Milor's Labyrinth

Raxistaicho wrote:(Zap says his internet is giving him trouble today so he won't be around today)

(after several pains in the rear later, I got it back up)

Exiting Stage Zero Foyer
---Stage Zero Warrens---

As the group plunges forward, the tunnel grows cramped and progress grows slow.  Patches of packed earth appear over the stone, but before long it appears that patches of stone are sometimes exposed beneath the gray soil.  The walls are different here.  They reflect the lantern and the torch, themselves glowing with firelight.

After what must be the fifth or sixth sharp bend, the tunnel abruptly leads into a cavern.  Shallow pools of translucent water have collected wherever the cavern's uneven ground drops bellow your feet level.  Lines of flathead mushrooms sprout from besides the pools and cluster against the walls, each tall enough to reach a dwarf's kneecaps.  Stone formations in the shape of thin hourglasses droop from the ceiling and meld into the dirt.  The largest such formation is encircled by a staircase composed of white-green fungal matter.  It rises into a bridge made from strands of the same material, loosely hanging from bulbs attached to the cavern's upper reaches.  The bridge ends as it connects to a high tunnel.  A mass of dangling moss partially conceals the tunnel entrance.  More moss flourishes elsewhere in the cavern, clinging to wherever it can hold.  You can spot a third tunnel, smaller than even the one you just emerged from, near the other end of the cavern. A sweet, wet smell pervades through the area.

Close to the group is a human man, right at the center of the largest pool.  Its disturbed waters rush away from the man, as if to flee the scene.  He is bent in a strange position.  He's knees are low to the ground, and his entire body is craned over backward putting his head at the same height of his knees.  He is supported only by his feet, that, and the neck of a zombiefied goblin in mid-suplex.  If that crunch you just heard was any indicator, the goblin's head has lost its ability to control its body.

It has not, however, lost its ability to fill the cavern's silence with moans.

I shudder at this sight of this horrible room. One thing is clear; we've moved past the entryway.

"Guys, I think we're somewhere new," I whisper. "I think we should go back and explore the first part of the labryinth before we move on."

I draw my bow slowly with a quizzical looks on my face. I lean my head toward Strax and stare at him as if waiting for him to tell me if its ok to shoot an arrow at the thing in the center of the room.

Strax
HP:33/35
MP:10/10
SP: 100/100
Threat: 21
Dodge: 3
Luck: 4

I raise my shield and approach the man cautiously. "You there, what is your name? Are you friend or foe?" I check my gut to see whether I can trust him or not.

Sense: 9

Sarnor taps his foot impatiently and takes a quick glance at the man. Perception 18

Name: Renate
HP: 20/20
Stamina: 100
MP: 28/30
Threat: 3

This man shouldn't be alive in his state. How is he? Is it magic? I try to sense for whatever magic might be binding him. (Magic roll to determine what's effecting the man. Role 18 + 2 = 20)

@Strax:: ERROR, returns 'Out of Bounds.' Reattempt in 16.

@Sarnor:: He's... difficult to describe. In fact its as if he has no physical description to speak of. What you can tell, though, is that he is a human male, probably around his twenties. And he has a pretty cool jacket.

@Raxis:: While there is surely no magic involved with the man, that goblin most certainly is not supposed to be alive still. You also catch a magical flow within one of the pools, and notice that particular collection of water has a current. The current leads away from a stone formation at the center of the pool, and the magic flow seems fall down this stone formation. You cannot see any sort of cause, as the magic is opposite of your field of vision, hidden by the formation.

Sarnors danger sense wars with his now short attention span and picks up a rock and toss it at the man.

Name: Finley Greaser
HP: 40

I turn towards the group
"The first group of other people I run into and they look to shoot me. Anyway, I'm Finley Greaser, just call me Finley."

I edge away from the man, eying him warily. "What are you doing here, Mr. Greaser? How'd you get so far on your own?" I asked

Ugh.. Another person we have to deal with.. "Yeah, showed them for sure. You're PRACTICALLY at the end of the labyrinth!" Malica rolls her eyes.

"Nothing interesting here, can we keep going?"

"I'd suggest not giving me much of an attitude, 'else you might end up like that goblin."

Oh, this one is feisty. "Sure you can be saying the same thing with the skin melting off your bones?" Malica kinda gives a maniacal grin.

"Bah, you mage types never really scared me. Though, every mage I've met only knew party tricks."

I relax myself at the realization that this man isn't so much of a threat, at least against those that don't pick fights. Then I hear Malica and her snappy comment and then the new one's retort. 'GAH!' I yell gutturally as i slap my forehead. I walk over to the 2 and stare at them angrily, almost like a mother scolding children. I pull out my pad and scribble down something then show it to the both of them. "You should stop arguing and deal with the problem at hand. We should focus on exploring this cavern."

Sarnor frowns at the man not being a monster and throws another rock at him as he dashes up the stairs.
"Enough talk, there are more things to kill!"

I stare Sarnor with a blank stare that could only be described as soul rending as he clamors up the stairs. I wonder if i could get someone to use the moss or some other fungus to make a narcotic agent to put him to sleep.

"I still think we should go back and explore the first area!" I cry hopelessly after Sarnor.

@Elite::
Your feet sink into the steps of the staircase, its squishy composition slowly engulfing them.  When you lift a foot to the next step, a loud popping sound is released.  The stairs sway with your every movement, only supported by their suckling attachment to the stone formation at your left.  As you gain height the stairs tilt to reflect your weight, as does the bridge above.  Do you continue?

^(The stuff Darwin Awards are made of XD)

Carefully aiming a rock at this new guy, I begin to throw it as I saw Cookie did twice already; however, I notice Cookie seems to be having trouble with the staircase and I proceed to help him instead. I race over to him in slow motion (I'm not very fast as these last few fights have proven) and as soon as I get there i ask, "do you need any help Cook?"

"Yeah, I agree with the elf lass, should probably fight the baddies, not each other."

"Whatever.." And here I thought this guy was going to be interesting after all..

Malica watches as Sarnor ascends the steps.. slowly.. making those weird noises as he treads. Grosssssss. "Hey, Sarnor! Are you sure that's the correct way to be charging?!"