With Dr. Illborn's pronouncement, the party begins its climb up the ladder.  It creaks from a millenium of disuse, its metal rusted and weak.  For the hundred foot climb, you hold your breath hoping that it does not give way.

At the top, you step out through the stone tile previously pushed aside by Joseph and Illborn and your light illuminates an ancient hallway.

[Note that this description was given earlier to Joseph and Illborn.]

The room seems more or less untouched by time.

Statues line the walls on your left and right, four on each side. Each is a warrior or priest in a different pose. They are covered with dust from a millennium of neglect.

About ten feet in front of you, you see a dead orc--one of the mutant orcs--and a dead carrion crawler.

The room is a large hall about 40 feet long and 20 feet wide. Large square stone tile blocks make up the floor. You see in the age-old dust the footprints of many leading away to your left toward the only exit, an archway leading into a hall. There are many carvings and etchings on the walls, writings from a forgotten era. It is a decorative hall, apparently used by the temple worshipers for formal rituals.

To your right, you see an exact replica of the stone statue with outstretched hands that you saw in the treasure room.  You see its same riddle written above its head and look anxiously at the floor, suddenly conscious of why the pit drop was so wide--it had to extend into this room as well.  A single set of footprints leads from the circular edge of the statue's dais, past the orc and carrion crawler, and through the exit on your left.

Shae stops at the top of the ladder, her golden eyes scanning her surrounds with interest. "More allevian?" she comments about the inscipted walls as she helps Shanjalae, Kallad and the others out of the shaft.

Noting the crowd of tracks leading further into the temple she says, "We are bound to have another run in with those orcs. I will need to heal myself a little.  Does anyone else need the healing touch of my totem spirit?"

As she awaits replies she quickly incants a prayer to Lynx, asking for her totems powers to heal herself. ]

Shae's body is encased in a blue aura for a moment as her healing spell takes effect. (+7 hp).

Meanwhile, Kallad takes a look at the writing and confirms that it is in fact Allevian.

"Can you tell us what the writing says?" Sir Floradine asks Kallad.  "Perhaps clues about this place?"

As the others ponder over the various writings, Joseph readies his bow and stands watch, especially in the direction that the footsteps in the dust lead.  The last thing they needed right now was to be surprised by something.

With her body newly healed, Shae moves to stand beside Joseph, her golden eye peering down the hallway they are about to travel. She stands silent, watching & waiting, while Kallad deciphers the script upon the stone walls.

"Its good to see you Joseph," she says suddenly, quirking a smile at the ranger, "Would you have ever thought, when you joined the crusaders, that you and I would turn out to be related. I know I didn't."

She casts a quick glance at Kallad.

"And you have an elf for an uncle. "Y'know I can keep that quiet if you like?" she chuckles and winks as she says the last, hoping that the group will soon be on its way.

[Note:  sorry for the delay.  I am looking for my notes on what is posted on the wall.  They had some kind of clue...  :)

Could everyone please do the following as a test:
   Go to Dice Roller and roll dice with a 3d6 (as a public roll by your PC);
   Then Roll a 1d4 as a private roll by your PC.

Thanks.

As Kallad holds the lantern up to the writing, Sir Floradine gets a chance to look over the staff wished from Gan, Joseph has time to look at the footprints, Illborn can inspect the corpses, and Shae and Shanjalae have a few moments together waiting.

The staff is made of a pitch black ridged wood.  Its bottom is capped with a black metal cap and its top has a black metal spearhead-shaped prominance.  In the center of the hollow spearhead-shaped top runs a glass-like cylinder filled with a reddish liquid.  The glass cylinder is almost empty.  The spearhead top is secured tightly but Floradine finds that it can be unscrewed and the cylinder refilled.  The staff is as long as Floradine is tall--just over two meters.

Joseph determines that there were eight orcs and one human appearing in the center of the floor and walking toward the exit.  The set of prints walking from the rotating dais to the exit is human.  After all of your discussions, his conclusion--though not for sure--is that it is Gillimar.

Illborn finds that the orc was killed by the carrion crawler before it was slashed to death by the weapons of the other orcs.  It too came through the portal created by the staff.  These mutant orcs are taller than Floradine and just as strong or stronger, with broad chests greater than any human could mimic.  Its skin is slightly darker than a regular orc and its teeth less prominent, though sharper like tiny blades.  The heads are more human shaped than orc, which he thinks must be a sign of greater intelligence than its non-mutant orc counterparts.

As Shae and Shanjalae watch the others go to work, Shanjalae says, "He'll be coming for you.  He is very angry.  He is, in fact, quite insane."

Kallad takes awhile to look at the writing.  Much of it is written in the specialized words of Allevian which he does not understand, but he summarizes what he does understand.

The wall is the history of Allevia from beginning to end, past, present and future.  Kallad finds a time of great magic and a balance between the worlds of Tienna and Allevia and the epoch a millenium ago when the magic in Tienna was shut out.  A man or group of men was responsible for ending the magic (or at least, the ancient magics) and driving the dragons from Tienna to Allevia.  This sudden unleashing of dragons unbalanced the ecosystems of Allevia and ended in death, misery, and loss of its advancements.  People were driven to caves and civilizations were lost.

Over time, the dragons also began to die out because they could not sustain themselves.  Only the strongest--and often the most vile--survived.  Most of the good dragons were driven far away into a kind of hybernation at the dragon graveyards, waiting for death to come.

The wall predicts that this apocalypse will (for it was the future at the time of this writing) destroy their temple, the Kazangan, and their own civilization, which will be reborn a thousand years later.

Kallad reads:  "The one who twice from the grave was raised will bring thunder from the depths of the earth, blacken out the sun and the stars, and rain fire down upon Allevia."

He looks forward and continues: "He will take the stone from its nest by invoking the words of power, each in turn.Then the eye’s fury will not relent, and the sky will turn black as night.  From without will be introduced the two of life. Enraged by the desecration of unholy magic, the guardians of the tomb will rise, scattering death behind them."

Moving his finger forward, Kallad says:  "The oracle of the eye lends its augurous voice to those who would listen. Its hands tell the past, yet it cannot see the future. Beset in stone and worked with wondrous magic, he who invokes it must ask with due care. The price to pay is equal to the desire granted.  For the evil, it is a blessing; for the good, a curse.  Those wishing evil get good returned to them.  Those wishing good get evil returned."

Kallad continues to look further at the writing to see if there is anything more.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:52, Fri 23 May 2003.

Shae looks to her little sister, a little perturbed by the knowledge and wisdom the young elf seems to hold. "By 'him' I assume you mean Bez-" she stops short of saying his full name, "He hunts me because of my lineage, right? Father has already said as much."

Twirling a dagger between her fingers her golden cat eyes take on a harder edge, "So be it. My life will not come cheap."

"What is it about my lineage that he seeks me Shanjalae? What is it that you know?"

Joseph listens to Shae as she dicusses the fact that they are related.  "I would not have imagined that either." he tells her.  "It is certainly good to know that I am not all alone in this world though.  I have spent many years searching for my family.  I am glad to see that I have found some of them and i am not shamed to say that they are of the elven race."

"Shae, you offered to use your healing powers on those that need it.  I do have several cuts that are bothering me, would it be possible to take care of those for me, cousin."

Shae looks up from regarding Shanjalae as Joseph speaks, a broad smile crossing her features over his 'relation to elves' comment.

"This is definitely turning into a family adventure isn't it?" she says with a short chuckle.

Moving to stand closer to the ranger, her voice raises in prayer to Lynx begging his favour to heal Joseph.

"I do not speak of Bezbalath, fair sister.  I speak of one who has passed on but now is back.  He was...a friend of yours.  I do not know his name.  But he comes to destroy you, and the paladin, and the ranger."

Shae casts a spell, and Joseph's body is momentarily covered bya blue glow as his wounds close and heal.  (+5 hp).

Kallad further reads, but the only thing else he really picks out of the ancient writing are the following two paragraphs:

"From the Priest's cold hands shall the placating figure be plucked, and then the one of life and the one of death shall chaos bring."

And then on a different wall:

"And in that day shall the twenty-five planarial objects be brought together in the Bowl of the Idle Giant.  And the Sun shall descend and the choice be made at the Reckoning of the Fates."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:03, Mon 26 May 2003.

With Joseph healed, Shae looks from Shanjalae to her companions, the young elven woman's words still ringing in her ears.

"Well that is quaint isn't it," her voice is hard, "Gillimar seeks our destruction. The traitorous, little...." her voice mumbles off into some choice elven expletives.

Realising what she has just said in front of her sister a blush rises to her cheeks, though her voice is urgent.

"I suggest we move on and quickly. We need to catch up with Gan and Gillimar and retrieve those artifacts."

Turning on her heel she begins to move onwards, hoping the others are following.

Shae leads the party forward into the hall.  The walls and stonework floor speak to an ancient time and a lost civilization foreign to anything on Tienna, a stonework that would awe the dwarves.  After about fifty meters of walking, you enter a small foyer area where two corridors branch off.  Both lead forward, but one is on the left side and one on the right.  The footprints in the dust lead to the right...except for the human set of prints which leads to the left.

Sir Floradine looks at the two choices and the footprints for a moment.  "I'm thinking left might be best.  We can track down Gillimar and get some answers out of him before facing the orcs.  What do you think?"  He looks to the others for their opinion.

"I beg your indulgence Ellid," the druid says with a thoughtful look upon her face, "but I think we should follow the orcs.  Kallad just read back on the prophecy wall that Gillimar will pry the artifact from Gan's dead hands.  If we find Gan, we will definitely find Gillimar."

She looks at the others, "Though of course, I will go with how the group decides."

"Are you sure that Gan is the priest?" Floradine asks.  "After all, we are in an ancient temple.  It stands to reason there are many dead priests.  But I am fine with going to the right.  Just make sure everyone is up to strength."

Not having any love for Orcs, Joseph chimes in.  "I agree with Shae. Let's kill us some Orcs!"

Illborn looks left, then right.  "I'm not really anxious to get in another tangle with orcs, especially since the last lot of them killed two of our party, and this group will have a spellcaster with them.  I'm afraid I'm not much help in battle either, but if right is what you want, then let's go get them."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:33, Wed 28 May 2003.

Sir Floradine flexes his new left hand.  He puts his shield and magic mace in the portable hole and takes out the two handed sword given to him by Alodar just before his death.  "I believe I can honor Alodar by using this now."  He looks at the others.  "I do not condone the hunting of anyone, even our enemy.  Our mission is to retrieve the two artifacts and get out.  The more we can minimize loss of life, the better.  But it is clear that they are out to kill us and they are after one of the artifacts, so there may not be a choice."

He points to the right corridor.  "We go right then."