Part 1: Sand and Stone

[apn]

Elethiran
(Elven Warrior-Wizard lvl 1 Att: 2d6+9 Def: 11 Hits 8 Con 0/12 Wiz 30/36 Point Makeshift Staff)

Elethiran sighs. "junk" she says. With a huff she puts the box lid back on before pausing for a moment, removing it, and concentrating, using the innate power possessed by wizards and warrior-wizards. She 'probes' with her senses, a 'sixth sense' if you will. Her intent? To detect magic.

ACTIONS: Detect Magic in the room. Cost 0 Wiz.

=========

Clud
(Were-Bear Warrior lvl 1 Att: 3d6-6 Def: 12 8/10 Con 11 Wiz)

Clud takes the gloves and apron. Though he would have to shrug them off to change, he wonders if they might yet be useful to help stop a blade thrust.

ACTIONS: The apron and gloves any good as armour? If not he'll leave them.

OOC don't know if we're mapping or not? Here's one I made earlier...

[danhem]

Balgar climbs the ladder back up to the hollow cylinder. He continues to climb up past the open door in the room above. After about 30' of climbing the ladder comes to an end. Balgar sees a complex arrangement of levers and a large tube that extends toward him. Light enters the small space through a small hole at eye level. Balgar peers through and sees the ruined city lying below and the desert sand stretching out to the horizon. Looking to the left and right he sees the statues of the bearded man and the woman.

Back in the chamber below, Genzo tries to fill the charred oil skin with oil from the urns. It is messy work but he manages to succeed and the skin is full once again; although it is in very bad shape and likely would not survive a second use as a fire bomb.

Verner collects some of the tools and inspects the iron bar. He decides that it would serve well as a crowbar.

Elethiran senses no magic emanating from the boxes.

Clud grabs the leather apron and gloves. They are made of heavy leather and could likely stop a dull blade. (Leather apron, 1 hit, 30 w.u.; Leather gloves, 1 hit, 20 w.u.).

OOC: Nice map apn. I am keeping a map updated in the Maps thread as you explore. Everyone, be sure to keep track of equipment, treasure, and experience gained as well as CON and WIZ lost on your character sheets.

[apn]

Elethiran
(Elven Warrior-Wizard lvl 1 Att: 2d6+9 Def: 11 Hits 8 Con 0/12 Wiz 30/36 Point Makeshift Staff)

The Elf maiden looks about. "Well boys, whatever this room was used for, and by whom, it's clear the dust suggests its not used any more. We're a little closer to figuring out who and what lived here though. They were clearly intelligent and quite the craftsmen. Maybe they're still around in some other part of this sunken city?"

She looks about. "Well, that's a question for another time. Shall we press on or rest? Genzo is in a bad way and I have no magic in me for a while. That said, there may be a better room to rest in. With 3 doors and 3 ladders in here an attack could come at any time. I suggest..." she looks about. "That door." and starts towards the door in the eastern wall.

ACTIONS:Open the door in the Eastern wall

=========

Clud
(Were-Bear Warrior lvl 1 Att: 3d6-6 Def: 16 8/10 Con 11 Wiz)

Clud wears the apron and gloves. It's a little more than he's used to wearing, usually stripping off to change, but figures it's not that much of a hindrance to pull an apron over his head and a pair of gloves off.

That said, it is a tight squeeze with his cucumber sized fingers...

ACTIONS: Follow everyone else. Stick close to Genzo. He feels guilty at the little guy taking that nasty hit.

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

Genzo will knock on the ladder with his staff to let Balgar know his presence is needed.

Verner will stick close to Elethiran as she opens the door, hoping to shield her from any unexpected threat with his armored bulk.

"I just hope we find something more to my pallet than burnt bug and I'd murder a platoon of goblins for a cold beer"

"Those blood stains and the fact someone is maintaining traps in this ziggurat means something is living here"

"Lets just hope we end up getting the drop on them first"

[cartomancer]

On hearing the sound of the tapping on the ladder rungs, Balgar calls down.

'Just a minute, i've found something interesting'

Balgar then sets about investigating the levers and tube to see if he can make sense of there purpose and usage.

OOC: INT SR maybe??

[danhem]

Balgar inspects the levers and tube in an attempt to determine what function they serve. There are four different levels in the small compartment; two set to the left and right and two more directly in front of the dwarf. The tube runs from the top of the compartment down to the eye level of Balgar. He checks all of these these devices very closely (L1-SR on IQ, 3+1+12=16, failure, 4 AP) but is unable to ascertain their function.

Back down in the forge room, Elethiran open the eastern door. The light from Genzo's lantern spills through the open door revealing a corridor leading to the east. About 15' from the doorway is another door in the southern wall. About 15' further is a second door set in the northern wall. The corridor continues past this point but is lost in the darkness.

OOC: Both Falcnor and Elethiran regain 1 point of WIZ.

[apn]

Elethiran
(Elven Warrior-Wizard lvl 1 Att: 2d6+9 Def: 11 Hits 8 Con 1/12 Wiz 30/36 Point Makeshift Staff)

"Couple of doors down there to check out boys." she says, hooking a thumb over her shoulder. She walks back into the room and looks up the tube "What are you doing Balgar?" she asks.

With a roll of her eyes Elethiran will go up the steps, take a look at the stuff Balgar is messing about with and try to figure them out for herself.

ACTIONS: Have a go (IQ SR) at figuring out the levers/controls. If she succeeds she says "There you go! Wasn't so hard was it? Now quit messing around and come on!". If she fails she sniffs haughtily, checks her nails and mutters "I'll bet even the builder of this place didn't have a clue what they were for. Who cares anyway? Let's go!"

[danhem]

Elethiran carefully inspects the levers and tube (L1-SR on IQ, 2+6+18=26, success, 8 AP) and then says "Ah ha!" directly into the metal tube. Her voice echoes loudly across the ruins and sand dunes. She pulls the levers to the left and right and the arms of the statue move with a bit of resistance and a good deal of grinding. She then manipulates the levers in front of her and the head begins to move from side to side.

[apn]

Elethiran
(Elven Warrior-Wizard lvl 1 Att: 2d6+9 Def: 11 Hits 8 Con 1/12 Wiz 30/36 Point Makeshift Staff)

"Heh. Someone clearly wants to get their message out to the masses. Talk in here, pull those wiggly things and make like the statues are alive! I like it!" she squeaks, clapping excitedly.

Suddenly her face drops, deadpan, and she turns to Balgar. "Ok, NOW can we go find somewhere else in this place? With food that doesn't smell, taste, look or move like a beetle?" With a theatrical sigh she wiggles down the ladder and back into the room.

"Ready fellows?" she asks, before walking from the room into the corridor, looking carefully about. She's wary of traps - if nothing else they might mess up her hair...

ACTIONS: Look for traps, head down corridor and stop at first door. Also Detect magic when near the door (Wiz cost 0)

=========

Clud
(Were-Bear Warrior lvl 1 Att: 3d6-6 Def: 16 8/10 Con 11 Wiz)

Clud rolls his eyes, turns to the others "Are you going with her ladyship, or should we leave her? Saying that, if she goes down there, I'd expect a stampede of monsters at any time to come charging in here, trying to get away from her incessant yapping." he muttered.

Elethiran sticks her head round the door "I heard that!" she hisses, shooting a venomous glance at Clud...

ACTIONS: Follow Elethiran.

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

Verner shrugs to Clud and Genzo and follows Elethiran down the corridor to the first door.

Genzo claps Clud on the back.

"I guess we better try and keep up with her highness, I'd feel bad if something killed her before I had a chance to get the last word in" ;D

Genzo prepares his war Bola and follows the others.

[cartomancer]

Giving a wry raised eyebrow Balgar begins to play with the controls for himself.

'Well, i'll be. This ere' is sure one fine display of craftsmanship. A little odd though to be having your gods animated in front of you don't you think?'

Balgar manipulates the arms as he gives a low gutturial rendition of walk like an egyptian through the tube.

'Y'see, to anyone looking upon their gods now from below this would be most odd...'

He then takes stock of the strangeness of his own actions and gives an amused smile to himself as he sets off back down the ladder leaving Elethiran bemused at them. Was this some strange display of dwarven humour?

[danhem]

Elethiran boldly marches down the corridor keeping a watchful eye out for traps. She does not spot anything obvious and no monsters appear at the sound of her voice echoing down the corridor.

As you proceed down the hall, the light from the lantern reveals that the corridor ends at a north-south junction after 40'. Elethiran stops at the first door and checks it for magic. The door is made of bronze and bears images of the faces of the three statues above. The door has a simple handle and appears to open outward. There is no magical energy emanating from the door or the room beyond.

OOC: I've updated the map. Please give me a general idea as to your order of march. Who is in front, in the middle, and the rear. You can easily march two across down the hall or three if you kept close. Also, who has a light source? Does Genzo still have the lantern?

[apn]

Elethiran
(Elven Warrior-Wizard lvl 1 Att: 2d6+9 Def: 11 Hits 8 Con 1/12 Wiz 30/36 Point Makeshift Staff)

With the door opening outwards, Elethiran will whisper to the others that "I'll pull it open (and stand behind the opened door). You guys get ready to rush anything in there. This place might just be deserted - or there may be more beetles..."

ACTIONS: When everyone is in position and gives a signal, she will open the door (outwards) and stand behind it until everyone is in, then go in after them.

=========

Clud
(Were-Bear Warrior lvl 1 Att: 3d6-6 Def: 16 8/10 Con 11 Wiz)

Clud moves to the front of the queue "Excuse me! Sorry!" he whispered. "Oops, sorry!" to get to the door alongside one other. Though hopeless as a fighter he could soak up quite a bit with his large shield, not to mention his gloves and apron.

ACTIONS: Be one of the first to go in, with someone else. He feels he must do his part.

OOC Suggested marching order...

[cartomancer]

Falcnor and Balgar move into formation.

OOC: I'm happy with the diagram above but, i think someone should check the door for traps before opening it and, i voulenteer Falcnor. High INT to spot traps and good armour to soak up damage should he accidently trigger something. If the armour fails he has a high CON which should also help if a posion needle pops out.

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

OOC: Marching order is fine with me.