Part 3B - Der Tempel von Kadatheron (Max and Karl)

[SunlessNick]

There's definitely some movement inside. Whoever it is seems to sense the same, as Helmut's muffled voice says, "Is that one of you Schweinhunde? Just come in if you're going to."

Trying the door reveals that it's locked, and the key is not immediately visible.

[Mr. Handy]

"It's us," whispers Max. "We've come back to rescue you, with a couple of friends. Let's see if I can shape the dream to make the door unlocked." He concentrates, but when he tries the door, it remains locked. "Maybe one of you two can try," he says to Karl and Helmut.

[HoneyDog]

Karl tries to focus his mind, but he can't do it.

Dreamshaping, [url=https://orokos.com/roll/885629]Dreamshaping[/url]: [u]1d100[/u] [b]52[/b]

[SunlessNick]

"I've been trying," Helmut says. "I think one of the priests has the key - they don't seem to have a leader, but he's the oldest. They wouldn't tell me why they're doing this. They kept asking me what I wanted here. I told them it was to look at their verdammt cylinders, but they acted like they didn't believe me."

[The priest you knocked out looked to be in his thirties, so was unlikely to be the oldest]

[Mr. Handy]

"It's not the priest I knocked out when he found us in the other building," whispers Max. "He's too young. There are other priests in this building, though. It could be one of them. We should check the other doors in this hall and see if we can find him sleeping."

OOC, How old was the priest we saw asleep in the second chamber?

[SunlessNick]

OOC,He looked like a better candidate to be the oldest.

[Mr. Handy]

"The priest sleeping in the second chamber looked older," adds Max. "It could be him. Can you describe the old priest's height, weight, and face?"

[SunlessNick]

"He was very tall, more than six feet. Very thin, and he had a limp."

OOC,The blanket makes it hard to tell whether the man you saw sleeping was thin, but the height sounds about right.

[Mr. Handy]

"Could be him," says Max. "He was certainly tall enough. We'll have to take a closer look. We'll also need to be able to knock him out before he shouts for help if he wakes up. We can always club him over the head, but chloroform would be better." He tries to make some appear, but with no luck. "I can't make any, probably because I don't really know what's in it. Do you want to try?" he asks Karl.

[HoneyDog]

"I've no idea about chloroform!" says Karl. "Just hit him over the head."

[SunlessNick]

It's a simple matter to return to the room of the sleeping man and club him. There's a scrip on the floor next to his bed - searching it reveals a ring of keys - it takes a few tries, but one of them opens Helmut's door.

"Danke," he says to you all. With a passing glare at the Dotherites, he asks "Do you have any idea why they reacted this way?"

"We found a hall with the brick cylinders," one of them replies (the one who advocated looking for Helmut before more cylinders), "but they were blank. Perhaps the priests are frauds?"

"But they used to let people in here," the other objects. "There must be more here. We have found your friend - we must look for the true cylinders or another of the priests to question."

"Unless I am done with caring about your problems," Helmut says.

[Mr. Handy]

"They helped rescue you," said Max. "Without their information, we would not have been able to do so. We should look for the cylinders in the library and museum next. I'd rather not alert the priests to our presence. It is quite possible that the priests are frauds. Maybe someone else has taken over the temple and replaced the priests with their own people." He fills Helmut in on what the scholars told them. "For whatever reason, they want to capture dreamers like us."

[SunlessNick]

Helmut nods. "I'm sorry. Let's do what we came here to do."

[HoneyDog]

"Come on then, Helmut" says Karl. "What did they want with you, anyway?"

[SunlessNick]

"Come on then, Helmut" says Karl. "What did they want with you, anyway?"

"They kept asking why I'd come here. They didn't seem to belive me when I said it was to consult their verdammt cylinders." He hestitates and says, "No wait. They did not just ask me that. One of them asked why some 'Meyernick' sent me. I have no idea who they meant."

He shows no sign of having been injured during his captivity, which is something at least.

Retracing your steps down the hallways gets you back to the cloakroom, and you can hear the voices from the other door still in conversation.

OOC, Some Listen rolls: 02, 79, 44, 64, 09.

This time, Max is sure there are three of them in there (not at least three, definitely three). Helmut whispers, "One of them was one of my questioners, I'm sure of it."

The Dotherites have reached the outer door and are making to open it.

[Mr. Handy]

"Put these on first," whispers Max, handing out the hooded shrouds to everyone. "We'll be able to blend in better outside and hide our faces."

[SunlessNick]

It's now fully dark outside, which aids in concealment (and justifies the use of the hood-shawls).

OOC,Group Luck Roll: 04.

Two more of the priests are outside when you exit the building, coming from the direction of the main temple. They're both yawning, and intent on their conversation, and give no sign of recognising that you don't belong. They nod vaguely to you and pass by, going into the building you just left.

The walk to the museum is a mirror image of the one you took from the cylinder hall to the priests' quarters. The entrance is a wide double door that leads into another cloakroom, though much larger than the last one, obviously designed to serve more people - it runs what looks like the width of the building. There are two doors in the oppsite wall, at the far left and right ends.

[Mr. Handy]

"Let's listen at the doors," whispers Max. "If we hear nothing, then it seems an arbitrary choice which one to try first, but I'd be inclined to choose the right door."

[SunlessNick]

Both doors are silent. The right hand door opens into a long gallery, lined on both sides with shelves bearing books, scrolls, and even the odd tablet.

There are archways down the inner side. After a moment, another of the priests emerges from the nearest. At first he goes to greet you, then realises who you aren't, and a look of horror crosses his face. He looks back through the arch for a moment, but doesn't call out.

"You're the only one in here, aren't you?" one of the Dotherites says. "Do not run."

"How did you get in here?" the priest asks, backing away. He looks about as old as the one who had Helmut's key, and obviously intimidated by the sight of five intruders.

[Mr. Handy]

"We don't want to hurt you," says Max. "We just want to talk. We came here seeking information, and we were greeted by an attempt to kidnap us. One of us was kidnapped, so we returned to get him back. As to how we got in here, well, I think you know something of our capabilities. Surely you've seen your temple's new door. I'm sorry for having to redecorate, but it was the only way to escape abduction."