Dragon's Egg - Act II

[Ireth]

As Darin moves forward, I hurry to follow, not wanting him to face whatever might be inside alone. My feet splash as loudly as his do as I enter the room and look around, though without the torchlight following it is difficult to see anything. "What is it?"

 

[Sparkie]

I reach down and grab the torch from Burnbright. Apologies will have to come later. "Forward," I say, and I practically push Matthew and Baldhart into the apparently watery room. I hope Mauve follows with her lit spear, because I doubt this torch will shed light on everything.

"Darin," I say, "what do you see?"

 

[Nihal]

This one was quick.

I move to the appointed position, making sure Burnbright isn't bringing up the rear. As I am moving into position, trying to see beyond all these ridiculously tall people, the cleric stares at me for a brief moment. Only a second, but I think I could notice something there.

What? Oh, right, probably wondering if I'm going to stab someone when you get distracted.

I try to avoid sulking, wearing a blank face instead. The tension in the air, the mistrust in their eyes... As soon everything calms down they're going to resume their attacks. And there is this feeling that if something happens to me they won't go out of their way to help.

At least I got meatshields. Ridiculously tall meatshields. It'll work.

They're moving in. I move ahead to cast some light beyond the doors. "Don't let the girl at the back and alone."

((If 7 or more minutes have passed since she casted the spell...))

"My light will soon die out." I warn in a low voice.

 

[SeverinR]

[Since he is speaking, not striking I will focus most attention on the halls, as the group moves into the room. I will follow last into the room.
If no opponents, I will do a quick check of the room for possible hiding places, treasure and any other useful items, and also anything that might provide cover, should we be attacked.
Finally, I will move around the walls looking for secret/concealed doors.

Double doors, symbols, and reaction, I bet this was a dwarven temple now desecrated. Which would mean no treasure to plunder, since I respect others religions...at least while thier present.]

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I look around, careful not to move my shoulders more than necessary, so Nod can focus on shooting whatever he must shoot.

"Ankari did not follow..." I say to Nod, "I pray he only sees that one wounded beast and not more than he can handle. I would rather he ridicule my shield-wall tactic than die proving our defensive measures necessary."

 

[Philip Overby]

Hope that rotten, bastard elf gets eaten alive.

"I hope that rotten, bastard elf gets eaten alive," I say.

Wait, don't say that aloud, stupid!

"I didn't mean to say that aloud." I mumble to myself. "Stupid." I pat Baldhart on the head with my crossbow. "Tell me when there's something to shoot at. My trigger finger's itchy."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I fail to stifle a laugh.

"I'll look right, you look left. And please, check my back every so often. We'll find something to kill soon enough!"




He said that like he meant it!

A harsh joke, to be certain! Ankari really needs to work on his people skills!

 

[SeverinR]

Hope that rotten, bastard elf gets eaten alive.

"I hope that rotten, bastard elf gets eaten alive," I say.

Wait, don't say that aloud, stupid!

"I didn't mean to say that aloud." I mumble to myself. "Stupid." I pat Baldhart on the head with my crossbow. "Tell me when there's something to shoot at. My trigger finger's itchy."

Watching the hallways behind the group, I glance over my shoulder at Nodrick
"Hey Halfwi...entertainer, to which elf are you refering? The cleric, the knight, the druid, the Ranger, or the rogue? Because I don't know any of them enough to know the marital status of their parents, to know which one you be speaking of."
Look at who he is looking at, then nod my head.
"Oh, be alittle more specific wit your words. You can dislike the person, but you insult alot more when you denounce the race, you also could make a few more enemies then you mean too. Remember runt, your surrounded by Elves. You look alot more like a dwart, then any other, we might forget your not."

 

[Steerpike]

As other party members move into the room, and Rydh pushes in with Burnbright's torch, the room is illuminated. The walls and ceiling are both rounded here, with the ceiling forming a slight dome. The stonework is all the same as in the hallway - precise, dwarven work - though here the covering of mold and a thin slime is more pronounced and appears to be hiding numerous carvings, though not much can be made out in the torchlight. The room is filled with water, ankle deep at the area around the door and pushing toward knee-deep on humans and elves toward the far end. On Darin, the water comes up to mid-thigh as he crosses the room. He stumbles once near the center of the room, splashing down hard then pushing himself up, sputtering. The dwarf looks to be nearing a rage.

Laid end to end along the entire perimeter of the room save for the area by the door are a number of rectangular stone coffers rising up from the floor. In the area near the door, most of these coffers are three-quarters visible. At the far end of the room, only the tops can be seen. Each is carved with intricate scenery along the side, with a line of dwarven runes running along the perimeter. The top of each coffer has a stone slab carved in the large image of a single dwarf. Of these slabs you can only see larges chunks and smaller scattered pieces around any given coffer, because the slabs have been smashed in by someone wanting access to the inside of each. A few bones, stark white in the torchlight, remain scattered throughout each coffer. Many more bones are piled along the wall at the point farthest from the door, toward which Darin is splashing as he curses.

Aliron begins searching the area for traps, secret passages, and other hidden items.

Burnbright ducks past Mauve, squeezing more toward the middle of the group to get a look at the strange room. She looks around with her mouth hanging slightly open.

 

[Ireth]

I stare in speechless horror at the destruction and desecration around me. Darin splashes his way toward the heap of bones, and I follow, bending slightly to rest my stump on his shoulder for lack of a hand. "I am sorry."

I turn away and look around again, wondering if there is anything here worth searching for.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Their bodies are broken, but their spirits cannot be harmed. Mortals get so angry over this, Baldy, but it doesn't matter what happens to a body when there's no life in it.

I believe you, but I won't tell Darin that!

Don't console him either. He needs your strength.




"Darin, we will crush the beasts who did this!" I look for something to kill or break, or another way out of the room. "I know the Taint causes you to lose your way, but this room looks very special. Do you know where we are and what the beasts may have been searching for? I'm sure they cared more about what they would find than who they would insult with their destruction."

 

[Nihal]

((Now we got a tomb!))

Normally I would laugh at the halfling's remark, I also want to see some elves suffer, but I barely register his words. I look around in amazement. I would love to inspect the walls, the carvings, the coffers! It's unlike any place I've ever seen. I am sure this place got many stories to tell, it's a pity I can't read the runes.

Well, I'm not supposed to run around like an excited child.

Burnbright ducks past me, as if the living image of my thoughts. I remember to close my mouth.

 

[SeverinR]

"No matter what happened in life, this be no way to treat the dead." I comment as I continue looking.
[not expecting to find anything, but just to be sure.]
"Close the doors, and someone guard them. Just to be sure we won't be suprised. Splashing around in here, they will probably hear us, but we can take precautions."

[[Deviant SeverinR is watching Deviant Batwinged squirrel]]

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

((Assuming there is only one door...))




At Aliron's words, I move. Nod's trigger finger is itchy, and I can only use muscle and my blade right now. The others are fascinated by this place, it seems, but I just want to kill the monsters and get out, and hopefully find a safe place for Burnbright.

I pass by Rydh, "Nod and I will close the doors and stand by. Everyone knows their place if you call us into formation." To Cadell, I say, "Your ears are better than mine, Sir Cadell, if you'd like to join us by the door. How about you, Sir Matthew? It takes two to form a shield wall, and you're the only one here who can be part of a shield wall or behind one. With the four of us, we can stop just about anything that comes through that door."




((Steerpike, are we on the "push" side or the "pull" side?))

 

[Steerpike]

((Doors push inward, into the room)).

 

[Ireth]

I look up when Baldhart speaks, and move to follow her to the door; I am of better use as a shield than searching for anything, regardless of what it is. With my shield on my right arm, I cannot pick anything else up anyway, and I do not wish to put down the shield and leave myself vulnerable.

I stand facing the doors, listening, watching, and waiting.

 

[Sparkie]

I don't blame Darin for being angry. The dead should not be disturbed like this. Honestly, all these bones make me wonder if the dead here are restless.

Cadell and Sir Matthew guard the doors, so I slosh further into the room after Darin. We approach a pile of bones. Damn! If only I had more energy to cast...

((How about a ruling here, Steerpike? I assumed a few days ago, after casting Detect Undead near the refuse pile, that Rydh had 3 Mana left. Has an hour passed? How much Mana does Rydh have?))

"This desecration will be avenged, Darin. Right now the best thing you can do for your ancestors is to fight those who've disrespected these tombs."

 

[Steerpike]

((It hasn't been an hour since leaving the refuse pile, so Rydh still has 3 mana. You can cast yourself into negative mana, but it makes the casting harder)).

 

[Steerpike]

Darin reaches the far end of the room, sifting through bones piled along the wall behind one of the coffers. As he digs remains from the water, he unleashes a rotting stench. Some of the remains have not yet fully decomposed. "Bah! They mix their own dead with the bones of my ancestors!"

As Cadell places his stump on Darin's shoulder and offers condolences, Darin nods and grips the stump firmly for a moment. "You are kind, Sir Knight. As for where we are...that I cannot say with any certainty. This was a dwarven temple once, long ago, that much is certain. But this place is not known to me. These coffers held the remains of priests of this temple, and their stories are told in the words and pictures that decorate the coffers. They would have been buried with their armor and weapons, perhaps some personal effects. Much of it may have had value, but now it has all been lost. Taken by these vermin!"

"Troglodytes were mentioned earlier, and I believe that is the truth of it. We encounter them from time to time in our tunnels - vile, nasty things that they are. They are not very smart."

Darin takes another quick glance around the room, his face haunted. He unslings his hammer, gripping it tight in both hands. "Stand away from the door! I will bring my wrath down upon these vermin and wipe this place clean of their filth, whether there be 100 of them or 1000. They will know that a dwarf again walks these corridors, and they will fear it!"

Darin storms straight toward the door. Burnbright stumbles out of his way, sending splashes of water across the room.

Aliron finds nothing hidden in the chamber. The coffers have indeed been looted and no hidden compartments or passages are found. There is a great deal of debris beneath the surface of the water. Kicking through it as you walk, most of it seems to be bones.

 

[Sparkie]

I doubt even Baldhart could stop Darin right now. He's out for justice, and there seems to be nothing left here anyway.

"Come on, back into formation everyone. Follow Darin's lead. Let's follow the blood trail."

As we get into position, I whisper to Cadell. "Make sure Darin doesn't get himself killed. Drop my shield and draw your blade if you have to, but don't let him die."

As we begin to leave the room, I hand the torch back to Burnbright and say "Sorry for swiping this. I may need to do it again later."

I turn around to check on Aliron and Mauve, and I almost make eye contact with the mage before shifting my gaze elsewhere. I exhale. That was close.