Ch. 3: Back into the Tomb

[ChubbyPixie]

Eduardo decides to take Abrex's warning to heart. While having been exposed over the years to the odd spell or enchantment, many of those perhaps being mere parlor tricks, he couldn't begin to claim any understanding - or indeed to tell the difference. In short, though he finds magic as fascinating as the next man, he has no real desire to have its effects enacted upon his person. He proceeds to back slowly into the tunnel the way he came. Ready to charge out and do battle if needed, of course. That's one thing he does understand.

As he back in, he yells to Mason,"As you decide best, of course… still, what good could come of it? What do you hope to achieve? Some evil deity may not like having their altar defiled…"

[zebediah]

Have the urns in the corners been checked already?

[Nuke66]

"Well, what do we want to do? Just leave this room alone and more one elsewhere? Or should I just sit my happy ass in the throne?" Mason responds, clearly more than a bit frustrated.

[Zhym]

Mason rips the rusted and torn black chainmail right off of the skeleton, sending bones flying and rolling in all directions. Holding up the useless armor, he asks the group, "Should I toss this on the altar?" Hearing no reply, he becomes frustrated. "Well, what do we want to do? Just leave this room alone and more on elsewhere? Or should I just sit my happy ass in the throne?"

Xale remains on the path, unwilling as yet to venture beyond it for a better look at the room's features.

Eduardo retreats into the tunnel.

The urns in the corner have not been inspected.

Status: Abrex (R9/MU11): 103/103, Ula: 20/20, Lucky: 4/4 ; Eduardo (F10): 84/84; Mason (Mk10): 35/56; Elsa (F10): 58/58; Malibran (C10): 64/68; Zoster (F9/D12): 75/76, Ulla: 12/12; Xale (F8/C8): 54/54; Worren (C9/MU11): 53/53; Malvexa (F0): 6/6

[zebediah]

Mason rips the rusted and torn black chainmail right off of the skeleton, sending bones flying and rolling in all directions. Holding up the useless armor, he asks the group, "Should I toss this on the altar?" Hearing no reply, he becomes frustrated. "Well, what do we want to do? Just leave this room alone and more on elsewhere? Or should I just sit my happy ass in the throne?"

The druid responds We have a mission and thus far we have advanced very little, so we should check all possibilities. Yours is a valid idea Mason, just be careful and try to keep some distance while throwing it.

The urns in the corner have not been inspected.

Zoster will wait for the result of Mason's actions before he checks the urns. He will stay close to the entrance of the tunnel.

[Grognardsw]

Elsa the Fair / chapel room

"Who keeps these candelabra candles burning?" wonders Elsa aloud. "Did they light up in our honor?"

She looks at the candles to see if they are burning and dripping wax in the normal fashion, of are magical light.

The half-orc observes her comrades explorations. She raises shield defensively and backs away from the alter area as the chain shirt is to be thrown on it.

[Zhym]

Mason approaches the altar as close as he dares. Elsa backs away, and everyone holds their breath as he tosses the chain shirt onto the altar...

...and all breathe a sigh of relief when nothing happens. The torn and rusted armor lands on the altar with a loud rattle, but that's it.

Zoster examines the urns. They are each about 5' high, white, decorated in light blue floral patterns. Each is stoppered with brass and wood plugs.

Elsa examines the candles. "Who keeps these candelabra candles burning?" she wonders aloud. Indeed, they seem like normal candles. Wax drips from them but vanishes before hitting the floor. Although she only watches the candles for a few minutes, Elsa is pretty sure the candles aren't getting any shorter.

Status: Abrex (R9/MU11): 103/103, Ula: 20/20, Lucky: 4/4 ; Eduardo (F10): 84/84; Mason (Mk10): 35/56; Elsa (F10): 58/58; Malibran (C10): 64/68; Zoster (F9/D12): 75/76, Ulla: 12/12; Xale (F8/C8): 54/54; Worren (C9/MU11): 53/53; Malvexa (F0): 6/6

[zebediah]

Zoster will carefully remove the stoppering of each urn at a time, if there is no reaction he will try to turn the urns to let any contents slide to the floor.

If there is nothing noteworthy inside he will check the area beneath and around the urns, looking for doors, strange patterns, and anything that seems unusual.

[ChubbyPixie]

"Well, what do we want to do? Just leave this room alone and more one elsewhere? Or should I just sit my happy ass in the throne?" Mason responds, clearly more than a bit frustrated.

Eduardo peeks out of the tunnel to watch Mason throw the chain shirt on the altar, fascinated in spite of his misgivings. When nothing happens he is, absurdly, mildly disappointed.

"Well... I suppose you can do as you like. I, for one, probably would not," he responds to Mason.

If nothing further happens, Eduardo will exit the tunnel and inspect the apparently untrapped pews towards the back.

[Nuke66]

"Any ideas? I am out of things to figure out." Mason says

[Grognardsw]

Elsa experiments with a candle by extinguishing one with her armored glove hand. Then she will light it, using the other candles. If it reignites, she'll extinguish and take six of them. "Never know when candles of everglowing light may be helpful," she says.

The half-orc sword mistress watches as the urns are investigated, half expecting some creature or evil thing to exit from them.

Answering Mason, Elsa says: "Our mission is to find the wizard's skull, so if this room does not have head or clue we should move on."

[ravenn4544]

Malibran will advance to examine the chair on the dais avoiding touching the altar or front pews.

[Zhym]

Zoster unstoppers each urn. They are filled with plain sand. He tips them over. Sand spills out. Nothing of interest appears around or beneath the urns.

Malibran advances to examine the chair on the dais, careful to avoid touching the altar or front pews. The chair is carved and nicely padded, but otherwise unremarkable—aside from the fact that a dead asp that was tossed on it disappeared.

Mason confesses that he’s out of ideas.

Eduardo climbs out of the tunnel and inspects the pews. He notices that the seats are attached with hinges. Lifting the seats, he finds that each pew is filled with silver pieces!

Elsa extinguishes and successfully relights one of the everburning candles. She puts six of the lights out and pockets the candles. "Never know when candles of everglowing light may be helpful," she says.

Status: Abrex (R9/MU11): 103/103, Ula: 20/20, Lucky: 4/4 ; Eduardo (F10): 84/84; Mason (Mk10): 35/56; Elsa (F10): 58/58; Malibran (C10): 64/68; Zoster (F9/D12): 75/76, Ulla: 12/12; Xale (F8/C8): 54/54; Worren (C9/MU11): 53/53; Malvexa (F0): 6/6

[Grognardsw]

Elsa's mischievious orc side makes her pick up an urn and drop it onto the chair to see if it disappears. If so she'll do the same with the other urn, then a candleabra, then another, until the others tell her its time to go.

Before that, she'll note if the chair is bolted to the floor. If not, she'll lift it with her trident and with the other hand drop a coin in it to see if the teleportation effect still works. Perhaps, Elsa thinks, she could break the legs off and strap the seat to her shield, giving it interesting defensive capabilities...

[ravenn4544]

Malibran studies the chair by tossing a copper piece onto it and watching (and listening) closely to see what happens to it. He'll then study the chair in more detail (front, back, the floor, and the wall behind it).

[max_vale]

Seeing a few of his fellow party members leave the 'path' and nothing untoward seeming to happen; Xale decides to inspect the walls of the room more closely; in particular attempting to discern any concealed or secret doors; traps; etc....

[Cwreando]

Abrex says to the others, "Do you want to tempt fate by activating either the Pews or the Alter? If you feel good will come from it then we can try them. If you feel evil will come from it then we should just move on. I can try moving through the archway but you would need to be prepared to follow me in case I don't come back."

[ravenn4544]

"'Ware good sir - before we are that bold I would suggest we search the walls and safe pews first. There has been thousands of secrets and secret doors in this place thus far, eh? Let's take a few minutes extra, please, and be sure that the fog is our only way to proceed before proceeding...."

[Cwreando]

Nodding at the suggestion to study the room further he still keeps his furry friends in the tunnel. He says, "Have we checked for secret compartments on the alter or throne? It's a safe bet the pews are not going to provide any boon for us. At least the trapped ones that is."

OOC - Abrex is down a Detect Magic Spell.

[Zhym]

Elsa starts picking up decorative accessories and placing them on the chair, which is firmly attached to the floor. Two large urns—emptied of their sand—and both candelabras each get a turn on the chair. All of them vanish.

Malibran tosses a copper piece onto the chair. It, too, disappears. He studies the chair in detail but finds nothing of note.

As others discuss whether to activate the pews or the altar, Xale leaves the path and begins a careful inspection of the walls. He notices something in the east wall, just south of the railing, that had almost escaped his attention: a small slot with a letter O faintly traced above it.

Status: Abrex (R9/MU11): 103/103, Ula: 20/20, Lucky: 4/4 ; Eduardo (F10): 84/84; Mason (Mk10): 35/56; Elsa (F10): 58/58; Malibran (C10): 64/68; Zoster (F9/D12): 75/76, Ulla: 12/12; Xale (F8/C8): 54/54; Worren (C9/MU11): 53/53; Malvexa (F0): 6/6