Return To The Ruins (Warlords Palace)

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

Kain, now that the coast is clear, moves to examine the casks. He's looking for markings, dates, times, locations. "Vintage wines can be rather profitable."

[hedgeknight]

Drest moves over and helps Ceana examine the disc. "What do we have here?"

"Don't know," Ceana replies, squatting to get a closer look at the disc with the light from her torch. Sheathing her falcata, she picks up the disc to examine it.

[shaidar]

Xenos keeps alert while the disc is examined.

[Belkregos]

Belloc
updates the map he's been drawing, adding a few notes for context. He then returns to the original room they entered (Room 16), positioning himself strategically to observe the door to the south (the door leading to Room 18).

[OGRE MAGE]

The Zakath Desert
The Ruined Warlords Palace
Afternoon

Ceana picks up the strange disk from the other detritus, finding it slightly heavy, likely made of baked clay. It is about 5 inches in diameter, containing painted words and a strange symbol none of the group has ever seen before. As to its actual function, nothing obvious immediately presents itself.

Between the stink of serpent, vinegar, and rotting wood, the casks are searched to no avail. There is nothing left intact inside the room.

Actions?

Xenos (DS3) AC5 17/17
Drest (Sc4) AC7 22/22
Kainaxarthos (C2) AC6 11/11
Cyril (Pr2) AC8 7/7 CLW
Ceana (D2) AC5 13/13
Akhilleus (F3) AC4 32/32
Taibhse (Sh1) AC7 7/7
Belloc (M1) AC6 9/9
Sik (Ba1) AC5 12/12

[hedgeknight]

Ceana

The druid wracks her brain to recognize the markings on the disc...sure it means something important. "Why else would it be here?" she mumbles to herself. Frustrated, she asks Drest to tuck it into her backpack, saying, "I'll examine it a bit more closely later."

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

He turns his nose up at the ruined casks. "Ok. To the South?"

Kain finds his place in line and moves out with the group.

[Rex]

Drest

Drest slips the disc into Ceana's pack. Then leads the way south, trying to be stealthy and alert (checking for traps etc.).

[silifi]

Sik puts his nose to the air, trying to pick up the trail of the snake men. He follows Drest, tightly gripping his axe in preparation for an ambush.

[The_Wanderer]

Cyril takes up his position in the line, bravely watching the rear with his sling ready.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Zakath Desert
The Ruined Warlords Palace
Afternoon

Unsure what to make of their recent discovery, Ceana packs the painted clay disc away for later study.

The large room to the south (18) is adorned with several stone pillars carved in the form of huge trees that reach from floor to ceiling, at a nearly 30' height. Broad steps descend 5 feet into the dark room that otherwise appears empty. There is another hallway leading south, adorned with two more half opened doors and another narrow stairway leading down into yet another room below.

This area is clear of the dead dwarf bodies you left in here last time, and even the blood appears to have been partially cleaned up from the floor. Other than stains, there is no evidence of your prior battle.

The path leading deeper into the basement is dark and quiet. Sik is pretty sure the stink of serpent came from this direction.

Actions?

Xenos (DS3) AC5 17/17
Drest (Sc4) AC7 22/22
Kainaxarthos (C2) AC6 11/11
Cyril (Pr2) AC8 7/7 CLW
Ceana (D2) AC5 13/13
Akhilleus (F3) AC4 32/32
Taibhse (Sh1) AC7 7/7
Belloc (M1) AC6 9/9
Sik (Ba1) AC5 12/12

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[hedgeknight]

Ceana

Holding her torch high, and her falcata at the ready, the Kelt enters the dark room full of stone pillars.
"If we are going to get ambushed, this would be the time; lots of places to hide," she whispers, glancing back at Kain and motioning him forward with a jerk of her head. She descends the stairs slowly and when she reaches the bottom, she stops and allows the others to catch up.

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

Keeping one eye out for any danger, and the other out for Belloc to make sure he doesn't wander off Taibhse will move forward with the group staying to the rear.

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

Kain stops in awe of the indoor forest. "Elven? Or just someone who really liked the outdoors. And the trees themselves! I can't be sure, but they don't look like any trees around here."

He redirects his focus to Ceana when she beckons. "These snake people? Can they climb trees?" Kain keeps his eyes up, weapon at the ready.

"We should make sure nothing is up there before we press on." He raises his torch, hoping to illuminate the boughs of the stone trees.

[OGRE MAGE]

2 things to clear up.

There are no such things as elves or gnomes or halflings in Hyperborea. Dwarfs, yes, but not the fat, jolly, heavily armored "dwarves" you might be familiar with.

The carved tree columns don't have big bushy branches. They are carved to look like tree trunks, but are functional as supports at their tops. There are no branches to climb or search.

Sorry if that wasn't clear. I was kinda skipping heavy detail in these rooms, as they have already been searched once before.

The next areas are virgin territory so their descriptions will be more detailed.

[Monsieur Rose]

Right. My mistake.
To be fair, I didn't think there were branches, just maybe leaves at the top as a support.

edit: put in ooc

[silifi]

Sik sniffs the air again, and nudges Drest on the shoulder. "Over this way. I smell the snake-men," he says, pointing straight ahead. (into 21)

"We should check the doors on either side first to be ward off a possible ambush."

[shaidar]

Xenos moves into the column room, heading over to join Drest and Sik.

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

Seeing the others concentrating on the room ahead he mentally prepares for trouble when they enter there. He maintains his place in the rear. He'll stay at the door of the current room to observe the room they leave until the others start entering the next room.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus also enters the column room and goes to the front. Ready to start swinging his sword if the situation requires it.