Re: (031) A Cemetery Muckrake « Reply #15 on Nov 20, 2011, 2:44pm »
Josiane's hand flies to the hilt of her sword as the flurry of birds explodes from the tree. She watches them depart into the Spring sky with the greatest suspicion...
Re: (031) A Cemetery Muckrake « Reply #17 on Nov 21, 2011, 12:27pm »
"The Saint chide me for the dullest Novice," Josiane is whispering, almost to herself; "How did I not see it before? Of course! It makes sense. There would be few who would ask questions and those that did would go unheeded. Oh, it's elegant, if diabolical..."
She looks at Dorgan; "Abhorrent a memory though it be, think back to our encounter in the tunnels. Remember the Dead, their heads lolling at unnatural angles? As if the neck had been snapped? One with no head at all? Severed? I think I know where our enemy obtains the bodies he corrupts into Unlife, Dorgan - from the hangman's gallows and the headsman's block!"
Dorgan will use whatever knowledge of stonework is innate to all Dwarves to examine the door and the area about it.
He's looking for a clue as to how the door opens. Failing that, he will put his shoulder to it and push with all his might.
Dorgan examines the door more closely, and soon decides that pushing upon it will be useless. The door must be of the sliding type, though it would be heavy indeed. Perhaps it was intended to be thus, so that it would not easily be pressed aside by tomb robbers?
There is a small edging around the perimeter of the door which is about 2 inches wide, and half an inch shallower than the main face of it. Dorgan decides, by carefully examining the stone frame into which the door is set, that it should slide to his right. So, by gripping the left edge around the door under his fingers, just so, he might be able to move the thing... [1d6=1] but alas! It is simply too heavy, and his grip upon it too tenuous.
Joined: Sept 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 1,221 Location: Melbourne, Australia Karma: 195
Re: (031) A Cemetery Muckrake « Reply #19 on Nov 22, 2011, 4:10pm »
Guntram, Gustave and Desmond/Mondes (hidden under his broad cloak) cross town, heading uphill toward the Temple of Thuul. The streets are busy with ordinary folk getting about their business, and it takes the trio mayhap one third of an hour to reach their destination. The sun is still well overhead when they arrive, though there are a few patches of grey cloud ambling across the sky.
The Temple of Thuul is positioned at the top of the modest hill upon which Ket is built. Behind the temple itself is a long stone wall topped with foot long iron spikes. It seems old and terribly weathered, and joins with a number of gnarled old trees that hang over the cemetery protectively.
There is a rusted iron gate in the wall, which stands open, and entering therein, the trio spot Josiane, far off down the back side of the bone yard. It is not clear at this distance (50 or 60 yards) exactly what she is doing. There is no sign of Dorgan.
Re: (031) A Cemetery Muckrake « Reply #22 on Nov 22, 2011, 6:00pm »
Josiane's face breaks into a radiant smile of gratitude at the approach of the three (or should that be four?) adventurers from the Plough and Furrow; "Good friends! You are most welcome!"
(She cannot help but notice how dashing the suave Gustave looks now he is bathed and bedecked in his new finery, albeit still wearing his battered and ominously-punctured mail shirt. The celestial ghost of Saint Winifred looms large in her mind, wagging her heavenly finger...)
"I was just explaining to Dorgan - Dorgan?" She finally notices the stalwart Dwarf grappling valiantly with the tomb entrance; "Oh, my goodness! Would one of you good sirs be able to help my comrade, by any chance?"
(031) A Cemetery Muckrake « Reply #23 on Nov 22, 2011, 8:34pm via the ProBoards Mobile App »
"To be sure, I'm not afeared of some heavy lifting, but is there any chance of a mechanism; say, at one of these gargoyles in front?". Guntrum backs a bit from the statues looking at Dorgan and Josianne expectantly. If not, he shrugs and moves to help Dorgan shift the door.
Re: (031) A Cemetery Muckrake « Reply #24 on Nov 22, 2011, 10:11pm »
"Ah!", says Gustave grinning broadly, "Here we are then."
He steps cautiously over a low headstone and approaches the odd couple.
"You do pick the most interesting places for your walks my lady", he observes, scanning his eyes around the gloomy bone-yard and absently scratching his now stubble-free chin.
"So", he continues, turning to face Josiane, "to what end do we find ourselves in this majestic necropolis?"
Joined: Jul 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 60 Location: Boston, MA, USA Karma: 8
Re: (031) A Cemetery Muckrake « Reply #25 on Nov 22, 2011, 11:11pm »
Dorgan stood back from the door and scratched his head. He turned to face the newcomers.
"Wouldn't surprise me ta find some sorta trick to openin' it that ain't obvious ta me. Have a look. Gotta be easier than forcin' this thing open."
The dwarf will walk over to Josiane. "I suspect yer idea 'bout the bodies is a good one. The vampeer must have help gettin' the bodies though. Mebbe we can see if anyone at yer temple has seen folks coming to the graveyard at queer hours?"
"You do pick the most interesting places for your walks my lady", he observes, scanning his eyes around the gloomy bone-yard and absently scratching his now stubble-free chin.
"So", he continues, turning to face Josiane, "to what end do we find ourselves in this majestic necropolis?"
"I rather think the places and the walks are chosen for me," says Josiane quietly, still eyeing the graves and the ominous-looking tomb.
She repeats her theory as to the origins of the walking dead. "Did they lie in these graves?" she wonders out loud; "I think it unlikely. Executed criminals are buried away from hallowed ground as a rule, although I know not the customs of this town. Then why this act of sacrilege?"
She looks down into the open graves again, then up into the sky. Those birds trouble her. Abruptly, she reaches into her backpack, pulls out one of the buds of garlic she purchased from the inn and begins to break it up into its respective cloves.
How deep are these graves? If she were to climb down into them, (not a prospect she regards with any eagerness) would she be able to climb back out again?
(031) A Cemetery Muckrake « Reply #27 on Nov 23, 2011, 5:56am via the ProBoards Mobile App »
Guntrum inspects the gargoyles by the door more closely. He's looking for compartments, hidden switches, or moving parts. Perhaps the whole gargoyle turns on it's plinth as a way of turning a pulley mechanism.
He trusts Dorgan's knowledge of stonework would have enabled him to spot anything at the door itself where he was searching; certainly as well as he could.
How deep are these graves? If she were to climb down into them, (not a prospect she regards with any eagerness) would she be able to climb back out again?
Josiane sees that the graves are roughly 4 or 5ft deep, partially collapses as they are.
Guntrum inspects the gargoyles by the door more closely.
Guntram examines the pair of gargoyles that preside over the door arch... a pair of aged, stone terrors with claws, horns, and bat's wings; each the size of a Man's thigh. Countless season have seen the stone potted with holes and scored by marks and chips. What is this? If given enough, umph, muscle... the monster to the left can be pulled forth as if it were a lever!
As Guntram hauls it down slowly, there comes the deep, grinding sound of stone grating upon stone, then a discernible clack as if some mechanism had fallen into place.
![[Home]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/home.gif "[Home]")
![[New Topics]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/topics.png "[New Topics]")
![[Help]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/help.gif "[Help]")
![[Search]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/search.gif "[Search]")
![[Login]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/login.gif "[Login]")
![[Register]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/register.gif "[Register]")
![[Search This Thread]](http://images.proboards.com/search2.gif "[Search This Thread]")
![[Share Topic]](http://images.proboards.com/new/buttons/share.png "[Share Topic]")
![[Print]](http://images.proboards.com/buttons/print.gif "[Print]")
Author
![[avatar]](http://san-andreas.org.uk/moose.jpg "[avatar]")
Logged![[avatar]](http://jrients.tripod.com/otus/otusexpert_files/image009.jpg "[avatar]")
![[avatar]](http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss56/waysoftheearth/Ways_100x100.jpg "[avatar]")
![[avatar]](http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t125/esincox/AvatarFail.jpg "[avatar]"){kind=avatar}
