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Total Members Voted: 11

[dragonshardz]

Shade-o: Sounds good, let me tweak it.

[Shade-o]

Gar calls, "Hey, nonexistant darkness, what's your name?" There is no reply.

Tholtig continues her conversation, "Any treasure out there?" to which it responds "Depends on what you mean by treasure! You'll definitely find something, unless it finds you first! I have to go, there's too much lantern light around here. Remember Tholtig, always believe in yourself..."

The bloodstains on the doors fade away, and they grind noisily against the floor as they open. A rush of cold air blows in your faces. Having no better plan, everybody huddles up with Mikhail in the lead, weapons drawn and lanterns held high. The group enters a chamber with a ceiling that cannot be seen, huge stone pillars stretching into the darkness. The supports spread out in every direction like trees in a forest, and no walls can be seen except the one that you entered by.

The light reaches a fearsome form! A beastly silhouette looms in front, and more are discovered to the sides sparking a brief panic as it is realised that the group is surrounded by a horde of enemies. There is a painfully long wait as everybody braces for these stalkers to leap forward, no doubt the fearsome and unnatural guardians of this place. There is no action from them. Mikhail breaks the stalemate by firing his crossbow at one, which explodes into dust and fragments.

There's a wave of laughter as everybody realises that they have been preparing to do battle with a legion of desiccated corpses. It would seem that even monsters need air. And food.

A closer examination of them reveals little, as much of the structure has mummified or disappeared completely. They appear to have been horse-sized creatures with wolf-like features, but little else can be ascertained. It seems unlikely that any of them would remain alive.

Faced with no other logical path, the huddle travels straight forward from the doorway between two rows of pillars. The number of beasts passed is truly amazing. After some time walking and being watched by hundreds of eyeless sockets, the final goal appears.

An empty basin on a pedestal, standing in a depression with a ring of stairs. The pedestal, basin and depression is made of a glossy black stone, similar to the doors and carved symbol. There are no engravings or any other kind of decoration.

[Rolan7]

Glance through the book again.
"I don't remember anything about this... maybe it wants more blood?  I'm not volunteering this time.  I don't bleed on god-prisons, just their doors."

[IronyOwl]

Walk to the pedestal, put hands on bowl.

If nothing particularly interesting happens, exhale into bowl.

[Shade-o]

IronyOwl

You stick your hands in the bowl. It feels cold. You blow in it. It sounds like the wailing of a thousand souls.

[IronyOwl]

Time to get weird.

Go over to a mummified corpse and attempt to commune with/meditate on it.

[Shade-o]

IronyOwl

You try talking to a desiccated beast. Your mere breath makes it collapse into dust.

[dragonshardz]

Spoiler: Shem Kilrudtabar (click to show/hide)

Name: Shem Kilrudtabar ("Bronzefaith")
Gender: Male
Deity: Etur and Akil. Also Tobul Granitehand and Ekast, to a lesser extent
Caste: Military

Skills: Skilled Commander, Skilled Siege Engineer, Skilled Hammerdwarf, Adequate Miner, Novice Mason
Good Traits: Unbreakable, Brawny, Balanced, Paragon, Intelligent
Bad Traits: Unstealthy, Light Sensitive, Workaholic, Stone-Faced

Backstory: Shem has always felt rather confined by the rules and regulations of the chain of command. He rose through the ranks of the Engineer Corps from a lowly miner to commander of an Engineer squad. He is being sent to The Warhold of Icy Winds to act as the Militia Commander there, specifically to make sure the fortress' defenses are in proper order.

After all, no one is more skilled at defeating siege weaponry than a dwarf who makes them.

...Of course, the dwarves there might not accede readily to the wishes of the Mountainhomes. If that's the case, he'll work diligently under whomever is placed as his superior.

Free Items:
Heavy Pick
Leather Armor

Bought Items:
One-dwarf Tent & Bedding (100☼)
Barrel of Preserved Pit Worm Meat (2)(30☼)
Barrel of Preserved Plump Helmets (2)(16☼)
Barrel of Mud Worm Paste (3)(12☼)
Barrel of Dwarven Beer (5)(50☼)
Skin of Dwarven Beer (2)(32☼)
Bag of Bandages (10☼)
Bag of Soap (50☼)
Lantern (10☼)
Oil Vial (4) (60☼)
Climbing Gear (50☼)
10 yards Rope (100☼)
Garric (Bearbelly) [Puppy] (50☼)
Bag of Fungiwood Spawn (20☼)
10☼

How's this look?

[IronyOwl]

So much for that one.

Go back to the bowl, speak "Who are you?" into it. If the result isn't suitably interesting, use one of the throwing knives to cut myself and drip a bit of blood into the bowl.

[Shade-o]

That's good, though since we're at 11 now I'll make that a full-sized tent and bedding for 4, and I'll have to ask you to empty out those waterskins first.

[Shade-o]

IronyOwl

Everybody else watches your antics with a mixture of fear and amusement.

"Who are you?" you ask, speaking directly into the basin. It sounds like "OoooOOOOoooooOOOOOOOOooooOOOO..."

Finding no other option, you cut yourself with a knife and drip the blood into the basin.

WHY DID YOU DO THAT OH NO RUN AWAY

[dragonshardz]

...Curses. Even though I added in the expense of buying enough boozahol to fill said waterskins?

Also, 4-dorf tent+bedding will be costing just 100☼? Or will I need to re-juggle my shopping list?

[IronyOwl]

Maybe the thousand-damned-souls god will grant me a wish?

[IronyOwl]

...

...

...

...

Look, as long as the bowl doesn't unleash a thousand souls to reanimate the beasts, we're probably fine.

...

...

I am mildly afraid.

[Rolan7]

Dangit, I knew I should have just stolen Sandow's chicken instead of asking for it.
This is going to be "fun", heheh.  But I really shouldn't be awake now, and I think most people are offline right?  It's a nice cliffhanger for me to sleep on.

Also: If only we had a skilled potash maker to make the guardians into lye!