The Revelation of Mulmo PBP - WARNING SPOILERS

[Raven_Crowking]

There is no sign of a trap, but the stairway itself is formed of fantastical images. Hidden within the vines are writhing bodies that appear, at first, to be making love, but are strangely coupled, and are perhaps engaged in combat, or even devouring each other alive.

The stairs lead upward through what appears to be a stone-lined tunnel.

[Skyscraper]

Maledict, sword in hand, moves ahead into the tunnel.

[GnomeBoy]

Yoros will climb the stairs to back up Maledict, whistling the slightest whistle ever through his missing tooth.

[Raven_Crowking]

The spiral staircase goes 20 feet through stone before emerging in a room carpeted with a rich crimson weave, upon which are patterns woven in deep black and stark white. The patterns seem semi-organic and semi-geometric, and you can see places where the white has been stained by blood.

Upon the oak paneled walls are numerous portraits of elves, male and female, youthful in appearance and wizened with age.

There is something mocking or strange about many of them, even those paintings whose subjects seem youngest. One beautiful elf woman has twisted stag antlers growing from her forehead. One of the male children has the phases of the moon branded onto his forehead. Another seems to peer out at you with malignant emerald eyes, a faint smile playing about his lips. There are dozens more here.

A passage exits to the north, another to the northeast.

[Skyscraper]

Maledict glances through both passages to see if anything can be gleemed.

[GnomeBoy]

Yoros takes a moment to regard the paintings, and notes which portraits have blood stains before them. "I wonder if these works of art are critics of life..."

[Raven_Crowking]

Both passages go only a short distance before opening onto rooms. To the north, a larger room filled with (bird?)cages; to the northeast, your light catches a gleam off metal or glass.

The portraits are, indeed disturbing, and their eyes seem to follow Yoros as he examines them. Perhaps the most blood is splashed near the painting of an elven woman of great beauty, who has a pet weasel collared with a golden chain. Looking at the knowing expression painted on the weasel's face, one cannot help but wonder which is master, and which is pet.

[GnomeBoy]

Yoros will call down the stairs, "You can come up -- it's all clear. Well, uh, there's plenty that's uncertain, but nothing has jumped out at us, at least. So far."

[Raven_Crowking]

Yoros notices that there are bodies blocking the passage....it appears to be three hacked up elves and one of those giant green warriors, likewise slain. There is no way up or down the stairs without first moving the bodies, and there is no apparent means for them to have appeared there without someone from below or above (or both) being very, very aware of it.

[GnomeBoy]

Yoros's eyes get wider than the first time he crossed paths with the Death Dwarves.

"Hello...! Can anyone hear me down there...?"

He has his eyes locked on the bodies, wary of any other transmogrification or such.

"Maledict! -- we have an issue here..."

[Rick]

I'm not sure if Trav is up the stairs or down.

If he's up he'll look for traps in the vicinity of the bloody paintings. And are those "malignant emerald eyes" just painted green or are actual gems embedded?

Find Traps 6 + 8 = 14.

If he's still down below, does he see the obstructing stack of bodies? Did he hear Yoros?

Notice (Intelligence) 3 + 1 = 4

[Raven_Crowking]

Only Yoros and Maledict moved up the stairs....somehow these corpses got there after they did so, but before Yoros called down....yet they seem to have been in their current positions for some time. It is impossible for Yoros and Maledict to have missed them, or to have even got up the stairway with them in the way.

Trav will have to wait to examine the paintings until he gets up there.

[beermotor]

We follow up shortly after they go, are we blocked by the bodies?

[Raven_Crowking]

You are. Unless you take the time to remove them, of course.

[beermotor]

"Can you hear us?" Hamun Ry calls out. "Where did these bodies come from? Help us move them!"

[Raven_Crowking]

The bodies do not impede sound, although they muffle it somewhat.

[beermotor]

"Well, let's get this crap moved out of the way, then."

[Skyscraper]

Maledict returns towards the stairs as those from below call up in muffled tones. Does he also see the bodies where there were none when he came up?

If so, he first prods them with his two-handed sword, then proceeds to remove them from the way, touching them as little as possible, doing the work with his sword and cleaver if he can (not that he wishes to hack them up, just that he's looking to avoid touching the things even with his gloved hands). Witches and necromancers, all the same, he mutters before spitting on the ground. But the brave knight cannot help but feel uneasy at this inexplicable situation.

[Raven_Crowking]

The bodies are clearly visible to all. There is no (obvious) way to remove them without touching them. Well, barring some form of magic.

[beermotor]

"I'm old and tired," Hamun Ry says. "You young folks can move this junk."

He waits.

[Skyscraper]

Maledict removes the corpses to grant access through the passage. Seeing that he won't be able to use his sword, he takes out his cleaver and uses his hands and cleaver to do the job. (His having been a butcher makes it such that it is perhaps less gruesome than others to handle corpses.) If he's able to avoid it, he won't chop any of the corpses. But if he needs to...

[Raven_Crowking]

Okay, the work is not fun, but after about 10 minutes it is over. Now what?

[beermotor]

Hamun Ry goes up and joins the warriors at the top. And, crossing his fingers, he's going to attempt to Detect Magic again.

10 + 2 + 4 = 16, which should be success... but I guess one never knows. Does he see anything interesting, particular re: the paintings, carvings, etc?

Odd crystals grow out of the floor in stubby little prisms near Hamun Ry's feet, and he kicks a few around muttering to himself.

[Raven_Crowking]

Roll 1d14 and add your Luck modifier. Remember that you can burn Luck to affect this roll if it is very low.

[beermotor]

1.