Immersive Ink

ehiker133 wrote:
Desmond waves aside the offer of the torch.

"We need both hands for our battle axe, ma'am."

Desmond's eyes stop on the gold for a second, but he tears them away and starts looking around for signs of his missing friends.

"Wibert!" he hisses quietly.

sulldawga wrote:
Dorgan remains ever vigilant for any intrusions coming up the stairs from whence they originally came.

waysoftheearth wrote:

ehiker133 wrote:Desmond whimpers as he drops down to move under the doorway.

If one hasn't already been brought under, he holds out his hand and asks for a light from one of the party members remaining in Vault #2.

"Are you mad?" snorts Mondes (none too quietly) "The front door is the other way!"

(Josiane has brought a torch with her...)

waysoftheearth wrote:

eris wrote: OOC: Does Olaf still have his shield? If he does, can he wedge it under the door to help hold the door up? If he can, he will.

Alas no, Olaf's shield was ripped apart by walking corpses earlier...

waysoftheearth wrote:

mushgnome wrote:Highbough is intrigued by the big spherical thing, which he is just now seeing for the first time.

It is attached to the floor or free-standing? Does it have any wires, pipes, etc. connected to it?

A description of the object from a wise old Elf's perspective would be helpful. [img]images/smiley/smiley.png[/img]

Highbough sees a dark stoney edifice of some sort. It appears as though an 8ft diameter sphere of solid stone was cloven in two by an impossible blade, and the one half of it positioned upon a round dais surrounded by a wide rim at the ground. The flat face of the stone is presented at a 45 degree angle to the room. Even more curious... there appears to be a man-shaped cavity carved into the face... this appears large enough for a proper Man to rest in.

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Third Vault
(Dieter, Josiane*, Gustave, Desmond/Mondes)

Your voices make curt remarks and call out to Wibert and Pelenwin, but there is no reply in the cold other than the ripple of Josiane's burning torch as she casts it about in search of any sign of a struggle.

A quick look at the numerous sarcophagi reveals that most of them are old and dusty, and those that are toppled or fallen or with the lids ajar are empty of any remains... they do not appear to have been emptied recently, however.

As Josiane looks about she immediately spies two fresh looking hessian sacks! These are exactly the sort that could have been purchased in Ket this very day, and there is no doubt they must have belonged to Pelenwin or Wibert. And worse, there is fresh blood upon the floor... a fist-sized splatter behind the row of coffins to the left.

And the rows of sarcophagi seem to go on endlessly into the dark.

What now?

tonneau wrote:
"It appears", says Gustave wearily, "the few tidings there are are ill", regarding the dark stains on the floor and distinct lack of cheery chefs.

He lifts his eyes to the rows of sarcophagi reaching into the darkness.

"It seems our little adventure is not yet done. We should regroup here before we press on."

doctorx wrote:
Josiane closes her eyes for an instant and whispers a prayer for her two missing comrades.

"Here," she says quietly to the others, trying to keep her voice steady; "Wibert and Pelenwin's sacks."

She swallows hard.

"And blood."

Her eyes sweep the scene as she tries to build a picture of events from the scant clues available.

"Alas," she murmurs; "I fear the lure of the gold was too strong. They saw it, took out sacks to gather it... and something fell upon them. There was a struggle, but it was brief. They were either slain or taken."

She looks off into the unexplored blackness.

"It would seem any further answers must lie yonder."

ehiker133 wrote:
Desmond shivers.

mushgnome wrote:
"Very interesting." Highbough steps away from the mysterious half-sphere. (He is drawn with desire to insert himself into the cavity but resists; no sense in triggering any more traps until the current predicament is resolved... but he'll be back!)

He notices his companions are about to venture further into the unexplored darkness in search of the missing two, where they will undoubtedly be picked off two-by-two until he is the last Elf standing. "Or, we could draw the foe into an ambush using this gold as the bait. Perhaps we could use this heavy stone door as a dead-fall trap... what say you, Young Master Dwarf?"

Has anyone checked the other side of the door for a lever or similar to open it?