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Story Hour
Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5805914" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p>Alaria was able to circle about three-quarters of the mound before her magic sight faded. </p><p> </p><p>It seemed to her that the western side of the mound was noticably stronger in its aura than the east.</p><p></p><p>With slow deliberate purpose, the Alaria, Fen, Erevan, Festus and Duor wandered around the base and slopes of the mound. While Coerraine, Braddok and Haelan kept a nervous watch, as best they could, on their surroundings. Buttercream had wandered off again as they'd lunched and startled the halfling with her return, crunching on a large muddy rat-looking thing. </p><p></p><p>"We really must work on your manners, Miss 'BC'" Haelan said softly to the ferret, stroking her neck and sure not to go anywhere near the disgusting creature that disappeared with a few loud "crunches" into the ferret's throat.</p><p></p><p>Buttercream just looked blankly at the daelvar and licked her muddied and bloodied chops.</p><p></p><p>"Ah, here! What's this?" questioned Festus to the rest as he discovered, with a firm tap of his hoofed foot that caused him to trip, a small mound, hard lump in the ground.</p><p></p><p>It was covered in moss and muck which Erevan cleared to reveal a triangular white stone sticking out of the ground near the western base of of the mound.</p><p></p><p>With a bit of digging and pulling away of soft dirt, it became obvious the stone was the top of a thoroughly buried vertical stone, like the one they'd found at the other mound. On one side was carved the same strange elf-like writing. They had only revealed a few inches of the thing and the rest of the thoroughly ancient rock was still encased in the ground, but it was, most definitely the same writing.</p><p></p><p>With the aid of the larger, stronger, men, they managed to clear away enough of the side with the writing to see about a foot.</p><p></p><p>Alaria and Erevan had been having a hushed discussion before the magess returned to the stone and pulled out the small elvish spellbook form the dying sorcerer in Silver Falls.</p><p></p><p>"Let us pray that this stone reveals something to us. We only have one shot at this until I can recopy the incantation from Erevan's tome." the wizard said as she flipped through the small book to the page she wanted.</p><p></p><p>"<em>Imporkuel Ap Rehnizus"</em> <<em>mage spell: Comprehend Languages</em>> she read from the leatherbound booklet. As the words passed her lips, the writing on the page glowed and flared a moment before, by the time the whole spell had been read, the page disintegrated in a puff of bluish smoke and dust. </p><p></p><p>Alaria bent down and peered at the stone. She had never used this particular spell of revelation before and raised her eyebrows in surprise to watch as, it appeared to her only, the chiseled lines of the writing of the stone began moving and swirling about on the rock face. </p><p></p><p>The lettering repositioned, crisc-crossing and curving serpentine over themselves, into words she could understand.</p><p></p><p>"'Here lies...If...thrak...Ifthrakuel...the Brave...Knight of Gorth...no...Gorathgraard <<em>DM's pronounciation note: "gor-ATH'-gray-ard"</em>>...'" Alaria paused as the "writing" beneath the inscription changed, not into words, but a picture of a swan upon a shield. </p><p></p><p>"...And?" Duor blurted when the magess did not say anything further. "How do we get in?"</p><p></p><p>"That's all it says, Duor." Alaria said calmly, if somewhat defeated. "It does not say anything more."</p><p></p><p>She placed her hand upon the top of the stone to move herself around to see if there were any discernable writing on the other sides of the stone.</p><p></p><p>"What's that?!" Festus blurted as her hand had been upon the stone for a moment.</p><p></p><p>Everyone, naturally, reeled about with weapons at the ready to gaze up the slope where the satyr pointed.</p><p></p><p>They saw only a grassy muddy slope.</p><p></p><p>"No...it was there. Do it again!" Festus said to Alaria.</p><p></p><p>"Do what?" said the now standing magess, her staff in hand for some expected assault.</p><p></p><p>"Whatever it was you just did...I saw something there...a flicker in the slope. It could have been a doorway..." Festus replied.</p><p></p><p>Erevan and Fen went up to where Festus was indicating and gave the area a thorough once over, prodding and running their bow and spear along parts of the ground.</p><p></p><p>Alaria bent down and touched the top of the white stone again. She left her hand there a moment and watched where the elf and half-elf, now joined by the satyr, were prying.</p><p></p><p>Nothing seemed to happen.</p><p></p><p>She released the stone and then went back to the side that had the writing. She placed her hand on the stone and repeated the epithet.</p><p></p><p>The three sylvan adventurers took a step back in alarm as the grassy knoll beneath their feet did, in fact, seem to ripple for a moment and then went still.</p><p></p><p>Alaria concentrated hard on the stone, now turning to her lessons in magic - How to focus her mind...How to maintain an effect...How to...Yes! She understood...or at least believed she did.</p><p></p><p>"Erevan, here! Place your hand here and, when I'm ready, repeat what I said." Alaria instructed.</p><p></p><p>The rest of the party had moved over to where the curious effect had occured while Erevan switched places with the magess.</p><p></p><p>She placed the butt of her staff against the sloping ground. "Now!" she commaned as she called up the incantation of opening.</p><p></p><p>Erevan began to again say the words from the stone, with his hand upon it.</p><p></p><p>The ground did, again ripple and the grasses flickered into and out of view as Alaria spoke.</p><p></p><p>"<em>Venta norx!" <mage spell: Knock</em>> Alaria spoke loudly and tapped the end of her staff upon the hillside again.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly, the grass and dirt faded from view to reveal a small, roughly foot foot square, indentation in the side of the mound. It was paved and wreathed in solid stone blocks with a single cross-bar supporting the top of the opening. </p><p></p><p>The companions looked with surprise and awe at the magically revealed doorway.</p><p></p><p>"Gotta give it to yeh, boss lady. That is well done." Duor smiled broadly.</p><p>"Let's get us some elf...er...I mean, <em>Selurian</em> gold."</p><p></p><p>Alaria just smiled triumphantly at her companions and, with a thought, caused the top of her staff to flare with the electrical ball of flickering light.</p><p></p><p>Haelan, with a soft-spoken invocation, set the pinecone-shaped head of his mace ablaze with his own yellowish glow.</p><p></p><p>One-by-one, the Stormriders entered the barrow.</p><p></p><p> The first chamber was tight and cramped, only twenty feet across and long, though thankfully the ceiling had risen to allow the human-folk to stand upright.</p><p></p><p>Haelan jumped immediately at the site of large skeleton in one of the corners. A broken spear shaft and tattered loincloth seemed to be all that remained of the large thing.</p><p></p><p>Duor examined the skeleton. The skull was most noticeably not human or elf, looking to everyone's guess like a lizardman. The line of bones that would have been the poor creature's tail confirmed that.</p><p></p><p>"Well, not elves, it seems." Duor said happily, though lamented the remains did not hold anything of value.</p><p></p><p>"Nor Selurians." Fen added.</p><p></p><p>"But lizardmen do not employ enchantments like the ones masking this place." Erevan was sure. "At least none that I've ever heard of."</p><p></p><p>"It could be the poor fellow just wandered in here and got trapped." Braddok posited.</p><p></p><p>This cause Haelan to back toward the still open entrance and look nervously outside.</p><p></p><p>Two simple pillars and a slab of stone across the top indicated a doorway that was simply filled with solid stone.</p><p></p><p>Duor examined it thoroughly while Alaria continued to study and stare at the strange writings on the pillar.</p><p></p><p>"What's it say?" asked Festus.</p><p></p><p>"It doesn't make any sense...except...ah...wait..." Alaria jostled her way around the crouching dwarf to the other pillar and looked intently at those writings.</p><p></p><p>"Yes...ok. This makes sense." she said more to herself than anyone else.</p><p></p><p>"What makes sense?" Haelan questioned from the rear.</p><p></p><p>"The writing goes from floor to ceiling..." her face following the light of her staff which she was moving up along the pillar. "No elf tongue, nor Old Selurian was written in such a fashion, that I recall."</p><p></p><p>Erevan and Haelan each confirmed the wizard's supposition.</p><p> </p><p>"Alaria, what does it say?" Coerraine questioned after assuring himself, through his gifted vision, that there was no "evil" in the chamber or door that he could perceive.</p><p></p><p>"This says, again, 'Here lies Ifthrakuel, the Third. Bravest Knight of our lord Gorathiel...may his light shine forever..." Alaria moved back to the left pillar and continued to read.</p><p></p><p>"Slayer of trolls and giants...Defeat-er?...no...De<em>fender</em> of the Shining Spire...Brought low by the...Dark?...Drake?...It's...it's waring off..." Alaria said in some panic and concentrated harder to maintain the enchantment.</p><p></p><p>"...the Demon-Drake...Cursed be...herd?...no...<em>her</em> darkness...Then there's something more here...but..." She ran the lit end of her staff along the thoroughly dust covered top-stone, "That's it..the magic has left me."</p><p></p><p>Alaria frowned at the convaluted lettering behind the dust. There was mroe there...she knew it.</p><p></p><p>"WELL, bully for If-thats-cool. Sounds like he'll have some nice blades and armor if nothing else." Duor said, distractedly to Braddok, who stood at his side. "Not finding any traps along here. Looks like all we need to do is push." he turned the companions.</p><p></p><p>"Ok, Pally? Braddok? Get to shovin'." the dwarf rubbed his hands together.</p><p></p><p>With a disapproving gaze from both of the men, the warriors did as "bidden."</p><p></p><p>Several heaves later revealed just enough of a space to one side for the companions to barely squeeze through.</p><p></p><p>Erevan noted the distinctly dry dusty odor of the cool air beyond the slab.</p><p></p><p>Duor and the broadly shouldered warriors needed a bit of help, pulling from one side and pushing from the other, but they made it.</p><p></p><p>This chamber was much larger, maybe forty feet across and almost twice as long.</p><p></p><p>This confused Duor and Erevan who both noted that the mound, itself, only extended about sixty feet.</p><p></p><p>The stone encased chamber was almost entirely bare of furnishings or obstruction other than an eight by four foot sarcophagus in the middle.</p><p></p><p>The walls, similarly, were flat but adorned with grandiose paintings that were remarkably preserved in the dry, sealed chamber. They portrayed scenes of huge battles. Brightly armored knights, rays of light shining off of them, with shields, spears and swords and winged helmets did battle with trolls and snake-like dragons and winged demon-looking things.</p><p></p><p>The largest of the armored warriors seemed to have great white wings coming from his back and floated above the other warriors.</p><p></p><p>Another scene showed a handsome armored figure in a serene looking glade with a similarly beautiful white gowned maiden having a picnic. A great white stag stood at the edge of the trees and white, elaborately plumed birds and snowy white squirrels filled the tree branches. Fen examined these closely and was particularly curious about the portrayal of the birds, which did not match any variety with which he was familiar.</p><p></p><p>Duor was "casing" the sarcophagus. He carefully ran his hands over the stone carvings around the sides, shaped like pillars and trees with other images of a sword-wielding knight with a shield on which was a raised swan. He occasionally tapped at this or that part of the sculptures with a slender "wand" like pick. Coerraine stood close by.</p><p></p><p>"Wheeeeew." whistled Haelan from the far end of the chamber. "Look at this!" the daelvar called to Braddok who had been staying near Alaria as she and Erevan perused one of scenes on the walls.</p><p></p><p>From the pale glow of the halfling's mace, an object set in a shallow alcove a couple of feet off the floor of the chamber, glittered and sparkled.</p><p></p><p>"Hot dang!" Duor said and quickly left his examinations only to slump his shoulders in defeat when he arrived at the Hilltender's side.</p><p></p><p>"Well, t'ain't diamond...still might fetch a price if we could get it outta here." the dwarf murmured under his beard. "Nice craftsmanship, I'll give 'em that."</p><p></p><p>The other companions moved closer to see the five feet tall crystal carving of a humanoid male. "His" face showed no emotion, staring out in endless vigil over of the chamber. He was armored in rounded scales with a shield at his feet (again with a swan carved upon it) and sword in hand. Cascading off the top and down the sides of the figure were what appeared to be feathers that fell to its feet. </p><p> </p><p>"Do you think he's an angel?" Haelan said to anyone in general.</p><p></p><p>"Perhaps all of them are angels?" Coerraine supposed, noting the winged figures in the paintings. "Perhaps this 'White Swan Prince' was some sort of immortal of the higher planes."</p><p></p><p>"I was dead and the only wings I saw were on a black sphinx." Braddok mentioned...feeling the need to contribute to the conversation. "But, seeing as there is no 'treasure' for us to claim here...and it does seem to be a burial chamber for a noble warrior, I say we leave it in peace."</p><p></p><p>"Aw c'mon, Braddok. Yeh don't want to see what kind of enchanted sword this guy used? Might be a good'n." the dwarf coaxed. "'Sides, it's obviously all of the loot is in the sarcophagus. Help me open it."</p><p></p><p>"He does seem to have been quite the champion." Festus added taking in the sparkling crystal statue. </p><p></p><p>After some assistance from Festus and Braddok and, reluctantly, Coerraine, Duor slumped to the ground huffing and puffing. The top simply would not budge.</p><p></p><p>"Hey, Alaria, got another of that opening spell?" the dwarf asked plainly.</p><p></p><p>"I'm afraid not, Duor." she responded absently, still examining the statue and wall paintings. "Nor," she added after the request had really sunk in, "would I use it to desecrate a hero's tomb."</p><p></p><p>"That's all I was waiting to hear." Coerraine said. "That will be enough, Duor. We should leave this place in peace."</p><p></p><p>The dwarf had gone back to examining the carvings around the base of the large stone box. "S'gotta be around here somewhere...AHA!" the dwarf burst triumphantly.</p><p></p><p>With a flick of his iron pick, Duor caught an edge in an outstretched arm with a sword pointed at a dragon-looking thing. The whole arm and sword moved, with difficulty, to swing down a few degrees.</p><p></p><p>With a loud "hsssss", displacing dust in all directions, the top of the sarcophagus lifted an inch or so and rotated a few degrees to the side.</p><p></p><p>"HA! Let's hear it for the dwarf!" Duor preened as he jumped up from the floor and shoved passed Braddok to get to the narrow opening. His celebratory exclamations overshadowing the grating of more stone behind them.</p><p></p><p>"Wait! NO! The door!" Erevan yelled. He and Fen raced to the stone slab through which they'd entered as it slid, the feet or so it need to reseal with a dull thud.</p><p></p><p>Braddok and Coerraine now raced for the slab also. The for males heaved to no avail on their only point of egress.</p><p></p><p>"Ohhhh goat-patties." muttered Festus.</p><p></p><p>"Yeah, let's hear it for the dwarf, indeed!" hollered Braddok over his shoulder as he and the other men continued to try to move the entry slab.</p><p></p><p>"ALARIA, behind you!" yelled Haelan next.</p><p></p><p>Everyone, including Alaria, turned in alarm to see the crystaline statue move and loosen itself from the crystals forming the winged alcove in which he stood.</p><p></p><p>Every jerky motion made a multitude of "tinkling" sounds, like icicles falling or the tears of a crystal chandelier all clinking together at once.</p><p></p><p>Alaria had back far enough away to avoid the slashing swing of the statue's crystal sword blade. </p><p></p><p>"Duor, I swear by Manat, if we get out of here..." the magess' angry words trailed off as she raced back to put the sarcophagus (and the dwarf) between herself and the crystalline guardian.</p><p></p><p>"Swear all yeh like, magess. I prefer it in fact." said the dwarf as the green smoky glow of his ethereal dagger whipped out of its sheathe. "But crystal knight or no, I'm havin' this treasure!</p><p></p><p>"Nobody gets between a dwarf an' his loot!" Duor shouted in challenge to the statue. </p><p></p><p>The dwarf easily avoided an overhead swing from the crystal knight, tumbling to the side and regaining his feet in a single smooth motion.</p><p></p><p>Duor's bushy eyebrows rose high on his head when he noticed the crystal blade had not shattered against the stone floor, as he had hoped. but instead left a foot long gash in the rock.</p><p></p><p>"Eh...'cept his personal paladin of course. Get over here Goldilocks! Might need a bit o' protectin' right about now!" Duor amended as he dove and rolled away from another sword swipe.</p><p></p><p>Again, the sword blade dug into the stone of the floor.</p><p></p><p>Duor also noticed an eerie chill emanating from his facetted foe.</p><p></p><p>"It's awfully cold!" he called as a general statement to his comrades' benefit. </p><p></p><p>The Redstar Knight was already racing for the dwarf's position, shield in hand and invoking a "smite" from his Lord and God. The young paladin, also, noted the chill of the air surrounding the statue. It bit at him, even through his armor.</p><p> </p><p>"Haelan, the statue is obviously enchanted, we could use..." Alaria began to say.</p><p></p><p>"On it!" answered the Hilltender briefly before beginning to invoke his Hill Mother.</p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"Deisa Faerantha, dicteus beneficia spiritos y tiem paras!</em>"</p><p></p><p>As he charged forth, Haelan did not notice the lack of the <em>Blessing</em> invocation's normal honey-colored glow.</p><p></p><p>Alaria, however, did notice. She turned to look at Erevan and Braddok.</p><p></p><p>The elf let fly with an arrow from his enchanted quiver. The bolt did strike the statue in the upper arm and stuck. His second bolt missed by a hair to shatter against the stone wall.</p><p></p><p>But the bow was not glowing. Neither was Braddok's sword.</p><p></p><p>"Haelan, something's not right..." Alaria called even as she called to mind the verse for the spell of energy shards.</p><p></p><p>With a battle-cry echoing through the chamber, Coerraine stabbed at the statue, but the holy aura of his spear blade seemed to flicker and disappear as he struck. The blow, which should have felled an ogre, skated harmlessly off of the crystal warriors swan-emblazoned shield.</p><p></p><p>"<em>Everx zaar!</em>" called Alaria. Two bolts of blue-violet energy streaked to the statue's back and blasted upon it. But when the impressive looking light dispersed, there was almost no visible damage.</p><p> </p><p>Haelan struck at the back of the statue's knee and though the blow was true, there was little more than a crack. Haelan almost lost his grip on the mace at the reverberations that shook up his arm. "What the...?" puzzled as the daelvar as he caught a swing of the crystal sword on his enchanted shield.</p><p></p><p>Festus' and Braddok's assaults similarly seemed to do little to damage the thing, but did take some minor chips off the statue's sparkling edges.</p><p></p><p>Festus jumped back after his strike. Alaria had not gotten used to seeing how effortlessly the satyr could move himself with a single good push off his goat haunches. The ranger landed a good fifteen feet away from the statue.</p><p></p><p>"Brrrr. What is that?! Like walking into a glacier at Midwinter." the ranger mentioned before again charging forth with his falchion and magic short sword flailing before him.</p><p> </p><p>"Maybe we are fighting an angel?" Fen posed, as he came up behind Alaria.</p><p></p><p>The warrior's next swing made contact with Festus, sending the satyr wheeling to the floor with a long bloody gash across his chest.</p><p></p><p>The statue's next swing was caught, again, on Coerraine's shield as the paladin attempted to move into a position between it and the satyr. The paladin struck out with his spear only to have it jarred to the side without damage.</p><p></p><p>"Here's what I think'a magic statues!" hollered Duor, who had slunk into a position behind the statue as Haelan ran over to the sorely wounded satyr.</p><p></p><p>The dwarf struck forward with impressive accuracy and the ethereal dagger sunk deeply into the statue's crystalline waist.</p><p></p><p>The whirling of the wounded supernatural warrior wrenched the dagger's handle from the dwarf's hand even as the crystal sword fell into the dwarf's shoulder with as much ease as the ethereal dagger had pierced the crystal.</p><p></p><p>The dwarf fell to the ground, bleeding from a deep wound to his shoulder. </p><p></p><p>Coerraine swiftly rounded the crystal knight to stand before the dwarf before the next attempted blow clanged loudly off the paladin's shield.</p><p></p><p>"Get back!" called Fen. But the warrior and Redstar Knight did not heed his warning. The druid was forced to wait to invoke his entangling spell...or think of something else.</p><p></p><p>Alaria, also, was at a lose with so many of their companions clustered around the statue.</p><p> </p><p>Braddok was now the recipient of their crystal foe's diamond-like blade. He shrugged off the pain of the fairly minor blow to his swordarm. But the cold was biting into him. His fingers, even gloved, felt like ice around his sword's pommel.</p><p></p><p>"Everyone, get back!" Alaria now shouted in her most commanding tone. 'We need a clear field!"</p><p></p><p>This caught most of the warriors attentions, though Haelan was still kneeling over the bloody satyr. The golden glow of his healing magics just fading from around his hands and the concerned looking halfling stood and helped to raise the sore, but no longer bleeding, ranger and back away from the statue.</p><p></p><p>Coerraine shoved the statue with his shield and succeeded in moving it a step or two away from Duor. He turned as Braddok grabbed the bleeding dwarf and half-dragged him toward the magess and druid.</p><p></p><p>"<em>Everx zaar!"</em> came Erevan's cry from the back of the chamber a moment before a shard of blue-green energy raced through the room and blasted on the side of the statue's helmed head. It seemed to do nothing to damage the enchanted object, but succeeded distracting it from the retreating heroes.</p><p></p><p>The statue began to move, with purpose, toward the elf.</p><p></p><p>Fen began castign before Alaria could form the words and a flash of green lightning streaked along the floor from where Fen had slammed down the butt of his spear. The green glow faded into the floor and a moment later the statue found itself swinging at ancient roots and very thick vines that crashed up through the stones beneath its feet.</p><p></p><p>"Now what?" called Erevan as he sent two more enchanted arrows into the crystal man.</p><p></p><p>The statue's translucent blade easily sliced through the whipping vines and roots, which continued to regrow and replace themselves in constant attempts to get a grip on the statue.</p><p><em></em></p><p><em>"Everx imberil rex!</em>" conjured Alaria and fanned her hands out at an angle that did not endanger any of her comrades. </p><p></p><p>Violet and red flames arced through the chamber and slammed into the statue. Several strands of vegetation caught ablaze and the figure writhed in silent futility as the flames clung to it.</p><p></p><p>There was much sizzling and hissing. Steam seemed to be pouring off of the statue. A moment after the magic fire struck it, it seemed to begin shrinking.</p><p></p><p>As the flames began to sputter and die down, it could be seen that the features of the statue were rounding...shrinking...the sword blade had all but disappeared down to the hilt, the shield was only half the size it had been originally. Then, to everyone's surprise, the crystal knight seemed to break in two, at the waist.</p><p></p><p>By the time the<em> burning hands</em> had entirely expended itself a single "foot" and "leg" stood on the ground with a large "lump" that had been its torso.</p><p></p><p>The rest of the "statue" was just a steaming puddle.</p><p></p><p>Erevan cautiously went over the the "remains" of their enchanted enemy. He reach out to touch the puddle and sniffed his fingers.</p><p></p><p>"Erevan don't!" Fen said with alarm.</p><p></p><p>He held his fingers up to the collected party. "It's only water." the elf said in obvious surprise.</p><p></p><p>"And tha's what happens when you get 'tween a dwarf n' his treasure." Duor said weakly. "Now...lil' healing here."</p><p></p><p>Receiving scowls from almost everyone in the party, the dwarf felt the need to amend.</p><p></p><p>"What?! Oh. t'uh. Fine...'a lil' healing here...<em>please'</em>?"</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5805914, member: 92511"] Alaria was able to circle about three-quarters of the mound before her magic sight faded. It seemed to her that the western side of the mound was noticably stronger in its aura than the east. With slow deliberate purpose, the Alaria, Fen, Erevan, Festus and Duor wandered around the base and slopes of the mound. While Coerraine, Braddok and Haelan kept a nervous watch, as best they could, on their surroundings. Buttercream had wandered off again as they'd lunched and startled the halfling with her return, crunching on a large muddy rat-looking thing. "We really must work on your manners, Miss 'BC'" Haelan said softly to the ferret, stroking her neck and sure not to go anywhere near the disgusting creature that disappeared with a few loud "crunches" into the ferret's throat. Buttercream just looked blankly at the daelvar and licked her muddied and bloodied chops. "Ah, here! What's this?" questioned Festus to the rest as he discovered, with a firm tap of his hoofed foot that caused him to trip, a small mound, hard lump in the ground. It was covered in moss and muck which Erevan cleared to reveal a triangular white stone sticking out of the ground near the western base of of the mound. With a bit of digging and pulling away of soft dirt, it became obvious the stone was the top of a thoroughly buried vertical stone, like the one they'd found at the other mound. On one side was carved the same strange elf-like writing. They had only revealed a few inches of the thing and the rest of the thoroughly ancient rock was still encased in the ground, but it was, most definitely the same writing. With the aid of the larger, stronger, men, they managed to clear away enough of the side with the writing to see about a foot. Alaria and Erevan had been having a hushed discussion before the magess returned to the stone and pulled out the small elvish spellbook form the dying sorcerer in Silver Falls. "Let us pray that this stone reveals something to us. We only have one shot at this until I can recopy the incantation from Erevan's tome." the wizard said as she flipped through the small book to the page she wanted. "[I]Imporkuel Ap Rehnizus"[/I] <[I]mage spell: Comprehend Languages[/I]> she read from the leatherbound booklet. As the words passed her lips, the writing on the page glowed and flared a moment before, by the time the whole spell had been read, the page disintegrated in a puff of bluish smoke and dust. Alaria bent down and peered at the stone. She had never used this particular spell of revelation before and raised her eyebrows in surprise to watch as, it appeared to her only, the chiseled lines of the writing of the stone began moving and swirling about on the rock face. The lettering repositioned, crisc-crossing and curving serpentine over themselves, into words she could understand. "'Here lies...If...thrak...Ifthrakuel...the Brave...Knight of Gorth...no...Gorathgraard <[I]DM's pronounciation note: "gor-ATH'-gray-ard"[/I]>...'" Alaria paused as the "writing" beneath the inscription changed, not into words, but a picture of a swan upon a shield. "...And?" Duor blurted when the magess did not say anything further. "How do we get in?" "That's all it says, Duor." Alaria said calmly, if somewhat defeated. "It does not say anything more." She placed her hand upon the top of the stone to move herself around to see if there were any discernable writing on the other sides of the stone. "What's that?!" Festus blurted as her hand had been upon the stone for a moment. Everyone, naturally, reeled about with weapons at the ready to gaze up the slope where the satyr pointed. They saw only a grassy muddy slope. "No...it was there. Do it again!" Festus said to Alaria. "Do what?" said the now standing magess, her staff in hand for some expected assault. "Whatever it was you just did...I saw something there...a flicker in the slope. It could have been a doorway..." Festus replied. Erevan and Fen went up to where Festus was indicating and gave the area a thorough once over, prodding and running their bow and spear along parts of the ground. Alaria bent down and touched the top of the white stone again. She left her hand there a moment and watched where the elf and half-elf, now joined by the satyr, were prying. Nothing seemed to happen. She released the stone and then went back to the side that had the writing. She placed her hand on the stone and repeated the epithet. The three sylvan adventurers took a step back in alarm as the grassy knoll beneath their feet did, in fact, seem to ripple for a moment and then went still. Alaria concentrated hard on the stone, now turning to her lessons in magic - How to focus her mind...How to maintain an effect...How to...Yes! She understood...or at least believed she did. "Erevan, here! Place your hand here and, when I'm ready, repeat what I said." Alaria instructed. The rest of the party had moved over to where the curious effect had occured while Erevan switched places with the magess. She placed the butt of her staff against the sloping ground. "Now!" she commaned as she called up the incantation of opening. Erevan began to again say the words from the stone, with his hand upon it. The ground did, again ripple and the grasses flickered into and out of view as Alaria spoke. "[I]Venta norx!" <mage spell: Knock[/I]> Alaria spoke loudly and tapped the end of her staff upon the hillside again. Suddenly, the grass and dirt faded from view to reveal a small, roughly foot foot square, indentation in the side of the mound. It was paved and wreathed in solid stone blocks with a single cross-bar supporting the top of the opening. The companions looked with surprise and awe at the magically revealed doorway. "Gotta give it to yeh, boss lady. That is well done." Duor smiled broadly. "Let's get us some elf...er...I mean, [I]Selurian[/I] gold." Alaria just smiled triumphantly at her companions and, with a thought, caused the top of her staff to flare with the electrical ball of flickering light. Haelan, with a soft-spoken invocation, set the pinecone-shaped head of his mace ablaze with his own yellowish glow. One-by-one, the Stormriders entered the barrow. The first chamber was tight and cramped, only twenty feet across and long, though thankfully the ceiling had risen to allow the human-folk to stand upright. Haelan jumped immediately at the site of large skeleton in one of the corners. A broken spear shaft and tattered loincloth seemed to be all that remained of the large thing. Duor examined the skeleton. The skull was most noticeably not human or elf, looking to everyone's guess like a lizardman. The line of bones that would have been the poor creature's tail confirmed that. "Well, not elves, it seems." Duor said happily, though lamented the remains did not hold anything of value. "Nor Selurians." Fen added. "But lizardmen do not employ enchantments like the ones masking this place." Erevan was sure. "At least none that I've ever heard of." "It could be the poor fellow just wandered in here and got trapped." Braddok posited. This cause Haelan to back toward the still open entrance and look nervously outside. Two simple pillars and a slab of stone across the top indicated a doorway that was simply filled with solid stone. Duor examined it thoroughly while Alaria continued to study and stare at the strange writings on the pillar. "What's it say?" asked Festus. "It doesn't make any sense...except...ah...wait..." Alaria jostled her way around the crouching dwarf to the other pillar and looked intently at those writings. "Yes...ok. This makes sense." she said more to herself than anyone else. "What makes sense?" Haelan questioned from the rear. "The writing goes from floor to ceiling..." her face following the light of her staff which she was moving up along the pillar. "No elf tongue, nor Old Selurian was written in such a fashion, that I recall." Erevan and Haelan each confirmed the wizard's supposition. "Alaria, what does it say?" Coerraine questioned after assuring himself, through his gifted vision, that there was no "evil" in the chamber or door that he could perceive. "This says, again, 'Here lies Ifthrakuel, the Third. Bravest Knight of our lord Gorathiel...may his light shine forever..." Alaria moved back to the left pillar and continued to read. "Slayer of trolls and giants...Defeat-er?...no...De[I]fender[/I] of the Shining Spire...Brought low by the...Dark?...Drake?...It's...it's waring off..." Alaria said in some panic and concentrated harder to maintain the enchantment. "...the Demon-Drake...Cursed be...herd?...no...[I]her[/I] darkness...Then there's something more here...but..." She ran the lit end of her staff along the thoroughly dust covered top-stone, "That's it..the magic has left me." Alaria frowned at the convaluted lettering behind the dust. There was mroe there...she knew it. "WELL, bully for If-thats-cool. Sounds like he'll have some nice blades and armor if nothing else." Duor said, distractedly to Braddok, who stood at his side. "Not finding any traps along here. Looks like all we need to do is push." he turned the companions. "Ok, Pally? Braddok? Get to shovin'." the dwarf rubbed his hands together. With a disapproving gaze from both of the men, the warriors did as "bidden." Several heaves later revealed just enough of a space to one side for the companions to barely squeeze through. Erevan noted the distinctly dry dusty odor of the cool air beyond the slab. Duor and the broadly shouldered warriors needed a bit of help, pulling from one side and pushing from the other, but they made it. This chamber was much larger, maybe forty feet across and almost twice as long. This confused Duor and Erevan who both noted that the mound, itself, only extended about sixty feet. The stone encased chamber was almost entirely bare of furnishings or obstruction other than an eight by four foot sarcophagus in the middle. The walls, similarly, were flat but adorned with grandiose paintings that were remarkably preserved in the dry, sealed chamber. They portrayed scenes of huge battles. Brightly armored knights, rays of light shining off of them, with shields, spears and swords and winged helmets did battle with trolls and snake-like dragons and winged demon-looking things. The largest of the armored warriors seemed to have great white wings coming from his back and floated above the other warriors. Another scene showed a handsome armored figure in a serene looking glade with a similarly beautiful white gowned maiden having a picnic. A great white stag stood at the edge of the trees and white, elaborately plumed birds and snowy white squirrels filled the tree branches. Fen examined these closely and was particularly curious about the portrayal of the birds, which did not match any variety with which he was familiar. Duor was "casing" the sarcophagus. He carefully ran his hands over the stone carvings around the sides, shaped like pillars and trees with other images of a sword-wielding knight with a shield on which was a raised swan. He occasionally tapped at this or that part of the sculptures with a slender "wand" like pick. Coerraine stood close by. "Wheeeeew." whistled Haelan from the far end of the chamber. "Look at this!" the daelvar called to Braddok who had been staying near Alaria as she and Erevan perused one of scenes on the walls. From the pale glow of the halfling's mace, an object set in a shallow alcove a couple of feet off the floor of the chamber, glittered and sparkled. "Hot dang!" Duor said and quickly left his examinations only to slump his shoulders in defeat when he arrived at the Hilltender's side. "Well, t'ain't diamond...still might fetch a price if we could get it outta here." the dwarf murmured under his beard. "Nice craftsmanship, I'll give 'em that." The other companions moved closer to see the five feet tall crystal carving of a humanoid male. "His" face showed no emotion, staring out in endless vigil over of the chamber. He was armored in rounded scales with a shield at his feet (again with a swan carved upon it) and sword in hand. Cascading off the top and down the sides of the figure were what appeared to be feathers that fell to its feet. "Do you think he's an angel?" Haelan said to anyone in general. "Perhaps all of them are angels?" Coerraine supposed, noting the winged figures in the paintings. "Perhaps this 'White Swan Prince' was some sort of immortal of the higher planes." "I was dead and the only wings I saw were on a black sphinx." Braddok mentioned...feeling the need to contribute to the conversation. "But, seeing as there is no 'treasure' for us to claim here...and it does seem to be a burial chamber for a noble warrior, I say we leave it in peace." "Aw c'mon, Braddok. Yeh don't want to see what kind of enchanted sword this guy used? Might be a good'n." the dwarf coaxed. "'Sides, it's obviously all of the loot is in the sarcophagus. Help me open it." "He does seem to have been quite the champion." Festus added taking in the sparkling crystal statue. After some assistance from Festus and Braddok and, reluctantly, Coerraine, Duor slumped to the ground huffing and puffing. The top simply would not budge. "Hey, Alaria, got another of that opening spell?" the dwarf asked plainly. "I'm afraid not, Duor." she responded absently, still examining the statue and wall paintings. "Nor," she added after the request had really sunk in, "would I use it to desecrate a hero's tomb." "That's all I was waiting to hear." Coerraine said. "That will be enough, Duor. We should leave this place in peace." The dwarf had gone back to examining the carvings around the base of the large stone box. "S'gotta be around here somewhere...AHA!" the dwarf burst triumphantly. With a flick of his iron pick, Duor caught an edge in an outstretched arm with a sword pointed at a dragon-looking thing. The whole arm and sword moved, with difficulty, to swing down a few degrees. With a loud "hsssss", displacing dust in all directions, the top of the sarcophagus lifted an inch or so and rotated a few degrees to the side. "HA! Let's hear it for the dwarf!" Duor preened as he jumped up from the floor and shoved passed Braddok to get to the narrow opening. His celebratory exclamations overshadowing the grating of more stone behind them. "Wait! NO! The door!" Erevan yelled. He and Fen raced to the stone slab through which they'd entered as it slid, the feet or so it need to reseal with a dull thud. Braddok and Coerraine now raced for the slab also. The for males heaved to no avail on their only point of egress. "Ohhhh goat-patties." muttered Festus. "Yeah, let's hear it for the dwarf, indeed!" hollered Braddok over his shoulder as he and the other men continued to try to move the entry slab. "ALARIA, behind you!" yelled Haelan next. Everyone, including Alaria, turned in alarm to see the crystaline statue move and loosen itself from the crystals forming the winged alcove in which he stood. Every jerky motion made a multitude of "tinkling" sounds, like icicles falling or the tears of a crystal chandelier all clinking together at once. Alaria had back far enough away to avoid the slashing swing of the statue's crystal sword blade. "Duor, I swear by Manat, if we get out of here..." the magess' angry words trailed off as she raced back to put the sarcophagus (and the dwarf) between herself and the crystalline guardian. "Swear all yeh like, magess. I prefer it in fact." said the dwarf as the green smoky glow of his ethereal dagger whipped out of its sheathe. "But crystal knight or no, I'm havin' this treasure! "Nobody gets between a dwarf an' his loot!" Duor shouted in challenge to the statue. The dwarf easily avoided an overhead swing from the crystal knight, tumbling to the side and regaining his feet in a single smooth motion. Duor's bushy eyebrows rose high on his head when he noticed the crystal blade had not shattered against the stone floor, as he had hoped. but instead left a foot long gash in the rock. "Eh...'cept his personal paladin of course. Get over here Goldilocks! Might need a bit o' protectin' right about now!" Duor amended as he dove and rolled away from another sword swipe. Again, the sword blade dug into the stone of the floor. Duor also noticed an eerie chill emanating from his facetted foe. "It's awfully cold!" he called as a general statement to his comrades' benefit. The Redstar Knight was already racing for the dwarf's position, shield in hand and invoking a "smite" from his Lord and God. The young paladin, also, noted the chill of the air surrounding the statue. It bit at him, even through his armor. "Haelan, the statue is obviously enchanted, we could use..." Alaria began to say. "On it!" answered the Hilltender briefly before beginning to invoke his Hill Mother. [I] "Deisa Faerantha, dicteus beneficia spiritos y tiem paras![/I]" As he charged forth, Haelan did not notice the lack of the [I]Blessing[/I] invocation's normal honey-colored glow. Alaria, however, did notice. She turned to look at Erevan and Braddok. The elf let fly with an arrow from his enchanted quiver. The bolt did strike the statue in the upper arm and stuck. His second bolt missed by a hair to shatter against the stone wall. But the bow was not glowing. Neither was Braddok's sword. "Haelan, something's not right..." Alaria called even as she called to mind the verse for the spell of energy shards. With a battle-cry echoing through the chamber, Coerraine stabbed at the statue, but the holy aura of his spear blade seemed to flicker and disappear as he struck. The blow, which should have felled an ogre, skated harmlessly off of the crystal warriors swan-emblazoned shield. "[I]Everx zaar![/I]" called Alaria. Two bolts of blue-violet energy streaked to the statue's back and blasted upon it. But when the impressive looking light dispersed, there was almost no visible damage. Haelan struck at the back of the statue's knee and though the blow was true, there was little more than a crack. Haelan almost lost his grip on the mace at the reverberations that shook up his arm. "What the...?" puzzled as the daelvar as he caught a swing of the crystal sword on his enchanted shield. Festus' and Braddok's assaults similarly seemed to do little to damage the thing, but did take some minor chips off the statue's sparkling edges. Festus jumped back after his strike. Alaria had not gotten used to seeing how effortlessly the satyr could move himself with a single good push off his goat haunches. The ranger landed a good fifteen feet away from the statue. "Brrrr. What is that?! Like walking into a glacier at Midwinter." the ranger mentioned before again charging forth with his falchion and magic short sword flailing before him. "Maybe we are fighting an angel?" Fen posed, as he came up behind Alaria. The warrior's next swing made contact with Festus, sending the satyr wheeling to the floor with a long bloody gash across his chest. The statue's next swing was caught, again, on Coerraine's shield as the paladin attempted to move into a position between it and the satyr. The paladin struck out with his spear only to have it jarred to the side without damage. "Here's what I think'a magic statues!" hollered Duor, who had slunk into a position behind the statue as Haelan ran over to the sorely wounded satyr. The dwarf struck forward with impressive accuracy and the ethereal dagger sunk deeply into the statue's crystalline waist. The whirling of the wounded supernatural warrior wrenched the dagger's handle from the dwarf's hand even as the crystal sword fell into the dwarf's shoulder with as much ease as the ethereal dagger had pierced the crystal. The dwarf fell to the ground, bleeding from a deep wound to his shoulder. Coerraine swiftly rounded the crystal knight to stand before the dwarf before the next attempted blow clanged loudly off the paladin's shield. "Get back!" called Fen. But the warrior and Redstar Knight did not heed his warning. The druid was forced to wait to invoke his entangling spell...or think of something else. Alaria, also, was at a lose with so many of their companions clustered around the statue. Braddok was now the recipient of their crystal foe's diamond-like blade. He shrugged off the pain of the fairly minor blow to his swordarm. But the cold was biting into him. His fingers, even gloved, felt like ice around his sword's pommel. "Everyone, get back!" Alaria now shouted in her most commanding tone. 'We need a clear field!" This caught most of the warriors attentions, though Haelan was still kneeling over the bloody satyr. The golden glow of his healing magics just fading from around his hands and the concerned looking halfling stood and helped to raise the sore, but no longer bleeding, ranger and back away from the statue. Coerraine shoved the statue with his shield and succeeded in moving it a step or two away from Duor. He turned as Braddok grabbed the bleeding dwarf and half-dragged him toward the magess and druid. "[I]Everx zaar!"[/I] came Erevan's cry from the back of the chamber a moment before a shard of blue-green energy raced through the room and blasted on the side of the statue's helmed head. It seemed to do nothing to damage the enchanted object, but succeeded distracting it from the retreating heroes. The statue began to move, with purpose, toward the elf. Fen began castign before Alaria could form the words and a flash of green lightning streaked along the floor from where Fen had slammed down the butt of his spear. The green glow faded into the floor and a moment later the statue found itself swinging at ancient roots and very thick vines that crashed up through the stones beneath its feet. "Now what?" called Erevan as he sent two more enchanted arrows into the crystal man. The statue's translucent blade easily sliced through the whipping vines and roots, which continued to regrow and replace themselves in constant attempts to get a grip on the statue. [I] "Everx imberil rex![/I]" conjured Alaria and fanned her hands out at an angle that did not endanger any of her comrades. Violet and red flames arced through the chamber and slammed into the statue. Several strands of vegetation caught ablaze and the figure writhed in silent futility as the flames clung to it. There was much sizzling and hissing. Steam seemed to be pouring off of the statue. A moment after the magic fire struck it, it seemed to begin shrinking. As the flames began to sputter and die down, it could be seen that the features of the statue were rounding...shrinking...the sword blade had all but disappeared down to the hilt, the shield was only half the size it had been originally. Then, to everyone's surprise, the crystal knight seemed to break in two, at the waist. By the time the[I] burning hands[/I] had entirely expended itself a single "foot" and "leg" stood on the ground with a large "lump" that had been its torso. The rest of the "statue" was just a steaming puddle. Erevan cautiously went over the the "remains" of their enchanted enemy. He reach out to touch the puddle and sniffed his fingers. "Erevan don't!" Fen said with alarm. He held his fingers up to the collected party. "It's only water." the elf said in obvious surprise. "And tha's what happens when you get 'tween a dwarf n' his treasure." Duor said weakly. "Now...lil' healing here." Receiving scowls from almost everyone in the party, the dwarf felt the need to amend. "What?! Oh. t'uh. Fine...'a lil' healing here...[I]please'[/I]?" [/QUOTE]
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