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The Ancient General's tomb has been up in the hills for a long time, so long that no-one remembers how long. As long as it's been there, occasional expeditions have ventured to plunder its treasures. None have returned. Old women speak of howling ghosts that haunt the entrance passage, and local youth dare each other to spend moonless nights on the narrow ledge outside the entrance.

Maybe you will be the first to enter and escape the mysterious tomb.

It has been an arduous trip up from the nearest village to the narrow ledge, on a cool and cloudy afternoon that turned to drizzle toward sunset. Now you stand at the arched entrance to the tomb, fumbling to light your torches. You see writing around the arch.

As the others take care of their torches, Elzarune walks over to the entrance to study the writing etched into the arch.

Elzarune is educated but the writing is ancient. 3d6 for trait: [1d6] = 3,[1d6] = 4,[1d6] = 4. He stares at it for a few moments in the flickering torchlight, but even though a few runes are familiar, the overall inscription is incomprehensible. There's a lot of it, that's for sure.

Wraith shields his torch from the drizzle as best he's able, striking flint to steel until it catches in the oil-soaked rags and flickers to pallid life. After a few moments, it blazes brightly enough to brave the rain and he rises, raising the torch toward the runes inscribed on the entrance.

Raindrops crackle and hiss as they spatter into the yellow flame. Wraith looks from the yawning portal to his companions. "No time like the present, hey?"

Sealgair

As Elzarune and Wraith busy themselves Sealgair searches around for any evidence of small animals living nearby.
Search [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 1

In beastspeak. Waves some morsels around from her pack. Beastspeak [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 2

Grax Greybeard watches the others busying themselves holds his torch. He walks over to Elzarune "So what's it say? Can ya read it Elzarune?" the dwarf says eyeing the writing himself and holding his torch closer to the entrance of the tomb as he waits.

GreyWolfVT wrote:Grax Greybeard watches the others busying themselves holds his torch. He walks over to Elzarune "So what's it say? Can ya read it Elzarune?" the dwarf says eyeing the writing himself and holding his torch closer to the entrance of the tomb as he waits.

Elzarune turns to look at Grax. "Unfortunately, no. I have studied a few of the ancient languages used in this area, but this one is from a dialect which I am unfamiliar with. I fear we must wander in without an help from the architects."

Wraith turns back to the door as if to head in, but pauses and takes a last look at those runes. "I've crawled a few dungeons," he mutters. "Maybe I've seen their like before. Worth a try, at least." He squints and runs his fingers across them as he reads.

[1d6] = 5, [1d6] = 6, [1d6] = 2

Wraith's perusal proved more fruitful than did Elzarune's review. Much of the script was familiar to him by rote: a commonplace disclaimer inscribed by the architects of deadly edifices, warning all comers of risks inherent to entry and occupancy. "By entering I do accept the dangers herein, disclaiming all complaints against the builder and the proprietor for injuries intentional or accidental ... Keep your limbs clear of moving structures ... " From that he was able to puzzle out many other phrases in a long-dead dwarven dialect. Now this was interesting, it appeared to read "... the pattern of radial corridors randomly oscillates ..." And also "... the clockwork ... are controlled by the ... in ..." that last phrase incomprehensible.

Grax scratches his beard a moment furrowing his brow he gives trying to read the words for the heck of it.

[1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 3 [1d6] = 5

Further inquiry elicits no further information, and the troupe continue into the low arched tunnel, its ceiling a segment of a circle about ten feet across and two feet high, the sidewalls about six feet high. Your torch flames flicker and waver against the ceiling close above your heads; soot marks show where previous entrants have passed with their lights.

The passage continues forward far enough that your torches no longer illuminate the entrance archway. Then it bends to the right and continues onward until the torchlight barely covers the bend behind you. Here there is a second bend, back to the left, and a broad platform about twenty feet side to side and ten feet from the passage to ... a blank wall.

No, a wall with writing on it, writing which is moving slowly to your left.

Grax moves his face closer noticing the writing he gets a puzzled look and turns back looking at the others "What's up with that eh? Ain't never seen writing do that before."

Sealgair

"perhaps it is following us?"

Wraith glances behind them at the passage they just exited to ascertain if the platform upon which they stand is rotating. Either way, he ducks cautiously forward to take a crack at reading the writing.

[1d6] = 2, [1d6] = 3, [1d6] = 4

Unfortunately, Wraith can't decipher any of this writing. He does notice that the entire wall - not just the writing - is sliding slowly to the left. It's moving at about half a walking pace.

Elzarune moves forward and tries to read the writing.

Reading (Educated): [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 1

Aware that the floor is moving, Elzarune will scribble the writing into his notebook for future reference as well.

The platform where you stand is stationary. At least you feel no motion. The wall, however, does seem to be moving. There is a gap of several inches width and unknown depth between the platform and the wall. Like the wall, the gap is curved with its convex surface toward you.

The writing says in several languages "Mind the Gap Please." Also, "Wait: six minutes."

A grinding noise emanates from the gap. The wall shudders and stops moving. Your torches flicker.

After about a minute there is a new grinding noise. The wall shakes and starts moving slowly to the left again.

Do you do anything?

Time passes ... the wall glides to the left ...

... a narrow dark line appears at the right edge of the wall. It runs up the wall about seven feet from the level of the platform where you stand.

The line widens, fairly quickly, into an arched opening about ten feet wide and eight feet high, which moves to the middle of the platform. There is another shaking and another grinding noise, and an arched passage rests before you. It stretches forward, dark, dank ... you hear a distant moaning from somewhere beyond the visible part of the passage.

You estimate you might have only about a minute before the structure starts to move again. What do you do?

Sealgair

"Move!" She rushes through the arch.