Gretda thanks Astarte for the dart, putting them away in a pouch. “I am going to set a few small campfires around where we want to sleep tonight. I suspect that we are all wary enough even while sleeping, but the fires should keep natural predators at bay. If I build them right, the light should not be visible from the beach, especially with the fog.”
Speaking with Coldtree as the light of day fades and exploration must be halted. “It looks like we have covered everything from here to the ridge, and I think they were all once residences. Since we found no remains of people, I wonder what could have happened that made them all evacuate. I also wonder if this mist was always here. Tomorrow there should be time to explore this other direction and across the river. I am thinking across the river may hold more for us so we should cover this other area over here, first, to get it out of the way but still remain thorough.”
OOC: Sorry I have been slow to respond, I've had a crazy week. I took my kids to a concert for my daughter's birthday. Then I had to supervise an all-day student-worker training session at the library. And a variety of other things played a part as well. But I have not forgotten, nor will I ever. It's good to be back.
Terry looks the place over, taking special care to examine the structures, hoping to see elements of the technique of woodworking that was employed. He wonders if, given time, he could learn to build such structures.
Terry will help Gretda set up the fires. taking special care to keep them small, and to build little walls in front of them with stones, in order to shield their light.
Coltree says about the village, "It seems they left peacefully at least. They would not want to carry too much weight while travelling."
Coldtree intends to find a village structure suitable to sleep in and make it his dwelling. Still perplexed by the strange images, he will manipulate waylines and meditate to make some attempt to solve that mystery. When not resting he will take his turn keeping watch over the camp.
Astarte wonders: "What if it would be Oshanti watching us?" But after a moment of pondering, she changes her mind: "I saw many weird things, but these gossips, that she can shape-shift into a feline is way too much to be possible."
At first light, Oshanti walks from her sleeping quarters out into her private garden. None of her servants are yet awake. Her feet are bare and she is only draped in a robe. She kneels on both knees and begins a her meditation ritual. Within a few minutes a frigate bird circles high over her head. It circles three times then heads deliberately in a northward direction. Oshanti’s eyes are closed, as if she has shut out the rest of the world.
Linstahl does not pace the floor as he usually would, especially with Laurel away tending to her own affairs. She had left her brother in the care of two hand maidens and spiked his tranquility tea with alcohol. He would be no good for public, today, but that was of very little consequence.
Despite the noisiness of the breeding birds during the day, the replacement sounds of those by the nocturnal denizens of the misty isle are much quieter. The heightened wariness of their unfamiliar environment proves unnecessary as the night is peaceable and everyone gets some rest. Due to the mist obscuring the day break, everyone sleeps longer than they naturally would. Having pondered the emptiness of the village and the strange visage throughout sleep, nothing more definitive can be concluded by anyone. It truly seems that the figure was something that had occurred long ago and the party was able to see it as someone else’s memory. There is absolutely no evidence of what befell the villagers, but they were evidently closer to three strides in height rather than two, as people are now. Forest, who is rather religious compared to the others, believes some act of the gods caused the disappearance.
The structures to the left of the entry point fare about the same as those on the right, though several look to have been used for commercial enterprise rather than residence. There is also another bridge over the sharp ridge on that side, as well, but nothing of particular interest. Crossing the river is a different matter. There are two main structures. The one on the left is closer to the river and still structurally sound, being built as well as the strange gate and bridges. The most amazing aspect of the carpentry is the size of the timber and how precisely the pieces are fitted.Three tall steps lead to a wide porch with an opening in the center leading into the main structure. There is a statue on each side of this opening of a haggard man seated cross-legged with his head bowed, holding a bowl above his lap. There are still coins in each of these bowls. They are metal and stamped with an unfamiliar design.
Coldtree: full wellness
tunic: 59 Astarte: full wellness Kite: full wellness
tunic: 60 - 3 = 57 Gretda: full wellness Forest: full wellness
halurin arrows: 10
stone arrows: 10 Terrendale: full wellness
Without touching the bowls or coins, Coldtree intends to inspect them closely. He says, "Perhaps putting the coin in the bowls activates something, but I wonder if it is the metal or the symbols that cause the trigger." He will attempt to test his theory by putting a contemporary coin in the bowl.
During his time exploring the area, Eitleog, because of his affinity for them, would have acquired any feathers, from the breeding birds, that might have attracted his attention. “Forest may be onto something. This looks like it was perhaps a temple. I think these two statues were for offering charity. I cannot come up with any other idea. I still think we need to keep light on our feet, once inside. This place is large. No telling what might be inside with the former people long gone.”
Terry leans over the other bowl, examining the coins closely. He will not remove any coins. He will sketch one. He finds a coin resting heads-up and sketches it in his map book, in the margins. Then he looks for a coin resting tails-up; he sketches it also. During all of this, he does not touch the coin(s). It isn't that he's afraid of any curses or traps; he doubts that a couple of bowls worth of coins would be worth stealing. Especially since the consensus among the group is that these coins were offerings for the poor. No, the reason that Terry doesn't touch the coins is because he respects the intent of their placement. This place was holy to someone. Those coins were meant to help someone in need. Probably someone who couldn't feed or clothe themselves. "Only a vile, unscrupulous curmudgeon would steal coins from these bowls." Terry says, softly to himself. But knowing what pictures were engraved on each side of these coins might prove useful at some point. If there is more than one type of coin (i.e., pennies, half dollars, quarters, etc.) then Terry will sketch the various types that he finds.
Gretda shakes her head. “My friends, you are looking into the wrong thing. Terry, your talent is like mine where we affect other things. Coldtree, you mostly affect yourself.” She takes one coin from each of the bowls then tosses them back in. “Metal can enhance bending, but it is destroyed in the process. Metal that has been reheated and molded, like weapons or coins or jewelry can do nothing for bending. Only stone and living beings can hold a standing node. Wood is actually an inhibitor to bending. I am sensing nothing mystical, at all, from this area, only you five, which means that this is all mundane or the talent is beyond our understanding. No I am not suggesting we be foolhardy. Caution is always good. I look like a brawler but I am a competent Bender.”
I have a wealth of information I wish to convey about this structure. I will try to break it into smaller pieces so that the posts are not too long. As a benefit, this also increases the DP for the characters.
OOC:
According to the rules, any character can sense “magic” in other things and people if the power is equal to or less than that of the character. This is a constant. This is how items with “Proclivities” are located.
For role playing purposes, for Aberrative characters like Coldtree, Astarte, and Gretda, this is like a frequency of sound that others cannot hear. For Hermetic characters like Kite and Forest, it is an aroma that others cannot smell. For Psionic characters like Terrendale it is a visual aura that others cannot see.
The meticulous examination of the statues and their coins reveals that the men were carved from a single piece of wood. The bowls are attached to the hands. Each of the communities of Archipelago make their own coins, but all have the same buying value which is not related to the material. Ceramic coins like those confiscated from the archers are manufactured on the Lighted Sentinel and Thunder Mountain, not the Zoo where the archers originated. The Zoo and the Verdant Garden both make wooden coins. Metal coins of Ocrin are minted on The Gates of Inferno.
These coins are all Ocrin, a tin based alloy, except three. Two in the bowl Coldtree is examining and one in the one Terrendale is examining. Adding more coins or taking them away causes no change in perception about the statues or the surrounding area. As Gretda surmises, they seem mundane. The marking on these coins is some kind of a bird, and it is the same on both sides. The odd three coins are Harnin, an iron based alloy.
GM:
It will be too dark inside the building to examine anything. Characters must decide how to approach this problem. Only Terrendale can alter his vision, but that is really only helpful in combat, not for seeing detail in a poorly lit environment.
Coldtree: full wellness
tunic: 59 Astarte: full wellness Kite: full wellness
tunic: 60 - 3 = 57 Gretda: full wellness Forest: full wellness
halurin arrows: 10
stone arrows: 10 Terrendale: full wellness
