[Pathfinder] Legend of Zelda: Before the Storm-IC

[Machinekng]

OOC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12483629#post12483629)

The sun is shining on Hyrule Castle Town. The drizzle and dark clouds that had plagued the last week have abated, giving way to a mild dawn and a crisp breeze coming in from the north. Tender birdsongs sweeten the otherwise quiet daybreak, as the chorus begins to move around, their beating wings rustling the shrubbery, causing the morning dew to roll off the leaves. The early risers wake to a magnificent dawn, watching the goddesses lift the blazing sun into the sky, banishing the dark of night and the twilight of early dawn. The late risers wake to no less splendid a sight, glad to see the dreariness behind them.

All in all, it is beautiful weather, and yet horrid weather for a funeral.

The king’s funeral procession began at nine, and to the despair of the late king’s ministers, the sunshine had not abated. The shrill chirping of the birds and the calls of the animal were in perfect harmony with the funeral dirges as the train left the castle courtyard and went down the path towards town. Lantern bearers, meant to light the way through the dusk and twilight led the march, their lanterns unlit. Behind them came the foreguard, their black sashes a sign of mourning, and their bored faces a sign of apathy. The barons, speaking not a word to each other or anyone else, came next, their own guards on the alert. The princess, shrouded in her thick dusky veil, walked in front of the coffin, her tears masked by her cowl, if she bore any. Behind the coffin trailed a great line of ministers and advisors, with the vanguard lagging behind.

As the funeral train marched into the town, bystanders stood and stared. Many had never seen the nobility, much less the royal family, in person, but now they saw them. They saw the barons leering at one another and the princess buried in her funeral cloak, her face hidden. The masses were yearning for solidarity, for some foundation to cling onto, for something to brace them against the oncoming storm.

They are disappointed.

The funeral train reached the main gates of Hyrule town, the crowd cautiously following it. In normal times, the train would continue marching to Kakariko village, the traditional resting place of the royal family. The march to honor the dead, and the burial to give them peace. But these are not normal times. The train makes an awkward turn, its head coiling around in order to reverse direction. The crowd scatters as the train begins to return to its origin. The crowd makes one half hearted attempt to reform, but it is futile, and masses melt away, each going in one’s own direction.

You all, are no different.

Each new member of ‘The Associates’ having arrived their travels, was drawn in to the crowd, and now each one is alone, with every other man and women so close, yet so distant. The only recourse is a tavern, of all places. Each member wanders down streets and alleys, pressing towards their refuge unaware of one another.

The building is plain, with wooden walls and a tiled roof. A sign announces the establishment’s name to anyone willing to hear it.

Matilida’s Bar.

Quaint.

When you enter it, the tavern is lifeless. A scrawny, freckled boy apathetically arranges the chairs, while a stout, brunette woman leans on the counter, obsessively washing a glass mug. Yet soon, six of the most interesting people in Hyrule are standing in the establishment.

The woman, having registered shoots a glance at her servant, who, after glancing at the new patrons himself, scurries behind the counter, disappearing into a backroom. The woman takes a more thorough look at her patrons. Pulling out some page out of an unseen drawer, she seems analyze each guest, glancing at the guest, then to the page, and then back at the guest.

Satisfied, the lady walks out from behind the counter.
“Good sirs, madam, Maleus,” she begins, her unsmiling face hiding her reaction, “I have the room set up for you. Sal said he would be here, to introduce you all, but he’s not here.”

“The others aren’t here either,” Her veiled face turns into a grimace, “I can show you the back room at least.”

She beckons the party behind the counter, and into a corridor running parallel to the kitchen. She stops at a seemingly ordinary spot. However, with closer examination, a mark is apparent, similar to the great bird that rests on the royal crest. Her hands go over the wall, searching for some hidden trigger. A moment later, her hands stop. With a slight push, a section of the wall swings open, the seams previously invisible. You enter into a sparsely decorated room, with its sole feature being a large table surrounded by six chairs. The table bears the symbol on the wall, embossed in scarlet red and great detail.

“You have letters; I’ll go and get them.” And with that the woman leaves the party, carefully closing the door.

So, what do you do?

[kestrel404]

Maleus

A tall skeleton with an overly expressive skull and brightly colored clothing walks confidently into the room, taking a specific seat at the table - it is obvious that he knows which on is 'his' and so has likely been here before.

Turning to the others in the group he gestures for them to enter and be seated.

"I am Audifer Maleus. Since I do not recognize any of you, but the bartender does - at least from description - then I must assume you are all the chosen successors to the older members of this group. Have you brought your tokens?"

Audifer extends his bony hand, and within it something rattles against his bony fingers. He does not open the hand, yet, merely extends it towards the middle of the table.

[Sleepy Shade]

Dorian Obsidian

Dorian walked over to the table still a little astonished from everything that had happened since his return and took a random seat. He put his backpack on the ground and rummaged through it eventually bring up the old coin Greko had handed him. It was gold with the royal family crest on one side and the Goron symbol on the other.He placed the coin in the center of the table hoping it was the right thing to do.
Looking first at the odd creature and then at his other companions he started to speak.
"I am Dorian Obsidian. I was chosen by my villages Blacksmith Greko Ironhide. I hope that I will be a valued brother in the coming days."

[GodGoblin]

Twitch

Twitch walks through the bar and into the secret room, checking behind him nervously as he does so, once inside he scans the room and its current ocupants before climbing onto one of the chairs and leaning his scythe against the table. "So this is The Associates? I am Twitch, Is this the token you are looking for?" Twitch's voice is skittish and uneasy as he unhooks a small Kokiri talismen from his belt of trinkets and dangles it for the others to see.

[Lifeson]

Gungnir

Gungnir was used to shady meetings to shadier patrons, or rather as used as you can get to these types of situations. So, taking the seat with newfound companions (This one was more motley than the last!), he followed the same motions that the others were doing. "I am Gungnir Gáe Bolg, archaeologist and scholar of the three goddesses," he introduced himself as he picked out a similar token to Dorian's, though it more worn out from use as it used to be his dad's. "You may have seen Donovan in the stables nearby. No worries about the dodongo, he knows better than to eat the other occupants of the stables. Hasn't touched a horse in four years."

[Perian]

Eila Tati

A light tap raped against the surface of the broad table. The others turned to find the petite figure wrapped in black, now stood next to one of the remaining empty seats in the hidden chamber. This was opposite of the back wall she had leaned on for the beginning of their introductions. The sound's origin, a signet ring, lie gracefully between her fingers pressed against the table's flat surface. An eye insignia, similar to the emblem of the Sheikah, was embedded into the bit of jewelry. Before anyone could comment on the girl's blunt actions, she swiftly removed her hood, and pulled down the tear-emblem bandana that covered her face. Ivory tassels of hair dangled between two piercing red eyes, that focused on Audifer's black sockets.

"Eila Tati. If I may, I'd like to query Mr. Maleus on a personal matter,"

She paused, her eyes surveyed the room. They fell on the massive mechanical figure with the stature of a bear on it's hind legs.

"but I believe our luncheon still has one seat empty."

[Machinekng]

The sixth figure, a mechanical one, sits down on the remaining seat. His machined mouth is silent.

The door once agian opens as the bar-woman walks in, carrying a basket, which she swiftly sets down on the table. Its contents are diverese. A Leather bound handbook od sorts, an unlocked strongbox, and what looks to be a lead brick, in th size and shape of a tome. Alongside these are four sealed letters and a more formal scoll, bearing the sigil of the deku king. Two of the letters' stamps suggest that they hail from Lanaryu. The other two hail from Eldin and Ordon, respectively.

"I know its not much, expecially with all that's happening. The reports you've been recieiving has declined, I don't know why."

She begins to leave the room, but turns back for a moment.

"The reports are probably in code. They were when I was a girl. They had books and the box are supposed to be used for codebreaking, though I never saw them open that one book or the box. Never figured out how to open the lead thing either."

"If you need anything else, just knock the door."

With that, she leaves, sealing the portal behind her, leaving the new members of the group to their own machinations.

[kestrel404]

Maleus

Nodding to Ella when their gazes lock, Audifer makes a gesture which in the silent language of the Sheikah translates to 'ask your question'.

However, before either can continue, the bar-matron returns with a basket full of knowledge, something that Audifer finds irresistable, so he holds up his hand, making the gesture that means 'later'.

"Thank you, good lady. I'm sure we can muddle through this on our own."

Maleus drops his own token on the table - a worn and tattered cat's collar with a single, silent bell. Then, he takes from the basket the book, the strongbox and the brick and sets these near the middle of the table - to be dealt with by the group - and draws out the formal scroll of the Deku King to look over himself. Then he passes the basket around the table, hoping that the others will recognise who sent the remaining letters.

[GodGoblin]

Twitch sits uncomfortably in the room watching the items being passed about, Esmerelda hadnt told him much about the actual goings on in the tavern so he simply sits there. "What are these? I dont recognise them.." He says feeling slightly out of his depth.

[Sleepy Shade]

Dorian tells Twitch "Don't worry your not the only one. This is actually my first meeting."
Dorian reaches for the strong box and looks at it a bit before opening it.

What does the strong box look like and does it have any symbols on it?

[Acidic_Cakes]

Cestus

Having spent the longest possible time sitting, taking in the faces and voices of the figures in the room and carefully committing them to memory, Cestus finally decides to make his move. Though his movements are slow and deliberate, his joins creaking and groaning as he stands up, it could be very easy to take as a surprise, for previously he has not budged the slightest inch, and could have just as easily been taken for an oddly decorated statue.

In a wheezy, metallic tone, the machine echoes out, "I know nothing of code, or its interpretation. But this box piques my curiosity. I wish for us to further investigate its contents, if none of you will object. My assumption is that it is very likely to be some form of tool which will aid us on our mission. If my guess is correct, it would be the wise option to open it posthaste."

[Perian]

Eila Tati

"So he says..."

Eila's words trailed off as she lounged in the large chair, her legs bent on one armrest, her back rested on the other. With her comrades' focus on the beastly machine, the two letters from Lanaryu found their way to the dainty digits of Eila's right hand. Held against the light of the room, she flipped the parcels backwards and forwards, and with a dazed look compared the seals to the token placed on her finger.

What do the seals on the letters look like? Are there any similarities between the Lanaryu seals and the seal on Eila's ring?

"Forgive my forwardness Mr. Maleus, but I believe as our senior member, that you'd have the kindness to fill us in as to how we might decrypt the contents of this little picknick basket."

[kestrel404]

Maleus

"Hmm, well... The last meeting I attended, everyone else knew what they were doing and I was the new guy. I suppose I'll explain what I can. The Group, from what I was told, has been around for a very long time. I don't know who the original members were or what they intended for the group to do, but the previous members liked to discuss, and occasionally intervene in, the politics of the various realms of Hyrule. There are a number of individuals scattered throughout - much like ourselves, a diverse group with their own lives and goals - who know enough to send letters to this bar. They will write to us of their worries, their problems, their lives, and sometimes a member of the group will go out to help them. Of course, the past members of the group will also send letters here if they are in a spot of trouble - and I was hoping that perhaps one of the older members of the group was helpful enough to send us a letter explaining what we might need to know. Of course, such knowledge might also be in the book or strongbox that was brought, but that is likely to be in the form of a puzzle for us to solve. Unfortunately, that's the total extent of my knowledge of this group, since I was only able to attend a single previous meeting."

Maleus breaks the seal on the formal letter from the Deku King and scouls at the coded message within. "If no one recognizes the handwriting on the remaining letters, then we'll have to do this the hard way."

Taking up the leather-bound journal, Audifer turns the page and begins to read aloud...

[Lifeson]

Gungnir

"You know, ancient Hylian is easier to read than this." Gungnir posited as he looked over the letters from Eldin first, being home. The code was, of course, immediately indecipherable at a glance. "Of course, it'd be a little easier if we knew the type of code it was. Is it a substitution or rotation cipher, or is it something silly like every fourth word is the actual meaning?"

At least the chairs were really nice. They were clearly going to be using them a lot for the rest of the day.

[Machinekng]

Dorian tells Twitch "Don't worry your not the only one. This is actually my first meeting."
Dorian reaches for the strong box and looks at it a bit before opening it.

What does the strong box look like and does it have any symbols on it?
The strongbox is plain, made of a hardwood, perhaps oak, and bound with clean iron bands. It's compact, but fairly heavy for its size, and rattles slightly when you move it, giving off a clinging sound. There are no apparent symbols on is surface, at first glance, but you notice that there's something on the bottom of the chest. With a second look, you find that it is identical to the symbol marking the table.

Cestus

Having spent the longest possible time sitting, taking in the faces and voices of the figures in the room and carefully committing them to memory, Cestus finally decides to make his move. Though his movements are slow and deliberate, his joins creaking and groaning as he stands up, it could be very easy to take as a surprise, for previously he has not budged the slightest inch, and could have just as easily been taken for an oddly decorated statue.

In a wheezy, metallic tone, the machine echoes out, "I know nothing of code, or its interpretation. But this box piques my curiosity. I wish for us to further investigate its contents, if none of you will object. My assumption is that it is very likely to be some form of tool which will aid us on our mission. If my guess is correct, it would be the wise option to open it posthaste."
I'd just like to confirm you’re talking about what I described as a lead brick

Maleus

"Hmm, well... The last meeting I attended, everyone else knew what they were doing and I was the new guy. I suppose I'll explain what I can. The Group, from what I was told, has been around for a very long time. I don't know who the original members were or what they intended for the group to do, but the previous members liked to discuss, and occasionally intervene in, the politics of the various realms of Hyrule. There are a number of individuals scattered throughout - much like ourselves, a diverse group with their own lives and goals - who know enough to send letters to this bar. They will write to us of their worries, their problems, their lives, and sometimes a member of the group will go out to help them. Of course, the past members of the group will also send letters here if they are in a spot of trouble - and I was hoping that perhaps one of the older members of the group was helpful enough to send us a letter explaining what we might need to know. Of course, such knowledge might also be in the book or strongbox that was brought, but that is likely to be in the form of a puzzle for us to solve. Unfortunately, that's the total extent of my knowledge of this group, since I was only able to attend a single previous meeting."

Maleus breaks the seal on the formal letter from the Deku King and scouls at the coded message within. "If no one recognizes the handwriting on the remaining letters, then we'll have to do this the hard way."

Taking up the leather-bound journal, Audifer turns the page and begins to read aloud...

Opening the handbook, you find that it is not a cohesive work, in that it contains numerous pages of varying wear and color, presumably dating from different times, bound into the fresh leather binding. Bound into the backside of the front cover, is an ancient parchment, protected by a thin glass window. It's incomprehensible, but the first paper in the book, opposite the parchment, is a fresh paper, written in modern Hylian. A quick glance between the two suggests that the two have the same length and structure.

"Let it be kept secret among you, a word unuttered and a sight draped in shadows, that under the third full moon of autumn, the Knights of the Red Lion are hereby re-established. Their transgressions are forgiven on the guarantee of their fealty, and that they are to be released from their conviction. Let our decree be a new-formed charter for their fraternity. Having been re-established, the Knights of the Red Lion shall have their titles revoked, as shall their fraternity, which will now go by no name. Each brother shall choose his own successor, and only one, for their association shall support no forces beyond itself. This association shall make itself unknown, save to our successors, and shall renounce all ties that bind, save to ourself, the good health of the land, and our successors. This loyalty shall be absolute and without question or hesitation. This association shall raise its own specie, and obtain its own observers. This association, aside from fulfilling its loyalties, shall be under no yoke except the law.

If any brother defies this charter or his allegiances, by the Goddesses may he be trice-damned and tortured by the fiery ones for all eternity.


King over the Red Lions and Lord Master of Arms of Hyrule
Fredrick Hohenwrafh Hyrule"


Gungnir

"You know, ancient Hylian is easier to read than this." Gungnir posited as he looked over the letters from Eldin first, being home. The code was, of course, immediately indecipherable at a glance. "Of course, it'd be a little easier if we knew the type of code it was. Is it a substitution or rotation cipher, or is it something silly like every fourth word is the actual meaning?"

At least the chairs were really nice. They were clearly going to be using them a lot for the rest of the day.

Having opened the letter from Eldin, and looking it over, you recognize the handwriting. You remember this handwriting from the labels of shipment of cleaning agents you had picked up during your apprenticeship. The writing, for the most part, is nothing out of the ordinary, the cryptic letter seems to be written purposefully in block letters, but you recognize the signature. It's illegible, but the runes are shaped in a way to imitate the shape of a pure, flickering flame, probably why you remembered it.

In addition you notice another feature. In the left-hand bottom corner of the page, away from where any casual observer would notice, are the runes representing the goddess Din, scribbled as minutely as possible.

[Acidic_Cakes]

Yes, that is indeed what I am referring to. He may be potentially looking into it as something more then it might actually be, but hey, who knows?

[Sleepy Shade]

"I've never heard of the Red Lions. But the scrolls says that they were being reestablished. What happened to the first Order?"
After examining the box Dorian opens it up and lays its contents on the table.

[kestrel404]

Maleus

"That's an excellent question, Dorian. I'll have to check my notes, but I think that particular piece of history is old enough to qualify as mythology. For now, I'll dig deeper into this book, perhaps one of these sections will indicate how to decode these messages...probably in a later chapter..."

The friendly skeleton continues to flip pages in the journal, scanning the pages for something that looks like the key to a cipher. If he finds nothing in the first few pages, he'll flip to the back of the book and work backwards from the end. And if he notices anything especially important, he will read it aloud to the group.

[Machinekng]

Cestus

Having spent the longest possible time sitting, taking in the faces and voices of the figures in the room and carefully committing them to memory, Cestus finally decides to make his move. Though his movements are slow and deliberate, his joins creaking and groaning as he stands up, it could be very easy to take as a surprise, for previously he has not budged the slightest inch, and could have just as easily been taken for an oddly decorated statue.

In a wheezy, metallic tone, the machine echoes out, "I know nothing of code, or its interpretation. But this box piques my curiosity. I wish for us to further investigate its contents, if none of you will object. My assumption is that it is very likely to be some form of tool which will aid us on our mission. If my guess is correct, it would be the wise option to open it posthaste."

You pick up the lead brick. It's heavy, but not as heavy as one would expect from a piece of solid lead. You examined it carefully, but find no seam or blemish.


Eila Tati

"So he says..."

Eila's words trailed off as she lounged in the large chair, her legs bent on one armrest, her back rested on the other. With her comrades' focus on the beastly machine, the two letters from Lanaryu found their way to the dainty digits of Eila's right hand. Held against the light of the room, she flipped the parcels backwards and forwards, and with a dazed look compared the seals to the token placed on her finger.

What do the seals on the letters look like? Are there any similarities between the Lanaryu seals and the seal on Eila's ring?

"Forgive my forwardness Mr. Maleus, but I believe as our senior member, that you'd have the kindness to fill us in as to how we might decrypt the contents of this little picknick basket."

Unfortunately, the seals do not correlate.


"I've never heard of the Red Lions. But the scrolls says that they were being reestablished. What happened to the first Order?"
After examining the box Dorian opens it up and lays its contents on the table.

The interior of the box is partitioned in two by a thin sheet of wood. One half of the box contains three wax-stoppered vials, a packet or two of granular substances, and what looks to be jumbled miscellaneous implements. The vials contain some clear yet murky liquid, and their stoppers are each marked with a different rune. One with a Farore-rune, one with a Nyaru-rune,and one with a Din-rune. The vial bearing the Din-rune looks to be less full than the other two.

The other side of the box contains sheets of paper... pictograms?

Yes, it appears so. The sheets seem to be portraits, and each pictogram has a sigil printed on it. However, the face of each portrait has been, burned, apparently, leaving a black mark in its place.


Maleus

"That's an excellent question, Dorian. I'll have to check my notes, but I think that particular piece of history is old enough to qualify as mythology. For now, I'll dig deeper into this book, perhaps one of these sections will indicate how to decode these messages...probably in a later chapter..."

The friendly skeleton continues to flip pages in the journal, scanning the pages for something that looks like the key to a cipher. If he finds nothing in the first few pages, he'll flip to the back of the book and work backwards from the end. And if he notices anything especially important, he will read it aloud to the group.

As you flip through the pages, you notice a few interesting titles. The Creation and Revelation of Disappearing Ink... The Ordering of Ciphers... The Devices of Knowledge and Revelation...

Book marking these pages, you flip back to them, giving them another scan.

The page titled: The Devices of Knowledge and Revelation, although it seemed relevant, is rather cryptic. It talks about a so-called "Second Triforce" and that some things where never meant to be seen. Moving on.

The page titled: The Ordering of Ciphers, is, rather ironically, written in code, except for title. You may be able to analyze it yet, however.

The first page you marked, The Creation and Revelation of Disappearing Ink, is the last, and unlike the other two, is both legible and apparently relevant, especially the part about revelation...

In order to reveal the presence of disappeared ink, combine the liquids [Farore] and [Din] with the salt marked 1 in a bowl. This solution will be both foul-looking and smelling. Stir the solution without halt, until it bears the color of freshly picked rose-petals and the smell of cut grass. Then apply the substance to the sheet in question.

If that fails to reveal, there is no other method save supplication to the goddesses.

[kestrel404]

Maleus

"Well, this at least appears to be useful - and I'll just bet that the ingredients are kept on hand somewhere in this bar - if the technique were used, then our predecessors would have made sure of it. Anyone up for a scavenger hunt?"

[GodGoblin]

Twitch perks up "I think everything we need is in the box, here let me try..." Twitch's love of potions and oddities instantly draws him to the items inside the box, if no one objects he will begin to mix the liquids labelled Farore and Din with the salt and swill it in the bowl as he waits for its colour to change.

[Lifeson]

Looking at other pieces of the mystery over people's shoulders, Gungnir snickered at the mention of the goddesses, which resounded deep and hearty. "Oh, good. I've got us covered on the supplication part. Go ahead and mix away...Twitch, was it? How much use do you think we could get out of the mixture? Maybe it'd reveal something on that brick?"

[Perian]

Eila Tati

A feint sigh escaped from Eila's breath as she pulled the letters down from their place in the air. Her eyes briefly glanced toward the others, before they once again settled on the parcels that lay atop her lounged body. Shoulders raised she straightened her posture, and sat in the sturdy chair upright. Staring at the letters, she drew an arrow from her quiver. Right hand held just below the blade's tip, and in a swift motion cut the two letters open. Arrow returned to quiver, Eila's ruby eyes focused on the first letter. Intent on moving to the second, should she not be able to find anything beyond the cryptic text.

[GodGoblin]

"Yes, Twitch." He replies to Gunnir "There should be enough for all bits of paper but will have to see about the remainder." He adds while watching the mixture expectantly.