You venture into the hollow darkness of the shrine of Thalmus. The further portions of the shrine are clearly some kind of monestary or hostel for the priests and monks of the war god, but the forward part is filled by a huge dark chamber. At the far end of this space rises a huge statue of the God, dressed in blood red armour and weilding two huge swords, one which he raises high above his head, vanishing into the darkness, the other held low accross his body. This statue is lit only by two wide dishes of oil, which flame with a ruddy, smokey light.
In the space before the statue you can just make two parralel rows of pillars, each carved like the ones on the platform outside the shrine. As you stand in the silence you hear the faint ring of metal on metal. Creeping forward in the darkness you approach the huge statue of the God. To either side an arch leads into a further part of the shrine, again lit by nothing but a few dusty shafts of sunlight descending from above. Kneeling in the shadows by the arch you can just make out two figures wheeling across this space. Both are dressed entirely in black, only slightly differing in shade from the shadows, and they weild long silver baldes which glint and flash as they slash through the sunlight beams.
You are not sure whether the figures are even aware of your presence, but you have the distinct feeling that other figures are watching from somewhere in the darkness, and you think it advisable to leave, placing an offering in the dish on your way out.
If you have something specific to give them (And are playing the Beneath the Village game), then enter it here:
The Priests take the star from you and look at it with wonder. "You have brought us a sacred artifact," they say, "And in return we will help you by slaying the beast that has been set to guard the Door With Four Locks by the Dark Elves."
The black robed priests gesture to you to follow them, and you do. Four of them assemble about you and lead you to a door in the back of the shrine, and from there into a long and winding passage, full of switchbacks and side tunnels, that ends in a blank wall. The lead priest does something to the wall and it vanishes, leading you into the collapsed corridor near to the entrance of the labyrinth where the Dark Elves have set their beast. The giant Rat creature rears up and roars, mighty and seemingly invulnerable, but the priests produce blades like razors, and in a moment the beast is dead.
The lead priest gestures at the door. "The way is now open, but other puzzles may remain. If it is so then I tell you this, seek the ancient King of this Labyrinth to find what you seek." One of the other priests hands him something. "Finally, should you leave now another monster may be placed here. If so then strike it with this dagger." He hands you a dagger carved from shining obsidian, upon the blade of which are the letters ADC.
Finally they leave the way they had come, vanishing silently into the shadows, and leaving you standing before the door.
"Thank you for your offer", says one priest, but we are not currently seeking this thing. There may be, however something of interest to us in the Labyrinth, so you may wish to keep a careful look out for such a thing.