Bands of Power - Game thread

Thak's veins stand out from his forhead as he heaves on the iron ring by himself. Perhaps it jiggled a bit but it's obvious he's not going to shift any of these door on his own.

Though a relatively nimble fighter and imbued with uncommon grit, the Half-orc does not overwhelm his foe with strength. The knight and Dwarf are plainly broader of back and have more heavily muscled arms. The warlock might even give him trouble in an arm wrestling match. This task is going to take a bit of cooperation as the doors are too massive for one or even two people to shift.

Also, which doors are we tryign to open? Anvil (right of the stairs) or Plain (left of the stairs)

Oops! Double post!

Berith, hands the torch off to Borgo before joining the others at the door's ring, while the last too stand ready with crossbow and sword.

The three warriors are easily able to grip the iron ring together. Though a bit crowded together they are able to pull without getting in one anothers way. Setting their feet, they pull mightily at the door. At first nothing seems to happen, but with a smooth gliding movement and a whisper of soft grating the 6 inch thick door swings ponderously open, revealing a short hall which opens out into another dark chamber and silence.

The warriors relase the ring, and ready themselves.

I assume the 5' wide door is pulled fully open. Lattremond stands with his back to the closed door sword at the ready. Elspeath stands about 10" from the partially open portal ready, crossbow aimed down the hall and ready to leap aside if needs be. Borgo stands near her but occluded from view of anything in the hall by the closed door.

The hall seems to be 10' wide, the width of the two doors themselves. The floor walls and ceiling are similarly made to the main room. The torch Borgo now holds out casts light down the 20' of hallway, and you can tell that it ends there opening it another room.

Borgo creeps carefully down the hall with his knocked arrow held at the ready. He stops where the fading torchlight ends, and tilts his head a bit. The hall was quiet but for his soft footfalls and no sound comes from the darkened room ahead. The air does feel a bit more humid though and just a bit cooler.

Thak pads up after. The acrid tang in the air seems lessened in the hall and ahead. Hearing nothing, he encourage the other to follow with the light.

The hall is safely traversed leaving Borgo, Thak waiting at the precipice of darkness. I'm going to assume the party follows at thier brave companions urging. You can specify how you do so or any actions you take along the way in your next post.

A the rest follow behind, Berith's light illuminates the entire room. It is much smaller than the room you left behind being about 30' from side to side and 25' deep. You first notice two low semi-circular cisterns along the right and left walls; the source of the moist air. Each takes up most of each wall, you guess being about 15' wide and extending out about 7' into the room. The cistern walls are only about 2' high, or that is at least how high they extend above the ground. From here the water appears dark as the stone lining the inside that you can see is dark. The outside of the cistern walls are the same dark stone, with geometric patterning and runes carved in bas relief. The runes talk of purity and order.

But all thought of the these fall from your mind when the light illumens the far wall. Inset in an wide alcove is a gargantuan anvil. It must be 20' wide and easily 10'; it's upper surface brushing the ceiling. It's silvery surface shines and glints in the torchlight. It's base, waist and crown are banded with symbols and runes in praise of Ord and order, and abjurations of chaos and disorder. This is definitely a relic of religous significance. The It is either entirely made from polished steele or else somehow cleverly consturcted and plated with the metal. From this distance not seam or seals are apparent. You can't tell how far back it goes as the light drifts falls into darkness along the sides of the gigantic idol.

Other than what's described above, the room is empty and quiet. The water in the fonts is still.

Light Sources:
Berith - Torch (9)

Initiative Order:
Borgo
Thak 3/7HP
Lattremond
BerIth 5/10HP
Elspeath
Albrecht 8/12HP[/quote]

As Borgo boldly strides across the room, he finds himself quickly in front of the massive anvil and has to crane his neck and arch his back to look up at the top towering over him. Moving over from one side to the other, he can plainly tell that it extends a ways. Turning his head to listen around the side, he can tell there is more space extending into the dark, but he cannot see without more light until Berith follows behind Thak. The torch light illuminates the space between the anvile and the wall showing it to be about 10' deep with the anvil filling the entire space. The gap provided by the waist of the anvil is easily large enough to accomdate him and he can see that he could make is way behind the thing, but he'll either have to scoot in sideways, as there is not much space between the anvil and the wall, or clamber partially on the shining thing itself.

Borgo, and virtually anyone else, can make it can make around to the back of the anvil with varying degrees of awkwardness and difficulty if they like.

Thak, and Berith find themselves in front of their respective pools. They almost appear mirror-like until they are more fully lit. Each font is filled to within and inch of the it's wall's lip. His calloused mitt shatters the smooth surface of the water and his cupped hand brings clear and fresh smelling fluid to his face. Not just fresh, it smells pure and clean like that of babbling brook of icy snow melt.

With her torch both Thak and Berith can see easily see the dark smooth sides and bottom of the fonts interiors, though as Thak is on the far side of the room much detail is lost in shadow agains the dark stone. Berith can see her's clearly, and a slightly darker circle a the base of the wall which must be the source the water. The fonts are empty except for their liquid contents, and it is unclear how the water level is maintained or how this water could be kept so pure and clear. Surely some kind of mildew or algea should have taken root.

The water looks clean and clear. It smells and looks delicious and refreshing as if it just spalshed in from some leaf strewn rill from a druid's grove.

The cool bright liquid fairly tinkles down your throat. If freshness and sparkles had a taste, this would be it.

Other than being refreshing and pure, you don't feel anything other than a slightly refreshed.