< Stone Traps And Sorcery | Ex Pulplogs | Companionship In Captivity >
ST After having dealt with the minor defenses of the tomb and their aftermath the four Solars are left with only one thing to examine in the room: the tomb and corpse of Salt Jaguar.
Corve walks towards the corpse, placing his hands on the edge and frowning down at it. "Well... let's see if we can get something out of this..."
Carmine nods, looking at the corpse.
Captain Oteki "Ye might consider checkin' to be certain there be no other defenses, aforehand, mate. I doubt any o'yer other pals want to be losin' limbs."
Myrrh "Yeah...I don't think we want another repeat of that particular scene..."
ST Corve carefully investigates the corpse and its coffin for further defenses before touching anything within the stone box. Checking around the interior of the coffin carefully with his magically enhanced senses, Corve is able to detect no traps built into the substance of the tomb...but he does sense a flickering of Essence about the bones.
ST The Essence is not threatening, directed inward rather then outward it seems to defend from something within. Possibly because of its age the flows are fragile and fraying.
Corve "It's clean," he says carefully. "Something about the bones doesn't sit right with me, but without skills more specific to that sort of thing, I can't make anything detailed out. You want to try, Myrrh?"
Myrrh thinks for a moment and then picks up his...stone...limb. "I think I should...hold onto this. I don't want some evil sorcerer using this to curse me from across creation."
Corve "Probably wise."
Carmine "...That would be bad." Carmine says, bending down to study the body, trying to work out how he died.
Myrrh puts the stone limb into his bags, not sure how he's going to explain this one to Xar...he turns and examines the inside of the coffin, maybe there's some more writing in there.
ST Nope. Aside from the inscription upon the top of the coffin lid, the white stone box is completely blank.
ST Carmine's observations of the bones can only tell her so much with all the flesh gone but her best guess is that this man was a willing participant in his death since there are no wounds on his body and his gear is cleaned and polished. The bones show considerable damage inflicted upon him in the past and healed but none of the wounds remain fresh on the skeleton.
ST He was most likely killed by poison of some sort, judging from a slight discoloration in some of the bones.
Myrrh "Too bad he's probably reincarnated. We should just ask his ghost."
Myrrh examines the protective essence pattern around the corpses bones. maybe there's something they could use?
Carmine "He doesn't seem to have died a violent death at all ... perhaps he took poison?"
ST Myrrh can't determine much more then Corve did: the flows of Essence he can vaguely sense (not being able to see such things properly) are defensive, aimed inwards. Some sort of binding possibly. And they are very, very fragile.
Myrrh "I wonder why they would bind his corpse? He's properly intured, surrounded by grave goods..."
Corve "Maybe they don't want him to leap out and rip our throats off..."
Myrrh "Well then why put him here, and why put him in armor? If he was a threat when dead just seal his tomb away."
Corve "Beats me- but you know Dragon Blooded. They're not exactly the most practical of people..."
Carmine "Well, isn't he here as some kind of 'honour guardian' ... I think you said..."
Carmine "So he would need his armour and weapon to fight." that made sense to her, at least.
Corve nods slowly. "But then why is he /bound/, is the question."
Myrrh "Too bad Xar isn't here, he's a good sounding board."
Myrrh "Have you ever seen anything like this Oteki?"
Captain Oteki shrugs. "Ain't really my area o'expertise, there, mate. Robbin' tombs, sure, but the tombs themselves, not so much. Thouugh I probably wouldn't suggest disturbin' bones that th' Dragon-Blooded saw fit to entomb magically. Seems like askin' fer trouble."
Corve "Who says we're /asking/?"
Captain Oteki "I know I certainly ain't."
Carmine scuffs her feet boredly.
Myrrh "Well then let's see what he has on him...carefuly." Examines the grave goods of the tomb, maybe something they can use. he WAS a guardian after all!
ST Much as Corve gathered earlier the man's possessions include a suit of turtle-shelled White Jade armor and a White Jade weapon, both in excellent condition.
Myrrh "Odd that they would be intact when something rotted the other suits of armor...well best not to disturb him. We're only after one thing anyway. Carmine, care to help me put his lid back on?"
Carmine blinks then nods. "Oh, of course." She picks up one side of the immense lid
Corve helps as well. He's a lot stronger than he looks now.
ST With the lid back on the coffin and the corpse undisturbed it seems there is nothing else to do in this small dark room.
Myrrh dusts his hands, rubbing at his new shoulder momentarily. "Right, sounds like we've got more steps to climb!"
Corve "Well, let's get going then, and not waste any more time."
Captain Oteki "Aye, onward!"
Captain Oteki begins marching up the stairs!
Carmine walks out next to Corve.
Corve takes Carmine's hand and heads out of the room, ready to continue their quest to get powerful objects and save their friend.
Captain Oteki leads the way!
ST The stairway beyond the room still winds endlessly upwards to their goal of the tower's peak and still doorways into dark rooms exit the stairway every 100 steps.
Myrrh "They must really want to keep the place well protected..."
Captain Oteki "If ye want my advice, I say we head up to th'top an' see what there is to see, an' then make our merry way back down to check out these nigh-infinite number o'rooms."
Corve "That's not a bad idea. We're more liable to find something worth it up at the top, and it'll be easier to check the rooms while we leave."
Captain Oteki "That be my ken, Mr. Corve."
Myrrh "Sounds like a plan...too bad I didn
Myrrh 't plan for hiking under the sea..."
ST As the Circle passes the next door on the stairs without entering it that door and all the others vanish into the stone, leaving the Exalted to face a long climb along solid walls and unbroken stairs.
Myrrh "Oh."
Myrrh "Well so much for that plan?"
Carmine "Well, maybe they'll come back. Perhaps they were just distractions?"
Corve "Maybe. Whatever the reason, we've only got one door that matters now. Let's go," he says, starting the climb once more.
Captain Oteki keeps leading the way!
ST The four climb for hours, toiling up the stark stairway with nothing to look at but the stairs and each other. Despite the endless walking all four, even the recently traumatized Myrrh, maintain the pace.
ST It comes as a surprise when they reach the end of the stairs because the tower itself has not ended. But there are no more stairs to climb so this must be the end, right? A single door stands at the end of the stairs, leading into the grey stone wall and who knows what beyond.
Corve walks to the door, standing before it and tilting his head. "Everyone ready? There's no telling what there may be waiting behind it..."
Captain Oteki puts a hand on the door to push it open. "...Certainly an interestin' style o' construction. If'n somethin' behind this door blows me t'bits, someone best find a way to put me back t'gether."
Carmine "I can definately probably do that."
Captain Oteki grins. "Good enough fer me." he says, and tries to shove the door open.
ST The door opens and, surprisingly, nothing horrible happens instantly as a result. Instead Oteki is now looking out onto a green field under a bright blue sky spotted with clouds. In the distance there is a lone mountain, purple against the sky.
Carmine "..."
Captain Oteki grins again. "Like I said, certainly an interestin' style o' construction." he says, leaning forward and looking around to see what the door is attached to on the other side.
Corve "Oh, this is /wonderful/," he says, rolling his eyes as he steps slowly through the door. "Miles and miles to walk, still."
Myrrh "...does your past self know anything about THIS?"
Myrrh steps inside the chamber!
Corve "Probably not. Sixth doesn't know a lot about Brume, it wasn't even finished when whatever it is that capture what's in my head was done."
Carmine steps outinto the sunlight
ST The sunlight is warm and bright, a welcome change after the dark and cold interior of the stone tower. Looking backwards the doorway that leads into the stone tower is nothing but a tiny wooden hovel in this strange place.
Myrrh "Clearly it's some sort of...projection? You can't have portals to places..."
Corve "Says who?"
Captain Oteki leans back into the tower, and then back out into the sun, a couple of times. "I need to learn how to do this sort o'thing." he says with a grin. "I just know that by the end o'this I'll be sorely missin' me ship."
Myrrh "Because there would be obvious essence displays!"
Myrrh turns around and opens the door, looking on the other side.
Corve "It wouldn't be the first time something strange happened without an essence flare. Come on, let's get going."
Captain Oteki starts walkin'.
Carmine "WATCH! OUT!" Carmine shouts as she leaps through the air, Eminence flashing to her hands as she aligns herself for an attack, plunging the sunlight blade down into the grass.
Corve isn't slow witted- he just failed to notice. Carmine's call and movement alert him well enough, though, and he takes a mighty leap to the side, spinning as he draws his rifle and aims at whatever his lover is stabbing.
Captain Oteki ... jumps aside, gauntlet aglow with mystic lightning, and then... reorients himself, seeing as he has no idea what he's watching out for.
Myrrh being incredibly jumping having lost an arm not two hours ago, jumps backwards ontop of the hovel that represents the door back! "What?! What?!" unslings his massive rifle and looks around, almost paniced!
ST Carmine's blazing sword drives deep into the soft, rich earth of the field, sending up a plume of dirt, dust and burned grasses. But nothing reacts to the stabbing with pain or spraying blood. Very unusual.
Myrrh "What in the hell is going on?!"
Captain Oteki looks around. "So... what am I watchin' out fer, precisely?"
ST The grassy field, aside from a small wound, looks featureless and, well, grassy. Aside from a gentle breeze stirring the tops of the tall grass stalks there is no other movement in the grass. Even Carmine can't see anything...for the moment.
Captain Oteki continues glancing around furtively. "If'n there's somethin' out there, It be my suggestion that ye show yerself, an' avoid any o'the unpleasantness that be the likely result."
ST Nothing shows itself.
Myrrh "We...come in peace?"
Captain Oteki "We ain't gonna hurt ye unless we have to, right folken?"
ST Once again, there is no response.
Corve watches silently. If Carmine attacked it, he'd like to think there was a reason. He looks at her, raising a brow.
Carmine glares at the long grass, taking the time to ennact a charm that sets her blade humming.
Captain Oteki shrugs. "I tried."
Myrrh "We're here to collect an artifact to help save creation! Know about any of those?"
ST Still nothing.
Captain Oteki looks toward the mountain. "Well, I ain't really much in the mood for fightin' whatever ye might have seen, miss Carmine. My suggestion be that we pick a destination, an' start headin' for it, an' if something decides to choose violence over decent, good-hearted conversation, /then/ we start with the hurtin'. Aye?"
ST The bright intellects of the Solars seems to indicate their rival is either 1) hiding or 2) not capable or willing to indulge in speech.
Myrrh "Sounds better than standing around all day."
ST Or possibly Carmine is seeing things. She does that sometimes.
Carmine scowls at Oteki and stalks ahead of him, sword still drawn. If that ... thing ... should so much as breathe when she could hear it...
Captain Oteki "Aye, that be the gist o'me point, there, Myrrh. So, which way do ye want t'go?"
Myrrh "Mountain seems an obvious bet. Not like there's any other landmarks to follow."
ST Once Carmine sets foot in the grass, the creature...creatures? thing? things? reveals themselves! A multitude of thin, wire-like tentacles the color of the grass and dirt wrap around her ankles and exert a considerable force, attempting to drag her deeper into the grassy plain, away from her friends.
Corve catches up with Carmine, sighing and wrapping his arm around her waist. "What did you see, love?"
Corve "Ah, shit!"
Captain Oteki shrugs. "Mountain it be, then. Better'n no...bloody hell!" he shouts. "Hey, ye bloody things, give me back my new friend!"
Corve leaps back, aiming his rifle down at the little buggers trying to take his girlfriend. "Let he go!"
ST The camo'ed wire-tentalces are nearly invisible even to Carmine, thus explaining how hard they were for her to hit earlier!
Myrrh unable to see the thing at range Myrrh, concentrates his essence, his anima flaring instantly to life. He speaks strange incantations and strange hand movements.
Carmine shines with the purest light of dawn as the tentacles whip around her, great red gashes appearing on her skin, Eminence cutting out glowing golden arcs from the tentacles.
ST Three of the tentacles drop to the ground, flopping and flipping and finally laying still but more are out there in the grass, waiting to strike! Having tasted Carmine's blood the tentacle-wires seem unlikely to withdraw so easily.
Captain Oteki takes a running leap after Carmine, hoping to avoid getting caught in the grass before he can get to her and take a good swing at whatever's got her.
Captain Oteki lands near Carmine with a grin. "Ahoy thar!" he says, and raises his massively-gauntleted arm high over his head, bluish-white lightning coursing over it's surface, and then brings it down on the base of the vine-things holding her, carefully avoiding, you know, punching her in the feet.
< Stone Traps And Sorcery | Ex Pulplogs | Companionship In Captivity >
Stryck Wiki