Mumbling to Dargys, "Besides, if I don't come back with you alive and well, I just know Ulrikke would make sure my death is worse than anything down here..."
A shake of his head, clearly he has a hard time believing the man's sister is THAT enamored.
Instead his focus grows on Deshe's comment and he's ready to follow the lead on a proper burial.
Then Alastair goes one way, and Belfer wants to go another "So help me if we start to split up again..." A low growl
Sethiel leans against the wall. He hasn’t said anything yet and looks stunned and confused. He leans his head back against the wall with his eyes closed and is taking a few deep breaths.
Before leaving the room Belfer looks at the trap door in the corner. A quick look shows that it lowers down at an angle into the floor . There is a mechanism that he could operate that would easily lower it that is still functioning. The opening isn’t large, but Belfer believes he could squeeze into it if he would try.
Looking within the hole Belfer sees that it leads to a cave that is below, but there is a large object below that is blocking the way. It looks like a black stone that appears to be absorbing the light from Belfer’s spell . Looking down on the stone you see that the top is shaped like a bowl and the water that drained this way has filled it and is overflowing onto the cave floor below.
Alistair creeps along the side as quiet as he can, but he ends up stepping on rubble along the wall and the crunching of stone on stone reverberates off the wall. Looking around the corner Alistair sees Dust-shrouded tables covered in all maner of odds and esoteric equipment line the chamber’s walls. More tables - similarly clutter – stand in the middle of the room.
At the end of the room there is a tapestry that is barely hanging together. But, you are able to make out a symbol that takes of most of the hanging.
Lying on the ground, his head peered over the hole, Belfer updates the others with what he sees.
"This slide appears to be some sort of trap door or chute. There's a black bowl blocking the path, but it looks like a cave past it. There's something off about this bowl, though. It appears to be absorbing any light that goes near it. Not to mention why would a bowl be jammed into a chute like this? Maybe it was for the grisly remains of any activities that happened here?"
Belfer looks at the walls of the chute, looking for the remnants of blood or other things that might have once passed through it.
"Belfer, we appear to be split up again, why don't we join the others and head back here later? I don't 'dungeoning' but I know that dividing our forces like this when we could get attacked isn't wise."
As Belfer lays on the ground and looks down the chute he sees that as the stone turns into the cave rock below that there is staining that could easily be blood based on the layout of the table and how the room angles this way by design.
The black stone below is large and from a slightly closer look, it looks as if it is column, a pilar, or maybe even a small obelisk.
"Belfer, we appear to be split up again, why don't we join the others and head back here later? I don't 'dungeoning' but I know that dividing our forces like this when we could get attacked isn't wise."
"If anything, with our experience so far, it seems like splitting up would be to our advantage. Every travail seems to be some haunt or spell that hurts everyone clustered together." Deshe walks over and offers another idea. "Perhaps a sole explorer backed up with everyone else close to be able to react if trouble does occur would be better given what we've actually experienced, rather than common wisdom."
"That said, we're barely split from the others Dargys, I could hear you from the other group."
"Well, if you say so, Deshe." He doesn't sound convinced, but he IS new at this.
Rasmus watches the others as he warms the honey in the ceramic jar.
"Splittin' up to avoid gettin' got by traps and haunts is one thing, but if we ran into a battle, we might be in quite a bit of trouble. I'll go with whatever you all want, but I agree with Dargys. I don't think we should split up. I'm going to finish this, and then I'm going to go help Belfer if I can."
He returns to his task, humming a common folk tune.
"Nothin over here," Alistair calls back. "There are a bunch of tables with implements all over them. I'm going to take a closer look." Alistair then cautiously walks over to the nearest table looking for floor traps, haunts on the walls or ceiling, and anything else out of place.
As Belfer investigates the trap door hole, Rasmus returns to warming the honey in the jar. He makes a small fire to warm the water that he is going to use to help revert the crystalized honey back to its liquid state.
Meanwhile, Alistair moves ward into the chamber with the two tables and the tattered tapestry with the odd symbol within it. Among the clutter of the tables he finds a few things that might stand out. An ink pen crafted from a long, thin bone rest on a pewter plate next to an empty ink pot. A little further down is an upright wooden frame that holds a sheet of parchment. You can make out that there were once words and drawing on the parchment but have become illegible with age. The last thing you find on this table is a jagged chunk of transparent crystal that is laying on a battered bronze plate.
The next table offers a few more items among the clutter. A bleached white skull - probably from a human – fills a wide-mouth glass jar. Faint marks on the side of the jar suggest it was once filled with a yellowish liquid. Brownish stains cover the blade of a small rusting knife with a smooth bone handle. An amulet that is attached to scrap of sundered chain has elemental symbols on one side: air, earth, fire and water. Flipping it over and there is the same symbol on the tapestry on the back of the amulet. An iron coffer with its lid open reveals that it is half filled with a fine silver powder.
The final item of note is a thick tome. Leather covered hard backing wraps the closed book. Without picking the book up, there is something odd about the cover of the book. There is a recessed spot that looks as if a 3-in by 2-in waterdrop shaped item could fit within. On the side, there is an iron clasp holding the book shut with no evidence of it being able to open.
Back at the fire, Rasmus warm’s the water to boiling. Pouring it onto the top of the honey has the effect he wants. Slowly taking a knife or a burn end of some wood he begins to help the process along and quickly finds that the entire pot was not a solid block of crystalized honey. Breaking through a thick layer reveals a thick mat of fur or hair. Pulling it free reveals a preserved head of a man.
"Splittin' up to avoid gettin' got by traps and haunts is one thing, but if we ran into a battle, we might be in quite a bit of trouble. I'll go with whatever you all want, but I agree with Dargys. I don't think we should split up. I'm going to finish this, and then I'm going to go help Belfer if I can.".
"I suppose it depends what we mean by splitting up. I got the feeling from Dargys that he meant "being further than arm's reach", cause the other group was literally just outside the room. I was thinking that if one person goes through a door, and everyone else is waiting just outside in case it's a fight might be an idea."
Dargys arches a brow at THAT interpretation, "Let's see, some wanted to go 'that way' down a chute, and others wanted to 'that way' further down the halls and each was about to head off and apparently keep going... So no, I didn't mean 'further than arm's reach'. I meant things are dangerous enough without going off in two separate directions and we shouldn't keep stretching it out for reasons Rasmus explained. Now staying in view of each other? That I think is sensible. I hear stories about trap doors or dropped portcullis traps separating heroes in stories, which maybe bunk, but that's about all I've got."
Dargys then ponders "Right now, I'm mostly staying fast while others nose around just to keep line of sight between all involved as best I can while others search. Rasmus, if I'm doing it wrong you let me know, you seem the most experienced."
Rasmus sighs, and holds up his hands,
"Lads,"
He frowns with uneasiness,
"We mustn't allow ourselves to be drawn apart over arguments. We have a duty to this city and to its innocent citizens to investigate this thoroughly and swiftly. There are none else who will."
"Dargys, yer family needs to be protected. Klaus, ye need to bring Dargys back alive, fer Ulrikke. Alistair, ye have family to protect as well. Erik, yer father would flay me alive if ye were hurt. And Belfer, ye have a duty to magic to understand whatever is goin' on down here."
"I know this ain't what ye reckoned ye were goin' to be doin' with yer life. I know yer a little scared. Kalron knows, I'm scared out of me wits. But remember what we're fightin' fer. I swore an oath against the evil that beats like a heart within this world, and that's why I take every trek into every godforsaken cave and pit. I would like nothin' better than to settle down with a nice lady and live out the rest of me days peacefully, but when the Fates wove the tapestries of our lives, they didn't weave that into mine."
"Who knows, perhaps ye all can find peace someday soon, when all this is over. But until then, we have a duty to find out what is goin' on under this city, and save its people. Fer yer families, and the families of those who cannot fight, but would."
He smiles, but his eyes don't completely reflect it.
"Who knows, maybe ye'll find the wealth and treasures ye seek as well."
He shrugs and lifts up the head from the honey pot,
"Until then, though, Deshe, can ye look at this? I believe this may be another anchor fer a restless spirit."
Dargys listens to Rasmus respectfully, the man's not wrong about his family mattering to him, "Not trying to keep an argument going. Opinions vary and that's fine. I just didn't want any miscommunication, or misrepresentation, even if only accidental." He ponders it over, "maybe I am a bit tense due to this situation. I'll work on it. Hell of a lot different from a straight forward pitfight."
Alistair moves back to the hall and calls down to the others, "On second thought, when you get a chance, there's a book you scholarly types should look at."
"Fair enough, you were more worried about what might happen than what had happened, I see where I got on the wrong track."
"Fair enough, you were more worried about what might happen than what had happened, I see where I got on the wrong track."
"Just so, and no harm done. I'll try to focus on the now a bit more." A respectful nod.
Then "Sounds like Rasmus and Alastair have found somethings." Times like this he wishes he were as learned as Klaus.
As Belfer is laying on the ground examining the tall stone below the chute, he cast Detect Magic to see what he can see within 60-feet.
As Belfer continues to focus his magics on the stone below to learn more there is a momentary resistance against his magic followed by an instantaneous pulling of his mind. The light around Belfer is pulled from around him being drawn into the stone. Then darkness.
Belfer’s body is awkwardly looking into the hole when suddenly is body goes limp.
In this darkness you hear cries of pain, the cries of mercy to end their suffering… their lives. A glow begin to shine as fire and smoke rises in the background of a river. A figure is walking on the shore of the river. There is a rattling with each stride as this cloaked figure walks. You see that the shore it is walking on is not stones as you first thought. It comes in focus as it is remains. Bones, stacked upon bodies, upon bones. If you could smell the scene you know you would empty your stomach. The creature stops and turns. It realizes you are there. This looming horned skeletal figure is clutching a wicked staff of bone and a hanging hour glass. You see sand… no bone falling through the glass as time passes. There is a burning in its eyes as it reaches out to you; “You should not be here!” as it vanishes and reappears right before you. The creature tries to grab you as you are suddenly pulled down the river.
Time and space mean nothing as you are moving faster than you’ve ever moved before. The world is a blur.
You stop as a realm of chaos, a realm at war. Two armies clashing against one another. As one body falls another takes its place standing on top of the fallen body. When you see that the bodies below aren’t dead yet, they are grasping at those standing on them, you realize that are not dead at all, that they are undead. Your eyes zoom out and see spirits waging war here in the battle. Your eyes zoom the field when you see a 70-foot tall titan, something you have never seen before swinging its arms and chains causing bodies the fly through the air. Bodies that never hit the ground and they seem to just float off into the distant space.
Your eyes fall upon a squat and bloated humanoid, standing nearly three times as tall as a normal human. It’s goat-like head sports large, spiraling ram-like horns. Its legs are covered in thick brown fur and end in hooves. Large powerful arms wield a wicked skull-tipped wand. Two large, black, bat-like wings protrude from its back and a long, snake-like tail, tipped with a sharpened barb, trails behind it. You know this… thing is in charge.
The creature begins casting a spell when you are again pulled so quickly you almost get sick, if you could.
You awake looking at the stone below, unsure of its power other than total power.
Only a few seconds later Belfer moves with a gasp for air.
Klaus seems lost in thought and only casts furtive glances as Dargys and Deshe iron out splitting up v. sticking together.
Alistair calls for a scholar, and swallowing nervously, Klaus moves closer to examine it. Unless the spell fails for whatever reason, Klaus will not touch the book itself but casts repeated uses of Mage Hand to hold it up, turn it, and replace it afterwards.
"I've never seen or heard of anything like this," Klaus says seriously. "Are we even sure it's a book and not just some fancy decoration?"
"Belfer?" Deshe notices Belfer go limp and is worried it's another possession.
"I've never seen or heard of anything like this," Klaus says seriously. "Are we even sure it's a book and not just some fancy decoration?"
"I was going to say 'Your guess is as good as mine,' but the truth is that your guess is probably a lot better than mine."
Belfer comes alive, gasping for air with a guttural wheezing sound. His head spins, looking around in all directions while his eyes blink rapidly, yet his gaze is distant and beyond. Eventually his head slows and lurches over the edge. He slowly moves his arms, bringing his hands flat against the ground to press off of. He rolls unceremoniously onto his back, taking a few moments more.
Hearing Deshe's inquiry, he answers to the void, his eyes still closed, "I'm here... I'm just going to rest here for a bit while the rest of me catches up. That bowl... is darker... malignant... and more powerful than I initially thought possible... I had a vision... or maybe it showed me? Of somewhere else... of a battlefield of bone between two armies of hideous things.".
Belfer stops, allowing the cold stone floor to anchor his mind to where he lays, before asking, "You're a man of the cloth Deshe. Are you familiar with a robed skeletal figure that carries a bone staff topped with black crescents and an hour glass hanging from it?"
"I've never seen or heard of anything like this," Klaus says seriously. "Are we even sure it's a book and not just some fancy decoration?"
Dargys gives a shrug at that, but the situation with Belfer has him naturally focused. He does feel helpless against things like 'possession'.
Hearing Deshe's inquiry, he answers to the void, his eyes still closed, "I'm here... I'm just going to rest here for a bit while the rest of me catches up. That bowl... is darker... malignant... and more powerful than I initially thought possible... I had a vision... or maybe it showed me? Of somewhere else... of a battlefield of bone between two armies of hideous things.".
Belfer stops, allowing the cold stone floor to anchor his mind to where he lays, before asking, "You're a man of the cloth Deshe. Are you familiar with a robed skeletal figure that carries a bone staff topped with black crescents and an hour glass hanging from it?"
"Hideous things? Can you describe them in more detail than that? I'd understand if not, but maybe there's something historical about it?"
Does Deshe recognize it?
Rasmus feels the weight of the situation pressing down on him. Despite his limited experience, he knows he must act decisively. He takes a deep breath, his senses sharpening as he surveys the scene.
Seeing Belfer in distress, Rasmus kneels beside him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“Hang in there, Belfer. We’ll get through this,”
he says, his voice calm and steady. He then looks up at Deshe.
“Deshe, can you tend to him? Your healing skills might be what he needs right now.”
Rasmus stands and turns his attention to the mysterious book Klaus is handling with Mage Hand. He knows his knowledge of arcane matters is limited, but his keen eyes might spot something others have missed. He steps closer, his eyes narrowing as he examines the book from a safe distance.
He then takes a step back, his mind racing. He knows he must rely on his instincts and the skills he has honed in the wild. He draws his bow, nocking an arrow just in case.
“We need to be cautious. This place is full of surprises, and not all of them are pleasant.”
Rasmus glances around the room, his eyes scanning for any signs of danger. He listens intently, his ears tuned to the slightest sound. The cold, damp air of the dungeon feels oppressive, but he pushes the feeling aside, focusing on the task at hand.
As Belfer comes to, he starts to describe what it is that he saw, nothing about this robed figure sounds familiar to Deshe. This is something that high priestess Vuokko or Saini might know something about.
Klaus holds up the tome via Mage Hand he doesn’t see a way for it to open, but he does see the pages exposed around the edges and can tell that it is real. Rasmus also looks at the tome from a safe distance. You see that there is no seam where there should be a latching mechanism, and it also doesn’t look like there is a hinge that would allow the clasp to move once it would be free from its locked position.
As Klaus, Rasmus, and Alistair venture into this chamber you can see to the west that the structure of this chamber changes as it moves to a more cave-like structure, like the opening in the first chamber. Also, to the north, there is a hallway that looks to be clogged with rock and debris. You can tell that the camber begins to stairstep up at the back. It would take some time, but it could potentially be cleared out.
It is hard to hear, but you believe you hear flowing water beyond this clogged hallway.
Deshe shakes his head. "I'm afraid it's beyond my knowledge. But Vuokko or Saini might know it."
"Ah, it looks like the others are moving on. If we wish to keep close, we'd best keep attention." Deshe makes a few slow steps towards the other group, not wanting to abandon this side either yet.
Klaus figures the book may be important and places it into his pack.
"Thanks, Deshe," he says when the cleric advises them they're being left behind.
Klaus looks at the rubble and wonders of the stairs take them out of this crazy place.
Knowing he is unlikely to know anything about the book that Rasmus and Klaus cannot figure out, Erik rides Shep around the room in a circuit, trying to ensure that they are undisturbed as they deal with the book.
Rasmus moves over to one of the tables in the room, motioning for Deshe to follow.
"Would ye help me, lad?"
He thumps the head from the earthenware honey jar onto the table.
"We should probably get this checked out, I should think."
He nods, and then walks to the rocks in the hallway. He strains, trying to move some of the rocks.
"We need to find something that fits that water drop impression. I bet it will act like a key and pop that puppy open. I hear some wizards will pay good money for old spells. Is that right Klaus?" Alistair asks. Then he moves back toward the hall he had just come down and calls out, "Hey guys, come one down. I don't want us to get too spread out and there is another tunnel down here I want to check out."
+1 if a trap
When he heard of the details of the vision, he's horrified, and intrigued.
"We need to find something that fits that water drop impression. I bet it will act like a key and pop that puppy open. I hear some wizards will pay good money for old spells. Is that right Klaus?" Alistair asks. Then he moves back toward the hall he had just come down and calls out, "Hey guys, come one down. I don't want us to get too spread out and there is another tunnel down here I want to check out."
"Very well," He looks at the others, "Do what you will, I'm going to follow Alistair. See what's up"
Deshe shakes his head. "I'm afraid it's beyond my knowledge. But Vuokko or Saini might know it."
"Ah, it looks like the others are moving on. If we wish to keep close, we'd best keep attention." Deshe makes a few slow steps towards the other group, not wanting to abandon this side either yet.
"Very well. I think things are starting to come back into focus now. I'm going to close this slide first. If there is some thing linked to that bowl, it's best we keep it in the dark."
Belfer rolls to his side, landing a knee before stepping back to his feet. He moves to reset the trap door before following after the others.
"Would ye help me, lad?"
"Of course-" Deshe tries to lend a hand to Rasmus with the rock- but there's not a whole lot of room
"We need to find something that fits that water drop impression. I bet it will act like a key and pop that puppy open. I hear some wizards will pay good money for old spells. Is that right Klaus?" Alistair asks.
"It's shocking how fervent they can get. Belfer and I witnessed many a...I'll call it a 'fist fight' over some of the rarer books in the library when two or more wizards were sure they'd discovered some new ritual or cypher in the pages. Some of them even got in a few good arcane licks before the library custodians descended on them." Klaus chuckles. "You'd never guess some of those whitebeards have so much spit and vinegar in them from the refined way they try to carry themselves most of the time."
As Rasmus begins clearing the rubble, Klaus brightens a bit seeing others interested in the stairs leading upwards. Thank goodness!
"While it may not be much, I can help clear away the smaller bits since the space you're working is small."
Klaus begins using mage hand to grab and move smaller rocks and float them to a pile off to the side from where Rasmus and Deshe are working.
"What are you opening up those stairs for? We should check this tunnel first. Then we can come back and check the stairs. It's likely they walk up into somebody's basement anyway." Alistair says walking toward the tunnel on the south side now that the others are heading down the hall. "It's pretty dark over here. Klaus, can you drop some light on a coin for me or shall I light a torch?"
"Ah...about that." Klaus sputters looking guilty when Alistair calls out the rubble-rousers. He clears his throat, cheeks red. "I, um, I didn't prepare that spell today. So many of the others know the spell, and, uh well, Rasmus had all those backpacks with torches and stuff, so it just makes sense to use them, and you know, my mentor really always said out of all the things you'll find you need when adventuring, light is number one, but there's a bunch of ways to make it; yet if you need to make ice in a hot place or heat in a cold place or move that lever without touching the acid, there's only so many ways a body can do that and that's usually magic, so if you understand what I'm getting at..."
Klaus continues to dissemble profusely to try and be excused for failing to have the magic ready which Alistair is requesting.
"Not to worry. I'll go grab some of our gear." After Klaus' response, Alistair walks back to the far room to grab a pair of the big packs and walks back with them. (probably 4 rounds of walking I think)
Belfer moves to use the trap door mechanism. Possibly to his surprise, it is still functioning. The stone floor slab rotates up and closes. Had you not known it was there, you would never know there was a door here.
Rasmus and Deshe set out to begin clearing out the hallway. It is going to be hard physical labor, but in time you will clear the way. As Klaus joins the team and uses Mage Hand, the three unearth the remains of a small rodent. Rasmus would know this is the skeletal remains of a rat. There isn’t anything odd about finding remains of a rodent in an underground cellar, except it looks as if the rat was wearing a moldering leather collar.
Alistair & Dargys retrieves the packs from the first room and bring them to this chamber. With torches lit, they begin moving into the cave tunnel. The two of you see that it takes a quick turn southward and you quickly come to a set of stairs that descends a short distance, your torches do reveal the landing and it looks clear outside of the normal cavernous rubble.
Dargys looks as far as the light allows and asks Alistair "How much lead do you need to scout without my own noise ruining it? Or do you prefer I just get your back period? "
As Alastair and Dargys head for the tunnel, Erik positions himself and Shep between the tunnel and the stairs where Rasmus and Deshe are working, hoping that he will be able to support in which ever direction is necessary.
"Maybe ten to fifteen feet or so but let's get some light first. I need to try and kick that habit so I can get sneakier. Give me a moment." Alistair then hustles off to grab some bags so he can light a torch. When he returns...
"Dargys can you carry this torch while I slink ahead?" Alistair asks. Assuming he does, Alistair moves forward down the hall.
"Hmm, there were bones of other small creatures in the other room... I wonder if this rat was intended for that fate but escaped it."
Alistair creeps forward around the bend to see what he can see.
Rasmus clears his throat, and wipes his brow after the exertion of clearing some of the rocks.
"Lads, I think we need a definite plan on what we're gonna do next. There's so much to explore, that I think we need to strategize a wee bit first."
He pulls a hunk of bread from his bag and begins chewing it thoughtfully.
"Oh, and there's a small rodent over here, looks to be a rat. Nothin' unusual about that normally, but it looks like it's wearing a collar. Maybe ye scholar-types can figure out what it's doin' here."
Dargys holds the light source, though he'd prefer to hold his blade. The shield stays ready for certain.