Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Chapter 18: A Door with Teeth

The ceiling disappeared into the darkness above them. Some times a crevice or edge of the stonework being caught in the flickering light. The marble walls were of exquisite workmanship as was the floor, albeit covered in rubble from the collapsed ceiling and columns. Their they stood admiring the workman ship of the door, feeling a bit small and exposed in this cavernous space. Especially after the confines of the catacombs.

“We should wait for everyone before we do anything with it." Aurelious remarked as he arrived. He studied the reliefs of the door, but could gather nothing of the symbols. Being in a strange land was starting to be taxing. Very thing was strange and unfamiliar. Even the gods them selves seemed to be different here. Aurelious grimaced

Finally, as Thomas filtered to their chosen spot before the door, he remarked. "Perhaps we're getting somewhere now...well at least if we get through here. Well this symbol seems to be Moradin, of course, and this one I bet Lorem can tell us…"

“Dolor’daHan, the anvil, know for some of the greatest blacksmiths in the Dwarven empire.” Lorem said as he turned to look about the room.

“Yes, of course, but this last one seems familiar some how though I can’t put my finger on it…”

Calenon smiled, for he had just spent the last four months pouring over that symbol, studying its intricacies and meanings. The black Iron rod and the Crystal Ball. “It should Thomas, that’s the Symbol of Koral Lierman himself. It looks like we have finally found traces of him.”

“Well good!” exclaimed Thomas, “we’re finally getting some where.”

He stepped forward and examined the hole, "Well I certainly don't want to stick my hand in there. Instruments to play and all that...what about the odd wall sconce over there? But before we do anything, perhaps Richard should check for traps."

"Here's hoping nothing tries to decapitate me this time..." Grumbled Richard as he stepped toward the door.

“Don’t bother it’s not trapped.” Lorem’s voice came from behind them as he was searching trough the rubble, as if searching for something. “That is a door from the forges of Rom Mor. It is expertly crafted by the finest Dwarven engineers. Made out of adamantine the door cannot be broken nor can the face place be removed. The door is locked by twenty separate locks kept under the faceplate and placed intermediately around the outside of the door. The locks can only be unlocked by the activation of the central mechanism, which can only be activated by the key, which is also a necessary and central component too the mechanism. You can open the door by magic, but each individual lock needs a separate spell. You can pick the door too, but without removing the faceplate, which can’t be done in this case, the process is almost impossible. And even if you did remove the plate, each lock has to be picked separately. The mechanism in the center of the door can be made to go off too, but without the key… it won’t work. It’s a pinnacle of Dwarven engineering. Completely mundane, but effective against magic and thieves alike. Although, as a draw back, the door is almost never trapped because the traps get in the way of the complex machinery. The dwarves must have really liked this Koral fellow.”

Lorem approached the glowing rod on the ground which had been ripped from the wall some how. A bit of the Marble was still attached to it. Suddenly Richard called from behind him.

“Lorem Look out!”

“Lorem looked up into a bit of a hole in the rubble. A creature that looked like a mix between a boar and a rat had crawled out of the depths within. It snarled at Lorem as it dropped it’s meal, which looked to be the remains of a human foot. The creature looked as surprised as everyone else. It snarled.

Richard grimaced. “A Biter”

The party readied itself

5 comments:

JC said...

Init:15
Attack:22 Damage: 5


"Was wondering when we'd find these," Thomas mutters as he draws his weapons, "Best we take it out as quickly as possible." Darting forward he swings with Alasse.

(Dane, do we know of anything really bad about Biters? like poisons or diseases or what have you we can get if bitten? Bardic Knowledge: 18 if necessary)

Eric said...

Init: 20 (non-natural)

Going to take a deep breath, hold my breath afterwards, charge in, and attack.

Attack: 15
Damage: 6

Unknown said...

ooc: i am without appartment or computer for the next 2 weeks and i dont know how often I will be able to get on (i will also be in california for a week) Dane please play lorem as you see fit, overall he will lookout for the groups wellbeing but he is also an oppertunist and will advance himself if given the chance (perferably without alienating himself in the process)

Currently lorem is gonna take a defensive stance and mainly try to defend till others come then he will attack or heal as needed. i would be more specific but i am without character sheet.

Unknown said...

Init: 16
Damage: 5

"No time for this!" Calenon casts Magic Missle.

NWIFSER said...

INIT: 21

Charge and attack using a regular bastard sword.

To Hit: 22
Damage: 8
I declare it for my dodge bonus.