Rayne felt more at peace not with her connection to her deity restore after a good night sleep. When Alastair approached the door ans asked for their Magic Users to look it over, she went over the opening clues they had been given. "Do any of you remember what was said at the beginning about knowing what was real from what was illusion. This might be a case of that. So far the clues have proved useful in solving some of the tests. WE should try to remember them all.

Maggot looked at the door and whispered, 'Yes i can see it.' he stepped closer and looked at the doors concentrating on the writings, 'I remember them kinda,' the old man mumbled, 'but it is more like a dream.' he used his finger pointing at each scratch, never touching the door the he grew frustrated; no more aggravated. Not with himself but at some one, "Shhhhh, let me think. LOOK if you were here perhaps you could but you are not and I am. The last time I asked for your help you did very little." Maggot dropped his hand to his side and looked skyward and rolled his eyes. "NO you need not look for her, I have already told you the Lady Rayne is with us already. Now if you will be silent and allow me to look and stay out of the way, perhaps i can be of some use!" Maggot paused as if listening for some kind of answer... none came. With a whisper, 'Thank you, now what was i looking at? Oh yes these doors.' Maggot then looked at Ulthok and Kenji cleared his throat, "I have done little to help but I do as I can." the old man went back to studying the doors as if all was normal.

While others moved forward to examine the magical doors.. Kenji moved back to let them have their room to work their skills... he moved to the rear of the group and stood rear guard ... he had no magical skills and therefore knew he would be of no use in solving the riddle of whether the door was truly a door... so he decided to put his meager skills to use.. guarding the group from any more surprise attacks from behind.

While waiting for the ones checking the new door to finish, Cor asked Rayne for a moment. "Lass, Alasdair spoke truth to ya but he left out a bit as well. Mentally it was indeed Algrek who killed you but physically you died by my hands. For this I am truely sorry. The spirit in the mirror, Algrek, took control of me. Before his ruse was discovered he managed to kill you and Maggot. I ask that you forgive me for not being strong enough to fight off the possession." Cor waited, ready to answer any questions and to hear her reply.

Rayne contemplated what Cor has to say to her. Some of it surprised her and some of it didn't.

"There is nothing to apologized for my friend. It was not you who guided your hands. I too was attacked repeatedly by the denizen in the mirror, first by trickery they by repeated assaults against my mind. I to fall but I was suddenly release form the mirror. How I don't know. "I thank you for the explanation ir helped me fill in the blanks. I also failed against whatever those things were trapped in the mirror." She lays hr hands lightly on his shoulder.

"Now I understand why you stepped down. However we need a leader and that needs to be decide. May your God favor your tried and tested soul

The Elven Ranger and Cleric turns to the other. "Before we consider any actions we must resolve who is theto be our leader

"Cor has told me the truth that I needed to know. I hold him blameless for my death. IT was not him who killed me but one fo the entities trapped in the mirrors. I too finally succumbed to one myself but then was released form the mirror unexpectedly.

Maggot rolls his eyes and his head drops as if much sorrow fell upon him all at once. The words of the Lady Rayne still heavy in the air when Maggot spins on his toes to face all, “SHHHHHHHHHH!” then in a wisher, “Do you hear that?” he gives all a time to listen. “That is the sound of the heart of the mountain laughing at you. No, it is the evil of the sword that we look for. No it is the soul of the evil king himself mocking you all. And that laughter will be heard in all the lands!” Maggot looks and Kenji from a far off land, “Even yours master Kenji if you people do not pull your heads from that deep dark place where this precious leader is that you are all looking for. Can you people not see it? I have only walked with you for less that three days and I can see it already. This group is a group of leaders. What I have seen in this short time I have walk with you all is this. The ‘Leadership of Council’ is what rules here when time permits. But when the enemy is at our flanks and those that would kill us ahead bare the road, Alasdair steps forward with Conall and Kenji at his side. That if you cannot see it is a leader with two ready to take his place if he should fall. When a leader is truly needed. And any who would try to run this lot in any other time would be fool hearty and deserving of respect.”

Maggot pauses for a moment for all to think then continues “Now if you wish to call the council together and vote up a leader that will be nothing but an escape goat for the next time we need one. Who would receive nothing but words or rebut when instead action was needed then call for a vote. But leave me out of it, I will fallow the rule of the council.”

Maggot shifts his weight to his other side and with a smile, “Or except the fact that here and now the rule of the group falls upon the council and we all take some blame for the success or failure of this little outing.” Maggot then leans upon his staff and looks at them all waiting to see which will open their mouth and show weakness and doubt in their cause.

Cynil has been listening closely She really doesn't care who is the leader just so long ans they can get moving as soon as possible. In her world their is no real leader. nature is what it is and the parts make up the whole even though they workd for themselves for th emost part. SO really it didn't matter to her if they had a leader or not. They all knew what needed doing and they were all diung there best to get it done.

"There is an element of truth that can not be disregarded in Maggot's words. I realized that many of you work under and hierarchy and leadership is clearly defined, but not in my world. There is no one leader in the world of nature, though their is recognistion of high ranking Druids, They are well respected but our duty is to our area we each protect. They are powerful but do we serve under them."

"This mission is much like that. We all know what needs to be down and if we work together, make use of our strengths had protecting our weakness will make us better able to complete this quest. Now the question is do we need someone who bears the name leader? It will not change anything about who we are or what we do to achieve success."

"A new idea, perhaps a scary one for some of you, but think on it. Maggot's summation has value and perhaps a truth we have not recognized or consider before this."

Conall paused with the rest of the group at the door. Ulthok went about his work, attempting to unlock it, but meanwhile, the issue of leadership was still unresolved. And, much to the group's surprise, the insight into the issue came from Maggot, who had oft been overlooked by Conall, and he supposed by everyone.

"What Maggot says is correct. We do not often listen to the leader when they are in place. Nevertheless, someone to shoulder the burden is something that, though not crucial, assures some."

"As I have stated before, I am more than willing to accept the role, should you see me fit to lead you all through the rest of this dungeon. Should we decide otherwise, I shan't take offense, nor shall I seek to cause unrest for the leader. I merely throw my name up for consideration again."

Examining the doorway was proving more then engrossing enough to keep the halfing blissfully ignorant of the discussion taking place just a few feet behind him. Searching for traps, magical and otherwise, Ulthok was prepared to disarm anything he came across as he did his best to alleviate all possibility of danger before his opening of the door. Continuing to pay no mind to whatever was being said behind him, Ulthok finished his preparations and moved to open the mysterious door before his curiousity could get the better of him.

"Now that Cor has fully recovered from his ordeal, and all sarcasm can be put aside, I am willing to continue my role. I believe leadership is a duty of deed, not of word. And as such, almost any of us would find a way to succeed in some way at leading our party. While I am more than willing to shoulder the role, it seems to me that the discussion of leadership has done nothing more than sow discontent and dissension among long time allies and friends. Can we trust in each other now that Algrak is gone? Yes. Each of us has proven their mettle time and again in the face of trials that would bawk many a brave knight or powerful wizard. Do we know what lies ahead? No we do not. But I do trust that whether we give someone the title of leadership or not, together we will find a way to defeat whatever trials we must face."

"I leave the decision, if there is to be one, in the hands of each of you. I won't try to convince you of who may be better or worse for the responsibility, since that is what led us into chaos once before. What I will do while our knowledgable spellcasters are examining the door, is see if I can discover anything that might aid us through the use of my other abilities. Althena? If you would please asist me..."

The elven enchantress chose to ignore the renewed debate over leadership. She had little use for the hierarchical order some of her companions seemed to need so greatly, that and the matter had already been resolved. So Siréne focused her attention on the door before them. It seemed that opening the door would fall to Ulthok but she was not without use in this endeavor.

"Perhaps," Siréne began, "knowing what lays beyond the door will aid us in opening it. There are ways to see more than the eye beholds."

Not waiting for commentary the enchantress began to chant calling forth the sight. Her eyes transfixed on the door took on a faraway look as she sought to see beyond it.

((OOC: Casts Clairvoyance))

Maggot had spoken perhaps the truest statement in the past few days. The group was indeed made of those who were accustomed to leading, giving orders and having others follow them. Such was all well and good usually but this was a strnge situation. "If I remember a teach from one of my classes as an adept correctly we were taught that sometimes a good leader must know when to follow. Never really understood what old Father Grullin meant by that until now. I shall indeaver to place my footsteps square in the prints of the one before me; who ever that may be." Cor smiled a mischevious smile. "Unless of course we all vote to continue cultivate the anarchy Algrek sewed."

Maggot smiled, “You mean I said something that made some kind of sense of all this? Glory and Trumpets!” The old man then turned to watch Ulthok in his truest element. “A master of the shadows you truly are Ulthok, but I would ask that before you open the door you would allow the others to perhaps finish their search of these two fine doors also?” The old man then went back to looking at the doors himself, “Lady Rayne, I think you are also looking in the right place. Continue to remember what was told you at the beginning of this march. Any little bit could help. Alasdair let me know when the two of you are ready and if you need near the door.” He then leans in close and squints to get a better look, “The doors are very strange indeed.”

With a magical door in front of it only 2 of the party seemed interested in what lay behind it, as the rest had once more turned to the subject of party leadership. With Conall, and with some surprise Alasdair, each again stepping forward to offer to lead, it was the words of Maggot that seemed to carry the most weight and made the most sense.

“SHHHHHHHHHH!,..... Do you hear that?…….. That is the sound of the heart of the mountain laughing at you. No it is the evil of the sword that we look for. No it is the soul of the evil king himself mocking you all. And that laughter will be heard in all the lands! Even yours master Kenji, if you people do not pull your heads from that deep dark place where this precious leader is that you are all looking for. Can you people not see it? I have only walked with you for less that three days and I can see it already. This group is a group of leaders. What I have seen in this short time I have walk with you all is this. The ‘Leadership of Council’ is what rules here when time permits. But when the enemy is at our flanks and those that would kill us ahead bare the road, Alasdair steps forward with Conall and Kenji at his side. That if you cannot see it is a leader with two ready to take his place if he should fall. When a leader is truly needed. And any who would try to run this lot in any other time would be fool hearty and deserving of respect.”
As the debate continued Ulthok paid it no mind as he was more focused on the door before him. His tools at the ready and his skills he felt up to the task he moved to examine the magical door…… And suddenly found himself thrown backward through the grouped party as if swatted by a huge hand to lay at the rear of the party at Kenji’s feet. The swat was not without damage as the Mage/Thief could tell he had suffered a broken rib or 3.

His passage through the rest of the party was not without collision causing Cynil to be slammed to the floor, both Althena with Alasdair beside her into the wall and barely missing Cor, thanks to his lack of height. Though none of the 4 took damage from the Halflings passage, all in the party were aware of it. However it was only Haila who by chance caught a glimpse of what had caused Ulthok’s abrupt non magical flight. A large ghostly appearing hand clutched into a fist, that quickly vanished back into the door’s frame.

With Ulthok at Kenji’s feet Siréne who had also paid the leadership discussion no mind cast the spell she had been preparing, the spell of Clairvoyance.

"Perhaps knowing what lays beyond the door will aid us in opening it. There are ways to see more than the eye beholds."
However with the spell cast whatever knowledge she had hoped to gain remained unknown as what lay beyond the door was magically guarded from her sight.

A magical door yet closed, a Halfling wounded with broken ribs, a leaderless party seeking a leader, an 11 person group, each examining the door before them in his or her own way, for the moment getting nowhere fast.........


(DM OOC: Ok good posting all, please keep it up. Ok next post as normal next Sunday.)

Maggot speaking to Ulthok one moment and the next speaking to no one he looks at the large ghostly hand, “Ulthok, if my stench offended you so much you could have told me to step back instead of fling from me like a rabbit from a fox.” Maggot watches the hand fade back into the door. It was then he turned and realized the damage that had happened.

Magggot made his way to the side of Ulthok, “Kenji, could you help me with Ulthok please?” He then looks down at Ulthok, “Well it seems a hands on approach to the door will not be the way to go.” As he attempts to help Ulthok to his feet he notices the Halfling wince in pain. “Be at rest Master of the shadows.” Maggot then removes a small wooden object and uses his holly symbol to cast a ‘Cure Light’ on Ulthok. “There, tinder for a while but they are healed.”

“I would suggest our masters of the arcane arts put their heads together and work together as Ulthok and I did not and we see what that got him.” Maggot then stands and looks at the rest of the group, any others hurt?”