Continued Adventure

Borgo enters the room with Berith standing in the doorway for light and Marev close behind. The other stand arrayed behind awaiting Borgo's verdict.

The room looks similar to before with the two rune carved cistern on either side. The sight of the silent water greets you but it is so still and clear you almost cannot see it but for the reflected torch light. And across from you, the might Anvil remains.

You sense no immediate danger. No sounds can be heard other than your own quiet steps, the soft pop and crackle of the torch and the creaking from those outside the room.

As the scrawny silhouette of Borgo creeps back into the chamber, those of you watching from the doorway see his massive pack bobbing with his gait, making him look for all the world like a large tortoise navigating the stoney depths. Marev stands steady at the threshold, his dancing crescent of torchlight carving a path through the pitch-black gloom, illuminating the way nearly 30 feet ahead.

The small chapel or prayer room is fully illuminated by the torchlight and measures roughly 30 feet wide by 25 feet deep. Along the left and right walls sit two low, semi-circular cisterns of dark stone. They are wide, about 15 feet across, and centered in each wall. Their two-foot-high walls are carved with geometric patterns and runes that speak of purity and order. The water inside is so clear it’s almost invisible until the light hits it, and it smells as fresh as a mountain brook. You have all already heard from those who came before that the waters are crisp and clean as icy snow melt.

You have time for only the briefest inspection of the waters as your eyes are immediately drawn to the far wall, where a gargantuan Anvil sits inset within a wide alcove. The Anvil is a staggering 20 feet wide and 10 feet high, so massive that its top surface rests within a single inch of the ceiling. Its silvery, polished steel surface glints brilliantly in your torchlight, banded with symbols and runes in praise of the god, Ord.

As Borgo approaches the anvil, a strange sensation washes over him. He remembers the relic's mystical density; it seems to draw in and deaden nearby sound. The soft noise of his gear feels swallowed by the metal, as if the anvil is rooted in the very bones of the world and Borgo looks back reflexively to make sure the others are still there as their soft noises grow more distant.

The room is empty and quiet, and for those of you who follow the Law, you can almost feel the presence of Ord like a soft breeze drifting in from a far horizon.

The air is still and moist. The rank odour remains, but is not a sharp. What do you do?

After peering into the doorway past Marev and Berith, Elspaeth turns to nod Nord and Vennok forwards but she stops in her tracks and immediately raises her crossbow in alarm. Neither Vennok or Nord is there to be seen.

You heard no sound. You felt nothing. They did come down with you but you aren't sure whether they slunk off in fear, were snatched away into the darkness or... simply fell through the floor.

You see only the silent darkness, scattered bones and forest detritus, and the patterned floor.

Reaching behind to paw at Berith, you draw her and Marev's attention to your missing companions.

Borgo's voice does sound flatter to his ears his voice doesn't seem any quieter persay. Perhaps it might not carry as far as normal, but maybe it's just because they are in a place of obvious sanctity.

Ignoring the conversation at the door, Borgo proceeds to one crystal clear cistern and dips his small hand into it's chilly waters. Withdrawing his hand and holding it up he moves to the other cistern and does the same before approaching the Anvil and making his plea to Ord. The smooth metal of Anvil is cold to Borgo's wet touch, as the water runs down it's surface. His words seem to be drawn down into the anvil and away as all sound seems to. Standing a few moments with his hands against the great Anvil, Borgo begins to wonder if Ord would deign to respond to an infidel making pleas for gifts in his temple. Perhaps the silence is Ords answer.

Marev closely examines the stone floor in the arc of Berith torchlight. Here by the door to the Anvil's Chapel dust and detritus hasn't had time to accumulate to and siginficant degree. He thinks that if stone doorways above remained open anther season it would be easier. As it is, he move to the edge of Berith's light where it mearges with the dim arc of light shining down the stairwell. As he draws closer, the thin accumulation dust and ditritus and specks of shattered bones make things easier. The parties tracks are plainly visible overlaying older foot prints. It's difficult, but he thinks Nord at least seems to have balked at the bottom of the stairs and crept away. The Kobold seems to have come back this way as well, but his foot prints seem to end in a kind of leap or jump towards the stairwell, but you can't tell what became of him after that.

This reminds you of those jumping slimes and you quickly scan the floor for any sign something like that may have been there. Seeing none but not knowing how far they can leap, you quickly move back towards the others by the door and their brighter light.

As Marev returns to the group, he abscently reaches out to the door's large pull ring which makes a soft metalic chink agains the stone of the door. The sound is muffled as it there were padding between ring and door as the sound is drawn into the Anvil.

To Borgo, the soft sound sustains unnaturally. It continues and grows louder, quickly rising in volume to an ear splitting atonal keening. Borgo smashes his hands to his ears to block the noise and it immediately stops as does the pain. Something pulls his attention to the right. Looking to the left hand side of the cistern there, he's sure he can detect a seam in the wall.

As he takes a couple of steps closer, the seam fades from sight. Perplexed, he makes his way to the wall and looks closely where he thinks it should be. After a moment, he sees it. It is very well camouflaged in the joins in the walls stonework and he knows there is no way he should have noticed it from that far away. Without that prompt, he's sure it would have been difficult to find except through a thurough search.

He traces the outline of what must be a hidden portal and now that he knows it is a door, he can tell just where to push... and with a gentle touch the door slides gently open just a crack into the room. The motion is fluid and soundless. The door seems weighty, but Borgo know he can easily push it fully open himself. Though without the torch light brought close, he'd be unlikely to be able to see what was inside.