"Lady Cynil, you are correct. One step on each figure and never any of them twice. And yes I will gladly be the first to step but if I am to step then a path needs to be picked to the end befor the first step is taken. The only path I see at a quick glance is the one on the north wall." Maggot then turned to "But Kenji if you wish to be the one who stepps first I will give that honor to you if you hold the out come not against me if it turns bad." Maggot then smile, "but if the out come is good then let it be my name sung in the songs." Maggot then stood looking for another path that would take him to the other side only steping once on each figure.

OOC, sorry so late and short out of state on weekend away. All have a good fouth of July.

Siréne stood silent as the others deliberated. Each method seemed as likely as the other and without magics to tell the path all they were left with was trial and error. She did not like it, but such was what was. So the enchantress stood and watched waiting for the first footstep to fall upon one of the tiles.

Cybuk briw furrow with though, She name the seven different undead that the pictures represented over and over and then she tried to work out a path through them from the layout on the floor. she walked back and forth along the open floor space her eyes tracing a mental path from one portrait to the next hoping to find a way through There had to be. Surely she and Maggot had figure out that part of the test. It had to be right. She made many starts but all the paths that obey that rule shut down and had an impossible distance to get to the next possible portrait that had not already been stepped on. She tried criss crossing diagonal moves sig, sad, and other random patterens. She seeme to be runningout of [sossible paths across the floor. Finally reaching the last row that on the right of there room from where they entered stater with the again trying a patterern of sisxigads and then a mixof diagonale steps and straight forward steps she suddenly stopped.


NO it couldn't be that simple. She had found the 7 diggerent pratraiats lined up in a straighr line down the last row. She checked it out again. Just to make sure she searches some more just to make sure and then she found another way through as well not as simple as this one but it fit the perimeters of their search pattern.in her mine then Call out.

"Maggot. I have found two way through and one is a straight shot across the room without going diagonally. Oh and there is another way. How did I mist that?"

This is the straightest path through." Cynil leads Maggot to the far right of the room. " Look it goes Ghost, Mummy, Shadow, Skeleton, Zombie, Lich, Vampire. (If the right cloume is A and be is the next to the left is B and so on, and therows across from left to right are numbered one, closest to the entry door and the futherst across the room is 7.

Route one: the path is Colulume G 1-7 in order.
Route 2: a1 b2, a3, a4, b5, b6, b7.
Route 3: d1, d2, d3, b4, b5, b6, b7.

"Well there are several potential paths outlined. Perhaps it is time to move along one of them. Master Kenji do you have a preferace as it will be your feet treading the path?"

With a floor of undead faces, facing them the party began the debit if what could happen, how it could happen and just who would be the first to step upon a face. The what and could be’s were discussed and in the end, though Maggot also had volunteered, it was Kenji now seemingly recovered from his bout of unconciseness who was finally accepted as to be the first to step upon a face.

With the who decided it was now time to decide which face would he step upon first and according to Cynil there were three clear choices. However to this point in the tests, if nothing else had been learned, all in the party knew nothing so far had been as easy as it first appeared and caution was yet to be used. The only thing seemingly left to the party was to pick a route and proceed forward.


SOMEWHERE ELSE. The two undead creatures moved into the room so recently left by those they followed and took the path untaken. The voice and power of the sword leading them ever closer to its location. Alive thanks to the power of the sword they were still separate from it with minds of their own and the short male could not help but feel for a moment his heart pulled in the direction of those before. However a new surge of longing and want overtook his feeling of love and he followed the female through the new passage. Would it bring them faster to the sword was unsure, even by the sword, but the chance was worth taking.

(DM OOC: Ok not a big post as I still need to know what face Kenji will step on first. Other then that good posting and keep it up. Next post Next Sunday unless RL interferes )

Kenji listened to the others discussing paths through the room and what they meant and how the order was important.. all he heard mostly was 'blah blah blah'.

He didnt hear that the path near the right wall from where they entered was a straight path that fit their thoughts on the riddle of this room.

"Only one way to find out," the Samuari said and stepped up the the patterns.. checked his gear to make sure everything was secure.. he laid his left hand on the scabbard of his Katana.. with a nod to the others he stood in front of the one Ghoul by the wall (G1 if I understand the designations assigned).

He took a steady breath and stepped forth to stand fully with both feet on the Stone. He paused and waited to see what.. if anything .. was going to happen.

"Noooo, Kenji! That is not the way. Well it is not the path that we figured out." Cynil called out to the Warrior as he stepped randomly onto the face of a Ghost on the stone floor. Cynil quickly tries to figure out if there was any pattern that followed the solution to the puzzle that they had though of.

Cynil began moving to see what lay around Kenji. Was there a way through for the warrior?

"Wait let me see if I can figure out a path for you. There reason to invite opposition. It is something we do not need to do. There are dew of us already."

The noble paladin was tired of the arguing and debate. The Fates and the All Father would take them where they needed to go, he held faith in that. So, as Kenji moved forward he pulled is trusted sword from its scabbard and readied himself for whatever creature was spawned by the strange (and slightly disturbing) faces etched into the floor.

With the decision made and the path decided Kenji took the first step, then the second step, forward, placing himself fully upon the face of the ghoul below him..............

As the rest of the party watched Kenji fell to the floor unmoving, seemingly in the stiff rigor mortis of death.........

(DM OOC: OK an early post as there was really no need to wait for all to post. Next Post Next Sunday)

"Well, that was unexpected." Algrek looked to Alasdair, "One more and we are even on killing off party members."

Alasdair glares at his ex-companion. "I thought I told you to keep your comments to yourself."

He closes his eys for a moment and focuses his mind in an attempt to mindlink with his downed ally.

Perhaps since it was a ghoul it was only some form of paralysis. If so, his mind would still be free to respond. If he was truly dead, the psionicist would sense no mind at all, and would be able to confirm that fact.

Kenji stepped forward and set both feet onto the stone with the face of the Ghoul.. he expected a creature to spring forth or for him to be transported to some kind of arena in which he might battle said creature.. but that didnt happen.

Suddenly a stab a intense pain struck him and he collapsed to the stone and suddenly he was paralyzed.. he could hear and see things as his eyes were still open but he was unable to move.

The samurai thought how he hated these tricks and their traps.. he wondered why couldnt the trials simply be contest of strength or combat.. it was things like these he thought that made him despise magic. He silently wondered if his companions thought him dead and might leave him or were they even now thinking of a plan to rescue him from this deceitful sorcery.

"You told me to keep comments to myself yes, but I did not promise to listen to that. Perhaps I should not mention that we could use a length of rope to lasso our companion and pull him back so a cleric can take a proper look at him?"

Cynil moved quickly over to to where Kenji had fallen, sprawled on the tiles. She attempts to pull him off the tiles with the faces on them and back on the tiles the rest of the party were still standing on.

If she is successful she will check for a heartbeat and breath. Finding his eyes open,and both a heart beat and breath. she announces, He lives and his eye are open but he cannot seem to move. "Ghouls paralyze. It seems our possible pathway and our solution to this puzzle are not the right answer to this test."

"Maggot, what now do you think this means? Now, what might be the answer?"

"By-the-way, does anyone have are move paralysis spell available?"

"I am reaching the end of my patience with you Algrak. I told you once before that I would not harm you. However, I will not tolerate your demoralizing comments or attitude any further. Speak such again and our agreement is void. You may slay me, or any other in single combat, but you know that with each death your chances of escaping lessen. You need us. Do not forget that. Understand?"

His anger slowly simmering he approaches Cynil. "I can touch his mind. He is truly alive as you have said. In fact he's wondering if we believe him dead. I think it best we remove him from the tile don't you?"

Without setting foot on anyof the tiles himself, Alasdair reaches out and attempts to pull Kenji clear (preferably not dragging him on his face). That being done he speaks again while Cynil sees to Kenji.

"It seems our initial thoughts were incorrect. From my knowledge of the undead I believe that of all of the types depicted here only skeletons and zombies do not have draining or paralyzing effects, though I wouldn't put it past the creator to throw something in even there. I find myself wondering if it is even necessary to step on the tiles at all. Does anyone have any levitation or flying magic that may allow a single person to carry others across? Or perhaps a rope, so that if we can get one person across we can have one on either side anchor it while the others cross on the rope one at a time. It is apparent we have to re-think our solution. Any other suggestions? If we have to step on the tiles, I think it wise to try to step only on skeleton and zombie tiles, though I see no direct path across, it may be possible to jump from one to another."