Main Thread

*Damara takes in a deep breath and then preforms a deep curtsy* "I am Damara ne Varen'Dau, your Majesty, and I am pleased to be at your service."

*After finishing her curtsy, she then turns towards Badger, and blushes slightly* "I apologize for naming you Jackass. It appears I called you the wrong animal entirely, as I don't think Badgers are as stubborn as Jackasses. But why exactly do people call you the Badger?"

*She then inclines her head towards Kenshin* "Well Met, Kenshin."

Evette straightens nervously, clearing her throat and attempting to speak a time or two before her voice comes out unbroken.

"Your Grace, my name is Evette and I am a...scholar? I am, er, honored to make your acquaintance."

She sinks into a weary and uncomfortable curtsy before looking around to the others, nodding.

"And all of yours."

*Badger shakes his head*

"You just answered your own question, but thank you for the permission all the same."

*He shakes the bundle full of shards*

"Also I think we have the shard situation well in hand."

*Badger offers a curt bow, then spins on his heal and continues to head to the door*

"And now I'm bored, let's be shut of here and onto this Labra-linth!"

*Kenshin stands a little straighter and nods in agreement with Damara. Then sniffs the air, almost dog like, and heads towards the opening. As he passes through his stance becomes more animal like almost a crouch.*

( Note for the DM unless I specifically state that I am standing straight I will be in a crouch. I recently had time to reread the Racial habits of Shifters.)

The party works its way past the massive, ruined door into the room beyond, and what faces them when they emerge is nothing short of horrifying.

Cramming the hallway is a countless number of dead bodies; men and women of several different races that have been sliced, bashed, burned, and murdered in a number of equally grisly fashions. Blood, burn marks, and what appears to be acid damage cover the walls and floor. There was clearly a brutal battle that occurred here. Though the blood has not yet fully dried and the stench of death has not begun yet. This battle is only recently fought.

Upon being confronted with this sight, Cherimoya begins to shake uncontrollably. She drops to her knees and begins to wretch violently, though with no physical stomach to speak of, this only results in a series of heaving noises. Cherimoya has clearly never seen carnage quite like this before.

After the initial shock of the scene wears off, a few things become apparent. One, there were clearly two forces that clashed here. Each has an emblem sewn or otherwise attached to their respective forces armor. The first force, which clearly took the brunt of the battle, is made of people similar to Cherimoya, though not all of them have red skin and yellow lines running through them. They come in a variety of colors, but all look to be humanoid. There are also some humans scattered among their ranks. They wear a heraldic shield depicting two manticores rampant above an anvil.

The other army is made of a different kind of humanoid. They look very similar to humans, but are somehow more bestial, sharing features of large cats and wolves. This force also seems to have a number of humans included. They wear an emblem showing a straight sword wreathed in thorns.

The second things that you notice is that, though most of them have been left as yet undisturbed, a few of the bodies seem to have been stripped of their equipment. It doesn't take a great deal of insight to figure out that the equipment taken was probably far more valuable, and perhaps magical, than the mundane weapons and armor that has been left. It was probably taken by opportunists in the moments of chaos directly after the battle.

The last thing you notice is the gigantic mass of smashed metal in a heap next to the door. Whatever it was, it was once vaguely humanoid, judging by the giant arm and leg shaped pieces. But its head is all but gone, and its chest has been almost completely caved it.

When Cherimoya regains herself again, she says, "That was the golem meant to guard this chamber. But those damnable Daedalans practically walked right past it! There were many more, much smaller golems and homunculi patrolling the labyrinth against intruders. Though, I can't say we were expecting an entire army to find its way here..."

"But," she says, "we are lucky that the bodies haven't been moved and stripped of their equipment. Quickly, grab whatever weapons and armor you can use and we can be on our way."

Now the party can properly equip themselves. You search the bodies until you find a weapon and some armor that you are comfortable with. It's hard to say why these weapons and armor suit you. Though something in the back of your mind, perhaps some memories itching to emerge, tells you that these weapons fit right in your hands.

(Be sure to make a note of what kind of equipment you take and which insignia the armor bears.)

Whenever the party is ready, the hallway leads to both the left and the right from the door. Cherimoya waits until you are done searching the room and equipping yourselves before leading the party down the right hallway.

These are the emblems displayed on the armors:

(Everyone will get Perception Checks to find hidden stuff, assuming they choose to search for anything beyond their basic equipment. They will be rolled once everyone has posted.)