Return [To Madness]: Act 1, Scene 2

[TristenC]

Jag touches the sigil but nothing happens. He also notes it is not glowing faintly as the first sigil did when they discovered it...

Jack examines the statue further. The upraised arms appear designed to articulate from only the shoulder, as if lowering something to the ground between its feet

[Lord Torath]

Stephen wanders over to the opened secret door and looks in, trying to detect any discrepancies between what his eyes and his ears tell him, and also paying attention to his amulet.

[TristenC]

Passing into the newly revealed room, Stephen finds it to be a simple and unadorned space. The walls stand as basic stonework consistent with that of the 'temple' room (C1, with the statue) and the 'odd transport' room (A5 with the large scaled hands). The ceiling here is 15 feet high, and the area seems featureless aside from the banded door to the East. Keeping a close touch on his medallion raises no alarm as he makes his rounds of the room (no traps indicated on any surface since the Talisman's range is easily within reach of all the walls, floor, ceiling and door).

From his proximity and examination he can pick out some odd markings on the door and the wall itself. The banded blue metal is covered with faintly carved tiny runes of myriad nature. His own long adventuring career is enough to indicate that at least those he is familiar with are magical, and some sort of either protective or preventative nature. As his close inspection draws him nearer the door, he finds the East wall itself is likewise covered with similar runes, though the dull appearance of the stone hides them more easily from casual sight than the polished metal...

[Lord Torath]

Stephen sends a mental summons to Jag and Ke'Sha. <I think there are magical sigils on the walls of this alcove. Would you care to take a look?> He sends a mental image of what he's seen to both of them. <Master Jagrinder, do these look priestly or wizardly? And do you think Mistress Allikhain might be able to add any insights?>

[Nocturno]

"I will be right there." Watching what they are doing around the statue, Jag walks over to the new room.
He will take a look at the runes.

[TristenC]

The myriad minute runes comprise a variety of Arcane and Divine traditions, including some that are not familiar to the mage-priest. The bulk of the ones he recognizes seem to be powerful Protection and Alteration magics; likely intended to prevent bypassing the wall or door itself.

Allikhain joins them at the wall, examining the symbols as well. It seems someone has gone to great lengths to isolate this area from anyone without the proper key... I doubt any but the most powerful magics has even a chance to breach it. She muses.

[Lord Torath]

“So we're back to needing more 'tattoos' to continue?”

[TristenC]

Not necessarily... Allikhain replies. The passage revealed after we found the first simply did not exist, as our experiments with Binky demonstrated. This exists, but is merely protected; albeit with powerful magics. Though finding a key for it may prove just as troublesome unless we find some creative way to defeat it. She adds, thoughtfully