Deep Beneath - Bismuth Abbey

General Summary

The Wardens find themselves aching, awakening on a cold floor of a barely lit room, rubble lying around them. Yamil, having woken most of them is aiding in getting those able up. Nari, lies out cold on the ground despite an attempt at a greater restoration and healing by Sarya.
Myra kneels beside Nari having pulled her up onto her knees. She turns to Yamil, "Has she been like this since you've been down here?"
"Yes um. She was one of the first I tried to awaken but I... did not have much luck."
Myra nods, gently lowering Nari to the floor and brushing herself off to stand.
Raijun looks to the ceiling, "Well that was certainly an explosion. We made it so far down we got to the basement of this place."
"Yes not a place I had... planned on visiting at the abbey," Myra adds.
"It's quite peaceful here, quite beautiful if you like blue," Yamil smiles gesturing at the crystalline structure on the far side of the room. Cracks surrounding the tomb also seem to emanate with a similar blue glow.
"I mean I do. But I suppose we should make sure that's not going to injure us." She moves toward the tomb, noting the large dragon motif above the sarcophagus. On the tomb Myra finds an engraving 'Akamand, the righteous', which she reads aloud.
"See other people use the same kind of nickname," Raijun says, wandering over towards the blue stones. "Name and then adjective." He picks up one of the stones examines it. The rock seems to be producing the light and as he examines it he feels almost heroic swell as there's a desire to protect the weak. "Woah get a load of this," he chucks the rock to Myra. Myra catches it and feels a similar rush. "Do you feel that?" he asks.
"Yeah. Wow, headrush."
"Are these like righteous rocks? Does this guy have merchandise? What makes it do that?"
"Well, what Klara was saying before was that in the paths the gods walked they left veins. And those veins hold true to their ideals I believe. So," she holds up the rock, "Bahamut, the platinum heart - Justice, protecting the weak. If I had to make a guess." She shrugs thumbing over to the relief, "well that and the large dragon on the wall."
"That is what gave me the clue," Yamil says from his tea.
"I don't sense any kind of magic coming from it though..." Raijun looks perplexed.
"Well," Myra tosses the rock back to him, "it wouldn't be arcane in nature it would be divine."
"Might keep one of these for good luck," tucking the rock into his bag.
"Be careful you don't want to turn into the person in the square..."
"I have been trying to avoid that, though it seems to chase me everywhere."
Myra cocks her head, "turning into stone?"
"Oh I thought you meant dying."
"I meant turning into stone. But I would also like you not to die please."
Yamil speaks up from his tea, "You all are in the very wrong line of work if that is your end goal."
"I mean I don't actually have a dealt wish-"
"ehhh - I mean your in this general chamber. People without a death wish don't often find themselves buried beneath the ground."
"I just want to help..."
"That is good."
"I feel like I still have work to do," Raijun says half to himself. "Those Immortals are no good and I need to put a stop to that." As Raijun says that the stone in his presence warms and glows slightly brighter.
As Myra returns to the campfire to get some tea for herself Raijun notices something reflecting off her face. Stone and dust coat all of them but in between there seems to be almost a shimmer of glitter on her face. "Are you wearing glitter?" Raijun asks incredulous.
"What?" Myra asks, taken aback. "When would I? Why - What?"
"I'm as confused as you are but you look like you've been bathing in glitter."
Myra turns to Yamil, hoping for someone who wouldn't be playing a prank on her. Yamil looks over her and looks sad. "What's that face for?" Myra asks, brows knitting.
"You know ... You have such a pretty face I would hate for you to end up - " he gestures to the scarring on the side of his face. "Well..." As he waves his hand across his face dropping an illusion, that was hiding an opalescent geode coloration that runs over skin that seems to be neither flesh nor stone. "I would hate to have you think any less of this beautiful visage, but I hope that the affliction I have suffered from for a great long time has not made its way over to you." Yamil moves closer placing his hands on either side of Myra's face, "May I?"
Myra nods, blushing, as a warmth emanates between his hands. Sarya raises an eyebrow from the side watching very closely. A moment passes and the flecks across Myra's visible skin flash before dying out like tiny embers. "Ah - well... It is what I had feared but if you did not have the immense fortune that you did, you certainly do now."
Myra's brow furrowed, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Ah well you have Pearlesnce imbedded throughout your body. This is what happens when you come into contact with a manifestation of pure magic." He waves his hand across his face and the illusion returns his face once again scarred but flesh.
"Imbedded?" Myra asks smally.
"It seems that this has splintered," He rummages through his bag, drawing out a talisman of a broken winged golden scarab. "I believe well, if someone could grab a bag or a cloth I think we can make short work of this such that it is not permanent."
"Well... that's a lot," Raijun comments, eyes darting between Yamil and Myra. "Do you feel okay Myra?"
Myra's eyes haven't left Yamil, "It is- am I... Is it terminal?"
"Ah for what you have. We could just quickly," He rotates a dial on the scarabs back so that the dial points to an abjurative symbol. "If we quickly remove no problem."
"A cloth?"
"Ah to catch it," he smiles reassuringly, "why let it go to waste." Myra rummages through her bag drawing out a cloth as the other members of the group draw closer. "No pain I promise," Yamil smiles.
Myra lays down on the cloth and Yamil gently places the scarab on her chest, giving Myra a wink. There's a click as the wings of the scarab flutter as a flash of magic appears. Myra feels the sensation of small grains of sand falling away. After a moment she stands as more bits fall away, caught in the cloth. "Is that all of it?"
"I mean you can go and inspect yourself. I mean you might want to do that in more of a private setting." Glancing around, "Or more of a hygienic setting for what it's worth."
"No offense but you look like you haven't showered," Raijun quips.
Myra ignores Raijun, instead looking at her hands and arms in concern. While she finds some remaining granules nothing seems to be imbedded in her any longer. Looking up to Yamil, "And it - it shouldn't come back?"
"Not unless you're trying to go in another rift of pure magic? Unlikely to encounter in the real world." "So you know like fifty fifty?" Myra attempts to joke but it comes out tight.
"Again, you trying to survive? Probably not the best thing to go diving into."
"Wasn't my intention the first time... or the second. Will there be... other effects? Do you know?"
"You were only out for a few hours. I don't believe there was any time for it to really set in. Do you feel any different?"
"I mean feel ill but that's normal for me having a panic attack," Myra half jokes.
"Then I would imagine then you are just back to your normal charming self."
"I guess Raijun that you should keep an eye out for me turning to stone too..."
"I'm watching you," Raijun makes the finger eyes motion. "Sooo, do you think that ol' righteous Robby is still in his tomb?" Thumbing over at the sarcophagus.
"I can't image that - well I hope he hasn't gotten up and left. And we seem to be the first ones down here in quite a while," gesturing to the cobwebs. "Are you considering disturbing-"
"Hey it's not disturbing!" Raijun defends as he wipes off the name, "I'm cleaning it!" As he dusts he reveals a continuation of the name plate. Myra translates 'First son of the platinum heart.' "Woah like Bahamut's kid?"
"I suppose it's possible, Ky was always the one to understand divinity more than me, but if they walked the plane there's no reason they couldn't have born children I suppose."
"Man Bahamut's avatar himself. And he ends up allll the way down here." Raijun knocks on the lid. Even in the dim light Raijun can see a brilliant metallic sheen to whatever the tomb is made of. "So we landed in Bahamut's chamber then... I wonder what else is around here."
"It's possible that there are other chambers for other gods. Yamil did you happen to take a look around in the time that we were out?"
"I was more worried about securing and making sure you all were all right." He smiles, "So only a little bit. I see that there are three doors. I have not tried any of them. A little while ago I heard something coming from over here," he points to the one on the right.
"There was a lot going on at the time... Did you happen to see if the architect made it out?" Myra asks noting the figure absent from the chamber.
Yamil gives Myra a look, "Eh I don't really care. She was not really a nice lady." He pauses, "But you all made it that was pretty cool. I don't really understand how you all fell for so long without dying so that is pretty cool. Good job on you all."
"I have a knack to avoid it," Raijun boasts. "I wonder what's behind these doors then. An eventual way out of here?"
"I don't think there's any doughnuts down here so I would like to leave."
"I'd liek to get Nari some help," Myra shoots a worried glance at her still figure on the floor.
"We can't just leave her here with righteous Robby?" Raijun asks. Myra doesn't even dignify him withe a response instead opting to glare at Raijun until he cracks, "what I was kidding..." He wanders off towards the north door.
It's a large steel door that has some writing vastly destroyed and faded. As Raijun pushes he notices that it's heavy with age and disuse, but it eventually gives way to a small hallway. On the far end they see a statute clearly reptilian of some kind with a caved in wall section behind it. In front of the statue is the remains of something.
"Well maybe don't step there," Myra suggests. As she attempts to identify the trigger she steps into the corridor and the mouth of the statue begins to alight in flames. "Right, well that tracks," Myra winces as a gout of flame scorches her.
"What is it you are doing? What about the not dying?" Yamil calls from behind.
Raijun pulls Myra out of the corridor looking concerned, "What was that? Are you okay?"
"Hot. Ow," Myra dusts off the ash from her clothes. "Not my day apparently. Quiet warm in there. Maybe close the door."
Raijun laughs to himself as he closes the door, "Made it all the way to the end of the tomb now we gotta dodge all the traps on the way out."
"Right, well, I can try something else," Myra extends her hand attempting to draw on the transmutation scroll to modify the mouth of the statue. As she reaches out she feels a sharp pain along her back as the length of it burns. The sensation slowly shrinks until it feels like she has a hot coal sitting on her back. She hisses, "Something is wrong. Raijun. On my back." She turns and lifts the back of her shirt, as she does so a stone seems to drop out.
Upon further inspection Sarya comments, "That looks like a cocoon." It has almost a golden glow emanating out of the object.
"Is that the scroll? I don't -" Myra attempts to reach for the power where the scroll was but it's gone. "I think that's the transmutation scroll."
"You guys break up?"
"I didn't think so?"
"Ah the classic 'it's not you it's me'."
"Oh no, I think it's definitely me."
"Are you okay? Are you feeling any different?"
Myra considers for a moment, "I mean it was hurting, it doesn't hurt now. I mean your holding it. Slightly concerned at what you said Sarya that it's a chrysalis..."
"I mean that's what it looks like," Sarya shrugs.
"I probably shouldn't touch it..."
"Do you want me to hold onto it?" Raijun offers.
Yamil steps forward, "I could hold it."
"Why shouldn't you touch it?" Adama asks.
"Well it was burning me. Maybe it's fine now?" Myra steps forward extending her hand but as it approaches the scroll she feels the same repelling pressure return. "No. Ah it doesn't like me. I've made it mad. I didn't know I could do that. But I have.."
"And so it has entrusted me?" Raijun asks the cocoon. "Don't worry little chrysalis I'll protect you."
"So I mean what the fuck did you do?" Adama asks.
"She tried to do something to the statue and it rejected her," Raijun shrugs.
"It shouldn't have been hard. I've done harder things than that."
"Maybe it's not a question of hard," Raijun offers. "Maybe you just reached your limit or something."
"Or," Myra points up, "could have something to do with that."
Raijun an Adama look up perplexed, "What's up?"
"Me accidentally not really siphoning and accidentally attempting to channel the entire weave..."
"Oh yeah maybe you overloaded this thing." Raijun shrugs again, "Well if you want I can just put it on my belt."
"Ah yeah-"
"I'm unsure if putting it on your belt is the best way of securing it..." Yamil adds
"Do you have a better idea," Raijun asks.
"I could hold it," Yamil offers.
"I have something," Myra pulls out the box given to her by her parents that the evocation scroll was previously held in. "My mother gave me this for the evocation scroll but it should work for you. You can hold onto it though Raijun."
"Oh okay," Raijun tries to put it in the box. At first it looks as though it wont fit but as he moves it closer the box seems to change until it matches the size of the scroll. "Woah you guys have some cool stuff over there."
Myra shrugs, "Money can buy a lot of magic." She turns to Adama, "Are you okay? You're glowing."
AS she points it out the group can see a soft halo of magic emit from Adama occasionally, blue pulses coming off in waves. "Feels fine. I mean there's a lingering feeling of magic but I mean that shit that just went down was kinda crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if the way magic responded is - I mean I don't know how to read this..."
"You were the reason the rest of your merry band here survived," Yamil adds. "The glow that is around you was around everyone when you fell. There were many rocks on top of you all when you fell..."
"Yeah abjuration... the only thing it really does well is protect shit."
"There are worse things to have," Myra chimes in. "Also you're not turning into a rock so excellent work."
"What's up with you and this rock thing?" Raijun asks.
"I was turning into a rock! I'm allowed to be a little freaked out about it."
Raijun shrugs and say zenly, "Well don't worry death comes for us all eventually." turning back to Adama, "It seems like we have some sort of situation on our hands. There's a dragon statue over there and it's still online. And we seem to be in some kind of Bahamut tomb," Raijun gestures to the large dragon relief across the room.
"We could also just open one of the other doors," Myra suggests. Myra sighs, "there is a dead body over there," gesturing into the trapped hall, "if you're dying to loot it."
Adama casts mage hand to pull the body over but doesn't find anything but old fabric on the skeleton. Adama turns back to the group, pondering. "Where'd the architect go?" Myra shrugs. "I'd be particularly interested in asking her what the fuck is going on."
"In terms of where we are, both Wilth and Urza Dawnsaber mentioned that there were tunnels beneath Bismuth that they were reopening but they hadn't gotten very far. I would guess that our friend over there," pointing to the corpse, "was longer ago than those expeditions."
"At this point the only options are to proceed forward though right?"
"Ah yes left or right would take us somewhere else theoretically. Do you have a preference?"
"Not really. Uh what's up with her?" Pointing to Nari on the ground. Myra explains her current state and the things they've tried. "So are we just gonna drag her ass around?"
"I was going to carry her yes. I can put her on Spryg it's fine."
"Left or right? I'd say everything's going to be alright so let's go right." Adama jokes.
"Do you want to open the door or should I continue my luck..."
Adama tries the door but finds it stuck. "I think we are gonna have to kick this bitch in."
Myra hesitantly steps towards the door, pulls out some oil as she attempts to mend it with her own magic. "It might open now?" She jiggles it but it doesn't move. "Hagren could you try?"
"Doors every time," Hagren sighs pulling out his crowbar. He pushes it in and easily opens it shaking his head back at the group.
"Right well Hagren can open the doors. At least one of us can..."
Looking into the next chamber the group sees five different pillars. Along the floor a collision of red and ruddy yellow as if two veins have been fighting in stalemate as long as it has stood. Along the walls various stain glass art has an eerie reflective light, very dimly backlit, glowing from the stone. Myra enters gingerly, kneeling beside one of the ruddy yellow pieces to touch it. As she does there's a momentary burning sensation and the feeling that her finger has been separated from her body. A sense of loss comes over her, she feels trapped and stuck. She recoils, and as she does the feelings recede almost as though it was never a thought.
"Don't touch the yellow. Ah red - I supposed red could be the prince of eternal hatred. Maybe just don't touch any of the rocks in the room we probably don't want to be in this room very long."
As they walk through the room inspecting the stained glass they see several scene. It starts with a glistening morning. Humans raising their arms as cascades of sunlight fall down upon them. But as the walk the scene shifts, the humanoid figures now on top their hands around their faces in a pleading position as an odd fractal of shapes emerge around them in an aspect of sorrow and despair.
"Lovely," Myra breathes. "Three doors? Three doors." Myra takes out a notepad and begins quickly sketching a map of the routes they know.
As the others start to filter into the room Myra realizes that they haven't set up Nari yet and returns to the main chamber. As she goes to Spryg she finds them standing at attention where they fell. She calls but there's no movement, as she moves closer she notices the normal glow Spryg emits is gone. They stand watching over her, their last visage ensuring her safety, some large debris still wedged between their panels. Unmoving, stuck, waiting and watching for Myra to wake up, only to never see her awaken.
"Wait. Wait. How long have we been down here?" Adama asks Yamil.
"A few hours you were all out?"
"Yeah but your conception of time is similar to ours right now. We need to ask someone on the outside something."
"I can do it," Myra says softy. She turns, touching her earring, "... Hi mom... there was an issue with the ritual at the Abbey. We're okay. Could you tell me how long it's been since we left?"
The response from Lady Stagwood comes quickly, "I gave you this item such that you could tell me you are safe. Your first call since you have left dictates the opposite." She concludes with a date and time that does not suggest that any more time has passed than expected.
"Hey I think I need ten minutes to cast the disk."
Myra nods. And begins to disassemble Spryg. (Note: This is where Campfire is) As she removes the magic heart of Spyrg she feels it beat warmly in her hand but notes that without reharmonizing it will not work. She also notes that the enchantment she had given Spryg to fly has broken and seems unusable.
Myra turns to Sarya, "Your - the necklace," she points to the necklace she gave Sarya, "It might not work... I'm sorry I don't know. Maybe I can fix it once we're out? Honestly I'm not sure about anything anymore."
"Yeah somethings wrong with your magic. If I had to make a guess I'd say something like, it's when you use a magnifying glass but when you're too close to the sun you get burnt a little bit? Maybe your magic is a little burnt out?"
"Or like someone cut off my access to transmutation?" Myra offers.
"Who would be able to do that though?"
Myra gives Adama a sad smile, "Perhaps someone channeling a strong amount of abjurative magic trying to protect me?"
"Wouldn't that only affect transmutation though?"
"Ah well transmutation is the school that empowers most magic enchantment of objects."
"So try to do a spell that's not transmutation?"
Myra things for a second calling Raijun over. She pulls out a bandage and goes to one of his arms where there's still damage. She casts her healing seems to take effect. She turns back to Adama as if to ask 'what now?'
"Okay so then there's one last question to check off here. Is transmutation effected to a large extent?"
Sarya notes that she was able to refresh Yamil's tea without issue something that would usually be considered transmutative.
Myra looks at the floor and shrugs, "just me."
"So it's only you were affect by... it's not an anti-magic field. What the hell would you even call it? A null field? It looked like it was even hard for you to cast that healing on Raijun. I mean I'm not the most perceptive but it seemed like you had to pull just a little bit harder to be able to access that ability."
"I mean I've had quite the headache but I kinda deserve that after... everything so I don't know."
"At this point we have no way of deriving what's going on with you. And at this point the person we know best - the two people we know best that would be able to figure it out, one's passed out over there," gesturing to Nari, "and the other is we don't know where. I might just send her a message cause I'm kinda curious where she went. You know what I will."
Adama sends a mess, "Um what the fuck happened? Where the fuck are you? what the fuck is going on? What the fuck? What the fuck?"
The message Adama receives in response is an incomprehensible string of gibberish.
Adama turns back to the group puzzled, "Uh yeah she's either really high from that ceremony or something weird is going on. It made no sense which makes me think she's either in a place where mentally she's not able to answer or physically in a place to come up with an answer."
"I mean that would make sense," Myra notes. "The only reason I attempted to siphon off the energy was I was concerned she was going to die."
"Well at least at this point we know she's alive," Adama shrugs.
"Oh, lovely," Yamil sighs.
"At this point the only concerns are getting out of here and getting Nari back up. Then we can find the ancient architect lady. I think there's a question about that... I guess our only options are to proceed forward. I guess we should have Hagren check the other door and open it just to make sure that there's not something big that we're missing."
Hagren easily opens the second door easily. Adama comments that he needs to join Hagren's workout routine to get some of his guns. Hagren flexes, "yeah, you just gotta know how to work 'em."
Beyond the left hand door is a small corridor, a soft orange glow emanating slightly from the cracks. Another door leads north from the hallway. Myra takes a look in the hallway for traps but just finds rubble, she notes the door is locked. "Well orange... Orange could be good. It could be the merchant... or it could be the chained oblivion so you know coin toss. I guess the real question is do we go through the... ah I'm just gonna say it - the evil gods' doors," Point back down the hallway to the right. "Or do we go this way?" Pointing to the door in front of them.
"Evil gods?" Adama asks.
"Oh to the right the veins were the prince and hmmm could be the deathless?" Myra theorizes.
"Oh this entire place is a foundry for gods, it would make sense that one side would be for a certain type of god and the other side another. I mean I might get along easier if I went to the right side but you all will probably have an easier time on the left. So... left it is? "
"I vote left personally. I think this might be the merchant," Myra point to the floor, "And I'd really rather not deal with those other ones."
Everyone else shrugs, as Myra goes to unlock the door Adama summons Hedwig and sends her to the right until she can't go any further. As she flies Adama sees a gate with the royal seal of the Manten Lich kingdom on the door. Some aspects seem out of date or incorrect but the symbols is unmistakable.
The door clicks as Myra unlocks the door, Hagren is able to open the door again. As Myra steps in she hears a click and sighs whispers, "of course." Myra looks up to the source of the click as she spies an iris like hole that is now shut.
"Maybe we should be checking for traps before we progress," Adama notes.
Myra looks at the ground, "I checked the hallway and I - I just forgot. I thought... It doesn't matter."
"Maybe take a step back and see if it resets?"
Myra does as Adama asks but there is no change in the iris above. Adama lights his sword ablaze for better illumination and offers it to Myra. "No thanks," She waves him away, "you should keep it. I can see fine just you know shades of grey." They look to the iris but there's no change. "Well," Myra continues, "I don't know how I feel about something closing honestly... maybe I should go last today. Would someone else like to go?"
Raijun goes ahead moving forward shrugging. He hits another door and attempts to open it for a minute before the group pushes Hagren to the front to once again dispatch the door. "Move aside Stringbean," Hagren claps Raijun on the shoulder but after a moment the way is clear once more.
As the group steps through the room opens into a large brilliant chamber. The fissures that have been seen before, all colors now seem to be present coalescing in a large seal in the center. The sigil gives off an odd pulsation. Broken stained glass windows cover the wall with only three still in tact. On the far side of the room there's a web covered door with another to the left of the chamber almost doubling back the way they came. The floor seems to almost shift as though it is a constant kaleidoscope of color emanating from the center.
Yamil calls out from the first chamber, "are you finding anything interesting?"
"Big room," Sarya yells.
"Well be careful," Yamil shouts.
"Are you just going to sit back there and sip tea?" Myra asks.
"No one told me to do anything, I figured I would watch Miss Nari here."
"I didn't think you needed an invitation," Sarya calls out.
"Oh well all right," Yamil makes his way up.
Myra moves closer to the center being careful to avoid the colored stone so she can get a better look at the symbol. Though it has aspects of runic writing it does not seem to have an arcane basis instead leaning more divine in nature. She also notices a stained glass in the center of the far wall and attempts to make her way toward it. As she does her foot brushes a maroon stone to feeling like all this needs to be burned, consumed, feeling close to a path to being drawn in... but as her foot leaves the stone the thought dissipates.
"Maroon is bad. Maybe don't step there. Gold seems fine though."
As she approaches the glass she sees a series of large forms coming down from the heavens. As she shifts perspectives there's a change in the glass and it seems as though the forms are rising from below greeting the humanoid forms. In the more positive interpretation the humanoid figures seem to reach up above the large draconic shapes. In the more negative portrayal, the chains which the draconic shapes are bound to are in the hands of these other beings. The hands that were raise in a positive direction now turned inward in an a plea posture. There seem to be seven forms depicted in each.
Myra notes that it is believed that before the gods came it was a tyranny and servitude towards creatures of higher power. No beings ruled higher during that time than the dragons. It wasn't until the gods arrived that mortals gained the tool, whether through belief or direct intervention, to empower their own salvation.
"Can someone call out what are on the other ones. Maybe mind the floor better than I did."
Sarya steps up to another, in this picture the first design shows that the humanoids have been given many gifts and are fighting against dragons, titans, beholders, and other large being of myth and legend. Sarya notices that of the humanoids there's a human, a dwarf, a halfling, gnome, aarakokra. but there are no dragonborns and no elves in the picture. Shifting perspective the beings of myth and legend shift to the background standing behind or being commanded by the same set of humanoids. Their army marches across the land.
As Sarya calls that out Myra notice that there are no dragonborn or elves in her picture either. "What about the third?" Myra asks.
Raijun wall runs around the veins on the floor, descending safely on the other side. The third relief is smashed, only pieces of it able to be made out. The image that Raijun is able to make out is the same tools Sarya has described now seem to be in different hands. And interestingly as he shifts perspective no change seems to happen.
"Hagren the one by you is broken right?"
Hagen steps over and takes a look at the last remaining stained glass, "yeah I'm not one for art but it seems busted." As he looks he calls out what little details there are remaining. The only thing he's able to glean is that aspects that were previously separate now seem to be in the same field of view.
As the group investigates the room they feel a pulse, while most of the group seem to shrug off the effect Raijun and Adama feel a wave come over them. For Raijun there's a feeling that the weak are meant to serve him. That he should be honored and respected through power and the oppression of the weak. Images flash into his mind briefly, a ritual, the sacrifice of many to allow for the power of some great queen. There's a great five headed beast as figures bow down to the idea of servitude on oppression. Each figure pulls their cloak back. The figure in red, pulls their cloak back revealing a scarlet haired dwarf, hands wreathed in flames. A much taller white cloaked figure draws back their hood revealing a larger goliath, heavily tattooed, and as they outstretch their hands there is pillars of ice. The next is a halfling, black cloak, who's hands and hair seem to drip with black oil. As the green cloak pulls back the figure is almost immediately obscured by the noxious fumes that surround them. The final figure, large like the goliath tai just visible from beneath the blue robe, steps forward slowly removing their cowl. As they do the figure of a familiar blue dragonborn wreathed in lightening. As Raijun blinks the face of Tintreach vanishes from his mind as he wonders if that was real.
Adama, sword aloft to light their way, is hit with a wave of appreciation for the space and its history. He's struck by how the story of this space is the story of life, a story of preservation, and how he's glad that his friend made it down safe. How it felt good to enable that. He's also struck by the feeling that while the safety of his friends is fine, that feeling needs to spread. That life needs to continue. Briefly, he sees a large tree, beautiful and resplendent in life seems standing out amongst the lands around it which seem to be encroaching with death and decay. The marching encroachment of death seems not to be just an affect of the land, but a marching series of armies headed towards the tree. As they approach the tree rises and a city can be seen clutched in the large roots of the tree. A siege begins on the city, the tree seeming to guide one side a beacon of life and preservation. As the forces grow ever closer the tree begins to ascend into the sky, but tendrils of these army seems to grasp and pull the city down. Adama feels a final rush of life, the need to survive and preserve, as the tree and the top half of the city disappear. The armies below crumble as death and the vacancy of life takes hold of the land and in the rubble of that city Adama sees what looks like a familiar skull from the rocks that remain.
As he's thrust back into the room Adama can't help but wonder if what he saw was real or if his mind wandered. Adama inquires if anyone else felt what he did but as the remainder of the group shakes their heads he describes what he saw to the group.
As he finishes Myra notes, "Sounds like Lunaacre."
"What's that?"
"My home town," Sarya says somberly.
"On Drumerin," Myra notes. "My grandmother lives there, well when she's not in the fey wild."
"Is there a really big tree there?" Adama asks. Sarya nods. "Is it still there?"
Sarya shrugs, "As far as I know."
"So was I seeing the past or the future?"
As the group thinks Adama remarks that the vision could not have been Lunaacre because the rock formation left behind is so distinctively the one he knows from Slekul. Myra adds that there were known high magic floating cities during the Age of Ether over what is now Slekul. Adama remembers a story that the city above Slekul specifically one day disappeared causing a tear. About fifty years ago it was believed that part of the city returned, exposing the lands to aspects of wherever the city returned from. Adama pauses, "What do you think Myra?"
Myra pauses in thought, "The city was called Dominum Eterunus. At least theoretically. There was also a monument to the war in Nightwell Hold. The one to 'Leutenant Law' from repelling the incursion. It could have been Dominum instead of Lunaacre. I haven't heard of Lunaacre rising up into the sky before."
Myra also recalls a story that her grandmother would tell her about how a gift to this world was abused, corrupted, and taken. It seemed to ensure the importance of a responsibility left to a family. she starts to bring it up to the group but then dismisses it, saying, "nah... that's silly. Should we try another door? Hagren if you don't mind."
Hagren steps forward and easily cracks the door to the left. A small passage way leads back doubling back the way they came. Sarya steps forward as Hagren cracks the door, trying to identify any more irises or other potential traps. She finds none and says it's clear.
"Perhaps south first before north as if we're doubling back we should have less potenital area to cover?" Myra offers.
The group nods and begins to progress down the southern hall. As they reach the end they find a wood door already splintered in the middle.
"Huh looks like someone already got here first."
Sarya, taking the lead, pokes her head through the opening in the door. Straight ahead she sees another wooder door, warped and rotting. In one of the corners of the room is a blue glow eminating from some fissures. The other side of the portculus is visible and opposite it is a large stone statue of a dragonid figure and beside it floats a blinking eye. It stares and fixates on Sarya, as she looks into it there's a moment of fear and paralysis as it stares deeply into Sarya's soul.

Report Date

17 Nov 2022