Cavern of Forking Paths - RPLOG

Participants

• Ictus
• Mazurek
• Rainer
• Rogna
• Ryusho

Date

11/4/476

Log

Just finding the place is a bit of an adventure in and of itself. Off the beaten path and with no signage to point way, and even then the entrance would be easily missed, were not for the aged crane waiting outside. He sits on a slab of stone shaped into a chair by earthen math, head bowed and eyes closed beneath thick, plumed brows. His feathers are clean and white, though what forms his 'hair' has silvered, and may have been a completely different colour in his youth. He's dressed largely in earthen hues, and his clothes, while formal, denote a being of modest financial standing. He rises at the first sight of figures approaching, welcoming them with a wrinkled smile, wetting the edges of his bill with his tongue before speaking, "Ah ha, more young blood here to test their resourcefulness against my labyrinth, welcome, welcome."

Mazurek smirks upon being greeted by the Crane in such a fashion. He is a griffon again today, his raven and panther body shining from a recent bath along the way. Whoever desires it can be on his back during the trip, too, "Young blood, you say? I take it this thing is a dangerous test or something?"

Rogna approaches the strange old crane, the mention of a labyrinth makes him smile slightly. "A test of mind is it?" he says, as he approaches the two. "I believe my blade should prove its worth and my wits are with me, let us see this test." He casts his cape back and moves to shake the cranes hand, he seems to be in a jovial mood at the moment.

Ryusho wanders up a bit slowly behind everyone else as he hums softly, not sure but he nods slightly, "I suppose I can give this whole mess a shot, even though if things get ..narrow in a way I might need to use my non dragon form....If I have too." he says with a slight chuckle, though it is his own thing as he rumbles in thought..a Labyrinth..interesting...

Ictus blinks as he comes across the others and the old man, he chuckles a bit at the thought of a labyrinth, "Sounds interesting and fun." he smiles at the crane and shrugs, "Will it be dangerous? Or just a test of our skills?"

"Oh ho ho!" The fowl rises and approaches Mazurek first, though his eyes don't seem to open. He stands round-abouts five and a half feet tall, most of that height coming from his legs and neck, which are longer than an average being's in proportion to the rest of his body, harkening back to the animal uplifted by the Creators from which he has descended. He produces thick-lensed spectacles from his pocket and perches them near the tip of his bill, leaning in close to study the hybrid bird-cat. "How magnificent! You must be a griffon. I've never seen one with my own eyes. How fascinating!" The old buzzard moves on without addressing Mazurek's question, whistling and looking Rogna over head to toe as he shakes hands with the hippo. "Oh ho, you're a sturdy fella, aren't you?" Then on to the dragon, he produces from his pocket a length of measuring tape, which he holds vertically alongside the looming tengu as far as he can hold his arms apart. "Goodness, you're a collosus! Good thing I made the tunnels plenty tall! Oh ho ho!" He's still putting the tape away when he pauses in front of Ictus, giving the fox only a cursory examination, compared to the rest, "My, you're all just brimming with questions! Now, the only thing you have to fear is wandering in and never being seen or heard from again! Oh ho ho ho ho! In fact, the last group that went in still hasn't found its way back, but maybe you young folk'll have better success, hey? Ooooh ho ho ho! Right this way, right this way." He shuffles towards the opening in the rock wall. Ryu'll need to duck the doorway, but inside the tunnel is comfortably large.

Mazurek strikes a few poses to show off to the Crane. He really doesn't seem to mind the attention in the slightest, and one of them is a ferocious-seeming attack pose. Well, more of a kitten-ready-to-pounce posture, but still. When the bird moves on to the next he takes a moment to preen some of his feathers while the others are being addressed. Of course, he approaches the entryway first and really bounds right inside, "We might be the first group out? Wow! If we run into the other groups, we'll help them out."

Rogna laughs and shakes his head at the antics of the crane, nodding to them in passing as he gives them a pat on the back and pushes in behind Mazurek. "First group out? There is an exit I assume?" he jests as he looks about the interior, keeping one hand at ready on a sword hilt as he proceeds inward. "There must be some reason the other groups haven't returned, I should hope none of the pass residents got hold of them during their journey."

Ryusho chuckles a bit as he looks down, "I suppose I am rather big.." Though he shifts slightly, almost showing off slightly not unlike maz, though he then cracks up laughing in thought, before looking over to Maz, then Rogna, "Well, Who knows, maybe we will see eachother in there if we somehow encounter them." he says nodding.

The crane bursts into another fit of his distinct laughter. "This labyrinth is my masterpiece. I first began carving these passages beneath the mountains over thirty years ago, after concluding my studies at the College of Cliffside. Thirty long years sculpting these very halls with nothing but the power of my mind, can you imagine it?" He makes a sweeping gesture to the walls on either side, without slowing his place or facing the group. "It hasn't been without setbacks; there've been cave ins, and occasionally I've dug too far, or too high, or too deep, I've had misfires and even one flooding, but it was all worth it! Oh ho ho, just you wait and see! Now wait right there a moment." He motions the trio to stop just before reaching a pair of riveted metal doors, which he approaches alone, stroking and lifting its hefty handle before tilting his head to regard the group. "Well then, are you all ready to begin?"

Mazurek simply can't hold back some giggles while he leads the group...behind the Crane. All the answers will be given in time, for certain, but the excitement can be seen all over the griffon's demeanor. He says nothing further until after the new door is opened, "So you've spent thirty long years doing this? Did you carve it with your mind, with your various math knowledge, or did you have some help just digging it all out?" Still, he waits only long enough for whatever the answer is before moving through those doors. Whee!

Rogna raises an eyebrow. "And would any of these dangers persist in the design or are we more than ready to proceed? I eagerly wait to see what you've come up with ini thirty years of work. It must be a masterpiece of grand proportions." He eyes the doors and then the crane, looking the others over once as he adusts his cape. He moves to follow Mazurek, once he is given the okay from the crane.

Ryusho nods a bit, "Thirty years work, That shows dedication worthy of praise I would believe, and should hopefully be quite memorable." He says with a smile, as he can appreciate dedication to ones work for certian, the dragon looking to the others, as he rumbles softly in thought some more...

Through the doors? Oh no, not quite. "Ho ho... oh ho ho! Excellent, you all look so eager! No more delays then, let's begin!" He lifts a foot just to stomp it back down into the floor, and with little more warning than a shift of the stone beneath their feet, the ground suddenly drops out beneath them, dropping them onto a steep incline carved of some incredibly smooth and slippery material that plunges them ever downward and deeper until they're deposited into a small chamber. When the last has tumbled out, a block of rock falls into place, closing the passage behind them, leaving them only with the passage ahead.

Mazurek was definitely not expecting the sudden drop. Poor griffon shrieks, the sound echoing around the walls and passage even during the descent. He can't get himself in a position to try to fly away, much less get upright, before the group is spit out into a chamber. He tries to roll away in some direction or another, but is more than likely going to get someone landing on him.

Rogna stumbles and slides down the slick incline, his armor not aiding in his attempts to stop himself. He reaches the bottom and promptly stands up, pushing folks asiide and groaning, checking for injury before he stands at alert, looking ahead with his hand back in position above his sword. The hippo blinks and looks down, having trodden upon poor Mazurek, who he attempts to help up.

Ryusho of course is scramblign, rolling 'bouncing' his wings folding -TIGHT- to his form to keep from hurting them as he tries to slow his decent, though well it partly works thats...one reason while maz is still starting to get up, Rogna is helping maz, and things look like they could of been worse....INCOMMING DRAGON! ...With of course probably a -THUD- either beside them or...with how things are going...right ontop of both of them.

The chamber they find themselves in, as well as the hallway beyond, are all carved of the same ruddy brown stone. A single recess in the ceiling houses a shard of illuminescent gemstone, providing light to the room, and similar recesses line the passageway beyond, so at least stumbling around in the dark isn't going to be a concern. Starting from the floor, every three and a half feet up the wall is a narrow line of etchings, precicely one inch tall. These markings run all around the room, including over the rock that's blocked off the tunnel through which they arrived, and continues on down the hall to the bend and out of sight.

Mazurek is a quadrupedal creature, so helping him to his feet is...not really that difficult. He groans a little and leans against the Hippo, resting his head on the soft belly, "Oof. That..was very unexpected." He looks up after a couple of seconds and smiles, "Thanks, Rogna." The etchings then grab his attention and he chirps, "Anyone able to read those, or does it matter?"

Rogna stumbles a little as Ryusho hits him but does his best to keep his ground, and from barreling over on top of Mazurek. He makes no comment besides a gentle pat at the belly resting, before he too stares at the markings. "It may not matter, but they appear to be a lead. Assuming there are no side-ventures along the path, I suggest we follow it." He then moves to attempt at helping the fallen dragon up.

Ryusho grunts as of course he had landed a bit 'hard' compared to what he would of wanted, as he mrphs, gladly accepting the help to get up, as he shakes himself out, cringing a time or two as he does before brushing himself off, just working a little soreness from a 'bad landing' out of his system as he then hums quietly, glancing at the etchings they had been talking about, "Could be a lead, could just be decoration though as well.." as he hums softly, "Though If they were not here before, could be a simple idea someone did to mark where they have already been."

The hippo's scrutinizing gaze turns up one fact, at least: the markings on the wall are mathemagical runes. Unfortunately, their function is beyond his limited grasp of magical calcualtions. It could be something to do with the labyrinth's construction, as the crane mentioned the whole thing was created using nothing but math, but that's purely conjecture. Well, they can sit there 'til they rot or start explorin' the passage, that's their call!

Mazurek has more magical knowledge with his current soul-gem setup than the others might, but he isn't going to swap the more magical of the two into the first slot..not right now anyway. After it is mentioned that the etchings might be something important he slips away from the others to a wall, rising up on hind legs with forelegs against the wall to get a little closer to try and decypher them. ...

Rogna looks them over curiously. "Well they are some form of mathmagical runes, but, I see no reason to examine them in length just yet. Perhaps they are for lighting." he suggests as he moves slightly closer to the corner, drawing his sword and peering round it when he reaches it.

Ryusho shrugs a bit, "I don't know, I am not sure if they would have any bearing on what we are doing, I have not been practicing my earth magic so...as far as I Know it's pretty much math and..thats about it.." he shrugs a bit more as he begins to go and follow Rogna, "Well, he didn't say there would be any thing to worry about..at least monster wise in here....." he says noticing the hippo draw his sword....

The passageway bends to the left, then immediately to the left again. The wall is only near to a foot thick. The passage proceeds back, parallel to the first, but only for half its distance before veering right, then right again. Immediately around the second right turn, the path branches, with a path opening immediately to the left, while the other tunnel continues straight a distance further before also turning left.

Mazurek cocks his head a little while examining the runes. He is slightly delayed in joining the others thanks to this, but when he comes up behind them he looks one way then the other, "They're not for light. That's what the crystals are for. Whatever you do, don't use any earth maths while we are here. I don't know what will happen, but the runes are wards against it." Looking one way and then the other again he smiles and asks, "So which way, boys?"

Rogna laughs as they hit the intersection, his sword sheathing once more as he examinies the situation. "Well I'm not much for earth magic, I have a little talent in a more sinister variety of it, but you won't have to worry about me bringing down the pathways. Now... I have no idea, but I say we go straight and if we hit a dead end we come back here, and turn right."

Ryusho rumbles a bit, "Well....We could also try something like, following a single wall, like place a hand on it, and just follow the wall, but that could also take forever to get anywhere if it is just a super long serries of nothing but dead ends...."

Straight on and to the left... and then to the right. Then straight on some more. It should be promising that nothing has jumped out at them so far. The passages are illuminated well enough that they should expect to be able to see something coming, at least. Another right turn, another left, and soon they come upon the next branch: an immediate right, down which they can see another right turn, or straight on to a second right turn, down which the path bends to the left.

Mazurek follows behind the others for a short ways through the current section of the maze. He cocks his head again when it comes time to make another decision. Looking between them he asks, "I wonder if we should have brought a Bull with us. Didn't the Creators have a legend of such a thing in a place like this?"

Rogna looks the paths over. "Whhere would you place the exit to such a place? What distance do you think he covered in 30 years?" He ponders the paths presented, looking forward.

Ryusho hums softly as he had taken out a note pad, and begun to sketch on it as they walked, looking up and walking a bit slower as he followed, though it looked like a bunch of -lines- right now as he looked up and around, rumblign softly, "I have no clue, Though we seem to have been making an interesting path so far, I suggest we continue forward...

Onward and to the left, the path proceeds, and immediately around the corner the path branches once again, though it isn't much of a choice: the path straight ahead ends right there, the branch to the left zigzags right then left again and continues out of sight. There is something different about the dead end that could merit investigation, however, a circular indent in the floor. Could be nothing, but it is rather out of place amongst the precision work they've encountered thus far.

Mazurek definitely becomes interested in that small indentation in the floor, especially since his klepto bird senses are tingling! Well, not really, but it is so different. Even if the others go on ahead he diverges for certain this time around to investigate this odd occurrance!

Rogna draws his sword once more and approaches the small indentation, expecting some form of trickery to befall them at any moment.

Ryusho would look at the indentation but not approach at first, untill the others begin too, "..>Well it is currious, so I do wonder what that could be..." he says softly

Approaching the indentation does nothing, obviously. It's just a little pothole, only a couple inches deep. It isn't until Rogna and Mazurek interject themselves overtop of it, in whole or in part, that a grinding noise comes from above. There's just enough time for the pair to look up and see the stone piston plummeting towards them. The hippo gets out of its path most gracefully, however Mazurek can't backpedal fast enough. Fortunately Rogna and Ryusho are both on the ball, and spring in, catching the falling rock and preventing it from delivering a more serious blow to the griffon. At most, he'll be walking away from this with a nasty bruise.

Mazurek always was one to be injured in a most spectacular way. This case is no real exception despite looking up to see the object falling. If he had been a biped he just might have been able to get out of the way. Thankfully he has the others around to assist him and he lets out a 'scree!' while backpedaling during the deflection.

Rogna grunts and drops the rock when he's sure that Ryusho is clear, looking over Mazurek for injury before saying "Are you alright?" and noting the trap. "I see why folks aren't coming out, curiosity might have fallen upon them." He looks to the alternate path and then the others.

Ryusho would have no idea how uch of the load he would of caught or stopped as he grunts, feeling the strike on his arms as he grunts softly, originally going to wait on Rogna and Mazurek to get out of the way incase it decides to go on down when it is let go, but then realises Rogna was waiting on -him- to move so he mrphs an dwould before Rogna let it go, as he then grunts and shakes his arms out, "Ow..." he says softly, not really hurt just from the shock from catching it, shaking his arms out before he marks this whole thing out, sketching slightly, and adding a mark or something to signify this dead end as being trapped, to also help him pay attention for a similar set up and be wary of it naturally.

Ictus skids to a halt from a head on dash, and on backtracking back to the passage he finds the three in he shakes his head, "Well... Are you guys ok?" he looks around curiously

Once released, the pillar finishes its journey to the floor, filling that indent quite snugly. After sitting there several moments, it begins to quietly retract back up into the ceiling to wait for the next poor shlub to come along. At least it is now obvious: this labyrinth is playing for keeps. The zigzagging path now lays before them, unless they opt to backtrack, but first: a happy reunion!

Rogna laughs and gives Ictus a wave, gesturing to the other path. "We're proceeding down this path, I assume, as this one is trapped. Intersting way of not being a danger." he says, looking Mazurek over once more.

Ryusho nods slowly, "Well we kind of have too...since well..it is also not a dead end...so hopefully that will be the right path and not into more traps and dangerous situations..such as pot hole lures.." Though he does momentarily consider trying to put a mark or something to say that this pothole is a trap..and no he would not set the mark IN the trap so then people would go to look and see what it says then get smushed, that would just be a huge jerk move

Ictus looks at the trap and nods to Rogna, "So I see." he looks around and ponders as he looks at the others, "I'll go first unless any of you have experience with disarming traps?" he looks down the passage carefully, scanning it for traps from his position as he waits on the descision of who will go first

With their affairs sorted, the group sets out. Behind them, the lowest row of mathemagical symbols briefly illuminates, then fades, and in the process Ryusho's etchings are undone. Slow zoom-in on the runes as onimous music plays, then jump cut back to the team! Following the corridor, the party zigs and zags until they come upon something new: darkness. As they emerge into a new intersection only the crystal immediately above them is active, casting just enough light that they can discern that the path branches left and right, with further branches on the left leading to another obvious dead end, this one decoratively filled with a Creator Statue, while another immediate turn on the right path leads to another corridor that goes further, but is quickly plunged into darkness. Only as they advance do the lights above activate.

Mazurek sighs softly after everyone has taken good care of him in their own way, going around and nuzzling those who won't mind it. He takes the rear guard after this, and vows to try to hold back his kleptomania in case it destroys them. Fat chance, really... When the lights reduce in number, he can't help but look up and back with a tilt of the head, but nothing is said until the lights begin to illuminate the passage after they reach them, "Okay. This is new."

Rogna frowns at the darkness, saying "If anyone has rocks, munitions, things that can be thrown ahead of us to ensure the floor is still there it would be appreciated. We don't want any unexpected drop-offs." he says. "I say we go right, but it's just a hunch." He looks to the statue once, before dismissing it completely. "You may lead, but the group will decide which path to take."

Ryusho rumbles quietly as he looks around slowly, thinking for a few moments as he slowly shifts one foot to another as he rumbles softly, rubbing his chin, "Well let us see...." he says quietly as he slowly glances around, taking note of the statue, and being distracted for a moment before shaking his head, then he shifts, "...I have a good feeling, considering our location and everything..that..we should do the path just over here to the left....." he says pointing out the way he means, the paralell path that is to our left.

Ictus hmms at the darkness and shakes his head, "Well... Anyone know any fire math?" he looks at Rogna and nods in agreement, "Yeah, I figure that would be best..." he blinks at Ryu and sighs, "Ok... Which is it? Right or left?"

What a conundrum! The team will just have to sort it out... three directions, two differing opinions. Perhaps a best-out-of-three rock paper scissors contest? Oh, that will have to wait, however, because as the team is debating the issue the statue grinds to life, a hazy cyan glow rising from its seams. It's certainly pretty to look at, but probably has murderous intents. It raises its arms and comes out swingin'! ...Yup, definantly murderous.