Malik turned the lantern toward the column that was being inspected.

With a sigh, Trinity replaces the spectacles inside her beltpouch.

"Iffin ya think there is nuthing to it, speak out. Then we can be on our way to our deaths," Borin says with a smile.

After having cured his curiosity with the stairs, Khidrath moves over to the column and takes a closer look at it, trying to determine if it would be possible to climb it and if is it has any irregularities.

"Without magic, I cannot say what the purpose of this pillar might be.  It could be the source of the anti-magic field or something else entirely.  Who can say?"  Trinity waits and watches as Khidrath conducts his own examination of the pillar.  Perhaps he can?

Borin will wait as the others inspect his findings. Doing his job he will face the openeing that said certain death. All the while scanning around for any approaching creatures......Borin is on guard and ready to charge at the moment.

Khidrath starts climbing the column "It might be what is causing the anti-magic field but I think I'll give a go, might be something interesting. It must have some other purpose since it's not supporting the structure." once he is up he will search it for anything of interest.

Zorian is still circling the statue and examining it without touching it as he chips in his 2 cents into the conversation.

"If its power only functions in this room we could move on. It doesn't appear that there is anything of importance here except that we are all cut off from the weave. If it stretches through this whole dungeon though it is definatly a bad sign."

"If your cut off from dat weave so is the oppoenents. Sounds good to me." Borin says hefting his dwarven waraxe.

Khidrath's climb reveals that there is a gap between the column and the ceiling, perhaps an inch or so.  Nothing else is visible in that gap, so he lets himself hang at arm's length, then does a controlled drop to the floor.
   The column doesn't seem to mind his clambering over it.

After dropping Khidrath stands up "It almost seems life-like can’t help but wonder if use to be a person?! South it is then."With that he makes his way up the southern stairs crossbow ready and carefully checking for traps.

"South ya say," Borin says as he shifts his weight and starts to head south.

Malik hurried forward to get into his place in the order.  He drew his mace as he moved, making sure that he had things free to move if he neede to set his lantern down.

As soon as Borin crosses the arch leading to the southern stairs, the sound of metal sliding across stone brings him to a halt.  The central column has changed, no longer simply resembling a humanoid female, but now an animate form wielding a two-handed sword.  It moves towards him, clearly intent on violence.

[Initiative rolls, please.]

Caught moving in the wrong direction, Malik was slow to respond to the advancing figure.

22:17, Today: Malik Sundancer rolled 5 using 1d20+4. Initiative.

Hearing the noise Borin turns to face it, shield and axe raised. "Ahh, that I did not expect. But should have." Borin calls out.

Initiative: 17

Trinity moves to stand close to the others and readies her blade and buckler.  "No magic and a hard-skinned foe.  Not a good combination for us."

Init: 9

"What is that thing?" Borin ask.

Knowledge Dungeoneering Check: 21

Borin's experience in well-protected dungeons helps him recall something of this sort -- a caryatid column -- though he can't recall anything more specific about the constructs.

[Anyone wanting more info on it needs to make a Knowledge (arcana) check.]

Clearly taken by surprise Khidrath turns to see their first and what may very well be their last foe, heading towards Borin "Not sure, bu-but to think I was climbing that thing only seconds ago" he replies Borin, with a clearly shaken voice cutting in half midway through.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:18, Sun 10 Sept 2006.

Zorian utters a curse in Orc a language that is well suited for exactly that kind of thing as he looks at the moving statue. As he moves away from the statue to be on its left side he puts away the map he was making and reaches for his wand of ray of frost. This was at least a nice experiment to see if they alone or bound spells also where no no longer funtioning.

"This is what i call a bad start my friends."

[10:22, Today: Zorian Porquan rolled 20 using 1d20+4. KNowledge arcana.
10:22, Today: Zorian Porquan rolled 21 using 1d20+2. Initiative.]

Initiative Order:
Zorian
Borin
Khidrath
Trinity
Caryatid column
Malik

[Okay, we're not going to bother with a map, and there's not much point in keeping things secret unless doing so will make things more dramatic -- and this isn't the case.  Zorian, you're aware that these things normally carry magical weaponry, which means it's going to be somewhat weaker than usual.  You also know that caryatid columns have the ability to break most weapons that are used against them, but this protection is magical in nature.  If you keep it within the dead-magic zone, it loses two major advantages.

Everyone please post your actions for round I.]

Khidrath drops his crossbow, graps his mace and moves around it trying to flank it with Borin, without drawing attetnion to himself.

Trinity also moves in an attempt to threaten the colum from yet a third angle, hoping that someone else can benefit from the additional distraction.  In her haste, she misses badly with her initial swing.

Zorian moves furher  to get behind the Caryatid column and aims with his Wand  firinga bolt towards the creature mainly to see its effectiveness in the no magic zone.

"Stay out of its melee range friends and keep it in this room with no weave. It its is struck in melee it might destroy your weapon so try to keep it at a distance."