A Short Walk in the Dark, The Burial Chamber
Subject: Re: the Mountain
Garyth's eyes widen as Cadfael disappears into the tunnel, and he grabs frantically for the door as it swings shut. He barely manages to catch it, and almost starts after the priest. He catches himself just before he crosses the threshold, remembering the priest's warning.
But, wait, Cadfael had said that no one could pass the entrance before noon. Garyth shifts his weight uneasily, torn between wanting to run after the priest and wanting to stay alive. "Cadfael!" he whispers into the darkness, his voice ragged with nerves. "What are you doing?"
From: Dan
Subject: Re: the Mountain
Garyth's ears strain to catch the sounds of metal on metal, he knows Cadfael cannot move quietly through the tunnel, surely he can not be so far ahead?
It certainly sounds like Cadfael is there, just past the doorway and moving back toward the group.
Quite unexpectedly Cadfael reaches out and grabs Garyth's hand, hauling him into the tunnel.
"Do not block the doorway," he hisses, "we are a ways from Kor Garesh's tunnel yet."
From: Mike
Subject: Re: the Mountain
Garyth stifles a yelp as he stumbles forward. A heartbeat later he regains his balance and wrenches his arm from Cadfael's grip. "Wait!" he whispers. "Let the others catch up!" He spins around, trying to catch the door before it closes.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: the Mountain
Farron's heart takes a leap as Cadfael disappears into the tunnel, then again as Garyth follow, apparently against his will. If he is in position he will try to catch the door before it closes behind Garyth.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: the Mountain
Mission will follow the priest and warrior into the mountain.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: the Mountain
If Mission goes in behind Garyth and does so apparently un-coerced, Farron will follow carefully, looking around for any dangers, one hand on Jack and one nervously checking his spell components.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: the Mountain
As soon as matt checks in, the descent begins. :)
From: Ty
Subject: the mountain; descent
As soon as the rest of the group has entered the hidden passage, Cadfael turns his back on them and moves away. His stride is now quick and purposeful, as though he knows where he is going intimately. The only light is the glow from his glove, but the darkness does not seem to bother him at all.
The passage itself is small, though cunningly hewn. The walls are 8 feet high, and the passage 10 feet wide. The walls, floor and ceiling are all as flat as a sheet of glass, though such precision must have been incredibly difficult in the mountains granite base. The tunnel descends very slowly, but the passage is long, and after a few minutes of walking it becomes difficult to say how far below the surface the party has gone. Garyth remembers a dwarf he served with for a time who claimed to be able to tell exactly where he was in any cave or tunnel at any time. He also remembers the dwarf's large axe and ferocious fighting style, and starts to wish he was here.
After a few more minutes, Sa'id scents a dim smell on the air that makes him think of home. From inside his turban, his serpent peeks out, flicking its tongue at the air. Farron whispers to him, "What is it?" Sa'id thinks for a moment, then says, "Embalming. The odors from embalming linger. We were never able to get it out of our clothes." He seems to shake himself awake, then says to Farron, "I believe we may be entering a crypt or burial preparation area."
Almost before he finishes speaking, the tunnel ends at an ornate gold plated door, covered with runes from the ancient Halfling tongue. In the center of the door, the glowing sun of Pelor stands out. There is no latch, merely a handle to pull on. Rennik begins to say, "Wait. Do we know what's on the other side of tha-" when Cadfael reaches out and pulls the door open. He walks into the next room, and the party cautiously follows.
The room on the other side of the door is vast. The far wall cannot be seen. Even the side walls are dimly distant. But no one thinks about the room's dimensions. The room is also filled with dozens of stone caskets. But they are hardly noticed. Only one thought can enter any mind in this room. Wealth.
Sa'id's family was considered well off, his father having a profession much in demand. Farron has worked for wealthy men who could afford pleasure barges filled with silks and slaves. Garyth once ate a meal in the castle of the Duke of Nesalin, where every utensil was of purest silver. But this is not that kind of wealth. This is not slaves and a comfortable living. This is riches to stun the senses, to make one think of ruling not just the island, but the world. It is hard to believe that there is any gold left anywhere else in the world when so much of it sits in this room. It overflows from chests in coins uncountable. It sits shaped into cups and bowls and shields and spears and swords and a thousand other items. And not just gold, but silver and other precious metals. Gems and jewels sparkle from every corner. Racks filled with weapons and stands covered in armor sit next to each casket. The glow from the glove seems to reflect of the shiny surface of each coin and golden item, dimly illuminating the entire room. And the wealth of this room fills it to the distant edges. Only kings and princes would be buried in such splendor. Rennik sees the length of the caskets, and knows that these were kings of his people, long ago. If this wealth represents the riches his people gave to their dead monarchs, then they must have been prosperous beyond anything he can imagine.
Small paths of bare stone can be seen going to the other side of the room.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: the mountain; descent
So the halfling tribes WERE united in the distant past.
Interesting.
It merited further consideration; Sa'id can't help but wonder what cataclysm brought about the fall of this ancient -- and clearly mighty -- civilization. Somehow, the nation had been sundered and scattered, and the event must have had a profound impact in the halflings? collective unconscious, since the notion that the tribes were once united is now taboo and worth of scorn. That, of course, doesn't make it any less true.
Sa'id looks at Cadfael. That damnable priest. But paradoxically, he seemed to have led them into what was quite possibly the safest imaginable place -- that is, if that thrice-cursed god Pelor had any sway here. (This time, Sa'id can't even be bothered to compensate for his irreverence by making the sign of the sun disk.)
"It seems to me," Sa'id says quietly, "that this place may be the safest we can find to make our camp for the night."
From: Mike
Subject: Re: the mountain; descent
Garyth's jaw drops open when he sees the riches filling the room. It's not just more wealth than he has ever seen, it's more than he's ever heard of--literally more than he's ever dreamed of. As his mind tries to grasp the enormity of what he sees, a thought occurs to him like a tiny voice in the back of his mind: there is so much here, and it's been here so long, that surely a few trinkets wouldn't be missed. And, after all, don't the living have more need of money than the dead?
The thought has no sooner crossed his mind than it is replaced by an intense shame and feeling of disgust for himself. No, he did not come all this way to become a graverobber. A lot has changed over the past few days, but not everything.
Sa'id's comment breaks Garyth's reverie, and he nods in agreement. "Yes," he says. "This should be the most defensible place, assuming the builders of this vault designed it to keep things out as well as in." He glances sidelong at Cadfael, then continues, "And no one knows we're here, anyway."