Graydon notices something at Jiardem's feet, and bends down for a closer look.

Thibor Cruxholder

"Maybe I should press the gemstones before they stopped of blinking." Thibor says more to himself, then he yells to the others, turning briefly to check them. He doesn't want other disappearance. "Anybody had a better luck finding the way out of this damned corridor?"

As the others were going about their investigations Jiardem was feeling every bit of pain of his skin being abrassively scrubbed from his hands. For the first few seconds he only noises he made were hisses as his pointed at his hand then the door, not particularly trying to point out who he was trying to communicate with.

The words came, "You'd think, you'd think that after several years of adventuring, after visiting places where it was better to have a levitation spell, but making due without, after working the rigging of a ship I could better hold onto a rope!" After his rant he calmed and said, "I see no reason why Agamemnon would need... To pull... So hard..." He took a step to the side and leaned against the wall.

His body felt numb thinking of what kind of trap he might have fallen into.

Graydon bends down to read the message carved onto the floor, while answering Thibor's question. "The trapdoor in the spike pit cannot be opened from this side, and this demon's mouth slurped up Jiardem's rope faster than a sea serpent sucking the eggs out of an aberrant nest. There are some runes carved onto the floor here, I am reading them now...

As Graydon kneels down over the strange runes he has discovered, he begins to read them aloud in an almost cryptic voice.

"ACERERAK
CONGRATULATES YOU ON YOUR POWERS OF OBSERVATION.
SO MAKE OF THIS WHATEVER YOU WISH, FOR YOU WILL BE
MINE IN THE END NO MATTER WHAT!
Go back to the tormentor or through the arch,
and the second great hall you'll discover.
Shun green if you can, but night's good color
is for those of great valor.
If shades of red stand for blood the wise
will not need sacrifice aught but a loop of
magical metal - you're well along your march.
Two pits along the way will be found to lead
to a fortuitous fall, so check the wall.
These keys and those are most important of all,
and beware of trembling hands and what will maul.
If you find the false you find the true
and into the columned hall you'll come,
and there the throne that's key and keyed.
The iron men of visage grim do more than
meets the viewers eye.
You've left and left and found my Tomb
and now your soul will die."

Thibor Cruxholder

"Phew! I am not dead yet. It means I can be at the right path." Thibor says relieved that nothing exploded yet, specially himself.

After several lacklustre attempts, finally something does indeed happen when Thibor presses the stones in a specific sequence. The mist in the archway fades away, revealing the path beyond. However, it appears to be simply a dead end, a narrow tunnel only fifteen feet deep, with the red path of stones leading strait into the wall. Neither Quinn, who had earlier passed through the mist, nor the quarterstaff, which had earlier been tossed in by Jiardem, are anywhere to be seen.

Graydon busily writes the runes down on a spare bit of parchment.

Thibor Cruxholder

Hammer and Anvil! I found something! Sort of... Thibor says with joy. He turns from the portal and walks to Graydon. "What did you find? Hmm... Let me copy it too." He picks his book and copy the inscription, then he closes it abruptly.

"I don't know if we can believe what it is written here, but it seems to me that there are two ways out of this corridor. The portal, where I made a breakthrough a moment ago, or the tormentor, whatever that means. We are yet to find the second option. Should we try the portal?" Thibor asks to everyone present.

"And by the way, no sign of Quinn at the portal. And apparently Agamemnon too..." Thibor says in a sad tone, making a small blessing with his stubby hands.

Jiardem was trying to take everything in, the possibility that he may have set off the trap, Graydon mysteriously acting as a voice for Acererak and his riddle, and the passage through the archway with the orbs becoming clear. As a way of trying to get his mind back to the job at hand he starts muttering parts of the writing, quite out of order. "Left and left and found my tomb? A turnaround? Fortuitous fall so check the wall? Avoid the green... Oh Ioun's flying baubles! Was that a warning about the face?!"

He shudders to think that such a warning was at their feet, though Agamemnon might not have even stopped to consider it. He briefly considers going in after him, but considering the possible trap he goes for something else.

"It won't do if one more of us enters that just to not return as the last. I don't want to leave him to his fate, and hopefully won't have to... But there is no guarantee that that passage follows basic geometry... Still want to try to get the other side of that face from a different angle," He paused to consider in his notes where they were relative to the entrance. "I'll move ahead test this new passage. I have a feeling that this is part of the possible way that Acererak planned for those here to take,"

As Graydon busies himself writing down runes and Thibor prays for the safety of their missing allies, Jiardem steps through the archway. As soon as he passes the threshold of the arch he vanishes from sight.

Thibor Cruxholder

"For the beard of Moradin! Not again! WHY? Why all the fairies must be so impulsive? Acting before thinking or at least discussing.... Sigh... It is not like they didn't have time..." Thibor says exasperated once again after an elf decides to act without discussing first. He pulls his beard repeatedly to calm himself. This movement is always able to calm his inner thoughts when he is too much nervous.

"I'll be beardless before the end of this adventure." He says resigned after calming himself. "It's only you and me now, boy. For how long, I don't pretend to know. I was about to say that we should try the portal, but only after a more thorough evaluation." After saying that Thibor returns to the portal to examine it again.

He throws a throwing hammer inside the portal to see what happens, looking intently once again to see if he finds a new clue about the safety of this portal.

Graydon stands beside Thibor, worriedly looking at the archway. "You'll be beardless and I'll be bearded by the end of this. Shall we move forward from here? Shall we try the door in the pit? Shall we, as Agamemnon did, dive into the green imp's mouth? I kid, of course."

Thibor Cruxholder

Hearing the hammer at the entry of the corridor, Thibor goes there to investigate. He picks the hammer and returns once again to near the archway. "Well, this is a good sign. Not destroyed, not transported to another realm, but not very exciting either. What I don't understand is to where the fairy went."

He examines the hammer near Graydon.





"I will use the portal now. I think it is safe enough. If I don't reappear, you are free to follow me or escape this damned place, boy."

Thibor goes up the hall and recovers his hammer. By the time he returns to Graydon and the archway, the mist has returned. It is also interesting to note that in walking away from the archway, the glowing stones ceased glowing and returned to their original dull grey colour. However, upon returning to step within five-feet of the archway, the stones resume their unnatural glow.