CHAPTER ONE: Into the Temple

[coil23]

Quill, wide-eyed and silent, stares straight ahead as if to glean news of what's going on in the front from the back of Miss Cleo's head. Toldren knows better than to worry about what's up front when he is in the rear. He listens for anything of note and frequently scans their rear for any possible danger.

[Starbeard]

Kid Crimson cranes his head into the corridor. "I can't see. What's in that alcove over there to the left? I bet it's got something nasty trying to ambush us." He runs over to alcove in the south wall, swinging his crowbar around the corner with wanton violence.

Beefheart waits dutifully in the middle of the line.

[OGRE MAGE]

Timmy is only slightly creeped out by the hags sweet nothings. Being a street performer has opened his eyes to many injustices of society, this woman is really not that much different than a few others he knows. With a slightly different odor, maybe.

"Tell ya what, grannie.....if you and I both survive this here jaunt, I will give you a whole silver piece! What do you say to that? Now, stop slobbering on me please? I am trying to search these walls for anything that looks suspiciously like a door way. Kinda like that last one!"


Miss Cleo can see nothing up ahead so she closes her eyes and listens to the sounds around her. She hums softly to herself as she assumes this almost trance-like state.

[Norjax]

...

Kid pushes past Irakas and into the hallway. Myles moves up to illuminate the hall, spoiling Irakas’ infravsion and preventing the halfling from seeing beyond the artificial illumination.

Kid makes his way to the alcove and discovers that it is only 1 ft. deep. It houses two iron levers, each in vertical slots about 5 ft. above the floor. Both are in the ‘up’ position, but the one on the left looks to be more frequently used. He also notices the north side of the sliding wall has the same scraping marks as the south side.

Map:

Actions?

...

[ybn1197]

Sitrus moves past Milo so that he is out of the area created by the lamp and uses his infravision to see further down their current path.

Toross will keep an eye out behind them to see if they are being followed, if only to say I told you so.

[Griffith]

Hanout puts his free hand on Schlovell's shoulder and guides him forward out of the hallway. They go over to where Kid is and examine the levers.
Hanout says,"The lever on the left will probably reposition the block that smashed the barrel. The lever on the right will either spring a trap or reset a trap that hasn't yet sprung." He nervously twists the ring on his finger. "You realize this is all conjecture...?"

[Pulpatoon]

Symond Berry waits patiently until the path is clear to enter the new area. When it is, he moves to examine the rounded concavity to their right.

Foul Ol' Amphelice surreptitiously prods around Timmy's equipment, trying to find that purse of coins she hears jingling. Not for any larcenous intent, of course. Just curious.

[Norjax]

...

Sitrus moves forward, placing the light source behind him. Using his infravision, he peers beyond the 5 ft. wide, arched passage and sees a large room with a grotesque statue or altar against a north wall. Tapestries hang either side of the decorative object, but they are too far away for him to discern any details.

Hanout and Schlovell join Kid in examining the lever alcove.

Symond moves ahead and examines the rounded concavity to the right. The curved alcove is 3 ft. deep and almost 4 ft. wide. The 3 ft. diameter, 1 ft. deep stone bowl rests on a step, 6” above the floor tight against the back wall. There are no markings or cavities in the bowl or anywhere in the alcove. The bowl is of refined, but not extraordinary construction and has a large amount of ash in the bottom.

Map:

Actions?

...

[kalstone]

"Oh that doesn't look ominous at all," says Irakas. "Maybe we should think again about leaving. I move we head back to town." Trying to keep his lips from moving, he says in a gruff voice, "I second the motion."

[Pulpatoon]

Symond pokes at the ashes in the bowl with his dagger. "Could be small offerings? Or maybe just incense?"
Would Symond's experience as a wizard's apprentice give him any insight, here?

[Griffith]

Sir Hanout Longpepper suddenly feels trepidacious. He tugs on Schlovell's sleeve. "Hurry now. Come along this way." The two move over to stand behind Sitrus. As they walk to their new position, Hanout whispers to Schlovell, "I am hard put to explain my sudden anxiety, but there is something about those levers I didn't care for. And I didn't feel like dilly-dallying there trying to pursuade Kid not to touch them." They peer into the darkness of the newly discovered chamber trying to discern whatever might be waiting in there for them.

[OGRE MAGE]

Timmy pushes his way into the larger hallway, mostly to get away from the prodding. He moves over to the back side of the barrel crushing stone and has a close look around for anything that might be learned from this new vantage point.

Miss Cleo stays away from the dangerous levers all together, not sensing anything good coming from them at all. She walks forward to have a closer look inside the room with the grotesque statue.

[coil23]

As the group files through, Toldren spots the levers and then makes sure that everyone is through the hallway and into the room before anyone tries a lever. I don't want anyone getting trapped behind or, worse, smooshed. Quill eyes the area and then continues his sketching.

[Norjax]

...

Symond reaches into the bowl to prod the ashes with his dagger. His hand immediately begins to burn and he drops his dagger and withdraws his hand. Make a Reflex save on 1d20. You must roll 16 or above.

Hanout, Schlovell and Miss Cleo join Sitrus near the arched room entry. They can see more of the room from Sitrus’ description of his infravision and the flickers of artificial light that trickle in. Is Myles the only one with artificial illumination? Toldren has linen and the group has two flasks of oil, so I will assume you made a couple of torches from tree branches before you entered the temple.

Timmy examines the north side of the sliding block that smashed the barrel. He observes horizontal scrape marks that would be created by multiple movements of the block.

Toldren nudges Kid aside and makes sure no one actuates the levers until the hallway has been emptied.

Quill continues to sketch the areas of exploration.

Map:

Actions?

...

[Starbeard]

Kid Crimson asks, "Everyone's clear of the corridor. Can we throw the lever now?" If no one objects, he tries throwing both of them, first the well-used one, then the other.

Beefheart examines the bowl of ashes, a little confused. "How did that burn you, Symond? Weren't you being careful?" Suddenly, he gets another bright idea. He gets excited because he seems to be full of them today. "I bet there's something hidden underneath the ash, if we can only get it out of the way without touching it. Maybe..." He pushes the others back away from the bowl and tries blowing heartily on the ash from a few feet away, to see if it will disperse safely onto the ground of the alcove.

[coil23]

Quill offers tentatively, or perhaps fill it with water to allow the ash to flow out or at least see better what lies beneath?

Toldren nods in agreement at trying the switch now that everyone is clear.

[OGRE MAGE]

Miss Cleo is not afraid. She takes out her crowbar again and begins lightly tapping on the stone floor in the entrance to the chapel room. If the floor seems sound to her untrained ear, she enters the room to see what else can be found.

Timmy spends some time searching the walls, floor, and even the ceiling for some reason around the back of the sliding stone area. Ever since they spotted the first outline of the secret door, he is exited about spotting another.

[Starbeard]

Beefheart looks dejected. "Oh alright. If you have any water go ahead and pour it. But don't complain to me when all you get is mucky water that we still can't see through." He skulks off to watch the lever experiment, mumbling something to himself about good ideas.

[kalstone]

Eager to see the statue, Myles brings the lantern up to the arched doorway and peers inside.

[Griffith]

Schlovell takes two small steps into the chamber with the statue. He looks to his left and right to see what is there. He tries to get a better look at the statue.

Sir Hanout Longpepper watches Schlovell from the doorway, but is somewhat distracted by what is going on with the bowl of ashes. "Seems like a bowl for making a burnt offering. Maybe we should sacrifice some small item to it?" He takes off a kerchief he had tied around his neck. "This silk ascot has seen better days, let's place it in the bowl and see what happens..."