As the group moves around the pillar they can see into the alcove, the crushed corpse clutching his sack and the few tools hun on the walls, some of which look quite interesting, lots of oddly shaped implements. Also moving around the statue reveals a small door opposite the archway you came inby, it's presence was obscured by the pillar before.
"Well, there's still the side that Tobin is busy on, and it looks mold-free behind this obstruction. Anything back that way, Tobin? Or in the open room to the east?"
"Give me a minute," Tobin says, rummaging through the sack. "I haven't looked into the room to the east yet, but there are some interesting-looking implements hanging in the alcove here, and there's a door in the wall opposite the one we came in through."
"Be careful Tobin. You don't know if there is anymore mold around here."
As the group moves around the pillar, Loriel moves to the archway of the room opposite the alcove where Tobin investigates the skeleton. He looks into the room and keeps watch for any dangers from that direction.
Pulling things out of the tool closet the group soon amasses a small pile of treasure. The suit of chainmail is still nice and shiny despite it's inhabitant being crushed, in the bag are the remains of three broken statuettes and three intact statuettes in excellent condition - a grand palace, a slim spire with eight connected towers of different heights and what looks like a stadium. On the walls are some stone working tools, some goggles of some desciption, a dark wood stick, a length of pale stone & a short metallic rod with a rune like the ones seen upstairs etched into it.
Loriel looks into the room that can be accessed without going through the awful mould. Beyond he sees a wide chamber which must have once been the living quarters of an important figure. A large stone slab that suggests the shape of a bed rests against the east wall, under a huge bas-relief of a robust, long-nosed humanoid with outstretched hand. The figure wears a lovingly sculpted wind tossed robe that gives himn the appearance of a triumphant god. A glyph thst looks like a stylized arrow marks an amulet worn around the figure's neck. Wardrobes and dressers seemingly carved from the stone walls look to have been ransacked a long time ago.
Darie looked over the shattered statues, and appreciation played in her eyes as she gently looked them over. "These look incredible. I am sure they'll fetch a lot of money... i mean, look how finely these small towers on the side are crafted." She smiled. "Alright, Tobin, do you keep our treasure safe for the moment?"
The other finds were not as interesting, even though she did get a feel on the chain armor they had recovered, and held it up before her body. "Do you think i would make a decent swordmaiden in time? All covered in armor and spiky bits?" Once again it showed that once you had broken the ice, Darie wasn't as shy or reserved as her first impression usually was.
She was a bit dumbfounded about the three strangest objects - the metal rod, wooden stick and stone. "Does any of you have an idea what these might be? They don't look like trash, but... what could the use be?"
"Alright, Tobin, do you keep our treasure safe for the moment?"
"I'm certainly happy to hold onto these statuettes," Tobin replies, "as they don't look too heavy. But I don't want to get too weighed down with treasure, as it might hamper me when trying to jump out from under one of these falling blocks!" He smiles at Darie, encouraging her to share in his half-joke.
"Do you think I would make a decent swordmaiden in time? All covered in armor and spiky bits?"
Tobin laughs warmly, clapping his hands in appreciation. "I'm sure you could pull off any look, Darie," he says. "I fear you might have to fight Kells for that chain, though." He grabs the goggles and quickly ties them on. "How about me? Do you think I could be a studious engineer?"
"Does any of you have an idea what these might be? They don't look like trash, but... what could the use be?"
"I'm not sure," Tobin says. "They might be tools of some kind, as they seem to have been stored here with these others. Perhaps they have some magic in them? What do you think, KC?"
Tobin laughs warmly, clapping his hands in appreciation. "I'm sure you could pull off any look, Darie," he says. "I fear you might have to fight Kells for that chain, though." He grabs the goggles and quickly ties them on. "How about me? Do you think I could be a studious engineer?"
Tobin notices something as the lenses of the goggles pass his eyes, looking through them he notes that everything is clearer and magnified.
"If any of us would be the perfect image for some airship captain from far away, it would be you." Darie nodded, while slowly sorting through the few remaining things. All in all, this was a very good start. "Oh, and Kells can have the chain. I would not even know how to put it on, truth be told. You don't learn these things at home, i guess."
Kells gives Tobin an obvious wink, and takes a swaggering step toward Darie while hoisting his hammer to his shoulder. "Oh, I don't know, Tobin. I can see us getting into a friendly little bout over 'goods redistribution.' What do you say, Darie? Little combat with best two out of three swings getting the share?" Still weak from the encounter with the mold, Kells knee buckles and he almost falls sideways. "Of course, the way I feel now, you just might take me... That stuff packs a powerful punch."
Kells looks down at the broken remains. "Ah, I shouldn't be making jokes. At least not yet. I'm going to put our unfortunate predacessor's remains over by the lifter tube. When we go back upstairs, we can take him and make a nice little grave. We'll try to speed your soul on, friend."
Kells kneels and picks up as many of the bits of bone as he can, even sweeping up the smaller pulverized pieces and takes them back to make an obsenely small pile by the elevator. When he comes back he is more that happy to try on the armor. In all honesty, he's happy to take a break because each moment not pushing on is resting slightly from the aching cold he still feels in his bones.
"If any of us would be the perfect image for some airship captain from far away, it would be you."
"I don't think I'd make a very good ship's captain," Tobin says, staggering around comically with his arms outstretched, "I can't see very far with these on!" He comes to a stop with his hands against the wall. "Wait a minute - close up, everything looks much bigger, and clearer! These might really help with searching for traps, or other hidden things. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that those windfolk knew how to make useful tools, looking at the rest of this place." He pushes the goggles up onto his forehead and gazes about.
Darie aided preparing the bones for transport towards the surface, the glitter in her eyes over the treasure slowly fading back to her normal, more thoughtful self. "It is not grave robbery, right? I mean, the chainmail belonged to the dead, but... it is more like payment for having him out of here, and properly buried, right?"
"I don't think it can be grave robbery," Tobin says, more seriously, "as he wasn't in a grave. I'm sure he was just an explorer, like us, looking for hidden treasures. We should treat him as we'd want to be treated ourselves - giving him a proper burial, for example. But if I met an untimely end down here, I'd be happy to think that my gear might help out someone who came after me."
"Also," Kessel says as he kneels beside the remains, "as ghoulish as this sounds, it's good to find this poor soul's body here: it stands as a clear warning to us of the dangers of this place, and it also gives us hope that this cairn hasn't been raided and emptied out."
While there was some undeniable truth to Kessel's comment, Darie did not like to think that way at all. It seemed callous and heartless. "You're right, that is pretty ghulish. Could actually come right from the Ghul's mouth"
Satisfied that there was no immediate threat from the ajoining room, Loriel turns his attention back to the others.
She was a bit dumbfounded about the three strangest objects - the metal rod, wooden stick and stone. "Does any of you have an idea what these might be? They don't look like trash, but... what could the use be?"
"Do any of them radiate a magical aura?" Asks Loriel. "That stick could possibly be a wand and I have also heard of stones that bear magical enchantments."
"Perhaps I can take a look at them."
Kells nods as Darie asks about grave robbery "I've been thinking about that, as well. And I feel pretty much the way Tobin does. This unfortunate explorer came here looking for adventure or treasure or danger and found at least one of them. But he came here of his own free will and fell in the process. We're going to give his mortal remains a fitting repose. If I were to fall here, I like the idea that my hammer might be found and go on to do good works."
While there was some undeniable truth to Kessel's comment, Darie did not like to think that way at all. It seemed callous and heartless. "You're right, that is pretty ghulish. Could actually come right from the Ghul's mouth"
Kessel nods, "I said it was ghoulish, I make no apologies for that, but remember Darie, this poor fellow might have been us. Better tragedy happen to our predecessors then us. That doesn't mean I can't feel pity for this poor soul, perhaps we might later place his bones in the soil so that he might return to mother earth, but this, this is a competition, survival of the fittest, and so it goes that some must die so that we can live, and some must fail so that we can succeed. We will honor his sacrifice by learning from his failure."
"Do any of them radiate a magical aura?" Asks Loriel. "That stick could possibly be a wand and I have also heard of stones that bear magical enchantments."
"I was thinking much the same thing. I will look them over tonight when we retire from this place. My magic is limited and should we find anything else I would like to look it over as well . . . so I'll wait till tonight when we have it all collected before using my magic."
Kells nods as Darie asks about grave robbery "I've been thinking about that, as well. And I feel pretty much the way Tobin does. This unfortunate explorer came here looking for adventure or treasure or danger and found at least one of them. But he came here of his own free will and fell in the process. We're going to give his mortal remains a fitting repose. If I were to fall here, I like the idea that my hammer might be found and go on to do good works."
Kessel nods in agreement.
"This is dangerous work and we all need to remember the risks."
Loriel looks into the room that can be accessed without going through the awful mould. Beyond he sees a wide chamber which must have once been the living quarters of an important figure. A large stone slab that suggests the shape of a bed rests against the east wall, under a huge bas-relief of a robust, long-nosed humanoid with outstretched hand. The figure wears a lovingly sculpted wind tossed robe that gives himn the appearance of a triumphant god. A glyph thst looks like a stylized arrow marks an amulet worn around the figure's neck. Wardrobes and dressers seemingly carved from the stone walls look to have been ransacked a long time ago.
"Everyone come have a look in this next room." says Loriel walking into the ajoining room. "There is an interesting carving in here. What do you make of the arrow symbol on his amulet?"
Kessel nods, "I said it was ghoulish, I make no apologies for that, but remember Darie, this poor fellow might have been us. Better tragedy happen to our predecessors then us. That doesn't mean I can't feel pity for this poor soul, perhaps we might later place his bones in the soil so that he might return to mother earth, but this, this is a competition, survival of the fittest, and so it goes that some must die so that we can live, and some must fail so that we can succeed. We will honor his sacrifice by learning from his failure."
Tryion peers at the remains of the explorer, "I still believe it unwise to move his remains. You don't know what has been calling them home. He has been here so long that he is now part of the natural order down here. It might be a different matter were he to have fallen in the last day or so." Tyrion will not push the subject further if everyone else is set on doing something else with the remains.
"I'm not sure," Tobin says. "They might be tools of some kind, as they seem to have been stored here with these others. Perhaps they have some magic in them? What do you think, KC?"
If Tobin is willing Tyrion will take a minute to look at the items.
"Everyone come have a look in this next room." says Loriel walking into the ajoining room. "There is an interesting carving in here. What do you make of the arrow symbol on his amulet?"
Tyrion wanders over to where Loriel is to have a look. "That is most interesting." Turning to Loriel, "What do you think it might represent?"
Tryion peers at the remains of the explorer, "I still believe it unwise to move his remains. You don't know what has been calling them home. He has been here so long that he is now part of the natural order down here. It might be a different matter were he to have fallen in the last day or so." Tyrion will not push the subject further if everyone else is set on doing something else with the remains.
"Not to argue with a fellow druidic priest," Kessel says looking over at the halfing druid, "but Kells is now wearing the armor that the body was once wrapped in. We've already disturbed the late explorer why not take the remains to the surface? Here they'll just rot, if we place them back in the earth they're more likely to rejoin with the mother."
"Wands, maybe this one with the glyph is of shatter? Perhaps the cold one might possess the spell we need to rid ourselves of the cursed mold? The third yields no clues sadly. Let's look into this cold one further. I wonder if I can remember a likely command word?"
Darie considered the point for a moment. "Isn't that a little convenient? I mean, there is a cold-vulnerable growth here, and we just happen to find a wand with some cold spell closeby?" She eyed the magical objects suspiciously, but at the same time something was edging her on to try one of them out. Could she really use them?
"Well, it was only a guess on KC's part," Tobin says, "it may be nothing of the sort! If it was, though, it wouldn't be too odd. This looks like a closet of tools to me. If the makers of this place had discovered that the area was prone to mould growths like this, it would make sense for them to store a tool to remove it nearby. I suppose that means they were able to use magic, and thus invoke the power from the wand. Sadly, I don't possess that talent myself, or I'd give it a go right now!"
Tyrion wanders over to where Loriel is to have a look. "That is most interesting." Turning to Loriel, "What do you think it might represent?"
"I don't really know, except that it looks like an arrow." says Loriel. He approaches the carved figure, climbing up on the stone slab to get a better look at the figure's carved amulet.
Between Tobin's insight, Kessel's knowing of a great many legends and Darie's innate magical abilities the group eventually work out what the sticks are. The metallic one is a wand of Ray of Frost (12 Charges), the stone one is a wand of Unseen Servant (16 Charges) and the wooden one is a wand of Shatter (7 Charges)
Can I have a will save from the exploring Loriel, please?
Loriel:
Kayos
Kayos
** spoiler omitted **
Kells nods in appreciation of his companions impressive knowledge. "Nice! These architects had quite the impressive array of tools!"
"Now all we need is the secret words to use them" Darie replied, before realizing that by rights, she should not even know that. She blushed, but decided to shut up, and hope her slip was going unnoticed. And where did she even know this from? Just like this language, it just... was there, and it had no business being there. None she could name, at least.
"Huh..." Kells looks impressed at Darie, "How do we find them out then? I mean, I suppose we could try to get Khadath to investigate. Do you think they give the right someone the right knowledge when they hold them? Tobin, give Dairie or Kessel that frost wand... see if they can make them work! That could solve two of our problems."
"Now all we need is the secret words to use them" Darie replied, before realizing that by rights, she should not even know that. She blushed, but decided to shut up, and hope her slip was going unnoticed. And where did she even know this from? Just like this language, it just... was there, and it had no business being there. None she could name, at least.
"I might be able to activate it," Kessel says, "out of luck more then anything. These devices are built for wizards and sorcerers but I might be able to fool the thing into thinking that I'm such a caster. It is dangerous though. This thing could backfire, hitting me, or some other unintended target. On the bight side it isn't likely to kill me . . ."
Darie shook her head. "We should not take such a risk. Kess... KC, the mold will be here come morning. If you kill yourself... well, you'll not be here anymore." She sighed, and bit her lip.
"If we had the command words, then this would all become a lot simpler, right? You can do it safely, then?"
"If we had the command words, then this would all become a lot simpler, right? You can do it safely, then?"
"I'm afraid not," Kessel says, "Some wands are no problem but others are sadly outside of my ordinary skill set. I can do it. It's risky . . . I'd give myself about a fifty-fifty chance (), but what other options do we have?"
"Everyone come have a look in this next room." says Loriel walking into the ajoining room. "There is an interesting carving in here. What do you make of the arrow symbol on his amulet?"
"I suppose he's another one of the windfolk," Tobin says, peering into the room, "but I've no idea what the symbol means. Darie or KC might have a better idea."
"Huh..." Kells looks impressed at Darie, "How do we find them out then? I mean, I suppose we could try to get Khadath to investigate. Do you think they give the right someone the right knowledge when they hold them? Tobin, give Dairie or Kessel that frost wand... see if they can make them work! That could solve two of our problems."
Tobin hands the metal wand to Darie. "Do you want to give it a go, Darie," he asks, "or are you afraid of a mishap, like KC? I've been really impressed by all the knowledge you've got locked away in that head of yours - maybe it's worth a try?" Tobin smiles encouragingly at the farm-girl-no-longer.
Darie took the slender rod, and waved it around energically, but not expecting any result to come out of it. "Why do you believe i would be able to do anything with it?" She asked, before moving into the side room to take a closer look at the sigil
Loriel calls back over his shoulder to the others, "Be careful around this stone bed, it seems to be enspelled with some type of sleeping charm."
Then he continues to examine the glyph on the carved figures amulet.
Darie:
The carved amulet does nothing, save look decorative.
Loriel quickly looks around the rest of the room and unless he finds anything interesting, he rejoins the others in the hallway.
Darie blinked, and eyed the metal rod again, unbelieving. "Lathander... preserve me." She whispered, as she slowly felt the surface of their latest discovery again. Was that even possible?
"Stand back, I'm going to try something..." She announced, anxious to the hairs. She stepped up to the very edge of the mold she could still bear the cold, and held out the thin metal device. "Avees.... kaleeeesh" she breathed, the sounds deep within her chest. The metal rod started to vibrate slightly in her hand, and a thin grey-blue line of energy flew from it, and struck the mold-covered floor before her.
The ray hits the mould, a thin layer of frost expanding over the entirety of the brown patch the temperature of the air in the room drops briefly and all is silent. After a brief moment the ice melts away revealing a floor clear of any mould, all of the substance killed by the magic.
"I... wow." Darie shook her head in disbelief. "I guess we've just cleared the path."
If what she had just done was 'right' was something she'd probably think about later, but right then, it felt good to at least have something to contribute to the expedition.