[Ptolus/AD&D] IC Thread #2b - Limbus Sanguineum

[Imperator]

[OOC: Apologies for the delay]

First, Gareth describes what he sees to his mates. After that, he carefully leaves the lantern on the floor in front of him and squeezes through the opening, trying to be as silent as possible. As he's in no hurry, he will take as much time as he needs to be quiet.

[Drohem]

Once Rissthil sees Gareth's feet shimmy forward through the hole, he offers to help Brother Maulbert up to the hole and into it to follow Gareth.  Rissthil will follow the others through the hole if they keep moving forward and don't indicate any immediate danger.

[Benoist]

[OOC: Apologies for the delay]

First, Gareth describes what he sees to his mates. After that, he carefully leaves the lantern on the floor in front of him and squeezes through the opening, trying to be as silent as possible. As he's in no hurry, he will take as much time as he needs to be quiet.

You squeeze through the opening on top of the pile of rubble as cautiously as you possibly can. Just a few feet in front of you, there is this red lantern hanging from the ceiling, partially covered with some sort of hybrid leaved moss. Under it, there is a large roofed urn, similar in size and shape to the ones you've seen under each of the three lanterns you've seen.

You find yourself at the southern end of a long corridor oriented North-South. The first feature sticking out of the shadows is an enormous, bulbous mass of moss hanging from the ceiling about 15 feet away from the lantern next to you. It is hard to make out its exact features or appearance from here. This vaguely looks like some sort of vegetal hornets' nest with a discreet luminescent quality to the lines and areas where its numerous folds overlap.



A door originally blocking access to some area to the bulbous plant's west lies shattered to pieces on the corridor's floor. There are also patches of moss growing here and there, and planks and boulders and refuse all over the place.

What looks like another set of doors stands to the bulbous plant's east. This one seems intact, though you're not too sure.

Beyond the plant-like thing standing between those two sets of doors, one intact (east), one not (west), there is yet another red lantern hanging from the ceiling, another enormous roofed urn standing on a pedestal below.

And beyond yet, another lantern, but this one's light is not red: it is dark, bleuish with some very faint red undertones to it; indigo would be a good way to summarize its general shade.

The corridor seems to go on beyond the indigo lantern, but it is hard to tell from this distance.

Once Rissthil sees Gareth's feet shimmy forward through the hole, he offers to help Brother Maulbert up to the hole and into it to follow Gareth.  Rissthil will follow the others through the hole if they keep moving forward and don't indicate any immediate danger.

Maulbert accepts Rissthil's offer and starts to make his way through the hole. Rissthil feels suddenly very much alone. He notices the circus of lights projected from the painting they examined earlier seems to have stopped in his back, but he is focused on the hobbit at the moment.

[Imperator]

Gareth whispers through the hole:

"Riss, make it fast. There are some things here you should look at"

[Drohem]

Unable to shake the creeping feeling of dread rising up his spine, Rissthil renews his resolve and turns to look at the painting.

[Imperator]

Unable to shake the creeping feeling of dread rising up his spine, Rissthil renews his resolve and turns to look at the painting.

While Riss comes here, I will grab the lantern and check the closest lamp carefully. Also, I keep my ears well open.

[Benoist]

As Rissthil turns around, he sees a strange and silent procession unfolding. Some creatures emerge from the painting. The eight levitating creatures look like liquid blobs of bright light that conglomerated together to form the shape of some sort of human-sized moth. What could be their chests and abdomen are covered with articulated plaques of bronze. They look almost black by the way their dark shade contrasts with the luminosity emanating from the creatures' bodies.

The eight luminous creatures slowly hover in a circle formation from the painting towards the dais. Wisps of light extend from them towards the center, and seem to support a spherical apparatus that looks like a complex astrolabe made of the same bronze metal as their armor from where you stand.

The creatures do not seem aware of Rissthil's presence, or if they are, they do not seem to pay any attention to him.

[Benoist]

While Riss comes here, I will grab the lantern and check the closest lamp carefully. Also, I keep my ears well open.

Gareth looks at the red lantern. It is partially covered with some kind of moss. It is in all ways similar to the lanterns hanging to the north, east and west of the dais area.



Under it, there is the roofed urn standing on its pedestal you now come to expect.

The inside of the urn is of some interest, since it looks, at the faint light of the lantern, to be much darker than its exterior. There is a kind of heavy, oily smell emanating from within the urn that mixes with the whiffs of mold the moss exudes around the thief.

[Imperator]

Can I open the urn?

[Drohem]

Rissthil will crouch on the rubble and use the lantern to partially conceal himself from view the dais area of the room.  He will watch the strange scene unfold.  However, if he sees that he is noticed, he will immediately turn and try to shimmy through the hole in the rubble.

[Benoist]

Can I open the urn?

It is open. There is no lid on its vast round container or anything of the sort.

[Imperator]

It is open. There is no lid on its vast round container or anything of the sort.

Then I approach and take a very very careful peek inside. Do I notice some smell?

OOC: Can I hear the procession outside?

[Benoist]

Rissthil will crouch on the rubble and use the lantern to partially conceal himself from view the dais area of the room.  He will watch the strange scene unfold.  However, if he sees that he is noticed, he will immediately turn and try to shimmy through the hole in the rubble.

The creatures do not seem to notice or care about Rissthil at the moment. They slowly hover towards the dais area. The spherical device levitating in the middle of their formation seems to change shape, and size. It grows and shrinks, several leaf-shaped bronze pannels along its rim opening and closing like the petals of a metallic flower pulsing with a life of its own. Wisps of multicolored light swirl around it.

The scene is quite beautiful in its otherworldliness.

DM: Rolls resistance to Charm effects. Failure (to affect the elf). Rissthil resists the lure of the hypnotic scene unfolding before him so far.

[Benoist]

Then I approach and take a very very careful peek inside. Do I notice some smell?

Yes. Gareth determines that the strong smell of oil, which is combined with some pungent, spicy overtones reminding him of a very potent incense, emanates from the inside of the urn. There seems to be something at the bottom of the urn.

OOC: Can I hear the procession outside?

No. Gareth is completely oblivious to what's going on on the other side of the wall of rubble so far.

[Imperator]

Yes. Gareth determines that the strong smell of oil, which is combined with some pungent, spicy overtones reminding him of a very potent incense, emanates from the inside of the urn. There seems to be something at the bottom of the urn.


No. Gareth is completely oblivious to what's going on on the other side of the wall of rubble so far.

Then Gareth will see (not try, just see) if he can reach the botton of the urn. Better yet, maybe I can use a piece of wire (from my lockpicks) to fashion a hook and catch it.