Endur's Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil

[Endur]

What the party sees at the bottom of the cavern...

On what appears to be the true bottom of the collossal cavern, the stone is worked and smooth. Two symbols are carved into the floor on the western side of the cave: A two-tiered inverted ziggurat, black in color, and a flaming sun, also jet black. Rising from the middle of the cave, a pillar supports the black and violet mass of the enormous obelisk on whose surface you recently stood. On the other side of the cave, water spilling from above collects into a pool.

The black inverted ziggurat and black flaming sun symbols engraved on the floor of the cavern almost seems like protective circles, except strange. The black sun in particular seems an evil perversion of the otherwise good solar sign of light and life.

Impossible though it seems, the huge obelisk comes to a very narrow point that is balanced atop this 30 foot high stone pillar. The pillar has been carved from the rock itself and appears to be quite solid. Iron rungs, mostly free of corrosion, have been hammered into it, allowing anyone to climb to the point where pillar meets obelisk.

An archway is carved out of the stone cavern in such a way that it seems to be nothing but a curved mass of writhing tentacles and serpents. Beyond the opening is a smooth black wall.

The water that pours down from above, spattering across the top of the obelisk, finally collects in a pool at the bottom of the cavern. About 10 feet across and perhaps 2 inches deep, it fills an imperfection in the floor's otherwise smooth surface. The water runs in a rivulet across the floor through a large crack in the cave wall, disappearing into the earth.

 

[Thanee]

Lenya

“Interesting. Do you think this archway provides some means of passage? Well, I suppose not, otherwise the cultists would have used it.”

 

[Endur]

When Lylamwyn either sees the archway or hears the others describe it, he speculates that it might be a magical gate to somewhere else. Perhaps its activated just by attempting to step through the darkness, or maybe there is a command word to activate it.

 

[Xael]

Lylamwyn scratches his head while looking at the archway and turns to Kerwyn. "Perhaps you could ask your new friend if he knows anything about this archway. And perhaps we're better off taking him to Hommlet than the lizard. He might actually answer our questions willingly, if he's as nice guy as you said.", he says to Kerwyn, being careful that the cultist doesn't hear him.

"But this is something big., he continues and stares at the supposed portal again. "But either way, even if this is a portal, we shouldn't be going through here now. We have to go clean rest of the moathouse and report back to Hommlet."

OOC: Lylamwyn would want somebody else to stay up on guard duty while he goes to take a look at the archway.

 

[Pyrex]

Raner Bluestone, -11hp (of 40)

Raner remains at the top of the shaft, making sure the party isn't cut off from the only way out of the cavern.

After hearing the description of the room below he remarks "They must've gone through the archway, else we'd've found 'em by now."

 

[Thanee]

Lenya

“You do not seriously consider stepping through this... portal, or whatever it is!? Let's go back to Hommlet, we have seen enough. Maybe Kerwyn could ask the guy, if anyone has gone through this archway.”

 

[Seonaid]

Toriah inspects the area as the others talk, careful to avoid touching or crossing anything that looks like it shouldn't be touched or crossed. If nothing interesting catches his eye, he will climb the rungs to the top of the pillar.

 

[Dalamar]

Kerwyn walks over to the praying cultist. If he looks like he's praying for his spells, the thief'll wait for him to finish before speaking.
"Hey, Mr... Oh, I forgot to ask your name. I'm Kerwyn, nice to meet you," he says, extending his hand for a sake. "What's the big doorway for? Is that the way that the Herald is going to come to this world?"

 

[Endur]

When Toriah climbs to the top of the rungs, he can see where the pinpoint tip of the obelisk rests on the top of the stone column. The tip of the obelisk is so narrow that Toriah could grasp it in his hand.

(OOC: Kerwyn does not have a clue how the cultist might be praying for spells.)

The cultist responds to Kerwyn.

"Young acolyte, I am Master Festrath. Please feel free to bow before addressing me.

"The gate is relatively simple to activate. It opens when you touch the black wall. I do not know where the Champion can be found, so I do not know whether the Prophesied Champion of Elemental Evil will pass through the gate."

 

[Seonaid]

Toriah places his hands near the obelisk, but does not touch it, trying to feel its evil. If nothing exciting happens, he then climbs down and joins the others.