"C'mon, Rusty lad, poot yer back inta it."
Amenephus misses and the Belker scoops up Rusty and beats a slow retreat back down the poisoned corridor.
"I say. You don't carry off heroes like that. That's not how the stories go." Guldarin sounds indignant. "You're supposed to be carrying off virtuous maidens or something, so that heroes have to chase you. I'm not having this." He points his rod at the belker, and there's a bright flash as it disgorges Rusty and Isari.
Guldarin's sense of narrative imperative swiftly extracts Isari and Rusty from the Belker's embrace. Further retribution follows as the dwarf blinds and dazes the gust of acidic air.
Nayce steps through the shadows to be beside the belker, hexes it with another shroud, and plunges his sword at the beast.
___
Bolstered by his allies, Rusty lands a surprising blow on the Belker. Encouraged, Isari shifts behind it and breathes on his blade. As the runes glow and cover it with frost, he drives it deep into the Belker, and a patch of slick ice forms beneath the creature.
It is very clear that one more blow will finish the beast.
"FINISH 'IM!"
The Belker is quite unable to resist taking a shot at Dorvin as the dwarf plants himself temptingly in its path.
Rusty's final blow collapses the Belker for good. Wisps of acidic mist spiral pathetically into the air as its reign of terror comes to an end.
Isari yanks off his pressure suit. "Seems to me they're going to need help above. Carry on here. I need to report the old workings to Caradlather and Varden."
The Belker transforms into a care bear, blows a kiss at Rusty in thanks for its reinvention, and departs the tormented mountain forever.
___
Nayce removes the awkward pressure suit and then goes to inspect the doorway they have just opened.
Nayce sees no sign of life or movement in the chamber he helped reveal. This place has been sealed for centuries most likely. He sees statues, pillars and a glimpse of mosaics on the walls.
Rusty ponders. The images are exquisite workmanship and (he suspects) ancient. They seem to represent the ceremonies of the Silent Masters, but it seems likely that only a dwarf would have full understanding of them.
The floor seems to have some significance, but it's impossible to tell what with a cursory glance.
Guldarin wanders over to the centre square for a closer look (L8 - nothing dangerous happens to those favoured by the gods :-)). He also takes a look at the mosaics if he can't see anything nearby.
Guldarin's attention is drawn to the large statues flanking the back wall. Each comprises a pair of beasts carved in white marble with leonine bodies and rams' heads. The stare implacably at the central square, which Guldarin now sees is lightly etched with esoteric symbols. It occurs to Guldarin that the back wall may well be a door to some inner sanctum guarded by these creatures.
The mosaics are images from the dawn of dwarven history. 33 in total, they depict the whole dwarven lifespan and are labelled in ancient dwarven numbering. They represent degrees of initiation into the order of the Silent Masters from the first degree - depicted as a naked, blind and crippled dwarven chid holding a blunt chisel and broken hammer who looks longingly towards the light to the thirty third. Here a dwarf aflame with with the fires of knowledge is seated on a throne before a set of fully open doors. He holds a golden hammer and silver chisel and broken pillars lie at his feet. Across his chest is a place bearing the same symbols to be found on the floor.
Across his chest is a place bearing the same symbols to be found on the floor.
Rusty thinks the party has to step on the symbols on the floor matching the corresponding symbols on the enthroned dwarf.
Here a dwarf aflame with with the fires of knowledge is seated on a throne before a set of fully open doors.
Across his chest is a place bearing the same symbols to be found on the floor.Rusty thinks the party has to step on the symbols on the floor matching the corresponding symbols on the enthroned dwarf.
That seems likely. Is there such a set?
Here a dwarf aflame with with the fires of knowledge is seated on a throne before a set of fully open doors.
Four of the symbols on the mosaic match the symbols on the floor.
Rusty contemplates immolating his dwarven friends and shuffles his feet.
Contemplating the symbols on the floor, Rusty remembers:
But in Davek script, "Jehovah" begins with an "I".
"Well, there doesn't seem any reason to mess about. Unless they want dwarves only, and then we're a bit stuck, unless we cut someone's legs off and stick a false beard on them, not that you can fool deities that way, at least not most deities, although some are inclined to go along with that sort of thing, perhaps they find it amusing, I should think most deities need a good sense of humour considering the sorts of things their followers ask for." Guldarin stops for a moment, contemplating. "Shall we move onto the squares, then?"
Rusty nods and makes a running jump to J9.
Rusty lands with a thump on the border and the guarding statues rouse into creaking life.
"The guardians of the sanctum, we,
Charged to riddle all we see," they chant in unison.
Reacting to the challenge of the statues, Rusty asks, "How are you at riddles, Guldarin?"
"I'm hardly an expert, but I know a few good ones. Let's see now... Hang on, it's the statues that are asking the riddles, isn't it. Well that's another matter." He lowers his voice so only Rusty can hear. "Most of the ones I know are just a little bit risque."
"Ach, I f***ing hate riddles, me."
Guldarin and Rusty discuss tactics while Dorvin glowers. It's clear that his ancestors' notion of a good test isn't his.
"Ah a riddle, this should be fun."
Like Guldarin, Amenephus takes a benign view of the proceedings.
Nayce watches the proceedings warily. He is contemplating teleporting to one of the squares, but wants to see what happens to Rusty first.
Rusty finds himself immobilised as the guardians intone their first riddle.
I saw a creature: his stomach stuck out behind him,
enormously swollen. A strong servant
waited upon him. What filled up his stomach
had traveled from far, and flew through his eye.
He does not always die in giving life
to others, but new strength revives
in the pit of his stomach; he breathes again.
He fathers a son; he's his own father.