After outlining the circular structure or entrance, impossible to tell with all the sand piled over it, Ty takes out a well-used shovel and starts digging sand. On Vell's recommendation he shovels out a trench down the nearest drop in the dune. He then digs straight down from the edge of the circle that faces Sloven. If asked why there, he shrugs and says that the side facing away from the open desert is better protected from storms, and most people have openings that face their neighbors, so it's an educated guess. The sand he dumps down the trench to mound at the bottom.
When he takes his first break he settles near a brazier and pulls from under his vest a tattered, burnt letter. Unfolding it with due care, and keeping it protected from rogue sparks, he reads. Immediately upon finishing he digs ink and quill from his pack and scribes a copy onto vellum, then spreads the word that all but those on guard duty should gather.
"Found this upstairs in the inn, it's pretty beat up there - wind damage and it looks like something exploded a while back, burns and stuff, the stairs are mostly gone. Couldn't find anything else." He passes the copy of the letter around. At the top, in his cramped script, he has written "dots are stuff I can't read because of damage".
............................
........... .has begun, we have sent the notes and put the pl ....
in action, soon the woman will be in Audir... . . . ..... . . .
... . . chaos, I am sure they will find it amusing to repeat the
spectcle that i did when i escaped last time.
The giants are doing their part... . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . .
Granochuans on the move ... .. . ..... , The druid knows of the .. .
.. .... . . . .. . . . She has to be eliminated. ....... . . . . . . . . . .. turn against us.
................................Big. ... leading the Granouchians. ....... defend Sloven ,
when the town falls then this part of the desert will be ours to keep up with ...
-...... . . plan .
The sand Sea synod will pay. . . .. . . . . . . . . .. Rael will help our cause.
*after some digging starts Grog speaks up again to any who will listen*
Why wes dig when womans brother works stones for house? Father works stones too before dead so son probably knows secrets on hows to enter buried places in town. Wes shoud find brother and asks hims to tells us.
Charlie makes several rounds of the house/dune looking for tracks, occasionally probing the sand with his stickers. When asked, he shrugs, and simply replies, "Jess lookin, fore we start diggin.".
*The trench that Ty dug starts to make the sand go down the hill, this alongside the effort spent to dig over the right side of the dune, the side that faces towards the town, The time digging by continual effort , start to give results after the first hours, but not as fast as your group would hope, the continual shifting winds of the desert, start to fill the gap of the trench, with some extra work and keeping the trench clean, the sand keeps flowing down, over the trenches done *
*After 8 hours , that you work on the dune, and continual refresh of water, finally something is revealed from the "house", upon striking the sand with the shovel, the solid "Thump" is heard, letting you know that the mark is close, upon removing the superficial sand over the solid surface, you find to your surprise the circular shape ( at least of where it was dug ), of a wall of crystal, as if it were a partial dome.
*The crystal is clean and watching upon it with a source of ligth, the reflection of rock can be seen past the crystal layer, the rock can be spotted easily , giving you the idea that the crystal layer its not to thick, just a rock wall can be seen on the spot where you dug, yet the excavation may go easier now that you have a spot clear, this making an effective hole of one yard deep from the original level of the dune till the crystal layer*
//Actions
*Charlie readies a gem chisel in his right hand then glances at the others* Well, how much a hurry are we to git inside?
"Better have the magickers check the walls. Jasmine was a spell slinger, yeah? Try to break them, they might go boom." Ty continues digging as he speaks. "Seems like someone who lived or worked over that inn might know about boom, speaking of - based on the damage I saw up there."
*Corky examines the crystal with his bardic knowledge and geming experience*
Seems the crystal is not that thick. If we're careful and get a very sharp gem chisle, we could start to etch a small circle on the surface of the crystal. A cirular cut big enough to form a hole that would allow folks to jump through. Once we get it cut about a 1/4 of an inch thick, I think we could tap on the inside perimiter of the cirlce with a wood hammer and the crystal circle should break free allowing us entry.
*looks to the others with a confident smile*
*Ryubi tosses his gnome sized shovel to the ground and dots his forehead with a cloth* I suppose I could see if theres any indications of Al'noth coming from these walls that may endanger us or prevent further progress. *He bends down, closes his eyes and stretches his hands over the exposed walls/dome and concentrates on discerning it there are any magics protecting the dome or the walls*
*at the mention of boom he opens his eyes briefly and talks to Ty*
I seem to recall the halfling girl over there (nods to the halfling girl Tammy maybe?) mentioning something about hearing a boom during the sandstorm that covered Jasmines house.
*Upon further observation, Corky deducts that the crystal layer is indeed a fairly normal composition of crystal. It's creation, he concludes, was caused by some thermodynamics; more specifically a rapid change in temperature between the sand and the above air. The crystaline shape is rough and caused naturally and seems to be designed by the overlay of sand. He explains he still has faith in his "hole cutting idea" but that success is not guaranteed. Removal of extra sand weight upon the area near the extraction hole would be strongly advised.*
"So in Common, something heated the sand up real fast and fused it into glass. Gotta tell ya, as a glass guy, to happen this fast that'd take some pretty intense heat. I mean, like having Fisty cough on you or something, maybe hotter. Right, so let's pick a spot and clear it."
*Ry rubs his chin at the comments* Yes maybe the boom the halfling heard in the middle of the storm near Jasmines house is symtematic of the heat source you speak of. Anyways, from what I can decipher as Corky indicates there are no magical properties to this dome nor are there any magical defenses in place.
*Ry begins taking measurements of the dome noting the density of the sand and the weight ratios so as to determine the focal point for the initial chipping*
Right then, so nothins goin boom. *Charlie bends to the task of cutting through the crystal where it's suggested, working in tandem with the others to attempt to open some kind of portal to the inside*
*As the group start to cut the crystal with the chisel's , Charlie's pulse used to delicate work manages to put the needed circle upon the crystal wall, the group keeps making shift, using the dune to protect themselves of the cold wind of the night, finally after several hours of work, you manage to cut down the first scrap of the crystal "dome", you are finally able to see the rock that used to be the wall, upon touch, the rock crumbles, and shows signs of charring , there is not enough space for you to enter the place, yet the work with the chissel allowed enough space for one hand open to touch the rock, more work may allow more advancement if that is what you intent*
*The rest comes welcome to your sore bodies, the sound of the desert and the sandstorms ,
Ocassional odd sounds are heard in the far, you almost swear you hear an explossion or two, as you rest, the damaged inn offers you protection of the elements, and the sun and the wind of the night, you are tired after the whole work you have done with the Jasmine house and the excruciating experience you had with the gnomes and the elf, rescuing from the grasp of death, other day passes, as you recovers *
There are rumours amoung the citizens that some giants were seen circling the town , a newcomer traveler reported to have seen two groups of giants figthing beetwen themselves.
They also confirm the sighting of a giant that seems to be running really fast, most of them have striked him as one of dessert mirages*
*Inside the Inn Ryubi awakens from his return from death gagging and dry heaving bits of sand. He sends the waitress for a bowl of water and a towel. While he waits he notices something inside one of this pockets. He pulls it out briefly and then looks around and places it descretely back in his pocket. When he's able to walk he motions the others in the group to follow him to a private room in the Inn were he shows what he found.*
*Ry puts what looks like a small, halfling or gnomish sized, scroll case on the table. Upon further inspection, on the outside of the case is a sigil.*
"It appears my body was crushed but this endured. It seems to be a scroll case of some kind I must have found before everything went dark. Its protected by magical runes and will not open with mere physical excertion."
*He tries to unlock the runes magics and asks the others with sensetivities to the Al'Noth to help. He also asks if anyone has knowledge of the origins of the sigil on the outside of the scroll casing*
//I'd post the image of the sigil but my tech skills arent quite that good. Maybe you could help with that Lance?
// The sigil found on the scrollcase.
*Ry continues to tinker and look over the scroll case holding it up to the candle light*
"Hmm, on second thought it appears the case may be opened with mere force. Theres a catch though *he puts his good non sand filled eye up to the sigil on the outside of the case* unless we can figure out the magical runes before it is opened there may be an unexpected problem."
*Quenton sees the sigil and thinks really hard* Hrm... I think it looks like two farming tools! A hoe and a scythe maybe? What do you guys think?
Charlie glances at the sigil when he has a chance. "Could be, Q, but it could be two crossed keys as well."
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Topic: *At Sloven, as the storm clears, and the party gathers beside Jasmine's "house*"// One of sand discussion group. (Read 1210 times)
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