Straehan is musing on the choice, "Hm... Door #1 or Door #2?" when the Giant's property question catches his attention. "I don't know the Human way of things but, at a guess, you'd want to approach the Mayor or Town Council for permission and a price. If we manage to recover the boy, they might even feel indebted. You could pick up the island for a fraction of the price."
"You are pretty strong for a gnome, and consider this a compliment." Ryu smiles as the gnome manages as good as he would have thought the half-giant would.
As he hears Strae mention the price of the island he stops smiling. "There is already a negotiation going on to get the island for a monastery construction and a monk order. That will help clearing the rumors and fear of the island and it will get a new name too. Getting support from all four noble families is harder than you think anyway. Finding the boy is preferable if we can, but just solving the riddle and clearing out the isle is enough. No need to think about such things now, just let's get the closure for the father, whatever it may be."
Ryu rolls for whatever necessary:
After a moment of silence Ryu speaks again. "Door one or two it doesn't matter, because we have to check the other one too once we explored what is behind the first choice of ours. We can't risk being flanked by anything."
"You are pretty strong for a gnome, and consider this a compliment." Ryu smiles as the gnome manages as good as he would have thought the half-giant would.
"Thanks! I'd credit it to clean living and a sin-free lifestyle... except I'd be lying through my teeth. So I'll point to luck and my two accomplices as the deciding factors."
"There is already a negotiation going on to get the island for a monastery construction and a monk order. That will help clearing the rumors and fear of the island and it will get a new name too. Getting support from all four noble families is harder than you think anyway. Finding the boy is..."
Strae is in a jovial mood despite the creepy snake-crotched statue and clearly misses the under-current of Ryu's statement. "A monastery? You can't swing a Demon's..." He glances at the statue briefly, "...leg without hitting three of those. I'd like to see this become 'Giant's Isle' or 'Brindolfin's Fling' or something like that. Far more intriguing." The Gnome turns to Brindolfin, "I'm assuming you'll have room for a friend or two who helps you acquire the property? I'd like a small tree-house somewhere with a nice water view."
"Hm... Door #1 or Door #2?"
Most of the dialogue of the group is lost (or ignored) by the tiny hunter. The question of which direction seems to fully engage him, though. At each door, the goblin does a thorough check for traps, then presses his ear against the stone -- staying there for a full ten heartbeats as he checks for signs of what might be on the other side.
"I think you're all nuts, considering what happened here. Let's see what we can find and get out of here. If we can avoid staying the night, fine by me."
You don't find any traps.
"I think we will end up opening both, so as long as we don't open both at the same time....I say door one."
Hearing the property discussion, "The way this group drinks, I need to open an inn here. I think I'll call it Brin's Shindig."
So, facing the statue, are you calling door one the left or the right?
Biter heads over to the door, then gives a quick look back to make sure everyone is ready. Unless there is word to stop, he heaves the stone door open.
still red on her face, and with slightly slurred wording and giggling
"So we are going Left I take it,
but is it the Right answer?"
after a second she stops giggling and sobers up for an instant
"I am so not going to drink Black Jack again.
Let's go and take the left door, and see what we find."
Strae follows closely behind Biter, mind on the task at hand.
As the others mill about deciding which door to open Cilyanka prepares herself for the comind ordeal. Muttering under her breath she traces runes of black fire in the air before her, runes swirl about her for several seconds before fading from sight.
Gripping her sword tight enough to turn her hand white, she moves into her assigned position. The blades seems to almost burn for a second, then grows cold in her grasp, almost as if it was eager for what lay ahead.
Ryu readies his shortbow, but his daggers are also easy to reach. Considering how many others stand before him it may be he doesn't even get to fight before any enemy groups die. Still, someone also has to be aware of what may come from behind, so he will be one of the rearguard just as others suggested.
Kaddoc always has his guisarme at the ready. He heads out a discrete distance behind the scouts.
"Good idea, Cilyanka." Sparrow utters an incantation of her own to provide herself with protection.
Seeing the flurry of arcane gestures from Cilyanka and Sparrow, the little Gnome determines not to be left behind. "I want to be one of the cool kids, too!" Strae quickly shrouds himself in mystic shielding as well and gives the two women a wink before hustling off into the dark after Biter.
Flare (1):
Prestidigitation (1):
Dancing Lights (1):
Elemental Ray (6):
Elemental Fist (1):
Produce Flame (1):
1st Spells (4): x
Spell Effects: Mage Armor (1 HR)
Other Effects: None
Ryu sighs at the little magic show, magic should be more subtle.
"So, mister giant. You want to open an inn and become a rival to the Rusty Dragon?" Ryu turns towards the half-giant with a smirk.
... "I want to be one of the cool kids, too!" ...
due to still having alcohol in her system, and after hearing Straehan's choice of words, she starts laughing for a bit.
"Nice choice of words "kid," given your the size of a child."
Ryu can't keep it to himself after the remark of the drunken redhead, and tries to hide his laughter.
With little success.
"Sorry friend, you dug that hole yourself." Grins Ryu at the gnome after he notices that the attempt to hide his amusement was a failure.
Cilyanka thinks, Poor Strae, the cool kids don't care about looking cool
due to still having alcohol in her system, and after hearing Straehan's choice of words, she starts laughing for a bit.
"Nice choice of words "kid," given your the size of a child."
Straehan smiles, amused by the quip. His response is factual, "True enough. It's a common hazard for gnomes to be mistaken for human children... as evidenced by a drunk woman (or was it two) last night intimating a profound interest in breast-feeding me."
still red on her face, and with slightly slurred wording
"Nice try bub, as I tend to see through lies when I'm drunk, and I drink like a fish."
Sense motive (vs Strae)
Ryu's eyes widen. "Seriously?!" Then he sighs "Am not fond of big breasted women myself, like 'em small and well formed, like those of ... never mind" Ryu quickly looks away from Cilyanka.
"At least now we know why Ryu was so eager for rear guard." Sparrow's own comment is an obvious attempt to cover her own nervousness, an arrow nocked in case of trouble.
All humor vanishes from Cilyanka, Don't even think it Ryu. Tolerating the drunks is one thing, you don't even have that excuse
"What? I haven't done anything!" Unknown to Ryu himself that he looked at Cilyanka's chest earlier he is genuinely surprised at the reactions.
"Yea, Cil, the kid's just got a little crush. You should be flattered! Besides, what harm could come of it." Sparrow thinks on it for a moment. "Well, I suppose Ameiko could fire you. Of course that's just some leverage the kid could use too. Not giving him any ideas or anything."
she put her arms cross her waist and raises her forearms to the point where they start to support her bust.
still red on her face, and with slightly slurred wording
"And what's wrong about a motherly figure?"
Ryu gets red in the face as he just realized what the situation was and where he looked earlier.
Hearing then Alkaid speak up he tries to change the subject from him to... something, anything else.
"Nothing, I guess it is just preferences, I am sure you get a lot of admirers too, like Strae and Kaddoc as example."
He start to hope for a suddenly appearing monster, so they can kill stuff instead of talking. Could he really have some sort of crush on the somewhat annoying but often amusing-to-pester girl? Naah.
"...I tend to see through lies when I'm drunk, and I drink like a fish."
Strae coughs a polite laugh of disbelief at Alkaid's drunk assurances while he puzzles over Ryu's mood swing. Did something in the Island discussion bother him? Or is it just this whole creepy place? He's so involved in the thought that he misses most of the conversation, catching on to a snatch of it at the end that brings him to the present.
"Nothing, I guess it is just preferences, I am sure you get a lot of admirers too, like Strae and Kaddoc as example."
Strae raises an eyebrow. "I was sharing a tale - not a preference. Quantity doesn't equal quality to my mind. Pretty is a common stone; a fine character is a gem. Excuse me." He yields up a brief nod and chases after Biter to take up his scouting duties.
Hm, Strae's remark about quality may or may not have insulted Alkaid, Ryu didn't know the girl as good to guess which one, but the escape of the gnome meant that there was one less person near him to redirect the discussion at. Ryu had less options now so he hoped that aforementioned monster soon arrives.
The doors swing open, revealing a 10' wide corridor extending about 30' before opening into another circular room, more disturbing than the last.
The walls are covered in small niches, many containing remarkably well preserved humanoid eyes and tongues. To your right along the wall is a pedestal containing a dusty tome. Scattered arround the pedestal's base are similar unbound omes and sheets.
But the most disturbing thing in the room is the rotted and mutilated figure sprawled on the floor. It's laying face-down and it's back has been cut aonog the spine and it's ribs splayed out like wings, with it's inner organs (unidentifiable now) pulled from the body and draped ove the shoulders in a hideous duplication of the dual-winged statue outside. Hanging above it, draped in little bird amulets, is a small form also sliced up like the figure on the floor.
As you enter the room, both start to move.
"Close the door, or make it burn!" Ryu shouts as he notices the undead construct. Meanwhile, he gives a prayer in gratitude to the Divine Phoenix that the monster finally appeared.
attacks Alkaid.
screams, everyone within 30 feet make a will save or be shaken.
Init
:)