Darkworld IC

[harmonictempest]

Arlen

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Earlier: Arlen will assure the chief that the teeth are safe to handle, and while the smoke should not be very dangerous to Walkers, they should perhaps take care not to touch the incense itself, just in case (which should not be hard, as they'll be puring it from a jar into a pot with embers).

In the middle of his musings to Elva, Arlen abruptly finds himself with a cup of drink that he didn't remember procuring. Then again in his current frame of mind, he wasn't about to consider that strange. Sipping it without hesitation, he doesn't notice Elva or Kraalkar leaving the room. Instead, his gaze lights on the Walker females, who have begun a lilting chant. Fascinated by their singing, he gravitates unsteadily toward them. As grave and calm as ever, despite the sway and slur he'd acquired, he proceeds to join in their chant as best he can, enjoying himself immensely.

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'nother Fort save, though I think it's more for an RP guide than for mechanical effects. Cup #3: (1d20+4)[21]

Perform(singing): (1d20-1)[19]

[GeekLord]

Kraalkar

The large Walker's sudden movement startles Kraalkar. He fumbles the cup as the chief grabs his arm and hauls him to his feet. Despite his limited drinking, the room whirls sickeningly then settles...then heaves suddenly as he lurches forward in the grip of the chief. I didn't expect a response as sudden as this... He glances around for Arlen and Elva and promptly stumbles over a prone figure. The large Walker doesn't slow down and Kraalkar focuses his attention to staying on his feet as they move through the crowded cave.

[Zed's Dead]

Arlen:

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Earlier: He thanks you. His eye reveals a genuine and deep respect and gratitude. <We will pour the smoke into their eyes! The witches not steal our sons and daughters! WE KILL! WE KILL ALL WITCHES! BURN ALIVE! BURN INTESTINES! SLAUGHTER LIKE TAME DEER!> His excitement is contagious. The tribe feels it has hope--a luxury they could not afford until now. Arlen, Kraalkar, Elva, and Daar are now true heroes of the people.

Kraalkar and Elva:

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The chieftan drags Kraalkar to the chamber where you fought Fenris, sweeps aside some dirt and shows you the rune. <There! There! That is thing you seek! There!>
He looks down at you expectantly.

[Zed's Dead]

Arlen:

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The room is spinning, and you realize that the Walkers are having quite a fun time watching you try to chant with them. It's good natured laughter--nothing malicious. One female even seems to be singing to you.

The young men are into their cups as deeply as the women, and they begin a chant of their own that drowns out the first. It is a deep, sonorous chant, which turns gruff and blustery and then reverts again. A male rolls out a gigantic skin drum and begins to beat upon it with a wooden mallet. The sound it produces is a deep thump which you can feel in your chest.

The males' dancing is quite formal at first. They walk in a ring around the fire, stirring up dust with a shuffle-step in time to the beat. Each claps a hand on the shoulder of the man he follows, in much the same style as the shoulder-clap greeting you saw before. At some unheard signal, the walk and the chant picks up speed, and in a few more revolutions, they are dancing wildly to the beat of the drum, falling down only to scramble back up again, jumping up onto each other's backs, howling and hooting, and even wrestling in the dust. The drum is wild, and there are two mallets now, thudding in a polyrhythm you've never heard before--probably the drummer's signature beat.

At the height of the dance, many of the young women who were chanting so beautifully earlier leap into the heart of the dance. They hold their own, pushing and leaping and elbowing along with the men. Then the rhythm changes again, and the Walkers are not quite dancing anymore. There is more of a purpose behind it. It is as if they have found a common need and a way to fulfill it.

The older Walkers are calling out, urging their children and younger siblings on.

Colga! Colga! COLGA!

You realize that this has turned into some kind of wild mating ritual. A few of the walker woman, especially the one who chanted to you earlier, try to make eye contact with you.

[harmonictempest]

Arlen

Swaying as he sings, Arlen gazes with studied interest as the men begin dancing, unconsciously moving his feet to the rhythm. Rather, he is unconscious of his feet trying to move to the rhythm, until he nearly trips on one. Just as he thinks he may have the rhythm down, it changes again as the women enter the dance. Thinking at first that he's mistaken due to the fuzziness of his head, Arlen looks closer. When he figures out what he seeing, and who exactly is casting meaningful glances his way, it is like cold water to the face. Uh Oh. Thiss is not good, all bad. Badbad. A quick glance reveals only that Elva and Kraalkar have already made discreet exits. Blinking rapidly, he does manage to realize that he has only a moment before the very tall, if not unattractive ((thank you, alcohol)) young lady either takes matters into her own hands, or takes offense at the rejection.

Fortunately, he does stumble then, falling backwards over a log. As he does so, he thinks Sul. Now! as firmly as he can from the floor, with an urgency he usually reserves for the heat of battle. Sul rapidly appears, just as he makes it to his feet. Looking at her with a quizzical expression that does not match his tone, he says Fly to the central chamber now - I will follow you. As she flies off, he makes an elaborate show of frustration and follows her, ignoring any other glances he may be receiving. As he catches up with Sul in the passageway outside, he allows her back on his wrist and strokes her, apologizing for the strangeness of the situation.

Arlen follows the passage to the main chamber, in control of his mind now, if not entirely his body. As much as he tries to control it, he weaves again slightly as he stops next to Elva, Kraalkar, and the chief. At this point, Arlen is so thoroughly embarassed that he resorts to humor, saying dryly You two left just as the real celebration was starting - I think a few of the girls were disappointed you left before they could "dance" with you, Kraalkar.

[Zed's Dead]

Daar stays behind in the chamber, drinking her fill.

[GeekLord]

Kraalkar

The cold air of the tunnel and the chamber helps clear Kraalkar's head, and he moves across the cave with his usual assurance. The chief brushes aside debris to reveal the rune, and Kraalkar crouches to take a closer look. <It is the sign!> He glances up as Elva enters the room and motions her over. "What can you tell about this?"

After a few moments, Kraalkar stands, then looks up at the Walker and smiles. <That which we seek is near! But what do you know about this mark? How came it to be in your caves? And what lies beyond this tunnel?> His questions are interrupted by Arlen's entrance. Kraalkar takes in the elf's somewhat disheveled appearance, and hides a grin.

I think a few of the girls were disappointed you left before they could "dance" with you, Kraalkar.

He can't hide his laughter at that. "That's one dance I think I'm glad I missed. Although, you seem to have come out intact. And given the size of those girls, I'm not sure the same can be said for all of their dance partners."

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(1d20+1)[14] Search check to examine the mark, trying to tell when and how it was carved into the floor
(1d20+15)[33] Diplomacy check to find out what the chief knows about the mark

[Zed's Dead]

The chieftan shrugs.

<We found marks when I was boy. When we start live here. I no know how it got here.>

The sounds of the party seem to distract Tor. He heads off to the main chamber.

[harmonictempest]

Arlen

Head still fuzzy, Arlen brings it to bear like a protesting and stubborn mule. Well, shall we investigate? I doubt we need security if most of the Walkers' heads are as cloudy as mine, but if Elva would like it...hmm. After a beat longer than usual, he tentatively says Perhaps Kraalkar could stand outside to head off the chief with another well-timed bluff. Grunting, he asks, Does anyone have a different plan they would prefer?

[Tura]

Elva

Elva stands, not exactly straight, and looks down at the rune with wide eyes. Then she looks at the others for a while, and finally says:
"Grrrrrreat idea. I'll go in and...."
At this point she stops, takes out a flask from her pack after some fumbling, drinks a bit of water and empties the rest over her head. She wipes her face and blinks.

"My, that was very refreshing. Now, what was I saying? Oh yes, I'll go in, and I'm not asking anyone to come, but come if you like. But I'll tell you, there's something very odd about this tunnel, the ground is... odd."
She takes a few steps in, looking down and mumbling "odd" over and over again, then stops and stares at the darkness in front of her. Time to focus, now. "Gray, with me." she calls, and she sounds a bit more sober than before. Looking inside, Elva hums something that sounds like a chant. She leaves the torch behind, and picks up a pebble. "Better to shed some reliable light in there." she says and the pebble suddenly glows.

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Cast Detect Snares and Pits and Light.
Cold water is reportedly a good way to sober up, but here are concentration checks if needed:
(1d20+10)[29]
(1d20+10)[12]
Also, spot the tunnel: (1d20+9)[10]
Listen to the tunnel: (1d20+8)[24]

[Zed's Dead]

Elva:

Your spell finds no traps. You know the spell was successful because you momentarily feel the presence of the spirits, empowering your senses with supernatural acuity, but you realize you were barely able to make the correct incantations. The cold water dripping from your hair and nose was just enough to help you clear your head.

The pebble glows brightly, revealing a roughly 6'x4' passageway that has been rough-hewn out of the living rock. The air seems more humid as you take a few hesitant steps down the passageway. You hear the sound of water dripping into a puddle or pool.

All: Tor's haste and...body language give you the sense that he won't be back for quite some time--at least not willingly.

[harmonictempest]

Arlen

Gods, this is a fiasco - if the blind leading the blind is a poor idea, how much more so the inebriated leading the intoxicated? Arlen can feel the latent energy of the spells within his mind, but even their shape seems strange, and he knows it would be a poor idea to attempt to complete any of them now. Sitting down for a moment, he realizes he will be almost instantly asleep if he does, and struggles back to his feet. Nip me ifff I do anything stupid. Hard. he says to Sul. Blearily hoping he may remember something of use, he stumbles after Elva.

[GeekLord]

Kraalkar

Kraalkar looks at his companions and shakes his head in bemusement as they stagger into the passage. This could be...interesting. He shakes his head again. "You'd better let me take the lead."

What do you gain from this? whispers the dry voice as Kraalkar steps toward the tunnel. Kraalkar frowns and pauses. Your destination is Stone. These savages will see you safely there if you choose. The voice is dispassionate as it repeats itself. What do you gain from this? Kraalkar's eyes narrow, and his jaw firms. It is the honorable thing to do, he replies. We talked about this already. The voice chuckles drily. "Honor"? And how does that benefit you, that it's worth delaying your makshima while you aid these two? Kraalkar frowns thoughtfully. He has the troubling sense that his answer to the snake's question will be significant. Light blooms in the passage and Kraalkar shakes his head, then ducks into the tunnel. "Let me go first while you, uh, figure out what dug this tunnel."

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(1d20)[10] Listen check
(1d20)[19] Spot check

Edit: Move to D6 on the map, then look around the corner using the above rolls.

[Zed's Dead]

The tight passage opens into a small chamber. It's nondescript, except that there are sconces at regular intervals in the chamber walls where torches once hung. The sconces are elaborately carved from the living rock of the cavern. Six of the ten sconces are broken or damaged. The air is heavy with moisture. Condensation clings to the walls. The floor is a muddy mix of the normal cave soil and a curious white deposit.

Kraalkar moves down the tunnel and peers around the corner.

Kraalkar:
You see a carved rock passageway which runs about twenty feet before opening into another chamber. There is a dim blue glow eminating from somewhere within. You can plainly hear water dripping in the next chamber. The air is so damp, you can taste the water vapor when you inhale.

[Tura]

Elva

Looking around in (unjustified) amazement, Elva seems to be lost in her thoughts. "I wonder who lived here before the Walkers" she mumbles and adds, for the tenth time, "odd" staring at the ground again. "Alan, what.. what do you make of this white... dust here?"

Struggling to gather her thoughts, she moves forward until Kraalkar blocks her way. "What's in there? Can I see? Can I pass?" she asks excitedly, though from time to time she seems to forget what she's doing there exactly.

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Knowledge (history) (1d20)[16] (buzzing penalty included): Who built this?
Moving to D5.
Also, do I need to roll something to keep Detect Snares and Pits going?
PS- Arlen became Alan on purpose.

[harmonictempest]

Arlen

Following Elva, Arlen pauses when she does. He acknowledges what she says with a small nod that he immediately regrets. After he's carefully held still for another moment, he looks down the hall at the blue light coming around the corner, and curious, begins to walk toward it. A moment later, he actually processes what she asked, and stops himself to look at the white mud on the floor, trying to remember if he's ever seen such a substance before.

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Knowledge (nature) is the appropriate one here, perhaps? (1d20+13)[16], accounting for the "tipsy" penalty. I can do Knowledge (arcana) if that's better.

And is the cave wall carved by man-made tools or some other force? Spot (1d20+16)[25] or Knowledge (architecture - untrained) (1d20+2)[4], whichever is more suited to the answer.

[Zed's Dead]

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Elva: This cave seems quite ancient. You're thinking several hundreds of years, if not thousands. There is actually no concentration check necessary.

Arlen: You have an idea the white matter is a kind of residue. If you take time to taste it or smell it, you realize that it is a kind of powder with a basic ph.

The cave itself is certainly not dwarven, elven, or...you think, human. It's been created by something or someone else.

[GeekLord]

Kraalkar

What's in there? Can I see? Can I pass?

Kraalkar grunts noncommittally as he peers down the passage. "There is a light of some kind ahead," he says, lowering his voice. "Do you see any signs of...recent passage in the chamber?" He frowns, thinking for a moment, then whispers a quiet word and concentrates.

Kraalkar tastes the moist air on his lips, grimacing slightly at the earthy tang. He moves down the passage and peers around the corner into the next chamber.

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(1d100)[41] 1-20 means the detect magic spell fizzles.
(1d20)[9] Spot check
(1d20)[12] Listen check

Standard action to cast the spell. Move action to move down the passage to the next room (20 feet away). Concentration on the spell as part of casting it this round.

[Zed's Dead]

Kraalkar:

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Sorry, I didn't see that you moved down the passage, Mr. BA barbarian. If I didn't put you in the right place in the new map, I'll move you. I'll do it with description:

The room is approximately 20 feet by 20 feet. It is lit with a blue glow which eminates from a carved stone pool in the South end of the chamber. The floor is actually wet and muddy. The air is misty.

If you look more closely at the pool, you can see there is a stone gargoyle which looks like it was a functioning fountain. In fact, the creature's mouth is dripping as you watch it.

The air is actually misty. You can feel it in your mouth and lungs.

Make a fortitude save.

[harmonictempest]

Arlen

Putting his finger to his lips, the elf frowns from where he crouches on the ground, and the familiar Arlen is visible again as he thinks. It's a residue of some kind, perhaps from something that was burnt. The head Walker...Tor, called this place "place of the gods" or something similar. If they offer sacrifice here, it may be dangerous. Kraalkar, be careful. He then stands up, still with a trace of clumsiness, and prepares to follow Kraalkar, combing his fuzzy thoughts for a memory of a similar blue light, or white residue.

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Educated guess: Knowledge (arcana) (1d20+14)[26] for something as science-y as a white residue with basic ph, but a check to think back on his travels and if he's encountered something like this light before, I have no clue. If it's a Wis check, modifier is +3. If Knowledge (nature), then +14. If Knowledge (geography), then +8. All of those are before the -1 "tipsy" penalty - you're welcome to roll it for me, as I'm not sure what to roll.

[GeekLord]

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(1d20+5)[25] Fortitude save

[Zed's Dead]

Kraalkar:

As you walk into the room, your armor and skin are literally dripping wet. It's cold, but not too unpleasant.

You find you must breathe a little more deeply in order to remain comfortable, as if you were walking up a steep hill. Inexplicably and involuntarily, your mind wanders. In your mind's eye, you catch a glimpse of a boy's face, which you recognize instantly--the boy you killed in your white-hot anger. He looks into your eyes. Hatred and fury burn there.

As quickly as it appeared, the image vanishes.


Arlen and Elva: You wait for Kraalkar to reappear. You hear him inhale sharply, then silence.

Arlen: You thought it might be ash, but you realize from the patterns of the white residue in the mud that it was more likely some kind of chemical residue--something that doesn't mix well with water, from the looks of it. You've never seen anything like it before. It is as if there were more water before than there is now. The residue could have been left behind when the water fell.

[harmonictempest]

Arlen

A chemical, here? That's...odd, says Arlen, conscious that he sounds like Elva, but unable in the moment to find a better word. What do you see, Kraalkar? he calls, standing and moving towards the next room where the barbarian is.

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If Kraalkar says it right away, he can warn Arlen from entering, but the elf doesn't see any reason a worship place would be dangerous, and so is moving as he speaks and will be in the room momentarily.

[GeekLord]

Kraalkar

Kraalkar steps into the chamber and is taken aback at the change in the environment. He struggles to breathe for a moment. This is not a...normal cave. Droplets condense on the cool metal links of his armor and his hair is instantly damp.

"Wait a moment," he calls back down the passage. "The air in here is...wet." His voice is thick as the moisture-laden air threatens to choke him. This air is almost unbreathable. He moves his gaze deliberately around the cave.

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Looking for magical auras as per the detect magic spell he cast last round.

[Zed's Dead]

Kraalkar:

You have grown accustomed to the air within the space of a few seconds, and it is now little trouble to breathe it--a fact which is paradoxically both comforting and unsettling.

The blue glow from the pool is intensified when you scan it. The strange fountain face situated above the pool glows with a powerful red aura. It might be the most powerful magical aura you have ever encountered.

[GeekLord]

Kraalkar

Mutani preserve me! The stone statue looms over a pool of water, clearly the source of the mist. The object is surrounded by an aura of magic, one strong enough that the barbarian hesitates. I'd not get too close, whispers the dry voice in his head. See if you can figure out its purpose first. Kraalkar frowns. How do I do that? Ssthiss coils impatiently. Examine the flow of its energies, of course. It has a purpose, shaped by its master's will, and if you can trace its pattern you might get a sense of what it does. Its tone is acerbic. Not everyone uses their power as clumsily as you do. Kraalkar snarls silently, but bites back his retort.

Turning his head, he describes the room to Arlen and Elva in the tunnel. "And there's a strange statue over the pool of water. It....glows, I guess, with a strange aura....magical, but I'm not sure what its purpose is. Let me see if I can tell...." Kraalkar peers more closely at the statue's red aura.

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(1d20+6)[23] Spellcraft check to identify the aura's school of magic.

[Zed's Dead]

Kraalkar:

The glowing blue water is alive with magical energy. Even if you had not used magic to ascertain its properties, you would have sensed that this was a powerful and ancient place.

Now that you've had a few moments to examine your surroundings, you can see that there is water seeping over the top of the pool onto the floor. When the water touches the floor, it ceases to glow.

The blue light eminating from the pool illuminates the statue's face from below, giving it an eerie, possibly menacing aspect. The light plays upon a fine mist leaking from the eyes of the statue. It is this mist which covers you, saturating your skin, clothing, and hair. The water drops which occasionally run down the figure's face create the illusion of tears.

There is pictographic writing along the base of the pool.

The pool is literally overflowing with powerful divination magic.

The carved face evidently has several enchantments on it, including spells from the schools of transmutation and evocation. There are other spells which have been cast on the statue, but you have no idea of their school of origin.

Make a spot, listen, and knowledge (history) check.

[GeekLord]

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(1d20)[18] Spot check
(1d20)[19] Listen check
(1d20+1)[9] Knowledge (history) check

[harmonictempest]

Arlen

If you're all right in there, Kraalkar, why would it be dangerous for us?

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*thumb twiddle* *twiddle* I wanna play! Is it my turn to make a Fort save yet? :P

[GeekLord]

Kraalkar

If you're all right in there, Kraalkar, why would it be dangerous for us?

Kraalkar shrugs. "Seems okay after all. I wasn't sure. For a moment..." He shudders. Did I really see his face? How could he be here? This cave...is unsettling. Forcing his voice to remain steady, Kraalkar speaks over his shoulder. "Come on in! You can probably figure out what's going on in here better than I can. It's magical, that's about all I know."