Legacy of the Silver Dragon: Chapter 1 (Chickens, Demons, and a Missing Girl)

[gambler1650]

Antares and Stellan

The runes continue to give off their chaotic ringing a few moments longer. Just as the Detect Magic spell ends, Antares feels something else, as if a stirring mind brushes his, though he can tell nothing other than the feeling of intelligence. Stellan keeps an eye on the entrance, long spear at the ready in case something comes through. Without looking back, he replies somewhat wryly: "If something tries to kill me, my first thought is to protect myself. And the best way of protection I know is to put the end of this, through what's trying to kill me. I'm not as quick to think of other alternatives as you are. As for the rest, I... I'm not quite sure I follow your thoughts."

OOC: Antares doesn't know of the five fold symbol. The brief touch of what you felt as a mind stirring indicates that the runes are likely very powerful. Additionally there's a sense that they intensify certain magical effects in some fashion. You can't explicitly tell if they're divine or not. If the latter then it would certainly require priestly intervention. If not, then the simple removal of the runes would probably be enough. That is, unless they're protected in some fashion - and you have certainly heard from your masters that runes often are.

Muzdim, Mysthyr, Bosco

Anna is certainly not strong enough to prevent the dwarf from shoving her into the well. The light is still weak, and none of it direct, as it filters in from the basement where it comes through from the ceiling. Anna needs help to climb the rope, but finally manages to climb out of the well with a scrape or two. However, when a stray shaft of sunlight strikes her slightly shimmering skin, she screams in pain and runs back towards the well.

 

[Voda Vosa]

Muzdim firmly holds the girl. "Ye've been infected by the creature's foul waters lass. Ye'll have to be brave! Brother, aid me, take her to the purging light of yer god!" the dwarf calls out to Mysthyr.

 

[Binder Fred]

In the water-producing cave

"But she didn't 'try to kill you', Stellan, neither us nor Anna! If... Jorgen of the recent temper had done the same, retreated here in this room, would he be lying cold on hardened ground, or, just perhaps, be on his way to judge, exorcist, healer and friends?" He lets his muscles relax in a deep sigh/his gaze drift down after his impassioned plea, eyes thoughtfully drinking-in the altar's squat shape for a while...

<Response Stellan?>

OOC: Is it the same spiral on the altar as on the cup, Gambler? Does it too look like a recent addition? Nothing else of note on, around or behind this altar, is there (markings, odd stains, something indicating origin or tradition maybe)?

The runes continue to give off their chaotic ringing a few moments longer. Just as the Detect Magic spell ends, Antares feels something else, as if a stirring mind brushes his, though he can tell nothing other than the feeling of intelligence.

"I feel as if these runes are... concentrating something? A magnifying glass before the swirling power of an unknown, darkly rising moon? A flowing channel rather than a source..." he distractedly murmurs. Too little. He knows too little, his prized knowledge but a fragile coat of effervescent paint over the yawning unknown inexplicably worshipped by his dwarven companion... The feeling is-

Just then, Bosco of all people re-enters the cave, scoops up the silver coins gathered by Stellan and heads back out. "Come along now and split these coins with me, or I'll use them to help pay for your funeral; makes no difference to me," he says to the elf.

The way he's not looking at them as he says this, the offer to share. Was that... an apology? It makes Antares feel all funny inside. And he seems to be smiling tight (and crying) again: "I'll be right out!" he assures Bosco's back.

The young mage wipes at his eyes and rushes to scribe the wall markings as quickly but as precisely as he can on one of his blank parchments. (The loss of his priceless ink does bring him short for a few heartbeats, but then he pricks his own wrist "Ow!" and uses *that* for his ink. Which is... probably not a very good idea, but as long as he doesn't sign his name at the bottom... It *should*, in truth, be alright... Right?)

OOC: Scribe the runes as described, please. Is there a risk that they'll activate if reproduced? If so Antares will change one(1) stroke from the design in his copy and note down which one it is on the side... Heck, let's do it regardless, just for the rightness of it.

 

[Toric_Arthendain]

Myst moves to Anna's side. "Remain calm," he soothes, with a look to the dwarf telling him to heed those same words. "Let me have a look at you, Anna," he says, guiding her near the well and the indirect light so that he can take a closer look at her skin. "I promise not to push you into the light again until we know what is going on." He knows that he can call on Pelor's power of healing but isn't sure that would be of help here. He intends to examine her, particularly her skin, before making any rash decisions about potential treatment.

 

[gambler1650]

Antares and Stellan

Stellan shrugs his shoulders easily again. "Perhaps not. But how do we know that this... being" and here he glances at the body on the floor, "was anything human to begin with? It seemed to be doing the bidding of whatever dark forces are present down here, and certainly didn't seem receptive to your attempts to communicate."

It takes some time for Antares to finish the scribing, as the runes are chaotic enough that the eye has a hard time seeing the actual patterns. Even the non-runic spirals in both the cup and on the altar, after a bit more observance, show that they're really concentric circles, with a subtle patterning in the stone of the altar and the cup which give the illusion of a spiral. It's the same with the runes, especially the five fold one. What appears to connect, actually doesn't, and gaps seem present where none really are.

OOC: Antares, please roll a D20. You think it's quite possible that copying the runes exactly as shown might activate them. But you have no idea what the current runes are doing beyond your musings, so you can't tell the possible consequences. You are pretty sure that copying the runes as you suggested, leaving part out, should be safe. There's nothing on or around the altar that indicates origin. There's no staining, but the stone itself is a bit lighter near where the water splashes down. But only very slightly.

 

[gambler1650]

Myst, Muzdim, Bosco

Anna is shaking and she stares at the dwarf in fear for a moment until Myst moves over to her. Please. What's wrong with me? The light... it'll kill me, I just know it. I just want to go home. As she says 'home' her eyes flicker to the well again. Her skin appears to be shimmering more than it had before she was pushed into the light, as if whatever is affecting her is concentrating itself at the surface. She doesn't seem bothered physically by the indirect light, but her body is definitely tensed as if expecting that the two clerics might try to pull her into the sun again.

 

[Binder Fred]

Antares and Stellan

Stellan shrugs his shoulders easily again. "Perhaps not. But how do we know that this... being" and here he glances at the body on the floor, "was anything human to begin with? It seemed to be doing the bidding of whatever dark forces are present down here, and certainly didn't seem receptive to your attempts to communicate."

"Um?" Antares blinks, re-focusing on the present, away from the altar. But no: His hand had paled under but a single touch of that water -- are still silvery pale under his inspection <correct me>. Even Former-Anna's prisoner had shown some of the signs, somewhere between hand and her captor's form. And she had understood the plan to capture her, foolishly spoken out loud! She still had a thinking, feeling mind even at this late stage... "I- believe I saw it in her eyes, friend Stellan -- something left of her old self, of the girl she once was...? I would have liked to bring it out into the light once more, that... spark." He... has to concentrate on something else. Or he won't be able to hold back the threatening tears...

It takes some time for Antares to finish the scribing, as the runes are chaotic enough that the eye has a hard time seeing the actual patterns. Even the non-runic spirals in both the cup and on the altar, after a bit more observance, show that they're really concentric circles, with a subtle patterning in the stone of the altar and the cup which give the illusion of a spiral. It's the same with the runes, especially the five fold one. What appears to connect, actually doesn't, and gaps seem present where none really are.

Fascinating!

EDIT: Forgot we don't have an inbuilt dice roller anymore! 1d20=5.

After the last stroke, after he has done the best he can to the best of his current ability, the young mage carefully blows the blood dry (it will not be said all this hard work, all this pain, has been ruined by last-minute carelessness!), then rolls up the newly scribed parchment and gently slides it back into the scrollcase at his waist. "I believe we are ready to go?" he tentatively asks Stellan, seemingly not that sure himself.

<Response Stellan?>

With a nod Antares returns to Former-Anna's laid out body, kneels by her side, clasps her left hand, closes his eyes... The soft, sighing vowels and sibilants of the Air tongue spill from his lips and into the silence of the cave as a softly sparkly golden glow spreads over Former-Anna's form. She starts to rise into the air, held horizontal by gently magical fingers -- even un-supported as she is by anything save apparently empty cave-gloom. Antares rises to his feet alongside her, still clasping her hand. The chanting stops, but the glow (in a slightly calmer form) and levitation remain.

Antares opens his eyes and looks into her now peaceful face, trying to see her as she once was. After what Stellan said...

OOC: Using his "magical strength" to carry Former Anna back to the surface. He's trying to deform her face back to its former self in his mind, by the way, put back the hair. Can he recognize her? Who she was before? Does he remember tales of a young girl/girls disappearing in the last few years? That might help jog his memory.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

"Oh yeah, we're sealing this place off so no one else can have this happen to them."

 

[gambler1650]

OOC: I will wait for responses from Toric and Voda before moving that part forward again.

Antares and Stellan

Antares feels that he was able to scribe the runes without a mistake. Stellan smiles briefly, Perhaps I'm not as perceptive as you. is the simple reply, and then he nods to the other question as the pale creature's body rises from the ground. It really is hard to tell the specifics of what this creature may have been before it was transformed - presuming of course that it was. The skin appears as though it might be somewhat less smooth than a very young woman's might be, but nothing about the appearance jogs any memories of someone that Antares knew. There have been missing people recently of course: Anna, and the bodies of the couple who owned the house above the well. Additionally, workers in the mines and woods sometimes go missing but those are attributed to wild animals and in all cases they have been male.

If Antares moves back to the well, he finds that his path is clear. Although there is briefly the echo of a sound from an indeterminite distance behind him as he nears the well. It sounds something like rock brushing against rock. He can also hear voices now from above, that of the rest of the party.

OOC: Though I will wait until after the responses of the rest before bringing the two groups back together again.

 

[Toric_Arthendain]

Myst raises an eyebrow at Bosco and then turns to Muzdim. "Any ideas, friend? Perhaps we'll need to wait until dark to bring her out. Maybe some of the local clergy will know more than I about this. Or much as I hate to say it, there could be more down here that needs investigation, as the elf seemed to believe."