The stone continues

Okay, thanx K T

IC>

StoneRock-"Not to ruin this nice moment, but I suggest we move on. Time is precious in these perilous times, and my people need me. Now which way should we go?"

Sir Jorlon-"StoneRock is right. Jah'zuer, you know this place best, which way should we go?"

Jah'zuer-"Well, I should of told you this earlier. Both paths lead to the Pool of Many Colors. But, both paths have a challenge. If you take the left, you will face a creature of pure physical strength, and its immune to magic. The Right leads to a Magical Creature, that can only be hurt by magic."

Sir Jorlon-"Well, that certainly was unexpected."

[K T Ong]

(ooc ~ I actually meant for Jah'zuer to have stayed behind at the white temple, but never mind... )

IC> "What types of creatures are they, Jah'zuer?" asked Sir Morgeruat. "Do you know?"

"From what I've heard from other astral travellers," replied Jah'zuer, "the creature occupying the left-hand tunnel is a diamond golem who cannot be hurt by magic at all, only physical blows. To the right would be a higher air elemental for whom the reverse is true. Mind you, both can take and inflict enormous amounts of punishment."

"So we'll have to fight one of them?" asked Ghzarbanan.

"I said 'challenge' earlier," corrected Jah'zuer. "It need not be a fight. Each of the guardians will actually give you a puzzle or riddle. If you can solve the puzzle or riddle correctly, the guardian will let you through. If not, you'll not be allowed to pass unless you can defeat him in battle."

"Which one's riddles are easier?" asked Rufus with a grin.

Jah'zuer smiled at the mageling's sheer naivete. "They're equally difficult," he replied.

"So which shall it be, then?" asked Khadgar. "The diamond golem, or the air elemental?"

"You can always try one's riddles first, then the other's," said Jah'zuer.

"All right, then," said Sir Jorlon, "what say you all if we try the right-hand tunnel first? I've always wanted to know how an air elemental looks like, besides..."

"We might as well," said Magnus.

"Seems all right with me," nodded Chun-Li.

"Okay, then, let's go!" said StoneRock.

********************************

They travelled up the tunnel to the right which ended in a huge chamber whose four walls slanted inwards near the ceiling. Rich carvings lined the crystal walls, showing great dragons and phoenixes. At the far end of the room was a large closed portal, a strange, circular symbol carved upon the doors. And in the middle of the great hall, a large tornado could be seen reaching right up to the ceiling, a veritable column of rapidly spinning dust and vapors.

"So this is the air elemental!" remarked Rufus.

"What... is... funny thing?" muttered Fenric, staring at the spinning column in amazement.

Presently a voice boomed from the air elemental. "Ho, travellers! What dost thou seek?"

"We seek the Pool of Many Colors," answered Sir Morgeruat.

"I am the guardian of the portal to the Pool of Many Colors," boomed the elemental. "Thou must needs solve the riddle I presenteth thee now, or passage shalt not be granted. Hearken!

Four in the morning,
two at noon,
three in the evening;
of what do I speak?"

[ 09-12-2002, 10:48 AM: Message edited by: K T Ong ]

[Morgeruat]

OOC: the sphinxes riddle, always a classic [img]smile.gif[/img]

IC:"Hmm, I'm stumped", said Sir Morguerat, "anyone else know?"

"It's possible that the answer is man", said Magnus, "for in the morn of our lives we walk on four legs(crawling), at noon we use two, and in the evening we use three(walking with a cane). Does this answer satisfy you, Elemental?"

[ 09-12-2002, 12:32 PM: Message edited by: Morgeruat ]

Khadgar-" Yes, that does seem right. My goodness Magnus, after all these years, your just as sharp as you used to be."

Jorlon-"Well great being, does this answer meet your expectations, or have we failed?"

[K T Ong]

"Excellent, travellers, excellent!" praised the elemental. "Thou hast proven thy worth. Thou mayst pass!"

Parts of the symbol on the doors of the portal glowed briefly. Then the doors began to recede slowly into the walls to the heavy sound of stone grinding against stone. Now the doors were fully open -- and inside was a smaller chamber, on the floor of which was an octagonal, glittering pool.

"At last -- the Pool of Many Colors!" exclaimed Sir Jorlon.

"I'm happy you've finally found what you seek, friends," said Jah'zuer. "But I don't think I can follow you any further -- I do have to look after the shop and the library. So, farewell, friends!"

"Until we meet again, Jah'zuer!" said Khadgar. The party shook hands with Jah'zuer, and he teleported himself back to the white temple.

The adventurers then entered the chamber. "The pool's color is now gold!" said Khadgar. "Come, let's enter the pool now!"

[ 09-13-2002, 02:35 AM: Message edited by: K T Ong ]

The party all stepped in at once. As soon as they stepped in, they were teleported to a strange place. There was a liquid up to their boots that kept changing colors, and then they lifted off of the ground, into a tunnel that was thrashing them back and forth violently.

StoneRock-"I don't think a can take this much longer!!!!!"

They were going faster and faster by the minute, and a figure was in the distance, a dragon. It opened its mouth wide, about to eat all of them, but as soon as they went into the mouth, they were teleported again.

Khadgar-"Thank god it was a teleporterrrrrrr!" As he spoke those words, they plummeted into a black void. Everyone closed there eyes, not knowing what was to happen. Chun Li was no holding Jorlons hand and squeezing it really hard.

Magnus- He felt that they had landed on something, though no one seemed to notice. Everyone was still screaming. He opened his eyes, and saw that they were no longer in the strange portal. "Everyone, quiet! Open your eyes, this is fantastic!"

Party- Everyone opened their eyes, followed by some oohs and ahhs.

Jorlon-"You can let go now Chun Li," he wispered. "Come on everyone, we've got to get moving, time is vital now. This is some magnificent place."

OOC>Someone else can do the describing, just opening a doorway.

[K T Ong]

The Seven Heavens was a world of such beauty and magnificence as were totally unknown in the mortal world. Mountains, forests, seas and plains of grass stretched on forever and ever. Firs, oaks, elms, pines and spruces towered far higher than their earthly counterparts. Nature teemed with abundance. Everything seemed to give off a soft glow on its own; even the cool, crisp air, tinged with the scent of rose and honeysuckle and lavender, seemed to be luminous in a subtle way. Above, countless stars dotted the deep-blue vault of the sky.

The party found themselves knee-deep in the water of an immense but also very shallow lake, a few dozen paces away from the shore. "This... This is holy water!" cried StoneRock in surprise as he studied the water of the lake.

"All water in the Seven Heavens is holy water," explained Khadgar as he surveyed the glorious landscape. "...Beautiful, isn't it?"

"How I wish we could be living here..." sighed Rufus.

"Place... nice!" said Fenric as he frolicked in the water. "Fenric... like!"

"This is yet only the First of the Seven Heavens, mind you," said Khadgar. "Wait til you see the Seventh Heaven -- it is said that once you see it, you'll never, ever want to leave!"

"There wouldn't be any hostile creatures here, would there?" asked Chun-Li.

"Impossible!" replied Khadgar as the party waded onto the shore. "All creatures in the Seven Heavens are tame and gentle creatures. There may indeed be such creatures here as lions and bears, dragons and people, but they'll never attack you -- unless you're evil to begin with."

Magnus jumped up and down energetically like a young boy. "Whoah!" he cried. "The air of this place makes me feel so... invigorated! I feel as if I'm thirty years younger!"

"Now that ya've said it... Yes, indeed!" remarked StoneRock. "Ah feel like ah jus' woke up from a good sleep!" (ooc: Whaddya say, folks, suppose we let breathing the air of the First Heaven extend everyone's life by thirty years? [img]tongue.gif[/img] )

"Hey! Sir Brother Morgeruat's become tall and mighty again!" noted Ghzarbanan. "In fact even taller and mightier than before!" Sir Morgeruat grinned happily.

"As I said before," explained Khadgar, "all beneficient magic is enhanced in the Seven Heavens. Such as the Girdle of the Giants that I gave Sir Morgeruat."

"So where's the Sacred Mount of Taphthar-tharath?" asked Sir Jorlon. "In which direction should we set off to find it?"

Just then a giant golden dragon flew towards the astonished party and landed before them before morphing into a giant human form with golden armor and a trim, black beard. "Greetings, mortal friends," said the smiling man with a fist cupped in the other hand. "I'm Tsao Chang, Page of the Gods. I bid you welcome; please come with me to my Master's Palace where the gods await you. You can ride on my back." Then he resumed the form of a giant dragon and crouched down to let them mount him...

[ 09-14-2002, 05:04 AM: Message edited by: K T Ong ]

Jorlon-"You are Tsao Chang!!!?!?! Why, you are a myth to most, but who would think that you are real. I've always knew you were real. So its true, you are the gods Page. You are also the one who is said to bring a champion to each god, and they will become a Savior of the World. But what do the great gods wish of us?"

StoneRock-"Why, I think he means that we are going to help the gods win the war of the evil that grows in the Prime Material Plane. I'd never reject this oppurtunity, nor would any priest of Clangeddin. Come, let us go, he would not do us any harm."

[K T Ong]

The dragon smiled and winked at Sir Jorlon. Presently the party mounted the dragon and he flew up higher and higher, soaring past great mountains and waterfalls and over sparkling lakes.

At length he approached a large palace situated atop a plateau, a beautiful complex of pavillions and gardens. Then he came to a courtyard and landed, and turned to the party still sitting on his back and nodded.

The party dismounted the dragon, who resumed his human form. "This way, please, mortal friends!"

The adventurers were led to a large hall where five giant and regal-looking figures were seated on thrones of light. So extraordinary and awe-inspiring was their appearance that the adventurers felt a strange compulsion to kneel before them in respect. "Ahhhh, my beloved children," exclaimed one of them in a voice like the sonorous chime of a great bell, "you have arrived!"

[ 09-15-2002, 04:15 AM: Message edited by: K T Ong ]