4. The First Expedition

Thrudmarr looks behind him, seeking for yet another newcomer, but then realizes the older warrior was addressing him. "Yes! Thrudmarr ready to chop with Old Zach any time!" He gives Zacharias a hearty pat on the shoulder. "But Jacky way work good too. No need clean blood off axe!"

Old Zach, eh? I guess that's the way it is when you have your entire twenties stolen from you by a specter, goes through Zacharias's mind, morosely.

Indeed, Throckmorton, good buddy, I look forward to cleaving limbs and splitting heads at your side, at the appropriate time, of course!

With the potential fracas with the halflings disabused through Jacky's quick thinking and quicker fingers, Zacharias looks around the room for more of those Mithric characters. He is far from comfortable with the language.

Jacky shrugs, not bothering the other group's halflings as they go about their business replenishing torches. "Shall we?" he asks Ellagel, indicating the archway headed south that she'd peered through earlier. "Let's get a move on before the boss starts wondering where we are."

"That was most elegantly done, Master Thistletop," Ella stated sotto voce, as the tension she had been holding back released slowly.

She was ready to explore the southern passage, if the rest of the party was prepared. The arrival of the rugged-looking archer she met with satisfaction. Their party needed all the help it could get.

Leaving Plumthorn’s gang behind, you depart the statue room through the archway in the centre of the southern wall. The ensuing corridor is of classical Archontean construction - decorated, plaster-coated stone walls. Although the plaster is more complete here than on the stairway down, it still only provides partial coverage due to its general decrepitude.

After 40’ the corridor forks, with one leg heading in a south-easterly direction and the other south-west. At the point at which it forks, the southern wall contains an enormous 6’ x 4’ fresco of a baboon, squatting on the ground with bared teeth.

The forked corridors are both dimly lit at their far ends, allowing you to estimate that each is around 50’ long.

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10:40 am, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Akoslan, Khumus Fighter 1: 9/8, ?’
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 90’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 90’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

Jacky examines the baboon fresco too, comparing it to the statues upstairs underneath the canopy. "Thoth again. I wonder why sometimes he's a bird, and other times this."

Grim waddles up to the statue and looks upon it with dwarven disdain.
Yer father was a wrestler, den, I take it, Grim asks Akoslan.

Zach looks over the fresco for Mithric characters.

How are you examining the fresco? Are you just looking at it? Or are you going to examine it more thoroughly? The latter will take a full turn.

After the halflings leave, Thrudmarr approaches Akoslan with a broad, friendly grin. "Me Thrudmarr! Me and friends here to get rich, become legends! You new friend? Need one after old friend stayed behind at inn. But with... umm... one... one... and one," Thrudmarr counts until he uses up all his fingers on one hand, "two friends! We strong group now!"

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Thrudmarr glances at the fresco, then looks at Akoslan with a puzzled look. "Father was monkey?" He studies the newcomer more closely, trying to spot any baboon-like features. "Must be very strong! Thrudmarr fight with axe, but wrestling good too!"

Grim gazes brown bulging eyes up and down the fresco. Looking for religious symbols, unusual stone markings, or other facets of dwarven and priestly interest.

Given that the group was taking a breather, Zach methodically scans the fresco, in goring the gaping simian in favor of words and smaller images.

Jacky will search the fresco and the floor immediately in front of it, taking his time to feel for anything out of place.