Dark Ages Fantasy [Chapter One] Hidden Secrets of the Earth [IC]

[Chambers]

Dark Ages Fantasy
Chapter One: Hidden Secrets of the Earth


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Given time, we can rebuild. We can lift broken stones and stand new foundations. We can keep the lights burning, not from flames lit by vandals, but the illumination that guards us and shows our feet safe pathways. Given time, we can be great again. We can learn to hope again. Time enough to stop fighting over the scraps that haven't fully spoiled, remember that we once knew how to plant new seed instead of scavenging the harvest from years past.

If we have time to catch our breath, to take refuge in honest shelter...then I would not fear for the future of Saris. We will survive, of that I have no doubt, but what manner of person will be the ones holding the rod after many years have passed? If a whole generation, or two, or dozens grow up and live pressed to the wall, only knowing fear and want and never hope...I weep to think how far man will have fallen. The great glories of Saris, lost for all time, only useful as squatting stumps for whatever rude creature calls itself a man.

This is my fear and my vow. I will bring back the light, make it shine as the glory of a thousand suns. I will teach the people what it means to hope, even if they must first be brought to the depths of despair. With my heartsblood do I swear this.

- Journal entry, author unknown


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"I was visited by a spirit in a dream last night." He said and put down the heavy goblet to light the tapers and incense on the altar. The candles flame burned blue, the thin smoke from the sandalwood sticks curling around them. "It took the form of my mother, dead 9 years now, a victim of the plague. Her fault, of course, for not destroying the caches of Devil Stones she found. In the dream she was whole and healthy but she spoke with the voice of the diseased."

He took a silver dagger from his belt and touched its tip to 8 places on the altar, calling out each name of Pelors attendants in the stars as he did. "She told me that a new doom was coming...war and plague. Stars would fall from the sky and new ones rise from the earth to take their place. I asked her who the new stars would be and she laughed, worms crawling from her mouth." He placed the dagger on the altar next to an oak wand and piece of coal. "She said I asked the wrong question. Not who, but what they are."

"I tried to ask again but wet dirt filled my mouth and I choked, the clods seeping down into my stomach and lungs. I gasped for breath, all I could smell was the pungent earth as I drowned on dry ground." He grinned. "Not exactly how an old sailor is supposed to go."

The estate of the Galius family squats on the banks of the river Sunne, just past the eastern end of the Hundred Stone wall. What was once a sprawling estate that covered almost a thousand acres has been reduced to a single manor house and adjacent chapel. The mill on the river lost its walls and roof years ago and the few dozen servants that remain sleep in a glorified shack behind the pig pens and garden. House Galius has fallen about as low as a family could have and still be considered nobility but the family survives, the well maintained chapel to Pelor evident of their temerity.

The man leading the ritual, a prayer to Pelor for guidance and protection, was not of House Galius. He was dressed in fine robes and smelled of the sea and was the only person you'd seen on the estate since arriving early that evening. His face was tanned and cracked from the sun, his hands rough and weathered from years of hauling lines and rowing. As he explained when he sought each of you out, his name was Tamias and he represented an 'old family who wished to retain their privacy'. The gold coins he handed you were real and hard and for whatever private reasons of your own you agreed to meet him here for evening vespers, to discuss the recently discovered scrolls, sort fact from rumor about them, and see what services might be rendered for his patrons.

"See, I've got a touch of the old sight." He said and touched his temple. "Makes me very valuable to my old friends and they treat me well in return. They could become friends of yours as well." He waved his hand through the incense and closed his eyes for a moment before looking up at all of you. "So, what do you think of my dream?"

IC thread, huzzah! For those with Spellcraft a standard DC will identify the casting of Magic Circle against Evil.

For those who don't worship Pelor and are concerned about religious ceremonies for him, its not something to be concerned about. Pelor is the dominant deity worshipped in Saris and the culture takes a pluralistic view of worship; granting respect and acknowledgment to the other deities is not sacrilegious.

[Tantether]

“I think it’s a night terror.” The young girl spoke petulantly – but she was feeling, at the moment, disappointed. Eager as she was to respond to the representative of an old family, she had not come to listen to the dreams of a servant. Disappointed in her hopes that a member of the family would at least be present (and perhaps, she feared and yearned, recognise her), seeing the dilapidated Galius estate had only sunk her mood further. “Everyone has nightmares of the Fall, and every madman preaches about a new Fall from any street corner you choose. They must enjoy it, one supposes.” She picked at the stitches of her summer dress, but stopped when little strands of illusion threatened to unravel as she did so. “You said scrolls. You said buried treasure. Those things I can believe in – things I can touch. Hands I can shake. Not promises and dreams.”

[Shyftir]

"I would not be so quick to dismiss prophecy. People have a tendency to fulfill them because they exist." The Hell-Bred warrior spoke as if he'd learned that lesson the hard way. Despite his words, he too had doubts. The coin meant little to him, but the manner of the offer indicated something important was happening.

[jojolagger]

"Risk to civilization. Some lose power. Some gain power. Interesting times." Says Myles, with little experience with prophecies and visions, but all of it warning him to not read too far into the details, as a little correct knowledge beats a lot of false knowledge. He continues, musing "Makes it a good time to seek power. Maybe risk is about where the power goes, or what is done with it..." Trailing off as he realizes he's speculating wildly. Best not make assumptions.
Then, realizing the connection, Myles speaks again "You told your friends about this dream, and they decided now is a good time to seek some new power they have hints of. But there's danger and magic, which is why we are here."

[Tanaric]

"The Divine always speak in strange ways, in my experience," Isaac muses. "It is for us to determine what they mean, which is often quite different from what is clear at first. And that seems universally to be the point. Prophecy is bothersome in that way." He adjusts his grip on his twisted staff, standing straighter to hide his limp. "What I see and what I think are two different things. What I see is see a man who needs those of particular skills to sort out his troubles, to restore some semblance of equanimity to his life. What I think... well, as I said, the Divine is often interpreted in different ways. I would not compare my particular thoughts to your own, as it was you who experienced the vision yourself. Rather, I would ask... what do you think?" The old orator's voice still has a ring of command despite his advancing years, and as his last words fade, those present feel an echo in their heads compelling them to speak their innermost truths.

McKinley passively echoes himself telepathically in his "Divine" voice, a quiet litany that mumbles just out of clear understanding on the edge of thought. He should have enough bluff and diplomacy/oratory to pull it off without a hitch wherever he goes. I'd like to think of it as a quasi-compulsion - an 'urging', if you will - short of full-on attitude adjustment, but one of his ever-present tactics.

[Chambers]

Estate of House Galius

Tamias nods to Kallen. "Some of my visions in the past have not been as pleasant as this one..." He says with a wry smile. "..and I've found that the harder I tried to forestall it from coming true, the more I worked to bring it about. As for power, there's another question to consider." He says, turning to Myles. "What is the source of power that you seek?" He raises an eyebrow before turning back to the altar and brushing off some dust on the corner.

"Whether truly a night terror or message from the divine, I've found it's futile to try and ignore them." He says over his shoulder, then reaches into his cloak and pulls out a scroll tube sealed at both ends. He holds it up for you all to see and then picks off the wax seal at one end with his fingernail while muttering words under his breath. The wax bits drop to the floor and he pulls out a rolled piece of parchment, very thing and weathered with age. Placing the tube aside he takes the scroll with both hands and gently unrolls it on the top of the altar, weighing down the corners with candlesticks, the wand, and other pieces from the vespers ceremony.

"This is the scroll that brought you here." He says and steps aside so you all can look at it. The parchment is cracked at the edges and looks to be at least over a hundred years old. The ink and writing on the scroll however look as dark and fresh as the day it was penned. The language bears a passing similarity to Sylvan but only in appearance, not structure. The flowing script covers most of the parchment with line after line. "It's written in Druidic." Tamias says. "An incantation, one that shows you how to find the path that lays hidden." He reaches into his robes and takes out a short silver necklace with a small sapphire hanging from it. "While you wear this the gem will allow you to read it." He places the gemmed necklace on the altar next to the parchment.

He leans back and folds his arms across his chest. "I promised fact from rumor. Here is what is known." He says and sticks his index finger out to lay on his arm. "One. This scroll was found beneath a church of Pelor, but it was not in a priests holy reliquary. It was in a lockbox of wood carved from a dryads tree and lined with cold forged lead. This box was in a sealed chamber in the catacombs, those themselves bricked up many years ago. There were other relics in the chamber as well." He says. "The details of them aren't important save for this; none of them were of the church of Pelor. From the Shadow, yes, from their Son as well. These appear to be relics taken from the other faiths and locked away from them."

"Two." He says and extends another finger, tapping it on his arm. "The finder of the relics was not some simple gravedigger or thief who stumbled upon them. There was a small team of professionals who made very little fuss in entering the old church. Though not used these days, the church is still on the land of House Thatanis, an island of their domain in the northern city, far away from their home behind the Wall. Friendly eyes and ears saw the thieves going in and a word was received in the ears of someone who could act. There was a fight as they were coming out of the church." He says and rolls his shoulders, wincing as he does so. "The thieves got away, but they left the scroll behind, and it was recovered."

He nods towards the scroll. "Three. My patrons have read the scroll and understand the incantation to show the path to three different locations. We don't know how far away they are nor what will be found at them, but the mere existence of this scroll points to something of greater power." He says. "The three paths seem to lead in opposite ways. One pulls you west towards the sea, another north, and the third north-east. I'm told after a time it's a simple effort to focus on the direction you want and ignore the pull of the other two."

He grins. "Now, before we discuss what will be expected of you and what payment you'll receive for your services, I would like to hear your first reactions and speculations."

[jojolagger]

"That the relics were hidden away with such effort bodes ill. The theft clearly organized by professionals who knew where to look even more so. I'd suggest it might be wiser to not unearth whatever is hidden, but it seems someone else is already on the hunt. I already have a useful idea." Responds Myles, smiling and seeming to ever so slightly fade into a fond memory.
First thing I was taught when traveling with the siege forces. Measuring angles to something from different points on a line to get the distance. Much more effective than eyeballing the distance. Just need to do that on a bigger scale. Two opposite sides of the reduced Galius estate should do very well. Might even be doable from inside the church.
Snapping out of the daydream, Myles quickly queries "Please tell me the amulet was kept separately, and was never in the thieves hands. That would make it a race with three finish lines and the wrong side with a head start, which would be bad for us." while reaching for the amulet. If not stopped, Myles will put on the amulet, read the Incantation, and check if it points directly to the target locations through the wall, or if it directs nicely out the door first.

Not quite real life, but I'll make use of that math I thought I'd never use after highschool now. :smallcool:
I was hoping siege engineering mention I made in backstory (and the ranks of Profession, siege engineer) would wind up useful. Turns out a kind of math they'd know how to use gets some very useful information. :smallbiggrin:

[Chambers]

Estate of House Galius

Tamias waves his hand towards the necklace as Myles reaches towards it. "Please, examine the scroll." He says and steps back while Myles looks at the parchment.

To Myles, the lines on the parchment slowly change their shape into the words of his native tongue and he can read them plain as day. Interspersed with the commands for the incantation that the author refers to as Lines of the Warden are other phrases, seemingly directions for the Warden to follow. Myles mind relates to them as general orders given to a guard that he must follow to faithfully execute his post. Never allow one prisoner to speak to another, only leave your post when you are properly relieved, always recognize other guards by the given sign, and so on. The incantation isn't complete in it's detail and there's no mention of the cost of failure.

"The amulet is a gift from my friends, though I wouldn't doubt the thieves had something similar in mind." Tamias says.

The amulet has the same function as the Helm of Comprehend Languages and Read Magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#helmofComprehendLanguagesandRead Magic).

Lines of the Warden

Skill Checks: Knowledge (nature) DC 26, 6 successes
Failure: unknown
Components: V, S, M, SC
Casting Time: 60 minutes, must begin during sunset
Range: Touch
Target: You and creatures touched
Duration: 7 days
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This incantation gives the caster and other creatures touched knowledge of three separate locations. Those affected have an innate sense of the direction towards the locations.

Lines of the Warden must be cast during the sunset. The caster and the secondary casters arrange themselves in a circle, each facing outward. The casters close their eyes and slowly enter a state of sensory deprivation as the sights, sounds, smells, and touch of the world around them fade into the background. With the setting of the sun the casters shadows shrink and when each casters shadow has merged back into the body they feel a deep thrumming coming from beneath the earth. The vibrations untangle themselves into three separate lines of force that gently pull at the caster.

When the sun disappears the senses of the casters are returned to them but they maintain the pull of the lines.

[Tantether]

The scroll and the amulet. Juliana eyed both with eager greed, but restrained herself, even as Myles took them, from simply reaching for them. “Gravediggers, thieves, patrons – it little matters. We’re all scavengers now, fighting over the corpse of greatness. But to find something valuable and yet untouched!” The girl moved around Myles as he read, giving a glance back towards the Father for his opinion and permission; she had reined back her initial petulance out of respect for his judgement of the prophecy. Reaching into her dress, she took out a small, cracked, glass monocle – a sharp, broken-off bridge suggested it had once been a full pair of glasses – and peered through it at the parchment and the ink, ignoring the text.

“That the relics were hidden away with such effort bodes ill – of the hider’s intentions. The goods of other gods, locked up in Pelor’s hoard? It smells of theft. Perhaps this is not the first time it’s been stolen – perhaps it was about to be stolen back.” Over Myles’s shoulder she studied the scroll as an object, an artefact in its own right, separate from its contents. “Do you have the box still? It could be helpful – also, it’s nice to keep the set together.”

Studying the scroll, noting any signs of its origins in its physical details - special kind of ink, specific kind of parchment? Can she guess its exact age? Passing an Artificer Knowledge check of DC15 reveals if it has magic qualities, and through the monocle, also acts as Identify.

Appraise: [roll0]
Artificer Knowledge: [roll1]

[Shyftir]

Kallen Drogue knew little of scrolls and incantations. In fact he distrusted such magic, it seemed better to him to channel the blessings of the gods. With divine magic you always knew where you stood.

[jojolagger]

Removing the amulet and placing in on the Scroll, Myles says "The magic is beyond me, but the notes make me even more worried. Whatever is planned, we must be cautious. Whoever created this meant for something to be guarded well. But on the bright side, the wording indicates my idea will work."

This seems very bad. If the druids saw fit to truly bury something, and the church of Pelor hid away the knowledge they received of it, then something bad is happening.

[Chambers]

Estate of House Galius

Tamias frowns at Juliana. "Perhaps the church was safeguarding these relics instead." He says. "The box is elsewhere at the moment, all you need is here before you." He nods towards the amulet and scroll. "I can lead you through the ritual this evening, Lieutenant, though after that you'll need to manage on your own."

He glances at the stained glass window behind the altar. "Sunset is soon approaching. We should be about it if you're planning on leaving tonight." He says. Tamias unties a small pouch from his belt and places it on the altar, then pulls out a coin for you to see. The coin is old and bears the face and mark of the last Emperor of Saris, Malicus III, before it became a republic nearly 200 years ago. Tamias raises an eyebrow and smiles slightly. "My patron wishes for you to travel to these three locations and learn what they are. Find out who is guarding them and secure whatever treasure is there, if possible."

He slowly pulls more coins out of the pouch as he talks. "Whatever relics found there will be turned over to my patron, via myself. Any other incidental riches you find are yours to do with as you wish. This is your first payment, two coins each. After finding and securing the first location, you'll each be given four more coins. Find the second place, six more coins, and for the last location, ten more coins each." He puts the tenth coin on the table and closes the pouch. "There may be cause for minor bonuses during the course of your investigation, and I'm authorized to reward you additionally for exceptional performance and circumstances."

Juliana's trained eye for art and antiquities immediately realizes the value of these coins. They are rare and worth many times more than the simple weight of the metal in them; the coins of Emperor Malicus III are highly sought after by collectors and fetch 500 eagles for a single coin.

"In return, there are conditions that must be satisfied." Tamias says. "You are not to divulge the nature of your task with anyone. There is already at least one other interested party that is well-financed and highly trained. Complete discretion is required. As the saying goes, loose lips sink ships. Believe me, I know the truth of that." He says with a glint in his eyes. "Second, do not let this treasure, or prisoners as it may be, fall into the hands of your competitors. If you are unable to secure the prize, then destroy it."

Tamias reaches into his robe and takes out two chunks of polished granite and puts them next to the coins. "I will carry one of these stones with me at all times. When you need to contact me, use the other stone. I'm sure you're all familiar with how these work. Now, are there any further questions? Do you accept the contract?" He glances out the window again. "You'll need to decide soon."

[Shyftir]

I have no questions. If we leave this task to other less noble hands we risk much. Kallen didn't sound thrilled at the situation but was clearly willing to do his part.

[Tantether]

She smiled back at Tamias. “Perhaps,” she replied, with a little lilt of irony. Her interest returned with a rush, however, as he pulled out the old Imperial coins – an uncle had collected these, in the glory days of Sebastianus, and she remembered peering at them in his cases as a little girl. Ignoring the priest’s gaze out the window, her own eyes remained fixated on the antiquities, and ultimately reached out to touch the first, promised two. “I accept the contract – and the value of silence.” By omission she committed a small lie; having as little desire as Tamias to let treasure fall into any other hands than her own (or at least, than the ones of those paying her), resistance twinged in her heart at the thought of destroying what could not be secured. She aimed a sidelong look at Kallen, uncomfortable with a use of the word "noble" which did not come with a title and lands. It was better, in her opinion, that someone should have it than no-one – and what was taken could be taken back.

But she pushed the thought to the back of her mind. Her palms itched for the coins.

[Chambers]

Estate of House Galius

"Then take your payment, and let's be about our business this evening." Tamias says. He carefully rolls the scroll up and slides it back into the case, then hands it to someone. Letting the candles on the altar burn, he walks outside and motions for you all to follow. "There's a small garden behind the church, it should suit our purposes." He says and leads the way around the small building.

The garden is a mixture of vegetables and flowers and the walkways around and through it lead to a clearing in the center, a small stone fountain in the middle. He scuffs the ground with his boot and nods, then looks west towards the city. The watchfires are already lit in anticipation of evening and the sun has just begun to fall over the tall towers and giant coliseum in the heart of the city, long shadows growing longer by the minute. "Place yourselves around the fountain and close your eyes." He says and does so himself. He lets his hands hang loose at his sides, fingers slightly apart. "Smell the water in the air from the river." He says and inhales deeply. "Feel the heat leaving your skin as the sun goes down. Shift your feet on the ground to heart the scratch of dirt and stones. Breathe in."

"Breathe out."

Tamias continues his instructions, his voice low but steady and slowly the darkness becomes less of a frightening place as the smells and sensations of nature fill your other senses. The ground seems to take on a heavy weight as if you were anchored to it and the sky becomes a flowing ocean of eddies and currents above your heads, carrying sounds and smells east from the countryside. At some point his speech became a wordless chant of humming, the rhytym of his chant matching your heart beat. You feel a counter-beat in the ground beneath you and your heart slows to match it.

Deep in meditation, you begin to distinguish different tone and structure in the thrumming of the earth. You feel not one but three different pulsings coming from the ground, each pulling you slightly towards it. One north, one north-east, and one west. The three lines of power meet in you and tangle themselves around your heart as you learn to touch each thread and focus on it alone. Concentrating on each line you can sense some aspect of where it leads. To the west, the deep roll and scent of the ocean. To the north, fresh pine and heavy sap. To the north-east, a chill wind and rock dust.

Tamias stops chanting and in the silence from his voice all you can hear is the deep vibrations coming from the earth. The lines are ancient, the power unimaginable to carry such distance.

"I feel them, as well as you. Open your eyes." Tamias says. The sky is dark, a waxing moon rising in the east. "When I let the western line pull me, I smelled the sea." He says and smiles. "Or maybe that's the old sailor in me. The forest..." He says and looks north. "The nearest pine forest is in the wilderlands, the hordelands." He turns north-east and shrugs. "The other, somewhere in those mountains, maybe." He says, waving towards the line of high ridges, the Pagian mountain range that runs north and south forming the eastern border of Saris.

"Where will you go first?" He asks.

[Shyftir]

Kallen brooded for a moment then made a suggestion. "The mountains seem like they hold less danger but it might be especially difficult to find our way among them. The sea is a great unknown; its hazards I know only through hearsay. And finally the hordelands are full of danger that at least two of us have experience with. Though I do not relish re-entering the great forests, it seems the surest and quickest path."

It was the most words Kallen had spoken in one breath in quite some time.