Chapter 4: Back in the village

[jcftao]

Memphisto says, "I'd like to return to the statue room. I seem to have something that needs to be returned to its rightful owner." With that he pats his pocket indicating the cursed gem within.

[Magremore]

“Yea, Memphisto, let us return that curséd stone.” If no objections, Dahl will lead the way south, into the brazier room, then east to the empty chamber, where the party can then enter the statue room from its northern door.

Turning to Freda, “I feel your courage may be well served walking beside Memphisto here. But of course if you want to continue to learn more of the true light, we could try to accommodate you.”

Proposed marching order (simply slotting Freda into the open slot):
2up:
Dahl x x Albin
Lisglen x x Van
Memphisto x x Freda
Finnur x x Holger

1up:
Dahl
Albin
Lisglen
Van
Memphisto
Freda
Finnur
Holger

[sexyhamster]

Freda shakes her head as they step down into the cool darkness. Only light I care for is something to help me see down here, she quips. Hey now, put me in a position where I can use my bow!

[Wouter]

With the upmost caution, the party starts heading south. Holger carefully and quietly opens the door to the room with the ancient iron brazier and peaks inside... Nothing. They follow the passageway east, turn south again and stop at the door leading to the room with the statue of the robed sage. Finnur listens intently at the door, but no sound is to be heard coming from the other side. The door turns out to be quite stuck due to the damp air: it doesn't budge when Holger pulls at it and it takes the help of Finnur to successfully open it.

The bronze statue of the bearded sage is dimly lit by Albin's flickering torch. Memphisto just barely senses a low buzzing inside his head as they step into the room...

Mechanics:

• Holger: open door... 1d6 - 1 = 1 => SUCCESS
• Holger: open door... 1d6 - 1 = 4 => FAIL
• Holger and Finnur: open door... min(1d6 - 1, 1d6 + 1) = 2 => SUCCESS

Moving to the statue room took the party about 20 minutes.

[jcftao]

Memphisto will climb onto the statue and place the gem into the socket of the staff.

[Wouter]

As Memphisto takes the gem from his pocket, the soft buzz in his head swells to a sharp, loud humming sound as he heard before when he had pried the crystal from the staff. After some wriggling and pushing, the precious stone snaps back into the prongs on the tip of the staff. At the exact same moment, the humming abruptly stops...

Other than the popping and crackling of Albin's torch, it is perfectly silent. Memphisto sighs in relief, feeling like the weight of the world has been lifted off of his shoulders.

Again, Memphisto was the only one to hear the humming to swell in volume and promptly stop. The others just saw a grim faced magic-user fiddling with the gemstone until he got it to sit on top off the staff properly.

Also: Freda will receive a -2 penalty to attack rolls when shooting her bow while standing amidst the other party members (bear in mind that taking into account all other bonuses, that still leaves her with a +4 bonus to attack rolls on targets within a distance of 15 m.).

[Magremore]

Dahl turns to Freda. “You’re welcome at the front of the line. You may be a worthy scout, after all.”

Proposed marching order (anyone else feel free to chime in):
2up:
Freda x x Albin
Lisglen x x Van
Memphisto x x Dahl
Finnur x x Holger

1up:
Freda
Albin
Lisglen
Van
Memphisto
Dahl
Finnur
Holger

Dahl then turns, walks toward the statue, and plucks the stone from the staff for himself. He grips it tight in his right hand and holds still to see if he, now being the one to take it, feels any odd effect, or if it might really be a cursed thing only for those of magical arts.

[Wouter]

With a quick flick of the wrist, Dahl snaps the gemstone from the prongs on the sage's staff...

No strange sensation, no humming. He opens his hand and looks closely at the deep, intense, velvety blue sapphire. It is most certainly valuable, but there doesn't seem to be anything magical or cursed about it.

[kwll]

"Very well. If it is all the same to you, can we move on now?" proposes Lisglen, seeing that his mates have been playing enough with the stone.

[jcftao]

Memphisto looks at Dahl and the stone, "Nothing but trouble there, my friend...I'm glad to be rid of the cursed thing."