Chapter Three, Page 1
The crossbow clatters against the stone of the statue, as the eyeball creature wriggles from Gregor's fingers and ducks behind.
OOC - Kenneth attacks Strangler, +3: rolled 8, miss.
"Oh, come on!" Kenneth yells exasperatedly.
As Azten readies his hand for any of his companions that might fall, Owen wrenches himself up from the stone floor and kicks the sleeping giant awake.
"This thing is really starting to get on my nerves!" he says as he takes his place by the dwarf's side and draws his daggers.
Alexi fires her crossbow and smiles as the bolt lodges itself in one great, bulbous eye of the creature. It freezes in place for a moment before its strands of striated muscle curl around an arm of the statue as it attempts to remain aloft. Somehow, as Majakilar thrusts with his guisarme, it still manages to dodge out of the way of the steel hook.
Kenneth, shifting from side to side for an opening, drops in another bolt into his crossbow, lamenting the waste. In frustration, he aims for its still unharmed eye and pulls the trigger.
"All right!" the gnome yells, waving his crossbow in the air, as the bolt penetrates the creature's second eye and it falls down the front of the statue.
Thanee
“Woohoo! A masterful shot, Kenneth!”
Alexi moves over to where Gregor is lying and wakes him.
“Come one, wake up. Night's over. We need your strength here.”
Then she looks to her companions once more.
“So, what was this weird creature then? Any idea?”
Voadam
Gregor shakes his head again as the magical sleep is once again broken then smiles sheepishly at Alexi "Wha? Oh, right. Everybody's OK? What do we need and how can I help?" The big youth looks around and spies the metal flange he's been using as a makeshift mace and gathers it up from where it fell from his hand when he was overcome by the floating eye's magic.
Mista Collins
Sheathing the daggers Owen had ready, he looks at the dead creature with an inquisitive eye.
"I have no idea what that thing is! Any suggestions?"
Chapter Three, Page 2
Kenneth pats down his vest, smoothing out the wrinkles and wiping off the dust, after loading his crossbow in prepartation for any other strange creatures that might be lurking behind ancient statues. He peers at the sinewy creature as it leaks yellowish fluid from both of its eyes onto the stone floor.
"It might be an ocular demon of some sort," suggests Kenneth, "Or maybe some undead monstrosity that ripped itself out from an energy-drained corpse. I've heard all sorts of tales like that. But there's no way of telling what this one actually is, of course."
Mista Collins
"Well at least it isn't moving anymore and Gregor isn't taking unnecessary naps." Owen says with a smile. "Now let's finish seeing where this passage leads before we were so heartlessly interrupted."
Thanee
“For all we know, it could have been the sandma,” Alexi remarks with a smirk.
“The passage! Yes, let's find out where it brings us!”
Voadam
Gregor shakes his head again, a little disoriented and takes stock of where the group is.
Azten
Poking the now still creature with his hammer, Azten remarks Of all the strange creatures I have seen, that has to be about the oddest. We should be on the watch for others.
Azten does his best to memorize details of the creature before moving to catch up with the rest of the group.
If there is any indecision, Azten suggests that it doesn't matter which passage the group follows, so long as someone looks down the other way briefly to check it out. He'll do it if no one else seems interested.
Voadam
Gregor waits for someone to say they will keep their eye out for other such creatures but refrains from making the pun himself.
The group turns their attention to the large, chill chamber with the dull gray stone pillar reaching from floor to ceiling. The dark brown fungal growth emitting the intense cold covers the right archway into another chamber, and the left archway seems clear of any growths.
Kenneth hefts his crossbow in hand, shifting from one bare foot to another.
"Well, come on," says Kenneth, gesturing down the hall. "Although this time I don't think Gregor and Azten should go wandering off without the rest of us."
After a few moments, with quick, nervous glances at the eyeball aberrration curled up on the floor, Azten suggests they take a brief glance down the left hall. As a whole, with weapons readied, they enter the large chamber and Azten glances around the left side of the central pillar.
The central pillar's face bears a deep recession that extends from floor to ceiling, and within the recession a massive stone column seems to rest at an awkward angle, it's bottom edges are cracked and the stones beneath buckle, as if suffering a tremendous impact in ages past. Peeking out from underneath the column lies an old leather sack.
Voadam
Gregor pokes the sack to see if there is anything inside it.
Azten
As Gregor pokes the sack, Azten tries his best to throw his voice so it sounds like the sack says 'Ow!'.
OOC: having no skill whatsoever in ventriliquism...
Mista Collins
With two daggers drawn, Owen is keeping an eye out for anymore trouble as his companion pokes the sack.
silentspace
"Looks like another trap was here, maybe another explorer is crushed under it."
Majakilar peers up towards the ceiling, to see if maybe the column had fallen from above.
Gregor gently prods the leather sack with one giant finger of his gauntled hand. He withdraws quickly as the sack crumbles to dust at his touch. Amidst the decaying fragments are three statuettes in surprisingly excellent condition--a grand palace, a slim spire with eight connected smaller towers of different heights, and what looks like a grand stadium. The rest of the now-ruined leather sack remains beneath the slanted column.
Kenneth ogles over the precious statuettes as Gregor sifts through them, the gnome's childlike hands reaching out spasmodically, trying to contain his excitement. As Owen, Alexi, and Azten stand guard, Majakilar looks up into the dark recesses of the central pillar at the very edges of the torchlight. He can barely make out a circular hole in the ceiling, directly above.
OOC - Any skill checks or other actions? Oh, and by the way, does anyone remember who was carrying the torch?
Azten
Once the possibility of a previously triggered trap is voiced, Azten realizes that despite his moment of happy silliness at having eliminated the eye-thingy, they are still in the middle of a strange tomb, and there may be more dangerous traps and creatures waiting patiently to kill them. Or not so patiently...
OOC: Azten peers around at and investigates the surrounding walls and pillar to see if he can detect an further stone traps. Search +2, +4 if stone is involved.
Torch? Pah. I don' need no stinkin' torch...
"I can't imagine carving anything with details so small. I wonder if the bald people made them. Anyone want to check them out before I put them away? I think you are right Majakilar, we should watch out for big things falling from above, the builders of the cairn seem to have placed several drop traps."
"Anyone want to check them out before I put them away?" asks Gregor.
"Sure! yells Kenneth. "I thought you'd never ask!
Eagerly, he holds out his hands for the statuettes, examining them one at a time in his undersized hands.
"These buildings are ancient beyond compare," he says in awe. "I recognize them, but only from legends and myths, many thousands of years ago, long before the rise of human civilization. They were built by elemental lords of air who ruled before the birth of the living races, or so the legends go. The legends also say that a giant spider destroyed their empire. So, who knows what to believe?"
OOC - Bardic knowledge check +4: rolled 16. Knowledge (arcana) check +7: rolled 8. Knowledge (history) check +7: rolled 18.
Kenneth reluctantly hands the statuettes back to the giant to place in a pack.
Azten
At the mention of finely carved statuettes, Azten once again finds his attention drawn away from self-preservation towards curiosity over Gregor's find. He begins to make his way to Gregor's side to get a view of the carvings.
Fascinating! Can I ... ?
But, mid-question, he realizes that it is probably more important for him to keep looking for further stonework traps than satisfying his curiosity over the statuettes.
Somewhat wistfully, he turns back to what he was doing before.
Azten listens fascinated to Kenneth's recitation of what he can discern of the statuettes history. Wow. I'd love to see them, but later.
An examination of the wall bordering the niche with the fallen pillar would have revealed nothing, except for Azten's keen senses regarding the stone manufacture of the intricate trap. His hand brushes against an awkward portion of stone, revealing a hidden catch. It has not been moved in several years, but Azten can tell it is in an "unlocked" position, and moves easily within its barely discernable alcove.
OOC - Azten's Search check +4: rolled 16, success.
Mista Collins
Once Kenneth is done lecturing about the statuettes and hands them back to Gregor, Owen looks to the giant. "Can I take a look at them real quick?"
Owen examines the craftsmanship of each item and tries to evaluate how much each one might be able to fetch in the market.
OOC - Appraisal +3
Owen turns the statuettes over in his hands, admiring the intricate detailing of the buildings. In coins alone, each is worth 200 gold. What they might be worth to a collector, he has no idea.
OOC - Owen's Appraisal check +3: rolled 17.
Azten
Azten carefully, almost lovingly, traces his hand across the stonework around the fallen pillar of stone. He applies decades of learning the stonecrafts to the search, and finally discovers what he had suspected was there all along.
We need to proceed cautiously - I think I found the trigger latch for the trap, and it was very well hidden. I cannot say when it went off, but it was a long time ago.
I really need to get word back home for the engineers to come study these mechanisms. These ancients, whoever they may be, obviously have an advanced understanding of large scale stonework.
Mista Collins
"Be very careful carry these statuettes Gregor, these might help get us out of Diamond Lake alone. The only problem is finding a collector or someone who can afford them." Owen hands them back over to Gregor.
Turning to Azten and his suggestion of moving forward with caution, Owen suggests a plan of action. "Since you have the ability to detect variances in stone work, and I have an eye for traps, maybe we should take the lead. Searching together we probably have a better chance at making sure the path is safe."
silentspace
Majakilar looks on with interest, happy to have finally figured something out in these dungeons, even if it was sort of obvious. "So... what's a trigger latch? What does that mean?"
Thanee
“What a marvellous work,” Alexi says in admiration upon seeing the statuettes. “Too bad the rest has been smashed. Maybe we should wrap them up in a blanket to keep them secure.”
Azten
Trigger latch? It is the part that kept the trap from being sprung until someone was in position to be crushed. Then, in a softer voice after a moment's quiet contemplation: I wonder what the bait was?
Voadam
Gregor smiles "Good idea Alexi." Gregor then proceeds to wrap them up if anyone volunteers a blanket before putting them away.
Thanee
“I got one with me, you can use that,” Alexi offers.
As Owen and Azten take a last cursory glance at the stonework of the central pillar and Alexi offers a blanket to Gregor for the items, Kenneth turns to stare at the chamber behind them.
He nudges Majakilar in the side and points into the room. "Would you take a look at that," he says.
The wide chamber must once have been the living quarters of an important figure. A large stone slab that suggests the shape of a bed rests against the far wall, under a huge bas-relief of a robust, long-nosed bald humanoid figure with outstretched hands. The figure wears a lovingly sculpted wind-tossed robe that gives him the appearance of a triumphant god. A glyph that looks like a stylized arrow marks an amulet worn around the figure's neck. Wardrobes and dressers seemingly carved from the stone walls look to have been ransacked a long time ago.
Kenneth cocked his head as he studied the glyph inscribed on the amulet, shaking his head in silence after a few moments.
OOC - Any more actions to take at the central pillar? Do you want to enter the chamber or continue circling the pillar?
Azten
Since his examination is taking him a bit further around the pillar anyway, Azten looks to see if the brown growth covers this side of the opening as well before heading back to the rest of the group.
Voadam
Gregor scowls a little at the bas relief, the bald people just rub him the wrong way.
silentspace
As Kenneth nudges him, Majakilar says "You know, for some reason I thought this was a tomb, but maybe not? Anyway, what do you think that stone bed-thing is? An altar? Is this a temple? A temple to that bald one?"
Azten continues around the central column, noticing the cooling temperature as he does so. The brown growth only extends into the chamber on the opposite side of the rest of the group and does not infest any other sides of the stone pillar.
A dry fountain along the face of the central pillar features a low basin and a wall spigot about eight feet high, looking something like a shower. A narrow wooden door is embedded in the stone wall facing the fountain.
Azten
Azten takes one more moment to determine if the brown growth includes or surrounds the wooden door (preventing possible entry later), then heads back to the group to make sure they are all ok.
Despite the chill, the brown growth seems restricted to the single archway, not hindering any movement to or through the wooden door. The growth has completely enveloped the one side of the central pillar, as well as encases the archway and the stone floor leading to it.
Voadam
As Kenneth nudges him, Majakilar says "You know, for some reason I thought this was a tomb, but maybe not? Anyway, what do you think that stone bed-thing is? An altar? Is this a temple? A temple to that bald one?"
"An altar big enough for a sacrifice. Are there cutting marks on it? Or it could just be a hard bed with a picture over it. I don't know." Gregor shrugs.
silentspace
"Right, come to think of it, I'm not sure why I thought this was a tomb- it hasn't been very tomb-like, has it? It's pretty mysterious though... what was this place?"
Thanee
“The area above with the corridors looked pretty tomblike.”
Azten
Azten catches up to the group and looks around the room, joining the thread of conversation.
Eh? There is nothing odd about a stone bedroom - very like my family's chambers.
Hmm.
Moving closer to the bed and the bas-relief figure, Azten absently waves his hand towards the figure on the wall.
See the amulet? I would bet that is the same arrow symbol that we saw earlier on the sarcophagus. Probably the symbol of the order to which the honored dead belonged. Maybe this is the tomb caretaker's room.
OOC: Err, it is the same symbol, is it not?
This complex may have been temple as well as tomb... those statues looked like worshippers to me. But what/who? and why?
OOC: <Cue swelling of dramatic music>
Majakilar chuckles at Alexi's comment. "You're right, there was that sarcophagus above. That's why I thought this was a tomb!" Majakilar moves forward and examines the altar / sacrificial table.
Azten and Majakilar approach the stone slab against the wall and notice a thin bed of whirling air resting atop it. Kenneth follows behind, glancing around the empty room, as Owen, Gregor, and Alexi remain behind in the central chamber.
Upon getting closer to the bas-relief, bald figure, Azten notices that the glyph, although similar and obviously from the same alphabet, is different from the one on the sarcophagus they had seen above. As the dwarf examines the stonework of the sculpture, he does not notice the gnome grasp the edge of the stone slab and lift himself over the top.
"Hey, guys! he says, floating above the stone slab, suspended by the circulating air. "This is fun!"
The gnome leans back into the wind, not touching the stone itself, and abruptly yawns. He wriggles in the air currents, trying to get comfortable, and yawns again.
"I didn't realize I was so tired," he says drowsily with eyes half-closed.
OOC - Kenneth's Will save, -2 against DC 20: automatic failure. Kenneth fatigued.
Azten
With Kenneth suddenly acting so sleepy, Azten quickly scans the room looking for any more of the floaty eye creatures.
Not seeing any of them, he suppresses a shiver. Then giving Gregor a sideways glance he pulls out his small hammer/holy symbol and prepares to give Kenneth Moradin's blessing...
Great. Now the short folk are trying to take inappropriate naps too.
<sigh>
By The Allfather's holy hammer, wake up! <smack> No sleeping on the job! <poke> <poke>
“That fountain looks like a great place to take a bath, too bad there is no water.”
Alexi has appeared behind the others in the meantime.
“You sleep on stone? Just stone? Isn't that... I don't know... like... cold? Small wonder your people grow such long beards... to keep you warm, I reckon.”
With a chuckle Alexi moves around the small group, her eyes immediately fixed on the sleepy gnome.
“Whoa! Do you see this? How are you doing that, Kenneth? You are flying! ... Kenneth!?”
Voadam
Gregor comes over "More sleep magic?" If Atzen is not able to rouse the gnome Gregor will pull the gnome off his stone airbed.
silentspace
Majakilar looks around apprehensively, weapon in hand, wondering if there was another ambush coming with this new round of sleep magic.
"Gregor's got the right of it, I think. Some sort of sacrifice altar, that puts the victim to sleep first, looks like? The air magic is so the blood drains away neatly? Maybe they kill them here and entomb them elsewhere in these crypts... This place is really strange and alien. Maybe the statues are of ancient gods long forgotten. Azten, can you tell how old the stonework is?"
"Hey!" cries Kenneth, holding up an arm to ward off Azten's blows with his holy symbol. "Fine, I'll get up."
Kenneth awkwardly lowers himself from his levitating position atop the stone bed as the others show their concern. He stretches his arms, as if from a long rest and eyes Majakilar curiously.
"Sacraficial altar? Blood drain?" he says, glancing back at the stone slab. "I don't think so. The cushion of air was just... surprisingly refreshing. No sleep spell, but if you really needed a rest and you just can't fall asleep, I imagine this is the place to do it."
OOC - Knowledge (arcana) check, +7: rolled 26, success.
Kenneth looks longingly at the stone bed again, and shrugs. "Wish I had one of those at the Emporium."
Thanee
“The people who lived here seem to have had quite a luxurous life. But let's not waste time, there is so much more to discover! Where to now? Did you see any doors?”
Alexi looks around for any doors or corridors, which might lead to other areas of this huge underground dwelling.
