The mural was executed in what might once have been a rather expensive and well-done mosaic, though it’s hard to estimate how many better days it’s seen. The design seems easy enough to read, though: it looks as though some burly-looking men are being buried (presumably after being already dead) and then rising again armed and armoured. Auto’s thorough checking did turn up that the ground close to the lectern looks kinda scuffed. And the lectern has the remains of a big book on it, open partway through.
I’ll examine the scuffed ground for clues!
zzzzz…snores…zzzz
craaaaap
The scuffing seems to form a circle, with the base of the lectern wholly inside it (with not much room to spare).
Melon examines the book, making use of his theological education to interpret it if he can.
:reading the above notes from the mural:
Hey uh… guys. I know I’m just an Intelligent but not really wise Wizard here and all…
But do we really want to put this dead guy in the place where they show these dead people coming back to life?
Where’s the dead guy? Nobody put him down yet, did they?
Guys?
and for fun…
“Anyone here heard of the phrase Klatu-verata-necktie?”
I’ll try to check out the book as well, being mindful to not stop on or inside the scuffed area.
“ahem, Klaatu Barada Nikto”
“No you fool!”
throws himself to the ground dramatically
“No you fool!”
throws himself to the ground dramatically
“No no, it only wakes up the dead if you say it wrong…, as you did”
Looks around in fear
zzzz…I’m having a nice dream involving Xena and Gabrielle…mmmm
“You know that’s a pretty good point. I’m all for saying that the urn belongs on that first pew over there and getting out of here. We tell the parson that everything is hunky dorry and get him to explain the map we found so we can get some treasure without working for it. I’m really not in the mood to play with things that go bump in the night.”
“Umm, why not explore the other passageway first?, then we can decide where to put the urn”
“My guess is with two choices with the potential for undead, and we already know this one is clean, that they are in the other passageway. Considering Auto’s ability with being sneaky do we really want to count on him detecting the undead without being detected?”
notes nothing has happened, and Frodo’s comments
:coughs: “Uh… good point there, Frodo. Maybe we should forget that ever happened. Or that I somehow managed to fling myself to the ground twice…”
Ishtar stands up and dusts himself off, and tries to look all awesomely scary wizardy-smart again.
stretch, yawn
“That was a fine nap. Remind me to sleep in crypts more often. So, what did I miss?”
(An update will follow when I fire up the computer that has my notes on it - you may want to know what the book says before you decide.)
The book is open at a page that reads
The marks on the ground near the lectern look a little familiar - you have sometimes seen similar marks where a door scuffs on the floor as it opens and shuts. The lectern is very solid-looking and made of brass bearing a heavy patina.