1: Monastery of the Iron God

Also speaking quietly, Edgar responds, "Perhaps one of the side passages meets up with that room. Hurry back up Lith, then you can explain what you saw."

He moves and peeks his head down the opened passage to make sure that nothing is heading their way.

The passage is quiet for now.

Czespecem holds up a hand. "Hush a moment, everyone ... " he motions Edgar out of the way and aims his big hairy ear toward the opened passage.

Czespecem leans in and with practiced concentration listens for any sort of noise coming from the hall. The passage seems deathly quiet, though he also knows that any doors would do a fine job of muffling noise from beyond.

"I actually wonder," Lith dares to make a few steps forward, "this looks awful lot like an embalming room. You know, the place where they prepare the dead for burial? Perhaps we could try this path. If I were to place a trap somewhere, it would at the entrance, not at one of the 'holy rooms', if you get what I mean. Could also be less scavenged by those who came before us."

Derrick had not moved from the edge of the jars after ‘helping’ to lower Lith into the chamber. He strains his ear to listen to the Elf as he explains what he sees, he makes no attempt to hide his contempt as other talk around him making it that more difficult to understand the whispering Ranger.

Finally he looks around at the group, "So is someone going to lower me down or are we going to find another path down?"

Having heard nothing from the hallway, Edgar returns to the group. He considers Derrick's proposal,
"It might be worth it to see if we can proceed from the embalming room. It could save us quite some time and hassle, provided there are no traps. Since we don't know what dangers lie beyond the door, we should send someone good at dealing with traps first. After that we can all head down."

"Very well," answers Czespecem, "I have some skill with finding and disabling traps. I will go ahead down the chute, though something in me despises the image of a dwarf going down a slide." Saying this, he hoists himself into the jar and clambers down the rope - which someone, hopefully, is holding or has tied around the statue's feet.

As the rest of the party begins descending one-by-one down the now 100ft of rope, it doesn't take long before they finds themselves standing on the ground again. The floor is only several feet below the room in which they previously stood, and it is likely that the previous room was some sort of entryway halfway down to the level proper.


There is a large stone slab in the middle of this room, carven with many runes, symbols, and languages. Stone shelves are built into the walls, and there are three large iron cauldrons beside the slab, dusted with a light covering of rust. In the corner of the room there is a pile of what look like big wicker trays six feet long and three feet or so wide.

A doorway can be seen in the far end of this chamber to the left, and a hallway extends further into a set of stairs heading down.

"Let's not leave all the rope here," Czespecem proposes. He unties "his" 50 ft and coils it back into his back. This takes a few minutes.

Benetolio had been very nervous while descending the rope. More accustomed to quiet study in a library, feats of athletic prowess were never his strong suit.

In any event, he is all too pleased to make it down safely and intrigued by the carven runes, symbols, and languages atop the slab. He visually inspects these hoping to decipher their meaning.

OOC: Does Benetolio recognize any of the writing from his past studies?

The symbols and writing on the slab are all religious phrases and prayers to the Iron God. Some of these have been chiseled away and replaced with new writing about allowing the priesthood to keep certain offerings.

Lith sheathes his sword, instead opting for his throwing darts. He also makes sure someone gets him his backpack from "upstairs".
"So... You said you're good with traps, correct?" The elf looks at Czespecem.
"Care to take a look at that door?"

Derrick joins Benetolio in looking over the slab and other items. The cleric muttering and making tatting noises as he sees signs of the priesthood moving from their core beliefs.

Czespecem again holds up his thick little hand, requesting silence. He listens intently ...

... then moves to check the door for traps, as he did upstairs.

Aside from the odd writings, there seems to be no signs of another god. It seems that these new directions are in worship of the Iron God.

---

Once again Czespecem goes about the task of searching for any sort of traps associated with the door in this new chamber. It is agonizingly slow work, more so in the dark, as he prods and slides and the works. In the end, he finds nothing dangerous about this particular door. Nor does hear any noises at the present.

Seeing the dwarf finally finished with checking for traps, Lith breathes in heavily.
"Well then gentlemen, shall we?"

Satisfied somewhat Derrick drops the desecrated items of worship, "Greed!" he says to himself as he does so. As Lith speaks out the Cleric slings his shield back into place and sets himself into the March order.

You find yourself in a room with a clutter of supplies against the west wall: five barrels, two boxes, and what appears to be a large spool of thread. Two doors lead out of the room; one to the north, and one to the west.