Chapter 5 : Clueless

[BigRedRod]

Amra , Eberc, three people you don't know, Xaemar and yourselves are sat around the circular table
The man who led you in speaks,
"You are a man missing, where is Charir?"

[ooc: Now thats a short start of a chapter]

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Ah, he's resting comfortably in Seran," says a now subdued Collin. "During a confrontation with hostile forces, a hulking beast of an orc managed to greviously wound Charir. By the time I could get to his side, he was gone. There was nothing in my healing powers that I could do to restore him to life."

Collin takes a keen interest at an invisible speck of dirt at the edge of the table. "We had his body buried in Seran. It was better than carrying it down here into the desert. The mission priorities also indicated that we should continue and complete it as quick as possible."

[BigRedRod]

The man looks down,
"That is indeed sad news. Still the past is behind us, no good can come from dwelling on such news"
After a moment of silence the man raises his head once more, he is not a tall man, he wears a smart officers uniform that looks odd when combined with his unkept hair. He is somewhere in his middle years and has a large scar from his neck up to level with the top of his ear
"To start with I will introduce myself and my staff. I am Sub-Commander Edgley, you probably didn't notice me at the introductory meeting back in Vodalia, I co-ordinate the efforts of the special forces here in Dauthim. On my left is Azure."
He lifts an arm towards a short stumpy rather unattractive human young women who smiles briefly
"She is in charge of analysis of information gathered by the team working down here. Thanks to her outstanding work we have extensive information on troop locations and similar facts essential to a successful, clean invasion of Dauthim. And on my right is Grozn, or "Big Groz" as you may here him referred to out there."
The man to his right is half-orchish and indeed very large, at the moment he looks rather happy though.
"Grozn here, does a wonderful job in providing funds for our operation, nothing too grand just a little bit here and there on top of the "Gentlemen's Society", which he runs. You would be suprised how profitable gambling can be in a country where it is outlawed. I believer you have briefly already met Eberc, Amra and of course Xaemar."

Edgley grins widely,
"My relief at the safe and willing return of Xaemar is hard to put into words. You will of course be rewarded, but we can come to that later."
He looks at Xaemar for a moment
"As glad I am that you decided to re-join us, I am dissapointed that you took off, I will expect an explanation later, and we can discuss your return to duty"
Xaemar lowers his head slightly,
"Yes, It's a move I am regretting more with each passing minute"

"Again, it is not something we should dwell on. What do you think of our little set-up here? It's no academy but it gets the job done and it's unlikely we will be stumbled across. It was built several years ago by a Merchant I'm told, a Vodalian of course, I'm not too sure on the details but I'm assured that we can't be sold out by whoever constructed the place."

"Your day of travel in the desert can't have been easy, you must all be exhausted. We should containue your briefing in the morning, the rest of the day is your own. Just be sure you are back by dawn, you'll be leaving again tomorrow and I want you rested. I'm afraid you are sharing rooms though, this place isn't quite that big, still it shouldn't be more than two in each and you can comfortably fit."
Edgley slings a small pouch towards each of the team, they contain ninety platinum coins each
"Luckily the gambling pulls in enough to keep you paid at least at a semi-respectable level. Now you are dismissed. Xaemar let's go into the next room so we can have a talk about what happened."
Edgley stands up, gives a smile and walks through a doorway with Xaemar following behind.

[WhoNAN]

Tolven steps up to the superior officer, and Xaemar.... and pauses as to say something..... hesitates..... extends his gloved hand to Xaemar.

"It was indeed interesting to have made your acquantance."

Gives a glance to Edgley... and turns to leave.

"Sir, this man has much to offer us.... I have a nagging suspicion that we should listen to what he has to say and consider it seriously." Again he turns to leave.... shakes his head and walks out the door.

Stopping only long enough to say... "And... I would have an interest in such matters, respectfully."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin waves as the two men depart. "Good-bye Xaemar. Until the next time our paths may cross again." He smiles as he says this.

When left to do his own business, Collin moves into one of the rooms offered to the unit. He shucks his armor to be more comfortable and begins to meditate, offering silent prayers to his god.

(OOC - prayers to deal with the leveling up as a cleric. Already fixed the character sheet, including hit points, spells, and skills.)

[Cadrius]

Varidiir bows his head sadly as the two speak of Charir. In all the excitement of being in the desert and listening to Xaemar's nearly-mad prophecy he had forgotten that they had lost a comrade in a senseless battle. Would it happen again? Quite likely it would. The azer scratches his bronzed chin with an equally bronzed hand. That was the risk in being in this kind of work. Dying for little or no reason and with few to remember you.

As the men leave Varidiir nods once and waves. At least they got paid, that was always one of the high points. He moves off to one of the rooms and admires his gems for a time before meditating to clear his mind.

[BigRedRod]

The next day (27th of Aluthriak) dawns all too quickly, each of you gradually return to the room where you met with those based in this country yesterday. Azure and Sub-Commander Edgley are both sat at the table once more, he indicates for you to be seated as you enter and then stands,
"A united Ku'Zul is a happy, peaceful and hard-working Ku'Zul. It has not been an easy road to walk, the invasion begin's tomorrow morning. This the is time when the plan comes together and Vodalia grows. You will be traveling north-eastward, as will Azure, Xaemar and myself. Grozen will be remaining here for the moment, as will the other team. It is their duty to ensure that their current positions are exploited and the intial leg goes off with minimum resistance."
Edgley is clearly rather nervous
"I waited and prepared for this day for so long, everything hinges on our work. Azure, Xaemar and myself will be traveling to Eron, the capital. We have a contact there and should be able to hide within the town and aid it's eventual capture when the time comes."
The man pauses and looks at the team
"You will aid the capture of Eron. We have found the location of a certain magical tome, it is a legendary book and if Azure had the chance to study it for even a brief time it would grant us, in combination with the great Vodalian Army, an almost certain victory. With Eron, and a majority of the other larger towns taken then the country would crumble. A few desert oasis towns isn't enough for them to survive, they would fall to their knees and surrender. Once the country is ours then we can start to make life better for the people who lived here."
The sub-commander looks at Azure,
"Azure knows the details of your task, so if you would be as so kind as to listen closely then we can be off and make a good start before our troops arrive."
Edgely sits down and takes a deep breath. Azure looks squarely at each of you and then begins to speak in a slow yet clearly intelligent voice,
"The book you are searching for is called the Grimoire Ira Scientia. It is unlikely to be as all-powerful as some old tales would have you believe but any extra power we can gain is a help in our task. Just long of a tenday ago, word reached me that one of Mephantia's vaults had been uncovered by a Dauth halfing treasure hunter. After some research I found where the vault was and it seems very likely that it is the resting place of the Grimoire, I could be wrong, but even so the vault should contain various other items that may be of some use. I have heard nothing of the treasure hunter since, it is possible that the vault is now looted, if this is true you will have to hunt him down and recover what he took."
Azure takes a sip from a mug and continues,
"Assuming the vault is unlooted and is in fact the holding place of the Grimoire. You are to take it and bring it to Eron, near to the temple district there is a large farmers market , known locally as Aishen's Market, due to the fact it is so close to what is most likely the largest temple to the Goddess in all the lands. You will notice a band of fairly large merchant town-houses. We will be in the Pohil residence, just ask to see Master Pohil at the door."
"Eron is almost three hundred miles away, it will around nine days of very hard riding for us to arrive. I will direct you to the vault when we draw close, we will mainly be following the road that clings to the side of the Ruby Sands. Have I missed anything? or do you have any questions?"
The woman looks intently into each of your eyes in turn

[ The name Mephantia is vaguely familiar to both The Unknown one and Tolven, a Wizard who spent her life attempting to transcend mortal limits and become a God, it's not known if she succeeded]

[ The Grimoire Ira Scientia is familiar only to the unknown one, it is the text referred to in a great deal of vague magical tales. However most that know of the book regard it as a myth or a cruel joke to make people search for the impossible]

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin's stunned by the news that their next mission is straight out of a fairytale. "Let me get this straight, you want us to go into a possible death trap after a fictional tome that some halfling is rumored to have found? What else did your contact say about this halfling, other than his name? Maybe a description of the guy, or possibly who his friends are? What kind of equipment did he carry with him when he went off to find this book? I can't imagne anyone going off alone to find this mythical book. And if we're to track him down, are you going to pay a hiring fee for an expert tracker? You did say it was ten days ago that you were given this information and that it's another ten days or so to travel to this hidden location. And we'll also need a good description of the book."

He begins to drum his fingers together as he speaks, "Let's say for argument sake you're right, the book exists and the halfling finds it. What if he uses it against us? Or how about after we recover it, are we allowed to make use of the contents within?"

He stops his drumming, "I have one more question to ask, why must we leave before the rest of the troops arrive? Wouldn't it be better to wait for their arrival? We could draft one of their trackers."

[WhoNAN]

Tolven blankly manages to look at Collin as to be dumbfounded.

He questions orders yet again... this time blantetly to his commander.... that takes a bit of bravado.

"... the halfling most likely has no clue upon what he has stumbled... if he has indeed penetrated the Tomb.... it is rumored to be so and we go on what we can... often in the past what I state is a inteligently weighed rumor.... and this line of work is indeed by nature a death trap."

The drow manages to state his passionate words with no affect whatsover.

A priest, questioning such things.... he is an interesting one indeed.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Responding to Tolven's comments, Collin says, "Sorry Tolven, I disagree. We're supposed to be an elite force for the government of Vodalia. Our missions while sometimes dangerous should never be futile. Our first mission had a very high success rate with minimal casulties. Our second wasn't either, delivering a message to the Jack. The last mission, while the implications of it were less then noble, wasn't conceptually impossible. This one however has a foul stench about it. We'll be around 20 days behind a halfling thief, and still have to navigate an ancient tomb that nobody seems to come back from. And for what, a book who's contents may or may not be useful?"

Turning back to Edgley he says in a sincere voice, "I'm sorry for questioning these latest orders, but I can't see why one our special forces units is detailed to a job better suited for an expendible recon unit. If what you say is true, the main force is just days behind and at this point one or two more days won't make much of a difference when the thief has a 20 day lead."

[Cadrius]

"He'll be damn hard to find too," Varidiir chimes in, "'specially being a halfling and all. I don't mind checking out the tomb, you said there'd be other useful items in there anyway, right? But if you want us to track him it's gonna be hard, real hard."

The azer scratches his chin, an action that is fast becoming a habit with him, and shrugs. While the halfling might not know they were coming, twenty days was a long time and he could easily disappear long before they arrived.

[BigRedRod]

Edgley looks Collin squarely in the eye and speaks very sharply
"If you have concerns then express them, however it is not your place to claim that the tasks which you are set are impossible and futile"
His voice calms slightly and he continues,
"This type of task is the purpose of the forces, you need to be flexable and effective. And every single day does count, Eron will be a difficult city to effectivly conquer we need all the help we can get and finding the book, whether or not it has been removed is the task you have been given. Waiting for the main force to arrive would be foolish, we need to be ahead of the army so that we might prepare the way, if Emperor Vodan wished to solve his problems with force then the Special Forces would not have been established and he would have simply invaded Dauthim."
The man takes a deep breath
"You will of course need a little more information about the treasure hunter so that you might might track him down if needs be ... Azure, do you have anything else?"

Azure looks rather shocked that the sub-commander was spoken back to, but she quickly composes herself and begins to speak
"The halfling is known as the liberator, he searches for rare items and sells them to the highest bidder. This is most likely the reason he entered the vault, he simply wants to plunder the items, it is unlikely he will know what the Grimoire is, unless he has some behind the scenes help who discovered that it may well be there. Still, I doubt he is still living, the Liberator is not one to slink away he would have returned to a town and flaunted his finds."
"He is slightly below average height for a halfling, he tends to wear a cloak while conducting buisness that covers his body and face so his exact appearance is largely unknown. Apart from his cloak and hidden face, he dresses in such a wide variety of ways that it's hard to pin him down to anything certain. He fights with a dagger and somehow he has the ability to teleport around in very short hops of a couple of dozen feet in each. He is normally accompanied by his muscle, I'm not sure if he has a name, but he tends to wear little more than a loose pair of trousers and is a rather well built ogre, wields a huge axe, he blindly obeys the halfling. I'm guessing the halfling also has a sage working for him who helps him find the sites which he loots."
Azure takes another sip from the mug before her,
"Expert tracker? If you feel that your team is not up the task alone then hire someone, it is not our concern how you complete the task just that you do and do so as quickly as possible. An exact description of the book is hard to give the form it takes changes from place to place, however it is most certainly a very large book, secured shut somehow, with the title on it's cover."
"The halfling is very unlikely to be capable of using the grimoire, it is not a direct weapon and so you are in no danger from it unless he has sufficent time to prepare and knows you are coming. As for using the grimoire yourselves, I will make it clear that you should not even attempt to open it, nevermind reading it. It is too dangerous to blindly read without some form of study before hand."

When Azure finishes Edgely speaks up again,
"Your task is to explore the vault and take anything that might be of use, Azure here will study whatever you recover in the hopes of aiding the army. If you find the Grimoire in the vault then it's a job well done and we can move on to the next stage. If not you are to attempt to track down the Grimoire and recover it. Any further questions?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin glares at his teammates, "Don't give me that look. I'm going to speak my mind about this. If you can't see past the end of your noses, we'll probably fail. At the start of every mission I've been quiet and because of it, they've all been harder than they should have been. I'm tired of it and the need to ask questions about the mission are now required. Remember it never hurts to ask questions. By the abyss, our diviner should be the one asking these questions but he's always too busy being dark and lonesome."

He turns back to Azure and snears, "Yes, I've got more questions, but firest, if our positions were reversed, wouldn't you be asking the same questions? Can't you see that our success translates into your success? So, if the mission requires an expert tracker, it should be your responsiblility to set the unit up with one. Or at the very least have a contact we can use to find one. If you can't see to that, I'm sure there's someone willing to do it behind you."

"As for mission specific questions, I've got a few more. In case the thief is gone and fled, what is his base of operations? What city does he make his home? He must have a regular buyer for his treasures. His jumping ability, does it dervive it's power from a magic item that you know of? The treasure trove, does it have a name? If we knew a little about it, we'd be better prepared to face the dangers within, unless you don't really care if the mission succeeds or not." He satres at Azure when he says that last bit.

"For example, who built the thing, and when? Why was it built? Based on such information it shouldn't be difficult to determine what to expect. If the people who built the thing did so thousands of years ago, their traps will be such that they're going to be mostly non-mechanical, consisting mostly of magical wards and pit traps. Their culture might have made it so that they buried undead guardians or created other non-living sentries. Depending on who they worshiped, we might be able to ward ourselves against ancient divine magics. If they worshiped a fire god, protections against flame might be in order."

"I'm going to ask one more question. Have you bothered to divine the treasure or vault? Or maybe scry the location of the thief and his friends? Doing such things might save us a lot of time."

[Cadrius]

Varidiir opens his mouth but shuts it suddenly as the priest's stern speech. Given the option the azer would have shrugged stoically and gone about their mission as best he could. Collin does have a point though. While it might be likely for the halfling and his associates to go back to town and brag, what if he didn't? What if he had been contracted for this job?

The team had their strengths but they couldn't do everything. If they needed a tracker the least their superiors could do would be to provide a suggestion for such things. All these thoughts whirl through the normally placid mind of Varidiir.

"He does kind of have a point," the azer says in a quiet voice, unwilling to lend all his support to the priest but equally unwilling to remain silent on the matter.

[WhoNAN]

Tolven continues with a blank visage.

"Questioning the validity of orders is just about as dangerous and futile as argueing amungst your allies."

There is more but it is not spoken.

"If anyone else has questions for our fine superiors speak them, if not then might I suggest how -we- plan on completing the task set forth for us."

He looks at the others... needing to ascert a bit of authority amongst the group to finish the briefing as quickly as possible... inwardly perturbed with Collin's blatent disrepect, and genuwinely concerned for his safety if he is allowed to continued.

[BigRedRod]

Azure answers collin,
"Indeed I would ask questions were I in your position. But I would not take personal offence at every opportunity. You..."
Edgley puts his hand lightly on Azure's shoulder,
"I'm sure that you were picked for your team with good reason but I have not seen the reason so far. You fail to understand your most basic of functions as part of the forces, we are not here to hold your hand. I need the Grimoire finding if at all possible, should you need a tracker then hire one, we are not at war yet. Go to the "Giant Slayers", they are a general purpose hiring station that don't have many qualms about who they work for or why as long as they are paid."

"The "liberator" is based in Eron, althouh he does pop in in the towns in villages in the immediate vicinity of the town. He isn't secrative about his trade and getting a message to him shouldn't be more difficult than asking around a bar, when he takes an item it tends to be auctioned off and he is usually present at his auctions, although the location changes each time."
Edgley looks over at Azure, he doesn't seem to know that much more about the halfling. She nods and begins to speak, although she still glares at Collin while she does so,
"Typically he will build up a reasonable collection of items, storing them in some unknown and well-hidden place. After a suitable collection is complete, word of the auction and it's location circulates. I'm assuming he keeps on the move to prevent theft of a collection or somesuch, he also enjoys the drama of doing things in such a way."
Azure takes a long pause
"His ability to hop distances instantly is most likely gained from an item he carries but he does not have any signature items, or at least he doesn't flaunt any. The vault itself doesn't have a name, it is simply one of Mephantia's vaults. There are one or two others that have been discovered and from various texts there are many more implied. Mephantia was a wizard from the far past, rather than keep all of her resources in a single location, she built and hid vault's.

"The signature of Mephantia is her love for magical stone constructs crafted to resemble various other creatures. She also trapped her vaults in rather lethal ways. This particular vault was only found after an earthquake unearthed it, its presence was then discovered by the "liberator" and he no doubt set his sights on the treasures that it may contain."

"Divination may indeed save you much time, might I point out that you have a Diviner with you."
Azure looks at the large bat-creature
"Perhaps if it did something rather than just stand then your task would not seem so daunting."

[itches]

Unknown smiles at Azure as he addresses him, a smile totally devoid of humour. Not answering at once, he lets the silence draw out and become strained before speaking.

"Do something? There are many things I could do, but I do not see the need to do anything at this very moment."

Turning to address Collin the Fiend continues. "We have just received our briefing. Wiser creatures lets the information settle before they start to speak. You have seen fit to give me advice in the past, now let me return the favour. Remain silent; you would be amazed at what you will learn. There is a saying. The emptiest drum makes the loudest noise

((OOC: Alright!! First post, and I’m already creating havoc. :fun: ))

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin snaps back at Unknown, "Yes, but look at where silence has brought us with regards to Pandora. If only you, I or any of the others with our superior intellects had taken just a bit of time back at the capital to research the goddess, we may have never had come down into this stinkin desert."

He fires back with his own phillosophical saying, "You want sayings? How about this one? The unasked question has no answer."

Collin, finally finished taking a few brief notes about the mission, says to Unknown, "If I didn't ask or speak up, what information would you have gone off with? You'd have the name of a fabled book, and a vague description of the person looking for it. After my questions, we now know he has an ogre bodyguard, an ability to jump around magically, his name and a place to start looking if he has in fact beaten us to this book's burial site."

Turning back to the general council he asks, "While we're exploring for the book, I take it you'll be looking for him if he surfaces in Eron? And, if it ends up that we have to track the thief to that city and are unable to locate the book through subterfuge, how much do you think he'd end up selling it for in his auction? It might come down to that as a last resort, us buying the book from him." Collin gives the room the 'don't give me that look' look. "The end result would still be what you wanted, the recovery of the book. That is the mission's primary objective isn't it? Or did you want the thief eliminated no matter what? I suupose in our last ditch efforts to get the tome, we could kill him at the exchange."

"With regards to divinations, you wouldn't happen to have a picture, drawing or other description of this book would you? It could help in the search of the item."

He looks to his superiors and says, "No offense, but in the past the whole need to know line may have actually hampered the mission's success. Sure I realize that the intelligence branch sorts through piles of information, and on occassion I'm sure that you have to hold back some of it, but you should know in advance that we'd need more than 'a Dauthian halfling thief intends on recovering the Grimoire Ira Scientia.' It shouldn't be our job to extract a description of him and co-horts from you."

With open hands he continues, "It's not like I'm trying to tell you exactly how to do your jobs, but you might consider the fact that we are all on the same team. If we can't trust you to deliver all the necessary vital information, how are you to trust us to complete the mission successfully? Besides, it saves time and feelings, if you care about either one of them."

"Speaking about time, 300 miles on heavy horse in less then a week isn't really feasible. Even if you run your horse into the ground you'd never make it." Collin looks at Unknown when he says this. "We'll all have to travel light and on swifter horses. We might even consider buying extra horses to bring along too."

[WhoNAN]

Tolven actually starts to smile and almost just almost laughs while Collin speaks.... he indeed finds something very amusing... so much so that the Dark elf has cracked, and a hint of actual sincere emotion bubbles through.... a bit random.... but nevertheless there.

I wonder what this boy would learn from another hundred years... because if his mortality wouldn't be the demise of him, it would be his quick tongue.

"If there is nothing else you would like to share with us, I will take my leave." Vocaly directing his attentions to the group.

"I would like to meet shortly to discuss our preperations... half an hour should be adaquate for all."

Whatever Collin must do to apease himself... it shouldn't be any of my concern, not any longer.

With that if excused he sets to his quarters to pack and prepare for the trip.

[BigRedRod]

Edgley nods,
"In half an hour we will meet back here. Then we can set out together."
He looks Collin,
"We do not have a picture of the book, I'm sure our time together on the journey will be enough for you to ask any more questions that you might think up."
Edgley nods again and walks into his office, Azure thumbs through some papers on the table before her, she stops on a map and starts to study the course of a red line across it.

[Cadrius]

Varidiir squints at each of the speakers among the group. Each one having their own agendas and emotions, each one behaving so very strangely. The fiend is typically arrogant and biting in his speech. No real surprise there. Tolven sounds little different in his remarks. A proud drow? What a surprise. Almost as surprising as Collin's persistence. Bah, primes, who could figure them out anyway?

In truth Varidiir does support the priest in some matters. They had gained more knowledge from his barrage of questions. What would Varidiir have done if they hadn't received such information? The same thing he's always done. Just gone along and let the others do his thinking for him, only needing him when trouble was afoot. No more. The azer vows to voice his own opinion more often, or at the very least ask more questions.

As the people disperse the azer taps Collin on the thigh and looks up at him, his bronzed skull shining from the fire spouting from his head. He looks at the priest a moment and then says one word.

"Horses?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin looks up at his flaming friend and then down at his feet before shaking his head and shrugging. "Yeah, I know, but unless the Unknown one's horse sprouts bat wings, he might be left behind if we only have a week to get there. A heavy horse might be fearsome in combat, but in a distance run, the other horses can out pace one. Then again..."

Collin stands up and looks over Azure's shoulder at the map. In an apologetic tone he says, "Look I know you're only doing your job, but we haven't had a very easy time of it as of late. Charir died a most meaningless death and I can't stand the heat. You people were just easy targets to vent my frustration upon."

Studying the map, he traces the red trail with his finger. "Is there a shortcut we could use across the desert? The Unknown one's horse could use one if there is a way to shorten the distance. Otherwise he'll have to take a new mount."

After listening to her comments he asks, "You do have a description we could use to help locate this book we need to find, right? Most divinations require a fairly accurate decription of the person or object that you're looking for. Anything you can provide would be of some help. Also, anything you can tell me about this Mephantia would also be of some use. Tell me or us if he used a lot of fire or worked on exotic poisons, that kind of thing. It will all help us to overcome his traps if he set his lair up with them."

[BigRedRod]

Azure looks at the map
"Travelling a desert is hard work, the horses have trouble on the sand, the road however is well built. The fatest route involves traveling further in this case."

"I too mourn the loss of one of the team-members"
Azure talks rather flatly

"Mephantia was a little unpredictable, possibly all the found vaults weren't hers, some have poisons others don't. Most use rather complex mechanical traps that are aided by magic. Once you arive I would suggest extreme caution, if you miss a trap you most likely won't survive to regret your mistake"

"There are no conclusive reports of what the Grimoire looks like I'm afraid. In all the reports of it's usage it seems to have a different form, possibly there are copies, or some of the reports lied. It's too hard to say, in my opinion all that can be done is exploring the vault in hope and then if neccessary hunting down the halfling."

[itches]

Bareing his teeth at Colin, in a wicked parody of a grin, The Unknown-One

"You are right" are the only words that pass his lips, and with no more said or done he turn on his heal and stalks out of the chamber.


as he walks off, a warning to Colin echos in his head, but does not travel further

Becareful of your words cleric, you walk a knifes edge, and if you say the wrong thing, you may find your-self chewing steel.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Still talking with Azure, Collin hypothesizes, "So, best case scenario, the thief and his friends are dead inside the complex, setting off or disabling all the deadly traps, making the recovery easy. Worst case, they've looted the place and have made their way to some secret auction site. If the latter is true, I take it you'll want us to report it to you the moment we arrive in Eron? It wasn't mentioned in the brief. Besides, if you're there, you might have come across some new information."

Getting around to the book, he mentions off-hand, "Perhaps one of the others know more about this book? I'll have to ask our diviner. He generally needs more prodding in order to loosen his tongue. Sometimes it makes me wonder why we were put together."

Collin then goes in search of the Unknown one. When he finds him he asks about the book. "Unknown one, what do you know about this book? You're the diviner, can you divine something about its location, or description? Maybe look into the treasure trove it's supposed to lie in? Or if that doesn't work, locate the halfling thief?"

[BigRedRod]

Azure nods as Collin speaks,
"Yes, that would be for the best."
As Collin turns to speak to the bat creature she goes back to her study of the map, occasionally pulling out another parchment and making small notes.

****

The unknown one walks out into the dawning day. The light is a little harsh to his eyes and while he is readying his horse, to be taken for sale, Collin wanders into the day behind him and speaks

[Cadrius]

"Er...right," Varidiir says to Collin's back as he vanishes around the corner. Great, Unknown was selling his horse but what about the azer? He couldn't ride a horse without setting it on fire. He does move rather quickly on foot however and perhaps it will be possible to keep up on his own. He shrugs and heads out the door and back to his room for an afternoon of exercises and meditation. Tonight he would celebrate for soon enough they would be back on the road again.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With their need to sell Unknown's horse and find a replacement, Collin follows the dark winged fiend to the market. He takes with him his mule to sell as well. At the market he haggles for the purchase and sale for a spare horse and mule. While in the market, Collin locates a few other necessary items for the mission.

When they finally return to the secluded saftey of the house, he ask the Unknown one, "Have you given it any thought while we were out, about the book that is? Anything you might have read or heard about the tome, or the woman that sealed it up? Or are you planning on divining the information?"

[itches]

Unknown breaks his silence.

"I have been thinking about this matter, and I don’t like where my thoughts have taken me. There is very little I can do to find more information about this Halfling or the book then you can. We might have to submit to more ... hands on methods of finding out. I can read someone's thoughts, but the use of that is limited, and not guaranteed to succeed. I cannot scry for the book with out some sort of device that I seem to be lacking at the moment. Even if I did have such a device, I doubt I would be able to find it with what I know."

Sighing as they draw closer to the corral of a horse seller, Unknown falls silent again as he gathers his thoughts.

"I have heard of both the book and the tome. The woman was trying to achieve god-hood. That is a fact that I know, but then she just disappeared. And then news reaches us that that a Tome of legendary power has been found in one of her strongholds. My guess is that she succeeded. Also personally Azure understated the power of the tome. Either out of ignorance, or to throw us off. It is indeed a item of great power, one I would like very much to get my claws on."

At this Unknown flexes his hand, and gives a fanged filled grin. Stopping just before the horse trader, Unknown turns to appraise Colin.

"One thing that has been troubling my mind, and I’m not too sure why. This matter of Pandora is bugging my mind. Something tells me that it is connected, and I’m not sure what. Maybe I just need to give it more thought, I wish I had the time to delve into the matter more deeply." running a claw along his brow ridges, the fiendish creature, looking Colin in the eye.

"Tell me cleric, what do you make of this matter?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

When the Unknown one mentions the history of the book and its author, Collin's stunned as if hitting a brick wall. He shakes off the effect as they continue, but when Unknown reveals that which he was thinking, Collin once again is stunned.

"Perhaps you're using you magic on me? I was just thinking the same exact thoughts. You wouldn't remember by chance if she used a particular sigil or arcane mark? If she were successful in obtaining her heart's desire and reached the unreachable, godhood, it might be that her sigil passed on as her holy symbol. Think clearly, was her sigil made of three sharpened fingers, coming together in a circle?"

[itches]

Scratching the hair on his head, Unknown's brow ridges grow deeper still. After long thoughts, he shakes his head slightly.

"I can't recall anything about her symbol or sigil one way or the other."

After the buying and selling of horses are down, and Unknown now is in possession of a fine, black warhorse, that is still lighter then his previous one, he looks at his former house for a moment, then turns and leaves, his comment still hanging in the air.


"I rather liked that horse"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With the Unknown One falling back into his closed self once again, Collin has time to think about the new insights he's gleaned from the meeting and his talk with Unknown.

I knew we should have killed that Phayrex character when we had the chance. I still wonder what he was stealing. And why didn't Batman follow him in order to whip him or blast him with his magic? I suppose it was because we were a freshly formed unit. I'd bet that he went into those mountains, the Pandora's Teeth. Enough thinking about things past, better to set your mind on the future. I have to prepare for the complex rite. It isn't everyday I'll call upon Gul'ren's divinity in order to predict the future.

With their shopping completed, Collin retires to his room. He closes the door and bars it with a chair. With the floor clean of debris, he begins a divining ritual. The air becomes heavily laced with the smell of burning incense and the low chanting of a religious mantra.

(OOC - Collin casts Divination, 4th level clerical spell. His one question that has a 77% true answer will be..."Will we find the Grimoire Ira Scientia when we travel to Mephantia's vault?")

[BigRedRod]

A cautious and thorough search will yield pleasing results
The words whisper through the chamber and then there is only silence except for the heavy breathing from Collin.

Moments later there is a loud knocking at the door,
"Bantrus! Get your gear packed we're leaving"
Despite the muting through the door, the voice is still identifiable as that of Sub-Commander Edgley

[Gnarsh]

Lynores exits his room upon hearing the call, ready for another day of travel. He approaches sub-commander Edgely, makes a casual salute, and says "Ready for duty, sir."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin quickly gathers his belongings and joins the unit. When they're finally together, he mentions what he divined through his prayers. "I'm fairly certain through communing with my Lord that the book is still ahead of us. Whether or not we'll find it depends on our methodical search techniques. Have we the gear to bypass all matter of tricks and traps?" He directs this question to the party rogues. "If not, I'd suggest that you find the proper equipment before we leave. There isn't much out there in the desert besides sand."

[BigRedRod]

[ooc: you had a chance to buy anything special you wanted, time to roll on]

With few words Azure, Edgley and Xaemar leave the room and head to the surface of Djen. They climb astride their mounts, and Edgley looks at the assembled body of people,
"It is nine days to Eron. Just less than that to the vault. We aren't going to be riding leisurely here, we will move as fast as we can without risking the health of our steeds... Let's go"
Edgley turns and rides towards the gate, Xaemar follows and slowly the others proceed out of the town and into the almost-desert beyond.

...

Days pass, the road is wide and dusty, the sun beats down. There is a fair amount of traffic along the road, slowly moving merchant caravans mainly. Although twice a horse and rider thunder past even your own speed. The worried look is clear in Edgleys' face on both occasions.
The scenery is , for the most part, dull and repetitive. Although there are some occasional specatcular views from the road into the multi-hued desert

...

It's about an hour into the riding on the eighth day (5th of Ches) when Azure gives the signal to stop, she wheels her horse around before the team and speaks,
"Head that way"
She points roughly northward where there there is more of the floor scrub on the ground
"There will be a patch of dead earth with a central rift. That's the vault enterance. You know what to do when you find the book, find us and we can strike a blow for the Empire."
She looks expectantly at Collin when she pauses

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With the quick riders passing the group, Collin also shows some concern. "You don't suppose that our army's been spotted do you? Only messengers would be moving that quickly, pushing their horses so hard. If such is the case, you might have to push it a bit harder."

When they finally come to a stop and Azure gives the directions, Collin looks out towards the vault, "By my calculations, we've got two or three days to cross into the badlands to where the vault is. Is that a correct assumption? If so, I'm glad I brought an additional horse."

[BigRedRod]

[ooc: I may have mistyped distances somewhere to lead you to that conclusion]

Edgley dismisses Collin's questions, claiming that it "doesn't matter" and it's "too late for them to mobilise enough troops"

***

Azure looks at Collin and shakes her head,
"It should only take you about six hours of constant riding, maybe eight at the tops. But I would that making it there before the end of the day is more than possible. With the rest of today, the day after and a little more the three of us should be in Eron, we didn't make as good time as I would have hoped this far, but we still have time. From the vault it is roughly two and a half days to Eron, assuming that you can head in roughly the right direction from the vault rather than returning to the road."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Distances noted," replies Collin as he brings his horse next to Azure. When they're within arms disance, he extends his hand. "Best of luck to you. Keep an open mind though. If we need to, I'll send a telepathic message informing you of our success or the possible failure if the thief has managed to elude us. In such a case, you might keep your eyes and ears open for any leads in town since he's bound to visit."

"Heeya!" He cries as his spurs dig into his horse's flank. "May the Gods be with you!" is the last thing Azure and the others hear as he decends into the badlands.

[BigRedRod]

The hours pass and as the light begisn to wane you can see the large patc of "dead" earth before you. The ground seems to have been leeched of any life it previously contained, in it's centre there is a rift in the ground. Light spills into the shaft below, it looks like a collapsed corridor, the mounds of rubble would make climbing down the twelve or thirteen feet to the floor an easy task. From the current position it is very hard to make out any details of the interior, save that it is constructed from a blue-veined stone and is quiet to almost a distressing level.
There are a single set of heavy large footprints through the earth leading to the rift. Other than that this small area seems totally devoid of life

[Cadrius]

Varidiir squints his eyes in the dying light as he examines the mound of rubble before them. He raises one burning eyebrow and looks at the others.

"Well?" he asks, "We gonna get this taken care of?"

[itches]

"Hold onto your patience Dwarf," Unknown says, "preparations must be made"

With that, the Unknown one summons a spell to mind. Incanting, his eyes go red for a small second, before slipping back to its normal black.

((Cast Detect magic, if need be, get off the horse to do so))

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin dismounts from his horse and begins looking for a place to tether his horses. When he finds one, he begins unloading his adventuring gear. Next he make sure to feed and water his horses. Finally, he prays for strength knowing full well that with the sign of large footprints, danger must lurk nearby.

With his preparations complete, he looks towards the others, "This is unlike any of our previous missions. Who's going first? Might I suggest that it be someone who knows something about tricks and traps."

(OOC - casts bull's strength and endurance)

[BigRedRod]

The Unknown one drops from his steed and begins to chant and move his arms in mystic ciricles, as the spell is completed the vision of the creature is adjusted so that he might see the magical auras of the area. A light, unlike any aura of magic seen by the creature before, fills his vision, it burns with fantastic pain blinding the Fiend.

[OOC : Unknown is now blind]

The strength and endurance of Gul'ren flow throughout Collin's body.

The sky above remains clear and a strange shade of purple that is rapidly heading towards black. It looks to be free of any real clouds, just a few hints far away to the north.

[itches]

"Freck Kreft Zifp Quext Treen Dumberguff*" Unknown almost screams as he falls to his Knees. Continueing to Curse he switches through the many languages he knows, eventualy making his way to Vodalian.

"Fuck that hurts," he growls clutching at his eyes.

((* He is swearing in Abyssal, i would translate it, but lets try and keep this place Civilized))

[WhoNAN]

Tolven thinks for a moment, mentally noting the truth to rumors about very intense magic auras...

"Lynores and I will take head.... indeed if we are both searching the likelyhood of a deception slipping by will be far less."

He quickly takes care of his mount "wortheless", whom which he has somewhat started to grow fond of over the last few trips...

And prepares to enter the rift.

((BRR: I need to finish leveling.... I have been so blasted with trying to find a job (and now actually going to it, while trying to find another one), this has taken me a lot longer than I expected. But will hurry))

[Gnarsh]

Lynores dismounts and draws his rapier, standing next to the edge of the rift. "Alright, let's get going. The more time we spend out here, the longer it is until we get paid."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"I'll take up the rear. If anything jumps out at us from behind, I won't lose much skin since I've got this protecting me." Collin thumps his chest.

With Unknown groaning about his eyes, he asks, "What's wrong now? Is there an invisible bane laid down against your kind? What hit you?" Collin takes some tenative steps towards the winged fiend before finally shrugging it off and just knealing beside him.

When in position, he tries his best to pull Unknown's hands away from his eyes. "Where did it hit you? You have to let me see what happened before I can treat it."

[Cadrius]

Varidiir supresses an urge to chuckle as the fiend chants and then clutches his head. Karma is a wonderful thing. He spits once on the ground next to him and listens to the spittle sizzle. This cavern will likely be horrifically dangerous and full of a multitude of unpleasant things. The azer shrugs once, as long as there's something to fight he'll be happy.

[itches]

As the cleric reaches out for him, Unknown pulls away, canceling his spell. Removing his hands from his eyes, he stares out blankly, wide eyed, blinking, and seeing nothing.

Starting to swear again, he explains what happened.

"Popistuf, I cast a damn Fguit spell, to see if there was any higum magic down there. What ever is Bloody well down there it must be Glumkwen powerfull. I think it Fidit Jies blinded me."

[WhoNAN]

The dark elf notes to himself to learn Abyssal at the next opportunity.... he seems a bit perturbed when he doesn't recognize all the curses.

He proceeds carefull to look and listen to the surrounding area before proceeding... upon completion of this scan he will begin a more thorough search for anything that might not be obvious.

"Sshh... now, concentration is key.... let us not mask any more what is to be found." The Drows mind drifting into a trance as he sets about his work... more so talking to himself than anyone else.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With open hands and a shrug, Collin gives Unknown his needed space. "Look, I was only trying to help. If you don't want it, that's fine. But if I can't get close, I can't examine you."

With Unknown blinking and staring at nothing, Collin waves his hand in front of his face, looking for any reaction. Seeing no response, he utters a minor curse, "Uh damn that witch."

"I'm not sure my prayers will help you until tomorrow. Hopefully it's only temporary. We'll wait a few minutes to see if it passes. Maybe you should wash your eyes with a little water." Collin holds out his waterskin to Unknown. "Cup your hands and I'll pour some water into them. You can then wash them."

[BigRedRod]

Tolven's study of the area reveals little, in the current position above ground it's hard to examine anything in the vault itself. Although he sees that the tunnel below continues in two directions, one heading to a octagonal chamber which has a faint blue glow coming from the central large floortile. In the opposite direction there is a heap of rubble across the corridor and the remains of what looked to be a stone door or seal, the floor beyond begins to slope downwards, the room also contains a large ornately carved pillar. The passageway then, continuing downwards turns left and out of your sight.

[itches]

Cupping his hands in front of him, and slightly away from Colin, the Unknown one still mutters under his breath. As he starts to wash his eyes, he speaks loud enough for the rest of the companions to hear.

"I've never known that spell to react like that. What ever is down there, it is powerful beyond anything I have ever experienced."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin waits a few minutes after Unknown's washed his eyes. "Do you see anything yet? Or is everything still black?"

It's obvious that the curse seems to have an ill effect on the priest as he fidgits with his holy symbol. He absentmindedly rubs his thumb over the palm of his small gauntleted fist, whipering prayers that Unknown's blindness be temporary.

[BigRedRod]

As the half-fiend bathes his eyes in the water his vision gradually returns. The dark sightless world he occupied subsides and is replaced by an all-too bright blurry world.

Collin's symbol becomes slightly warmer for a moment as the vision of the sight of fiend comes back to him. Although the change was small and it could have been nothing more than the little heat produced by rubbing his thumb on the fist.

The enterance into the vault sit's nearby gaping open uninvitingly

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"It appears as if your sight has been restored, I can see your eyes focusing on my hand. Are you still willing to venture into the vault? If so why don't you take up the position next to Varidiir in the middle. I'll be the rear guard."

He turns to Tolven and Lynores and says, "Lead the way. Let's hope the book is still inside and that the thief has disabled or set off the traps."

[itches]

Squinting and un-squinting at the hands in front of him, Unknown gets up and moves to his position in the line. Taking the orders without thought such is his relief at having his sight back.

As he gets up he can be heard to mutter "Thats some damn fine water you have there."

[Cadrius]

Oh great, I'm stuck by him, Varidiir thinks as they begin to make their way into the cave, could be worse though...he could have ended up blind. I never would've heard the end of that.

The azer slowly cranes his neck back and forth as Tolven and Lynores make their way into the vault.

[BigRedRod]

The five climb down into the passageway, taking their time and studying the environment for any traps. The vault seems to be largely constructed from a blue-veined grey stone, it is fairly cool down here when compared with the surface. And everything is lit with a gentle neutral glow (and the light from the Blazing azer). The rubble up ahead appears to be the remains of a door or seal, it looks to have broken from the side on which you stand.
The pillar beyond the door is carved from the same stone and shows a deal deal, men seem to be fighting off legions of creatures of all forms and sizes.
Behind the group the octagonal chamber with the large central white central floor tile awaits, the tile glows blue and is devoid of any other decoration.


Map

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*END -9rs839

[WhoNAN]

Tolven makes some quick distinct gestures towards Lynores... simply expressing for him to check the pillar area, as he would proceed to investigate the floor tile.

((Search / Spot))

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin sits back, watching the two in front take charge of the situation. Unconsiously he holds his breath until he finally needs to take in air. With a slightly audiable, "gluph" he breaks the silence. Now that he's noticed what he's doing, he begins to explore his surroundings.

He checks the wall next to him, trying his best to determine why it glows. A quick puff of air against the ancient stonework to clear away any dust and dirt is all he does since he hasn't a clue about possible traps. Cocking his head to either side he checks the lumination given off by the mystical energies. Still, he isn't quite satisfied with the ambient light so, he digs out a torch. As he's reaching for his flint and steel he looks over at Varidiir, he whispers, "Uh, could I bother you for a light?"

With torch light illumination, Collin's happy as a clam standing in the center of the hall, waiting for word by the two scouts. While he sits under the illumination of his torch, he thinks about the curse that inflicted Unknown. He also looks up at the ceiling and wonders how close the ogre's head comes to hitting it, or how wide of a swing he might employ in such tight hallways. Looking back down at the ground he shrugs, thinking about the tracker that they might have employed. As the tromped down here, a master of such clues might have determined which direction the advanced group went. Such hindsight is always much clearer after the fact.

[BigRedRod]

Tolven walks towards the glowing tile, it is, roughly, an eight foot square, slightly raised (no more than a third of an inch) with an odd blue glow. After a fairly extensive investigation Tolven cannot find any evidence that it is concealing something

Lynores, walks through the shattered doorwar and into the next room, the floor here slopes slightly. The tiefling paces around the pillar looking if it has any purpose other than decoration, as he does so he is granted a view into the next room.
Another door seems to have been shattered and beyond that there is a garden of some sort.
A fine golden graven path leads to a closed iron heavily engraved (with rather odd designs, that are completely foreign to Lynores) door, the walls of the chamber are a deep dark blue that is almost black, it's hard to guess their material from this distance. The ground appears to be soil. Beside the path there is a large tree, it is made from a strange crystalline material, it shines with many different colours. This chamber to is also lit with a neutral light that doesn't seem to have any source.
The inspection of the pillar reveals only on detail to Lynores, one of the creatures has a small hole for a mouth. It looks like it is part of a trap, although it could equally likely be a keyhol of some description

The ceiling of the corridor in which Collin stands, is about twelve feet above the ground. It should be enough to allow an ogre to walk down without hunching. The corridor is also very wide, easily allowing for the creature to progress down, it's swing may be hampered a little, but there is no doubt that it could still fight in the area.


Map
[ooc: The little X is the hole, The red square with the X in is the tree, the brown lines are the path boundry, the green line is the door]

Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With sufficient light for his all too human eyes, Collin approaches the first downed door. He begins his search up high and then works down low, examining the frame and fragments.

"What do you make of this?" He asks Varidiir and Unknown since the others are busy with the search of the rooms. "Think maybe the ogre smashed down the doors after the little thief disabled the traps."

Collin proceeds to sift through the rubble for clues to how it brought down or if any other identifying markings were left behind.

[Gnarsh]

"Hmmm...interesting." Lynores mutters to himself as he inspects the hole. "Tolven! You may want to take a look at this!"

[itches]

Shrugging his shoulders, Unknown leans in for a closer look at the doors.

"I have no idea, I’m not a tracker. Still it seems strange. If the little thief could disable the traps. Surely he would be able to unlock the door. Why bash it in?"

[WhoNAN]

The drow diverts his attention taking caution to the hole.... and performing a thurough search of the pillar, taking all the time necessary to feel confident that he has completely inspected it.

((Search, Take 10/20 if possible)

[Cadrius]

"That's what I'd do if I were him," Varidiir says as he muses on being the size of an ogre for a moment. He gives one lamenting sigh before moving to aid Collin in his search.

"How trapped do ya think this place is?"

[WhoNAN]

Autonamously Tolven responds. "Moderate to Heavy"

And swiftly continues working without missing a beat.

[BigRedRod]

Collin is no expert but it looks fairly clear that the door was smashed from the side he was stood, it looks to have been done by a creature of some strength. Looking closely at the pieces it looks less like a door and more like a stone panel that blocked the corridor. It is covered in letters from various languages, but it's too damaged to reconstruct anything it said.

Tolven studies the area around the hole, looking for any clues to it's purpose, there is a small circular piece of stone which looks like it fit's into the floor on the ground below the pillar. The hole doesn't seem very deep, being perhaps three inches deep, it seems to be completely empty inside.

[WhoNAN]

Tolven stoops, picking up the circular stone carefully.... and then proceeds to examine it.

[BigRedRod]

The piece of stone would indeed plug the small hole, one surface is smooth, the other perfectly matches the pattern on the section of pillar, making it blend almost perfectly in with the rest of it.

map
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@rs 0 T *s -3 2s 38 rs 0 L *s -3 1i 5a rs 0 C *s -3 -7 es rs 0 *s
@-3 2h 2l rs 0 X *s -1 2o 1c rs 0 0 20 1c 2o 14 *s -1 2o s rs 0 0
@20 k 2o s *s e 56 1w rs 0 *s e 56 24 rs 0 *s e 5l 28 rs 0 *s e
@5o 1v rs 0 *s e 5m 1k rs 0 *s -1 4w 2c rs 0 0 28 2c 2g 1o 2w 1o
@2o 18 34 18 3c s 3c k 3c -4 3k -k 40 -s 48 -10 4w -s 4w -10 *s
@-1 50 8 rs 0 0 50 -8 4k -8 4k -8 4c -8 44 0 3w 0 3o -8 3o -8 3o
@0 38 8 30 0 30 8 *s -1 40 8 rs 0 0 40 8 3k 8 *s -1 50 o rs 0 0
@4s o 50 g *s -1 4z r rs 0 9zabk c s 1o k 38 4 50 -s *s -1 50 18
@rs 0 9zabk c 18 s 10 18 s 2c k 30 c 50 -4 *s -1 40 1c rs 0 9y6tc
@3k w 40 1c 3k 1c 40 w 3k w 40 1c 40 w *s -1 3s 1c rs 0 9y6tc 3s
@w 3s 1c *s -1 50 k rs 0 1edc 50 -k 50 k
*END -deqfdc

[WhoNAN]

Tolven sets his mind back from the situation for a moment just for the sole purpose of re-assesment, looking around first from where they enter to the path ahead... annd then back to the hole... thinking logically in an attempt to make an inteligent decision. Taking another look at the hole and piece, attempting to reconstruct a trap in his mind, if it is indeed one.

((OOC: BRR, I might be confused cause I'm sick, but I have no clue via the map as to what is what, or where is where... a bit of clarification would be very helpful))

[BigRedRod]

The hole points out towards the remains of the "door" which will have sealed the way towards the path and strange crystal tree. The plug lay below the hole, as if it had ben pushed out to allow something to either be released from the hole or to be placed within.
If it is a trap, it looks to have been discharged

[WhoNAN]

Tolven pops the piece into one of the many pouches adorning his vest... and continues on cautiously... to take a further look at the tree... and other surrounding areas.

((Spot, Search onward down the path... will elaborate once I figure the map out :-) )

[itches]

Walking forward to where most of the others stand, gathered around the pillar. Glancing at it for a moment, a thought occurs to Unknown, and he pulls out a wand. Pointing it at himself, and muttering a few words. After he is done, he turns to look at the others and asks.

"Anyone else want a little added protection?"

((OOC: Used wand of mage armour on himself))

[BigRedRod]

[ooc: Tolven mark down that you have that piece on you on your char sheet if you would]

The rogue silently and carefully moves onwards intothe next chamber.
The chamber radiates an awe-inspiring beauty, Tolven can feel his spirits somehow lifted and soothed for just being near to such beauty. The gravel path sparkles and shimmers, it seems to be made from a mixture of gravel and gold dust. The cavern walls are formed from a fairly plain dark-blue rock, the walls are uncarved and seem to have been left entirely natural, although it is unclear how such a cavern could have formed through natural action.
The central feature of the cavern is the small forest of crystal "trees", they sprout from the soft earth and stretch outwards in such a way that makes them resemble trees but they are not crystalline statues of trees by any means, either they are a species of plant formed from crystal that is completely unknown to Tolven or they were formed from magic by a very talented artist who could make something so like a tree and yet so very different. The crystal is multi-hued and again foreign to Tolven.


In the previous chamber the unknown one waves a wand in the air and surrounds himself with an aura of protective force.

map
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -1 1o 60 rs 0 0 -10 40 -10 5c -c 60 10 60 1o 5c 1o 40 10 3c *s
@-1 o 50 rs 0 0 0 50 o 4c o 2k *s -1 1c 4o rs 0 0 1c 4o 1c 0 *s
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@o -10 20 -10 *s -1 2c 2c rs 0 0 c 2c 10 10 1o c 2c c *s -1 2c o
@rs 0 0 1o o 2c o *s e 1d 71 rs 0 *s e 1d 7c rs 0 *s e 1h 77 rs 0
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@1c 4c 0 4c *s -1 51 9j rs 0 73 52 87 52 9j *s -1 2h 98 rs 0 73
@1u 8l 1u 99 2i 99 *s -1 18 1k rs 0 0 c o c 1k 18 1k 18 o *s -1
@18 14 rs 0 0 c 14 18 14 *s -3 b3 er rs 0 U *s -3 cd f2 rs 0 V *s
@-3 -8 ep rs 0 *s -3 28 5t rs 0 U *s -3 1s 6z rs 0 V *s -3 2s 2i
@rs 0 T *s -3 2s 38 rs 0 L *s -3 1i 5a rs 0 C *s -3 -7 es rs 0 *s
@-3 2h 2l rs 0 X *s -1 2o 1c rs 0 0 20 1c 2o 14 *s -1 2o s rs 0 0
@20 k 2o s *s e 56 1w rs 0 *s e 56 24 rs 0 *s e 5l 28 rs 0 *s e
@5o 1v rs 0 *s e 5m 1k rs 0 *s -1 4w 2c rs 0 0 28 2c 2g 1o 2w 1o
@2o 18 34 18 3c s 3c k 3c -4 3k -k 40 -s 48 -10 4w -s 4w -10 *s
@-1 50 8 rs 0 0 50 -8 4k -8 4k -8 4c -8 44 0 3w 0 3o -8 3o -8 3o
@0 38 8 30 0 30 8 *s -1 40 8 rs 0 0 40 8 3k 8 *s -1 50 o rs 0 0
@4s o 50 g *s -1 4z r rs 0 9zabk c s 1o k 38 4 50 -s *s -1 50 18
@rs 0 9zabk c 18 s 10 18 s 2c k 30 c 50 -4 *s -1 40 1c rs 0 9y6tc
@3k w 40 1c 3k 1c 40 w 3k w 40 1c 40 w *s -1 3s 1c rs 0 9y6tc 3s
@w 3s 1c *s -1 50 k rs 0 1edc 50 -k 50 k
*END -deqfdc

[Cadrius]

"Er...lad?" the azer nudges the priest before clearing his throat and repeating his question, louder this time, "I said, how trapped do ya think this place is?"

He plants his bronzed hands on his hips and awaits a response.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Best to ask those two," Collin responds to Varidiir as he points into the next room. "In fact I think I heard Tolven say, 'Moderate to Heavy.' I'd trust their judgement since I've no experience in such things."

When the Unknown one asks about granting added protection, Collin shakes his head. "Nay, I'm protected and favored by my God. Although, Varidiir might take you up on that offer."

Collin then pokes his head into the next chamber, and whispers to Tolven. "Psst, is it safe to come in, or should we continue to wait out here? Oh, you might be on your guard. Whatever knocked down these doors was big. My instincts tell me that the ogre's about."

[Cadrius]

"Ogres," Varidiir licks his lips, the saliva sizzling slightly, "sounds like fun."

He is eager to brawl with the beast but has the good sense to let those who are adept at finding traps to do their business. Yet he cracks his knuckles in both hands and and grins while the flame from the crown of his skull dances overhead.

[Gnarsh]

"Is it safe, Tolven?" Lynores calls to the dark elf. "I'm not particularly skilled in finding or disabling traps, just to let you know."

[BigRedRod]

Tolven re-appears in view of Lynores and nods,
"Not a single trap or lock I can find anywhere in the chamber, including on the door. "

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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@o -10 20 -10 *s -1 2c 2c rs 0 0 c 2c 10 10 1o c 2c c *s -1 2c o
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@rs 0 L *s -3 1i 5a rs 0 C *s -3 -7 es rs 0 *s -3 2h 2l rs 0 X *s
@-1 2o 1c rs 0 0 20 1c 2o 14 *s -1 2o s rs 0 0 20 k 2o s *s e 56
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@-1 40 8 rs 0 0 40 8 3k 8 *s -1 50 o rs 0 0 4s o 50 g *s -1 4z r
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@18 s 2c k 30 c 50 -4 *s -1 40 1c rs 0 9y6tc 3k w 40 1c 3k 1c 40
@w 3k w 40 1c 40 w *s -1 3s 1c rs 0 9y6tc 3s w 3s 1c *s -1 50 k
@rs 0 1edc 50 -k 50 k *s -1 3k 2c rs 0 0 3k 2c 2w 24 2g 1o 20 1o
@1s 10 28 s 1s 4 *s -1 3s s rs 0 0 1k s 14 4 1k -4 28 -4 2g -c 2w
@-c 3c -k 3s -c *s -3 47 1w rs 0 T *s -1 3c o rs 0 9y6tc 2o 0 2o
@o 3c o 3c 0 2o 0 3c o *s -1 3c o rs 0 9y6tc 2o o 3c 0 *s -1 3g
@24 rs 0 9y6tc 38 1w 38 24 3g 24 3g 1w 38 1w 3g 24 3g 1w 38 24 *s
@-1 3c 1w rs 0 9y6tc 2w 1g 2w 1w 3c 1w 3c 1g 2w 1g 3c 1w 3c 1g 2w
@1w *s -1 3s 1o rs 0 9y6tc 3c 18 3c 1o 3s 1o 3s 18 3c 18 3s 1o 3s
@18 3c 1o *s -1 3o g rs 0 9y6tc 3o 8 3o g 3g g 3g 8 3o 8 3g g 3g
@8 3o g
*END -t8e435

[Gnarsh]

Lynores calls back to Collin, Unknown, and Varidiir, "Looks safe! Let's get moving!"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Trusting in the Lynores' assessment of the room, Colin proceeds inside. Now that he can approach the decorated pillar, he circles around it. As he studies the imageshe thinks back to his learning days as an acolyte.

Do these images make sense? What if I look at it from this direction, does the picture make more sense? Where have I seen that before? Maybe it was...

After looking it over for a good minute or so, Collin asks the group,"Can anyone make any sense out of these images?"

[BigRedRod]

The pillar is covered with engravings, most show clusters of men (or at least they appear to be humans) fighting creatures approaching from all directions. The creatures themselves seem to be randomly pieced together and bear little or no relation to anything the cleric has seen previously. The creatures and the men are however not in contact, the men stand in small circles looking outwards, weapons ready and the creatures appear to be moving inwards but it looks like it shows the very beginning of a battle.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin gets an idea, he assumes a similar position to one of the figures etched on the pillar. With his back to the pilar he looks out towards the wall, checking the floor and ceiling. He then shuffles around the pilar doing the same thing with each step until he's completed a full circle.

Let's see, what if I do this like they do on the pillar? There's that monsterous form there, what if if something's up here? No? How about over here...

[Cadrius]

"All safe, eh?" Varidiir asks before following Collin into the room. His eyes flick to the statue and his brow furrows in an attempt to understand the presented picture. The men are fighting...animals? No, but they're something, something strange.

However his attention quickly shifts as the priest begins to shuffle around the pillar with his back to it.

"Er, lad? What're you doing?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"I'm imitating the pictures. It may be that the pictures are a clue of some sort. If you look behind me, you'll notice that the men are facing outward in a circle." Collin points behind himself. "I just thought that if I did the same, something may be revealed. I'm also trusting that the traps have been eliminated."

[BigRedRod]

Collin returns to his original position after circling the pillar, there is no evidence that his actions have had any impact upon the vault.

[itches]

Joining the others in examining the pictures on the pillar, wracking his brain for any clue or idea of what they are or mean - that is untill he is distracted by the sight of the cleric posturing around the pillar.

Watching silently until he had completed a full circuit, Unknown suppresses a small smile at the human's antics - they just might pay off after all

"Did you learn anything?"

[WhoNAN]

"Most likely a depiction of what we could expect, if not previously triggered.... be on guard"

Tolven flicks his eyes about the room in the hopes of finding any traces of a skirmish, battle, or opening to allow anything in or out beyond the obvious.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Shaking his head he responds, "Nope, nothing, but like Tolven said, it might be foreshadowing events to come. Beset to be on our guard."

The crystaline room beyond catches his eye as the looks through the next doorway. "What's over there?" Before he steps into the chamber he stalls. "Oh, is the next room clear?"

[WhoNAN]

"it would seem, that they have left their chosen path disarmed... I will let you know if anything dangerous catches my eye."

Tolven continues cautiously forward scanning and searching for anything worth noting.

[Cadrius]

Varidiir first clenches his fists at the mention of a possible battle but quickly relaxes his muscles once he realizes that no trap is giong to be set off.

"Too bad," he mutters, "monsters pourin' out of a trap, almost sounds like fun."

The azer trails behind Collin as they move into the next room.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Mental note, the pictures in the second room might provide a clue to something further down the road.

"Any idea what that other room was for," Collin asks the group's two trap experts as he points back the way they came. "The one that you made just a quick examination of. There wasn't another way out of that room was there? A secret door, passageway or teleportation circle perhaps?"

He steps into the crystalline room and stares in wonder at the large tree shaped structures. "I don't think I've ever seen such masterful works of art. These things must be worth a fortune. Maybe when our mission's complete we should come back here and remove them." In a joing tone he continues, "Help fund the war effort."

More serious he asks, "Which way? Let's see...any large holes big enough for an ogre to pass through?" He begins to look for traces that the halfling and his goon may have passed this way, a broken or smashed object like a door might be just the proof that he needs..

[BigRedRod]

The only visible exit, after Tolven's investigation, would appear to be the closed door at the other end of the path through the chamber of crystal trees. There is no sign of any destruction in this room, the gravel path itself seems completely undisturbed.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

While Tolven scouts out the exit, Collin examines the crystalline trees and the ground around them.

If these are magical trees, and grow on their own, maybe they leaves seeds like normal trees? Or maybe the halfing and ogre broke branches off them. If they did, there should be some shards left over.

[WhoNAN]

"This chamber was the end of the line for our predisessors(sp?) ... was there any other ways back along their path?"

[BigRedRod]

The trees seem perfectly intact and the ground is clear from any signs of shards of crystal which may indicate otherwise

[Gnarsh]

"Okay, maybe you guys don't realize it, but there's a DOOR at the end of the room. It looks unlocked. Now, we could just sit in this garden all day, looking at crystal trees and posing like a few paintings, or we could open the door and see what's behind it. Understand?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Well then by all means why don't you lead the way!" Responds Collin to Lynores' comment about speed.

Thinking to himself, his thoughts begin to wander. I am no thief and have not knowlege of possible tricks and traps that the builders or that halfling may have left. So why should I take the forward possition? Doesn't it make more sense to keep the group's healer in the middle? Bunch of fools to want me to take the point. It's like asking Unknown to lead us into well, the Unknown.

Collin quietly laughs at his last thought. Unknown leading us into the unknown...that's amusing but then again if you know one's self...

Addressing Lynores, Collin says to him, "Are you going to just stand there Lynores? You wish us to push forward so scout out and lead the way. We'll be right behind you." Collin readies himself with his holy symbol in hand and his prayers on his lips. He positions himself so that Lynores and the door won't obstruct his view into the other room. Thus he's not standing directly in front of the door, but to one side, the one with the hinge (assuming that the door opens away from the room that they're standing in).

[WhoNAN]

Tolven walks to the door with a look on his face of complete ambiguity.... although the look is mindful of a thought... that thought not expressed.

Door once over for traps is opened... with Tolven opening it upon himself, keeping his body fully behind the door swinging it open on the room.

[Cadrius]

"Well, the trees are rather nice," Varidiir says as he watches each crystal tree catch and reflect the flames emanating from his head. However he shuts his mouth as he sees the looks painted on his companions' faces. Clearly they aren't impressed.

"Right," he says, "let's get to it."

[BigRedRod]

Tolven pulls on the heavy ring attached to the door, it moves grudgingly for a moment and then, with a slight mechanical noise, it smoothly opens inwards into the crystal garden.

Light pours out from the door and there is a faint smell of something very unpleasant but unidentifiable. As the eyes of the group adjust they see the corriodr beyond the door is made almost entirely of mirrors (except for a trail down the centre of the room made from black stone hexagonal slabs, veined with what looks like quartz, the stones also have holes in the centre)
There is a matching heavy iron door at the opposite end of the corridor, it stands with one door closed and the other half open, the room beyond is hard to make out without closer inspection, although it appears to be lightless.

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -1 1o 60 rs 0 0 -10 40 -10 5c -c 60 10 60 1o 5c 1o 40 10 3c *s
@-1 o 50 rs 0 0 0 50 o 4c o 2k *s -1 1c 4o rs 0 0 1c 4o 1c 0 *s
@-1 o 3g rs 0 0 o 3g o 18 *s -1 20 2c rs 0 0 -o 2c -1c 10 -1c -10
@o -10 20 -10 *s -1 2c 2c rs 0 0 c 2c 10 10 1o c 2c c *s -1 2c o
@rs 0 0 1o o 2c o *s e 1d 71 rs 0 *s e 1d 7c rs 0 *s e 1h 77 rs 0
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@18 14 rs 0 0 c 14 18 14 *s -3 b3 er rs 0 U *s -3 cd f2 rs 0 V *s
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@rs 0 L *s -3 6t 1n rs 0 C *s -3 -7 es rs 0 *s -3 2h 2l rs 0 X *s
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@k 3c -4 3k -k 40 -s 48 -10 4w -s 4w -10 *s -1 50 8 rs 0 0 50 -8
@4k -8 4k -8 4c -8 44 0 3w 0 3o -8 3o -8 3o 0 38 8 30 0 30 8 *s
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@-1 6o 0 rs 0 0 3c 0 6o 0 *s -1 50 4 rs 0 1edc 50 -4 4c 4 *s -1
@50 k rs 0 1edc 50 k 4c k *s -1 6o c rs 0 1edc 6o -c 6o c *s -1
@6w k rs 0 1edc 6g k 6w c
*END z2xu0y

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With his torch held high, Collin stands next to Tolven in the doorway. He moves it back and forth, up and down watching how the light reflects off the walls. "Who ever constructed thi place must not have been right in the head. You don't suppose that something comes out of the holes or needs to go into them do you?"

[WhoNAN]

Tolven proceeds carefully scanning for traps, searching for anything unusual, proceeding towards the holes, removeing the peg from his pocket, and examining the pillars for similiar holes / pegs.

[BigRedRod]

Tolven takes a few stpe sinto the room and examines the first tile

The only holes would appear to be the central ones in each tile, however they are far smaller than the peg found by the pillar. It's difficult to see just how deep they travel into the floor, it is difficult to see anything about them except that they are narrow and at least at the top at circular. Whether anything fitted into them, was released or if they are simply decoration is a question that Tolven finds few clues to in his search of the corridor.

The tiles and holes all seem indentical from the start of the mirror passge to the opposite end with it's half-opened door

[WhoNAN]

He makes a final examination and search for traps about the pillars before waiving the rest of the party in non-chealaunlty (sp?)

[WhoNAN]

OOC: Substitute tile for pillars.

[Gnarsh]

"It's safe?" Lynores mumbles as he strides into the room. "Well then, on to the next one!" He says as he walks over and opens the next set of doors.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin thinks about the holes and partially open door and comes up with an idea. "How about we use a rope and grapling hook to pull the door? You know, test it out to make sure that the room isn't trapped. If the door slams shut or something comes out of the holes, we'll be safe in the other room."

[Gnarsh]

Lynores stops just as he is about to grab the door to open it, then turns to Collin. "That's an excellent idea. Anyone have any rope?"

[BigRedRod]

As Lynores reaches the half-way point through the corridor there is a sudden strained mechanical noise. The doors ahead shudder briefly and everyone can hear a slow hissing sound, the odd smell becomes much more noticable.

[Gnarsh]

"Well that can't be good," Lynores says as the sound is heard. He smells the air, noting the scent. "I would suggest getting out of here pretty quick. It's probably poison." He says while starting back towards the door.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Hurry! The door before it closes!" Collin digs in with his shoulder to make sure that Lynores and Tolven can get out. Once free of the trap Collin releases the door and allows it to do what ever it's supposed to do.

"A gas trap, eh? Should we take some additonal precautions? Maybe tear some blankets, water them down and then try to pass through the hall. Did you see how the door at the far end shuddered, as if it wanted to close but couldn't. Maybe the thing's been partially disarmed, or the broken door indicates the ogre's handiwork." He looks at the two roguish leaders for an answer.

[WhoNAN]

Tolven makes a quick leap and roll out of the area landing silently and spinning to his feet without effort.

((Attempted quickness of tumbling out of room))

[BigRedRod]

Collin pushes against the door and it returns the effort. Pain spreads throughout his body as the door begins to force him backwards. Lynores darts into the corridor
With a gasp Collin falls backwards into the room of crystal trees., as the door slams backwards Tolven easily slides through and lands on the floor in a graceful crouch. The air in this room contains only the barest hint of whatever created the odour(sp?) in the mirror corridor

[Cadrius]

"Well," Varidiir says, two bronze fists planted on his hips, "that was certainly interesting. What're you boys up to? Poisons and swinging doors?" He shakes his head in mirth before asking, "What'd you see in there? And what's that smell?

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Are you okay?" Collin asks the two scouts as he gives them a hand up to their feet. "What do we now? Maybe cut down a crystal tree and use it to prop the door open? Or use the watered masks and just run for it?"

[itches]

Looking towards where the two scouts came dashing back from, Unknown casts a cantrip.

Once his spell is completed, he says something to noone inparticular.

"If that was poison in there, I should head into the room now Poison will have no effect on me"

((OOC:Cast detect posion))

[WhoNAN]

"Seem to be maintaning for the moment... although if we are affected it couild have a delay... won't know for sure."

Turnns to the Winged one.

"All we need to know is if there is ventalation... if the far door remains open throughout the trigger, it should vent... and we could make it through unaffected.... but no need to fear a necessary exposure..."

[BigRedRod]

As unknown glances at the sealed metal doors his enhanced senses reveal to him small wisps of poisonous air, it does not look like it will be harmful in such small doses but the nature of the gas besides it's poisonous nature is unclear to the diviner

[Cadrius]

"Well," Varidiir asks, "what's the plan? Is, uh, Unknown, gonna look into it or are we gonna need to find another way around. Ooh, or maybe we could..." The azer trails off into a muttering of half-baked ideas, most involving some sort of fan to blow the poison out of the room.

He snaps out of his brief reverie and looks around expectantly.

[itches]

"You all probobly should get back away from the door a bit," Unknown mutters to the others, as he proaches the door.

Stealing himself, the half-feind reaches out and attempts to open it.

[BigRedRod]

The door seems firmly secured shut, the fiend's attempts to move the doors do very little but tire him.

[WhoNAN]

Tolven seeing the fiends frustration moves inward... and examines the door.

"Locking mechanism, is surely part of this trap... one moment"

With the knowledge that something has to be there he carefully takes his time to find the reminants of the trap accessible on this side of the door, and disarm them.

[BigRedRod]

Pushing himself against a wall, the elf begins to push long probes between the door and wall. After a few moments he steps back slightly to select another tool and crouches in the corner.
The rogue being sto slowly chip away at a section of the wall in the corner, after a few minutes of cautious activity a plate slips forwards which is deftly caught and placed on the ground. The missing plate reveals a section of a machine involing cogs, pulleys and other strange items.
After another minute or so of careful study, Tolven reaches into the machiary and pulls on what appeared to be a support bar, it moves downwards easily and the machinary beings to move.
There is a loud hissing noise for at least two minutes then a sudden click which leaves the hall in silence. A gridning noise fills the silence and the door begins to sweep open. Tolven stands back with the knowledge of a job well done

[WhoNAN]

OOC: From studying the trap, was a mechanism for poison release found, or just evacuation and door?

[BigRedRod]

[ooc: The mechanism you exploited seemed to control the door opening rather than the trap itself]

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin claps his gauntleted hands together with a clank. "Yes!" He exclaims with joy as the path opens before them. "Like I asked before, do we hold our breath and make a run for it?" He looks at the bat winged one and corrects himself, "Unknown being the exception of course."

[Gnarsh]

"Well, that depends. How long do you think it would take for the room to air out if we opened the doors?

[Cadrius]

"Uh, how far are you planning on running without breathing there, lad?" Varidiir asks as he peers through the opening of the door.

"I'd rather not get halfway down and then keel over if you know what I'm saying."

Look at you, he thinks, afraid of a little poison. You've spent all this time perfecting your body and soul and you can't even deal with a little poison? Pathetic.

"All right," he says, "forget it. Let's just suck it up and run."

[WhoNAN]

"I believe the chamber is already ventilated... although I would advise caution."

He turns to the two winged wonderboy and asks "Do you care to investigate first?"

[itches]

"Why not," the two winged wonderboy replys. Slowly steping into the chamber, and looking around.

[BigRedRod]

The corridor remains as it was previously, the hssing noise is now gone, the odd smell is much elevated but otherwise it seems indentical.

[itches]

Slowy pacing his way through the chamber, Unknown walkes up to the other door, pauses for a moment, to peer through it, then turns and slowly walks his way back to the others.

[BigRedRod]

As the fiend reaches the half-way point of the corridor the strained mechanical sound returns, the door before him judders. The sound of the poisonous gas entering the corridor also returns

[WhoNAN]

OOC: Was waiting on Itches but thought I might inspire some action... so here goes.

Tolven notes the locking mechanism set in... and waits as the door shuts... and then proceed over to the mechanism, noting the ventalation in the surrounding area.

"Back off the door a bit, this should re-evacuate the chamber... but if it doesn't its coming out this way."

He then proceeds to disarm the trap, to expedite the reports of the winged one.

[BigRedRod]

The hissing noise starts again, and after a few minutes the door before Tolven reopens.
The corridor remains as it was before, with a half-fiend stood mid-way along it's length, from his exploration of the corridor he has located the area which standing on causes the trap's activation

[WhoNAN]

"Find the spot?" Tolven mutters in abit of a half tone... expecting the answer, and already making his way towards the doorway.

"We've spent enough time on this obsticle... the path beyond might hold promise of something that should not wait."

[itches]

Getting out a coin, Unknown drops it on the tile that he had troden on when the gas started to be released.

As the door re-opens, the half-feind calls back to his companions.

"Stay there, I've located at least one trigger for the gas-trap, i'm going to check if there are any more."

Turning away from them, Unknown begins to carefull continue walking up the corrador.

[BigRedRod]

As the minutes pass the doors open and close several times, and Tolven dutifully resets it. Until when Tolven resets the trap and the half-fiend is tood at the opposite end, arms folded.
On four of the tiles a coin has been placed

[WhoNAN]

"I'll take that..." the dark elf then proceeds to resume point... moving through the corridor, pausing at the other side to scout before entering.

[BigRedRod]

Tolven stealthily moves into the next chamber, the air immediately feels fresh and the drow can feel the wind on his face. Before him lies a chasm, on the opposite side another large shut door. The ground before him was once tiled in the same manner as the entry corridor, with large square blue-veined grey stone. However at the edge of the chasm the ground has fallen into the dark depths below, making the edge deeply irregular. If there was a bridge here once it has now fallen.
The chasm continues far beyond Tolven's vision downwards and to his right. The wall to the left is very odd, it looks like a night sky, small stars occasionally twinkle on it's "surface".

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*END a969af

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"So, step on the coins, or don't step on the coins?" Asks Collin as he readies himself to cross through the corridor. Shrugging, he steps only where Tolven stepped. When he reaches the other end, he gasps, not realizing that he had held his breath the entire way.

Between breaths, he looks around at the new room they've arrived in and asks, "Now that was easy. (Gasp!) What's next? (Gasp!) Bring it on you dead Beeyatch! (Gasp!) Do you smell that? (Gasp!) I didn't step on the trap did I?"

[WhoNAN]

With no real belief that this is the true state of the "room" he starts searching in disbelief.

What Illusion is here, and what does it hide... is that chasm real, or merely a deception.

He continues carefully.

As Collin speaks he listens carefully for an echo, in an attempt to judge the area.

OOC: Search, Attempt to Disbelieve any illusions, Listen, Spot...all taking time.

[BigRedRod]

Despite Tolven's best efforts the room seems real enough. The edge of the chasm seems to be strong enough to support his weight despite it's appearance, it's hard to tell whether the weathering of the edge is real or if it was constructed that way, but it was very talented construction if this is the case.
The room is solid, the chasm is very deep and it lacks any significant details, it is simply a room with a chasm and a wall that mimics the night sky

[Gnarsh]

Lynores follows the others to the next room.

Well that's an odd wall if I ever saw one. So is batboy going to ferry us across, or what?

[WhoNAN]

"A very odd taste in interior decorating... I will say that." Scaring himself with the bad atempt at humor that seemed to unconciously slip from his lips he again set back to studing the room.

"Any ideas or preferences... " He says to Collin and Unknown who can actually see the roomo, and annoying crack in the ground.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Shall we see how deep this hole is?" Collin asks as he looks around for a small rock. "We could toss something down there and listen to how long it takes to hit the bottom."

Finding a rock or not, he says, "Don't you wish we could toss that halfling we're looking for?" He chuckles at the thought.

Looking at the wall with stars, he turns to the others, Tolven in particular and asks, "You don't suppose this is a magical trap of some sort? Do either of you detect the presence of magic?"

Collin begins to stare at the stars. Is there a pattern? He asks himself. Does it resemble the night sky? Or is there something else that it represents? After a few moments, he walks closer to the wall and edge. As the approaches the edge, he slows his steps, stopping a good three feet from the chasm. From there he once again looks at the stars. Maybe a closer look will give me a better insight?

When his eyes tire from staring at the stars, he rotates around and stares at the other wall, opposite the star wall. Why only one side?

He makes that thought known to all, "Hey, why are the lights only on one side? And don't tell me that the mad woman that built this place ran out of money."

[itches]

Ignoreing the Cleric, Unknown walks as close to the Wall of Stars as he can. Pulling out yet another coin, he pulls back his arm, and throws it at the wall.

[BigRedRod]

The coin strikes the wall and rebounds, however rather than falling into the chasm it travels sideways over the chasm and across the chamber, dissapearing into the blackness opposite the wall of stars. After a few confused seconds the very faint sound of the coin striking a stone surface, and slowly coming to rest can be heard

[Cadrius]

"Well, here goes nothing," Varidiir says, uncertain if he imbued the cliche phrase with more meaning than it was intended to have. The burning dwarf takes a deep breath and then begins to weave his way through the passageway.

Coins? his pace slows as he sees various coins scattered about on seemingly random tiles. Not close enough together to walk on them. Must have to avoid them...I hope.

He skirts the tiles containing coins, trying to see where the others had gone before him. As he remerges out the other side he sees the caustic tongued fiend hurl a coin at what looks like an abyss. Yet the coin skips along and slides across.

"I'll be damned," he breathes, "what kind of abyss does that. And what's with that wall?"

[itches]

Still ingoreing everyone, Unknown digs through his gear untill he comes up with length of rope. Walking to the left/down side of the Chasm (operset to the Star Wall) he throws out an end of it, and watches to see which way it falls.

[BigRedRod]

It falls downwards briefling and then begins to uncoil and fall sideways, away from the star covered wall.
By looking at the rope, it can be seen that the strnage action begins roughly at the edge of the chasm

[itches]

Pulling the rope back in, Unknown places it ont he ground, them walks back up towards the Star Wall.

Taking a deep breath, he launches into the air, trying to prepare himself for the shift in gravity.

If he is so able he will fly to the other side.

[BigRedRod]

The suspicions of the half-fiend are correct, and despite his prepartions the sudden gravitational shift causes his stomach to lurch.
Opening his wings to let him glide seems almost impossible, air rushes up from beneath him, and he tumbles in circles.
Then the worls revolves again and the unknown one finds himself sprawled on the ground at the other side of the chasm

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

After watching Unknown float across the chasm, Collin cranes his neck over the edge. Peering down into the depths, he shakes his head at the thought of doing what the winged fiend just did.

"No way!" He says. "Not a chance in hell am I going to do that." Looking across at Unknown, he stiffly comments, "And no, you're not going to carry me over. Who knows what trick you'd pull for your fiendish delights. Yeah, ha-ha funny, let's leave Collin suspended in the air half-way over the reversed hole. No, no way am I going over that way."

Turning to the others he asks, "Isn't there some way to turn the trap off? Or maybe bridge the gap with some of those tree things in the other room?"

[Cadrius]

Varidiir watches with interest as Unknown launches himself across the chasm. He isn't sure why they're making such a big deal, but he quickly finds out as the fiend twists through the air only to land on his face at the other side.

The azer pauses a moment and then bursts into laughter. His voice is deep and sounds almost like the crackle of a fire. He catches Unknown's glare and turns his laughter into a cough, suddenly finding the ground far more interesting to look at.

He moves to stand next to Collin and Tolven. Looking up at the drow and then the human he asks, "So what's with the chasm? I don't think he just did that for our enjoyment."

Gazing at the far side he tilts his head to one side. He half-mutters, "Maybe if I run fast enough..."

[itches]

Rubbing his head where he fell, Unknown takes a look around.

"Alright, if we manage to stretch the rope across here, most of you should be able to make it across. Marrek: Do you by any chance, know the spell Spiderclimb? If so it would be of great assistance in this situation."

[WhoNAN]

"Not my forte"... the odd gravity or wind is most likely a deterent to crossing via rope... I don't feel like going blind... or I might suggest attempting to get to the bottum of this wall... I suggest we give it a close look, it is repelling things away from it... that could suggest there is something -behind there." As far as the revine... is there anything over there worth crossing it for?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin looks up to the ceiling. "Hey, how about securing a rope up there and swinging across? If the gap doesn't pull us down, we should be able to just leap it with the rope."

He unslings his crossbow and begins to figure out a way to secure a rope to a bolt. "You don't suppose the ceiling will hold a bolt long enough for all of us to swing across?"

Taking a second to look around he stops his busy work and asks, "Say, how do you think that thief got across? You don't suppose his ogre buddy just threw him across the gap do you?"

[Gnarsh]

Even if he did get thrown across, Collin, that doesn't explain how the ogre made it over. Say...wait...spider climb...I have 3 potions of spider climb! It may leave one person without it, but it's better than our other options.

Lynores begins digging through his pack for his potions.

[itches]

"I would suggest that someone who can search this aera for traps make thier way over before any of the others," Unknown says, still absently rubbing his head head where he landed.

"And my guess is our theif teleported across."

[Gnarsh]

Lynores gives one potion each to Collin, Varidiir, and himself, drinkin his and making his way up the wall, across the ceiling to the other side, and down the other wall.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

While the others scamper across walls and ceilings, Collin collects Unknown's gear that was left behind. Shouldering the pack, he quaffs the potion and makes his way over, following behind Lynores. Safey on the other side, he hands Unknown his possessions. "I thought you might want these things back."

Clasping his hands together he makes himself ready for the next obstacle. "What's next? Let's see, old doors, poison gas, crystal trees, giant pit... you know the more I think about it, the more I like my original idea. I was thinking that we should just wait by the exit and jump the thief as he exits. I bring this up now since at some point we'll have to go back, right?"

"Of course by then the thief might have in his hands the 'Ultimate Power' or whatever it is that's buried down here. I still wish we could have been given a straight answer. I hate working in the dark." Before Varidiir can say anything, Collin looks at the Azer and makes a stern face, "Ah no, you know what I mean."

[itches]

Nodding to Collin, Unkown takes the gear with out a word and turns to look at the door.

"The problem with the wait at the exit plan, is we don't know where the exit is. There might be another way out."

[WhoNAN]

Tolven chugs the odd tasting liquid and follows over.

[Cadrius]

Varidiir examines the vial given to him. He looks at Unknown and then Tolven before shrugging and drinking it. The azer wrinkles his nose and emits a "blech."

"What's in that? Actual spiders?"

[BigRedRod]

The group cross the chasm, climbling across the ceiling and managing to resist the pull of the shifting gravity from the strange pit.

The opposite side seems untrapped, as does the door (which seems to be almost identical to the previous). The door itself seems to lack any locking mechanism

[ooc: the map is playing that fun game where it duplicates itself for me again, so the map text is gonna get longer until it gets tot he point wghere I go crazy and try again]

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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@30 *s -1 7g s rs 0 0 78 k 7g s *s -1 7g 30 rs 0 0 7g 2s 78 30 *s
@-1 60 3c rs 0 0 4w 2o 60 3c *s -1 7c 3c rs 0 0 60 3c 7c 2o *s -1
@6o 3c rs 0 1edc 5c 3c 6o 3c *s -1 7c 1c rs 0 9zl6o 3c o 3k 1c 3s
@w 40 1c 48 w 4g o 4g w 4o w 4w 14 54 14 5c w 5k w 5s w 60 14 68
@w 68 w 6g w 6w o 6w o 74 g 7c 0 *s -1 78 30 rs 0 9zl6o 3g 1o 3o
@1w 3o 1w 3w 24 44 24 44 24 4k 24 4s 2c 50 2c 50 2c 58 24 5g 2c
@5w 2c 64 2c 6c 2c 6k 2c 6s 2k 70 2s 70 2s 78 30
*END ba83t3

[itches]

"Well," Unknown says once his gear is back on. "Let's see what other suprises the lovely Mephantia left us."

Moving up he thrust open the door.

((OOC Assuming it thrusts ))

[BigRedRod]

The doors reveal a wide staircase which descneds before the party. A short way ahead it turns ninety degrees and continues it's downwards path

[ooc: I'll be starting a fresh map next time, it will link up the end of this one with the start of the next]

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
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@rs 0 L *s -3 bo 5y rs 0 C *s -3 -7 es rs 0 *s -3 2h 2l rs 0 X *s
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@3g 1w 38 24 *s -1 3c 1w rs 0 9y6tc 2w 1g 2w 1w 3c 1w 3c 1g 2w 1g
@3c 1w 3c 1g 2w 1w *s -1 3s 1o rs 0 9y6tc 3c 18 3c 1o 3s 1o 3s 18
@3c 18 3s 1o 3s 18 3c 1o *s -1 3o g rs 0 9y6tc 3o 8 3o g 3g g 3g
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@*s -1 7g 30 rs 0 0 7g 2s 78 30 *s -1 60 3c rs 0 0 4w 2o 60 3c *s
@-1 7c 3c rs 0 0 60 3c 7c 2o *s -1 7c 1c rs 0 9zl6o 3c o 3k 1c 3s
@w 40 1c 48 w 4g o 4g w 4o w 4w 14 54 14 5c w 5k w 5s w 60 14 68
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@5w 2c 64 2c 6c 2c 6k 2c 6s 2k 70 2s 70 2s 78 30 *s -1 60 40 rs 0
@0 60 2o 60 40 *s -1 6o 40 rs 0 0 6o 2o 6o 40 *s -1 64 3s rs 0
@1edc 5w 2w 64 3s *s -1 6o 3s rs 0 1edc 6o 2w 6g 3s *s -1 6o 50
@rs 0 0 6o 3o 6o 50 40 50 *s -1 60 4c rs 0 0 4o 4c 60 4c *s -3 bu
@8g rs 0 Stairs Down
*END -7m2c2w

[WhoNAN]

Tolven moves to point... shushing the group... and waiving for a bit of distance. He peers around and listens... and slowly proceeds forward.... stepping silently... from shadow to shadow along the outside of the staircase, until he reaches the bend. At this poin he peers around the corner slowly... silently... before waiving the others forward.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With Tolven giving the "all clear" sign, Collin begins to tip toe behind.

*Clank!* *Clank!* *Clank!*

*Silence*

*Clank!* *Clank!* *Clank!*

*Silence as he looks around behind him and makes a shushing motion to everyone around*

*Clank!* *Clank!* *Clank!*

*Sigh* Frustration kicks in and Collin droops his shoulders. "This isn't going to work. I'm not stealthy and I shouldn't even bother trying. Just tell me when it's okay for me to move on down."

(OOC - Collin's move silently and hide skill nets out to a mighty -6.) :nervous:

[Cadrius]

Varidiir shakes his head, bemused at walking along walls and ceilings.

"Just isn't natural," he says, looking "up" at the bottom of the chasm.

The azer winces at Collin's cacaphony as he moves down the hall way. He grins at the priest and claps him on the vambrace.

"Don't worry lad. Hopefully we'll have some fun soon enough."

[BigRedRod]

Tolven carefully moves himself down the stairs and is eventually greeted by the site of the lower floor of the vault.

Ahead stands a large archway, the doors which sealed it are both wide open. Across the archway, there is something written, but not in a language familiar to the drow.

To the left of the doors there is a small pile of rubble. It looks like a hole was broken in the wall, and there is machinary of some kinda located in the revealed space (but from this distance it's hard to judge exactly what it does).

On either side of the hall in which Tolven now stands there are two sections of clearly different wall to the surrounding. THey are unmarked, but unmarked and without any of the blue-veining that the rest of the masonary contains.

Beyond the doors there is little, the key feature seems to be the chamber at the far end of the hall, the lighting isn't the same strange neutral glow inside the room. Instead it is dark, except for a shaft of pure white light falling on a podium (it slopes away from you so you can't actually see what is resting on the podium)


[ooc: ok on the map, the little Xs on the walls are the different walls with no veins, the red thing is the podium, the green things are the doors, and the little kink before the doors is the smashed section in the wall]

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -1 o 60 rs 0 0 o 60 o 2g g 28 o 20 g w g 0 0 -o g -14 o -w o
@-20 *s -1 1o 60 rs 0 0 10 60 10 20 18 w 18 0 1o -o 18 -14 10 -w
@10 -20 *s -1 1o 20 rs 0 0 -c 20 -10 o -c 0 10 0 1o o 10 20 *s -3
@1g cd rs 0 *s -3 1d cf rs 0 Stairs Up *s -1 o 40 rs 0 1edc o 40
@o 3c *s -1 1c 40 rs 0 1edc 1c 40 1c 3c *s -3 19 9s rs 0 X *s -3
@2l 9t rs 0 X *s -1 18 1g rs 0 9y6tc c 18 s 1g 18 18 c 18 *s -3
@1k ah rs 0 T
*END pzz5m

[WhoNAN]

"It appears that are predassors made it this far.... brute method of disarming the locking mechanism most lilkelythough."

He waits for the others to clank their way down the stairs.

After looking about for anyone lurking in the room.

[itches]

Roudning the corner, Unknown stops short at the sight before him.

"Hmmm, another riddle curtosy of out freinds, and our lady benerfactor. Pray tell, would one of you be so good as to prceed and make sure there aren't any little traps up ahead?"

[WhoNAN]

Tolven begins to make his way around the perimeter of the space... looking carefully for traps, hidden doors, and general malevolence on his way. He heads towards the area of the broken wall to examine it first.

[BigRedRod]

Tolven examines the entire area carefully as he companions proceed down the stairs and wait for him to complete his survey.

The hole in the wall seems to have been created with some thought and skill. AS far as Tolven can tell the machinary in the hollow section has not been damaged. It seems to control the door-opening mechanism.

The area seems largely free of any active traps. Just beyond the doors however Tolven's keen senses notice something slightly wrong with one of the walls. Upon closer inspection it would turn out that a section of wall roughly eight-feet across is an illusion and conceals a passageway to the right.

A brief glance at the stunted passageways to the left and right of the podium reveals them to also contain sections of unveined stone in their walls.

[ooc: I'll leave you to decide which direction you would like to continue your search in]

The nameless one looks at the text above the archway and recognises it instantly, it's draconic and reads :
SOME SECRETS ARE BEST LEFT FORGOTTEN

map
[ooc: again the x's o nthe walls represent the unveined rock, and the two blue lines in the wall represent the illusion]

Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -3 1g cd rs 0 *s -3 2c 6h rs 0 T *s -1 o 60 rs 0 0 o 60 o 2g
@g 28 o 20 g w g 0 0 -o g -14 o -w o -20 *s -1 1o 60 rs 0 0 10 60
@10 20 18 w 18 0 1o -o 18 -14 10 -w 10 -20 *s -1 1o 20 rs 0 0 -c
@20 -10 o -c 0 10 0 1o o 10 20 *s -3 1g cd rs 0 *s -3 1d cf rs 0
@Stairs Up *s -1 o 40 rs 0 1edc o 40 o 3c *s -1 1c 40 rs 0 1edc
@1c 40 1c 3c *s -3 19 9s rs 0 X *s -3 2l 9t rs 0 X *s -1 18 1g rs
@0 9y6tc c 18 s 1g 18 18 c 18 *s -1 1k 38 rs 0 73 14 38 1k 38 *s
@-1 1k 34 rs 0 73 14 34 1k 34 *s -3 28 9r rs 0 U *s -3 1k ag rs 0
@C *s -3 t 59 rs 0 X *s -3 31 59 rs 0 X *s -3 1m bs rs 0 V *s -3
@28 b4 rs 0 *s -3 2a b5 rs 0 L
*END -v15fj3

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With the all-clear sign being relayed up the stairs, Collin clanks his way down to the landing. With the light of his torch, he surveys his new surroundings. Dead-end he thinks until Tolven discovers the illusionary wall.

With an audible sigh, he says to his companions, "You don't suppose that when we eventually get to the end, we'll find anything except a very pissed off ogre and halfling. With all the crazy traps, it wouldn't surprise me to find out that the witch didn't bury her treasures here."

Using the light from his torch, Collin works his way along the left wall. He pauses when he reaches the doors and the damaged gears. "For being a magic using witch, she seems to have some working knowledge of engineering and mechanics. Or perhaps she had a master thief help plan all these barriers."

Finding nothing of interest, at least to him, Collin proceeds into the next room. He advances to the pulpit where he peers around the raised edge to see if a special surprise was left behind.

[WhoNAN]

Tolven is interested in the illusion.

"There is a hidden passageway, this whole room is most likely a ruse, or trap of some sort."

He proceeds carefully through the illusion, again with extreme caution.

[BigRedRod]

The feeling as Tolven pushes through the illusion is quite disconcerting, the smell of blood is thick as Tolven takes a breath, a cautious peer through the wall reveals a passageway, there would appear to be the remains of some creature spread across the passage around thirty feet away. It's hard to make out any details from this distance, but the creature appears to have been larger than a human.

As Tolven returns his entire body to the other side of the wall, the smell fades, it would seem that there is some enchantement on the wall that keeps any odours from passing.

map
[ooc : the symbol in the corridor is the body]

Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s -3 1g cd rs 0 *s -3 2c 6h rs 0 T *s -1 o 60 rs 0 0 o 60 o 2g
@g 28 o 20 g w g 0 0 -o g -14 o -w o -20 *s -1 1o 60 rs 0 0 10 60
@10 20 18 w 18 0 1o -o 18 -14 10 -w 10 -20 *s -1 1o 1z rs 0 0 -c
@20 -10 o -c 0 10 0 1o o 10 20 *s -3 1g cd rs 0 *s -3 1d cf rs 0
@Stairs Up *s -1 o 40 rs 0 1edc o 40 o 3c *s -1 1c 40 rs 0 1edc
@1c 40 1c 3c *s -3 19 9s rs 0 X *s -3 2l 9t rs 0 X *s -1 18 1g rs
@0 9y6tc c 18 s 1g 18 18 c 18 *s -1 1k 38 rs 0 73 14 38 1k 38 *s
@-1 1k 34 rs 0 73 14 34 1k 34 *s -3 28 9r rs 0 U *s -3 1k ag rs 0
@C *s -3 t 59 rs 0 X *s -3 31 59 rs 0 X *s -3 1m bs rs 0 V *s -3
@28 b4 rs 0 *s -3 2a b5 rs 0 L *s -1 3o 30 rs 0 0 -s 30 3o 30 *s
@-1 50 3c rs 0 0 -24 3c 50 3c 50 20 *s -1 4o 30 rs 0 0 4o 2c 4o
@30 2o 30 *s 6 7p 6c rs 0
*END -mashgp

[WhoNAN]

Tolven spends a moment away from the hidden wall to spend a minute or two examining the unviened rock for any specific properties... things behind it...etc.

"There is a hidden passageway with something very much dead in it... could be the Thiefs bodyguard... it was large... there is a chance they never made it out of this tomb alive."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"So is that a good or bad thing?" Asks the priest. "Good that the treasures might still be here, or bad in that the thief has already come and gone. It could be that he's more ruthless than we gave him credit for. Perhaps he killed his ogre in order to keep all the wealth for himself."

[BigRedRod]

As Collin talks with his companion he arrives at the podium and sees that there is a very large and clearly magical book lying on it. It is open at a page showing a pciture of what looks to be some kind of reptillian humanoid, the text is written in a language which Collin cannot comprehend, and yet it makes collin feel slightly odd as he looks at the text.

[ooc : see how smoothly I did that, damn I'm smooth. And errrrm crisis averted...]

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Uh, Tolven?" Collin says aloud as he motions him over to the podium. "You said there was a body over there. Does the thing on the other side of the wall look anything like this?"

[BigRedRod]

[ooc: as much as I hate just making ooc comments in this thread, whonan can you make sure you read your PM from me before you do anything with Tolven, I'll then delete this]

[Cadrius]

"What's going on?" Varidiir asks, moving further down the hall, "hey, what's that book? And did I hear treasure?"

The azer shrugs at the talk of the dead thief, the flames on his head bobbing slightly.

"As long as none of us are thieves we don't have to...oh, right." He realizes that Tolven is of a roguish persuasion and suddenly becomes worried. Thieves are supposed to be good at evading traps, or at least figuring out where they are. If one was killed here, then it could happen to them too. Thus far Tolven had done a good job, but could he keep it up forever?

"I hate traps," he mutters, "why can't we just fight it out to the death like civilized people?"

Strolling up to the podium he peers at the reptillian figure. Tilting his head to the side he raises one burning eyebrow quizzically.

"What do you suppose that is?" He asks, scratching his head.

[WhoNAN]

Tolven turns to the others now at the podium...

"Halt, that could very well be a tr--" and its too late as Collin peers into the book.

Tolven rushes to then podium.... skeptically... a bit upset as his eyes meet the book.... he quickly glances away... and begins studying everything but the books contents. (podium...surrounding area)

[BigRedRod]

The Podium is made from the same material as the surrounding walls, and the strnage lighting i nthe room makes the blue veins glow in a rather odd manner that is most likely just a trick of the light. There doesn't seem to be anything holding the book to the podium, or any kind of plate that the book is keeping depressed. The podium would appear to be as free of traps as it is of any details to it's design.

The surrounding area would appear to be equally clean, although Tolven has an uneasy feeling about the book which is contained within the shaft of light in it's current position.

[WhoNAN]

"I don't like this... something is not right. It must be a tr4ap, a lure to grasp the interest of those who do not look deep enough. Our true prize is most likely beyond that illusion. -THIS-, this will bring no good to us."

It is odd for the others to see the Drow so passionate about something, when for all other instances he seems disinterested.

His gaze continues at Collin fixated on the book.

"Let us go further... we can return here if my suspicions are incorrect... but if they are correct, this will be the end of us. Make haste, lets push on."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

After studying the image in the book, Collin begins to stretch his hand out to turn the page. Just an inch away from the corner of the page, he jerks his hand away as if burned by fire. "Nothing bad will happen if I turn the page will it?" He begins rubbing his fingers together in anticipation of turning the page.

[itches]

Standing well away, Unknown lets the other search the room. At Collin 's question, he ventures an answer.

"Well what will happen would depend if the book is real or not. If it were a fake, touching it would set off the trap. However, if it is the genuine article, touching it without being prepared would no doubt have other … entertaining effects."

Grinning smugly, the half-fiend gestors towards the book.

"So by all means, touch it. It should be an easy way to tell which one of the two it is."

[Cadrius]

Varidiir spits, the saliva sizzling on the floor. A trap, he hates traps. Frowning, he folds his arm over his chest and glares at the book. Yet another thought enters his mind, of all the traps seen thus far why would someone use a book?

"Maybe it's a trap," he says, "but maybe we should think about what happens if we don't touch it."

His drums his fingers along one coppery bicep as he considers the situation.

"Anyone have a stick? Maybe if we poke it we can set off whatever's there. If anything's there."

[WhoNAN]

"Do what you want, I've given my opinion... just let me know first so I can protect myself ampily first."

His unease growing... his patience wearing thin, most likely for the first time in his long life.

"Collin, you asked me if what I saw looked like something in that book, but you see, there is nothing on that page... it is trickery, and not of a kind a care to deal with or consider myself at all knowledgeable in."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin gives Tolven a blank (pun?) stare when informed that the page is empty. You don't see anything there?" He begins to wave his hand in front of his face while staring at the book. He then rubs his eyes in disbelief...

[BigRedRod]

Tolven's words suddenly make sense to Collin, as he looks at the words, they slowly squirm and evaporate. The pages of the book are empty. The previous words and illustrations would appear to be nothing more than illusions.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

As the words and pictures dissolve before him, Collin gasps aloud, "By the Gods, I wonder what else is covered by false imagery?" He begins to work his way around the room muttering, "What else doesn't seem right?"

Eventually he ends up in front of the fake wall where he pushes his head and torch through to see the other side. "I wonder if we might have to go back and test all the walls? It's fortunate that in the upside down cavern room, there wasn't a covered hole in the ceiling or wall. That could have been upsetting to float away."

[WhoNAN]

"Collin, the remaining illusion is right here.... " He points very blatently at the wall he earlier walked through.

"I would suggest we proceed this way, with caution.... strike that, extreme caution."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"So do you want me wait here until you get down the hall a bit?" Collin asks while he tries his best to stop clanking between the illusionary wall. As he stares down the tunnel he ponders aloud, "You don't suppose that creature down there is another illusion do you? Perhaps we should move together, in case it's playing possum."

[Cadrius]

"It's fake? Aw," Varidiir says, disappointed that the book didn't play some integral role, "wait, what kinda person would just leave a random, useless illusion around? If it isn't a trap, does that mean the person that built this place was barmy? Judging by that crevice back there...I'd say so."

He strolls over to the wall that Tolven pointed at and begins to poke at it with his foot.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Ouch!" Collin says as he pokes his head back through the wall. "What'd you do that for? Kicking me through the wall!" He bends down to rub his shin. "Besides, Tolven said to be quiet, so stop kicking and be quiet."

[BigRedRod]

The mangled creature looks real enough to Collin. It's unclear exactly how it died, but it is spread across the floor and walls of the section of corridor it currently occupies

[WhoNAN]

"Who ever said the book was not a trap... "

To trap the mind is to ensnare the body as well.

Content the party is following the true path... Tolven proceeds down the hidden corridor taking more and more extreme caution at approaching the splattered corpse. He begins a thurough search for any more physical traps.... this time with a dagger ready in one hand... and a defensive roll in his mind.

[BigRedRod]

Tolven carefully moves down the passage, it seems to be free from any kind of trap. The body before tolven is smeared all over the corridor section it lies in. In fact, it is quite odd, it doesn't seem to be blood and gore that has been splattered from the creature's death, it seems more like the creature was dragged either after or during it's death up the walls.
The body itself is near impossible to identify, but it seems it was a large creature, armed with a huge greatsword (which is now very badly beaten and coated by part's of it's owner). The smell is not as bad as it should be however, a closer look reveals that the body has not decayed in any way, and yet most of the blood has long dried.
If the creature has any other items of use they are concealed within it's mangled remains

[itches]

Standing back and letting the others talk, and lead the way, Unknown eyes the gore with interest.

"Well it certainly is an interesting style of décor," he mutters to noone in particular.

[Cadrius]

"Eh? Oh." Varidiir says, realizing his error in kicking the priest through the illusion. He gives a chuckle and mutters, "never thought I'd kick a priest through a fake wall."

Moving through to the other side he shivers slightly and raises an eyebrow at Tolven. "Wait, so you're saying the fake book is a trap? Guess I don't understand the mind that makes these things. Give me a straight up fight any day. I mean, really, what could--oh," he stops, seeing the dead body.

"Was that the ogre? Do ya think a trap did him in?" The azer frowns and glances over his shoulder, apparently suspecting that traps might sneak up on him.

[BigRedRod]

[ooc : *gives the game a casual shove along* I haven't seen Whonan in a bit so I'll press on]

Tolven moves forwards through the corridor, his eyes carefully searching the ceiling, walls and floor as he draws closer to the corpse. Suddenly he stops and moves towards a wall. After a few minutes he speaks up,
"It looks like the creature was caught in a trap. The section of wall here isn't quite connected. I can only assume that he was crushed by the walls..."
After a thourough search Tolven is satisfied he has located the edge of the trap,
"I can't find any mechanism which would activate such a trap, but I've found the start of the area it would effect."

[WhoNAN]

OOC: MOving...yes again.... only in town this time, but between that and business time is sparse.

He attempts to judge the distance of the affected area... grabbing some coin out of a pocket if he can't judge by eye, he will attempt to use the coin to "ping" areas to find a method of safe passage.

[BigRedRod]

Without entering the trapped region it's impossible to judge where the end lies. Tolven throws a few coins at the ground inside the trapped region but there is no visisble reaction

[itches]

Looking at the coins laying still on the floor - from a safe distance- Unknown murmurs aloud.

"Maybe the trigger is pressure related, or from body heat?"

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Collin steps up beside Tolvin in order to get a better look at the crushed beast. He checks the head the best he can from a safe distance, making sure that it is mostly intact.

Following his examination, he grimly says to Tolven, "I might try a divination. Maybe ask the dead about how he died. Do you think this could help you in disarming the thing? You'd need to give me the questions before hand."

Turning to Unknown he asks for a second opinion. "What do you think? Is the head intact enough to speak?"

[BigRedRod]

It's hard to make out exactly what a vasy majority of the nauseating heap of gore originally were. The bones seemed to have been crushed into tiny fragments, and although you cannot decide which blood soaked fragments originally were the skull, it doesn't seem likely enough is intact to complete the spell.

[BigRedRod]

map
The yellow line is the near edge of the trap
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*END s99kp5

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With his hopes of asking the corpse smashed, Collin reaches out to the wall next to him to test his spider climbing. Not finding his hand sticking to the wall, he sighs in frustration. After a moment of swearing, he becomes inspired. Removing his shield, he angles it so that it runs parallel to the walls.

"Coins are too light, perhaps this would work better to test this trap? Now the question is, do we roll it or throw it?"

[itches]

Still eyeing the gore, Unknown shakes his head silently, glad that Collin doesn’t need to have the obvious answer to his question answered.

"Throw it, it will get more pressure out on the ground, and make it go further."

Thinking for a moment and adding with a grin

" I do hope you are not to attached to the shield, if it does set off the trap, it wont be in a very usable state afterwards."

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

With a forced chuckle, Collin says, "Better a smashed shield than a smashed priest!"

He restraps the shield to his arm. "Still there's that thief and possibly his ogre friend, if this isn't he."

Looking down the hall as far as he can see, he asks of the trap experts, "So far everything we've had to pass has been pressure triggered. What makes you so sure that this one isn't the same? Could we simply levitate or fly over it?" While he waits for an answer, Collin stares at the gore and tries his best to see through it like he did with the book. His face contorts in funny ways as he forces his will to disbelieve.

[itches]

Smiling widely, Unknown looks at the corridor again.

"It would be a cunning ploy to have all the traps set off in one way, lure people into complacency, then change tack suddenly"

Touching a claw to the wall, the half-fiend continues.

"Besides, I have no spells that will allow someone to levitate down there, and it is too small a space for my wings to be of effect."

[WhoNAN]

"In my best approximation it is a simple -walls close in and crush you to bits- situation here... I have considered tumbling through the area... however I can't be sure about how long the trap lasts."

He thinks a bit more, pondering the situation.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"You don't suppose it's pressure triggered like the gas room? If it is, maybe we can levitate and walk along the ceiling like we did with the crevice."

Collin rummages through his stuff and gets another idea. "Do you think the hall's too narrow for wings?" He stops as he says it since Unknown is standing in front of him. "Uh, maybe for smaller wings?"

After being ignored, Collin says in frustration, ""We've got to do something. The longer we struggle with this trap, the more time that rogue has to get the stuff and get out of here. If you're unwilling to go forward, I say we go back and wait at the entrance. If Edgley and the others have a problem with this, damn them to hell and this mission as well. I gave them my list of grievances and requests, but they failed to listen."

"We may as well try this. If it damages my shield, no worries. I'll just repair it magically." He says as he removes his shield for the second time. "Move to one side as I roll it down the hall. Or better yet, why doesn't Tolven do it. He's nimbler than I."

[BigRedRod]

The shield rolls into the traps area for a good dozen feet before it hits a chunk of flesh and starts to wobble, falling onto a section of the unfortunate caught by the trap. However, the walls remain still and there is no other sign of anything reacting inside the vault

[itches]

"Well that was spectactular," Unknown comments sarcasticly.

"lets see If i can do any better."

Marking a rough circle out on the ground, and placing a symbol over the top of it, Unknown stands to one side and begins chnating. Swiftly the shadow forms in the cirle and solifies into the form of an overly large rat.

Pointing a clawed hand down the corador, Unknown barkswords at it in Infernal.

"Run that way"

[BigRedRod]

The hellish creature sprints down the corridor, over the corpse and turns the corner, as it does so the walls in front slam together , no doubt further crushing the corpse and damaging the shield.

After the deafing bang of the walls meeting, there is a faint scraping and grinding sound carried from somewhere beyond them. This is punctuated by a few thuds and a vermin's death cry, then the scraping and grinding subsides and the walls begin to slide apart. There is no trace of the rat.

[Cadrius]

"Uh..." -Varidiir says, blinking at the suddenly moving walls- "so I guess we found a trap. How do we keep that from squishing us?" The azer asks, rubbing his arms as if cold.

"Tolven, you think you could, you know, make it so it doesn't splatter us all over the walls? Or those walls anyway."

[WhoNAN]

"Not at the moment, no"

Puzzled and frustrated... Tolven thinks to himself again.

"The walls did not crush the rat... at least I don't think they did, so there must be another obsticle beyond... perhaps a pit trap."

Pondering again.

Removing the small lizard from his pocket.

The winged Chameleon jumps to the air, and becomes invisible. Proceeding down the corridor.

((OOC: Wow, forgeting such a handy familiar is amazing, I must be busy.))

[BigRedRod]

Grakus glides through the air towards the floor and along the corridor, flaps his wings and climbs through the air eventually stopping on the ceiling where the corridor turns

After a few moments the lizard starts to relay what he can see to Tolven. The room beyond bulges outwards and contains another lecturn,although this faces Grakus, and he can see a large book resting there.

Of more interest however is the small crushed humanoid form slumped against a wall. Grakus is no expert, but he looks to have been beaten to death by something very strong, his head hangs on his shoulders at an odd angle and there is quite a large amount of blood in the general area.

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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*END iep9uo

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Without his shield and the appearance that anything is being done, Collin backs out of the hallway and draws his mace. Walking along the wall, he pokes, taps and smacks it in random places. All the while he curses the rogue that seems to have started all of this.

"I'll break all your bones you halfling scum sucker!"

*Smack!*

"I'll burn all the hair off your feet!"

*Smack!*

"I'll smash your fingers so you'll lose your lively-hood!"

*Smack!*

"I'll take a big red hot poke and burn your entrails!"

*Smack!*

"I'll sacrifice you to Batman's ancestors!"

*Smack!*

At this point he stops and stares at the illusionary book. Strapping his mace back on his belt, he takes a step towards it. Stretching his arms and neck to get the knots out, he begins to push the lectern and then he tries to rotate it. Straining to move the thing he curses some more. "Come on you son of a poxy hoar! Move!"

[BigRedRod]

The walls are quite sturdy and suffer minimal damage despite Collin's assault

Upon closer inspection it would appear that the lecturn carrying the enchanted book with illusionary script does not rotatoe or move in any direction, it is firmly attached to the ground.

[WhoNAN]

"No Need Colin, something already did."

But the Rat, where is the Rat....

He asks silently... prying for the obsticle beyond the walls.

[Cadrius]

"Tryin' ta knock it over, eh?" the Azer asks Collin. "Need a hand?"

Yet upon inspection Varidiir notices that the object doesn't even move under the priest's force. Varidiir is strong, but not likely strong enough to move it.

[WhoNAN]

"I'm going to give it a go... hopefully, I'll be back shortly."

With that he gathers a running start, to jump roll as quickly through the corridor as possible.

He prepares his person, securing everything and making sure a couple of daggers are handy... stopping only a moment to assume invisibility via his wand and then sets out.

((BRR, Tumble attempt, minimize contact until the last possible second.))

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

"Grrr...argh!"

*pant, pant, pant...*

"I hate this place," mumbles Collin after his attempt to move the pedestal fails. "I hope the she-bitch is roasting in Hell or being continually tortured in the Abyss for creating this infuriating place! If she isn't, we should track her down and send her there personally!"

He then kicks the pedestal and curses as all he does is stub his toe. Bringing his mace up, he gives the illusionary book a good smack. The senseless act seems to calm him down as he mopes about the rest of the room, testing the walls again.

When he reaches the stairs, he peers up and even takes the first step up. But then he backs away and completes his circle of wall pounding. As he approaches Varidiir, he grumbles, "I say we bugger the mission and go back. What do you say?"

[itches]

Trying to block out the noise of Collin's hissy fit, Unkown watches Tolven 'run the gauntlet'.

If he dies, it is going to be rather annoying to replace him

[BigRedRod]

Tolven arrives at the corner of the first leg of the corridor unscathed, there is no sound of any wall movement or other traps being activated.
Tolven looks into the next chamber from his position near Grakus.

The chamber seems to be made form the same materials as the rest of the floor, two of the walls are made from the slightly different material encountered previously [ooc : also marked with an X]. Tolven can hear a faint sound of music coming from somewhere ahead, in other circumstances it may be described as pleasant, but the sound of the unseen instruments is more eerie than anything else.

The body slumped against the wall is a halfling, his clothing is of the highest quality, including a brilliant blue cloak and what was once an expertly crafted wooden mask (now largely destroyed but still clinging to his face). He clutches a curved knife in one hand, it's blade seems to be made from some kind of purple stone, it has several unknown glyphs inscribed into it. From the vague desciption you were given it would seem that this corpse was the liberator.

On the lecturn at the opposite end of the chamber, a large book bound in some unindentifiable material and locked shut.

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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@al 4h rs 0 X *s -3 c6 55 rs 0
*END bodafe

[WhoNAN]

Very perplexed as to his next course of action, Tolven thinks for a split second on whether to plug his ears or not, deciding against it, he merely attempts to drown out the music with a keen interest and focus on any other noises. He slowly makes his way to the edge of the opening... focusing his eyes to scour the room.

((Spot, Listen))

[BigRedRod]

A few cautious steps forwards takes Tolven to the edge of the chamber. The music increases in volume, but remains at a quiet peaceful level and tempo. However Tolven's keen listening doesn't reveal any one location which is producing the music
The room, including the recess holding the lecturn, seem to be empty with the exception of the lecturn itself (and the book which sits atop it) and the corpse of the halfling, which looks to have been beaten to death by something very strong and very big

map
Drop this text at http://www.irony.com/java/mmee
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@8v rs 0 *s -3 8s a6 rs 0 *s -3 1g cd rs 0 *s -3 1g cd rs 0 *s
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*END pbtb0

[WhoNAN]

Tolven cautiously enters the chamber, only proceeding after thuroughly searching for trap triggers/things that are big and could beat him, inching towards the liberators corpse, which he intends to inspect briefly for type of death (beyond beaten), and then proceed to "Liberate" his possessions. In a quick but detailed manner (taking everything, inspecting later). He will then proceed to scout the area... leaving the pedastal for last. With suspect of even further trickery about.

[BigRedRod]

Tolven is confident that nothing is trapped and is just about to move forwards in to the chamber when suddenly he feels an overwhelming wrongness. He pauses and checks the stonework around the entrance to the chamber again as carefully as possible. This search turns up something odd about a number of the bricks. Tolven is sure that there is a magic trap, at the end of the corridor where the chamber containing the dead halfling begins.

[itches]

Waiting impatently, Unkown runs his claws over the walls, trying to ignore the cursing comming from behind him.

"So," he calls out. "What have you found?"

[WhoNAN]

"A Dead halfling, a trap, and a pedestal with a book, now wait patiently, unless you want to come join me."

He sets to work to discover more about the trap, and possibly disarm it.

[BigRedRod]

A study of the trap reveals that it's of a magical nature and that it is most likely the trigger mechanism for the wall trap around the bend in the corrior, it could also have other effects, Tolven isn't too sure what these are though if they exist.
Disabling the trap takes a good deal of time, but in the end Tolven is sure that the trigger trap before him is no longer active.

[WhoNAN]

He proceeds with his plan as before, Liberating the Liberators possessions, and study the room, before calling the others in.

[BigRedRod]

The rogue steps into the room and the music increases in volume only very slightly, the elf continues to do his best to ignore it. The halfling looks to have been beaten by something very hard and very strong, although Tolven could only guess as to exactly what did this

Tolven quickly removes the equipment from the halfling
-A cloak
-His Knife
-A spare Knife (concealed in a boot)
-His belt pouch
-A bag strapped to his back under his cloak, which seems to be empty
As he is looted the deceased treasure hunter the drow notices a few pieces of glass or crystal that lie on the floor, whatever they were is now broken, but it's impossible to tell

Tolven's tudy of the room yields nothing unusual, the book sits, bound shut and demanding attention on the lecturn and the strnage music continues to play from an unseen location, very much like the glow which has illuminated the entire vault

[ooc: update your sheet with the liberator's stuff]

[itches]

Cursing under his breath, yet unwilling to move up the passage yet, unknown turns and glances out into the room, which held the fake book.

"Be-careful what you touch in there," he warns the others.

"There are probably still some fun little things yet to be set off, and it would be very annoying if you accidentally hit the self-destruct button."

[WhoNAN]

"Close it up... trap should be disarmed now."

He says examining the pedestal carefully.

[Cadrius]

"Hmm, another pedestal with another book, eh?" Varidiir asks no one in particular before frowning. "Think there's a theme here?"

"Can we come in yet?" He calls to the dark elf.

[BigRedRod]

Even without touching the book, Tolven's magical nature allows him to feel the power crackling off it as he draws near.
The pedestial is largely unremarkable, and doesn't seem to contain any secret compartments or insidious traps

[WhoNAN]

Tolven, waiting for the others to arrive, approches the pedestal... Gives a quisitive look at everyone.

"Ready, for what this may bring?"

Once achieving consensus... he pulls a nonmagical bag from his person, and prepares to gnab the book... And ready for a hasty exit.

[The_Friendly_Fiend]

Upon hearing that the hall is all-clear, Collin trudges down the hall, stopping to examine the dead monster up close. He pats the body down, looting it of any valuables. He then turns around and gathers his dented shield. Satisfied that all is in order, he moves down to the end of the hall and steps around the corner where he stops.

As he's gathering bits, Collin hears Tolven preparing to take the book from the pedistal, Collin calls out to him, "Uh, Tolven do you think you can wait a few more minutes? Maybe you wait a second and allow Batman to do some magical divinations if he moves down there. Besides, I'm doing a bit of puzzle work down here!"