Of Sound Mind III

[Jarval]

Gholog checks the ceiling, wall and floor, but finds no sign of anything that could have broken the glass object.

Tamalruk wanders over, standing besides Gholog and Adren, peering curiously at the glass on the floor. The undead bone construct also scuttles closer, swaying menacingly near to Seraphina and Kerrick.

"What isss it?" The lizard-man asks, picking up a shard of the glass. He studies his reflection in the fragment with interest. "It hasss been a long time sssince I lassst ssssaw my face. The yearsss have not been kind." He says sadly, a scaled finger tracing the outline of one of the patches of bare skin on his arm.


OOC: I've resurrected the OOC thread in Talking the Talk. It got kind of lost in the transition to the new forum. You can find it here

 

[Zhure]

Gholog

"How long, exactly, Tamalruk?"

Gholog tries to get a closer look as the lizard creature comes nearer.

 

[Jarval]

"Clossse to a ten-year." Tamalruk sighs heavily. "My tribe grew lesss and lesss, asss many of the ssstrong moved away from the humansss and their dirty mining. They took many of the tribesss treasssuresss."

 

[Zhure]

Gholog

"I'm sorry the humans raided your treasures, Tamalruk. Has anyone dug any secret passages through here?"

 

[Jarval]

Tamalruk shakes his head firmly.

"No, no passssagesss, I would know of them. He, yesss, He may have had sssecret waysss, but even I do not know for sssure. The humansss would not know of them."

 

[Zhure]

Gholog

"I was raised in a monastery and am always fascinated by relgious things, how does He appear, and what are his aspects?"

 

[Jarval]

"You wissssh to know of Him?" Tamalruk looks surprised, but pleased. He moves closer to the copper bowl in the center of the room, and sits on the lowest step leading up to it. You notice that despite the apparent blaze of fire in the bowl, the room is little warmer than the rest of the mines.

"He ruled this valley, gave life to the people, ssshowed ussss and the humansss where to find His metal." Tamalruk points towards the copper bowl. "He isss god of thessse landssss, and my people ssserved Him faithfully. But the humansss did not wissssh to ssshare Hisss wealth, no. They wanted Hisss landssss, they wanted all Hisss metal. They hated Him, even after all the giftssss He gave them, yesss."

Tamalruk looks Gholog straight in the eyes. "You are orc, yesss? You have known the hate of humansss, yessss? They feared usss, hated the favour He ssshowed ussss, the part of Hisss aspect we shared." Tamalruk stands and moves slowly around to the dragon statue dominating the room. He stares up at the face with love, before turning back to you.

"You can sssee it, yesss? He granted usss Hisss visssage. He came here, to this temple, to give usss and the humansss audience. He came through the stone, to blesssss usss, and to receive our giftssss." Tamalruk bares his teeth, a snarl of frustration and years of rage. "They betrayed Him, YESSSS! Climbed into Hisss domain, ssstruck Him with sssuch force that He ssssleepsss to thisss day. And now the goblinsss torment him, yesss. You sssee why I want them dead, they torture my god!"

 

[Zhure]

Gholog

"Yes, his visage is quite imposing. May I examine the statue closer without offending?"

Once given permission, Gholog will look for signs the statue can move, or somehow caused the glass opposite to fall.I suspect there's a tunnel under this thing...

 

[Jarval]

"Yessss, yessss, you may sssstudy Hisss image." Tamalruk steps back slightly, to give Gholog better access.

Gholog carefully examines the statue, as well as the floor and walls around it. The statue seems to show no signs of moving, but one of the carved panels on the wall catches your eye.

Most of the carvings around the room show a draconic god overseeing mining and farming work, and rewarding the people. The panel that caught Gholog's attention shows two dragons standing in the shrine you're currently in, accepting the offerings that the faithful place in the burning bowl.

Beneath this panel is a passage carved in Common. It reads: "Worship and praise Him, for He is a just and true God. Touch Him only with thine thoughts, for He shall not be sullied by thy earthy hand. View Him only with thine eyes, if ye wish not to face Him in judgment alone. His wrath is mighty, and while He descends from the mountaintop to praise, also does He punish the lazy and untrue."

Gholog glances up at the statue, and the reflection of the fire leaps in its faceted eyes, scattering blue light around the room, and seeming to fill the eyes with cold intelligence. The effect is a little disturbing, almost as if it was designed to play on the guilt of any who viewed it.

 

[Zhure]

Gholog

Gholog digs into his pouch and places ten gold carefully in the bowl.