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Alea Iacta Story Hour: A Mythic Rome Campaign (Baby Announcement: 8/17)
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<blockquote data-quote="Orichalcum" data-source="post: 2022084" data-attributes="member: 3722"><p><strong>Alea Iacta VIII: Under Mud, Over Sea Chp. 3: Villa Crawl</strong></p><p></p><p>"<span style="color: DarkOrange">He ever comes around here, I'll servile him, you know?"</span></p><p></p><p>A response to young Euro: It is clearly a mark of the dreadful educational system in your world that you have so little concept of basic grammar, let alone sophisticated concepts like the later conjugations or the subjunctive. This seems like an excellent goal for your Mages' Academy - I can't tell you how many spells I've heard Meloch fumble because of an improperly placed pronoun! It is certainly an important factor to consider when making your final selection of Archmage.</p><p></p><p>But let me continue on with _my_ story. I fear that my more action-oriented readers have found the last few chapters, full of subtle character development, somewhat dull. Well, fear not - matters grow exciting and even tense from here on out.</p><p></p><p>After much discussion, the group decided to investigate the Villa Calpurnii before going to the Sibyl at Cumae, on the grounds that information buried in the ruins might influence or change the questions we planned to ask the Sibyl. So we set off for the buried city of Herculaneum, following the vague directions of Licinia Luculla. We relatively easily located an area where there had been recent digging, which featured a long diagonal tunnel which had been dug down into the mud. Several pairs of footprints led towards the tunnel; we could not find any leading out. </p><p></p><p>Llyr and Cornelia investigated the general area and found a small farm, about 200 feet away, with somewhat more horses than one would expect for a place of its size. Upon investigation and the judicious use of a Charm spell, the farmer readily admitted that he had been asked to stable some horses for a research expedition being led by Fufidius Priscus, the chief librarian of the Library of Trajan back in Roma. Llyr stabled Talat and the other horses at the back of the same farm, carefully leaving Talat untethered so that she could escape if necessary. </p><p></p><p>New conspiracy theories involving the stuffy, greedy librarian Fufidius were batted around as the group slowly crawled down the 3 feet wide steep diagonal mud tunnel. Wena's sentient crystal Samer (not the most exciting of companions, I've found, but at least I can rest assured that it doesn't want to eat me) led the way, with the rest of the group following in this order: Marcus, Metellus, Wena, Llyr, Cornelia, Meloch, me, Heilyn, Lucretius. Cato was left on the surface to keep watch, good riddance. Heilyn suggests transforming himself and forming a new tunnel, to escape detection, with the immortal line: "We'll be giant burrowing man-badgers!" This plan, however, is rejected.</p><p></p><p>After an unpleasant, filthy descent which left me longing for a bath for my golden fur, we finally emerged into the remnants of the actual building, where the roof, at least in most places, prevented the mud from raining down on us. We found ourselves in a long roofed courtyard, with the remains of what must have been a lovely marble swimming pool in the center, and statues of the Emperors down through Trajan lining the side. Proceeding onto the ground floor of the main building, we found ourselves in a large atrium with doorways to the left and right. Two large iron chests, whose locks had clearly been roughly broken, were placed on either side of the atrium. Upon opening them, we discovered the preserved huddled corpses of two people, probably slaves given their lack of jewelry or weapons and rough clothes. Wena was highly unnerved by the general psychic echoes of death and fear here. </p><p></p><p>Investigations through the left doorway proved to lead to a kitchen and servants' quarters, including a hearth and small figurines of the household gods, as well as a larger painted fresco of the god Vesuvius, at the bottom of which we found another corpse, arms reaching out to the gods. Heilyn became deeply disturbed here when he realized that these figurines had no spirits: even the gods were dead in this villa. He began muttering prayers under his breath. </p><p></p><p>We noticed footprints in the ash and mud, leading back and forth from each of the doorways, and then also down the flight of stairs on the left, but none returning from those stairs. Still, it was decided to check out the doorway on the right first, where Metellus and Marcus found the remains of a small Greek Library, almost entirely carbonized or destroyed in ash, and fairly obviously recently disturbed, with carbonized scrolls thrown to either side. Reluctantly, Metellus commands all those who are literate in Greek to spend some time searching here, and Lucretius manages to find a small scrap of possibly relevant papyrus, which reads: "“In the Shadow of the Shadow, Narcissus and his love are united at last.” No-one is quite sure what to make of this at this point, except that it has something to do with reflections.</p><p></p><p>Continuing down the staircase, the villa remains eerily quiet with the exception of a regular sound of dripping water and, somewhere below them, a strange squeaking noise. On the second cliffside terrace. the mud is knee-high on most of the group, waist-high on Meloch (I move to the top of his head, anxiously trying to keep myself clean), and still soft and fairly liquid. </p><p></p><p>Small worms and grubs flee from the torchlight as the party squelches through. We find ourselves in a main hallway, leading out to another courtyard, which has a tunnel in it. The tunnel is roughly hacked through the soft mud, and Marcus and Metellus decide to investigate first, before the rest of us follow. The first tunnel leads out about forty feet, and then angles diagonally left and right for another twenty feet. Marcus crawls ahead first, following a set of hand-and-footprints in front of him, which excite him because there are no foot prints coming back. Fortunately, however, he chooses to go slowly, and is thus able to stop himself right before reaching the end of the tunnel - at the cliffside itself, where he can see a long drop hundreds of feet down to the water, and what must once have been a spectacular view across the Bay of Naples. Marcus suddenly realizes why there are no prints coming back, and warns Metellus, before carefully retracing his steps and returning to the safety of the roofed hallway. </p><p></p><p>The party can hear the sound of squeaking more to the left, and the sound of dripping water to the right. After discussion, we proceed down the hallway to the end, where there are large marble doors, elegantly decorated, and fully closed. Llyr listens carefully and hears the noises of something large moving through water on the other side. We prepare for battle, the fighters drawing their weapons, Heilyn casting protective magics, and Meloch and Cornelia readying spells. Marcus is first by the door, and, sword in hand, quickly pulls it open. Beyond, those closest to the door can see the muddy remains of a once lovely marble-tiled private bath, now largely occupied by an enormous water snake, easily Marcus' chest in diameter.</p><p></p><p>Marcus: "Do we want to fight that?"</p><p></p><p>Metellus: "No."</p><p></p><p>Marcus: [slams door on snake] "OK. Let's go."</p><p></p><p>Sometimes, I think Meloch's companions might be picking up a little bit of common sense from me. Even if it did mean that we couldn't take a bath.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Orichalcum, post: 2022084, member: 3722"] [b]Alea Iacta VIII: Under Mud, Over Sea Chp. 3: Villa Crawl[/b] "[COLOR=DarkOrange]He ever comes around here, I'll servile him, you know?"[/COLOR] A response to young Euro: It is clearly a mark of the dreadful educational system in your world that you have so little concept of basic grammar, let alone sophisticated concepts like the later conjugations or the subjunctive. This seems like an excellent goal for your Mages' Academy - I can't tell you how many spells I've heard Meloch fumble because of an improperly placed pronoun! It is certainly an important factor to consider when making your final selection of Archmage. But let me continue on with _my_ story. I fear that my more action-oriented readers have found the last few chapters, full of subtle character development, somewhat dull. Well, fear not - matters grow exciting and even tense from here on out. After much discussion, the group decided to investigate the Villa Calpurnii before going to the Sibyl at Cumae, on the grounds that information buried in the ruins might influence or change the questions we planned to ask the Sibyl. So we set off for the buried city of Herculaneum, following the vague directions of Licinia Luculla. We relatively easily located an area where there had been recent digging, which featured a long diagonal tunnel which had been dug down into the mud. Several pairs of footprints led towards the tunnel; we could not find any leading out. Llyr and Cornelia investigated the general area and found a small farm, about 200 feet away, with somewhat more horses than one would expect for a place of its size. Upon investigation and the judicious use of a Charm spell, the farmer readily admitted that he had been asked to stable some horses for a research expedition being led by Fufidius Priscus, the chief librarian of the Library of Trajan back in Roma. Llyr stabled Talat and the other horses at the back of the same farm, carefully leaving Talat untethered so that she could escape if necessary. New conspiracy theories involving the stuffy, greedy librarian Fufidius were batted around as the group slowly crawled down the 3 feet wide steep diagonal mud tunnel. Wena's sentient crystal Samer (not the most exciting of companions, I've found, but at least I can rest assured that it doesn't want to eat me) led the way, with the rest of the group following in this order: Marcus, Metellus, Wena, Llyr, Cornelia, Meloch, me, Heilyn, Lucretius. Cato was left on the surface to keep watch, good riddance. Heilyn suggests transforming himself and forming a new tunnel, to escape detection, with the immortal line: "We'll be giant burrowing man-badgers!" This plan, however, is rejected. After an unpleasant, filthy descent which left me longing for a bath for my golden fur, we finally emerged into the remnants of the actual building, where the roof, at least in most places, prevented the mud from raining down on us. We found ourselves in a long roofed courtyard, with the remains of what must have been a lovely marble swimming pool in the center, and statues of the Emperors down through Trajan lining the side. Proceeding onto the ground floor of the main building, we found ourselves in a large atrium with doorways to the left and right. Two large iron chests, whose locks had clearly been roughly broken, were placed on either side of the atrium. Upon opening them, we discovered the preserved huddled corpses of two people, probably slaves given their lack of jewelry or weapons and rough clothes. Wena was highly unnerved by the general psychic echoes of death and fear here. Investigations through the left doorway proved to lead to a kitchen and servants' quarters, including a hearth and small figurines of the household gods, as well as a larger painted fresco of the god Vesuvius, at the bottom of which we found another corpse, arms reaching out to the gods. Heilyn became deeply disturbed here when he realized that these figurines had no spirits: even the gods were dead in this villa. He began muttering prayers under his breath. We noticed footprints in the ash and mud, leading back and forth from each of the doorways, and then also down the flight of stairs on the left, but none returning from those stairs. Still, it was decided to check out the doorway on the right first, where Metellus and Marcus found the remains of a small Greek Library, almost entirely carbonized or destroyed in ash, and fairly obviously recently disturbed, with carbonized scrolls thrown to either side. Reluctantly, Metellus commands all those who are literate in Greek to spend some time searching here, and Lucretius manages to find a small scrap of possibly relevant papyrus, which reads: "“In the Shadow of the Shadow, Narcissus and his love are united at last.” No-one is quite sure what to make of this at this point, except that it has something to do with reflections. Continuing down the staircase, the villa remains eerily quiet with the exception of a regular sound of dripping water and, somewhere below them, a strange squeaking noise. On the second cliffside terrace. the mud is knee-high on most of the group, waist-high on Meloch (I move to the top of his head, anxiously trying to keep myself clean), and still soft and fairly liquid. Small worms and grubs flee from the torchlight as the party squelches through. We find ourselves in a main hallway, leading out to another courtyard, which has a tunnel in it. The tunnel is roughly hacked through the soft mud, and Marcus and Metellus decide to investigate first, before the rest of us follow. The first tunnel leads out about forty feet, and then angles diagonally left and right for another twenty feet. Marcus crawls ahead first, following a set of hand-and-footprints in front of him, which excite him because there are no foot prints coming back. Fortunately, however, he chooses to go slowly, and is thus able to stop himself right before reaching the end of the tunnel - at the cliffside itself, where he can see a long drop hundreds of feet down to the water, and what must once have been a spectacular view across the Bay of Naples. Marcus suddenly realizes why there are no prints coming back, and warns Metellus, before carefully retracing his steps and returning to the safety of the roofed hallway. The party can hear the sound of squeaking more to the left, and the sound of dripping water to the right. After discussion, we proceed down the hallway to the end, where there are large marble doors, elegantly decorated, and fully closed. Llyr listens carefully and hears the noises of something large moving through water on the other side. We prepare for battle, the fighters drawing their weapons, Heilyn casting protective magics, and Meloch and Cornelia readying spells. Marcus is first by the door, and, sword in hand, quickly pulls it open. Beyond, those closest to the door can see the muddy remains of a once lovely marble-tiled private bath, now largely occupied by an enormous water snake, easily Marcus' chest in diameter. Marcus: "Do we want to fight that?" Metellus: "No." Marcus: [slams door on snake] "OK. Let's go." Sometimes, I think Meloch's companions might be picking up a little bit of common sense from me. Even if it did mean that we couldn't take a bath. [/QUOTE]
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