of Carpal's. I believe it to be the resting place of someone related to a former mine manager, or possibly the manager himself. As for what it holds or any dangers therein, I haven't a clue; it was the very unknown nature of this place that led me to gather aid in the first place. "As for grave-robbing, I assure you that for all that we might take, the resting body is not to be harmed or even touched by us. My elders at the church sanctioned this journey under that very caveat. However, we do wish to see if any object or records of note were buried here as well, something that could be utilized by our facilities to further our purpose. As you yourself say, Keira, the departed souls guide us, at least through what they leave behind; I am merely seeking that wisdom." Finished, Davi replaces the hood back over her head, adding a more formal, clerical feel to her appearance. "So, then, what is our course of action?" "I wonder what would happen if we lit all the lanterns at once..." Pyrius mused idly. Ezreal had watched the whole panicked proceedings with a mixture of amusement and derision. [I]Turn this, light that, jump in here, now rearrange them all before Tash comes back, and then light multiple lanterns before trying to pursue a path we know is currently not lethal. Apparently we are not so strong on logical behavior as a group.[/I] The rogue cleared his throat and spoke from his position leaning against a wall. "At this point it's pretty clear that this is merely a gateway to the rest of the tomb rather than a trap. There is no path left unexplored other than these shafts and we haven't encountered whatever Ms Knockdoor was expecting as of yet. It is possible of course that one or more of the shafts descends into an area that is lethal, but why design a trap that takes at least two very strong and curious people to actively trigger? It doesn't make any sense. As traps go they could have designed anything that would heve been more effective, less expensive, and required hundreds of hours less to craft. We haven't seen anything so far that would act as a guide or clue to whoever would be a welcome guest in this tomb unless there was a hidden message or clue in the fresco indicating which combinations to avoid. So we know that by restoring the system to the settings when Tash went below, we can explore further without getting anyone killed immediately, and we can return to the surface at will. That sounds like our next move to me. Not that anyone was asking, mind you, but it does make sense. I would add that I'm not going down any shaft as long as you all keep tinkering with the system as much as you possibly can before you have any idea what it does. Multiple lanterns, spinning that sarcophagus back and forth. 'dimmara's dice! It's like you are all trying to get someone killed. You'll never figure out what mechanism does exactly what if you keep changing them all at the same time." Carpal chuckled at his friend's statement. "Davi, what Ezreal says makes sense. We should see one path through to its completion before causing more changes." The cleric nodded. "All right." She gestured toward the metal cylinder, still waiting patiently at with its door open. " Let's see what you found down there, Tash." [/QUOTE]
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