The Whispering Cairn (Team Diamond Lake) - IC

[fireinthedust]

ooc: before we move on, just quickly.

Also: He's thinking in his mind whether there is any vaati-related information, or air-elementals information he could use for these lanterns. I'm thinking lanterns mean light, or magic lanterns used as keys like Aria suggested, genies in lanterns (djinn in lamps or rings).


IC: Eldariel takes the blue lantern and holds it up. He moves to the part of the wall with the picture of the blue lantern on it, and investigates the wall, compares the lantern, and looks for any changes in the wall.

1)Is it solid?

2) Is there a door there?

3) What is in the corridor with each lantern in the picture? Specifically he's think blue and green, but will also check out and write down the others.

4) Does anything in the pictures change when he brings the lantern close to them, especially the blue one in the blue picture?

5) Are there places in this area to put or fit a lantern?

6) Eldariel copies down the shape of this area in his book, and places where each picture of a lantern and hallway are on it (ie: green, blue, etc.). He also notes any special details about each hallway (ie: leads to flames, leads to spider webs, etc.), and where the dias is.

7) So the Dias is at the steps, and then there's an area beyond it with the wall pictures?

8) Does it looks like the Dias is a place where someone uses air: speaks or sings? Maybe a prayer or poem, or something?

9) Is there an inscription in the dias?

10) At this point I'm tempted to have him sing something standing at the Dias (he's an elf, they sing ditties if not perform per se). Heck, I'll do that before we go on: if there's an elven song regarding air elementals, or the Vaati, I'll go for that. Failing that, the equivalent of an elven Disney theme.

This is fairly significant: a picture of a lantern and suddenly we find an object in the picture? This could prove important to the areas below. I hope that adventurer's friends didn't steal any of the other lanterns, in case we need them!

Someone with a torch should light the webs. Be careful: I'm certain the creatures responsible will be around here somewhere. If anyone else has oil, prepare to throw it.

After he's answered each of the questions, and found nothing, he'll go with the others. He readies a flask of oil from his bag to his belt pouch, then moves forward sword in hand.

ooc: I guess that means I'm carrying the lamp? What about the sculpture fragment?

 

[HolyMan]

[sblock=OOC] There is nothing of note on the upper level. The dais and mural seem merely a place to pay respects or listed to someone speak. [/sblock]

Descending further into the tomb and down the steps perhaps a few of Eldariel's questions may be answered.

A wide stairway descends into an immense domed chamber. Seven short tunnels branch from the room in all directions, extending some thirty feet before ending in rounded walls. At the terminus of each passage, a thick chain dangles from an unseen high ceiling. Five chains bear colorful lanterns, but two hold nothing at all. Opposite the entry stairs, a bright green lantern containing what looks like a torch casts a weird, murky light about the room. Countless chips of glass and shiny metal inset into the chambers domed ceiling reflect this light, giving the impression of starlight and falling snow. The dome starts about ten feet off the ground and reaches an apex about thirty feet over the center of the room.

Below the dome's peak, a long dais holds what appears to be a marble sarcophagus. A milky white bas-relief figure, perhaps of a human, rests passively upon the sarcophagus lid. Unlike the rest of the tomb, this room is completely silent.

[sblock=OOC] The room is well lit and you may post up what/where your characters explore. I will try and add to the description of the room as you walk about. [/sblock]

 

[s@squ@tch]

"Well, I think we know where that stone finger goes...." murmurs Zeke as he approaches the dias.

"And we are still missing a colored lantern."

OOC: Which colored lanterns are present, and which are missing?

 

[fireinthedust]

Eldariel nods. Two lanterns are missing, in fact. By my chart here (which seems to align with this area, as with the area above) the Indigo and the Red lanterns are missing.

I'd like to know more about the sarcophagus' alignment with the room, and what's lighting the green lantern over there... and what would happen if we lit the others!

Eldariel is going to head across the room.

1) On the way he'll take a good look at the sarcophagus: does it look like it can be turned on a pivot, or that it's solid? The figure on the bas relief: anything significant? I wonder if this is a cleric of the air elementals. Maybe more writing in Auran I can copy down, translate later...

2) I believe Eldariel got the lantern from whoever was holding it up. I'm guessing this is the Indigo lantern, when lit, and that it should be hung up back over there. Somewhere we may find the Red lantern. If there's an adventuring party in these parts, and those spiderwebs were unbroken when we found them, the last member may not have gotten out before they went up.

3) Heading to the Green Lantern. He'll look at the Indigo lantern, and at the Green lantern, and get a good idea of what's lighting it. My guess, as a player, is that it's some kind of everburning effect, or permanent light spell. If it is a torch, it means that someone lit it recently. ...someone with a wolf companion, who is now dead by the webs?

Are the webs glowing green, like on the map? If so, I may have an idea why the two lanterns were taken down.

 

[HolyMan]

OOC: To much all at once need to let the others in a little so will piecemeal this to you as they post as well. And you are only missing one lantern the red one. And no the webs do not glow green, sorry.

As Eldariel approaches the sarcophagus he does notice groove marks indicating that the whole "arrow shaped" device may in fact move.

 

[s@squ@tch]

"Hmmm...." says Zeke.

"Never would have thought that lantern was 'indigo' and not just blue. Guess I should get out more at the temple...."

"But does that mean that we are still missing another lantern?"

 

[Shayuri]

"It looks blue to me too," Aria says uncertainly. "Look, the lanterns are hung in the same order they were in in that room. We can just count the lanterns to see which are missing."
She starts at Red, and then lists off Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet...each time pointing at a lantern, or a place a lantern would be.

 

[fireinthedust]

I believe the Red one is the only one unaccounted for. My worry is that there is some sort of trap or peril associated with lighting all of them. I want to check out the Green lantern, which is lit, just to be sure.

Oh, and the bas relief here looks like it can be turned on the spot: grooves around the sides. Could someone fit the broken-off finger back on and see where it points? It could tell us more about how this room works: do we light the other lanterns or do we spin the figure around?

Eldariel has a certain look of glee in his eye as he explores the room. Clearly he finds this investigation thrilling.

 

[ghostcat]

Galyne enters the chamber and looks around. His initial impression is that, apart of from sarcophagus, the layout is like the mural upstairs. Looking more closely he sees that there anomalies in mouths of the north, south, east and west tunnels. Not wanting to imped the others, he moves over to examine the floor in fromt of the left-hand tunnel.

In response to Zeke's comment about Indigo and Blue he says "Why don't you compare the Lantern we found with the blue one. If the lights are supposed to match rainbow colours then the indigo one should be darker than the blue one."

Once the others start playing around with either the sarcophagus or the lanterns he stops examining the floor, readies his bow and stands guard.

 

[renau1g]

All this talk of Indigo vs Blue confuses Jules, he has no idea what they're talking about. The rogue moves towards the sarcophagus and looks to make sure that if they move it there are no traps to activate.

OOC: Perception: +3 (+4 vs. Traps)