7. Return to the Halls

"Doors! Erm, can you understand what we're saying?" Jacky tries. Who knows what enchanted doors might be capable of? "Who calls this place home?"

Palace Ruins
There is no response to Jacky’s question; the doors remain silent.

---
6:10 pm, Totsday 25th Lucrios (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 2: 13/13, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 2: 7/7, 60’
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 2: 14/14, 60’
---
Eric, Labourer, 90’
Hector, Linkboy, 90’
---
Billie, Mule: 120’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

Grim attempts to simply push the doors open.

Palace Ruins
As soon as Grim touches the doors in his attempt to push them open, the voice booms out once more: "Stand aside, citizen. This is not your home!"

Grim persists with his attempt to open the doors, but push and pull as he might, they remain firmly closed. Which is a little strange, as there is no obvious lock or latch.

---
6:10 pm, Totsday 25th Lucrios (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 2: 13/13, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 2: 7/7, 60’
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 2: 14/14, 60’
---
Eric, Labourer, 90’
Hector, Linkboy, 90’
---
Billie, Mule: 120’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

Our dwarven fellow stays his steady push and pull.

Blast it! Must be a magic lock r’ some such. Unless we can come up with a password r’ whatnot, I don’t see another easy way in!

I doubt we will be able to open this door until we find the obelisk with the stars, Glorfindel, Zach says to Grimidek.

"Moon [i[and[i/] star magic?" He rubs his temples with his free hand. "Make Thrud head hurt."

Thruds eyes shift up to the darkening horizon. "Dark come. Break door or go inn now?"

It’s ok, Thrud. I s’pose de third obelisk is ‘round ‘ere, somewhere ‘bouts. I say we all disburse, n’ try scourin’ de area fer foundations, r’ raised stones, wid any runes pertainin’ ta stars r’ whatnot!

Jacky suggests they go take a closer look at the destroyed statues.

Ellagel agrees with the idea of heading away from these doors. She is quite afraid of what attention they will draw to themselves if they attempt to chop through the door.

Zach looks at the sky and tries to estimate how much time they have left before dark and how long they need to get back to the inn.

Zach reckons there are two, perhaps two-and-half, hours of daylight left.

Folks, we better decide what last thing we want to do today, unless we want to be out here in the night with dragons, ghosts, witches, and maybe even bullywugs!

If only your kind GM had provided you with a map of the Ruined City showing all the major landmarks ...

"Plenty of time," Jacky says, waving a dismissive hand. He makes good on his word, heading toward the giant marble feet.

Good question. That is the description used by the author. I took it to mean a plinth upon which the rest of the statue sits. But, technically, it seems that a "pediment" is a triangular-shaped architectural element such as you might find atop a series of pillars. For clarity, let's just substitute "pediment" with "plinth".

Thrudmarr follows Jacky as he approaches the marble remains, keeping an eye out for any surprises or danger.

You leave the palace ruins and head back east, across a stone bridge, to arrive at the large marble feet. Thrud reckons that, if the statue were complete, it could be up to 50’ tall.

---
6:20 pm, Totsday 25th Lucrios (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 2: 13/13, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 2: 7/7, 60’
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 2: 14/14, 60’
---
Eric, Labourer, 90’
Hector, Linkboy, 90’
---
Billie, Mule: 120’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

Jacky walks in a circle around the plinth, looking for any inscriptions or etchings that might offer a clue about the once statue. "I wonder if these would resize to fit them as well?" he asks idly, nodding at his presumably magical shoes.