Invincible (IC Thread)

[Lord Syn]

The stone floor beneath your cheek is cool to the touch, warmed only by what little body heat it has managed to leech from your prone - and, until just now, unconscious - form.

As awareness gradually returns, it brings with it a brief sensation of vertigo, followed quickly by an odd feeling as if the room were somehow expanding and compressing at the same moment. Fortunately, both sensations last only for about a dozen heartbeats before everything settles back down.

From your current position - that is, lying sprawled on the cold, stony floor - it is difficult to make out much detail regarding your surroundings, especially as the faint, red-orange light that seems to be the main source of illumination seems to be fading.

Slowly, however, some details come more into focus, lending a semblance of sense to your whereabouts. You seem to be either in a fairly good-sized room or perhaps a large hall, flanked on either side by a series of statues of some unknown historic figures.

Additonal insight into the room may have to wait, however, as it seems you are not alone; several other beings - four, in fact - seem to also be regaining consciousness around you.

Noticing this fact, however, brings another to the forefront of your mind - for not only do none of these individuals seem at all familliar, but even more unnerving, you cannot for the life of you recall how exactly you came to be here, or even where 'here' may in fact be.

All things considered, this would definitely count as one of the more unusual and ill-boding returns to the waking world that you have experienced.

[Techwarrior]

One of the people standing up is a human male, wearing a mithral shirt. He looks generally ordinary, but something about him seems dark and cold, and more than a little unnerving. He has a scimitar strapped to his side and a longbow stowed on his back.

"Who in the Nine Hells are you people? Why have you brought me here?!"

[Feralventas]

Another human, this one a somewhat petite woman in earthy-toned traveler's clothes, short, light brown hair, stirs slightly at the inquiry. ""Clearly someone who enjoys waking up to questions no one has a clue about, thanks; I love waking up to noise." Setting herself up into a sitting pose, she blinks the drowsiness away and looks around.

"Not the least hospitable place I've woken up in, but a bit odd. Any ideas what's got us here?"

[GuyFawkes]

Amihan

A low groan issues forth from the other figure on the floor trying to prop itself up from prone. The figure holds his forehead, and slowly is able to stand, facing the others who had already gotten up.

At first glance, the figure belongs to a human male. Long, black hair, dark skin, sharp facial features and gravitating deep black eyes. From the looks of it, the young man surely belongs to one of the barbarian tribes, but upon further inspection, he is unmistakably wearing the standard uniform of an Aelorean Army scout: the familiar fatigue shirt and pants, leather bracers and boots, gray traveling cloak with the clasp bearing the emblem of the Royal Army.

Underneath the shirt, one could see the glint of metal from a chain shirt, and on both sides of his hips protrudes two weapon hilts. On the right side, a quiver full of arrows could also be seen, and on his back, a small haversack and a longbow hangs.

As soon as his full consciousness comes to him, he begins to survey his surroundings, immediately causing him to step back in panic. He is clearly not somewhere he should be in right now. He could remember going back to his quarters early in preparation for his going home today. Or the next day of that day, for he could not even be certain how long he was out.

His hands instinctively drift towards the hilts of his weapons, but he does not draw them. He is a bit relieved when he sees the same reactions on the other people with him in this room, but that thought is short-lived.

Where am I? How did I get here? And why? are the few things running through his mind. Looking back at the other's direction, he surveys the room for any openings, or anything at all that could help him get out of that room.

Spot: [roll0]
Search: [roll1]

[Lord Syn]

(By way of Room Description)
The room appears to roughly measure between thirty and thirty-five feet in width, and about thrice that in length, with the overall shape resembling a rectangle with rounded corners. Having no other frame of reference to run off of, the room might be considered to run roughly north-south along its length.

There are two rows of what appear to be statues of heroic figures, standing against either wall, with four along the western wall and five along the east. Notably, there is an empty stand in the western set, second from the northernmost position.

Set into the wall between each statue at about head-height (for a human, at least) are several small wall sconces, artistically shaped to resemble a pair of cupped hands holding what appears to be a small, glowing orb about the size of a fist. It would seem, on closer inspection, that the faint light is actually coming from these orbs, although they seem to be fading.

Along the southern wall, two more wall sconces flank a rather large and ornate archway, easily tall and wide enough for even a pair of unusually large and broad humanoids to pass through - or it would be, were the interior of the arch not filled with smooth, solid and seamless stone. Strange, that there should be such a notable arch on an otherwise blank wall.

A glance to the north completes the cursory inspection of the room, and shows a marble podium wreathed in golden, ivy-shaped vines. Atop the podium, there sits what appears to be a rather large and heavy book made entirely, pages and all, from some strange, bluish-silver metal; on closer inspection, the book seems to actually be part of the podium, although the pages are no less able to be turned. The book is currently open to the first (or, perhaps, last?) page.

Behind the podium, and filling the remaining portion of the room, is what looks to be a large, shallow circular depression, much like a large firepit or pool. Instead of firewood or liquid, however, the fifteen-foot-wide depression is filled with several layers of small, fist-sized orbs, identical in appearance to those being supported by the wall-sconces (save for not glowing, at least at present).

All in all, the room is spacious enough to not be cluttered, yet not large enough to be cavernous, and is clearly designed with a definite purpose in mind.

[Fremen]

Gromhil

Taudek groaned softly as he rose, his heavy plate armour settling noisily about his person as he used the haft of his waraxe to push himself to his feet. Shaking his helmeted head to clear away the last vestiges of dizziness, the dwarf looked stoically at the various humans around him, his hand resting atop his well-made weapon as he used it like a cane. He said nothing at first, merely looking at the room they were all in and trying to recall just how and why he was here.

His head wasn't trying to revolt, and nor was his stomach, so it was unlikely that it had been drinking that had led him to this room, but he did not feel sore or groggy, and that meant that poison or a beating were not likely to blame either. He wore everything he possessed, so he hadn't been robbed, and no one around him seemed any more sure of the situation than he.

Grunting gruffly, he hefted his axe, setting his at rest on his shoulder, and began pacing the room, his eyes scrutinizing the statues and sconces, as well as the mystical "fireplace", until eventually he settled upon the book. Attempting to read whatever may be upon it, he reached out with a gauntleted hand to turn the page.

[GuyFawkes]

Amihan

The young scout eyes the archway and, puzzled by the absence of what should be, or not be underneath it, goes closer to inspect it. He taps on the stone, lightly at first. He then draws a dagger from his belt and uses it to hit the stone harder, then goes to the wall outside the arch does the same, comparing the sound his strikes made to determine if the stone is solid through and through or just some sort of door.

Do I need to roll for this? I don't know which one applies.

[Feralventas]

Cordelia

"Sure then, step up and look around, don't bother to introduce yourself among strangers. Why would that make any sense?" The complaining stranger stands up from the floor and does likewise to her company, making her way down the rather odd corridor and over to examine the place on the western side of the room lacking a statue.

[Techwarrior]

Sevakyl

"I'm called Sevakyl. I don't believe I've met any of you before, and I don't exactly trust you because of it. Forgive me if I'm overstepping my boundaries, who are you people?"

[Lord Syn]

@Gromhil:
(Contents of the Book to follow in a PM.)

@Amihan:
The archway is plain and simple stone, nothing more; so too, upon further inspection, is the wall outside the arch. Inside the arch, however...
It is strange - the hilt of yor dagger rebounds and sounds the same on both parts of the wall, and you would swear your touch is telling you the wall is equally solid; and yet, the stone of the wall inside the arch feels...muted, you guess would be the best term. As if it is somehow there, and not there, at the same time.
Oddly, you would almost swear that you felt something, some strange vibration, from the medallion around your neck as you touched the wall.

@Cordelia:
Something about the statues, even at casual glance, seems both rather impressive and oddly off-putting, although the latter impession is hard to explain. Suffice it to say that, while each statue is carved of exceedingly fine marble, the smoothness and detail of each is so great that you would almost swear you could count the hairs on their heads.

Ignoring the nine present statues for the missing tenth, you note a distinct symbol carved onto the front of the base, where a name plaque would normally be found. Instead of a name, however, is a foot-wide, circular disc with a fairly simplistic carving of a lightning bolt engraved into it. Minimal as the design appears, something about it seems strangely familliar...

Realization strikes quickly, and a glance at the base of the other nine statues confirms your suspicion, for at the base of one statue in particular, you spot a very failliar etching on another circlar disc, identical in design to one you know very well.

After all, you are wearing the very same symbol around your neck.

[GuyFawkes]

Amihan

At the woman's remark, Amihan could not stop himself but stop whatever he is doing, turn around towards her direction, and speak.

"My dear lady. Your words would make much more sense had you observed them yourself before preaching them to others," he says with a slight bow and a smirk before returning to his previous activity.

Turning back to the stone, he taps it once again and confirms the slight difference between the stone under the archway than the wall on either side. He taps it one more time, this time with his bare hand, and confirms another anomaly: that particular thing he is clutching with his other hand underneath his shirt seems to vibrate every time he touches the wall.

A resonance? Why? Don't tell me...

He turns around and looks at the others present.

It can't be...is it about this?

He clutches his chest.

But, they don't seem to looking for it. If not, they look confused as I am. Or is this a trick?

He moves closer to the statues, trying to find more clues while still keeping his guard up.

[Techwarrior]

Sevakyl

Seeing Amihan clutching his chest sets Sevakyl's mind to racing.
"Anyone else got one of these?"
He pulls out his Invincible medallion.
"Maybe we're all here because of them?"

[Feralventas]

Cordelia

"Well, judging by the fact that I don't one that matches the statue over that way, and presuming that yours' likewise match some of the others....no that's probably not it."

Cordelia slides her own medallion from under her shirt to confirm its presence.

"Any of you recognize the other symbols? Who's got which one?"

[GuyFawkes]

Amihan

Confirming his suspicions, Amihan moves from statue to statue, looking for the symbol on the base similar to the symbol etched on his own medallion. Finding what he is looking for, he looks up at the stone person, trying to see if there is something familiar about it.

After a few seconds, he looks back at the others. "Yes, that maybe the factor everyone present possesses, but it does not explain why we were all brought here. Gathered."

He looks at the dwarf up the pedestal, seeming to be reading something off the book on top of it. He goes towards it and tries to peer in and read what is written in there.

[Techwarrior]

Sevakyl

Sevakyl looks around to see if there's maybe a door out. Upon seeing that there isn't an obvious one (although that archway might prove to be a door later), he walks over to the podium with the others and takes a look at the book.

[Sir_Chivalry]

Dorian

The large warrior rose from his unconsciousness, scratching his head. He was in a strange place, and these others were either fellow abductees or plants by his captors, that he knew. For now, he would play it close to the vest. He walked over to examine the orbs.