Second Darkness: Children of the Void [IC]

[lostsole31]

The party beds down, setting up watches as most makes sense based on who does or does not need specific rest for their abilities, though by the time you would move in the morning, you stay longer to insure that all have gotten good rest.

---

Wealday, 6 Desnus 4708 AR (New Moon)
Weather: 80/ 65F. Winds SW 20 mph. Dry.

Everyone wakes up to perform their daily routine.

Spoiler: Lev

Show

During your meditation, you are guided to think about the many life forces surrounding you, and that helps you to form a circlet that would aid you in saving lives, or taking them. You have unlocked the minor veil (head) circlet of life & death, that gives you the power of the orisons bleed and stabilize.

On a much more daily utilitarian note, not one so much for high adventuring but still a good minor veil to be aware of, you are guided to form a different pair of spectacles than the eyeglasses of magic sight you previously formed. These would help you in various writing needs, such as when you want to properly mark your musical compositions with your personal rune. You have unlocked the minor veil (headband) spectacles of the scribe, that gives you the abilities of the cantrips arcane mark and scrivener's chant.

Now the real work begins ....

Naysin feels like there is a close connection to not only the stars, but the void between them. Sickly green tendrils of akashic energy writhe and lash around your forearms clutching at anything that draws too near, the power forming from your wrists chakra. With this veil, you can disarm opponents without fear of creating an opening for a counterattack. You have unlocked the wrist chakra Embrace of the Old Ones, set up as a passion veil.

The next passion veil creates a deep, gnawing hunger in the pit of your stomach, giving you both a bite and a small extradimensional space. You have unlocked the neck veil Wolf's Hunger.

The one non-passion veil formed is one that on other days could be a passion veil, once you have already formed, and that helps heal others (or harm undead) ... immaculate touch. Today, however, you are shown how a touche might help calm somebody who is all riled up (per the Riled paladin mercy).

ALCON, Please let me know if you make any changes to your daily lineup...

[lostsole31]

In the morning, after everyone's morning routine is done, Maggie admits to the party, "We were so focused on fancy starmetal that if there was any, it was wrapped up in tons of not-fancy starmetal space-rock that blasted all over the place at the crater site. I think why I felt so off as the day went on .. and I'm so sorry for that ... was that I sensed that the very land was choked and poisoned by non-fertile rock ... covering, corrupting, and poisoning the blast site. It's not immediate, but in time, that whole blast site will go dead for generations before the soil is refreshed. And that is what I sensed ... the muteness of the life that is there that is doomed to die from suffocation and mineral poisoning."

She's in tears now, "And ... and there is some unhappy, unnatural presence that I can just sense outside of where I can really claim to know where it is ... but it is out there ... here, on this island. I will stay here to watch for survivors and to watch over the camp. Tonight, when Captain Creesy returns with the Flying Cloud, I will leave on it. This very island is poisoning the natural connection to my soul, and I can't do it."

[AggressiveBread]

Santiago listens solemnly before speaking up.
”Whatever powers poison this island Maggie, you have my word that I will root them out. Skymetal be damned. But, there is no shame in deciding to leave.” he addresses the rest of the party.”It looks like we’ll need to widen our search area. I think we should start with those campsites we saw last night.” He scratches his chin, thinking. “I also think we should find the siren’s cave, from the legend. It feels like a place that evil would gather.”

[meemaas]

Visto nods with that idea. "Visto agrees. Checking the camp Visto spotted would probably be a good idea. The Tower may also be connected."

[lostsole31]

Okay, which direction, then?

[meemaas]

As Visto had seen the camp far to the South-Southeast of where they were, he suggests the party go in that direction, even though it is a ways away from the crater we were here to explore.

[rypt]

"Goldhammer indicated that the Cyphermages were camped at Witchlight," Tsyra says without looking up from her sketchbook. "I assume this corresponds to the strange lights you saw last night. The other camp is thus likely to belong either to Slyeg's company, or Zincher's."

[AggressiveBread]

”Let’s pay a visit to the cyphermages then. If that’s acceptable to everyone.”

[lostsole31]

There is actually a well-marked path/dirt road heading in that general direction that you can begin to follow, assuming nobody wants to go crawling through trackless forest, allowing the party to to make good time. The party travels WSW for a little over a mile and a half when there is an eastern switchback to the trail.

Do you follow the trail heading E now, or try to go off the trail?

[AggressiveBread]

Peering into the surrounding area, Santiago points a gauntlet to the path”Let’s take the trodden path, it’ll be faster, and hopefully safer.”

[lostsole31]

Another 3/4 miles later, and it curves back sharply again to the southeast. Then, a quarter-mile later another sharp tack to the east .... all the while making the way southwards. At the next switch to the east, the party hears the sounds and smells to the south of an active campsite.

What do you do?

[meemaas]

Visto smiles, showing his excitement at meeting new Friends, but waits on the others to take the lead.

[AggressiveBread]

Santiago pauses for a moment, taking in the sounds. He looks to the rest of the party and quietly says, ”This must be one of the camps. Does anyone want to go first? If not, I’m just going to walk in. I’m keeping my weapons out. Just in case.” While he waits for a response he pulls out his flail and spiked shield. He keeps them down at his sides, but ready.

[lostsole31]

What does everyone else have in hand?

[Kvard51]

Lev smiles his biggest smile. "Let me go first.", he says. He begins walking toward the camp, hands empty and palms up. "Ho, the camp!"

[rypt]

Tsyra's expression sours as she observes Santiago drawing his weapon. "Must you bare your fangs?" she remarks in a rather unpleasant tone.

For her part, Tsyra will remain empty handed.

[bcool999]

Ozzy

Not expecting much of a conflict with the Cyphermages, Ozzy says, ”Caution is well and good. Just try not to make an enemy out of a possible friend Ago.”

Ozzy walks with his hands seemingly empty at his sides. His Storm Gauntlets being difficult to discern without essence in them.

[lostsole31]

Thus far, we've spoken about lateral travel, but now the party faces a difficult slog up a steep, overgrown trail that winds up the mountainous island. You find yourself at last atop the island’s highest peak, affording a peerless view of the Varisian Gulf. On particularly clear days, the distant haze of Riddleport can be seen to the northeast.

Worse, it seems your sensations betrayed you at a distant. For you do not hear the distant sounds of men's voices, but carrion birds. And you do not smell the warm smells of camp food, but of death. Each of you is absolutely sure you heard and smelled something more welcome, but what you see is the site of a massacre. Turkey vultures wheel in the sky above.

The collection of crumbling buildings that once comprised the largest settlement on Devil’s Elbow has long since fallen into disrepair, the recent impact having further damaged the buildings so that bits and pieces of the internal walls have collapsed. None of the buildings save the tower retain a complete roof. The stone-walled buildings themselves have weathered the passage of time rather well.

This must be Witchlight, now abandoned and ruined. The only structure with a roof and solid footing remaining is the old watchtower, the first and best-built structure on the entire island. Yet even it has suffered from the passage of time and the recent impact.

[meemaas]

Visto takes to the sky to get a better view of the area before everyone starts exploring the abandoned camp.

[AggressiveBread]

Santiago surveys the grim scene, he doesn’t seem overly shaken, but his grip on his weapons tightens. He speaks in a dead serious tone, like a veteran.”I hate to say a told you so friends, but I don’t see many new friends here. My gods, this is gruesome.”

[lostsole31]

Visto comes back to give his report on what he's seen of the layout ...

[AggressiveBread]

Looking toward the closest building, Santiago draws himself up to his full height as he did when searching the crater yesterday. Making his party feel bolder.
”Stay close to me. Abadar will protect you from fear and other threats. Let’s start with this building” Santiago starts moving toward the building to the south, but he sticks close to the party.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Santiago uses indomitable presence.

[lostsole31]

The party follows Ago up to the door. A portion of the slate-covered roof of this stone house has collapsed into ruins—but the rest of the roof seems to be intact.

[rypt]

Tsyra is no stranger to violence, but this kind of fresh, wholesale slaughter is almost wholly foreign to her. As she follows along with the others, her stride is less certain than it has been previously, and to those keen enough to notice, it is apparent that there is deliberate effort being put towards maintaining her composure.

"Why were they called Cyphermages?" she asks in a low voice as they approach the building.

Should she pass within 10 feet of a body, she will move to examine it for any wounds and attempt to determine the manner in which it was killed.

[lostsole31]

Sol answers Tsyra while Ago decides whether or not to open the door or do something else. "As you may know, Riddleport's big tourist attraction is the massive Cyphergate that forms the upper part of a perfect concentric ring in the harbor. One of those ancient mega-ruins, if you know anything about them. In fact, it was a lower part of the Cyphergate that the purple-skinned elf had found and was doing excavation around when our group chased her away ... at the cost of Ago's brother's life.

"Anyway, for some untold number of years, this Cyphergate - with its weird symbols on it - has been a curiosity beause nobody could ever quite figure out what it really was or its purpose. A whole branch of magical study popped up in Riddleport to study the arch, and in doing so, study all manner of written magical forms ... glyphs, sigils, wards, and what-not. Those guys are the Cyphermages out of the Cypherlodge. In fact, two people that used to work at the Goblin ended up going there to study."

[AggressiveBread]

Seeing everyone is situated where they want to be. Ago will open up the door.

[lostsole31]

Ago opens the door, and has to step in to see anything the way the door is situated. Nothing. In fact, you could have bypassed the door as the entire SE corner has fallen in.

[AggressiveBread]

Santiago will start making his way through the building, taking stock of there’s anything noteworthy. Afterward, he makes his way through the hole toward the building south of him.

[lostsole31]

Ago, you enter the building, but while you're in the building, you sense that you are in a very dangerous place. You have not had time to do any kind of search. What do you do?

[AggressiveBread]

Santiago will step back outside the way he came. He’s going to try and figure out what had him on edge.