Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[Siveon]

Spoiler

Well, I'll take a google search on those runes, then.

Lore Check: [1d20] = 10

 

[L'ennui]

Coming close to the double doors and leaning on his staff, Urash peers intently at the inscription and mumbles incomprehensiblly into his beard.

Spoiler

Also looking to see if Urash groks the thing.

[1d20] = 2

 

[nikolokolus]

The spiral runes defy explanation when Marcán examines them. However, when Urash turns his attention to them, their symbolic significance immediately becomes apparent. These magical sigils are a primitive form of arcane script that form a spell that supposedly opens a portal to Annwn (the Pictish/Keltic Otherworld).

The bas relief of the snake coiled around the wolf probably refers to the buried hero Ulfheonar and his battle with Blaidd Mawr (Brule told you it was his totem/sigil) there is nothing about it that appears magical however.

 

[Grimgravy]

"Wolf hair in its mouth could mean our adversaries have breached the the tomb before us. I'll get ready to try the passage while you check the door." Rhenmyr doffs his packs and extra gear. Daggers strapped to his thighs, he ties a rope around himself, like Cormac during his attempt. Taking Uvan's short sword in hand he says, "Two tugs or if something seems amiss, try to pull me out." If the Accadians can't open the door, Rhenmyr will pull himself up into the passage.

 

[L'ennui]

Spoiler

Would Urash be able to "activate" the inscribed spell, knowing the meaning of the runes?

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Would Urash be able to "activate" the inscribed spell, knowing the meaning of the runes?

Spoiler

Urash currently only understands that the runes are part of a spell and that they have something do do with a connection to Otherworld. If you want to "learn" the spell then roll your chance to understand spells (85% chance based on your intelligence)

EDIT

It's worth noting that even if you can't "learn" the spell, that doesn't prevent you from reciting the formula and just seeing what happens.

 

[L'ennui]

Urash's mumbling stops for a moment, and he leans forward to scrutinize the inscription further.

"Hmm... yes... interesting, for sure... dangerous? Hmm. Well, what isn't... Let's see if I can make you spill your secrets, my pretties."

Lowering his trained mental defenses, Urash fully opens himself to the ebb and flow of the runes.

Attempting to learn the spell

[1d100] = 75

 

[L'ennui]

A playful smile shines through Urash's black beard. "Haha! Thank you, old friends... the formula could be more poetic, but it certainly does the trick." Urash seems quite pleased with himself for a moment, and he seems like he is about to reach out and carress the runes with his hands. Then the Acadian snaps out of his reverie and looks all around at the crypt and his comrades. His smile disappears, as if he just now remembers the gravity of the situation.

Quickly, he fetches a scroll case and sits down in front of the inscription, not even bothering to sweep aside the numerous shed snake skins laying on the ground as he does so. From the case, he produces two fresh parchments. He then grabs ink and pen from his sack and starts copying the symbols on the door on each scroll.

"More light, please! This should only take a moment..."

Once he is finished, he gets back up, stashes his things away and calls out to Cormac:

"Priest! These inscriptions are certainly the work of your brethren. They are a pasage to your underworld, if only for one person at a time, and even then, it is a one-way trip. Perhaps with one of these (Urash brandishes the scrolls he has just inscribed), a passage can be opened again from the underworld to here? In any case, you are the expert here on whether such a trip could be profitable... or survivable, indeed."

 

[nikolokolus]

Like Cormac before him, Rhenmyr takes every precaution he can think of and scrambles up in to the narrow slot. His companions hold the end of the rope loosely and let it slide through their hands, ready to hold tight and haul him out should anything go amiss.

Spoiler

Because you all lose contact with him and can't see or hear what he sees, I'm going to handle this exploration phase in PMs

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Spoiler

Shit, no way we can rig us a working periscope is there?

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Shit, no way we can rig us a working periscope is there?

Spoiler

Unfortunately, the Picts just used the last of their available fiber optic cable on wiring the village up for broadband.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Spoiler

Shit, no way we can rig us a working periscope is there?

Spoiler

Unfortunately, the Picts just used the last of their available fiber optic cable on wiring the village up for broadband.

Spoiler

Goddamn Picts, the Atlanteans and CImmerians were right to wage war on them.

 

[nikolokolus]

Several uneventful, but tense minutes pass with Rhenmyr gone into the tunnel. After about 30 feet of rope is spooled out it stops moving for a minute and then resumes its course. Another fifteen feet of rope pays out and it stops. There's only about 2 feet of rope left dangling from the crawlspace.

 

[nikolokolus]

The rope suddenly jerks two times, the signal for you to pull Rhenmyr out of the chute.

 

[Siveon]

"Oh dear." Marcán lunges for the rope and starts pulling.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Borric grabs on to the rope and pulls along with Marcan.

 

[L'ennui]

Urash jumps in to help pull the rope back.

"Please... no snake-man... oh please, no snake-man..."

 

[nikolokolus]

The rope comes extremely easily . . . perhaps too easily. A few seonds later you give the rope one final pull and it comes whipping into the room. You all duck out of the way when something about a foot long and three inches thick attached to the rope's end nearly strikes you in the head -- a map case.

 

[Siveon]

"Doesn't seem like a snake-man to me." Marcán picks up the map case and examines it.

 

[nikolokolus]

You reach for the map case and open one end. Tipping it spills out a rolled up piece of parchment with the following imgage hastily scrawled on on it.

Below it is the following script:

"Spear and shield! Scenes of killing wolf. Need assistance to retrieve. Bring rope."

"No threat found."

 

[Siveon]

"Rhenmyr wants one of us to go in after him with more rope." Marcán digs into his pack and retrieves his 50' of rope. "Let me see if I can be of any help." He ties the fallen rope that pulled the map case around his waist and attempts to enter the small passage.

 

[nikolokolus]

Marcán probes ahead in the dark passage. Roots dangle in front of your face and make the way difficult and you struggle to tamp down a rising sensation of primal fear. After what seems like an hour (but is probably no more than a minute or two) you come to a 90 degree bend to the right in the passage and the roots begin to clear. a bit of torchlight is now visible, but filtered by Rhenmyr's form blocking the passage about fifteen feet to your right. In the dim light you can barely perceive a darkened chimney above your head -- likely the place where Cormac was set upon by the serpent creature.

 

[Siveon]

"Brought the rope." Marcán plainly states a bit loudly.

 

[Grimgravy]

"Ah Marcán, I'm glad you came. You might know more about the carvings and items in this chamber. Use a rope to belay me down so you can get a view."

 

[Siveon]

"Sure." Marcán wraps the extra rope around his wrist for leverage, and hands the rest to Rhenmyr, holding the other end. "Well, Pictish isn't exactly my expertise but I'll do what I can."