[AU] Stone Bones

[rangerjohn]

"Could someone get me a drink? If we are going to go through all of this it may take a while. To begin with I remembered a ritual preformed by some who wish to be closer to the earth and started my search there. I found a treasure trove at the university library. From my notes here I have a lead on where to begin our search. It appears that there is a cave near a small town not too far away - Ra-Toqu. The stones of that cave are red in color and by following an underground tunnel from there we are on the 'Spine Road'. Along that road we will encounter many rooms of colored stone from red, orange, yellow, green, blue and finally purple. At the end my references speak of the 'Spine of the World' and the 'Shadow Serpent'."

Phaern stops for a moment there to get the reactions for those assembled and really to take a breath and see about that drink.[/QUOTE]

*Atlas motions the waitress over for Phaern's order, letting her know he will handling the bill. When Phaern finishes, Atlas is deeply perplexed.* "So... We are to return stones or bones, to the earth. When they are already in the earth?...."

 

[Corinthi]

*Darthallys sighs and shakes his head, nodding toward Indacalis.* "I bet we're going back to the pup's cavern. I hate backtracking."

*After drowning his rising resentment in a long draught of ale, he pauses to look at the rest of the group.* "My guess is that the mythical bones are those smashed pillars in the giant cavern of our dreams. Seems to me if all the support in that cavern go, there will be a big collapse, and who knows what sort of damage that could cause. I say we find that cavern, butcher whomsoever is destroying the columns, then try to figure out how to repair the damage."

*Then the rather...direct Mage Blade grins and shrugs.* "Of course, I'm completely pulling this all out of the air and could be mistaken in all manner of ways, but at least my suggestion gives us a plan of action that doesn't involve me drinking myself sick and waking up in a pool of my own bile."

*He winks and lifts his mug in a mock toast before draining the rest of it's frothy contents.*

 

[Erekose13]

"Ah thank you Atlas. I am not entirely certain what the Bones of the Earth are, my research did not provide any answers about them. However I did find a lot of information about the grayfolk, a race of people who live deep underground. They seemed to be helpful to the other explorers whom I read about. Indeed they were very knowledgable about the Spine Road that I mentioned. They seemed very afraid of the 'Shadow Serpent' though. Let me see if I can find the references here in my notes." Phaern says as he accepts the drink Atlas ordered. After taking a deep gulp of his ale, he flips through his notes trying to find the relevant passage.

 

[Jaws]

Wil

"However I did find a lot of information about the grayfolk, a race of people who live deep underground. They seemed to be helpful to the other explorers whom I read about. Indeed they were very knowledgable about the Spine Road that I mentioned. They seemed very afraid of the 'Shadow Serpent' though. Let me see if I can find the references here in my notes."

"Grayfolk? Ji-Hecma and I never encountered any creatures going by that name in our adventures into the Dark Depths. But we didn't explore around this part of Dor-Erthenos. We only came to Ka-Rone for information or possible business opportunities."

*Wil starts pacing back and forth without even realizing it.*

 

[Erekose13]

Phaern Starspike, Spryte Magister 5

"From my notes here is what I was able to find on the grayfolk. I managed to piece together that the grayfolk are a race of people that live underground, often never seeing the light of day. They seem to be faen-sized (Gomaer, the author of a book I read and a faen, makes several references to them as 'kin' in the broadest sense), with a keen knowledge of stone, mining, and fungi. Their skins are ashen-gray, and they can see in the dark as easily as the light. They also apparently have many natural enemies, from fierce and hungry predators to other intelligent races with even more vague descriptions such as "darkfolk" and "stonefolk." It appears the grayfolk were reluctant to speak to the authors I read, though it appeared that one of them either bribed or forced help from them most of the time, which explains the lack of information."

Flipping some more Phaern turns back the start of his investigation so that he can unravel it all for the assembled vision-companions. He takes another deep gulp of his ale before continuing.

"At first I began looking for the phrase the Bones of the Earth. What I found was a description of a place called the Spine of the World, as I mentioned before. Here is the relevant information that I found on it. The book I found describes the place as an enormous chamber filled with staggeringly huge rock columns of every type of rock ever known. Secaras, the author, describes the place as being particularly beneficial for magic dealing with the earth, even healing magic of the Green. It also says that it saw many unusual phenomona in the chamber, and thought that perhaps very powerful beings either had been there or even continued to live there. There was even a picture. I have not done it justice with my rendering here, but it was THE chamber that we saw in the vision."

Pausing again for a moment to drink some more of his ale, Phaern continues.

"Though the directions the book gave were annoyingly vague, a few things were clear. Apparently one can begin underground at almost any place to start out going there. Three clear landmarks that indicate that one is on the right path are 'The Lair of the Shadow Serpant,' the 'Twilight Chamber,' and 'The Sunless City of Grayfolk.' It was those three things that I searched for next."

Phaern stops again and drinks more of his ale. A little excited at the prospect of sharing all this information he has not been paying attention to how much he has drank. He looks up at the assembled group taking more stock of them. Looking around at Atlas, Darthallys, Kelthet, Wil, and the other spryte, he realises that the other Sibeccai has been introduced and indeed was not a part of the vision. He looks questioningly at his friend Darthallys.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*Phaern, as you look up at the strange sibeccai you hear an echo of the stone voice in your head.*

 

[dead_radish]

*Kelthet merely listens to most of the conversation, as Phaern describes the bounty of information he's found.*

"So...This cavern would seem to be the end, and we have a path to travel there? Is there more that we need plan? It would seem that it were time to share stories, then begin the quest in the morning?"

 

[Erekose13]

Phaern Starspike, Spryte Magister 5

Phaern shakes his head for a moment, clearing the voice. Obviously this Sibeccai has a part to play in this all and it would appear that even Darthallys accepts him as part of the group or he would have said something by now.

"The one thing that the books I read did not cover was what the Bones of the Earth were. If we are to return them perhaps we might need them before setting out on the quest. Or perhaps they are already somewhere down there and we need to find them on our quest. One thought I had was perhaps the grayfolk would be able to give us more information on that particular topic."

 

[Corinthi]

*Darthallys, already privately and not so privately lamenting the need to backtrack to the caverns, almost misses Phaern's questioning look. Blinking, he looks down at himself, then back up at Phaern again before his eyes widen in understanding as he gestures toward Indacalis.*

"Ooooohhhh... You don't know the pup yet. Yeah...that's one on me too. His name is Indacalis, and he's apparently a Greenbond who had the same visions we did, except he saw us and we didn't see him. Cursed if I know why. Course, I'm more than happy to travel with a Greenbond, seeing as I have this unforetunately knack to get myself into fight for no good reason. For instance, I've been fighting down the urge to go beat that smelly ruffian unconscious just so I can drown him in a bathtub all night."

*Darthallys nods his head toward a burly looking chap sitting a table or two over who smells like most hard working humans in this world do...bad. And, of course, being Darthallys, he doesn't lower his voice one whit while proclaiming his violent desires toward the burly, if malodorous, human.*

"And before you get started, Atlas, I'm kidding about the drowning part. As if I'd soil perfectly good bathwater with the unconscious form of a onion eater who doesn't understand why other people feel a need to wash thier hindquarters after making waste."

*It should come as no surprise to anyone that Darthallys motions to the bar wench for a refill.*

 

[rangerjohn]

"Hmm, did someone mention that they didn't imbibe too much while on a mission? Now who was that?..." muses Atlas.