Otto had been a bit spellbound by the verbal fireworks going on about him, his eyes darting back and forth as if he were watching a tennis match; there could have been a few moments at which he attempted to open his mouth before thinking better of it, but if there were, they were very difficult to notice.
At Lia's final word, he managed a hybrid "amiable shrug"/"oh-you're-referring-to-me-I-hadn't-been-paying-attention startled movement," and trudged out of the room behind the wizardess, still silent--pausing only to aim a rather weighty look at Marchand-Renier.
He intended the look to communicate: I take issue with your assertion that my academic integrity is compromised by the fact that I can talk to trees now, but on second consideration, he wasn't sure that he'd got the sentiment entirely across.
The Eye of Anubis: Book Five
Khalil loked quickly around the bedroom, giving it a cursory search. Nothing outward seemed of interest, just a lot of dust. The desert guide is about to look further into the room when he hears the scream and commotion from the library.
Whirling with scmitar in and he heads back to the door prepared to face the very worst black foulness of evil that hell can throw at him...
Instead he walks into the middle of a mildly nasty arguement between two academics, with no sign of any danger at all. Khalil listens open mouthed for a moment until the reality of what just happened becomes apparent. Then sighing he sheathes the sword once more, wondering if he is being paid enough to keep all these people from dying in the desert.
[OOC: 14 on the search of the bedroom, it was only a quick look anyway...]
Whirling with scmitar in and he heads back to the door prepared to face the very worst black foulness of evil that hell can throw at him...
Instead he walks into the middle of a mildly nasty arguement between two academics, with no sign of any danger at all. Khalil listens open mouthed for a moment until the reality of what just happened becomes apparent. Then sighing he sheathes the sword once more, wondering if he is being paid enough to keep all these people from dying in the desert.
"I am most agreeable with your sentiment madam, however as I am sure you have noticed there is no upward passage from this room, so therefore shall some of us continue to examine the rest of this floor?"rock wrote:"I would prefer perusing these books after making certain this keep is not about to be inundated in a sandstorm, or stormed by an army of confessors foaming at the mouths for our fleshless skulls," Lia hisses, then proceeds to the next stairway. "If anyone else is coming, kindly do so."
[OOC: 14 on the search of the bedroom, it was only a quick look anyway...]
"I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space..."
The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space..."
Tomas has been very quiet-which is becoming something of a habit-wordlessly taking the books Andre asked him to take but otherwise brooding, like the cork of a champaign bottle that's been allowed to build up too much force...
He takes a step forward, looks up at Reiner, and...smiles. "It's allright, Professor." Tomas says, "We're all afraid. I am sorry I did not realize sooner. But we shall be allright, I am thinking. We've gone this far, no?"
And, with that, Tomas is after Otto-unable to resist adding, "Don't feel bad, Lia, I'm still afraid of you, ja?~" with a wink at the tempermental wizardess, because he's just one of those people that has to check for themselves why it's a bad idea to touch a hot stove.
He takes a step forward, looks up at Reiner, and...smiles. "It's allright, Professor." Tomas says, "We're all afraid. I am sorry I did not realize sooner. But we shall be allright, I am thinking. We've gone this far, no?"
And, with that, Tomas is after Otto-unable to resist adding, "Don't feel bad, Lia, I'm still afraid of you, ja?~" with a wink at the tempermental wizardess, because he's just one of those people that has to check for themselves why it's a bad idea to touch a hot stove.
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NeoTiamat
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 4119
- Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
The Library, Level Six, Keep
May 26th, 761, 1:14 PM; Day 70 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Anyways, Miss Mournswaithe is, as always, correct. Let's go look for a stairway, yes?"
"Carry on Eisenwald." The Richemuloise scholar turned back to his books, dismissing everything, students and fellow professors alike, from his attention.
The book, for its part, seemed to be no more and no less than an old Pharazian adventure tale. Not an eye in sight.
The Barrack, Level Four, Keep
May 26th, 761, 1:42 PM; Day 70 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Hey, Harris!" The Lamordian called out. "We can come along."
"Er... I'm not being a bother?" Devereux asked nervously.
"Nah... it's alright. Where to Professor?" Dieter said with an easy grin, picking up his rifle and checking that it was loaded.
"Just... er....out..."
The Study, Level Six, Keep
May 26th, 761, 1:42 PM; Day 70 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Eureka, I've found it!" Maleagant crowed from the nearby study. The other four explorers quickly followed his cheerful shout. The stairway was a small thing, easily missed, but seemed to be the only one you'd found that led further up.
Or rather.... that started to lead further up. For at the end of the short stairwell was a door, and one of the more unusual doors that you had ever encountered. Circular, and about eight feet in diameter, it was really a trap-door, but one made of stained glass.
Seven panels of glass were set in the door, seven triangular shards of color set in a great rainbow wheel. Coruscating red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. No locks upon the doors, but in the tiny leaden framework were runes of power, arcane strength such that set the air humming with energy and raised the hair on the back of your neck.
And on each panel, in neat, elegant black lettering, was a riddle. Upon the red panel, it said:
Upon the orange, was written:
Next in the circle was yellow, with the following short riddle:
This was followed by the green, with the following words
Within the blue, letters of an olden script spelled:
In indigo was written this ominous little ditty:
And finally, upon the violet panel, dark letters spelled out:
[OOC: Alrighty... seven-panelled door, requiring a DC 28 Disable Device or a DC 24 Dispel check per panel to open. The panels are a modulated Force effect, so no breaking unless you happen to have a Disintigrate or a Mordenkainen's Disjunction somewhere.
And no googling these, please.]
May 26th, 761, 1:14 PM; Day 70 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"I'd never thought of sea food as a darkest desire. I'd rather liked calamari actually. Fried, with a bit of olive oil." Maleagant murmurred mildly.Rock wrote:"It never ceases to amaze me," she growls, "how far people will debase themselves in the pursuit of their darkest desires."
"Anyways, Miss Mournswaithe is, as always, correct. Let's go look for a stairway, yes?"
"We have." Professor Sebastian Marchand-Renier smiled, a tight little curl of the lips. "No turning back anymore."DocBeard wrote:He takes a step forward, looks up at Reiner, and...smiles. "It's allright, Professor." Tomas says, "We're all afraid. I am sorry I did not realize sooner. But we shall be allright, I am thinking. We've gone this far, no?"
"Carry on Eisenwald." The Richemuloise scholar turned back to his books, dismissing everything, students and fellow professors alike, from his attention.
The book, for its part, seemed to be no more and no less than an old Pharazian adventure tale. Not an eye in sight.
The Barrack, Level Four, Keep
May 26th, 761, 1:42 PM; Day 70 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Oh come on, it'll be fun." Dieter said. "We can go roaming about, and it beats playing Michel in cards again. I'm still broke from the last time I did that."Kaitou Kage wrote:Kuzan watched the little exchange between Harris and Devereux with an amused expression. After things settled, he glanced at Dieter.
"I hope he doesn't pick us to escort him," the priest muttered quietly to his friend
"Hey, Harris!" The Lamordian called out. "We can come along."
"Er... I'm not being a bother?" Devereux asked nervously.
"Nah... it's alright. Where to Professor?" Dieter said with an easy grin, picking up his rifle and checking that it was loaded.
"Just... er....out..."
The Study, Level Six, Keep
May 26th, 761, 1:42 PM; Day 70 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Eureka, I've found it!" Maleagant crowed from the nearby study. The other four explorers quickly followed his cheerful shout. The stairway was a small thing, easily missed, but seemed to be the only one you'd found that led further up.
Or rather.... that started to lead further up. For at the end of the short stairwell was a door, and one of the more unusual doors that you had ever encountered. Circular, and about eight feet in diameter, it was really a trap-door, but one made of stained glass.
Seven panels of glass were set in the door, seven triangular shards of color set in a great rainbow wheel. Coruscating red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. No locks upon the doors, but in the tiny leaden framework were runes of power, arcane strength such that set the air humming with energy and raised the hair on the back of your neck.
And on each panel, in neat, elegant black lettering, was a riddle. Upon the red panel, it said:
- Names give power,
Magic to control.
But what is broken,
by naming it?
Upon the orange, was written:
- Men seize it from its home,
tear apart its flesh,
drink the sweet blood,
then cast its skin aside.
Next in the circle was yellow, with the following short riddle:
- The strongest chains will not bind it,
ditch and rampart will not slow it down.
A thousand soldiers cannot beat it,
it can knock down trees with a single push.
This was followed by the green, with the following words
- It can move over water,
But cannot fly.
It can move under water,
But stay quite dry.
Within the blue, letters of an olden script spelled:
- A strange earthen house,
That brings nought but disdain.
And yet those who stay there,
Never do complain.
In indigo was written this ominous little ditty:
- Traitor's soldiers will look like it,
When the headsman gives them a lop.
For then, like it, they'll have a neck,
But not a head on top.
And finally, upon the violet panel, dark letters spelled out:
- The chill of its death,
You may soon mourn.
But though it dies,
It cannot be born.
[OOC: Alrighty... seven-panelled door, requiring a DC 28 Disable Device or a DC 24 Dispel check per panel to open. The panels are a modulated Force effect, so no breaking unless you happen to have a Disintigrate or a Mordenkainen's Disjunction somewhere.
And no googling these, please.]
Ravenloft GM: Eye of Anubis, Shattered City, and Prof. Lupescu's Traveling Ghost Show
Lead Writer & Editor: VRS Files: Doppelgangers; Contributor: QtR #20, #21, #22, #23, #24
Freelance Writer for Paizo Publishing
Lead Writer & Editor: VRS Files: Doppelgangers; Contributor: QtR #20, #21, #22, #23, #24
Freelance Writer for Paizo Publishing
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Nathan of the FoS
- Fiendish Enforcer
- Posts: 5247
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 3:39 pm
- Location: San Francisco CA
Charles, tiring of his perusal of the library, snags a book from the top of the stack and wanders after the group bound for the top of the keep.
As he arrives and sees what has drawn their attention, he crows with delight. "Riddles! I love riddles. Let's see. First is silence...next...oh, an orange, of course, that's clever. Next is the wind."
He stares at the green riddle for a moment before saying, "Well, I'm not sure of that one. Next is a grave, that's simple enough. Then a shirt, neck but no head. Last is...daylight, maybe? I'm not really sure about that one, though. I suppose the idea is that you touch the panel and say the answer?"
Without waiting for a corroborating opinion, Charles touches the red panel and says, "Silence". There is a pulse of red light, and then the panel fades to grey. "So far, so good," he says. "Now, for the orange...an orange."
Again, there is a pulse of color, and then a fade to grey. Touching the yellow panel, Charles says, "The wind." This, too, brightens then fades to nothing. Touching the blue, he says, "A grave." Nodding as this color, too, fades, he touches the indigo panel and says, "A shirt." It too fades.
Stepping back, like an artist observing his sadly-diminished palette, he says, half to himself, "I think a little more thought is in order before we continue."
As he arrives and sees what has drawn their attention, he crows with delight. "Riddles! I love riddles. Let's see. First is silence...next...oh, an orange, of course, that's clever. Next is the wind."
He stares at the green riddle for a moment before saying, "Well, I'm not sure of that one. Next is a grave, that's simple enough. Then a shirt, neck but no head. Last is...daylight, maybe? I'm not really sure about that one, though. I suppose the idea is that you touch the panel and say the answer?"
Without waiting for a corroborating opinion, Charles touches the red panel and says, "Silence". There is a pulse of red light, and then the panel fades to grey. "So far, so good," he says. "Now, for the orange...an orange."
Again, there is a pulse of color, and then a fade to grey. Touching the yellow panel, Charles says, "The wind." This, too, brightens then fades to nothing. Touching the blue, he says, "A grave." Nodding as this color, too, fades, he touches the indigo panel and says, "A shirt." It too fades.
Stepping back, like an artist observing his sadly-diminished palette, he says, half to himself, "I think a little more thought is in order before we continue."
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
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Nathan of the FoS
- Fiendish Enforcer
- Posts: 5247
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 3:39 pm
- Location: San Francisco CA
After a few moments' thought, Charles shrugs his shoulders slightly and moves in, touching the violet panel and saying, "Daylight."
Instead of flaring briefly and dying, the panel seems to grasp at Charles' outstretched hand, as if attempting to pull him in. Yelping, he pulls back quickly, and the purple light subsides slightly and roils and pulses, as if prowling back and forth within the confines of the panel,waiting for him to make another approach.
Charles shrugs. "Well," he deadpans. "Apparently not...no...I'm making it too complicated." Stepping forward again, he touches the panel and says, "Fire!"
For a moment the panel surges into malevolent life again, arcane energies roiling around the mathematician...and then they subside, and fade to grey.
Charles steps back, cracks his knuckles, and stares at the final panel. "Somebody might want to get Andre. Or Kuzan," he mutters. "Here goes." Stepping forward, he touches the panel and says, "A shadow."
And...the last panel, too, flares into light, then fades.
"Ezra bless my old governess, to be sure," Charles says, grinning widely in pleasure and relief. "She used to tell me all kinds of riddles...she kept me up nights for a week with How is a raven like a writing desk?"
Instead of flaring briefly and dying, the panel seems to grasp at Charles' outstretched hand, as if attempting to pull him in. Yelping, he pulls back quickly, and the purple light subsides slightly and roils and pulses, as if prowling back and forth within the confines of the panel,waiting for him to make another approach.
Charles shrugs. "Well," he deadpans. "Apparently not...no...I'm making it too complicated." Stepping forward again, he touches the panel and says, "Fire!"
For a moment the panel surges into malevolent life again, arcane energies roiling around the mathematician...and then they subside, and fade to grey.
Charles steps back, cracks his knuckles, and stares at the final panel. "Somebody might want to get Andre. Or Kuzan," he mutters. "Here goes." Stepping forward, he touches the panel and says, "A shadow."
And...the last panel, too, flares into light, then fades.
"Ezra bless my old governess, to be sure," Charles says, grinning widely in pleasure and relief. "She used to tell me all kinds of riddles...she kept me up nights for a week with How is a raven like a writing desk?"
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
Lords Bedroom Keep Level Six
As the others depart through the other door, Khalil returns back to the bedroom, it had seemed innocuous enough but something about the room had piqued his interest.
Stepping back across the threshold he narrows his eyes as he takes in the decrepit decorations and shattered glass, his eyes roaming across the room as he comes to stand in the middle. Nothing, nothing but.....
Carefully drawing a blade he strains his sense for any sign of movement or sound coming from the bed.
Then he steps silently across the room, keeping his breathing quiet and his footfalls light, so not to alert any potential threat, and with an intake of breath he parts the curtain with the scimitar.
[OOC: Spot 29, Listen 9, Move Silenlty 23. Last action to draw the curatins is assuming I didnt hear or see anything to suggest pulling the said curtians ends in nasty spikey disease festering death, if it is I'll edit, Khalils not a complete muppet]
As the others depart through the other door, Khalil returns back to the bedroom, it had seemed innocuous enough but something about the room had piqued his interest.
Stepping back across the threshold he narrows his eyes as he takes in the decrepit decorations and shattered glass, his eyes roaming across the room as he comes to stand in the middle. Nothing, nothing but.....
Strange they have not rotted and that they are closed....Could there be something or someone hiding there? He asks himself as he half turns to call back to the library for backup, then remembering Remy's "discovery" of a few moments ago he thinks again. It is surely nothing untoward, despite a few mouldy bodies there has been little to suggest any kind of danger here, still best be prepared.Dominating the room, however, was a large, canopied bed, with curtains of red velvet and dark wood frames. The crimson curtains, their color still almost liquid after so many years, were closed.
Carefully drawing a blade he strains his sense for any sign of movement or sound coming from the bed.
Then he steps silently across the room, keeping his breathing quiet and his footfalls light, so not to alert any potential threat, and with an intake of breath he parts the curtain with the scimitar.
[OOC: Spot 29, Listen 9, Move Silenlty 23. Last action to draw the curatins is assuming I didnt hear or see anything to suggest pulling the said curtians ends in nasty spikey disease festering death, if it is I'll edit, Khalils not a complete muppet]
"I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space..."
The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space..."
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Rock of the Fraternity
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 6836
- Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:16 pm
-
Kaitou Kage
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 2115
- Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:53 am
- Location: Here and there
- Contact:
-
yalenusveler
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 1266
- Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:44 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania...or Baator
Andre had decided most promptly that quite frankly, being around Marchand Renier would grow even more intolerable, so he moved to join the others. As he entered, he almost deadpan answered Lia's question "Because up here is what they want to protect. Probably what everyone's been dying over...but that's just my being morbid."
He offered a weak smile. "Sorry for being a touch late, just..didn't particularly want to be around Sebastian much longer...and, Riddles?"
He offered a weak smile. "Sorry for being a touch late, just..didn't particularly want to be around Sebastian much longer...and, Riddles?"
"Sometimes, Mr.Liquor cabinet is my only friend"
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Rock of the Fraternity
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 6836
- Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:16 pm
"Charles already solved them," Lia replies, frowning at the puzzle gate. "Well then, if we are about to enter whatever treasury was worth dozens of people killing each other ... Do let us first keep our hands to ourselves, rather than incur the wrathful vengeance of the restless dead or some slumbering curse when we go in, hm?"yalenusveler wrote:Andre offered a weak smile. "Sorry for being a touch late, just..didn't particularly want to be around Sebastian much longer...and, Riddles?"
"Well, if I were a haunted house, I'd want to save something like this for further inside the building, preferably just when my victims would start questioning the wisdom of staying the night in my darkened halls, so as to encourage them to solve the riddles, see what's behind the door, and so on." Tomas pauses, for a moment, and somehow manages to get a pencil in his mouth, and a notepad on top of the books he's carrying for Andre.
Hey, a writer's gotta take his ideas where he can.
Hey, a writer's gotta take his ideas where he can.
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Rock of the Fraternity
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 6836
- Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:16 pm
"Don't be daft, Tomas," Lia sighs. "You're a Lamordian. If you were a house, you would be too solid, easy-to-clean and well-appointed to look like a rundown hovel. If any specter tried to haunt you, it would be frutstrated by its inability to make you sufficiently frightful due to your innately user-friendly interior and exterior."
Lia points her cane at the puzzle gate. "Now, then. Who wants to be first to try and open this thing?"
Lia points her cane at the puzzle gate. "Now, then. Who wants to be first to try and open this thing?"
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yalenusveler
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 1266
- Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:44 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania...or Baator
"Children, fight nicely." Andre said, in his most put upon teacher voice. "And a Lamordian haunted house would involve sinister clockwork dolls with all too realistic faces that somehow speak, their whirring clockwork mechanisms sounding suspiciously like the beating of tiny hearts." He smirked, saying that as if he were recounting common knowledge that even a schoolchild should know.
"Though Lia is right...hands to yourself for the moment...probably a good idea. Lia, if you've a detect magic available, one to look over the trinkets..probably a wise idea."
"Though Lia is right...hands to yourself for the moment...probably a good idea. Lia, if you've a detect magic available, one to look over the trinkets..probably a wise idea."
"Sometimes, Mr.Liquor cabinet is my only friend"