Elara frowns as she tilts her head back to look at Henar. "I agree." Concentrating, she raises her hands and a portion of her black armor flickers out and contorts into a small vortex in her palm; it resolves itself into a small black cube. Cupping it, she throws it forwards towards the door.
The cube hits the ground in front of the door, and when it hits the floor, the floor opens up quite suddenly. The cube falls into a pit full of spikes. There seems to be some sort of lettering or words inside this pit, but nobody is quite close enough to read them out.
Meanwhile, looking around the room, Kaythor is able to see two hidden doors, one on each of the other walls, north and south. They seem to slide open, some of the stones being loose enough to push back and then use as a sort of a handle to open these other doors.
Kaythor spies the hidden doors and smirks slightly to himself. After seeing the trinket fall into a pit of spikes, he takes a wary half-step backwards. "Well then, that would have been unfortunate, eh?"
He peers down into the dark pit before looking back towards the others. Pointing to the two doors he alerts the others to their presence, "Well, it would appear that there are two more ways out. A door north and a door south. I think they might be a safer option for us, but which one?"
Elara wordlessly attempts to answers his question by conjuring two more black cubes and tossing them in front of each door
El'la grimaces as the trap door opens. "Or simply jump across it? The pit, I mean. It does not seem very far. But then again, perhaps that is what the trapmaker wants us to do. That may be the self-deception."
She waits to see what happens when the thrown ectoplasmic cubes land.
The other cubes land normally, not triggering off any traps. It seems that the two hidden doors are safe, or if they are unsafe, it is not in the same way as the obvious door.
The samsaran summons up a series of ghostly lantern lights (), taking them to each of the hidden doors to give everyone a better view of them.
Cyx stoops down to examine the flooring that remains trying to determone if it is safe. and lookong for the best way to the doors north and south.
Artorius glanced between the two doors that were previously hidden. North or South. There was no clue within the writing that provided any information about which to select, but he was moved by a thought that caught his attention. Two doors, perhaps it was intended that they split up. Another test, to weed out the weak.
Looking between the two doors, he muttered something under his breath and then gestured for Wencelas to walk to the Northern door and push it open. "Open the door Wencelas." He spoke as he stepped behind his companion. Then glanced over his shoulder at those who lingered within the room.
"I will see what is behind this door. Those who wish may follow, those who would still explore and be plagued by doubt and indecision... feel free to remain behind."
Elara wordlessly joins in step with Artorius, drawing her falchion with one hand as she does so.
As the door to the north is opened, it slides back easily, revealing a small alcove. Upon it is a small jewel that seems to glow with an eerie blue light. It is cold to the touch. In addition, there is an inscription here. "Thou hast seen through deception to discover a useful tool."
EDIT:
Kaythor looks over the shoulder of those opening the northern door. "Ah, so I guess we chose correctly. Shall we see what was in the other one? Might be another reward." Kaythor then does just that, walking over towards the South door. Upon approaching it he glances over his shoulder to make sure the others are watching, just in case. He slowly opens the door though, once the others are ready.
Artorius glimpsed the small jewel. It was attractive enough in appearence, but the cold glow that radiated out from it would likely mar the gem in the eyes of the woman Cinder. He got the distinct impression that she did not like the cold.
"Interesting. The inscription does not mention reward, merely tool. It may seem that this gem will be necessary later. Wencelas, retrieve the jewel and bring it before me." Artorius commanded his servant, who offered no words in reply, but instead merely strode forward and plucked the jewel from its resting place.
The obediant servant held forth the jewel as it cast its eerie glow, allowing Artorius a better examination of the jewel and its properties. Weaving a spell of detect magic before his eyes.
Once this task was complete, whether successful or not, the young deacon of Asmodeus suspiciously glanced about the chamber, searching it for any other details or secret passageways that might lay within. He would let nothing escape his hawk-like gaze.
Examining the gem more closely, it seems more crystaline, whiter than previously thought. It's more like a clear, pale outer shell with something blue and shining, a liquid perhaps, inside than an oddly colored jewel. It's most likely something alchemical, not actually magical.
Nothing else can be seen in the chamber besides the doors already seen.
The northern door explored, Elara marches for the southern door, knees slightly bent, her entire posture braced for danger.
Seeing no danger befall those who eagerly marched into the room, Cinders also moves closer to where the pit trap opened before the other door, relying on her memory to inform her where the border is. Having nothing of weight she would care to lose to the pit, she attempts to agitate the wooden door with her mind, focusing on it intently.
Henar simply follows along, allowing his lights to go in front of them to show others the way ahead. His grin widens as time goes on. "And now the fun begins."
The trap door, once agitated, finally opens for good. The inscription within it can now be clearly read. It's almost identical to the other two inscriptions in the style of the writing. It (somewhat inaccurately) reads: "Thou Wert Decieved. Pain is Thy Reward."
Past the southern door, there is a short hallway. Only about fifteen feet long, it ends in another southern door. It, too, has an inscription.
"Following the herd is for fools. Fear not their icy derision. Instead, fear only thy infernal lord."
The door is not locked.
Cyx quietly follows along. allowing others to search, at least for now.
Once a passage to continue is discovered cyx will peer down the corridor from the doorway.
Cyx stoops down to check the floor of the corridor before anyone enters
"Well, at least that's two mysteries solved."
El'la examines the doorway with the pit trap in front of it, peering into the darkness but not stepping over the threshold just yet.
Both doors seem absolutely normal and untrapped. It seems that in the first room, the eastern door was not actually trapped, simply the area in front of it. In the new hallway, the door into this new room doesn't seem trapped, either. However, the area in front of the door is slightly cold. It's not really something you would notice unless you knew to look for it, but it is just a few degrees more chilly.
The samsaran witch sends his series of lights down the hallway the group is traveling down, to give quite a good bit of illumination.
"Well, it seems we still have a choice. I'm in no mood to split up just yet. To the east or the south?"
"The South door seems the more logical choice. Let us not continue down a path where the deceived would normally tread. Instead let us break off from the herd as the inscription suggests." With that said Artorius begins to set out after Kaythor and the other's who have begun to move down the South hallway, but a minor seizure takes hold of him halfway between the secret door and the new doorway uncovered. It racks his body, causing his back to arch grotesquely backward and one eye to blink rapidly. He slides against one wall and falls to the floor, before he manages to utter a command to his servant.
"Wencelas, lift me." The words are uttered through clenched teeth, but the servant dutifully obeys, reaching out with it's shield arm to begin assisting Artorius back to his feet.
The spasm passes before the mute servant can finish lifting Artorius and though it is clear that Artorius no longer needed any help, Wencelas mutely still obeys. After futily slapping Wencelas's arm away, Artorius utters the word 'cease.'
With a sneer, he looks at the rest, challenging them to say something, before he continues stalking forward.
"Are you ill, Artorius?" El'la says as she moves towards the south door to join the others.
Elara cooly raises an eyebrow as Artorious has his fit, eyeing him up measuringly, but otherwise makes no comment as she joins him along the new doorway.
Hmm. Interesting...
Kaythor also eyes Artorius warily. "If it is some sort of injury, I might be able to help you with that" Kaythor felt that Artorius either was incapable or unwilling to accept help. Instead, he simply got back to the task at hand, "I wholeheartedly agree, the Southern door is the only logical choice based on the inscriptions"
Kaythor then walks towards the Southern door, watching to see who all followed him as he approached the slightly cooler doorknob.
"I am fine, it is but a personal trial I must overcome." Artorius said through partially clenched feet. As if to prove the case he began walking himself once more, following behind Kaythor with the rest of the company.
He brandished his holy symbol which currently shed light like a torch, letting his gaze sweep the interior lining of the doorway for any additional clues.
There seems no other clues or inscriptions in this hallway, simply the stones of the walls and floor, and the doors- one that the group came from, and the other with the previously mentioned inscription.
Cyx is in contemplation of the hall and the inscription.
hmmm. icy, herd, cold... he goes through the points of the riddle.
finally deciding to break from the Herd (so to speak) Cyx follows the cold floor toward the next door down the hall.
The room beyond the door is cold. Not just because of the dirt on the floor, worn by people traveling through, but because of the large mold on one corner of the room. Large, purple, and throbbing, it covers one of the main doors. There are four doors in this room, including the one you just came in on. On in the center of each wall, on each side. The south and east doors are regular, but the west is covered in that intensely cold mold. Even the glass on the oil lantern hanging from the ceiling is frosted from its coldness.
"Fear not their icy derision. I suppose we're supposed to march through the cold door?"
Elara raises an eyebrow. "Cold mold? Most useful; preserving food, drink, corpses..."
Closing her eyes for a moment, she concentrates hard. Her shadow armor vibrates, whiteness pulsing along its cracks and crevasses before returning to normal. She looks back at Cinders. "We are, lady of the cinders. Follow if you feel our flame can stand the chill."
Elara enters the room and walks up to the west door, examining the mold.
"It is true that I am not used to the cold. I prefer warmer environs. But no matter. It is not cold that we fear, eh?"
With that, she follows the other psionicist, though Coal, who had been resting in the hood of her cloak, finds the environment unbearable and tries to get into El'la's backpack.
Henar strokes his hairless chin, looking at the mold and then looking at the various other areas of the room, tryin to gauge the most cold portion. If the assumption that the mold is the coldest, rolling Knowledge (nature) to determine its qualities and a proper course of action.
Henar's scorpion pokes its head and a claw out to clack in irritation at the cold before pushing itself deeper into the lined satchel.
The mold seems to suck all the heat out of someone when it's approached.
nonlethal cold damage
But, the protection from the cold is quite effective against it.
Recalling facts on it, the mold is a rare breed, feeding on heat and gathering strength from it. However, other sources of cold will cause the mold to shrivel up and die. It's quite fragile in that regard.
Shivering uncontrollably in the cold , El'la is less than pleased with the situation.
When Henar tells her of the mold's weakness to cold damage, she decides to obliterate the offensive culprit.
Cyx enters eyes the other doors as well as the mold covered door.
feeling the bite of the cold air as some of his internal heat is sucked away. Cyx gives a slight shiver.
Once the source of the cold is identified he keeps a respectable distance to prevent excess exposure.
Cyx makes his way to the eastern door to check it out.
Elara examines the southern door and opens it.
Artorius paused at the door, unwilling to get closer to the strange mold, though his servant Wencelas ventured inside as if he did not recognize any change in the temperature of the chamber. Artorius considered instructing his guardian to retreive some of the mold for examination, but before he could open his mouth to do so, the impulsive woman Cinders focused somekind of ray against it.
He waited to see the result of her attack on the mold. He knew little of molds or funguses beyond what was known by most men. He did glance at the blue skinned follower of Asmodeus with a question in his eyes.
So focused on the door covered with Mold, he did not notice Elara move to the South door and open it until it was too late. "NO! Don't open the other doors you fool! It must be a trap!"
Henar does relay the information out about the mold. "It's a rare and beautiful specimen, really. Sucks in heat and hates the cold."
Seeing Elara move to the western door, he grimaces, putting his hands protectively out in front of him. "Woman?! Do you have no brain?!"
He seems to be severely frustrated by the woman. She's going to be the death of us all.
Javelins spring out of the door as its opened, but they don't go very far. They only fly enough to get at Elara.
damage.
Behind that door is a bricked up wall with the inscription: "Thou hast followed the herd."
Looking at the floor, it is clear to Cyx that either large groups of people have walked towards the non-moldy doors, or it's been arranged to look that way.
It seems that trying that other door wasn't necessary, however, as moss, quite quickly, shrivels up and dies. The way is clear.