Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

[Urson]

Jake, whose eyes have begun to glaze over trying to figure out the puzzle, comes alert at this suggestion of trouble. He circles the room, looking for any indication of where trouble may come from.

[kensanata]

Splinter mutters, A giant moving about? Better be quick! He moves to the reed boat. He wonders, is it a boat that might realistically float? Can be moved around? With people inside? Towards the white panel? Or is the white panel some sort of window? A screen? Is there a way to activate it? And if Splinter finds nothing suspicious, he'll climb the reed boat and take a seat on a bench, if there is any, or pick up an oar if there is any, or look for sails.

[Rowenn552]

Basil Day

Basil looks around a bit frightened and anxious holding his spear out in all directions, "Wha wha what was that?", he says in a quavering voice, the plaques momentarily forgotten.

[mb.]

Sorry for the delay, I was away a few days. Here's the latest map, hopefully more or less correct...

Deet, looking over Basil's shoulder, mumbles, "four true, three false, four true, three false... how to know? How to know?" He walks carefully around the statues and hatches, mumbling "Luxria? Gula? Invidia? Superbia?" and the other names like a mantra. He closely examines both statues and hatches, specifically looking for anything that would identify them by their names. He looks up, "Superbia's like superb, like better, like pride? Yup? Yup?"

When the distant thumping begins, Schroff looks up and begins trotting around the room, seeking the source, growling deeply. Any chance Schroff's super doggy senses can locate and/or identify what's making the noise?

Lordy lordy! I forgot something potentially important (to Deet): at a glance, does the crystal coffin lady resemble Friedericke at all? If so, Deet's (and maybe Schroff's) focus would of course be quite different...

[Rusty Tincanne]

Whoops. Looks like my last post was lost to the ether... No matter.

When the spinning stops, Flintlock walks unsteadily (for a few steps) toward the crystal coffer. Look at that tiara. Pretty stones! The wand-thing looks nice too. Why are they locked in there? He looks around for a way to help open the glass box, attempting to use the handle of his maul to lever the coffin up. He is so focused, he does not register the sound emanating from the other end of the chasm-sized room.

is there a roll for this?

[ChubbyPixie]

Wikerus Wanders over near the statues. "I've had a little Latin, spent a little time in the church..." he says, clearing his throat.
"Luxria equals Lust,
Gula is Gluttony,
Avarita is Greed.
Acedia: Sloth,
Ira: Wrath,
Invidia: Envy,
and Superbia, of course is Pride..."
He looks proud of himself. When the rumbling starts, he glances around at the others - should they be worried? He's guessing probably they should.

[Rowenn552]

Basil Day

Sorry for the delay, I was away a few days. Here's the latest map, hopefully more or less correct...

Deet, looking over Basil's shoulder, mumbles, "four true, three false, four true, three false... how to know? How to know?" He walks carefully around the statues and hatches, mumbling "Luxria? Gula? Invidia? Superbia?" and the other names like a mantra. He closely examines both statues and hatches, specifically looking for anything that would identify them by their names. He looks up, "Superbia's like superb, like better, like pride? Yup? Yup?"

When the distant thumping begins, Schroff looks up and begins trotting around the room, seeking the source, growling deeply. Any chance Schroff's super doggy senses can locate and/or identify what's making the noise?

Lordy lordy! I forgot something potentially important (to Deet): at a glance, does the crystal coffin lady resemble Friedericke at all? If so, Deet's (and maybe Schroff's) focus would of course be quite different...

On guard and looking for the source of the noise he can be audibly mumbling names and words following Deet's lead and mention of Superbia... "Luxuria, Luxury? Sloth?... Invidia, Invy.. Envidia. No no that's not right, Envy? Invidia, Envy; yes. Avarita... Avarita... Ava.. Avarice... Greed. Avarita, Avarice, Greed."

Glancing back to the statues Basil whispers to them, "Hmm that would leave Gula, Ira, and Acedia. Which of you are which I wonder."

[Pulpatoon]

Flintlock ... looks around for a way to help open the glass box, attempting to use the handle of his maul to lever the coffin up. He is so focused, he does not register the sound emanating from the other end of the chasm-sized room.

is there a roll for this?

Into the Odd has no checks, only saves. A roll is necessary if failing entails danger. F'rinstance, if you tried to blow up the coffin, or handled it in a way where it could tip over on top of you. Otherwise, action is resolved narratively.

The handle of a maul proves too blunt to pry into the thin crack that runs between the lid and body of the coffin. It looks like tight enough a fit that there won't be much room to pry it out with pressure from one side—it will need even pressure from at least two sides.

It is immediately apparent to Deet that this encapsulated figure is not his sister. Friedericke had the earthy quality of one who knows work, and a hearty beauty heightened by honest sweat and disarray. This figure possesses a delicate beauty that results from cultivation and artistry.

...if Splinter finds nothing suspicious, he'll climb the reed boat and take a seat on a bench, if there is any, or pick up an oar if there is any, or look for sails.

The reed boat is a superbly made example of the the sort of rustic watercraft employed by those who live amidst an ample supply of water and a paucity of trees. The reeds are cunningly braided and knotted to effect structural integrity and pleasing proportions. It appears harmless and wholly mundane. There is a rough grove between the boat and the now-pitcher-than-pitch black panel, like a track to lead the one to the other.

Climbing inside, Splinters finds a rather extraordinary bundle of clothes tucked in the bottom of the boat. It is a single-piece garment, including gloves and boots, made of cloth-of-silver, and embroidered with parallel lines that lead the eyes in a vaguely disconcerting way.

Not exactly this, but not exactly not this.

There is also a large crystal globe, hollow, with a circular opening on the bottom on the bottom. It would fit over a human-sized head, with ample room for an elaborate coiffure.

Schroff smells gunpowder and woodsmoke, although faintly, from below. He hears the sounds of battle, suddenly nearer.

Actions!
Next post: Friday morning, around 10am EDT, 2pm GMT (or when I've heard from everyone—whichever comes first)

[mb.]

Deet nods at Wikerus, "Yupyup. So..."

He scratches his beard and squints, thinking.
"Lust says Lust or Gluttony is false,
Gluttony says Envy is false,
Greed says Pride is true,
Sloth says Sloth, Wrath, or Envy is true,
Wrath says if Lust is false, Greed or Pride is true,
Envy says Greed or Gluttony is true,
Pride says Greed is false."

While Deet ponders, Schroff bounds back and forth, from the first hatch to the last and back, barking once at each hatch as he passes over them. Deet turns his head to watch his mutt, "and Schroff says battle comes from below. So we should think quicker. Yup!" Pulp: any chance Schroff can pinpoint which hatch the smells and sounds are coming from?

Deet ponders further, "Greed and Pride are the easiest, but they're a mess. If Greed's true then Pride is true which makes Greed false which makes Pride also false which makes Greed true again." Scratch scratch. "Ehm..." Schroff stops briefly to chase his tail in three circle, then resumes his running and barking. Deet glances sidelong at Wikerus and Basil, hoping they'll solve it all soon...

Wait wait wait! Pulp: is the picture you posted the way we should actually imagine the statues, or more specifically: is the statue of Pride golden and is it taller than all the others?

[Rowenn552]

Wikerus Wanders over near the statues. "I've had a little Latin, spent a little time in the church..." he says, clearing his throat.
"Luxria equals Lust,
Gula is Gluttony,
Avarita is Greed.
Acedia: Sloth,
Ira: Wrath,
Invidia: Envy,
and Superbia, of course is Pride..."
He looks proud of himself. When the rumbling starts, he glances around at the others - should they be worried? He's guessing probably they should.

Whoops! Looks like I was working on my last post when you put this up!

[Pulpatoon]

Let's go ahead and say that the picture is accurate. Pride does not literally have a golden head.

Schroff cannot pinpoint the smells as coming from a particular hatch.

[Rusty Tincanne]

"Lust says Lust or Gluttony is false,
Gluttony says Envy is false,
Greed says Pride is true,
Sloth says Sloth, Wrath, or Envy is true,
Wrath says if Lust is false, Greed or Pride is true,
Envy says Greed or Gluttony is true,
Pride says Greed is false."

Flintlock asks Splinter and Horton for a hand. You two mind helping me lift this? We can nab the goodies if she don't wake up. Hearing Deet, Flintlock suggests keeping is simple and taking them at face value. So you know that Envy is FALSE, Pride is TRUE and Greed is FALSE just to start. Because Gluttony and Greed and Pride say so. As he labors, he adds more, interspersed with grunts. Then Envy said Greed OR Gluttony is FALSE, but we already know that greed is FALSE, so Gluttony is TRUE. A few more grunts from the leaden-fleshed dwarf cause his logical-stream-of-conscious to pause. And if, per Lust, Lust or Gluttony is false, then Lust is FALSE because we've already decided Gluttony is TRUE.

Now Wrath is just a double-check of our work because we already know that Lust is FALSE, and Pride is TRUE with Greed being FALSE.
That leaves us with Sloth's statement. But Envy is FALSE and there aren't any other clues regarding Sloth and Wrath. But one is TRUE and the other is FALSE. Then, as an afterthought, he adds, OH!!!! The last thing! We already have three FALSE, so both Sloth and Wrath are TRUE.

But what good is that? Let's get these rocks and the metal already.

Lust - FALSE
Gluttony - TRUE
Greed - FALSE
Sloth - TRUE
Wrath - TRUE
Envy - FALSE
Pride - TRUE

[mb.]

Deet counts on his fingers as Flintlock speaks, and nods, "So Envy, Greed and Lust are false, and Pride, Gluttony, Sloth and Wrath are true." He holds up three fingers on one hand and four on the other. He blinks a few times, looking back and forth between his hands, and scratches his beard with the four extended fingers, "um, and? Does that mean it's okay to open the true ones?" He waggles his four fingers at the hatches, "but wouldn't that just go down to where the booms are?" He approaches the Pride hatch, shrugs, squats down and pulls it open, just a crack, and looks through it.

Schroff stops his running and barking and mimics Deet, squatting beside him, preparing to squint through the crack.

[coil23]

Horton hovers beside Deet to also see and hear what is through that hatch though his foot stands ready to slam it shut again if terribleness approaches.

[Urson]

Jake stands by, ready to help deal with trouble. He nods as the metal man walks through his logic chain. It all sounds good to me, my friend. well done.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Wel Ramrod used to tell me my head was full of lead, so let him do the thinking, but I always thought that was odd, since he did too. But still, he and Camelote were the big-thinkers. I just want this shiny stuff!

[kensanata]

Splinter puts on the astronaut suit and glass helmet. Does anybody want to give this boat a shove? I think I'm ready for the blackness beyond!

[ChubbyPixie]

Wikerus, figuring since Splinter is a native and must know what he's about, goes ahead and gives the boat a shove from behind. "Bon voyage, sir!... he says cheerfully. He then makes his way over to help with the glass coffin lid. "Are you sure this is safe? I don't mind telling you, it gives me the creeps. What if she wakes?... oh...perhaps she wants to be wakened! We're likely saving her, I reckon!"

[Rowenn552]

Basil Day

Basil takes up a very dramatic pose near Deet and Horton with spear ready to strike!

Sorry for being somewhat absent, I was trying put together that riddle in between rangling my daughter the past couple days. Lots of play-doh fun to be ha amongst other things.

[Pulpatoon]

Splinters dons the peculiar suit. It is a poor fit, intended for someone easily twice the Wooden Boy's height. The crystal sphere fits over his head and into the collar of the suit with a satisfying click. Wikerus, ever-helpful, gives the boat a shove, pushing it about halfway through the black panel. Splinters, in the front half of the boat, disappears into the blackness.

Splinters:

You are in a deep abyss of blackness marbled with distant smears of faintly luminescent color. Behind you is the pale grey rectangle of the panel you have just passed through. Although you appear surrounded by emptiness in all directions, the boat feels buoyant. Fronds of frost branch out over the surface of the crystal helmet. There is no sound, except the squeaking of your own wooden joints and the rustle of cloth-of-silver.

Continuing his march of good deeds, Wikerus leaves the boat halfway through the black panel and goes to help Flintlock pry open the crystal coffin. Between the two of them, they are able to work the lid out. There is a slight whoosh of differential air pressures as the lid finally comes free, and the cloying redolence of roses.

Deet raises a hatch just enough to peer through it. He sees the darkness of an empty space below—no stairs, but it may be the angle.

Schroff does not smell an increase in gunpowder or woodsmoke from this hatch's opening.

Basil, Horton, and Jake stand by, ready for the violent upheavals of security and sensibility that characterize this strange castle, and so are hardly surprised when the statue of Pride stirs into a creaking, groaning pretension of life. It unfolds its legs and begins to step down from its pedestal.

Actions!
Next post: Monday morning, around 10am EDT, 2pm GMT (or when I've heard from everyone—whichever comes first)