Chapter I: Volokarnos

[Zhym]

Burkus puts a hand against the door. Is it warm?

[BackworldTraveller]

Fairfax

The halfling brings up the rear, checking the room left behind.

Steam, yes that might be it. A sauna? He thinks of the hot corridor. If orcs are inside they are probably bathing so out of armour and weaponless. Could time to spring an ambush.

Finethorn laughs...Orcs, bathing! That image will never leave me - ugh!

[Lance]

I just remembered Hondo has a lantern. Should he light his so we don't have just a single lantern?

I'll take a note that your lantern is lit.

Harlan
He moves toward the bronze door, examining it by lantern light without touching it.

The craftsmanship is adequate - of course, nothing in the ballpark of dwarven work - showing stylized ocean waves in a seemingly random pattern. The lock is an elaborate gilded mechanism.

Fairfax
The halfling brings up the rear, checking the room left behind.

No movement from the room you left.

Burkus puts a hand against the door. Is it warm?

No, the door is about as cool as the environment.

Rooney

Will get to work on opening the heavy door, first trying any locks with his toolkit then trying to lever the door open more forcefully with a crowbar if lockpicking is unsuccessful.

Rooney picks locks vs 17% [1d100]=64

Crowbar it is then.

You fail to figure out how to open it as the mechanism is completely alien to anything you would consider a lock.

As for crowbars, would you do it or someone with more strength?

[Urson]

Harlan
Hold up there, hero. I want a look. He studies the lock, checking to see if it is actually a seal of some sort. He has a vague idea that magical things have a lot of weird geometric symbols on them, so he's looking for that, also.

[Spearmint]

Rooney

"Sure, check it out.", he steps aside for Harlan to study the door and lock, defeated by its mechanics.

[Bluetongue]

Fairfax

"Nothing to see here." he reports from the back.

"What's in the sauna room?" he whispers to those in front.

[doppelganger]

Weezel

Weezel shuffles his feet impatiently as the group examines the door. He walks about 20 feet down the corridor to the east, ahead of the group, and stares down the corridor using his infravision to see if he can make out any more details about the source of the warmth.

[BackworldTraveller]

With all the discussions by the door, Finethorn warns Adras

Stay back here while they fiddle about down in that slime...You don't want that on you if you can help it. You never know what it might do

And contemplating the tunnels, Finethorn wonders how far from the surface this particular corridor is. How does it relate to the hillside seen around the entrance?

[Lance]

Harlan
Hold up there, hero. I want a look. He studies the lock, checking to see if it is actually a seal of some sort. He has a vague idea that magical things have a lot of weird geometric symbols on them, so he's looking for that, also.

The lock resembles the ones on the other doors, just more ornate and slightly larger. They suggest nothing beyond the mechanical.

And contemplating the tunnels, Finethorn wonders how far from the surface this particular corridor is. How does it relate to the hillside seen around the entrance?

It's hard to tell, you might be about 10' below the entrance, maybe 20' below the hillside.

Weezel

He walks about 20 feet down the corridor to the east, ahead of the group, and stares down the corridor using his infravision to see if he can make out any more details about the source of the warmth.

As Weezel walks out of the range of torchlight, his infravision kicks in. The walls turn ever deeper hues of red as he looks deep into the darkness, revealing a cacophony of colors just beyond, steam and running water from about half dozen sources on the southern wall. The details are hard to make out using infravision, but they seem to be a group of fonts, maybe the rumored healing waters?

[Spearmint]

Rooney

"Well the lock beat my fancy skills to unlock it. We can try brute force later." he says, figuring a locked portal like that has no orcs behind which is what we came for primarily.

We can rob the tomb later when the orcs are dealt with. He puts his crowbar away, leaving any smashing of the bronze door to Harlan after he has inspected it enough. He wanders down the passage to the water room behind the other scouts.

What generates the steamy water? Is the island volcanic or known for thermal waters? Powered by charcoal fires? Magically heated?

There doesn't appear any exits or other entrances, so a quick search around the fonts and then what? Back to the obelisk room and open the north door, going north as Hondo suggested?

[Bluetongue]

Fairfax

Keeps to the rear as we move up into the water chamber.

[doppelganger]

Weezel waits for others to join him and cautiously steps forward towards the steamy waters. He looks around with Rooney for hidden doors or openings in the stonework, but won't step too close to the fonts.

[ffilz]

Hondo keeps in position in the marching order, looking around for trouble.

Also, should we modify our marching order? It seems we have more than two folks exploring ahead of Hondo...

[Rex]

Nym

Nym moves into the fountain chamber and searches it.

[Urson]

Harlan
Once he determines that it's 'just' a complex lock, Basalt joins the others in the room at the end of the corridor. He holds his lantern as high as he can to help light the room.

[ybn1197]

Eronin continues along making marks in his journal while trying to hold the lantern high enough for all to see.

[Lance]

What generates the steamy water? Is the island volcanic or known for thermal waters? Powered by charcoal fires? Magically heated?

Indeed, the island is known for it's thermal waters.

As you all walk up to the end of the corridor the billowing steam cloud with sulphurous smell fills your senses. Mineral water gushes from various fonts covering the south wall, only to disappear in gurgling floor drains.

Nym

Nym moves into the fountain chamber and searches it.

Several old bronze drinking vessels lie scattered around the floor, left decades past by the people who partook of them.

Weezel waits for others to join him and cautiously steps forward towards the steamy waters. He looks around with Rooney for hidden doors or openings in the stonework, but won't step too close to the fonts.

A total of 8 fonts, each topped by a statue depicting some scene or figure are lined up before you. On the eastern end of the room a muddy pit with smashed bits of statuary and rubble piles can be seen, overgrown with big leafy plants despite the lack of light.

1. Crumbling statue of a unicorn; it's water clear
2. Arguing men, water flows from decapitated neck stumps; it's water sparkling
3. Hunting dog trying to escape a net; it's water reddish
4. Eagle, covered in clumps of slime; it's water trickling, sulphurous
5. Twin legionnaires holding cauldron; it's water plentiful, sulphurous, steaming
6. Muscleman struggling with giant centipedes crawling over his body; it's water surrounded by crystal deposits
7. Mage pouring water on enthroned monarch’s feet, painted with red “X” sign; it's water clear
8. Barbarian in loincloth; it's water sizzling hot, sparkling
9. Muddy pit

You manage to find no secret doors or passages.

[Rex]

Nym

Nym will try testing each fountains water with the end of one of her arrows to see if anything happens to it. When she inspects the water closer does he notice anything else?

[Urson]

Harlan
Basalt sets his lantern on the floor. He moves up and down the line of fonts, his scarred face wrinkled in thought. He only pauses to examine the bronze drinking vessels- are they remarkable in terms of workmanship?

[doppelganger]

Weezel
Weezel examines the fonts as well.
He mutters to himself. Maybe these waters are worth some gold coin back in town... Now just need to know what they do... And need some canteens.
He walks up to font "e", interested in the military theme of the statue, and holds a hand an inch or two above the water. Would it be too hot to touch?