"There are six symbols here that represent people - although the last is difficult to make out. This one, written in an arcane language is Arixon." He points at the symbol, "The name is familiar but I cannot recall its significance. The rest all signify a different person of note but I cannot decipher who they may be."
After Caerth touches the symbol, Phar lights up with an epiphany,
We must touch each symbol - but the person touching the symbol matters. Perhaps, if I were to touch Arixon's sigil, it would work because of its - or their - arcane nature. We would need to know who these people are to unlock the doors. But, even if we had people with the correct attunement to the symbols, we still need a seventh to touch the boot."
Phar's words draw Aureus's eyes away from the chest as she listens to what the elf paragon has to say. She looks at the door more closely and notes that one of the symbols seems to glow. She resists touching it, but points at it.
"This one is glowing," she says to Phar. When Caerth takes his hand away from the door, the glow disappears.
"It's gone."
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OOC:
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Neither Phar nor Caerth saw any glow from the sigil that Aureus pointed out. The one that Aureus pointed to was for for the lizardfolk named Jorziza.
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"The Fellowship of the Boot," Caerth whispers, then loudly repeats, "The Fellowship of the Boot! Stratesus the Hermit was my hero as a boy!"
With a big smile, Caerth quickly explains to his companions who the Fellowship were, and names their respective names and important details.
Aureus listens intently. She gets very excited.
"We might have stumbled on to something legendary," she says.
"Yes, we must confront Eike, but this is too important to walk away from now."
"I doubt it is a coincidence," Qi suggests.
"It might be part of Fate. It might be why you were met Litrix on the road. There are likely important secrets here."
Quinn nods. He's been listening to both Phar and Caerth while looking through the cookery. He doesn't find anything that looks magical. There is just some old cooking gear. He picks up a good metal cooking bowl without any rust on it and turns it over. It's a good piece. Worth more than a few coppers. He stows it in his haversack, but leaves everything else.
Aureus looks at Caerth.
"Do any of Aeron's stories mention the desert or these Boots being seen around here?"
Quinn walks over to the others and inspects the door. He doesn't see anything glowing and he can't interpret any of the sigils and writing. He shrugs. He'll leave it up to the others to figure out how the door opens. He moves towards the forge to see what Maur might have found.
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The bowl is considered a minor art object, but it is also functional.
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Angus ponders the name, Grigron. He searches his memory, trying to remember any scrap of information. The fact that Grigron was a ranger like Angus is not lost on the young Centaur.
Angus remembers Aeron telling
him stories about Grigron and the Fellowship of the Boots. He spoke of them as being famous folk heroes in the Strandlands who lived over 300 years ago. They had some renown in the other parts of the Thunder Lands, especially in the Barony of Liran and Free City of Yuln.
However, not all the stories were happy ones, especially Grigron's. He was a cat man from the Far South. He was though to have bit on the wild side... unpredictable. This lead to his tragic death sometime around 470 N.C. The Boots fought in the First Ogre War †. Initially, the were just a handful of adventurers brought together, but when war broke out against the ogre hordes that descended on the continent, they chose to fight.
While Stratesus and Lady Avital were the group's main leaders, both Arixon and Grigron were also important leaders. Grigron was key on the battlefield. He acted as the Boots' scout and spy during the war. Time and time again, he somehow managed to get into dangerous areas and get out again, but his luck eventually ran out. He was trapped and killed by an ogre scion (whose name is lost to history). The scion sent Grigron's hide back to the Boots as a rug.
Angus is certain that Aeron wouldn't have told that story to a boy. Caerth speaks of Grigron as tragic but heroic figure. That might be true, but it seems his death had been grisly. Aeron never said anything about Grigron being part of a order of rangers or druids. He was a Boot before he was anything else. As a rellastan ‡, he might have had alliances among his people that Aeron didn't know about, and Angus had never heard of him before his wartime friend told him about the Boots.
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† First Ogre War (449 to 551 N.C.)
Angus knows that the Boots numbered as many as 100 during the war, but the core membership was Stratesus, Lady Avital, Arixon, Beornheard the Bold, Grigron, Jorziza, and someone only known as Dustchaser. Aeron only knew Dustchaser's 'nickname' and that he and Stratesus were good friends.
‡ Rellastan is my new racial name for the rakasta for Kulan.
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TaranTheWanderer said:
Phar resists the temptation to touch any symbols and moves to look at the chest with his magical gaze.
Phar examines the chest an other two objects in the small room from outside the room. He should let Aureus check it out first for traps. He sees no sign of any magical auras on anything in the room. The items are magical, but he isn't sure about inside the chest. It looks well sealed from the elements. It is of fine quality and doesn't look too weathered.
Aureus stands behind her friend while he checks for auras.
"Okay?"
Seeing that everyone is getting involved, Maur clangs his way toward the forge. He has little chance to hear about some surface heroes and after a short think he gives up, shrugging.
But the forge in the open? Weird concept...how do you control the flow of air if you can have a blow at any moment. And the dangers of fire spreading with sparks on the wind! This would not do, at all.
While the name Beornheard sounds like it might be dwarven, it isn't a name Maur's heard before. He has no knowledge of these Boots or their fellowship. He isn't surprised. It is doubtful they ever delved into the depths of the Underearth.
The forge's placement is very strange. Perhaps the magical barrier kept the wind out but allowed for smoke to escape. But, if the barrier is damaged, it would be very hard to use the forge as constructed. Maur could build a shelter around it easily enough. Something to ponder. The wood sitting next to the forge looks dried out but it isn't rotting. The wood would go up like kindling. The old broken wagon next to the forge is only useful as firewood.
If he was to get a fire going, would it keep the scorpion at bay? Maybe.
JustinCase said:
The half-orc frowns as he suddenly thinks of Aeron. A few seemingly random thoughts come racing through his head; Why does he know so much about the Fellowship of the Boot? Why am I thinking of him right now, when I am facing relics of my childhood heroes? Why did he lie to me? Why did he go away? What did he want from me? And why did he LIE?!
Caerth had loved those old stories. It was one of the things that he and Aeron had share that he truly looked back on fondly. Caerth had never heard anyone else in Carnell talk about the Boots. Of course, he didn't have many friends back then. The other children were usually afraid of him.
Is Aeron even still at the mountain fortress? Caerth wonders if Lorien is still there too. How much does that blasted bard know? It is frustrating to think about. The two of them have secrets that they refuse to share with Caerth.
No, it's not important. Eike is what needs to be dealt with and this place, these ruins need to be restored. The Fellowship of the Boot must not be forgotten.
Neurotic said:
"If no one owns these things, we should take them, no sense of letting them go to waste when the supporting spell fails. We can make an effort to divine true owners once we're safe. Well, safer, at least."
"I agree," Quinn says as he walks up next to the dwarf.
"This is a strange place for an anvil."
JustinCase said:
Scowling, Caerth pushes all these thoughts down, and returns his attention to the giant scorpion.
Hesitantly, the druid calls out, "Shouzas?"
At first, nothing happens. Caerth shouts out the name more forcefully a second time. That gets the scorpion's attention. It comes to the edge of the roof. Caerth senses that the creature knows the name. If it is Shouzas, then the scorpion is hundreds of years old. That would be impossible for a normal vermin. No, this is a magical beast. It's intellect is likely barely animal-like, however.
The creature looks oddly at Caerth. It makes no threatening movement, but it does come down from the roof using the piled up rubble. It stops ten feet away from the half-orc druid and studies Caerth with its strange insect eyes. It is trying to remember.
Aureus tenses when the creature comes down towards Caerth.
"That is so risky," She whispers to Phar.
Quinn turns to look at Caerth
handle the beast. He is ready to draw Cruel Justice at a moment's notice.
The scorpion makes a strange trilling noise as it gazes at Caerth. It doesn't get any closer, however.
His language always struck me as gentle and archaic.