A Merc's Life: Howl of the Carrion King [01]

[Maidhc O Casain]

Sunlight pours into these two wide hallways through the broken stained glass windows on the east wall. The high desert wind whistles through the windows, and rattling branches can be heard clearly through the archways opening into the courtyard.

South Cloister:
A large archway centers the north wall - from where you are you can see a sliver of what appears to be a massively overgrown courtyard.

There is a carving of some kind on the long southern wall.


East Cloister:
A large archway centered on the west wall opens into the courtyard.

There is a carving of some kind on the long eastern wall, between the windows.

[sblock=OOC]OP Map

The party's location is shown by the Bee on both maps.[/sblock]

 

[Scotley]

Keeland

Looking rather owlish, Keeland makes his way along the Southern Cloister trying to examine the carving while looking out for trouble in the courtyard at the same time. Giving up on this unlikely endeavor he moves to illuminate the courtyard.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

South Cloister
The southern wall bears a bas-relief sculpture in the form of triptych. In the first scene, the heroic looking bearded figure from the alcoves just south of the chapel takes leave of four similarly attired companions, who rise off into the heavens, leaving him to stand vigil over the large mountain in the background. The next scene depicts the bearded figure in battle with a flaming half man, half snake creature wielding a spear. The fire spirit transfixes the bearded hero with the spear, seemingly striking a killing blow. In the final scene, the hero appears twice—once on the ground with a wound in his back and once standing over this form, looking down upon it sadly.

Courtyard
Huge branches and overgrown weeds clog the central open air courtyard of the monastery’s cloister walk. In better times, the monastic priests might have contemplated the open space while circling the cloister, but today it is barely possible to see a few feet into the tangled mess, let alone all the way to the opposite cloister walk. Here and there the brush thins out enough that a dedicated explorer might be able to create a sort of passage, but mostly it is an impassable mess.

[sblock=OOC]Technically you can't see across the entire courtyard from here, but what the heck . . .

OP Map[/sblock]

 

[Scott DeWar]

East Cloister:
A large archway centered on the west wall opens into the courtyard.

There is a carving of some kind on the long eastern wall, between the windows.

[sblock=OOC]OP Map

The party's location is shown by the Bee on both maps.[/sblock]

Not throwing caution to the wind, but letting curiosity get the better of him, Harnrey wanders over to the east cloister to look at the carving on the wal.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

East Cloister
The eastern wall bears a marred sculpture depicting five bearded, larger than life humans in battle against numerous creatures of evil demeanor. Though some of their arms and hands are missing, each is clearly meant to wield a distinctive weapon. One of the five warriors holds a large axe, while another holds a fragment of what must once have been a regal staff. The stone carving bears a name for each figure, engraved near their feet. They are, from left to right, Kardswann, Pazhvann, Vardishal, Zayifid, and Davashuum. Davashuum wields the broken staff, while Kardswann wields the strange axe. Vardishal is clearly the figure from the statues in the alcoves attached to the chapel.

Several of the creatures the bearded figures are fighting appear to be composed at least partly of fire, while others are much more difficult to define, being outright monsters of unknown origin or unusual warriors with weapons bonded into their flesh like organic tools. In the background Pale Mountain looms large, and over it two titanic figures lock in a deadly wrestler’s embrace. One has the demoniac visage of a noble efreeti, while the other is a gorgeous woman who could only be a djinni princess. Opposite the sculpted wall, a series of open arches leads out into an open-air courtyard.

[sblock=Harnry]This picture is a scene from a series of great wars of Genie vs. Genie that cast the Pale Mountain region into chaos hundreds of years ago.[/sblock]

 

[Scott DeWar]

"wow. You guys should see this"

 

[mleibrock]

Tsadok

South Cloister
The southern wall bears a bas-relief sculpture in the form of triptych. In the first scene, the heroic looking bearded figure from the alcoves just south of the chapel takes leave of four similarly attired companions, who rise off into the heavens, leaving him to stand vigil over the large mountain in the background. The next scene depicts the bearded figure in battle with a flaming half man, half snake creature wielding a spear. The fire spirit transfixes the bearded hero with the spear, seemingly striking a killing blow. In the final scene, the hero appears twice—once on the ground with a wound in his back and once standing over this form, looking down upon it sadly.

Courtyard
Huge branches and overgrown weeds clog the central open air courtyard of the monastery’s cloister walk. In better times, the monastic priests might have contemplated the open space while circling the cloister, but today it is barely possible to see a few feet into the tangled mess, let alone all the way to the opposite cloister walk. Here and there the brush thins out enough that a dedicated explorer might be able to create a sort of passage, but mostly it is an impassable mess.

[sblock=OOC]Technically you can't see across the entire courtyard from here, but what the heck . . .

OP Map[/sblock]

OOC - What is the "bee" looking thing on the S. Closister?

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

OOC - What is the "bee" looking thing on the S. Closister?

OOC: Y'all are members of Bronagh's Bees - I thought it would be nice for me to place a marker on the map to show where you are.

 

[mleibrock]

Tsadok

As Harnrey calls the party over to view the E. Cloister Tsadok will move to view what is seen and then proceed to what would supposedly be the N. Cloister.

 

[mleibrock]

Tsadok

OOC: Y'all are members of Bronagh's Bees - I thought it would be nice for me to place a marker on the map to show where you are.

Sorry, a "Duh" moment