Scatter the Pieces [IC]

[Eleanor_Rigby]

Magdi plucked the stone she deemed to be the flatest from Jory and then inspected it, turning it round on its edge slowly.
"A long time ago, before I lived in Sunpeak, I used to live right by a river," she mused, "Nobody ever mentioned to me about the stones being lucky, if they had I'd have taken one with me all the time, and kept one for my Mum to take too."
She could have used it in her last few years. She'd been notoriously poorly balanced, but mostly still sharp.
She tossed the stone in the air once to keep her head in the present and caught it.
"We don't know how exciting it will be yet," she added as an afterthought, "One of the most exciting things that happened on our way here was when Sam fell down: all the lights had gone away in that bit of the tunnel and then it just stopped. I couldn't see anything when I got there and Eztra's lantern went out and everything."
She didn't mention poor Nohar.

[PollyOliver]

Sorra takes the boy's offering.

"Thank you, Jorry," she says. She tucks the stone into a pocket, careful not to mix it up with the other rocks she uses in her sling. Then she turns to the others. "Let's get moving."

[Starwulf]

"Thank you, young un-bearded one, your thoughtfulness and caring is appreciated. Please, when we leave, be very careful, we don't want anything to happen to you" with that said, Samuel pocketed the stone, then glanced towards the others "Shall we continue on in our search? Hopefully it will lead us to the reason the librarian burned that book." With a final glance backwards at the young Dwarf, Samuel walked out of the room and down the tunnel towards the unknown.

[PollyOliver]

Sorra follows Sam back out into the hallway, drawing her sickle from her belt.

[SPoD]

Eztra looked at the boy and tried her best "adult" tone: "Now, once we've left, you should close this door and not let anyone else in. When we come back, we'll knock five times and say the word, 'applesauce.' That's how you'll know it's us, OK?" She smiled at the boy and waved, then followed Sorra out of the room.

[Ajadea]

Jory's eyes widen at the formal farewell Samuel gives him. When Eztra speaks, he nods. "Applesauce. Right," he says. He scrunches up his round face in thought for a moment, then picks up a piece of pinkish chalk and slowly scrawls the word Applesauce on to the wall in the clumsy hand of a child. Then he makes five swift tally marks, a short burst of scratchy stacatto. "I hafta get food, sometime. Haven't eaten since last night," It's not really a whining tone so much as an acknowledgement mixed with a small plea. "But I'll be safe. Don't worry about me."

[Eleanor_Rigby]

Magdi lingered for a little while, clutching the river stone in her fist.
She wanted to understand what had happened too, but Nohar Casli, "the librarian" was beyond her help now, and Jory was right here and potentially vulnerable.
"Alright then, Jory," she said with a slight catch in her throat, "You be super-extra careful then and remember: there's no shame in hiding, ok?"
She took a few tentative steps towards the others before wheeling around.
"Thanks for this, by the way," she added, holding the rock aloft, "I'll keep it right by me." and she put it in a pocket in her cloak, her fingers still laced tightly round it.

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As for food, Magdi's already given him what she had but Sorra might turn round to give him something from the sack possibly - so that he doesn't leave while they're out?

[PollyOliver]

Sorra stops partway into the hall and digs into her sack again, pulling out another bit of stale bread. It isn't much, but it's something.

"Jorry," she calls, and when he is looking tosses it underhand back to him.

[Ajadea]

Jory catches the bread and takes a look, then bites in to it eagerly. "Dank oo! Goo ruk!" he says through a mouthful of the bread. He waves you goodbye, an when all of you leave, he shuts the door carefully. You can hear it click behind you-presumably, he's locked it.

100 XP for what I consider a wonderful handling of the situation.

[SPoD]

Eztra exhaled slowly. "I guess we're headed this way, right, Sorra?" she asked, pointing down the hallway in the opposite direction from whence they came. She readied herself to follow the other girl.

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Hooray, XP!

[PollyOliver]

Sorra nods resolutely, eyes trained on the hall in front of them. She grips her sickle tightly, hoping Jorry will be safe until they get back, though her mind won't let her fully understand the alternative, instead turning back to the practicalities of the task at hand. She looks around to make sure everyone is ready, and then falls into line behind Samuel and his light.

[Eleanor_Rigby]

"OK, let's find what we can find as quick as poss. so we can get back to Jory," Magdi urged in a slightly growlier voice than she'd meant to.
"Then once we've found some clues or what have you, perhaps one or more of us can have a look for Kisa. If Jory managed to hide out somewhere, perhaps his friends did too..."
She strode forwards to see if there was room to walk in line with Samuel. She didn't like leaving the boy behind like this, locked away though he was. The last time she'd left someone behind they'd been dead and buried by the time she came back. That shouldn't happen again.

[Starwulf]

Samuel looks around, noticing everyone looking expectantly at him, wondering why, then he nearly jumps with the realization that they are waiting on him to lead them because he has the main light source right now with his ring. Looking down the corridor nervously, he whispers a silent prayer to Azlehm to keep him safe, squares his shoulders, then sets off down the dark corridor towards the unknown, only sparing a quick glance behind him at the others "Well, onwards we travel, into the dark. I pray that we find something useful to point us towards our next goal!"

[Ajadea]

Saying you walk 'straight' into anything would be a horrible lie at this point. The narrow passageways twist and turn, go up and down steep ramps and rusty ladders, pass gaping hole after gaping hole in the masonry walls where there used to be more tunnels. There are a lot of holes. Holes in the walls, holes in the ceiling, tiny holes in the floor that even Magdi couldn't fall through.

Logically, this would have happened sooner or later. In this case, it seems to be sooner, as you have been walking for less than half an hour.

Logic doesn't make you feel any better about the ten foot long stretch ahead where there is a distinct lack of floor. And wall, to your right. To your left, there is a somewhat untrustworthy-looking wall carved with runes, and about half of the ceiling on the left side is also remaining. The carvings run at least three inches deep into the walls, rounded flowing script that almost resembles Elvish. Almost being the key word.

There is a bit of floor remaining still, admittedly. It sticks out from the left wall, patches of mosaic-covered floor of the sort that the scholars would spend hours hunched over and the tourists would gawk at for a minute before promptly moving on to something else. Bits of red and white glass here, a black claw shape there...it is still impossible to tell what was there, but it was no amateur's work.

Listen check, please.

[PollyOliver]

Sorra stares down into the yawning gap in the floor, trying not to let frustration overcome her as her eyes wander across the ruined artwork.

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(1d20+3)[21]

[Starwulf]

Samuel stares at the gaping hole in frustration, wondering what exactly they were supposed to do now. Standing there, however, the carvings on the wall look vaguely familiar in their shape.

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Listen check: (1d20-1)[17]

[SPoD]

Eztra looked at the wall, and at the ledge, and remembered how much trouble they had getting up a set of stairs. She sighed.

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Listen: (1d20+3)[7]

[Eleanor_Rigby]

Magdi gazed blankly at the broken mosaic, wondering if she'd seen it back when it was in its full splendor.

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listen check: (1d20+2)[16]

[Ajadea]

Magdi, Samuel, Sorra

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There is a sound, behind the wall...

Sorra

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It sounds almost squishy, almost like a soft and sticky thing.

[PollyOliver]

"There's something back there," Sorra whispers, pointing at the wall. She glances back at the others. "It sounds...sticky."

[Eleanor_Rigby]

Magdi wrinkled her nose. "...Sticky?"

She raised herself up on tippytoes craning her neck trying to see what on earth it could be.

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spot check (1d20+2)[11]

[SPoD]

"Really?" said Eztra, "I don't hear anything." She leaned forward and tapped on the runed wall three times, trying to determine how thick it was.

[Starwulf]

Yes, I heard something as well. I am not sure what it was, but there was definitely a sound. We need to be careful as we go on, assuming we can traverse this pit. Does anyone have any ideas on how we can do so? I was thinking that at the least, I could target a loose rock or something on the other side with my light spell so we can at least see a bit better over there. I'd toss my signet ring, but It has special value to me, and I don't want to risk losing it. as he finished, Samuel looked around at his friends, hoping they would have a good idea on how to traverse the pit.

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Search Check to see if there is anything we are missing that may help us get across: (1d20+2)[5]

[Ajadea]

Eztra

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It feels solid enough, and should be at least one foot thick. It's a bit too echoey though....

Magdi

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Nothing of note that you see...

[Eleanor_Rigby]

"I don't know what to do" Magdi muttered in neutral tones "I ought to be able to see but my eyes are old...". she snuffled, turned about slowly and squinted at the lettering on the wall. Like elven lettering but not elven lettering, she observed.

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Decipher script check on the lettering, if I'm allowed, if not please ignore this roll: (1d20+4)[8]

[SPoD]

Eztra begins examining the wall more closely. "I think there may be something behind here," she explains, "Like one of those, you know, secret doors? Or something? Maybe we don't have to cross on that narrow little bit of floor."

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Crappy Search check: (1d20+2)[10]

[PollyOliver]

Sorra joins Eztra and examines the wall intently, looking for any sort of seam or mechanism and listening for the odd squishy sound as she does.

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Also searching (1d20+5)[20]

[Ajadea]

Sorra

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There is a seam, though at first it seemed to be only part of the carvings near you. Your hands find two small holes in the fourth incomprehensible character, each about as wide as a small carrot. They may be a way to open the hidden door, but from here you can barely scrape their edges. You'd need a couple inches more reach to do anything with those holes, unless you feel like standing on the remains of the floor.

Magdi

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The angle is horrible for reading anything at and your brain is more concentrated on Jory than swirls of elven-ish writing. It is incomprehensible to you.

[PollyOliver]

"There's something here," Sorra calls, trying not to lean over the yawning gap as she inspects the wall. "There's a seam. And two holes, but I can't quite reach them. Sam, do you think your arms are long enough?"

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Are they? He's got four inches of height on Sorra, but the difference in reach is probably a little smaller.

[Starwulf]

Samuel steps up to where Sorra is standing, then looks to where she's pointing at. Spying the seams and two holes she's indicated, he reaches up and grasps them, and attempts to first push, and then pull outward on them, trying to figure out which way the door opens.