Ruined Tower of Mad Mortimer

[Grognardsw]

"You're not man enough, but let's check your boast," Orando's voice floats.

[OGRE MAGE]

While Caine and the invisible Orando flirt with each other, Epi and Grillock get to work on the investigation.

Grillock finds no traps anywhere on or near the large marble alter.

This whole area is open to the elements and the stone is somewhat weathered from the many years of exposure. There is no evidence that anyone has been inside this area recently.

The massive 4x4x8 foot block of marble sits on the stone floor inside of the ground level of the tower ruins. The rust colored message is slightly etched into the top of the marble but Epi finds no depression that Dowlings stone might fit into.

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The message reads as follows:

image.jpeg (115.13 KiB) Viewed 771 times

[Inferno]

Krual Caine, half-human monster:

"You're not man enough, but let's check your boast," Orando's voice floats.

"MAN ENOUGH? WHY I'M NOT A MAN AT ALL!"
Then the reprehensible lout looked down at unseen rustlings near his orc-hood, and crooned, "THAT'S IT. THERE'S A GOOD GIRL."

[Grognardsw]

Orando, pornomancer

"While my loyal porter soothes the beast, let me examine the stone," whispers Orando to Father Dowling. "Can you all try moving the slab while I experiment here."

The elven mage holds the stone and starts whispering and thinking command words - seek, open, fly, light, detect, protect, talk, command, release, orbit, and other actions verbs. He tosses it in the air, sits on it, licks it, rubs it against earth, stone, rock, his sword. Orando occasionally glances at Caine, knowing that Panguine will soon move to simultaneous backside stimulation and hopes the orc's animalistic appetites will be met.

[Inferno]

Krual Caine, half-human monster:

The lusty atrocity reached down to guide Orando's head, and to open his plate mail, but he found Orando wasn't there.

He pulls the amorphous thing off his sealed armor and growls, "TEASING BITCH. TYPICAL ELF WHORE. IT'S ALL JUST TALK... AS I SUSPECTED.
HA! CALLED YOUR BLUFF, HAVEN'T I?"

Epi
"So let's see this magic stone. Perhaps it might open something around here--a basement or hidden compartment. Perhaps just place it on this marble altar, or whatever it is, and see if something happens." She looks around for some indentation where it could fit.

"PLACE THE STONE IN THE CENTER OF THE SWIRL." Caine said to Epi.
If the stone doesn't open a door, the giant creature will attempt to push the altar stone to the side.

[GreyWolfVT]

Odilo scoffs "How crude. I liked him better as a pompous ass."

[Inferno]

Krual Caine, half-human monster:

"AND I LIKED YOU BETTER BLEEDING OUT ON THE GROUND. BUT WE ALL NEED ACCEPT LITTLE COMPROMISES IN LIFE SOMETIMES, DON'T WE? HA!"

[GreyWolfVT]

Odilo just rolls his eyes at the profuse beast. "Perhaps next time I'd prefer death."

[Dram]

GRillock- Looks at the oversized orc and Odilo. Hey! You two done fighting over Epi's affection? come help us look for way in to this tower. I have cleared it of traps.

[GreyWolfVT]

Odilo gets up and hobbles over "Aye master." he replies jokingly back to Grillock.

[OGRE MAGE]

Orando whispers into Father Dowlings ear, taking and manipulating his stone. He spends a minute trying several command words, none of them successful. He then attempts a few things that would raise an eyebrow or two from the others if only they could see them, namely licking and sitting on the stone.

The huge Caine is upset when he realizes that he will have to wait a bit longer to force his pleasure on the "typical elf whore". He suggests placing the stone into the somehow familiar looking swirl that is etched into the top of the alter. Nothing happens.

The group tries to push against the stone but, even with the immense most-orc and his increased strength, the slab doesn't move in the least.

The good Father takes his stone back and stares blankly at the base of the alter for a few seconds.

[Cauchy]

Epi

With a shrug, "Did you try holding the stone and saying the words on the stone?"

[Grognardsw]

Orando, mystic

The ancient fey ponders the situation. He traces the pattern with his finger from the outer end into the middle, and reverse if no result.

Then he will follow Epi's suggestion.

[OGRE MAGE]

Tracing the swirl with a finger produces no unusual result.

The stone is still being held by the suddenly silent Father Dowling. He continues to stare at the base of the alter.

Scott? You still out there?

[Grognardsw]

Orando, dweomermancer

"There must be more," mutters the mage. He steps back and surveys that within the tower ruins. "The ogres were likely here for a reason. The priest mentioned something would be here."

Orando takes the stone from the contemplative priest and does as Epi suggested, holding the stone and saying the words on it.

"Let us search the center, and fan out. Perhaps there is a secret or buried entrance about." The elf walks the swirl pattern in his own search.

"Ugghra, with your great strength, could you dig down. We may reach a sub-level." Orando bids his Loyal Porter to begin digging as well, so the combined efforts may yield result sooner.

[Scott308]

Father Dowling

The priest takes the stone back from Orando, looking at the altar. As he does so, he can feel magic in the stone reacting. He approaches the altar, looking at the base. There! Do you see that? The blue light where the altar touches the stone? He then begins pushing the altar, hoping to move it. If nothing happens, he will kneel and try touching the stone to the blue light at the base and see what happens.

[Dram]

Grillock- Looks. No! See what!

[GreyWolfVT]

Odilo looks as well "Eh no... I don't see any blue light. Don't tell me you're going mad-wits on us now Father?"

[Grognardsw]

"Ah yes, that light. I see it now," says Orando.

[OGRE MAGE]

Orando recites the words on the alter while holding the stone to no avail. He then suggests they dig down in the surrounding dirt. A small hole in the dirt begins to form just outside the tower as Orando's unseen porter begins to dig in the stoney soil. He makes very slow progress.

The Father looks amusing as he tries to push the huge slab all by himself when the rest of the entire group, including a mutant with ogre strength, couldn't budge the thing.

Touching the stone to the blue light also reveals nothing to Dowling so, he surmises that the stone has a minor detection ability cast upon it. When he (and only he) holds the stone in his hand, he sees the thin outline in blue at the base of the slab.