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(catching up...)

As the advance party prepares to leave the cavern and follow the tunnel where Bolg's sled escaped, a soft rumbling begins to sound from the foggy alcove where Morgause was working her magic. For Fibble and those nearby, they now feel an intense cold as the Winter Witch's incantations grow louder and more forceful.

The figures of men clearly form within the icy walls of the cavern and Morgause's bejeweled forehead starts to glow with a mesmerizing intensity. The mist around her begins to swirl and an other-worldly wind catches her dress and long raven locks. The Seer's sapphire crackles with electrical energy that soon fills the alcove. Blackish-blue bolts of lightning stream from the Winter Witch's forehead and strike the mounds of ice, cracking the cavern walls in the process. Then one by one, figures emerge from the ice. There are ten of them in all. The figures stand almost seven feet tall. They look like men, covered in icy armor, jagged spikes protruding from their shoulders, arms and legs. Their features are hidden beneath frozen helms. Within their chests are hearts made of glowing blue ice that flicker like twinkling stars. In each of their hands are weapons made entirely of black ice. Some wield swords and the rest carry spears that look like giant craggy icicles.

Morgause walks to her creations and speaks to them in the Valkin'vi tongue. The Frost Knights seem to understand her orders and begin to march behind the Seer out of the alcove. Four of the ten Frost Knights line up, rank and file, and then proceed to the side of the cave were Kaylan and the elven prisoners will remain.

"These Frost Knights will protect you until our return," says the Winter Witch. "The rest shall come with us as surely more Depraved await beyond that tunnel."

Again Morgause utters some commands and the remaining six Frost Knights do her bidding. Three of the ice creatures surround the Seer. She instructs another to protect Kami and another to march alongside Paer'an even though she knows the Lightning Rider is more than capable of protecting himself. Having first safeguarded her Valkin'vi kin, Morgause then commands the last Frost Knight to stay close to Khorvalis. She remembers how the druid saved her life and knows that his healing magic will be needed in the confrontation to come.

The Winter Witch collects the tomes left behind by Bolg and his grunts as well as a few shards of the green metal. She next wraps them in some rags before putting them in a bag. She hands the package to the Frost Knight at her side, recalling Khorvalis' warning to Gondowon.

Proud of her handiwork and confident in her protective measures, Morgause calmly proceeds down the tunnel to join the rest of the heroes scouting ahead.

Entering the new area, Nellie heads to where she's naturally drawn - the forge. She pockets a few of the ingots for later study. The flame mesmerizes her for a bit, but once she sees and hears it looking and whispering back she wrinkles her nose and turns to the forge's tools, putting her hands on them and concentrating, bringing them up to the light for a better look.

Once done with the forge, she makes her way to the metal doors blocking the sluices. "Yes, down the middle. The tracks are fairly obvious. But the puzzle to open this... We'll need that living blue fire to solve it. A certain number of candles will need to be placed in each of the sun, moon, and star symbols, lit with the blue fire. My first instinct is to put five in the sun, nine in the moon, and eleven in the star, but my first instincts are almost always wrong."

Frustrated as she usually is by puzzles, she hears Khorvalis' shout. Concerned, she heads over and attempts to free the middle figure, bashing the ice with her hammer. Out falls another elven corpse, dressed in archaic rags, a frozen locket around its neck-

-which springs into action, startling Nellie. She gasps and backpedals, swinging her hammer around in a funny looking circle that seems to be aiming at its legs. It jumps to avoid the blow, but Nellie deftly turns her wrists and drives the hammer up at the bottom of the arc, striking the undead elf most effectively below the belt. It gurgles and drops to the side, twitching one last time.

Scowling, Nellie bends over and retrieves the odd looking necklace by using a corner of her surcoat to scoop it up. "Since the one Khorvalis freed wasn't undead, this might have been animating the corpse. Necromancers love using amulets as focuses." She hovers a hand over it at first, then narrows her eyes and gets out a magnifying glass to search for any inscriptions on the metal. "If someone else would like to get the third person free? I'm really not interested in having undead trying to attack me. Also, if anyone wants to try resurrecting these people, the ice may have preserved them enough for successful resurrection."

Finished for now with her study of the locket, she pockets the item and heads over to the torture corner, inspecting the area hesitantly. "There's a key hole here underneath the table. Though if we've got a trap master with us, they should probably inspect it for traps should we recover the key." She looks grimly at the top of the table. "This has been used recently. I could probably get us more information, but I don't really want to go through that unless everybody thinks its necessary."

(OOC: Spot and Sense Magic on the forge tools. Combat - Total 13= Gear +1 Feint +2 Dice +5 +5. Spot and Sense Magic on the Frozen Necklace.)

The female Valkin'Vi in the purple robe takes in the scene. She tilts her head at the blue flame for a moment before it is released from the forge. She watches it dance around the room... until her eyes come across the table. She freezes for a moment, eyes continually locked on the bloody tables and tools.

She darts over to one of the crumbled furnaces, grabs a large piece of the broken off stone, and runs toward the tables. Her teeth are clenched, eyes intent on the target, as she begins using the stone to smash the tools she finds.

Morgause is all but amused at Fibble as he tries to grasp at the floating blue flame.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with fire, Guthrie?" she scolds Fibble. "This is not the time for games. Magic must be treated with respect and the utmost of care."

The Seer steps closer to the forge and gazes into its strange flames. As she extends her arm towards the fire she says curiously, "This fire burns cold... It does not emit heat yet it can still be used to shape the green metal."

Morgause gently runs her fingers over the ingots of jade metal and then picks one up. She holds it up to the light to examine it better when she is startled by something clanging in the distance. She sees Kami smashing the tools of torture. Relieved that it wasn't a lurking Depraved, Morgause sets down the green ingot and again turns her attention back to the forge.

The Winter Witch conjures a handful of snow mixed with ice in her palm and then carefully sprinkles it into the forge. Immediately the blue flame dances and lets out a high pitched sound, as if the fire itself was screaming. Strangely enough, the Seer is not frightened by the crying flames. She continues peering into the forge as if studying it.

Her concentration is soon interrupted as she hears the cracking of ice and a loud commotion to her left. As she turns her head, she catches Nellie Duncan being attacked by a frozen elven corpse. Before Morgause can react, Nell makes quick work of the undead and then makes her way to the puzzle on the floor.

Morgause decides to ignore the last corpse trapped within the ice and instead steps closer to Nellie to investigate and see what the Craftswoman has to say about the puzzle.

Even with the advice that Nellie gives, Morgause squints her eyes at the images on the floor with frustration. A sun, the moon and a star... astrological signs that are all too familiar to the Weather Witch... but taken out of context, the Seer cannot surmise what to do with them.

Morgause picks up one of the candles in her left hand and uses her right to gently retrace the mysterious sigils on the ground. As she does so, the Winter Witch's eyes begin to close...

The old man walks over to Fibble and kindly pats the Guthrie on the head. He grins and whispers something to Fibble.

Their conversation is cut short as Nellie dispatches the undead elf. Khorvalis immediately leaps up to see if his friend is hurt. Nellie is unscathed though and the druid lets out a sigh of relief.

As Nellie points out that there is a keyhole hidden by the anvil, Khorvalis replies: "I found a key on the corpse of the first elf. It fell out of its pocket when I freed it from the ice... But you are correct and ever so cautious, dear Nellie. Perhaps we should check to see if the lock is trapped before we see if this key fits."

The Hierophant looks at the Guthrie, "I think this would be something out little friend here can help us out with. What do you say, Fibble?"

Nellie blinks, then waves a hand irritably. "Of course I try to be cautious, though Kaylan would say otherwise. I love knowledge, the pursuit of it, ands its applications to sorting problems out. Being dead would stop all that."

She gives the torture table the keyhole is under a speculative look. "I'd really rather not experience what happened here," she says with a shiver, waving down at it as Kami continues trying to break everything around her. She looks back to where the last icy hand is reaching out. "On the other hand, it might be beneficial to try and find out why they did that."

Grimacing and bracing herself, Nellie leans forward and touches the table. Closing her eyes, she starts to concentrate, pushing her mental awareness outside of herself to see what she can pick up.

(OOC: Touched on the torture table.)

"Bernie, you stay here. I think they want me to look at something over there. Stay, Bernie. Stay."

Fibble saunters over to the torture table and examines the keyhole.
[Spot + Pick Lock + Locksmith + Remove Trap]

The gargoyle looms over the torture table. the smell of blood and the taint of old pain. The creature picks up the table hurls the thing across the room where it smashes against the wall with a horrible crash and it explodes into a million pieces.

{The puzzle is borrowed form a book called Destiny Quest: heart of fire by Michael J. Ward by the way. A great choose your own adventure book, if you get a chance to check it out.}

The willow wisp of blue flame (i.e. “Bernie”) dances around the room, too hot to touch, tantalizingly out of reach. It giggles and singes Fibble’s hair. When the gargoyle disenchants it, the wisp howls, but it does not disappear or stop moving. It stays well away from the gargoyle after that.

Pick locks doesn’t work on the keyhole, but the key Khorvalis has found does. Inside the cubby in the floor is an odd crystal vial covered in cobwebs.

When Nellie touches the bloody torture equipment she freezes in a trance. I’ll let her describe what happens.

There is suddenly a knocking at the door over the left most sluice, and with a thud the chute opens and a Depraved comes crawling up out of the hole. You are about to attack, but pause when you see It’s severally injured, pulling itself along from one rock to the next. It’s wearing a green collar, and its shape is so hideous you’re hard pressed to tell if it was once male or female. When it gets to the top, it stands, out of breath.

“Don’t just stand there,” it says. “Get to work on that damn puzzle!”

Laurel raises his pickaxe, threateningly. “We don’t take orders from your kind anymore.”

Upon seeing the elf, the Depraved is momentarily speechless. Then it snaps: “I’m not like the rest, you idiot. Yes, physically, I’ve changed, I’m no longer an elf, but my brain hasn’t been all screwed up, yet. Well, mostly.”

It avoids Laurel’s eyes and stares at the torture equipment instead, pleased with what Kami and the gargoyle have done. “I’ve managed to weather most of what they did to me. Still, I think they were about to get serious when Bolg showed up, and they all fled down that middle sluice instead. I managed to unstrapped myself from that table," it shutters and points to the torture equipment, "but I couldn’t figure out that damn puzzle for the doors. I think elves used it to test apprentices in this stupid forge ages ago. Got the left door open by sheer luck. Thought it’d lead me to Bolg too. It…well, it didn’t. Don’t go down there.”

The Depraved introduces itself as Nibenwen. Apparently, it is female. She’s evasive about how long she’s been down here, though. “Oh, you know, about 50 years or so,” she says.

When you try and remove her collar, she refuses. “No. They made a big mistake with me, and they don’t know it. I mastered empathic magic when I was younger, and this baby boosts those powers. Usually, they avoid putting it on people like that. I could’ve removed it myself ages ago, but I need the power. I’ve been trying to bust people out from the inside for quite a while. Just got myself moved here last week. These ice caves are the center of all their operations. Bolg is about to do something big. Some ritual. They haven’t got much that’s usable of that green metal, even with all their excavating; and it takes ages to change people’s appearance, and sometimes just as long to change their minds through torture. They’re looking for a punishment that’s quicker, and I fear they may have found it, finally.”

She moves to the number puzzle, batting the willow wisp out of her face. “We need to figure this out, and fast. Any of you got a solution? How many candles in each spot? If you’ve got an idea, try it!”

Also, the door to the left sluice closes again after a bit. They appear to be on a timer.

Despite the commotion happening about the room, Morgause continues to trace her fingers along the runes upon the floor. Her sapphire glows a bright white and then the Seer stands up to join Khorvalis at the cubby underneath one of the torture tables.

"Hierophant, I have peered into the past and I do believe I know how to begin this puzzle," Morgause tells the druid as she motions him to pass him the crystal vial. Khorvalis follows suit and gives the vial to Morgause.

Cautiously, the Winter Witch approaches the forge and slowly holds the crystal vial into the blue fire. As she does so, the flames begin to sway in beautiful patterns. Morgause then gazes at "Bernie" the wisp, removing the vial from the forge.

Moving her finger with a beckoning motion, Morgause calls out to Bernie, "Wisp, come to me..."

Surprisingly, the blue wisp does as it is told and starts to playfully prance around the Seer as a puppy would with its master. The Winter Witch's cold demeanor is melted by this affectionate display. Morgause fights back a smile but cannot resist expressing her amusement. The Valkin'vi even lets out a soft giggle as Bernie flits around her, his cool flames caressing her cheek.

"As the Guthrie has already given you a name, we shall call you Bernie," Morgause says while glancing at Fibble. "Now Bernie, we need your help..."

Morgause begins placing several red candles onto the puzzle on the floor. 8 on the sun's circle, 2 for the moon's and 5 candles in the space for the star... a candle for each point on each symbol.

"I do not know if this is the correct combination, but it's worth a try." She looks at the wisp, " Bernie please light these candles... unless you would know better as to where to place the them on the puzzle."

(If Bernie does not reply as to a better placement, then let him light the candles and let's see what happens)

((And if that first combination doesn't work, Morgause will light only one candle in the Moon spot and clear off the others... she explains that since they need to go down the middle chute, perhaps we should light the middle symbol to open the door... if one candle in the Moon spot doesn't work, she will continue to add another candle, then another to the Moon spot until someone can suggest another combination))

After handing Morgause the crystal vial, Khorvalis lets the Seer work on the puzzle and immediately hobbles to Nibenwen. He does what he can to heal the injured woman before asking...

"What is this punishment that you speak of? What plans does Bolg have for the rest of the captives?"

The druid looks at Laurel then back at Nibenwen, "Have you seen an elven woman named Alea taken prisoner? Why... err, how did you get here?"

Almost forgetting to breathe, the druid continues: "I apologize for so many questions, but we are at a loss for information and do not know what to do or why we are here."

Frustration momentarily washes over the venerable Ga'vin but Khorvalis manages to compose himself, "Until we can solve this puzzle and open the doors to the sluice, Nibenwen, you must let us know what you can so that we better know what evils we are up against."

Mahto stands in the back of the room with his arms crossed, puzzles aren't his "thing." Though a smile slips into his stern face as the torture tools are destroyed. He mutters something to Zandron and they both have a chuckle, Gondowon, no doubt, stands near them.

(sorry for not posting often, just got back from a trip to Chicago, and now I'm pretty busy, but I'll keep catching up)