The Romance of the River Kingdoms

[Shayuri]

Annika stays where she is, watching the wolf and thinking on its words.

She didn't really consider any part of her a 'beast' per se. Though she supposed it hadn't been meant as an insult.

But more important...what were people doing so far from the town? Upriver of the temple uprooting trees and driving away animals. Why? It seemed too far to farm or quarry.

Finally she says, "Thank you, pack leader," and goes to check out the buildings with the others.

"We won't find it yet," she points out when she catches up.

 

[Dr Simon]

[OOC: I'm assuming that all characters are at least approaching the main temple building. Please say if you wish otherwise]

The main temple building is quite small - about 20 ft. across each side at its base. It rises in four stepped stages to about 20 ft. tall and is liberally covered with weathered bas relief carvings, as is typical of temples in this part of the world.

There only seems to be the one entrance, in the centre of the wall facing onto the courtyard. This is an open doorway, about 5 ft. in height, that leads into darkness.

 

[Walking Dad]

Ape

"We shouldn't stumble through the darkness. Has anybody a torch or should my magic light our way?"

 

[Redclaw]

Magic light will just notify all of our presence. Let me check the area for tracks, so we know what we might be facing, Xielt says. He then moves toward the door and searches the area for any sign of life.

[sblock=ooc] search +6, survival +8 [/sblock]

 

[Walking Dad]

Ape

"I will help you. My nightsight is not bad and I'm an able tracker, too. Two pair of eyes..."

[sblock=ooc]survival+8, spiritual guide +1[/sblock]

 

[Dr Simon]

The courtyard of the temple complex is paved with cracked and worn slabs, but these have been covered with a thin layer of silty soil and over the years of abandonment it has become quite overgrown. This does, however, make it easier to spot tracks.

[sblock="Xielt"]
Xielt finds traces of the tracks of one or two wolves, but they are quite old. The dirt around the stupa entrance looks like it hasn't been travelled for quite some time.
[/sblock]

[sblock="Growling Ape"]
Guided by his spirt companion, Ape determines that the dirt around the stupa entrance looks like it hasn't been travelled for quite some time. There may be traces of wolf prints, but they are also quite old.
[/sblock]

 

[Redclaw]

Xielt finishes his examination and looks up at the others. It looks like this entrance hasn't been used in some time. That doesn't mean it's uninhabited, however. Many dens have more than one entrance.

 

[Walking Dad]

Growling Ape

Ape nods at Xielt's words. "Or it is something that doesn't leave tracks. Didn't they say something about ghosts?"

 

[The Rolling Man]

Jar'Thol, Salsham'ai shaman

"We shouldn't stumble through the darkness. Has anybody a torch or should my magic light our way?"

At these words, Jar'Thol sits down on a nearby piece of broken statue and puts down his pack in front of him. "Where did I put those things ? There were a gift to me from the Pradhan of Bajastra for helping with his gardens. The man sure had beautiful lilies. Of course, if you ask me, the unworked nature is even more beautiful ..." He mumbles as he shuffles the content of his pack with both his hands and feet. After a short while, Jar'Thol pulls out a short iron rod with a golden tip. "This will light our way, as some of us are helpless in the dark. Now, if either of you want to lead the way, I'll follow you from a distance." He says as he looks to Xielt and Ape.

OOC: It's a sunrod. I hope you don't mind me making up names for places Jar'Thol has been.

 

[Dr Simon]

OOC: It's a sunrod. I hope you don't mind me making up names for places Jar'Thol has been.

OOC: Not at all. Conclave is a big world (and its original remit was a collaborative world-building project so its all perfectly in the spirit!)