On the Outside

[Brian]

Paul, Parthipan, and the lady are watching Bjorn probe the stairs for traps when a trio of forms burst out of the adjacent stairwell, running like there's no tomorrow.  You realize it's Liandral, Nathan, and Phil, just before you start to hear the echoing chittering noises of tiny little somethings scrabbling across the stone of the nearby corridor, and an ominous rumbling begins to sound from somewhere deep within the mountain.

[Bjorn]

Well, piss.  So much for the scientific approach.  Now we'll try this the Irish way.

"Up the stairs!" Bjorn barks, and leads the way -- trying to move fast enough to avoid any traps he might set off along the way.

[Brian]

You all clear the stairs together and burst into a room that mirrors the entrance on the other side of the pass. Only, it's facing the other way.

Behind you, thousands upon thousands of spiders flood out, like a tide of eight-legged poison, halting only when they see the edges of light coming in through the doorway.  It's a very dim light, but it's light, and it seems to stay them more than the magical lights you're carrying with you.

Of course, this quickly becomes moot, as the echoing rumble builds into an all-out explosion.  A wash of fire, smoke, spiders-turned-ash, and hot air blasts out of the corridor Phil, Liandral, and Nathan escaped from, moments before the ceiling gives out, and leaves you in a somewhat less structurally sound entryway than it was a few moments ago.

[Bjorn]

This time, Bjorn doesn't bother shouting orders -- if people can't figure out what to do on their own, they aren't worth saving.  Instead, he grabs the Lady (as gently as possible, under the circumstances), and gets her through the exit and out into the open air, immediately dodging to the side (out of the arc of the doorway).

[Huitzil]

Paul runs. In fact, it might be fair to say he runs like hell.

[Brian]

You're all clear of the room as it slowly collapses in on itself, jets of flame and smoke escaping the rubble, and a massive column of dust and smoke shooting up into the air.

[Bjorn]

Panting for breath, Bjorn doubles over, resting his palms on his knees, and then glares at Dracos and Nathan.  "I don't even want to know," he growls, "what the hell you did."

[Dracos]

Dracos grunted, "A nuke.  Don't ask me what it was doing there.  Let's just get out of here."

Dracos

[Bjorn]

Giving Dracos a look, Bjorn straightens, and studies the surroundings.  As he does so, he asks, "Are you alright, m'Lady?"

[Brian]

She nods, looking back at the collapsed pass in astonishment.

Now that you're outside again, it's pretty cold.  The landscape is low, rolling hills, covered lightly in snow.  There's some scrub brush, but not much more than there was on the other side of the mountain range.

The temple behind you is a smoking ruin, revealing a pass above the tunnels you plodded through, though it still goes up a good distance.  Currently, the sun is south of you, lower in the sky than ever.

"That was ... impressive," Liandril manages.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn's lips quirk.  "At least we'll go down in legend as the last people to make that passage," he observes, and then sobers.  "Perhaps we should consult the map?  We shouldn't waste time."

[Huitzil]

"Wait... do you think that taking out the crystal might have set it off?"

[Brian]

Liandral shakes his head.  "From here, due south.  We'll camp tonight, and tomorrow we'll reach Stormwall Keep's border outpost.  We can warn them, and ride to the keep from there."

"We could press on," the lady counters.  "With Hamar's blessing, we could march until we reach the outpost.

"There's time enough," Liandril says, shaking his head.  "We need rest after our ordeal.  I take it you fared will on your path?"

"At least let us begin moving again," the lady grumbles, begining to march south.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn follows the lady, without saying more.

[Dracos]

Dracos whistles slightly under his breath, a sort of traveling tune, as he joins bjorn and the others in moving.  "A few more hours never hurt anyone."

Dracos