Dowrenland: Emeralds & Roses {IC}

[Erasmas]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Dowrenland/Banner.jpg

The rainy season had come, at last, to the city of Irrorab Wall. The town was so named because of the remains of a wall just outside of the city proper that was left from another time, when this land was ravaged by warring nations long forgotten. It lay mostly in ruins now, and it was said that the stones of the wall fell from their settings almost as often as the rain from the sky. Over the course of today, however, the weather turned strange and terrible, forcing everyone indoors. The rains were especially heavy today, the winds were shifting their direction, and the sky had taken on a slightly yellow-green coloration. There has even been mention that Sasnak, the nearest town of notable size, was devastated by tornadoes the day before last.

With your father gone, your mother had put you in charge of gathering the firewood. But when you were sent out to fetch some for this morning's breakfast, you found that you had forgotten to get any more and the stores were all empty. And with the rain, there would be none dry to be had. And so, after yet another scolding, your mother packed the two of you up and you headed to the Little Black Dog - a tavern and inn of modest comfort and affordability. It also seemed to be one of the more popular gathering places for the locals to come and drink away their dreary day, but you came for a hot meal. There was a man performing on the stage for coin. As you entered, your mother told you to go sit at one of the tables near the hearthfire and to stay bundled up. She then excused herself and went to talk with the barman.

[D20ragon]

Indigo sat on her bench, head resting in her hands.
Dreamily, she watched the performer toss his balls in the air, the red, green and blue orbs spinning like planets though space. The roaring fire cast dancing shadows around the room, skipping and dancing like Fae or Goblins through Indigo's sleepy mind.
The pins and orbs whirled, the shadows danced to a ethereal fiddle, glasses clinked, people laughed and spoke, and throughout it all the rain beat down like a waterfall.
Indigo nodded once, then again, then gave in and curled up on the stool, her long red hair pillowing her head.

[Erasmas]

"Darling... darling...", your mother's voice floated to you through the haze of sleep. You slowly opened your eyes, looking up at the bemused expression of her rosy face as she gently shook you awake.

"Wake up, darling... your food is ready. Eat it while it's hot; it'll help ward off the cold and damp."

You sat up and saw a wooden plate topped with a hard-boiled egg, three pieces of bacon, and a buttered roll with strawberry jam. Most of the rest of the people were discussing the bizarre weather, and the travesty it had apparently caused in the neighboring town of Sasnak. People told of a brother's house that was picked up and dropped in a radish field or of a daughter's experience of hiding in a root cellar, only to emerge and find nothing but bare earth around her. Another tale about a tree that had stood for a hundred years... another about a horse that had broken it's leg and had to be put down. It seemed as though it was all that these people could talk about.

[D20ragon]

Indigo sat up, rubbing her eyes drowsily.
The food smelled wonderful.
She took it gratefully, munching on the roll, as she listened to the people around her speak of the weather. She had read a book once, about a little girl who was carried off in a storm, and made to work for the cloud giants.
She shivered contededly, and glanced outside, at the pouring rain.
The wind was howling keenly, like a dog wanting to eat, Indigo thought.
except that it wants to eat me. Well, it can't. I'm safe in here.
She gave a defiant toss of the head to the storm, and then settled back into the serious task of eating bacon and bread and jam and an egg all at once, without dropping anything.

[Erasmas]

The barkeep came around to throw another log into the hearth and dropped a small purse at the feet of the bard, who seemed to be finishing up his performance in favor of heading somewhere's else. The man had done a decent enough job of it... trying to rouse the spirits of the local population. But it appeared that many of them were having none of it, and least not today. About the time that you and your mother were finishing your morning meal, something interesting happened indeed.

The bard suddenly stood up, went rigid and dropped his instrument, which shattered upon the floor. And then, in a voice that was most certainly not his own and was in fact frightfully otherwordly, he said:

"Amid the blackest day, you will see the whitest of men.
Let his path show you the way which you do not see.
The journey towards peace begins by looking into thyself."

With this, he slumps back down onto the section of up-turned log he had been seated on as a stool. His posture relaxes and he shakes his head a few times. Apparently, he had no recollection of what had just happened, looking confusedly back out at the room full of patrons whom were staring blankly at him.

[D20ragon]

Indigo choked on the roll, caughing to clear her throat.
She looked at the performer, sitting bewildered amidst a growing crowd.
"Excuse me? Sir? Amid blackest day.... What does that mean?"

[Erasmas]

The bard takes a moment, looking befuddled out at the crowd, uncertain as to why they were all staring at him so. Eventually, he snaps to enough to realize that Indigo had spoken to him... and furrows his brow.

"Hmm? What child? What did you say?"

[D20ragon]

"Amid the blackest day, you will see the whitest of men.
Let his path show you the way which you do not see.
The journey towards peace begins by looking into thyself,"
Indigo repeats patiently.
"You just said that. What does it mean?"

[Erasmas]

The bard laughs, apparently due to his perceived absurdity at your accusation of what he had just said.

"Whatever are you talk...", he begins in a scoffing laugh. However, as he looks to the rest of the people for support and affirmation in the ridiculousness of your claim, he finds none. Instead, he finds the support in your favor; as the rest of the crowd look back at him with a troubled sort of curiosity.

"Oh... well, I... I am not certain...", he stammers. He then seems to find his excuse, lurking in some far corner of his mind, as if a dusty relic recovered from an attic. "Sometimes the muse just strikes me in a moment's notice and I simply wax poetic, my dear sweet girl."

The explanation, though addressed to you, was done so with his eyes and his smile plied to the adults in the room. He quickly set about gathering his things up and most of the room had now stopped paying him any attention at all.

[D20ragon]

"But what does it mean?"
Indigo persists, tugging at his sleeve.

[Erasmas]

He seems quite irritated at you when you tug upon his sleeve and he looks to your mother, as if expecting her to perform some sort of corrective behavior.

"Indigo, darling. Let the man be.", your mother begins, before adding, "Clearly he is a man who is not in his right mind; if he is to just open his mouth and let the words spill out of it as if it were the head of a spring."

The man, taken aback by this accusation, looks shocked for a moment. He stammers for an explanation and then there is a loud clap of thunder that rattles the room and startles the patrons, yourself included. Seemingly content for the excuse, the bard finishes collecting his things and begins to hastily head towards the door. As he nears within feet of it, however, the weather suddenly turned even worse, with the sky darkening to resemble nearly night, even though it was yet not even midday.

And then, the wind howled in the chimney above the hearth, and you could swear that you heard a voice upon it.

"He has come."

The bard stopped at the door, peering out of the open window beside it, staring at something in the street. The barkeep, who had been clearing away the used dishes from another patron's breakfast, stopped beside him, staring as well.

"Poor sod," he said, "roads are all but rivers at tha moment. He'w be washed away, he will!"

As you rose and went to see what they were gawking at, you saw a small figure that had just rounded the corner of a building down the street. He appears to be halfling, and is cloaked and wearing clothing that is geared for weather much colder than it is currently out. The hood of his cloak is up and shields his face, until a strong gust of wind blows it back - revealing his albino nature. Pale skin, bordering on colorless and barely yellow hair, that appears the same.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Dowrenland/EnyaTapuk2.jpg


The other strange thing about this individual, as if there wasn't enough already, is that he appeared to be in an incredible hurry... he was moving with unbelievable speed. So quick, in fact, that you wondered how his short legs were managing it. He soon passes by on the opposite side of the road and was now heading away from the Little Black Dog.

[D20ragon]

Amid blackest day...
Well, it certainly was dark out...
you will see the whitest of men...
And certainly, that's him...
let his path show you the way you do not see...
Indigo was standing, half in a daze now, moving slowly towards the door.
The journey towards peace begins by looking into thyself.
Those last words echoed about her mind as she flung the door open without seeing or hearing it, and raced after the man, into the blackest day.

[Erasmas]

You fling open the door and race out into the storm. You are met with the sting of rain and the howl of wind, so strong that you barely ever hear the lament of your mother cry out, "NO, INDIGO... WAIT!!!"

Ignoring her pleas, he press on in pursuit of what may or may not be a clue into the strange happenings of late. The streets were all but mud, with a few stones and freshly-felled trees having been placed here and there to help with traversing the mess. But what really caught your attention as you left the relative safety of the Little Black Dog was that powerful winds. During certain gusts, you even find that you have trouble navigating your steps with the threat of being pushed over.

The prey you followed seemed to be putting distance between you, moving unnaturally fast, especially for his size, though he was having a difficult time as well. It would appear that he was heading out of town, to the north.

[D20ragon]

Indigo ran on, stumbling in the mud and blinking furiously to keep the rain out of her eyes.
It was as if the only man in the world was that pale figure, and the only thing worth doing was to try and catch him.
And catch him she would,
She thought, looking about furiously for a way to close the distance between them.

[Erasmas]

One of the stones you stepped upon tilted as your weight came to rest solely on it! Luckily, you managed to escape from falling just in time, but you did step into the thick mud and only barely recovered your shoe. The dark brown slop was sure to stain your clothes and that would make your mother absolutely furious with you!

But you pressed on, the target of your attention slipping further and further away, despite your best efforts to catch him. As you continue to follow the halfling, he does indeed lead you directly out of town. He then hurriedly presses on towards the remains of the wall; that great ruin on the ourskirts that might as well represent the very boundary of your entire life, up until this point. You watched as he then disappeared through a sizable hole in said wall, one that was mostly overgrown with vines and leaves that danced in the raging winds. Before long, you reach the hole in the wall as well and looking through it, you can see a thin game trail, working its way through the forest on the other side.

The rain and wind continue to pelt you, causing your clothing to stick to your body. Just then, you hear a horrendous sound coming from the city behind you - a low, continuous, moaning wail. Looking back, you see a dark funnel cloud has formed on the south end and pieces of debris are swirling around it, high up into the air!

[D20ragon]

Indigo stands petrified for a moment, gazing in terror at the windstorm.
Then she dashes through the small opening, running along the game trail as fast as her legs will carry her.
Some how, catching the man has gotten wound up in escaping the storm, until they are one and the same.

[Erasmas]

You duck through the hole in the wall and step out into the forest on the other side. The North Forest was largely untouched outside of the wall and it had been allowed to run its natural course. Being a fairly old wood, it did not take long for nature to reclaim the elements of man that did remain behind and the wall suffered, in no small part, because of this. Vines, tree roots, and small creatures had all done their part in trying to overtake it, but the city kept most of the grounds on their side of the wall kept up, allowing both frequent grazing and timber-cutting.

However, you were leaving all of that behind now, as you pushed deeper into the North Forest and further after your target... now merely a series of fleeting flashes here and there, ahead of you on the game trail. Pressing on, you soon lose sight of him all together, as the rain and the wind hammer down upon you. Somewhere off to your right, you hear a tremendous ruckus as several trees are felled. The wind at your back seems to almost shove you onward.

Then, just as you had given in to the idea of this being a fruitless pursuit, you see a clearing up ahead, and something within it.




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Dowrenland/Locations-TheManor.jpg



A dilapidated manor house, mostly taken back by nature already, stood sentry in the middle of this clearing... almost defying the very forest around it. The roof had almost completely collapsed or rotted away and this intense storm may very well finish the job. Suddenly, a wagon falls from the sky and crashes to the ground some twenty yards to the left of you. The wooden vessel smashes into a thousand pieces as if it had been but a toy.

[D20ragon]

Indigo reels back, covering her head with her arms.
As soon as she recovers, she dashes forward, making for the abandoned building, glancing fearfully up at the raging sky, terrified it might see fit to drop more wagons on her.

[Erasmas]

As you press on, you begin to find it hard to hear anything at all, over the long wailing moan of the funnel cloud that came ever closer. Now you could make out the sound of more trees falling back the way you came. You found yourself having to lean in the direction you were walking in order to stay afoot.

Finally, making it just inside the doorway to the manor house, pushing what remained of the heavy door closed behind you. Having found shelter, at least temporarily from the raging storm, you have a look about. The house appears to have once been an elegant place, filled with high ceilings and wide hallways. You can even still see the odd piece of furniture here or there, covered in old dusty and moldy canvas. As you do look around, however, something else catches your attention. You spot a series of small wet footprints upon the dusty stone floor, leading down the main foyer and into one of the back rooms, where a rotted door stood ever so slightly ajar.

[D20ragon]

Indigo feels uncertain, suddenly.
Perhaps it was a mistake to pursue the man. He could be dangerous, or insane.
She looks about her fearfully, hoping to see something she could use as a weapon.

[Erasmas]

The storm continues to rage on, with branches and gods know what else slamming into the stone walls. The wind howled even louder through the many open windows and doorways in the manor, causing an otherworldly sound to echo through its halls.

Casting your eyes about for any sign of a weapon, you see what you may be looking for near the large fireplace. It's carefully mortared stones flashed pale as a bolt of lightning tore open the sky outside, revealing its hearth opening like a gaping mouth, waiting to swallow you whole. Even though the danger from outside still pressed in on you despite your temporary shelter, you found the solace it was providing to erode slightly, as the creeping loneliness of the place settled into you.

[D20ragon]

Aha! There, in the corner by the hearth!
A stand of some sort!
Indigo rushed over to the shape, throwing the canvas off of it.

[Erasmas]

Your actions prove your theory correct, and you find a small assortment of brass fireplace tools standing up beneath the canvas tarp once you remove it. You see a small broom, a dust pan, a flue brush, and a poker.

Suddenly, from somewhere upstairs, there is a loud crash immediately following an increase in the wind's howling. The crash sounded as though a heavy timber fell to the wooden floor somewhere above you. Perhaps it was part of the roof's structure!

[D20ragon]

Indigo wraps her fingers around the cold metal of the poker, hefting it out of the stand.
Newly armed, she creeps after the footprints, her heart beating so hard it seems to try to leap out of her chest.

[Erasmas]

Following the small footprints, you soon come to a room that still has its door intact. As it is already open, you can see into the space beyond fairly well and see no sign of your quarry... aside from more footprints. Your heartbeat echoes the intensity of the raging storm outside as you scan the room.

Moving into the room, you see that they lead to an old moldy canvas tarp, similar to the one that you pulled off of the fire poker stand. However, this one was already piled upon the floor. The only other thing that immediately caught your attention was that there was a rather large mirror here, seated on the floor as well and leaning, only slightly, against the wall.


Alright, please make two Observation rolls for me. Either put them into a spoiler here or post them in the OOC Thread, please!

[Erasmas]

You notice that, unlike everything else you have seen here... that the mirror has no signs of age and disuse about it. The polish of the silver is untarnished, leaving no flaw in the reflections it gives off. Likewise, there is little to no dust upon the bronze frame of the sizable looking glass. Your guess is that the canvas was removed from this mirror... very recently.

In addition, you also spy a strange passage written upon the wall opposite of the mirror. The writing, just below your head's height, seemed to have been scrawled upon the surface with a piece of coal that had been removed from the fireplace in this room. It said:


",llaw eht dnoyeb rirroM ,rorriM
,llac ot emoc ev'ohw su fo esohT
,wov ruoy nopu tcelfer ,uoy dniM'
.won dna neht ,srednalnerwoD oT"

Even more interestingly, perhaps... you also notice that outside the windows of the room reflected in the mirror, that the sky looks clear and sunny, with no storm in sight.

[D20ragon]

Indigo mouths the words, rolling her tongue over the syllables, tracing over the words with her finger where they were reflected in the mirror.
Whatever did they mean?

[Erasmas]

The mirror was an expensive specimen... one made of silver-backed glass set into a frame, as opposed to one simply made of highly-polished metal. The frame itself was ornate and filigreed beyond your imagination - positively stuffed with carvings of animals and fairytale creatures running here and there and everywhere.

Just then, within the reflection, you saw a small blue bird light upon the sunny window sill. It looked as if it were singing and in fact, the closer you got to the mirror... you could swear that you actually could just barely hear it! Looking back behind you, there was no such bird on the window sill here... nor was there any sunny day beyond either. Outside, the howling wind picked up again and what little you could see of the sky was a sickly green color.

[D20ragon]

Indigo strains her ears, pressing one side of her head against the cool smooth glass, strangely desperate to hear more of the birdsong, completely oblivious to her surroundings.

[Erasmas]

Surprisingly, Indigo finds the glass actually quite warm. It was a radiant warmth, as if it had been lying in the sun all afternoon. And... smell?!...

Yes, you were quite sure of it! This close to the mirror, you could smell the aroma of wildflowers and grass - honeysuckle and jasmine and sage! And yes, the bird was singing; a happy chirping trill of a song! All of a sudden, the corner of the room collapsed as an enormous broken portion of a tree came crashing straight through the dilapidated stone wall. The howling wind and persistent rain could no longer be ignored.

And the manor house began to creak and groan more than ever it had before.

[D20ragon]

Indigo starts, lurching forward in surprise into the mirror as the house around her begins to collapse. It all seems so odd, somehow. Like a dream...
"To Dowrenland..."
Whatever could it mean?

[Erasmas]

In the mirror, Indigo is able to read the passage that had been written on the wall in charcoal perfectly - as if whoever inscribed it there had done so with the sole purpose of having it read thusly. The young girl found herself overwhelmed with the desire to read the passage aloud as the world around her threatened to tear itself apart!

[D20ragon]

"...To Dowrenland, then and now."
Indigo rolls the last words off her tongue with a sense of finality.
Unfazed by the storm, she stares boldly at the mirror.
"Well? What are you going to do?" She asks expectantly.

[Erasmas]

As you read the passage, the words begin to sparkle with the an iridescent sheen, the letters adopting them one at a time when spoken aloud. You then notice that the mirror ripples, originating from the point of the period at the end of the last sentence of the strange phrase. And then, you felt yourself falling... towards the mirror, as if gravity itself had shifted. You skidded across the short distance of dusty floor and tumbled into the mirror itself! You were surprised when there was no shattering of glass or the abrupt stop of the wall behind the mirror, but instead you found a warm, soft impact, almost as if landing in rising dough. And then it felt as though you were sinking into a pool of warm water and your instincts kick in, causing you to try and hold your breath. Just as you do so, however, you find yourself lying face-down upon a severely weathered floor made of stone tiles.

When you look around, you find yourself in the room that you were just in and it appears that you are still inside the ruined manor house, or so you think at first. Although as you investigate further, you can see that even though it was incredibly similar, this is definitely not the same house. Furthermore, when you look outside, you see no sign of any storm of any kind. Instead, you see a clear and sunny sky. And there, on the window sill, was the little blue bird that you had seen within the mirror's reflection. She looks at you and continues her chirping song for a few beats more and then turns about and lights from the wooden ledge, disappearing from sight.

[D20ragon]

Indigo blinks in the sudden sun, then spins around, checking to see if the mirror is still behind her.
She isn't as scared as she ought to be, really. All in all, she thinks she's handling it pretty well.

[Erasmas]

Turning about, you find that the mirror is indeed still there, looking much like it did before. As Indigo continues to inspect the room, she sees that things here are in disrepair as well, but that this place isn't nearly as old as the one she just came from. In fact, there was no dust and misuse hanging about this place. This house had had parts of it simply knocked in by something. You even spotted a place of the stone floor in the corner that had been cracked and caved in by something roughly the size of your torso, and... what was that... droplets of dried blood?

Outside, you hear quiet voices talking. It is hard to hear what they were saying and a peek out the window reveals nothing more than a lush garden.

[D20ragon]

Suddenly the room doesn't feel as safe anymore. Indigo crouches down, straining her ears to hear more of the noises outside.

[Erasmas]

It sounded as if there were two men, at the very least. But it was impossible to hear anything of the topic because their voices were all but a whisper. One raised word that you heard for certain was 'Queen'.

[D20ragon]

Queen?
Indigo strains her ears harder.
Suddenly, something catches her eye. Those specks.... Bloodstains?
She begins to creep in that direction, heart pounding so hard she's surprised the men outside can't hear it.