Kenji had completed his examination of the remaining area of the chamber (assume he finds nothing) and returned to listen to the conversations regarding the riddles. He didn’t have anything at the moment to add to the thoughts, since most of them sounded plausible to him. He did think certain ones deserved trying since they didn’t seem to involve putting any of them in danger.

“I like the idea of putting out the torches,” Kenji said, “temporarily of course, just to see if there are other clues hidden from us.”

If everyone is in agreement with that, he will douse his torch after having items to hand to relight it as soon as they need it again. He expects that some of the others will douse the other torches still in the walls. He waits to see if anything is visible to him in the darkness.

“Does anyone see anything?” He will ask to the blackness. If there is nothing, then he will relight his torch and then go about the room and relit the others from his own. If something is seen he will wait till they have had a chance to examine whatever it might be.

In the event they find nothing this way, or the others do not wish to try this avenue he will go on with his other thought.

“The other idea I believe should be tried,” Kenji continues, “is that Lady Althena should be the one to ask or even just ‘tell’ the thing to show us the way. Maybe asking is the wrong path, that might be the meaning of the riddle.”

The Samurai shrugs after offering his suggestions, they are just guesses since he has never been good at riddles preferring a straight up fight to all this solving puzzles and sneaking about in the dark.


(Hey if we dont get this after awhile do our Characters get some kind of wisdom roll or something, I mean my character has the high wisdom not me. )

“The question at hand is not if we should hold a handle or not but the question itself. Should it be on the weather? No, I doubt if this person… statue would remember the light of day more less the wind in his face.” A smile drifts across the face of Conall and he moves to his feet and approaches. He looks at the face; he closes one eye and trys to look past the statue, “No, sorry I can not make out your face, no mater how hard I try.” Conall then leans in and whispers to the statue but in a manner loud enough for all to hear, “I am going to think aloud to myself so the others may hear my thoughts. Some of these thoughts are going to be question but are not directed toward you or these handles.” Conall then removed a small pebble from the shoulder of the statue, “There, one should always keep oneself presentable. You never know when you might have guest.” Conall then walks slowly around the statue, looking at every detail. “To see you on the day of completion would have been a wonders event. Who made you and why I wonder?”

Divot looked at the levers and sighed. 'Well, last time the others got me out of a jam and hopefully they will this time as well. I mean if I don't give it a go thsy will just stand around and talk, talk, talk about what needs to be done. I am surprised that they managed to even start this quest without my help. Sometimes you need a person of action.' With this thought running thru his head he closed his eyes and reached out and grabbed hold of the paddles.

OOC: Assuming he doesn't drop dead immediatley.

Divot opened his eyes slowly. "Well I am still alive."

The party with ideas flying seemed to be at a standstill as to the true nature of the test before them.

“Ask a question once a day
But you’ll never get away”

The writing on the statue was clear but stumped for the moment the party found itself pondering how to ask the question, what question to ask and who should do the asking.
In the end, it was Divot who took a leap forward his daring, though foolish, Halfling nature getting the best of him once again.

Without a word, he moved to the statue and grabbed a hold of a handle in each of his hands. At once, a voice was heard coming from the mouth of the statue, yet its lips did not move.

“Ask your question as was told
I will answer they who hold
Then it will be time for you to say goodbye
As I slowly watch you die”

With the voice having spoken, it once again fell silent as with a grunt of dismayed surprise Divot found himself unable to release himself from gripping the handles before him.
As much as he struggled and the others at first watched, it was clear that Divot for the moment was somehow held.

(OOC: OK everyone there you have it short but sweet. Also let us all welcome Sneaky1 as he is now playing Divot. I’m sorry to put you in a very awkward spot right off the bat Sneaky1 but you did grab the handles . Brianna I went ahead and deleted your last post as it and Divot's joke never happened so as not to confuse the other players. Ok as normal N.P.N.S lets, ALL try to get a post in this week.)

Divot grabbed the handles and was pleasently surprised that the statue didn't kill him. He was all set to play a great prank on his friends by dropping to the floor and playing dead. There was one small problem with his plan. Try as he might, Divot could not let go of the handles. Then he heard a voice instructing him to ask his question. Suddenly his mind was filled with many questions: Why can't he let go, what does grandma put in her wonderful meat pies, did Sizzy Longfeet really find him attractive, do paladins wear underwear, how do porcupines mate? All of these and more assulted his mind. 'Careful now I must not say anything out loud that is a question.' he thought. He was all set to ask his companions for advice when he suddenly relized that might be taken as a question by the statue. After a bit of thinking he spoke "It seems I am stuck and have ben picked as the one to ask a question. Tell me what you would like me to ask."

Divot waited for a response. As more questions entered his mind he hoped his friends would be quick with aid. 'Why are yew tree not named me trees or my trees? Could he fit an entire papaya in his mouth at once? What exactly is a papaya? Why am I thinking of so many silly questions?' Divot tried hard to remind himself not to speak any of these out loud.

Once again Ulthok watches as his impetuousness brother makes a move without consulting any of the others, when he puts himself in peril that is one thing, but when his actions may put the entire party in danger that is something else, when Divot grabs the handles they hear a voice from the statue
“Ask your question as was told
I will answer they who hold
Then it will be time for you to say goodbye
As I slowly watch you die”

and this time his actions actually enrage the halfling Dam you Divot I ought to slay you myself, if you are smart you will keep quite and not ask any questions right away for I did not hear any time limit set and maybe the rest of us can come up with some kind of idea. Please just be patient for awhile.
Turning to the rest of the party he once againg speaks Well once again it seems Divot has forced our hand anyone have any ideas what to do next other than let him ask his question and see what happens next.

“We can cut his hands off. But that I feel would not sit well with you, Master Divot. No not speak a word; your hands are safe for the time being.” Conall looked at the handles more closely. “I seems there are still enough handles for us all to have one.” Conall turns to Divot, “Choose a hand and grip tightly and see if you can release the other so you might at least have one hand free.”

Cor signed, "Wonderful lad. Seems you have gotten yourself right stuck once more. Obviously you didn't do well in school for you learn slowly if at all." Shaking his head he heard Connel and had to almost laugh. "I think one casting of regeneration is more than enough for one trip thank you."

Cor returned his gaze to the stuck Divot. He couldn't resist a bit of humor, "Hang on lad, we will figure a way to get you out of this." Turning to the others he asked, "Any of you wish to grab another set of handles and see if you also get stuck?"

Niamedris quickly leaps from Haila's arms as he senses her emotions. Haila's heart pounds quickly, partly out of fear, but more out of anger. She stares ahead, with a dangerous glint in her eyes, and it almost seems as though she is forcing herself to stay calm.

"I thought," Haila says, her voice strained.

For just a moment, it appears as though Haila stops herself, but then she stomps her foot, her face livid.

"I thought you said you'd stop trying to give me a heart attack!" She finally shouts, "I swear, at this rate I'm going to have to kill you so you can stop trying to get yourself killed!"

With that outburst, Haila sighs and slumps to the floor, her head in her hands. "I can't take this..." She mutters.

Kenji watched as Divot made another foolish move and he sighed more to himself than anyone else. He overheard Conall’s comment and smirked slightly.

“I believe he can be healed once his hands are cut off,” Kenji said half jokingly, “maybe then he wont be able to get into as much trouble.

“Ask your question as was told
I will answer they who hold
Then it will be time for you to say goodbye
As I slowly watch you die”
“Well.. apparently you have to grip the handles in order to receive an answer,” the Samurai said with a shrug, “the only question really is what to ask without dying?”

Having no further suggestions to Divot’s dilemma, he stood ready with is hand on the hilt of his Katana in case they did decide to sever his hands in order to save him. He was certain that his razor sharp blade could do the trick in one clean blow.


Hearing Haila's distress he turned to her and took a couple of steps to stand next to her, he crouched down to lay a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Do not fear," he said softly, "he is not dead yet. There may still be hope."

Rayne looks to Divot stuck holding the handle on the statue. All the things she might say are left unsaid because they wouldn't help in any way. She was not given to making obvious statements. It seemed less likely now that holding onto the handle and trying to move the statue would reveal a passage, but it was not totally without merit. There were still the torches perhaps as a way. or her suggestion of trying to order the statue to transport them.

Giving it an order should not incur an penalty that asking a question did to Divot.

""Cor and Conall do either of you have guidance or divination available to you now. I did not take it, but I could pray for it after I rest." Rayne asks.

There is still the suggestions of snuffing the torches, examining the walls for secret doors by feel, or commanding, the exit to be revealed or perhaps even moving the statue by force.".

Divot swallowed hard as he heard the comments about cutting off his hands and got more than a bit nervous when Kenji's hand moved to the hilt of his blade. "Hold on a second there please. I would think you might be a bit hasty. There has to be a way out of this that ends with me havin me hands intact. I know you were just joshin good ol Divot." Silently Divot hoped that they were just kidding. One could never be quite sure when Cor was serious or joking and after the lecture he had received last time he was not sure.

With Divot hands firmly in the grip of some type of magic the question now again was what question to ask. It was Althena who brought the party back to the subject at hand.

“It is clear to me that Divot's hands will not be coming off, if they do, until a question is asked and he must be the one to ask it. So let us decide on the question he will ask and then prepare to fight whatever or whomever comes to try to kill us.”

With her words spoken she looked at the party as if urging them on to decide a question to be asked and agreed upon. They were losing too much time with 9 more tests yet before them and who knew how many enemies waited for them in the halls beyond.

(OCC: Ok sorry for the day delay but there’s the post. Hint as I said using Althena you need to figure out your question then ask it or we will be here awhile .
As for our friend Divot he is securely held by a clear glowing magical force and nothing anyone has done so far has gotten him loose. N.P.N.S or earlier if you decide on a question before then.
Good posting by everyone and a nod of my head to Sneaky1 for his mind play about what questions to ask)

Althena’s heart dropped as Divot grasped the handles. “Oh Divot”, she said in exasperation…”Why must you always charge headfirst into danger”. As he tried to break free of the hold the statue had on him, Althena’s mind raced, trying to figure out what should be done to free him, then,the thought came to her. Perhaps it didn’t matter who asked the question as long as the correct question was asked. “It is clear to me that Divot's hands will not be coming off until a question is asked and he must be the one to ask it. So let us decide on the question he will ask and then prepare to fight whatever or whomever comes to try to kill us.”

With her words spoken she looked at the party as if urging them on to decide a question to be asked and agreed upon. They were losing too much time with 9 more tests yet before them and who knew how many enemies waited for them in the halls beyond.

“Let’s go about this logically” she suggested, let’s simply inquire how to get to the next test”.

Divot stared at Althena as she spoke and then before he realized it his frustration set in and he yelled back at her. "Well pardon silly old, dumb as rocks Divot for for not thinking of something special and insightful like that 'How do we get to the next test?'

It wasn't until a moment later that he realized that he had just blurted out a question. All he could do now was hope that it had been a good one.