Shanjalae says something to Shae.  Then she steps down from Shae's embrace, seeming to have gotten some energy back.  "We will help you, Garanon," she says.

Shae's sad demeanour suddenly changes to a fierce glare that she directs at Kallad as he whispers back at her. Deliberately she turns from him, obviously holding back from saying anything more for the time being.

Her eyes flick back to the scene when Floradine throws his shield and the cages move, a moment later the form of Garanon clutching to the claw.

"The only way to help him down would be to set the trap off again," she says, adding to Shanjalae's statement, "That is, if Garanon is quick enough to perhaps roll free of the claw as it opens."

She turns to Floradine and Joseph, "What do you think?"

Sir Floradine responds, quite possibly to the shock of the others, "I came here to give Garanon, Gillimar, whatever his name is, the chance to prove his innocence.  He is, if I recall, a traitor to the Crown, and he has done nothing to prove himself otherwise.  Yet I give him this chance to prove that he is innocent, for I cannot see innocence punished.  But I certainly will not see traitorous actions be rewarded."

With command in his voice, he says to Garanon, "Speak!  Why should we trust you?  Why should we free you?  Are you a traitor or are you an ally?  Give us reason to help you and perhaps we will.  Don't give us reason and..."  He stops, giving a stern look to Kallad.  "...and we will leave you to your fate and let God give his judgment."

The druid is indeed surprised with Floradine's sudden zealous turn of thought. She raises one perfect eyebrow as she regards the Knight for several long moments, before turning her gaze back to Garanon.

"Yes, Garanon. Tell us."

Resigning at last, Garanon says, "I serve the Queen.  She yet lives.  I am sworn to secrecy.  I was forbidden to tell even Kallad because of his previous...ah...association with her.  When I opposed the Council and its plan to eliminate magic from the world, the pipe-smoking wizard told me that she yet lived...and that she shared my beliefs.  Joining the Brotherhood was in part to help find her and bring her back, for it is rumored that Syrissa knows where she is.  Syrissa is a relatively inactive member of the Brotherhood, and so she is more trusted.  She cares more about art, beauty and sculpture than about politics.  If she could be persuaded to help us, the queen could yet be saved and perhaps the strength of the Brotherhood could be repelled, including the Black Eucharist.  For the queen is, even now, a prisoner of some sort.  Syrissa is the one who can help us."

Garanon grabs the cage bars and presses his face forward.  "So you see," he says, "I am not a traitor at all.  I am a patriot to the true throne and its heir, not to an old general who ascended by marriage alone.  It is perhaps because of these views that I was hunted as a traitor."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:38, Tue 12 Aug 2003.

"You serve my mother!" Shae exclaims, rolling her eyes in disbelief. "Then you should be able to tell us where she is located then.....especially if you are in contact with her."

"My good princess, I am not in contact with her.  All my information has come through the pipe-smoking wizard.  I have never met the queen, but the wizard wanted me to protect you once he learned of your identity."  He takes a deep breath, his low and calm voice almost hypnotizing.  "Which was why he arranged for me to be dispatched with you on your original mission.  And which was why I had to fake my own death to avoid capture...twice.  All I know is that the queen is somewhere in the elven kingdom of Leslorlen, and that she is in a prison without walls."  He pauses again.  "And that Syrissa can best help us find her and help her escape that prison."  He follows up with, "Which was why I was trying to find an excuse to go see Syrissa by following the artifacts to her and getting in good with the Brotherhood."

He says apologetically, "I understand that you have concerns, but you did not know the treachery that Nohm, Illborn, and that goblin apprentice had in store for us.  I assume that Kallad has managed to dispatch with Illborn since I no longer see him here."

"He dispatched himself." Joseph chimes in from the back of the crowd.  "So if we are to get him out, does anyone have a plan?"  the ranger asked.

"I don't believe you Garanon." Shae states flatly, "You had no compunction in killing Nohm in his sleep, so I don't think you'd give a second thought to twisting the truth, lying, or killing if it meant saving your hide."

She pauses to look at Floradine, "However, I believe he is the one in the prophecy to release the Placating Figure from its resting place, and he may also be the catalyst to help in another area." Her gaze moves to take in Shanjalae as she says the last.

"We need to set him free."

"I understand your distrust," Garanon says.  "I must admit that my hatred of the orcs sometimes dominates my emotions...and my actions.  But we have had many adventures together, Shae, and have I ever hurt you?"

Changing the subject, he says, "The cage in the middle front closest towards us opens and dumps its contents. [This is where cage B currently stands.] If you rotate the cages to that point, then it should open up.  It's a twenty foot drop, so like a fool I didn't let go last time.  But if you put something under that point to help catch me, it will certainly help catch me when I drop."

Sir Floradine looks up at Garanon.  "I know just enough about the queen and her existence to believe some of what you say.  Regardless, you are swearing allegiance to the crown and the queen.  So long as you abide by that allegiance, I will continue with you as my companion.  But do not cross me again.  I would be a dangerous adversary to any enemy to the throne."  He looks over at Shae and then back up at Garanon.  "Any enemy to any heir to the throne," he corrects.

Looking up at the cages, he contemplates the logistics, stating, "I calculate that we will have to trip the cages five times to get you there, since they move three spaces each time they rotate."  He looks at the others for confirmation.  "Of course, that means that we will need to sacrifice five things from our inventory to get the cages to move."  He looks longingly at his shield and counts on his fingers.  "And seven or eight items to get back my shield.  They'll probably have to be fairly heavy items to trip the cages."

"We could always use these statues." Joseph comments as Sir Flordadine begins to ponder how to set off the traps.

"Good idea," Floradine says.  He walks over to the statue on the top left (avoiding stepping under any of the cages and tests to see if he can move the statue).  "And nevermind about my shield.  If I can use the two handed sword, I prefer it anyway."  He flexes his acid burnt hand to see if he can use a sword with it.

Floradine finds that his arm is in good working order and he can freely use his two handed sword.

He walks across the room and to the statue with no apparent effects from the room.  He pulls on the statue, but it is extremely heavy.  The ten foot high statue would probably require the strength of three men to move.

Shae pointedly ignores Garanon's question, instead she moves to aid Floradine with the statues. With the hinderance of her missing hand she places her back against the statue, using the strength of her legs to tip the statue over.

"IF the statue shatters we might be able to use parts of it to set off the other cages." she comments as she heaves.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 04:09, Thu 14 Aug 2003.

Kallad joins in the pushing of the statue, making no comments on the exchanges with Garanon.

With three people pushing, the statue wavers, totters, then crashes to the floor.  It shatters into three large pieces and several less significant pieces, and powder rises into the air.  The sound of it crashing and breaking is almost deafening.

The mountain rumbles and shakes as another earthquake like wave goes through it.  The cages shake and rattle, the six in the eastern corner actually banging against each other like the tolling of a bell.  And then all settles down quietly again.

Without her hand, Shae looks to Kallad and Floradine to throw the pieces of statue to set the trap off. Instead, she moves back to stand beside Shanjalae, her gaze lifting to watch Garanon, her eyes unreadable as she studies him closely.

Joseph steps up and helps to pick up the larger pieces of the statue and throw them out under the cages, wiating after each piece is thrown for the cages to grab and then shift.

The three large pieces of statue are moved underneath the cages one at a time.  The first time, the cage lands hard, picks up the piece of statue, and then rotates.  The second does the same thing.  The third time, the cage cannot hold the large base of the statue, and the statue falls ten feet to the ground, shattering and sending pieces of marble like shrapnel.  Luckily, no one is hurt, but you have run out of statue pieces.

Garanon is now in the place that was marked F (one cage behind where he just was).

"Let's try it again," Floradine says, getting behind another statue to push it over.

Shae goes to aid Floradine, using the same method as before to help push the statue over.

"We might want to push one extra statue over to make sure we have enough pieces." she offers

Floradine nods.  "Yes, but one step at a time."  Then he looks over at the grouping of cages.  "The question is this:  after we get him out, how are we going to get through to the door without getting caught in the cages?"

"I'm really not sure." Shae says considering the room, her eyes roaming across the floor for any sign of how to avoid the traps.  Perhaps, like the other puzzles they'd encountered there would be a hint on how to solve there dilemma.

Floradine says, "My idea is to go running underneath them as fast as possible toward the door.  They have to have the trap tripped and then fall twenty feet.  We can probably outrun them...I hope."