[IC] To The Edge of the World...

[Wick]

Eve looked around and followed Tarquin, "That's quite alright. Somehow I doubt a swordsman is how we are going to kill this thing." Eve wondered why Tarquin was always comparing himself to his brother and in his mind he always seemed to come up short. She pulled her cloak up around her tighter. The underground caves were a bit colder and darker than she remembered. Suddenly she realized it. "The sun is going down! We need to go or risk running into this thing."

[Garth]

In the larger room, Rockmar got his greataxe out. He heard Eve and said, "If this was the hound's prison, I doubt it will be coming back here. But it will be heading to the village. We should head there soon." He looked at the carvings of the giant wolf and snake. "Besides. I am not sure I want to open that door."

[Kelewen]

For anyone giving the room a casual inspection, he or she may notice a handful of twigs and short branches along the seam where the south wall meets the floor. All are ancient and crumble at a touch.

[Wick]

As Eve looks at the large stone door, she realized that it is roughly the size of the outline she could make out earlier from outside the hill. The group had travelled about the right distance for this to be the same door. Although, these slabs are set down into the ground, the builders had intended to seal them forever. Opening it the same way she opened the south entrance would not be possible as these were sealed. She looked at Rockmar and replied.

"I can't open those doors, they are sealed with some heavy spells in that seal and look at how they are built. That is the north door we could see slightly from outside earlier.

[Fubsy]

Women's joined the others in further exploring the chambers. She cautiously gazed around, alertness increased since the attacks, and moved northwards. A sight on the wall made her pause, wonder replacing unease. On the wall were small holes, as if something had once been attached to the wall. Something that led upwards...
"Guys," she called, "I think there used to be a ladder here."

[Kelewen]

"Really?" Cedric turned, the brittle strips of snake skins crunching and turning to dust underfoot, and looked toward the halfling standing near the doorway where they had just entered. There was a ledge up above the doorway, but he couldn't see if there was anything on it. "Want me to boost you up there?"

Meanwhile, whatever had been following Rockmar and June from the tunnel under the pit crept ever so slowly up the stairs. Once the light had passed, it moved down the hall and into the stairwell to the west.

[Garth]

Now that Eve pointed out these were the insides of the doors he saw earlier, it made sense to Rockmar. He wasn't very good with directions. He usually waited until somebody pointed out where to go and who to kill. This whole thing of acting independently is still new for Rockmar.

He looked at the ceiling of the large room. he wanted to make sure there wasn't anything else that would drop down from the ceiling on top of them.

[Marcus XVI]

Tarquin tensed as he saw little movement. He knew from experience that old, mostly abandoned places always seemed to have more than their fair share of monsters. He considered informing the others about it, but since they had decided to take the other direction the tall elf just shrugged. "One of those damn ghouls just slipped to the stairs in the... West. I intend to go after it. You coming with?" With a little smile the bard unsheathed his rapier and began heading towards the western stairwell.

[Wick]

Eve realized that Tarquin had forgotten all about her. "We are going after it? Do you know how to kill it?" When he turned and saw her he seemed surprised. "Thanks, I wasn't aware that I am that forgettable." Eve seemed a little irritated with him.

[Kelewen]

@Garth The ceiling in the northern chamber is covered with more of the spiral pattern, but nothing menacing.

[Marcus XVI]

The tall elf rolled his eyes as if he was pondering both Eve's remark about being forgettable and her question about him knowing how to kill the ghoul. He sighed while taking out the spider pendant. "Well I have heard many stories, but to answer your question 'I' do not know EXACTLY how to kill one of those things. However..." Tarquin smiled mysteriously and turned his back on Eve and began walking down the stairwell. "...I know of a person who does."

[Kelewen]

@Marcus XVI (and anyone following after him...)

The worn stone steps descend into a circular cave walled by tall stone slabs inscribed with dark runes in the likeness of massive cave bears and of warriors donning the skulls and pelts of the bears. The bears and the bear-warriors are shown triumphantly battling dozens of foes.

In the center of the chamber is a collection of stones resembling a table or alter. Atop the slab is the skull of an enormous bear.

Barely had Tarquin's rapier cleared the entrance to the room when the ghoul attacked... leaping at his right side, intending to rake its nails along the elf's belly...

[Marcus XVI]

When the ghoul attacked the elf had barely enough time to take a step back - thus avoiding a fatal blow, but still the foul beast had drawn blood. Anger flared in the bard as he pulled the pendant from his neck and tumbled past the ghoul. When the tall elf straightened up his skin had changed from the color of ivory closer to ebony. His stance was very different as well, now it was a stance of a duelist, or a true swordsman. "Rath ulu dosst phalar." The drow spat on the ground and aimed a very swift lunge at the ghoul's eye - obviously aiming for a relatively weak spot to damage it's brains.

[Wick]

Eve had followed Tarquin and had seen him get injured and his sudden change to a drow. Her Drow lessons had not ever been used. "Back to your...grave." Her tutor would have been proud. She was very concerned about his being a drow as they are typically evil. She stayed back in the shadows and watched.

[Fubsy]

Wimena was took a step back. "A boost would be nice," she answered. She squinted at the ledge near the top. "Might as well see where it leads. It could be another exit."

[Kelewen]

Unaware of what was happening in the other chamber, Cedric handed the lit stone that Eve had given him to Wimena, then cupped his hands so that she could step into them and on a quick 3 count hoisted her up so that she could get a look above the ledge. There she would see a crawl space. It goes back only a few feet before turning to the west.

[Kelewen]

The ghoul's nostrils flared as Tarquin's blood was drawn and it launched itself at the drow just as Tarquin plunged his rapier into its eye. The dried out husk of a person fell sideways, but even as it was falling, its belly heaved. Barely had it landed before a humanoid-headed serpent burst forth, fangs directed toward the dark-elf

[Marcus XVI]

"Adorable." The dark-elf leaped backwards with grace he had not felt in a long time. The rapier flew again forwards, aimed at the top of the snake's mouth with a swift movement.

[Fubsy]

"Thanks," Wimena grunted as she crawled towards the ledge. "There's a crawl space here," she reported, moving further onward. "I'm gonna see where it leads." She kept hand holding the glowing stone outstretched, gazing around.

[Garth]

Rockmar doesn't want to yell, so he talks in a loud whisper.. "Wimena, wait. Can Cedric fit up there?" Rockmar looks around the room. "June..June, can you go up with Wimena? I do not want anybody going alone, anywhere."