Ulthok made his way gingerly across the space from the party to the doors. Spring traps or pit traps could be buried in the ground to catch those that wondered too closely to the tower.

As Lothor followed the small mage warned, "Step where I step.. you will know if I make a mistake."

In short order Ulthok had cleared the span and began analyzing the door. The door had no knobs or handles. Then hinges were such that they could not be accessed. Ulthok search for a key panel or something that would activate the door from the inside. The only thing found was a small hole.

Ulthok examined as best he could. There didn't appear to be anything obvious as a trap. Experience had taught him caution but curiosity got the better of him. Slowly he probed the hole with his finger feeling for latch or trigger. Then as if the door had been waiting something pierced his finger tip.

"Buggers!!!"

Quickly Ulthok withdrew his finger; a small trail of blood was left inside. As if fed by the blood the door changed slightly revealing a puzzle panel. Seeing the change Ulthok sheepishly smiled at the party.

"I found the lock."

Cor had stepped forward and upon seeing the puzzle, "Here is my input on the code. Goldfish moved 6 spaces counter clockwise (cc) on each row. Crab faces straight down as it moves 1 space cc each row. Whale faces left as it moves 3 spaces cc each row. Eel faces left as it moves 5 spaces cc each row."

Roan concurred, "Hmm, yes, I agree,,,..Ulthok, this place concerns me. Your finger,.The moment you feel dizzy, or sick, or anything. Let me know. I do not trust that what you received is a simple pinprick."

The mage suspected that if his blood activated the puzzle then it was likely magic or a curse linked to it and him. He could only hope that Cor's solution would open the door and complete the spell.

"Go ahead, someone place the discs and see if what happens."

Looking back at Rayne, "You may have been right..."

As the others busied themselves with the doors, Alyia found herself craning her neck up looking over the build of the tower.

summoning Xin she sent him to recon the rest of the tower, staying hidden within the canopy an not venturing farther so as to not attract the flying birds.

Looking at how the plants grew around the tower Alyia wondered if the span of encroachment was due to magic or neglect.

"Go ahead, someone place the discs and see if what happens."
Alyia looked at the party. The sense of dread which had come to feel omnipresent in all their endervers, churned with in the pit of her stomach. Alyia kept glancing around scanning the castle, plants an canopy for any sings of movement or attack.

It called for blood. Through blood it had come alive...

With her blue eyes tracing the carved symbols, Siréne thought of blood. It was warmth, it was life, but only dark magic called on blood. What horrors did this presage?

Stepping forward, the witch stood beside Ulthok and laid her hand on his shoulder. "I am here with you my friend. You need only nod and I will send the life giving magics into you. I stand ready."

((OOC: stands ready to heal Ulthok as needed while we move through the puzzle))

Ulthok, his finger sporting a tiny speck of blood at once went to work on solving the puzzle now before the party. Having all worked on the solution to the puzzle, it was still the Halfling Thief/Mage that placed and turned the discs.

Click, the first disc placed, click the second disc placed, click the third disc placed. A small pause before the forth disc was placed CLICK With that click sounding as loud as if a church bell had been rung only once, Ulthok fell from the grasp of Sirene's hand to the ground dead. His essence, his life force, once more seeking the protection and safety of his amulet.

For a moment the shelf and disc's remained as they were, then the metal moved and the shelve and its disc's vanished. Replaced by a finger sized hole once more.

(DM OOC: Sorry Ody that's why I feel bad that I posted that you put your finger in without checking with you first.

OK Ulthok is dead, the shelve & disc's are gone, and the hole is back. The metal door is just as you first found it, good luck. Next post next weekend.)

Cor watched as the disks were set. All seemed to be going well right up to the point where Ulthok dropped dead. "Well, tha was unexpected. Seems we made a wee error in our solution. " Cor checked on Ulthok, "The lad is dead. But dead is but a setback. We should have him up and about in naught but a few minutes."

There they stood for a moment, elven witch and halfling thief waiting heartbeats for the doorway to open. It did not. Ulthok stood before at one moment, and then the next he collapsed at her feet. Siréne could feel his spark of life being ripped from the world as his flesh grew cold.

Kneeling beside Ulthok's small body, the fey enchantress laid her hand upon his cheek. With a deep breath, Siréne opened herself to the life giving power of the Great Mother Goddess and let it flow through her. Leaning in, she brushed her lips upon his and breathed the spell into him.

She sat back up and bowed her head waiting for the healing magic to take hold.

((OOC: Cast Heal))

Lothor had been surprised to see the Halfling stick his finger in the hole. Such a move just didn't seem wise, but he seemed to get away with it - even more, it appeared to have been necessary to trigger the lock.

But once the supposed answer was entered, the Halfling dropped dead. Literally just collapsed dead. The usual desperation such a thing would cause was reduced by the knowledge that his life force was, in fact, quite safe. So with the usual fear held at bay by the amulet, Lothor couldn't help but think 'silly little bugger.'

He knew a heal spell would follow, but this wasn't his trick. He would continue to stand guard as the meat shield. He tried to watch everywhere at once - the canopy, the forest, the walls of the tower.

Peri:

The Fey creature watched as her companion did the task that he was most trained to do, search for traps and gain access to locked areas. She also knew his nature and that as skilled as he was his curiosity could lead him astray. So when he stuck his finger in the small hole and let out with a "Buggers" she knew he'd set something in action. The bit of blood from the prick did not seem too threatening but she figured they were dealing with a magic item as the panels on the door changed to reveal a puzzle.


She had to hold herself from giggling when Ulthok brandishing the bloody finger tip and said, I found the lock."

Ulthok quickly studied the puzzle and agreed with Cor's solution. Then began to place the discs. Click, the first disc placed, click the second disc placed, click the third disc placed. A small pause before the forth disc was placed CLICK With that click sounding as loud as if a church bell had been rung only once, Ulthok fell from the grasp of Sirene's hand to the ground dead. For a moment the shelf and disc's remained as they were, then the metal moved and the shelve and its disc's vanished. Replaced by a finger sized hole once more.

Peri briefly was seized with panic, but she could still feel the connection of her spirit to his and knew that his life force was protected within the amulet he had told her about.

Cor remembered too. "The lad is dead. But dead is but a setback. We should have him up and about in naught but a few minutes."

Squeaking out, "Heal his body, his magic thingy will bring him back, please heal my Ulthok,." Peri was nearly in tears.

Then Sirene who had been kneeling beside Ulthok's small body, laid her hand upon his cheek. With a deep breath, Siréne opened herself to the life giving power of the Great Mother Goddess and let it flow through her. Leaning in, she brushed her lips upon his and breathed the spell into him. She sat back up and bowed her head waiting for the healing magic to take hold.

Peri watched and knew Ulthok would have treasured the kiss. Before he had met Valene the Halfing mage was smitten with the Enchantress. He had told her of the last time he had died was in an attempt to reach Sirene in her distress. He knew fey lady was beyond his station but still she had gained a special place in his heart.

Peri waited with the rest for her companion to return to her.

A great bell clanged and then everything went black. There was not pain, no anything. Disoriented the mage felt confused but there was something slightly familiar. Then Ulthok recognized the sensation, he had felt it once before when the fire ball had consumed his unprotected ooze form in Drow Mountain. His was body dead,again. The amulet he wore had again saved his spirit as some force had ripped life from his physical form.

Other than his own thoughts the only other thing he was aware of was the touch of spirit to Peri. As he came to grips with his situation he wondered how long he had been there. Time had no measure. His memories told him that this was only a temporary haven and if he body was not healed he would slip away forever.

In the peaceful calm he recalled another gentle ballad:

Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind
Memories, sweetened thru the ages just like wine

Quiet thought come floating down
And settle softly to the ground
Like golden autumn leaves around my feet
I touched them and they burst apart with sweet memories

Sweet memories
Of holding hands and red bouquets
And twilight trimmed in purple haze
And laughing eyes and simple ways
And quiet nights and gentle days with you

Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind
Memories, sweetened thru the ages just like wine

Memories, memories, sweet memories


As the song floated away a tiny light began to appear, as that of an early dawn after a dark moonless night. The light grew steadily until it became a great blinding flash.


Ulthok gasped and grabbed his chest as air rushed in to fill his lungs. Opening his eyes the images of a familiar Elven beauty was in a meditative pose kneeled next to him. A sweet taste was upon his lips and warmth filled body.

Ulthok could only guess that the Enchantress had used her healing arts to save him. Feeling the strength returning the Halfling raised himself up to his elbows and then sat upright on the ground. Peri fluttered in to place a kiss on his cheek and then flew to Sirene to place a kiss on her cheek. This confirmed to Ulthok that Sirene had healed him and saved his life.


Glancing around to the party gathered around, "Well that didn't go as well as we hoped."


Seeing the puzzle was gone and the door had turned to it bare exterior he knew that they needed to try again. "Well if you can save me each time then perhaps we will find the correct solution."


Rising up the mage walked back the door and again stuck his finger hole. But this time nothing happened. There was no pick of pain to draw blood and no change in the door.

Withdrawing his finger he turned to the party, "It appears the door will no longer respond to me. I fear it requires a new life to test and I cannot protect another with my Amulet, for as long as I live it is attuned to me and will not serve another,. It is now a hard choice of who next to attempt the door's challenge knowing that failure means death."

With Ulthok dead then quickly healed back to full strength by Sirene once more, he moved to try another attempt to open the door once more. However, to his possible disappointment, there came no needle or any type of response from the door at all.

Withdrawing his finger the Halfling turned to the party and spoke.

"It appears the door will no longer respond to me. I fear it requires a new life to test and I cannot protect another with my Amulet, for as long as I live it is attuned to me and will not serve another,. It is now a hard choice of who next to attempt the door's challenge knowing that failure means death."

The question now, who among the remaining six, would be brave or bold enough to attempt a second try at solving the puzzle and opening the door. Around the party the forest had gone Withdrawing his finger he turned to the party, "It appears the door will no longer respond to me. I fear it requires a new life to test and I cannot protect another with my Amulet, for as long as I live it is attuned to me and will not serve another,. It is now a hard choice of who next to attempt the door's challenge knowing that failure means death."

As the party pondered this new development, Rayne was the first of them to notice that the forest all around them had gone still. Even the strange creature birds attempts to reach the party below had stopped and a chilling silence had fallen.

(DM OOC: Ok whose next Step right up oh brave adventurers.....
I never said it was going to be easy, but I will give you a small hint. Only 1 disc was wrong.
Ok next post as always next Sunday.)

As the party paused to consider this new development Ulthok noticed Rayne scanning the forests edge.

It occurred to him that there was no noises coming from beyond the clearing or from above. Then it also occurred to him that his magic had had drained away. The amulet had saved his spirit and memories but not the power of magic he had gained from his studies. Now was not a good time to be without spells and there was no time to rest for eights hour to study and recover them. For now he would rely his weapons and other magic items.

"You all need to take some kind of action and soon the forest just got still and the birds stopped attacking." With that Ulthok backed up to the wall and drew bow.

Keeping her sword hand at ready,Alyia kept glancing around scanning the castle, plants an canopy for any sings of movement or attack.

glancing up she wondered what Xin was,scanning the rest of the tower.

As the woods became silent, Lothor held his sword in his hands and was as alert as possible. Might the threat come from behind them - in the tower? It was certainly possible. Perhaps Ulthok had rung the doorbell. But it was the woods that had gone silent. He stood guard and hoped someone smarter than he figured out the door quickly.

Lothor waited for a couple of minutes . . . and . . . nothing happened. The brains of the group didn't seem to brainy enough. Perhaps it was time for the man of action again.

Keeping his eyes on the surrounding woods, Lothor stepped back up to the door. He spoke to the group as he moved. "Unless somebody has a better idea, I'll pretend to be Ulthok and stick my finger in the hole. Here's hoping we have better luck the second time. And, if you have any, some kinda resurrection would be appreciated."

With that Lothor poked his finger into the hole, thinking, this has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever done. But maybe he could blame it on the fact that he was so young - minus a couple thousand years or so. Impetuous youth.

Alyia though on edge watched the group before her, the door needed a supplicant. walking towards ulthok holding her hand out she placed a small object in his hand. (xin's ring) Standing before the doors Alyia placed one finger into the lock. (insert puzzle movements.)

As the party pondered this new development, Rayne was the first of them to notice that the forest all around them had gone still. Even the strange creature birds attempts to reach the party below had stopped and a chilling silence had fallen. With Ulthok unable to once again use his blood and amulet to solve the puzzle, the rest of the party stood thinking of who next to send forward. Then without a word to anybody Alyia stepped forward and placed a finger into the hole. At once, just as with Ulthok, she felt a slight stab of pain, withdrawing her finger saw a small spot of blood. Again as had happened with Ulthok before her appeared the same set of sea creatures as before. A Goldfish, a Crab, a Whale and finally once more an Eel. Pausing only a moment she entered the missing puzzle pieces as decided by the party. Click, Click, Click, Click As the seven adventures held their breath’s, waiting for Alyia to possible drop dead, at first nothing happened. Then in a short second of time, which to party seemed as if minutes, the sound of air escaping from the tower. As the party looked a stone door appeared, now opened slightly inward a crack. The seal of the tower broken enough to let the old air out. In the woods around them they once more heard the howl of the same creatures as had attacked them before. The cries from the throats of many once more. (DM OOC: Ok sorry for the wait. The door is cracked open though you can’t see inside . Once again many of the same type of those creatures that attacked you on the beach are clearly getting ready to attack. Enter or fight, have fun.)