Better Dead Than DeresfordIn many ways the village of Deresford is a strange place. The kind of village where people just end up. Travellers, traders, transients, even the odd outlaw. And not just 'people', Halflings from the Learstir Shire, Elves from the Charmwood Forest, and Dwarves from Coal Village. But in all the ways that count Deresford is a very ordinary village. A very ordinary and dull village.
In fact it is such a tedious hive of petty gossip, turnip talk, and constant arguments about how the gods think a sheep should be sheared - head to tail or tail to head - that the most exciting thing to happen in the last six summers is the imminent death of the village's misanthropic headman Rodrick Weasel Bane.
The younger, feckless, and more morbidly inclined of the village have gathered around his bed now that he is too feeble to chase you off. For Three days he has done little more than fart and grunt, but today as the sun sets his rheumy old eyes bulge and he sits bolt upright. He looks around the faces gathered, gurns, then in a weak and wheezy voice begins to speak . . .
"Ware my words the Empty Star rises again," he says. "Near fifty summers ago to this very day it did rise afore, rise it did above the elder stones on Burymound Hill!" He points, the wrong way, but you assume he's pointing to Burymound Hill. "Go!," he says, "Go there and witness when the Empty Star rises above the elder stones a portal opens, a portal to other worlds, a portal to glory, a portal to riches!"
He lets that last word lingers in the silence. Hanging there in a silence as heavy as the fug of flatulence that fills his fetid, tatty little roundhouse.
"Look at this shitehole," he says. "I saw the portal, but dared not pass through and this is where I end my days, in a rancid little hut in a village full of arseholes!" He sighs. "The others, those that dared go through the portal, why I bet they're kings and queens now, heroes, lords or war, those that lived, no weeding turnip patches for them in their dotage."
He looks at you all, his glare scanning from one face to another. "Go," he whispers, "through the portal ohh there may be perils, maybe even death, but better dead than Deresford." With that final missive Rodrick Weasel Bane, seventy summers old (and bitter) lies down, closes his eyes, and dies.
You gather up all that you own, not because you think you might need it or that you'll never return, but becasue you know all your friends, family, and fellow villagers are thieving bastards. So carrying everything you own you find yourselves standing on Burymound Hill.
QuoteYou stand before the monolithic rocks of Burrymound Hill, under the dark light of a starry sky. The Empty Star is clear and bright above you. Three of the large stone blocks lean haphazardly together to form an upright rectangular
portal about the size of a man. They seem to be placed directly
beneath the star's path. As the Empty Star ascends to its brightest point, its light catches in the portal, and a shimmering stonelined corridor is visible through the stones, but only from one side of the opening.
Even though the hallway is visible from only one side of the portal, you tread on solid flagstones. The starlight fades as it reaches into this hallway, which dead-ends ahead at a stout iron-banded door. Jewels or crystals in an odd assortment of star shapes are inscribed on the door.
Watt of Wake: (staring at the crowd) "hmmm...looks like everyone had the same thought! Okay, will someone like to check out this door with me?"
Ghalidir of the White Oak nods slowly, his eyes wide at the sight before him. "Yes...I would very much like to see what this passage holds."
Bahib snarls at the group. "Let's be on with it, then." He begins to examine the door...in part to see if any of those star-shaped crystals and jewels are removable.
Rahab tugs on Rock's arm. "Stay with me? There could be danger."
Big dumb Rock smiles and nods. They position themselves in the middle.
Thurl the Elf walks forward to examine the door. Any markings, runes, signs? Door knob?
Arik the Dwarf looks at the stonework. How old? Created by whom? Any distinctive markings?
Watt moves up behind Thurl and Bahib and nervously peers over their shoulders at the door.
To the rear of the party -
Blessed: " MAY THE BLESSINGS OF GORHAN BE UPON ALL OF US AND LEND US STRENGTH AGAINST THOSE WHO WOULD PROFANE THE SACRED CHEESE!"
Glum: (Turning to Blessed) "Sssshhhhhhh! Shut up ya dern fool before you rile THEM all up!" He huffs away over to Arik and begins to study the stonework with him. With his best gap-toothed yellow grin he asks: "Hey brother, got a spare shirt and pants I ken borrow? Gettin' a lil' breezy hereabouts"
Rapa: Glances about nervously as he sets down Henny and adjusts her leash, "Henny, now you keep watch and make sure nothin' is sneakin' up on us."
Arik turns his nose up at Glum. "Uh, sorry friend. No."
Dominic stands by the cheesemaker. "Sacred cheese, you say? Sounds delicious..."
Quote from: Tommy Brownell;643584Bahib snarls at the group. "Let's be on with it, then." He begins to examine the door...in part to see if any of those star-shaped crystals and jewels are removable.
To Bahib they look as if they'd be easy to prise out.
Quote from: beermotor;643597Thurl the Elf walks forward to examine the door. Any markings, runes, signs? Door knob?
Arik the Dwarf looks at the stonework. How old? Created by whom? Any distinctive markings?
Even by the light of his best candle there is little Thurl can discern of the pattern of the crystals. There seems to be no sense to it.
As a slave Glum has found himself on the wrong side of a fair few doors, but other than the crystals he sees nothing odd about this one. Neither does Watt.
Arik finds the stonework workmanlike at best and certainly not Dwarvern. It does have that ancient stone feel about it that only a Dwarf's cunning fingers could sense. He sees no markings on the stone.
Bahib gets right to work with his dagger, hoping to pop out at least a jewel or two before the group opens the door.
Blandon paces nervously, hammer in hand. "Well? Is it locked?"
"I can't see any pattern to the crystals, nor any runes or other markings," Thurl says.
"The stones are ancient," Arik says. "But no dwarf made this, so far as I can tell. Do elves or humans make such dungeons, or tombs, or whatever this is?"
Rock says, "Door need bashin?"
Watt reaches out a presses a few of the gems - just to see what happens
To the rear of the party -
Blessed: turning to Dominic "Here brother, it helps the nerves!", and offers him a piece of cheese to eat.
Glum: He glares at Arik, "Well thank you mister fancy britches!"
Turning towards the door, "Hssss...hey fellers, ya need a hand bustin' that door down?"
Rapa: Turns and takes a long look around at the surrounding area. He's looking for anyone sneaking up on the group.
(http://i.imgur.com/LKgjmJll.jpg)
Bahib sticks his dagger tip under one of the gems and Watt starts to press one of them. As soon as they're touched the gems glow with an intense light and heat and before Bahib, Watt or anyone else can do anything . . .
Watt: "Holy shiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Seville's head swivels around at the sudden burst of light at the door.
"That can't be good."
Readying weapons as best I can.
The the heat and light of the crystals erupts in a lance of burning light. The reflexes of both thieves are good and luck is with them and the beam only glances them as they quickly flatten themselves against the wall. Lucky as they are the smell of burnt flesh hangs heavy in the tunnel. Bahib has a whip like wound across his left shoulder and Watt has a red weal on his right cheek that is eerily star shaped.
The heat disperses and the crystals dull down until they once more resembling nothing more than an apparently random spread of stars on the door's surface.
"Nobody touch anything!" Thurl yells. "I can't make heads or tails of this, but it's obviously cursed somehow. Someone else should take a look... and try not to get us all killed while you're at it," he says, grumbling.
Bahib, smoldering, mutters "Don't touch anything? No problem."
Blandon nudges Rock. "We're wastin' time here...let's get this thing open and be on with it."
Watt: Stepping back, "Man, that burns!"
Blessed: "Here brother, have some cheese!"
Glum: "Ken I break it down now?"
Rock hesitates, looks at Watt and Bahib, then Rahab. He seems confused about what to do; ordinarily he'd just bash it, but exploding fire/light trap frightens his simple mind a bit.
Rahab shakes her head. "Obviously, there's more to this door than meets the eye... it is protected by sorcery. We should study it more carefully. There may be a way to disable the trap, or appease whatever spirit guards it against entry."
"And what if there ain't?" Arik says.
Rahab shrugs.
Rock says, "Then bash." He smiles, feeling that it's been settled now.
Rahab rolls her eyes, then walks up close to the door. "Stand back," she says to the others. Then she makes a closer inspection, looking at the jewels, the door, for any carvings, runes, inscriptions, that sort of thing. Any clue about the mechanism for the light, or some clue about the sorcery protecting the door.
Rahab studies the door, but can make no sense of the patterns or mechanisms. Of course, her background as a harlot hasn't really made her an expert on such subjects.
Quote from: Weru;644970Rahab studies the door, but can make no sense of the patterns or mechanisms. Of course, her background as a harlot hasn't really made her an expert on such subjects.
Right... but she's smart. Sort of.
"I can't tell anything unusual about the door. Has anyone tried simply opening it?" She moves back.
Dominic walks up. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained!" He tries to open the door.
Bravely Dominic steps up and tries the door with the crystals of burning light and . . . it's locked.
Ghalidir meekly clears his throat and steps forward.
"Excuse me," he says, nudging Dominic. "Perhaps I can unravek the mystery of the door?"
Ghalidir puts his scholarly expertise to use and after a couple of minutes musing he notices that the star shaped crystals on the door are aligned in the manner of a constellation. A quick glance down short tunnel and he sees it's a constellation that can been seen in the night sky, one that in an hour or two will be perfectly aligned with the crystal constellation on the door.
"Door's locked," Dominic reports.
"But not for long," Ghalidir says. "It's a lock...tied to the celestial constellations. I would imagine that we will be able to enter this door in an hour or two."
"An hour or two?" Seville asks. "What're we supposed to do until then?"
"Is it magic that seals the door? How can you be sure?" Rahab says. "And more to the point, will it seal us inside?" She looks around in the hallway. "Is there anything here that we could use to stop it from closing on us?"
Dominic points at Rock.
Arik chuckles.
Glum: - "Well, let's sit a spell then..."
You wait chatting idly until, as time passes and the constellation moves through the night sky, you become so quiet that even those at the back of the tunnel hear the soft click of the lock's mechanism when the the stars in the sky align with those on the door.
One of you pushes it open and in the flickering light from one of Thurl's candles you peek in . . .
QuoteAcross from this room is another stout door. Four iron statues flank the door, two to a side. Each statue depicts a different fighting man in a round iron helmet and thick scaled armor holding a long spear in a throwing position. All the spear-tips are aimed at the door you just opened.
All of my guys are on guard, ready to go in...
"I have a few candles," Thurl says. "Which of you brave souls will go first? Do we have any torches?"
Once we get the torches sorted, Rock and Rahab and Thurl will enter. Arik and Dominic hang back a bit and wait for others to go in.
Watt: Will move in once someone moves into the room with a light source
Blessed: Will move into the room after Rock, Rahab and Thurl enter
Glum: Trying to look into the room before lights come on, (using Infravision) - (At work- trying to remember if that is available to him at this point) but will go into the room as soon as he can, facing the statues, weapon at ready.
Rapa: Hanging back - will go in last if possible.
Glum's infravision spots nothing the others can't see by candle light.
Rock, Rahab, Glum, Thurl, and Watt stalk cautiously into the room, while the others bravely hang back guarding the way out.
By the light of Thrul's candle you can now clearly see that the four spear wielding statues are made of iron, but their their scale mail armor is beautifully enameled with shining black stone and can be removed from the statues.
By the light of the candle you also see the statues arms mechanically jerk forward and cast the spears.
Rahab, Rock, Glum, and Watt are the targets. Rahab and Watt are quick to react, Rahab dances clear. Watt spins out of the way at the last moment and the spear aimed at him clatters on the floor.
The spear aimed at Glum sails over his head. If he were human it would have buried in his chest. Which unfortunately is the fate of Rock, who looks down at the spear and the blood oozing out around his chest, looks confused, looks pale, falls on the floor and looks dead.
Bahib grimly mutters "And now that the first wave is through, the rest of us should follow...or go home."
(http://i.imgur.com/KODlzdf.jpg)
My crappy adventure map!
Watt: Picks himself up and presses against a handy wall, weapon ready.
Blessed: Rushes over to Rock to see if he can still be helped. If still alive he will try to heal him anyway he can. "Damn these Cheese defiling Demons and their tricks!"
Glum: Runs to the door between the statues, "Boys, this here looks like the sweet spot in this here room! He presses his ear to the door and tries to listen, ignoring the din behind him.
Rapa: With a squeak he leaps into the room, more terrified of being left behind in the dark, than facing the guardian statues.
Rahab weeps openly, but quietly. She composes the big guy's body as best she can. Then she rises. "Let no one touch him, or his things, which he will need on the other side."
She goes to inspect the statues, and Thurl and Arik join her. Dominic takes the spear that killed Rock.
Blessed rises and gives Rahab's shoulder a comforting squeeze before walking over and picking up a spear off the floor. He will use this instead of his cheese cudgel from now on.
Watt: Watching and waiting from against the wall.
Glum: Listening at the door and checking to see how it opens
Rapa: Watching the statues from the opposite wall.
Dominic walks over to where Rahab, Thurl, and Arik are inspecting the statues. "Hey dwarf, ya know what this spear's made of?" he says to Arik.
Arik glances at it...
Glum really gets his nose worked into that door, trying to see if he can smell any gold or gems beyond it...
Quote from: pbj44;646115Glum really gets his nose worked into that door, trying to see if he can smell any gold or gems beyond it...
[OOC, 0 levels don't get that ability ... have to be level 1. :-( I think all 0s get is infravision.]
Glum can't hear anything from the other side of the door, neither can he smell anything and as far as he can tell it's a normal door. There's no lock, only a handle.
Arik can't see anything special about the spears, but they are certainly fine weapons.
The statues remain in the post cast pose. Arik and and Thrul examine and can see that they are made of iron, and the spear cast was mechanical rather than mystical. There must be someway to reset them, but Arik and Thrul can't see how. Close inspection shows though that their armour can be removed and is beautifully enameled with shining black stone. So good is the work that Arik is sure their value would be more than usual.
Recognizing that Rorak isn't too bright, and that the last people that walked through a door sprang a trap, Bahib beckons Rorak closer.
"Hey, buddy...how about you and that longsword see what's on the other side of this door? I'm riiiiiiiiight behind you."
"As am I," Mert says, with no joy whatsoever.
Arik says, "Nice armor. And the spears aren't bad either. We should gird ourselves."
Rahab, Arik, Thurl, and Dominic put on the scale armor... however long that takes. They also arm themselves with the spears.
They'll hang back in this room until after the others move into the next room.
Egged on by Mert, Rorak is more than happy to open the door he swings it wide open . . .
QuoteThis spacious chamber has marbled floors and a door on each wall. At the far end is a towering granite statue of a barbarian, one hand outstretched, index finger pointed toward you. The muscular savage wears animal hides,
but his eyes are intelligent and his engraved neckline sports amulets
and charms. A grimoire hangs beside a broadsword on the hip of the thirty-foot-tall monument.
(http://i.imgur.com/QG4zSVl.jpg)
Watt: Slides over to the door on the right, to check it (i.e., listen, see if it's locked), all the while watching the statue.
Glum: Approaches the statue, clearly fascinated by hanging grimoire. He will climb up to retrieve it and read it if he can.
Blessed:After Blessed hurriedly dresses in one of the new suites of Scale armor, he moves into the new room and goes to the door on the left to check it (i.e., listen, see if it's locked).
Rapa: Enters the room and moves over to the wall, near the door just entered.
"Does someone else want a suit of this scale armor? Anyone else want one of these bronze spears? Speak now, or hold yer peace," Arik says.
Yep, Blessed had snagged one of the armor suits and a spear. Now I'm good.
Ghalidir moves closer to the statue, hoping to see if there's anything he can learn from it.
Bahib moves quickly to armor up in one of the Scale suits, while Seville decides a spear would be muuuuuch better than a razor in combat.
Blandon and Mert examine the two doors that Watt isn't covering yet.
Dominic says, "you two can wear the armor, it's too tight for me."
Arik and Rahab don the scale armor from the statues.
Arik and Dominic wield bronze spears now. Rahab holds a couple of Thurl's candles and stands behind them.
They move cautiously into the next room with the others, slowly walking up to take a closer look at the large statue.
Glum climbs on the statue, he can't see much of interest, but when Watt moves to the door on East the whole statue spins around on its base until the pointing finger of the statue is 'aimed' at Watt. When Blessed moves to the West door, the statue spins to point at him, until Mert and Blandon reach the Northern door at which point it spins round to point at them.
Nothing can be heard from the East or West door, but from the North Mert can hear strange shuffling and low splashing noises. The doors have handles but no locks.
Bahib notices there are scorch marks on the marble floor. Especially near the doors.
Watt: Tests the eastern door to see if it's locked, and then takes a peek if it is not, glad that the statue is no longer pointing at him.
Blessed:Tests the western door to see if it's locked, and then takes a peek if it is not. He is not focused at all on the statue and is oblivious to it's movement.
Glum: Shaking from the statue's movement, he carefully climbs back down the statue and then positions himself so as to be able to provide quick support at any of the doors as needed.
Rapa: Creeps up and crouches at the base of the statue, using it for cover.
When the statue begins to move, Dominic shrieks and runs back out of the room, back into the first room with the four statues. Arik, Thurl, and Rahab scatter to the southeast (A&T) and southwest (R) corners...
Bahib shouts out "Back away from the doors!"
Then he examines the moving statue closely...especially the eyes.
Startled, both Watt and Blessed move back to the base of the statue, looking all about.
Glum: Weapon out, eyes sweeping the room.
Rapa: keeps hiding at the statue's base.
As the statue is thirty foot tall it's hard for Bahib to get a good look. However, as far as he can tell, other than being exceptionally well carved, there is nothing special about the eyes of the statue or, other than its movement, the statue itself.
Mert mutters "There's something moving beyond this door." Blandon steels himself to push through the door.
Bahib yells at Glum. "Hey, while you're up there, take a good look at that hand."
Ghalidir muses aloud..."Do you suppose we could push through multiple doors at once and throw it off?"
"Is there something in here we could jam it up with?" Arik asks out loud. "Perhaps one of the statues from the other room? We need something to wedge it so it can't move around. Whatever it is, it's following us as we get near the doors... I don't like it."
He walks back to the previous room to see if he and Dominic can push one of the statues over.
Arik makes for the door, but the statue swivels with a deep bass groaning sound. A jet of flame leaps from the statue's pointing finger and engulfs Arik. He falls to the floor still burning, but not moving. The smell of burnt clothes, hair, and flesh fouls the room.
Blessed: "GREAT GORHAN SAVE US!!!!!!" He starts towards Arik, and then freezes, eyes darting fearfully to the statue...
Rapa and Watt hold still, not sure what is setting this whole thing off.
Glum: Furious, Glum stalks over to Blandon, and asks "Can I borrow your hammer brother?"
He nods at the statue's arm - "Oil, marble, spark, and pressure plates are the murderers in this room! I'm going to fix that monster's finger with this hammer brother. Maybe the rest of you can keep an eye out, or search for a secret way out of here. Even with that finger bent or busted, I'm not keen on going into one of these doorways. Heck, It might only buy the fortunate soul but a moment or two to skedaddle outa here."
He waits and looks at Blandon...
Bahib nearly leaps out of his shoes when Arik is torched. "WHOA!"
Blandon nods with no visible emotion, handing Glum his hammer. "If'n you can get us through, it'll have to work. Can't go back now."
Glum nods, "Thankee brother."
Taking the hammer, he tucks it into his belt and clambers up the statue. When he gets up to the statue's arm, he binds himself to the arm with his 10' feet of chain and begins to slowly scoot out along the arm until his head about reaches the arm's wrist. Straddling the arm, he carefully begins to tap away at the marble finger, working to both crack and remove the marble surrounding the pipe he is sure is hidden within. Once removed he will begin working the pipe gently to slowly bend it into an "L" shape.
"Hmm...tap...likely copper tubing...tap...but we'll see, won't we hammer?"
Depending on what's going on with the hammering of the statute, Arik (who lives, instead of Dominic), Rahab, and Thurl are all trying to stay as far away from the statute and the doors as they can... Arik in one corner, Thurl and Rahab in another.
Glum keeps tapping away patiently, breaking away the marble finger to expose the flame pipe.
Eying the statue's finger carefully, Glum gives it a few authoritative taps on the outside of the finger to break away the marble sheathing.
Regrettably all Glum's time as a mushroom picking slave has left him lacking in basic Dwarf stonecraft as the finger he is tapping away at ineffectually is made of granite, not marble, as Arik is able to point out once he recovers from seeing his friend Dom get fried.
Glum climbs down and turns to Arik "what do you think it will take to disable that granite finger o' doom?". He hands the hammer back to Blandon.
Careful to stay away from doorways, Blessed and Watt begin to search the room looking for secret exits or some lever/key to disable the statue's ability to attack.
Arik wipes sweat from his brow. "I ... I don't know. Is there nothing in here we can jam it with? Will a spear fit into the finger? I think you're right, it's something mechanical. We've got to jam it up somehow..."
Rahab and Thurl continue cowering.
Glum nods, "Let's search this statue for some kind o' button or somesuch."
He begins carefully searching the statue all over for some kind of deactivating button or catch.
The searches reveal no secret exits, nor any switches or buttons on the statue. It does look as if a spear tip might block hole in the finger, but only the very tip so someone would have to hold the spear in place somehow, and it wouldn't be a perfect seal.
Eyeing the hole's diameter, Glum borrows a chunk of firewood from Gruote and begins to chop and carve out a 6" long plug. He test fits it occasionally to ensure that it has enough taper to it to really wedge the hole up - but good!
When he is finished he taps it in all the way with his shovel and then clambers down and looks at his work with some satisfaction.
"Good idea," Arik says. "That should plug it somewhat, at least.
"Be careful," Thurl the elf says, "in backing up it might explode."
Arik, Thurl, and Rahab all make sure they are as far away from the statute as they can get, without leaving the room through any doors. :-)
Carving, climbing up and tying his chain to avoid a nasty drop, whilst checking the fitting, all takes time. When Glum has wedged the hole with wood, the candles have burnt down, and new ones have been lit. Glum, who's stamina was weakened by years of mushroom farm slavery, is covered in sweat and near exhaustion. But the hole is plugged.
Glum: "Oh it's evenyually agonna blow, I'm jez hopin' that we have enough time to all get out first!"
"We gotta take a chance an go fur it! Iffen y'all are ready, I'm gonna flungged open this har door (nods at the north door) and bust outta this room!
Glum trots to the North door, reluctantly followed by Blessed, Watt, and Rappa. He ignores the statue (while his imagination runs wild!). He flings open the door and quickly moves into the next area, weapon at the ready, infravision probing ahead and all 'round.
Arik, Rahab, and Thurl will nervously wait until something happens with the statute, to see if it's going to blow up or if the plug will fail or what.
If it looks safe, they may follow the others.
When the four go for the door the statue grind around, it's finger pointing at them. There is a roaring sound from within it, flames lick around Glum's impromtu plug, it blackens and then with a pop it flies out of the statues, spins through the air, somehow it misses Watt, Rappa, and Blessed, and buries itself in the back of Glum's neck. How he still lives is anyone's guess.
The four of them find themselves now standing in a large hall . . .
QuoteThis enormous chamber is filled with a large, rectangular pool of water running the entire length of the room. Diffused light shines upward from the pool, illuminating wide pillars lining the walls. Strangest of all, however, are the man-shaped crystal creatures visible in the shadows. They shuffle about slowly, their strange crystalline bodies sparkling like jewels whenever they catch the light from the pool. There is a door in the far corner of this chamber.
The crystalline creatures all stop for a moment, they seem to look in the direction of the four explorers in front of the door, and then start to shuffle forward.
With a snarl Glum tears the smoldering plug from his neck, yelling back to the others in the statue room, "Come on men, thars fightin' ta be done!"
He readies his shovel
Blessed readies his spear
Watt draws his sword
Rappa readies his pitchfork and counts how many crystal creatures are approaching...
Glum whispers something to the other three who quickly form a line in front of him in this order:
Watt - Blessed - Rappa
- Glum -
Glum says, "Hey, Cheese man! Swap weepons wid me! While yuu bash, I ken stab at 'em from the back rank."
Blessed nods and swaps weapons - Spear for Shovel with Glum.
Glum hisses, "Move up to some kind o' choke point so's thay can't flank us!"
The others will look for such a spot in the room and move up accordingly if such a place does exist. Rappa nervously glances back at the others in the other room...
Terrified of the fire-throwing statute, Rahab, Thurl, and Arik huddle together in a corner of the statute room.
If they can hear Glum and the others form ranks and talk about defense, Arik will call out to them... "What do you see? What's coming?!"
Glum replies, "They's some kinda krystal lookin' critters acomin'! Looks like they's made of shiney diamonds!
"ARIK!"
" Come an' help me brotheer! THIS BE MONEY ON THE HOOF!"
With only the flickering candle light coming from the room behind them, Glum and co can't see that much other than columns, the pool, and shuffling crystal men. However, the only place to anchor themselves is likely to be in the corners, and judging by the slow shuffling speed of the crystal men, it would be easy enough for them to rush to a corner and form up their impromptu shieldwall.
Glum alerts his companions with a sharp hiss - "C'mon, let's get inta this corner har!"
He prods them to the corner to the left of the doorway, giving the others back in the statue room hopefully an opportunity to get some telling shots in on the enemy's flank after they press Glum's gang in the corner.
"ARIK!!!"
"HURRY, they look like crystal pigs to me!!!"
"Quick! Climb the statute!" Rahab says, then darts forward and shimmies up. Thurl and Arik follow... they try to get as high as they can then hold on for dear life.
"DAMN YOURN HIDE, ARIK!!"
Glum sidles to the doorway and points at Gruote, Rorak, and Goslaes - "You three, come on up har an' help!"
He nods with satisfaction as they move up to the doorway.
Blandon stomps into the chamber, hammer in hand.
"Crystal, huh? That's a smashin'."
Mert and Seville flank him, preparing to aid their dwarven comrade against the crystal men.
Ghalidir eyes them closely, to see if his arcane studies can tell him anything useful.
Bahib skulks in the shadows, waiting for an opportune strike...or at least to ensure that he's safe.
Satisfied that help is coming Glum falls back into formation to await the crystal men.
"Bring them in here! The statute'll blast them!" Arik hollers.
Glum roars, "I wouldn't count on that statue helpin' us in this, it might have shot it's last bolt after that plug gave it a bellyache!"
Shouts "Anyway, wouldn't we have to get roasted first if its still workin' and we want to come back in thar again??!!"
Goslaes the Wise reacts quickest to Glum's call for help dash for the north door only to be promptly ignited by the statue. He does make it into the pool room but only as a burnt out crisp of corpse that slumps onto the floor in a smoking lump.
Gruote and Rorak stop mid run, before the door, and get in the way of Blandon and the others stopping them from rushing in.
Glum, and the others already in the room quickly move to the corner and form ranks, only to be completely ignored by the Crystal men who now shuffle towards the door.
By the light of Thurl's candle Ghalidir studies the crystal men as they shuffle towards the door. In his studies into Chaos he has researched many different chaos tainted speceis, he doesn't believe these are one of them, neither does he think they are natural creatures, in fact he be prepared to debate any fellow scholar on the issue that these crystal horrors once were men.
Glum shouts - "They is moving right past us and is coming to you! Iffin the flame flinger cuts out we will follow an' flank 'um!"
Thurl, Arik, and Rahab hold on desperately to the statue, praying that it annihilates whatever's coming through the door.
"Get out of the way!" Rahab screams at the men standing there, after Gosaeles got fried.