"I will go through, and I will lift my arms above my head on the other side. If you see me lift my arms, you will know it is me."
Stratos gathers up the scrolls, and places them in his raincloak. He ties the cloak into a bundle with a strap, and hangs it around his hip and shoulder. He grins as he jumps into the light, and vanishes.
"And how will the last of us go through? We should take the light, so we are not followed."
Stratos reappeared on the far side.
Paper looks around at his new surroundings
"By the Bloody Sword of Mars this journey would put Orpheus' one to shame."
Stratos lifts his arms, with a big grin on his gaunt face.
Paper looks around at his new surroundings
"By the Bloody Sword of Mars this journey would put Orpheus' one to shame."
"Let's hope Ruth isn't Eurydice then. I don't trust Levi, but I know fear when I see it. She terrifies him."
Isat, Paper and Modius: ** spoiler omitted **
"Sweet baby Jesus!"
Modius looks at Hrothgar and smacks the back of his right hand into his left palm in a gesture that means "hurry up you stupid oaf!"
"Let's hope Ruth isn't Eurydice then. I don't trust Levi, but I know fear when I see it. She terrifies him."
Paper grins
"She does not terrify me."
Rufinus stoops, and shuffles into the light. He also teleports into the room. He blinks a few times, and lifts his eyebrows in an expression of wonder.
"How do we go back?"
Levi looks through the obsidian plug at you all. He seems to be on the verge of stepping through, then his face darkens.
"I heard you all earlier. I was going to go through this with you. You saved my life the day before yesterday, and I will never forget that, but you are starting to turn against me. I heard what Gnaeus Cornelius said earlier. I cannot trust you any more. I will go, and I will find the Lilim, and I will undo the mistakes that brought us to this pass. I am truly sorry to do this to you, but you left me no choice. Sooner or later, one of you would have done me harm."
Levi traces a tetragrammeton in the air, and murmers a kabbalistic koan. The light winks out, and suddenly, the plug goes dark.
You are in a forty foot, by twenty foot room. The room is plastered, and has the same marble floors as the rest of the complex. The obsidian plug is in the south wall. A pair of simple wooden doors, square, and identical to the ones you passed into the mirror room, are set into the west wall. There is no dust in the room. Everything is new, and in perfect repair. There is a small relief inscription above the door.
"Beyond this door, remember noble and ascetic Diogenes. Heed his example."
On a small table, next to the door, there is a pitcher of water, made of silver. The water has not evaporated at all. There is condensation on the outside of the jug, but the drops do not fall, and the table is dry. Next to the pitcher, there is a silver bowl, carved with a depicion of the trials of Tantalos. In the bowl, there is a luscious selection of mediterranean fruit. Green grapes, dates, figs, grenadilla, and a few pomegranates. The table is made of cedarwood, and is perfect.
"Never mind Diogenes. I suggest we remember Persephone. Friends, do not eat food in the underworld. I have a few choice pieces of advice for your Hebrew a%$#$&&, too. I hope to have a chance to tell him them myself."
Levi traces a tetragrammeton in the air, and murmers a kabbalistic koan. The light winks out, and suddenly, the plug goes dark.
"Curiosity killed the cat."
"I suspect he's in more danger than we are. Not that I think we're safe here either, but he's going backwards through the underworld. That is a forbidden thing."
"... do not eat food in the underworld..."
"Yes, do not eat, agreed. Like I said before - Curiosity."
"That is a forbidden thing."
"Perhaps we won't have to worry about him again. Mmmm. Wishing thinking, that. More likely we'll face him down later."
"Perhaps we won't have to worry about him again. Mmmm. Wishing thinking, that. More likely we'll face him down later."
"Him and the lilim. There's a happy thought."
Paper looks at the inscriptions on the bowl.
"If this fruit acts like the ones in the trials of Tantalos, I wager we won't need a lot of restraint not to eat them."
As an experiment, Paper attempts to grasp a likely-looking piece of fruit.
Paper grasps the fruit readily enough, but as he lifts it from the bowl, It suddenly ages rapidly. The pomegranate turns from blushing pink, to brown and withered within an inch. Two inches, and it turns green and implodes into dust.
Paper: Fortitude save please. DC 15
Paper's hand has aged too. It is now arthritic and feeble. Lancing pain alternates with a buzzing numbness. -2 on all checks which involve the use of the hand for anything dexterous. -8 for climb, or sleight of hand checks. Attacks are not hindered if you bind the weapon to the hand, as it is just the palm and fingers that are affected.
Paper stares at his aged hand in disbelief.
"My hand ... it's ruined."
Paper slumps to the floor looking at the arthritic digits attached to his wrist.
Looking at Isat Vastra, with infinite faith.
"You can fix the hand?"
Modius looks at Hrothgar and smacks the back of his right hand into his left palm in a gesture that means "hurry up you stupid oaf!"
"Who are you calling: 'oaf'?"
Paper stares at his aged hand in disbelief.
"My hand ... it's ruined."
Paper slumps to the floor looking at the arthritic digits attached to his wrist.
Swings his axe left and right, "You want me to fix your hand?"
Paper looks up at Hrothgar, his pupils dialated in shock.
"Start a little higher, like my neck."
Looking at Isat Vastra, with infinite faith.
"You can fix the hand?"
Isat shakes his head at Rufinus.
"I don't know, but I'll do what I can. Binding it will support the muscles at least."
Isat's attempts at sorting out Paper's hand (Heal/Prof Doctor): (1d20 10=29, 1d20 7=19)
"Important lesson there gentlemen. Don't touch the fruit."
Paper looks up at Hrothgar, his pupils dialated in shock.
"Start a little higher, like my neck."
Hrothgar raises his axe and aims for Paper's neck, eyes intense and blazing. "I aim to please."
For Tal
"Red. Put the axe down."
Isat never takes his eyes off Paper's hand.
Hrothgar raises his axe and aims for Paper's neck, eyes intense and blazing. "I aim to please."
"Unnn guys? We've got an underworld to get out of, quit playing."
Paper looks at Hrothgar, his shock fading into murderous rage.
"You wish to fight me Goth?" He spits, climbing to his feet
"Come then, let's see if you can beat a Roman with a crippled hand."
Paper attempts to draw his gladius, the arthritis causing the blade to clatter to the floor. Paper flushes in anger and rage, a vein throbbing as he faces Hrothgar.
"Come then sheep-fncker. I'll take you on unarmed. Should make the fight fair."
"Must kill on command!" Hrothgar screams then let's go of his axe and collapses.
Paper looks down at Hrothgar, his fury quickly draining away to be replaced with a dark depression.
"I wonder what happened to him. I was hoping for an honorable death."
Paper slumps to the floor again.
Isat's ministrations ease the pain in the hand. Stratos turned pale when Hrothgar made his play with the axe. Rufinus just placed himself directly behind Hrothgar with his maul.
Hrothgar seems to not completely be himself. He seems anxious, and his threat to Paper had a dark tinge to it.
Isat.
"Hrothgar. Are you alright?"
Finishing doing what he can to Paper's hand takes a little time and Isat is patient.
"Paper, don't despair. Stratos told us of a healer, a great one ..."
Isat smiles up at Rufinus.
"Greater than me. If we get out of here, he may be able to help. Magic may help us ..."
Isat's voice trails off.
Taliesin
Do Isat's astonishing instincts suggest that using his magic Balm of Persephone would heal Paper?
"Red, you need to tell us what in Hades is going on with you. Something's been wrong since that first battle. We won't get out of here if you and Paper are weakened. Paper I may be able to help with, possibly you too. But not if I can't diagnose the problem in the first place."
Paper sits dully as Isat administers to his arthritic claw.
"Cursed magic got me into this mess. Curse them all and curse this wretched place."
Isat:
Do Isat's astonishing instincts suggest that using his magic Balm of Persephone would heal Paper?
It would, indeed. It can neutralize poison, restore, or cure critical wounds. It cannot remove curse, break enchantment, or regenerate.
"Hrothgar. Are you alright?"
Drool dribbles out of the corner of Hrothgar's mouth. His eyes have a faraway look. Then all of sudden Hrothgar makes a grab for Isat screaming, "He's coming for His due!"
Tal
It would, indeed. It can neutralize poison, restore, or cure critical wounds. It cannot remove curse, break enchantment, or regenerate.
So this damage is not caused by curse or enchantment? Just checking before Isat uses the stuff. Restoration sounds good to me.
While he waits for Hrothgar to answer, Isat thinks about treasured pot of ointment created at Eleusis during his first trance.
Rebirth and restoration. I wonder...
EDIT
Startled out of his reverie by Hrothgar's hands around his throat, Isat's own hands come up to protect himself.
"Red! Who. Tell me."
He musters all the authority he can into his voice, his own scarred palm turned outwards.
"The goddess claimed her due from me. Who is claiming your due?"
"He demands that I spill blood or else...."
"The price is always blood. What happens if your debt goes unpaid?"
"Then He will exact His due through me!"
"How long have you got before the debt is due?"
Still holding up his own god-marked palm, Isat holds steady, looking Hrothgar in the eye.
Paper watches this display of madness with listless eyes
Still not taking his eyes of Hrothgar, Isat tilts his head slightly towards Rufinus.
"In my bag there is a pot of ointment. My most precious possession. Use it on Paper. No magic, just blood, sweat and tears."
Rufinus
This is the balm made from Isat's first trance at Eleusis and blood, sweat and tears are indeed the main components. Worth a try. He now has 6 doses of the stuff left and one drop of mystic sweat from the trance back at Hrothgar's place half a lifetime ago.
Rufinus is still standing directly behind Hrothgar, with his hands on his hammer. He speaks, in beatiful and precise Germanic. His voice is measured, and calm, like a man talking to an animal, to soothe it.
"Hrothgar. You are acting like a woman. Tell us what is wrong, and take your hands off my master, so he can heal Paper, and we can move on."