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((Grateful thanks go out to Fig, who saved and edited this transcript when my laptop died.))

Darkness engulfs the four travelers. When it finally clears, they find themselves in a dark stone hallway. The floor itself seems to glow with a dim red luminescence.

Italy looks around, her heart palpitating in her chest.
Elewyn likewise looks at her surroundings, hardly able to hide her excitement, "This is certainly something else."

Sorax snorts and begins marching down the hallway in a direction he arbitrarily designates as north.

Italy can hardly believe that Elle is happy about being in some pit of doom; she shrugs and follows Sorax. The red light gives everyone a red cast that is oddly soothing to Italy.

Elewyn glances up at Sorax and over at Herkk, then down the hallway, "Well, Herkk? Shall we?" She starts trotting after Sorax, looking about as though this were the greatest thing since sliced bread, so to speak. While walking, she takes out a small, leather-bound travel journal and starts writing in it.

Elewyn suddenly bumps into Herkk; ahead, the tunnel suddenly slopes down about 45 degrees. Elle catches her glasses as they almost fall down the slope, then leans around Herkk to see what is ahead. Her eyes widen slightly when she realizes, then puts the journal and ink quill away and rummages for something small. She leans down and tests the surface of the slope with a finger, finding that, instead of slick as she had guessed, the ground was actually rocky and very hot to the touch.

Italy readies a javelin for throwing. She watches Elle test the rocky surface, then looks around, nervous again, listening hard for any sound out of the, well, as ordinary as anything gets around here.

Elewyn, trying to pry out a small pebble and failing, looks at the group after standing back up, "Anybody got something small... a sling stone, marble... something?"

Italy searches her pockets, then says, "Nope, nothing. Why?"

Gesturing with a thumb, Elle replies, "To toss down there, silly. I want to see, or hear, how deep it goes."

Italy shrugs and throws her javelin as hard as she can. It hits the wall and the head breaks off without so much as making an indentation or scratch in the stone. The wooden shaft drops down and catches fire, while the head rolls down the slope.

"Oy!" is all Italy can seem to muster in surprised response.

Elewyn looks down the hole and adds her own loquacious reply. "Woah..."

“Let’s fall down, hmm?" rejoinders Italy.

Elle leans down and ensures that her shoes are tied on tightly and silently grins to herself... for she is wearing her shoes of Featherfall. She looks up at Sorax and Herkk, "Well... am I going to go first, or will one of you two?"

“BAH!" Sorax readies his axe and begins marching down, ignoring the thin wisps of smoke escaping from his boots. Elewyn looks down at Sorax’s shoes and follows slowly, purposely attempting to avoid any of the "very hot spots." Herkk follows after Sorax, grumbling under his breath.

Italy smiles when she sees Sorax's boots smoking. Easing her own soft shoes off, Italy tests the heat against her bare feet. As Italy settles her feet on the ground, cracks suddenly form in a ring around her. Italy puts one of her shoes on and keeps walking, observing the effects of her bare foot on the ground around her. Wherever her bare foot lands, more cracks form. Italy starts to put her other shoe back on, deciding against collapsing the Plane she is currently in.

As Italy balances on one foot, the group hears the sound of heavy footsteps echoing throughout the tunnel: slow, steady footsteps.

Not wanting to encounter something on a diagonal surface, Elle hops up to where the slope started and tries to distinguish where the footsteps are coming from. She’s pretty sure the footsteps are coming from downhill, so she turns her head towards the slope, slightly alarmed since the two are heading in that direction. She follows once more, still daintily avoiding any of the extremely hot sections in the floor.

As Italy finishes putting her shoe back on, the ground under her other foot buckles. She just barely manages to hop to the side and keep her balance as a cluster of rocks and pebbles goes tumbling down the slope. "There're your pebbles, Elle.”

Aside from the rough patch where Italy was standing, the rest of the tunnel is quite smooth, as though tramped down by many feet. Herkk and Sorax are now some 50' ahead of the ladies; they stop and seem to be discussing something.

Italy reaches down and hands a rock to Elle, then runs to catch up with the men. Elle takes the rock with a frown and continues after them, "juggling" the rock between both hands until cool enough to pocket.

The tunnel suddenly drops steeply, almost like a pit. Elewyn stops and looks at the pit in front of them. She covers her mouth with one hand, "Oh my... this will put a damper on our progress."

"Well, any suggestions?" Herkk asks.

Elewyn reaches into her pocket and fetches the stone. In a quick gesture, she tosses it down to hear how deep it is. She can hear the rock bouncing along... it's still hitting the slope when it finally fades out hearing range. "Ummm..." Elle looks at the crew, "Any of you bring rope?"
"Aw hell, I could just collapse the tunnels and get us down quick...." Italy retorts. "I have some, though I don't know what use it'd be to us; we have nothing to tie it to."

“Here... hold on to it with Herkk and Sorax. I'll climb down a little... 'sides, I'm wearing these!" Elle taps her feet together. “If I slip, I should be able to grab the rope again.”

"Looks like we're sliding," Italy interjects. "This'll be a one-way trip." Italy watches Elle get lowered down into the pit.

About 20' down, the slope changes again, this time leveling out by some 15 degrees. Elle goes back to where the tunnel slopes up steeply, calling up to the group, "It’s quite a fall... here, I'm going to climb back up. It’s a bit of a drop... I can float down, but I suggest someone lower the rest first."

"Someone?” Italy asks incredulously. “If you're the only one who can get down safely, that means someone's going to have to fall.... unless you think you can lower me. I have an idea… Sorax lets down Herkk, then we work together to let down Sorax. You should be able to hold me, and then you can get down yourself."

Elewyn nods. "My thoughts precisely. Well, shall we?"

As Elle is hauled over the edge, there is a strange shhlurping sound from below. "What was that sound? Out of curiosity." Italy asks.

Elewyn shrugs, "I know not."

Italy peers over the edge, searching for the source of the sound. There seems to be a quivering mound of something slimy down there. Italy turns to Elle and says, "It's a good thing we pulled you back up... that doesn't look like it's friendly."

Elewyn looks over the side, "Umm... it seems to be following us..." She starts backing up.

Italy watches as Elle and, seeing as how Elle knows a lot more about this kind of stuff than Italy does, she follows suit. "What is it, do you know?"

Elewyn shakes her head, "It’s too dark." She calls out to the two males, "I suggest you step back!"

Sorax readies his axe. Herkk readies his greatsword, then realizes that the relatively low 12’ ceiling keeps him from using it well.

Unwilling to get chased into a dead end by this blob, Italy concentrates on it, her eyes flaming, and a crackling sound filling the air.

After stepping back, Elewyn takes out a suede marble bag from her backpack and pulls out a few glowing marbles. She scatters them in the air, but they seem to retain their positions, as if dangling from invisible strings. Hopefully, their combined light helps to shed a little more "light" in this situation.

Fen's display does little other than catch Elle's attention, but the light from the marbles shows that the blob is actually a heap of misshapen human flesh. It raises its "face", barely recognizable by the reddish orbs there, and moans.

Elle shudders and puts her "storage" book away, then draws out the Book of Gud. Hoping that it has the same effect as on the fair attendants, Elle jumps forward swinging at the blob with the book.

Italy concentrates harder, the flames around her eyes growing brighter, and the crackling sound louder.

Distracted by Italy’s fiery gaze, Elle misses entirely. The blob moans and shies away... and falls over the edge.
Elle looks over the edge to see if it is trying to climb back up; the thing cowering down at the bottom. She gathers up her marbles and puts them away, then considers the situation. She looks at Italy, "Would there be a way to tie one of your javelins with your rope?"

"Well, my best efforts show nothing," Italy says, dejectedly referring to her attempt to burn the blob alive, "but what can I expect in this place? It looks like Hell." Shrugging, she adds, "Perhaps. What's your plan?"

“Strike the blob, pull the javelin back up... repeat.”

"Might work... but the heads have a tendency to break off after hitting something."

Elewyn blinks, "I *suppose*, if it came to it we could sharpen the end of the javelin if the head breaks off."

"I know what to do." Italy grins sardonically. "Remember back there when I took my shoes off? I could tie the rope around my waste and stand on the slope. The ensuing landslide might bury it and give us enough time to run past it." Pausing for thought, she continues, "The javelin idea might work. I'll give it a shot. It seems immune to my fire so I don't really have much choice."

The javelin sticks into the thing. It moans and quivers. As they attempt to pull the javelin back up, the rope slips off leaving the weapon embedded in the monster.

Elewyn thinks, then pulls out the dagger from her backpack and says, "I think I know how to keep the rope from slipping off so easily!" Elle grabs one of the javelins and carves a notch in it to help the rope fasten to it.
Italy prepares the setup again, this time taking her time to make sure the rope is securely attached to the notches in the javelin.

Suddenly, cracks open under the feet of everyone, spewing out hot magma. Italy manages to dodge, but everyone else suddenly gets a bad case of hotfoot. Sorax manages to keep his balance, but Herkk staggers back and falls over the edge. Elewyn collapses, gasping in pain.

Seeing the magma and sure that her new friends couldn't stand the heat like she could, Italy concentrates on the heat coming off the flowing lava and channels it.... elsewhere. That's the best she can describe it. Elewyn shakily gets to her feet, hardly able to see straight through the pain.

With a loud, agonized yell, Herkk lands on the blob with a wet squish. Italy shouts, "Herkk!" and scrambles over to the edge, quickly pitching the anchored javelin at the blob.

She misses, but Herkk quickly grabs hold of the proffered rope. Italy tosses the other end of the rope to Sorax and tells him to help pull. Elewyn limps over to the two and tries her best to help out.

As Herkk climbs up, cracks form under the other three's feet again.

Not wanting to get burned again, Elewyn lets go of the rope and dodges to the right, continually moving around hoping to not cause any more cracks due to standing still for too long.

Italy swears loudly and scrambles to the right side, giving up on helping pull up Herkk; she’d prefer to let the other two do the work than bury her friend under rubble by creating another lava spurt.

Herkk is just about to pull himself up when his hand flails wildly in the air. Sorax starts skidding towards the edge as Herkk drops down. A mere five feet from the edge, Sorax manages to dig his feet in and stop. Elewyn and Italy consider helping him, but then decide to just dodge around to avoid cracks. Sorax marches grimly forward, ignoring the girls hopping around in front of him.

As Herkk tops the ridge, the women can see the large blob of flesh threatening to strangle him; only Herkk’s plate mail is keeping him alive.

Italy hefts a javelin and throws it at the blob. The javelin sticks out of blob, which moans once again.

Elewyn considers swinging the Book of Gud at the blob, remembers her previously failed attack, and starts to drop the idea until she abruptly remembers something: the thing had shied away earlier when it got near her floating lights. Elewyn holds out the Book of Gud and opens the pages, summoning its Daylight power. The blob recoils and pulls back from the radiance, threatening to pull Herkk over the edge again. Elle steps closer to the blob, giving it a little more light, but stays careful to not step on any of the cracked ground.

Seeing Herkk is about to fall, Italy grabs the rope and pulls. The flesh mound backs up, causing Herkk and Sorax to struggle to keep from falling over. It finally lets go and falls, still moaning.

Elewyn, seeing how effective she’s being with the Book of Gud, jumps over the edge and floats after the blob, still shining the book down to drive the blob away. Italy foolishly rushes after her, thinking she can use the mage to slow her decent, and slams into the slow-falling Elewyn. The impact knocks the mage unconscious, and the Book of Gud slips out of her grasp and falls onto the blob, which moans, as if in real pain for once.

Italy sees the book close and as the dim light closes around her again, she jumps after the book. Italy falls on top of the grotesque blob; the book is in her grasp, but the blob has seemed to have gotten a grip on her. Overhead, Elle still floats lazily downward, completely oblivious.

Italy slams the book down hard against the flesh creation. The blob wails and disintegrates, leaving Italy to fall through the now empty space into the unseen depths. She lands awkwardly some 40’ below.

Herkk ties the rope around his waist and throws the other end to Sorax, and then the two jump over the edge, connected by about 10’ of rope. Sorax scrapes a bit off the walls, slowing his decent, before grabbing onto Elewyn with one hand. His other hand holds the rope bearing Herkk, and the three gently drift down after Italy.

Herkk lands first and gently catches Elewyn. His hands glow as he holds her, healing her back to consciousness, if not full health. Elewyn wakes up suddenly, staring up at Herkk for a second, then looks around with a sort of panicked expression, "Wha... What happened? The blob! Where is it? What...? At the bottom of the hole..." She stands up shakily and searches for her book.

Nearby, Italy concentrates, burning out the pain as her wounds mending themselves. Italy hands the book over to Elle and thanks her for its use, even though she hadn't really given permission.

Elewyn takes the book and notices that there is no sign of the blob. She puts the book away, happy that it evidently worked, but not so pleased about the burns she still feels.

"So is it dead yet?" Everyone looks over and sees a gnome at the far end of the tunnel, tapping his foot impatiently. He seems to be wearing bone armor.

Italy stares at the gnome and thinks to herself, "Bone armor? Sweet mother of Kossuth...."

Elewyn leans against one of the walls, gripping one of her arms. Her high spirits seemed quite broken now. Elle notices that the walls aren’t hot like the rest of the place... or at least not *as* hot, but she doesn't seem to really care. Having never been injured so much in her life, she is still fighting off the shock.

"Ah, finally, you manage to make it down the shaft. You made enough racket up there to have every tanar'ri nearby come running," Calcereous taunts moodily. The gnome is wearing what looks to be fitted pieces of humanoid bone (albeit small humanoids) and on his head is a circlet made of crystal, while on his hand is a black glove. His eyes are sunken and appear as completely hollow sockets.

Italy stutters, "Woah. Who're you? Tanar'ri? What're.... who *are* you?"

"The name's Calcereous Smokeygem," the gnome replies. "And if you're done lollygagging about, we should probably head on. Not too wise to stay in one place too long around here."

"I've noticed that. My feet seem to make the floor crack and lava flow forth. Where are we?" Italy questions.

Elewyn looks over at the gnome, her expression hardly hiding the exhaustion in her eyes, "Is... is there someplace that is safe to sit, nearby, perchance?"

Turning two hollow empty sockets on Italy, the gnome answers, "Why welcome to Hell, madams. That's where we are. Now, like I said, we must move. You can stay here and rot for all I care. But there is strength in numbers... especially in this place." With that, he begins walking on, a sinister thud marking his passing as bones knock against each other.

Italy frowns at the gnome’s attitude, but figures that he probably has reason and more. Turning to Herkk, she says, "Come, Herkk, Sorax, Elle, let’s go. We don't have much choice but to follow the gnome; he seems to know what he's doing."

Elewyn turns her head towards Herkk and Sorax and, for once, she seems completely unsure of what to do and doesn't try to hide it; her glance obviously indicates that she doesn't know whether or not to trust the gnome.

Herkk concentrates for a moment, then almost blacks out from the overwhelming flood of Evil; it’s impossible to tell if any one individual is evil in here.

Elewyn peers at Herkk weakly, “Something... the matter, Herkk?"

"Yeah, this whole place. Come on, the gnome's right, even if he doesn't look it," Herkk replies.

"Lets *go* already, unless you want to take another bath in lava again." Italy says impatiently. Elewyn nods and shuffles after the rest of the group, not too anxious to be near the lead.

Calcereous laughs wickedly, "Lava is the least of your worries." Suddenly the empty sockets in his head brim over with molten rock.

Sorax brings his axe up, ready to unleash a different brand of hell upon the gnome.

"NO! Sorax, don't. He's our guide, kill him if he betrays us, otherwise, lets see what he can do to help us," Italy reasons with the warrior. Sorax growls, but lowers the axe. "Thank you,” the fire maiden sighs. “Calcereous, please. Can you lead us somewhere safe where we can rest and explain our situation?"

"Not that I care overmuch what your situation is, but yes, I can lead you somewhere. This way." He begins walking on away. A small creature crawls out of his pocket looking something like a mix between a bat and a scorpion, with a dragon-like head. It flies off and returns a moment later. "There is a doorway up ahead."

"Excellent, let’s go," Italy enjoinders. The four follow the gnome, Elewyn making sure that she stays near Herkk and Sorax, and they do indeed encounter a door.

When they reach the door, Elle peers at it with curiosity, but says nothing There is an ornate lock on it with a three-digit tumbler underneath. Seeing something interesting seems to have lightened Elle's spirits some. She draws out her leather-bound travel journal and starts writing in it, trying to get all the information that she can out of the situation. For one, Elle notes that the symbols on the digit tumblers aren't numbers, or even any symbol that Elle recognizes.

"Can you open it Calcereous?” asks Italy, “because I can if you can't."

Smiling at the fire-haired maiden, the necromancer’s eyes ignite with a sudden burst of flame before snuffing out into voided hollows again. "If you think so. Be my guest to try. This should prove fun." Surreptitiously, he backs up several steps while she's busy with the lock.

Italy shrugs and examines the lock, aware that she is under a time crunch. She finds a wire she could probably melt, if it is really steel. About 20 seconds later, Italy is rubbing her temples and staring at the stupid wire in annoyance.

Elewyn holds up a hand, "Ummm... if I may..."

Tapping his foot impatiently, the gnome growls, "Well, are you going to stand there, or are you going to open the lock?"

Italy shrugs and gives up. "I can't do it, Calcereous. Please open it. I tried, but I can't do it."

Elewyn pipes in, "Let the gnome handle it... he knows how."

"Your guess is good as mine. Anyone a believer in Tymora?" Shrugging, he starts shuffling the panels randomly. "Oh, that's an ugly symbol. How 'bout that one? No... move this here."

Elewyn steps forward. She looks down at the lock and at the gnome, "There is something, which I think I can try..."

Before they can stop him from playing at random, he sets the three scroll wheels. "Care to test luck today, lock-smith?”

"Sounds good,” Italy replies. “I'm not a lock-smith... I just thought I could melt the lock. I was wrong."

Grinning, Calcereous pulls out a key from a bag on his hip. "Either this will open the door, or release a torment of flame and teeth, I'm sure," he says. Turning the key, he pushes on the door.

There is a loud, harsh snap as a wave of ice sweeps out and engulfs the gnome's forearm. "By Lolth's sour-milked teat!" he growls.

"Hah, locksmith, looks like you can't open it either."

Glaring as much as he can with empty sockets, Calcereous steps forward, his arm still attached to the door. “It is open, you sorry excuse for an abjurer’s familiar!” he growls. Calcereous looks at his arm and concentrates for a moment; after a few seconds, he elicits a curse in gnomish.

“Allow me?" Italy asks.

"I hope you give it a better try than you did with the lock," the gnome spits back.

“Believe me, your worries are about me overdoing it,” she huffs in reply.

Elewyn adjusts the glasses on the end of her nose and peers past Sorax and Herkk and into the open doorway, shakes her head at the exchange between Calcereous and Italy, and goes back to writing in her travel journal.

Calcereous's mouth tightens momentarily in pain as a small blotch of red appears inside the ice near to his wrist; his glove is sated for another day. Moments later, Italy’s concentration melts the ice around his hand, allowing him to break free.

Past the door is the interior of a mansion. Some fifty feet above the thick carpet is a dome of glass or crystal, with many, many small and delicate chandeliers hanging down and giving off light. There is a large stained-glass window on the upper level, directly opposite the entrance. Other than the entrance itself, there are four doors on the bottom floor, one in each corner, and two doors on the upper level. There are two staircases, one along the left wall and one along the right, which lead up to the upper doors and are connected by a broad balcony walkway overlooking the bottom floor.

The group quickly steps in, glad to be out of the heat (well, except for Italy), and considers where to go now.

Before the group can come to a decision, they hear the sound of quick, light footsteps. Sorax goes to the entrance, suspicious, and closes the door.

Calcereous suddenly numbers off the doors and his eye sockets fill with a pair of whirling dice, finally coming to rest on a pair of 1’s. “Snake eyes,” he says, and for a moment his eyes *are* snake eyes. The group starts heading towards the first door on the left, as indicated by the dice.

“Hush!” Sorax suddenly commands, listening. He suddenly spins around, his axe held low, and tears the blade through an invisible assailant. Two halves of a humanoid form materialize and drop to the carpet, one half bearing a rat-like head.

The air is suddenly filled with five shrieking, diving imps, their venomous stingers plunging down. Everyone sustains multiple hits, but only Elewyn collapses; already weakened from her earlier ordeals, she is no match for this new onslaught.

Herkk swings his greatsword about with great gusto; here, at least, there’s room to use it properly! After a few blows, he manages to kill his imp.

Calcereous fires off two volleys of Magic Missiles, taking down his imp and injuring the next closest two. He moves to stand over Elle’s prone figure, and when the imp darts behind his back… it doesn’t return. Nisha grins fiendishly from the shadows of Cal’s cloak.

Italy flails at the nearest imp with her staff, but can’t seem to bring it down. Sorax easily slices through the imp foolish enough to attack him, then moves to assist Italy. His axe slips on the first swing, almost beheading Italy as it soars overhead and imbeds in the wall. Undaunted, Sorax pulls back and heaves a haymaker at the imp, sending it flying across the room to slice against the back-blade of Sorax’s axe.

Herkk quickly kneels down and helps Elewyn to her feet with a healing potion.

Inside the 20' x 20' room is a wooden table surrounded by several 3' diameter blobs of what appear to be silk, like giant over-stuffed pillows. A small crystal chandelier overhead provides ample light. On the table itself is a small bronze statuette, much like a tin soldier.

Herkk, not trusting this place one bit, keeps his sword out and looks for signs of trouble. He doesn't see or hear anything threatening, but that doesn't mean much...

Sorax goes over and taps one of the silky blobs with his foot. There is a slight indention from his boot, nothing more.

Calcereous briefly begins to chant whispering under his breath from the doorway, trying not to let the rogue hear him. "Magnificus temperatum malificant!" At the completion of the spell, the statue in Elewyn's hand begins to increase in temperature noticeably and swiftly.

Elewyn starts slightly as the statue begins to heat up. She looks back to the table, and sets it down to see what happens. It's hard to tell how hot it is just by looking at it... it *seems* okay to touch.

The gnome feigns a look of bewilderment. "Something wrong?" he asks snidely as he grasps hold of the statue. The gnome feigns a look of bewilderment. "Something wrong?" he asks snidely as he grasps hold of the statue.

Elewyn looks at the statue and back to the gnome, "You mean besides that you are trying to keep me from taking the statue?" She crosses her hands and looks down at the gnome, "You DO realize that you COULD have just asked if you wanted to see it."

The gnome shrugs. "It's a bronze statue. If it's worth the two silver you could get for it, by all means..."

Italy stamps her foot impatiently. "Come on, make up your mind already!"

Herkk gives the gnome a stern look. "I don't know about you, but we are NOT here to loot Hell."

Elewyn grips the statue and places it into her backpack, "It isn't the fact that you did that instead of asking... it's that you wasted a spell instead of asking. Are your magicks that useless as to spend them in such a manner?" Elewyn says as though instructing another.

Calcereous whirls on the half-orc. "What are you here for, you misbegotten son of a troll? Apparently, ugly mothers breed blind children. I wasn't the one who took the thing." To Elle he shrugs again. "Some of us aren't so weak as to worry about a minor spell here or there."

Elewyn stares down at Cal, "Some of us have the wit to not waste, regardless of value." She turns on her heels and walks over to Sorax and Herkk.

Laughing, Cal rebutts, "By the trinkets you steal, I wouldn't say you have a sense for value or waste."

Elewyn appears to say nothing, but under her breath, while grinning, she says, "You never know..."

Herkk, growing impatient with the bickering, turns to Sorax. "She's not here, let's move on."

Tired of the insultative banter, Cal begins casting again. "Transcendium portatum ascendierium." A rope rises into the air disappearing into seemingly nothing. Calcereous begins to climb the rope and at the top, disappears himself. The last thing the group hears as the rope ascends and disappears as well is, "I intend to rest up before gallivanting all over Hell. You'd be wise to do the same. But head on if you wish. I'll raise your bodies later, and they'll get out of here just fine."

Elewyn looks up at Sorax and Herkk, "Let us try another door. Perhaps we will have more luck then."

Sorax agrees with the two and turns to leave, Italy staying a fair distance from his axe.

Elewyn looks at the five other doors. Then adjusts her glasses and picks the far door on the left. "Shall we try that one?"

Herkk replied, "We'll try them all if we have to."

Elewyn opens the northwest door; inside is a spiral staircase, one end going up, the other descending below. Elewyn looks at the staircase, then back to Herkk, “Well, which way?” Herkk shrugs, leaving Elewyn the decision. Elle flips a coin and gets 2, which means up; she looks over at Sorax and Herkk, "Up it is then." She grins, and gestures towards the stairs going up, "Brave adventurers first."

Sorax and Herkk go up the stairs; Italy stops to glance scornfully at Elle before following them. Elewyn returns the scornful glance with a hearty smile, then takes up the rear after Italy walks past. As Elewyn starts up the stairs, she thinks she hears a quiet clink somewhere behind her, like a tiny lever falling into place. Elewyn turns quickly to the group and calls them back through the doorway into the main hall, then quickly moves towards the hall as well.

"What?" says Italy, annoyed.

Elewyn calls to the group as she moves back towards the door quickly, "I think we set something off by coming this way!" She continues to gesture the group to return. Herkk and Sorax shrug, but quickly come down, and Italy has little choice but to go in the same direction.

Elewyn tries to recall where the noise could have come from, but is unsuccessful. She thinks it might have come from the south-east direction. She frowns and addresses the group, "I heard something... like a lever was pulled, or something of the like. I believe it may have come from over... there."

Sorax hefts his axe. "Well, we're not dead yet."

“Just as we were climbing the stairs... I want to see who, or what, caused it. I don't want anything unknown to us actively trying to impede our progress.” Elewyn turns and starts to walk towards the south-east door, looking over her shoulder to see if anybody is bothering to follow her.

Herkk and Sorax shrug and follow, and Italy does as well (although grumbling quietly under her breath).

When she reaches the door, Elewyn leans against the wall next to it and grips the doorknob. When everybody else arrives, she quickly turns it. Everyone hears a sound from the north-west corner; it sounds like something tapping against the teeth of a gear or cog. Elle turns her head towards the sound, a frown on her face, "Well, if that just doesn't beat them all!" She turns her head back towards the south-east door and opens it.

Herkk and Sorax spin around, weapons at the ready, while Italy dives and rolls across the floor.

Elle grumbles to herself, her back towards the rest of the group for the time being, "I swear... if I ever meet the one who built this place..."

Inside the room is a handsome man with fine-cut, aristocratic features, seated at the head of a banquet table. He raises the glass in salute and says wryly, "Yes?"

Elewyn looks around for a moment before answering. No one else is seated at the table, although there are four empty plates to each side and a fifth plate at the foot of the table. Unlike the other rooms, this room is lit by several candles, both on the table and along the walls.

Elewyn looks about the 'empty' banquet room. She glances back towards the man, unsure of what to say. Many questions, accusations, or plain statements rush through her mind until the uneasy silence causes her to say something that she hadn't intended, "W-who are you?"

"Oh, come now. We are not such barbarians, now are we? Please, be seated and we shall become better acquainted." The man gestures toward the empty spaces at the table.

Elewyn, obviously not trusting the man, speaks more bluntly than she intends, "No thank you. After the welcome we received upon entering, you understand that we would rather not partake."

"Please, please, you wound me! I assure you, your harsh treatment was not at my request."