Return To The Ruins (Warlords Palace)

[Rex]

Drest

Drest doesn't like the idea of leaving something potentially valuable behind but listens to Kain for now. "Maybe we will try on the way out."

Looking around, "Are we heading down then?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Island Under The Zakath Desert
Feeling Froggy
No Idea On Time Or Day

As folks gather around the huge stairway with lights and torches, one thing becomes quite certain. If there is anything below, they will most certainly hear the keening song of Magda as she attempts to comprehend the writings and symbols along the lip of the dome. Before the Witch can even finish her spell, she drops to her knees, holding her aching head in her delicate hands. She gets no information from the alien markings, but does receive a headache like she has never experienced before. At least the pain forces her to stop singing so loudly. (no charge for the unfinished spell)

Just as Drest is about to do the old switcheroo on the glowing gem, Kainaxarthos shouts for the foolish Pict to leave it be, as it is surely a trap of some kind. Somehow, the message gets through and the groups normally stubborn Scout decides not to touch the thing after all.

Kain looks down the dark stairway, appreciative for the light, though he still cant see the bottom. He slides over the edge of the first step, setting his feet firmly on the next step 3 feet below. So far, nothing terrible happens.

Actions?

Drest (Sc4) FA:3 AC7 16/22
Xenos (DS3) FA:3 AC5 17/17
Akhilleus (F4) FA:4 AC4 19/35
Kainaxarthos (C2) FA:1 AC6 9/11
Magda (W2) FA:0 AC9 8/8
Sik (Ba1) FA:1 AC5 9/12 Hooded Lantern
Cyril (Pr2) FA:0(20) AC8 12/12 CLW, DM Torch
Ceana (D2) FA:1 AC5 13/13
Taibhse (Sh2) FA:0(20) AC5 11/11 Torch
Belloc (M2) FA:0(20) AC6 14/14

[subaltari]

Magda and Skavi

The comely witch does continue to sing, but suddenly at a much lower volume and switching to her own language. "Aiieeh huh uhh..." it sounds more like moaning and sobbing as she sinks to her knees in misery. She feebly waves away anyone approaching to help her. At length she shares quietly in Common, "The pain!... those sigils, they are not to be trifled with by hedge magic such as I just worked. Cyril, even touched by your god's madness, I daresay you'd get just as bad a headache."

Madga seems oblivious to the foray down the stairs, but the black rat Skavi's whiskers twitch as he alertly watches Kain drop down the first, high step. He then hops on both hind feet, landing on the same stair several feet to the side of the cleric.

[The_Wanderer]

Magda and Skavi
..."Cyril, even touched by your god's madness, I daresay you'd get just as bad a headache."[/dialog]

Cyril
"I feel like sometimes Azathoth just gets a bad wrap from non-believers..."

He then heads over to the step, ready to follow the party down the XL sized stair treads.

Is it just the rise that is 3 ft or is also the tread 3 feet deep? If it is just the rise and the tread is a normal 11 or so inches, then these would be frighteningly steep.

[Rex]

Drest

Drest moves over and examines the giant sized steps. Checking for traps.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus gets a rock or a broken piece of a floor tile and throws it down the stairs in order to check if there's any floor down there.

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

He nods at Drest then remarks. "Ok. At least the first step is solid. Excellent progress." He looks down into the darkness and sighs. "These are going to be a bear to climb back up. Not a chore to be done while fleeing."

Kain pauses. "What's the plan? Are we going down all the way? Or do we decide to go back to town to regroup and plan?"

[Rex]

Drest

"We could certainly benefit from another day of rest and healing. But, I am not sure we need to head back to town yet."

[Belkregos]

Belloc pauses, considering the situation carefully before speaking. "I believe we should press forward. If there's an intelligent threat here, it likely senses our presence." He then stops to summon Crestos.

As the owl gracefully lands on his forearm, Belloc leans in to whisper
i know its dangerous Crestos, we all are in danger, fly down for a quick survey, Crestos, dont engage with anything and comeback safe
With a gentle release, he allows the owl to silently glide down towards the darkness below.

[shaidar]

Xenos moves to join the others at the top of the steps.

"With all the noise we've made whatever is down there probably knows we are here, and it's going to be wary for a while, if we go forward or return later. And if we return later it'll have had chance to prepare, so I say we keep going."

[silifi]

Sik nods in agreement with Belloc and Xenos, holding position until Crestos returns.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus also nods.

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

"Down it is, then. Good idea with Crestos, Belloc. Hopefully, she finds it empty. Or is the owl male?"

Kain boosts himself back up and sits on the edge, waiting for Crestos to return.

[subaltari]

Magda gathers herself up and follows the others, staying back with Cyril, though she stares into the distance distractedly as she is actually viewing the staircase through Skavi's eyes.

"How many times larger are these stairs than normal ones? So they were hewn not by men, but by giants... Or other things! The Matron may have been closer to truth than she knew, when she told me idly of kyklopes... Cyclopean buildings.

"Too, I wonder if the gem is a device with some function related to the stairs, or to whatever awaits us at the bottom. It is the only other thing in this dome, erm, aside from those accursed sigils... I mean, the risk of a death trap aside, we might need it before long."

Cyril
"I feel like sometimes Azathoth just gets a bad wrap from non-believers..."

"Dear priest, we Ixians are mostly people of faith. We do believe in the Dæmon Sultan, as some of us know Its name. And we know that It well and truly honors Its pact with any mortal bold enough to enter into one." She smiles wryly.

[OGRE MAGE]

Island Under The Zakath Desert
Feeling Tiny
No Idea On Time Or Day

Once the group gathers closer to the stairs, anyone with a background in construction can see how perfectly symmetrical these were made. The craftsmanship is well beyond what any human could accomplish in this world. Hoping to make a little more noise below, Akhilleus finds no rubble, rocks, or ruined tile whatsoever in this empty room to toss down into the darkness. Kain makes a concerning comment about how difficult it might be to ascend these steps in a hurry again, if they needed to.

Crestos takes flight again, developing into a rather convenient scout itself lately as the owl swoops out of sight through the darkness below. Belloc closes his eyes and atunes with his animals version of sight, somehow able to see through the blackness far better than the mage ever could himself. He sees a huge circular room at the bottom of the massive stairs, at least 70 feet below their current position.

Flying around the outer rim of the room, he spots a pair of very tall doors on each side, and another set of massive double doors directly across the way. Belloc lets out a gasp that frightens his friends when his owl spots a giant one eyed figure standing directly in the center of the room, until he eventually realizes that the figure is only a statue and can't harm his flying friend. The huge statue seems to be standing above what appears to be a dry fountain of some kind, but it is difficult for the mage to make out exact details through the strange avian vision.

Actions?

(squares are 10')

IMG_3772.jpeg (78.1 KiB) Viewed 331 times

Drest (Sc4) FA:3 AC7 16/22
Xenos (DS3) FA:3 AC5 17/17
Akhilleus (F4) FA:4 AC4 19/35
Kainaxarthos (C2) FA:1 AC6 9/11
Magda (W2) FA:0 AC9 8/8
Sik (Ba1) FA:1 AC5 9/12 Hooded Lantern
Cyril (Pr2) FA:0(20) AC8 12/12 CLW, DM Torch
Ceana (D2) FA:1 AC5 13/13
Taibhse (Sh2) FA:0(20) AC5 11/11 Torch
Belloc (M2) FA:0(20) AC6 14/14

[Rex]

Drest

Once Belloc communicates what he has seen Drest will lead the way down the stairs carefully.

[Belkregos]

Belloc adds to the work in progress map of the complex with the new information and shares it with the group

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

Quietly waits and listens to Belloc's report. He will wait and take his place last in the line. He will quietly work through a prayer of bones to Raven while the debate goes on.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus follows Drest downstairs.

"I hope we don't have to run from here."

[silifi]

Sik follows Drest as well.