Delum returns to the others, his brow furrowed, "I think that door leads back to the entrance. It would seem the reinforcements came from the outside. I wonder how we missed them coming in? Perhaps they were just leaving on a raid?"
"Either way, we should be safe enough to work backwards now. Shall we return to the fountain?"
"Unless they had another way in, then you're probably right and we just had superb--or superbly bad--timing. but yes, let's finish our sweep before we delve deeper. I would also suggest we spread out a bit and have scouts keep watch forward and back, lest we risk walking into a flank again."
"By the way," Theodore muses, "I wonder if any of our unkindly hosts' possessions had any magic lingering about?"
Theodore turns back to his party's ranks, scanning for any supernatural auras, especially among the new acquisitions.
Xaeen will pause long enough to let Theodore look him over with his spell and then will move back and take up a position near the door to provide for watching the "flank" just as the sorcerer suggested.
I will guard the back of the group.
Delum takes up a position near to the large double doors, motioning either Albion or Coyote forward to search them for traps of any sort.
Deylar casts again, giving himself the ability to see magical auras. He makes his way over to the fountain for further investigation.
At Zaxxeon's nod, Albion moves again to check the huge double doors with care.
Harrigan paces about, letting the impressive artwork and surprising scale of the place chase away the lingering fire in his blood from the Beast god's craven altar. As Deylar pays the fountain special attention, it captures Harrigan's as well and the burly ifrit comes alongside the aasimar. "How is there even a fountain in this place? Is it not truly a wonder?"
Delum lets out a low chuckle, "Is there anything you don't consider a wonder, young one?"
Harrigan looks over to Delum and offers with a joking smile, "Sand."
The half-giant offers a similar smile, "You should have more respect for sand. It is so often all that endures of truly great wonders."
"An enchanted fountain at that"
For a brief instant the priest almost looks like he is about to reach for the water....his hand hovers over the surface of the pool for a moment.....before he pulls it back to grasp his quarterstaff again.
"Respect....."
"What is the saying? 'Familiarity breeds contempt?' It is only that, having lived in the sands, there is no longer any wonder to be found - it is simply the norm. But this? Vast underground structures with art seemingly older than all the history of my people? Bubbling fountains? These things all amaze me."
Albion finds that the bronze double doors past the fountain are locked.
Without opening it, Albion proceeds in trying to unlock the massive double door, working methodically and patiently, as if he had all eternity before him.
He then proceeds in checking all the other doors once more, patiently going around the room, gathering as much information as he can, regarding what may be beyond.
Coyote stands by to offer assistance to Albion, but does not interfere.
Xaeken nods at Harrigan, Yes. The sand is vast...perhaps there is wonder there but a lifetime spent amongst it does breed a certain...lack of interest. The Kastha continues to look out at the back of the group from where they have come to be sure that they are not caught unawares a second time...
"It could be that unlike some things, sand doesn't have many dimensions to it's wonder. It just blows around, wears down stone, and covers things. Now magic, on the other hand...there's a wonder with which I can't imagine growing bored."
As the room and new doors are scouted out, Theodore takes a moment to stop at the fountain and test the water, first by simply dipping his little finger in and observing any effects.
Deylar is struggling to resist his own temptations about the fountain when Theodore walks up and brazenly dips his finger in. Am I too cautious? How will I learn if Im unwilling to take risks?
The cleric turns his attention from the fountain to instead focus on the sorcerer, curious to see what affect the waters might have.
