Starker:”Friends and colleagues, I am willing to put my non-dominant hand into the slot I associate with Memory. Please be prepared to pull me away if it appears I am in distress.”
<rolls up his sleeve and places his left hand in slot>
The short hallway ends here in a shrine. There are two pillars to your left in front of an altar. There are carvings upon the pillars. A large chest sits in an alcove to the right. Ahead of you is a set of double doors.
The altar is made of ebon stone with a triangle etched into the facing side. Within the triangle is a pale, white skull. To the left of this unholy symbol of Myrkul is a slot in the stone with a closed eye sigil underneath it. To the right is a slot with a sigil of a sealed mouth. Script is inset into the surface of the altar that reads: Dni binz kuwx, dni wxrdz juaw — isqg as zaqxslx usw as kxkiyg kug dtx zioq xzlujx adz rquwx.
Translating the script on the altar from Abyssal: "Two vows made, two debts paid — only in silence and in memory may the soul escape its blade."
Right – Carvings of gagged people or mouthless beings
Left – Scenes of death watches, figures clutching trinkets to their chest, open tomes
Kragen pats Starker on the shoulder and moves to the altar. "Allow someone with a little more conviction to discern if this horrid Altar, will provide our avenue to this fiend!"
Kragen steps to the Altar and places his right and left hand into the slots, closes his eyes and looks towards what would be the sky if he were on the surface.
Kragen steps up to the altar, placing his dwarfy paws into the slots on either side of the altar's face. His assumes a solemn mien and looks upwards to the ceiling. The sigils under each of the slots pulse with a sickly green luminescence briefly. The same luminescence appears on the doors and the chest. Both auras melt away in a patchwork manner.
Starker:”Father Kragen … are you well? Congratulations are in order and I offer them … but why would an evil necromantic proto-lich place an assessment of goodness on his parade of tricks and traps?”
Kragen opens his eyes (a little tough to see through the googles) and appears to look straight ahead with a steely gaze. After 30 secs, hearing Starker's inquiry, pulls his dwarfy paws from the slots and turns to the group.
"Yes, thank you Mage Starker for inquiring. I am a bit unsettled, having spent time reflecting on my past, however i am well."
Then addressing the group "I believe i have satisfied the Wizards (referring to Illiandial) personal requirement attached to the warding enchantments that were placed on the chest and the Doors." nods to both in kind.
"I think we can now investigate both without fear of harm. Since i am suggesting the warding is "satisfied", i would be willing to do the investigation to avoid harm to others."
Both Starker and Kragen showed great bravery by risking themselves to help us move forward.
Is it worth opening this chest now, or would it be better to focus on moving through the doors instead?
"I am as eager to moving towards our quest as you are Master Trolkarl. Although, I am unsure of what plane we will be on once we dispatch this Wizard, if we are able too? The chest may provide some artifact that could be useful in our quest or possibly hinder it as well. I defer to the groups decision." looks to others for input.
There is nothing that comes to mind with those exacting dimensions.
Starker:”Friends and colleagues, I am willing to put my non-dominant hand into the slot I associate with Memory. Please be prepared to pull me away if it appears I am in distress.”
<rolls up his sleeve and places his left hand in slot>
Starker places his left hand into the slot. There is an empty space beyond the slot. No noticeable effect occurs.
Starker puts his left hand out. He puts his left hand in and he shakes it all about.
Based on Starkers feedback, Kragen moves around the Altar to see if the slot/s go through the entire slab.
They do not
Starker:”That’s what it is all about.”
The short hallway ends here in a shrine. There are two pillars to your left in front of an altar. There are carvings upon the pillars. A large chest sits in an alcove to the right. Ahead of you is a set of double doors.
The altar is made of ebon stone with a triangle etched into the facing side. Within the triangle is a pale, white skull. To the left of this unholy symbol of Myrkul is a slot in the stone with a closed eye sigil underneath it. To the right is a slot with a sigil of a sealed mouth. Script is inset into the surface of the altar that reads: Dni binz kuwx, dni wxrdz juaw — isqg as zaqxslx usw as kxkiyg kug dtx zioq xzlujx adz rquwx.
Translating the script on the altar from Abyssal: "Two vows made, two debts paid — only in silence and in memory may the soul escape its blade."
Right – Carvings of gagged people or mouthless beings
Left – Scenes of death watches, figures clutching trinkets to their chest, open tomes
Starker:”Something odd … when my hand was in there I got a sense that I was being examined or evaluated in some way … perhaps I am not worthy?”
<sticks hand in other slot, because he is who he is>
Same result. No discernible response. Feels examined.
Kragen pats Starker on the shoulder and moves to the altar. "Allow someone with a little more conviction to discern if this horrid Altar, will provide our avenue to this fiend!"
Kragen steps to the Altar and places his right and left hand into the slots, closes his eyes and looks towards what would be the sky if he were on the surface.
…
…
Kragen steps up to the altar, placing his dwarfy paws into the slots on either side of the altar's face. His assumes a solemn mien and looks upwards to the ceiling. The sigils under each of the slots pulse with a sickly green luminescence briefly. The same luminescence appears on the doors and the chest. Both auras melt away in a patchwork manner.
All is quiet.
Starker:”Father Kragen … are you well? Congratulations are in order and I offer them … but why would an evil necromantic proto-lich place an assessment of goodness on his parade of tricks and traps?”
Kragen opens his eyes (a little tough to see through the googles) and appears to look straight ahead with a steely gaze. After 30 secs, hearing Starker's inquiry, pulls his dwarfy paws from the slots and turns to the group.
"Yes, thank you Mage Starker for inquiring. I am a bit unsettled, having spent time reflecting on my past, however i am well."
Then addressing the group "I believe i have satisfied the Wizards (referring to Illiandial) personal requirement attached to the warding enchantments that were placed on the chest and the Doors." nods to both in kind.
"I think we can now investigate both without fear of harm. Since i am suggesting the warding is "satisfied", i would be willing to do the investigation to avoid harm to others."
Looks to the others for agreement
Well done, Kragen.
Both Starker and Kragen showed great bravery by risking themselves to help us move forward.
Is it worth opening this chest now, or would it be better to focus on moving through the doors instead?
"I am as eager to moving towards our quest as you are Master Trolkarl. Although, I am unsure of what plane we will be on once we dispatch this Wizard, if we are able too? The chest may provide some artifact that could be useful in our quest or possibly hinder it as well. I defer to the groups decision." looks to others for input.
Xymox: "let's get that chest opened." /rubs hands together