When the other gather to start the search for their missing members. Cynil changes into a bloodhound and moves to try to pick up the sent of Ulthok and Kenji. She especially searches near the mirrors. In that form her sensitive nose can quickly find the scents after elimiating those still here Applying her intelligence plus her bloodhound senses she located their scent and follows them until the end.

Cynil never realized before how the bloodhound's long ears help her to focus of the scents she wanted. With her nose to the ground the ears made a sort of funnel for the air born scents and also prevent other unwanted scents in the area she was tracking to interfere.

"The decision has been made. In all honesty, while we are wounded we expended little of our magical strength in that last battle. It also may not be necessary to rely on magic for everything we do, despite your talents Sirene. We know not what situation our friends are in. In 8 hours there may be nothing left of them to find. I simply am not willing to take that chance."

He speaks to the whole group once again.

"We must be one in this. Think of me what you will, but it is you all who have given me leadership. Trust in that decision."

Now back to Sirene.

"We cannot wait the time it would take for you to prepare a different set of spells. Our friends are likely in danger, and I will lose no more comrades to spite, disagreements or arguments. The search as begun. We go after them now. We would do no less for you, even were you to be dragged into Hell itself. A place I do not fancy EVER returning to."

With her words, full of emotion and pain for her two missing friends spoken, the female Fighter/Psionist had turned and started to search the wall before her but Maggot's voice rose loudly behind her.

“Well you argent little spoiled royal brat! The lost two of our party are not forgotten! Those who use the arcane arts are trying to study. Such is their ways and I am sure they are looking to the arts for ways of searching for the missing two. Your own Alasdair was trying to commune with Odin form the looks of it. I am sure to seek guidance in this time of unease. And that probably does not sit well with her Ladyship because he did not run to your apron strings for comfort like some child who has fallen and skinned his knee. As for our little Sunday picnic. One day is like the next down here. It would also do you some good to watch and learn from your father while he is in court when we return form our journey. I have taken up the task of being the envoy between Alasdair and Algrak. You see my path in life allows me to break bread with any whom I need to at the time. Algrak and I know that when our relation comes to an end it will not be a pretty one because it is his way to weed out the weak and poor. It is others way to defend the weak and poor. It is my way to find peace so the weak and poor do not live in a time of constant war.”
Spinning at Maggot’s words from her search of the wall, Althena loudly hissed a reply through clutched teeth as she moved towards him.

“Our party??, our party!! You have only been a member of ‘our party’ less then a day and you dare to act as if you are so much better then the rest of us here because you’ve supposedly lived longer. I tell you right here old man, I am far older then you and know so much you do not, if not for that malignant sword on your back you‘d be dead now. Royal brat I may be, but at least when I make a friend I try to do the best for them I can, not sit and talk to the killer of one of them!!.
Just before the enraged Valar reached Maggot, her hands clutched into tight fists causing some bleeding, Alasdair was there in front of her, blocking her way and shouting to be heard.

"That is enough!"
His words easily loud enough for everyone to hear he took the next few minutes and spoke in an attempt to calm both ‘sides’ of this emerging war of words, and possible violence. With his efforts for the moment hopefully a success he moved Althena to one side to speak to her in some semblance of privacy.

As he did so the party put forth idea’s on how to find both Ulthok and Kenji. In the end the best idea came from Cynil who offered to shape change into a bloodhound to track the two by scent. Within moments where once had stood an Elvin Druid now squatted a four legged bloodhound, whose nose was quickly onto a scent. Following this first scent led Cynil to the middle of the room and as the rest of the people inside the room watched she stopped and stared as if looking at nothing. The bloodhounds head cocked for a few moments then Cynil did turn and move back towards where Althena had first started her search. Within but a few seconds, clear it was by her actions, that a new scent had she discovered, this scent led her to the rooms lower right corner and stopped at its blank wall. Here Cynil could see that the ages old dust that covered most everything else was absent and she could feel a small passage of air heading under the wall. A passage to her eyes that did not exist!!, the section of wall before her having no openings to allow such air passage.

Shapechanging back to her normal form she relayed all this to the others and all did begin a search of any handle, keyhole or some such device for a possible hidden door. It was Sirene by chance, who thanks to her Elvin heritage was the first to notice something strange about the wall before her. With a closer look she was able to reveal a normal wooden door hid behind a well made wall covering.
However to her eye’s, thanks to having passed so many other wooden doors in this maze of traps, she saw right away that this one was different from the rest as it did not have the same level of age as the others before it. Why this was, not being an engineer herself, she had no clue but the color of the wood, clear to everyone, was newer the rest.

With Ulthok missing opening the door was a major risk to be sure but here the party found themselves lucky, for as they checked around it for traps as best they could and hoped for the door to be unlocked. With a sense of fearlessness and faith in his god Conall declared that he would open and if possible enter first and did so before anyone could argue the point. With the door open and the Paladin past he found himself in a hallway 15 feet wide by 25 feet tall with no illumination running straight to the East and slanting down.

It was here, with the entering of light from the room behind them that the party did hear a groan as if someone coming back to conciseness further down the hall. Within seconds Cynil, with Sirene right behind her, were moving down the hallway and with a turn of a corner 60 feet down the narrow tunnel, and aided by their infravision, came upon the sight of Kenji, head bleeding and somewhat dazed attempting to sit up.

Quickly the 2 druids looked him over and but for the minor head wound found him unharmed and quickly regaining a sense of self. During this time Maggot, having politely excused himself from Cor, had moved further down the slanting hallway another 60 feet to find it continuing yet further downward into the darkness of the mountain. The Ranger/Bard could tell that the tunnel itself was new, in the sense that the tunnels and rooms of the tests were centuries old and this tunnel only a hundred or so. Not wanting to become more separated then was safe he returned to the rest of the party and watched as Conall, and Alasdair who had just joined them, helped Kenji back to the test room.
With everyone once more together Maggot revealed his findings of this new possible way to go.

The questions now before the party plus one were both old and new.
The old questions, the yet undetermined location of Ulthok, the need to resurrect Rayne, but how to do it quickly.
The new questions dealing with the newly found passage. Where did it go, why was it here, and should the party follow it instead of continuing to pass through the tests.

For the moment choices, choices yet again........

(DM OCC: Ok good Role play posts, I truly enjoyed reading everyone’s writing. Ok as you all should know by now YeOlde has thankfully returned to the Inn and will once more be playing Kenji. So welcome back my friend and feel free to once more add your words to this game.
Ok next post, Next Sunday and let me just say, go USA!!, go USA!! The World Cup starts Friday!!)

He was overjoyed at finding one of his companions none the worse for wear. After helping him make his way back to the test chamber he knelt down beside his friend.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

If I can get a better idea what happened to Kenji, perhaps it might lead us to Ulthok
After ensuring that Kenji is indeed alright, and getting as much information as possible from him, he stood and moved to speak with the group as a whole.

"Cynil, did you find any sign of Ulthok's scent?" (Assuming a negative answer)

"The way I see it we have no leads as to Ulthok's current location or condition." He looks over to Rayne's corpse. "And given that, I believe Rayne would be better served if we continue, keeping an eye out for any sign of Ulthok as we journey forward. Now we must decide if we continue to follow our current trek, or explore that newer tunnel. As to that, if we move on to the next challenge, we know we are moving one step closer to success and escape from this place. And thus one step closer to bringing our cleric friend back from the realms of the dead. The newer path is an unknown, but may offer an alternate route to an exit, or to even greater dangers. I would like to hear everyone's thoughts before we decide our path."

He looks on, waiting for responses from Algrak and his trusted comrades as he reviews everything they have learned thus far in his mind.

"Moving out of this room without resting and restoring spells might be less than optimal. Wizards without the proper spells are like warriors without swords. Perhaps 8 hours here would be in order."

"Before we decide if we rest or not, let's take stock of what resources we still have available."

(OOC: I looked at the character sheets for the answer to this.)

"From what I can tell after a thorough check of the magic and other abilities we have available, it seems like we still have the majority of our strength intact. I must admit I didn't realize how little of our abilities were expended. Given that, I don't believe it is necessary for us to rest before continuing on. Our mages have plenty of offensive spells in reserve, and our healers still have a number of healing spells at their disposal. So the question before us is not if we should rest or not, but which path we should take." Grudgingly he does as a leader should... "Though I appreciate your input Algrak."

"Then we shall press onward. Normally I would take the tunnel as it is possibly a shortcut out of this place and nothing would make me happier than to be rid of this infernal system of tests. However finding the sword is important and it is unlikely that any shortcut will move us closer to that end. Therefore, I would vote we continue the tests."

“Algrek, if you will excuse me for a moment, it seems I am needed elsewhere.” Maggot then moved passed the two Druids and Kenji from a far off Land and moved further down the hall.

When he returned to the rest of the group and all were together he approached Alasdair, “As you are leader of the group in this room I have word of what I have found…” Maggot revealed his findings and when he was done he picked up all his thins and moved to the far end of the room to pack his things up in solitude or as much as the small room would offer him. As he packed up his things the old man seemed to be in an argument with the one he spoke to from time to time. Maggot has all his things packed up and ready to go. Sat with his back to a wall, his eyes outward and still his conversation continued and he grew more and more aggravated with it.

As a bloodhound, Cynil was able to quickly find Ulthok's trail and followed it to the center of the room under the broken amber globe. The trail ended there.

Cynil turn to find Kenji's trail in front of the broken mirrors that Kenji had stood in front of. She following his trail to what seemed like a solid wall. that is what her eyes over at her bloodhound nose told her something different. this trail led through the wall. his scent was carried on a layer as well, there has to be a way through. but she couldn't tell the others. To do so then she has to change back into resume and form and she would be unable to follow the trail the same way anymore. She took the risk. I As Cynil she could tell them what she found..

The way is found to get to the secret door behind the concealment and open it. Her elven eyes aided by Sirene's were able to pierce the darkness of the tunnel, with nothing more than light from the room they just left filtering in the door. Cor,or at least the being in his body, should have no problem either in the dark but Cynil did not want him to get to Kenji first. A groan from down the tunnel lead them to Kenji who was just stirring to consciousness. Cynil quickly checked him out.

"Siréne? Would you mind taking a look at the amber orb where Cynil lost Ulthok's scent? It may be nothing, but you are likely the most knowledgeable about possible magics here. If anyone else can determine anything about it, any information would be helpful. Does anyone else have an opinion on our direction?"

"I can do that," Cynil says quickly, "Sirene can heal Kenji, I have only one healing spells left." If I can't find anything, then Sirene can try what ever she wants. Cynil returns to the room to check out the amber light.

Synil gesture and says the words fora a Detect Magic Spell. and looks around the area carefully. Loudly so Sirene can hear her, Cynil calls out, "I can't find anything , No sign of anything magical remaining. Nothing that I can tell. So, Sirene, you can come here where you done and do a Detect Magic and see what you get."

DM OOC: Correction Bri Cynil has the following healing spells availible to her.
1st LvL: Bless x4 / Create Water / Cure Light Wounds x2 / Light
2nd LvL: Flame Blade x3 / Slow Poison x2 / Trip / Warp Wood x2
3rd LvL: -2 Cure Moderate Wounds x2 / Meld into Stone x2 / Plant Growth
4th LvL: -2 Cure Serious Wounds / Neutralize Poison x2
5th LvL: Cure Critical Wounds x2 6th LvL: -1 Heal

Kenji groaned as consciousness returned to him… he slowly began to sit up.. as he did so he heard sounds and snatched up his sword from where it lay next to him.. but he soon saw it was only his companions rushing to his aid.. he lowered his katana to the floor next to him and collapsed back to the floor his head spinning.

“I am alright,” he said in answer to the rest of his condition, his head hurt and he appeared to have a slight gash on his forehead, “last I remembered was doing battle in the mirror.” He sat up slowly with some help and graciously allowed whomever was going to aid him do their thing. He felt embarrassed at his failure in the mirror; obviously he had not succeeded in his mission and thus here he was lucky to be alive. He had no idea how he got here in this hallway, but he was grateful to be alive.

“Thank you,” he said to whomever was attending to him and healing him, “I do not think it is bad.” He wasn’t sure and he was no healer, but he wondered if it did indeed warrant the use of a healing spell.
Once he had been attended to and his head slowed it spinning, he gathered up his swords, sheathing them and stood, slipping the scabbards back into his obi. He straightened his clothes still looking a bit sheepish at his failure. His wounds would heal soon; his pride on the other hand had been injured far worse and would take more time to recover.

After requesting and receiving an update on the situation, Kenji joined in for the search for Ulthok and took up a guarding position near the Ladies Sirene and Cynil.

(Glad to be back.. sorry if I am a little slow in posting.. trying to get back into the swing of things )

Conall watched with pride as his lover changed in to a bloodhound and searched for the scents of their companions. He didn't know what it was, but he had been on edge lately, and seeing her do what she did best, despite how odd and foreign it may be to him, was reassuring. He stayed back, out of the way of everyone, trying to calm himself.

"Odin, give me guidance. I must remain calm in this time, I can't let Algrek get the better of me. I will save your servant, this I swear."
Conall realized that there was a secret door that was found, and he had a feeling it led to more trouble than good... things that were hidden were usually hidden for a reason. But what it could be, he did not know.

Conall remained content to be silent, hoping for some reassurance from Odin that everything would be better now. If only he could believe it as well.

Siréne knelt before the samurai to study him for a moment. Kenji did not appear to be greatly wounded but a still it would be best to heal him. She began to focus on her breathing calling forth the life giving power of the Lady. With the power flowing through her the she elf raised her hands to her lips exhaling. In another breath Siréne laid her hands on the human's chest releasing the healing power into him. Satisfied the man would be fine she offered a silent smile before rising to her feet and gliding over to join Cynil beneath the broken amber globe.

"If you detect no magics still at play it makes little sense for me to attempt to do the same," Siréne offered. "Still I will remain vigilant for any sign of magics."

((OOC: casts Cure Light Wounds))

Kenji accepted Sirène’s assistance and healing quietly, watching her work her healing magic. Once she was done he nodded in response to her silent smile, “Thank you Milady!”

The Samurai didn’t know what to make of her or the other newcomers; he had been cautious of them at first especially the way some of the others accepted them openly with such ease. Thus far they had shown no signs of deceit and it was beginning to win over his sense of distrust of them.

As Sirène moved away he had gathered up his things and after storing them moved to assist in the search for Ulthok if that is what they were doing.

(As Kenji is yet unaware of the ‘problem’ with Cor as he was unconscious and no one has informed him of it, I will not address that at this time. But I am sure it will come up eventually )