Sent: 4/19/99

Gathering around the map Guilliam is holding, each offers his opinion. First, Cy speaks, his voice filling the cavern. "It doe-nay take a military genius to find out, gentlemen, that this way is full of traps and monsters. Therein map shows a hiding place and mayin be some good treasure, but we are too weak to find it now."

"Agreed," Canter says, rubbing a recent wound, "perhaps we should move back to the outer chamber and make camp for a night to regain some strength..."

Grabbing his dagger back from Guilliam, Storm interrupts the conversation. "Arr, what be that gray spot?" tapping the map with the dagger's point for emphasis.

"Well," Guilliam starts, "I think we came in from here," he point to the upper left-hand part of the map, "we found the journal in this outer chamber and that long dark corridor was here," he points to a narrow stretch on the map, "which puts us here." He taps the large central chamber with his finger, carefully avoiding Storm's blade. "Those other corridors must be the mine shafts, I think I can see some leading off of this room over there (he points into the dim distance). As for that gray spot, I can't say I know. But I'm eager to find out..."

Not answering, Storm withdraws a bit to fiddle in the background as the conversation continues.

Edryd looks at his companions. He clears his throat and says, "Well, I'm not really good with maps, but it seems that the miners didn't get too much further than we are now. That would point to some fairly imminent danger. I leave the interpretation up to you, Guilliam. My concern is that several of us are very weakened, myself not excepted. I think we should retreat to make some preparations to continue. After all, we don't want to have to travel all the way back to the fortress, or even on to a city with a lifeless friend in tow."

"Ok!" Crayne starts, eager to jump in, "It seems the grey circle has been put down to mark out something. Is there no way any of us can decipher the writing on the map? I suggest that before we head off in that...." Crayne turns with his light stone in his hand and getting his bearings, points to hopefully the correct tunnel ...direction we have a good search around this chamber to ensure nothing else has been left behind to give us any further indication of what these undead are about or what this map means. I have an inclination that religion may be involved here somewhere!"

Guilliam turns his head to look at the mage. "If we make camp for the night, I can try to work out some of these symbols. I've been able to do it in the past, though not completely. I can't promise anything, but I'm willing to give it a try."

Edryd nods, looking to Cy for his approval. "That sounds good, we can rest and work on the map before moving deeper into the mine."

Cranye then says, "Also, if we intend to rest here for a moment and search the place would anybody have any qualms about me memorising detect magic and then casting it on the place? Anybody?? If no then I'll get to it now!"

"I think that's a good idea," Guilliam says, his voice trailing off as Crayne moves away from the group and over to the half-burnt table, removing a thick bundle of papers from his backpack.

The conversation ended, the party breaks up to explore the chamber before moving out to safer ground. They do find torch-holders lining the walls, some with unlit torches. Once those are lit the room is a bit brighter, so they can see it fully. It is fairly large, with a tall ceiling carved out, presumably the miners' living space, with the hay for beds and the table for eating. There is a little fireplace area where the ashes of old cooking mix with those from the fire during the battle. Aside from the map and a blanket or two, no other items or treasure is found.

Various entrances to other tunnels leave the inner chamber, presumably the mine shafts. These are quite dark, and even with the torchlight or lightstone, one can't see very far into them, just far enough to see that some begin to slope downwards.

As they are exploring the chamber, Cy mumbles a bit under his breath, which causes Storm to stop in his tracks and address the warrior. "Ay, ye be speakin' the native tongue! How ye be knowin' that?"

Cy answers the dwarf direcly, in Dwarven: "I learned your tongue fighting with the dwarvenfolk against the giants several years ago. I was hired on to apprentice as a blacksmith with the clan Stoneforge. During the fighting, our camp was overrun. I helped push the tide back and earned myself a unit leader's position in the front line army. After the battles ended, I again went looking for work. I guess I learned the language during my tour against the giants."

"Ahh," Storm says, nodding slowly. "Stoneforge. Good fighters. I hear a them folk ev'ry so often." With that, Storm continues his own explorations.

After a short while, Crayne rises from the table and closes his papers. Replacing them carefully in his backpack he positions himself in the center of the room and begins to cast a spell. He closes his eyes and concentrates hard, stretching out his hands and turning slowly in a circle. After a moment he is finished, and lowers his arms to his side. Disappointed, he reports, "I don't detect any magic here, now, except for whatever weak radiations are coming from those piles of zombie-flesh and skeleton bones." He rubs his arm, obviously disappointed.

Edryd then walks over to the mage and quietly speaks with him, offering him some healing, which Crayne graciously accepts.

Then all of a sudden Storm lets out a yelp. "Ay! I be seein' somethin' shiny down that shaftway, methinks!"

Cy quickly grabs for his sword and shield, and Edryd and Crayne look up in Storm's direction. "Can you see anything moving?!" Cy calls, already planning out the battle.

"Nah! I can't see it good. Just fir a second..."

"I don't think we should go down there yet," Canter suggests. "If we make camp we can return tomorrow, stronger. And with someone on watch we know nobody will get in and make it down there first."

"I agree," Guilliam says, not wanting to pass up his time with the map.

"Storm, come back," Edryd calls to the dwarf, who is slowly stepping into the shaft. "I promise we'll return in the morning. Come on, let's go." Slinging a bag over his shoulder and grabbing a torch from the wall, Edryd begins to lead the way back through the wooden door to the outer chamber. Reluctantly, Storm follows, making a mental note which shaft had the shiny object. The others, eager to withdraw from the battle scene and ready for some rest, follow as well.

Camp is made and the watches are set. Each spends some time alone, quietly repairing clothing, cleaning and sharpening weapons, studying maps and spells, and resting. As night falls, Rinder's Six is glad to rest after a hard day's work.

As morning approaches and the sun rises, casting a few rays into the (outer) chamber, the party awakens. After clearing up bedrolls, Guilliam clears his voice, map in hand. "I think I've figured a little something out, here, guys. It's not much."

"Well, out with it!" Cy says, his eyes wide.

"It seems a very old language, but I've seen others that I think are newer but very much like it. I would, by the way, like to hold on to this map and see if I can work out some more, and maybe get a hefty--"

"No wonder he's 'The Gale'..." Canter says, elbowing Crayne with a smile.

Clearing his throat and swallowing hard, Giulliam returns to the point. "Okay, well. I made out a few words. See here?" He points to the lower left corner where there are three lines of writing. "I don't know about the lower two, but this top line definitely includes the words 'Beware of'."

"Beware of what?" Crayne asks.

"Well, I don't know, really," Guilliam blushes a little. "I can't make out the middle words, but the last one is, I think, 'sulk,' or maybe 'hulk?'"

Cy groans, "Gentlemen, methinks the real battle lie ahead in them shafts..."

1. Yes, Crayne has Color Spray memorized. And he can memorize one more before the party heads out back into the mine. Which would you like?

Also, Crayne: Sorry about changing the map orientation from what you wrote, I just figured better to correct everyone so we're all looking at things the same way!

2. Cy and Storm: even though the actions didn't turn out exactly as you guys had played them, I thought the conversation in Dwarven was a nice touch...so I included it! Nice role-playing...

3. Crayne gains 4 hp from Edryd's healing, and ALL CHARACTERS gain 2 hp for resting (2 because the resting time was really most of the afternoon and the night).

4. Any reactions to Guilliam's discovery on the map? Do you want to explore the shaft Storm saw the shiny thing in? (That one would be the shaft two places to the right (counter-clockwise) from the one which leads to the gray spot.) Or do you want to explore the one with the gray spot at the end? Or another one? What's the plan? 

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