[Adventure]: Shards of Eldanarth (DM: MadAzolin, Judge: ??)

[MetaVoid]

Cyr looks around immediately coming to look at the arches.

He speaks in fluent, if somewhat old, elven
"Thank you, fey one. Your home is beautiful, rest for the weary eyes. Can you tell me of these laws? Especially new ones? Are they peculiar to the Queen? Related somehow to The Shard? Was this marsh always here or it somehow encroached your teritory?

I apologize for so many questions, but I am a scholar, I study everything from ancient ruins to new civilizations, cultures and people. And here, everything is new. Albeit I have a feeling I was here before, in the Feywild, I mean." the rest is lost in the murmurs as he continues studying the stone arches, waiting only long enough for the dryad to answer before turning back to his study.



OOC: History +15, Insight +15, Nature +10 - use which is appropriate to figure out arch ages and the meaning of her sign.

 

[MadAzolin]

Creature looks at Cyr with interest: "Questions questions... so many questions, just like all those who came before you <giggle>. Laws are laws, old ones and new <giggle> ... you shall not devour your guests... and similar. Shard? Shard is the shard, it is sign of The Champion, hero of tales who will come to try and claim rule of Palace of Stars... The Champion will become lord (or lady) of Palace of Stars and with it this realm... or fail and go to join The Failed. The Hunters will hunt him, monsters will try and devour him, swamp will reach for him and The Dragon will cast his foul gaze upon him. He will trudge the ruins and walk high above and deep below searching for Light and Darkness. He will brave spring and autumn, summer and winter and face those who failed before him. He will wield Sword of the Stars and carry Her Gifts and many trials will be set before him. And if he prevails it all, then he will dance with The Dragon and their Dance will echo across the Realms. We will know him for he will wear The Shard and we will know him for none will be able to stand in his way.
At least such is the tale and I am no good at telling it, my interests are in other things <giggle>"

@Cyr: [sblock="history"] Stone arches are most certainly very old. While likely once inscribed, scripture is weathered to point of being unrecognizable. Feint aura of primal power surrounds them and you would bet they are some sort of ritual monuments of druids or shamans. You would also bet that magic was used in constructing them and that they provide at least some form of protection to the clearing - it is unlikely you will be bothered while inside the circle, either by hunters or monsters. [/sblock]

 

[Voda Vosa]

"Are they? I am curious, what are your interests, fair lady A-naai'Loth?" the wizard asks.

 

[Neurotic]

"So, I have no choice, but to confront current occupant of the Palace? Why not just give her the Shard and go home?

And given your comments, it seems one of the failed ones was also a warlock...and most probably more then one since the shard seems attuned to those with sealed pacts, as opposed to those studying magic in different ways. And it prefers fey pacts for obvious reasons. Does this place change depending on the current occupant? Gets more hellish if demon bound soul is The Champion?"

 

[MadAzolin]

Creature seems to ignore the wizard, seemingly far more interested by Martelai: "You are The Champion, our stinky champion, what fun would be it be if you just handed someone the Shard and went home. You came bearing The Shard, so you must have come here with that very purpose, didn't you search for it so you could come here and claim the throne? But worry not, you can always join The Failed <giggle>, and well, I am not sure, but I think you won't have to face all of The Failed... tales do speak of The Champion defeating 'Endless armies of those who have failed before him', but it might just be metaphor... or not <giggle>, that would be fun, would it not? Stinky Champion facing down waves upon wave of The Failed, striking them down with... <she eyes your for a while> his stench? <laugh>.
Can't tell you much more I am afraid... I have never seen one of The Failed, so can't help you much, I would say they are not that different from you, considering they were you once, right? <giggle>. I might have seen a Champion once, not you of course, but true Champion who faced down armies of The False and walked in The Dark and above in The Light, but I don't remember really, might have been some different life... <she seems to lose herself, staring blankly into the distance> ... "

 

[MetaVoid]

"We're not here for fun, but to know about the Shard. Did you always live here? What were the inscriptions here, do you know?"

Cyr continues studying the stones going from one to another, looking for some sheltered piece of writing that may have survived.

OOC: Perception +16

 

[dimsdale]

Lerrick listens to the conversation carefully observing the creature body language and speech to gain any knowledge of the intent of the creature

insight roll: 1d20+14= 23

 

[MadAzolin]

"Everyone is here for fun my dear travellers, if not your fun then someone else's. Life is a game, no more, no less - sometimes you win and sometimes you lose and circle just goes on and on and game keeps running.". Obviously awakened from her daydreaming, creature looks at Cyr with combination of cruelty and amusement in her radiant eyes. "We are all the pawn on the board, you see - there is no choice, there is no chance, there is only The Game and you can play or you can lose. And if you plan, you can still lose... and can you win? It wouldn't be the game if you cannot win, right? <giggle>. But I do not set the rules and I know them not but those basic ones - if you lose, you go and join The Failed. <giggle> It does not go for us of course, we are of this realm, we do not join The Failed, The Game is not ours. We are of the circle, we live and we die... and then we forget and we live again and die... and on and on, all for The Game <sad laughter>... but let me bother you not..."
"Oh and The Shard? You haven't figured that one yet? You must have, it is easy, I figured it long ago <giggle>. Come on our stinky Champion, you have to tell us what The Shard is all about! It will be fun!"
[MENTION=79956]dimsdale[/MENTION] [sblock="insight"] Observing the creature, you are fairly sure it is not up to anything hostile or otherwise problematic. If anything, thing seems a bit sad and absent-minded, as if delving on memories of things now long gone. She mainly pays notice to Martelai and you have feeling she is looking at rest of you as his minions, cannon fodder or other form of expendable goods [/sblock]
[MENTION=87106]MetaVoid[/MENTION] [sblock="perception"] Try as you might, there seems to be nothing of use in the scriptures - stones are most certainly ancient and it seems no one took even basic effort to preserve them against passage of time. Magic still lingers on them however, so while its enchantments are probably much weaker then they were long ago, they still function.
[sblock="nature DC 20"] stones are definitely enchanted with primal magic, you can recognize summoning magic and protection magic. [/sblock]
[/sblock]

 

[Neurotic]

"Bah! More of senseless games this world is so full of. Anyhow, you won't get into trouble for helping me? I would hate to bring more trouble your way. Either from trolls, hunters or the occupant of the palace.

And how soon do we have to go to get to the edge of the swamp as the moon sets?"

Martelai already looks ill at ease at their fey benefactor and impatient to move on.

"And no, I didn't figure out The Shard, mostly because I knew nothing about it when we came. We came here exactly for the reason of finding out what it is. Or maybe so that Veruzak gets rid of me. Although this just sounds like paranoia talking, I don't see any reason for him to do so, nor would he bother even if he had it"

[sblock=Veruzaks owner] [MENTION=82643]CaBaNa[/MENTION]? Comment of Veruzak?[/sblock]

 

[jbear]

Kane simply smiled and entered the pleasant grove, sitting near the tree, resting his head against it and closing his eyes. All he said was "Th-thank you."