stonegod's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft: Ch. I [IC]

[stonegod]

Janis whispers out a spell and begins to inspect the edges of the area where Jarrith seemed to pass through an membrane.

[sblock=Janis]As she finished the spell, a bright bluish-white glow fills Janis' eyes, emanating from the region within the circle. A strong spell affect is centered upon the circle, and she sees small, fibrous tendrils that drift away from it vaguely northwards before becoming vanishingly small. By its resonance, the Pale Lady can tell it seems to be a conjuration effect, one ties to creation, but that is all.[/sblock]

 

[DEFCON 1]

Jarrith looks intently at one of the pulsating crystals, then wonders what would happen if it was removed from the rock? He drops to a knee and takes off his backpack, then pulls out his masterwork thieves tools from his belt. Using the tools, plus the hard metal spikes of his grappling hook, he tries to gently knock one of the crystals loose from the stone. (Disable Device +9)

 

[stonegod]

Jarrith manages to release a thumbnail portion of the marbled structure, which is more like purplish veins than solid chunks. The light pulsing is unaffected.
[sblock=Janis]If Janis is still concentrating, she sees no perceptible change after Jarrith's activities.[/sblock]

 

[pathfinderq1]

Tessa walked slowly around the exterior of the circle, examining the runes and designs as much as she could without actually entering the protected space. She had some knowledge of ritual magic, but this was not the sort of thing she usually worked with- and until the y found out something, she was not terribly confident about passing through the apparent barrier.

OOC: Mundane examination of the area (mostly Spellcraft and Knowledge skills)

 

[stonegod]

Tessa's examination turns up a cubby hole with a flattened set of large leaves that is most likely a creatures bed. It is hard to say how long the owner has been in absence. Nearby is a pot that appears to be a fire-pot; ashes and fragment of paper can be seen within.

Sifting through the papers, Tessa finds a piece of parchment near the top that is highly scorched, though not fully destroyed. "Ravenkind... dupe Doru.... ours now... preparation... final ritual" The writing is in an effeminate hand that Tessa does not recognize.

 

[James Heard]

The corners of Janis's mouth twitch.

" Another summoning circle...something leads...this way"

Janis pauses a moment to cast another spell before moving to follow the trail northwards.

OOC: Casting Scent

 

[stonegod]

Another summoning circle...something leads...this way"
OOC: Casting Scent

OOC: Its Creation, not Calling/Summoning. The tendrils lead upward mostly, so probably venture into the ceiling.

The loamy, humid smell of the carvern becomes stronger, and barely under it, Janis can detect an older, greasy scent that may belong to a creature. But is has been absent from this place a long time.

 

[pathfinderq1]

Sifting through the papers, Tessa finds a piece of parchment near the top that is highly scorched, though not fully destroyed. "Ravenkind... dupe Doru.... ours now... preparation... final ritual" The writing is in an effeminate hand that Tessa does not recognize.

Tessa scans the fragment once, and shakes her head. "We may have come here too late," she says, trying to catch the attention of the other explorers. Then she reads the note aloud, adding "part of that sounds like a name, perhaps- Doru... Is that familiar?"

 

[James Heard]

Looking upward, Janis decides to move to examine the circle herself.

" Perhaps. Or maybe someone only means for us to believe that."

 

[DEFCON 1]

Jarrith glances over at Tessa after he's pried a piece of the stone loose. "Doru... Doru... naw... not that I can remember I don't think."

He stands up and packs his equipment away, then considers the note more thoroughly. "Ravenkind... dupe Doru. Huh. Well, Sir Urik had the Symbol of Ravenkind last, didn't he? Anyone catch his first name? Or was it Ismark's dad that had the symbol last? I can't remember all these details anymore."

He chuckles and then steps towards Tessa's direction, while remaining inside the circle. "As far as the rest of it... it sounds as though they were using it for a ritual of some type. Question is... has that ritual already occured?" He glances towards the cubbyhole and sighs. "Well regardless... it doesn't seem as though the symbol is still here. I wonder if the person who's been sleeping down here has it on them?"