Episode 1

History check results by Bryn...

Investigation results by Inspector Thorn...

Intelligence check by Thorn...

Muirne starts thrashing in Maeriks' arms. Though she is held by the big man, she is frantic and heaving with all of her weight against his hold.

Those who look over see Bryn looking on at the Dark Throne. He was right on the edge of the outer circular runic ring on the floor. Rhone leaves his side to go tend to Boann. He watches the girl and then looks back at the Throne.

Rutcranna notices him backing up with a blank stare, "Bryn? Bryn turn away from the Throne. Look away and walk away." says Rutcranna, as she eyes him with a cautious look.

Bryn's eyes are locked on the Throne. He continues to back up and then he stumbles, falling backwards onto the floor. He then begins to lock up. All of his limbs become rigid. His hands clench into fists. He becomes straight as a board on the floor. His jaw is clenched. His eyes look outward in a wide but blank stare.

Rutcranna bends down to him. "Fathom!", she lets out a rare Dannein curse. She goes to her bag and pulls out a stick. Using both hands, she opens Bryn's jaw by force and wedges the wood rod between his teeth, apparently to keep him from biting his own tongue in two.

Rutcranna comes over to Maeriks, who is still wrangling with Muirne. The pregnant girl is acting erratic, holding her arms out in strange ways. Though Maeriks still covers her mouth, it is clear that she is trying to speak but her eyes look aimless.

"She has to be silenced, and we cannot have her running and thrashing about," Rutcranna says. She looks through a supply bag, gets out some lashings, and hands them to Maeriks. "Tie her up, but carefully."

"Rhone," Rutcranna turns and calls to her daughter, "Finish with Boann. Turn her care over to Laoise quickly. We have to start now."

To Maeriks who is off to the side and to the group still near the door (Ivor, Kray, Doirind, Laoise - Rhone is nearby, working on Boann with Sine and Casidhe), and to Thorn who is walking through observing the structure of the room, Rutcranna speaks clearly but measured, "I will speak quickly, for there is little time. This place is a site of great hexes and ancient secrets. Many strange things can happen here. Steel your will now, for what you may see with your eyes and hear with your ears will be mixed with what you sense in your mind. Both may begin to deceive you. You may see visions, hear voices, feel that the edges of reason are cracking. Yet even if it seems that this world is falling away and another is emerging around us, the truth will remain - still yet we are in a stone room within an old sinking pile of blocks, sitting next to a lake. And still yet, the worst of all horrors is on the other side of that door, seeking to break through - to kill me and you men, and do far worse to the rest of you women and girls."

She looks to Bryn briefly, "Bryn Rynalt has felt this cracking of reality already. Do not worry about him. I gave him treatment that will soon help him regain his senses. Muirne too may be affected. These attacks on all of our minds will increase. The cursed slug Glaaki has a powerful mind like a weapon. He seeks to stop us. He knows how close we are to slipping from his grasp. He will assault our minds even as his minions seek to hack our bodies to pieces."

She lets that set in and looks for understanding, even though the meaning of her words only invite more questions, "Our way out is through that hallway. It is now closed by a great stone block that bars the path out. But even that great stone can be moved, in a way that seems unreal and beyond reason. This entire site is built to manipulate and shatter the minds of men, but most of its power comes from that ancient artifact at the center. To approach that Dark Throne that we all see and dread, it would drive any of us completely insane right now. With my daughter, and perhaps with your help preparing, I can speak ancient words that can allow me to make a narrow path to approach the Enigma Chair. The Throne is the key to the great lock of this entire structure. If I can reach it, I can trigger the mechanisms that will move that stone. I can close our enemies away from us in this chamber. We can all escape. But I must reach that Throne. And to do it, I need time to work and protection against the fiends who will come in and seek to behead me."

BOOM. A huge shutter against the door.

Then other small sounds. Thuck. Chop. Clunk. Thuck. As if a group of workers has set upon the door with axes and hammers.

BOOM. Again. The door quakes. Then the smaller sounds continue.

Glaaki's forces are trying to cut and break through the great Seal Door.