The water boils nicely, sending up a good cloud of steam as Sydni continues to apologise almost sincerely.

Hargrove, on the other hand, seems rather perturbed by Brindle's question.

"Another door ?  In my corridor ?!!"

"Our corridor," Sydni pauses in his discussion with Tesseryn to interject.

"What makes you think that there's another door?" Hargrove asks the Halfling, worriedly.  "Can you see something that I can't ?"

"No, I don't see any sign of another door yet," Brindle admits. "I asked because asking is a lot easier than searching. I wondered if that might be the reason why this corridor is closed off by a pair of such intelligent and articulate doors. I've never met a door that could speak before."

"Really ?"  Hargrove sounds quite perplexed at Brindle's admission.  "I've never met a door who couldn't."

"Wish I had," Sydni's loud mutter carries down the corridor before he resumes taunting Tesseryn.  "The lady is no such thing, you said ?  I'd keep my voice down if I were you," he advises the Paladin, "Leisha might take offence at that."

"My handle might be cool enough to touch now," he informs Tesseryn.  "No guarantees, mind - I won't be held responsible."

"Do we even know that for certain?" Leisha asks, looking back to Brindle and Hargrove, evidently not catching Tesseryn's insults.  "Maybe the doors we've met just haven't wanted to talk.  Could you really blame them?"

"Well, I would have thought that most doors would welcome any chance for a chat, if they could. Most of the other doors I have met just looked absolutely board stiff," Brindle responds with a very solemn expression on his face.

He walks down the corridor to join Tesseryn and Aurion in front of Sydni.

"Let's just make sure you're not too hot for the paladin to handle." Aurion shoots a Ray of Frost at the knob then steps back to give Tesseryn room.

"Ha!"  Sensing that he now has the upper hand, Tesseryn grasps the knob with his gauntletted fist and shoves against Sydni.

As Brindle heads down the corridor he thinks he hears Hargrove mutter "I wood knot know," in response to his and Leisha's remarks ... but perhaps the halfling was mistaken ?

Aurion quickly casts a spell coating Sydni's handle in a stream of icy particles ... which begin to melt almost immediately, but allow Tesseryn to rush forwards and grasp the now cooler handle, pushing for all his might until the ice boils away and the growing heat of the handle forces the Paladin to release it and step back.

"Sorry, again," Sydni lies smoothly, "my mistake.  My handle might well have been a tad warmer than I'd thought."

"Besides, I fear I might be locked," he apologies insincerely.

"AND YOU OPEN INWARDS, YOU ROT-HEARTED SCOUNDREL," this time there is no lack of volume leaving no doubt as to Hargrove's meaning, nor his contempt and utter hatred for his southern counterpart.

"That too," Sydni admits slyly.  "Whoops ..."

A glow of energy builds before the door, splitting into three separate balls that slam into Aurion, frying the mage nicely. 

"Oh, I really should have warned you ..." Sydni gloats.  "Now, if we might be civilised ?  If you'll just leave that diamond in front of me we can put all this unpleasantness behind us."

"WORM-RIDDEN RUSTY-HINGED VARLOT !" Hargrove is in fine form.

"Out of curiosity," Leisha asks, "Why do you both want the diamond?  It's nice enough, as diamonds go, but it seems like an odd thing for two such intelligent and articulate doors to be so fixated over."

"It's my diamond," Hargrove assures Leisha.

"Utter rubbish, that diamond belongs to me," Sydni counters.

"Liar !"

"Cheat !"

"UNVARNISHED, LOOSE-NAILED RASCAL !"

"STUCKUP, UNHINGED LOUT !"

"Under different circumstances, Sydni, you and I may have gotten on famously. But now, alas, you'll be destroyed and the diamond ... well, it will never be yours. Such a pity." Aurion casually lets his sleeves fall back revealing the snakes as he theatrically casts a Shield spell on himself, the serpent-headed sword at his hip also revealing itself as the folds of his robe are drawn aside.

To the rest of the party Aurion adds "Shall we blast him to bits with our spells? Or shall we give him a night to contemplate his doom and return upon the morrow with a axe-wielding psychopath to chop him to kindling?"

"Tomorrow, I think," Brindle replied after a moment's thought. "Give him a chance to reconsider his actions. He's not going anywhere until then."

Brindle is already heading back down the corridor to exit through Hargrove's doorway.

"Indeed." Tesseryn glowers, conceding defeat this day.  "We shall return on the morrow to pass this noxious portal, one way or another."

He remains on guard at the door while the others choose whether to stay or go, fuming over his humiliating defeat.  Inwards!  And locked!  He levels a speculative stare towards Leisha, Sydni's vile insinuations worming into his brain.

"Oh, I'll most certainly be considering," Sydni assures you all, smoothly.

"Just be sure to leave the diamond behind," the door admonishes Leisha sharply.  "Right there where you found it will be fine.  We wouldn't want to disappoint our friend here who spoke up for you in, well, perhaps not glowing terms ..."

After back-tracking along the passage, Aurion pauses at the Hargrove door. His own attempt at intimidation had no effect on Sydni...  it seems both doors are solely interested in the diamond. He watches to see what Leisha will do. "Its your choice Leisha. But they are a girl's best friend."

"I would say leave it here. There's no point provoking him while we are within range of his magic," Brindle suggested quietly as he passed Leisha on his way out of the corridor.

"They're terrible conversationalists," she informs Aurion.  "When it comes down to it, it's just a rock.  Go ahead, I'll be along."

She leans back against the wall, holding the diamond up and looking into it thoughtfully.

Tesseryn marches back past Hargrove, and turns left.  With Wrukaog's help he negotiates the ball-trapped passage southward to the next opening to the east, just to see if it leads directly to Sydni's other side.  The idea of making a two-pronged assault on the odious door appeals to him, much more than simply passing through.

"Just scream if you need help." Aurion offers Leisha reassuringly. He follows Tesseryn around the bend to look for Sydni's better side.

Tesseryn, ably assisted by Wrukaog and helpfully followed by both Aurion and Cogwitz, leads the way down the corridors, safely navigating the terrible hall of the rolling ball to find, much to his delight, the expected eastern passage.

Carefully the intrepid quartet make their way forwards, eyeing Sydni's rear as they approach, and noting that the corridor continues on twenty or so feet before turning south beyond that pernicious portal.

Meanwhile, Leisha takes a laidback approach, leaning nonchalantly (or perhaps with just a hint of chalantishness) as Brindle keeps watch from the far side of Hargrove's threshold.

"Well," Sydni almost purrs, "now that we've managed to dispense with the buffoonery, perhaps we might have a more productive conversation.  I really don't know what a nice lady," the door uses the word deliberately, despite Tesseryn's prevarication on the matter, "is doing with those people.  They certainly lower the tone."

"Perhaps you and I can come to some arrangement over my diamond ... ?"

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Leisha shrugs.  "That's an interesting story, actually, but it is a bit of a distraction.  I did want to talk a bit more about this diamond - you've both been so polite otherwise, I just can't imagine we can't sort this out in a more civilized manner, and I would like to help.  But neither of you actually answered my question - why?  I understand that it's yours - for a disputed value of yours - but what is its importance to you?  Why do you even want it?"  She quickly holds a finger up on her free hand, and asserts, "Sydni first, then Hargrove.  I promise, I will listen to you both."

Brindle stays where he is and listens too, as quietly and unobtrusively as he can.

Tesseryn advances to the end of the passage and peers around the bend.  As he passes the spiteful door he calls out "Leisha, we're here on the other side of the door.  Call out if you need assistance."

With Shield spell in place, Aurion approaches the door and bends to peek through the keyhole, being careful to avoid any hot handles.

"Just a moment ..." Sydni seems a little distracted.  "Oh, doorknobs !"

"Pointy-eared ... !"

"Sorry about that," Brindle notes the door now sounds a tad miffed as it turns its attention back to Leisha, "Where were we ?  You were asking about my diamond ?  Oh, that's easy - I only want it because otherwise I'm going to have to kill you."