Ali had been looking back and forth between her new pack members. He wolven face had a look of, quite amazingly, complete bafflement on it. One got the impression it involved why her new free-ends were so nervous about going through a door.
Once the strong sweet scented new man opened the door, Ali nosed between his legs, looked into the next room, and padded into it.
Undeniably eager to see what lay beyond the door, Kallie was still surprised to see Ali simply go forth without any preparation. Oh gods oh gods what if there are more of those things!
She hurriedly summoned her lights again and sent them out just above the shapeshifted gnome to light her way and to see what lay beyond the door, not taking the time to think on whether a wolf even needed light to tell what lay ahead.
The door opens into a corridor of the same worked stone as the room you are in. Ali pads off down it to a far corner where she can see that a second passage branches off to the right. Ahead there is wat seems to be a chamber.
Ali
The door opens into a corridor of the same worked stone as the room you are in. Ali pads off down it to a far corner where she can see that a second passage branches off to the right. Ahead there is wat seems to be a chamber.
From the junction you see an obvious chamber ten feet ahead and a tunnel stretching beyond your light.
you make your way down the corridor evewntually emerging into another chamber.
The tunnel widens here into what appears to have once been a small shrine,for to the northeast steps lead up to a platform of gray stone. Sitting atop the platform is an ancient altar, little more than a jagged block of black marble with a shallow concavity on top of it. This basin is filled with what appears to be filthy water.
A heavy double door sits across the room from you.
Kallie drew in her breath like a hiss at the sight of the altar and basin. "Is this that 'rulewell'?", she whispered to Marak. She held her hand palm-outward a bit, whispering softly. The sight of the thing that had been under her town for so long bothered her greatly, and she kept her distance as much as she could.
Peering at the altar and the dish of impure water, Marak muses aloud, "I see no sign of runes, Thassilonian or otherwise, nor does it seem like the sort of container from which a man-sized creature could emerge. I would suspect that this is not a 'runewell,' although I must confess that my viewing provided me with no description of such a thing."
Marak looks for signs of holy markings anywhere, particularly symbols or patterns that would suggest a holy place to Rovagug or Gorum (the two most 'wrathful' dieties who come to mind). The presence of long-dried blood or gore around the altar, or scoring in the ground, as if much struggling occured here, might also provide some clues.
After peering at the altar (but not touching it), he will equally dubiously peer at the double doors, looking for signs of warning runes or signs of fingers clawing at it. Which side the door is barred upon and which way it opens might also be an interesting thing to note... If the door is meant to hold something *in,* he will caution against rushing to open it!
Romon waits for an amused moment to see if Inikai will search for secret doors, then anticipating a repeat of Muchorak's request at the last door, he glides over to the double doors for an examination. Sliding his tools out of their pouch, he again begins with a visual examination followed by gentle probing.
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Kallie shuddered at the mention of Lamashtu. Oh Desna, a shrine to her has been underneath us all this time?!
When Muchorak asked what she was, Kallie answered in a deadened tone, "The mother of monsters and madness. She is my goddess' most hated enemy." She made sure she was as far away from the altar as possible and continued to concentrate on her spell to detect whatever magic may have lingered over it.
With Ali leading once more you return to the junction of the passages and turn north
A red marble statue of a strikingly beautiful but, at the same time, monstrously enraged human woman stands in the middle of this room, her stony expression twisted in fury. The woman wears flowing robes, and her long hair is held back from her face by an intricate headdress of hooks and blades. In her left hand she carries a large book, the face of which is inscribed with a seven-pointed star. Her right hand holds a glittering metal and ivory ranseur.
A tunnel stretches away into the darkness to your east dropping downwards in short flights of stairs. A sturdy door is set in the north wall
Marak's head tilts slightly as he activates detect magic, casting his gaze over the statue and it's ornate polearm.
A red marble statue of a strikingly beautiful but, at the same time, monstrously enraged human woman stands in the middle of this room.... In her left hand she carries a large book, the face of which is inscribed with a seven-pointed star. ....
Romon whistles low. Sotto voce "That's one stony cold looking b!%!@." Catching sight of the book, he comments, "Same symbol on the books as on the doors in the altar room. Maybe it's some kind of religious sign?"
Romon whistles low. Sotto voce "That's one stony cold looking b@#@!." Catching sight of the book, he comments, "Same symbol on the books as on the doors in the altar room. Maybe it's some kind of religious sign?"
A red marble statue of a strikingly beautiful but, at the same time, monstrously enraged human woman stands in the middle of this room.... In her left hand she carries a large book, the face of which is inscribed with a seven-pointed star. ....
"Yeah..." Kallie agreed under her breath, a faint smile forming as she continued to stare. That's the point after all. I wonder who she was.
She dug around in her memories to see if she recalled ever reading about anyone that the statue could possibly represent during her meager studies.
Ali
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I may have said this before..if I haven't I apologise..but I do not allow take 20 on knowledge checks, it makes things too easy
"As I understand it, they considered the vices of wrath, greed, etc. to be virtues." Marak clarifies. "But I do not believe that they regarded these 'virtues' as dieties, so perhaps this statue is of a particular mortal champion who embodied one of these traits. Given her demeanor, I would suspect wrath..."
"As I understand it, they considered the vices of wrath, greed, etc. to be virtues." Marak clarifies. "But I do not believe that they regarded these 'virtues' as dieties, so perhaps this statue is of a particular mortal champion who embodied one of these traits. Given her demeanor, I would suspect wrath..."
"I would say it's certain." Kallie quickly added, latching onto Marak's actual knowledge in order to appear at least somewhat knowledgable on the matter. "I wonder how such a civilization could thrive though..."
When Inikai mentioned the sage she went silent. No need to say anything that might appear foolish later, after all.
Her eyes never left the statue; she took mental notes on the clothing and poise, wondering what she could take from that image and make her own.
Listening to Kallie's commentary, Marak agrees, "Certainly a society that considers 'sloth' a virtue wouldn't seem likely to get much accomplished..."
He then looks to his priestly companion, "My apologies, Inikai, I lost track of your question. No, the polearm is not magical, although it does appear to be of fine quality, and no doubt would be worth several hundred gold sovereigns."
As an afterthought, he adds, "The statue itself would probably be fairly valuable, if it could be transported out of here, particularly to a collector or sage in a larger city. I doubt it would be worth the time and effort on our part, however, as we likely lack the contacts or resources to profit handsomely on such a venture."