"I guess they are for short legged guys like you and me who wouldn't make the jump to the other side." Abomentolor replies with a grin.
"But if you want to find out firsthand, be my guest."
Gwenhwyfar shouts down "Is there something dangerous down there or can I come?"
"You can come down, here's nothing dangerous." Niamh shouts and packs her fiddle in the case and goes to the rim, looking at the first pillar and steps on it.
As Niamh steps surefooted on the pillar the rune on it starts glowing in a bright yellow.
"Yikes!" Niamh shouts looking at the pillar under her feet. She then jumps to another to look if this one has an other colour.
The rune on the next pillar also starts to glow with a bright yellow. The previous rune still glows.
"Ok I'll come"
Gwenwyfar also slips through the opening and walks down the stairs. Surprised about the amazing hall she takes some time to take it all in. "Wow. And all that hidden under a cemetery where noone would see it. And that art. Have you seen these reliefs at the wall?"
Niamh looks a bit disappointed. "It's also just a bright yellow. I had hoped it would change colours." She searchs her way across the pillars to the other side.
Niamh reaches the other side. All runes on the columns she stepped on are now glowing in bright yellow.
"Now that I found out do you dare come along?" Niamh asks Abomentolor.
Gwenhwyfar steps forward to check on the runes. She mumbles a few words and writes something in the air with her finger.
"I think it's some kind of transmutation magic. What would that be for?" Gwenhwyfar wonders.
As everyone seems to have fun downstairs Tauriell takes a last look around.
Seeing noone so far she follows the others down. Assessing the room and still suspecting these Bloody Knuckles to show up, she positions herself in the left corner, covering the everburning torch with her cloak. There she stands ready to shoot anyone entering who is not polite.
"Could you please hurry a bit. I have a bad feeling about this."
Not very happy to be challenged with this Abomentolor follows the path Niamh lead over the columns.
A bit relieved to be safe on the other side he replies "Happy now?" and moving past Niamh he starts searching on the dais and around the thrones.
As Abomentolor moves across the columns stepping on the bright yellow runes they change their color to a bright orange.
Searching the area reveals no hidden doors or such and nothing lying around, but Abomentolor notices, that the thrones are pieces of their own that might be moved.
"Oh, look at that. They changed colour!" Niamh shouts excited and then following Abomentolor. She makes her gesture and her mumbling again to produce the lights again.
Trying his luck with the left throne Abomentolor pushes the left stone throne
But it doesn't move at all. "Would some of you big folks come along and push this thing away please?"
"I could help you. I'm really good at it." Niamh says to Abomentolor and looks if it is stuck somewhere
before she tries to help him.
Giving te stone seat another push
to no avail. Holding his back he states. "That's no work for me. It's a shame one cant burn stone."
"Where is a strong man when you need one." darting a rogish glance at Jimmy. She then crosses over the columns to the other side but chooses an other path than Niamh and Abomentolor.
Joining the two behind the left trone she suggests "Let's try it together."
"Sorry I need a better foothold. Once again on three. One. Two. Three."
The path Gwenhwyfar chose is now shown by glowing bright yellow runes. Now there are only two paths left without glowing runes. In all other paths there is at least one column missing.
Together Gwenhwyyfar, Niamh and Abomentolor manage to move the throne away.
Beneath the throne is a small cache containing the shepherd’s crosier, wrapped in a ceremonial cloth covered in holy sigils of Aroden. The scepter is approximately 2 feet long and 2 inches in diameter, is covered
in gold leaf and small semi-precious gems, and terminates in a shepherd’s crook. Anytime the scepter catches the light, the bluish outline of a small winged eye framed by the hook shimmers into view.
Also a trove of holy texts, a scroll is in there.
"I am for looking at the scroll first." Niamh says taking the scroll and opens it.
As Niamh unfurls the scoll it becomes clear that it is propably a magical scroll.
"Can you read this?" Niamh holds it in front of her so that Gwenhwyfar and Abomentolor see it.
Abomentolor casts a spell looking at and reading through the strange symbols written on it he tells "It is a scroll of daylight." delight on his face about this finding.
Gwenhwyfar's eyes widen as she sees the collection of holy texts. Carefully taking out the books, not to damage the old paper she admires them.
"Look here. Holy texts, but from which deity are they? I've never seen theese titles before."
"It's from Aroden." Niamh replies. "Like the scepter."
Abomentolor, not really interested in holy texts grabs the shepherd's crosier gets up and tries it out finding, that it holds nicely in one's hand.
Taking a careful look at the artwork and the gems he tries to estimate the value of the thing
exclaiming "This thing must be worth a fortune."
Jimmy positions himself on the other side of the stairs from Tauriell. He readies his spear to strike anyone coming down the stairs.
He responds to Gwen, "You don't need me to help you, you guys seem to have it."
"Thank's for nothing." Gwenhwyfar jokes in direction of Jimmy.
And turning to Niamh she asks "Do you know, what theese reliefs at the wall are about?"
"Abomentolor! Is there an exit on that side or do you need to cross the pillars again? If you do need to I want to check that it is safe before you come back across." Jimmy says moving to the row of orange lit pillars. He Pokes his spear at the surface of the nearest one to see what happens
Nothing happens as Jimmy pokes the pillars.
Niamh looks at the reliefs
and explains "Assuming these pictures are religios the right one could depict one of Aroden's guises, the thief."
"The left one might be about the god of contracts Asmodeus."
"I think they were the owners of the thrones. Maybe the one god hides it from the other?" Niamh suggests.
"Then why do we search for this shepherds crosier from Aroden under the throne af Asmodeus?" Gwenhwyfar asks dumbfounded.
"Maybe he wants to make it more difficult for Asmodeus? But I do not know, it's just a suggestion..." Niamh says uncertain. "Oh, no wait! We have to look under the other throne too!"
Jimmy lies down on the side and places his hand on the pillar continuing testing. He is suspicious
As Jimmy lays his hand on the Pillar and puts weight on his hand the color of the pillar changes again. This time to a crimson red.
"Jimmy, would you please come over to help us push this other stone armchair away?" Gwenhwyfar asks blinking her eyes and tilting her head.
"Sure thing, just give me a moment." Jimmy says lifting his hand and placing it on the pillar again
As Jimmy places his hand again on the pillar, it drops as if the ground under it vanished. after falling about 20 foot it immediately stops.
Assuming Jimmy tried on the pillars that Niamh and Abomentolor used the way could still be taken with a different start pillar.
He did indeed try on one of those. "Hey guys, if a pillar turns red, don't stand on it. They fall away once they go red." Jimmy says moving over to a unlit pillar and making his way across
As Jimmy still plays around with the pillars Gwenhyfar invites Abomentolor and Niamh to try their luck on the second throne. "Would you two please help me while Jimmy does his experiments."
Gwenhwyfar pushes so hard, at the other two have to catch themself not to fall on their face.
As the second stone throne is pushed away another cache comes into sight containing another shepherd’s crosier, wrapped in a ceremonial cloth covered in holy sigils of Aroden, and 400 gp.
Also down the stairs come three figures. Two thugs and one cloaked carrying a metallic figure depicting a moth.
As they enter the cloaked figure demands "Hand over the shepherd's crosier, and I might let you live. Refuse and you die."
The thugs take out their crossbows.
Initiative and actions please. Talking may also be an option.
As the lowlifes enter and make themself known, Tauriell lets two arrows fly .
Giving that cloaked (insert inappropriate cussword here) something to think about.
As talking seems to be over already some initiatives
Abomentolor drops everything he has in hand moves towards the chasm draws out a potion of mage armor and downs it.
"There will be some dying for sure today."
On his turn Jimmy detects evil on the cloaked figure and begins running towards the thugs over the least lit set of pillars
The cloaked figure shouts at his two thugs "Stop her!" Pointing to Tauriell and then speaks strange words and gestures at Abomentolor holding out the moth figure which has a skull depicted on it's wings and starts to glow in an unnatural dark light.
Tauriell serves her beloved target two more arrows
and then moves on the path Gwenhwyfar took across the chasm.
Niamh hides behind the throne pulling out her fiddle on the way and starts playing an encouraging tune.
Gwenhyfar also hides behind the throne and gives Jimmy a ward.