(036) The Remains of the Day

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:
Highbough now shines his lantern down the straight-ahead passage. (Like the guy in my avatar.)

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Second Vault
(Dieter in, Ulric just inside the door, Olaf next in the passage)

Dieter moves into the second vault. The air is genuinely cold, and the grit and small stones crunch under his boots as he moves into the semi-circular chamber.

For a moment there might be a distant echo of a scream, but then...

Nothing stirs.

Dieter exhales and takes a few more steps toward the great, stone edifice before him.

It is as though an 8ft round sphere carved of solid stone has been cleaved directly in two, and the one half poised upon a round dais with a wide lip such that the flat face of the sphere is presented at a 45 degree angle. Even more curious... there appears to be a man-shaped cavity in the face of it. It is large enough that even Dieter could probably squeeze into it.

Beyond this major feature, the rest of the room seems bare but for four passage ways which open into darker passages... these being spaced evenly around the semi- circular arc of the room.

There does not appear to be any immediate danger.

What now?

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
A mud map of the Second Vault...


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[waysoftheearth]

doctorx wrote:
(quote author=sulldawga board=hinterlands thread=6809 post=90385 time=1328764246"I agree, Miss. If we're lookin' for the vampeer, we should be going deeper inta' the tomb, not leavin' it just yet."

Dorgan looks back at the side passage where the rest of the party went exploring.

"Mebbe we oughta catch up with 'em?"(/quote)

Josiane takes one more look at the two unexplored corridors. If there is no sight or sound of any danger she gives a reluctant nod of the head.

"I dislike surrendering control of our exit, but it seems our comrades have pressed ahead into the depths of this place regardless." She sighs; "So be it. We must share the danger."

She turns to the right hand passage; "Let us make all haste to join them."

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Ante
(Highbough, Guntarm, Dorgan, Josiane)

Highbough now shines his lantern down the straight-ahead passage. (Like the guy in my avatar.)

Highbough's lantern casts its additional light down the broad middle passage. Josiane's torch is clearly visible, sputtering away on the floor some 40ft in. The passage is lined by man-sized alcoves, all along its length, and these might hide who knows what horrors?

The passage continues ahead into the dark farther than even this light will reach...

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Left Passage
(Gustave)

Gustave is feeling rather emboldened after successfully uncovering the state of the cave-in, and the means of circumnavigating it. Standing as he is, clad in full metal jack, with his shield upon his back, sword and torch in hand, and his redoubtable comrades in the van, he rather fancies that this old tomb is hardly so bad after all.

What is that there? Just now ahead, at the limit of the torchlight... could that be a glint or glimmer there? Are those are coins upon the ground, there? That couldn't be the glamour of gemstones... could it?

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:
"Hold, Dieter!" Olaf whispers, "We need to get the party together before we go any deeper. There is clearly much to explore here and it feels like danger, though we haven't seen any...yet."

[waysoftheearth]

coffee wrote:
"I don't much like changing direction, but I guess you're right," Dieter says with a shrug. "We'll get back to these passages later."

And we'll reverse order to return to the rest of the party. This leaves Dieter bringing up the rear. He'll keep checking behind him as they go, just in case.

[waysoftheearth]

tonneau wrote:
Gustave halts mid-stride, as the glint of promise in the distance catches his eye. He retraces his steps to the rubble pile and retrieves the torch from the nook.
"Whatever have we here...?" he muses to himself as he squints into the darkness.
With practiced skill (from his days as quoits champion in the court of Prince Looby Frank II), he lobs the flame further down the passage in the direction of the glint, thence reappraising the situation.

[waysoftheearth]

doctorx wrote:
Josiane is about to set off down the right hand passageway when she notices Gustave's antics back at the rockfall.

"What is it, Gustave?" she asks nervously, her fingers clenched tightly about the hilt of her sword.