>inb4 gay bath house

File: 1346289483756.png-(1.79 MB, 700x700, s15_01.png)

You ask him what it is that he was meant to do. He clicks his jaw and turns his head, ignoring your question.

"Not as bright a beacon as I had imagined. Leave if you will, but know this. None before you ever have."

The air here is still, but you can hear voices faintly in the background, coupled with a slow, pulsing rhythm.
[audio01]

File: 1346290175652.png-(18 KB, 700x700, s15_02.png)

You are confused, scared. You don't know the meaning of half of what he is saying, and you ask again, ask what he means by you being a "beacon," ask what he is doing here and how you can leave. He does not seem to hear you, or if he does he does not wish to answer all of your questions.

"If you wish for me to let you leave, then you will do best to leave this place alone. You have met one of my servants, as I can see. One of the few that is left. Venture no further, and I shall let you pass."

He shifts his jaw from side to side with a loud click.

"However, if you meddle with the secrets found here, pray to whichever princesses you wish. I shall show no quarter."

>>4215619

Why alone ?

Why do Saffron and Chronicle have to stay behind ?

>>4215711
I *think* he just means to leave the place untouched.

>>4215711
>>4215744
<Yes, untouched.>

Let's get the hell out of here.

Renne, pinch yourself, or do something, but snap the hell out of it!

Running away is for pussies, we shouldn't be the first person ever to leave.

>>4215848
Drat it, I feel there's something we should ask before we leave him, but I just can't think of anything.

>>4215882
we can't ask him about the armor, he just said he won't show quarter, he'd blast our ass
i want to ask him something too but i don't know what

File: 1346291493352.png-(14 KB, 700x700, s15_03.png)

>>4215882
>>4215907
You feel as though you need to ask him something, but you cannot quite form the words. His stare is piercing, as if he is drilling into your very core. Above all else, you hear a slow rumble.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRR"

"If you wish, I can wake you up. Say what you wish to say, and say it quick. Though the servants listen to me, they still protect this place of their own accord."

>>4216058

Ask him what that rumbling noise is.

>>4216058

I can't think of anything. I think he would react pretty negatively to any more prying questions.

>>4216058
Ask how many have come before us

I'm getting a very "cave of wonders" vibe here

Ask if he could turn on the lights?

Just realised he's only said that he "cannot" help us leave, not that he'll actively hinder us.
Hrmm.

File: 1346293086688.png-(29 KB, 700x700, s15_04.png)

>>4216172
>>4216301
"RRRREEEEEEEEEE"

You ask him what the rumbling is that you hear, and how many have visited this place before you.

"Too many."

"EEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNN"

"And do you not recognize your friends? My vision is blurry, but I see a dog."

"NNNNNEEEEEEE"

"Be wary."

bravely press on

>>4216503
What is this place?
filled with so many murders~

>>4216503
wake up

>>4216503
What a friendly helpful chap

>>4216569
>said he'd kill us if he knew we took the armor
ehhhh... i don't know man

>>4216581
Good thing his magi-vision's half blind at this distance.

>>4216553
This, please. He said the golem was still in murder mode. If we don't wake up and move it could kill us.

I feel bad being so passive about this but being at the mercy of this undead lich with unknown and potentially deadly powers, and in a trance when a golem is about to go mudermode on our party is legtimately making me nervous.

Speaking of which, do we know what caused the other golem to wake up and lumber upstairs?

Could there be someone else in here? Maybe someone else wandered in here. Or maybe they came here on purpose.

>>4216721
I'm pretty sure Chance's death turned it on, might even be his soul inside it.

>>4216770
>might even be his soul inside it.

Well shit. Better wake the fuck up.

>>4216770
Seemed to be a bit of a gap between his death and it lumbering to life, though. Remember we killed him, explored to the lava in the east, went down a floor, explored/read the room with all the engravings and went and had a look around the lowest spire room before it started making a racket.

File: 1346294917600.png-(21 KB, 700x700, s15_05.png)

As you begin to speak, before the words can come out of your mouth, you flash back to where you were, seemingly hours before. The golem is still trudging towards you slowly, and you can hear the sword dragging along the stone floor. You can hear Saffron running up behind you, no closer than she was when you blanked out.

"Renne! Please! MOVE!"

The golem's hollow voice shakes you to the core, deep and hollow.

"LEAVE! NOW! GO!"

>>4217022

LEAVE

SJEDJ

>>4217022

RUN

>>4217072
Beat me to it.
>SJEDJ UVW
Leave now?

>>4217078

Fine with this, run up the stairs if possible.

Also tumblr is freaking the fuck out

>>4217229
>6 days ago
>5 days ago
WHAT THE FUCK
I CHECKED THIS YESTERDAY AND THEY WEREN'T THERE

>>4217246
Was just about to say the same thing. Weren't there when I checked at queststart, either. Guess he really couldn't reach us while we were with Baldwin.

>>4217258

I didn't even notice, that's fucking cool.

>>4217258
holy shit

File: 1346296536086.png-(21 KB, 700x700, s15_06.png)

The three of you bolt past the golem and up the stairs, Saffron taking the rear. As you run, you hear a lumbering step, and the echoing clang of its sword against the stone. A hollow rumble, what you assume is a howl, echoes up the stairs. You all wait, unable to breathe, but there is no more noise. After a minute, you can hear the golem retreating from the staircase.

>>4217559
So I guess they're guarding the lower floor. Only thing down there they could be guarding is either the writings, or far more likely, whatever lies beyond the fourdisc door.

>>4217559

Head into the room to the right, see if anything has changed.

>>4217559
Let out a breath.
Ask how long we were out, and tell them about our little encounter.

>>4217559

Well shit, I guess that bottom floor is off limits to us now.

Do we keep to our plan and continue to the skull door? Is there anything else we should do?

>>4217711

And yes we should tell them everything we saw.

File: 1346297934112.png-(14 KB, 700x700, s15_07.png)

>>4217711
>>4217728
You stop and let out a deep sigh. You ask them how long you were out for THIS time.

"Out? What do you mean?"

"You were only unresponsive for a moment, no longer. What happened?"

You tell them that you saw the stallion you had seen in your dreams while on the boat, and before the entrance of the temple. Baldwin, you say. He was whole then, but appeared as a skeleton now with glowing red eyes. He wanted to know why you were down here in the temple. He said that many had come before you, but none had ever left, and that he cannot help you leave. He said that you were a beacon, yet not that bright a one. You look up to find Saffron staring down at you, a look of concern on her face. You haven't the heart to tell her the last part.

It's interesting that he Baldwin said he "stopped them." I wonder what the diamond dogs here were trying to do.

Anyway, continue to skull door?

>>4218082
Looking pretty tired there Renne.

When was the last time you slept?

Continue to the skull door.
Not much else we can do now, unless we want to enrage everything in this place.

>>4218225
>You tell him that you're an archaeologist. That you were on a job to study the diamond dog culture that used to live here.
>"I know. I am one of few that stopped them. I am the one that sent them to their grave."

Oh wow, I didn't pay enough attention to the second sentence last time I read that. I'd thought he just meant he'd stopped the archeologists. That's kind of big.

Since things are chill for the moment, update our map before moving on.

File: 1346298810498.png-(44 KB, 670x698, 1343885170745.png)

Do we want to swing by the monster mural on the way up and try that charcoal rubbing idea out?

File: 1346299283956.png-(9 KB, 700x700, s15_08.png)

>>4218334
You quickly sketch out the rooms you visited, and put the papers back into your saddlebag.

File: 1346299855258.png-(21 KB, 700x700, s15_09.png)

On your way out and up towards the skull door, you quickly move past the abyss of gears before you have a chance to hear Chance again.

>>4218691
She must hit that sword on every doorframe

File: 1346300227350.png-(25 KB, 700x700, s15_10.png)

You make your way to the second-level spire room, and notice that it has a series of metal bars protruding from the metal band around the spire, just like the floor below.

>>4218821
do all the levels have this now?
should we do something about it or keep going?

>>4218821

I say we go check the other spire rooms and see if they also have metal bars.

I guess activating the gear expanse must have extended these bars?

>>4218899

I'd say keep going.

File: 1346301605795.png-(15 KB, 700x700, s15_11.png)

>>4218940
You carefully walk towards the center of the room and look up. You can see that, indeed, the two floors above you have poles extended from the metal bands as well.

File: 1346301709689.png-(25 KB, 700x700, 1345706176571.png)

I think I get what this diagram means now. It's how many times times to turn and which direction on each level.

I'm more inclined to deal with the spokes now to test this theory, but we kind of did get chased out of the bottom floor permanently.

>>4219234
>>4219275

So we're at a crossroads, either continue on to the skull door or spin the bars and risk going back to the bottom floor.

>>4219351
i think we're fucked either way, dude
the other golem went upstairs
dollars to donuts he's guarding the skull door

>>4219404
...
Of course.

so what are we gonna do, people?
i don't want a repeat of Bipolar Renne vs. Chance
i say we spin those spokes

>>4219351

The only thing I'm wondering about is the "mouth" in this text:

WITH EYES YOU
SHALL SEE
AND MOUTH
YOU SHALL
SPEAK

If the "eyes" refers to the gems we hold, which I'm reasonably sure it does, based on the tumblrguy's statement:

"One eye is nice
but two are required
to See properly"

Also the first text was accompanies by a drawing of a head with something in its mouth. We might be missing something we need. Just my current thoughts.

>>4219509

Okay, let's do it as long as we're here, since we might be too busy or something later on. Turn the wheel on this level 2 notches, or rotations, whichever comes first, in a counterclockwise (I think, someone double check me) direction.

Sorry, noodles are boiling and I'm rushed.

>>4219509
>>4219546

I'm going to go with these and say spin the spokes counterclockwise two notches.

File: 1346303099178.png-(14 KB, 700x700, s15_12.png)

>>4219509
>>4219546
>>4219597
You take a long gaze at the spokes, then pull a piece of paper out to show Saffron and Chronicle. You tell them that you think the diagram corresponds to the spire, and that the spokes are to turn it like the gears. You suggest turning the spokes on this level two times counterclockwise. You look up hopefully, and Saffron and Chronicle gaze at each other for a moment.

"You might be right, Renne, it does seem to match up, and it was in that room downstairs too."

"Hm... Yes, I would be willing to give this a try."

File: 1346303391163.png-(45 KB, 532x1172, It's obvious when you thi(...).png)

>>4219275
>we kind of did get chased out of the bottom floor permanently.
It's OK, I've got another brilliant solution to your problem. You're lucky you've got me around, you know.

File: 1346303743675.png-(17 KB, 700x700, s15_13.png)

You and Chronicle stand back. Saffron walks up to a spoke and grasps it, the clang of her metal gauntlets against the spoke reverberates, the rest of the spokes humming in a low tone. She grunts and tries to push. There is a screeching of metal, the metal band turning ever so slightly, but snapping back into its previous position. Try as she might, Saffron cannot seem to make it budge.

>>4219921

Hmm. Either I was completely wrong or it has to be done from the bottom up. The diagram Renne drew is missing the arrow/triangle pointing upwards from the bottom.

Nuts. We screwed up.

>>4219980
what if we aren't strong enough?
what if Saffron has to put on that other piece of armor? ;_;

>>4219921
Maybe we have to disengage the chains before the spoke can be moved

>>4220004
Fuck. That. If anyone is going to put on any armor, it's going to be us this time.

>>4220004

The armor has only been for emergency situations up until now, and I don't think that should change.

Let's at least venture upwards (carefully) and see how far we can get before we run into that golem.

>>4219810
could you explain it a little better pls?

>>4220125
I'm sorry, but it's pretty straightforward. I can't think of a way to dumb it down any further.

>>4220211
Not him, but I really can't read your handwriting.

>>4220211
i mean i can't read your writing or understand the drawing that well
do we send Saffron down the hole to do something?

>>4220085
i vote going up

>>4220223
>>4220235
It being really shittily drawn/a terrible plan was supposed to be the joke. shrugpony.png

The idea was, have Saffron jump down to the bottom floor through the spire hole, turn the column, when the guard comes lead it in a loop around the circular room and head out the door and up the stairs. I mean, OBVIOUSLY the guard will never leave his post and chase us upstairs. That was sarcasm

I was looking back through the tumblr's history, and it actually seems a lot less threatening reading it now. Our guy seems to genuinely want to help/be helped, and he REALLY hates Baldwin. He also knows something about what the diamond dogs were doing with those sacrificial altars, but doesn't seem to approve of them. If we're going off the assumption that he's the dog we've seen trapped within the stone spire, he was probably part of the civilization that Baldwin helped to genocide. What he did to earn his fate, I can't really guess.

File: 1346305842499.png-(18 KB, 700x700, s15_14.png)

>>4220085
>>4220282
You cautiously head up the stairwell and up to the third spire level. As you walk up, you begin to hear a dull thudding above your heads, coming through the hole in the ceiling. Accompanied with the thuds are the grinding of stone and metal together, faintly. You stop and wait. The thudding starts to the west of the room, and circles clockwise, stopping where it started, then goes around the room counterclockwise. It seems to repeat.

>>4220572

Carefully look into the room

>>4220500
he can kind of be an ass sometimes though
he called you out on not listening once, remember?

>>4220572
...Huh, OK then.
See if we can see anything moving up the centre now that we're a floor higher.

I wonder if that's what our active golem's up to, turning the spokes. If Anon was right earlier about the golems needing to turn them, we might be in trouble. We've got one on the lower floor, one on the upper floor. One's dead, and I doubt we can revive it. There's also one unnacounted for if the alcove on the lowest floor is supposed to hold one.
Maybe Saffron could stand in for one, too.

>>4220572

Did it just move the topmost gear? And it's now patrolling the room? Hmmmmm...

>>4220648

To be fair that was completely justified. And hilarious.

File: 1346306946259.png-(12 KB, 700x700, s15_15.png)

>>4220668
>>4220717
You wait and listen for several minutes. The grinding of metal on stone, it seems, was coming from the golem itself. The sound that the spokes made when Saffron attempted them was much louder. You watch as the golem moves clockwise, stops, turns, and goes counterclockwise. Always the same number of steps, always the same amount of time.

Well I guess that means the route's clear for the eye door, since he doesn't look to be moving any time soon.
Onwards and upwards!

>>4220873

Those things creep me the hell out.

I'm at a loss, honestly. Our route seems clear but I feel like we're missing something. What is the "Bridge?" What's in the middle of that room filled with lava? Where are the blue armor pieces/gems? What's behind the fire door? What's behind the door we couldn't open on the bottom floor?

Baldwin clearly doesn't want us looking at this stuff but I can't help but feel like it's important somehow. A few sessions ago we were short on leads and now we have too many. Argh.

Keep going on our course I guess, unless someone has anything to chime in.

>>4220915

Still have to find some way to sneak past or distract the golem.

>>4220915
huh... sounds okay to me then i guess

>>4220963

Nevermind, thought we were still in the fourth spire room.

Upwards then, I guess.

mapanon, we need the map pls

File: 1346307862599.png-(298 KB, 1552x3280, 1345108927727.png)

>>4221062

Here's the most up to date on I have.

>>4221062
Slowly updating it with that new chunk while being distracted by other things. I'll get on it now.

>>4220962
don't worry soup, you have a huge brain, you'll figure all of it out
because i really haven't been of any help ;_;

File: 1346308741859.png-(19 KB, 700x700, s15_16.png)

You head past the gear room and make your way up to the next level, very cautiously. You can hear the footsteps of the golem more prominently, now, and even see it two rooms away. It continues its patrol, however, never looking your way.

File: 1346309179921.png-(361 KB, 1552x3886, Map notes.png)

>>4221062
>>4221111
Here. The gear numbers are probably too tiny, if not visible will fix on the next one.

>>4221271

The fact that the golems seem to be patrolling and protecting the spire, and not reacting to any particular disturbance (besides us) leads me to believe that Baldwin wants whatever's in there to stay in there.

File: 1346309811603.png-(19 KB, 700x700, s15_17.png)

As you make your way up and into the room before the skull door, your head begins to hurt. Both behind your eyes, and in the center of your brain. Whatever is around, it seems to be getting stronger now. You face the stairwell, and the ache in your head goes away, while the pain behind your eyes intensifies.

>>4221486

Ask Chronicle to take the eye gems and go up to put them in while Saffron stays down here with us.

>>4221516
>Seperating
>Just before opening the big dramatic door
This feels like a terrible idea.

>>4221528

You might be right, it was just an idea.

>>4221516
i don't know... what if shit goes down and Chronicle needs Saffron's Anchor Arms?

>>4221569

Well then, at least make sure we don't look directly at the door.

>>4216542
What is this place,
filled with such bloody slaughter?
Trapping us all,
deep under salt water?

Body of metal
and a soul made of red stone
Putting on gloves
Oh shit it's an arm bone!

TWO aaaaarm boooooooonneees~

Oh, what a horrible place
And we owe it all to that ugly skull-face
If I'd known this ship was going to be impaled
I'd have stayed at home, and never sailed.

Oh, I hate everythiiiing!

>>4221640

10 out of 10

>>4221640
<Holy shit, I'm dying over here. Thank you>

>>4221640
hahaha

File: 1346311163394.png-(1.43 MB, 700x700, s15_18.png)

The three of you make your way up the stairs, Saffron doting over you every step of the way. You tell her that you're fine, it just hurts, and you don't feel anything more serious or hear any voices. You approach the door, and it looks more desolate than you remember it. The great feeling of dread spreads over you once more.
[audio02]

>>4221725
Well there's clearly no room for a mouthpiece there, unless we were to go shoving it in it's nasal cavity.
>With eyes you shall see
Wonder if we'll get some more murals on the other side.

>>4221640
oh wow

>>4221725

J-j-jam it in

File: 1346311570127.png-(19 KB, 530x262, Capture.png)

He seems grateful enough.

>>4221785
Still creeps me out...
but I'm just paranoid

>>4221725
right eye of the skull is green, left is blue
as in, if we were the skull the green would be our right eye
i don't want to fuck this up

File: 1346312595816.png-(37 KB, 700x700, s15_19.png)

>>4221811
You carefully levitate the green crystal up to the skull's right eye, the pain in yours increasing with every moment.

>>4221934
Oh boy oh boy oh boy

File: 1346312985437.gif-(31 KB, 700x700, s15_20.gif)

The gem slots into the eyesocket perfectly, and for a moment, nothing happens. The eye then flashes bright green and wavers for a moment. You look away, but when you finally manage to look back, you find that the pain in your right eye is entirely gone, and only the left pain remains.

>>4222002

That's... Good, I guess? I think?

>>4222012
Flashing green light and no more head pain on the same side as the statue?
I'd say so

File: 1346313378558.gif-(29 KB, 700x700, s15_21.gif)

You do the same with the blue gem in the left eye, and the same thing happens. A flash of light followed by a flicker, and the pain going away behind your eye. For the first time in a while a smile creeps across your face. You look over to find both Saffron and Chronicle smiling as well.

>>4222063
So, uh...
How do we open it exactly?

>>4222079
<Cutscene, sorry...>

File: 1346314442752.gif-(846 KB, 700x700, s15_22.gif)

[audio03]
<cutscene>

File: 1346314780694.gif-(23 KB, 700x700, s15_23.gif)

The lights dim to nothingness, along with the glow of the eyes. You all take a step back from the door, just in time for its top jaw to swing up, as if rearing to bite you.

File: 1346314846350.gif-(38 KB, 700x700, s15_23.gif)

>>4222342
<immersion ruined. Here's the ACTUAL gif.>

>>4222351

Inspect it closer.

>>4222351
Relight those torches, then have Saffron touch that dial.

>>4222351

Make sure it's safe and if it is, have Saffron open the door.

>>4222402
it snapped up
what's saying that it won't snap DOWN

>>4222419
>Snap down
>On the hand of Ironpaws
Still, good to be careful anyway. Thankyou Anon.

File: 1346315864219.png-(32 KB, 700x700, s15_24.png)

>>4222402
>>4222404
>>4222466
You relight the torches, and move in a bit closer to observe. You make sure not to stand underneath the skull, lest it feel like closing while you're under it. You can see that the top jaw of the skull was hiding a bronze octagon, set in the door, with another bronze disc inside of the octagon. You see the four finger holes, but there's a large divot in the center, this time.

>>4222526

I have a feeling the object we need is in the lava room.

File: 1346316134676.png-(19 KB, 700x700, 1345700500037.png)

>>4222526

Well, looks like we will need whatever goes in the mouth, after all. Thoughts on how to proceed?

>>4222576
Stick our horn in it!

>>4222576
we might need two more things, according to the poem: mouth and mind

Too big for one of the jaspers to do the trick, right?

File: 1346317071724.png-(33 KB, 700x700, s15_25.png)

>>4222622
Saffron reaches forward carefully with a jasper stone for size comparison.

"Far too small..."

Did everyone disappear? I kind of zonked out for a second there.

I think the logical next step is to figure out that lava room. We should go back there.

File: 1346318056100.png-(12 KB, 700x700, renne.png)

That's a wrap for tonight. Thanks for sticking around, everyone.

>>4222876
Just in time, about to pass out.
Cya next week

>>4222719
Welp, that's a block. At least we cleared out four inventory slots, I guess.
Time to go macguffin hunting.

So what's left to check out?
>Fire door (don't think we can progress there yet; might be linked with stone column given it's got the turning instructions nearby it)
>Beast mural (Charcoal rub, purely for info's sake, no progression)
>Column (Not really doable without entering into MORTAL KOMBAT with that top guard, and likely the bottom guard as well)
>Pedestal-in-middle-of-lava (Might be able to get a better look at what's in the middle/what that platform to the side is, but no idea how to progress here)
>BRIDGE (Possibly related to above? still no idea what the deal is here)
>Happy door (Guarded, again no idea how to progress)
And that's all I can think of.

>>4222876
Thanks again for another fun session. Not sure if we got actually lot done, but it certainly felt like progress.

>>4222876

Thanks LK

Seeya next week, there's a lot to think about between here and there.

I missed the whole quest, but guys.

That first golem statue we saw was hollow. And beyond we found a corpse that appeared to have been down here much longer than makes sense.

Hollow armour and metal frames. Carrying swords.

Almost like armour yes?

What if they're not golems

>>4222876
thank you LK
>>4222902
jeez we have a lot on our plate, and i really don't want to fight those golems...
>>4222935
you mean the goat? does that mean that Baldwin keeps captives and puts them in the armor? like Dr. Robotnik?
i really don't like Baldwin... he seemed too calm and forward about everything

>>4222981

Maybe. And now we've got Saffron dragging around one of their big heavy golem swords.

She's really starting to look the part.

>>4223013
>She's really starting to look the part.
Sh-shut up! ;_;

>>4222902
Y'know, for that top guard if he can outrun it we could probably have Chronicle lure him off somewhere before going invisible.
Though given what he's said about it, might be hard to pull the spell off when his adrenaline's pumping and he's exhausted from sprinting away from a golem.

>>4223108

It might be wise to avoid pissing off Baldwin. Not that it seems we're able to hide much from him in the first place.

>>4223130
>Not that we're able to hide much from him in the first place
Given he had so much trouble contacting us, needing to go through the link with one of his golems to speak to us and he could barely make out our companion's forms (And hasn't complained about the mess we've made with the place's secrets and locked doors), I don't think he actually has that much awareness of what's going on in here, at the moment at least.
I do agree that we should leave pissing him off until we absolutely have to, though.

>>4223162

Yeah I guess that's true. But he was definitely aware of our presence. You're right though, we can probably get away with a bit.

>>4223162
>needing to go through the link with one of his golems to speak to us
that's what worried me, he seems like he doesn't give a fuck what happens to anybody
he knew the golem was ready to kill us if we didn't move but used it as a means for communication, regardless
he even said that we should probably ask to be let go if we didn't want to die

>>4223178
>But he was definitely aware of our prescence
At the moment I'm pinning that down to Renne being a shiny beacon to all the creepy spiritmonsters, rather than through anything we've physically done to draw his attention.

>>4223230
maybe. she does seem to attract lots of spooky things
but he mentioned "you don't recognize your friends?" maybe he knows when people are in the temple, but needs eyes to see exactly what they're doing
it must have been confusing having Chance fucking shit up while we were just wandering around

>>4223257
>must have been confusing having Chance fucking shit up
DAMNIT I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING I WANTED TO ASK HIM
Though since he's been all "don't touch" I guess it wouldn't have been him setting Chance off anyway.

>>4223288
shit...
i still don't know what to think of Baldwin though
he's come off as very apathetic
we also didn't see him move an inch, just talk
he has to be powerful if he can summon us for a chat while slowing down time, and he freely admitted to killing a diamond dog tribe

Wait. What the fuck. I just realized she can now understand the golems.

>>4223473
...Good point. Wonder what the deal is there.