[IC] Ethend: Hunt for Cantus
Erekose13
Explorer
[sblock=Tau, Kolbyr, Delynn]"Apologies, friend. Speaking in elvish comes more naturally." Tau says to Kolbyr.
As he leads the two up to his room he pauses ushering them in. "My name is Tau Scrymgeour. I have been following a trail of despair and death. I've come upon a clue in ancient elvish that I do not understand. I didn't think I'd really find an elf so far from our homeland, but by the spirits here you are." He stops there to allow the others to introduce themselves and take in what he has said.[/sblock]
As he leads the two up to his room he pauses ushering them in. "My name is Tau Scrymgeour. I have been following a trail of despair and death. I've come upon a clue in ancient elvish that I do not understand. I didn't think I'd really find an elf so far from our homeland, but by the spirits here you are." He stops there to allow the others to introduce themselves and take in what he has said.[/sblock]
[sblock=Tau, Kolbyr, Delynn]"It is good to meet you, Tau Scrymgeour. I am Delynn Alendon. My companion is Kolbyr Fjorin, the most noble of humans I have met. As I said, he can hear anything you'd have to say to me. Consider him a true friend of us and our kin.
"Please, tell me what troubles you've encountered and this clue. I may not know the answer, but surely more minds to ponder it will reveal the solution sooner."[/sblock]
"Please, tell me what troubles you've encountered and this clue. I may not know the answer, but surely more minds to ponder it will reveal the solution sooner."[/sblock]
Erekose13
Explorer
[sblock=Tau, Kolbyr, Delynn]Tau nods to Delynn and then Kolbyr as she introduces them. Letting the two settle in in the two chairs he has in his room, Tau begins, "Now I think that it might be best to put this story in context before jumping ahead. I hope that you do not mind a long tale.
"It all began when I was a member of a travelling troupe of entertainers. We tried to bring colour to the lives of the people under the heavy weight of the Mythar rule. Traveling the countryside we gave performances in small villages along the way.
"At one particular village that we arrived in we found death and destruction. From what we gathered a human attacked and killed the Mythar lords of the village in a particularly spectacular fire. Fearing retribution from the Mythar we tried to help the village bring that one human to justice or at least question him. None of us were enamoured with the Mythar rule, but we did not kill them.
"This individual, named Cantus, we discerned that he had managed to tap into a power that none of us understood, something dark, something fell. We set off into the forest on his trail, but behind us was a gathering of Mythar like none we had seen before. We lost the Mythar in the forest, but were unable to catch up with Cantus.
"Our trail eventually led to this village before running cold. Our group remained here for a time trying to pick up the trail to find this Cantus. With the support of the locals and a slow return to our entertainer lives we had lost touch with the trail and the hunt.
"All was for nought when just a fortnight ago our leader, an elderly gnome was attacked by Cantus in his room right here in this inn. Since that time our group has gradually faded away. Only I am still hunting Cantus, only I stand ready to continue the search.
"To that end I tapped into a crystal that one of our contacts had given our late leader. What I saw chilled me to the bone. The Mythar have opened that which should never have been opened. And Cantus somehow tapped into that energy.
"The one phrase that I heard that captures the horror that has been unleashed is in ancient elvish and it is one whose significance I do not understand.
"Eternal shall the Seal of Shadow be. Not steel nor hand betrays the Seal. Eternal shall the Seal of Shadow be."[/sblock]
"It all began when I was a member of a travelling troupe of entertainers. We tried to bring colour to the lives of the people under the heavy weight of the Mythar rule. Traveling the countryside we gave performances in small villages along the way.
"At one particular village that we arrived in we found death and destruction. From what we gathered a human attacked and killed the Mythar lords of the village in a particularly spectacular fire. Fearing retribution from the Mythar we tried to help the village bring that one human to justice or at least question him. None of us were enamoured with the Mythar rule, but we did not kill them.
"This individual, named Cantus, we discerned that he had managed to tap into a power that none of us understood, something dark, something fell. We set off into the forest on his trail, but behind us was a gathering of Mythar like none we had seen before. We lost the Mythar in the forest, but were unable to catch up with Cantus.
"Our trail eventually led to this village before running cold. Our group remained here for a time trying to pick up the trail to find this Cantus. With the support of the locals and a slow return to our entertainer lives we had lost touch with the trail and the hunt.
"All was for nought when just a fortnight ago our leader, an elderly gnome was attacked by Cantus in his room right here in this inn. Since that time our group has gradually faded away. Only I am still hunting Cantus, only I stand ready to continue the search.
"To that end I tapped into a crystal that one of our contacts had given our late leader. What I saw chilled me to the bone. The Mythar have opened that which should never have been opened. And Cantus somehow tapped into that energy.
"The one phrase that I heard that captures the horror that has been unleashed is in ancient elvish and it is one whose significance I do not understand.
"Eternal shall the Seal of Shadow be. Not steel nor hand betrays the Seal. Eternal shall the Seal of Shadow be."[/sblock]
[sblock=Tau, Kolbyr, Delynn]Delynn listens intently to Tau's tale. "Your elderly gnome leader... He was Uiim, I presume. I was sent by my contacts to join him and his group. If he is dead, and you are all that remains of the group, then I suppose I am to join with you, if you plan to continue."
The druid turns to Kolbyr to explain. "When I had thought you were dead, I realized that I must do what I can to bring the Mythar's terror to an end. I am now part of a resistance movement. A movement that included Tau's former group."
Delynn slowly speaks the words to the riddle, both in elvish and in common. "I surely do not know what this means, but with all the rest that you've said, Tau, I fear it is a bad omen. Where to we turn from here?"[/sblock]
The druid turns to Kolbyr to explain. "When I had thought you were dead, I realized that I must do what I can to bring the Mythar's terror to an end. I am now part of a resistance movement. A movement that included Tau's former group."
Delynn slowly speaks the words to the riddle, both in elvish and in common. "I surely do not know what this means, but with all the rest that you've said, Tau, I fear it is a bad omen. Where to we turn from here?"[/sblock]
Bront
The man with the probe
[sblock=Tau, Kolbyr, Delynn]Kolbyr listens and nods solomly. At the mention of the Mythar, a grim determination shows on his scarred face. He points to himself, then crosses his fingers, and then points to each of the elves in a quick motion. He leans forward a bit in his seat, intent on the further discussion.[/sblock]
Erekose13
Explorer
[sblock=Tau, Kolbyr, Delynn]Tau is suprised to hear Delynn's story. "They have sent someone to help? It has been so long since I have heard from other resistance members that I thought they felt our mission tangental. Uiim has indeed left us. The rest of the group has split, some left to take care of Olivia, whose mind was shattered when she found Uiim. And some have travelled straight into the heart of Mythar territory to strike out in retribution. Only I remain on the trail, for Uiim and for Olivia.
"Hmm. The entirety of the vision I saw was very disturbing. We must find Cantus and find out more about this Seal that has been opened by the Mythar before it's evil can spread further. We lost the trail here and thought it completely gone until Uiim's death. I have not had the chance to pick it up again until now. I only hope that it has not faded again.
"To keep you completely filled in then, here is the entirety of the vision. "[sblock=Vision]First there is only a silver mist, then as if by some great wind it is blown aside.
The image is a fragment of a mosaic of times, a cave throughout history. You can feel the great power of earth that lies within, this is a seal within the spirit realm guarding something dark and sinister from the world.
The words of your own people drift from each one, a harmony of tones speaking fragmets of this phrase, "Eternal shall the Seal of Shadow be. Not steel nor hand betrays the Seal. Eternal shall the Seal of Shadow be." As the phrase sings through your mind, the mosaic begins to fall away, piece by piece.
There is one left, a time before your time, a Mythar Seer clad in deep crystal regalia stands before the cave. An entourage of Huom Battlemasters and Mython Gigants flank him. He reaches out with an arc of psychic energy towards the cave entrace. Lines of Spirit stretch and wane, warping the entrance of the cave. What comes next can only remind you of the unspeakable horrors you saw in the shriveled body of Uiim and the wreckage of the village of Peasia. Tendrils of darkness crawl around the edges of the cave, sneaking past the Seer and his entourage, behind them. You want to cry out to warn them, but you are neither there nor here. Then it begins, screams of agony and terror as the tendrils latch on to the Mythar, their forms shriveling and cracking under the taint. The cave is swallowed in darkness.
The darkness is again cloaked in that silver mist.
You sit on the bed, shivering as cold sweat runs down your face and neck, the crystal shattered under the strain of your clenched hand. [/sblock]
Tau finishes with the description and looks hopeful to his two very new companions, hope in dark times.[/sblock]
"Hmm. The entirety of the vision I saw was very disturbing. We must find Cantus and find out more about this Seal that has been opened by the Mythar before it's evil can spread further. We lost the trail here and thought it completely gone until Uiim's death. I have not had the chance to pick it up again until now. I only hope that it has not faded again.
"To keep you completely filled in then, here is the entirety of the vision. "[sblock=Vision]First there is only a silver mist, then as if by some great wind it is blown aside.
The image is a fragment of a mosaic of times, a cave throughout history. You can feel the great power of earth that lies within, this is a seal within the spirit realm guarding something dark and sinister from the world.
The words of your own people drift from each one, a harmony of tones speaking fragmets of this phrase, "Eternal shall the Seal of Shadow be. Not steel nor hand betrays the Seal. Eternal shall the Seal of Shadow be." As the phrase sings through your mind, the mosaic begins to fall away, piece by piece.
There is one left, a time before your time, a Mythar Seer clad in deep crystal regalia stands before the cave. An entourage of Huom Battlemasters and Mython Gigants flank him. He reaches out with an arc of psychic energy towards the cave entrace. Lines of Spirit stretch and wane, warping the entrance of the cave. What comes next can only remind you of the unspeakable horrors you saw in the shriveled body of Uiim and the wreckage of the village of Peasia. Tendrils of darkness crawl around the edges of the cave, sneaking past the Seer and his entourage, behind them. You want to cry out to warn them, but you are neither there nor here. Then it begins, screams of agony and terror as the tendrils latch on to the Mythar, their forms shriveling and cracking under the taint. The cave is swallowed in darkness.
The darkness is again cloaked in that silver mist.
You sit on the bed, shivering as cold sweat runs down your face and neck, the crystal shattered under the strain of your clenched hand. [/sblock]
Tau finishes with the description and looks hopeful to his two very new companions, hope in dark times.[/sblock]
[sblock=Delynn]The words strike a chord in your memory of an ancient spirit ward hidden somewhere to the south. The ward kept a font of dark power held in check, far before even your oldest living ancestors were alive. The stories tell of seven seals which held the Shadow at bay.[/sblock]
RillianPA said:
[sblock=Jerod]The tavern has a low-ceiling, dirty sticky floors, and a musty gloom about it. A series of miners, covered in a glistening sheen of crystal-dust cough and choke over their tankards. Only dark unforgiving eyes look upon you, as if you've done something wrong.
Calling to the barkeep, once, twice, three times before he deigns to pay attention to you, he is a stocky rough-faced man, a scar marring his left eye. "Can e' 'elp ye?" At the call for ale he pulls out a grimy tankard and dips it into an open keg of ale, "2 splinters*."
The ale is thin and seems to take the saliva out of your mouth making you crave the initial wetness of the drink.
The barkeep glares at your small stature, "what ye wan t'know fer?"
* A splinter is the Mythar equivalent of a copper, your choice what you carry.[/sblock]
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