You stand in an old storage room that you accessed from a secret doorway off the old great hall. Rooker crouches over a large sack of gold coins that he has filled with 600 gold crowns from a chest on the floor. Thorn stands nearby, shaking his head and warning him about the dangers of such money. Sharif watches the exchange between them both.
Sharif says, "If you are finished...we still have a necromancer to find."
Rooker says, "Listen, Thorn, the necromancer may have owned this gold once, but it's ours now and you can use your share to do whatever bit of good you choose to make up for his evil."
Thorn says, "As Sharif says, don't count your gold until we get out of here."
Putting the gold into his pack, Rooker shoulders it and looks at his companions; "Let's go find whatever other secrets this place holds."
Sharif says, "Your compulsion with acquiring wealth will be the death of us."
Thorn looks around the room for a way down.
Chuckling softly, Rooker smiles; "More for me then, eh?"
Rooker says, "Which way gentlemen?"
The storage room also contains old boxes of rations, mildewed by decades, and some casks of wine from the coastal Kingdom of Varrik.
Sharif says, "Perhaps we should use this door."
Rooker shrugs and goes to look over the door for traps.
Nope, no traps in this door! Why, it's safe as houses!
Thorn says, "Can you open it Rooker?"
Rooker tries the handle carefully.
Sharif holds his breath.
Thorn says, "Since when did that stop you?"
The door is a thick oaken door, its boards smeared with a tarlike substance, sealing one to the other. And it's locked with a large lock.
Pulling his picks from their hiding place, Rooker kneels and begins to work on the lock.
Rooker mutters under his breath as one of the picks almost gets caught in the intricate lock. The lock fails to open.
Rooker says, "Where's that damn axe?"
Sharif says, "This appears to be a tough lock."
Thorn says, "Perhaps it would be best to find another way."
Rooker says, "Thorn, this looks to be beyond my skills, perhaps you have a more direct method of opening a stubborn door?"
Rooker says, "Or we could go the other way through the great hall?"
Sharif says, "I could open it...but I fear it would use much of my reserves..but I could do it"
Thorn says, "Not likely we'll be able to break it down."
Rooker says, "Come now, a strapping fellow like you with a great axe would have it open in a flash."
Thorn says, "And wake the dead while I'm at it."
Sharif says, "Allow me my friends!"
Sharif raises his hands, motions them in an arcane fashion and....
A lace of light floats through the air from Sharif's hands and lands on the lock. A moment later there's a snap, and the lock clicks open.
Sharif says, "Piece of pie."
Sharif motions to his companions to lead the way
Rooker bows slightly in Sharif's direction; "After you, oh mighty wizard."
Thorn says, "I'll lead the way."
Thorn draws his sword and peers through the door way.
Thorn peers into a circular chamber with only one possible purpose. Chains and cuffs hang from the walls and in the center of the floor stand two tall cages, with the huge skeletal remains of a troll in one and a Reith in the other. Unlike the skeletons you battled outside, these are quite still.
Peering into the room from the doorway, Rooker shines his lantern inside and suppresses a shudder.
Thorn slowly enters the chamber.
Rooker says, "There's nothing in here, Thorn, let's go."
The room is quiet and still. What horrors were visited here can only be guessed at. The troll and the Reith's skeletons are contorted into horrific forms from pain. The purpose of the tar on the door becomes obvious--a form of soundproofing.
Sharif says, "This is a ghastly place..."
Thorn makes a sign against evil and backs out of the room.
As Thorn backs away towards the door, the door begins to slam shut slowly and inexorably. Rooker and Sharif are still in the doorway.
Rooker jams his shoulder against the door and yells; "Thorn! Move it! Get out!"
Sharif moves to hold the door open..."Thorn hurry!"
Thorn dives towards the door.
The door's pressure is mounting, the crack narrowing as Rooker strains against it. Thorn tugs at the latch on his side.
Thorn attempts to dive through the door way.
The door swings shut, but Sharif's fat camel-sitting butt gets in the way. Thorn has one last chance to dive through the door.
His feet slipping on the rough floor, Rooker makes a frantic grab for the skeleton's axe, hoping to wedge the door open.
Thorn tries to leap, but Sharif's feet slip, and the door slams shut on Thorn, leaving him trapped inside the torture chamber. The chains in the room begin to rattle, as if a breeze is sweeping this lightless room.
Hefting the axe to his shoulder, Rooker's face is covered in panic; "Move away, Sharif."
In the chamber, a low susurration of voices begins speaking to Thorn, in an old forgotten language. Sharif moves out of the way of the axe and mumbles a prayer
Rooker swings the axe in a great arc at the door.
In the chamber, something brushes Thorn's face. A voice hisses at him..."Yesssss! Welcome!" He can see in the room just fine using his infravision.
Thorn says, "Thorn places his sword on the ground before him and traces a circle around himself while chanting in Selari. When the circle is complete it starts to glow a bright green."
Sharif yells towards the torture cell "Thorn are you alright in there???"
Rooker's axe crashes into the massive door, almost severing one of the boards. It will take another good whack to make a space big enough to fit through.
Sharif grabs boards away from the door frantically.
Shadows roll back from the green circle, with a hiss as if stung.
Thorn raises his sword and stands ready to fight.
The shadows try to strike at Thorn, but his spell prevents them. The chains rattle and the cages creak and groan, but the monsters only succeed in scattering Thorn's long hair.
Thorn yells back, "I'm fine for now but I don't think I'm alone in hear."
Wrenching the axe free with a mighty heave, Rooker swings at the door again as if posessed.
Rooker says, "We're coming, Thorn! Hold on!"
Rooker shatters the door with the old axe, and the rusty old weapon breaks in half as the door crashes to the floor.
Thorn says, "Just be careful when you enter. I've cast a ward around myself."
Shoving aside the broken door, Rooker draws his daggers as he enters the room.
Sharif rips away more of the wood and peers into the room
Sharif says, "Are you hurt Thorn?"
Thorn says, "No but there is something evil lurking around in here."
Thorn says, "Be wary."
Sharif readies his staff
Rooker looks about the room for opponents.
The chains on the wall rattle. The troll skeleton shifts in its cage, but lies still. And two very dark shadows hiss at Rooker and Sharif..."Ahhh...Selandri, we cannot ssstrike you...but your friendsss...." says a voice like fingernails on a slate.
Sharif and Rooker, ready for the attack, fend off a pair of dark arms reaching for each of their throats.
Sharif says, "Be gone dark spirits!"
Rooker lunges for the shadow with both daggers.
Sharif swings his staff as it crackles with blue etheric energy
Thorn scans the room for the shadows.
Thorn draws his bow and readies an arrow.
Rooker's left hand dagger plunges deep into the dark pool assaulting him, but his right misses. Sharif strikes at his foe and hits hard.
The shadow hisses derision as a spectral hand slices Thorn's bowstring, disabling his weapon.
Thorn drops his bow and readies his sword.
The shadows strike at Rooker and Sharif again, and Sharif feels the touch of one of the spectral hands. This burns like acid.
Rooker presses his attack against his opponent, swinging with both daggers.
Sharif swings the staff in desperation. "I do not feel well my friends..."
Thorn's attack strikes, as do both of Rookers'. Sharif's opponent dances back into the darkness of the chamber.
Under the assaults from Rooker and Thorn, the first shadow hisses and...melts. The spectral flesh runs like water into a puddle at your feet.
Thorn turns to aid Sharif.
The second and last creature, desperate, strikes again at Sharif.
Sharif strikes back..determined . Sharif falls back, swinging his staff.
Thorn strikes at the second shadow.
Rooker turns and looks for an opening to throw a dagger at the remaining Shadow.
The second shadow shrieks, "Noooo" in a cry that seems to last hours, as its flesh puddles and melts on the floor at your feet.
The room is filled with an unearthly silence now...
Grabbing Sharif by the arm, Rooker ushers him toward the doorway; "We should leave this place. Now."
Thorn says, "We must find the monster who created this place and destroy him."
Sharif says, "Agreed."
You emerge from the horrific cell into the storage room.
Thorn covers the exit of his two friends.
Rooker gathers up his lantern and shudders visibly; "Let's go."
Thorn leaves when he sees Sharif and Rooker safely from the room.
Sharif says, "Perhaps there is a reason that certain doors are locked"
Thorn says, "I agree. Shall we go back to the hall?"
Rooker says, "I think we should."
Thorn leads the way back to the great hall.
Sharif moves towards the hall
Rooker brings up the rear guard.
The great hall is decorated with obscene murals, and the remains of the skeletal warriors are scattered in piles on the marble floor. Two large moonwood doors, tall as a troll and well-decorated with silver and gilt, are at the far end.
Rooker says, "Thorn, keep a sharp eye. All that noise may have drawn more attention than we need."
Thorn whispers, "Sure, shall we try the door to the right?"
Rooker says, "My thoughts exactly."
Rooker steps forward to the door and looks it over carefully before trying the handle.
These doors are even safer than the last one! You'd let them marry your sister!
Thorn faces the room at large trying to detect any danger.
They are also, unlocked, and stand smoothly on great brass hinges.
Sharif says, "Perhaps we should avoid the doors...they bring bad luck"
Rooker tries the handle gingerly and opens the door gingerly.
Sharif waits expectantly as Rooker tries the door
A hidden mechanism swings the doors inward, both at the same time, easily. The room beyond is small, but has a high ceiling and appears to be some kind of anteroom, with doors on the north, east and south walls. Those to the north and south are plain and unadorned, but the one to the east is moonwood like the ones you stand before.
Thorn waits even more expectantly as Rooker tries the door
Slowly opening the door, Rooker shines his lantern into space beyond.
The floors of the anteroom are intricately tiled, and small two-foot sculptures stand in the niches. Each is a man at arms in armor, decorated with skulls .
Rooker gives an appraising glance about the room and dismisses the statues as too heavy to be worth carrying out.
The niches are at about waist high and three feet tall.
Rooker moves about the room giving the walls and niches a quick, but thorough, examination.
The sculptures, although well made bronzes, don't appear to be anything special.
Thorn says, "It seems we have a choice to make."
Rooker says, "Indeed, lead on, good sir."
Thorn "This seems to be the most important", indicating the moon wood door.
Thorn carefully tries the nob on the door made of moon wood.
Rooker says, "Here, now. That's my job."
The moonwood door is locked. Thorn notices that mystic sigils are inlaid into the wood of the door, but the hieroglyphics he cannot read.
Sharif says, "Yes...but you're bringing bad luck to us when you open a door"
Rooker says, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's always my fault when something bad happens on the other side of the door, but who gets the credit for the loot we find?"
Thorn says, "Sharif have a looks at these symbols on the door."
Sharif says, "what is this..""
Sharif examines the writing..tracing the symbols
The ancient hieroglyphics are from prehistoric times...only the oldest tomes would reveal their meaning. Or magic.
Thorn says, "Hold on I'll attempt to read it."
Thorn reaches down on the floor and scoops up a handful of dust. He then mumbles some words and blows the dust towards the writing.
Thorn reads the mystic symbols. It's a curse on all who enter who are not servants of Kursa, the Lady of Chaos.
Thorn says, "I say we skip this one."
Rooker says, "I agree. North or South?"
Sharif says, "Nonsense...we should always go forward."
Thorn says, "Behind this door is some kind of a shrine to some evil being named Kursa."
Thorn says, "All who enter who do not serve him ill be cursed. It says there is an alter within."
Rooker says, "We can always come back and open it later. On the way out."
Thorn says, "Rooker I think it's your turn to pick."
Rooker shrugs his pack to the ground and pulls out his picks.
The north and south doors are of solid oak construction, bearing only the X-insignia of Xoth, the necromancer.
Rooker says, "The moonwood doors, right?"
Sharif says, "Let's do it""
Thorn says, "How about seeing what's behind door number two?"
Rooker kneels before the door and looks up at Thorn; "I'm just the hired help here guys, just tell me which way we're going.
Thorn says, "Lets try the right door then. Okwith you Sharif?"
Rooker stands and moves to the North door to check it for traps and locks.
There are no traps on the north door. Nor is it locked. It appears to be slightly jammed, though, as if age has made it expand slightly.
Thorn says, "How does it look Rooker?"
Rooker says, "It's not locked, but it's stuck. I'm gonna shove it open. Somebody hold the lantern for me."
Thorn takes the lantern.
Handing the lantern to Thorn, Rooker puts his shoulder to the door and pushes firmly.
Sharif says, "Be careful"
The door pops open with a soft -chuff-. Beyond, the lantern illuminates a short corridor, at the end of which slopes a staircase, down into the darkness.