"okay"
Modius tries to pry out the tooth.
EDIT:
The tooth is a trapped soul, and is used to fuel the appearance of intelligence. The automated corpse was given the semblance of intelligence by harnessing the soul trapped in the quartz crystal.
When Paper smashes the tooth, the soul is released. The other teeth are ornamental. The dentistry was immaculate. There are no tool marks on the polished teeth. It is as if they were made from thin air. The same goes for the armour. It is closer to the platonic ideal than most workmen can get. It is as if it were made whole from thought alone.
The torches will last fifty minutes to an hour each, depending on air. Levi's little light shows no signs of stopping. He made it nonchalantly, and may be able to make more.
Though heavily bandaged, Hrothgar starts pacing. He is clearly anxious about something. He can be heard muttering, "... must kill...."
The door is now visible, as Stratos moves closer to it. The doors are made of a cast pewter and iron alloy. It is dull gray, like iron, but with the fine workings of pewter.
The carving is an impressive work. It depicts an idyllic grove. It is a masterpiece of realism, reminiscent of Praxitiles. It depicts the god Dionysus in revels with a few iconic greek thinkers. Paper is classically educated, and can immediately see that they are all the great thinkers of the academy, plus some notable sophists.
In places of prominence are Dionysus himself, Plato, Zeno, Aeschylus, Homer and a mathemetician, who may be Pythagoras or Euclid. Due to the lack of geometric clues, it is hard to tell who.
The inscription on the door is in classical Greek, embossed, rather than inset. It says: "Oh liberator. Great Dionysus, my love. You are reborn, as I was reborn. Cut to pieces by my foes, I grew whole, through your love. Only they that love you and adore you may enter my house. Let them give you wine and kisses."
"Sweet Jesus!"
"They have points in common."
Isat notes as he absorbs the workmanship of the door and contemplates the inscription.
"According to Aiolos, we're already in the underworld. I'd say we came close to being cut to pieces by foes just now. Rebirth and offerings. Again."
Looking at the newly healed scar that runs clean across his palm.
"I know something about that."
Paper frowns thoughtfully at the inscription.
"Is anyone carrying any wine on them?"
I have vinegar?
"Medical alcohol. It's not meant to be drunk but it's the right substance, like the vinegar."
"Medical alcohol. It's not meant to be drunk but it's the right substance, like the vinegar."
"Give me that! I need to get drunk!" Hrothgar makes a grab of the alcohol.
"Only if you want your guts coming out through your nose."
Isat keeps the bottle well out of reach.
Hrothgar slumps to the ground. There is clearly something bothering him.
"Red this isn't like you. Battle cheers you up. Is it fighting the dead or just the place?"
Paper turns to Isat.
"I think perhaps the inscription is a key to entry. Perhaps if we use the wine to lubricate the embossed Dionysus somehow?"
Paper examines the representation of the God of Wine closely, looking for any means of dribbling wine into the mouth area.
Looking at the inscription and the door again more closely and thinking hard about anything he's ever heard about Dionysius and his mysteries.
"You may be right."
<Modius walks around with a glazed look on his face.>
"Sweet f!$~ing Mary mother of Christ!"
A close look at the relief shows that the Dionysus has slightly worn lips. The face is about five feet from the ground. There is no opening or aperture in the door. A slight trace of white make-up is greasing the figure. Ruth Bram must have kissed the Dionysus. Her hand prints are slight and small. She must be a tiny woman. Paper sees a wisp of long, crinkly red hair on the ground.
Looking at the inscription and the door again more closely and thinking hard about anything he's ever heard about Dionysius and his mysteries.
"You may be right."
Isat remembers suddenly that one of your enemies is called Lycurgus. Mythologically, Lycurgus was an enemy of Dionysus. Dionysus cursed the man, and tricked him into killing his own daughters.
Dionysus is a god of rebirth, and spring, and has his own ties to fertility. Kissing a statue of him is a traditional prayer for luck.
"Cheer up. Your valkyrie will find you here. Dominus Papyrus may simply not have been dead enough. We will be fine."
"Modius Larci! I am no follower of the Christ, but it is bad luck to curse so."
"It's bad luck to break into tombs. It's also bad luck to visit the underworld before one actually dies. I believe using black magic and associating with heathens may also contribute to bad luck. So right now I'm pretty sure that my deficit of luck has slipped over into full on cursed and a few more shekels of it doesn't seem to be much of a problem."
Isat relays the nuggets of information he remembers to the others and adds,
"Theologically I think we may have "died" just by passing the first portal. Rebirth may follow through this second one. I don't believe you or any of us are cursed Modius. We are following a path laid down for us. We will do what we must. If you gentlemen are ready, I will greet Dionysus and honour him."
He picks up the strand of hair and wraps it around one of his fingers, speaking with absolute calm and certainty.
Paper speaks up
"Perhaps as the only worshipper of the old gods here I should do the honors?"
"The honour is yours Paper."
Isat steps aside.
Paper takes the medicinal wine from Isat and pours a bit on the mouth of Dionysius. He puts a small bit into his mouth as well in case it is needed, and sends a prayer of protection up to Janus and Bacchus/Dionysius as he presses his lips to the door.
Paper seems touched by a soft glow. His face seems suffused with calm.
The doors do not seem to open.
Paper:
The wine has a strong mystic effect on you, as a follower of the old gods. You have just been blessed with a permanent +2 to charisma. You somehow know that you have been touched directly by Bacchus, in his greek mode. Once, and only once, in the future, you can lose this +2, and gain the effect of charm person or monster, at caster level 16. DC 17+your charisma modifier.
Through the doorway, you see a long corridor, easily a hundred feet long, and barely eight feet wide. The floor is black tile, shiny in the light of torches which flicker with a bluish white light in golden sconces every twenty feet, on opposite sides of the narrow passage. The walls are painted blue, and have small golden stars set in the ceiling and top of the walls. At the far end of the hall is a large pair of dark wooden double doors. You cannot make out any details, and are seeing this room through the transparent doors in front of you, which you see as if they were smoky glass.
Anyone else who kisses the door, with wine in their mouth:
You suddenly see through the door, and know that you can step through without hindrance.Through the doorway, you see a long corridor, easily a hundred feet long, and barely eight feet wide. The floor is black tile, shiny in the light of torches which flicker with a bluish white light in golden sconces every twenty feet, on opposite sides of the narrow passage. The walls are painted blue, and have small golden stars set in the ceiling and top of the walls. At the far end of the hall is a large pair of dark wooden double doors. You cannot make out any details, and are seeing this room through the transparent doors in front of you, which you see as if they were smoky glass.
"Red this isn't like you. Battle cheers you up. Is it fighting the dead or just the place?"
"It's the dead! You can't kill them! They're already dead!"
Isat looks curiously at Hrothgar.
"That's true. You could see it as releasing their souls rather than killing them. Is it the morality that's an issue here or is there something more going on?"
Isat will also honour Dionysus, echoing Paper's movements. As he kisses the god, he adds an invocation of his own.
"Dying risen one, Zagreus of the dark, Guide us."
Paper turns to the group, his face transformed. The cynical taciturn warrior has been momentarily erased, letting the noble studious Roman youth that Paper must have been not so very long ago shine through.
"Friends, drink wine and kiss Dionysus' lips and you will be able to pass into the next realm."
Paper hands the wine back and waits for everyone to prepare and kiss the door.
Modius drinks some of the wine and kisses the door. Then he kisses his cross.
"Sorry Jesus."
Stratos quite happily follows Paper's lead, as does Rufinus. Levi looks hesitant. He swallows a sip of wine, and kisses the door. Now all have made the obeisance. The door seems to disappear completely.
"May I go through?" Asks Rufinus. He is watching Paper's face intently.
Paper looks in wonder at the otherworldly scene beyond the door. The faint metallic taste of blood still suffuses his mouth.
"A miracle .." He can be heard to mutter vaguely.
"I think not. This is the work of the adversary."
Paper's face loses a bit of his glow, becoming more like the grim man he was before.
"One man's miracle is another's perdition, Modius. I am happy that I have had my beliefs confirmed. Do not spoil my mood by comparing the touch of Dionysus with the farcical demon your ilk fears."
"We should move on. She takes the book to her kin."
Levi shudders slightly, and moves into the blue-starred passageway. He is visibly scared.
Stratos smiles, and pats Paper on the shoulder. "I think you have had an epiphany. Am I right?"
To Isat. "Hermocrates could heal by spell. Not just by channeling the light of paradise. Perhaps you should spend some time in meditation and prayer later. We are all tired, and this room seems safe to sleep in, now that we have slain the guardians. I am not convinced that we should press forward, just because Levi says so. We will be better able to deal with what is ahead if we are rested and healed."
Rufinus is standing over the golden gear."This could buy a lot of people their freedom. We should share this equally, when we leave. It will take a while, but I should be able to cut up the gold, if I can get a hot enough flame. Later."
For Tal
to Paper
"This place has taken us on many journeys I think."
Sensing that Paper's recent experience may have been as shattering as his own, he feels new comradeship with the upright Roman with a poet's soul.
"I think too that there is more to come. We could rest and plan. Levi, whatever you fear about Ruth and her kin, you need to share that information with us. If we're to get out alive we need to know more about what we have to face.
Personally I'm not intending to die just yet. My goddess has other plans and I'm sure so do all our deities."
"...Do not spoil my mood by comparing the touch of Dionysus with the farcical demon your ilk fears."
"Let's hope you're right."
<to the others.>
"Rest or move, I defer to the magicians on this one."
"If you're including me in their number Modius, don't. I'm no magician. A humbled vessel of light perhaps. Speaking as a medical man, resting would help us all. Rufinus, as an apprentice to my craft, would you think our comrades should recuperate?
Levi can take the opportunity to tell us more about his demon "wife" and in his own powers. In this place none of us are likely to be denounced as witches."
Modius calls together Rufinus, Isat, Paper, and Hrothgar and asks for leave from the newcomers to talk to the four quietly at the other side of the chamber. When they gather around him he begins:
"Well brothers, this is quite a spot we’ve found ourselves in and some sights I’ve seen here tonight I’d unremember if I could. I don’t know. I don’t know where this is going, so I think you guys need to know some stuff."
Takes off his backpack and pulls out a worn leather bound book.
"Hrothgar knows I worked for a dirty Senator, Kosmas we called him, his full name is here in the book and I want you all, all four of you to safeguard it if… well if something happens to me. It chills me to read it, I’ve read only a few entries but these pages are a record of dire corruption both in the church, where it seems he was working some blackmail, and of course a record of the sins of my erstwhile master himself. I fear that this book may be related to our troubles, and may contain answers to why Paper’s house was burned. Let’s read it. Take turns maybe and see what we find."
He rummages around a little more, pulling out three emeralds the size of robin's eggs no doubt to a row of bulging eyeballs.
"Control yourself Hrothgar. Sorry I haven’t told you about these but I hardly think it’s safe for anyone to know I have them. I fear they can’t be sold and they may be bigger than just their staggering value. We shall see. I think each you four should sell them in the event of my death, but mark their danger – their gain for me was the death for many. My friend Alazzi, who taught me about Christ, died so I could live. He put them in my hand."
Long pause.
"Alazzi also gave me this."
Modius pulls out a scroll.
"I suspect it is of some value. This is the Gospel of Judas who was the most beloved of the Lord’s disciples. It’s a little odd, a little muddled even, but still the testimony of a man who walked with God become flesh. With what you have all seen here you can’t deny our world reaches far beyond what we can see and in this scroll are some of its secrets I assure you. You need not believe, but certainly you should preserve it if only for me."
He looks into the eyes of each in turn.
"Will you do this for me?"
Isat's eyes widen as Modius unfolds his tale. At the end he simply holds his friend's eyes for a second or two and nods.
"Yes. By my goddess, I swear it."
"If you think the book and the scroll may be connected to our other problems, we should certainly read them. May I?"
He holds out his scarred hand for the book.
"I am sorry to interrupt your discussion. Something strange is happening to Levi in the next room. He has been walking down the hall for a while, but he seems to have stopped. He is still walking. Come and look."
Stratos looks worried. Levi is about eighty feet down the next room. He is only a few feet from the entrance, but he seems to be making no headway. He is walking briskly, but getting nowhere.
"It is a mistake to let Ruth get too much of a head start. We must catch her before she can part with the book."
Levi seems unaware that he is walking on the spot.
"Modius. Don't show the gems to Levi. I think he is one who sees his own needs as larger than other's"
It seems as if Levi is walking. He is not moving forward. His feet slide on the ground. Suddenly, he moves forward about half a foot. He is now sliding a little closer to the door. He turns around, and seems unperturbed by how close you all are. His eyes are completely blue, and full of stars...
"Daeva! Look at his eyes! They are the mirror of the room!"
Rufinus steps into the room, and pulls a torch from the wall. He steps back out, and looks closely at the torch.