Instead of being cheered up by the smile, Xanranzan actually looked worried for a second there, thinking 'oh no, she's ain't still sore about the rope thing, is she?' He almost immediately relaxes when proven wrong, only to wind up staring at her bewildered and scratching his head. "I, uh, iunno bout all that. Not.. sure how a song will help either, uhhh..." He glances back to Tyde and Rubin, then look to Kethra."Well.. uhm... But, I guess I can play a song."

He pulled his lute out on that note, and after some tuning during the interrogation got to playing a bit of an upbeat song. Bewildered still, but quick to lose himself in the song sit only to pep up his spirits more.

(Playing Coffin Dance Lute version)

Quote from LordShadowthorn >>

The man just looks confused.

"You think I know?  We got brought down here when we joined.  Don't know anything about a crushing wave."

As Xanranzan's music plays, Kethra slowly raises the rope. But as soon as the man finishes, she accidentally causes the rope to snap like a piece of elastic right on his chest. Ropes don't normally do that, but Kethra's strength combined with her surprise apparently can.

"What?! What kind of an idiot joins an organization, to starve themselves of food and drink, and NOT know what they are getting into? This is ridiculous. What's been motivating you to keep fighting this whole time that you would refuse to be untied?"

She rubs her forehead with her thumb and forefinger. "At least tell me they forced you to do this. If you say that you lost a drinking contest contest or something..."

Quote from Mehmen >>

He pulled his lute out on that note, and after some tuning during the interrogation got to playing a bit of an upbeat song. Bewildered still, but quick to lose himself in the song sit only to pep up his spirits more.

(Playing Coffin Dance Lute version)

((LOL I thought Xan didn't like killing people?))

The cultist looks even more bewildered now.

"No, it's part of our training.  I've never heard of a crushing wave before."

Marros, now as confused as the initiate, looks carefully at the bound figures. "You all are few stones short of a quarry aren't you?!" He shakes his head as he leaves his mark tied to the obelisk. He wanders off towards Rubin and Tyde shaking his head. As he approaches the two he makes a circular gesture around his ear with his index finger. "I don't think any amount of Light could shine through the darkness in their minds"

Kethra, speechless at the logic of the cultist's statement, finds herself nodding to Marros' statement, then gags him in the same manner once the minute was up.

Catching up with the rest of the party, Kethra shakes her head and says, "These cultists are obviously different from the ones we met at Red Larch and yet still different from the ones at Rivergard. Let's call these ones 'bird-brains' from now on so that we can tell them apart."

Xanranzan raises a brow at Marros as he hadn't expected a Plane of Earth saying to be known to the material plane. But then with a shrug he got back to finish up the song before putting away the lute in favor of drawing a blade. "They certainly act bird brains." He says, grining, if only a little. "Here's hoping the rest are about the same, as it should make rescue'n them other folk at least a little bit easier." At that, Xan intended at least to join Tyde at the forefront on any further advancing deeper into the underground city.

(To konpk: He doesn't relish killing. And its more the more excessive or brutal methods of killing that tends get to him. That and imprisoning people/being personally responsible for keeping them imprisoned)

Found The Vid:

Ahead of you seems to be a platform with a moat around it, the corridor you're in ending in a bridge.  There seems to be some sort of large building in the middle of this room.  You can't see any entrance on this side, however.

Rubin looks for a means to cross the moat, then he would move around the building looking for an entrance.

((Ok, just so we're clear, this corridor becomes a bridge over a moat that ends in a room with a building on it that has no visible entrance?))

Quote from Mehmen >>

But then with a shrug he got back to finish up the song before putting away the lute in favor of drawing a blade. "They certainly act bird brains." He says, grining, if only a little. "Here's hoping the rest are about the same, as it should make rescue'n them other folk at least a little bit easier." 

Kethra laughs at this remark and playfully plucks a string from the lyre as Xanranzan puts it away.

"You know, I haven't heard that song in a loooong time. In the Smith's Guild, we'd hire a bard and the rest of us had to keep the beat to that song using only the tools we'd forged. I was in my 'swords and knives' phase so it was a lot of fun when some of the older dwarves joined in and we all tried to keep the beat with a bunch of blades..."

Her voice trails off for a moment. "I kind of miss those moments. My master was so angry with me for doing something so dangerous but I had no regrets, thinking it was the most dangerous thing I'd ever do in my life."

Upon seeing the formidable fortress ahead of them, she straps on a set of scale mail, a shield in one hand, and looks to Marros and Xanranzan.

"Well, since The Cobbler's little spell wore off I'll try to draw any danger away from us. I mean, if you still want to take the direct approach," she says, the last part directed specifically at Marros. 

"I wonder what kind of weird new surprises this one has in store for us?"

Athough he smiled at the story, it would be until a little later that Xanranzan cannot help chuckling a bit, thinking back to Kethra's experience. Before he can think to say more, seeing the fortress barring their path sobered Xanranzan up fairly quickly all things considered. "If it is only one door, it aughta make it easier to hold it in a pinch, or so I reckon." Xan comments on idly, but unless directed to follow, he stays at the bridge for the time being while others circled around, rubbing his chin in thought. "If only we had a bird's eye view, maybe..." He thought aloud.

Marros follows quickly behind the now armoured warrior lady. "Hold up Blacksmith, I'll be the anvil to your hammer." The cheesy line causing him to giggle as he trots to catch up with Kethra. He draws his own sword as he refreshes his False Life invocation.

Those scouting around the corner see a stone colonnade spanning the moat surrounding the step pyramid. Stone pillars line the way like enormous trees, engraved with the names and likenesses of notable dwarves of the past. Broken pieces of wood and stone litter the floor.  The colonnade ends at a walkway enclosing a step pyramid to the west. Perched atop the pyramid is a large draconic creature with a humanoid rider. The rider wears a feathered cloak.  You can barely see beyond a plaza with beautiful tiling, and what looks like an odd horn.  On the side closest to you, there's a set of double doors leading into the structure.

Allistair finds that the structure is two stories, and the roof seems somewhat ornate.

(ooc: is the Draconic Creature with the Humanoid Rider a statue atop the Pyramid?... or are they real?)

"Let's see if we can gain entry here." Tyde will move up and try the doors.

(Real)

(haha oh no o_O)

Rubin stays close to the structure as he scouts around the corner. Seeing the large creature atop it, he tries to blend in with the shadows near the building, hoping it is dark enough to allow him to be invisible. He moves towards the doors as well.

(OOC: what is the lighting like in this area?)

Rolling her eyes at hearing a grown man giggle over a dad joke, Kethra immediately takes the next minute to doff the medium armor she just put on.

"I thought I'd need this because water usually means reavers and their nasty swords that hurt more when I'm not wearing armor...but I won't need this if dragons are involved. This one doesn't breathe fire, does it?"

Nature check if it does (but if I can use Survival, then +3 pretty please) nope nvm lol: 15

"D...d...dragon?" Marros stumbles on the word. His usual over confident demeanor replaced with one of a timid child. "I've never faced the most fearsome of creatures." He slinks closer to Kethra who seems unphased by the thought of the giant scaled beast. "I'll watch your back as we move closer." He shadows Kethra's movement, somehow always positioning her between himself and the dragon.

((PbP multiple personality coming through Brian?))

(ooc: if the doors are locked.)

"Can anyone open these blasted doors?" Tyde will back up a little to give whoever wants to try a chance at it. (again, ignore if the doors are unlocked and Tyde can enter.)