(066) Vulfenlund

[doctorx]

"Agreed, friend Ashtad," says Josiane; "I would secure this abbey as far as we may for the safety of the pilgrims who have journeyed here. The thought of this 'Doppelganger' running loose amongst them sits ill with me."

"And welcome, friend Dhren," she adds to the newcomer with a pretty smile; "It gladdens me to know the Ivory Wold continue to grant us their aid and assistance. It is most welcome, rest assured."

She makes haste to join the others as they head towards the stair, still trying to come to terms with Helmut's continuing talk of her 'exploits.'

"I am known of? What does this mean? Sweet Lady, what dost thou intend for me..? "

[waysoftheearth]

| For the sake of keeping everyone together, I'll assume that Josiane and Armando leave the Ring Room together once Armando has conducted his surveillance of the bass relief... over the thread 67 please. |

[waysoftheearth]

After a short absence | Detailed in thread 67 | our company of Heroes (and others not so bold) return to the Ring Room...

[doctorx]

Josiane takes her first detailed look at the symbols on the ring, although she is careful not to touch anything at this stage. She makes the sign of the Enigma protectively before she begins.

"Let us see if Lord Highbough's suggestion of a mirror brings any light to bear on this mystery," she murmurs softly as she examines the blasphemous-looking hieroglyphics; "Friend Dhren? Do I understand that you possess such a glass? If so, might I borrow it please?"

She flashes the Elf her pretty smile.

[Merctime]

Josiane"And welcome, friend Dhren," she adds to the newcomer with a pretty smile; "It gladdens me to know the Ivory Wold continue to grant us their aid and assistance. It is most welcome, rest assured."

"The pleasure of your acquaintance is mine, fair lady of the woods," says Dhren to Josiane, with a low bow before her, arms sweeping to his sides. "I bid fair tidings to you and yours by my master, and the Lady Gallaine of Wildwood. I am priveledged to be apart of such noble company as yours."

The elf would move about the room with the others, making to find out what strange and arcane mysteries are held by the stone ring. At the words of Josiane,

"Friend Dhren? Do I understand that you possess such a glass? If so, might I borrow it please?" She flashes the Elf her pretty smile.

...Dhren speaks again to her. "I do indeed, my lady." A bit of shuffling in his pack produces said item, and it is handed with the return of his own friendly smile to Josiane. "You are more than welcome to make any use of it you require."

At this, Dhren will shoulder his pack again, and assist with looking into the markings. He'll make cursory checks over his shoulder, here and there, in case some vile thing enters unknown while the party checks into this stone ring.

[Eris]

Olaf says impatiently from the back of the group, "Is this *all* that is left to explore here? Surely there must be a way into the pit where Dieter, Dorgan and Josiane fought those shadows without falling down a chute!"

"Have we missed some stairs going further down?" he asks with a frown.

[mgtremaine]

Wen would still be thinking but at some point he would tell highbough the current setting of the Ring Runes.

ooc: There are no names at this point for the runes so just take that I conveyed the current settings.

[Merctime]

Olaf says impatiently from the back of the group, "Is this *all* that is left to explore here? Surely there must be a way into the pit where Dieter, Dorgan and Josiane fought those shadows without falling down a chute!"

"Have we missed some stairs going further down?" he asks with a frown.

"This perplexes me as well, good Olaf, although I of course have no idea of the fight you speak of. It sounds as if it were a harrowing one!" exclaims Dhren. "Perhaps we might find some hidden passage up here, as well?"

Since the other elves are managing the ring, Dhren will move about the room and look for secret doors and the like.

[ehiker133]

Desmond shrugs, "It wouldn't be much of a trap if you could easily climb out of it, would it? I suspect it is what it is for a reason. You go where you're not supposed to, trigger the trap, and slide down a chute where the shadows await. Then they do what they do best and suck the strength out of you until you join them as a shadow..."

| Let's recount all that we've discovered about the room...
- they are in a long, 30ft wide hall. There are wolfish carvings in bass relief within a 3ft tall band along the walls, but the main feature of the room ... is an 8ft high stone ring that stands balanced upon a broad dais at the opposite end of the room. The floor in front of it is raised so that a 10ft long stone ramp leads up to the stone circle.
- there are a series of runes graven into the facing surface of the ring, each about the size of the palm of one's hand and spaced evenly around the hoop so that a score of so of them fit
- the stone of the runic ring differs markedly from that of the surroundings--it is smoother, greener,and flecked with intricacies of gold and amber veins. In actuality, the "ring" appears to be two rings--one fitted snuggly inside the other--the join between them barley noticeable. Then, moving around it somewhat to view the structure from the side, it becomes clear that the ring is in fact a shallow cylinder; a "tube" about 3ft deep. There are a series of "rungs" sung into the outside face of it, spaced about a foot apart...
- the glyphs represent moons and constellations by which the oldest Elves named the months.
- it isn't a calendar so much as a chart of the celestial cycle (or two such cycles)
- the inner ring runes are recognizable; the outer ring runes are unknown
- at its apex, the stone hoop passes through a narrow stone visor with a window in it; a pair of runes is visible through the window
- all of the runes are backwards!
- there are rungs on the outside of the outer ring, supposedly used for spinning it to align different constellations? Are there rungs on the inside to adjust the inner ring, as well? Or how is that done?
- one of the pictogram panels has a circle in the middle of it; left side of the panel depicts night and right side depicts day; on both sides, a wolfman stands with his back to the circle with something straight held upright in front of him.
- the line is too thin and uniform to be a sword and too straight to be a stick

Also of note:
- When Dieter pulled his new magical sword out, it seemed to have an unnatural inertia about it, even leaning toward the great upright hoop. (Possibly the sword can detect magic and that is the strongest magic source in the room?)

Anything else? |

[Condorcet]

"It is late", says Helmut as the group crawls over the enigmatic ring, "Perhaps we can rest here for the night and its mysteries will become clear on the morrow."

"I will bring the pilgrims to us, though perhaps it is best not to travel alone while this doppel-ganger still lives."