[Sat Nov 17 19:36:57 GMT 2001]

After defeating the remaining beasts in the area you make your way down the winding passage where it becomes much smaller only some 8' foot high after 100' feet giving no access to the larger beasts behind. Continuing onward you come to a wooden door bound with iron bars and large iron hinges. To the right about waist high is a large iron door ring and just below that is an average sized keyhole. You currently are standing here debating going on.

Bilgrom sigh’s as he looks to the door. "I's give it an first look t' see if it be trapped, huh?" He takes a step forward and reaches into one of his boot, from which he takes out a few tools, smells them and rolls his eyes. Before he gets to work...

Balthazar nods and takes a couple of steps back

Syrenia chuckles..."You're too late...it's checked and unlocked."

Bilgrom sigh’s, "Sorry. I was not attentive. So what're we doin' here then?"

The door from the ogre's den opens into a 25' foot square room. The floor and walls are randomly splotched with many layers of paint. The 10' foot high ceiling is dotted with hundreds of small holes each marked with tiny splotches of dry paint. A set of double doors stands directly across the room. A skull is carved into each door. Four other skulls are attached to the walls of the room, each one glowing brightly. To the right of the double doors are rows of pegs and various items hanging on them.

Valin points to the holes in the ceiling " I don't like the looks of those...."

Bilgrom glances up at the lady mage and grins, "Ye's can check fer magic in t' area can ye?"

Balthazar concentrates and feels for in the room... "We'll wedge this door open, or outright take it off... before going in there. My sense for evil does not sense anything, but my instinct tells me this room contains more than it seems..."

Bilgrom grabs his other boot and hurls it in the middle of the room. "Ye think this be paint or this be dried blood, huh?"

Valin shrugs " Either way, I don't want to be the one to find out...."

Bilgrom’s boot lands in the room and nothing seems to happen other then it bouncing one before sliding to a stop near the far wall.

Bilgrom shrugs and drops to his knees, "I's crawl t' the boot and see." And he joins speech to action, crawling towards his boot.

Balthazar frowns as he goes to get one of the tipped mugs and jams one handle first between the door and frame to keep it open.

Valin ties the end of his rope to Bilgrom's foot, incase he is injured and unable to return under his own power.

You stand there pondering the room as the Paladin tries to secure the door with one of the human skulls.

[Balthazar]: "Bilgrom if you feel stealth is wiser go ahead, but I am more than willing to go first."

Bilgrom makes his way to his boot and puts it back on. After what he gets up on his feet when he reaches the other side of the room, next to the items on the wall. "Stupid items probably an trap for idiots. Tho them's be interestin’."

Balthazar watches the halfling enter then room, then goes in as well.

Valin takes a step back so he is outside of the antechamber, but still looking in.

Upon the pegs you see a quiver with 10 arrows inside it 9 with white feathers and 1 with black feathers. Upon another peg is a short sword hanging by its pommel, upon another peg a long bow and a large sack. Filled with what looks like some round objects. Lying across the top of the pegs is a spear.

Bilgrom quickly shows some interest for the sword, examining closely without touching.

Balthazar walks up to one of the skulls, and examines it from more closely, not directly in front of it though...

The skulls are human with some sort of light cast upon them.

Bilgrom believes there are no traps on the item and so he tries to reach it, pulling on the string that is holding it to the wall. "Get off o' that. Darn string." He plays with it a little before it finally gives.

Bilgrom holds the shortsword and examines the pommel. "Hey. Ye’s wizard can check it fer magic later y'think huh?" He runs his hand along the blade for a feel of the work.

[Balthazar]: "Hmm. All looks well so far, I believe we should press on though."

Borathor nods, "Yes we should be going why not check those doors instead of that blade."

Valin nods in agreement, from outside of the room " Yes, check the door."

Balthazar nods and goes up to the door

Bilgrom shrugs, grabs the sack, " 'Cause I's rather gather treasure than get them's door o' yers. And whatever be hidin' behind!" He pulls off all of the items, puts the sword in his belt and shrugs at the other items.

Making your way near the doors the skull on the right door begins to speak and goes on to say. " If you seek audience with the mighty Fesspel, leave your weapons here and let the arrow lead your right".

Valin enters at the talking of the skull, walking over to join his companions, starring at the door curiously.

Bilgrom sigh’s, "Darn. Them’s must be friend weapons?" He throws the shortsword he grabbed back into the corner.

[Balthazar]: "Leave our weapons? Just how do we intend to fulfil this quest? By talk or by steel you have not given me many details..."

[Bilgrom]: "I's rather not leave me only defense out here."

Valin places his weapons in a corner, his bow, longsword, quiver, whip, dagger, and even his sack of caltrops.

Bilgrom leaves his daggers with Valin's equipment; he glances at his shortsword and sigh’s. "I's dunnae 'bout this." He also puts it in the pile, "Bah. If ye's think it be okay."

Borathor shakes his head, "Hmm I’m not leaving my weapons here, what if this guy is deranged or something."

[Balthazar]: "Was their dust, on the items?"

Valin looks over at Borathor " Alright, then, could you stay and watch over our stuff?"

There does appear to be a thin layer of dust on them, except for the short sword which has Bilgrom’s hand prints all over it.

Bilgrom sigh’s and grabs his sword and daggers again, "Ye's be right ranger. We’s should go and keep our weapons. If him mage be nice then we's explain t' him why we keep them's weapons, huh?"

[Balthazar]: "In that case, their owners came in long ago and never got a chance to reclaim them... Not a good omen...."

[Bilgrom]: "That mage be tryin' t' make 'em people who come here leave them's weapons so they be easier t' slay huh!" Sheathing his weapons again and he slides the other shortsword from the wall into his belt.

Valin shrugs " Or those visitors gave the mage a reason to slay them once they entered...' Nods " But you are right...." he reclaims his weapons, then goes back to his spot outside the antechamber door.

Elina nods "maybe they got better ones from the mage."

[Balthazar]: "Besides, if this mage is a reasonable man he will understand our actions.' Trying to open the door

Bilgrom pulls or pushes the door, whichever way it is opened. "Let us just go on inside."

Borathor looks around, "Maybe they are from the first group the mage hired to get his staff back, question is who is checking the door there.' Saying as he steps back into the passageway.

Valin waits at the antechamber entrance " I wouldn't advise deliberately upsetting a possibly powerful mage...."

The doors are locked and do not move to ones push or pulling.

[Balthazar]: "I for one do not intend to." Scratches his chin then says "Well, we'll have to use our heads for this one..."

Borathor leans against the outer wall, "What can we use as a weapon upon us that isn't normally a weapon?"

Bilgrom shrugs, "Well, ye's make an choice. Him’s probably not come t' give us t' answer."

Valin smiles " A crow bar, maybe?"

Bilgrom gives the door a hard kick and walks back to the corner of the room where he rests a little. "Leave them's weapon or not?"

Borathor shakes his head, 'I don't have such a tool."

[Valin]: " I do..."

Balthazar unsheathes his sword and places it in a corner. "Ready when you are, friends."

Bilgrom places his weapons in the same corner as well. "Alright. Let us be stupid an trust t' mighty Fesspel."

Valin enters and places his weapons in the corner again, then thinks about the crow bar " I suppose, if you think about it, anything can be a weapon... Maybe the door doesn't mean a physical thing, in particular, but really the weapon and aggressive mindset...."

Tollong comes up from behind where he was resting

Bilgrom shrugs, "Drop yer weapons. We’s know right away."

Elina while listening to the others makes her way near the pegs where soon after she lets out a scream dropping the sack to the floor as several human and humanoid skulls roll out upon the floor.

Valin hangs on to the crow bar, but does not think of it as a weapon. " I will not fight, or attack anything in this Fespell's holdings... I will not think aggressively...." he repeats that a few times under his breath, then walks to the door to see if he can open it.

[Balthazar]: "Ugh! By the scrolls! These are not good tidings."

Valin’s attempt at opening the door fails.

Balthazar tries to open the door now that he is unarmed.

Balthazar makes his way to the door unarmed as they slowly swing inward.

Valin shrugs and before tossing his crowbar onto his pile of weapons, asks, " Why the hell are we here again anyway?"

Balthazar looks on a head, taking only enough steps to clear the doorway.

Bilgrom rubs his chin and comes over to the door, "I's ain't got no weapon now. I want t' meet Fesspel so open up ye!"

The double doors open onto a long hallway, 15' foot wide and 15' foot high. Glowing skulls similar to those of the antechamber illuminate the hallway. The walls, ceiling and floor are all made of white marble, except for a 5' foot wide strip of black obsidian running down the center of the hall. The strip is inlaid with silver symbols every 15' feet. The first symbol appears to be an arrow pointing straight ahead. The other two symbols appear to be strange hieroglyphs or runes of some type. At the far end of the corridor is a set of double doors adorned with carved skeletons.

Bilgrom moves in with a sigh, "Alrighty then. We’s be goin'!" He darts through the door, following the line.

[Valin]: " I have a bad feeling about those runes on the floor there.... Might mean something bad if we step over them.... Can one of you magic users check them for magic?"

Elina nods, "I can but I currently haven't studied it in a while."

[Bilgrom]: It's a bit too late to have mentioned that as Bilgrom is testing those runes for you.

Balthazar concentrates and feels for evil

Bilgrom makes his way half way down the hallway following the strip as he gets closer to the doors at the end. Nothing seems to happen.

Valin looks over at Syrenia " What about you?"

Balthazar follows Bilgrom, murmuring a few words along the way.

Syrenia nods "Nope not i."

Bilgrom simply continues all the way to the doors.

Valin shrugs " What the hell...." he follows to the doorway at the end of the hall.

Making your way down Bilgrom reaches the door as you hear the sound of a clicking and rumbling as 30 feet or so of the hall way open up and swallow Bilgrom and Balthazar, before quickly resetting.

Valin stops at the second glyph and stares with jaw ajar at the disappearance of the Paladin & halfling.

Borathor peers down the hallway, Valin! Well what happened can you see them?"

Valin calls back " No, the hall seemed to devour them..."

[Borathor]: "Devour" shaking his head, "They fell in a pit. Well in order to be a pit it has to have a bottom" looking about the others "maybe its not that deep."

Valin calls towards the other end of the hall " Mage! We come in peace! Release my friends from your trap, you old pompous fool!"

Syrenia shakes her head, "Yeah that’s going to work." As she makes her way down to Valin. Ill look over the floor maybe I can find something.

Valin remains quiet as he watches Syrenia work.

Syrenia gets down and almost crawls along the floor checking it for the trap edge, as she makes her way "Where did you say the edge was?"

[Valin]: " Thirty feet or so from that end...." he points. Walking to one of the skulls, the one on the right. Looking around the side of the skull, seeing if there is enough room to tie a rope around it, enough so that it won't simply slide off of the skull.

Borathor stands near the doorway, "Can you hear them down there?"

Valin shrugs, then tosses one end of his rope to Syrenia " Hang on to this, incase the trap activates..." he grips his end tightly and backs up a bit.

Syrenia ties the rope round her waist. Sighing, "Well I could lock it off and we could forget about them, otherwise we have to get it open."

Valin sighs, " Well, we better open it to see if we can get them out..."

Borathor snickers, "There’s only two ways to open one of those, and that’s either set it off or break it in."

[Valin]: " Can we keep it open long enough to pull them out if we set it off, though?"

Syrenia looks up to the others, " Ok who sets it off and how do we keep it open?"

Elina looks down the hall, 'I might have a spell to open it but it will take several hours before I can cast it."

Valin shrugs " I have no idea, this is out of my area of expertise.... I doubt anyone has a pole long enough to hold it open, Eh?"

Elina begins her studies right away.

Borathor looks at the lass then the hall; "Well hopefully they didn’t land on spikes for they will surely bleed to death by then."

Valin nods " Aye...."

Borathor shakes his head "Course we could do that or go and get one of the ogres clubs and trigger the trap and loge it open with it by sticking in by the wall when it flips."

Valin looks over at Borathor " Good idea...."

Borathor nods, "I thought so."

Valin darts outside to retrieve one of the beasts' clubs and return with it ASAP.