Mists Over the Musarde, Chapter Three

[ewancummins]

Denys nods when hearing Benn's advice about being patient, even if it means allowing the portal to close.

''Benn is right. We oughtn't be foolhardy. Some of you are hurt- Cirdan looks dreadful! We should use our brains and not leap before we look, eh?''

Jon nods in agreement, and Buckman grunts his assent, as well.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio hears Cirdan's request, and chants a healing prayer over the knight. "How are you feeling, friend? Only the wounds of combat, or did the beast harm you in any other way?"

Hearing Benn's suggestion, Dorgio turns, eyes narrowed. "We must press the advantage! We are bruised, but they are nearly flattened! How long have we chaffed? How long will we be on the defensive?"

He stands, and takes a step towards the pool, but then stops himself. "I ... forgive me." He lights a cigarillo and takes a steadying puff, feeling the smoke burn down in his still-sore lungs. "You are right, Benn. That is probably what they are hoping we do. And it is strange, very strange that all of our enemies, they are here. All but Van Deicks."

He continues eyeing the pool. Now a little more cautious, he approaches it, draws a knife, and dips it into the liquid.

[steveflam]

"Benn. So this is tha portal we bin seekin then? And where is Van Dieks? I'd like ta get me paws on 'im an cut 'is eyeballs out! That's fer starters. Whut 'e did ta ladies an people ain' right."

Once Norzak is done searching, he moves over to Jon, eyeing the lad. "Dorgio if ye got a minute after tha others, come 'n' check out Jon. I's want ya ta see bout 'is hand that ain' healin. Mebbe you or Benn gots some knowledges bout that. Tain' normal it ain healeded since."

[Adam]

"Hmm, I had almost forgotten about him," Bennedict agrees, picking up the amulet from the floor and inspecting it. "Though one might suspect that it was he we just watched leap through the portal."

He points at a plaque on the floor. "You see there, that appears to be a locking mechanism. A key, inserted into the hole you see in the center, would activate the portal. We need, therefore, to find this key and we can open the gateway. And, of course, hope that the fellow who leaped through the gate didn't take it with him."

Benn then stops, unrolling the scroll and chanting the words to decipher the magical writing upon it.

[ewancummins]

Alain doesn't see any sign of a trap on the chest. He's able to open it with his tools. The chest is packed full of supplies: plenty of iron rations, some rope, bandages, an iron cooking pot, spare clothing,etc.

Norzak's search of the room turns something up the others had missed- there on the floor, half-hidden under a bit of singed robe is a small, shiny object. Bending over, the dwarf sees it is a key- a silver key. Upon close examination, Norzak recognizes it as the same key that belonged to Denys, the one that was stolen from the party's office.

Dorgio examines the pool. It's about halfway solidified by now; the better part of an hour having come and gone whilst Dorgio's friends have been seraching the room, attending to the injured,etc. The cleric finds a liquid patch to test it with his knife. The blade slides in as if moving through a viscous pudding, meeting only a little resistance. It comes away just as easily. The metal blade appears wholly unaltered by its penetration into the fluid.

[steveflam]

Norzak hands over the key to Denys and then asks the others. "So whut we doin now? Kinna we fin' a way ta open this door agin?"

[Adam]

"The key," Bennedict says, "See if it fits in the lock to open the portal."

He turns to Alain, flipping the scroll to him. "Here, you'll get more use out of this than me. It's a necromantic curse to strike someone blind or deaf."

[Le Noir Faineant]

Cirdan will open the vizor, and Diorgio will see that the knight's pupils are red,
as if he had smoked halfling weed.

"I can't tell, my friend... I feel cold, but I can walk, and maybe even fight."

[steveflam]

After Benn says his piece about the key, Norzak advances to the lock. He attampts to insert the key into the lock and activate the portal.

[ewancummins]

The key slides in quite easily. It turns with little effort, the lock mechanism not even squeaking, in spite of its obvious antiquity.
As the silver key turns, the surface of the portal shimmers for a moment, and then returns to a liquid appearance, almost instantly.

[steveflam]

"So prolly this key is good to open the portal from tha other side. We kin go rest and come back. They would especk us to go through now, not tomorrow."

[Lord Skybolt]

I Agree with you on that coarse of action unless someone else has any better ideas .

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"If we have time to prepare, so will they. If we knew what awaited us, I would urge us on, to take them while fear still grips them. But if we don't know what we face, then we'd be fools to not face it fresh. We should search the rest of this place, though. Perhaps they left more behind than what's in this room. Something to give us an idea of what awaits."

He then moves closer to Cirdan, examining his eyes to try to learn more about the knight's ailment.

[steveflam]

"I's agreeable ta that, Dorgio>" Norzak looks at Alain and Jon. "Lessee whut we kinna fin' now thet we gots tha time, boys. Split up an we kin cover more groun'."

[Adam]

"Agreed," the archivist says, turning towards some of the side chambers. "Keep an eye out for a mirror or another scroll."