"Well pardon silly old, dumb as rocks Divot for not thinking of something special and insightful like that “
“How do we get to the next test?”

“BY SURVIVING THIS ONE” The stature stated at once and with the question asked and answered, it began to slightly change.

Its eyes, mouth and ears all at the same time slowly opened to reveal black holes from which within seconds a thick heavy greenish/yellow vapor began to pour out. The weight of the vapor carrying it to the statues base where it slowly started to spread across the floor and as it gained mass, rise. Divot to his dismay found that though the question had been asked/answered his hands were still held tight upon the handles in what now was clearly a magical death grip.

The party faced now with the second part of the statues rhyme had only moments to decide their next course of action........

(OOC: Ok round 1 has started, though this is not combat per say, I will run the next posts as if you were for the purposes of actions. I will still be posting Sat so get your actions in quickly. Good luck)

"Plug the holes!" Cynil yells, pulling off her cloak and grabbing out her dagger cuts off bits to stuff into the holes.

A sickening vapor began to pour forth from the statue as soon as the question was asked.

Althena knew as did the others this could not be good. Thinking quickly, Cynil yelled "Plug the holes!" as she pulled off her cloak and began cutting off pieces with her dagger to stuff into the stautes openings.

The greenish hued mist began to rise as Althena yelled to the others to hold their breath as long as possible. Divot, still steadfastly attached to the statue struggled more as Althena tried to pull his hands from the statue. With no success and feeling responsible for this predicament she suddenly grasped another set of handles, hoping her action might inhibit the gaseous deluge.

The thick, green, dense gas shifting toward Haila quickly snaps her out of her train of thought. She leaps to her feet, which isn't easy to do when your cat chooses that point in time to pounce upon you to take it to safety. After a bit of struggling, Haila manages to balance Niamedris in her arms as she thinks about how to mend the situation...

Well, I'll give this a try. She thinks to herself.

Haila quickly weaves her free hand in the air, all the while murmuring fervently under her breath. But, whether anything would happen she had no clue.

"You know, I think we're going to die." Niamedris thinks.

"You've thought that before and we lived." Haila admonishes.

"Yeah, but only because I got a sausage." Niamedris returns.

Haila rolls her eyes, nearly losing the spell she was trying to cast. Of all the times to think of food... still, she should've expected it by now.

((Targeted Dispel Magic on the statue))

As Divot inadvertently blurts out a question , and although it seemed it may be a good one, it does not have the desired effect. The statue changes slightly and a thick heavy greenish/yellow vapor began to pour out. The weight of the vapor carrying it to the statues base where it slowly started to spread across the floor and as it gained mass, rise.

So this vapor is heavier than air at least we can see it coming at us. As everyone starts yelling out ideas about what to do Ulthok tries to calmly assess the situation. The vapor seems to be rising rather fast and they must act pretty soon but what to do. He thinks about what the statue had said to Divot after he grab hold of the handles “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”
Ulthok quickly runs through the poem once more looking for anything that may help and he only comes across one thing and it is probably grasping at straws but he will mention it enemies and see what reaction he gets. I don't know if this means anything Alpaca Blurts out to the group but I notice in the little speech the statue gave when Divot grab the handles that in the first 2 lines Ask your question as was told , and, I will answer they who hold you notice it is addressing in the plural they who hold as in all of us. Then in the last part when talking about dying it says then it will be time for you to say good-bye as I slowly watch you die . It seems it changed to speak directly to Divot holding the handles. Now this is just a wild guess and it could cost us all our lives which doesn't seem to far off right now , but maybe the answer is that all of us do need to be grasping a handle and since there are more of us than handles for each of us to grab 2 each of us can only grab 1 and if this is correct it was probably Althena who should be holding 2 handles not Divot so if we decide to try this I suggest that she stand next to Divot in case one of his hands should come free.

The only other thing I could do is cast my rope trick spell which would allow 8 of us the climb into an extradimensional space for a period of time which would keep us safe for a time but we would have to leave Divot stuck here , and for some reason I believe that the answer to any one of these puzzles will not involve the sacrifice of one of our own. With all that spoken he looks from face to face and waits for anyone of them to speak up and either agree or not and to go into action.

Cor listened as Divot spoke and knew that his inadvertant question bode ill for them all. The others gave ideas, some verbal and others by actions. Running thru his list of spells, Cor realized he had nothing useful for this situation. Having heard no better idea than that of grabbing a handle he did just that. "Well lad, if I see Odin today I will put in a good word for ya. At the heart of it all you are brave: foolhardy at times but brave none the less."

"Well pardon silly old, dumb as rocks Divot for not thinking of something special and insightful like that “

“How do we get to the next test?”

“BY SURVIVING THIS ONE” The stature stated at once and with the question asked and answered, it began to slightly change.

Its eyes, mouth and ears all at the same time slowly opened to reveal black holes from which within seconds a thick heavy greenish/yellow vapor began to pour out. The weight of the vapor carrying it to the statues base where it slowly started to spread across the floor and as it gained mass, rise. Divot to his dismay found that though the question had been asked/answered his hands were still held tight upon the handles in what now was clearly a magical death grip.
Kenji raised an eyebrow as Divot did something that seemed even more foolhardy than his last action. When the stature spoke and then began to belch green vapor he took a step back though he was already one of the furthest from the statue.

He listened as the other’s starting yelling ideas and suggestions. He doubted that plugging the holes would stop the vapor in time to save them all. He watch incredulously as Althena grabbed another pair of handles, as others attempted magic, as Ulthok suggested they all grabbed handles and Cor took up the suggest shortly after it was suggested.

The Samurai didn’t know what to make of this whole thing; it seemed as if they were all going to die right here and in short order. But having no fear of dying, the Samurai had no other suggestions himself so he stepped forth as he took a deep breath. Concentrating his Chi deep inside to allow him to hold his breath as long as possible. He stepped up and reached out with his left hand and grasped one of the highest handles he could reach. His other hand rested on the hilt of his katana as he waited to see if the others followed suit or if they all began to die. If he were a gambling man, he would bet that they would be stuck there while the no doubt poisonous gas killed them all.

(Edited to correct some major spelling errors. I must have been tired when I wrote that! )

With the mouth, eyes and ears of the statue open and pouring out gas the party had to act fast, and Cynil was the first to do so.

Ripping off her cloak of Elvinkind, she brought forth, one of her +3 daggers and started cutting it into shreds, then plugging the shreds into the gas pouring holes. Though it slowed the amount of gas gushing forth, it did not stop it and the party felt the first effects of its nature as they breathed it and damage was taken.

As Althena yelled for all to grasp the handles, Ulthok at almost the same time suggesting the same, Haila cast Dispel Magic upon the statue itself. At once Divot was free his hands once again his own. For a few moments after Divot was released the gas seemed to slow then all who had followed Althena and Ulthok’s advice and grabbed the handles found themselves magically held tight, the gas flowing stronger as if powered by the number of hands holding handles.

The gas quickly now filled the room and every breath taken was full of it, the party where they before had a few minutes to live, now only had seconds..........

(OOC: OK everyone took 10 points of damage this round but due to the fact that the gas now encloses the whole room you will start taking 20 points per round till of course dead. As I understand it at this time Althena, Ulthok, Kenji and Cor are all holding handles and are as such magically held.
While Conall, Haila, Divot, Cynil and Rayne are not and as such, free to act.
DM as you cut your cloak of Elvinkind to pieces it is no longer usable and I will remove it from your sheet.
Ok N.P.N.S good luck.)

Rayne mind whirled as she processed the ramification of the situation; it was a dire there was not doubt. The poison gas would eventually kill then all and she couldn't throw enough spells to keep them alive.

Rayne's mind went over and over the slues they have read or had been spoken to them. Her idea of holding onto the handles to move it would have gotten them all stuck there. Had she carried through with that all of them would have been stuck. She went back to the first clue. The scones were not movable so what was. what was the key to unlocking this puzzle.

Remember what the magic mouths told them she focuses on the later part of it. She thought might now some clues.

"Rembeber what the madic mouth said." Rayne c=alls out

"Black, red, yellow, white
What is wrong, yet what is right
Is it up, is it down, is it all around
Is it real or is it false, a mirror image
can you find the truth inside the illusion
that you call your life.”

Quickly looking around, Rayne searches for something black red yellow and white, those specific colors. perhaps tiles in the floor. or a place on the walls or ceiling.

"All of us how are free thry something. Those that are stuick see if you can lift the statue ando move it. Prehaps it hides an exit."

Meanwhile her eyes survey the room carefully

"I am looking for somethign black, red yellow and white, it was part of what the the magic mouth said before we got to this room.

"Someone try to command thw statue and see it it responds to that like open the exit."

"Alright, this time no one grab the handles!" Haila calls in between coughs and attempts not to breathe.

Once more, Haila weaves her free hand in the air, trying her best not to disrupt the pattern with her coughing. Her body felt slightly heavier, as though she were underwater and trying to move. The vocal component had to be said, and so, trying to get a clear, sufficient breath with which to use, Haila murmurs the spell, making sure to enunciate her voice carefully in spite of the gas around her, making breathing difficult.

((Alright, let's try this again: targeted dispel magic on the statue))

Conall steps up from his silence as all has unfolded so quickly and nothing seems to be working. As the Lady Haila calls between coughs He takes Cor’s axe from his side, “If I may for just one second brother?”
Once more, Haila weaves her free hand in the air, trying her best not to disrupt the pattern with her coughing. Conall thinks to himself, ‘Odin, see her words true.’
Her body seemed to move as if some forced moved around it. Then the words came from heavy lungs, “What was once said let it be undone.”
In the seconds between movement, jesters, and magic Conall spoke so all could hear whispering the words he just heard, “Let it be undone,” he stepped from his place behind the Lady Haila, the great Norris axe lifted high over right shoulder ready to fall cleanly upon the head of the statue, “How can one see if you have no eyes to see with?” Conall then held fast and under his breath said a silent prayer, ‘Odin with the words of magic or by the steel of axe let your will be done. Let my eyes see the magic work or steady my hands so they may do your will.’ With that Conall stood and watched for something to change or he would swing.

Kenji sighed and then coughed as he tried to keep the gas from filling his lungs. He hadn’t expected this to work, but he had to attempt to help in this for he knew nothing of such things. Oh for a real foe to strike out against with his blade. Why cant some of these challenges be ones where you had to defeat some opponent in combat? Why did they always have to be some riddle, puzzle, or some other thing which killed you without a real chance of victory?

He listened as the others as they voice other options, with his left hand stuck to the statue all he can do is wait and try not to breath too deeply the poisonous fumes.

"Alright, this time no one grab the handles!" Haila calls in between coughs
Kenji nods, vowing that if Haila manages to get the magical hold on them to set them free he will definitely not grab those handles again.

He hears Lady Rayne’s words about moving the statue and while he waits, he attempts to move the statue via the single handle that he holds. If something does move he will announce it, if not as he suspects he will wait for hopeful release soon before they all die.

'Well now seems our places are switched Cor. Divot free and you stuck fast to the statue that had caught me. Who is the silly one now?' At least those were the words Divot thought to himself. In a rare moment where his mind kicked in before his mouth moved he thought better than to taunt one of the members of the party who had and could once again save his life.

Besides he was too busy coughing from the choking gas to actually speak.

So as most of the group take Ulthoks idea to heart they find out it was not such a good idea for now all who grab hold are now stuck and the gas continues to pour out. Still having one hand free as Halia starts to cast her second dispel on the statue Ulthok prepares to try and cast his rope trick . Using his free hand he pulls the length of rope from his spell pouch used for this spell. Concentrating as best he can under the circumstances he waits briefly to see if Halias spell will free his other hand . If he is freeded he will at once cast his spell to create the extra-dimensional space even though he knows not all of them will be able to climb in at least maybe he can save Althena and a few others who may be able to move on from here.

As he is stuck to the statue he runs over the rhyme once more in his head having no other ideas and looking like their quest may just end with their very first test Ulthok decides to take the magic mouths rhyme and pose it as a question to the statue what's to lose at this point so he does. Facing the statue he starts "Black, red, yellow, white
What is wrong, yet what is right
So Is it up, or is it down, or is it all around
So Is it real or is it false, is it a mirror image
what is the truth inside the illusion
that we call our life.” Then he waits depending on what happens in the next second he will make his choice to his next move.

With only seconds between two actions half the party found themselves magically held, the other half free to act.

Rayne started replaying the first magic mouths words in her mind and repeating them aloud as the gas caused her more damage.

Ulthok taking up the same mantra phrased the magic mouth’s words as a question to the statue, with no reply or change in its pouring of gas. Coughing and slowly dying he took more damage from the gas.

Conall drawing Cor’s axe from the magically held dwarf’s side stood as if ready to batter and chop the statue into rubble but hearing Haila begin a new casting held his ground, his body taking more damage as his lungs strained to breathe.

With the rest of the members scrambling to get free or thinking of something to help, it came down to one young lady and a very simple spell. With the words spoken through her coughs Haila once again cast a second Dispel Magic upon the statue itself and as it had with Divot so it was with Cor, Althena and the rest as they were freed from the magical hold upon them.

But not only were the friends freed but so to did the gas stop spewing out of the clogged holes and did slowly start to return from wherever it had first come. In only a matter of minutes the gas was gone, the rooms air was breathable, and an open door was found on the North wall, a long hallway beyond.

(OOC: Ok everyone took another 20 hit points of damage for a total of 30 hit points each. but other then that you have no lasting effects from the gas. The hallway to the North is wide enough for only 1 person at a time so decide your order of march very careful. Congrats, 1 test down, 9 to go. Muhahahahahahahaha N.P.N.S)