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"Oh, here you are Kerren." Santoval says, after nearly tripping over Kerren. He shakes his head to clear the cobwebs then looks around. "So are we all safely in the hall? I need a rest, and we should get the shields up here. Thank the gods those arrows were blunted...that stung! Hey, where is Anton?"
"Anyone got a shield? I wish we had brought the one from the wooden statue room now." Santoval says as he dives to the ground. An arrow strikes him as he ducks, and he yelps, grabbing at the wound. He is amazed as the arrow drops away, and no blood issues from the impact. "Blunted arrows? Its another town trap. There has to be some sort of trick to this!"
"Ok that is crazy...why would a door back to where we started be in a pool of water on the opposite side of the door that we needed to use it in? I think some of the village elders were tipping a few too many back when they thought this through years ago. So we should go back to one of the previous doors?"
"This is starting to be like a kobold warren back home. Trap after trap, every five feet...at least these traps haven't been poisioned...or rubbed with garbage and spoiled meat." Santoval squats down and while talking, starts searching the floor and walls for possible trap triggers.
"And you think that you would be able to smell the traps before you saw them...but the whole warren always stunk of guano and lizard barf. It was enough to make a man dizzy from the fumes."
"I get the feeling that we should continue downward into the bowels of this place. Whatever has caused the carnage here may be down wherever the heart of the tomb is...besides, we still need to get the Flame, and I bet it is further in." Santoval moves to the south door and listens for any activity.
The dribble of blood from Santoval's nose has ceased, and he looks a bit better after the wave of warm healing energy passed through his body. "Thank you Kerren. To be honest man, just keep us alive, be a good councilor, and lend your club-arm when you are able, and you will make an excellent comrade-in-arms." Santoval claps Kerren on the back in approval. "Shall we see what was so special about this statue? Perhaps there is something important about the shields?"
Coming out of his rage, and panting from exertion, Santoval is silent for a few moments. Blood drips from his nose, and he clearly is favoring his entire left side. "I am not doing that well either. Here is one of the three that we have. I am loathe to use one myself. Are there any other options?" Santoval asks as he hands over one of the potions to Anton.
Santoval shakes his head, slightly dazed by the blow from the statue's shield, and falls back a step. After a second, the gleam is back in his eye, and as the flames begin to lick up the side of the statue, Santoval lets out a gutteral growl, dodges a blow from a shield and hacks at the statue's legs.
The firelight confuses Santoval as he swings, the greatsword's arc missing the wooden form and contacting the flagstones, sending sparks skittering between the statue's feet.
"It looks like the statue is depressing a plate or something. There might be something we have to say or do to get the statue to move...then again, it looks like a wooden statue, we should be able to get a rope around it and pull it off the plate." Santoval stands and scratches his scraggly whiskers as he looks at the statue. I need a shave... "It could be a riddle...If nobody has any thoughts on it, I say we work together and brute force it."
"Since this place was designed originally to test folks who were reaching adulthood, it seems that we should check out these shields for any sort of secret or trap. Remember the pillow room, how it was designed for us to work together?" Santoval begins examining the statue and the shields, looking for mechanisms.
After waking, Santoval polishes off some of his trail rations, drinkng a fair amount of water with the dried fruit and biscut. Finishing, Santoval scratches at his slowly growing beard as he watches Anton exercise in the torch-light. "I am thinking about using one of our healing potions, but I want your thoughts on it. Do it now, or just hold on to one, and use it if we get into trouble? My saergent always said that potions are like water in a canteen, they don't do you any good when they are in in the bottle."
Brushing the ashes off the key and the dagger sheath, Santoval frowns. "I imagine that the key might be significant, but I know that this dagger must be magical in some way. Look at the sheath," Santoval says, holding it out for inspection by his comrades,"It was in that fire for some time and there isn't even a scorch mark on it. We may need it later." Santoval makes himself comfortable and settles down for a rest. "I got banged up pretty well, so I would like to get a bit of shut-eye. Don't hesitate to wake me up for my turn at watch though." And with that he curls up in his cloak and blanket and is soon asleep.
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