The Dark Tower - Level The Second
The gnome shakes his head. "I believe Samalgidaceon has been down here for a long while," he tells the Paladin, "and as I understand it, he's not been exactly forthcoming with details of his past. Your decision to swap belts with him was probably for the best though - compared to the likes of Haffrung Helleyes, he's mostly harmless."
"Death to the minions of Set !" Gnevron adds with a dutiful smile as Tesseryn pledges something slightly less than outright slaying of the notorious Haffrung, the kitchen hands all merrily joining in with the chant.
Brindle's musings provide the gnome with food for thought. "Have to say we'd always considered the goat was Berkam-Shem's familar," he admits, "never considered it might be Haffrung ... to be honest I really don't know. Might pay us to keep our crossbows handy if we catch sight of it again, though."
Leisha's comments leave the gnome wondering if he should explain it again (and what such a mysterious thing as a 'metaphor' might be), but since he can well guess what the young woman might make of 'putting on a pair of boots' instead Gnevron elects to address Aurion's request, feeling on much safer ground.
"You can use the library downstairs," he informs the Elf. "We guards aren't much in the way of readers, it's mostly used by the lammasu."
Wrukaog and Cogwitz both cry off, the pair intending to stay here and keep the kitchenhands, or at least the hot meals and cups of ale, company.
Once the rest of you finish supping, the gnome leads you down the stairs, delivering a running commentary with the practiced air of one who's never done this before.
"That was the kitchens and mess hall of course {LEVEL B ON MAP} ... our main barracks are on the top floor {LEVEL A ON MAP}... you'd have passed them on the way down ... ah here we are !" he nods to the three gnome guards who all try to look alert and guard-like as Gnevron steps off the stairway. {LEVEL C ON MAP}
"As you were lads," Gnevron tells them. "Death to the minions of Set," he appends, smiling at the chorused response in kind.
"That's the library there," he points to the door on the right , waiting while you all poke your heads round to admire the bookcases, leaving Aurion to his studies while you continue on.
"This is Rosunn, Eaomir and Dohevin," the gnome inclines his head politely to the three Lammasu.
The large creatures, with the body of a lion, wings of an eagle and human faces eye you appraisingly, but serenely and without suspicion, as if they find much interest in your more simple forms.
Gnevron does not linger, though, allowing you just enough time to poke your head around the corner to peek at the column of mist, "shortcut to and from Omphalos's chambers", before ushering you back to the stairs, turning south to where a second, spiral stairway leads down.
A few turns of the staircase leads you to another opening {LEVEL D ON MAP}. Directly ahead of you is a huge woolly mammoth, which your guide approaches fearlessly as it awaits him impassively ... and with good reason, for though it appears startlingly real, close up you can tell it is a triumph of the taxidermist's art.
"Don't breathe too deeply," the gnome exhorts as he pushes open a door to the south, revealing a golem standing next to a brazier from which wafts a sweet smelling smoke that makes you all a bit giddy.
"Can we see the prisoner, please, Clay," Gnevron nods at the golem who turns wordless to pull back a dividing curtain to reveal Berkam-Shem, bound and gagged his feet somehow sunken into the stone floor as he stares blankly, obviously in the thrall of the heady smoke.
Quickly backing out before you can be overcome by the fumes, the gnome grins at the three of you. "He won't be causing any trouble," he assures you.
Heading north, you push through another set of heavy drapes to a darkened area, lit by the soft light that emanates from a globe of swirling mists.
"We can use that to look about this tower, or keep an eye on a particular person after they've left here ... but it doesn't last for very long," your guide dismisses the globe, nodding towards the opposite door. "Main barracks," he explains, before doing an about turn and leading you back to the spiral stairway, going down ...
... another few turns of the stair brings you to its end (or beginning, for you realise that you've been steadily working your way down for what must once have been the top of Mitra's temple {LEVEL E ON MAP}. This entire level seems to have been the site of a terrible battle, for every chamber and room has had its contents burned and blasted to ash. Doors creak on their hinges and charred paint and plaster peels off the walls and ceilings.
Gnevron leads you through one of the doors on the south wall where you find another four gnome guards, these somber and alert and enjoy yet more dour renditions of "Death to the minions of Set !" as your guide proudly shows you a plaque on the south wall, honouring those servants of good who gave their lives on this spot, courageously holding off the forces of evil.
Leaving the guards to their duty, the gnome points out a stone statue in the northwesternmost chamber fashioned in the form of a Shedu, which is to say a sturdy horse, but with a noble, dwarf-like head and large feathered wings.
"Anyone tries anything here and that'll come to life and sort them out," Gnevron smiles confidently as he takes you around the east side instead, before turning north to a chamber where you find another misty column and an iron box.
"That's another shortcut back from the upper levels outside the tower," he tells you, pausing a moment as he tries to recall where, "just past the chamber of the undying, I believe ... but entering the mists from this end just takes you to the chamber where Sir Holomir stands guard."
"That box ... actually that could be useful to you ... contains a stone tablet upon which is inscribed all names of the glyphs that ward the doorways and portals in the Tower of Set, death to all his minions. Bit of luck us getting hold of that. I'm sure someone died horribly as a result," he chuckles at the thought.
"You can't take the tablet, but I'll arrange for someone to copy that down for you - you know, in case you make it to the Dark Tower."
"And if you'll step this way ..." the gnome turns and walks through the western wall.
Following him, you find yourself in a bare stone chamber lit with a strange red light and with a circle of runes inscribed on the floor. Gnevron steps into it without hesitation and vanishes. You hurry after him ...
... and find yourselves in a massive hall of blindingly white ornate marble, delicately worked with many lawful good creatures portrayed in the decorations {LEVEL F ON MAP}, standing in a circle of runes that seem much the same as were in the room you just left.
"This was originally the main hall of the Temple," your guide tells you, his voice reverently low.
"Statue," he points to the twenty foot tall statue fashioned in the form of an armoured warrior in an alcove to the west. "Statue," he says again, pointing to the similarly sized statue of a beautiful woman in an alcove to the east.
"That's Vishnar," he points to the green stone statue in the northern alcove which waves back at him. "The only way back upstairs is through his good graces.
"And those are the main doors I was telling you about," he points to the very solid looking doors to the south which are heavily barred and marked with many formidable glyphs. "None shall pass and all that."
"So ..." Gnevron pauses at last for breath "... that's the tour. Any questions ?"
OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...