|
Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 4, 2020 8:10:22 GMT -6
[Faolan is feeling optimistic about the groups success, pushes decision making onto Aaron by asking him which door they should go through. Will follow cautiously through whichever one is chosen. Rolled a measly 11 for perception of new area, and 5 for stealth]
“Nice job!” Faolan smiled brightly as the doors unlocked, hugely relieved by the harmlessness of the task. No deaths, no traps, no monsters. They made a good team - Simon had useful heightened senses, Nagi was good at riddles, and Aaron made a good leader. So far so good. Fear tightened in his chest at the distant explosion, only to subside moments later when nothing collapsed.
“We should probably take the crystals with us, yeah?” He suggested, eager to leave the darkened room. The thin jacket he wore had pockets deep enough to fit two of three within. At the others agreement, he took the emerald coloured one from the pedestal.
“Which one should we go through?” The blonde looked to Aaron, considering him to be the leader of the group. It was an unanimous decision to go through the Western door, as it seemed to lead away from the collapse. Faolan grabbed the torch from where it hung by the door. Hopefully there would be lighting in the next room...but it was always good to have a backup source.
“Seems like it’ll be more puzzles and riddle stuff, yeah.” He fell into step alongside Nagi. “A few years back it was a maze, one was an asylum, and I can’t really remember last year, but Edge told me it was a tomb.” He listed the events on his fingers as he spoke. “They all had tasks or riddles of some kind, but this is kind of the furthest I’ve gotten...”
The doctor fell silent as they exited the room, watchful of the new surroundings and putting extra effort into walking quietly and watching the placement of his feet.
|
|
|
Post by luscen on Oct 4, 2020 8:29:37 GMT -6
[CASMIR growls at his teammates for being Hasty Harries, then notices the cave-in (nature roll 17) He tells MOANA, MALGRIM, and ARI to put the key items in their proper spots, grabs a nearby lantern, then turns his attention to the Stained-glass window puzzle to attempt to solve it (insight roll of 16 + 6 wisdom bonus for 22)]
Casmir tried to ignore the mild concern over the loss of his eye. He'd come to rely on the relic so heavily since acquiring it, that being unable to depend on it - even in this waking dream - was a major setback. The loss of his weapons, even that one, he could deal with. But not having his Sight truly left him feeling more vulnerable than he had in a long time.
'Stop thinking about what you can't do and focus on what you can,' The Hunter growled to himself, thinking of what Roland had taught him. He wasn't helpless, nor witless- his ability to discern the distinct differences between all the various qualities of weapons on hand helped reassure him of that. He simply needed to be cautious, and to rely on his resources.
Which in this case, happened to be a bunch of Supers of questionable character- Malgrim spoke to the lot of them, asking them what their day jobs were. Casmir rolled his red eye over to the goblin halfling to fix him with a cycloptic stare.
“I'm a Monster Hunter,” he replied flatly. Conventional wisdom might have suggested he use more discretion, especially given that telling Sjira the truth of his profession might not have been the best choice, given the boy's reaction. But Casmir chose to believe you gained more out of being honest in the proper situation; much like with the dragonling, he needed these people to trust him. At least, if they were going to cooperate and get out of this intact. And he couldn't expect them to trust him if he began things by lying to their faces, however well he may have sold his cover story.
Now he just had to hope they would appreciate his honesty.
Turning his attention back to his search, Casmir's eyes fell on a particular blade, one that wasn't like the others- whatever magic was keeping this place intact also affected every weapon that lined these racks; not a single one was nicked, smudged, or even dusty. All of them save one: a simple, unassuming sword with a fullered blade that had deteriorated to the point of being weathered and worn, with a standard, flat crossguard. It was as basic as basic could be, save for the single word etched in Latin onto the rust-rotted metal: P E A C E M A K E R.
“I think we found our wea-” Casmir began to say, only to have his attention diverted when he heard the sound of a loud CLICK! followed by the noise of stone grinding against stone. His head jerked to the source; he saw Ari flinching back, having stepped on one of the stone tiles in front of the alchemist statues and now trying to brace himself for whatever might happen, next. Casmir turned to hurry over and grab the foolish catling by the scruff of his neck, hopefully dragging him out of potential danger, but the statue simply unclasped its raised hands, holding aloft a phial with a red liquid inside to be taken.
“God dammit kid, next time- Hey!” Casmir yelled, as Malgrim darted past him to snatch something from off the the blade they were looking at. “Would you two stop snatching things before-”
The Hunter's admonishment was cut off as a quiet rumble suddenly shook its way through the room. The force of the tremor wasn't enough to send any of them off their feet, but Casmir's ears could tell trouble when he heard it. “I don't like the sound of that...” he muttered to himself, looking around warily. It sounded vaguely like a cave-in. Could the labyrinth be falling apart?
Or was something breaking down walls within this maze to get to them?
“Alright, new plan- Ari, get that phial and put it into the kid's hands. Take whatever it gives you. Malgrim, Moana, do the same with the king and the maiden.” Casmir looked around the perimeter of the room before spying a lantern hanging on a nearby wall that had escaped their notice. He snatched it and made his way over to the Stained-glass window to examine the alters the Polynesian had pointed out.
“'Light a candle, and arrange the offerings properly...'” he said to himself as he examined the altars with the light of the lantern. What offerings, however? The gems in the stained-glass window? Was he meant to light the candles in a certain order? Or to rearrange the gems?
He needed to figure this out quickly- he had a feeling whatever had caused that tremor wouldn't be polite enough to give them time to consider their options.
|
|
|
Post by okami1reeka333 on Oct 4, 2020 11:46:45 GMT -6
[Jedidiah guesses wind with the actual riddle, but does not recognize the language written along with the riddle that was on the coffin, Has no idea what is happening with Hau yet. Asks if anyone might reconize what language is carved on coffin he is at. Jumps at the sudden faint rumbling]
Jedidiah:
"Can hear and see what I do, me, you cannot see? what am I" he murmured, he folded his arms as he thought about it. "The wind? I want to guess the wind. " he answered. Looking at the strange lettering written on the coffin, he had no earthly idea what language it was or why it was there. . . perhaps it was something he does know but just doesn't recognize at the given moment? or its new and he does not know it yet?
Unfortunately or fortunately he did not see the glare from the teenager he saw earlier when he finally ducked and looked around to see what was around him past the leaves, branches and tree itself. Though he did think to ask . . .
"Hey, would anyone here recognize what language is carved on this one-? " he started to asked before becoming startled and very concerned at the faint rumbling sounding although faint . . . near by. . . "Aaahh. . . guys? We might not have much time to stay in here. . " he called. Looking up and around, it did not seem as though the room has changed much, but he was concerned. . . especially if it came from above. . . this room might not be safe to stay in if there are cave ins from above- Mom has beaten into his head to avoid lingering in weak caverns because of this. . . "Did anyone else feel the rumbling just now? " he asked before finally glancing towards where he last saw the others.
|
|
|
Post by NightshadeVII on Oct 4, 2020 16:15:49 GMT -6
(OOC: Edge grabs the crystal in the sarcophagus. Upon hearing the rumbles and feeling the vibrations, he crouches down and concentrates, trying to essentially feel his way in the direction of the rumble and feel the structure of the room, to see if he can learn more.)
Edge was glad to see that the young dragon managed to drag himself away from the gold and thus potential danger. This place didn’t exactly seem friendly, so the Darai figured the fewer things they touched the better.
As the darknes of the stone sarcophagus began to fade, like mist in the morning before the rising sun, Edge breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the interior didn’t host another bound and dried up body with empty eyes, instead, all there was was a purple crystal resting neatly on a cushion. It was strangely simple really. Still not fully trusting it to not be some trick, Edge reached down to pick up the crystal, the cool, glasslike surface a welcome contrast to the humid soil and air around them. One down, who knew how many more to go. But at least this was progress. Progress towards what, he wasn’t entirely sure, but it was all they had to go on right now.
The sudden rumbling in the distance and the vibrations of the room snapped Edge out of his train of thought. Purple eyes darted around the room, surprised to find it still looking structurally intact despite how close the rumbling had seemed to be. Though looks could be deceiving in that regard, and he quickly decided it would be better to double check, just in case he could find something that one might miss just by looking.
Crouching down, letting his knees and palms touch the ground. It was always easier when he had direct contact with surfaces like this. Eyes fluttered shut slowly, and he took a moment to let his breath steady, focusing on keeping it deep and even. To the outside observer it might look like he just decided to meditate then and there, but his expression changed quickly, brows furrowing slightly, lips pressing together. While the Darai saw only darkness, he tried to extend another of his senses. It was a sense, a feeling, an awareness that he had always had trouble explaining to others, Darai and non Darai alike. Only those that shared his attunement might understand what this felt like, but he hadn’t exactly met many of those. In a way it was a sense similar to touch, yet it expanded far beyond the reaches of his body, spreading like rings in the water. It could be guided, even if only slightly. Yet it was also an awareness, something that went above just feeling, it was mapping out and remembering, tracing patterns when he could. What he was trying to do was rather simple really, as he was essentially trying to use his strange spatial awareness to get a feel of the room, it’s structure and stability, beyond what he could see and feel on the surface. If he could he would try to expand, as if searching for the source of the not-so-distant rumble. Normally, it was something he could pull off with a little concentration, so it shouldn’t be too bad.
|
|
|
Post by Vaitris on Oct 4, 2020 16:56:55 GMT -6
[OOC: Hau does a panic. Wisdom roll 14]
As the lid of the sarcophagus began to slide back, Hau felt panic thunder through him. “No, no, no, no, no.” He begged. He’d barely touched it. And now - he glanced up as he registered the grinding noise further down the line of sarcophagi - all of them were opening. The kitsune grabbed at the lid of the one in front of him, trying vainly to pull it back into place but it continued relentlessly, tipping off and cracking as it hit the floor.
Inside… was empty? No, there was something there and it was like an element out of his worst nightmares. The pale withered body of his little sister lurched into a sit, turned towards him to bare teeth left exposed by the tight and desiccated skin of her face. She didn’t move with her usually sprightly energy, but instead seemed hollowed out, like a puppet dragged along by strings. Her small hands reached for him and he flinched away, only to feel the skittering touch as another cold hand dragged along his back, trying to catch hold of his shirt.
A little cry escaped him as he stumbled out from between the coffins, pivoting so he could keep his family in sight. They were here. They were dead. Was it because of him? Something he’d done? No, it couldn’t be. It defied logic. This was a trick, it wasn’t real. It looked very real however, frighteningly so.
He couldn’t attack them, not even a zombified version of his ‘ohana, not unless their focus shifted to the others in the room. And even then, he had doubts. Hau watched, locked in indecision, as they staggered towards him, feeling the shaking of the room like an extension of his own trembling.
|
|
|
Post by Pearl Dragon on Oct 4, 2020 17:37:16 GMT -6
[Kira keeps the fruit and crystal as instructed, says hi to Sjira, then is startled by loud noises from Hau's direction. She backs towards Sjira and is reaching almost as if to grab a pant-leg (while holding a crystal, might just boop his leg at most). She tries to peer through the dark to see what's happening. Perception = 18]
Kira slowly pulled the red crystal back to her body to join the fruit as Jedidiah asked, nodding in agreement. It seems she was out of trouble for now.
"Hi" the green-haired youth named Sjira said in passing, to which Kira's ear flicked towards the greeting before she turned her attention over to him. "H-...Hi" She returned, albeit a little awkwardly. "Is Kira, be..." She pondered, trying to remember the pronunciation of his name, "Be Sjira is Kira friend?" She finished timidly.
She remained still, waiting for his response before jumping at the sound of a stone crumbling and sliding to the ground. Something over by Hau had happened, and as she spun around to face him she felt a spike of fear surge through her. Nothing in that general direction seemed right, although it was hard to tell what exactly was happening. Without thinking, Kira stepped quickly back towards Sjira and reached one crystal-clutched arm towards him as if to grab a pant-leg. Her eyes were wide, locked on the blue streak of hair now standing amongst the dusty, broken lids.
"What...what is happen?" Kira chittered, her voice sounding much too high. She peered into the dark towards him, trying her best to catch sight of whatever was actually happening.
|
|
|
Post by MP on Oct 4, 2020 19:20:38 GMT -6
[ OOC: Aaron has no idea what the rumbling is (2 nature). He volunteers to carry the four gems and takes point going into the room leading away from the rumbling. He examines the room for clues or danger as he enters (19 perception 18 stealth)].
"Sorry," Aaron said again, now with a faint flush of embarrassment. "The objects turned into...gems? Yeah."
The service bird made it easy to forget Kiyohara was blind. Aaron decided to just stop talking and place the rest of the objects. Maybe he could avoid making an ass of himself any more tonight.
He had other concerns too - the temporal desynch caused by the hourglass. The possibility of arming themselves with objects from the trove. Which door to open. But the sudden rumble shelved all other thoughts for later. Aaron in tense silence until the sounds faded, eyes flickering around the room for any signs of structural damage.
"Everyone okay?" he asked, checking over the group. "Any lasting effects from that hourglass?"
They looked fine, but they'd need to communicate to get everyone out alive. He hoped these gems didn't have too much
"Sounds good," he said, nodding at Faolan's suggestion. "I'll hold them."
The benefit of a reinforced coat. Aaron had more than enough pockets to hold the gems. He debated between putting them all in one or separating them in case they reacted in close proximity. In the end, he settled on one pocket. Easier to keep track of them, and they'd probably be needed later. Once the group put some distance between them and the rumbling, he resolved to examine them in closer detail.
He briefly considered taking one of the weapons. He didn't know swordsmanship, but a blunt force weapon could come in handy. No matter which weapon he tested though, he got same crawling feeling down his spine. Right. No weapons then. That just left the doors.
Aaron examined both, but there were no obvious differences between them. One door seemed closer to the direction of the rumbling, but that was it. Aaron puffed a sigh and looked back to the group.
"This door leads away from the rumbling. We okay with that? Simon?"
He glanced at the werewolf in particular, half to get his attention, half to confirm Simon's odd behavior. It really looked like he was more present than the average werewolf. Another thing he'd have to confirm later. At the chorus of agreement, Aaron nodded.
"Okay. I'll take point. Stay by the door until I give the all clear."
He only just stopped himself from using field agent hand signals as he took up position by the door. Big help to the blind guy. Aaron opened it just a crack. Listened, alert for any signs of life inside. He'd feel better if he had a weapon. Yeah, tough shit, he thought. Aaron eased open the door, giving the torch a wide berth.
|
|
|
Post by kilnarak on Oct 4, 2020 21:58:45 GMT -6
[ Ari does not respond happily when Casmir grabs him, but he does go to put the vial in the child's hands and retrieve the stone. Then he goes to steal a weapon for himself. Roll of 14 for whatever it would be to find a decent weapon? ]
Ari heard a footfall behind him, then something grabbed the back of his shirt, fingers catching in his hair, and yanked him back. Breath hissed past his teeth and his whole body tensed as he wrenched himself away before he could really think about what he was doing. He rounded on Casmir, backing away from him. His fingers curled slightly, expecting the bone-shifting of claws growing in... but nothing happened. After a moment spent warily glaring at the blonde man, Ari's fingers finally curled to fists and he looked away, taking a step back. "Don't," he mumbled, taking another step back. "D-Don't touch me. I've-I've done this before. If we take to long bad-bad things happen."
He jumped, his gaze shooting up at the sound of something collapsing further away in the structure. His ears tried to prick up, but they were too small and blunt to be of much use. Still, if the place was collapsing... the memory of the walls crushing in on him came to mind and he shuddered, taking another step away from Casmir. His fisted fingers tightened slightly, then released as he turned to carefully pick his way to the statue to retrieve the vial. "We-We can't linger here. M-Maybe the ceiling will fall."
He took the vial to the child's sarcophagus and hesitated a moment before placing it in the child's hands. The way the stone moved like real flesh to grip the flask was... disconcerting. When the hands opened again to reveal a small gem, Ari hesitated again before reaching to take the stone. He examined it a moment, then pocketed it.
Ari's gaze flicked up to the others, lingering warily on Casmir a moment, then noting Malgrim with the olive branch, and Moana at the gems. Then his eyes twitched back to the weapons, considering. He glanced toward Casmir again, then picked his way over to the weapons, looking for one that might suit him. A knife maybe, a dagger - something not too big, easy to carry and not too heavy. A bit of protection would definitely be nice.
|
|
|
Post by beastly on Oct 4, 2020 23:06:52 GMT -6
[ he listens to the rumbling (12 nature) Simon follows the group into the next room and peeks his head in (perception 18)]
It's a shame he can't talk at all to Nagi...he appreciates the reference.
Simon tilts his head as 'Eric' moves really fast. That's not one of his regular abilities, he's pretty darn sure. Odd. He nods at Faolan. They should take the Crystals.
Simon's ears stand straight at the rumbling noise, he's not a fan of it. Whatever it is, wherever it came from, he doesn't like it.
He meets Eric's eyes as his name is called, and he nods, giving a thumbs up for good mesure. He'd like... not having things fall on him.
He creeps along after, peeking inside and sniffing after it's his turn to go inside.
|
|
|
Post by Salandis on Oct 4, 2020 23:35:43 GMT -6
[Moana deposits the Tanzanite, growls at Caz, and then rolls a 17 to solve these damn alter candle things]
“Well, Monster hunter,” Moana drawled as she looked over the gems. “Try not to hunt at the club. My job there is to keep the peace, among other things.” Humans, relying on Magic – although she hadn’t said anything about that, huh. Or her own limbs feeling like glue. Maybe best not to mention that at all.
‘Tanzanite!’ Moana snatched up the precious stone. The loud click almost made her drop it, and she whirled around to see several things happen nearly at once. Maelgrim was putting something on the large sarcophagus – she caught a glimpse of olive leaves – and Ari was catching a vial that had sprung from one of the statues she had been in front of. About to voice a rebuke herself, her eyes narrowed dangerously as Casmir grabbed him by the scruff – and at what Ari said in response. Lingering would be bad, then, and he would know.
Fortunately that cat-handling was over as soon as it began, and Cas hurried over to the window. Moana did indeed drop the Tanzanite over in to the maiden’s hands before looking at the weapons – it certainly seemed prudent to arm up – but a rather potent gut feeling told her that was a bad idea.
Instead she rejoined Casmir to look at the candles. “Try not to shake up the cat boy,” She murmered, her voice low but cold. “He has a better memory than anyone for these nightmares, and his insights are going to be valuable for as long as he keeps himself together.”
|
|
|
Post by Sharei on Oct 4, 2020 23:38:12 GMT -6
[OOC: Sjira talks to Kira, tells her to stay with Edge, then goes to check on Hau.]
Despite himself, Sjira was able to muster a small, warm smile for the little Kira. He wasn't able to put people at their ease like his brother Sohl could, but his demeanor softened, and Sjira ruffled her ears gently.
"Sure," he said, only half-paying attention to what Edge was doing. "Sjira and Kira can be friends. I-"
He paused, head turning toward Hau at the sound of a scuffle, more alarmed by it than the distant sound of rocks falling. Kira's question was met with a pensive silence at first as the juvenile tried to discern what was happening, but aside from some awkward backpedaling and some hesitation, Hau seemed to be alright?
"I don't know," the dragon said and ushered Kira to the safer place at his back. "Stay here, though, just in case."
That said, Sjira jogged across the small yard to where Hau was having a little panic. The dragon scented the air, but all he could smell was old dust and moldering things. Whatever Hau was looking at - and he was looking at something, the juvenile saw - Sjira couldn't see it.
"Hey," he said, putting his hand on Hau's shoulder. He didn't question the discrepancies, too much weird shit had happened in his life recently to be dumbfounded by it. "What do you see? Are you alright?"
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Oct 4, 2020 23:50:39 GMT -6
Group 1:
Edge, Jedi, Kira, Sjira, Hau : 3 Crystals. 1 Exotic Fruit Group 1 map: photos.app.goo.gl/rigjXi6JheDd7oqN9
Hau witnesses this horror, and yet, even as they come towards him, swiping with their dead hands… Some part of him, deep within, knew that it was not real. Not real. None of it was real. The realization gave him power, a sense of control. He could tear through these fake people with his bare hands. Which was just as well, because one of his imposter mothers lurched forward, swinging with a dagger she had hidden in her hand, her face contorted in a deathly snarl, shrunken eyes like rotting fruit. Sjira comes up behind Hau to comfort and reassure him, and this friendly presence gives Hau more power against these lies. Edge collects his crystal, and attempts to use his power to explore where the rumble came from. He finds that his senses are almost non-existent, and though, to some degree, he can feel the ground directly under him, he has no other senses or abilities that he might normally have. The ground does feel comforting though. Kira can see, despite the darkness, that Hau is facing off with absolutely no one. There is no one in front of him and he is reacting to nothing, but he is reacting with genuine fright. His terrified sounds are clear enough. Jedi feels like his guess is correct, but has no way of inputting his answer on his sarcophagus. Group 2:
Casmir, Moana, Ari, Malgrim: 3 Crystals Group 2 map: photos.app.goo.gl/eJPmxxM8Mru5XLXj9
**Somewhere outside, through the wall, those near the hidden door hear a THUMP somewhere up high.
Another, smaller avalanche occurs in this location, followed by the sound of ceramics shattering on the ground below.**Ari closed his fingers around one of a set of beautiful, flawless, gleaming knives. He knew their balance had to have been perfect. These were weapons fit for a warrior king. As soon as he did, a profound sense of wrongness filled him. This was not the right item. His instincts screamed that something was wrong. Casmir has the distinct sense that he will need to light the candles before he can find out more concerning what this altar business meant. As he studied the window, the gems seemed to represent a certain pattern; ruby, sapphire, amethyst, diamond and peridot. The window’s events were cryptic, though he could see, when he studied the details of the rest of the arrangement carefully. There were four entities depicted, each with their own scenes of chaos and torment. Each seemed to lord over a different kind of tormented dystopia. Only one was depicted with worshippers caring for the land while it oversaw, relatively benignly. Malgrim takes the olive branch from the sword, and places it in the hands of the entombed armored man. A moment passes, and then the cold stone fingers wrap themselves around the branch, and the stone face appears to relax into a peaceful sort of expression. An amber gem appears where the olive branch once sat; about the size of a fist. Moana placed the tanzanite into the waiting hands of the maiden-knight. The moment she did, the fingers closed themselves around the stone, and before her eyes, it became a gleaming, fist-sized green gem, as deeply-green as an emerald. After collecting it, she too examines the altar, and has the thought that perhaps she should light the candles; most religions consider their lighting to be a sign of worship. The gems in the window seemed to represent a certain pattern; ruby, sapphire, amethyst, diamond and peridot, but the rest of the events depicted seemed… ominous and difficult to interpret without a key. Group 3:
Group 3 Map: photos.app.goo.gl/uhnAp9JeDHX4iWip6Aaron, Faolan, Simon, Nagi : 4 Crystals
Nagi follows the others as they exit through the Western door. They enter a large corridor. To the left the hall appears to stretch on a great distance, to the right, it winds away and forks. Straight across the hallway is another door, this one closed. Faolan used the light to illuminate the dark passage. He could see they were inside some kind of underground chamber. An underground city? The rooms appeared to be tall buildings, their walls forming some kind of labyrinth. Whatever passed at a ceiling was cloaked in darkness and far above. He could see windows, arches and towers curling far above them in the gloom, crisscrossing over their narrow alley path. He could now see what Nagi could not; to the left side, the labyrinth unfolded onwards, but there was a barred iron gate in the way, closing off their means to move the way. To the right, they could see a bifurcated path leading up and around. In front of them was a warm-looking wooden door, tall and thick, with golden detailing on its red surface. On either side was a stone arch with lions on it, rather like the front of a huge library. This heavy door was slightly cracked open, awaiting their company. Aaron hears another, quieter thump from somewhere a ways North of their location as he exits the room. There is the following sound of more small rocks falling. Or maybe pottery shattering? It is difficult to tell. He too could see the narrow set of paths snaking away to the right of them, forking North and East, and the barred path to their South. They were moving in a narrow alley (pathway?) between two very tall underground buildings, which may have rooves far above, hidden in the gloom. He could make out curling windows, bridges and archways up high above them, with tattered and abandoned banners. A dead city. Simon knows he heard a rockslide, or a cave-in in that area, and after leaving their room for the hallway, he realizes quickly why they were able to hear it so well; the rooms they were in are actually buildings with very high walls, forming a sort of labyrinthine maze. Simon also hears a quiet thump to their North, and a shower of small stones and rubble falling. A different location. Not the same as before. Then the sounds of pottery hitting the ground. Roof tile? They were too far to know.
|
|
|
Post by luscen on Oct 5, 2020 8:54:43 GMT -6
[CASMIR attempts to solve the puzzle involving the stained glass window, thinking he's onto something, but getting caught up in over-thinking things after he's lit one of the candles with his LANTERN, as MOANA looks on. No action rolls taken.]
“I'm aware of that,” Casmir replied tersely without bothering to look over at the Polynesian. “It's the 'keeping it together' part I'm worried about.” Ari's statement about not wanting to be touched made him think of Sjira, and for a brief moment an irrational pang of self-hatred boiled through his bloodstream; that boy would never see another sunrise, and it was all because Casmir had put him in danger to begin with, only to prove too damned weak to save him.
'You don't have time for this,' came the sharp rebuke. He gave himself a mental shake and turned his attention to the altars; each bore an identical candle, all the same size, shape, and color: pure white, and several inches in both length and width. There was no patterns or signs he could see carved into the surface of the stone, or the candles themselves, no indication of what sort of “offering” the plaque bearing the inscription he had read wanted, at least from this end. So instead, he turned his attention back to the stained-glass window, taking in the imagery. It was very akin to Medieval period samples he'd seen in some of the old cathedrals and museums in France, depicting several hellish landscapes ruled over by three terrifying demonic beasts, tormenting their wretched victims in a variety of gruesome ways.
The Hunter's eyes narrowed as he searched the window again. The gleam of a series of stones in the light of the lantern caught his eye, and he saw that each candle-laden altar sat beneath a polished, gleaming gemstone. Ruby, sapphire, amethyst, diamond, and peridot, all of flawless quality. Five gems, five altars, five candles, but three lords?
“That doesn't sound right... Something's off...” Casmir muttered to himself as he looked back up at the window again. That was when he noticed one additional lord, though this one was different than the others; the creature wasn't as horrifying, and rather than torturing its victims, it seemed to be looking on as those under its gaze were... tending to the soil?
“That's a bit of an odd man out...” the Hunter mused, looking back at the stones above the altar. The lack of a fifth lord still bothered him, but perhaps there was no connection between the jewels and the painting. Better to focus on the more immediate connection- gems often had a variety of connotations, but there were some constants, regardless of culture- rubies often represented anger and passion, and were very potent conduits of energy. Sapphires, meanwhile, were calming gems and used in acquiring wealth and knowledge. Amethyst was a vital gem for establishing connections, and could often bind things together. Diamonds, more than any other gem, were pure and incorruptible, an amplifier for other gemstones, or able to absorb their metaphysical powers. Lastly, peridots were gems of growth and renewal, whose power lay in cleansing and circulation. Casmir considered each of these traits as he looked at the painting again.
'”Light a candle, and place the offerings accordingly...” Well, if I have to light a candle...' He stepped over to the altar with the peridot, the fifth one in the line. If he was right, this was tied with the lack of a fifth figure in the art piece, and would hopefully give him some insight into the rest of the puzzle, perhaps reveal a secret aspect that was hidden from view. It seemed as likely a place as any to start with, at least...
Opening the lantern, he took the candle out of its casing, and held it to the unlit candle on the fifth altar. There was a moment's tension, then the flame on the cold wick sprung to life, bathing the stone surface in a cool, purple glow.
“That... wasn't exactly what I was expecting...” the Hunter commented with a bemused frown. Was there a step he missed?
|
|
|
Post by okami1reeka333 on Oct 5, 2020 9:56:27 GMT -6
[Jedidiah walks towards edge to ask if he could help decipher the carvings on the sarcophagus, has the answer to riddle but no idea how to input it. ]
Jedidiah:
He paused for a moment before walking over towards were Edge was. . . Surely someone knows what language that was carved on the coffin, right? There are currently 5 of them and he failed, so surely one of the other four would be able to make heads and tails of what the strange carving on the coffin was . . .
"Hey, Edge? Can you help me figure out how to decipher the carvings on the coffin over there? " he asked. "The answer to the riddle on the plague was wind but I have no idea what language is carved into the coffin. . . ." he explained. If Edge doesnt know, surely one of the other 3 were bound to have come across it at some time or another, right?
|
|
|
Post by indeath on Oct 5, 2020 15:59:12 GMT -6
((Grim is amused by the drama, takes the gem and makes awkward small talk as he tries to help solve the puzzle. He tries looking at the window again and it’s connection to the puzzle. Investigate : 13+4 = 17 Religion: 19+2 = 21))
Grim smirked at the drama unfolding between Moana and the monster hunter Casmir. Talk about sexual tension and at a time like this. They definitely seemed to have something going on that included Ari. Left him the odd man out. He smiled again, this time at his success. He reached out and took the gem putting it into a deep pocket in the folds of black he wore.
These sounds were putting him on edge. He definitely needed to open that door. Dream or no, being crushed to death was not something he wanted to experience first hand. The monster Hunter looked like he needed help. A purple flame did not feel like a good idea and it hadn’t left them with a gem. He sided up to Casmir and began to study the puzzle, looking to see if he could work out the trick to it. What were the offerings? The crystals or something else?
“So uh what kinda monsters do you hunt? Not uh law-abiding folk right?”
Real smooth. Grim the casual dungeon small talk king. Wait they were missing something...
”... there’s more to this.. More candles and gems... I think we need a key and to light all the candles. Though this one is very pretty..”
He pointed out the four other candles and their gems in the room. Don’t annoy the monster hunter.
”Ignore the window... it’s also pretty though..”
In a terrifying way.
|
|