The orc entertains the suggestion.

As Brindle and Tesseryn make their exit from Samalgidacion's chamber, shutting the door firmly behind them, they discuss the nature of the white wall, staying clear of the steel ball and which path to try next.

However Aurion and Wrukaog are still experimenting on that last.  At the Elf's suggestion, Wrukaog positions the statue with care across the corridor, aligning hand and foot that the ball might touch both at the same time and perhaps be trapped ...

The Orc's skill is proven as the sphere indeed does so, though the effect is not the desired one as it immediately reverses direction once more, heading back the way it came.

"Not exactly the test I had proposed." Aurion mutters "But thank-you for indulging me Wrukaog. Perhaps the ultimate test is too risky to perform as it would involve placing an orc directly alongside the ball, and with unpredictable result." He shrugs and watches the ball retreat silently along the passage. "We should waste no more time on this and proceed as Brindle suggested." He follows the ball into the curving passage, nervously checking over his shoulder that a large orc is following with a with a silver statue in hand.

Brindle immediately scurries after Aurion into the curving passage.

"We can get out at the corridor on the north side first before the ball comes round again. We can explore it first," he suggests.

Tesseryn follows Brindle into the curved passage.  He scuffs the line of flattened silver coins with an armoured boot but hastens on with barely a grimace.

"It might have worked," Cogwitz tells Aurion sympathetically as he considers the original plan, "but if so it would have blocked the passageway. I have a thirst for knowledge.. but moreso a thirst for ale, and the quicker I can get back to a tavern the better! Let us brook no delays!"

Wrukaog recovers the statue and you wait for perhaps half a minute for the steel ball to pass by before entering the corridor, plodding after it for a short distance before you take your leave through the northern opening in the curved passageway, following the corridor east ...

You cover about eighty feet before you reach the first opening to the south which reveals a rough hewn tunnel, littered with fallen rocks leading upwards.  About twenty feet further on the passageway ends with a door in the south wall with an unexpectedly shiny handle.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

"Oooo, shiny!" Brindle gasps as he sees the unexpectedly shiny door handle. He moves forward as though mesmerised, his hand reaching toward the handle ... then stops just before he touches it, looks back at everyone else, and grins. He starts searching for traps.

"Are you looking for something ?" the door asks Brindle.

Brindle freezes and looks up at the door, startled by the unexpected voice.

"Yes, traps," he admits, then stands there for a moment just looking at the door, trying to determine exactly where the voice had come from.

Leisha finds herself quickly bored as the boys play with their belts and balls, and isn't entirely sure she hasn't nodded off a bit when she realizes she's at risk of being left behind.  Fortunately, she notices in time to follow along.

The talking door, however, is a bit more interesting.  "Brindle," she chides, "Where are your manners?  For what it's worth," she notes to the door, "I'm not sure he introduced himself to me the first time, either.  My name is Leisha.  And you are?"

The halfling snorts, choking back his laughter as the door speaks, mindful of Leisha's warning about good manners.

In no mood to exchange truths with a doorknob, Tesseryn instead strides (clanks) into the southern tunnel, sword drawn, to accost whatever evil lurks there ... or gather further evidence of the villages' complicity in a conspiracy of evil should the passage lead again to the surface.

Moving closer to get a better view, Aurion looks to see what has inspired this flurry of etiquette. "Its adorable." He concentrates on detecting magic.

"Traps !"  The door sounds most affronted.  "I'm offended that you should even consider that I might stoop to such a ... well, that's just the sort of low down trick you might expect from Sydni !"

"Very pleased to make your aquaintance, Leisha," the door's tone, indeed even the wood itself seems much warmer as he responds to the young woman, perhaps moved by her politeness. "I am Hargrove."

As Tesseryn vanishes into the darkness of the nearby tunnel, Aurion closes his eyes ...

"Aurion Moonbeak." the elf offers in a somewhat distracted tone as he continues to concentrate on determining the sort of magic that would inspire a door to speak. "What is Sydni?" He glances around to see if he missed a coffee table or teapot.

Tesseryn continues into the tunnel, his eyes becoming accustomed to the gloom.  "Evil reveal yourself." He mutters as he continues to concentrate on detecting the source of the evil aura nearby.

"I never met a talking door before," Brindle finally says. "I'm Brindle, pleased to meet you Hargrove. I hope you don't mind me asking but meeting you like this raises so many questions. Are you actually the door in front of us or are you somewhere else and communicating with us by magic? Will you let us open the door and pass through this doorway? Is there anything you can tell us before we do?"

The introductions are seemingly over, for Hargrove hisses as Aurion poses his question.

"Sydni is an evil, lying, cheating thief of a door, unworthy of that name !" he vouchsafes. "It's my diamond and he knows it !"

"Of course I'm a door," Hargrove snorts.  "You do have doors where you come from ?"

But his tone softens as Brindle asks him to open up.  "Of course you may pass," he begins, "but I cannot promise that Sydni will not harm you once you are within his reach.  I do apologise - his behaviour is quite intolerable."

Tesseryn prowls further into the dark tunnel, closing in on the lurking evil auras.

"An oddly dressed giant asked us to look out for belts. Would you know anything about that Hargrove?"

"Thanks Hargrove, we'll watch out when we meet Sydni. I think I should keep an eye on our friend first, though. I'll come back and see you again soon," Brindle assures the talkative door.

Then he follows after Tesseryn bringing some light into the darkened tunnel that the paladin is exploring.

"An evil presence ..."  Tesseryn mutters as Brinble approaches.  "... and not that sword Aurion carries, it's something else."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:42, Fri 26 Jan 2018.

"I haven't seen any giants, oddly dressed or otherwise come down here," the door replies to Aurion, apologetically.  "I blame Sydni ... the way he behaves, well why would anyone of wit or breeding even want to visit us ?" 

Brindle thanks Hargrove as he heads towards the nearby tunnel to see how Tesseryn fares. 

The Halfling's light illuminates the Paladin as he stands in the tunnel part way down, staring up at the ceiling ...

... suddenly the rock above unfolds and four creatures drop upon Tesseryn, winged, seemingly crudely formed from the very stone of the the tunnel itself.

Gargoyles !

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Brindle gasps then quickly points his wand and speaks the command word [Language unknown: "Ilanheno!"] to hurl 4 orange-glowing magic missiles at the closest one of the ambushers. Then he hurriedly retreats to the northern corridor leaving his dancing lights to illuminate Tesseryn.

"Gargoyles! Four of them are attacking Tesseryn," he anxiously tells his friends.

OOC: Brindle rolled 14 using 4d4+4 with rolls of 2,4,3,1.  Magic missile damage.