Delving Deeper IC

[GrandDM]

It is midday. Despite the sun overhead, there is a strange chill emanating from the door of the dungeon. The trees wave softly in the breeze, their rustling the only sound. No animals dare to venture near the Old Tomb.

No people, save the five who gather here today to answer the rumours of an ancient evil risen once again.

OOC here. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16736017#post16736017)

[WindStruck]

The tomb was hard to spot at first, even though Bixby's directions were rather clear and there was even an old path that more or less pointed directly to it. The thick overgrowth of vines and long, gangly weeds choked the stone outcropping, which up close, stuck out like a thumb covered in festering sores. Worn, ancient runes, almost eroded to complete illegibility marked the front of the opening. And the chill grew stronger as Rylie carefully and invisibly crept forward.

The audible silence was... disturbing. Never before had Rylie heard the forest this quiet before; there was always something alive like birds, insects, rodents making noises. But none of them came anywhere near the place, and as a creature of nature himself, he could feel why. There was a tangible sense of dread permeating the vicinity. And as he drew nearer to the entrance and gazed into the dark abyss he noticed the nearest plants lay wilted, dead, and rotten and new emotions came to him: despair, hatred...

http://www.thestranger.com/binary/b9e8/1252452712-evil_dead.jpg

Death
The loud snapping of a twig made Rylie nearly jump out of his skin. He had almost wanted to turn around and leave as fast as he could, but someone else was coming, apparently. He hides in the brush off to the side and looks to see who it is. Did Bixby have something to do with this?

[LordChaos13]

"Woah there come on Nenuum. Calm. You've done worse than this."
The red scaled dragon ambling from the forest with the armoured rider upon him

Looking around face steely as the emotions bear down
"Don't give me that look, this is not going to be like Dentur's extra training sessions. Besides I apologised for that!
No I am not going to grovel for forgiveness, you lived through it after all."

[tbergman92]

As the tall man strode through the silent forest, approaching the door of the dungeon that rumor had led him to believe could be both a good test of strength and chance to learn greater magic, he whistled a merry tune...which originated from a multitude of locations within 50 feet or so from his actual mouth upon each repetition of the short theme. He smiled, despite the sense of death beginning to surround him, once again appreciative of the time he'd taken to master that particular cantrip--it never failed to amuse him.

As he approached closer, Stark cut off the spell, abruptly ending the noise. Upon doing so, he realized that no animals were anywhere near the tomb. Stopping just short of breaching the outer edge of the trees surrounding the dungeon's entrance, Stark slowly and quietly peeked through the encircling boughs to see what lay ahead.

"What the...." Stark was astounded. A dragon? This was amazing. His father had taught him that the last of the dragons had been killed generations before--despite the Vaslakni family's greatest efforts--by a nation that had once tried to forcibly harness their immense power. Of course, the attempt to force the dragon to bow before such mortals was doomed to fail, and fail it did. Thus, the country decided to remove the great Draconic powers from the world forever. Sadly, the nation succeeded in this endeavor. Stark had grown up disappointed that he would never be able to meet with one of those magnificent creatures, never speak with it, never learn from it, and never come to truly understand what it meant to be a Dragon.

But now...everything changed. In an instant, Stark's purpose in coming here was forgotten. The only thing that mattered was this chance to speak with the dragon. Knowing from his Father's stories that the Dragons of old could sense those of the Dragonblood, and recognize them as kin, Stark boldly walked from the trees. As he approached, he began to speak in the formal patterns of ancient Draconic, the tongue taught to him by his Uncle despite his father's claims that it was a waste of time. "O Great Wyrm, I am Tomas Vaslakni, a Dragonblood descendant of the awesome Nuxalyu the Jade. I humbly beg of you a chance to sit at your feet and learn from your immense wisdom. May I know what name to call you by?"

[LordChaos13]

The red-scaled beast sniffs deeply, moving forward a few steps and poking the dragonkin with it's snout
"What manner of gibberish are you trying to say Mr ? I thought those of this area spoke the common tongue"
Looking down at the kneeling man from atop her Dragon

[tbergman92]

Somewhat surprised by the dragon's behavior, Stark's shock to see a human riding atop the dragon was nearly unbearable. Combined with the slight push of the Dragon's snout and his craned neck to see who was speaking, Stark stumbled back a few steps before replying in obvious confusion. "Great Dragon, who is this that you have allowed a perch on your back? Please, tell me that you have not submitted to the rule of a mortal?"

Without waiting for an answer, he turned to the person on the back of the creature and continued in Common, "Who are you, and what are you doing on top of this Dragon? If you have caused it to be compelled in some way to serve you, I must demand that you desist immediately. The great Dragons are too powerful and worthy to be ridden like a mere beast. I am Tomas Vaslakni, of the Dragonblood, and I will do anything in my power to end the enslavement of one of my kin, however distant."

[WindStruck]

Rylie was astonished to see the great beast lumber in with what appeared to be a female human riding on top of it. More curiously, he did not know what it was... It was strange; it was the first time he'd ever seen something like it. Well to be more accurate, a lizard seemed similar, only it was maybe a hundred times smaller. A lizard also lacked wings and such ferocious teeth and claws that this thing had.

The woman was speaking to it kind of like he'd seen some people talking to their horses. Rylie had completely forgotten the foreboding feeling of the area as another stranger entered the clearing. He started speaking in gobbledegook which could not be understood. And it was even stranger that he seemed to be speaking directly to the animal. But then the man started speaking in common.

A dragon? I remember stories about those!

Rylie inched forward, getting a slightly better view and intently listened to the two people conversing with one another.

Still invisible, btw.

[LordChaos13]

"COMPELLED! I am a Rider, I need not compel my mount to take me, he chose me before his first year, on the night of my birth. Among many dozens he was the one who stayed with me, destined to become my Mount like all the ones before him as decreed by the Gods Themselves when they gifted the First Ones with the Eggs.
Nenuum is my friend, my mount and my stalwart ally in battle and will be until the day one of us shall draw our last breath. And the day after that never shall I ride and never shall he be ridden by another, regardless of which leaves first.
Also...Dragonblood? You pervert. Your ancestors are shamed and shameful in the highest ways to result in Dragonblood within a Human, what next a Wolfblood? Mayhaps you have a companion, a Foxblooded."
Glaring with baleful eyes. The green reminescent of the acid breath of the green-scaled dragons, practically emanating like a cloud of miasmic rage

[tbergman92]

Becoming increasingly incensed at the fact that the woman was assuming that dragons were simply beasts. His potential rage at the woman's accusations of shame was washed out by the absolute idiocy the woman was spouting--Dragons were not wolves, or foxes, they were sentient creatures, more sentient than most who called themselves by that name in fact!

Barely containing his rage, Stark shouted in reply, "Shameful? You are the one who is shamed, you and your ancestors back to these First Ones you refer to! Dragons are sentient creatures! Far more sentient than any who would abuse one so much as to force it to choose it's master, and then "train" it to follow it's instructions and carry it like a common ass! Who are you to take a member of perhaps the greatest intelligent species to exist in the lands, and turn it into nothing more than a beast of burden?"

Calming only slightly, and turning in disgust, he continued, "And you call the love of two sentients shameful? You relate the relations of a Dragon and a human to that horrific act of a human lying with a fox or wolf? The love of my ancestors was no more shameful than that of the ancestors of muls, half-elves, or half-orcs. The love of two sentients, particularly when it produces a child is a gift to the world, not something to be ashamed of. How can you call yourself human, and not understand that fact which is so basic to our worlds joy?"

[LordChaos13]

"Sentient, whatever are you talking about. yes they are incredibly smart, for animals. but they are still animals. As smart as a good warhorse, as intelligent as the wolves hunting in packs for food."
Dismounting from the Red, eyes acidic, hair shifting in the breeze looking like dragon's fire
"You DARE call shame upon the First Ones, those BLESSED BY THE GODS THEMSELVES. Our Mounts are no Beast of Burden, they are our friends, our allies, our forever companions. And we are the same unto them. A Dragon and their Rider is an inseparable bond over all. Nothing can get between us except Death Itself, and even that is simply a temporary barring.
Nenuum has been my friend since the day of my birth when he stood by my side while all the other Dragons went to play, to eat or to visit their Mothers. We trained TOGETHER, from the time of my birth, to the point of utter synchronicity, if he was truly Sentient I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT."

The dragon looking between the two, making the animal noises they make in a general agreeing sense with his Rider

[tbergman92]

Losing control of his rage, Stark's skin rippled as his drakeskin ability manifested-scales appearing across his skin, suffused with a slight red glow to indicate the resistance to flame they were currently constructed to hold.

Thinking to himself that he was ready for this farce to end, Stark accessed his innate connection to chaos to infuse him with the ability to warp the nature of his spells. Speaking in a tightly controlled voice, he stated "I will end this. Pay attention-this spell will identify the creatures it detects and their sentience level."

Raising his staff, he intoned, "EANDEM CREATURA."

as the echoes of his suddenly loud voice faded, a bright green pulse spread from the tip of the dragon's snout carved into his staff, spreading, slowing slightly as it passed over the dragon and its rider, to surround them briefly. The light around the rider faded as Stark focused the spell onto the dragon. A voice sounded, as if from all around them, saying "Dragon. Non-sentient variant. Unrelated to Dragon, Sentient variant." As the spell faded, Stark stood in shocked silence, his rage forgotten in the crushing of his hope of funding a Dragon, and slumped to the ground.

chaos soul manifestation, modify locate creature to identify creature. Rolled fail chance in ooc, no negative consequence. 10 minute[ soul duration.

[LordChaos13]

Nenuum sneezes at the funny magic on his snout
"Theres a sentient variety of Dragon? How did they even get to this continent, the first Dragons were given by the Gods in my homeland and its too far for a single flight. This place gets stranger and stranger.
Now then pervert, if your quite done yelling at me for riding on a Dragon, a species built for being ridden, I have things to do."

[TaiLiu]

Wanderer

Most people don't understand emotions at all. They often think that feelings are singular, that if they're feeling angry, they're feeling angry, and nothing more. Most people don't understand how layered emotions can be, how people can experience multiple emotions at the same time, often without noticing.

As I entered the forest, I noticed the layers of emotion already: curiosity and anger and shock and a whole host of other feelings. The sources were few - there was a strange dearth of animal emotions, which often comprised of excitement and paranoia - but they were strong. As I neared the dungeon, the emotions became more distinct and individual. Finally, I managed to reach the dungeon, only to see two others: one in dejected shock, the other experiencing a sort of cocky superiority. A third source of emotion lingered in the air, but the two seemed oblivious to the hidden presence.

"What's going on?"

[WindStruck]

Another newcomer enters the scene after the seemingly tragic state of the dragon's sentience was uncovered. For some reason Rylie felt just as bad as the crazy fellow did...

This newcomer was also somewhat strange. Something was off about her... him? But it was hard to put his finger on it. Maybe it was just because he couldn't easily tell the gender right away from this distance. Still silently observing, he listens to what unfolds... though, perhaps, he thought, he might also want to say hello? Surely it was no coincidence these people were here...

Emotions: more curiosity, doubt... among other things. :smalltongue:

TaiLui, do you have a particular description of Wanderer? All I really know it's a walking corpse wearing nice clothes... and I'm not even sure of an applicable gender. Does it smell rotten, btw? :smallyuk: Even faintly?

[tbergman92]

Recovering--externally, anyway--Stark stood, responding to the dragon rider, "Idiot. Didn't you pay attention? The spell identified your "dragon" as unrelated to the true, sentient dragons. You are riding some sort of cheap imitation of the magnificent heritage that runs through my veins."

Shaking his head, Stark turned to the newcomer, and replied, "Currently, I'm just trying to get this shining example of intelligence to understand that his "dragon" isn't really a true Dragon at all. I doubt I'll have much success, but it's a cross I feel obliged to bear for the moment." He smirked as he spoke, obviously enjoying poking fun at the dragon rider. "Other than that, I'm here to check out some rumors about a hidden source of evil--in other words, a nice way for me to practice. Who knows? Maybe I'll get lucky and find something that sparks an idea for a new spell."

[LordChaos13]

"NOT A TRUE DRAGON!" The woman rages eyes glowing with unearthly green
"I can trace the line of his heritage back a millennia to the Eggs given by the GODS THEMSELVES. You DARE say that my mount, my mother's mount, my master's mount that they are SHADOWS. Nenuum."
A simple word is all that's needed. The red scaled beast rears up wings flaring as a wave of flame bursts from his lungs
"Tell him be is an imitation. Tell the noble creature of an entire LINE of the noblest creatures ever created that he is not a TRUE GODSDAMNED DRAGON.
Engorus Draconis Exepi."
The Dragon growling as its wingspan lengthens, years added onto his figure, claws becoming even more lethal.

"TELL HIM"

[TaiLiu]

Wanderer

The hidden presence was pulsing with curiosity, doubt, and suspicion - probably at me, and probably at the situation at hand. I was about to ask the recovering figure if he could lead me into the dungeon, since he sounded so confident, but then the dragon-riding woman surged with rage, and her dragon exploded in size.

"What are... What are you doing?!"

[WindStruck]

Well this seems really bad... :smalleek:

Though these people were complete strangers, it would be a tragedy if one or more were to die from a rash argument like this. Rylie decided he had to do something. He swallowed his fear (from multiple sources: the dungeon, potential prejudice, and the raging woman/beast) and darted from his current location, flying up to her.

A small voice pierced the air. It sounded much like a young child's in tone, though it was very articulate and well-spoken for one: "Whoa! Whoa there, dragon rider! There's no need to be so upset! I think you two are merely having a misunderstanding!"

Of course, Rylie did not make himself visible yet. To Gemstone, it would be obvious that whoever said this should have been right in front of her, but there was no one to be seen. Hopefully this potential distraction and confusion would help calm her down a bit at first.

[LordChaos13]

"He declares blasphemy upon the Gods and their Gift, personally insulted me and my closest companion who I've known since birth
Appear before me visibly whoever you are. I do not wish to speak upon the air as if it were a person. Still perhaps you are right.

Dragonblood, you act as if I am without mind because I name my mount Dragon, a name passed down for Generations extending back to the Gods themselves. You name my entire Culture lacking intelligence INCLUDING MY GODS. I demand an apology, lest you wish a True Dragon sharpen his claws on your scales. I am not without mercy or reason so a simple apology is all I wish, let it never be said I do not grant chances to the genetically challenged."

[WindStruck]

Reluctantly, Rylie does as the woman asks. One instant there is nothing, the next he seemingly winks into existence, in all his splendor. He plaintively gazes upon the woman, as if begging for cooperation and acceptance.

Still hovering, he begins turning to the other two saying, "Clearly you all are talking about two distinct varieties of dragon: both magnificent creatures with noble lineage. It would be folly to call the other inferior, would it not?" He ends his question with eyes locked on the soon-to-be-devoured man.

[tbergman92]

Stark's lack of fear or feelings of intimidation from the growth of this woman's beast was obvious to anyone with eyes. He had seen bigger, frankly, and trusted in his own abilities. He had begun planning contingencies for this fight from the beginning, and though he no longer wanted it to progress to that point, he was never one to back down from any fight.

A true dragon, given by the Gods? Hah! No self-respecting dragon would ever claim any such origin. The dragons brought themselves into this world--their powers are equal to that of the strongest of Gods. How can this woman have so little understanding of what a dragon truly is? Stark was baffled at this woman's lack of knowledge. No matter.

This thinking aside, Stark calmly responded to the woman's demands, "You are the one who began insulting my ancestors with your claim that they lay with a mere beast. You refuse to acknowledge that my ancestor Dragon was sentient, and until you make that acknowledgement and apologize for the insult you have given the Vaslakni's, I will not apologize for whatever slight you have taken from my statements. I have no fear of you or your mount that would make me apologize without your own being given in return."

Turning to the creature hovering in the air, he continued, "I will make no further comments on the lineage of this creature in front of me. Nor on the traditions of its rider. However, I will not stand further negative comments on the lineage of my family, or the sentience of my ancestor, Nuxalyu the Jade." That said, he prepared himself to cast a spell of protection upon himself should the others' reactions make it necessary.

[LordChaos13]

"You say you are the first aggrieved party and yet 'twas you that began your insults by claiming I compelled him, that no real Dragon would allow one such as myself upon their backs. You insulted me first with allegations and slander upon my mother and master and ancestors who ALL mounted Dragons.
I apologise for suggesting your ancestors lay with a beast and any other offence you perceived on the condition you apologise for your own slights on me, my dearest companion, my ancestors, culture and Gods."

[WindStruck]

Rylie looks to the dragon rider, to the "dragonblood", then back and forth a few more times. He was relieved the rider had begun to apologize. It was a start, after all. But in order to get this to work, the other would have to concede too...

Don't screw this up or you deserve to be eaten, he thinks, looking expectantly at the man down below him once again.

[tbergman92]

"I was referring solely to the insulting of ancestors. I did not intend offense with that first statement, I believed you had mistreated a sentient, and became angry. I was wrong, and I also apologize for saying things to cause you anguish and cast aspersions on your ancestry, tradition, and theology." Bowing slightly in deference, and relaxing from his combat preparations, he continued. "I hope you don't hold my lack of self control against me-I imagine we were all drawn here for similar purpose, and may be seeing much more of each other." Stark stepped back, giving the dragon and its rider some space and bringing everyone into view.

[LordChaos13]

"You are forgiven for that. Though honestly it may affect our dealings from now, even if subconsciously."
The woman admits
"I too was drawn here to examine the evil within, to see if it is worthy enough to become my entrance into Adulthood."

[WindStruck]

The pixie asks, "Is that so? Did you hear of this place from a certain wizard who owns a magic shop in the nearby settlement?" :smallconfused:

It was a shot in the dark, but whether or not this was the case, Rylie was sure that his friend Bixby still had something to do with this. If not him directly, it could have been the mere spreading of rumors...

[tbergman92]

Nodding as if the matter was thus completely resolved, Stark replied to the pixie, "Interestingly enough, yes. I went in to see if he had anything with some sort of interesting spell for me to deconstruct, but his selection was unfortunately old hat for me. He was kind enough to point me to this area for the potential to find some old spells that I may not have encountered before. Even better, he said they'd probably have to be won through force and intelligence-which is far superior to buying them with gold." He grinned as he mentioned the last, as he enjoyed only one thing more than deconstructing previously unknown spells-the challenge of having to fight and scheme to find them.

[LordChaos13]

"I was drawn to the area by rumour, but it was a Mage that convinced me to delay my arrival until this day."

[WindStruck]

Rylie's eyes light up as he speaks excitedly. "Ah, that must have been Bixby! He is a friend of mine and also said this would be a good place for an adventure! Although..." he suddenly becomes uneasy: "I really don't like it. Something terrible is in there. I can feel it."

He thought about turning around to look towards the tomb again but really didn't want to. Instead he peered solemnly at the others.

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

It was at that moment that the two draconic strangers agreed with the pixie's analysis - a greater plot was occurring, and they were the pieces used. Rylie immediately began emitting an aura of unease, either from the realisation or from the dungeon itself; he told us that the latter gave him an ill feeling.

Perhaps it was a sign that I should have gone elsewhere to hide, but I was wholly trusting in my elven friend's judgement at the time, and desperate. So, I pushed for entry.

"We should enter," I said, "There's adventure, and challenges, and the key to Adulthood. And I... And I can help! We can all journey together."

[...]

[WindStruck]

Rylie considered the cloaked stranger's resolution. Honestly he was scared to go in there. But perhaps whatever it was that was in there could be destroyed or dispelled and peace would come back to this small patch of forest. Regardless, it seemed the other three were going in - with or without him - and he may as well try to help however he could. Besides... he was starting to get kind of curious as to what exactly is the cause of this. :smallsigh: Typical. He would probably regret knowing.

Rylie speaks up again. "Well... alright then. Count me in too. I'll help however I am able..." half an instant later he adds, "--My name is Rylie Evergreen, by the way. What might your names be?"

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

That was when Rylie introduced himself. His curiosity overcame his fear, and he pulsed with knowingness. His interpersonal skills certainly seemed good from my vantage point. Deciding to do the same, I told the group the name my eleven friend gave me.

[...]

[tbergman92]

Thinking to himself that the cloaked figures "name" was interesting, and finding his curiosity piqued, Stark was about to press them for answers, but decided he didn't want to accidentally upset anyone else today.

"My name is Tomas Vaslakni. I am called Stark, generally, but Tomas is also fine. I too, would enjoy traveling together. I have no qualms about continuing alone, but journeying with others to watch your back is always preferable. I offer my services to this group in our endeavor to remove this evil." Stark smiled at the group, and awaited the Dragon Rider's response to the plan.

[LordChaos13]

OOC: Wow its one mishap after the other aint it sigh. Still post is up now


"I am Gemshard of the Pyros Clan of Dragon Riders. And allies would be...acceptable. Provided none of you steal the glory that would finally grant my adulthood in the eyes of the Riders.
This is my mount Nenuum, he is not a pack animal. Any willing to mount him may ride...For however long you can."
An evil smirk disturbingly similar to Nenuum's despite the physiological differences of the two faces

[WindStruck]

"Well, that's a lovely name, Gemshard. It's nice to meet you - and your dragon," Rylie says with a smile. Turning next to the dragonblood man, he continues, "I think Stark is a good nickname for you too, Mr. Valsinki." Finally he addresses the mysterious stranger.

"And... 'Wanderer'? ...I mean I guess that's a nickname, but kind of long and awkward, don't you think? Do you go by anything else?" He approaches the person much closer than the other two and tries to get a good look at their face.

Purposely mispronounced Stark's name. :smalltongue:

Also, yes, now my pixie is prodding Wanderer. You knew it would happen! At the very least, would you tell me what Rylie thinks he sees?

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

The emotions of my (then future) companions were certainly noteworthy. Gemshard was prideful and focused. Stark was incredibly emotional, but could hide it from others; I later learned that other people analysed feelings via facial expressions. Rylie's emotions fluxed and changed much too rapidly.

Once, when his curiosity had the better of him, he went ahead and got into my face. I pushed him back. In my five weeks of free-willed existence, I had learned that stares directed at me were never good.

[...]

[WindStruck]

Rylie failed to get much of a look at Wanderer's face at all, before she recoiled, pulling her cloak over her face even more with one hand and practically stiff-arming him with the other. Yes, she. That's what Rylie thought at this point by her voice, mannerisms, and what little of her face he got a glimpse of. The skin seemed oddly pale but also smooth, petite, and pretty.

"Ack!" he cries as he's shoved backwards. "Hey, why'd you do that?!" he demands, glaring at her.

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

Rylie's fascination turned into annoyance, and - interestingly - realisation. He had managed to note a few features of my appearance. This fact beguiled me later on, when my companions noted my actual looks: the pixie must have had quite the shock!

"You... You aren't allowed to look," I said, "We're running out of time; we have to get into the dungeon."

I began moving toward the dungeon.

[...]

[LordChaos13]

The redscaled Dragon bounding after, followed by the more sedate pace of his feminine Rider

[WindStruck]

The anger in Rylie's mind evaporated in an instant. "Huh? Why?" :smallconfused:

"Wait! What do you mean?" he called out, though she had already got a head start on him and the others began to follow. He sighed, once again not really wanting to go in there...

Rylie cautiously followed behind the others. He would be the last to enter.

[tbergman92]

Shrugging off the oft-mispronounced name, Stark zoned out for a moment as he mentally reinforced his drakeskin protection. It was...serviceable when it had been manifested out of an emotional state, but wouldn't last long without some conscious effort. As he completed the mental effort, he turned and noticed that the others had begun walking towards the tomb.

"Oh, hey, wait for me!" Stark begun running to catch up to the others, and decided just to run ahead to the tomb entrance in his excitement. Reaching the door, he paused for a moment as a thought crossed his mind suddenly.

"Hmmm. Light would probably be useful, huh?" Smiling ruefully, Stark laid his hand over the carving of the dragon that rested atop his staff, and quietly intoned, "LUX AMBIENTES."

As he finished speaking and pulled his hand away, the dragon carving turned to a pure ivory color, and bright light began to suffuse the air around Stark, as he peered into the entrance to see what he could see.

To clarify, the light is like an aura, it doesn't have a source, per se, it's an ambient light centered on Stark out to a 30 foot radius.

[GrandDM]

The door is very much like the door to Bleak Falls Barrow in Skyrim. It's big, made of black metal and carved with decorations. The left door is slightly ajar.

[WindStruck]

Rylie fluttered along, trailing behind all the others. The entrance to the tomb actually made him do a double take. There was in fact a big black door there. Perhaps it was the angle of the light and shadows that played tricks and the general vibe of the area that distracted him... it was no doubt, he thought, that the carvings on the door made him think he saw things in the "dark".

For once, instead of dread, the area made him feel annoyance. Possibly at himself. But no matter. He gently touches down on the ground a few feet behind the others, resting his wings. The barely perceptible trail of dust mostly ceases as he does so, and he peers upward at the bigger people and the even bigger door. He tries to make sense of the "decorations" on the door, and lets them go in first.

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

We took cautions, of course. The door may have been slightly open, but there could have been layers upon layers of traps behind it. I was of little use there; I had no idea what the strange decorations were at the time, and was unwilling to be the first to enter.

"Do any of you know what these carvings are?" I asked.

[...]

[LordChaos13]

"I know nothing of carvings, or any language but common unfortunately. Still this place is old, and likely explored beyond the front steps, removing the traps there already."

[tbergman92]

"Well, I only know Common and Draconic, but I can certainly attempt to look for any magical triggers in place on the door."
Stark considered the carvings on the door carefully, studying the door and examining in detail all of the features of it, both magically and physically, searching for a connection to anything in his memory of previously understood magical effects.

[GrandDM]

The door is ordinary, to all appearances. The carvings are merely decorative, and hold no great significance.

However, a chill breeze emanates from the gap in the doors, and it is utterly dark inside. No light enters from outside, as far as you can see.

[WindStruck]

After a moment of studying the door, Rylie says, "I don't think it says anything... and the only pictures I can really make out are flowers and vines..." But he doesn't move from where he was. He now begins to focus on the other people, who seemed so gung ho about this little adventure.

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

We were incredibly cautious when peering into the strange lair: understandably, too, considering the great danger of the task. I was the most fearful and cautious of all, so it was a great shock to enter the dungeon first - by attempting to take a closer look at the carvings, tripping over the unsteady ground, and tumbling some six feet or so into the mysterious darkness.

[...]

[WindStruck]

"Wanderer!" Rylie almost yells, as the stranger descended face-first into the tomb. Still sounded kind of awkward but he hadn't a clue what else to call her...

He rushed past the two other big ones and stuck his head through the opening. The chill was awful, but he still couldn't see a damn thing. Now gingerly extending a small hand further in, he softly says, "Li" and several little balls of light come into being, illuminating the area just inside.

[tbergman92]

Still studying the carvings on the door, Stark was about to state that he hadn't discovered any hidden meaning in the door's carvings, when the strangely cloaked person went flying into the darkness inside the door. The Pixie followed more quickly than he could process what had happened, and Stark was left standing, dumbfounded at the sudden actions.

Not fully comprehending what had just happened, Stark thought the group was heading in to the tomb without him. "What? Wait for me!" Stark ran to catch up, and only barely recognized that Rylie had stopped partway through the entrance before he had passed through the door entirely.

[GrandDM]

As Wanderer falls into the darkness, all sight shuts off entirely. The door is not visible. The same happens to Stark as he rushes in. Strangely, the balls of light Rylie conjured work fine for him, revealing the two of them standing on a stone floor... covered in pressure plates. Both Wanderer and Stark are dangerously close to treading on a plate.

[WindStruck]

Rylie asks, "Are you alright?" Though he still doesn't move an inch, he directs the balls of light to spread out a bit more for slightly dimmer but much more spread out illumination and continues, "You big folk can be so clumsy sometimes. Be weary of the floor in here; it looks like you could easily trip again if you aren't careful..." in a tone that almost sounds like he's lecturing a child.

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

Complete vision obscursion was a new experience for me. As an undead creature, I could see in darkness without trouble, and as an undead creature, I never had to close my eyes. The only time my sight was blocked was when my master led me and his undead slaves into a smog-filled cavern to clean out some elderly oracle that owed him money. I was panicked, but I quickly calmed myself down: my most important sense was not - and could not - be obscured, after all.

I stood up, dusted myself off, and motionlessly reveled in the new experience. One of my companions were with me in the dungeon, and two others stood outside. "Can you see?" I asked, "I... I don't know what happened, but I cannot."

[...]

[tbergman92]

As soon as he realized that he couldn't see anything, Stark froze. He knew better than to blunder around in the darkness of a tomb like this. Wondering why his magical light had failed, he paid greater attention to the rest of his senses--searching for any hint of a magical explanation as to why his light spell had ceased to work.

Suddenly, he heard Wanderer's voice--surprisingly close by, at that--and almost jumped out of his skin. He somehow kept himself from physically jumping around, and spun to face the direction he thought the voice was coming from, and replied. "I can't either. My spell seems to have failed? Or it's being blocked somehow. I'm not sure. Give me a moment to feel through the weave, and I'll be able to tell you."

Stark is examining the weave of the spell to determine if the spell is still active, and he can't see the light/it's being blocked somehow,or if the spell itself was stopped.

[GrandDM]

Stark will feel that the spell is emanating from a point in the roof five meters inside, and is hemispherical in shape. It extends about ten meters in from the doors.

[WindStruck]

Rylie asks, "Neither of you can see?" quite confused and a bit annoyed, seeing as he could apparently. Maybe they were lying or just didn't know what they were talking about.

"I can see just fine..." he turns around and asks, "Miss Gemshard, are you coming? Can you tell us if you see anything?"

[LordChaos13]

"Nothing has changed byond you moving into the black. I'm coming through."
Mounting up her dragon the young warrior moves through into the black.

Nenuum breathing small licks of flame trying to illuminate it

[tbergman92]

Stark was lost in his own world, ignoring all of the sounds around him. Focused on the feel of the spell-weave that was blocking their sight, he gradually honed in on the source of the spell. Still unaware of the sounds around him, he began speaking his thoughts aloud--not to inform the others so much as he simply wasn't paying attention to the fact that he was actually talking.

"Hmmm. The source appears to be above us, a few meters away...and the spell extends as far again away from us on the other side...I wonder..." Stark continued to read the arcane energies present at the source of the magic, when suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck. "Well, that would work. If I just tweak that part, there, the weave that determines the area...I can reduce it to a hemisphere that's only five centimeters in radius..." Trailing off, and nodding his head decisively, Stark got to work.

Careful not to change any other part of the spell's structure, Stark modified the arcane energy signature to modify the area of the spell, reducing it by a factor of 100. Releasing his control of the spell, Stark allowed it to run it's new course, and carefully watched the fluctuating magic to see if he had misplaced a variable.

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

As Stark demonstrated more of his magical prowess, and glowed with his concentration, I preoccupied myself as well: namely, creating a sensual link to Rylie's sight. This was primarily for testing purposes - Rylie said he could see just fine, while Stark and I were blinded. As my vision expanded, I noticed several floating orbs of light, Gemshard aboard her dragon, and Stark focusing on his spell-weaving. I also noted several pressure plates on the ground; presumingly, they would set off some sort of trap. I backed away from a nearby pressure plate and asked Rylie if he had noticed it.

[...]

[WindStruck]

Rylie asks, "Pressure plate? What's that?"

He honestly did not know what she was talking about. More specifically, such a concept was new to him (as were other things you might find in more civilized areas). When further pressed on the subject, as the plates were directly pointed out he says, "Ooh, yeah, I told you all to be careful in here because those things looked like they could make you trip again... Is that what you were so worried about?"

[GrandDM]

The darkness duly shrinks, revealing a room not much bigger than the original spell. Set in the far wall is a small door with no obvious handle or keyhole. Its decorations are far more ornate than the outer wall, with entire scenes being engraved into spaces not much bigger than a thumbnail.

Now that everyone can see, each pressure plate has a different engraving at the center.

[tbergman92]

Coming back to an awareness of the world as the spell stabilized with his changes, Stark thought to himself that that type of spell could be quite useful in the future, and filed the structure of it away in his memory for later study.

"Welp. That was relatively easy. What's next?" he said with a grin of confidence, before taking in the door with no keyhole, and the pressure plates covering the floor. Hmmm. I wonder what this is all about...

Stark began to study the engravings on some of the plates that were closer to him, careful not to activate any of them.

[WindStruck]

Now Rylie was officially the last one outside the tomb. Mostly, anyway. With the darkness spell shrinking to miniscule dimensions, Stark's own light spell began to light up the entire area far more than his dancing lights ever could. Furthermore, his brimming confidence gave Rylie courage as well.

He swallowed hard and stepped completely into the tomb. It almost felt like jumping into freezing water, except it at least lacked the sharp feeling of pain. The little pixie stood there for a moment, holding himself and shivering. But gradually, his overwhelmed 6th sense began to acclimate. Still, that's not to say much. Rylie continued to stand there now more paranoid than ever, paralyzed by indecision, and still feeling rather chilly.

[LordChaos13]

A big dragon with a sweeping tail isnt really the best type of being to have along when there are pressure plates around. Despite the military training

"Oops" is the roughly translated growl when he feels something descend under his back claw

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Five

[...]

The undead are never well received. At best, we are considered an unwitting and unnatural tool to be used; at worst, we are manifestations of evil and corruption given shape, active agents in the destruction of the living. To wit:


"Aberrations [Slang term for undead] are... a great moral and social evil—a disgusting scab upon the fair face of society—a putrefying sore upon the body politic—in short, a nuisance."

The Committee of Guilds and Professions


"These aberrations are morally a far worse class to have among us than the Fey. They are idolatrous on their religion—in their disposition cunning and deceited [sic], and in their habits libidous and offensive...

High Priest of Yar-Yar


"A Dwarf is worth $12, an Undead none.

Central Miners' Organization


"There is no class in the city that would spread the fell disease so rapidly and widely as the Undead, for its members do the principal part of the labor in this city."

Lord William

To say that we are discriminated against would be a massive understatement.

[...]

[GrandDM]

Click.

The pressure plate depresses. The engraving on the plate is of a flame, and true to its promise, a large fireball blossoms at the apex of the roof and drops downwards at high speed. When it hits something, it will explode.

[LordChaos13]

Nenuum roars, releasing his own gout of flame. Equals neutralize?
Its a long shot but hopefully the impact would dissipate the heat

[WindStruck]

Soon after stepping in, Rylie notices a rapidly expanding ball of flame appear in the ceiling. Honestly not the most scary thing he's ever seen, but given his mental state, it's enough to make him jump backwards like a frightened cat with considerable force. Thankfully he was at least able to leap the right direction and make it outside the tomb, but he still partially clips the door. He stumbles backward and flops to the ground, much unlike a cat.

[tbergman92]

Stark glances up at the sound, taking a moment to identify what it was, precisely that was coming their way. Realizing that it was, in fact, what it appeared to be--that is, a large ball of flame--Stark made a split second decision that many would view as idiotic.

Yelling to the others, "Get back!" he thanked his ancestor Dragon that the arcane structure of his drakeskin was currently resistant to heat and flame, and leaped into the path of the blast, hoping to detonate it and allow his scales to dissipate most of the flame before it reached the others. He imagined they would not be nearly as likely to be able to resist the flame, excepting, perhaps, the dragon.

At this thought of the dragon, however, he realized that he was jumping into the path of not one, but two separate flames. Thinking to himself in a ironic tone, And this is why I should know better than to lend a hand. I always get burnt. Laughing to himself, he nevertheless trusted in his drakeskin's ability to absorb most of the damage, even from two fireballs hitting him in quick succession. And anyway, whatever didn't get absorbed could always be healed by a quick spell--thankfully, his spellcasting didn't actually require any verbal or somatic components, though they did serve to assist him in focusing his energies better. Closing his eyes as he approached the heat, trusting in his sense of the increasing (but bearable) heat to determine when he should fall limp to better absorb the shock of impact.

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

Gemshard, filled with a shaky confidence, had her dragon fight fire with fire. Rylie reflexively rolls away, and Stark attempts to hold the fire back with nothing but his scaly skin. Seeing no way to avoid the flames in time, and having nothing else to do, I stepped on another pressure plate - this time, the one with a blue droplet symbol.

[...]

[GrandDM]

Click.

Thunk.

Sluices open in the wall, and suddenly the room is filled with a flood of water. All the fire is immediately extinguished, but the Tomb is filling up rapidly, and since it's sunk into a natural hollow the water isn't flowing away.

[WindStruck]

A gushing sound and wet sensation greet Rylie now, almost before he even manages to stand back up. A deluge of water flows out the door and is getting deeper fast, so he begins flying again because he doesn't wish to get soaked.

First a huge ball of flame, now water?

He quickly flits up to the door, taking in the view of the room and asks, "What in the Hells is going on??" Though it's kind of a yell at this point, seeing as the water is making so much noise.

[LordChaos13]

The flames of Nenuum trying futiley to buy some time, turning the water to hot steam and rising up to the ceiling

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

Via Rylie's eyesight, I gained an excellent view of the flooding waters. This was not what I wanted to happen, but in retrospect, I should have expected it. Besides, this was an opportunity.

"We... We should swim across," I suggested, "We're above the pressure plates now."

[...]

[tbergman92]

As the water rose, and he began to tread water to stay afloat, Stark considered his options momentarily. Unable to come up with a solution quickly, he decided to buy himself some more time.

"Be careful--don't let yourselves get stuck in here as the water rises. I'm going down to examine the engravings on the pressure plates and on the door." As he spoke, Stark shrunk his staff, and placed it into a holder on his coat that allowed the light to continue shining around him. Getting his bearings, Stark stopped swimming to sink slowly down below the rising water.

As he sank, Stark closed his eyes and sank into himself as well, following the path in his arcane powers to trace his draconic heritage to one of his more distant ancestors: the Leviathan. Eyes suddenly snapping open, gills formed on the sides of his neck, and Stark channeled the magical nature of the leviathan to be able to propel himself through the water with little effort. Swimming quickly over to the door, Stark closely examined the engravings, thankful the light of his staff still penetrated the water, though his range of visibility was still slightly reduced.

[GrandDM]

The door is covered in hundreds of tiny engravings. Most tell various legends and myths, long since lost, but one, near the middle, is rather more relevant. It shows an open door and a symbol. The symbol looks rather like a stylized gust of wind.

[WindStruck]

Having found a reason to promptly exit the tomb within seconds of entering, and with conditions still not being desirable inside, Rylie lingers just outside again.

Wanderer swam to the opposite door, which was closed. He didn't know what she planned to accomplish. If she didn't want to drown, she would have gone to the other door.

Stark simply dove and disappeared beneath the water. Between all the turbulence and steam in the room, it was hard to make out what he was doing, though he strangely didn't come to the surface for a long time... And that Gemshard and her dragon were probably making the situation worse.

Rylie still wasn't sure what was going on, but what he did know was that he disliked this tomb even more, and he didn't think he could help at all in there. Instead, worrying for the safety of the others in the event that those doors were to close, he searched the surrounding area for a rock or other suitable object that he could wedge between the open door and its frame to ensure that it would stay open.

[tbergman92]

Stark quickly begins swimming along the base of the floor, searching for the symbol he had seen on the door, and careful not to depress any of the other plates.

In the midst of his search, he paused, worried about the others and unsure of how quickly the room would fill. I really hope the others didn't get caught in here. He quickly shook away the thought of checking on them, deciding that it was better to open the door as quickly as possible.

Coming back to the search, he saw a symbol at a distance that seemed to be similar to the gust of wind, and arrowed towards it quickly to get a better look.

[LordChaos13]

"And this is why you need to look where you step." The Dragonrider chastises her mount as both swim freely. One clearly more capable than the heavy quadruped

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

Stark extruded curiosity about the symbol, and I did as well. All the while, Rylie's eyes provided a scenic view of the flooded room. I had multiple hypotheses about the door - perhaps it teleported the touched to the other side; perhaps it opened it. I tested my theories by banging my pan against the door.

[...]

[GrandDM]

The pan has no effect on the door, and there doesn't appear to be a pressure plate with a wind marking. The room is now about three-quarters full.

((Devious traps are such fun... :smallamused:))

[WindStruck]

Rylie flies higher, gaining a much needed view above tall grass and other obstacles while scanning the ground. His heart begins beating even faster as he realizes time is slipping by and that his new companions, whom from one point of view one could say he abandoned, may now be in grave peril. This does not help his concentration, as at first he planned to make a large spiral around the tomb but quickly began to franticly zigzag around the edge of the clearing instead.

But soon he finds what he is looking for: a broken bough of a tree about four inches thick at its widest and two feet long - nearly as big as himself. He lands to pick it up, though it is heavy and cumbersome for him. Then he runs back to the tomb as fast as he can, which honestly isn't terribly fast given his size and load. He knows he would quickly tire out his wings carrying the log, and he needed to save that energy for when flying was necessary.

At this post, Rylie's current position is the edge of the clearing.

[tbergman92]

Unable to find the symbol, Stark was at a loss as to what to do. Swimming quickly to the surface, while there still was a surface to swim to, he broke the surface of the water and began to yell out to his companions.

"There's some sort of symbol on the door--an image of the door opening with something that looks like a gust of wind engraved next to it. But there's no symbol down there that looks like wind. I'm fine to keep looking around in here, but don't let yourselves get caught under the water. If you can't breathe underwater, you might want to go outside while we figure this out." As he spoke, his gills flapped, though he seemed to be able to breathe the air just fine.

Noticing that Wanderer was near the opposite end of the room from the exit, he swam across the surface of the water to them and asked, "Do you need help getting out of here, or are you able to breathe underwater?"

[LordChaos13]

"Hey Animal-blood you have Magiks right? USE THEM!"

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

I waved Stark away, giving him the impression that I was fine - no need to rescue me; calmly carry on. Gemshard and Rylie were much more frantic, with the former yelling and the latter running. The solution seemed simple to me.

"Gemshard," I gasped, "Get... Get your dragon to smash down the door!"

[...]

[tbergman92]

Turning to the dragon rider, Stark swallowed his flash of anger and yelled back, "I can do a lot of things, but I've yet to encounter a spell that would evaporate a pool of water this big! If you've got another idea, please, tell me. Or better yet, you could actually be useful for something!" Stark ignored her response as he fell into his magical senses to see if there was some sort of magical activity or trigger anywhere in the room.

[LordChaos13]

"Well I would have solved the fire problem before Somebody flooded the thing in response. My dragon is a heavy scaled lizard of Flame, it cant swim, much less fast enough to do some damage."

[WindStruck]

Huffing and puffing, Rylie returns to the tomb - or what is accessible of it, anyway. The pool of water extended itself quite far, but in doing so, it slowed the rate the water was rising because the volume was increasing disproportionately. At the water's edge, Rylie leaps and begins beating his wings furiously, trying to stay airborne, and a few seconds later finally jams the piece of wood between the door and the frame as best he can.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, he sits on top of the door. Then he yells through the opening, "You guys are still in there? What are you doing!? Come out before you drown!"

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

At Rylie's panic, I swam out. I did not need to breath, but it was probably better to come at the scenario from another angle. With Stark and Gemshard arguing, the solution was obvious - food.

"Come out," I said, "We can gather some wood and build a fire, and I can cook us up some food. Thinking... Thinking is easier on a full stomach."

I did not know if this was true or not, but it was something my elven comrade once said.

[...]

[WindStruck]

Rylie was relieved just with Wanderer's exit. Perhaps it was because the others seemed completely capable of taking care of themselves (or maybe it was just their confidence), but regardless, he was happy to see her emerging from the water, and even happier thinking of a campfire and food... and especially not being in that tomb anymore.

He flutters across the water, following Wanderer. With his breath still a little heavy, he says, "That sounds like a fine idea. Besides, it's not like that water could flood the whole forest, right?"

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

I shook the liquid out of my suit, and squirted what water I could out of my soggy cloak.

"No, I don't think so."

[...]

[WindStruck]

Rylie looks up at Wanderer stealing a half a glance (if even that) and asks, "So... you said food? What did you have in mind?" He also began gathering twigs, seemingly having forgotten about the other two still in the tomb. But they were probably fine.

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

Before that day, I never had to start a fire before. My master had a little zombie dragon that he considered a pet, whose decaying fire organs lit up the wood for my cooking. As such, I was ill-prepared for the woodland life, if I were actually alive. We has everything else we needed for cooking - the various fruits and vegetation we found around, water for the pan to boil in, someone (that was me) who could make edible food products.

I looked down at the pile of wood and turned toward the pixie. "Do... Do you know how to start a fire?"

[...]

[WindStruck]

Rylie looks back to Wanderer with a self-assured smile. "Of course I can!" he beams. "We have some very nice tools to make them at home, but I could easily start one with your help..."

The two wander to the end of the clearing opposite the tomb looking for a nice spot to lay everything out. He sets what things he collected down, along with some other belongings like his satchel and bow, and began working on a larger, flatter piece of wood. "Right now I'll just cut out a groove in this piece of wood. Could you gather some more while I do that?"

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

I mechanically lifted wood and stockpiled in a small distance away from the fire. We soon had a suitable stack.

[...]

[WindStruck]

The groove was not more than a foot long and not very deep. But it needn't be. Rylie then got a suitable stick, which to him was about as thick as his tiny wrists, and sharpened its point with his bronze knife. Finally, he collected a pile of dead grass and dried leaves and placed them at an end of the groove. It was a fire plow.

Now all Rylie had to do was push the stick down the grove towards the pile of tinder to get an ember there, but currently he was failing at it. This was always the hardest part that frustrated him and why he opted to never make a fire unless he needed one. He growls, "Sure I said I could easily make one..."

Then looking up to Wanderer with a sigh and none of the previous anger present he continues, "But I also said with your help..."

He was about to try to explain to Wanderer what he wanted done and then realized something incredibly stupid. Utterly exasperated, he turns around back toward the tomb and says, "Wait... doesn't that dragon breathe fire?"

And for that matter, it had been a while. That tomb was surely completely full to the brim by now. Where the heck were the others?

[tbergman92]

Stark relaxed out of his trance, determining that there were no magical traced he could detect. Which was unsurprising, honestly, it would have been fairly poor design if the traps of this tomb were all so easily defeated by one with an ability to detect and modify magic.

Opening his eyes, he rested, floating in the middle of the pool, before surfacing and calling out to the dragon rider, "I think our best bet at this point is just to wait and see if it drains. Let's join the others outside--they mentioned something about food, if I heard correctly."

Swimming out to the entrance, Stark stretched as he walked out of the water, just in time to hear the pixie exclaim something about the dragon breathing fire.

Walking over, he asked, "Do you need a fire lit? I can help you with that." As he finished, he stretched out a hand and snapped his fingers. A small flame danced over his thumb as he awaited a reply.

[WindStruck]

Grinning up at Stark, Rylie replies, "As a matter of fact, we do! It's so silly of us. Here I was trying to make a fire the hard way, and I completely forgot about Nenuum! ...and, well you can as well, so that is nice..." :smallredface:

Rylie drops the wood he was holding and adds, "Hmm, now that I think about it, it would probably be better to dig a slight depression and put rocks below where the fire will go..."

[tbergman92]

"Understandable. I find I can be quite forgetful as well--Sometimes I've even forgotten what spells I know! Though that may have been a backlash from Randy's Random Conjuration. For that matter, I don't even remember who Randy is, anymore..." Trailing off, Stark stares into the distance for a moment, before coming back to awareness.

"Digging a hole is a good idea--I have a spell that would do much the same thing, but would cause quite a mess...Perhaps we should just dig by hand. Unless you'd like some fireworks?" He grinned in excitement while awaiting the diminutive character's response.

[WindStruck]

"Uh... fireworks? What did you have in mind?" Rylie hadn't heard of this before. But from what Stark said and his mannerisms, it sounded like something interesting and fun. He half-hoped that instead of an explanation, Stark would simply show him.

[TaiLiu]

Except from Wanderer's Unreasonably Detailed Memoir, Chapter Thirty-Six

[...]

As the two pulsed with emotion, I started to prepare the food. A nearby stump was cleared, and then I began to use the pan as a makeshift cutting, smashing, and slicing tool. I chopped the wild asparagus, crushed nearby clovers, and separated plantain leaves from their bases. The fruit and berries were left aside to be crushed later, or eaten raw. As I put the finishing touches on food preparation, I glanced at the duo and eyed the status of the fire.

[...]

[tbergman92]

"Well, if we have some pebbles and small sticks, it would be more controlled. Wanna help me find some? I only need one or two straight-ish sticks, and then as many small rocks as you can find." Stark grinned--he wasn't entirely sure how well explosive runes would actually dig a hole, but he thought it could work if he shaped the blasts properly, and everyone stood far enough away...and anyway, experimentation is how magic was developed, right?

[WindStruck]

"Sure!" Rylie replies. "We've already got some sticks that are kind of straight so..." he doesn't finish his sentence and begins rooting around for the small rocks because he's eager to see what happens.

[tbergman92]

Stark looks around the area and quickly finds a small number of pebbles. Sitting down, he gathered them into a small pile in front of him, asking Riley to place any pebble she found into the pile. Closing his eyes, Stark folded his hands into his lap and began focusing his power into a point a few millimeters from his fingertip. As a small light appeared at the end of his finger, he reached with his other hand to pick up a pebble. He then quietly intoned, "REICIO" as he sketched a small symbol into the air above the pebble. His sketch hung in the air in glowing lines until he completed the design, and then settled into the pebble, wrapping around onto the curves and contours of the pebble before fading into black lines embedded in the stone. Without opening his eyes, he set the completed pebble down next to him, and picked up a second before repeating the process with the rest of the stones in front of him.

[WindStruck]

Rylie had nearly gathered up an armful and put the pebbles in the pile Stark had begun. Then he curiously watched the dragon-blood man work his magic, putting the symbols on the pebbles.

"Hmm... are you sure this is easier than digging? I didn't mean a very deep hole..." :smallconfused:

He closely examines one of the pebbles Stark enchanted, trying to see exactly what it was that was on them.

[tbergman92]

Coming out of his reverie, Stark replies to the pixie, "I don't really need many, only fifte....Be careful with that. The spell is triggered to go off when someone snaps their fingers. I wouldn't want that pointed in my face if I didn't have some protection from force and fire when it went off. Anyway, I only need fifteen or so, and I'm just going to embed them down in the dirt a bit, then have them blast out a hole--even if it isn't easier, it's more fun, right?" Stark grinned at the last, and counted out his pile quickly before returning to his trance to make a few more of the exploding pebbles.

[WindStruck]

Rylie is startled a little at Stark's sudden and stern command to be careful with the itty bitty rock. "Oh! Um... sorry..." he stammers as he immediately drops the pebbles.

After Stark finishes his explanation, Rylie once again manages to smile, even with a laugh, saying, "Well as long as no one gets hurt... tell me when you're done!" But before he's even finished that sentence, he was already making his way to his next subject of curiosity.

He says to Wanderer, "Nice finds! I wonder if there is something we can use to give those greens a nice flavor..." Then suddenly realizing something being off he asks, "Erm... do you not have a knife?"