Aien wanders over to the door, looking over the sculpted figure of the knight. His eyes drift to the placard, and he digests the words in silence before wandering off around the room, ostensibly examining the other features, but with his mind turned to the problem of the lock.

The cleric strolls around the perimeter, taking in the mosaic again, keeping an eye on the goblins, and wondering at the damage to the angel's face. He nods to his companions as he passes, his face stern and grim - as it ever is, even if he is simply ordering an ale.

Aien continues his languid circuit of the chamber, wondering how the others are faring with the puzzle at hand and how Kirkward feels about the group treating with these goblin-interlopers.

At length he completes the circle and stands before the door again. He halts and looks up at the knight's face, wondering if he represents an actual Hellrider from days gone by, or is merely a stylised guardian of the inner chambers. The wood elf offers the inanimate knight a slight bow.

"I give you my word," he intones, lifting his shield and moving one hand to his mace lest some trap - or anything beyond the portal - should try to catch him off guard.

It had been a bit, but Ila finally stepped back into the room even as Aien spoke some words to a door. Without any context, she arched an eyebrow at the seemingly strange behavior then shrugged. She moved over to the goblins while the potion was still in effect and assured them that their matron was speaking to her colleague and things seemed to be going well. Thus said, she moved toward Aien and peered over his shoulder at the door. "Does it open when you say 'pretty please' then?"

Nicodemus had spent his time wandering the room. Mostly to avoid the issue of the goblins. The riddle was just another complication to their trial and one of those things he really disliked.

Stopping by the trench of kindling he took a moment to set it alite. It could only help his mood a bit, being able to keep a closer eye on things.

As Aien says the phrase My Word, a crack appears down the middle of the knight and a pair of hidden bay doors open inward to the third room.

Once again, a sixty-by-fifty room covered in mosaics.  However, unlike the previous room, there is a large alter at the back wall, and four stone gargoyles --one at each of the corners.

Slightly troubling is that all of these additions have a very prominent demon motif

Jerris moves to the trough running along the wall as the others look at the mosaic and the missing piece.  Reaching into a pock of his pack, he pulls free his tinder box to take out flint and steel.  Leaning over the oil-filled trough, he begins to attempt to ignite it as the right words are spoken, and a hidden door cracks open loudly.
Well.  I'll be damned, he says as he puts away the tools.  Looks like our next challenge's been found.

Aien keeps his shield high, his keen eyes peering into the room beyond. He is still wounded, and unwilling to be the first to enter the next room, for he is in no state either to detect or to endure any traps that may lie within.

Entering the room slowly, Ila clicks her tongue and nods. "Seems as such." Slowly, she works her way along the murals along the left side investigating them closely as she goes. "Leave it to the Hellriders to make a tomb into a bloody puzzlebox!"

23:06, Today: Ilakhal Strongdrifter rolled 17 using 1d20.  Investigation.

Beata had poked around the angel room a bit but, in the end, the puzzle had been solved without her input. Which was fine enough to her. So long as someone managed to open the door, it was all for the best if she didn't have to do as much work.

The next room, however, gave her a strange feeling. She spared a glance for the gargoyles, and then found herself caught up in looking at the demons on the wall. If there was any significance to them... But she couldn't think of anything. Seemed like she didn't have the advantage on demon knowledge she'd hoped for.

"So," she said, turning away from the murals and towards the group. "Do you think we have to make use of this altar? Because that's definitely not my forte."

OOC: attempted a history check to see if the demon motifs were anything I'd know about and didn't do very well haha

15:57, Today: Beata Havenbringer rolled 6 using 1d20+3.  history.

"Let me know if you find any loose tiles!" Ekmas called over to Ila as the woman began to investigate the murals, carefully stowing away the one he'd been fiddling with as he followed her in. His own attention went to the altar, but he left it alone in favor of investigating the nearest gargoyle- with his luck, it'd start shooting fire or something if he went for the altar first.

21:52, Today: Ekmas rolled 1 using 1d20-1.  Investigation.

The walls once again continue the story of the Hellriders.  The west wall shows The Angel settling over a city in Shadow--Elturel, presumably, it's hard to tell without The Companion in the sky.  The northern panel, directly over the alter, shows The Angel entreating shining knights in gleaming armor.  And the Eastern panel shows the knights rejecting The Angel outright--her expression scowling and angry.

The alter is a fascinating piece.  The upper half of the alter appears a simple block of stone...a big heavy block of unavoidable stone.  The lower half depicts a multitude of imps buckling under the weight of the block above.

The gargoyles are aptly named, for their mouths gape open and lead to gaping holes to presumably their gullets.  Thankfully, they aren't the living monster kind, but rather naught but gentle stone.

Even yet, a voice emanates from the stone slab--Ye Who Would be Knights of the Angel's Charge; Kneel Before the Alter

As Jerith lights the tinder, the fire alights quickly and rushes not only around the whole room, but around every other explored room as well, bathing every room in a harsh flickering glow.  The remaining goblins are all TERRIFIED of this sudden onset of light and fire and start squalling.

Jerris turns tonthe squealing and squalling goblins.  He holds up his hands to show he means no harm.  It's jus' a part o' the ceremony we 'ave ta do, he tries to say placatingly.

23:53, Today: Jerris Dashield rolled 9 using 1d20-1.  Persuasion?  Hopefully he doesn't make it any worse.....

"And if you interrupt us," Seth added, "it'll give me the excuse I was looking for to kill you all."

He strode up to the altar and glared at the goblins from the side of his eyes. "Not that they can understand us. Try this: Stay. Put." In turn, Seth pointed at each of the goblins, then at the ground where they were standing.

Then, he turned, and knelt before the altar on one knee, bowing his head. In a soft voice he muttered, "Zariel, give me strength."

3:41, Today: Seth rolled 7 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 1.  Intimidation.

OOC: LOL. The one social skill I took for Seth, and it's a nat 1. Of course it was. He's clearly nowhere near as scary as he thinks he is. :P

Beata could help but jump slightly at the voice echoing through the room. As soon as the initial surprise was over, however, she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"What did I just say?" she grumbled, pouting a little. Altars and kneeling before them were definitely not her thing. But it looked like, if she wanted to get through this whole mess, she'd have to deal with it.

Beata moved to kneel down besides Seth, glancing over at him and smirking a little. At least she had more patience than he did.

"Let's get this over with so I can go drink," she proclaimed, mimicking Seth's posture.

Aien peers suspiciously at the gargoyles, then walks to join Seth at the altar. He kneels down, more out of self-preservation than reverence.

He glances at the others, still milling about, then cocks his head slightly to one side as he turns back to the altar.

Let them make their own decisions. Come what may.

Ila knew the story of the founding of the Hellriders. That the actual name of their order was the Holy Order of the Angel's Charge. She eyed the knights rejecting the angel with sympathy as it seemed the more reasonable choice, but she had made the choice long before this. She knew what it was to sign up for the Hellriders. Grunting, she chuckled at Seth's antics then knelt in front of the alter, "Bloody hells and shaggy gods, but kneeling ain't my bag. Tyr preserve my knees." Ila might have been kneeling, but her face was not bowed and her expression was defiant. The angle had, after all, sought out and taken in the worst sorts.

Jerris followed the others into the shrine, kneeling next to them.  He looks around at the tableau with some apparent interest, before bowing his head for just a moment.

Nicodemus didn't like the idea of kneeling at an altar with a bunch of goblins in the very next room. They may be just females and children but in his opinion they were still not to be trusted.

Taking a position at the far end he knelt with the other, keeping a wary eye on the doorway when he could.

Once all are kneeling the voice continues:

Do you swear to fight Evil in all its forms?

From where he knelt, Ekmas shifted uneasily. In *all* its forms? That felt awfully binding. What if he screwed up again? But he dutifully swore to so fight Evil- what else were they going to do besides let a year's worth of work go to waste?

Aien almost rolls his eyes at the words. This is growing annoying. What is the purpose of such nonsense? Any such directive will be ignored when expedient or necessary, so why ask? Certainly Aien will only comply with any oath given as far as it suits his role in the Hellriders. They are here to test whether they can stand in a battle-line beside the veterans of the order, not to practice spouting ceremonial platitudes on demand. There will be time enough for that later. The gods know there was enough of it in the year leading up to this day.

"I do so swear," the cleric grates, though in truth he cannot commit to any such thing. Circumstances are seldom so clear-cut. Certainly nature is not, and it is nature with which Aien has concerned himself throughout all of his life to date.

Seth grinned broadly at the question.

"Yes. With an iron fist.".
This message was last edited by the player at 04:00, Tue 26 Jan 2021.

A bit silly to swear ta do somethin' I a'ready do, he mutters to nobody with a nod of his head.  I swear, he says louder for the sake of the ceremony.

Ilakhal cocked her head to the side as her features bunched in confusion then shrugged her shoulders, "Aye. I swear."

Nicodemus grinned as he listened to the others swear their oath. Especially Jerris's nearly silent comment, which he totally agreed with. But it was all part of the ritual, so "I swear."

Beata couldn't help but smirk a little at the question. If she really decided to go out and fight all evil, she had the feeling she'd end up butting heads with at least one or two of the people kneeling here at the altar.

"I swear," Beata said, her voice perhaps a bit dry. So long as she was getting paid. And so long as she had enough free time to get drunk and have fun when the day was done.