The intangible artifact, oddly enough, passes through partially. Abruptly, it becomes tangible, and the part still outside the door falls to the floor. The other half is nowhere to be seen, the door itself unblemished.
When Ovux touches the crest, it crumbles into nothing, the symbol transferred to his hand. The door itself pulses once with a flickering red light, then vanishes.
The room beyond the door measures at least a hundred feet across, a cavernous, rounded expanse. The door is matched by another on the opposite wall. This room, by contrast to the last, is uneven, almost cluttered. Everywhere, there are bones and scraps of armor. They are scattered carelessly along the floor, so deep that it is almost impossible to take a step without tripping. In eight places across the room, there are tall statues, each standing at ten feet in height. They depict glatorian of wildly differing builds. Each is composed of more of the seamless green material. The trait common to all of them is the state of their bodies. The armor that might once have clung to them is mostly missing, their skin deeply scarred, in places missing entirely. Each statue features a bident similar to the one in the carving from the previous room.
The first stands to the right of the door. His throat is missing, his head bent at an unnatural angle, his bident thrust through his stomach.
The second stands a bit further in, near the middle of the room. Some great trauma cleaved her, leaving a cut that seems to have nearly bisected her. Her torso has a great cleft starting above her left shoulder and terminating at her right hip, her upper body hanging awkwardly without support. Her bident rests within the cut.
The third is crumpled beneath a pillar. His right arm is missing, cleaved off at the shoulder, and his bident thrust through his head.
The fourth stands next to him, left leg missing, supported only by the spear that pierces her chest.
The fifth leans up against a wall, its spear next to it on the ground, the top of its head missing.
The sixth and seventh stand before the other door, spears driven through each other's heads.
The eighth at first seems to only be a pair of legs. However, the torso lies next to it, bident thrust through its chest. One hand is outstretched, reaching up through the pile of bones.
At the center of the room, one more statue lies toppled on the ground. However, it is very different from the others. the man depicted is still almost whole, his armor still all but intact. A light shines down on him, highlighting him alone, among his apparent peers. And unlike the others, the spear in his chest isn't made of the same material. Instead it is a metallic red.
It is in front of this statue that the cloaked form of Enryu stands, only the bones clipping through her legs giving away the fact that this is merely a projection. She stands there in silence, silently daring any to enter.
Bodayik cautiously steps in, using his mask of Scavenging to see if any of these died recently. He looks around at the statues with an unease lacking in compassion. "What happened to them, that they would do...this?"
The scan of the room returns the same as before, nothing. There is nothing in the room. Except for the picture in the middle of the room. Where the figure stands, a flickering, moving picture shows up on the scanner. It never actually seems to replay, each time being slightly different. However, there is one constant. It is a picture of Stalker holding a bident like those of the statues. Frenziedly, he drives the spear into his own body, leaving gaping holes. Finally he collapses, and is suddenly whole again. The longer Stalker watches, the closer the picture seems to grow. A loop of his own suicide playing in front of his eyes.
The red lance is a bident, identical to the others in all but color and apparent material.
Bodayik walks forward, assured that there are no deadly traps by the fact Stalker is alive. He approaches one of the statues with a shudder and examines it closely.
Last Edit: Sept 9, 2016 17:43:47 GMT -6 by Deleted
Bodayik walks forward, assured that there are no deadly traps by the fact Stalker is alive. He approaches one of the statues with a shudder and examines it closely.
He shrugs and approaches the statue with the Lance. Whatever made the toa these statues were made of commit suicide wouldn't happen to him. He grabs the lance and yanks it out of the statue's grasp.
Bodayik walks forward, assured that there are no deadly traps by the fact Stalker is alive. He approaches one of the statues with a shudder and examines it closely.
He shrugs and approaches the statue with the Lance. Whatever made the toa these statues were made of commit suicide wouldn't happen to him. He grabs the lance and yanks it out of the statue's grasp.
Ovux's eyes widen and he bolts back behind the doorway, certain that at any moment an explosive device or something will trigger.
He reasons that this vault was likely meant for containment, and judging from some of the experience he's had with female Skrall, it's likely mind-altering. Therefore, anyone affected by it would need to be terminated, rapidly and without exception.
The scan of the room returns the same as before, nothing. There is nothing in the room. Except for the picture in the middle of the room. Where the figure stands, a flickering, moving picture shows up on the scanner. It never actually seems to replay, each time being slightly different. However, there is one constant. It is a picture of Stalker holding a bident like those of the statues. Frenziedly, he drives the spear into his own body, leaving gaping holes. Finally he collapses, and is suddenly whole again. The longer Stalker watches, the closer the picture seems to grow. A loop of his own suicide playing in front of his eyes.
The red lance is a bident, identical to the others in all but color and apparent material.
"And this is why I hate people."
Stalker walks up to a spear and picks it up examining it.
Silently, the door that the group entered through disappears. Those paying attention would see the heads of the statues slowly turn to stare at Bodayik. Enryu breaks her silence.
"Intruder. You have not heeded my warnings. You have taken an artifact of Class E without authorization. You may yet save yourself, however. Simply return the lance to where you found it, and exit through the door. This need not end in blood."
A sharp whistle is the only warning as a lance of the strange green material hurtles through the air toward the toa.
Silently, the door that the group entered through disappears. Those paying attention would see the heads of the statues slowly turn to stare at Bodayik. Enryu breaks her silence.
"Intruder. You have not heeded my warnings. You have taken an artifact of Class E without authorization. You may yet save yourself, however. Simply return the lance to where you found it, and exit through the door. This need not end in blood."
A sharp whistle is the only warning as a lance of the strange green material hurtles through the air toward the toa.
Silently, the door that the group entered through disappears. Those paying attention would see the heads of the statues slowly turn to stare at Bodayik. Enryu breaks her silence.
"Intruder. You have not heeded my warnings. You have taken an artifact of Class E without authorization. You may yet save yourself, however. Simply return the lance to where you found it, and exit through the door. This need not end in blood."
A sharp whistle is the only warning as a lance of the strange green material hurtles through the air toward the toa.
Stalker looks at the twisting head he has been examining and anticipates the attack turning around and lifting up both hands holding the green lance in place with very, very powerful Telekinesis. His head slowly turns to Enryu, "I don't who you are, and honestly my care level just went down around eighty percent."
Silently, the door that the group entered through disappears. Those paying attention would see the heads of the statues slowly turn to stare at Bodayik. Enryu breaks her silence.
"Intruder. You have not heeded my warnings. You have taken an artifact of Class E without authorization. You may yet save yourself, however. Simply return the lance to where you found it, and exit through the door. This need not end in blood."
A sharp whistle is the only warning as a lance of the strange green material hurtles through the air toward the toa.
Ovux levels his Iron Blaster at Boyadik.
"PUt it back!"
...And raises his arm in Ovux's direction. The darkness coalesces around his hand, forming a shield of darkness. "Why? The only things here are that trap, the hologram, and these statues. We'll be fine, and I'll have one more good lance."
...And raises his arm in Ovux's direction. The darkness coalesces around his hand, forming a shield of darkness. "Why? The only things here are that trap, the hologram, and these statues. We'll be fine, and I'll have one more good lance."
Stalker stares at Boyadik with an open mouth, "You my friend are a moron. Never...ever...touch anything that looks important until you KNOW WHAT IT IS! HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING? CLASS B. Now A B C D E. THAT'S A FIVE LEVEL POWER SCALE!!!" Stalker breaths for a moment before continuing, "And level five, by the way she is making on about it, seems to be quite dangerous and nothing for a novice to have."
Stalker begins to look for a way out and begins to start muttering, "Why, why? Why am I stuck with a bunch of...of...of...of novices..."
...And raises his arm in Ovux's direction. The darkness coalesces around his hand, forming a shield of darkness. "Why? The only things here are that trap, the hologram, and these statues. We'll be fine, and I'll have one more good lance."
Stalker stares at Boyadik with an open mouth, "You my friend are a moron. Never...ever...touch anything that looks important until you KNOW WHAT IT IS! HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING? CLASS B. Now A B C D E. THAT'S A FIVE LEVEL POWER SCALE!!!" Stalker breaths for a moment before continuing, "And level five, by the way she is making on about it, seems to be quite dangerous and nothing for a novice to have."
Stalker begins to look for a way out and begins to start muttering, "Why, why? Why am I stuck with a bunch of...of...of...of novices..."
"So I get a lance of amazing power. Why would I ever give it up?" Bodayik points the lance over his shield and grins. "You just want it for yourself, don't you? You and your arrogance..." He swivels toward Stalker and charges...
Stalker stares at Boyadik with an open mouth, "You my friend are a moron. Never...ever...touch anything that looks important until you KNOW WHAT IT IS! HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING? CLASS B. Now A B C D E. THAT'S A FIVE LEVEL POWER SCALE!!!" Stalker breaths for a moment before continuing, "And level five, by the way she is making on about it, seems to be quite dangerous and nothing for a novice to have."
Stalker begins to look for a way out and begins to start muttering, "Why, why? Why am I stuck with a bunch of...of...of...of novices..."
"So I get a lance of amazing power. Why would I ever give it up?" Bodayik points the lance over his shield and grins. "You just want it for yourself, don't you? You and your arrogance..." He swivels toward Stalker and charges...
As one, all nine statues begin to move. They move with both a speed and precision that should really be impossible for something as horribly wounded as they appear to be. They advance from all sides, lances readied. A notable exception is the one in two pieces. This one merely drags itself forward aggressively. The hologram of Enryu chuckles darkly, drawing back her hood to reveal a skull with flames dancing where the eyes might have once been. The fire at the edges of the robe crackles higher, consuming robes, bone, and whatever might have been below. Her voice emanates from the walls, a black humor evident in it.
"I fear, intruders, that this must be a tragic parting. After all, it is the last time anyone will have seen you alive."
"So I get a lance of amazing power. Why would I ever give it up?" Bodayik points the lance over his shield and grins. "You just want it for yourself, don't you? You and your arrogance..." He swivels toward Stalker and charges...
...And gets shot in the chest by Ovux.
"We need to get out of here!"
Bodayik quickly creates some healing herbs and consumes them before patching the hole with solid shadow. He starts to turn on Ovux, but the statues start moving...