The doors are each made of the same smooth white stone as the rest of the chamber.
A Tracking check may reveal more info about the hand print.
After inspecting the walls and doors further, Beren comes back to examine the hand print again. Holding his own hand out to shadow the print, he attempts to discern more about this bloody stain.
The other two doors lack the same hand print design, and the southern most of the doors actually sits slightly ajar (that is the whole giant sized door, not the slave door), not far enough to even look past, but enough to know it is not set on the lock.
After his examination of the print, Beren scans the rest of the room. "What did you find Rokko? A slight open door? Be careful. Let me check it out."
Beren will move to 5 feet from the door, "Quiet, everyone." Beren waits for an opportune moment then wiggles his shifter ears toward the slight opening hoping to hear something.
Rokko covers Beren with his crossbow as he listens by the door.
“So Professor,” Valessa whispers to Ghorkin as she nocks her bow to cover Beren at the other door, “have we impressed on you the danger of this situation yet? You’re not in your ivory tower with your armchair and your brandy any-more. Are you sure you’re cut out for field work? Maybe you should leave this to the professionals – by which I mean my team.”
“Maybe you should leave this to the professionals – by which I mean my team.”
Brick interjects.
"What are pro-fessionals?"
Brick interjects."What are pro-fessionals?"
~Sigh~ “Us Brick. Us.”
Sense Motive:
Ghorkin seems distracted, the other girls scared, but Jyra remains focused.
"M'Lady Valessa, I think there is a great deal we can offer each other. Your companions seem to be at no lack for muscle, but wits they carry in rusty buckets. My companions, are exactly the opposite."
"I suggest we move through the open door, and find somewhere safe to rest. By morning, the fear of this place should have subsided. And will you fools cast that Madness Damned Spear away before it lures one of the mad ones to us!"
---
Beren (tracking result)
The hand print seems to be from someone opening the door and then pulling it closed behind them. It would appear they were traveling in quite a hurry.
Valessa raises an eyebrow incredulously. “You think my companions are lacking in intellect? Oh, I can assure you honey – leaving Brick aside for the moment - you are sadly mistaken there. Normally judge books by their covers do you, hmmm? As for the spear … yes, there is a danger, but it’s potentially an important archaeological find – albeit out of context here. Would you rather leave it here for the next lot of fools to find? Danger! Phhh! What did you think we’d run into out here in the jungle, puppies and bunnies? Trolls and drow might not be as dangerous as Daelkyr, but they’ll turn you inside out just as fast…”
Valessa realises that her voice has been rising, and makes an effort to stem her little tirade.
“Anyway,” she says more quietly, “you do speak some sense. The open door seems the right path, and if we can find a secure place to rest we should do so.” Valessa is starting to suspect that it is Jyra, rather than Ghorkin who is really leading this expedition.
Sense Motive:
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
We don't have the DCs for these.
"M'Lady Valessa, I think there is a great deal we can offer each other. Your companions seem to be at no lack for muscle, but wits they carry in rusty buckets. My companions, are exactly the opposite."
"What! How dare you! You are only saying this because I'm a goblin! I don't need some superior academic coming and insulting me as I go about my business! An outrage!" splutters Rokko.
Sense Motive:
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
We don't have the DCs for these.
"M'Lady Valessa, I think there is a great deal we can offer each other. Your companions seem to be at no lack for muscle, but wits they carry in rusty buckets. My companions, are exactly the opposite."
"What! How dare you! You are only saying this because I'm a goblin! I don't need some superior academic coming and insulting me as I go about my business! An outrage!" splutters Rokko.
"Yeah, look at him, there's barely a muscle on his body."
"Yeah, look at him, there's barely a muscle on his body."
"Harrumph!" Rokko stalks over to the second door currently getting scrutiny and folds his arms.
Rokko then remembers where he is, returnns to his previous position and starts covering the door again with his crossbow. "I'll buy the lot of them when this is all over, they'll see. No more crap from these guys..." he mutters.
"Well, yes, if muscle only came in flesh, the Houses wouldn't be so powerful would they?"
Sense Motive: DC:
"I think your goblin friend is probably the most powerful member of your group, a trained eizard, obviously."
The screaching sound of the bat creatures echoes in the distant darkness...
"Ladies, ladies, you are both far to lovely to be lobbing insults at eachother like mangonels of soured fruit. Professor ir'Valdi, I think we have no choice but to advance into the open door before those things," he points at the distant hole in the ceiling while stifling a yawn, "return."
"Sari, would you and your companion help guard against surprises, and Bearman, would you so kindly open the door."
Brick aims a glare at Jyra.
"I'm not a bucket."
Rokko looks at Jyra and narrows his eyes. Is she sucking up or taking the piss? "Whatever. We need to check this door and take shelter before our flesh-ripping friends return."
Beren turns around at Jyra's comments and lets out a deep feral growl. He then turns back around to the slightly open door and mutters to himself, "You better hope your life doesn't need saving." He then shakes his head.
"Well, yes, if muscle only came in flesh, the Houses wouldn't be so powerful would they?"
Sense Motive: DC:
Rokko looks at Jyra and narrows his eyes. Is she sucking up or taking the piss? "Whatever. We need to check this door and take shelter before our flesh-ripping friends return."
"Agreed" Beren says. Beren then pulls out both his blades. He crouches down and attempts to quietly move at an angle to view through the small opening in the door. Beren will use the blade of his lonsword if need be to try and lever the opening a bit more.
Beren turns back to view his companions, "Looks clear, but be ready." Beren then opens the door enough to fit a medium sized body through.
|
The massive marble door looms ominously over Beren as he moves to open it. Twenty feet wide, and near twice that high, it swings open with no more weight than a bit of down in a light breeze. Beyond is a thirty-five foot wide concourse stretching off into the distance.
Fitted into the ceiling are large crystals, glowing to varrying degrees from full daylight to not at all. The walls display ancient frescoes, wrenched away by the ravages of time, a partial picture of a Titan facing off against a tentacled horror, or the chaotic glory of arcane fire.
Without setting foot into the hallway you can see several shadowy hollows which may be more of the slave sized passages like the small door inside the main door.
Tracking:
DC:
Know: Arcane:
DC:
I wait for the professor to go through the door before folowing him, blades drawn. I look around with equal measures of curiosity and caution as I enter the room.
When the door opens and Beren views the corridor, he crouches down to check the floor, "Someone has passed this way in the last few days, if you look", Beren says in a throaty voice then points to a small footprint of guano, "See they stepped in bat shit, then tracked it through." Beren then points to several other spots that trail down the hall.
Ruuz steps through the door after Sari and Beren and looks around.
"Wells this should shelter us from those little meat eaters."
An odd sensation overcomes Beren as he enters the room. Not clearly understanding the feeling, he keeps his mind focused to the task. With the sharded light sources above, he takes point. Heading down the hall at a careful pace with both swords ready, Beren stops close to the first hollow in the side walls to inspect.
Brick is fascinated by the glowing crystals.
"Wow! It's so shiny!"
Valessa is surprised at the poorly hidden venom in Jyra’s voice. Her eyes flick quickly towards Sari, the only obviously House affiliated member in the group. Hmmm, she’d have to have a quiet word to Sari, and Beren – keep an eye on this woman. She might not mention anything to Ruuz though, he seemed to be infatuated with the woman. Hopefully Rokko would not be similarly sucked in by her veiled compliments; she didn’t think so though. She might not always see eye to eye with the goblin (he being short and all), but she respected him enough to figure he was smarter than that.
Entering the enormous chamber beyond the door, Valessa feels a strange sensation. “Whoa … that was strange …. Some kind of …. Temporal effect?” she finishes lamely, looking questioningly at Rokko.
She moves forward to help Beren search the place, looking with fascination at the frescoes, the failing continual light crystals, the vaulted architecture…
As I step into the corridor I start and say "That was weird. Anyone else notice that?" I say to the professor "I think it's clear."
"Indeed Brick, and quite ancient - most of the magic has faded as it isn't anchored in dragonshards."
"And that is a strange emanation in that room. Not quite sure what to make of it" "but at least it seems to be localised in there."
|
|
Beren:
It is about 40' down the corridor when you come to the first hollow in the wall, and as you suspected it is a 'normal' size passage, about 6' wide and 8' high. It plunges into the side wall about 10 feet before ending at a magically preserved door, covered in flowing elven script:
Elven:
A quick inspection of the door reveals no locking mechanism, just a simple handle.
Valessa:
Following Beren down the main corridor your educated eye drifts over the various frescoes. Suddenly, your eye is caught by one that startles you as the image is nearly identical to your own.
Rokko:
Once you exit the spherical chamber, you feel the arcane pressure that youo can only describe as time unwinding. You can't begin to imagine the necessary magics to create such an effect on such a large scale.
"That Elven script says Chamber of Sighs - I wonder what that means?"
Beren nods at Rokko's translation. "Maybe we should rest, then figure it out. I could also scout ahead and check out the other hollows. See if there are similiar inscriptions. But for now, once we are all in this hallway, we should close that door. I will take first watch guarding anything coming down this hallway. Maybe we can use our gear to make a small wall for extra protection." Beren then waits for his companions to respond.
"Well Professor? Should we start preparing to camp?" I ask.
|
|
Beren:
Watching the corridor on guard you notice something. You know Valessa is standing near you examining the frescoes, but you see here walk out of the spherical room and into the corridor. You turn your head to sweep the corridor, and when you look back, the second Valessa is gone.
Eceryone:
The unnatural feeling of exhaustion fades as soon as you leave the spherical room...
Beren shakes his head in confusion. "What," he mutters. "Two Valessa's!" Beren then looks to his companions, "Something is not right here. Ruuz are you playing some kind of game? It isn't funny."
Beren then examines Ruuz's postion and attempts to consider the possibility if it could have actually been Ruuz, or is he seeing things, or is there something more mysterious going on in this corridor.
Although intending to help Beren search the place, Valessa is fascinated by the frescoes, and has fallen several paces behind the shifter, lagging to examine the ancient art. She notices Rokko walk past her and help Beren with some sort of translation, and figures the two of them will be alright.
Then she sees something which makes her shiver. The surrounds seem to go slightly dark as her focus is subsumed by the image in front of her. An image of herself.
Is it? How can it be? But it looks like her … a lot like her.
“Uh, Beren,” she begins, reaching out a hand abstractly towards him in a gesturing motion, as she continues to stare at the fresco. She then vaguely hears him mention her name to Rokko, something about seeing her. Has he found another of the pictures of her?
Glancing back to make sure everyone else has left the spherical chamber and is not far behind, she hurries over to Beren. “Did you find one too? A picture that looks sort of like me? Well, a lot like me I guess … still not sure about the hair….”
I trot up and look at the pictures, saying "Huh. How old are you again?"
Needless to say, Brick is confused. He keeps looking from the picture to the original, and back again. You can almost see the cogs in his head turning. Very. Slowly.
“Did you find one too? A picture that looks sort of like me? Well, a lot like me I guess … still not sure about the hair….”
Beren shakes his head, "Picture?" He walks over to view the wall. "Didn't mean that." He then looks at Valessa. "Something strange is going on. I saw two of you. Actually you, not a painting. Then the second Valessa disappeared. I thought it was Ruuz playing a game." Beren looks towards Ruuz and his positioning, then shakes his head, "But no, it couldn't be. I don't like this. Maybe we shouldn't rest here. Maybe there are ghosts down here." Beren's eyes are wide open, and his voice gives a hint of confusion and fear.
I look around and say "You saw a double of Valessa? Where?" in a slightly more nervous tone as I draw my scimitar and look around the room, listening for anything amiss.
"Did anybody else hear that? Cos I think I just heard a voice." I say as I look around the room a little more nervously.
"What do you mean, 'a voice'?" The profesor looks to be on the edge of apoplexy as he asks.
I look around and say "You saw a double of Valessa? Where?" in a slightly more nervous tone as I draw my scimitar and look around the room, listening for anything amiss.
Beren looks at Merreck, eyes unblinking. He then stows his bow and follows Merreck’s lead and draws both his swords. He uses his longsword to point down the hall, “There. I saw a Valessa looking at the wall pictures. Then I turn my head back to the door, and Valessa, this Valessa, I think, is coming through the door. I turn my head again, and the Valessa looking at the wall is gone.” Beren then feels fear beyond all fear and looks at Valessa, “How do I know you are Valessa?” He then looks to everyone else. “If this is an imposter, then the real Valessa is in danger.” Looking back at Valessa, “How do I know that you’re you? How did we meet? Why did I walk away from you at the Tethered Wench? I want answers.”
"Did anybody else hear that? Cos I think I just heard a voice." I say as I look around the room a little more nervously.
Beren stops his questioning for a moment when he hears Merreck speaking nervously about hearing a voice. He raises his hand to quiet anybody talking and perks up his ears.
"Beren, I think this place is playing games with time. I think there is only one Valessa - the gods would not be so unkind for there to be two. I suspect you saw an image of Valessa out of its normal time, which is why there seemed to be two - Valessa walking in the door and Valessa looking at the wall. The same Valessa, but at different times. So far the seems to be harmless - like that strange sensation on leaving the room behind us. Hopefully, it will stay a harmless curiosity, but we should be on our guard. Certainly an interesting find, Professor," says Rokko, turning to Ruuz.
"I don't know what is going on in here but it is making me nervous. Maybe there is some truth to Rokko's thoughts on all of this and maybe it is some time shift thing. I think that we need to keep close and keep on our toes so that this thing what ever it may be doesn't pull a fast one on all of us."
"Valessa's a nice lady."
"Valessa's a nice lady."
Sari walks over to Brick and lays a hand on his shoulder "Yes Brick she is a nice lady that is why we don't want anything to happen to her."