The orc wastes no time in executing a rapid about face and heading back to the passageway containing the others, the one without the problem in the current passageway.

"OUTTA TH'WAY!" His voice as well as his feet resound heavily coming back toward the group.

If Brindle doesn't seem as eager to start moving, Wrukaog will reach out in an attempt to pick him up and take him with him, unless Brindle ducks away a bit out of reach.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:01, Sat 18 Nov 2017.

Brindle needs no urging. He is already sprinting back toward the western corridor that they entered from. Fortunately it is still in direct line of sight so he doesn't lose any speed tracking back around the curved corridor. Of course, his short legs will obviously carry him less swiftly than Wrukaog's long legs will. If the orc tries to scoop him up to clear his own escape route then Brindle will seize the opportunity willingly!

There is some serious shouting and stomping going on in the eastern corridor where ventured Wrukaog and Brindle, but Tesseryn and Aurion stalwartly manage not to heed it as they ponder the various mysteries to which they are respectively, and indeed respectfully, attuned.

The pounding footsteps draw nearer as Brindle, shortly followed by Wrukaog round the corner and fling themselves back into the east-west passage.  The Halfling's legs might be short, but the big Orc was slightly hampered by the solid silver statue he has tucked under his arm.  The pair turn back towards the curved passageway, silently counting as, a few seconds later a giant steel ball that fills the corridor, wall to wall, rolls silently past the opening.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Brindle stares after the big steel ball with his eyes as round as saucers and his breath coming in gasps.

"Some sort of exercise machine, perhaps? It sure would be a powerful motivator to keep you moving!"

He watches and listens as the ball disappears out of sight around the bend, then looks back the other way waiting to see if it will reappear before very long.

Turning to watch the steel ball roll by, the orc lets out an annoyed snort.

"It seems we could jog behind it, instead of in front of it."

"Mmm, yes. As long as it doesn't swing back like a pendulum or do something else odd like that. I think I might just watch it for a few minutes, just to make sure I understand the pattern and timing before we commit ourselves to something we might regret. Besides, that will give Tesseryn and Aurion time to work out as much as they can about what else we are facing here."

The orc can't see any fault in the plan, and the steel ball for the next couple of minutes is definitely likely to be more interesting than whatever Aurion and Tesseryn are doing.

If/when the ball rolls by next, he'll jab the side of it with a javelin point as it rolls by, curious as to whether the collision would make a noise.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:41, Tue 21 Nov 2017.

What Tesseryn is doing interests him vastly more than the silent steel sphere or the rapid retreat of Wrukaog.  "Evil lurks beyond that door!"  He points with his sword towards the door at the end of the south passage.  "What of your divinations Aurion?  Is there enchantment commingled with evil?" He advances down the passage to the door but waits there for Aurion's reply.

"Oh just The usual second-level-dungeon sort of thing Master Brightsoul, necromancy and unnatural alteration of reality. But over here..." He wanders closer to the steel ball track "there is just a delicious hint of a glamor along with the transmutation." He continues to concentrate on detecting magic to see if he can pinpoint its source.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:47, Tue 28 Nov 2017.

The silently rolling ball seems of much more interest than the lurking evil, and Tesseryn is forced to be contented that his suspicions are confirmed as 'necromancy' and 'unnatural' are added to the list, while Aurion, Brindle and Wrukaog wait for the ball to make its rounds.

Sure enough, perhaps a smidgen under a minute later, the ball rolls past the opening.

As the Halfing does the calculations in his head, the Elf is pleased to confirm that the rolling ball does indeed seem to be the source of that mystical energy he's been sensing.  Being of a rather more practical frame of mind, the Orc pokes it with a stick, hearing a 'tink' in return, while learning that it is indeed extremely solid as something very possibly equally mystical in nature takes the point off the javelin as he presses it against the metal as it rolls by.  Luckily the other end is equally pointy ... though with the force that Wrukaog puts behind his casts, it wouldn't make any difference.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

Wrukaog brings the ruined point close to his face to examine it, curious to see whether it had been melted, dissolved, rent apart, partially simply removed from existence, or some other kind of thing.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:52, Tue 28 Nov 2017.

Tesseryn grimaces as he reaches to lower the visor he no longer wears.  Undeterred, with sword in hand and a prayer to Dauros on his lips, he kicks down the door... or flings it open ... whatever seems appropriately dramatic (scant details provided).

Brindle is quite startled by the sound of the door being smashed open in the nearby southern corridor.

"Oh, we're going that way next, are we?" he whispers.

He peeks around the corner with wand in hand to see what Tesseryn is up to now.

"Maybe the glamor is simply silencing the steel ball." Aurion supposes, waiting for it to come back around and concentrating on detecting magic.

Wrukaog examines the ex-pointy end of his javelin, noting that it is uncomfortably warm to the touch and slightly dished while Aurion devotes his attention to a scholarly consideration of whatever magics infuse the silent steel ball. 

Meanwhile, and much to Brindle's alarm, Tesseryn suddenly kicks the door in.  Though of solid construction it yields before the Paladin's physical prowess, though manages, if only just, to stay on its hinges as it swings wide to reveal a circular chamber, perhaps seventy feet across, with a tall ceiling, doors to the west, east and south, and a large hole in the floor near the west door.

In the middle of the room stands a stone statue, towering over Tesseryn by a good five feet.  Its features are very similar to the small silver statue that Wrukaog carries, but with certain subtle differences that render it not so much noble and godlike as simple and ugly.

The statue wears red shorts, black pointy-toed shoes, an ornately floral patterned vest over a ruffled shirt, and a red pillbox hat, and holds an inordinately large broom.

"Your belt !" it greets the Paladin.  "Give it to me !"

Perplexed, Tesseryn glances down involuntarily towards his belt. "This?  It was a gift."   Private to GM...
This message was last edited by the player at 12:57, Sun 03 Dec 2017.

"Give it to me !"  The statue does not appear to care about the provenance of the Paladin's belt, though perhaps sensing some reluctance on Tesseryn's part reluctantly adds, "I'll give you another ... a better one !"

Brindle follows Tesseryn down the corridor so he can get a better look at the statue with the challenging dress sense.

Leaning his sword against the door jamb, Tesseryn unbuckles his belt.  He remains suspicious of the statue but interested to see whether this may be a means to their goal. "We seek a belt, that worn by Mitra but stolen by his enemies.  Is it this belt you offer?" He removes the longsword and dagger from his belt then stares at the thing in his hands, a wide leather belt embossed with leering goblin faces.  "My belt - it is altered!  What have you done?"

The dulled javelin is tucked back into its place. "What do we try now."

It's as much of a command for someone, either Aurion or Brindle, to issue a plan as it is a question.

In reply to Wrukaog, Aurion offers "You might try laying Tessy Jr down on the ball track. If he doesn't stop the ball, or deflect it from its path, then at least you'll be able to fold him into a more convenient shape to carry around."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:14, Sun 10 Dec 2017.

Brindle joins Tesseryn at the door at the far end of the south passage while Wrukaog seeks guidance and Aurion offers a suggestion.

The statue eyes the Paladin's belt greedily, approaching with his hand outstretched to accept it, though his enthusiasm wanes somewhat as Tesseryn mentions Mitra's Belt.

"That's the one I need to find !" the statue exclaims. "If I can, then Set's curse upon me will be undone and I will become flesh and blood once more !"

"That may be the one," he waves his broom in the direction of the belt the Paladin holds in his hands, not sounding confident on that score, but, "if it is or it is not, I will hold to my promise and give you another in its place !" 

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

"Really?" Brindle asks from just outside the doorway. "Who were you and what were you before you were cursed? What did you do that got you cursed by Set? Perhaps there is some other way we can help you."

"I am very sure that would leave us with a long, curved, and mashed sheet of silver," the orc replies to the arcanist, saying it in a way that in no way insinuates that he'd be against seeing that amusing process take place... until the next thought occurs to him, "It would not be easier to carry, even after folding."

The orc uses one of his thick, yellow fingernails and easily puts a shallow scratch in the metal of the statue. "Silver is soft. Much softer than that ball."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:42, Mon 11 Dec 2017.

"Within the confines of its tunnel I'm sure you're correct that the ball would flatten the statue. However, if the statue were laid across the opening to our passage, at an angle to deflect the ball, then I wonder if the ball would roll right down there through the mist filled passage? Or not? I'd be interested to find out."