Leisha hmms.

Brindle explores.

He heads across to the eastern passage and as far as the T-intersection then looks left and right to see what he can see.

With the course of where they were to go next picked out for them thanks to Leisha, Cogwitz went in the direction she had gone as well.  He was right behind Brindle as he looked around the corner of the T intersection.

"I'm sure Leisha and the halflings are safe in your care.  I shall return immediately"  Tesseryn assures Oomphalos, Aurion and Wrukaog.  He exits via the southern door and clanks across the large room towards the clover-shaped shrine.  Shortly thereafter he strides back across the large room towards its eastern exit.

Tesseryn commits the two Halflings to the Naga's care as he heads back to the south chamber.   However neither Brindle nor Cogwitz are minded to twiddle their thumbs, the pair heading over to the eastern opening and peering into the corridor beyond.

Aurion and Wrukaog exchange a glance, the Elf following after the Paladin, close enough to at least keep an eye on him but not to interfere, while the Orc does the same for the Halflings aiming to keep them in his sight.

"You must avoid the mists to the right !" Omphalos calls after the Halflings, as she reaches the intersection, repeating the warning he gave Leisha.   As the pair can now see, the corridor curves away to the left, while to the right the corridor is filled with mist that blocks what might lie beyond.

Tesseryn quickly returns, the badly dented golden bowl under his arm.  Seeing this, Omphalos hisses with displeasure, eyeing him sternly.  "You must not bring that profane thing into this holy place !" the Naga insists, sternly.

Brindle looks both ways then grins at Cogwitz.

"Which way shall we go?" he asks, pretending he hasn't heard the naga's warning.

"Not the foggiest!" he concludes, still grinning.

But he turns and heads along the curving left-hand passage looking for Leisha.

I must have mist what he was saying...  Cogwitz quipped back to Brindle as he started off to the left.  Naturally, Cogwitz followed closely behind with his weapons drawn.

"I think I shall have to call you Mister from now on, Mister Cogwitz!" Brindle replied with a cheerful grin.

"This bowl is indeed imbued with evil enchantment, Oomphalos." Tesseryn explains, resolutely holding the mangled golden bowl before him.  "And that is the very reason for bringing it hither, to ask your advice as to its destruction, or ..." he glances towards the empty eastern doorway, "remediation.  Have you the means to dispel the enchantment whilst leaving the base metal intact that its value may be put to good purpose?"

Strolling back the other way, Leisha smiles at the two halflings.  "Truly, your wit brume me away," she replies cheerfully.  "It's a pretty gem.  I think Tesseryn could have it if he wanted, but I somehow doubt he does.  Did I miss anything interesting?"

Though the Halflings' banter threatens to cloud the issue, Brindle and Cogwitz elect to head down the corridor that curves away to the left, searching for Leisha who is sorely missed.   Happily the pair soon discover her, coming back down the corridor towards them and reports on the gem she viewed but left well alone.

Omphalos is a little mollified by Tesseryn's explanation of his actions, satisfied that the Paladin's intent is as pure as the 24 carat gold of the evil bowl.  "It may be cleansed, given time," the Naga relents, "though in its current state of ill it should not be allowed to befoul Mitra's holy tomb.  Leave it here and I shall study it further."

Tesseryn leaves the bowl and bows his bare head as he thanks Oomphalos for his gracious offer.

When the mistical halflings return with the smiling Leisha he notes her cryptic musings.  "I am curious to know what you saw."  He seems almost relaxed without his helmet; his voice less hollow and short brown hair plastered against his scalp.  "Perhaps you can tell us on the way to the rat-infested tunnels?"  He leads off through the southern door to retrace their path to the temple of Set.

Cogwitz wanted to hear the story too about what Leisha had seen.  Meanwhile though Cogwitz hurried to get in line behind Tesseryn so that he could be in a good place in case something sprang up or he was needed to check for traps or the like.

Brindle followed behind Tesseryn and Cogwitz so that he was in an even safer better place in case something sprang up or they found any traps or the like.

"Of course," Leisha agrees, falling into place beside Brindle.  "The hallway curved around a bit, and ended in a sight that brought to mind... hm, eight adjectives and an adverb," she decides.  "The room itself was bright and white - velvet lined walls and a marble floor, all quite spotless.  Either some obscure property of the Gem, or Omphalos is an excellent housekeeper.  The air itself smelled fresh and healthy, and carried a gentle, almost ethereal music.  I could hum a little, if you'd like," she offers, mainly to Brindle - if he's interested, she does so.

"Oh, yes, and floating in the middle of the room, about yea high," she holds her hand out about four feet above the floor, "Was the gem itself, both clear and colorless.  It's about this big," she cups her hands half a foot apart, "And just sort of floats there, turning slowly.  I didn't actually go into the room, though - I felt a bit too dusty, frankly.  But I think it would have liked you, Tess."

"Oh yes, please! Do hum us its tune. I'm sure it will improve the atmosphere down here no end!" Brindle encourages Leisha.

"Tesseryn, perhaps you can come back and visit the heart after we have found the other items of Mitra's that are scattered down here?" he suggests to the paladin.

Forming up into an order that sees both Halfling's taking advantage of the concealment known as Tesseryn, and with Wrukaog and the silver statue of Mitra guarding the rear, you take your leave of Omphalos, entrusting the valuable but evil golden bowl to his care as you head towards the rat-infested warrens.

Everyone listens politely to Leisha's recounting of her pilgrimage to set eyes upon the fabled Heart of Law as you retrace your steps through the charnel-chamber beyond (but little improved by the removal of the original corpses though undoubtedly the new ones you provided will soon reverse the trend), as you retrace your steps.

By the time you reach Set's temple, Brindle is clamoring for a tune, and Leisha obliges, her fingers coaxing an ethereal air from her harp that is quite breathtaking, and almost certainly nothing like it has been heard in this chamber before.

Thus fortified, you continue on, trailing down the corridor towards the room where you fought the legion of skeletons and the tunnels which you seek just beyond ...

"Who ?  They're here !"

Brindle's light plays across the end of the corridor revealing a rapidly retreating figure - from what you can see of his garb before he disappears around the corner you judge it to be one of the constables from the village above.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Brindle hurries forward as far as he can (somewhere between a 5ft to 20ft move action) before the constable can disappear around the corner. As he moves he is already reciting the incantation for a spell.

"Well met, friend! Come talk to us. Don't worry, none my friends here will hurt you," he calls softly to the man, just loudly enough for him to hear but hopefully not loud enough to carry much further around the bend.

Tesseryn listened intently to Leisha's description of the Heart of Law.  His mouth momentarily quirked in a hint of a smile as she concluded.  To Brindle's suggestion he replied evenly "Yes, perhaps."  Leisha's playing had him holding his breath and placing his feet with care lest a metallic sound mar the performance.

Although aware of the deceit in Brindle's words to the constable, Tesseryn nonetheless considers himself bound by them.  He will not harm this fellow.  He advances cautiously 30', staying close the the left wall to allow the resourceful halflings room to pass him if they wish, and scans ahead for the presence of evil.

"Perhaps you can ask him for directions?" Aurion suggests. "Tell him we got lost on the way to the tavern." A case might be made for the veracity of that statement, if not the intent behind it.

Cogwitz hadn't seen the man right away as Brindle had and was late to start to move forward with the others.

Though the constable vanishes from sight, he stops as he hears Brindle words.

"Don't worry - I'm just going to talk to them !" he calls out, quite calmly as he turns back, nodding to Tesseryn as the Paladin reaches the turn in the corridor and smiling broadly as he approaches the two halflings who come bustling towards him.

"The Sheriff and the Mayor are both very angry with you," he winks at Brindle.  "But I'm sure it's all a misunderstanding."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:08, Mon 17 Apr 2017.

Brindle looks suitably surprised at the Constable's words.

"Really? I wonder what we could have possibly done to upset them. Have we broken some sort of local regulation or something? You better tell us what the rules are so we don't upset them any more. So, are the Sheriff and Mayor both down here with you or have they sent other people like you instead? How many are down here with you?" he asked the Constable.

"The sheriff is here with several constables, they are about ten in all, some with torches." Tesseryn reports quietly from his vantage point at the corner.  "Will they try to prevent us from entering the rat infested tunnels?" he asks the charmed constable.

"You're not from these parts," the Constable explains reasonably. "No, you haven't broken the law.  But it was only a matter of time, really.  The Sheriff is here and four of us Constables, along with four of Mayor Avvakris's personal guard."

The tunnels ?  No, you don't understand - we're down here to take you into custody.  The Mayor was quite clear about that.  You're no good to him dead."

"I'd certainly appreciate it if you came quietly," the Constable tells Brindle.  "I'm Harmon, by the way.  We weren't introduced before."