Anton nods and moves.
The corridor goes ahead for some 50 feet before turning south-east, and you realize it open to a big chamber.
You enter it cautiously and slowly, but there is no one there.
This appears to have once been a small shrine, for to the northeast, steps lead up to a platform of gray stone. Sitting atop the platform is an ancient altar, little more than a jagged block of black marble with a shallow concavity on top of it.
This basin is filled with what appears to be filthy water.
Big double doors are closed to the southwest and ominous, evil, and very ancient air above them.
"As usual Zomeraand I find myself in agreement." Delin admits with some cheer despite their situation, "So who fancies the big scary doors?"
Looking over those ominous doors the half elf inspects the construction. How they are mounted to the frame, what secures them closed, how large a gap exists between the doors and the doorframe, and how much room specifically exists between the doors and the floor. She does not touch them, leaning forward a bit but remaining back on her heels as she inspects them with her lighted bead.
Zomeraand takes a few moments to draw on his power and begins to sweep the room slowly, looking for magical auras.
The altar, the water in the altar, glows with transmutation magic.
M'ara emters the chamber warily, noting the altar and finally the forbidding doors, "I do not like this place..." , she mutters, Shivi gives out a little squeak of agreement.
She inches closer to the altar, trying to divine it's purpose....
Zomeraand takes a few moments to take in the trappings of the room and altar, trying to divine what they represent.
It is obviously an unholy altar. The filthy water is obviously unholy water, but there is something more about it...
Zoomerang recalls many references about the old Thassilonian empire worshipping devils.
A good Knowledge (Religion) check might be in order. Who can roll for Delin Chiri?
You look at the water, but avoid touching it. It remains there, defiantly.
"What we know at the moment, is that there is a religious component to all this," Zomeraand says. "The theft of a priest's remains, an unholy altar to some dark god or devil...these tunnels may be the lair of someone sort of cult," he speculates.
M'ara nods at Zomeraand's assessment, "You may be right...I for one do not want to know what is behind that door until we need to. I suggest we explore the rest of the catacombs...we can always return...to this..." she says, indicating the altar and door with a sweep of her arm and a disturbed look on her face.
”Anton, Delin, what are your thoughts?” he asks the other two.
"I'm fine with what you big brains decide. I'm here to make sure you're safe. Er, relatively so."
Your characters decide to retrace your step back... Want to go on the first well build tunnel or all the way back to the dug original tunnel?
”I suggest we investigate the complex, now that we are inside. Thus far, it has yielded the most information, even if we don’t fully understand the context of what we’ve learned,” Zomeraand suggests.
Your characters turn north at the tunnel, and in the darkness, they manage to see two things.
First, it seems both tunnels join a little distance away from you.
But more worrisome, you see a big humanoid figure standing in the next chamber. And the gleam of metal can be seen in something it carries, like a spear.
Delin will toss her lighted bead to the feet of the big humanoid. Her keen almond shaped eyes fall over it, inspecting it with curiosity.
Seems like a statue. A big statue with a big mean-looking halbert in her hand.
Zomeraand holds his amulet up and extends his magical senses, trying to determine if the statue holds any enchantments.
No magic...
You peek into the room, a red marble statue of a strikingly beautiful but, at the same time, a monstrously enraged human woman stands in the middle of this room, her stony expression twisted in fury. The woman wears flowing robes, and her long hair is held back from her face by an intricate headdress of hooks and blades. In her left hand, she carries a large book, the face of which is inscribed with a seven-pointed star. Her right-hand holds a glittering metal and ivory ranseur.
”Who is this, I wonder?” Zomeraand puzzles.
M'ara edges forward , eyeing the large statue warily, "I don't know , but she certainly seems angry enough."
Zomeraand pulls out his research journal, and begins taking notes about the statue, including a rough sketch.
He spends a bit more time getting down a precise image of the 7-pointed star on the cover of the book.
"Interesting..." he mutters. "I'm sure I can find something about this."
(Will follow with a post in the morning.)
Your characters have no idea who the statue is.
Delin has trouble making out details in the changing light. Unsure of if her eyes needed to adjust or not. Even when the group pulls close she has no recollection of who the statue is of, but the fierce expression makes her delicate features scrunch.
"Better than an enemy." she admits softly, "Which direction now Zomeraand?"
"That direction," he says, pointing to the western side of the room, as he juggles his journal, ink and quill.
M'ara having given the statue a once over, tried to avoid looking at it. Her companion, Shivi, on the other hand notices something amiss...giving a meek squeak to attract M'ara's attention.
"What did you see, Shivi?" she asks her friend, turning back to the statue, seeing now what she'd missed, "The weapon...it is of a different material...I wonder if it..." she reaches up to see if the ranseur can move...
And it can. M'ara takes it and marvels at its status, as it doesn't show it's age. It is not magical, but very ornate and well made, completely of noble metals that have prevented but the slightest corrosion in the years and centuries it has been her.
It would be a crime to spoil it by hitting something with it. This is an archeology piece, an historical treasure.
"Wonderful! An artifact we can study at leisure when we return. In the meantime, let's continue our sweep of the complex. That way?" he suggests pointing to the corridor on the West side of the room.
West there are a 50' descending stairs that end in a door.
Updated map
M'ara looks at the 'artifact' , amazed something so obviously old could be in such fine condition, but as Zomeraan says, it's something they can look at later.
She looks down the stairs, "Perhaps we should finish investigating this level before descending?"
Zomeraand nods. "I agree. We don't want someone or something trapping us at the bottom of the stairwell."
Anton nods. "Best not to have to worry about dangers from too many directions."
"Should we start with the closest door?" Delin asks as she retrieves her lighted bead and pinches it between two slender fingers.
"I feel that's the simplest answer if we're canvassing up here."
Zomeraand nods at Delin’s suggestion. He approaches the door and passes his amulet in front of it, attempting to find any spells that may have been placed on it.
M'ara waits for the results of the Magician's spell, though not too sure why he's doing so in this case....
There is no magic coming from the north door.
Zomeraand backs away from the door and nods to Anton. "Would you care to do the honors?" he asks the fighting man.
Anton bows and smiles. "Let's do this thing." He opens the door.
Anton tries to open the door, which mostly crumbles from the weight of the millennia it has been abandoned. Behind it, a big dark space opens.
This large chamber was obviously once a prison, cells that line the room's wooden platform overlooks flights of stairs descending to ten feet below. A five-foot-wide runs from the northern edge of a passageway to the east.
M'ara steps out onto the platform, looking out at the cells, "A prison...have any of you heard of Sandpoint ever having a prison?"
Zomeraand looks around at the architecture and design of the room, trying to glean any information he can about its origins.
"I suppose we should search the area before moving on, for clues of what is or has happened here, and to make sure nothing is lying in wait to ambush us as we pass." Zomeraand gestures towards the stairs leading down to the cells.