Making It Safe

JP with mdman, Lorem, LucianNepreen, Lasersexpanther and Cindy

Lorem’s hand raised and she was gesturing with how much or little, fast and slow, Elizabeth’s attempts needed to be. She could discern a series of tumblers that were sliding into position. And then a clink, followed by a whining sound. Then things seemed to stop.

Lorem froze and looked at Elizabeth. “I think you got it? The sounds stopped.” She wasn’t completely sure, because she didn’t truly know what it was. It was an educated guess.

Elizabeth was following Lorem's gestures. "Well, I am not sure how to test it. Does anyone have any ideas?”

Like a big stone statue, Cronk stood still. Solid and unyielding, his form chiseled by time’s patient hand.

Vor, although quite agile and fit, was feeling his body ache from keeping his precarious position. He knew a part of it was silly, but the chance of a trap meant that he would rather look silly than dead. Elizabeth's question didn't bode well for his resolve though and he was regrettably rather short in his thoughts.

"Toss a coin, throw a shoe, something that would otherwise activate it?”

Elizabeth was actually thinking what would cause it to go off would be Sasha stepping off the trigger, if it wasn't deactivated. "I might have an idea." Elizabeth removed her necklace which acted as a ward. "I need someone to hold this.”

Sasha being at the front help out her hand. "If you are sure of this. I trust your judgement.”

Elizabeth handed the ward to Sasha. She then stood a little to the side, and before an explanation could come the bombardment of spirits began approaching.

Ethereal spirits floating above the ground going to each team member searching for a hint of recognition. "Why is this one free?" The question harking back to a time when Gnomes were used as slaves. Then there was the distant screams, which sent a shiver up the Eldren's spine. Of course the only one who could see and hear all of this was Elizabeth.

"I need help." Trying to get the spirits attention. Elizabeth was speaking outloud, but not looking at the team more around them.

"Help, help. The living want our help - why should we help you - your grace." A woman spoke in French with a thick accent.

Another spirt, a French man this time came at her from the other side. "You're kind put us down here. Condemned us here."

"It is not for me, it is for them," Elizabeth said in French, nodding towards her team. "I just need to find out if the trap was deactivated."

"Trap, trap. Not of ours." The woman said. "What will you do for us?"

"I can ask around see if someone of you can be released from here." Elizabeth responded, "Or what do you want."

"Yes, no. Not but yes," the woman replied

Elizabeth didn’t like calling on the spirits often because they many times spoke in riddles and weren't often helpful.

The spirit woman faded, Elizabeth figured it was a lost cause but then the man came back. Spirits often took various forms not of themselves. The man had seemed human but the Eldren could tell now she was looking at one of her own.

"This is my true form," The Eldren male spirit said, his words hanging in the air. "It is safe, you may pass but please tell me what of our kind?”

"We are still royals and in charge in many countries. We are still surviving." Elizabeth responded.

"Good, go." The man disappeared.

Elizabeth retrieved her necklace from Sasha, then addressed the team. "It's safe.”

Sasha untwisted the pendant from her fingers and held it back out to Elizabeth. "Bien" she said, cocking her head to Elizabeth to be back in position before she started to push farther down the tunnel. Now keep her view lower to watch for incongruent stones on their path.

Elizabeth thanked Sasha, put the necklace back on and got back into position with far more of an understanding about why spending too much time in the Paris tunnels without a ward caused some spirit mages to lose touch with reality. Scary prospect but Elizabeth always armed herself against such things.

She followed Sasha as they continued down the hallway, they came to a room with doors larger than most of what they had seen. No way to see into what was behind the door. No sound coming from behind it.

After the stiff, tense moments with the trap and the odd sight of Elizabeth seemingly talking to herself, Vor was more on edge than ever. He assumed it was a form of Eldren magic, but hearing her declaration of remaining royalty and in power was odd to hear. He could trust his Lady, so then inferred that there had been some form of deal made? He waved it off for later, wishing to speak to Elizabeth about it when they weren't in danger with every step. Upon coming to the doors, Vor looked to the others more skilled in gaining access beyond the barrier.

"Are we risking an entry here?”

Cronk observed the doors. “Orc-sized?” he suggested, more of a question than a statement.

Lorem had an idea. “Perhaps Cronk could lift me around the door and I can check up close if it may be rigged with a trap? Or sounds on the other side?” She proposed to the group to see what they thought.

"I believe that might work." Elizabeth stated.

Cronk was surprised at the idea. He remembered that he was told to be careful when picking up Loren, as she was lite as a feather.

Gingerly, Cronk placed massive fingers about Pretty Flowers waist a hand to each side. Carefully, he lifted her, then extended Lorem before him the full length of his four foot arm length, past the door.

Lorem gave directional cues to Cronk on where to move her. It almost felt like flying in how she was so effortlessly defying gravity. Lorem pulled out a small ear trumpet and as she was positioned about the doors she listened against the surface. She would listen, tap with her knuckles and move on. Lorem was listening for anything unusual with the ear trumpet, as well as listening to the sound her light tapping made. Nothing seemed unusual, or different enough from place to place to be concerned.

After she was back on the ground, “Thank you Cronk.” She then addressed the group, “I would say the door is not rigged with a trap. But I did hear soft sobbing noises on the other side of it?”

"Sobbing?" Elizabeth was caught between her instinct to go help and the logical part of her mind insisting it might be a trap. Her instinct won out, "We need to get the door open and see - someone could be in trouble.”

Since Cronk was already standing there, he lowered a shoulder and crashed into it, splintering it inwardly. His momentum continued carrying him forward beyond the door. He glanced about to determine from where the crying came.

Elizabeth was going to request for Cronk to make quick work of the doors, but that wasn't what she had in mind. Still it worked. With the doors opened, the crying is easier to hear. Its still soft but it's clearly coming from a little down the hall to the right.

However, before the team can get there they hear someone running down the hall.

With the conversation between the others, Vor was busying himself with looking for anything of significance in the hall. There wasn't of course, but better than standing there like a confused trout. Between hearing the sobbing(having missed Lorem's mention of it) and the sudden sound of running, he was caught off-guard and scrambled back to the others with a knife drawn and several prayers to Metira hastily whispered.