CanadienneBacon
Explorer
Alois grunted. "Maybe we don't want to go this way. Big hole."
Doom of the Savage Kings
Deuce Traveler
Adventurer
Boral answers, "Yep. Good thing we had torches. Let's head back the other tunnel before descending."
Before they go, Tender looks down the mouth of the pit and tosses in a pebble to judge its depth.
Before they go, Tender looks down the mouth of the pit and tosses in a pebble to judge its depth.
GlassEye
Adventurer
With the sloped floor that leads to the recessed pit preventing easy access to the edge of the pit it is difficult, if not impossible, to get a good look into the pit. The pebble Tender tosses falls only the briefest of moments before it clatters against something that sounds suspiciously like metal and then hits the stone bottom. Tender's best guess is a ten foot drop after the sloped floor.
CanadienneBacon
Explorer
"The other tunnel, agreed," Lizt said. She eyed the hole dubiously. "Which set of stairs did you mean, Tender? There are two. Maybe those ones would be best to start with." Lizt pointed to the closest set.
GlassEye
Adventurer
Tender, acting on his previous statement and the plan to thoroughly examine this level before descending, passes both stairwells to go down the hall to the right from where they entered the barrow.
The hallway ends at a room that is, at rough guess, thirty feet by twenty. The entranceway is in the center of the wall and another door, a towering stone door heavily carved with spiraling runes spinning into infinity, is directly across from the entrance. Above that door is a panel carved with the image of an enormous wolf being crushed by a giant snake. On either side of the door is a hammered bronze brazier.
Tender recognized the ancient construction style: the door is capped by a massive lintel so that over time the door will sink and seal the door. This one appears to be ancient and thoroughly sealed. It would take weeks or months to excavate so that the doors could open and the excavation itself would probably cause the ceiling in this room to collapse.
The floor of the room is covered by what appears to be thousands of thin, translucent strips of vellum. To your horror, you realize the crackling dried strips are the discarded skins of an untold number of serpents.
The hallway ends at a room that is, at rough guess, thirty feet by twenty. The entranceway is in the center of the wall and another door, a towering stone door heavily carved with spiraling runes spinning into infinity, is directly across from the entrance. Above that door is a panel carved with the image of an enormous wolf being crushed by a giant snake. On either side of the door is a hammered bronze brazier.
Tender recognized the ancient construction style: the door is capped by a massive lintel so that over time the door will sink and seal the door. This one appears to be ancient and thoroughly sealed. It would take weeks or months to excavate so that the doors could open and the excavation itself would probably cause the ceiling in this room to collapse.
The floor of the room is covered by what appears to be thousands of thin, translucent strips of vellum. To your horror, you realize the crackling dried strips are the discarded skins of an untold number of serpents.
Deuce Traveler
Adventurer
Kurl looks down at the shed skin and says, "Oh, this can't be good. All these serpents have to be hiding out somewhere."
Boral answers, "And yet go we must if we are to retrieve the weapon that can end the curse. It looks like the only thing we have left to do is head down one of the staircases, unless I missed something."
While they talk Tender admires the door, then looks into the braziers.
Boral answers, "And yet go we must if we are to retrieve the weapon that can end the curse. It looks like the only thing we have left to do is head down one of the staircases, unless I missed something."
While they talk Tender admires the door, then looks into the braziers.
CanadienneBacon
Explorer
"I don't like snakes." Alois froze. He eyed the snakeskin tailings. Lizt put a reassuring hand on Alois's forearm. "Easy, buddy. I know. But these ones aren't here now, so there's little to fear." Lizt bent over and plucked up a skin. She held it up for Alois. "See? Paper thin. Nothing to worry about." The skin felt crackly in her hands. She dropped it, letting bits of it break apart and cascade to the floor.
Alois looked down at Lizt, who stood at least a head shorter than he. "I don't think the skins's being papery is very reassuring," the big man said thickly.
Gratien eyed the lintel and its runes, trying to make sense of what was inscribed in the stone.
Alois looked down at Lizt, who stood at least a head shorter than he. "I don't think the skins's being papery is very reassuring," the big man said thickly.
Gratien eyed the lintel and its runes, trying to make sense of what was inscribed in the stone.
Scott DeWar
Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure
"Snakes shed skin because they grow out of them. So, lots of snakes have gotten big." Franko pokes at the snake skins with his boot toe. His moment of clear thought would have been comforting if not for the aspect that hangs in the air: Where are these snakes now?
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GlassEye
Adventurer
Tender examines the bowl of the braziers: ancient charcoal burnt to ash and made gummy by the moisture of the room is all that remains.
Gratien looks at the runes. They are little more than simple spirals and seem to be decorative in nature although it is possible they could have some archaic meaning.
There is no evidence of living snakes.
Boral turns as he speaks, "...unless I missed something." And sees Hank standing near the doorway into this chamber and the hall they came from beyond. The torch Hank holds is smoking heavily and the smoke is wisping upwards and vanishing into a narrow 2-foot seam above the entrance to the chamber.
Gratien looks at the runes. They are little more than simple spirals and seem to be decorative in nature although it is possible they could have some archaic meaning.
There is no evidence of living snakes.
Boral turns as he speaks, "...unless I missed something." And sees Hank standing near the doorway into this chamber and the hall they came from beyond. The torch Hank holds is smoking heavily and the smoke is wisping upwards and vanishing into a narrow 2-foot seam above the entrance to the chamber.
Deuce Traveler
Adventurer
Boral says, "Maybe the answer is to go up and not down. Want a lift there, Hank?" He and Tender stoop down and cup hands so Hank can stand on them and get a lift so he may peer into the seam with the torch.
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