Quest #38 "Betwixt Water And Stone"

[Bluehorse]

Keg

Drives his sword into the split head of the spider a few times just to make for sure for sure 1000% it is dead. Spider! It had to be a spider! $#!@#!@#$@#$ Spider! GAH!!! Once he is finally satisfied it is dead, he turns to Luther and stares wide-eyed... a little crazed with residual fear. How the hell are you still alive? he points a sword at him. It's something to do with that plaque you drew isn't it? That plaque didn't look right... what's going on with you?

[Jernau35]

The Knife

The Knife stoops, grabs a handful of dirt and smears it across his cheeks and forehead. Then he draws his large curved blade and screams "AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!....Wait, is it dead already? You killed it? Well that's not really fair is it? I was just about to...ow! ow! I've got dirt in my eye...ow!"

[sastaz]

Amun

stares in amazement as the ranger gets on his feet again as if nothing happened. Then she just shrugs and wipes her blade on one of the spider's legs before starting to shove the massive body away from the hole so that everyone may exit freely, panting as he does so.

[gurusql]

Wake

Hoping that Luther and / or Keg (since on of those have his torch) will check the roof for more spiders, and with Amun moving the spider Wake goes over to finish his investigation of the magic, of what could be a body.

[Urson]

Luther
Luther squeezes the bite wound, forcing blood out to make sure the venom is gone.
I made a promise not to speak about it. I'm not completely sure about how it works- but I suspect it might stop working if a certain somebody knew I'd talked.
The plaque is a different thing- it pissed off a devil, and he's going to come gunning for me, sometime. I don't know when, and I'm not going to go crazy trying to protect myself until it happens.
Let's get on with this.
Luther will pass the torch-and-pole to someone else, and lend his muscle to moving slabs and searching.

[OGRE MAGE]

Spider Cave
Starday, 27th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Overcast, Warm, Buggy

After Kegs gruesome display of overkill, no further threats are found along the dark, rocky cave ceiling once it is inspected more closely. The huge carcass of the dead spider is pushed away from the opening to allow Amun the ability to get back inside with the others while TK plays in the dirt.

Luther's concerning health condition is questioned by the others, some of them violently, but the ranger can only mention that he cant talk about it, assuring Keg that the incident is a separate issue completely from his other incident with the deck devil. Wake isn't pleased to hear that his current mission leader is not only tailed by some evil higher power, but that the man also has ongoing conditions that he cant seem to explain outright. The priest shrugs the oddity off and goes back to his search of the magic auras he saw earlier.

The carved inscription on the central round rock still glows in the eyes of the cleric, though it has yet to be inspected. The area at the back of the room still glows as well, below and beside the large stone slab there. Wake investigates the clump of material that might have been a body at one point, finding almost nothing left of the poor soul. Wrapped up in what was left of a leather side pouch amongst the rest of the dried husk, the young acolyte finds a crystal flask with a sealed stopper. The ancient looking vessel still holds its seal, and a small amount of blue liquid sloshes around inside of it. There are no markings etched anywhere on the glass.

Actions?

positions:

F0FE5845-4666-4F9F-B9CE-FDF3C1E20529.jpeg (28.75 KiB) Viewed 409 times

Keg (F3) AC:1 23/23 (Torch)
Luther (R4) AC:3 24/30 (Torch)
The Knife (T2) AC:4* 8/8
Wake (C1) AC:3 10/10 2/3 first DM:5
Amun (F1) AC:2 13/13

[gurusql]

Wake

Wake will pick up the leather flask with the crystal flask and move to check out the carved inscription on the central round rock. He will set down his backpack and then place the potential potion next to it and then check out the central round rock for more clues.

[OGRE MAGE]

Wake

Wake will pick up the leather flask with the crystal flask and move to check out the carved inscription on the central round rock. He will set down his backpack and then place the potential potion next to it and then check out the central round rock for more clues.

As previously described...

Besides the husks and other debris scattered about the place, there is a large, flat topped, round rock in the center of the room that rises up above the floor about 12 inches. There appear to be words carved into the surface of the rock, but none in the group can read what they say. Wake looks them over but believes the phrases to be written in an arcane language that he doesn't understand.

[Jernau35]

The Knife

"Be there in a moment!" calls The Knife. "As soon as we've decided which one of us is going first!" Then he carries on mumbling to himself.

[sastaz]

Amun takes a few steps forward and has a look on the central round rock. Trying to look at it from different angles, see if that makes a difference. She makes a face and grunts.

[gurusql]

Sorry OM, I had thought that to be the case, but I was reacting to the it has yet to be inspected part (which I bolded)

Wake

Wake will pick up the leather flask with the crystal flask and move to check out the carved inscription on the central round rock. He will set down his backpack and then place the potential potion next to it and then check out the central round rock for more clues.

As previously described...

Besides the husks and other debris scattered about the place, there is a large, flat topped, round rock in the center of the room that rises up above the floor about 12 inches. There appear to be words carved into the surface of the rock, but none in the group can read what they say. Wake looks them over but believes the phrases to be written in an arcane language that he doesn't understand.

The carved inscription on the central round rock still glows in the eyes of the cleric, though it has yet to be inspected.

Given that I have already look here, I will retrieve my possessions and the potential potion and then check out the third magic area

[OGRE MAGE]

No problem.

Spider Cave
Starday, 27th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Overcast, Warm, Buggy

Wake secures the potion and moves to the central rock where he still cant read the magical inscriptions, before moving back to the larger slab at the rear of the dark cave. The rock slab there is flat and looks very heavy, but the priest finds no inscriptions here. The magical auras he sees must be coming from somewhere underneath the huge slab.

Amun studies the carvings on the central rock, looking at them from different angles and heights, but she finds the writing equally indecipherable.

TK continues his incessant mumbling to himself outside before finally growing enough courage to fully enter the cave. The gnome moves directly to the central rock, where he to looks over the writing with a devilish smirk.

Luther and Keg both remain completely still and silent for some reason.

Actions?

positions:

6A23BC7E-24DA-4E5C-86E8-BE49EB414FD2.jpeg (27.14 KiB) Viewed 374 times

Keg (F3) AC:1 23/23 (Torch)
Luther (R4) AC:3 24/30 (Torch)
The Knife (T2) AC:4* 8/8
Wake (C1) AC:3 10/10 2/3 first DM:4
Amun (F1) AC:2 13/13

[gurusql]

Wake

"The Knife, would one of you mind hopping up on the platform, perhaps it will move the stage here or unlock it."

[sastaz]

Amun frowns at Wake's suggestion.

"Or eat him."

[Urson]

Luther
Luther examines the long slab, looking for any sign that it can be pried up or lifted.

[Jernau35]

The Knife

The Knife scans the writing on the central rock for several long moments. Then he takes a step back. "As you all probably know, gnomes are very good with other languages. And I...sorry, we...myself am very good even for a gnome. I probably speak six or seven. Oh hush! Nobody even cares how many you speak. You're not even supposed to speak!"

"Having studied these strange symbols as hard as I could, I can now tell you that they mean..." The Knife rubs his temples with one hand and leans casually on the central pillar. "Nothing!"

"Well, to me anyway. Maybe someone else should try?" He smiles and looks around at everyone.

[Bluehorse]

The Keg looks at The Knife with rapt attention then.... nothing... It's hard to tell if he grumbles or laughs, perhaps a bit of both. He just shakes his head and continues looking around the cave for anything useful or that could pose a threat while keeping a side eye on Luther as well.

[gurusql]

Wake

"I know that that spider had some weight to him, perhaps we could use that weight to "stand" on the center section. Can you all help me move the spider on the center section?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Spider Cave
Starday, 27th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Overcast, Warm, Buggy

Luther and Wake continue to examine the large raised slab at the back of the cave. Clearing some of the dirt and dust away from its edge, the ranger finds a horizontal seem about 4 inches down that could possibly be pried up like some kind of vault cover.

Keg watches the ranger and the thief carefully, wondering which represents the bigger threat. Since Luther really does seem fine after his obvious poisoning, he concentrates on the goofy gnome. What he sees next scares both he and Amun.

While the odd pairing of gnome and knife look over the center stone, bragging about his linguistic skills, as soon as he places his hand upon the rock and states the word "Nothing", there is an audible hiss and the top of the rock raises slightly, allowing a quick blast of what appears to be mist from beneath it. The whole affair appears as if some kind of ancient seal has just been broken, allowing access to whatever lies below.

Actions?

positions:
Keg (F3) AC:1 23/23 (Torch)
Luther (R4) AC:3 24/30 (Torch)
The Knife (T2) AC:4* 8/8
Wake (C1) AC:3 10/10 2/3 first DM:3
Amun (F1) AC:2 13/13

[Bluehorse]

Keg blinks and looks at the rising slab. The password was literally Nothing? that did it. He almost doubles over laughing.