The Age of Worms

[Torger]

Since the beginning of history, the Divine Races have measured time in Ages. Ages of Glory, of Dreams, and even of Great Sorrow mark the tally of the years, giving a sense of order to the events of days long past, but now, in the face of the Great Victory, has one of the ages began to emerge -- an age of darkness, of decay, and of writhing doom. The portents all stand resolute, easily read by those who have the skill and the desire to do so.

Landsday of Enkilot, 150 AV

The sun dawned red over the feculent, waste-tainted body of water with the laughable moniker of "Diamond Lake." The rude, mouldering town on the lake's shores that shares its name begins to awaken. People emerge from their homes and begin their days, opening the meagre shops to sell third-rate ares to fourth-rate customers, trudging off to the mines in the Spires to wrestle more hard-kept treasures from the Living Earth, or opening the taprooms and vice-houses so that those who cannot begin their day without chemical assistance might drop what little pay they have left to dill the cruel pain of reality.

There is, however, one house which sees a different dawn. Ramshackle, tumbledown, and decrepit though it is, it holds a treasure far brighter than any of the others -- Hope. Within the walls of this abandoned farmstead on the outskirts of Diamond Lake, a handful of diverse peoples gather together in the hopes of winning their way free of oppression, depression, and poverty. Armed with a crude map obtained through questionable means, these few, these lucky few, move toward an abandoned tomb identified only as the Whispering Cairn, and toward their destiny.

OoC: You stand in the front room of the abandoned house you've taken for your base of operations and assembly point. All of you are known, to greater or lesser degrees, to one another, and all share the desperate goal of gaining enough from this excursion to break the cycle of debt the Mine Owners and the Company Stores have kept you in. Hor are armed with your wits, your determination, and a map that gives vague directions to your goal.

[SilentNight]

"Let us be swift," Chakusa mutters, "Every moment we spend in this living graveyard makes me nervous. ((Makes to leave with the rest.))

[de-trick]

Bamet

Intrigued by the map, corners teared and dirtied, written in old script, Bamet taking in great care, for this is more valuable than gold to him and his colleagues, whos lifes are held in the writen ink, reads the map outlound, careful not to smug the ink

[darkzucchini]

Marcellus

Marcellus leans against the wall, sweat streaking his dirty face and soaking through his thick, cotton tunic. Marcellus had never known that a man could work so hard in his life before coming to Diamond Lake, and at the rate that he was saving money, he would be over 500 years old before he could pay off his dept. Its a good thing that they had gotten a hold of this map, otherwise he would spend the rest of his days toiling away in the dark. Not that the map was guaranteed to be accurate and true or anything, but it was the only chance he had.

"Aye," Marcellus nods at his elven friend, "I would rather walk stark naked into the middle of Khirdet with an apple in mouth and a sprig of rosemary stuck in each ear than stay another day in this hell hole."

[happyturtle]

Deryni Ravenwood

Deryni looked around at her young friends. Had she ever been like them? Eagerness and desperation mixed in equal amounts? She thought back. Yes, she suppose she had been, but in a different way. Escape from Diamond Lake had never been her aim. She had been desperate for belonging. And Diamond Lake had fed that hunger--had given her friends and respect and acceptance and even had given her the son that her own body had denied her.

The son that now wouldn't meet her eyes, and who held his children close to him as if protecting him from a madwoman.

Her belonging had begun to unravel the moment she had met Death, and she could never get it back. She had been happy, and Death had uprooted her life with casual indifference. But that is how death always strikes. The happy are no safer than the discontent from the blade of the scythe.

She wasn't sure what Death wanted, or why he had chosen her, but she couldn't find out in Diamond Lake. It was time to try looking elsewhere.

"I'm ready," Deryni said. "I've said my goodbyes."

[Gamgee]

Baradum

The tired dwarf walks in and a dust seems to follow him in, it is apparent he just got off his shift and he looked incredibly tired and worn out. He looked around at everyone else and noticed just how heavily armed he must appear. Oh well all the better he was expecting trouble, these blasted mine managers couldn't be trusted again... none of them.

"Well it is good to see everyone has made it here, now can someone please inform me in detail what it is I am looking at. I mean I have seen a lot of mines and tunnels and tomes in my day, I need something more specific. Actually hell, I just want to know if it is enough to get me out of this piece of hell."

[SilentNight]

Nodding his head in assent, Chakusa casts his gaze over to the map, attempting to see where this overlooked ouiblette is located. He says, "I too would like to know the finer details. Rushing off without knowing the course would be foolish. Although we may have wasted to much time already."

[Torger]

You bicker and prepare for several minutes before departing, following the rude map east, to where it seems to imply the Cairn lies. You arrive at the face fo the spire to find an old, rubble-choked and disused trail.

Search and Spot, please.

[Gamgee]

Baradum looks down the old trail and the growth slowly overcoming it, then he gets a bad feeling. People stop using things they don't like for whatever reason, who knows why they stopped using this one. Baradum starts peering around the trees and down the old path trying to see or listen for anything.

[roll0] Spot
[roll1] Listen

[happyturtle]

Deryni Ravenwood

Dery searched without much success. She had never spent a lot of time in the wilderness. The underground was where she felt most comfortable. She closed her eyes and let her mind grow still. Breathe in. And out. In. Out. She opened her eyes and took in the whole scene, hoping to catch something important.

(ooc: flavour text added after seeing what I rolled)


Search: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]

[de-trick]

Bamet will see what he can see

search[roll0]
spot[roll1]

[SilentNight]

Search:[roll0] Spot:[roll1]

[darkzucchini]

Marcellus

Marcellus slowly looks over the rubble, trying to find a hidden entrance or any other way of gaining access.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[happyturtle]

Deryni Ravenwood

"Baradum, do you see this?" Dery asked. "The rubble has been disturbed. What do you make of it?" Dery thought well of all her companions, but she had a special respect for Baradum. He was the only one besides herself who seemed to enjoy mining for its own sake, or who showed any skill at it.

[darkzucchini]

Marcellus

Marcellus clamors over the pile of rubble, pebbles and small stones sliding the heap of debris in his wake. Upon reaching the summit, he begins tearing away at the plant growth that grows onto of the rubble.

"It looks like I've found something," he yells down to the others, "It appears to be a cave, the entrance is blocked by some of the rubble but I think we will be able to squeeze in. Perhaps you would like to lead the way, Baradum? Your people are known for their ability to navigate underground passageways, are they not?"

Hearing Deryni down at the base of the pile, Marcellus calls down, inquiring into the nature of her discovering. "What is that you have found down there, old woman? Anything interesting?"

[Gamgee]

Baradum kneels down and looks at the distrubed area, he takes a minute to think what it could be.
"Well I would guess at some natural event distrubed those stones, or a nasty beast of some sort haunts this area. My guess is on the creature as there is little other disturbance but the rock."

Baradum stands back up and heads over to the mouth of the cave and enters just enough to be immersed in the dark.
"It would be my pleasure to go first, just brace yourselves anything could be in that cave."

Baradum peers deep into the cave hoping his dark vision will allow him to see what is in. Not sure what he is looking for he decides he should just stay on the alert as he looks into the cave.

[roll0] Spot Check

[Gamgee]

[roll0] Spot check (better work damn it)

[happyturtle]

Deryni Ravenwood

"Now just hold on there, youngster. We might be wanting to get out of here in a hurry. Why don't we clear the rubble a bit more first, and make a proper entrance?"

(If no one objects:) Dery pulled out her pick and set to work.

Profession (miner): [roll0] (and I thought I'd never use that particular skill! :smallbiggrin:)

[de-trick]

Wait, wait wait. Let me see something here
to make sure they dont dig throu the cave, and loose the cave
Profession (archaeologist)[roll0]

[happyturtle]

Deryni Ravenwood

There goes Bamet being strange again. He'd done this before in the mines--sure that he'd miss something special if he didn't examine everything. She'd refused to indulge him then. You couldn't make quota if you kept stopping to look at every rock. But they weren't on the clock now.

She stepped back to give him way, not bothering to hide her rolled eyes. "I reckon we've got time to let you play with your rocks," she said drily.

[Torger]

The rubble seems fairly loose and easy to shift, and is, in no way, supporting the rockface above it. It can be easily removed from the front of the shaft, either completely, or partially.

[Gamgee]

Whats this I see in this cave, odd little markings. If there wasn't so much blasted dust I would be able to make them out better. I can also hear this faint whispering.

Baradum stays where he is and squints harder at the little markings on the cave wall, surprisingly his face relaxes after a minute and he announces what he sees.

"They are actually carvings, relief carvings... interesting. Be careful where you dig and what you exactly look at... who knows what you might set off or ruin with your bumbling around."

Baradum goes about trying to aid the others carefully in the removal of the rocks and the opening of the passage.

[roll0]

[happyturtle]

Deryni Ravenwood

Dery fills and lights her old and battered hooded lantern. If Baradum is going first, she'll follow him. If he's too busy looking at rocks, she'll take point herself.

[Gamgee]

Baradum

Looking at the impatient Deryni he decides playing with rocks is for when he gets back home. He almost makes a vow to do all of the mining and digging he can when he gets back home, then he remembers the pain in his back from all of the forced labor and decides against it.

With a gruff sigh he heads to the front of the group, he pulls out his dwarven axe just in case anything happens. He had a vague feeling from the markings and sounds coming from within something was indeed in there.

[darkzucchini]

Marcellus

Marcellus lights his lantern and holds it above his head, then drawing his scimitar with his other hand and following Baradum into the cave.

[Torger]

You enter the near-palpable darkness, a cool, eddying wind stirring your hair and brushing your face with the clammy touch of the grave. The sibilant whispers of the wind's passage sounding in words long forgotten. Less than a hundred feet from the entrance, the path suddenly branches into a four-way intersection, its edges beyond the radiating beams of the hooded lamps.

Darkvision:

The left and right passages end after about 50 feet, and the one ahead of you carries on. You spot an out of place bundle among the rubble, covered in cloth and not shrouded in the same level of dust.

[de-trick]

What do you see? is it safe?


(if they say it is safe ill enter)

[happyturtle]

Deryni

"Course it's not safe," Dery snorted. "If it were safe, then anything valuable would have been long since hauled away."

[de-trick]

ohwell im coming in bamet enters the cave

[SilentNight]

Chakusa inspects the entrance, making sure there is no chance of a collapse once they all enter. "Caution my friends, It would not do to be trapped with our goal in sight." He then draws his bow and takes up point with Deryni.

[Gamgee]

Seeing as how everyone seems to be assembled and ready to proceed Baradum cautiously begins to walk down the path. He puts his hand out and gives a backwards wave indicating the others should stay back a little bit just in case something did happen.

[Torger]

The alcoves contain chisel marks, marring the otherworldly-beautiful carvings like graffiti on a monument. The wind picks up, causing the noises in the corridors to rise from a whisper to a dull murmur.

Ahead, Baradum's keen dwarven senses detect a faint flickering of a light source, some few hundred feet away. After another 25 feet, the corridor branches once more into left and right alcoves, this time deep enough that the opposite walls cannot be seen.

[happyturtle]

Deryni Ravenwood

Deryni finds the murmuring of the wind disturbing, and tries to make out what it is saying.


Listen [roll0]

[de-trick]

By my word, this is amazing looking at the walls, and the skill of the work involved in this cave. it's like a window to the past

[SilentNight]

"Where do you suppose we head?" Chakusa asks. After glancing nervously at the ceiling, he peers into the left alcove.

Spot(low-light vision):[roll0]

[Torger]

The western hall extends, perhaps, 40 feet, ending in a small granite platform raside ~ 6" off the floor. The shattered remains of an odd arcane apparatus rests upon this platform, it's curved, ovular frame giving the appearance of a dressing mirror, though only 1/3 of the frame survives. Unusual glyphs, different from the ones carved on the walls, though with enough similarity to imply the same language, circle the frame, and a larger glyph, roughly the size of a human man's head, as been delicately carved into the baseplate of the platform.

[Gamgee]

Baradum

Hmmm... this looks like it is out of my realm of expertise. Does anyone have the smallest idea of what it is? Actually I want to know if there are any theories as to where we actually stand, this is quite an interesting find. Anyways, if you think there is no danger I will head down the tunnel first, but let me know your opinion before I head over to that odd object.

[de-trick]

I guess this is where I come in


knowledge arcane[roll0]
knowledge history[roll1]
Profession (archaeologist)[roll2]
spellcraft[roll3]

tell me what I know

[Torger]

Know Checks:

The Glyph bears the mark of someone or something called, "Icosiol," though who or what that is, you haven't a clue. The glyphs are not in any alphabet you're familiar with, this includes the ones on the walls, though they are reminiscent of ancient, pre-war, symbology indicating elemental air. This particular symbol seems to be a personal seal of some king. Its detail would imply a person of rank. Upon closer examination, the letterforms look similar to a glyph-language called, "Vaati," which some rather... unorthodox... scholars (Yugman the sage, included) believe to be the original written from of Auran, as used by the Air Genie Princes.

[Gamgee]

Baradum

"So err... does anyone think there is any danger walking in there? I mean how bad could this place really be."

He looks back at the strangely quiet group who seemed to almost be in a dazed like state. Worried he wonders if he should just commence on his own regardless of whoever else was around, he sure as hell wasted enough time working for the damn mine manager.

[happyturtle]

Deryni

"Oh hell, I'll go first," Dery says. "But I got no idea what it means. Never been much for book learning myself."

[de-trick]

Icosiol...what is that, hmmm....Icosiol


when bamet looks at the glyph

it looks like a symbol to a king, written in Vaati, or the original Auran, the same spoken by the air gene princes

[darkzucchini]

Marcellus

"I figure it would be better if one of you folks who have been mining for longer goes first, I must admit that I don't know the first thing about caves." Marcellus cautiously peers about the cave, dimly illuminated by his torch light. "In fact, I think I'll watch the back here, don't know what sort of wild beast could live here. Something might come home to sleep while we are exploring."

[de-trick]

I think before we go deeper into the cave we should get Yugman the sage's advice, I'm pretty sure that he can read this glyphs better that me

turning around, by any chance, would one of you have a piece of parchment and a piece of charcoal, i have not had gone to the store in a few days times, and need to make a itching of these glyphs

[happyturtle]

Deryni Ravenwood

Deryni shakes her head in disbelief. What is the point of going back now? She digs into her pocket and pulls out a piece of chalk, handing it to Bamet.

"Namorga's blessings be upon you," she says. "If you are returning to town, then our paths part here." She turns from him and strides further into the cave.

ooc: I'm having trouble picturing our surroundings from the text, so if the current alcove is a dead end at this altar-thingie, then Dery will take the other path. She is carrying her hooded lantern in one hand and her pick in the other. Sorry if I'm upsetting the story... just trying to stay in character....

[de-trick]

id love just to go further into the cave, but it would be wise to learn about what may lie in here first. I'd be glad to folow up in, but id rather know who or what made this cave and what Icosiol is.

[happyturtle]

"We'll learn more by going on than by going back." Dery says stubbornly.

[Gamgee]

Baradum

"Well you kids can stay here and talk all you want but the only way to actually learn anything other than going forward is dieing and going to your respective afterlife. So if you excuse me I am going to walk up to the alter and put my hands on it, just in case I get turned into a toad by an evil beast please be ready people!"

With his anger far past boiling at this nonsense Baradum walks forward cautiously into the cave not fully trusting what may be in here. He is walking towards the alter and from the look on his face he prays each foot step is not his last. As he steps into the room he peers around for anything unusual, just in case there was something to be missed from the entrance point.

[roll0]

[Gamgee]

Spot
[roll0] +2

[Torger]

With his heart in his throat, Baradum lays hands on the arcane apparatus, closing his eyes against the enervating rays that never emerge from the thoroughly and completely damaged device. It looks as if it was once some kind of mirror, and the flecks and chips of smokey, iridescent, almost reflective, glass lend credence to the "broken mirror" idea.

[happyturtle]

Deryni Ravenwood

"Right," Dery says. "Now are we moving on together, or are me and Baradum the only ones here with any balls?"

[darkzucchini]

Marcellus

"I said I have your back, you keep on going forward and I will be right behind you. The two of you have been brought up as miners, and I imagine that it would be the smarter move for one of you two to lead the expedition into a cave."

[Gamgee]

Baradum

"Hmmm what would a mirror be doing here? Well I think I am going to take another look at it. Does not seem to be too much trouble here so I think we can relax a bit."

Baradum looks at the mirror and he polishes it as best he can with a tiny piece of fabric he ripped off from his undershirt. As he polishes what appears to be a mirror he absent mindedly looks around the room trying to see if there are any other passages continuing on. he makes sure to go gently against the glass seeing as only some of the frame is still intact.

[happyturtle]

Deryni Ravenwood

Deryni is bored with this exercise, and wanders off down the main corridor with her lantern in one hand and pick in the other.

[Torger]

The central hallway opens into a large chamber with wings leading to the east and west. Across the chamber to the north yans a twenty-foot-wide open arch draped from top to bottom in translucent, undisturbed cobwebs. An eerie green light flickers from beyond the webs, casting a strange and flickering series of shadows about the room. The place smells of animal spoor and damp fur.

To the west, three short stairs lead to a wide marbled dias, but the far end of that wing is obscured by the palpable darkness.

Huge slabs of cracked masonry and irregular piles of debris are scattered about, choking the East wing, giving the appearance of a complete collapse.

The sibilant, almost human, whispering present in the corridor becomes an almost chorus of barely-heard chants, echoing and reverberating from the vaulted celings.

[happyturtle]

Deryni Ravenwood

Dery moves directly to the north, preparing to use her pick as a cobweb-dismantling device.

[de-trick]

Bamet will just look at the walls studing them some more

[SilentNight]

OOC:Hey all, I'm just back for the weekend to fence nationals, then I'm gone for another week.
Gazing around, seeming more relaxed by the larger chamber, Chakusa interjects, "Wait, wait. 'They stumble that run fast'. Should we not search that other passage? I seem to remember something on the ground."

Jeez guys, I'm gone two weeks and you rush through everything.

[Gamgee]

Baradum

"Okay now this sounds bad... or should I say smells. A faint sign of life in this dark place... be on guard. If we are lucky it will be nothing more than rats, I have a feeling luck is not with us though."

Baradum takes a few steps into the room with the green light surrounded by webs, he looks very rigid as if expecting an attack at any moment.

[de-trick]

with the note of there could be a attack on the group, Bamet makes sure he is close to the group, so he is not a easy target

[Torger]

Baradum fights his way through the ebbing, receiving a myriad of small spider bights and a face full of sticky webbing for his trouble, just in time to see a pair of mangy, underfed wolves emerge from the eastern rubble pile. Behind them comes a much larger, better-fed wolf with an old, ragged scar bisecting its grey-ruffed face.

Initiative rolls (In the OOC thread, please)

[de-trick]

initiative[roll0]

[Gamgee]

OCC: He said in the out of character thread ;) to roll that is.

[de-trick]

(OCC: sorry I jumped the gun on this one, sorry my bad)

[darkzucchini]

Rollin' intiative

[roll0]

[Torger]

Order:
Bamet
Big Wolf
Smaller Wolves
Marcellus
Deryni
Baradum

Round one.

Map (http://eilean.eastkingdom.org/images/AoW_A1_F1.JPG)

[de-trick]

Bamet will magic missile a smaller wolf on the right

[roll0]

Bamet's eyes start to glow, and Bamet enters a chant, Hoooww Chaaaaaa Maaaa his hands start to glow Raaaaaa Shhaaaaaaa and pure energy leaves his finger and hits a wolf

[SilentNight]

OOC:I don't know where Chakusa is in the order, or even if you're allowing me to stay in the game. Anyway,

Chakusa runs and launches a flying kick at the nearest small wolf.(charging)

Attack:[roll0]
Damage:

Whoops (with charge) [ROLL]1d20+7

[SilentNight]

Okay, lets try again.

[roll0]