A sigh of relief escaped Gamard's throat when the last of the iron men fell. He felt as dented and bruised as the defeated constructs looked. They had been defeated not a moment too soon.

Leaning on his staff, which was still vibrant with Solanis' divine energy, he tapped into the spirit of the sunlord. A wave of warmth engulfed his body, spreading like the light of a rising sun. Where it touched him, his bruises shrank and his scraped skin healed. He felt refreshed, and thankful for the fact that he could call upon such a miraculous recovery, where the constructs they had just destroyed could only obey orders until they perished. A sudden desire to be free broke its way into his being. He felt, for the first time in his life, enclosed by the walls surrounding him, keeping him in this underground maze. A Khord should not feel such a claustrophobic sensation, but there it was. He wanted to feel the sun on his skin, to breathe fresh air and to sample the natural light and comfort of his God.

Looking around, he noted the contents of the glass cabinets. The one where the sword came from contained a small sphere of yellow light. Slowly he moved towards it, eyeing it curiously. He wondered if the could grab it and bring it with him. Knowing full well this was just a magical lightsource, it was the closest thing to a real sun and he suddenly coveted it with all his heart.

(OOC: Gamard will try to take the yellow light sphere. After that he will go and examine the silver ball.)

Crow attacking once more with his new black sword, found himself hitting the metal man causing it some damage. However its return attacks yielded two strong blows on the Elf Ranger causing him considerable damage and pain. Combining with his other two teammates the fight was quickly over as the last of the metal midgets finally fell.

Taking a deep breath while moving forward Crow found himself falling onto one knee, gasping for breath, and bleeding from critical wounds.

After casting a heal on the ranger crow the Cleric looked around. Clutching his new prized staff Dudley made his toward the cabinet the with the glowing portal above it. Seeing Wembley Dudley handed him the Golden Statue, "Here you can have this..it may do something for you." Looking up at the portal, "We need to go through there and get out of here."

Dudley then climber the case and jumped through the portal.

After defeating the Iron Men in the trophy room, the party continued upwards to the portal in the roof that took them to the second floor and through a portal on the floor of a grotto made of crystal. In this room you found the usual four portals in the direction of the compass and a strange wooden door that you could not open with might or magic. The wood door had no lock to pick, no handle to open but had a symbol of a bird's wing engraved deep in the centre. The door was also warm to the touch and seems to have a slight vibration to it.

Crow found signs in the dirt of the floor and the walls that someone had been through this room and recently. The Syl Ranger was pretty sure it was another group of warriors similar to your party, 6 in number with one of them being very large.

From the Grotto you moved to the Golem Lab where the mage created the metal men and the wooden servant creations. There you had hoped to move to Putnam's personal chambers but something strange happened, the portals started to flicker and disappear for a moment and then reappear.

You were forced to move to the Library where you met up with an old wizard like character who ordered you to leave the premise immediately. After several attempts to engage him in a conversation or even get directions as two how to leave, the old man began attacking you - with fire spells! The library lit up like a torch from his reckless actions and after several attempts to subdue him, you realized that the wizard was just another re-creation although much closer to real life than the others you had seen. Forced to flee because of the fire, you are saddened by the loss of knowledge and (priceless) books from this destructive simulacrum.

You moved to The Garden room which was set up with magical light from the ceiling and a huge domed ceiling. In the centre of the room was a fountain of water which healed wounds and refreshed fatigue as you drank. The garden was beautiful, full of flowers and herbs that filled the air with wonderful scents.
There were five large trees in the garden, and one drew Dudley to it on a spiritual level (as if it was calling him). As the Cidal approached the tree, he realized that looking at it from a certain angle; the tree looked like a winged person. When he touched the tree, something called out to him.

And all hell broke loose. The garden turned dark and evil in an instant. The roses attacked to draw and drink blood, the flowers reached up and bound limbs and the four other trees attacked with branches. Spores filled the air, clogging your noses and breathing and if it wasn't for the fountain of healing, you would have died a quick death. After some exaggerated gardening, Dudley was able to touch the one tree and immerse his soul with the spirit in the tree. Turns out, Putnam had attracted the attention of a Celestial who tried to dispatched the Evil Mage but was unfortunately captured. The angelic creature was used as a magical "power source" for this fantastic lair and all its magic, but the Planetar was dying now, and losing its energy. This is why the portals were failing and soon this whole place would collapse. The Celestial gave Dudley a wooden emblem of a wing to use on the door in the grotto. The grotto was the last place that he felt Putman's presence but he suspects that the Mage was attempting to transform into a Lich. If that was true, he had to be destroyed before the change was complete and before the angel died.

Looking at the map you determined that the fastest route was to the Enchantment lab and then to the grotto. Taking that path worked as the portal held firm for you but when you entered the Grotto, you were beset upon by the party of adventurers that were here before. There was a mighty battle between the two groups but all of you proved victorious and their large half-ogre warrior was rendered useless by his allergies to cats (Ivan).
Using the wooden symbol, you entered the grotto hidden room not knowing what you would face. There you found the body of an old mage next to a "lake" within the cave. Next to the dead mage was a dark potion that swirled and oozed with power and corruption. Upon examining the body, you find no wounds or signs of attack. In the end you surmise that he died of natural causes before he could drink the potion that would change him to a lich.

The cave began to shake and the crystal of the cave started to crack, the angel was no longer able to cling to life. You looked for a portal or a door but found nothing. Just as you were about to despair, Dudley decide to dive into the lake, here he found a portal holding strong at the bottom of the lake. You all swam to the portal, even Ivan after much debate. Alondas grabbed the old wizard's staff before he left, hoping it would have potent magic to it.

Through the portal you found yourself in dark room with no more portals and only one door. You exited through the door to find yourself in the city of Portua, at the Red Dog Inn. Patrons and owners were not as surprised by your entrance as you expected. You entered through what they called "The Wizard closet" and they had been serving a man through that door for years. They had a standing order to serve anyone who came through that door and the wizard had hefty deposit they drew from to cover expenses. How could they help you?

Ivan did not appear with you at the inn. You had no idea of his fate but you hoped he found his way home again.

Winter was setting in and there would be little adventuring to be had for the next few months. Putnam left you a legacy that would cover your expenses for staying a the Inn that time plus enough to re-equip yourselves for the coming spring. Gamard, Mal, and Wembley decide to move on after the winter and you meet a few other adventurers as they came to Portua as well.

With winter ending, and the funds of the wizard running out, it is time to look for employment and adventure. There is a trade route between Portua and Sundel that passes through the Railir Peaks. Due to the mountain terrain and the rugged wasteland of this stretch of land, many creatures and monsters call it home as well as a few less savoury human folks as well. Mostly, it is home to many "Gobbers" as the locals call them, humanoid creatures that are kin to the goblins of old. So caravans passing through the peaks are always looking for sellswords to guard them on the route.

It is not as perilous of a task as it once was - years ago the pass was a deadtrap and the politics of Pardinal prevented the resolution of who was in charge of the pass. But the land is equally under the protection of the Major of Portua and the Governor of Sundel. To keep things equal and fair, the garrison of men who patrol the pass and keep the monsters down is under the command of a King's Rider named Darrin Wyll. In fact, last year Darrin and his men had to fight a resurgence of Gobbers attacking caravans, found a large lair of them and killed them all, bring back the head of the Gobber King for all to see.

But even the King's rider and his men cannot be everywhere so caravans hire men for protection and the losses are kept to a minimum. So it was that you were hired by a group of merchants looking to move their goods to Sundel - four wagons of root vegetables and apples. hey it was work and after a few months stuck in the inn, you were glad to be on the road again.

~Red Dog Inn - City of Portua, Pardinal~
Alòndas the Mage was glad to be out of that Wizards maze and back to civilization for a change. Stepping out into the Inn in the city had been a surprise, but a welcome one. Noticing the lack of surprise at there strange appearance here, he asked the Inn's employees and learned of the Mage that came here and gave orders to serve people who came through the Mage's door. Learning that a hefty deposit had been paid to cover said expenses, he asked for the room that the Mage himself had used while visiting. After cleaning up and putting on clean, fresh clothes, he treated himself to a nice meal and a little Sylvian wine if that had it in stock. He could get use to this type of treatment, especially after what they went though in the maze.

Settling in for the Winter, he turned his attention to relaxing and studying to increase his abilities and knowledge. During this time he studied the staff that he found on the Mage's body; using his own Identify spell on it didn't yield much about it's use. He could tell some of the enchantments would help protect him physical harm, as well as help him to hit creatures and inflict a little more damage. It also protects him from falling damage with a permanent spell of Feather Fall; that could be useful. Other than that, other powers had eluded him; he could tell there might be more but the staff's magic was hiding something. He almost felt as if the staff itself was 'testing' him somehow. One day he had sought out a more knowledgeable Mage in the city and asked him to look at it, but the staff had blasted the man when he tried to touch the staff. Alòndas took this as a good sign; perhaps the staff thought the other Mage unworthy of it. It gave the Mage a small amount of pride that he might be worthy of the staff; he just had to find a way to unlock it's other uses.

In his Winter studies, he searched out some libraries in the City and sought out tomes on Ancient Languages; perhaps a long forgotten tongue might be the key to Commanding the staff.

During this time of study and rest; he made sure to meet with his companions from the group at least once a week, sometimes more. He had a feeling that his adventures with this group were not yet at an end. He was disappointed when Gamard, Mal and Wembley took off as soon as the spring thaw started to hit; he wouldn't admit it, but he had grown fond of these companions and would miss their comradeship.

As the snow melted, his studies came to a close and the 'itch' to adventure once again began to gnaw at him. Word had been passed that they were looking for a job, but nothing real exciting seemed to be in the offing. But as Winter ended, the trade routes opened up again and word came that the caravans would be moving again and that they would need protection as they moved through the Railir Peaks towards Sundel. The group had gathered and decided that they might sign on as caravan guards till they reached Sundel and maybe find something more adventurous there. Alòndas shrugged at the suggestion; guarding a caravan didn't sound too exciting, but he wanted to stay with what was left of his group that he was willing to go along and hope they might find better work down the road.

In his room, he began to carefully pack his few belongings and supplies so that he could set off at a moment's notice. Going down to the common room, he looked for his remaining companions, he ordered what might be his last decent meal for awhile. After he was finished, he went to his room, grabbed up his things and joined the others as they went to join the caravan that they had signed on with in hopes of another grand adventure.

(OOC: Hope my first post is ok. I tried to fill in all the blanks. I didnt mention the new comers as I am not sure if they had met yet; figuring maybe they met on the road as caravan guards. I look forward to RPing with you all. )

Team had survived the strange maze of rooms. It was a lucky chance diving into that pool that led to the Red Dog Inn. It was luckier still that the Wizard had left funds and instructions to care for whoever stepped through the door. The party took room and stayed at the Inn to weather the winter.

Dudley filled the winter months with devotions to Shinara, she had watched over him and guided them safely. He would spread the word of her to all; he started to wonder why folks seemed cross the street when walked about Portua.

Then he filled the remaining time watching Wimbley play with his shiny ball. Each time Wimbley changed the ball to a different weapon Dudley would smile, applaud and then pick up his staff and point to the button.

As the winter started to melt away Wimbley became more restless and more enamored with Dudley's magic treasure. The day finally came when the wonderlust was more then Wimbley could resist and he told the party he was moving on. Before the Cidal mage left Dudley brought out the Wand of Many Wonders, showed Wimbley the button and said, "Wanna trade?"

As Dudley sat in the Red Dog Inn he held the shiny ball and practiced changing its shape. He was too entranced with his new wonder to go out to see what the ruckus up the street was all about.

It had been a crazy series of events from the battle with what Crow had termed "The Metal Midgets" to the six of them finding the door portal back to the Red Dog Inn. The worst of it in Crow's mind had been the Garden and the evil within it. The roses attacking to draw and drink blood, the flowers reaching up to grasp and bound limbs, four of the massive trees attacking with branches. Throughout spores filling the air, clogging noses and turning breathing hard and if it wasn't for the fountain of healing and Dudley's quick gardening they would have all been dead. Crow knew no matter how hard he would try he would still have nightmares of that one room.

However the last few months had been quiet here at the Red Dog, with the money left by Putnum, who had himself disappeared, the six of them had managed to rest and rearm. However in the course of those quiet months Wembly, Mal and Gamard had moved on to seek their futures elsewhere. With the six now down to three he, Dudley and Alondas had grown closer as friends and had decided to stay together and find the three of them work.

Now with the winter ending, and Putnum's funds running out, the three knew it time to look for employment and maybe a little adventure, without any gardening to be done. As they sought such it became quickly apparent that the only work would be as guards on one of the many caravans running the trade route between Portha and Sundal. Most dangerous of that route being the pass through Railir Peaks. Though not as perilous of a task as it once was, years ago the pass being a deathtrap, there still lived many creatures and evil things along with human monsters as well. However mostly it was home to "Gobbers", humanoid creatures kin to the goblins of old and Crow's species enemy. The Syl Ranger would have no problems guarding a caravan through those hills.

So it was that Alondas, Dudley and he were hired by a group of merchants looking to move their goods to Sundel - four wagons of root vegetables and apples. After a few months stuck in the inn, though restful the three were glad to be on the road again. Over the course of the few months Crow and his two companions had been in Red Dog they had met and briefly talked to some of the other adventurers, now also hired as caravan guards. One clearly a Fighter, perhaps a Chindarian Barbarian, looked always ready for a good fight. The next, a Half-Elf, also seemed to be a fighter, but not exclusively, maybe a rogue or maybe a mage as well as a fighter. Crow found it too impolite to come right out and ask knowing it would be revealed if needed. However the last of the three, another Cidal, Crow had only a little bit of doubt was anything but a master of the thieving arts. Both he and Dudley agreeing upon that. Not sure what a good a thief would be at guarding a caravan, Crow did not give it much thought. Any person, even a Cidal "thief", was welcome when and if the s*** were to hit and the Gobber's actually came forth from their stinky caves and huts to attack.

As he watched the merchant laborers load the wagons waiting on Alondas and Dudley to join him, he flexed his fingers and arms readying for the journey ahead...........

Jarek saw the three companions standing close together and knew that they must be the ones he was meeting for this trip. Walking over he introduced himself, "Jarek" he said as he offered a hand. "Seems we will be working together on this trip. Hope it is an uneventful one."

Kidalbou was ready to get moving. He had arrived in the town in the early winter and been forced by the season to winter there. It wasn't a bad place, but he had the feeling that he had squeezed about as much excitement from this particular fruit as there was to get. And, if he was being honest with himself, probably the town felt about the same.

Since his arrival he had done what he always did - investigate. Over the winter he had poked his nose into every business as well as most of the homes, barns, sheds and closets in town. He had made many friends this way. He was naturally gregarious and enjoyed chatting with the various merchants around town. And they seemed to appreciate his fascination with their goods. At least they appreciated his fascination as long as he was fascinated in front of them with both hands visible. Which really wasn't a problem as the last thing he wanted to do was annoy people in a town he was stuck in. Some seemed to get exasperated by his desire to open every door and cabinet, but he did no real harm and provided entertaining conversation. So he roamed the town and quickly got to know an amazingly large percentage of the community. Some of the local kids even developed the habit of jumping out from behind things at him and yelling "Bou!" He found it funny, but rarely surprising. The parents seemed less amused when they received the same treatment.

Another person he got to know was the cook/bar keeper at the tavern he was staying at. She was an interesting woman who knew how to make delicious freshly baked bread. The first time the young Cidal had poked his nose into her kitchen she had nearly thrown her rolling pin at him, but his smile and obvious delight in her cooking soon brought her around. It wasn't long before the young Cidal spent much of the time that he wasn't wandering the town in the tavern's kitchens. He had always loved to cook- probably because he loved good food. Part of his plan in wandering the world was to experience the cuisines of other places. So he started in this tavern, which had, admittedly, rather basic "peasant fare." But Bou did his best, despite limited supplies and off season ingredients, to spice things up a bit. When he presented the locals with his beef and mushroom stew with red wine sauce - in a bread bowl baked by the local cook - people noticed. The tavern owner even paid him a little to cook dinners after that.

Cooking passed the time and kept him out of too much trouble, but he was ready to move on. He had encountered a number of other travelers while waiting out the weather who also seemed eager to travel; the remnants of a group that "came through the cabinet" formed the bulk of the group. (It was a comment that never quite made sense to Bou, as he hadn't yet arrived in town when the group arrived and nobody had since seen fit to travel via cabinet.) They seemed like an experienced group that would be a good bet to join. They had found a job protecting a caravan of fruit and vegetables.

Now that had given him pause. When he'd set out on his adventures, daydreams of rutabagas had not been prominent. Still, it was work and it was travel, both of which he desired. And the mountain passes were hardly secure, so anything could happen. Who knew? Perhaps some gobbers would have a craving for asparagus?

Whatever the product they protected, he signed on for the job. His impression of his fellow guards was a positive one. He knew from experience that he would have to prove his worth to them. Quick fingered Cidals somehow were never given the benefit of the doubt. Still, Bou never doubted that he would be able to prove himself whenever the opportunity arose. And he knew he would be passing the same sort of judgements on his new companions that they passed on him. His life might depend on them, as theirs might on him, so a little caution was warranted.

But as the wagons were prepared for travel, things were looking up. Bou was in a very good mood.

You leave the city with the Caravan and your employers. Your team consist of Crow, a Sylvari Ranger, Alondas, a mage of the Sylvari as well, Dudley the Cidal cleric as well as Bou the rogue. A large Chindrian warrior named Kiki rounds out the muscle of the team along with the Half -Syl fighter Jarik who is skilled with short swords.

Your employers are all brothers and as such, tend to argue alot. Mario seems to be the leader but Luigi is the one with the money and Wario and Waluigi are mostly just angry. Your first day out you reach the town outside of the pass, Stallanford. At first it appears that Luiogi does not wish to stay in town but move on and save the money but Mario has a lady in town that he wishes to call upon by the name of Peaches (although he calls her his Princess).

So you stay the night at the Stallanford Inn and enjoy a hot meal and a warm bed as well as the comforts of a trade town. Pardinal is known for its commoners' hospitality and sense of revelry so you do manage to have a good evening, however their idea of good ale leaves a lot to be desired (tastes of sweet vine fruits, roasted hazelnuts, sea-salt, and bitter hops ????)

The next day you enter the Railir Peaks Pass. The journey is slower than before as you move with caution but also because your employers seem to have no idea what dangers there are in the peaks. They quarrel constantly, raising their voices and shouting at each other. After a half day of this, Kiki and Crow have some harsh words with their employers about drawing attention. It works for awhile but the arguing crops up again. By the time you reach the end of the day and set up camp, you are getting quite annoyed with the brothers, and then you find out that the stores of food the Luigi bought for the trip consist of oats and dried berries - which he thought was very economical as they feed the horse and the people. Kiki, Jarik and Crow manage to do some hunting before the daylight fades and put some rabbits and wild pheasants to the meal however Mario insists that Luigi eats his berry oatmeal alone. This leads to more fighting and arguing until suddenly the brothers fall asleep - in mid argument. Alondas claims innocence, after it had been a long day and you are all happy for some peace and quiet.

The next day, Crow is scouting ahead of the caravan despite the brothers' protest that all guards should stick with the caravan. As he moves into a heavily wooded area, his sharp Sylvari ears pick up the sounds of voices. At first he thinks it is the brothers arguing again but then realize it is a language he knows but the guttural tongue is recognizable as Goblinkin. He moves quietly through the foliage to see a group of large Gobbers pilliaging the remains of few wagons. No one other the Gobbers are available and Crow counts at least a dozen of them. Unfortunately, they are on the pass and there is no way around.

Crow watches them for awhile to make sure there is no other party of creatures with them and then returns to the caravan to gather his companions to do some Gobber hunting.

The trip started well enough, at least for the first 10 feet. Then the fighting began. It seemed their employers could argue with each other at the drop of a hat and likely over the color, size and shape of that hat. Jarik tried his best to tune out the bickering but it was impossible.

When Crow reported Gobbers ahead, Jarik was glad for a chance to do some "hunting" and get away from the brothers for a bit. "Excellent work Crow, not sure how you heard them over the racket here." Jarik gave a stern look at the brothers. "It is best if we pick the place to fight the gobbers rather than letting them pick."

Dudley seems pleased that the group has a job guarding the Mario Carts. As the group pulles out he chuckles in a high voice, "Here we go!"

The cleric was able to climb into the third wagon with his little brazier close by. He had seemed to have convinced the driver that having a Cleric of Shinara near the middle of the caravan would spread good fortune through out the party. Dudley told that this way he could meditate more and bring the Goddess's favor to them.

The bickering between they bosses tended to interupt his calm mood but at this was better than walking.

The first part of the trip with the Mario Carts was a maddening one for young Bou. In part it was beautiful. He marched along next to the carts and up into the pass. As they moved he looked behind bushes, climbed up rock piles, scrambled into thickets and stared in wonder out at the vistas of the lowlands as they moved higher. This was why he travelled. The world was full of beautiful scenery and, while the Railir Peaks weren't perhaps the most beautiful of mountains, he was getting to see it. Keeping his eyes open for potential threats was no problem for the little Cidal as he could hardly have kept himself from staring around at the scenery.

But it was amazing what a negative impact a few crazy brothers could have on a group. These boys really needed a way to get their aggressions out. Maybe a game or something? Bou spent much of his time while watching the scenery imagining the brothers careening down the path and over the countryside in their vegetable carts and lobbing fruits at each other. It was amusing and had the added advantage of appearing deadly. Although Warrio might need a pretty big cart.

The food didn't improve his mood. There wasn't much even he could do with gruel like that. But he did glance at the fruits and veggies a bit - there was better food nearby . . .

But then Crow came back with his news of Gobbers ahead. A little thrill went through Bou as the news was delivered. Adventure! Still, a little bit of practicality came through and he worried about a trap. Crow seemed sure he hadn't been seen. And he did seem to know what he was doing. But knowing the Gobbers were close by brought the hairs up on Bou's arm and he kept a careful eye on the surrounding terrain as the group quickly discussed strategy.

"If we're planning on sneaking up on them, I'm guessing my best role is to stay to the side and pick them off with my sling. But I'll close if needed." Turning to Crow has asked, "Did you see how many of them have bows or the like? Can we pick them off from a distance?"

The journey to this point except for the consent bickering between the brothers had been uneventful., too uneventful to the ranger's way of thinking. Deciding to scout ahead of the caravan, despite the brothers' protest that all guards should stick with the caravan, he moved into the heavily wooden area. Feeling at home in the thickness of the wood it did not take long for him to hear voices.

His sharp Sylvari ears easily picked up the sounds of voices speaking a language known to him since his young adult years, Goblinkin! Moving quickly but oh so silent he came to the woods edge to see a group of large Gobbers pillaging the remains of few wagons. Counting roughly at least a dozen of them Crow could tell there was no way around and that they would have to fight through. Watching them a little longer to be sure of only the dozen he quietly listened to their guttural speech wishing he had learned it when he had been given the chance. However instead the young Syl had thought Dwarf much more useful. DOH!

Returning to the caravan he gathered his three friends and the other guards to him out of ear shot of the brothers or any of the wagon drivers.

"Ok we have a dozen Gobbers ahead scavenging another caravan. Looks like possibly no survivors as I did not see any"

"Excellent work Crow, not sure how you heard them over the racket here." Jarik gave a stern look at the brothers. "It is best if we pick the place to fight the Gobbers rather than letting them pick."

Looking at where Jarik had Crow had to agree however an idea came to mind however Bou spoke first.

"If we're planning on sneaking up on them, I'm guessing my best role is to stay to the side and pick them off with my sling. But I'll close if needed." Turning to Crow "Did you see how many of them have bows or the like? Can we pick them off from a distance?"

"As far as I could see none had such weapons." Taking a moment to think through his plan Crow brought it forth. "Ok here is what I think. Lets use the brothers bickering to lay a trap. With the way they yell and such it would be the perfect way to distract the Gobbers into charging straight at the caravan. Now we leave two of us as plain seen guards while the other four hide in the tree's and attack out of surprise. Now as Kiki and I have bows we stay with the caravan and act as we are the only defenders. We will attempt to enrage the Gobbers to get to us after we kill one or two of them. Dudley, Bou, you both have slings so you need to be closer so you two along with Alondas and Jirak hide on the sides of the road and let them pass you. Then once past you hit their rear from out of the tree's behind them. In that way hopefully we will make this a quick fight. Does anyone have something better in mind?".......