7. Return to the Halls

Jacky eyes the pile of firewood. Cooking fires are certainly one thing halflings are familiar with, and by association, the means to making them. Has the quantity of wood changed since he and the others last ventured here? Is there any sign that the wood's been left untouched for a while, like a covering of dust?

Grim waddles over to the entrance, and checks the stonework for interesting markings. Etchings into stone, perhaps where other travelers have left their mark?

Ella immediately begins to walk, at a slow pace, around the room’s perimeter, starting with the left side. She has a couple of fingers of an outstretched left hand sliding delicately along the wall, sensing any changes in make, temperature and texture which might awaken her ancestral understanding of concealed passages.

"Whoever was using this place as a hideyhole, they've not been around for a bit," Jacky remarks. "I wonder what they'll make of your name, Thrud."

Grimidek’s infravision allows him to investigate the opening. He sees a 20’ long entrance passage that leads to a small H-shaped layout with two distinct "arms" to the left and right. Both arms are choked with thick, ropey cobwebs. Again, these chambers have been excavated from the rock with skill and precision.

From Grim’s cursory glance, there are no signs of any current inhabitants or recent activity.

It sounds like most party members want to press on towards the plateau at the top of the cliff. I will assume this is your course of action in tomorrow’s post, unless you tell me otherwise.

Thrud pokes through the items that litter the floor, looking for anything that could still be useful.

Ellagel considered the tunnels for a while.

Grim inspects the interesting stone stranded around the skeleton’s neck.

[b]

"That room we explored earlier might serve as a camp too," Jacky ventures. "I wouldn't mind poking about the left side of the waterfall while we're here. You saw a path, right, Thrud?"

As they get closer, Jacky looks for any way to get across the lake to its opposite shore. Can they reach it by foot?

Further away to the northwest is a 30’ tall, almost complete statue of a seated and robed figure, only missing its head.

"If you wish, Gamliel", Zach says to Grimidek. "What’s the worst that can happen, another specter? A wight? Perhaps a lich?"

(Zach may, if he wishes, attempt to roll under his Intelligence on 4d6 to understand it, if he still considers himself a student of Mithric).

"I wonder how it knows," Jacky says, running a hand through his hair. He turns to Eric and Hector. "Say, what about the two of you? If you're from hereabouts, have you heard anything about these great big doors?"

Grim waddles left, around perimeter, checking the outer wall every five feet for secret doors.

Burbage, is Zach making any progress with Mithric? :)[/ooc]

She looked around this face of the building, looking for windows, or other openings in the wall.

Grim begins rummaging stubby fingers along the grounded stonework. And inspects the armored boots, in context of the stone, if penance his clerical ways might glean knowledge of its true origin and intent.

Ella nods silently while she keeps watch on the environing area. As long as Jacky didn’t fish a wyrm or a giant eel, she could agree to wait. Her eyes moved regularly, and nervously, toward the far tower from where they had seen the dragon crawl out of.

The halfling goes toward the bar to arrange the party's lodgings for the night. "Will we be so lucky as to sleep on your fine beds this evening, or have all the rooms been taken once more?"

Thrudmarr settles at a table with whatever food and ale they will serve him after ordering some. Between bites, he looks up at Kronos.

"Inn man! Where Dalton friends go? They still mad at Thrud?"

You ascend the marble steps to the 30’ x 30’ platform at the top of the pyramid, the floor of which is sheathed in white marble. A dark grey granite canopy rises 30’ above the platform to accommodate the enormous statue of Thoth. Purple porphyry columns support the canopy. Crouching at the foot of each column is a heavily pitted 4’-tall statue of a crouching baboon, with its mouth slightly open as if barking.

The 20’-tall statue of Thoth represents the epitome of the sculptor’s trade. Carved out of a solid block of porphyry, and topped with a white marble ibis head, the statue is truly awe-inspiring. Two grapefruit-sized lumps of shaped jade serve as eyes. The god’s arms rest flat at his side.

Directly in front of the statue of Thoth is a 10’ x 5’ section of pavement that is obviously distinct from the rest of the platform.

The room is dominated by a massive 15’ tall statue of ibis-headed Thoth at its centre. The perfectly proportioned and lifelike human body stands on a granite pedestal (3’ tall) and is carved of black onyx. In classic Egyptian fashion, Thoth’s right foot is advancing slightly, whilst his arms hang at his side. Thoth’s ibis head is made of white marble, although the eye sockets are empty. At the foot of the statue is a large stone chest that is part of the pedestal.

The plaster on the room’s walls has been badly damaged, but the decorated ceiling plaster, 30’ above you, appears largely intact. However, there’s insufficient light to pick out any details; the ceiling is too high.

A substantial amount of debris - wrecked furniture, destroyed armour and equipment, bits of bone and leather - has accumulated in the corners of the chamber. There is dust everywhere, although clear paths lead from the stairs to archways in the eastern, southern and western walls, and to a door in the northwest corner of the room. There are also other exits that don’t appear to be heavily trafficked. No dust is found around the central statue.