The lack of any magical magical aura hadn't surprised Tasius, but the key had. It evidently paid to be vigilant! He follows his companions into the next room, trying to keep alert for danger but his imagination was running away with him, as he tried to guess what the key might open.
|
This room is unlit and has no torches. Across the hall from the kitchen is the dining room, a very large area that would house many guests. The walls are barren, though they show signs where decorations might have once been. There are two tables and several chairs in the room.
Two chairs, however, are set apart from the rest. They are on opposite ends of the northmost table and are ornately carved large throne-like chairs. Each has special carving on them, the East one has a Z and magical symbols, the West one has an R and martial symbols. They are affixed to the floor and made of fine wood.
After searching the room, Caelryl returns to the table with the ornate chairs. "Hmm, I wonder who used these? Tasius, do you mind checking these chairs out. Can you make sense of the symbols? he says.
With a grin Tasius replies, "Quasqueton! Well if I was to let my imagination run riot, I'd say R is for Rogahn the fearless and Z for Zelligar the mighty. It's possible these might be enchanted, we'll soon see."
He composes his thoughts and whispers a spiderey phrase and he looks deeply at the scene, if there are any lingering magics he was sure he would see them...
"You took the words out of my mouth, Tasius," Eristinian says. "Seems our goblin foes have lucked into a highly defensible keep. This doesn't bode well."
"Careful!" Cries Tasius, "The char inscribed with the Z seems to have some manner of enchantment, an evocation if I'm not mistake but which one?"
Tasius considers carefully, for evocation magic manipulated elemental forces such as fire and lightning. It wouldn't do to set off some kind of trap!
Tasius studied the aura and frowned, it wasn't what he expected. "Oh how odd..." he muttered softly. Louder he told the others, "It's strange, the aura of evocation magic isn't tied to the chair. Its almost as if something was here, invisible."
He looks around suspiciously but can't or hear see anything amiss.
"Something invisible, you say?", Eristinian says, raising an eyebrow. "Well, if it's not trapped, let's see if we can make it visible." The elf leaves the throne room for a moment, and then returns with a sackful of flour from the kitchen. He moves over to the throne with the aura upon it, and scatters the flour across it, trying to see what might be revealed.
When Eristinian finds the previously invisible stick, Tasius exclaims, "Bravo! Well found!"
"So, any idea what it does?"
Tasius subconsciously scratches his temple as he replies, "I assume if you say the right command word it unleashes an offensive spell of some sort. Let me have a closer look, I'll see if I can figure it out."
Tasius examines the slender wand for a few moments before exclaiming, "Ahh! I believe this wand can be used to conjure a breif burst of radiance, just the thing if you wanted to dazzle an enemy. There's a command word inscribed down the side. I won't say it while holding it for obvious reasons."
Turning to look at his companions Tasius ventures, "I suppose we should look elsewhere, I doubt there's any further surprises in this room."
"Well, there's a door here to the south," Eristinian replies, gesturing in that direction. "Might be as good a direction as any."
"Lets check it out." replies Tasius before striding to the door. He stops momentarily and listens, but doesn't hear anything. He then gingerly tries to open it, hand on the hilt of his blade.
|
|
You are looking into a well-appointed room. A keg stands in one corner, with mugs nearby. Large stuffed chairs are centered around a table with a chessboard, but no pieces. The walls have shelves, but no books on them. A fireplace stands on one wall, cold and dark. Near the rear of the room are two statues, beckoning to one another. They are a man and a woman and are carved of granite. They look to have once been painted, but the paint has mostly worn away with the passage of time. Each is five feet tall.
Caelryl enters the room and searches the fireplace and then the statues.
"Let me help you with that." said Tasius, his sharp eyes darting this way and that.
As Tasius and Caelryl examine the statues, Eristinian knocks on the keg to determine if there's anything inside.
|
As the others inspect the room, Galfon sticks his head into the chimney and looks up with squinted eyes.
"I see... daylight?" he remarks aloud, wondering where the chimney might lead. Somewhere outside, he imagined. The paladin sighs,
loathe to make his next suggestion. "Should I climb up there? There might be a clue, or something of the sort."
"We don't know what's up there," Eristinian replies, still examining the keg. "We could start a fire and smoke out anything that might have taken residence in the chimney during the long years of disuse. If nothing comes out, then it would probably be safe." He stops to think for a moment, then continues. "Or it doesn't need to breathe. That's an option too. Less likely, though."
"Hullo," Eristinian says, abandoning the keg in favor of the wall. He follows a hairline seam, and a smirk grows upon his face. "Secret door," he says, biting his lower lip in thought. "No obvious signs of opening it, though. Nothing in the fireplace or statues...maybe the chessboard?" He heads towards the board, giving it a thorough examination.
"Well well well, this place has no shortage of surprises. You have a good eye Eristinian!" exclaims Tasius.
He mutters a peculiar phrase, renewing the magical light on his saber, before cautiously advancing through the secret passage.
Having wandered back to the fireplace when nothing was found at the statues, Caelryl waits for Galfon to decide if he's going up the chimney. Before he can comment, Eristinain starts fiddling with the protective screen and opens a secret door.
"Well done! Let's see where that goes," he says he follows the others.
"I couldn't agree more," Eristinian says. "Those bastards probably won't expect us to use these tunnels. Hell, they might not even know they exist."
Caelryl squints trying to see what is in the room.
Saber in hand, Tasius ventures a short distance into the Southern corridor before stopping. He calls softly to his companions, "Lets try this passageway to the south!"
Caelryl shrugs his shoulders and nods as he also searches the south passage.
Caelryl continues walking down the hall.
|
|
In staggered formation, the group moves down the corridor, with Caelryl in the lead. Coming to an intersection, the elf looks each way. To the right (west), he can see that the corridor goes about 30 feet before a side passage comes in from the right (north). It also continues straight ahead to a blank wall.
To the left (east) is featureless corridor until about the 60 foot mark, where there are doors on the right and left (south and north) walls.
Caelryl considers their options. "It would seem to me the hall to our right should meet back at the entrance hallway. Let's confirm that, then we can go the other way," he says as he first points to the right and then the left.
"Seems wise," Eristinian says quietly. "I'll feel better if there's little chance for them to sneak up on us from behind."
After confirming his hunch, Caelryl goes down the hall to the east and stops to search the first door.
Tasius walks up to the door and tries to open in. If it opens he pokes his head round the door frame and takes a good look at the room beyond.
Caelryl walks into the room and looks around.
|
|
You have entered what appears to be a throne room. As you step in, the room suddenly flares with light from two large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The floor is polished white and black marble and the pillars are red granite, as are the thrones on the east side of the room, and the raised dais which the thrones are set on is white marble streaked with gold and black.
Eristinian blinks as the chandeliers alight, illuminating the throne room. "Polished stone?", he wonders aloud. "I would have thought time would have worn away any natural protections. Either there's some minor magics keeping the stone unmarred, or someone else has been busy." He heads over to the thrones to examine them.
Caelryl jumps a little when the lights suddenly come on. He quickly scans the room again to make sure they are alone. He nods in agreement to Eristinian's comment and then peers down the hallway to his right.