Sverrir hacks up some acrid flem, then takes another shot of liquor from his flask;
"Consider the alternative lads... Back to that life we all know... Glory, redemption, coin, power... don't matter... there's nae going back!"
The dwur smiles grimly and brings his pick to bear;
"So let's find ourselves some more trouble..."
You're a cheery lot... Markus comments over his shoulder, before moving down the passage.
Walking down the corridor you notice that the flanking statues seem as if they were presenting something though their hands are now empty and you have the suspicion that you might not be the first explorer to walk this path.
As you move closer to the end of the hallway, the air begins to grow unnaturally cold.
What initially looked like a T junction actually is a huge stone pillar in the middle of a single room . Paths lead past to the left and right and the coldness appears to be emanating from the right side.
As the chill draws in Sverrir reaches once again for his flask;
"Brrr. Know what's best to fight the kald? Wee drop o' the good stuff... Anyone?"
Regardless if any take up his offer the dwur takes a slug of the strong liquor.
Right, so we arnt the first ones here. What way do you guys want to go?
Nice spot for a trap. Pavo, check right.
Taking a few steps to the right, Pavo passes his torch along in front of him, checking the area for any signs of trouble and also looking for the source of the cold.
As Pavo scours the area, Sverrir's keen eyes follow his search, looking for imperfections in the stone...
:
Turning the corner, you see that west wall of the room's great central pillar holds a deep recession that ends at what looks like a fountain basin about 4 feet off the ground. It is filled with an orange slurry that looks a bit like vomit.
The area around the fountain is infested with a brown mold that appears to be the source of the bitter cold. As you approach, you stop short before the cold becomes too painful. The mold spills across the floor into the open doorway of an adjacent room. Map for the visually minded
Let's check the other way.
Seeing the mold Sverrir draws upon his mining and deep lore to attempt to recognise the hazard;
:
Pavo looks confusedly at the brown mold, traying to comprehend how mold can give off such bitter cold. "Wow, this is weird, whatever it is. Unless anyone can figure out what is up with this thing, then lets go with Markus." With that, he follows Marcus around the column.
Too bad we can't open a tap room, right here... I love cold beverages. Would make a good meat-locker, too. Let's make sure were not the sides of beef, boys.
"I'm not much of a expert in things like this. You want to know about dragonchess, or Tular I'll show you how to thow a dice. Anyone else have any ideas about this mold?
Guys, let's check right before we deal with this mold...
Alright then, take the lead Markus. I'll follow behind you.
Investigating the east side of the room reveals a near mirror of the west side with a wide arch in the eastern wall leading to another side chamber. On the pillar where the vomitous fountain was on the other side, a smaller column appears to be nested within the larger pillar. Most bizzarre still is that protruding from the base of this smaller stone pillar are a pair of desiccated legs.
Hmm... a column sheathed within another. Is this not similiar to the very column we used to get down here?
Though I am loathe... I like my dead... Dead. Been reading some strange histories of late Marcus reaches with his polearm to poke at the legs.
"Poor bloke," is all that Pavo says regarding the desiccated legs peeking out from under the column. Turning to the open archway, Pavo takes a peek inside the side chamber.
Pavo looks into a wide chamber that must once have been the living quarters of an important figure. A large stone slab that suggests the shape of a bed rests against the east wall, under a huge bas-relief of a robust, long-nosed bald humanoid figure with outstretched hands. The figure wears a lovingly sculpted wind-tossed robe that gives him the appearance of a triumphant go. A glyph that looks like a stylized arrow marks an amulet worn around the figure's neck. Wardrobes and dressers, seemingly carved from the stone walls, look to have been ransacked a long time ago.
Sverrir stands against the column looking down at the dead man's legs.
"A varning to us all nei?"
If we are at an impass, let's go back and not dawdle.
Khyrn spends a few minutes looking at the legs under the column, "Friends, before we leave, I have a question. How did this unfortunate person become crushed under the column? It seems one of two things had to have happened - either he was lifted up into the column, or he was there and the column came down. Since it's more likely the column came down..."
Khyrn tries unsuccessfully to lift the column, but during his attempted manipulation he feels an odd irregularity in the stonework. On closer investigation he finds a catch that raises the stone trap revealing the crushed body beneath. The desiccated flesh and crushed bones are still encased in a brilliant suit of chainmail and at its side you find a leather sack that crumbles at a touch. It is mostly filled with shattered stone fragments, but there are 3 small, exquisitely carved stone statuettes, that remain unbroken. They are of a grand palace, a slim spire with eight connected smaller towers of different heights and what looks like a grand stadium.
Scattered about the corpse among the other refuse you find 2 wands and a pair of fine googles.
Thinking it better to remove the body before inspecting it too much, Pavo carefully drags the body out of the alcove for closer examination, using loops of his silk rope to coax the loose items out.
Well, shall we see what is south of us?
Pavo carefully extracts everything from the cubby, so as to not set off the trap again. Without the stone pillar, the alcove appears be a storage closet. Lucid's magical investigation finds the chainmail, goggles and both wands are magic.
Lucid identifies the gear as a suit of chainmail +1, a wand of unseen servant(16 charges) and goggles of minute seeing. The other wand is still a mystery to him at the moment.
Investigating to the south, you find a empty dry basin on the south face of the central pillar and a small room off the southern wall that turns out to be an old dusty privy.
Good work, guys. Maybe I'm getting impatient. Sorry. Can one of you boys use that chainmail? Seems fine quality... Doesn't look like we're moving at any speed, so no worries if it slows you down.
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Lucid describes the items he know about. He pockets the wand of unseen servant, Could be useful. Hands the goggles to Pavo, You are gonna love these. and suggests one of the fighter types wear the mail. Its good armor, and its masterwork, and its enchanted to boot. . He is puzzled with the last wand and asks if anyone else can cast detect magic.
As you know, I'm a scholar... Heavy coat like that is beyond my training.
With a wry smile, Marcus continues his inspection.
Slipping the offered goggles on, Pavo lets out a low whistle before pulling them up to rest on his forehead. "Definitely should help out with any intricate devices we come across." Pavo makes sure to slip the figurines into a pack as well, thinking that they might be worth a penny for some historian. "So what now? We want to see what we can do about the cold mold or deal with it later? I was thinking that if it is giving off so much cold, then maybe it won't like fire too much."
Markus looks over to Pavo. I was thinking along similar lines, but I'm not certain we have a sustainable source of fire or heat. I had actually expected both sides to be cold.
Khyrn speaks up, "If nobody else is interested in the armor, I would be honored to wear it."
Listening in to the discussion, he adds, "Perhaps we can learn something of this mold in town since none of us seem to know how to properly destroy it?"
Sverrir is the reason we are here, it may be fitting he take the armor... Besides, he's shield challenged. All ham hands with that massive pick.
Sverrir smiles at Markus' fair assessment of his weapon skills as he runs his rough hands over the chainmail;
"Damned good armour... I'll take it with grace lads."
As he straps on the chainmail the dwur watches (at a distance) with interest as Lucid's experimental attacks upon the mold.
Reaching towards the second wand with one hand, Ramos clutches his his holy symbol with the other and casts Detect Magic "Lucid, if you don't mind I might be able to figure out what that second wand is." Once Ramos has the second wand in hand he begins to study it with a keen eye.