sakeriver.com

Cadfael's Answer

From: Dan

Subject: Re: the mountain; descent

The gold fills Cadfael's eyes and his step misses a bit as he half stumbles into the room. He ventures forward, turning a slow circle as he does so. "So much light. A mountain within a mountain... More than a mountain... It must be an ocean on an island for no island could hold so much light, it would be too heavy. It is too heavy. It is a wonder there is any light left in the world with so much locked away in the darkness."

For a time he stands perplexed and then slowly winds his way around piles. Occasionally pausing to clear a wider path through the gold. Picking up a stray scepter that had fallen across the path and tossing it back on the pile. Pushing loose coins back to the pile with his foot as he passes them.

To Mission's question he replies "Not far, and with every step less so. Think of it as a voice, the more you strain to hear the more clearly you can be seen. In this room things are clearer, there is safety in a call but not a cry. If you must shout to be heard you won't be."



From: Scott

Subject: Re: the mountain; descent

Mission shrugs at the cleric's cryptic response. He will scout out a twenty yard perimeter around the party.

Off To Bed, A Brief Religious Discussion

From: Ty

Subject: Re: the mountain; descent

I am back in town, so a turn is going out today.



From: Scott

Subject: Re: the mountain; descent

DEAAAAAATH!



From: Ty

Subject: Re: the mountain; descent

No Granpa, that's just Maggie.



From: Ty

Subject: The Mountain; Burial Chamber

The party disperses a bit near the door. Each one drawn off by an enticing gleam or bit of treasure, or in Rennik's case, by the caskets of his kin. But everyone stops when Mission asks "How far can I scout around and remain in your. . . protection?"

All eyes turn to Cadfael. This is an important question. Everyone can feel the weight of Kor Garesh's presence in this place. Once it is noticed, it feels like a heavy burden placed around the neck, causing the shoulders to slump and the mind to numb. It is hard to believe that anything can escape his notice here. But Cadfael's reply seems to indicate that even here, in the heart of the demon's temple, he can't see those near the priest.

Rennik sucks in a worried breath when the priest picks up a stray bit of treasure and moves it aside. He quickly eyes the room, looking for any sign that a trap has been sprung, but nothing happens. Apparently, just touching stray bits of treasure doesn't set off any mantraps. He sees Mission moving off to scout, and he moves on in another direction.

Farron finds a nice open spot on the floor, and declares that this location is big enough for his Tiny Hut spell. He casts it, and climbs inside the protective bubble to rest. The constant pressure of being in this place makes his head hurt. Sa'id does not immediately join him, but instead stands outside the hut looking around at the various objects. On his face is a puzzled look, the same look he gets when he is solving riddles in his head.

Garyth finds a clear spot on the floor and sits down. With a soldier's trained practicality, he takes out all his weapons and begins preparing them for tomorrow. He works the edge of his sword with the whetstone he carries. He uses an oily rag to wipe down the blade, and then the head of the mace he has begun using. He examines his armor for rents or other damage. His actions are slow and methodical, and his face expressionless as he works. Any man who has ever served as a soldier would recognize what he's doing. He's preparing to go to war.

Rennik and Mission swing around the party in two converging arcs. When they meet, Rennik just says, "Anything?" Mission shakes his head. The room is just a giant repository of dead men and treasure. There is nothing else. From their current vantage point, about 20 yards away from the group, they can see the other wall. There is a large gold door in the middle of it. The exact replica of the one they used to enter the room. There is no way to tell where it goes, and since it is another hundred yards or so away, Mission is reluctanet to go examine it. It's too far from Cadfael's "protection".

There is little left to do but rest. Tomorrow, Promise will be born.

[check in please. Even just a "I sleep now" will be fine. Any defensive precautions taken should be noted, as should any watch rotations.]



From: Scott

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Burial Chamber

Mission will take the first watch.



From: Matt

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Burial Chamber

Rennik will take second watch, and will sleep as always with bow and three arrows placed carefully before him.



From: Dan

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Burial Chamber

Cadfael seems satisfied and will settle down for the night.



From: Mike

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Burial Chamber

Garyth's whetstone makes a scraping, ringing sound as it slides along his blade. He likes the sound. It's comforting. It's something real, something he can hold onto. Between magic and undead monsters and insanity and even the gods themselves, Garyth has come to feel small. Against such things, one soldier can do little. But this much he can do.

The sound of stone against steel continues. Scrape... Scrape...

Finally, Garyth stops, testing the edge against a thumbnail. It's good--sharp, but not so sharp that it will notch easily. He slides the sword back into its sheathe and bows his head, almost as if in prayer. But he offers no prayers--nothing good could hear him from this mountain anyway. He simply sits in silence, feeling the weight of his sword in his hand. Yes, this much he can do. This much is his own.

He says nothing as he enters Farron's magic barrier, and falls asleep as fast as any grizzled old veteran.

OOC: Garyth takes the third watch.



From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Burial Chamber

Sa'id ducks quickly into the hut and murmurs a glamour. Noting Farron's quizzical glance, he mutters "something is not right" before moving back out of the hut to look at the gold again.

His eyes glow eerily as they flick over the riches -- not with avarice, but with magic. He struggles to keep from drawing immediate and possibly incorrect conclusions from what he sees, and instead paces around the outside of the hut, looking at as much gold as he can. He mutters to himself... "tainted... its aura is tainted, blackened... by the soul drinker? What bargain did these ancient folk strike with him?"

Or was that how it had happened? There was far more gold here than could ever have been mined on all of Huss, that much was obvious. More gold than could have been mined on Huss and Ammar put together. Either the teachings on geology at the wizards' school were all wrong, and the entire core of the world was made of gold... Or there was another, more reasonable and more obvious explanation.

Pelor.

It was obvious that the god was venerated among this race, perhaps above all others. That was reflected in both the door carvings and the gold-filled room, reflecting Pelor's yellow light. Were these his chosen people? In granting them riches beyond their wildest dreams, did the meddlesome god inadvertently allow his beloved halflings to become weak and vulnerable? Vulnerable to Kor Garesh's promises of further power? And then... the cataclysm. The halflings in the soul drinker's thrall, Pelor forced to shatter the race and imprison his enemy; putting him squarely at the centre of the ruined civilization's power would have been a powerful symbol and might well be the cause of the racial taboo mired so deeply in the halflings' collective unconscious.

Had Pelor caused this whole problem?

Sa'id can't suppress a cynical smirk. Second-guessing the gods could be a fun game, he muses. It was obviously more or less unprovable -- he couldn't very well discuss the matter with Pelor and Kor Garesh over khav, and their representative on this world had a problem with his brain being missing.

[OOC: Points to anyone but Dan who knows from whence I lifted that last bit]

He turns to watch his companions winding down for the night. "I don't need to say this, but don't take anything," he says. "The treasure is tainted; I believe it to be an effect of its long-term proximity to the prison of Kor Garesh." He pauses, and turns to face Rennik.

"Rennik, among the halfling tribes, how common is the worship of Pelor now?"

[OOC: Ty, if I know the answer to this question, feel free to just tell me.]



From: Matt

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Burial Chamber

Rennik turns to Sa'id, amused.

"This could be the last night you draw breath, and you wish to speak of my people's religion?" He chuckles. "Live each day as though it is your last... I guess that means live your last day like any other."

He stops to think for a moment.

"None of the tribes I know of pray to Pelor. The wilds are shaded lands and the tree canopy blocks the light of the sun. The gods of leaf and wood, of beast and battle - those are worshipped. The Chorrdath hold Mielikki sacred in their hearts, but we also revere the gods of neighboring tribes - Ehlonna, Silvanus, Obad-Hai, Yondalla, Lurue, Shiallia... some tribes even revere totem spirits of sacred animals."

He pauses, stopping to think why Sa'id may have asked the question. The spellweaver thinks a lot. Too much. Maybe he tries to link Rennik's people to these gold-worshippers?

"Our gods praise wisdom and cunning. The wilds are dangerous, and those with a sense of the world and their place in it survive, while those who think of foolishness and frivolous things lose their way, taken by the creatures of the wilds. This is the way of nature - the beasts of the wilderness who get lost in the reflections of the river are easy prey for predators not distracted by such folly."

"Perhaps it is best that the tribes do not worship this sun god, if this is what we came to because of it."

One Last Night of Peace, Spell List?

From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Burial Chamber

"That," Sa'id replies quietly, "I agree with wholeheartedly." He nods. "Thank you."

When he returned to Nesalin -- as he would have to, after all that had happened here -- he would have to write and present a paper. Perhaps it would help him to get back into a more civilized frame of mind, as well. Farron might even be interested in co-authoring...

...if they both lived. There was always that, lurking in the back of his mind.

Nonetheless, this was a momentous discovery. If only he had some way of recording it... well, he would have to make do. Sa'id re-enters the tiny hut, extracts some paper from one of the scroll cases in his pack, and begins to jot down neat and organized notes regarding everything he has learned so far, trying to put each discovery in chronological order from Overlook onward, and then, on a separate sheet, trying to sketch out a rough history of the halfling tribes.

What's lacking in all of this, Sa'id thinks, is a timeline. I wish there was some way to tell... he stops. Perhaps there was. He finishes his notes and ducks back out of the hut.

OOC: Ty, I want to try and figure out how old the tomb is. I'll look at the coins and the wall carvings if there are any, as well as any carvings that may be on the tomb itself.



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Burial Chamber

The carvings look ancient, but the room is well preserved, so the actual date they were created is difficult to discern. Sa'id sees what looks like date runes on some of the coins, but even if he knew what they were, it would be meaningless. Sort of like, "Year 1397 since the reign of Bullahoo the Magnificent."



From: Ty

Subject: The Mountain; One last night of peace

After a time, even Sa'id's curiosity must give way to weariness. He climbs into the hut, and rolls up in his blanket. Rennik and Garyth join soon after, and within minutes all four are in a deep sleep.

Outside, Mission sits on watch. Twenty feet away, on the other side of Farron's hut, Cadfael squats, rocking back and forth. Occasionally, Mission can hear the priest mutter angrily to himself. It must be unbearable, being this close to the source of his madness. The weight of Kor Garesh's evil presses down on them all, but Cadfael bears the brunt of it. With a sadness that surprises him, Mission wonders if Cadfael can ever be whole again. Is he intended to give his life in this quest? At this point, it might be a mercy.

After a few hours, Rennik relieves him with a pat on the shoulder. A look passes between them. Both may die tomorrow and they know it. But each knows that the other will sell himself dearly first, and on the eve of battle, that is the only bond warriors have ever needed from each other. Past strife is forgotten in that moment.

When Garyth relieves Rennik, the Halfling clasps wrists with him once and says, "Luck tomorrow, Soldier." Garyth says, "And luck to you, Hunter." Rennik returns to the hut.

A few hours later, Mission's excellent internal clock wakes him up. Garyth is still sitting watch, his sword in his hand. Cadfael is in exactly the same spot he was when Mission stood his watch. The priest has not slept at all. The wizards both crack open their spell books and prepare their spells for the day, while Rennik and Garyth prepare food. [Raja and Karl, please send me your spell lists]

After a quick breakfast that almost wipes out the remaining supplies, the group gathers up their gear. Cadfael finally stands up. He turns to the rest and says, "We must leave behind Pelor's gleam for Garesh black. On your soul, stay behind me." He turns to Mission, and with a look of great intensity on his face says, "Folly's father, leave my side and all promises die this day."

With that he spins around and heads swiftly to the door on the other side of the hall. Moving through sections of the hall not yet seen, the quantity of gold here becomes even more ludicrous. Farron says to Sa'id, "You're right. Not ten islands like Huss could have mined this much gold. This place gives me a headache, or I would have seen it myself immediately." He sighs and reaches into his pouch. Clearly, this place was no kinder to Jack than to himself. The creature had not stuck even one whisker out of the bag since they entered this cave. He wouldn't eat anything last night. Farron worries about him.

Cadfael does not pause once he reaches the other door, but immediately pulls it open. Beyond is a hallway matching the one they came in through, though it is much shorter. Within fifty steps they enter a larger chamber. This chamber has one large stone altar, or table, in the center. All around the sides of the room are stone shelves cut into the walls, and covered with ancient instruments. On the floor are many fired clay and stone pots which, while empty, still give off a faintly unpleasant scent.

"This is the preparation room," Sa'id says. "Here they preserved the bodies of their kings for burial." He takes an instrument off one of the shelves and holds it up. With a sardonic grin he says, "This they used to pull the brain out of the skull through the nose." Rennik shudders and just says, "Abomination. The dead belong to the earth." The group quickly leaves that room through the passage on the other side.

That passage extends only a few dozen feet before it ends at a square shaft going up. The shaft is ten by ten feet, and even Cadfael's glowing glove does not illuminate its top. On the floor at the bottom are several large pulleys of ancient and rusted metal, and a lot of dust. Farron says, "I would be willing to bet the pulleys mean that this shaft at one time had a man-lift. Perhaps the bodies lay in state in another part of the temple for some mourning period, than were brought down here to be prepared for final burial. I have read of such rites in other cultures." Sa'id nods agreement.

Rennik has been examining the walls closely. "There are no hand or footholds. The walls are as cunningly carved as the passageways. This would be impossible to climb, and there is no way to tell how far up it goes."

[Please check in. Feel free to do RP for any of the sections described in this turn. I moved through it quickly, but sufficient time has passed for other things to have happened during this period.]



From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Burial Chamber

Heh heh heh. Bullahoo the Magnificent. :P

All right. Sa'id is ready for bed. In other news...

Guys, I'm trying to sort out my spell list for tomorrow. I have a few tricky decisions to make, but it basically boils down to "how much firepower do we want?"

In order to memorize fire spells (burning hands, scorching ray, fireball) I need to sacrifice protective spells (pro' evil, mirror image, magic circle against evil, invisbility sphere) and other potentially useful spells (command undead, halt undead).

To balance my spells as well as I can, I need confirmation that we ARE in fact planning to attack the main gate tomorrow, provided we can get back out of the mountain. I don't think it was ever clearly agreed upon. If we're planning to attack the main gate then I'm going balls-out destructive power. If not I'll mix in more utility-type spells. If we need more IC discussion on the subject, we can always hash it out in one of our big arguments. :P

Raja



From: Raja

Subject: Oops

I sent my message before reading Ty's. Never mind, then. I'll send out my spell list this afternoon. :)

Raja



From: Ty

Subject: Re: Oops

Feel free to discuss it anyway.



From: Raja

Subject: Re: Oops

In that case... anyone have any input?

Dead End?

From: Matt

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Rennik looks to see if there's any sort of mechanism for them to lift the elevator themselves, and, if so, tries to determine just how much noise that would make.



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

There IS not lift anymore. The wood and rope have rotted to dust eons ago. Only the heavily rusted remains of the pulleys are left at this point. You are all standing on dusty stone floor. However, Cadfael's glove only illuminates to about 50' feet up, so there is no way to know what is above that point.



From: Scott

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

OOC: So. . . when Cadfael says to Mission, "Stay with me or Promise dies," does that overrule his, "If anyone walks on the path with me, we all die," comment?

Mission is going to assume so.

:)

They are surronded by silence, mostly, except for every now and then Sa'id whispers something. Mission feels an ache in his legs-- an ache to run, to hurry along, to find his son and leave this place.

This isn't a mountain of stone. Kor Garesh's mountain is solid shadow, antithetical to stone.

He throws a glance at Cadfael. The priest had made good on his word so far. Here they were, within the mountain, making good progress toward--

And then, a shaft that climbs upward. A stop. An end to the path.

Mission feels a clutch of panic in his throat, but wills it down. He'll help Rennick scout around for a door or any way up.

OOC_2: Ty, do the pulleys look like they've been tossed down the shaft? Are there ropes that have been cut recently? Or at any time in the past?



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

OODM: There is no rope. The pulleys look ancient. It is a good guess that they fell down the shaft when the rope rotted, who knows how many centuries ago. The dust in the shaft was undisturbed till you guys got there. No one has been through here in a very long time.

IDM: Mission takes a moment to search the walls with Rennik, but his conclusion is the same. The walls are as flat as cut stone can possibly be. He admires the workmanship of those who built this place, even as he is furious that their skill is stopping him from progressing.

Neither he nor Rennik find any secret passages or other hidden doors in the shaft.



From: Ty

Subject: karl's mail getting bounced

Mike, I think that karl's USA email address is getting bounced. Do you use his inovant email address in the game list? I wonder if he is getting any of these emails.



From: Mike

Subject: Re: karl's mail getting bounced

I have both the inovant and usa email addresses in the forwarding list. Should I take one of them out?



From: Mike

Subject: Re: karl's mail getting bounced

Ah, I see. Karl, you've reached the storage limit on your usa.net account. Until further notice, I am taking that account out of the forwarding list. You will still receive game emails at the inovant address.



From: Mike

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Garyth looks at Cadfael expectantly. Surely the priest wouldn't have brought them in this way only to find a dead end.

"What now, Cadfael?" he asks.



From: Karl

Subject: Re: karl's mail getting bounced

Sorry, this has been fixed. I really need to teach Chris how to turn a 5MB .bmp into a 25k .jpg sometime. Please put the usa.net address back in. Sorry for all the bounces.



From: Mike

Subject: Re: karl's mail getting bounced

Done.



From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Sa'id finds a certain grotesque comfort in the preparation room. Seeing such familiar sights so far from home brings him a measure of calm. The elevator, however, is a frustrating sight. He can't help but shoot an angry glance at the priest for leading them to what looks to be a dead end. Of course, he has been quick to attack Cadfael before, and not always rightly so.

So he waits, idly curious to see what the priest will do.



From: Matt

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Rennik looks toward Sa'id.

"Might there be anything in that preparation room that could help us? Perhaps some key written on a wall telling us another way up besides the elevator?"

Sa'id Saw Nothing

From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

"That's a good question, but I'm honestly not sure. I didn't notice any such thing when we were in the room, but I might have missed it."

Cadfael Is No Help

From: Ty

Subject: ping



From: Karl

Subject: Re: ping

Pong

--sorry, EXTREMELY busy lately with work and a probable move to PA. Farron is basically waiting for Cadfael to show them what to do next.



From: Dan

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Garyth looks at Cadfael expectantly. Surely the priest wouldn't have brought them in this way only to find a dead end. "What now, Cadfael?" he asks.

Sa'id and Farron stand by, waiting for Cadfael. Mission and Rennik search about the room in silence.

Time passes.

Silence.

Cadfael stands waiting, eyes ahead. Slowly, his eyes drift upward until he is craning his neck to look up the hole. Nothing. He holds the glove aloft and closes his eyes. Nothing. Mutters something. Nothing. Jumps. Nothing.

Startled, he looks around the room, accusingly at his glove and then again skyward.



From: Mike

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

OOC: Well, alrighty then. Anyone have any bright ideas? Any magic we could make use of? I think I recall that Mission has some pitons, though I don't know how many. Do we have a grappling hook? Throwing a hook without a target sounds like a bad idea, but it's better than being stuck, I guess. Otherwise I think we're stuck with looking around for either a secret door/switch or another passage.



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Just as a note, Cadfael's glowing glove hasn't illuminated farther than about 50' up the shaft.



From: Mike

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Anybody have Dancing Lights memorized?

Still Stuck

From: Karl

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Farron, seeing Cadfael's obvious confusion, steps toward the hole and looks up into it. (OOC - He wants to see if the sides of the hole are too smooth to gain purchase or if perhaps the sides are rough enough that maybe Jack could do some scouting up the hole. If it looks promising, he will have Jack scurry up the hole and report back on anything useful. /ooc).



From: Karl

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

No, and anticipating a big battle today, Farron didn't leave any open slots, either.



From: Scott

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

OOC: Can this be what Slash means when he says we're near the end? Stuck in a hole? Kinda anti-climatic. . . We just wait here until midnight, until the world ends. . . :)

Mission swallows his frustration, and refuses to look at Cadfael. "Right," he says, unslinging his pack. He removes the pitons and mallet he bought from Gully. "I need rope."



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Even Jack would have a tough time climbing these walls. They are as smooth as cut stone can be.

You could throw him. :)



From: Karl

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Seeing that the walls are far too smooth for even a creature as small as Jack to climb, Farron quietly returns to his spot nearby and says nothing. After a minute or two he will circle the area looking carefully for anything that might look like a sign or a door or any feature at all in the room, aside from the hole, the rusty pully, and the dust.



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

[search roll]

Farron examines the room carefully, moving from wall to wall and running his fingertips lightly over every surface.

In the end, he is forced to admit that the room is exactly what it looks like, an ancient and unused man-lift shaft, the lift itself nothing but dust on the floor.

It doesn't look like anyone has used this shaft in centuries.



From: Mike

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Does Garyth still have his rope, or did it get left behind climbing down into the sewer?



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

He still has it.



From: Matt

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

OOC: See, now's about the time for someone to cast Magic Missile on the darkness. ;)

Rennik, staring up into the blackness, cocks an eyebrow with an idea.

"I could try firing an arrow up there. If we wrapped the tip in cloth and lit it, we could get a better idea of how the tunnel looks."

He will go about arranging the arrow for such a shot.

Rennik Shows The Way

From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Anyone going to argue with Rennik? If not, I will write up the next turn.



From: Mike

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

OOC: No argument here.



From: Scott

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

No argument from Mission.



From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Sa'id is skeptical, but doesn't see any immediate alternatives other than going back to the preparation room. He doesn't think Cadfael would be willing to backtrack, though. So he simply remains silent as Rennik prepares his arrow, peering up into the gloom.



From: Dan

Subject: Re: The Mountain; One last night of peace

Cadfael is holding a glove about his head and jumping up and down. Is he arguing? I think not.



From: Ty

Subject: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

Rennik looks around for disagreement, and seeing only Sa'id's skeptical frown, decides there isn't any worth worrying about. He sits down on the stone floor, and carefully wraps a small bit of cloth around one of his arrows. A drop of oil and the makeshift torch is complete. Garyth is already using his dagger and a bit of flint to start some tinder burning.

Standing up, he aims straight up the shaft, and says, "light me." Garyth touches the arrow to flame, and Rennik fires it. In an instant it slams into the ceiling of the shaft, breaking into pieces and throwing a shower of sparks down on the party below. The ceiling is only 80 or so feet above the floor, and was a mere 20 feet past the illumination of Cadfael's glove. In the split second of light, it is possible to see the hallway continue on in the opposite direction of the hall you entered through. The entrance to that hall is just a flat shelf 80' off the ground. Imbedded in the ceiling of the shaft is a very large metal ring, though its color shows it to be heavily rusted.

And then it goes dark again.



From: Matt

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

"Hmm. I wonder what the odds of throwing a weighted end of rope through that ring might be... or tying a rope to an arrow and firing through," Rennik muses. "Either way, it's a damn slim chance."

He stops to consider a moment.

"If we *do* get a rope through, I'd suggest I climb up first without my gear. I'm the lightest, and the ring looked as old as these gears down here. If I can get up and tie the rope off somewhere else, maybe the rest of you can use it to reach that hallway."



From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

When the sky doesn't fall, Sa'id breathes a sigh of relief. "I'm not sure how long it would take to get something through that ring," Sa'id says. "It's a blind shot unless we shoot Cadfael's glove over the lip of the tunnel at the top... but maybe Mission's climbing efforts will pay off."

Farron's Plan

From: Scott

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

OOC: Slash, did the opening we saw stretch across the whole side of the wall? I'm thinking of hammering pitons in one corner of the shaft, then climbing up them like a ladder, but if the opening isn't near one of the corners, I don't know that this would work. . .

Mission only has ten pitons, and the opening is 80 feet up. If he fully extends his arms and hammers a piton in, how high would that place the piton, Slash? Does Mission think that he could pull himself up the wall this way?

**

Mission sees the opening, 80 feet above them, and the metal ring adacent to it. He feels a shiver of hope.

"Garyth, we'll need to tie our ropes together."

How to get up there? Mission considers as he unpacks his pitons and rope.

Mission will re-inspect his rope. How confident is he that it will hold at least Rennick's weight?



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

Yes, the hallways have all been ten feet wide, so it does stretch the whole width of the shaft. Mission has a reach of over 8 feet, but standing on a piton while hammering another would be extremely problematic. Especially considering the fact that the walls are all cut granite, making driving a piton into them hard work, though not impossible.



From: Karl

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

"I've been wanting to save my spells battle," Farron interjects quietly, though is voice sounds louder than he intended in the quiet of the tunnel. "But if there is no other way, I can conjure a beast with flight to carry a rope up and hopefully through the pully. Or it might be possible to have it carry one of us up to tie a rope off."

(OOC - Ty, could my hippogriff fly up the shaft? Is there room? If so how many trips could it make up and back before the spell is spent? Farron also could use a dire bat or owl to carry the rope. Could an elemental carry a person? Could it tie off a rope if there were a convenient place found/ooc))



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

A Hippogriff would have a very hard time flying in this shaft. However, one of the smaller creatures such as an owl or dire bat wouldn't have as much trouble. They couldn't tie the rope, but they could drop it into the ring if it was weighted on one end.



From: Karl

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

OOC - Could an air elemental tie it off? Could an air elemental carry rennik or anyone else? Could an earth elemental conjured from the granite pull a knotted end of the rope into the granite itself at the top of the shaft to secure it? If he conjured a huge dire centipede would it be able to stretch the entire length of the shaft and still leave room for mission (or someone) to scurry up its back? Farron is pondering all the possibilities.

Farron would be worried about wasting a spell. He'd hate to have an owl drop the rope through the ring only to have the ring crumble under someone's weight. Is there a ring at the bottom they can compare to guess the likely strength of the one at the top? /ooc



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

Yes, and earth elemental could glide through the granite up to the top of the shaft, and either tie the rope to the ring, or pull one end of the rope into the earth itself. It could even hold the rope for you.

Which is actually a fairly brilliant solution to this problem. :)



From: Karl

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

After some more thought, Farron's face suddenly looks brighter than it has in days. "An elemental creature conjured from the granite itself could carry one end of the rope to the top of the tunnel. I could command it to pull a knotted end into the granite itself and hold it there while we climb. You may have to cut the rope free, though, if the spell ends before I command it to release the rope. What do you think?" Farron reaches into an inner pocket of his robes and pulls out a tiny bag and a small stub of candle. "I'm ready, if this is what we decide is best."



From: Scott

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

Mission looks startled for a moment to hear the mage speak. He nods at Farron, swallowing his distaste for magery.

Promise was so close. . . The faster that they got to him, the better.



From: Mike

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

Garyth nods at Farron's suggestion. "Thank you," he says, putting a hand on the mage's shoulder. He unslings his pack, digs out his rope, and sets about joining it with Mission's rope.



From: Matt

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

Rennik is suspicious and uneasy, but nods consent to that course of action.

In the Waiting Room

From: Karl

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

With the group's consent, Farron moves directly beneath the shaft. He takes Garyth's rope, ties a large knot in one end and drapes it over his shoulder. He extends both arms in front of himself, one hand holding the candle stub and the other holding the tiny bag above it. Garyth makes a move to offer his fire to light the candle, but Farron brushes him back with a terse "not necessary". Eyes closed, he utters an arcane command and moves the candle stub below the bag in a small circle. To anyone looking, the tiny bag seems to inflate slightly, a faint glow emanating from within. Farron then opens his eyes and looks up. Just over his head, from the smooth granite seems to sprout what could be two roughly hewn hands and arms which immediately push back agains the wall of the shaft, followed by a roughly roundish head with a rocky face.

Farron entends one end of Garyth's rope and commands the elemental to carry it to the top of the shaft and bury the knotted end into the granite floor of the shelf a couple of feet back from the edge. The elemental seems to nod and take hold of the knotted end, disappearing into the shaft except for the hand holding the rope which all can see glide up the shaft as soundlessly as a shark fin moving through water until it disappears in the darkness.



From: Scott

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

Mission will scramble up the rope. At the lip of the opening, he'll pause and peek out to see if there are any guards.



From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Up yer shaft

Sa'id watches, insanely jealous of Farron's access to the conjuration school.



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Five hours...

Moments after the elemental has buried the extended rope in the hallway floor, Mission has joined it at the top. The upper hall looks much as he expected, just a continuation of the lower hall, albeit eighty feet up.

With Cadfael's glowing glove, he is able to see about forty feet down the hall to the door that marks its end. There are no guards in sight.

With no obvious dangers in view, Mission whistles down to the group, who quickly (or in cadfael's case, slowly) follow him up the rope.

As soon as they reach the top, both wizards begin to wince. Farron, who was already complaining of a headache, now clutches his head in both hands. Sa'id says to the rest of the group, "Very strong magic here. Oppressive and black. It is difficult to concentrate." He and Farron exchange a dark look. It will not be easy to cast spells now.

Garyth looks concerned and asks, "Will you be able to go on?" Farron just smiles and says, "What, quit now and miss the dark god's temple?" Cadfael snorts and stomps off down the hallway, snatching his glove from Mission as he passes.

The door is similar to those in the burial room. Large, gold plated, and featuring the sun of Pelor. It also does not have a lock or latch. Cadfael pulls it open and steps into the chamber beyond.

On the other side is another ten by ten room. This one has no obvious doors, but does have a ladder on one wall going up into a three by three shaft. Cadfael walks over to on wall and touches in gently. With surprising lucidity he says, "There is a secret door here. On the other side of it sits the Sun Room, the most holy chamber in the temple of Pelor. And, I suspect, the room defiled now by the black pillar of Kor Garesh. I must pass through this door at noon to save the child, but none of you must follow." He turns back to the party, "But I will show you where you may observe."

He moves to the ladder and begins climbing up the smaller portal in the ceiling. After the party has followed him, they find themselves in what was once a private suite for viewing the various rituals performed in the temple. It is just a bare stone room of ten by ten feet filled with dust now, but one can almost picture the couches and tables that once sat here. In the wall facing the Sun Room, is a sheet of volcanic glass cut so smooth that it forms a window. Garyth starts to move over to it, but Rennik stops him. "Can they see through that from the other side?"

Cadfael shakes his head, "Your people wrought well and cunningly. From the other side, it looks like part of the wall. Kor Garesh's evil floods this place, seeping into every crack. But somehow, Pelor has kept the dark one from seeing this hidden bit of the temple."

Cadfael seems to lose whatever tentative grip he had on sanity, and he sits down on the floor, clutching his ring hand, and rocking back and forth mumbling. "So many pieces. A puzzle box built across the centuries. Just a piece; just a piece."

The rest of the group moves over to the window.

On the other side, and about twenty feet below, sits the Sun Room of Pelor. It is a large chamber, perhaps a hundred feet on a side. In the very center is the huge golden throne, the symbolic resting place of the Sun God. It sits on a raised platform of cut marble, with ten steps on each side. All around the platform are golden braziers, though none are lit. The ceiling of the chamber is one enormous piece of volcanic glass. A faint reddish glow filters in through it. Garyth says, "The light of the rising sun. I would guess that at noon, the chamber is flooded with light. There must be a shaft cut into the mountain above to let the light in."

Also in the room is the black pillar. It stands, looking entirely out of place, about ten feet to one side of the raised platform. It is at least twenty feet high, its top reaching nearly to the glass ceiling. And it is at least ten feet across. It looks like it is formed of blackest obsidian, but the light from above seems to filter through it, very dimly illuminating some even blacker thing frozen inside. Whatever it is, it is very large. The pillar is perfectly smooth, except for one spot. On one side, a slab of the pillar has broken off and lies on the floor. The slab is about five feet long. The rounded side is down, and the top of the slab is flat. It looks uncomfortably like an altar. Where the slab had broken from the pillar, there is a crack running deeper into the pillar itself. From this crack, a sickly red light shines out, throwing a beam onto the flat surface of the altar. Where the light touches the altar, raised lettering can be seen. "The source of the rubbings?" Sa'id says. It seems likely.

Whoever would make such rubbings though would have to enter that red light. Just the idea is enough to make one shudder. No one could pass through that light and keep their soul intact. Even just looking at it makes a person feel unclean.

Scattered around the room are a few undead creatures and halfings, looking very much like guards. The window is on the west wall of the room, and there is only one visible door, that being on the south wall. Elise and Anileth are not in sight.

[Ok. Check in please. At this point, Cadfael is just waiting for noon. Anything anyone else wants to do, just let me know. There are about five hours to go at this point.]



From: Scott

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Five hours...

OOC: How thick is the observation window? Does

Mission think he could break it if need be?

Was Mission able to tell where the secret door to the inner chaber was?

Scarlet light in stone. A mockery of Blood and Stone.

Mission draws a deep, shaking breath. Flesh be Stone. Blood be Stone.

He can't take his eyes from the altar and the black obscenity in the center of the other room. It was the opposite of Mossground. The opposite of everything that was dear to him.

It was like looking at his sin with Penance all over again.

But this time. . . this time, he would Redeem himself. This time, he would not be weak.

Come the reckoning, he would prove both Blood and Stone against Sand and Shadow.



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Five hours...

The observation window looks very thick. Several inches at least. Mission does not think it would be easy to break.

The secret door is quite invisible, though Cadfael claims to know where it is and how to open it.



From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Five hours...

"Observe?" Sa'id is skeptical. "Once Cadfael has Promise..." he pauses, and turns to look at the priest. "You and Mission may have some vendetta, but you will NOT indulge it until Promise is safe. If the two of you fall to fighting, we take the child and leave you behind."

As though he didn't even say that last part, he continues: "Once Cadfael has Promise, we'll almost certainly be discovered. We have to slow down whatever forces come after us so that Promise can be seen to safety."

Again he looks at Cadfael. "Your protection will not be extended to us once you leave at noon. Won't we simply be found out then and there? If we can't enter the room, and we can't be seen from here, we'll have a difficult time creating any sort of meaningful diversion." He sighs. "Pelor, curse your name, you are not making things easy on us; yet here we are doing your work."



From: Mike

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Five hours...

"Once Cadfael has Promise, we'll almost certainly be discovered. We have to slow down whatever forces come after us so that Promise can be seen to safety."

Garyth thinks over Raja's words. They didn't have much of an exit strategy, not that it mattered; there was only one way out of the mountain for them anyway. If they got extremely lucky, the guards around the main entrance would rush inside once an alarm was raised, but it seems too much to hope.

Possibilities for a retreat start coming to mind as Sa'id speaks again, this time questioning the priest. Garyth finds himself nodding. "And how do you plan to get by those guards when the time comes, not to mention Elise and Anileth?" he adds. "Or will Pelor shield you from their eyes as well?"



From: Mike

Subject: Re: The Mountain; Five hours...

> Garyth thinks over Raja's words.

OOC: Heh, oops. Oh well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.