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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 3256710" data-attributes="member: 11760">The torchlight and magical illumination shine on the damp floor. Black mildew coats the cracks between the stones in the walls, floor and ceilings. The room is just as Tosh described it. Even with the light sources, the group cannot see what, if anything, is beneath the water in the large basin.Renraw pokes the end of his club in the water, half from being idle, half to see if he disturbs anything.The club doesn't have to be dipped in far before it touches bottom. When it comes up, it is covered in a dusty film. The muck on the surface of the water is briefly disturbed as the club is removed, giving a glimpse of a basin bottom that is also carved in a bas-relief. Swirling shapes carved in the stone, perhaps of waves or of strange sea creatures, are visible in the flickering torchlight before the murk closes over the clear space once more.The spell on the bone finally expires soundlessly, the light contracting to a single bright point a second before vanishing.Tosh looks about in the brighter illumination of the torch."Nothing? This simply will not do," he sighs. And with that, he begins a thorough search of the room. But in the lengthened shadows of the room, Tosh finds little, not even rat droppings, just ancient dust and layer upon layer of black mildew."Huh," says Bufer, as he looks up and around in the flickering torchlight, "my mistake. Now I can see why it was so damn pressing to come up here, rather than investigate the potential plague.""Well, I'm sure that something dangerous will turn up, here," Emus grins. "And then we can take care of it when that bear decides to tear into us from behind!""Hey, Fancypants, I'll give you half a copper if you drink all that water," Tucker says, nudging Bufer with his elbow."Nobody here's got keener eyes than Tosh, right?" says Hazel. "If he says there's nothing here, then it's pointless to stand around and gab about it." Hazel starts heading back down the stairs, carrying her torch. "Might as well check out the next room."The group mounts the stairs to the semi-circular room. By torchlight, they can see a few more details, specifically regarding the five statues. Each is 9 feet tall, and while they were painted centuries -- or more -- ago, the darkness has meant that most of the paint has remained intact.Going from left to right, the five statues depict a robed man holding a screaming owl mask over his face, followed by a statue of a woman holding a two-handed curved sword before her face. The blade is so wide, it totally conceals her face. Then comes a statue of a robed man holding a perfectly smooth mirrored mask over his face. After that is a statue of a robed man holding both his hands over his face, concealing it entirely except for a pair of yellow eyes visible through the cracks in his fingers. The eyes appear to be some sort of precious or semi-precious stones. Finally, there is a statue of a robed woman holds an owl chick’s mask over her face.Renraw awkwardly attempts to climb the fourth statue and knock the jeweled eyes out with the end of his club."Two coppers say the statue blasts him" Emmerson mutters to Ragglus.Ragglus grunts in agreement."I bet the bear'll enjoy a cooked meal fer a change."After a few clumsy taps, Renraw squeezes his legs tightly around the statue, grasps onto its fingers, and looks down on the rest of them, breathing heavily."That's fine then, I'll just take these gems for myself ... when I can ... pry them loose."The gem eyes suddenly flash an icy blue and unearthly cold rips through Renraw, knocking him to the floor, convulsing in pain. His hands are encased in a thin layer of frost.All around the group, nasty laughter booms, as though from the five unmoving statues."Cuh-cuh-curse you all, DO something!" Renraw spits, clutching at his wrists and rubbing his hands, unsuccessfully sloughing off the frost. "Wuh-whatever it is is luh-laughing at us. You'll be next if you don't do something!"Seeing Renraw fall to the ground, Emus springs into action and walks past him. Greatclub at the ready, the dwarf looks for something that poses a danger, using his native knowledge of stonecraft. But there is nothing that Emus can spot that looks any odder than the rest of the statue."Well, when yer wrong yer wrong," Ragglus mutters as he spares a glance at Renraw trying to rub away the cold. Holding up his shield, flail still in hand, he prepares for whatever may come. "Oi! Wha'so funny?"The statues lapse into silence as the echoes of the laughter die away."Renraw, if you want to survive this trip, you have to stop thinking with your wand," Emmerson scolds. "You are very lucky that that strange basin you poked a while ago did not zap you with something worse than this frost bolt."Hazel glances around the mostly empty room."Seems there's nothing here to loot but the statues. Might be we should gather the swords and helms and head on home. Ought to have known any idea of Fibber's was bound to come to little profit." She shakes her head, already anticipating objections. "I know, I know, y'all want to go kill a bear, on the off chance it's got a bellyful of rare gems, and you," she waves her torch toward Bufer, "Want to go cut open some kobolds, in case we've all got a lungful of plague."So, which'll it be, gents?"</blockquote>

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