Part 8: Mystery at the Tower

[Balgin Stondraeg]

After almost four quarters of an hour, Aurum and Raoul discover a lose stone in the wall (in square 4). Pushing this stone causes a section of the wall to slide aside revealing a cavity with a lever.

[Custom_Hobby]

Aurum grunts "Finally!" he then reaches into the cavity and pulls the lever. Once the trap door opens he looks in to see what is down there and if it looks safe heads in to get a beter look.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

The stone trapdoor rises up to reveal a spiral staircase heading down....

I think now's a good opportunity to wait for the other guys to post.

[Keeper]

"Well, I led the search up, shall I lead the search down?"  Raul moves to the trapdoor and takes the first couple of steps, before looking up.

"Aurum can you keep looking at the stonework as we go down - it might give us some more clues."

[Custom_Hobby]

"Already on it." Aurum pays close attention to the stonework and follows Raul. He keeps his axe at the ready.

[Mr Teufel]

"I'll take up the rear," says Kiaphas, readying his scimitar.

[Fabian]

Alarian heads after Aurum and allows Kiaphas to go last.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

The spiral stair descends into the earth, leading to a gate of iron bars about eighty five feet below the floor above. The gate bears a great lock and there is a lever set into the wall beside the gate. Aurum tries a few of the keys he has collected and discovers that the demon headed key does indeed unlock the gate.

Whilst he is trying keys the others get a glimpse of the room beyond through the bars. It would appear to be a rough cavern of natural rock that has had some limited stone work applied to the walls to prop up overhangs and generaly reinforce the structure. The far part of the cavern features an entire wall. Blocks of the stone used in the construction work lie scattered about on the floor, having fallen as the mortar decayed with age.

The centre of the chamber is dominated by a large black sphere, almost ten feet across. It's surface resembles glass but seems to shift and move like water. Like water, but as if controlled by some intelligent power, or as if some great form shifts beneath the waves. All who observe the black orb get a diquieting feeling of being watched. A thin mist hangs upon the floor of the entire cavern and a thin line of green energy emerges from the sphere, flowing into the far wall and entering the carved stone.

[Keeper]

"Now, I really don't like the look of that.  Any one know what it is?"

[Mr Teufel]

"Purely guessing, a prison for whatever killed the monks."

[Custom_Hobby]

"Lets go get the sage and Rogon"

[Keeper]

"Now that sounds like a GOOD idea.  I think the sage should definately see this."

[Mr Teufel]

"Indeed!"

[Keeper]

Raul turns away from the horrible looking anomaly and starts back up the stairs.

Which I should have posted in the last thread, but I was too dumb!

[Fabian]

"An idea with merit..." says Alarian eyeing the sphere with caution before returning upstairs himself.