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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7088657" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 23</p><p></p><p>“No magic stone,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>“No, but it’s a good thing we were careful,” Glori said. She reached into the chest and took out several small vials that held liquid contents in a variety of colors and consistencies.</p><p></p><p>“Magic potions?” Bredan asked.</p><p></p><p>“Most likely,” Quellan said. He had taken another item from the chest, a tightly-wound scroll sealed with a blob of plain wax. He broke the seal and carefully unwound it to reveal neat lines of writing.</p><p></p><p>“What is it?” Glori asked, looking over his shoulder.</p><p></p><p>“I believe it is a spell scroll,” the cleric said. “Arcane, I think.”</p><p></p><p>Glori took a closer look. “Oh, the <em>tiny hut!</em> I know that spell. I saw my master use it a few times. It allows the caster to create a bubble of space that is protected from the elements and intruders,” she explained to Bredan.</p><p></p><p>“I thought you said you didn’t have any magical talent,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>“I don’t,” Glori insisted. “I couldn’t actually <em>cast</em> this, but I can read the description, obviously…”</p><p></p><p>“That’s more than I can do,” Quellan admitted. He held it up to the others, who both looked at it and nodded in confirmation. Glori’s expression became troubled, but she was distracted when Bredan turned back to the chest and reached inside. “Hey, what’s this?” he asked.</p><p></p><p>The object he took out of the chest looked like a dagger at first glance, but it was of very unusual manufacture. The hilt was made of two pieces of curved bronze that surrounded a core of pale green mineral. That “blade” extended out for about six inches beyond the handle, but while it was approximately shaped like a real weapon it ended in a snub notch rather than a point, and the sides were blunt rather than edged.</p><p></p><p>“It’s jade,” Quellan said. He handed the scroll to Glori and gave the odd dagger a closer look. “Some believe that the mineral can help to preserve the soul after death, and that it can add vitality in the later years of life. It’s used in burial rituals in a number of cultures for that reason.”</p><p></p><p>“Valuable, then?” Bredan asked.</p><p></p><p>“Indeed,” Kosk said. He’d been giving the dagger a lingering look, but when the others glanced at him he turned decisively and walked away. “Those Barat cultists wouldn’t have locked it up in there if it wasn’t important somehow. Pack it up and let’s keep moving before something else finds us.”</p><p></p><p>Glori had rolled up the scroll and placed it—reluctantly—in her pouch. “What about the potions?” she asked.</p><p></p><p>“Quellan can tell you what they are,” Kosk said. “He took a course at the monastery.”</p><p></p><p>“Really?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>The half-orc couldn’t blush, but he did manage to look a bit embarrassed. “Magical potions tend to have standard formulae that present distinctive features of odor, texture, and taste,” he said. “And even if that doesn’t work you can usually get a pretty good idea of the effect by tasting a drop.”</p><p></p><p>“‘less it’s poison, though I reckon you get a pretty good idea from that drop then too,” Kosk pointed out.</p><p></p><p>“Can you teach me?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>Before Quellan could respond Kosk said, “This isn’t a bloody seminar at the bloody monastery.”</p><p></p><p>“Maybe we’d better get out of here first,” Bredan added.</p><p></p><p>“Well, maybe one of those potions might end up saving our lives,” Glori returned.</p><p></p><p>“It’ll just take a moment,” Quellan said, carefully unscrewing the plug on one of the vials. In his hands the vial looked tiny and fragile, but he handled it deftly and quickly sniffed at it and swirled it before tipping a single drop onto the nail of his little finger and touching it to his tongue.</p><p></p><p>“Healing,” he said. He handed the potion to Kosk to replace the one he’d used. The other two he identified as <em>heroism</em> and <em>lightning resistance</em>, which he passed on to Bredan and Glori respectively. The bard kept looking at hers, holding the vial up to the torch so that the pale amber liquid sparkled in the light.</p><p></p><p>“Can we keep moving now?” Kosk asked. “I’d like to be clear of this bloody place before bloody nightfall.”</p><p></p><p>“I thought monks were supposed to be patient,” Bredan said. “That you can meditate for days without moving a muscle, that sort of thing.”</p><p></p><p>“Brother Stonefist has been working on his patience,” Quellan said. “Very intently.”</p><p></p><p>“You have no idea,” the dwarf muttered under his breath.</p><p></p><p>Taking their prizes with them, the adventurers retraced their steps to the intersection and selected the other fork in the passage. That route also ended in another door, though this one was even more remarkable than the last.</p><p></p><p>The door was a slab of solid stone a few shades darker than the surrounding walls. This one lacked hinges, pins, or any other apparent mechanism for opening it. The only obvious feature was a narrow slot set at approximately eye level, and as they got closer the torchlight revealed several rows of shallow runes etched into the stone above it, right below the upper lintel of the doorway.</p><p></p><p>“Are those dwarf-runes?” Bredan asked, squinting to read them in the weak light.</p><p></p><p>Kosk responded with a snort. “Hardly.”</p><p></p><p>Quellan summoned <em>light</em> again, and with the bright glow clearly revealing the inscription they all studied the strange markings. “They’re Draconic,” Glori said.</p><p></p><p>“Do you understand that tongue?” Quellan asked.</p><p></p><p>Glori shook her head. “I recognize the script, but I never learned the language.”</p><p></p><p>“I thought you were a scholar,” Bredan asked the cleric.</p><p></p><p>“Hey, how many languages do you speak, kid?” Kosk asked.</p><p></p><p>“I am reasonably fluent in a number of languages, but unfortunately Draconic is not one of them,” Quellan said.</p><p></p><p>“So basically if this is a warning, we have no way of knowing what’s waiting for us,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>“Would it matter?” Bredan said. “We’re going to open it anyway, aren’t we?”</p><p></p><p>“The question is how,” Glori said. She gave the door a rap with her knuckles. “Don’t think you’re going to be able to chisel this one down, not unless we’re willing to spend a few weeks here.”</p><p></p><p>“The jade dagger,” Quellan said.</p><p></p><p>“Not a dagger, a key,” Bredan said, catching the cleric’s meaning. He produced the device and slid it into the slot in the door. It fit perfectly, and after a moment the entire slab began to descend into the floor. The low rumble of some hidden mechanism accompanied the motion until the embedded key reached floor level, at which it abruptly stopped, leaving a low barrier that they could easily step over into the room beyond.</p><p></p><p>The chamber was even larger than the last, maybe twenty feet across and twice that in depth, with the far wall just a vague shadow at the edge of the torchlight. Once again Glori strummed her lyre and summoned globes of light that drifted out to illuminate the details of the room.</p><p></p><p>“Woah,” she said.</p><p></p><p>Like the room with the gravity trap this one looked empty at first glance, but the <em>dancing lights</em> revealed several distinctive details. There was another exit in the far corner, a stone door that was dominated by a macabre carving of a grinning skull. That was ominous, but what drew their immediate attention was the floor. The segments on their side near the entry and on the far side by the other door were plain stone like the rest of the complex, but in between them was a roughly twenty-foot square covered in a grid of smooth tiles about two feet on a side. The overwhelming majority of those were black, but six of them showed colors that had only slightly faded with time: blue, red, green, yellow, violet, and white.</p><p></p><p>“Oh, bloody hell,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>“It’s a puzzle,” Glori said, clearly excited by the prospect.</p><p></p><p>“How much do you want to wager that the inscription on the door is some sort of clue?” Quellan said.</p><p></p><p>“I hate bloody puzzles,” Kosk said. With a decisive jerk on his robe he started forward across the room. He gave the colored tiles a wide berth, selecting a row near the left wall that was entirely black.</p><p></p><p>“Kosk, wait!” Glori said, but the dwarf was already on the tiles, and he didn’t hesitate. It only took a moment to cross the tiled portion of the floor, and nothing happened until he stepped off the last tile onto the plainer stone on the far side.</p><p></p><p>At which point he was vaporized with an electric sizzle and a puff of gray smoke.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7088657, member: 143"] Chapter 23 “No magic stone,” Kosk said. “No, but it’s a good thing we were careful,” Glori said. She reached into the chest and took out several small vials that held liquid contents in a variety of colors and consistencies. “Magic potions?” Bredan asked. “Most likely,” Quellan said. He had taken another item from the chest, a tightly-wound scroll sealed with a blob of plain wax. He broke the seal and carefully unwound it to reveal neat lines of writing. “What is it?” Glori asked, looking over his shoulder. “I believe it is a spell scroll,” the cleric said. “Arcane, I think.” Glori took a closer look. “Oh, the [i]tiny hut![/i] I know that spell. I saw my master use it a few times. It allows the caster to create a bubble of space that is protected from the elements and intruders,” she explained to Bredan. “I thought you said you didn’t have any magical talent,” Kosk said. “I don’t,” Glori insisted. “I couldn’t actually [i]cast[/i] this, but I can read the description, obviously…” “That’s more than I can do,” Quellan admitted. He held it up to the others, who both looked at it and nodded in confirmation. Glori’s expression became troubled, but she was distracted when Bredan turned back to the chest and reached inside. “Hey, what’s this?” he asked. The object he took out of the chest looked like a dagger at first glance, but it was of very unusual manufacture. The hilt was made of two pieces of curved bronze that surrounded a core of pale green mineral. That “blade” extended out for about six inches beyond the handle, but while it was approximately shaped like a real weapon it ended in a snub notch rather than a point, and the sides were blunt rather than edged. “It’s jade,” Quellan said. He handed the scroll to Glori and gave the odd dagger a closer look. “Some believe that the mineral can help to preserve the soul after death, and that it can add vitality in the later years of life. It’s used in burial rituals in a number of cultures for that reason.” “Valuable, then?” Bredan asked. “Indeed,” Kosk said. He’d been giving the dagger a lingering look, but when the others glanced at him he turned decisively and walked away. “Those Barat cultists wouldn’t have locked it up in there if it wasn’t important somehow. Pack it up and let’s keep moving before something else finds us.” Glori had rolled up the scroll and placed it—reluctantly—in her pouch. “What about the potions?” she asked. “Quellan can tell you what they are,” Kosk said. “He took a course at the monastery.” “Really?” Glori asked. The half-orc couldn’t blush, but he did manage to look a bit embarrassed. “Magical potions tend to have standard formulae that present distinctive features of odor, texture, and taste,” he said. “And even if that doesn’t work you can usually get a pretty good idea of the effect by tasting a drop.” “‘less it’s poison, though I reckon you get a pretty good idea from that drop then too,” Kosk pointed out. “Can you teach me?” Glori asked. Before Quellan could respond Kosk said, “This isn’t a bloody seminar at the bloody monastery.” “Maybe we’d better get out of here first,” Bredan added. “Well, maybe one of those potions might end up saving our lives,” Glori returned. “It’ll just take a moment,” Quellan said, carefully unscrewing the plug on one of the vials. In his hands the vial looked tiny and fragile, but he handled it deftly and quickly sniffed at it and swirled it before tipping a single drop onto the nail of his little finger and touching it to his tongue. “Healing,” he said. He handed the potion to Kosk to replace the one he’d used. The other two he identified as [i]heroism[/i] and [i]lightning resistance[/i], which he passed on to Bredan and Glori respectively. The bard kept looking at hers, holding the vial up to the torch so that the pale amber liquid sparkled in the light. “Can we keep moving now?” Kosk asked. “I’d like to be clear of this bloody place before bloody nightfall.” “I thought monks were supposed to be patient,” Bredan said. “That you can meditate for days without moving a muscle, that sort of thing.” “Brother Stonefist has been working on his patience,” Quellan said. “Very intently.” “You have no idea,” the dwarf muttered under his breath. Taking their prizes with them, the adventurers retraced their steps to the intersection and selected the other fork in the passage. That route also ended in another door, though this one was even more remarkable than the last. The door was a slab of solid stone a few shades darker than the surrounding walls. This one lacked hinges, pins, or any other apparent mechanism for opening it. The only obvious feature was a narrow slot set at approximately eye level, and as they got closer the torchlight revealed several rows of shallow runes etched into the stone above it, right below the upper lintel of the doorway. “Are those dwarf-runes?” Bredan asked, squinting to read them in the weak light. Kosk responded with a snort. “Hardly.” Quellan summoned [i]light[/i] again, and with the bright glow clearly revealing the inscription they all studied the strange markings. “They’re Draconic,” Glori said. “Do you understand that tongue?” Quellan asked. Glori shook her head. “I recognize the script, but I never learned the language.” “I thought you were a scholar,” Bredan asked the cleric. “Hey, how many languages do you speak, kid?” Kosk asked. “I am reasonably fluent in a number of languages, but unfortunately Draconic is not one of them,” Quellan said. “So basically if this is a warning, we have no way of knowing what’s waiting for us,” Kosk said. “Would it matter?” Bredan said. “We’re going to open it anyway, aren’t we?” “The question is how,” Glori said. She gave the door a rap with her knuckles. “Don’t think you’re going to be able to chisel this one down, not unless we’re willing to spend a few weeks here.” “The jade dagger,” Quellan said. “Not a dagger, a key,” Bredan said, catching the cleric’s meaning. He produced the device and slid it into the slot in the door. It fit perfectly, and after a moment the entire slab began to descend into the floor. The low rumble of some hidden mechanism accompanied the motion until the embedded key reached floor level, at which it abruptly stopped, leaving a low barrier that they could easily step over into the room beyond. The chamber was even larger than the last, maybe twenty feet across and twice that in depth, with the far wall just a vague shadow at the edge of the torchlight. Once again Glori strummed her lyre and summoned globes of light that drifted out to illuminate the details of the room. “Woah,” she said. Like the room with the gravity trap this one looked empty at first glance, but the [i]dancing lights[/i] revealed several distinctive details. There was another exit in the far corner, a stone door that was dominated by a macabre carving of a grinning skull. That was ominous, but what drew their immediate attention was the floor. The segments on their side near the entry and on the far side by the other door were plain stone like the rest of the complex, but in between them was a roughly twenty-foot square covered in a grid of smooth tiles about two feet on a side. The overwhelming majority of those were black, but six of them showed colors that had only slightly faded with time: blue, red, green, yellow, violet, and white. “Oh, bloody hell,” Kosk said. “It’s a puzzle,” Glori said, clearly excited by the prospect. “How much do you want to wager that the inscription on the door is some sort of clue?” Quellan said. “I hate bloody puzzles,” Kosk said. With a decisive jerk on his robe he started forward across the room. He gave the colored tiles a wide berth, selecting a row near the left wall that was entirely black. “Kosk, wait!” Glori said, but the dwarf was already on the tiles, and he didn’t hesitate. It only took a moment to cross the tiled portion of the floor, and nothing happened until he stepped off the last tile onto the plainer stone on the far side. At which point he was vaporized with an electric sizzle and a puff of gray smoke. [/QUOTE]
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