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Post by The Man They Call Jayne on Mar 16, 2015 8:21:11 GMT 12
"You studied the lore of my god? What can you do? Can you conjure at all?"
Aliss was becoming aware that the newcomers actually thought she knew something about what was going on.
"I. . .don't actually know how it works. There are runes. Really powerful runes."
Aliss stretched her arms wide, as if length were a generally accepted representation of runic power.
"Really powerful. We even had a rune scholar look at them."
She looked over to the other traveler.
"I knew an artificer once, back in Darrow at the Collegiate. I think he kind of liked me because he made this staff for me. It lets me control simple mechanisms and things like that."
In truth, she wasn't sure exactly what she could do with the staff. She had never used the ability for anything more than playing with the watch to help her learn focus.
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Narric
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Post by Narric on Mar 16, 2015 12:51:13 GMT 12
"I was never gifted with the ability to utilise Rai-Tanes' power. My closest link is my Fireglass Arrows." Jason reached into his quiver at his hip, and softly pulled out a red flighted arrow to reveal the enmeshed obsidian point. "I did attend a Guild of Rai-Tane, I have since then been wandering alone. Most of my bounty hunting work has forced me to only use my bow and dagger, so my skill as an actual mage is no more than arcane knowledge."
Jason replace the fireglass arrow into his quiver.
"A powerful artifact sounds too interesting for it not to be common knowledge across Firma." Jason mused. "I wander how I've managed to miss such an important tip bit of news until now?"
Jason yawned.
"I think I'll catch myself a room for the night." He looked around at the filled to bursting Inn. "Though I think all the single rooms are going to be taken. Perhaps I could find someone to split a double room with?"
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Post by The Man They Call Jayne on Mar 16, 2015 13:01:24 GMT 12
"Murtan and I already have a room, but I am sure you will find somewhere to bunk down. I'm sure Talon here wouldn't mind, seeing as you have been travelling together."
Aliss wasn't even a little tired at the moment though.
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Post by Mabbz on Mar 16, 2015 22:19:51 GMT 12
China was already in her room, not having stopped to meet the performers. She had considered staying downstairs for a drink, but the number of people had persuaded her otherwise. She had been approached by two people just from walking across the room. Besides, she wanted piece and quiet to consider the mystery they had found.
As she considered the situation, she pulled out some paper and began writing a letter. It helped her think, and she needed to keep Lady Cyven informed anyway. She'd have a courier take it tomorrow.
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Mkoll
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Post by Mkoll on Mar 17, 2015 4:49:20 GMT 12
Murtan purchased another drink for him and Aliss as they continued chatting to the newcomers. From the talk of room arrangements it was likely to be the last of the evening, which meant he would probably end up escorting Aliss on one of her late night wanders. It was something he'd become used to, her impulsive nature meant that even when it was late she would wander off, her mind could rarely be occupied by anything that required being stationary. He'd tried teaching her regicide, draughts and a host of other games but none stuck.
Luckily, he liked wandering, especially as Aliss's ability meant he never needed to worry about being cold.
As he resigned himself to getting little sleep this evening he returned to the party and the conversation.
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Post by Mabbz on Apr 30, 2015 10:17:59 GMT 12
To the Lady Sigrun Cyven.
I arrived at my destination yesterday evening. The journey was for the most part without incident and the lodgings are acceptable, although the clientele is not as select as I could have hoped. This morning I took an ice barge to the site and began my investigations.
The dig site contains plenty of archaeological finds that more academic types would probably find fascinating. Much of it is simply old pottery and the like, nothing likely to be of interest. I did make some subtle inquiries of the "eye of a god" they discovered, which led to the only thing of interest I have found.
First of all, I can say with confidence that this has nothing to do with Ra-Tane. I have been able to speak with an expert who insists that our initial information was based on a flawed translation. Apparantly it should read "vision from above the heavens", and refers to a strange construction within the dig site.
We have only conjecture at this point, as the device is on a platform in the middle of a large cavern. Reaching it is proving difficult, as there is an abyss of unknown depth separating it from us, with no obvious means of crossing. Magick is of little use, as the platform has a number of runes on it, one of with is a drain rune. There is also the rune of eternity, the set rune and Nazara, the rune of sight.
From this information, as well as various other inscriptions that have been unearthed, the expert I found has drawn a few conclusions. Firstly, he believes the site to be a research facility, not a temple. Secondly, the construction was design to, in his words, "allow whoever stands in the right place to see something very, very far away. Something on the order of a magickal telescope, but orders of magnitude more powerful". Finally, he conjectured that the construction is linked in some way to another place - or, more precisely, an airship. While he cannot be certain until we reach the platform, he believes this would allow someone to see whatever was directly below the airship; a birds-eye view. As spying device, perhaps?
That is all the pertinent information I have been able to uncover thus far. I shall of course endeavour to keep you informed as and when more facts are forthcoming.
Your faithful associate,
China Sorrows
Satisfied, China rolled the message up and sealed it. In the morning she would find a courier to take it.
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Mkoll
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Post by Mkoll on May 7, 2015 10:18:40 GMT 12
As he woke Murtan thought back to the performance last night. He was still wondering how they'd gotten so many of the details so accurate, but he put it from his mind, they had more pressing matters. He got up of the floor, having insisted Aliss take the bed of the room, got dressed and gently shook her awake. A trick he had only recently learned how to do without being burned, slapped or at least yelled at.
"Rise and shine little one, work to be doing" he said as she half-opened her eyes. With that he went to get washed and organise breakfast.
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Post by The Man They Call Jayne on May 7, 2015 11:02:37 GMT 12
Aliss awoke with only a small amount of resistance to the idea of the day having to start.
"Uugh. Back to the diggings again? Isn't there something else we can do today? Maybe the dwarves need someone to patrol the ground and fight off bad guys or something?"
Under the sheets Aliss' arms were flailing around in a mock fighting style.
"You know, something that's fun?"
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Mkoll
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Post by Mkoll on May 7, 2015 11:19:43 GMT 12
"Well, if you don't get up you'll never know will you?" Murtan laughed as he came back from the washroom. "Come on lazybones, get dressed, I'll have breakfast waiting by the time you're downstairs."
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Post by The Man They Call Jayne on May 7, 2015 11:23:06 GMT 12
Aliss buried her head under the covers.
She really hoped it would be fun. She felt like she hadn't done anything but work and sleep in so long.
Pulling her self out of bed she got up,, got washed and dried, stripped off her night dress and into her usual robes.
Grabbing up her staff she headed down to the dining hall to get the usually very filling breakfast.
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Narric
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Post by Narric on May 7, 2015 11:40:40 GMT 12
Jason got up from the chair in the corner of his shared room. He managed to convince Talon to share a room with him. Months of travel made Jason feel uncomfortable in a proper bed, so he had opted to sleep in the chair provided in the room.
Jason sorted his gear out, and made sure to count his enmeshed arrows. In an Inn, there was no telling what kind of people lurked about, and these arrows were useful and starting to become sentimental. With everything sorted bar strapped to his back, he attempted to waken his room mate, poking him with the feather end on a normal iron arrow.
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Post by Mabbz on May 8, 2015 9:26:37 GMT 12
Morning came, and Jason, Talon, Aliss, Murtan, Gunnar and Bethany had breakfast together at one table, while China and Darius ate at a separate table nearby. Eventually, the conversation turned to the dig site.
“So what is it that you’ve found?” Talon asked Gunnar. “Aliss wasn’t much help last night.”
“Yer gonna be disappointed by me too, then. I came here looking for you, no’ lookin’ into them digs.”
“Rune guy knows more about it than me. Hey, um, Darius right?” Aliss leaned over and poked the professor. “What’s the thing on the platform?”
Darius appeared surprised by the sudden interest. “I believe it to be a magical viewing device of some kind; possibly a telescope, or some other way of viewing things from afar. Unfortunately I can’t tell in any detail until we find a way across. There is a draining rune on the platform which powers the device, but it also prevents us from reaching it through magical means. The builders would certainly have left a way across, but we haven’t found it yet.”
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Post by The Man They Call Jayne on May 8, 2015 10:33:03 GMT 12
Aliss was unsure as to how she felt today. Something felt different. She felt hopeful though, maybe a new god was smiling on them now, not that she would ever leave the service of Rai-Tane of course, still, a new god could be very helpful.
She rose from the table after Darius' explanation and stepped outside. Taking in the fresh air she stopped for a moment and leaned heavily on the wall.
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Mkoll
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Post by Mkoll on May 9, 2015 2:59:45 GMT 12
"I was wondering last night about that actually. We've been trying magickal means aplenty and made little progress. Do we know if anyone has thought to try a more mundane approach? Rope or ladders and such?" Murtan asked
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Post by Mabbz on May 9, 2015 4:53:22 GMT 12
"I believe I heard some talk about that a week or so ago," Darius replied, trying to remember. "I think they ran into some problems. You'd be better off asking the foreman."
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Mkoll
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Post by Mkoll on May 9, 2015 7:20:54 GMT 12
"The foreman?" Murtan asked "I'll do that. Gotta be easier than what we have been trying so far."
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Narric
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Post by Narric on May 9, 2015 8:24:08 GMT 12
"Hey, I know its not really why I'm in this next of the woods, but can I see whats so big and important about this digsite?" Talon was curious about what the hubbub was about. "If not, Maybe I'll find a nice quiet area and try and rekindle a spark of magic from Rai-tane."
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Post by The Man They Call Jayne on May 9, 2015 14:06:38 GMT 12
Aliss wandered around outside, growing restless already. She decided that the best thing to do would be to work off the energy by making something.
Moving away from the inn she found a nice clear patch of ground and began to work.
Her staff extended and eyes closed, she reached down into the earth and pulled, shaping and forming as she did so, and slowly, almost as if it had always been in the earth, not just made from it, a chair rose from it. It started off as something bulky and crude, but she formed the essence into finer and finer skeins, adding pyromancy as she went, cooking and hardening the clay like soil.
10 minutes later she had a sturdy, beautifully patterned chair, covered in symbols of Rai-Tane, wide enough for two people, or, in this case, for one person to lounge on while waiting for people to get on with the work of the day.
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Post by Mabbz on May 9, 2015 21:02:11 GMT 12
"You'd have to get on the ice barge first," said China. "The loadmaster wont let you on without papers."
"He might, if one of us vouches for him and he has a good reason to be there," Darius suggested. "What was it you said you did?"
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Narric
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Post by Narric on May 10, 2015 1:00:38 GMT 12
"I'm a Hired 'Sword' basically, though I have had studies under Rai-tane." Jason replied. "I'm not much of a scholar, but theres no telling what can happen, especially when seemingly bottomless pits are involved."
Jason chuckled a little. "But like I said, if there is no reason for me to check it out, or no way for me to even go there, then I'll just hang around the town for a day."
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