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Maag

Maag looks at Gramble and grins. 'Jus' gimme a warnin' before yer do dat, alright?"

He looks around the cave again. "Norf seems as good as anywhere else. Look out, Look 'ear, 'ere we come!"

Even Maag has the grace to look embarrassed after that word-play.

Sir Crestbrook the Mighty

The paladin still guards the passage in the room that had not been explored yet, waiting for the
others to decide the next step for the group.

Lerrick

The cleric glances periodically at her torch

wolfpack wrote:if we don't find them soon maybe we just start yelling and bring them to us

The paladin turns to Gramble. I'm very good at that. Let me know when

Andronichishche groans softly in response to Maag's play on words, and offers a silent prayer to Rao for strength against grammatical umbrages. "Mr. Gramble, in his distinctive way, does allude to a reason why Brutus hasn't found us ... perhaps he can't see us. It would explain why he alone appears immune to the medusa's gaze. If that is indeed the cause of the petrification. His idea certainly has merit as a last resort."

Tlachtga

"If we are going to yell we should find a defensible spot first."

Alordan nods in full agreement "We are not just gonna start yelling - having a defensible spot is wise. Of course, my coin is on the fact that whatever may be in these tunnels - already knows we are here..."

Andronichishche nods in turn at Tlachtga and Alordan. "I concur with both points. If we resort to that option we should also be well rested and prepared. It would seem then that we are in agreement to now proceed north and examine on and around the hearing statue."

Saracen falls in line in the marching order as the companions head north, sword and shield at the ready, eyes peeled above and around him as he goes.

I still think an advanced scout would be wise. he says, knowing it will fall on deaf ears.

Back In The Cave
Moonday, 15th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Damp, Dim, Humid

The cool head of Alordan stifles any shouting before it begins and the group ranks up for a trip north through the narrow winding passages again.

They arrive back in the room with the three minotaur statues after a short walk, finding it exactly as they left it.

Actions?

map: Sir Crestbrook 10/11 LoH
Gramble 13/16
Tlachtga 8/8 0/4 1st (torch: 40'r/5.4T)
Cu AC:3 13/13
Lerrick 11/11 2/4 1st (torch: 40'r/4.7T)
Saracen 28/33 3/5 1st 2/2 2nd
Alordan 15/18
Andron 6/6 0/3 1st CL, DM, RM / 1/1 1st
Maag 12/12

Alordan looks at Andron and back to the statues, "What do you think? There's gotta be something to these, right?"

Saracen moves to the one that says listen and listens at it. He will then say the word listen in common and his native tongue.

Andronichishche tilts his head as he listens to Alordan then proceeds to do a cursory examination of the statues, replying in a distracted tone as he does so, "The clue said to 'look hear for a secret'. Assuming it meant the middle statue ...", Andron motions to the central statue with its ears covered by either hand, "... it suggests something to be found on or around it." He pauses to more closely examine it, looking for anything unusual or different between itself and its peers, particularly around where the hands have covered the ears. After completing this he will examine the wall behind the statue, rapping on random sections with one end of his bamboo pole, listening for any sounds of hollow spots.

Tlachtga

Tlachtga will search around all 3 statues, but focuses mainly on the Hear statue. She will have Cu sniff as well. Does anything move? (Secret lever type?) Can she wobble or slide a statue?

Grambls searches the wall behind the statue

Alordan watches the northern most tunnel as the others examine the statue. He'll offer suggestions as they continue."The message was 'Look hear..'..maybe it has something to do with the eyes and the ears of the two statues? touching the eyes and the ears for a trigger or something? maybe you have to actually look and listen in some way?..." He rambles off frustrated. The forest and the animals aren't nearly so infuriating - what you get is what you see. None of this puzzle nonsense...

Andronichishche glances back at the statues, pausing his examination of the wall behind the trio. He looks at each in turn again, then more closely at the nearby floor. "I must admit the oddness of this place had blinded me from noticing something particular about these statues. Or more accurately, these specific statues in a line. We know now these are almost certainly petrified minotaur, but what are the odds that these three would be here, in these poses, at the time of their petrification?" He turns now to address Alordan, "Are you able to determine if these were dragged here, and from which direction?"

Alordan looks once more into the darkness and then examines the rock floor for any scratches or evidence of dragging - or if they can be moved.

Maag

Maag listens to Andronichishche's postulation about the minotaurs being dragged to this spot.

"I can see 'ow der other minotaurs might be caught doin' all sorts of stuff when dey were turned to stone. But wot are der odds dat each one of dese nurks woz makin' dat exact pose when dey got whacked?"

"Nah, dis", he points at the three stautues, "woz deliberate".

Back In The Cave
Moonday, 15th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Damp, Dim, Humid

A thorough search of the statues, wall, and floor is conducted as Alordan watches the northern passage for any intrusions. It definitely appears that these statues have all been dragged in here by something strong, but not overly large. Nothing is learned from tapping on the hard stone walls, but several irregularities are found in the smooth stone behind all three of the statues. Most of them are indistinct, but there are a few spots where the stone is recessed in and others where small nodules of stone are sticking out away from the wall. The odd shape of the stone isn't rough, as if someone cut it with a chisel. It is noticeably smooth, as if the stone was simply melted or reshaped somehow, without the use of tools. The stone floor is scratched behind all three of the statues and all of them appear to be easily moved or slid with enough brute force. No scratching on the floor is evident in front of the unusual minotaurs.

Saracen and Andron try a few experiments at the statue covering its ears, but their attempts reveal no more clues. Tlachtga has Cu sniff around all three of the statues as she also checks over the central one covering its ears. The dog seems to pick up a light scent and spends a lot of time sniffing the wall behind the statue covering its mouth.

Actions?

map: Sir Crestbrook 10/11 LoH
Gramble 13/16
Tlachtga 8/8 0/4 1st (torch: 40'r/5.2T)
Cu AC:3 13/13
Lerrick 11/11 2/4 1st (torch: 40'r/4.5T)
Saracen 28/33 3/5 1st 2/2 2nd
Alordan 15/18
Andron 6/6 0/3 1st CL, DM, RM / 1/1 1st
Maag 12/12

Andronichishche kneels to study the scratch marks on the floor closely, running an index finger along a few of the deeper grooves. Still kneeling he looks up to the statues and back to the wall, appearing to measure and compare the deformations in the wall with the natural curves of the stone forming the statues. After a few minutes he slowly stands and rubs his chin, murmuring silently to himself. After another short pause he proceeds to walk back in front of the statues and faces them, looking particularly closely at the wall Cu was interested in. He then points to the statues covering their eyes and ears in turn, "Based on what Alordan has ascertained, these statues have been moved extensively to and from the wall, but no further. I suspect then that the clue was not in reference to just the hearing statue, but to both the hearing and the looking statue. To wit, I believe if we move those two statues flush against the wall I would expect the deformations match to the natural curves on the statues themselves. Essentially, a statue combination lock ..." Andron now points to the speaking statue. "... and given Cu's interest in that section of the wall I suspect doing so will either open or uncover a portal there."