sarlon
Lotipac City stands as a shining example of light and balance.  Those who live within the city are members of the government, their families, and any assistants (slavery is illegal) and household staff.   Heads of the 9 churches of the 9 ancients have their headquarters here and most clerics do a pilgrimage at one point in their life.   Most of the major guilds have an office here as well.

Guards keep the peace in the city and poverty is almost nonexistent here, though there is a definite class system in place.

This summer is coming to an end and its been long and hot with little to no rainfall all summer, the air seems heavy and still, with fall and the harvests just weeks away, many are looking forward to cooler temperatures and snowfall that will bring some moisture to the land.  For now, merchants are offering cold drinks, and light clothing for sale, though crops are smaller and more withered than normal causing food shortages.   This is a problem all over the world not just in this city.  Even the mountain tops in the northern lands that have snow on their tops all year long have seen melting, and the great elven forests that are almost always green except in deep winter, have seen trees dying from lack of rain.

There is little activity going on in town as you arrive in early afternoon as people escape to building to escape the unbearable heat for this late season, even the guards don't move around as much.
Imladir
        Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
 		Lotipac. It wasn't so bad for such an important city. Not as good as her own woods of course, but then again nothing was. At least there weren't that many people and it was reasonably clean. The heat though was almost unbearable and she was ready to bet the local would complain about it endlessly, without once thinking about all the trees that had been chopped down to make some room for their city. Granted, the trees in her own forest weren't faring all that well themselves, but still…
		
		When she entered the city itself, Alyndra was riding an horse-like creature with smoke colored, insubstantial hooves that made no noise on the streets' pavement. A donkey was following the horse, looking completely disinterested by what was going on around it. While it didn't seem to mind the saddlebags - they didn't look all that heavy in the first place - it seemed to be hot and probably wouldn't refuse to stop for water. The young elf herself was wearing some nice - but light - clothes showing quite a bit of skin, with a colourful scarf around her neck and a large white hat on her head.
		
		When she finally arrived in front of the building where the council's chambers were located, Alyndra directed her mount to the nearest guard.    “Good afternoon. The council is expecting me.”    She showed the letter and her guild's stone.    “If you could direct me, I would appreciate it. Oh and where can I find some shade and water for Jasper here?”    She indicated her donkey whose ears perked at the mention of water. 
 
  
ShadowImmor
Casmir meanders into town, slowly, but purposefully trudging towards the city. His brown hair in a half up/half down style, and his backpack heavy one his shoulders.

He dabs his brow with a already very damp handkerchief in an attempt to get rid of the sweat that is building up near constantly, though he still has a wide smile on his face, which doesn't appear to be leaving. He keeps himself to himself, but moves through the town with purpose, looking for someone to direct him.

" Hello sir, could you please point me to the Council Chambers? "

The guard looks up at the weary looking traveller and frowns, as if not certain that this man standing before him is the right sort who should be meeting the Council. Casmir moves his hand with a practiced deftness and produces both the letter, and a blue gemstone that indicates his good standing. The guard nods, and gives Casmir directions. Who immediately begins trudging off towards where the council meet, easily putting both the letter and the gemstone safely away.

As he approaches the building the Council are supposedly meeting in, he takes out the handkerchief one more time and dabs it across his forehead, and realising it's already full of sweat, he attempts to wring it out, before patting his forehead with it again.

He then knocks on the door, and waits.
sarlon
When both of you present yourself to the council chambers, another guard asks for your letter and stone again, this time touching the gem to one built into a bracer on their wrist.  instead of turning the clear stone that anyone else touching it would happen to, it instead flares to a brighter color before a symbol flashes through it for just a brief moment.  With a nod, they open the chamber door and allow you entry into the chambers.

This large room could easily hold hundreds of people in tiered seating facing down towards a large stone table behind sit 8 chairs flanking a large and extravagant chair sitting at the center table.  Though neither of you has ever been in this room, you know that most government meetings are open to the public at any time.

Sitting in the center chair looking tired and very old is Almira, head of the world government (also a god on this world), shes shuffling papers in front of her and shaking her head.  As you both enter, she looks up and smiles with a warmth that touches your soul and makes you feel very comfortable.

standing she speaks and gestures to some seats near her, "Thank you both for coming...I cannot stress the importance of this mission that I am to be sending you both on.  The balance of our world is off, the elements that control our balance are not intuned with each other...I am sending out small groups of adventurers to find out what is going on while we and others in the Mages' guild search for ways to get everything back in balance."

She walks towards you and says in a deeply weary voice, "We came to this world long before your ancestors were born to find peace...if this balance isn't brought back together, our world will be destroyed.  We do not wish to cause a panic though...you will be reporting to myself or one of my assistants on your progress, and be paid as per your standing with the guild.  I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping this under wraps for now, we do not want to cause a mass panic.  Do you have any questions before I give you your first mission?  And please, speak freely."

She stands waiting hands folded before her, a scroll of paper in her hands.
Imladir
     
     Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra nodded to Casmir in greetings, and the way she did it, it seemed that she knew who he was. She cocked an eyebrow at the check the second guard performed on her gem but didn't say anything, curious but not intrigued enough to ask about it. She was however quite surprised to be received by Almira.

        She went to the indicated seat as she listened quietly to what the government's leader had to say. While trying to find the cause of whatever imbalance made sense to her, trying to have the Mages' Guild find a solution sounded a bit premature: if you didn't know the cause of a problem, how could you try to fix it? Though maybe those efforts were focused on addressing the symptoms of the problem for the time being. That would make sense she supposed.

        Asked if she had questions, Alyndra nodded.    “Who are those assistants we can report to?”    She eyed the scroll in Almira's hands curiously.    “You mentioned others were on similar missions, I suppose any communication is to go through you or your staff? Finally, can we request the guilds' help if needed? I know Casmir here is competent,”    even if he was barely more than a child she thought,    “but depending on what we need to do to get the answers we seek, just the two of us might not be enough.”    
 
  
ShadowImmor
Casmir returns the greeting of his apparent new partner, a smile playing across his face and lips.

Casmir remains silent, his brow furrowed in a thoughtful way, as he considers, he doesn't say anything for a while, allowing Alyndra's questions to be asked, and answered.

Afterwards he speaks. " Where are we going, and what do we know about it? After all if this whole world is dying it must be somewhere... else. It would be good to know if we DO know anything at all, so we can prepare for it. "
sarlon
"I will introduce you to my primary assistant, a delightful halfling by the name of illidari.  He reports only to me, and is good about keeping his mouth shut.....well in regards to private matters....he should be here shortly to be introduced."

"As for guild assistance, I would rather you go through myself or illidari, we would keep this knowledge among a small group for now.  If the need arises, I can bring needed assistance."

"I am sending you to the northern ranges where an ancient temple dedicated to shantu.  Has been used in centuries, but it's one of the keystone's of our world.  You are to investigate and report back anything that seems off about it."
Imladir
     
     Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Illidari?”    Alyndra nodded.    “Understood. For the guilds, I wasn't planning on giving any details. I was more thinking of…”    The young elf spent a moment to think about it.    “Well, if we'd need to deal with a group of bandits because they're sitting on information we urgently need for example. Or because we'd need someone to…acquire…or reacquire should I say…something without making a fuss. The sort of things that don't imply giving anyone any information about the over all situation, but where waiting for a request to reach you and the answer to come back would be impractical.”    Alyndra stretched her hands to the side with a moue.    “Maybe there won't be any such situations, but it's always best to be prepared.”   
   “Anything that seems off?”    Alyndra seemed a bit doubtful. After a second though, she grinned and looked at Casmir.    “Well, it looks like that one will be on you. You're far more likely to notice suspicious things in an old temple than I am.”    
 
  
ShadowImmor
Casmir looks mock offended.

" Shantu's temples are never dangerous! They're merely... designed to restrict access... "

He smiles widely.

" It'll be exciting! " He turns to Almira. " Where is it we'll be going? Do we have any information on it at all? Or are we... " he indicates himself and Alyndra. " ... the first to go exploring. "
sarlon
"you two will be the first up there that we have known for over 5000 years, I cannot promise it is entirely empty.  It lays beyond the northern most clan borders at the foot of an ancient volcano.  Some recent earthquakes may have disrupted some of the structure, and any number of creatures may have moved in."

She holds up the scroll to one of you, "these are the original plans from when the temple was originally built. It may have been altered, shantu is known as a bit of a trickster....you are a cleric of his, you should know it all to well."

"This is a simple search and bring back information, the two of you should be sufficient....if the temple is no longer a viable place for the balance, bring us word as soon possible. Once we have a better idea of things we will see what can be done."

She holds out her hand and asks for your guild gems, momentarily.
Imladir
     
     Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra nodded.    “We'll look into this.”    She took the scroll but didn't bother opening it yet as they'd have time for that on the way and handed her gem in return, curious to see what Almira was going to do with it.

        She briefly considered asking about her book, but quickly decided not to: were would be the fun in that? Instead, she started to think about what she knew of the region around the temple and plan the best route to get there as soon as possible. 
 
   
 
 

 Knowledge (Geography):    19   
 
  
ShadowImmor
Casmir nods and hands over his gem.

" This is going to be exciting... I'm always up for an adventure! "

He watches and waits to see what she does with the gems.
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah jogs up to the guard in front of the Council building. Despite the heat, she's barely sweating, despite her gleaming armor and the heavy pack on her back. Her red gem is mounted on her right shoulder, and her black hair is tied in a tight bun. She reaches into her pack and pulls out a binder, rifles through it, and pulls out a letter.

 "Raidah, I'm here for the meeting. If I could just get by..." 

She smiles warmly, inviting the guard to smile with her.
sarlon
The guard's face is as immovable as if carved from solid granite, looks at the letter then holds out his hand for your gem as well.  Like the others, it flares briefly with a strange symbol flashing for just the briefest of moments.  The guard nods then stand aside and hold open the door for you indicating to enter and hand you back your gem and letter again.

---------------

Almira holds both of your gems in her hand and fidgets with them briefly before her attention is drawn to the sound of the door opening in the chamber behind you.  She smiles and welcomes the newcomers and gestures you to come down to join them.

Before she can open her mouth to speak further, another door opens from behind her chair and a tall stack of papers and books walks into view with a pair of leather-clad legs under the papers.

"Lady Almira. I'm so sorry I'm late!  Hope I didn't miss meeting the new kids!!!"  The high pitched voice from behind the stack sounds childish, but a well-dressed halfling sets the stack on the table and bows formally to the group in general, hands behind his back rocking just slightly in his eagerness.  His clothes are well worn but still elegant in appearance.  His jet black hair his stylishly cut in a modern fashion and his serious demeanor are offset by a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Almira closes her eyes and takes a deep breath (you can ALMOST hear her rolling her eyes) before she smiles and gestures to the group.

"I believe there is one more expected, Lady Elva is not one to keep us waiting if she can help it. I did not think she would be able to come, but..."  She gives a small shrug.  "Why don't you introduce yourselves to each other while we await her arrival."
DeTess
Elva hurried through the streets of Lotipac, all the while cursing the feline that had delayed her so much. How had it even managed to get that high up into the clock tower anyway? And couldn't those kids have kept a better eye on their cat in the first place? And for that matter, couldn't she have just ignored their request in the first place?  'Chronic hero syndrome? No,  you 've got chronic hero syndrome'  she muttered to no one in particular.

She arrived at the council building gasping and just about ready to collapse.  "Hi... *pant* sorry, one... *gasp* second."  After taking a moment to catch her breath, she addressed the guard again  "I'm Elva, My presence was requested here?"  She pulled a letter from her blue tunic, together with a small pendant set with a black stone and presented both to the guard.
sarlon
The guard takes your gem and goes through a similar thing with checking the gem, before nodding and opening the door just as Almira is saying about waiting for you.
DeTess
 "I'm so sorry for being late! There was a... actually, never mind."  Elva quickly caught herself. She didn't want to sound like she was making excuses, and being late to the meeting because she had decided to rescue a cat from a tower along the way was a pretty poor excuse to begin with. Instead, she quickly straightened her blue tunic and tried to restore a modicum of professionality to her bearing.
Imladir
     
     Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra looked up in Raidah's direction, then turned to Almira's assistant, Illidari she supposed. She cocked an eyebrow at the mention of the " new kids ", pretty sure that - excluding Almira herself - she was older than all of the others combined. In fact, she knew perfectly well that barely a few years ago, Casmir had only been a baby. Granted, she was young for an elf, but still.  Kids …

        None of that prevented her from answering to the halfling's bow with a polite nod, but before she had the time to say anything, someone else arrived a bit out of breath.    “Well, it looks like my questions about the guilds' help was a bit premature.”    Turning to the two newcomers, she added.    “I'm Alyndra, this is Casmir.”   

        The young elf seemed to hesitate for a second as she glanced at Almira, but in the end simply decided to stop there and let her brief the two humans females about what would be their mission. Plus, it allowed her to focus on her stone in Almira's hands. 
 
  
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah shows no indication she has even noticed that she's late as she smiles at Alyndra.

 "Good to meet you. I'm Raidah. I assume you'll be the one keeping us safe from all manner of magical nastiness?"  
ShadowImmor
Casmir simply makes a gesture from the top of his head with two fingers by way of saying "hello" since he's been introduced, though he wonders how the elf knows who he is... as he doesn't remember meeting her, but that's not in of itself odd.

He looks to the newcomers, and smiles genially, and wants to put them at ease.

" Looks like we'll be visiting my god's temple. It should be exciting! If it's not been used in 5,000 years it will be quite a change! "
DeTess
 "An old temple? Those are always interesting! Though..."  A frown crossed Elva's brow.  "I do hope traps aren't  literally  part of your god's portfolio? I was once asked to retrieve some old scroll from an old abandoned fane dedicated to a minor god of traps and vaults and such. That was ...exciting... but not exactly something I'd like to do again." 
Imladir
     
     Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra tilted her head to the side - and a bit upward considering her size - as she considered Raidah.    “I don't know about keeping you safe, but I can try to make sure the other guy suffers from more ' magical nastiness ' than you do.”    Though neither were really her specialties…

        At the mention of traps, the elf grimaced, obviously not finding the idea particularly exciting. After a brief glance at Almira, she added.    “The temple is a ' keystone ' ensuring that the world remains stable. Said balance has been disturbed recently - the current heat wave being one of those disturbances I suppose - and it may have to do with earthquakes in the vicinity of that temple. We're being sent there to see if the temple has been impacted - or if anything there seems ' off '. It apparently hasn't been used in 5'000 years, but the earthquakes could have weakened the structure and allowed local creatures to wander in.”    She paused for a second, making sure she had gone over all the main points, then concluded.    “We're merely to gather information and report back.”   

        Alyndra waved the unopened scroll.    “Those are the original plans of the Temple. It might not have much to do with the actual layout, but…”    She shrugged.    “It's a start.”    
 
  
DeTess
 "Heh, I had been wondering if something was off about the weather. But then again, I wonder that just about every summer."  Elva shrugged. She really didn't like the hot weather much, preferring the colder temperatures of spring and autumn.

 "If this temple really is so important then we'd best get going as soon as possible. You.."  at this, Elva nodded towards Alyndra  "...and Casmir can fill us in about the particulars on the road, right?" 
NotASpiderSwarm
 "5,000 years with nobody coming by once a week to water the plants? Yes, the place could be a bit run down by now." 

Raidah looks around more nervously than her jovial tone would suggest.

 "Well, no time like the present. Unless there's anything more you have for us about what we're walking into?" 

She looks expectantly at Almira and Illidari.

Also, Knowledge:History for anything Raidah knows about this temple or why it's been abandoned for so long:
 (1d20+8)[ 20 ] 
ShadowImmor
Casmir shrugs, a smile on his face.

" I can try... but as you can probably guess it's a little older than me, and so I won't know much about this specific temple. However I can perhaps fill you guys in on generic stuff. "

((Knowledge (Religion) -  (1d20+3)[ 13 ] ))
sarlon
Almira gestures everyone to sit, first asking the two newcomers to give her their gems.

"10,000 years ago, your ancestors settled this world when our old one died from a magical war.  When we settled this world the gods decided we did not want a repeat of history and created 5 magical locks on this world to keep the outsiders from finding us in our new home.  Shantu, Alturist, Kol'nari, Lamatu, and I each took one of our temples in the corners of the world and used them as keystones of the world and grounding points for the wards.  We felt it best to not draw attention to these places and removed all personnel beyond a caretaker."

"I will be sending you as close as I can...roughly a one day hike up the mountain.  Direct teleportation is forbidden due to the magical nature of the temples.  Despite the heat in the lower altitudes, I'd suggest gathering some warmer clothes, nights up in those ranges can drop quite quickly this time of year."

as shes talking them gems in her hands, she has been rolling around almost in a nervous gesture, though nothing in her posture or manner suggests otherwise. As she finishes she opens her palms with 2 gems in each hand, and they begin to glow hovering above her hands and spinning rapidly.  She does have a moment of surprise when a symbol flashes from each of them that lasts only a mere heartbeat before vanishing again.  When she hands them back to each of you, you see her symbol has now been etched into the gem with elegance.  (her symbol is a tower with 2 dragons entwined around it). ShadowImmor, yours is only slightly different, incorporating Shantu's symbol into that design.

"These have now been marked with my personal blessing.  When you return to report, this will allow the guards to know that you are under my orders to be seen without a formal appointment."



 
 Spoiler: Shadowimmor (knowledge religion check):  
Most of Shantu's temples are the same with some minor variance, he is a god of travel and mediators, so often his temples resemble inns and courthouses.  Often travelers of any religion can request a room for a small donation to the temple, and they provide local support to the local law enforcement.
 

 
 Spoiler: notaspiderswarm (knowledge history check): 
Almira pretty much explained what you might of known, but these temples were never fully given a public reason why they were abandoned, so you now know more than whats commonly known.
 
DeTess
The gravity of their job was slowly starting to sink in for Elva as she received her pendant back from Almira. This was sounding more and more like a job with some very high stakes riding on them. Still, she wasn't going to let that get her down.

 "Ehm, Lady Almira? you mentioned something about a caretaker being left at each temple? If something was going on, shouldn't the caretaker have send out some message by now? And if he couldn't what would it take to incapacitate them? I don't think the caretaker for a place like this would just be some crusty old hermit or something." 
Imladir
     
     Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Hmm, sure.”    Alyndra nodded to Elva.    “Though at this point I think we went over pretty much everything we both know.”   

        The elf smirked at Casmir ' supposition ' that the temple was  'a little older'  than he was but didn't say anything about that. The story Almira told wasn't anything new to her of course, but hearing it from her directly was something else entirely of course, but while she really wanted to ask questions about that, it didn't seem to be the right time so she could only hope to be able to some other time. When the goddess explained she'd teleport them, Alyndra mumbled a    “Nice.”    That would certainly take care of most of the trip.

        She seemed fascinated by what happened to her gem when she was given it back, trying to pierce its secret for a moment, barely paying attention to what was said next. After a moment she placed the gem back where it belonged, then asked once Almira had answered Elva's question she said with a look at the others.    “So I suppose we'll come back tomorrow just after dawn to be sent there? We should have the time we need to prepare clothes and whatever we need before night fall, right?”    
 
  
sarlon
((sorry guys, I thought I posted before I went to bed last night))

"We don't know why the caretakers have suddenly stopped reporting to us, they are fairly reclusive, to begin with.  Shantu's caretaker is named Albright, a human of rather interesting background....he should still be tending the grounds and keeping the locals entertained."

"I've booked you all rooms at the Dire Rat here in town down near the city center,"  Illidari speaks up, "report to me tomorrow morning after breakfast, and I'll get you on your way."

 
 Spoiler: Geography check that DM missed entirely 
The range they are describing can only be situated at the base of the Dragon's Breath Volcano, an ANCIENT volcano that hasn't seen activity since before your known history, occasional rumbles of earthquakes are not uncommon in that mountain range (mild plate tectonic activity, but that's a foreign concept to your character).  Mostly settled by Dwarves and gnomes with a RARE human settlement in that area.
 
ShadowImmor
Casmir nods, his face breaking out in a bright smile as he takes his gem back, he looks at it with bright interest for just a moment, before putting it away and clearly resolving to looking into it later.

" It sounds like a wonderful adventure, and free room and board. Very good! Albright, excellent. Sounds like a smart fellow... " He waits to see if anyone gets the joke before continuing. " Either way, a nice bed and some good food definitely wouldn't go amiss. I'm sure this inn will provide us room and board worthy of Shantu. "

He stretches in place.

" Is there anything further we need or you can tell us before we head off for the night? "
NotASpiderSwarm
Something in Almira’s latest statement made Raidah jump, but she just buckled down and returns to the matter at hand.

 Well, this all certainly seems well-planned. Certainly nothing for me to worry about except smacking the occasional starving wolf on our way there and back. Let’s go get that free dinner.  

She takes her gem back and slots it into the mount attached to her armor, where it glows for a moment against the polished steel.
Imladir
     
     Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         One of Alyndra's eyebrows rose noticeably when she heard the name of the inn: it wasn't the kind of name she'd have given an inn in Lotipac, that was for sure. After a second, she nodded to the halfling.    “Alright.”   

        Her thoughts turned to the geography surrounding the temple, Alyndra hoped the current troubles wouldn't escalate to the point were the volcano blew up… or at least, not while they were anywhere near it. She was drawn from her thoughts by Casmir's pun about Albright which made her roll her eyes.    “Nothing that comes to mind, no, but unless you don't need to get anything like clothes for a cold night, it'd be better to take care of that before going to bed. Good thing that it's early enough.”   

        She nodded at Raidah.    “But it probably wouldn't hurt to check-in at the inn at least.”    Turning back to Almira, she bowed slightly but respectfully.    “We'll do our best.”    To Illidari, she said.    “See you tomorrow then.”   

        After that, she started to walk back up to exit the room. 
 
  
sarlon
Those who go clothes hunting or warm weather gear hunting:

You won't have to much issue, a few funny looks from merchants who's have mostly summer wear out still.  Nothing fancy but easily obtained. (Half cost of whatever is in the dmg, there's no demand for it right now).

The dire rat:

You are wondering if this building is even safe to enter. The two story building looks like a sneeze would knock it over and the grimey windows hardly let any light through.  Once you enter though, the place is amazing. Easily 7 or 8 stories tall, marble floors kept perfectly clean, laughter and music coming from a set of wide open double doors off to one side (a quick glance shows a tavern setting with drinks and live music).  A young human male stands behind the check in desk and smiles warmly at your entrance.  Featured prominently in this entry way is a huge tapestry, showing a group of obvious adventurers the orc holding up by it's tail an unmistakable dire rat.  Featured also in the piece is a red dragon sitting on it's haunches, an elf, a dwarf, a human, and a halfling.

The human behind the desk smiles warmly and asks how he can assist you?
DeTess
Elva had to suppress a smile on seeing Alyndra's response to the name of the establishment they'd be staying at. She'd visited the Dire rat before, and despite outwards appearances, it was nothing like the name would suggest. Still, as much as she wanted to see the elf's response when she saw the Dire Rat's interior for the first time, she really wasn't going to ignore the excuse to pick up some new clothes first.

 "I'm going to do some shopping first. I'll see the rest of you at the inn!"  She said, as she hurried for the exit.
Imladir
     
     Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         As soon as she exited the council's building, Alyndra went to get her Jasper, her donkey. When she rejoined the others, they could notice that the donkey wasn't the only one she had fetched: a black cat was sleeping on the back of the donkey, lazily opening its eyes to look at the strangers before closing them again. Surprisingly, anything more than a cursory glance allowed to notice that this cat had feathery wings. It seemed perfectly unperturbed by the movements of its mount.

        At the shop Alyndra had accompanied Elva to, she bought a change of clothes: she didn't think she needed it, having two already to walk in the forest, but it wouldn't hurt to have another one, especially for the night. She placed her purchases in the donkey's bags, then headed to the tavern.

        Barely a couple of steps in, she mumbled    “Uh, that'll teach me to judge based on apperance…”    She shook her head then stepped to the desk, studying the tapestry on the way. When she reached her destination, she nodded and said.    “Good evening. We should have rooms already booked for the night?”    
   
 
  
 
 I think I already know what the tappestry is about, but…
Knowledge (History):  (1d20+7)[ 19 ]   
 
  
NotASpiderSwarm
As soon as they left Almira's chambers, Raidah started walking faster, mentioning 'packing to do' with a wave. She showed up at the Dire Rat just before dinner, slipping her beltpurse inside her tunic before she walked through the door. That brought her to a stop, and she turned to take in the full view before approaching the desk.

 Hi, yes, I believe a halfling made a reservation for me? 

Knowledge: History for the tapestry as well.
 (1d20+8)[ 14 ] 
ShadowImmor
Casmir also quickly shoots of too collect some cold weather gear, better safe than sorry, and better not to rely on magic if it can be avoided, leaving the magic available to do other things.

He joins the group as they enter, and waits to see what the human says, a big goofy looking grin on his face.
sarlon
 
 Spoiler: Knoledge history on people in the tapestry 
This is very obviously the group of heroes that helped find and settle this world (according to the history books).  You've seen formal paintings of them before and this seems to more a candid thing they did for laughs.  There is no public knowledge of why that orc, who is so famous, is holding a dire rat by the tail, or any stories of him and dire rats, so you can safely assume there's an inside joke somewhere.  The halfling you SWEAR looks like Illidari that you met earlier today, but since this was 10,000 years ago, you might shrug it off as maybe he's a descendent of him...all halflings look alike anyway right?
 


The young human asks for each of your names before consulting a book before him, a slight frown creasing his face.  Then he brightens and picks up 3 sets of keys, and asks if you have any mounts that need stabling or any luggage that needs carrying to your rooms.  He rings a small bell and you feel a presence stand near each of you (unseen servant spell).  He leads you to a set of rooms near each other and opens each door with a simple iron key that he presents to you.  Each of your rooms is uniquely different, literally your ideal room (hard or soft bed, lavish or simple furnishings, etc).  He explains that the evening meal, and the morning meal and unlimited drinks are included down in the tavern and the meal would be served in a few hours.  He would be on shift till 3rd watch if they needed anything and to feel free to ask if something can be arranged.

He then bows formally and leaves you to your own devices.
NotASpiderSwarm
 "Thank you, this is all perfectly acceptable." 
Raidah leaves a tip with the clerk and almost removes her pack, then hesitates and reshoulders it to carry it to her room. Once there she unpacks a couple key items and sets them on a nearby table, unrolls her bedroll on top of the mattress, and calls for a bath.

Maybe an hour before dinner she heads down to the bar, wearing another set of her working clothes(sleeveless tunic, sturdy pants, no armor or pack), but with her black hair loose and basic makeup on. She orders a quality, but not actually expensive, white wine and looks for anyone she recognizes.
ShadowImmor
Casmir removes his backpack and places it on the ground, breathing a soft sigh as he is no longer carrying the weight. He allows his belongings to be taken up to his room and looks dumbstruck by it.

" I have got to find out how they did this, Shantu would love us to be able to do this sort of thing! "

He spends a bit of time sorting himself out and utilising the room and it's books before realising he should head down for a drink and food. He heads down to the main drinking area, book under his arm so he has something to read if no one else turns up. He orders a nice flavour filled ale from the bar and sees Raidah and heads over to her.

" Good evening! You decided to avail yourself of the free drinks too I see? "

He is wearing relatively plain clothes, but embroided on the breast in a shield shape is the sigil of Shantu.
DeTess
Elva arrived at the Dire Rat a couple of hours behind the others, having taken her time to put together a cold-weather outfit that wouldn't just keep her warm, but that also looked good, at least as far as she was concerned. Which meant clothes that where both elegant and functional, with plenty of pockets, and most important of all, they where all in various shades of blue.

After putting away her pack in her room and swapping her street clothes for a fashionable blue dress, she went down to the bar to join her companions-to-be.

 "So, nice place, isn't it?"  she greeted Casmir and Raidah with a smile.
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah smiles at both of them.

 ”This place is excellent. I wish we could really take advantage of it, but with work in the morning, that would be such a bad idea.”  Raidah takes a drink and sighs with regret.  ”Definitely a bad idea.” 

Raidah glances around to see if there’s anyone listening.

 ”So, just how much do you think our new boss isn’t telling us?” 
DeTess
 "Not much, I think. At least nothing that directly relates to our job."  Elva shrugged. She expected anyone hiring people from the adventurers guild to have the common sense to not leave out vital details. Stuff like that always blew up in your face, after all.  "I'd have liked to learn more about that caretaker, but that's all." 
 "She probably left out all the details of that long ago war on purpose, but that doesn't really relate to what we have to do, and I personally don't really care to know that much. I mean, I'm a bit curious, of course, but its not like knowing will really change anything." 
Imladir
     
     Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra mentionned Jasper, her donkey, in need of a stable for the night. She took care of that, then went to her room carrying the saddlebags, preceded by the winged black cat, grumbling a bit under her breath. There, she looked around, hitching to try to understand the spells that allowed the inn to function like that… and having no doubts that it was way,  way  beyond anything she could understand.

        After a quick bath, the elf went back down to eat. Seeing her companions to be around a table, Alyndra ordered her dinner then went to sit at the same table. She nodded at Elva's answer regarding how much Almira had told them, but added with an amused smile.    “Nothing that she thinks doesn't directly relates to the job. Which might be different to what really relates to the job. Though we can trust her to be well informed…”    She was a Goddess after all…

           “Or,”    She added regarding the long ago war,    “she supposed we already knew what we needed to know about the war. And you should care about it I think. What happens now is a consequence of what happened then. If you do not undestand the past, you're missing vital elements to understand the present which could in turn lead you to fail to extrapolate the consequences to the future.”    
 
  
ShadowImmor
Casmir shrugs.

" She's not telling us loads. After all she knows far more than us, but as relates to the job, I don't see any reason for her to hide anything from us. After all, she wants us to succeed. "

He listens to what the others have to say, sipping his ale.

" So what do you think the past tells us about what to do now then? " he asks Alyndra.
Imladir
     
     Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra smiled, but before she could answer got distracted by a brief battle to save part of her meal from the claws of her cat. A battle she lost. She grumbled for a moment, then shook her head.    “Right now, it's not so much that it tells me what to do, than providing some context to the whole situation.    She smiled, amused.    “But I'll let you know if that changes.”    
 
  
DeTess
Elva nodded at Alyndra's words. She made some sense, of course, but there was a flip-side to looking too much at the past as well.  "Right, right, context can be useful. Not repeating the mistakes of the past and all that. But you also need to be careful not to remain stuck in the past. Learning from mistakes is nice, letting them haunt you for the rest of your life isn't. That war was 10 millennia ago, so at this point the only lesson is 'don't have a big destructive magical war'. I mean, it's not like anyone is still holding a grudge over it at this point, right?"  While talking, Elva had been absent mindedly gesturing with a skewer of meat from her plate. It was only as she finished that she realized that the tip of the skewer was leaning precariously close to falling off, and she quickly put the end of it in her mouth to save her food.
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah holds her hand out to the housecat/griffon so it can sniff her fingers.

 "As long as someone is keeping track, I'm happy. I just don't like trusting only one source of information. They really need to have some way of monitoring these temples other than depending on an old caretaker who can break a hip on the stairs." 

She takes another drink of wine, and chews her pheasant thoughtfully.

 "So, I've seen your badges, but what do you actually do?" 
DeTess
 "A bit of everything, really. Sneaking, talking, finding things, opening things, closing things, occasionally shooting things. Just don't ask me to sing."  Elva responded to Raidah's question with a smile.  "I even know a bit of magic for when my more mundane skills don't quite cut it." 
ShadowImmor
Casmir chuckles.

" I don't really do much, I'm halfway decent with a weapon, but most of my power comes from Shantu, he blesses me with spells to help with magical things and travel things. Makes for quite an exciting life sometimes. "

He settles down and begins eating, in completely silence, unless asked another direct question.
Imladir
     
     Alyndra Aramiar - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Given Alyndra's expression, it was pretty obvious she was hesitating between being serious or saying something funny. Or that she found funny anyway. In the end though, what she said was,    “I'm a student of the arcane, a diviner you could say.”    Well, not quite, but close enough.    “Don't ask me to read your palms though. And I'm almost as far from being a master as it's possible to be and still be on that path, so don't expect too much either.”    She didn't seem really bothered by it though.

           “Anyway,”    She opened the scroll on the table,    “It's probably a good idea to get an idea of how the temple is supposed to look like, so let's take a bit of time to familiarize ourselves with this, it can't hurt.”    
 
  
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah gets very serious for a minute.

 "Hey, no. You're good enough to be picked for this mission, so do not doubt your skills. I may not trust Illy or the boss, but the guild doesn't give this"  Raidah pokes Alyndra's gem  "to just anyone." 

Raidah smiles and downs the rest of her drink.

 "Besides, if I have to headbutt an ogre, I'd like to know the caster who has my back has something clever cooked up. That definitely seems like you. Now, let's see this ruin." 
ShadowImmor
Casmir nods and leans in to look at the scroll.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Damn. Now I'll have to really try my best.”    The way Alyndra said that, it was pretty much impossible to determine if she was serious or not. After a while, she shrugged.    “I know a thing or two that could be useful in combat. It is not something I focus on though,”    And there she did sound perfectly serious,    “and there isn't a hint of any kind of modesty there. I won't be creating rains of fire or stuff like that any time soon.”    
 
  
sarlon
The plans of the temple would look like modern-day architectural plans, with precise measurements and several views of the layout.  These were obviously not crudely drawn.

That said, they look like most temples to Shantu, a large main chamber with smaller ones leading off to "offices", multiple levels for dorm-style rooms for people requesting to stay a night or two, larger chambers for "court" style proceedings.  The plans say this temple should be several levels (3-4 at least), and 2000 square feet per level.  This would have been a very LARGE building even by any standards.  If the final product is any indication, this is no local temple, this would have been a large and sprawling complex.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Uh…”    Alyndra grimaced.    “You could hide anything in there, it's much bigger than I thought…”   

        The elf stretched back, leaving the scroll on the table.    “I guess we'll see tomorrow what's what, but we'd better plan on spending a few days there unless there's something obvious.”    
 
  
DeTess
 "So, this is what I don't get."  Elva shook her head as she looked over the map.  "This place is basically a giant inn and meeting place. Yet unless I misunderstood lady Almira's explanation, it was basically build to function as a keystone, and then to be abandoned to avoid attracting attention. But then, why build it like this? Why not make it a sturdy fortress or whatever. It seems pointless to make such a grandiose place if you're planning on not using it." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra shook her head.    “I'm pretty sure those Temples don't come from this world, and in fact arrived at the same time as our ancestors…and Almira, Shantu and the others. It was brought here as a keystone, but it wasn't built here.”    
 
  
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah leans over the plans, tracing entrances and routes that don't involve the main chamber.

 "I'd put money on them bringing it over as a show of wealth, then figuring out how to secure it later. They could have brought a fortress or dumped it in the back of some cave, but this was made for people, lots of people, to wander freely. Do that, and some child is going to play ball with whatever glowing crystal they've got the world tied to. They probably held services there for, like, six weeks, before something went wrong enough for them freak out and abandon it." 

Raidah takes a bite of her second pheasant and looks down again, clearly routing paths through the temple for when they arrive.
ShadowImmor
Casmir shakes his head.

" These keystones are provided by, or for the gods they represent right? So think about it, they are linked to each gods aspects, and probably built to the gods specifications, either other worldly or here, they are based on the gods they're here for. Shantu's temples are all like this. They are supposed to be both keystones and temples, I imagine so that the gods can use the faith generated at the temple to reinforce the keystone, but that didn't go according to plan. There would be no reason to keep it defensible as it's supposed to be a temple. "

He shrugs.

" At least that's my thoughts on it... "
DeTess
 "I suppose that makes sense?"  Elva responded to Casmir's explanation.  "I'm not exactly an expert on faith and divine power, so If you say that it's important for the place to do what it's supposed to do then I won't argue." 
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah sighs, looking over the plans again.

 "Well, I suspect we're not going to be able to guess anything too useful before we arrive there, it's never that easy. At least the food was good. Unless anyone has anything else to bring up, we should probably retire. It's an early morning tomorrow, and I'd prefer everyone here get 8 hours of rest." 

Raidah smiles at the casters after saying that, then finishes her drink.
DeTess
 "But I always spend the entire night awake before a tricky and dangerous mission!"  Elva said with a smile to indicate that she wasn't serious.  "In all seriousness though, we probably should get some rest, unless anyone else still has something important to share?" 
sarlon
Those who stay up, there is music and even some light comedy going till the wee hours of the morning.  When the final call is made, everyone either leaves the building entirely or goes to their rooms, with surprisingly little to no fuss.

Those who retire before final call, your rooms are near soundproof (remember this is your ideal room, if you want city noise filtering in, its there, if you want peaceful forest sounds, its there, etc.)

Next Morning:

There are a few guests downstairs eating breakfast and while simple fair its amazingly delicious.  A massive orc stands behind the bar this morning greeting everyone who enters by name (and none of you have met this guy before in your life).  Despite his size and bulk, he is light on his feet and always ready with a joke or a story.  He brings your group out breakfast personally and asks what brings you to town.
DeTess
Elva smiled at the orc, both in appreciation of the breakfast and to give herself a moment to consider how secret their mission probably was. lady Almira hadn't really specified, but given how important the mission seemed, it was probably best not to go into too much detail.

 "Oh, you know, adventurer guild business."  She responded to the orc's query.  "Someone important probably needs something found or retrieved or something like that. We'll know more in an hour or so when we get told the when, where, what and who." 
 
 Spoiler: bluff roll, if needed 

 (1d20+11)[ 29 ] 
 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra went to bed reasonably early: they'd likely have a busy day ahead of them, one she really didn't want to be tired for, and that was even if they didn't find anything. As it was… Well, something whispered to her that things wouldn't be quite as simple as that.

 

        In the morning, after a comfortable night lulled to sleep by the noises of the forest, Alyndra went downstairs for breakfast at a reasonably hour, enough that she'd have the time to eat without rushing and be in time for the meeting with Almira's assistant Illidari. Well, if nothing happened anyway.

        As she ate - mostly fruits and cereals - Alyndra quietly listens to the conversations around her, simply curious to learn more about the patrons and what they had to say. Asked about what she was doing there, she considered simply answering with a “ Just some Guild Business ” or something along those lines, but since Elva had mostly taken care of that, she simply nodded and didn't add anything on the subject. Instead, she asked a question of her own, as much to change the subject as because she was curious.    “So, how did you come to get a job here?”    
 
  
sarlon
His face turns thoughtful at the question, and his mellow voice is highly articulated not common in orcs (think semi upper-class British but without the British accent).  He pulls a blood-red stone shaped into a clenched fist and sets it on the table before you before he answers.  Guild stones formed into a specific shape are only ever given to the highest-ranking guild members not in management, they pulled off such an awesome feat of heroism that it's worthy of notice to people anywhere....any yet he's hiding it while working in a bar.  "My many times over great grandfather was one of the heroes who found this world, he found this bar when this city was little more than 100 people who were just wanting a peaceful place.  He wanted a nice place for adventurers to get a hot meal and a comfortable bed before traveling again, and not spend most of their fortune.  This is....was.....his stone.....My name is Alvec, of the blood fist clan"

(knowledge history if anyone wants knowledge of the blood fist clan, this guys name doesn't mean anything to you guys)
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Oh. I see.”    After a couple of seconds, Alyndra nodded.    “That makes sense.”    The young elf looked at the tapestry - her gaze lingering on the elf for a second - then looked back at the orc.    “So tell me, what's the story behind the dire rat?”    
 
  

 

 Knowledge (History):  (1d20+7)[ 10 ]  
sarlon
 
 Spoiler: knowledge history check 
you know there's something more important about that clan, but right now your history brain is still half asleep and can't remember what it was.
 


He looks startled for just a heartbeat before letting out a deep belly laugh slapping the table.  "Back when this town was little more than a cow pasture, my ancestor starting building this tavern....which became infested by dire rats...seemed no matter how many he killed, they came back 100 fold....according to the stories anyway, and one day one of those rats is sitting as calm as you please right over there, " he points to where the check-in desk currently sits, "up on its hind legs and looked ready to just move in!  Funnily enough, after he let that one live, they never had an infestation problem ever again, and since he didn't speak dire rat, the family named it after that rascal."
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra chuckled.    “That's a nice story.”    Granted, it wasn't likely to be true. Or much embelished at any rate but did it truly matter? So much time had passed anyway that even for elves what remained was more myth than history. Unless one could talk with those who were there and still around, but there weren't that many and they weren't exactly the kind you talked to every day…

        Finished with her breakfast, she sighed.    “I almost don't want to get on the road with all this…”    
 
  
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah has finished her own plate of more eggs than seems reasonable, as well as a bit of bacon and a roll.

 "We'll need the energy later, no doubt. Hopefully we at least get a hike before anything stupid happens and you need to run." 

Knowledge: History:  (1d20+8)[ 14 ] 
DeTess
After having finished her own breakfast, Elva got up from her chair and stretched.  "Nothing better than a hike after a good breakfast. Better not keep the client waiting, right?" 
ShadowImmor
Casmir wakes up late and rushes down.

" Very sorry! I've not been able to sleep in a proper bed like that for quite sometime... it was far too comfortable! "

He quickly wolfs down some food, only pausing briefly for indigestion.

" So what next? Heading off? "
sarlon
After checking out of the hotel, you find the meeting spot with Illidari, dressed today in a handsome tunic and leggings.  He hands Alyndra a scroll with intructions on how to use it to return once they were done (simple enough spell focused on the scroll without using a spell slot).  "Since time can be of the essence this will bring you to just outside the city gate, report to me as soon as you know anything, I don't care what time of day or night.  If they say I'm in a meeting, show them your stone, that should shut them up."

His face contorts into a weird grimace, and he mutters about how important he is and they should listen to him.....dang tall people......grumble....., then he smiles and asks if you are ready to begin the journey, another scroll in his hand already unfurled.
DeTess
Elva Adjusted her Navy-blue scarf once more, then nodded.  "I'm ready to get out of this hot weather and on the road, thank you very much!"  The warm clothes where really uncomfortable in the city, but she knew she'd be happy to have them the moment the the teleportation happened.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra had gone through the stables to get Jasper, who was once again carrying her saddlebags. Granted, she probably would have been able to leave most of it there, but you never knew. It was better to be prepared for anything after all. Her Tressym familiar was sitting on the donkey, observing the surroundings and giving the impression that it was following the conversation.

        When she was handed the scroll, Alyndra opened it to study it: not really to learn the spell - not that she would have been against that mind you - but simply to make sure that she would be able to cast the spell when required.    “I must confess I thought we'd have to take the long way to come back here. It's nice to have that.”    After a small pause, she added with a grin,    “And that's another good reason to keep me safe if you don't want to walk back from the temple.”    Her eyes sparkling, she glanced at her companions.

        After a couple of seconds the elf made sure that Jasper was standing just next to her then nodded to Illidari.    “I'm ready yes.”    
 
  
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah looked suspiciously at the last comment Illidari made, before turning to Alyndra.

 "Yes, I really don't want to have to carry everyone back through a forest; once was enough. Let's try to keep the scroll safe." 

Raidah is absolutely not dressed for cold weather, and looks downright comfortable in the heat. She also doesn't seem to notice the weight of her pack, and despite resting the butt of her glaive on the ground, isn't putting any of her weight on it(since the chipped and rotting wood looks like it would break if she did).
ShadowImmor
((OoC: Sorry for the lack for replying recently, I've had to be quarantined, and just starting my second week, it's throwing my normal cycle of checking the site off! I'll do better moving forward.))

Casmir strolls up, in cold weather gear, but most of it not on properly yet, wrapped around his waist, tied through the loops on his backpack that sort of thing. So it can be donned at a moments notice, (i.e.
once they teleport) but not before.

" I'm always ready for a journey. Y'know I'm kind of glad we have this cold weather gear, it saved me from asking Shantu for an Endure Elements spell this morning. Means we have that spell slot for something else! "

He smiles brightly and waits patiently, clearly very excited.
sarlon
((Hey life happens! long as its just a quarantine, and not something more serious :) keep in touch))

-------------------------


he instructs you to stand close, he opens the scroll and begins chanting.  You feel the swell of magic surrounding you, washing over your skin, a bright light engulfs your vision, then as it fades, the first sensation you notice is a noticeable change in the temperature.  While not freezing cold after the hot temps from all summer, it is a nice change.

The forest is a hardwood forest, well maintained (elf would feel right at home even if the trees are different from their native woods).  It has the feel of a natural forest but stumps indicate that some forestry has taken place, not entirely knocked over from storms or other natural disasters.  The various ages of the trees indicate that the forestry was done responsibly (replanting after cutting down trees).

The Spell put you down in the middle of a noticeable path running in different directions, up and downhill as well as in various directions.  This clearing has the feeling of a central camp of a logging camp, but abandoned.  While not entirely silent there is still a strange feeling in the air like you're being watched.
DeTess
 "Well, that's a lot better!"  Elva said to no one in particular after getting her bearings.

 "Sooo, anyone remember which way to go?"  she added after a moment. While she spoke she looked over her surroundings carefully, trying to determine the source of the feeling of being watched.
 
 Spoiler: Perception 

 (1d20+10)[ 12 ] 
 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra sighed, obviously pleased, half-closing her eyes, face up, and taking deep breaths. She nodded emphatically when Elva mentioned how much better it was there. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and looked around with a frown. After a couple of seconds, she asked,    “Am I the only one feeling like someone's looking at us?”   

        With a brief gesture accompanied with a whispered     “Simethoti”    , Alyndra looked around once more, though slowly this time. 
 
  

 

 Perception:  (1d20+11)[ 24 ]  
Alyndra casts  Detect Thoughts  (DC 17 Will Save to negate). She's only interested in finding if there's anyone at this point, so she focuses at a new spot every turn.
sarlon
For a few moments, all you sense/see are various woodland creatures, almost no intelligent life.  After a moment though, coming down the path from uphill, you see an OLD human male, wearing comfortable cold-weather gear.  His bearing and demeanor are that of someone well-bred, his face while old and craggy holds a sense of class.  a cloak draped around his shoulders is held closed by a pin that upon closer inspection shows the mixed mark of Shantu and Almira.

 

"Good Afternoon, Welcome to the territory of Shantu's Temple."

While he seems solid and full form, you detect no intelligent thought.
DeTess
'Well, he's not a  crusty  old hermit.' The thought passed through Elva's mind as she saw the man she assumed was the caretaker for Shantu's temple approach them.

 "Thank you for the welcome and a good afternoon to you too!"  She said with a smile.  "Mr. Albright, I presume?" 
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah smiles brightly and steps forward, placing herself between the rest of the group and the newcomer.

 So good to see a friendly face. Do you know where we're going? I'm more of a city girl, myself, just useless in a forest like this. 

She's not in a combat stance, but she does keep her hands on her weapon rather than offer to shake.

Also, just a general roll to see if anything's up. Perception:  (1d20+8)[ 9 ] 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Uh.”    Alyndra tilted her head to the side for a second.    “Well, that explains it.”    If he was the temple's caretaker, she was not surprised at all to not detect him at all. A bit miffed that she had burned a spell for nothing, but definitely not surprised.

        Briefly shaking her head, she nodded to the man.    “Good afternoon.”    
 
  
ShadowImmor
Casmir nods to the man and smiles, after seeing the merged symbol.

" Well met friend! It's good to see another worshipper of Shantu here. Are you the chap we're looking for? "
sarlon
The old man nods his head, before gesturing you to follow him, turning his back to you.  You see the end of a long-bladed weapon peeking out from his back (it's strapped to his back its not stuck into his back).

a 10-minute hike with little conversation from the old man leads you through dense hardwood trees, going up a well-defined path.  The temple comes suddenly into view, 4 stories tall, made of gleaming granite and pure white marble.  The building is in surprisingly good repair, some minor damage to the outside of the building, but otherwise fairly clean and well maintained.  A once-grand fountain stands empty and dry in front of the temple, the pitcher that water would flow out of cracked and smashed almost beyond repair.

There is almost a deafening silence over the area, and the old man continues walking into the temple itself, starting to remove his cloak as he goes.
DeTess
The temple as a whole looked a lot better than Elva had feared. There was some wear and tear, sure, but whatever was responsible for the key-stone being knocked off balance was clearly more subtle than the collapse of half the temple or something like that. She hoped that meant things would be easier to fix as well.

 "Soooo... Albright, what does a devotee of Shantu do here all day?"  she asked  "I can't imagine there being lot left to learn or do in the temple after the first century or two." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra followed silently, content to walk in the forest out of the heat found in the south. She led Jasper by the leash while her Tressyn familiar flew away, probably to hunt something. 
 
  
ShadowImmor
Casmir just looks at the temple in awe, he's clearly very impressed and looking forward to going inside and exploring it, in fact, he seems like he's positively buzzing with excitement.
sarlon
the inside of the temple glows from tall windows allowing natural light to enter this amazing building.  the main entryway is huge with dozens of doors leading off in different directions, and a tall staircase leads up to the upper levels.  in the middle of the main room however is a very dead body, that of the old man who greeted you at the drop off-site.  If you didn't know any better, you'd of thought he was asleep.  A broken glaive lays in 3 pieces near the body, and multiple stab wounds are piercing the armor, the but final blow must have been the crushed skull.

the entire building is disturbingly quietly, and no movement is seen anywhere in the building.
DeTess
 "Oh, crap."  Elva froze up for a moment as she saw the corpse. Then as no sudden threat materialized, she carefully approached the corpse, while willing a trickle of power into her eyes so she could more closely observe the flow of magic around Albright's body.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Cast detect magic, start observing Albright's corpse
 
sarlon
((actually the guy you followed disappeared soon after he walked in the building))
DeTess
((noted, editing my post now))
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah seems to relax slightly upon seeing the corpse, finally on more familiar territory. She holds up her hand to stop anyone else from approaching.

 "This could be an ambush. I'll back up Elva, you two please keep the escape route clear." 

Raidah begins to follow Elva in, staying directly behind her, weapon ready.

As they get closer, she mutters  "...huh. Wasn't he carrying a sword earlier?" 
ShadowImmor
Casmir frowns.

" This does have a not so good smell about it... "

He stops in place, but draws his weapon and shield just in case.
sarlon
 detect magic results: 

the remains of the glaive are glowing with magic but its fading.  the wounds contain trace magic but the skull damage is all physical damage.

The entire building fairly pulses with magic itself, the walls, the floor, but there is almost a stream of magic flowing from under the body and pulsing down.  The different schools of magic make it nearly impossible to trace any specific school.

(give me some perception checks please)
NotASpiderSwarm
Perception:  (1d20+8)[ 11 ] 
DeTess
 "Hmmm, I wonder..."  Elva was relieved to see no clear signs of a necromantic binding on the corpse. Still there was definitely a connection of sorts with something deeper in the building.

 
 Spoiler: perception 

 (1d20+10)[ 17 ] 
 
ShadowImmor
Perception roll1

 (1d20+4)[ 24 ] 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Well...”    Alyndra looked at the body for a moment.    “That certainly counts as disruptive...”    The young elf frowned.    “And definitely not something caused by random natural events... Someone might be trying to mess things up, for one reason or another...”    She grimaced.    “And if something's missing, we're unlikely to notice it...”    
 
  
sarlon
Shadow:

The layout of this temple feels....off.  The main area like this in a temple this large would have some sort of area for "reception" normally about where this dead body is located.  The temple doesn't feel desecrated or anything (no bad or evil feelings about the place other than an obvious murder).  You know an important place that anything of religious value would be located in the primary chapel (easy to find its location with the floor plans you were given).

Everyone:

something feels off about this murder....for the damage (crushed skull and at least a dozen or so stab wounds), there is almost no blood on the floor.  in fact the floor is almost sparkling clean aside from minor dust.

Everyone but NotaSpiderswarm:

There are small shards of a weird black....well it's not metal, it's not stone, and it's not glass, but it looks like an oily sheen on whatever material it is made from.  These are mostly hidden under the body and a piece an inch or so long protrudes from a nasty wound to his belly.

EVERYONE roll me a balance or reflex check please.


((sorry for the delay guys, work has been insanely busy, back to back calls, and people waiting 40+ minutes to speak with us))
NotASpiderSwarm
 "Maybe the ghost decided to mop up af...whoa" 

Balance:  (1d20+11)[ 29 ] 
Imladir
 Reflex:  (1d20+5)[ 23 ]  
DeTess
reflex:  (1d20+5)[ 16 ] 
ShadowImmor
Reflex roll - (Dice gods don't fail me now!) -  (1d20+1)[ 16 ] 
sarlon
the ground is suddenly rolling underfoot, an earthquake?  right as you start to regain your balance, a STRONG push of wind from somewhere further in the temple pushes Shadow and DeTess completely off their feet, sprawling onto the ground.

Something is definitely wrong...
DeTess
 "Oof..."  Elva only just managed to avoid landing right on top of Albright's copse, and the awkward fall had knocked the wind right out of her.

Once she'd gotten her breath back, her new perspective did reveal a rather interesting sight.  "Hey Raidah, could you help me turn over this corpse? There's something stuck in its belly..."  She said, as she carefully got back to her feet.
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah steps forward quickly, using her glaive for balance as she puts herself between Elva and the temple, preferably blocking the direction the wind came from.

 ”I  can , but is now the best time? Whatever set this up knows we’re here, and is probably going to drop on us from the rafters any minute now.” 

Raidah looks at Elva and sighs, crouching next to the body, still facing the larger temple.

 ”Fine, let’s be quick about it.” 

She reaches down for the body’s shoulder with one hand and lifts, grimacing as she touches him.
DeTess
 "If whatever did this comes at us, we're going to have to run either way, might as well have something to show for it."  Elva said as she carefully picked up the largest piece of the weird black material, wrapped it in some spare cloth and slipped it into a pouch on her belt, making certain to not touch it with any bare skin as she did so. A cold shiver ran over her spine as she did so, and she was happy about the precautions she'd taken. Whatever this material was, it was not good news. Still, all the more reason to bring a sample back to the city.

 "Allright, got it. And thanks, Raidah." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Well...”    Alyndra turned in the direction where the wind had come from, frowning.    “Something is definitely wrong. A body with bloodless open wounds, an earthquake, wind indoor...”    The young elf shook her head.
		
		   “At this point, we have two choices... We could leave now. We know something is wrong here, that's definitely something we should report. But... It's a bit light, and we don't have the shadow of an explanation. Which, of course, is something we could only try to learn by remaining and exploring the temple a bit more... maybe to find the source of that wind... but that comes with risks of course.”   
		
		She looked at the three humans,    “What's your opinion on this?”    
 
  
DeTess
 "If something had already tried to chew our faces off, I'd be all for leaving and reporting back. As it is, all we've got to report on is Albright's death and a shard of one of the weapons that did it, which is... something... but not much."  Elva considered for a moment, looking off thoughtfully in the direction the blast of wind had come from.  "I'd say we continue on carefully for a bit. But then again, I've got the option of going invisible and running if we encounter something that we can't take down, and I don't think that's something all of you can do." 
NotASpiderSwarm
 After a ghost, a murder, and what seems like the region breaking down? No way we leave. Maybe later we call the boss, if things go bad, but we only get to move up if we show initiative.  She grimaces.  Besides, Casmir doesn't earn his pay unless he brings me back from death's door at least twice before we head back. 

Satisfied that nothing is going to chew their faces off at that moment, Raidah kneels down to inspect the broken weapon, setting her own glaive down next to it. She makes sure she doesn't touch the body again while she does so.

Perception(what's the deal with this weapon):  (1d20+8)[ 21 ] 
sarlon
Something feels.....familiar about this weapon... (the glaive).  while it is broken into 3 pieces, its an almost clean break rather than something shattered it (like someone cut it apart with a saw rather than just cracking it apart over their knee).  It also feels familiar like you've seen it before but you have no idea where or when because you've never been to this temple before or know who this man is.
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah pulls a sack out of her pack and places the fragments of glaive in it, wrapping them securely before putting them in her pack.

 "That said, I feel like this place is odder than we realize. Let's move deeper before something decides to come find us." 
DeTess
 "What, literally as old as this world isn't old enough for you?"  Elva said with a smile in response to Raidah's statement.  "In all seriousness though, if we're continuing our exploration, shall I take point? I'm not altogether terrible at the whole 'sneaking around' thing." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Alright then, onward it is. Let's be careful though, whoever killed him,”    Alyndra indicated Albright's body,    “must be way more than we can deal with.”   
   “Older actually,”    The young elf added after Elva,    “It wasn't built here. Anyway, sure,”    She waved forward,    “Sneak around. Just don't go too far ahead that we can't help quickly. Or that you can't come back quickly if something comes from behind.”    
 
  
DeTess
 "Don't worry, Alyndra. I'll remain within line of sight.  She responded to the elf. For a moment, she considered pointing out that once a building is older than the rock it stands on, another century or two won't matter, but then she thought better of it. This wasn't the time for a discussion about that sort of stuff.

  Casmir, is there anywhere in particular, we should start?"  Elva asked the priest.
ShadowImmor
Casmir sits up, having recovered from being knocked off his feet.

" This is very odd... I would probably start in the tavern-y area... most temples have like a bar area where patrons could gather and relax. That would probably be where there would have been the greatest level of activity before whatever happened... happened. "

He gets himself and dusts himself off, clearly a bit embarrassed he was so easily knocked from his feet.
DeTess
 "Alright, we'll start there then."  Elva started heading off in the direction indicated by the priest, sticking close to the walls and making sure to remain as quiet as possible.

 
 Spoiler: Stealth/scouting related checks 

hide:  (1d20+11)[ 12 ] 
move silently:  (1d20+11)[ 31 ] 
perception:  (1d20+10)[ 23 ] 
 
sarlon
Detess:

As you creep along the empty hallways, the plans close to your nose, you think you're doing a masterful job of sneaking along towards where the cleric thought to try looking first.

Rest of the group:

While her step is light and nary a sound is heard......you still watch her walk down the middle of the hallway in plain sight of Gods and country.

Detess:

Closer inspection of the plans reveals a small room off of what is labeled as the high priest's private quarters.  It's labeled as a private study and meditation room but feels oddly central to the entire building.  It's on this floor and easy enough to find, you're about 100 feet from where the plans say the room is located.
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah looks over at the two remaining casters.

 She...she can cast invisibility, right? The guild wouldn't stick us with a fake rogue...would they? 

Despite that, Raidah follows Elva, staying about 50' back and making no particular effort to stay quiet or hidden.
DeTess
Elva considered the map for a moment longer, and then took a right to head towards the private sanctum after a quick wave to those following her to indicate that she was aware that she was changing course from where she had initially been going. As she did so, she noted some odds looking coming from her companions, but she paid them little mind, focusing instead on getting where she wanted to go without getting seen.

 
 Spoiler: more stealth/scout rolls 

hide:  (1d20+11)[ 15 ] 
move silently:  (1d20+11)[ 15 ] 
perception:  (1d20+10)[ 16 ] 
 
ShadowImmor
Casmir chuckles.

" I don't think so, but it would be quite a good prank... "

He's clearly talking in jest as he slowly follows along with the others.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Uh... Maybe it's something that only affects other people and not us?”    Alyndra answered Raidah, albeit not particularly convinced that this was the case.
		
		She followed too, looking around curiously, more to see if there were any interesting things around that because she hoped to spot any danger before anyone else did. 
 
  
sarlon
Detess:

You find the door before you find the room you're looking for, it has literally been ripped off its hinges.  Inside you hear a voice loud and clear, though what it's saying you have no idea (I've looked at everyone's known languages).  Though the words are meaningless to you, they DO have a chanting rhythm to them, and MAYBE a couple of repeated words that sound like a name.

Inside the room:

A tall man dressed in all black armor and clothing, carrying a shattered remnant of a weapon that looks similar to the shard pulled out of the dead guy's belly.  right as he shouts a final word he strikes out with the weapon which shatters a massive crystal hovering above the ground.  The resulting burst of energy shatters all glass in the building, knocks stones out of the building work, the ground shatters.

Sudden darkness overwhelms all your vision as you are all knocked back again walls, or thrown to the floor from the concussive blast from this blow.

----------------------------------------


Time Passes:

Full dark has fallen on the region by the time each of you find the energy to open your eyes.  The crystal that was hovering in the middle of the room, is now barely an inch above the ground, and the inside is missing a large piece (there's a part in the middle that has a definite clean shape that something was stored inside).  While each of you is mostly unharmed, aside from scrapes and bruises, you have an odd feeling like you had a dream while you were unconscience but can't remember it.  The man who was in the room is long gone, and the chill wind of evening is cooling any exposed skin.

Alyndra:

Your cat familiar is pacing around nervously, they too seem unharmed.  It keeps pawing around the broken crystal and making the strangest noises (whatever mewing type noise they make but sounding with obvious distress).
DeTess
 "Uuugh..."  Elva slowly forced her battered body to stand up.  "Uhmm, is that what I think it is?"  she gestured towards the broken crystal, as a feeling of dread settled itself in her stomach.
ShadowImmor
Casmir's eyes roll open after a little while, and his hand goes to his head.

" Did we have a party and get blackout drunk? Because my head is POUNDING "

He sighs as he looks around to take in what's going on.
NotASpiderSwarm
 Ugh...ugh  Raidah's hand gropes for her glaive, then uses it as a crutch to lever her to her feet. She opens her eyes to take in the scene. Panic and rage flash across her face.

 Wait...we screwed up. We really screwed up. But the world didn't actually end. So we have to live with this. But we screwed up. What do we do now? 

Raidah scans the room again.
DeTess
 "It wasn't us that messed up. I got to the room right as this... man... fiend... whatever, finished a ritual meant to shatter the crystal, so this is on him."  Elva took a deep breath as icy rage warred with her naturally sunny disposition.

 "Alyndra, as soon as you're ready to cast the spell from that scroll we need to travel back to the capital to warn Lady Almira. I doubt that villain will leave it at just one temple." 
ShadowImmor
" Do we not want to do more investigating before we use that scroll? I mean we don't really know what happened here, what that crystal was or why he destroyed it, or how we survived. Seems a bit odd to report back that some guy broke a crystal and then we all woke up from unconsciousness, and using the scroll that quickly may not be the best plan. "

Casmir pauses and smiles.

" Not saying we don't use the scroll, just wanted to play devil's advocate for a moment, look at the other options, so to speak. "
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Ngh...”    Alyndra grogilly lifted a hand to her forehead, calling Midnight to her and stroking her furr with a few soothing words, as much for the Tressym than for herself. Shaking her head, she stood up and considered the sphere for a long moment without a word.
		
		   “I have no idea what you're thinking about.”    She shook her head after a moment, answering Elva's question.    “Other than bad news now that it's broken and whatever was inside taken. Probably something that was involved in stabilizing everything I guess, but other than that...”   
   “And I'm with her on that,”    she nodded to Elva,    “There's nothing we could have done that would have made a difference. It's not like we paused to pick some mushrooms on the way.”    And she had seen a few of those!
		
		She hesitated next, not sure using the scrolls right now would be the right move,    “I kind of agree with Casmir... What happened, happened. Odds are, Almira already knows about the gist of what happened. At this point, it's pretty much a  damn if you do, damn if you don't  situation: waiting could be a bad idea, but leaving now could mean missing something important.”    She shrugged,    “And since we're here... I'm not saying we should spend a week here, but at least wait for noon tomorrow. Maybe with the morning's light we'll see something we'd miss otherwise.”   
		
		As an afterthought, she added,    “Plus, odds are that if we went back right now, we would have to wait quite a bit before we managed to see anyone...”    
 
  
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah stands up straighter, taking a couple breaths to center herself, before nodding.

 Smart, both of you. This place shouldn't take too long to search if we don't really push it. We stay, see if there's anything obvious that we can figure out, then go from there. Casmir, in the morning, could you preserve the body? I don't want to bury him without more info, but we can't just ignore it either. 
ShadowImmor
Casmir nods.

" Yeah I can preserve it. I'll see what I can do for now too. "

He goes over to the body to see what he can do for it now.

((OoC: Mythweavers isn't letting me look at the sheet so rolling Heal from memory!  (1d20+10)[ 22 ]  to see if he can do anything to help preserve the body without magic for now))
DeTess
 "Aah!"  Elva clutches her head in her hand as she stumbles away from the remains of the crystal. A sudden urge to take the weapon shard out of its pouch comes up, but she manages to suppress it, more or less.

She sinks down against a wall some distance from the broken crystal, making sure to keep her hands away from the pouch.  "Ehm, any of you happen to have a lead-lined box?"  she asks the others in a small voice.  "That weapon-shard isn't nearly as inert as I thought it was." 
NotASpiderSwarm
A few minutes of digging through her pack later, Raidah comes up with an empty sack and a set of metal tongs.

 Apparently not, which is deeply disappointing. I could wrap it in chains and lock them if we're desperate, but all of my containers are too thin to block anything. I don't think we should leave it behind, either. Are you good to keep carrying it?  
DeTess
 "Ehm, yeah give me a moment."  After taking a moment to steel herself, Elva quickly takes the belt pouch with the weapon shard off her belt and chucks it into her back pack, making sure to stack some of the other goods she's carrying on top of it.  "There, now at least if it does get the upper hand I can't get to it as easily." . She still sounds a bit shaky, but some confidence has returned to her voice.
sarlon
a few minor (barely rattle anything) earthquakes punctuate an otherwise silent night.  Even the night sounds of birds and insects seem to be silent as if mourning the loss of the old man in this temple.

Casmir:

The body is surprisingly well preserved, you have NO idea how long ago he died, and if it weren't for the caved-in skull, and multiple stab wounds to the chest and belly, he looks as if he could be asleep.

a complete search of the temple reveals little, most of the rooms are empty, completely stripped bare (possibly when this site was abandoned).  You find this man's private quarters easily enough, this is the only room with some thought put into it.  A lavish room, with a comfortable bed made to military neatness, a writing desk full of books and journals, as well as a few other shelves full of more books and journals.  A thin coating of dust covers everything, which shows he may have been dead a little longer than you originally think.
DeTess
 "Hmmm, I wonder..."  Elva looks over the dust-covered room left behind by Albright.  "Could Albright's death have been the start of this destabilization that we've been send to investigate?"   After a moment more of thought she shakes her head.  "No way to tell, I suppose, but lady Almira might know." 
ShadowImmor
Casmir nods.

" A good thought! Though whether his death triggered it or not, I don't know how it could help us stop it, unless of course it turns out he was some sort of keystone keeping this whole place in order! "
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah goes over to the desk and looks through the various journals lying on it.

 "Well, not like we have anything else to go on. Maybe he wrote down 'John Q Smith in the village threatened to kill me with a giant black spear' somewhere in here." 

She picks up whichever one is the most recent(based on his bed, he absolutely dates them), and will start reading at a week before the final entry, noting the date as well as if he mentions anything unusual.
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah jerks back from the table, dropping the journal she picked up. She glances around a bit, looking at the others, then looking everywhere but at the others, before taking a breath and straightening up.

 Okay, warning to all of you, I have started having visions of the caretaker's last days. So far they seem to be transmitted by touching his things, but I don't know what else might happen. If I start expressing an interest in attending services or mopping, it's not me, run. And I would  really  prefer if we got out of here soon.  

She sighs, pulls out her tongs, then mutters.  It's never easy. Why can't I just kill minotaurs and get paid for it? It's always got to be messy. 
DeTess
Elva bows down to pick up the journal that Raidah had dropped, and slips it into her pack.  "Unless there's anywhere we haven'te checked yet, I'd say we get back to the capital. Both for Raidah's sake, as well as my own, as that weapon-shard hasn't exactly stopped whispering either." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra had spent most of night holding her familiar, and it wasn't quite clear who was trying to comfort the other. Regarding the timing, she could only shrug,    “We have no way of saying when he died - unless we're able to extrapolate it from his journals? - so it's difficult to say which led to what.”   
   “Regarding the keystone though...”    The young elf grimaced,    “Odds are it was in the sphere, and now in the hands of that mysterious man. Which is not exactly good news, gods know what he might be able to do with that.”    After a small pause, she added,    “But I guess we're going to know a lot more about that soon enough...”   
		
		She cocked an eyebrow at Raidah's reaction, obviously quite interested, but nodded after Elva expressed her desire to go back,    “It's probably for the best. Let's take the journals though, who knows...”    She frowned slightly, clearly considering saying something more as she looked at Elva, but shook her head.    “We can go as soon as I get back to Jasper - my donkey. It wouldn't do to leave him here.”    
 
  
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah pulls out a sack with and uses her tongs to drop books in. She's going to make sure she gets all the journals, anything else that looks interesting, and if she grabs anything extra she won't worry about it, but she's making no effort to retrieve the various academic works or similar. She is being extremely careful not to touch any of the books with her hands, or even to let them brush the inside of the sack where her gauntleted hand is holding the outside. When done, she holds the open sack towards Elva.
 If you don't mind? I don't think the journal and the weapon are linked, but I'm worried about one person carrying both.  She hesitates.  And are we sure we searched this room fully? I don't want to spend any more time here than we have to, but I  really  don't want to come back because he stored a bunch of deeds of sale under his bed and the boss wants them. 
DeTess
Elva adds the books she'd picked up to the stack Raidah had gathered.  "Well, it can't hurt to be extra sure."  She says in response to Radiah's question, before making another sweep of the room, bringing in a bit of magic to make sure she misses nothing.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

perception check:  (1d20+10)[ 13 ] 
Elva also casts 'detect secret doors' and 'see invisibility' to help with the the search.
 
ShadowImmor
Casmir frowns.

" That is not good... and is somewhat worrying... at this point going back may be a better option, this is too much for myself to be able to fix. "

He looks over as they gather up the books, and has a quick glance at the academic papers, trying to get some into his backpack as well, again, without touching wherever possible (either using his weapon or his tent roll to sweep them into his backpack.)

" You never know when these will come in handy... it may be something he was investigating which may lead to what was going on. "
sarlon
Between the 4 of you, you almost manage to get 90% of the books in the library of his room.

46 journals
18 history books (different races)
4 different world maps books (these were interesting cause NONE of them were of this world)
various religious texts
2 books that flared magic when looked at
4 books containing humorous stories (barbarians advice to a rogue from 30 feet away (see OOC channel) among them)
and various odds and ends

Detect secret doors reveal a small trap door under the bed in which is a small iron lockbox that weighs too much to be empty.  Also tucked under the bed is an OLD battered, patched, and frayed looking backpack....but when Alyndra looks at the room in general with "detect magic" this thing flares as brightly as a noon day sun in high summer.  (ANYONE looking inside of it shows a black empty hole, but if anyone reaches in roll a D100)

The candle on the desk is still brightly burning no matter how long you stay in the room and any attempts to blow it out fail, but putting your hand to it reveals no heat (think ever-burning torch with a candle).

Clothes in this room are neat and tidy and only a few lay in a corner that might be dirty.

there is an armor stand in the room that looks like it had some use but currently sits empty.

a brief glimpse of the journals reveal these have been kept up almost meticulously for many many decades, the earliest ones show dates from when this old man must of been a much younger man and just starting his adventurer/military career.
DeTess
 "Now, what do we have here."  Elva purs as she lifts the small lockbox into view. After looking over the box thoughtfully, she gets her thieves tool out of a belt pouch and sets to work on opening the box.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

I'm just going to take 10 on open lock if that's okay, which'll get me a total of 20 (8 from dex+skill ranks, 2 from masterwork tools, and 10 from taking 10).

If that fails, Elva'l hit the box with the knock spell to open it anyway.
 


***
  "Okay, nothing on four, three seems set, two is binding..."   Elva mutters to herself as she works through the lock. Then, with a small *click* the lock turns and the box is open. A quick rummage through the box reveals an assortment of coins and gemstones, as well as a piece of paper that appears to be the deed to some property. After finding nothing of immediate interest, Elva closes the box again and slips it into her pack.

 "I suppose we should ask Lady Almira if Albright had any next-of-kin this should go to."  She says to the rest.  "Otherwise, we can split the contents between the four of us." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         While initially mostly interested in the documents found in the room - and not showing much reaction when Elva revealed the content of the chest - Alyndra's attitude changed a bit when she noticed the aura the apparently simple backpack produced.    “Oh?”   
		
		She turned the backpack around, trying to see what it did and how it worked. Sure, she could use the spell that did just that and aptly named  Identify , but it took quite a bit of time and no one wanted to stay too long around here, especially when she could just as well do it back at the inn. When she saw the "content" of the backpack, she frowned. After a brief hesitation, she made sure it was safe - by sticking something in it without letting it go - then reached in with a hand if nothing happened. 
 
  

 

  Backpack's content  - (1d100)[ 37 ] 
sarlon
When nothing happens when you stick something in the bag and your hand pulls out only feeling cold (not freezing...think you stuck your hand in a deep freezer for a few seconds) but still safely grasping whatever you stuck in...

As you reach your empty hand in the bag and rummage around you feel something hard and odd shaped....with a pull.... You very briefly pull out by the nose horn.... A very confused looking blue dragon head.....and yes you can safely assume there's a body attached since before anyone can react the head pulls itself back into the bag.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra froze. Not because of the cold, but because of shock. Was that a dragon? Had she actually pulled a dragon out of this bag?   “Was that..? Did you see that!?”   Her eyes wide open, she considered the backpack. She had heard of storage spaces such as this...but never something able to store living things! Or big enough for a dragon for that matter.
		
		One way or another, it was better to not touch it again before they were back at the inn. And there, she'd start with identifying the backpack before she tried to pull anything out of there. Hopefully (!?!?), the dragon would be the only thing in there, but... Maybe she'd start by talking to Almira about that... 
 
  
DeTess
Elva turned around at Alyndra's surprised exclamation, just in time to see the dragon's head retreat back into the bag.  "I  think  I saw that?"  She said, her voice a bit higher than usual from the surprise.  "Also, Maybe we should leave the bag-dragon alone for now? I'd prefer not to add 'fried by a dragon' to things that happened to us here, even if it was only a little one." 
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah rubs her temples.

 I'll decide whether I saw that once we're back in town. There's been too many odd things happening here already, one more might push us over the limit. Lets go get your donkey before it grows wings or something.  

Checking that her pack(and the load of books) is secure, Raidah heads for the door.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Uh... Yes, it's probably for the best.”    Alyndra carefully held the backpack, looking like she was afraid it would start to pour dragons at her feet.
		
		The young elf turned to exit the room and walk back to where she had left Jasper, her donkey, obviously deep in thoughts as she wondered what the backpack was exactly and how it worked. Once back with Jasper, she made sure everything was in order then took the scroll given to her by Illidari.    “Everyone's ready?”   
		
		As soon she got confirmation, she cast the spell. 
 
  
sarlon
As you all walk outside the temple something feels....off.

You can't place your finger on it and while hunting down your donkey (he'd wandered off to look for grass and shade), a light rain begins to fall (the first all of you have seen all summer) and a small tremor rumbles beneath your feet as another small earthquake rumbles on, but more of an aftershock then a full-on earthquake.  The rain falls straight down and nary a breath of wind stirs the leaves dying on the trees.

As you activate the scroll, the magic seems....faulty....like it's struggling to power itself, then like a twig snapping it finally takes hold and you all appear just outside of Lotipac.  The weather is still almost unbearably hot, more so unless you took off your cold-weather clothing before activating the scroll.  Though the clear blue sky is starting to show rain clouds forming in the far distance, though no one seems excited since this has happened many times this summer with no rain.
DeTess
 "I suppose we don't have time to drop by an inn to change into clothes more suited for this weather?"  Elva asked, already knowing the answer.  "Yeah, I didn't think so either. Come on, lets go report our findings."  She started making her way to the council building.
NotASpiderSwarm
Raidah is still in a light shirt under her armor and hasn't mentioned the weather once.

 We're reporting bad news, let's just get it over with so I can go somewhere and pretend this never happened.   She looks around at the populace going about their daily lives.  They don't seem to have noticed anything odd. Maybe that globe was a souvenier from his trip to the fair and the actual keystone is hidden in the kitchen under the flour. 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra rolled her eyes when she finally managed to find Jasper, but she was glad he hadn't gone too far. At least donkey's being unfazed by default at its use. She frowned as she felt the earthquake's aftershock, unable to remember when the first one had taken place. After a few seconds, she shook her head and focused on the scroll in her hands.
		
		There too things were...strange and even when she stood outside of Lotipac she frowned, curious - and a bit worried - about what had happened. Quickly though, she was brought back to the present by the temperature for which she wasn't wearing the right clothes. She sighed and agreed with the two humans.    “Yeah, let's go find Illidan. At least we'll be in the shade...”   
		
		Like the first time, Alyndra walked to the council building where she started by placing Jasper in a stall with plenty of water. Then, she walked to the guards to be given access and get to Illidari for their report, holding the backpack as if she were expecting it to go up in flames at any time. 
 
  
sarlon
The guards check your gems first then are given an escort directly to the council chambers.  Inside you hear voices, speaking, in mostly calm voices.  A guard opens the door and gestures you inside...

Inside stands Almira talking with gestures to Illidari and a dwarf (fairly young looking, with the dress and demeanor of clans from the southern islands (I'll post in OOC some more information about this since its fairly common knowledge).

She stops talking with a flashing look of irritation of being interrupted before she recognizes your group, her smile is a bit forced and it's obvious that she's not angry at you, but at whatever set her off before all these interruptions...

"I must apologize, I need to take care of something.  Illidari will take your report, I understand that your first cleric stayed behind...I have found a replacement...Illidari will fill you in."  She nods her head to each of you before turning and gracefully leaving the room, while she isn't stomping out there is a definite angry set to her shoulders and body language.

Illidari stands before you looking just as ruffled as Almira does look like someone just kicked a puppy in front of him.

"I understand that there isn't much in the way of good news to report?  Tell me what's going on and we'll tell you what we've found out as well."
Niobaran
  Ka'imi  

As the others enter, Ka'imi had just finished asking Almira a handful of questions. An expression of deep concern lays over his face which vanishes to a more friendly and open expression upon turning to the others entering. As the goddess and ruler leaves, he bows to appropriately show his respect and humility, but does not delay her exit any further.

The man, tall for a dwarf and not as compact as the ones from the north, turns to the entering group, and slightly bows while guiding his right fist to his heart. He wears linnen clothing in bright natural hues, contrasting his tanned skin and dark dreadlocks and short, neat beard. While he is unarmored and unarmed at the moment, his physique hints that he might be able to hold his own in combat. Between different kinds of archaic jewelry (mostly made from carved bone, animal teeth or seashells, held with leather bands or affixed to his hair), one object sticks out: A silver and artful symbol of Shantu -- a perfectly balanced set of scales, with some stylized waves as background decoration.

As he speaks, there is a slight accent of the southern clans in his speech:   "Greetings. My name is Ka'imi of Clan Glo'tac. It is nice to meet you..."   He swiftly gives the newcomers a friendly wink,   "... and working with you, I presume?"  
DeTess
Elva tries to give the newcomer a friendly smile, but it takes some effort. The situation isn't exactly good, and it wasn't reassuring that Almira looked as harried as Elva felt.

 "Right, so, the short version is as follows..."  She started her explanation.  "Albright's dead, and had been for a while before we arrived. His body looked like he'd been in a fight. Multiple wounds, wasn't pretty."  Elva grimaced. She didn't really want to go into too much detail on the corpse, but depending on what Albright had been capable of in life, the amount of damage might be relevant.  "There where shards off some odd black blade in one of his wounds. Very magical, maybe sentient. I've got that bit with me, but I'd prefer not to pull it out any more than necessary." 

Elva took another deep breath, then continued on.  "We investigated deeper into the temple, and we found some kind of man or man-shaped being in one of the rooms. As we arrived he was finishing some kind of ritual on a big floating crystal, and then stabbed it with the remains of his sword, breaking it. The blast of that knocked all of us out, and by the time we woke up again the man was gone. That sword was probably the weapon I found a shard off." 
 "Anyway, after all that we gathered all the samples and books we could, including some of Albright's diaries, and then came back here to report on what we found. We also found his financial reserves, or inheritance or something, is there a next of kin this should go to?"  Elva's voice tapered off as she realized she'd just gone through the entire story with but a single pause for breath. She looked back at the others, hoping that they could take over and fill in anything she missed. She really hated the 'report your findings bit', even when she had actual good news to share.
sarlon
Illidari listens with a thoughtful expression on his face, scribbling something on a piece of paper.  his pen pauses at the mention of the man in the dark then gets right up to your face when you mention a weapon and pieces of it.

"you have a piece?!  let me see it!!!"

while a bit frantic he pulls a pair of leather gloves out of his pocket and slips them on very carefully, holding out his hands for the piece.  he mumbles, "no one ever said it was sentient.....but.....it can't......"

as he receives it, a very undignified squeak is emitted from his mouth... "By the ancients that protect us!!  TORKEL!!!!"

A large man wearing the council's guard's uniform strides in weapon drawn his eyes scanning the room with a very practiced look, he scans each of you before lowering the weapon and striding towards illidari.

The man's face goes noticeably pale, nods his understanding, takes the piece, and leaves the room.

"That is exactly what we didn't want...Please sit and let me explain...."

He gestures each of you to sit then begins pacing back and forth as he speaks, his hands fluttering with annoyance.

"Back in the first war, a race of outsiders invaded our world, wanting to destroy our world.  They were set on building a tower made of material of that sword you just brought us.  That piece is made of pure antimagic....its meant to break through anything made of magic.  They ripped apart our world to the point it nearly destroyed us....thats when we sent heroes out to find a new home and to keep us safe, the ancients built more magical protection around this realm to keep those....things out.  For 10,000 years we've been safe, but some signs are showing themselves again.  The weather abnormalities, the earthquakes will keep getting worse as time goes on.  The fact you said someone broke a crystal up there and took something from the center has me worried...each of the keystones had a center that was made of the essence of the element it embodied.  I know the council wants this kept quiet, and I know they don't want to have to move us again...so we are authorizing your group to take any means necessary to keep the other 3 keystones from being subjected to this same thing.  We do NOT need a repeat of the first invasion..."

He closes his eyes and takes a long breath, "I'm going to prepare some teleportation scrolls to get you to each of the 3 other temples....time is of the essence.  Magic will start struggling more if each stone gets compromised.  I actually want you to properly open the keystones and bring them back to us.  If we can protect them we can keep this from happening again... You are authorized to do this by any means necessary, if someone attempts to stop you, you are to restrain them or kill them.  We must assume that the other caretakers are either compromised or dead, if they are alive, bring them along with the core.  Time is of the essence, do you have any questions?"
DeTess
It felt like a weight had lifted of Elva's shoulders as she handed over the weapon-shard. That didn't last long as Illidari launched into his explanation. By the end of it, her head was swimming with the flood of information and apocalyptic implications. She had to fight down the urge to laugh as he asked if they had any questions. It wouldn't have been a good kind of laugh.

After taking a moment to master herself, she responded.  "For this mission, I've only got three questions. Well, two questions and a request. How do we open these crystals to get to the center, what do we need to know to safely handle these essences, and could you provide us with some kind of token or letter to prove to anyone we encounter at the temples that we've not gone completely mad and are in fact authorized to take the thing they were supposed to protect for the past millennia?" 
Niobaran
 Ka'imi 

Hearing the news, he silently mouthed  Albright? , clearly shocked. If one of the guardians had fallen, the situation was indeed dire. When the report had finished, he sought for the right words a tad too long, and Illidari jumped in, anyway. His revelations turn out be even more distressing. He felt a sudden burden being placed on his shoulders.

Elva's questions however encourage him. Clearly, those were the questions of professionals. He would need to get some equipment quickly, as he was traveling with light pack only, and surely this was not a boat trip they were looking at here. He is in thought for a moment while waiting for the questions to be answered.
ShadowImmor
Casmir shakes himself out of his fugue state, having followed the others through by reflex. Apparently being knocked unconscious did more than he thought.

" I'm so sorry... my head still hurts, what did I miss? "

He rubs his head and closes his eyes as if willing away a headache.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah looked up from his map at the walls of Lotipac City. A week’s worth of hard marches had gotten him here--well, two week’s worth of what lesser-trained adventurers would have called hard marches. Josiah was a monk of the Order of the Open Palm, and for a monk, 25-30 miles in a day, compared to the average 15-20, was a hard day’s march. He found the guards at the gate and showed them his writ, and the red gem affixed to his simple robes.
" I am Josiah of the Order of the Open Palm, recipient of the Gem of the Adventurer's Guild. I am here on urgent business. "
sarlon
You are directed to the council chambers where again you are politely asked for your gem where the guard touches it to a bracer where it briefly flashes a symbol. The guard nods and hands it back to you before opening the door right as the halflings is finishing his story, and Elva asks her questions.

"Yes we will......oh good they sent someone.... Come on down here young man."

The halflings gestures you to join the rest of the group.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah gawks at the guard, then moves toward the hobbit and party, confused.
" Hello..? I am Josiah of the Order of the Open Palm, Member in God Standing with the Adventurer's Guild. I have a Writ of Summons, and that... guard did something odd. " The young boy, average, forgettable, holds out the piece of vellum in his hand.
DeTess
Elva looked the newcomer over curiously. Apart from his young age, he looked completely unremarkable. He wouldn't be a member of the guild if that impression was true, though. She manages to conjure a friendly smile for him, though it takes considerable effort given the news she just had to absorb.  "It's nice to meet you, Josiah. I'm Elva Shadelark, also with the guild." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra was mildly surprised by Almira's exit, but didn't linger much on the issue, maybe because it was at that point that the newcommer introduced himself. She nodded in his direction, both to acknowledge his greetings and to offer her own, but didn't say anything at that time as it wasn't the moment. In fact, she barely listened to Elva's report, obviously distracted by something else.
		
		She did however pay more attention to Illidari's instructions, one of her eyebrows rising in obvious surprise towards the end. She started to ask a question, only to be interupted by yet another arrival, to whom she nodded before she finally asked her question.    “Hmm, you say the guardians - well, caretakers I guess - might have been compromised. By those outsiders I suppose, but... Hmmm... Not that I want to belittle us, but how do you expect us to dispose of people who have millenia of experience, and probably weren't random schmusk even before that?”    
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
" So to whom do I give this Writ of Summons? " Josiah looked honestly confused and bewildered.
sarlon
Illidari waves Josiah closer and holds out his hand for the letter, scans it briefly then nods.

"I understand your concern, right now we just need to get a handle on things.  I hope murder isn't the outcome for those guardians, they are some very proud people.  Maybe they can still be reasoned with.  If they are in their right minds, they will understand the need since their attunement will tell them something is wrong especially if Albright is already dead.  I'm honestly surprised Grotak hasn't come pounding on the chamber doors yet demanding an audience."  He pauses here a brief moment as if honestly excepting another interruption when nothing happens he breathes a tiny sigh of relief and continues.

"Young Josiah here is in need of further training by his masters at the monastery, he is a fully ordained member of his order as well as the guild.  He should be a valuable asset."

He turns to Elva, "You said you found some papers in albright's quarters?  maybe his journals too?  If you don't mind passing them over to me I'll make sure the correct people are given them....I believe his sister had a cousin that married....thats not important....he has living family. we can pass anything along."
DeTess
 "Sure, I've got them right here."  Elva roots through her pack and digs out a bunch of books, as well as the small chest containing Albright's inheritance.  "I don't actually have the key for the chest, but a half-decent locksmith should be able to open it again. Just make sure that it's an honest one." 

As she handed the books and chest over to the halfling, a realization struck.  "Ehm, Illidari? you haven't actually answered my question about safely handling the essences and a letter of recommendation or something like that." 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah smiled, " Every locksmith is an honest locksmith; until they find the lock in front of the big enough prize. "
sarlon
Illidari looks thoughtful for a  moment... "Stay a night again at the Dire Rat, see me in the morning, I'll see what I can arrange for safe transport, and credentials."
DeTess
 "Maybe so."  Elva replies to Josiah.  "But an honest one will need a far larger prize than a dishonest one." 
 "Yeah, I do think I could use a night's sleep to think the entire situation over."  She replies to Illidari's suggestion.  "I suggest we get going then, unless anyone else still has something they need here?" 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra didn't seem particularly convinced: her problem wasn't on how to deal with guardians who would listen to reason, but those who wouldn't. She certainly wasn't going to pretend that she didn't know a thing, but there was quite the difference between knowing a thing or two and having millennia of experience, like the Guardians had. Still... Well, she supposed she could understand Illidari's reluctance on the subject.
		
		She certainly didn't mind spending the night at the Dire Rat in any case, that was for sure. Though before she left for there... She said to Illidari,    “Among the stuff we found in the Temple, there was a... Well, a sort of bag you could say I suppose. The one time I tried to see what was inside, I ended up catching the head of a blue dragon. It seemed a bit...confused...then went back in the bag. Depending on who are Albright's family members though, it might not be a good idea to give that to them though, who knows what's inside...”   
   “I was planning on studying the thing for a bit, maybe we can return to the question when I know more about it?”    
 
  
sarlon
Illidari sounds excited at the mention of the bag and asks to see it directly, fairly bouncing with excitement.  When presented with it he gives a rather undignified squeak and mumbles something that sounds like...."is it....wondering" before jamming his hand into the bag and fishing around for a moment.....

 (d100)[ 52 ] 

There's a great amount of metal clanging as he struggles to pull something from the bag, then with a shocked grunt, a stunning set of full plate armor comes tumbling out crashing to the floor (medium sized armor made for human).

"I though this thing a myth....w.. they always called it a bag of wondering.... Because they never knew what would come out next.  No I think this could be something useful for your group.  Take it, this is something that no one's ever figured out how or why it works or even everything inside it...."
DeTess
 "That's..."  Elva shakes her head in bafflement at the demonstration.  "... well, I suppose it might be useful when you're cornered and have nothing else to fall back on, or if you're looking for something to do while on the road."  She can't keep a smile off her face as she imagines the kind of imagination the item's creator must have had.  "Or if you suddenly realize you forgot to get someone a birthday present or something." 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah kept his mouth shut, fully expecting the routinely terrible wheat-colored water his fellow humans try to call "beer" to be the only alcohol on this "Dire Rat Inn"s menu. When Illidari pulled the suit of armor out of the bag, however, Josiah swore, " By the Ancestors! What-?! Where-?! How-?! "
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra considered Illidari's excitation with a bit of surprise, especially when he said that  they  had called it a bag of wondering. Still, she wasn't going to pretend she wasn't glad to keep the bag: she doubted it would be all that useful - until, or unless, she learned to pick what she needed - but she was really curious about it. Granted, given that  they  hadn't ever been able to figure how it worked, she doubted she would be able to get very far but it didn't mean that she wouldn't learn anything by studying the bag.
		
		She glanced at Josiah, then at the armour, and shrugged,    “Magic. And it's not the weirdest thing in there.”    Turning to Illidari, she asked,    “Can we put it bag in, or once out it's for good?”    
 
  
sarlon
"um....putting things back in can work...but since they never learned the capacity of it we didn't want to risk breaking it....something's stay....and one thing they learned was the 3 dragon's heads that DID come out ..much like you saying the blue dragon....are generally attached to the closest one to the proximity of the bag..."

He shakes his head in thoughtful contemplation, "I'm not saying you couldn't put somethings in there, I'm just not sure what it's capable of holding."
DeTess
 "...attached to the closest dragon?"  Elva shakes her head in bewilderment.  "I don't know if that's better or worse than the alternative. Well, at least now we know that if we get another dragon peeking out, it means we might get a curious or angry scaly visitor sooner rather than later." 
Tyg3rW01f
" Is anyone else hungry, thirsty, or tired? I personally could go for a draught of dwarven stout and a good lamb stew, " Josiah mentioned, trying to not be too intrusive.

He truly needed to be on the good graces of these people, and their employers. The Adventurer's Guild had taught him that with real world lessons the Order had taught him the majority of his life had made less-than-concrete. These people had not yet invited him on their quest, if they even had reason to do so. No, most likely, this was some sort of test the Order had arranged in order to further test him for some sort of Master's Technique, or a rank-standing, so Josiah needed to maintain diplomatic ties with these people and forever watch how he reacted about them. Having received notice of failing one form of test or another set by the Order through the Adv. Guild, Josiah knew he needed to be on his toes for anything that could be another Mastery test. If anyone was a Master of the Order in hiding, it would be the woman with the bag, and/or the hobbit.

THE ONE thing his Master had never been able to quite teach Josiah, however, was the line between one-beer-too-many and I'd-like-another-but-I-need-to-stop-now. The problem was worse when the libation was full-bodied and delicious. Josiah had spent many an hour in training with a massive hangover from a night blacked out by alcohol.
DeTess
 "I'd say Josiah is right. We can speculate on what that bag does and why it does what it does just as well over some good food."  Elva considered making a comment on the boy's mention of alcohol, but decided against it. Josiah probably knew his own limits best, and Elva wasn't even certain he was as young as he appeared
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra briefly hesitated,    “Uh, alright...”    She considered the plate at her feet, but started answering to Josiah and Elva,    “The inn is fine by me.”    Though she had no intention of drinking: she really wanted to know at least aa bit more about the bag before they left in the morning.
		
		Looking around, she asked,    “Anyone needs a full plate armour? I sure don't...”    
 
  
Niobaran
 Ka'imi 

The whole fuzz around the Bag of Wondering pulls the ranger's attention away from the dire situation and the foreboding task that lay ahead of them.


 
 Originally Posted by DeTess 
  "That's..."  Elva shakes her head in bafflement at the demonstration.  "... well, I suppose it might be useful when you're cornered and have nothing else to fall back on, or if you're looking for something to do while on the road."  She can't keep a smile off her face as she imagines the kind of imagination the item's creator must have had.  "Or if you suddenly realize you forgot to get someone a birthday present or something."  
 

Her last sentence lets the dwarf chuckle happily, and he sends Elva a warm glance.


 
 Originally Posted by Tyg3rW01f 
 " Is anyone else hungry, thirsty, or tired? I personally could go for a draught of dwarven stout and a good lamb stew, " Josiah mentioned, trying to not be too intrusive. 
 

He turns to the other newcomer. "This stuff they make in the north, eh?" He asks with a playful, slightly disgusted face. "Well, it's a start I suppose." He adds with a wink. "It will also be a great way to get to know each other a bit."


 
 Originally Posted by Imladir 
         Alyndra briefly hesitated,    “Uh, alright...”    She considered the plate at her feet, but started answering to Josiah and Elva,    “The inn is fine by me.”    Though she had no intention of drinking: she really wanted to know at least aa bit more about the bag before they left in the morning.
		
		Looking around, she asked,    “Anyone needs a full plate armour? I sure don't...”    
 

"No, I prefer to travel lightly." He responds. "But I'd assume someone around here would have use for it?" he asks Illidari.
sarlon
Illidari smiles down at the armor, "I can find a use for it, I'll get it appraised and leave the money at the inn for you to divvy up as you please."
DeTess
 "Thanks, Illidari. I'm certain we'll find some use for the funds!"  Elva responds, her smiles coming more naturally again.
sarlon
The dire rat hasn't changed much in the 2 days you've been gone.  The orc isn't in the tavern but is still buzzing with activity.


Your rooms are still available, and the tavern is welcoming as before with drinks and food and music.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah shrugged to the dwarf and said conversationally, " I prefer my beer to be, as the northern dwarves say it, "flüssiges Brot" or "liquid bread", but that's just me and what I grew up with at the Order. "
 
 Spoiler: use of Google Translate 
In the event my Google Translate German is ever in need of correction, PLEASE let me know!!
 
DeTess
 "I think I'll stick to something lighter. Getting teleported halfway across the continent is tough enough without the added complication of a hangover."  Elva waves a server over to the table she and her companions are sitting at so they can order.  "I'd like a bowl of lamb stew and a flagon of light ale. What would the rest of you like?" 
Tyg3rW01f
" Lamb stew and a flagon of your darkest, most dwarven beer, please, " Josiah was trying almost too hard to be polite, as if it were an effort.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra had readily agreed to Illidari's offer to sell the armour. Not that she really needed the gold - though it never hurt of course - but it would certainly be easier than walking around with the armour.
		
		After that, while she had followed to the Dire Rat, the young elf headed straight to her room, apparently not interested in drinks or even food, and she stayed there for a few hours, possibly taking a nap.
		
		When she came back down, she was pensively playing with a brass ring. She ordered some food with a glass of juice, then looking at everyone she put the ring on the center of the table.    “I've been trying to understand how the bag works, or at least to pick stuff I need and not completely random stuff.”    She grimaced slightly,    “I can't say I've had much luck with that. But, I got this.”   
		
		She took the ring, put it on one of her fingers, and a small wall of force shaped like a shield appeared on her arm. Given how freely she moved it, it was pretty obvious that it was probably weightless.    “It's not exactly worthless to me, but I figure one of you would find it much more useful than I.”    She cocked an eyebrow, looking around,    “Any taker?”    
 
  

 

It's a  Ring of Force Shield  (can be wielded as a heavy shield, +2 Shield AC, no penalty, no arcane spell failure).
Tyg3rW01f
" Maw' tok'jay'!! " Josiah blurted in amazement. " I've heard of those, but never seen one. Wow. I've never caught the ACTUAL name of those, but I'd call it a ring of force shield. Wow, that bag is... something. "
DeTess
 "That's a pretty nice ring indeed. I doubt I need it more than you do, though."  Elva's face takes on a pensive look.  "Though if you're planning on experimenting with the bag some more, it might be a good idea to have someone else watching your back, just in case another dragon or something else potentially problematic pops out." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Uh... As good a name as any I suppose.”    Alyndra seemed to hesitate for a moment. In the end, she shrugged,    “Alright, I'll keep it for now. Let me know if you change your mind.”    She placed the ring on her finger, then tapped the table with the tip of her fingers. Looking at Elva, she added,    “And I'll try to keep that in mind yes. Though... well... considering the nature of the bag, anything could happen so... It might actually be safer if I did that alone.”    She grimaced wryly,    “Well, safer for anyone but me of course.”   
		
		After a second or two, Alyndra shrugged.    “Anyway. So... I doubt you've had any great revelation as to what's to come in the morning and how we should deal about it?”    Considering how little they knew, or at least how little they knew that would allow them to prepare for anything, it was no surprise that she didn't wait for an answer. Looking at Josiah and Kai'mi, she asked,    “I suppose you've already done the whole introduction things, but since I wasn't there, do you mind telling me...well, who you are and what you're bringing to the table?”    
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah lifted his mug in a toast and said, " Josiah of the Order of the Open Palm, and Member in Good Standing of the Adventurer's Guild. I bring my fists and agility to the the table. "
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “I see.”    The young elf glanced at the fists, then looked up.    “Nice to meet you.”   
		
		After a small pause, Alyndra asked the waitress for something to eat, then turned back to the table.    “I don't think there's much we can do to prepare for tomorrow,”    after all, they - at best - only had the dimmest idea of what was waiting for them,    “except take it easy  for the rest of the day and call it an early night. So unless any of you has a bright idea,”    she cocked an eyebrow, pausing for a second,    “I'll spend the afternoon studying and call it an early night in order to be fresh in the morning.”    
 
  
DeTess
 "That's not really the worst idea. Studying, I mean."  Elva chipped in.  "We know very little of our opponent, and though I doubt the library or archives will have much, it should still be better than nothing." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra opened her mouth, closed it, then said    “The library, yes. It'll be better than nothing.”    And not at all what she had been planning on doing, but it was not a bad idea.    “From what I know there are a lot of books in there though, so even if there are some we'd be interested in, finding the right ones could be problematic. Worse, there are parts of it that require special permissions and if there's anything to find at all, it'll be in those sections. I don't doubt we'd be able to get one considering, but...”    The young elf tapped her fingers on the table for a second, then asked    “May I ask one of you to go see Illidari or Almira to ask for that permission and bring it back to the library while I start looking at things over there?”   
		
		She paused, looking at the stairs to the bedrooms with clear hesitation as she mumbled under her breath.    “I don't believe anyone would want to steal the bag in here, much less succeed, but given its nature I suppose it'd be best if I kept an eye on it. Who knows when that dragon will want to get out...”    Not that she would be able to do anything about it of course, but...well...at least she'd know it was happening, it'd be a start.
		
		Not seeing any reason to wait, Alyndra finished her drink then went to her room to grab the bag then went to the library while someone else went to the government building to get that permission.
		
		At the library, Alyndra asked to talk with someone reasonably high in the food chain.    “Good morning. I am on a mission,”    she showed her guild's insigna,    “and I need some information. The kind that is likely to be in the most restricted areas of the place. A permission signed by Illidary,”    though it could also be from Almira, who knew,    “is coming as we speak, but I'd like to get started by at least telling someone what I'm looking for. Time is of the essence.”    
 
  

 

   Diplomacy  - (1d20+8)[ 19 ]  
DeTess
 "Well, it was my idea, so I might as well go and get the permission."  Elva got up from the table. She didn't really mind the errand, as she could do with a bit of light exercise anyway.

A couple of minutes later she arrived at the council chambers, only a little out of breath this time.  "Hi, um..."  she presented her crystal to the guard as means of identification.  "If possible, could you point me to where Illidary is? I've got a quick question with regards to my current mission." 
sarlon
((shakes phone and computer confusedly over new posts but no notification))

Detess:

You are politely given directions to a small office on the ground floor, no guards stand outside but a light tap on the door has a voice inside bidding you to enter.

The room is probably good sized, however books, maps, scrolls, and various magic and mundane instruments of known and unknown usage litter almost every square inch of this room dim light filters in through high windows also stacked with various things.

Illidari sits at a large (even for a small sized creature) table paging through a book while making notes in another.  He has a frown on his face as you enter, then slips easily into a broad smile.  He marks the page with a scrap of paper before closing it carefully but makes no effort to hide the book (from what you can see with a quick glance it's either an extremely complex math book, or something more arcane).

"I loose track of time to easily...it's not morning already is it?  I'm not quite done....but I may have a plan of action....where are the others?"

You don't think he's normally absent minded, this room however is the epitomy of organized chaos, the books are stacked everywhere and there's a walkthrough through everything but you wonder how he manages to get anything done in here.
DeTess
 "Ah, no, it's not morning yet."  Elva responds, looking around the room in amazement.  "Alyndra and me just decided it might be a good idea to do a bit of research before we leave, but we also suspected that we'd probably need special permission to get to the useful books, so that's why I came here."  Her gaze slides over the massive collection of knowledge scattered around the room.  "Though now I'm wondering whether we should have skipped the library and archives and come straight here for some light reading instead." 
sarlon
He looks thoughtful for a moment then points to a stack of books behind you.

"Third pile, 6th book down from the top, old world history.  That should give you an idea of what events lead up to the resettling of this world."

He thinks some more while you pull out a rather impressive sized volume, easily 600 pages.

"Not much written record regarding that bag sadly, we never fully figured it out. Here take this..." He hands you a loosely rolled scroll, "give that to your mage to study, it's a ritual to open up each of the locks properly without causing a major disruption.  I'll have some sort of devices to contain the essences properly tomorrow."

He pulls a scrap piece of parchment out from under a tottering pile of scrolls, somehow without spilling anything, he writes for a few moments before scrolling it tightly, dripping some melted wax on the edges and pressing his ring into it, the entire thing glowing briefly, then hands that to you as well.

"Permission for your group to have access to everything in the mages library that isn't more the darker side of magic....can't promise everything will be in there but can't hurt to try."
DeTess
 "Thank you!"  Elva carefully put the book and scroll away in her pack and put the permission slip in a pokcet of her coat. She then swallowed a suggestion for Illidari to take it easy. Though he appeared overworked, now wasn't exactly the time to give anything less than a 100%. So instead she simply said  "We'll see you tomorrow"  and headed for the library.

***

At the library she quickly confirmed Alyndra's claim with Illidari's permission slip and then headed in to find the wizard.
sarlon
Alyndra:

You're greeting with cautious welcome, and while they do check your guild gem, the older man wearing a tunic in a deep blue color frowns slightly and raises an eyebrow at you.  "Not seen you around the college before where did you study?"

You have never met this human male before in your life, but his bearing and demeanor show someone of high rank.  A gold pin in the shape of a bird in flight is pinned to his shoulder (knowledge history or knowledge arcane).

He does grudgingly give you entrance to the library and points you in the direction of some books that he thinks might help, he scoffs openly at giving you access to the more restricted areas ("bring me this proof and I'll consider it") but does leave you to your own devices.

There are people of various ages wandering the stacks and though they look at you curiously (mostly humans no elves), they leave you to your own devices unless directly asked a question.

Before elva arrives though as you wander the shelves again (you've found very little beyond what you've been told or know from world history), you accidently bump into someone carrying a large stack of books the top of their head just visible.  A few books tumble to the floor and as this person begins stammering out apologies you notice right off the bat that this is a creature of oddity.

While they have the broad squat face you associate with humans in the early teenage years of life, the ears strike you at once....they are pointed like an elf's but not nearly as long as your own (the first half elf you've ever met in your life, and these are an incredible oddity to begin with, as most of elven kind don't like to acknowledge their existence).

She glares at you for a long moment before folding her arms over her chest, the books forgotten on the floor for the moment. (If she were human she wouldn't be much older the 16 or 17).
------------------

Elva:

You are greeted by the same surely human at the desk that alyndra was greeted by, he takes the scroll from your hand with a look of absolute disgust (you're not a mage in his eyes).  He breaks the seal and reads over it, raises an eyebrow at something that is written then let's out a huge belly laugh that goes on for at least 20 seconds, causing several people to stare openly at the two of you.

After he pulls himself together, he shakes his head and looks down at the desk waving his hand over it briefly before nodding.  "I believe I know where your friend is, I will personally escort the two of you to the areas permitted if she is finished with her current search....please follow me."

He stands up (easily 6 feet tall and burley, he's no 98 pound weakly wizard), and he walks with an obvious limp and uses a long walking stick to help.  He leads you to the general area alyndra is, just as the two bump into each other.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah finished his mug, paid, and followed the others
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Where did I study?”    Alyndra blinked a couple of times as she considered the man, not really seeing why he needed to ask that. Not that she had anything to hide of course.    “I had everything I needed at home so...”    She shrugged, then tilted her head then as she considered saying more, but... Well, she didn't want to draw attention to herself...or her teacher.
		
		Given entrance, she nodded her thanks and started pouring over the books: she was pretty sure she wouldn't find anything truly interesting and much less important, but maybe she'd be able to find something to point her towards things she ought to look for once in the restricted areas. She certainly wasn't particularly bothered by his scoffs, pretty sure that she'd get access soon enough anyway, nor did she pay too much attention to the fact that she was the only elf in the vicinity: and in that case, it was more a case of  not noticing  than anything else.
		
		As the books spilled on the ground, Alyndra grimaced slightly and began to stoop down to help pick them up. Mid-movement she stopped though, looking at the girl's face, obviously puzzled for a bit. Tilting her head to the side, she detailed her for a moment, then straightened,    “Hmm, sorry.”    Her cheeks reddened a bit at her blunder.
		
		After a few seconds though, noticing the crossed arms and the glare, she frowned.    “Something wrong?”    
 
  

 

   Knowledge-Arcana  - (1d20+13)[ 30 ]  
DeTess
Elva looked at the...confrontation?... between Alyndra and the half-elf in surprise. She didn't know that much about the elf, but she hadn't struck her as the kind of person to earn the kind of icy reaction the girl was giving her. After a moments consideration she decided it'd be best to try not to get bogged down with whatever this was.  "Alyndra, I've gotten the permission, and some other information besides. We've only got a couple of hours, so..." 
Tyg3rW01f
Seeing what looked to be brewing trouble, Josiah walked over to the other two and asked politely, " Is there something the matter, my Friends? Surely this is only a simple misunderstanding that doesn't need to get any worse? I mean, our patron here doesn't wish to be tied up for hours writing reports that expose her own failures; does she? Nor do we wish to be banned from a vast and great resource like this library, either; correct? Certainly we might find the middle ground and the humility to accept the mistakes which have been made--on BOTH SIDES--and work past them, right? "
Josiah looked to the girl, and said with a smile, " It would be a shame if such a simple misunderstanding were to lead to the Order of the Open Palm rescinding any agreements with the Great Library to share in a textual exchange, correct? I mean, the Great Library would be forced to be renamed "the City Library" were such a simple act as toppling a few dozen texts by accident to lead to an Unwarranted Incident that were to reach the Order by myself to Master  ((gives his Master's name))."

-----------------
Diplomacy roll... real life D20 as I cannot remember how to do it in post... I am NEVER going to be able to prove this, but a nat 20.
sarlon
The girl glares at all of you before a stern look from the human wizard, has her mumbling a vague apology than with an expression that looks almost pained she makes a come hither motion with her hand palm up at almost the same time something glows faintly from around her wrist.  Much to everyone's surprise the books that were in her arms hover above the ground, wriggle and fall again slightly, before glowing again and stacking into a neat pile back in her arms, and the man gives her a warm smile.

"Good monk, I know of your master quite well, Altira has a bit of a chip on her shoulder but she's mostly harmless.  A bright mind, but stubborn.  If you will kindly follow me?"

He leads you to a locked door on the first floor that is flanked by two people standing with the stiff posture of obvious guards, though they wield no weapons.  He says something to them gesturing towards the lot of you.  They nod and the one on the right turns their back to you and knocks sharply on the door, which then just dissolves into nothingness.

"Someone will come when it is time for closing, otherwise you have free reign to use any material within this hall...nothing may leave this room, but parchment and writing materials are freely used to make copies.  When you're ready to leave if no one has come for you, just knock on the door again and you'll be allowed to exit."

The room beyond is easily 4 stories of floor to ceiling bookshelves,  books as thin as 5 or 6 pages, others almost as large as the book Ilidari gave Elva.  Other people are in this room as well, some sitting at large tables, while others wander the shelves.  These people are older than the ones outside and must be the more advanced students of the college.  A few glance your way when you enter but no one really says anything.  Almost all of them wear robes of a deep blue or green, except a few in robes of pure white.

An elderly human woman sits behind a desk with a sign on it that says "help desk" (in about 7 different languages: common, elven, draconic, halfing, orc, dwarven, gnomish), and smiles at your entrance.  She's not wearing robes, but a simple tunic and leggings, a large dog of some sort lays curled up next to the desk beside her, snoring softly.  its tail thumps a couple of times at your entrance, but makes no move to rise.  piles of books line her desk as well as tightly coiled scrolls of parchment.
DeTess
Elva looks around at the room. It was at the same time more and less than what she'd expected from the place the library kept their important books. It was less, in that it felt like any other part of the library, jsut more library-ish, but it was also more in that there where other people walking around and studying. Keeping books locked away because someone just liked having them had always seemed like a waste to her, but she'd seen more than a few private collections that where just that.

She quickly fished the scroll Illidari had given to her and handed it over to Alyndra.   "Illidari gave this for you to study. It's a procedure for safely retrieving the essences."   She kept her voice down, both because of the sensitivity of their mission, and because this part of the library exuded that inimitable air of...library-ness... that made people naturally lower their voices.

After handing over the scroll she looked for a free desk and started studying the history she'd gotten.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         As she followed, Alyndra paused for a last look at the half-elf. She didn't seem angry, just puzzled at the reaction she had had. Surely it could be about the books, at best they were both at fault. But if it wasn't that, she couldn't think of anything else... Or was it because she was an elf? Probably some kind of not too happy family thing then, but... Well, no matter.
		
		Shaking her head, she focused on her own business and left the half-elf behind, both literally and figuratively. She paused briefly to consider the golden bird-shaped pin on the man's shoulder, nodded to acknowledge that she understood the rules, then looked around the room, her eyebrows raising noticeably when she noticed the dog. Tilting her head, she studied the people inside for a moment, wondering what signification the colour of their robes had.
		
		Before she could do much of anything though, Elva handed her a scroll to study. She looked around with a sigh, obviously desiring to look around more than study a scroll, but she took it and nodded,    “Thanks, I will.”   
		
		Before she did though, she went to the "help desk", and asked the woman,    “Hello, could you tell me what's the signification of the robes they're wearing?”    With a movement of her head, she indicated the rest of the room. 
 
  
Imladir
 (Duplicate, ignore) 
sarlon
 Alyndra :

The dog raises its head and stares at you rather intensely as you approach, but a touch of the woman's hand on his head has him thumping his tail a couple more times before lying its head back down.  She smiles at your question and explains that the robes indicate where a student's speciality magic lies, Green are conjuration, Blue was abjuration, white was divination, red was enchantment, black was evocation, illusion was plaid, black was necromancy, and purple was transmutation.

Although her look at you is curious she asks no questions why you are allowed in here, and asks if you have other questions.

 Elva: 

All the tables have a varying number of students at them, so you look for a fairly uncrowded one.  One, in particular, amuses you since its a bunch of humans and a single halfing in such close huddle with occasional chuckles and quickly suppressed laughter (they too are trying to maintain the quiet in this room), that if this were a high school you'd almost think they're up to some sort of mischief.  The entire group is wearing purple robes (though unless you heard the woman's explanation would mean nothing much to you).

As you set your book down on the table they glance your way a little guiltily, before going back to the close huddle.  occasional words catch your ear "...so mad..."  "but so worth it...."  "won't he....".
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah just wandered within the distance of a harsh "SSHH!", looking at the spine titles on the texts.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Oh, I see, thanks.”    Alyndra's gaze lingered a bit on the white robes - she supposed that should she have to wear one, it would be one like that - but otherwise didn't pay it too much attention.

After a brief hesitation, the young elf glanced at the scroll in her hands and went to sit at the nearest available chair - not caring at all who was at the same table - and started to study what Illidari had given her: while she really wanted to know more about the whole situation, being able to do whatever the scroll would afford her to would be more important in the short term.

As much as she regretted it, she didn't need to personally know everything there was to know about the whole situation - at least for now - but since she was the only one able to learn what was on that scroll, it only made sense. Though she certainly hoped to be finished long before the evening...

As a matter of fact, barely ten minutes later, Alyndra rose and put the scroll away: she had expected a spell, but instead it was only a series of instruction that, as complex as they were, she only needed a few minutes to memorize.

Now with plenty of time, Alyndra walked back to the help desk, started to ask something but stopped before half a word had gone through her lips. She looked around with a frown, then took a scroll and scribbled a few things before handing it to the woman.    “This is what I'm looking for.”   

On the scrolls, there were only a few items: Ancient History, the Exode from the previous world to this one, particularly anything regarding the ancient enemy who caused it. The heroes of the time and the four temples anchoring the world.  
 
  
sarlon
Alyndra:

The woman frowns slightly at the list presented, but you get the impression it's more in thought than displeasure at your topics.

She stands and says something quietly to the dog laying beside the desk, who yawns mightily (way to big a mouth and way to many teeth for this to be a normal dog) but it gets up, stretches, shakes itself then sits down on its haunches and watches the room with an almost bored expression.

The woman leads you through a maze of shelves pulling ones out seemingly at random, stopping occasionally to answer a students question, but otherwise focusing on you and your request.

By the time you leave the stacks you have a half dozen books in your arms that she thinks might be helpful, and promises to see if there is anymore that she can't think of right this moment.  She politely points to the paper and ink available to use and just reiterates that none of these books are allowed to leave this room.

Josiah:

You actually find several books written with names that you've heard around the monastery.  Mostly history, a few of more lore, and most maps, though some of the maps you don't recognize at all.

You run into other students who are politely respectful, and pass by the table that Elva is studying at as well.  An old dusty time sits in a corner of a bookshelf, the name of the author is faded to almost illegibility, and you don't know what causes it to catch your eye especially since it maybe a dozen or so pages long.
DeTess
At first the students whispering close by where a major distraction to Elva as she slowly pushed herself through the tome, alternating between skimming through chapters and making notes, and straining to hear what the humans and halfling where talking about. After a while though, the history really started to grab her, and distractions like the students started to fade away. It wasn't that the text had suddenly become less dry, but she started to see the pattern and shape of the events that led tot he exodus, and she didn't like it one bit.

The enemy was patient, given that their assault on the old world had taken place over a span of millenia. And they where methodical. They'd started by going after the humans with a disease, then the orcs with some kind of curse, then the elves with another disease, never going so far that the various races would try to create a united front, or that they would even realize that they where collectively under attack in the first place. In fact, though the book didn't mention it, she suspected that this enemy had utilized existing rifts and conflicts between species to ensure whoever they where currently attacking stood alone. This suggested a ruthless and intelligent enemy that worked form the shadows, not the slavering hordes of demons she'd imagined before.

And there was something else as well. Bits in the latter chapters suggested that there had been a rift of sorts between the survivors, with some blaming magic itself for everything that had happened and apparently going off on their own to find a world without magic. Only...   That doesn't make any sense. That's like blaming a murder on iron, or a hangover on the existence of alcohol...   She flipped back through the book to see if there was an explanation but she couldn't find any, and she could feel her focus starting to slip again.

Elva closed the book with a sigh and looked over her notes. The two major things she'd kept track off were the enemy's methods, and those cryptic comments near the end. The bit about blaming magic looked very off to her, but she doubted she'd be able to do much with it. The enemy's way of attacking on the other hand...

She got up from her seat and went to the help desk.  "I'm sorry, could you help me with finding some books, please?"  She asked the woman manning the desk.  "I'd like to find a history covering the last couple of centuries, maybe up to a millenium back? Focusing mostly on large-scale events like natural disasters, conflicts and diseases if that's possible." 
sarlon
Elva:

The woman frowns slightly at your request, and you see her eyes shift completely out of focus and her lips move though no words come out.

Her eyes slip back into focus and she smiles, "yes...recent history....." She stands and the dog sitting upright again.

She leads you to some books in the back of the library, not far from where josiah is looking around as well.  She gestures to 3 book cases filled with dusty times, she explains they are organized by region and race depending on your preference. Then leave you to your own devices.
DeTess
Elva purses her lips as she looks voer the bookcases. She got her history alright, but now she wasn't sure where to start. After a moments deliberation she stepped over to the human section and started pulling out a couple of books. The enemy had begun with the humans last time, so they might do or have done that this time as well. She knew she didn't have the time to read more than a small section of the books here, so she got some parchment and ink to start working out an overall timeline instead. The enemy hadn't exactly been working on a small scale last time, so if she could build up an overall timeline there might be a pattern indicating the start of another attack. And if there wasn't, well that'd be something too, wouldn't it?
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah cocked his head at the tome, and gestured to it in a "May I?" manner. When it was apparent he did indeed have permission, the young martial artist picked up the volume and began to read.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
         Having gone through most of the books she had been given, Alyndra stretched as she considered everything she had learned. It didn't answer all the questions she had, it raised a few new ones, but it did make a few things clearer at least. The problem however was that she hadn't learned anything that could help if they once again met... Well, whoever had been at the Temple.

The enemy didn't have a face, didn't even seem to have any agent of note. It was a glaring hole in the stories that had been compiled, as if up until the very end, nothing had been determined of the one responsible for the eradication of 99,96% of a world's population.

And if you didn't know what was against you, the only possibility was to flee... And hope. Now though, that enemy seemed to have come finish what he had started.

If it hadn't changed its  modus operandi , they had time to try and identify what they were up against. But time might not be something they had if something as simple as messing with a few stones would be enough to doom them all.

With a sigh, the young elf rose, grabbed the books she had gone through and brought them back to the help desk as she had no idea where they were supposed to go.    “Thanks for your help.”   

She looked around then, trying to find her companions, both with two and four legs.  
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah opened the tome and found it was a journal, badly weathered and damaged, but highly legible. The handwriting looked oddly familiar. Turning the pages, Josiah discovered the last entry, which made him take definite notice.
 "After 3 days I may have found the entrance to the (badly spoiled part of the page, water damage maybe).  If I'm right that may solve a lot of the crowding problems (more damage).  She spoke so highly of it I wonder if it wasn't a fever dream.  Tomorrow I will venture forth 
sarlon
Josiah:

The book you hold is obviously damaged, water and what might be blood stains cover many pages, and even many more are missing.  There seems to be a story that is following these pages, but since so many are missing its nearly impossible to make it out.  What you DO know though is the writer was caring for someone who was sick who told them of.....a place?  the journal is missing many pages of what you assume is the travel to find this place, with the last pages telling of the writer being close to finding whatever the place was, but no further information.

Alyndra:

Your pet has been all over this library, either wanting pettings from anyone who will vaguely pay it attention or trying to entice the big dog at the help desk to play.  You've not seen it for hours when you finally finish your research and find it curled up napping on the back of the big animal, both of whom barely twitch an ear at you.  The woman behind the desk doesn't seem to mind at all, almost as if this is a semi regular occurance.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             Alyndra looked at Midnight - her Tressym familiar - for a moment.    “So that's where you were…”    she snorted, a bit amused.    “Slept all day have you?”    Good thing much like cats, Tressyms could sleep so much, otherwise she'd be impossible that night…hopefully.

            After looking around for a bit to see if her two companions were still around, the young elf shook her head and added,    “Alright, I'm done here for today, let's go out.”    Hopefully it would still be early that they'd be able to see a bit of the city…and tire Midnight enough that she'd be content to sleep.

            And in any case, she was planning on eating at the inn, where she'd be able to share what she had learned with the other two. 
 
  
DeTess
Elva yawned as she put down her pen, then stretched. She wasn't sure how long she'd been busy going over the histories, but her body was definitely complaining, and she'd started feeling hungry. It hadn't been a complete waste of time though... Or rather, it had been, but at least that meant she'd sleep better coming night. Her fear that the enemy had already gotten started decades, if not centuries, ago had proven unfounded. With a groan she got up from her chair, picked up the books she'd consulted and returned them to the shelves. She then headed for the exit.

On the way out, she ran into Alyndra, who was in the process of retrieving her familiar from its soft-looking perch on the dogs head.  "I need some food first, but lets compare notes afterwards?"  She said to the elf as she joined hor on her way back to the inn.
sarlon
The city outside is starting to come to life as the late afternoon sun begins its nightward journey.  Guards wander the streets, bars and taverns are starting to come to life, and everyone seems to be moving with more life as the day starts to cool down.  There's even faint dampness in the air that almost promises rain.

food vendors waft tantalizing aromas of cooking foods of all kind, sweet, savory, and exotic.  There seems to be a good attitude in the air, and everyone seems relaxed.  There are talk and frequent laughter and while there's no official holiday happening today, there seems to be a celebration just from the heat being lessened from the oppression of all summer.
Tyg3rW01f
While everyone was eating and drinking, Josiah ate only half of his meal, having "accidentally" borrowed the journal and was taking very careful notes to send back to Master Liandra.  
 Spoiler: Forgery 
  (1d20+2)[ 18 ] 
 
SURELY she'd know SOMETHING about this book's subject matter; right?! He was so engrossed in being meticulous about the exactness of his copy and how he phrased his own request for information that he failed to realize he'd just done something the others would notice as a bit odd.

He didn't touch a single drop of alcohol.

Finally finished, he stuffed the journal into his pocket--for return the next morning--and the copies and letter into an envelope to give to the postmaster. Something was there, at the back of his mind, niggling at him... like a sound just on the edge of hearing.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
     “Sure.”    Alyndra nodded to answer Elva's suggestion. Looking at the sky for a moment, she added,    “I was thinking of walking a bit in the streets if you want, It's my first time here after all. Well, second if you count last time, but… Anyway, you could grab things to eat on the way as it's a bit late for lunch but early for dinner.”    The way she looked at the few food vendors she saw stated perfectly clearly that it was definitely something she was considering doing herself.

            Which was exactly what she did overt the next hour or so, buying a few bites here or there, sometimes for herself, sometimes for Midnight. In the last case though, she never handed the food directly to her familiar but instead threw it in the air - and not always straigt up - for her familiar to catch in flight, something that it did quite agilely. Except for once anyway and it wasn't because the Tressym failed to catch it, simply that she didn't even want to: too much green and not enough meat.

            As a result, the pastry fell on the bald scalp of a portly bystander with a “ plop ”. At least it wasn't  that  hot, but still…    “Damn it, Midnight!”    Alyndra cursed low but with feeling, looking mortified and unable to decide if she should pretend she didn't know anything about any flying pastry. Midnight snickered however, apparently finding that to be the best joke of the week. 
 
  
DeTess
Elva smothered a laugh at the antics of Alyndra's familiar by taking a bite of the food she'd bought. it was some kind of meaty stew contained in flatbread. She didn't know what kind of meat it was, but it was pretty tasty, all things considered.

Between bites, she started talking about the research she'd done.  "Illidari was kind of enough to lend me an abridged history of the world before this one. It seems that the enemy is a lot more subtle than I expected. I mean, they literally made a mountain range disappear at one point, but at that point they'd been attacking the world's inhabitants for several millennia without anyone noticing. They used diseases, and massives species-wide curses and similar to isolate and attack only one group."  She grimaced again at the sheer ruthlessness it would have taken to commit atrocities like that.  "They seem to be a big fan of 'divide and conquer strategies'. In the previous world, they first hit the humans with a disease, then made the orcs all go berserk, then hit the elves with another. Then they framed various races for bloody attacks against others and so on. It seems no one even recognized these events as part of a coordinated attack until they wrecked an entire dwarf-inhabited mountain range."  She sighed.  "I'd been imagining some kind of slavering horde of demons and valiant clashes between good and evil. This is way worse." 
 "Well, there's one bit of silver lining, I suppose. I checked some modern histories afterwards, and there were no signs that they've been up to the same tricks. So maybe we really are getting in on all this early enough to prevent worse." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             As the man turned in her direction, ready to blow up, Alyndra swiftly moved her fingers and grumbled a draconic word to cast  Prestidigitation , making the pastry fall on the ground and leaving the scalp shining. Almost literally. Maybe because he didn't have anything to complain about anymore, or not wanting to mess with a Wizard of unknown powers, the man grunted and turned away after a dark look.

            With a relieved sigh - and a dark glare of her own aimed at her familiar - Alyndra focused on Elva.   “That's mostly what I have learned too yes. But I'm not sure I agree with your conclusion. It feels to me the enemy, whoever - or whatever - it is, proceeded slowly and in the shadows because it both lacked the power for more direct confrontations and had the time for it. Scheming in the dark like it did was thus the best, and maybe the only, way for it to reach its goal no matter how long it took.”  

            For a moment, the young elf looked up, pensive.   “Here - and now - however, the situation is different: first, there aren't as many powerhouses as there were in the past. I mean, even without knowing how many there were then and how many there are now, even if in percentage there are ten times as many now as before, when you compare the total population we do not come out of it ahead.”   She paused, pensive,   “Which leads me to think that the enemy is probably relatively weak in direct combat. Identifying it could be the same as stopping it.”  
  “Anyway.”   She shook her head to focus back on the rest of what she was saying.   “More importantly, it didn't have then a way to achieve its goal in a short time: it does now. Mess with the temples, mess with the foci and everything could come crashing down.”   She grimaced.   “Even if we manage to prevent that at the other three, there was a reason the temples and the foci were placed there. If we take those out… It's not quite doing the enemy's job for it, but it's a close thing. Which means the world could come crashing down around us and it leaves us with little time to do anything about it, especially with the enemy doing whatever it can to prevent us from fixing the problem.”   
 
  
sarlon
As you wander the town, there's an air of excitement and talk of the caravans coming for the harvest festival (if asked it's occuring in a week's time).

You do find an open shop of spell supplies (parchment, scrolls, most common spell casting ingredients, etc).

The shop is disturbingly clean and very organized, scrolls are in color coded bins clearly written labels show what's inside.

Behind the counter sits an older wizard (human male) with a very clean appearance, stark white robes, and his hair and beard are very nearly combed and trimmed.  You don't think there's a speck of dust in the entire place, and even the counter is perfectly organized.

As he raises a hand in greeting, you notice he too has a bracer/bracelet of stones that gleam whitely and sparkle just slightly.  He introduces himself as tommic and asks how he can assist you.
DeTess
 "The one we encountered killed that temple guardian though. Maybe there aren't enough of them to wage war in the open, but that's not the same as being weak."  Elva thought back to their short encounter with the enemy back in the temple.  "And don't forget those dwarven mountains. I don't think anyone who can casually disappear an entire mountain range can be called weak."  She shook her head.  "I understand what you're saying, Alyndra, but don't confuse patience and long-term planning with weakness. For all we know, these monsters are immortal, and a plan taking 6 millenia to come to fruition is like no time at all to them." 
 "Maybe I'm overestimating what they can do in the same way that I think you're underestimating them, as we just don't know enough. But if you don't know your opponent, its better to assume they're strong than to assume they're weak." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             Alyndra blinked in surprise as she hadn't been specifically looking for such a shop. As she looked around, she answered Elva.   “Maybe you're right but...”   she shrugged   “Let's take the dwarves' mountain. Can we be absolutely sure it was done by that enemy? Maybe it was someone else taking advantage of the chaos to do that without being blamed for it. Though of course the enemy could have instigated it without having to do anything directly.”  

She sighed   “One way or another, its true that we need to know more, but we shouldn't hope for much considering that despite what happened in the past, next to nothing came out of it. Well, we'll see tomorrow. If we're lucky we'll learn more.”  

Turning to the shopkeeper, the young elf nodded.   “Good afternoon.”   She paused, thoughtful.   “Well, I'm looking for a few scrolls of low-level Divination spells. Appraising Touch, Arrow Mind, Comprehend Languages, Magecraft and Spymaster's Coin should do it.”   She tapped her lips for a couple of seconds.   “Oh and I'll take the materials to copy all of those in my spellbook of course.”   
 
  
sarlon
The man grins a big toothy grin, and with a pointing finger the gems around his wrist glow softly and steadily, and several scrolls lift themselves out of various bins around the store, and land in a neatly stacked pile in front of him on the counter.  With another thoughtful look, he points his finger again and various supplies lift themselves from the shelves and come towards him on the counter and settle themselves neatly into a box.

"Are you with the mages guild?"  The question is asked politely with no hint of distaste that you received in the library, more polite inquiry.  He notices your adventurers guild badge on your shoulder and smiles, "ah my apologies young lady, you are with the other guild...those were the days...I could tell you stories!  but you probably don't want to hear the wafflings of an old man."  He grins at both of you and shows his own older but still spotlessly clean badge, that's so polished you can almost see your own reflection in it.  He turns to Elva and asks if she is in need of anything as well, and quotes you 600 gold for the entire lot of supplies and scrolls.

"Forgive my intrusion, but I couldn't help but hear you speak of the dwarven range collapse?  that was so long ago even for an elf, that's beyond your own age...are you a history buff?"
DeTess
Elva idly browsed the shelves for a moment, but then shook her head when the shopkeeper asked her if she needed anything.  "Scroll are Alyndra's area of expertise, not mine."  She resondend with a smile.

When he asked them about their topic of discussion,s he silently cursed herself. She should have been a bit more careful about discussing all that in a shop where the owner was likely to overhear.  "We where actually researching a more recent magical accident, but you know how the library can be. One moment you're just looking for some further clarification in the references of a book, the next moment you've got a dozen books open and you've moved on to a completely different area of interest. Only ending up a couple millennia in the past on the same general topic, rather than 'properties of spidersilk armor made from greenwood spidersilk' or something like that actually made it a surprisingly small deviation."  Though she wasn't being truthful in this case, she'd gotten distracted like that in the library before, so it was an easy enough story to come up with.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             As the shop-owner "grabbed" the scrolls she had asked for, Alyndra tilted her head to the side while she considered his wrist. When he was done, she thanked him, paid and politely smiled when he answered his own question about which guild she was a member of.

              “I can't say I'm an expert no…”   The young elf shook her head after Elva had "explained" things,   “Otherwise I would have learned about it a long time ago wouldn't I?”   She looked a bit… puzzled… at Elva for a second, then focused back on the old man.

              “It might be a bit too inquisitive of me so my apologies in advance, but… does that bracer of yours mean something? Beside its obvious use anyway. I recently met someone else with one like that so I'm curious…”   Someone who didn't seem fond of her for some reason. She had paid it much attention, but she certainly hoped that half-elf had less gems than he did on his own bracer… 
 
  
sarlon
He tilts his head slightly gazing down at his wrist and shakes back his robe sleeves to show similar stones on both wrists.

"A long time ago when I was a much younger man, I ran into a dragon that was nearly obsessed with not touching things and being as neat and clean as I am....he didn't tell me where he got them, something about time and space, but he gave me a few and told me how to use them....it basically allows me to "touch" things without touching them but still manipulate the world around me."

He grins, and as he moves your money behind the counter from payment, he looks at you thoughtfully.

"Here," he pulls one gem off and places it in your box of supplies as well, "maybe your younger generation can figure it out.  Would you like this delivered to your inn or do you have a residence in town? Or would you just like to carry this with you?"
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
    “A dragon, eh… I've heard that one…”   Alyndra mumbled. Oh, the story was different, but then again, the same story had been different every time she had heard it, the only two things remaining more or less immutable being the dragon and the stones. Or at least the  presence  of the dragon had been, details about it changed with each retelling, or so it had seemed at times anyway.

            All at her thought about said story, who else had one pretty close to it associated to the same stones and what link there could be between those two and the woman in the library, Alyndra distractedly took the offered gem and answered the question with a   “It's alright, I'll just take it now.”  

            Finally, as her mind went over what she had barely paid attention to, she looked at the gem in her hand.   “Oh, uh… I can't possibly accept this!”   She shook her head, obviously flustered. 
 
  
sarlon
He shakes his head with a chuckle, as you feel only the tiniest jolt of something tingle up your fingers, "once you've touched it from a person freely giving it to you...it has bonded.  It doesn't like being given away to much....see it just turned black..." He points to it grasped in your fingers.

"Don't worry it's not gonna start whispering to you, but try it out, learn the wonders it can do!"

He glanced out the shop window and sees the sun starting to set and begins to politely but firmly usher you out the door with your box of supplies and a tidy satchel of the scrolls.

Josiah:

You stretch and arch your back from several hours of cramped writing and see you've done a first rate job of copying the book you "borrowed", as your eyes roam around the inns tavern, you notice it starting to fill up with the usual evening crowd.  There's a sudden hush then an excited murmur through the room as a hulking figure of a man siloettes himself in the doorway.

As curiosity gets the better of you, you see it is a massive (even for an orc) orc standing in the door way.  A gleaming battle axe strapped to his back, his armor, hair, and general appearance are quite well kept, and a mark of one of the churches is pinned to his shoulder.  (No perception check, it's fairly small and you're to far away to see it in full detail).

The room starts clapping as he enters and you swear you almost see a blush as he saunters over to the bar and sits down, his back to the room, and the room goes back to its cheery demeanor.
DeTess
Elva hurriedly made her way back to the inn after leaving the magic supply. The filled flatbread had been nice, but she could do with a proper dinner as well. Studying tended to make her really hungry.

The inn was its usual cheery self, and Josiah seemed to be holding down a table for them, so she quickly made her way over there.  "Hey Josiah, everything okay here while we where away?"  She asked him while flagging down a waiter to order some food.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah had been thinking about going off to introduce himself to the orc, when his companions arrived. " Oh, hi... Yes, all was fine. I just... just saw an orc come in. "
DeTess
 "Heh, he does look like an interesting guy."  Looking closer now, she saw people occasionally steal glances in his direction. The overall mood wasn't in any way tense though, so she figured he might be some kind of local celebrity.  "I'd like to get some proper dinner first, but I might go and have a chat with him later as well." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
    “Uh…”   Alyndra looked at the gem in her hand as if it was about to bite her. In the end though, not having many more options available to her - she wasn't going to throw it away after all - she nodded.   “Alright.”   At least, between that and the bag, she'd have a lot to study and wouldn't risk being bored.

            She took her purchases, almost putting them in the bag before realizing how bad of an idea it could be, then leisurely followed Elva towards the inn, not in any particular hurry herself. Once there, she joined the others and sat, curiously looking in the direction of the orc and the reactions he got.   “Uh, do you know what this is all about? Someone I should know or something?”   She tilted her head to the side,   “Maybe he's a relative of the owner?”   
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah shrugged and stood up, his alcohol utterly untouched, and his meal paid for. " I'm about to go ask, Aly. "
So saying, Josiah walked up to the or and sat down next to him. " What's a nice well-known fella like you doing in a rough and tumble place like this? " This close, Josiah could easily spot the symbol on the orcs armor.
Perception(aka Spot/Look/HeyListen)  (1d20+11)[ 25 ] 
Knowledge Religion  (1d20+2)[ 9 ]  ((this is to recognize the religious order... presuming the orc is from one of the dozen or so well-known orders in this world))
sarlon
you EASILY recognize the holy symbol on his chest....a smithing hammer with 2 spears crossed behind it (Mal'turia), though its of low quality indicating he is maybe a novice or low ranking.  The orc turns his face to you and the FIRST thing that you notice is one of his two lower "canines" (the typical jutting lower teeth common in orcs) is completely missing, and from the slightly sunken apperance of his mouth you think this was fairly recently (as compared to a birth defect).

In answer to your question, he grunts something about just getting a drink before new orders, then goes back to nursing a massive mug of ale infront of him, that kinda smells like paint stripper its so strong.
Tyg3rW01f
Ever the sucker for an alcoholic beverage, Josiah asked, " Mind if I join you for a beverage? "
Without waiting for an answer, Josiah ordered, " I'll have what this fellow is having. "
When the beverage arrived, Josiah lifted his mug in toast, then drank.
Constitution  (1d20+3)[ 5 ] 
Fortitude  (1d20+3)[ 23 ] 
Tyg3rW01f
The beverage wasn't meant to be chugged like beer.
When the inebriant struck Josiah's tongue--against the orc's stunned, knee-jerk advice of "Oh S***! Kid, don't let it hit your tongue!"--the young monk began violently choking and coughing. Once the foolish monk was able to catch his breath, Josiah came to the conclusion that  SIPPING  this surprisingly delightful beverage was the way to go.
With a strained gasp of tortured breath, the teary-eyed Josiah whimpered a dwarven toast. " Prost. "
The next mug, drunk carefully, was toasted with gusto. "  zum Wohl ! "
 Fortitude (for AFTER the 2nd mug--against being sh*tfaced)  (1d20+3)[ 8 ] 
sarlon
The first mug was definitely a kick in the teeth, and while you did slowdown and enjoy it, this is stronger than you've drank in your life, a point the orc takes with good humor, his full throated belly laugh and the very hearty slap on the back sends you reeling, "never try and drink the blood of the mountain dragon human....it's not for the faint of heart."

Actually your not so sure of what he said since it sounds like he's talking from a long ways away despite him being in as reach at the crowded bar.

You have no further memory of that night.
------------

Rest of the party:
You see your young monk friend go to the bar, talk with the orc, raise a glass... And then being politely escorted out of the bar by large human that just screams bouncer.

Your food and drink orders are brought in due order, and the entertainment in the bar consists of a very act, a "band" that is playing some rather unusual music, not unpleasant just different, and various vocal and comedy acts (some much better than others).

Depending on how late you stay the bar once again closes at 2am, and people disperse again either to rooms above or out into town.
DeTess
The time spend in the library had helped Elva come to grips with the situation, and the great food and good entertainment were a welcome distraction, so by the time she decided to head up to her room for some rest she felt a lot more at ease.

***

Elva's good cheer from the previous night had taken a couple of hits by the time she arrived in the common room for breakfast the next day. She'd had worse nights, certainly, but that wasn't much of a consolation after waking up from a nightmare for the third time in a row. They all had been pretty similar, with her trying to chase some unseen opponent through a maze, but falling ever further behind, and getting ever more lost.   'Yeah, I wonder where that came from...'  

She groggily ordered a big breakfast, then did her best to push through her lack of sleep and dismiss the lingering feelings of dread from the nightmares.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             Alyndra considered Josiah's behaviour a tad bemused, mumbling something about   “That's now how I imagined monks… Are we sure he's a real one?”   but otherwise didn't do anything about it one way or the other. Instead, she distractedly listened to some music while she played with the stone, still wondering what this was about exactly. Maybe it came from some disreputable activity all of those who had some were a bit ashamed of, and saying a dragon had handed those was a nice excuse?

            She didn't spend long on it though, as she went to bed relatively early: the next day would be a long one, and the last thing she wanted was to wake up exhausted.  Which was why she was really fresh in the morning - perhaps disgustingly so to the eyes of those who didn't sleep all that well or woke up with painful hair - when she came down in the morning for breakfast with all her stuff.   “Good morning!”  

            Like always, she didn't eat much and was soon ready to go meet Illidari. 
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
The light hurt, but not nearly as bad as it had the night Josiah had discovered Sensei Miyagi's stash of 150yr old dwarven whiskey. Or the night Josiah had drained a cask of 75yr old cognac. Or the--   you know, I really should quit drinking...   Josiah considered for all of ten seconds.
The young monk was wobbly-legged when he made his way to the Common Room, and muttered his greetings.
sarlon
The common room is unusually quiet when you come down the next morning, even the normally cheerful waitstaff seems subdued, but no one can seem to put a finger on the problem or explain why.  Right as you sit down to eat, the front desk clerk hands you a small pouch and says a courier from the council brought this yesterday.  Inside is a small pile of money a few gold coins and mostly silver (easier to spend in smaller towns than "breaking" a gold piece), with a note from Illidari explaining this was your cut of the sale of that suit of armor from the bag.  All totaling about 1500 gold  (900 in gold the rest in smaller currency).

As you leave the inn for the early morning meeting, you feel something in the air isn't right either....an almost unease, but like the others, you can't quite put your finger on it.  one thing you do notice is the distinct temperature difference, all summer even in the early morning, it has been breathlessly hot, today while it's not cold or even cool, there's definitely a difference in the outside.

Outside the inn jasper (the donkey) is well-rested, well-groomed (stable hands definitely took good care of him) and definitely well-fed, and standing patiently beside a young man wearing an obvious uniform from the dire rat.  He bows slightly and offers you the lead rope before making his departure.  You find the meeting place illidari told you, and find him talking to a tall orc...and it's not till they stop talking and turn to face you that you recognize the same orc from last night (the marked lack of one canine being the dead give away).  Today he is wearing highly polished breastplate armor, the hammer and crossed spears behind it prominent on its chest piece.  What looks like a backpack sits at his feet, and a single shoulder bag (think a haversack) hangs from one shoulder.  The head of a wickedly sharp-looking ax peak over his shoulder.  His dark brown hair is neatly cropped close to his skull, and sturdy leather boots adorned his feet.  (hes 5'11" tall, about 185 pounds, and his skin is a mottled green color but not a deep dark green.)

"Good morning!  May I introduce you to Toldec, of the blood fist clan, a priest in training to Mal'turia.  He is going to be assisting you as muscle and healing.  and if he seems a bit gruff....just ignore him he really IS a big teddy bear...WHOOPS!!" Illidari dodges a not so playful swat from the orc's fist aimed at his head, his face stern and unsmiling, his dark eyes looking at each of you, in turn, nodding slightly.

"He is carrying some orbs in that bag,"  he points to the backpack at Toldec's feet, "you're mage should have seen how to use them properly in that scroll that she was given last night." He nods to Alyndra.

"Now time is of the essence, right now your main concern is getting the essences and their caretaker, alive or dead but preferably alive, and bringing them back to me.  Since they are literally at the 4 corners of the world, time is of the absolute essence.  I have some travel scrolls much like the one you used yesterday, but with such imbalance, I'm not sure how accurate they will be to get to the exact location."  He holds out a well-laden leather satchel filled with scrolls,  "I have here as much information about each temple, area, and guardian as I could dig up overnight.  There are maps few have ever seen before so guard them closely."

He scoots very subtly away from the range of the orc before making this next comment, "Toldec is on loan from the church and has been paid in advance, he is to follow your orders unless they directly affect his faith or dogra...dogmr....dog....his lifestyle set by the church.  You do not need to pay him unless you are so inclined, and he is yours for as long as you are in need."

"Any questions, and which temple do you wish to set forth to first?  The Fire, The Water, or the Earth?"
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             Alyndra took the bag of gold and stored it away without paying it much attention. When they were introduced to the orc they had seen in the evening, she nodded in his direction, with a short greeting in orcish. She looked a bit doubtful at some of Illidari's explanations though.

            She nodded when the gnome mentioned the orbs, obviously indicating that she knew what to do about those and grimaced at the obvious doubt she heard in his explanation about the teleporting scrolls' accuracy. Such things tended to end…messily…   “Well, I hope we're not going to be  needing  you but welcome I guess.”   The young elf commented about the orc being on loan.   “This is Elva, you already know Josiah,”   she smirked,   “If you can remember it anyway… And I'm Alyndra.”  
  “As for our first destination,”   she looked pensive for a moment.   “I…”   She stopped suddenly, her head cocked to the side, her expression going from thoughtful to worried,   “Fire! We need to go to the fire one. Right now!”   And to make her feelings on the matter even clearer if there was a need for it, with a twist of her fingers and a word in draconic, she covered herself in a shimmering armor. 
 
  
DeTess
Elva quickly put away her share of the gold. The weight of the gold was at least a somewhat reassuring start to the day.

Their new orcish travelling companion she greeted with a smile as Alyndra introduced her.  "Another pair of hands to help out is always nice, but I'll have to agree with Alyndra, it'd be nice if we didn't actually need your skills in healing." 

She'd been thinking on the topic of their next destination. With the way magic seemed to destabilize around the other temple ater thigns got broken, it seemed prudent to start with the the temple clsoest to the capital, which'd be...


 
 Originally Posted by Alyndra 
   “Fire! We need to go to the fire one. Right now!”   
 

Elva looked on in surprise as the elf slapped her magical defenses into place.  "I agree, but... actually, nevermind. Let's cast the spell and be on our way, you can fill us in on the road." 
Tyg3rW01f
No, the hangover headache wasn't as horrendous as it could have been, but Josiah was still not at full combat readiness. Well, he wasn't until some benevolent soul--may the gods give them prosperity and long life--handed him a cup of kaf that perked him back up. To his great joy, Josiah noticed the hint of flavor from last night, and wished the benevolent soul who handed him this "hair of the dog that bit you" very great prosperity and a peaceful end to a long and fulfilled life.
  Never let anyone tell you magic isn't real. I drink a potion brewed from magic beans every morning and it brings me back to life,   Josiah thought happily.
After the declaration of heading to "the fire crystal" (whatever that was... Josiah made a mental note to ask extensive questions post-haste) he noted the orc was coming along with them. This was further confirmed when the massive fellow tucked a rather fat purse into Josiah's belt, saying it was Josiah's share.
" Thank my good fellow. I'm honored to see you again. Come, let's give our enemies a taste of our mettle. " Josiah dropped three silver into the empty mug, set it on the bar, flipped a fourth silver to the barman as a tip, then followed his companions.
sarlon
Illidari quickly shows a scroll into Alyndra's hand opening another quickly, he walks VERY quickly around your group in a tight circle chanting rather rapidly, obviously catching on to the urgency.  All of your visions go black for 2 heartbeats, then you feel VERY soft earth under your feet, even sinking slightly, the sounds of ocean waves close by.  As your vision clears you are in a small clearing with towering stones (easily 9 or 10 feet tall) absolutely engulfed in flames, though as close as you are you feel no heat coming off of them.

It is still VERY dark (you guys left at just barely sunrise, this is obviously further west where the sun hasn't quite risen).  You hear absolute silence again, much like what greeted you at the first temple, no morning birds singing, no insect noises, and barely a whisper of wind.

A well worn path leads out of this clear and the ground is actually more beach sand than dirt.  The orc slowly draws his axe, which now that you see it clearer, its obviously well cared for, the metal head gleaming through the layers of rust and pitting, the handle in his hands looks like it would snap if he gripped it too hard.  He mutters a few gruff words in orcish (either a prayer or an oath of frustration it doesn't translate well for those who know orcish, would almost be like saying "Gods protect us from....(well you're not sure on that word)".  You feel a stirring of power around him, and his skin glows briefly for just a mere moment.  Though he is ready to follow your lead, he seems like a stallion ready to head into a run.

-------------------------

As you follow the path, you come to a magnificent building right on the edge of the water, a tall figure standing at the bottom of the steps looking up, even from this distance, Alyndra and Elva would recognize him immediately.....its the same dude from the other temple and he looks ready to enter this one.

 
 Spoiler: options: 
If you want to attack him directly, roll initiave, you'd have a surprise round on him if handled correctly.  If you want to talk to him first or give some sort of warning just go from there.  He does NOT appear to be carrying any weapons, but give me a perception check if you want to go this route.
 
DeTess
Elva tenses as she recognizes the villain from the previous temple. She sends a quick glance towards Alyndra, to make sure that the elf has recognized the bastard, and that she's ready to lend her a hand as Elva starts gathering magical energy to herself in preparation of shutting the villain down.
DeTess
Relieved at seeing the elf prepare for trouble as well, Elva focuses her attention on the man again, preparing a spell to disorient him.

 
 Spoiler 

initiative:  (1d20+4)[ 5 ] 
perception:  (1d20+10)[ 30 ] 

Elva is going to hit him with a casting of 'Vertigo'. It's a DC16 will-save to resist it entirely (DC17 if the guy is flat-footed).

A creature affected has to roll a DC10 balance check at the start of each turn to be able to take any move action. If it fails it cannot move, if it fails by 5 or more they'll drop prone. They also take -2 to all saves and attack rolls.
 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             Alyndra briefly hesitated. Not about  what  to do as she never considered letting that sinister individual go as he pleased, but about  how  to do it. In the end, she decided that the best thing to do would be to help her companions take care of that more directly, so she cast her  Haste  spell on all of them. 
 
  
 
 Spoiler 
 Initiative : 20
 Perception : 25
Alyndra casts Haste on the whole group (30ft enhancement move speed bonus, up to twice normal speed, +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves, +1 attack at full BaB when making a full attack action).
Affects 5 persons, so the whole group (and Jasper because why not).
Lasts for 5 rounds.
 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah hadn't even opened his mouth to ask his first relevant question when he felt the haste spell descend.  What the fork?! Haste?! Who? What? When? Where? Why?  all ran through his mind, but he blinked that all away to see what answers could be gleaned from the actions of the ladies.
Tyg3rW01f
 (1d20+4)[ 22 ] 
HOLD Action until next turn as he is trying to figure out WTF is going on
sarlon
Initiative for the man:   (d20+3)[ 21 ] 

you guys see him stagger on the steps for just a moment, but as he turns towards you, he begins drawing a sword and points it at you and yells something, you're not sure what EXACTLY he said, something about can't stop...history?  repeating history?

he begins moving towards the orc first definitely with ill intentions in his eyes, the sword in his hands gleaming with a dark metal similiar to what you found at the first temple.

 
 Spoiler 
I'm out of town till Wednesday, but once home I'll have some battle layouts for you.
 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             Alyndra frowned when the man spoke, repeating his words in a mumble, a bit puzzled that they couldn't really understand him: where was he coming from if he didn't speak their language?

            Quickly though, she shook herself and focused on the task at hand. With a few more draconic words, she glanced in the direction of their new orc companion who grew suddenly and quite impressively. At the same time, she activated the ring she had on one of her fingers and stepped back, really not wanting to be too close to the action. 
 
  
 
 Spoiler 
 Standard action:  Cast  Enlarge Person  on the orc. It'll last 5 minutes.
 Free action:  Activate Ring of Force Shield (now at 20AC)
 Move action:  Step back to make sure that she has pretty much everyone between her and the baddie (she's heroic like that).
 
Tyg3rW01f
" What's going on; somebody please inform me, here! " Josiah called as he assumed the "Watching Mantis" stance which gave him meh defense, but good offensive ability.

 
 Spoiler 
For those who have studied the martial arts, you will notice these stances are all COMPLETE and total BS names.
--Also... FREE ACTION: assume the stance
STILL HOLDING ACTION UNTIL NEXT TURN!!
 
DeTess
 "He's the bastard that attacked the other temple!"  Elva shouted at the hesitating monk. Did Josiah really think that they where the kind of people to attack someone without good reason?

She channeled her annoyance into another spell, leaching the color from herself and her gear and launching it in a beam at the man's face. Now hidden by her spell, she dashed forward, trying to get in his blind spot.

 
 Spoiler 

Standard action: Cast blinding color surge. It's a DC17 will save or be blinded for 1 round. Also, Elva is invisible (as per the standard invisibility spell) for 5 rounds, irrespective of whether the man saves or not.
Move action: get into a position from which Elva can get into a flanking position on the man with the Orc next turn.
Free action: yelling at Josiah
 
sarlon
((posting for our orc since hes still learning this forum))

Orc lets out a growl that if it weren't for the smirk crossing his lips, and hearing the elf confirm that this puny human needed to become less of a threat for defiling a sacred temple he strides to meet the oncoming attacker, letting loose a battle cry in orcish that sounds very creepy.

attack with ax  (1d20+16)[ 32 ] 

if hits  (3d6+11)[ 26 ] 
sarlon
order of combat:
Tygerwolf: 22
Bad Guy: 21 (see OOC post)
Imladir: 20
Orc: 15
Detess: 5
-------------------------------

Tyger:
After being shouted at, seeing the orc get bigger and shout something about mountains and kittens (inside joke between players), then charge in with ax swinging, you're fairly certain you should join suit....moving in to help flank the guy. (you can now starting punching).

Bad guy:
 
 Spoiler: resist color surge 
 (1d20+4)[ 12 ] 
 



If he succeds in resisting the spray, he swings at the orc.

swinging sword of black material:  (1d20+9)[ 23 ] 
If hits:  (1d20+6)[ 7 ]  (if hits please roll fort save)

Imladir:
You're spell goes off covering everyone in haste. (you're also alone, about 30 feet uphill (no height advantage) but everyone is surrounding the guy)

Orc:
fort (incase he gets hit)  (1d20+10)[ 27 ] , if he succedes his attack will connect.

Detess:
your spell goes off, and you manage to get behind him beside the monk behind the guy flanking both the orc and the human.
Tyg3rW01f
"     HAI!     " Josiah bellowed and hammered his fists into his enemy's kidneys and lower spine.
((NO, it is NOT "Called Shot" because you can't "aim" FLURRY OF BLOWS with pinpoint accuracy))

Flurry of Blows  (1d20+5)[ 20 ]   (1d20+5)[ 16 ] 
Damage  (1d8+3)[ 11 ]   (1d8+3)[ 7 ] 
DeTess
Elva hesitated for a moment as she prepared het next move. the man hadn't been fighting like she'd have expected him to at all. She had expected more spells, and less sword-swinging. Still, if he was holding back... Dismissing her misgivings, she darted in, a spell ready at her finger tips.

 
 Spoiler: actions 

move action: close in to flank the man
standard action: cast touch of idiocy. This is a melee touch attack that inflicts a 1d6 penalty to all three mental stats (can't drop them below 1) for 50 minutes. No save, but I do need to land the touch attack.

melee touch attack:  (1d20+3)[ 11 ]  note: if this guy doesn't have blindsight, he's denied dex to AC, and I get +2 to the attack roll from being invisible (ends after casting the spell). Assuming I'm successfully flanking, add a further +2.

mental stat penalty:  (1d6)[ 6 ] 
 
Tyg3rW01f
A split second after both fists give the enemy a wallop, Josiah felt strange--the young monk felt floaty and weird, almost like he could see the battle going on as if viewing it from above, but something was different. Josiah could almost True-See the guy in the hood; this was not some wild eyed demonic looking thing, but a human.  There was a strange mark on his face--a tattoo maybe?--and a glow of strange energy around his head.
Josiah was actually beginning to question if he'd actually hit the man--even though he know full well his fists had indeed connected with something solid. A heartbeat later Josiah felt back in the thick of combat and no time had passed as far as he could tell.
sarlon
The orc looks confused for a moment at the axe in his hands before a grin crosses his face that sends chills down anyone's spine who looks at him...he raises his axe and swings it at the hooded man.

swing sword:   (1d20+12)[ 18 ] 

If it hits, Damage:  (3d6+11)[ 23 ] 

(someone remind me how long this enlarge person lasts?  we're into round 2 since its been cast just for the record)
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             Alyndra hesitated: she had other spells to cast of course, but nothing that would have a huge impact on the fight as it was at the moment. Plus, she might need some of those later on. Since not doing anything wasn't really an option, she drew her bow and aimed it at their foe: she wasn't really an expert with the thing, far from it, but still, she knew how to use it.

            Even though it was the first time she would do so against a sentient target… As she let her arrow loose, she said urgently   “Take him alive if you can!”   They had lots of questions after all. 
 
  
 
 Spoiler 

 Move action:  Draw the bow
 Standard action:  Shoot:  25  to hit, dealing  4  piercing damage if it hits.
 Free action:  Talk.
 
sarlon
order of combat:
Tygerwolf: 22
Bad Guy: 21 (see OOC post)
Imladir: 20
Orc: 15
Detess: 5
---------------------------------

Tyger:

You definately feel the double thud of your fists connecting, and a grunt of pain from the man in front of you, at the same time hearing Alyndra shouting to take him alive.

Evil guy:

He grumbles a few nonsensical words (no attack of opportunity, not spellcasting), before dropping his weapon and throwing back the hood from his face.  This is the face of a young human male, probably no older than 25.  There is a strange tattoo covering most of the left side of his face.  In broken common he says stop hurting?  hitting?  he means you no harm. (least thats his words)

Imladir:

You're shot connects seconds after he drops his weapon, and though there is another grunt of pain the man still stands.

Orc:

Obvious conflicting emotions run through his face as hes ordered to stand down, his eyes gleaming with the heat of battle, he checks his last blow, which sadly does come a moment to late and the man falls to the ground, shaking and bleeding, but still alive, but just barely.

Detess:

you connect with the guy as well just as he begins falling, and to everyone else your eyes glaze over and you stand rigid (no save I'll explain in private)
---------------------------------

EVERYONE ELSE:  Please roll me reflex saves, imladir give yourself a +2 bonus since you're on more stable ground.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah, having heard the request, even in the thick of battle, channeled his Ki--just as Master Liandra had taught him--into pulling his punch halfway into the physical impact so it would only stun.

Stunning Fists  (1d20+3)[ 5 ] 
dmg  (1d8)[ 1 ] 
 
 Spoiler: Stunning Fists 
Stunning Fist forces a foe damaged by your unarmed attack to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wis modifier), in addition to dealing damage normally. A defender who fails this saving throw is stunned for 1 round (until just before your next turn). A stunned character drops everything held, can’t take actions, loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, and takes a –2 penalty to AC.
NOTE: This attack MUST be declared BEFORE the attack.
 
Tyg3rW01f
Reflex Save  (1d20+8)[ 12 ] 

((If this roll goes south, we'll say the attack goes poorly because of lack of solid ground))
Balance Check ((just in case))  (1d20+4)[ 15 ] 

((if the check goes well... let's say the attack goes "ffft!" because of lack of practice, hm?))
sarlon
All of you aren't sure what happened first....the mild earthquake that shakes the very ground beneath your feet, Alyndra falling down to the ground and rolling slightly downhill before coming to a complete stop (uninjured except for your pride and dignity), the man you have been handling falling to the ground, Elva standing stock still like she grabbed a live wire and seems to be frozen in place, gently falling to the ground at the same time the man does, or Josiah's fists whiffing just over the top of the guys head as he also struggles to maintain balance (but remains upright).  The normally docile jasper flicks up his tail and takes off at a dead run down along the tree line braying his fear (animals don't like earthquakes).

The earthquake lasts several moments with trees from the forest behind you swaying dangerously, but remain mostly firmly planted, though a loud crashing sound from further in the forest makes you wonder if some didn't make it or lost branches.  The entire time Elva is seemingly lost in her own thoughts, and right as the quake ends, her grasp on the man lessens and though dazed seems to be alright.

coming down the steps of the temple a young woman in a red tunic, black leather leggings, long black hair....and bare feet of all things, carrying a wicked looking mace in her hand and looks at all of you, the large orc, and the bleeding nearly unconscience man.  Though she barely looks 20 she speaks with a voice used to issuing commands.  " Who so dares to defile the sacred temple of Alturist!  You dare shed blood on sacred land!  Speak! "

You have absolutely no problem hearing her despite the waves from the nearby beach, you have little doubt of who this is, though few have ever met her.  This appears to be the caretaker of the temple, she wears a holy symbol of a simple bird in flight (the holy symbol of Alturist).
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             Alyndra stood up, grumbling, obviously not hurt but not having enjoyed the tumble. She squinted as she considered the whole situation, her gaze turning in the direction Jasper had gone to. She glanced at Midnight,   “Can you go get Jasper please?”  

            Finally, she turned to the temple's caretaker.   “We are envoys of Almira.”   More or less, but it would at least make things clear enough for the time being.   “He,”   she pointed at the man,   “is working for the Enemy. The one to whom we owe our presence on this world. Your temple is not the first one he has visited but alas, we were too late for Albright and his temple.”   
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah kept quiet, but he knew how to give homage to what would in other religious views would be considered an Avatar: he knelt, his hands held open, palm toward the Avatar, at head level, while his head was kept lowered.
DeTess
Elva gingerly got back to her feet. She didn't remember falling, and she considered it a small miracle that she hadn't hurt herself going down. A quick look around her revealed an imperious looking young woman standing on the steps leading to the temple. She guessed that she was the temple's guardian. She caught the end of Alyndra's answer to the other woman's question, which fully brought her back to the now.

A quick check revealed that the man had been knocked down as well and was seemingly unconcious, but alive.  She'd seen... something... when she hit him with her spell. She wasn't entirely certain about the details, but something had been... wrong. It had been this man, and she'd seen him heading to Albright's temple but... the mood had been wrong. More pensive and regretful than what she'd expected.

She kept quiet for now, letting the wizard inform the temple's keeper. She could share what she'd seen afterwards.
sarlon
The woman continues down the steps and looks at all of you with a pensive look on her face, she mutters a few words and the very ground beneath your feet glows as bright as a noon day sun for a moment before reducing to a soft glow.  She walks with confidence to the downed man, a sharp gutteral word to the orc has him bowing his head and stepping a few paces back his head bowed, and though his axe is lowered, its still in readiness to bring on swinging.

" Speak the truth and let us understand what is going on.  Who is this man?  Why are you at my sanctuary, creeping in like thieves in the night? "

(zone of truth, 20ft radious centered near hear, gets almost everyone but alydra (will save negates and can lie if you so desire))

 
 Spoiler: spell description 
Creatures within the emanation area (or those who enter it) can’t speak any deliberate and intentional lies. Each potentially affected creature is allowed a save to avoid the effects when the spell is cast or when the creature first enters the emanation area. Affected creatures are aware of this enchantment. Therefore, they may avoid answering questions to which they would normally respond with a lie, or they may be evasive as long as they remain within the boundaries of the truth. Creatures who leave the area are free to speak as they choose.
 
DeTess
Elva braced instinctively as she felt the spell take hold, but after a moment's resistance she let it pass. She didn't like spells that messed with her head, but she also knew this'd all be a lot easier if the woman had no doubts about the truth of their words.

 "It's as Alyndra said."  She responded to the woman's question.  "that man attacked Albright's temple, destroyed or captured the essence held within, and presumably killed Albright."  She pointed at the blacks word laying near the man's hand.  "We founds chip of that blade in the wound that killed Albright, and Illidari recognized it as a creation of the enemy pretty much on sight." 
 "So I..."  Elva grimaced as the spell constricted her voice.  "Well, it seems I can't apologize for trying to take out or capture a threat to this world the first proper chance I get." 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah spoke quietly.
" I am Josiah of the Order of the Open Palm. I attacked this man because it was said by either Elva or Alyndra that he was the one who attacked the other temple. I am only recently of this group, and I beg your pardon. "
The young monk also went on to describe his experience when striking the man.
Once finished he said, " I place this matter in the hands of Justice. "
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             Alyndra looked at the circle of light, then down at her feet. Noticing that she wasn't included, she simply shrugged and waited for the others to comment on everything: she wasn't the one the woman wanted to hear just then.

            Still, she felt the need to add,   “And  we  are not creeping in the dark, we've been sent here directly by Illidari  via  a teleportation scroll.”   She considered adding that she was expected to come back with them but in the end decided to wait for a bit: one thing at a time… 
 
  
sarlon
the woman lowers the mace, stamps her foot once sharply causing the lighted circle to fall dark.  She walks towards the bleeding man and grabs him firmly, throwing him over her shoulder and gestures all of you to follow her into the temple (considering this woman is about 5'2" and maybe 100 pounds soaking wet, the fact she lifted this guy like a rag doll is pretty impressive).

This temple is much more modest then the other temple you visited, 2 stories, and facing what you assume is almost perfectly west.  Though the main room is dark, high wide windows and several mirrors placed in strategic places around the room show it would be quite well lit when the sun comes in.  Her bare feet barely make a sound as she leads you deeper into the temple, the floor smooth marble.  She stops before a door and opens it tossing the man in before shutting it again and locking it firmly.  " We will deal with him later....that will contain him in the meantime, he will not perish before I have a word with him. "

She leads you further into the temple, past several empty rooms, to a chamber much like the one you found at the other temple.  A large red-hued crystal floating inches above the ground stands in the middle.  several padded seats surround this object and at one place it looks like someone left it in a hurry.

"  I was in the middle of morning prayers when I felt your presence without....please.....sit....  " she gestures to the other seats, before carefully seating herself at one place crossing her legs under her.  The simple seats are low stools, while they don't look comfortable there are plenty for everyone.  " now...if Illidari did indeed send you to safeguard this crystal, it means Almira is as worried about the signs as I am...what news do you bring?  What of the others? "
DeTess
As the woman started walking off, Elva realized she'd forgotten something. The man's word still lay in the dust, where he'd dropped it. She really didn't want to touch  that sword, but she liked the idea of leaving it lying there, where anyone could just pick it up and walk off with it even less.

With a sigh she walked back to the weapon, taking her cloak off as she did so. She wrapped the thick cloth around her hands in a bid to protect herself from any influence the weapon might exert and reached down towards the sword, muttering  "I really hope you're just a dumb weapon..."  as she did so.
Tyg3rW01f
" Ah, I've heard tales of a Lycan who did that and still got tossed halfway across the yard because of his loyalties to the deities, " Josiah spoke of a fairy tale he'd read at the monastery as a warning to Elva. " In other words...? I wouldn't do that if I were you. "
DeTess
Elva hesitated for a moment at the monk's words.  "Maybe, but that's just one more reason to not leave this lying around here. I'll be careful though."  Then she completed the movement and picked up the sword.

Elva was prepared for a lot of things. She half expected the sword to burn her hands or otherwise try to prevent her from picking it up. She'd steeled herself for another vision, or maybe even an attempt to subvert her will.

Despite all that, she nearly dropped the weapon when a little voice spoke up in her mind.   '....hi?'  

She stared at the sword for a moment in surprise and shock. She had been prepared for just about everything, except for this.   'Ummmm... hi to you to?'   she thought back at it, almost immediately regretting the lame response. Not sure what else to say, she instead decided it probably, hopefully, couldn't hurt to try to be polite.   'I'm Elva, who are you?'  

***

 "Huh."  After a minute or so of standing still, bracing for the worst, nothing bad had happened. The weapon itself had suddenly lost its unusual appearance, appearing like any other length of old steel, rust-spots and all, but apart from that, she was fine.  "Seems it wasn't the sword that was special after all."  After a moment's hesitation she wrapped the weapon in her cloak again, then stuffed it in the bedroll hanging from her pack. That'd have to do for now. She'd take another look at it once they where done at the temple.

Having packed away the sword, she quickly hurried to follow the rest to the large building.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 14   
 
 
 
    
             Alyndra followed the woman cautiously but curiously looking around. She didn't comment about her tossing their foe in a cell - after all, as long as he answered their questions she didn't really care what happened to him - and took the offered seat. Not that she really felt the need for it, but it wouldn't do to make things awkward at that point after all.

   “I am indeed tasked with safeguarding the crystals. And we were asked to bring both crystals  and  caretakers back to Illidari and Almira at the capital.”    And considering what she'd just seen, she had no idea how they were about to do that if said caretakers didn't agree...

   “As for the others...”    She shook her head    “We only know about Albright and his crystal: dead and lost. Yours is the second Temple we came to.”    
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
Having nothing to add to the conversation, Josiah found a seat and assumed the Lotus position and simply quieted himself to better be able to listen and absorb.
sarlon
((sorry for the delay folks, life has been hectic with the holidays and long hours at work))

The woman listens to your story thoughtfully, and glances at a map pinned up on the wall a few dots glowing different colors in different areas of the world (easy to recognize the map, it's your world you live in now, think a geographic world map with landmasses, terrain, mountains, etc drawn in fine details).  She frowns slightly and stands to walk over and look at it closer, a finger tracing over something.

" I don't want to believe Albright is dead, though I have no reason to disbelieve you... "  there's a small hitch in her voice betraying her emotion, " I will return with you to Almira, along with the essence.  Though I might suggest letting me travel there myself and your group going on to the other two temples.  I'll take that (you're not sure of the word she says, but it sounds like a very unpleasant word to call someone) with me.  Did you bring the orbs ?"

When handed one by the orc she walks to the crystal hanging in the middle of the room and taps her mace against it, and the most beautiful music comes out and fills the whole room, the song plays in your heart and mind, and images of warm summer days, laughter, family, and every good feeling and memory all at once.  the crystal separates into a thousand tiny pieces, and in the center, a living flame.  It seems to dance before your eyes as it floats into the orb she holds in her hands.  Even as the song fades, you still have that feeling of peace sinking into your bones.

" I will need a few moments to gather a few things, why dont you make sure our... guest....is ready for transport? "  she sets the flaming red orb carefully on a padded stool before leaving out a small door in the room, presumably her personal quarters.
DeTess
 "I'll go and check up on him."  Elva got up from her seat after the temple guardian's suggestion.  "There's a spell or two I want to cast anyway, to try and get a better feeling of the 'why' behind his actions, I assume that is okay? None of them should cause him harm" 
 "I doubt I need much in the way of back-up, especially if he's still unconscious."  She said to the rest.  "Alyndra, I still don't really get how you sensed that this temple was in danger, but if that's a trick you could repeat for picking our next destination..." 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah simply got up and walked to the entry of the temple to wait for everyone to finish their deeds.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra didn't comment much of anything about what the local priest said, simply listening without much expression. She wasn't quite sure she wanted to let the woman go alone though: considering what Illidari had said about the guardians - and needing to get them even if they didn't want to - she imagined it was possible for the woman to pretend to comply before she left to parts unknown.

        In the end she didn't say anything about that though: she didn't really have a reason to doubt this guardian would do what it had just said for one, and at least as importantly, they had no way to force her to. So all she could do was trust her and hope for the best.

        Looking at Elva, she shrugged,   “I have a… Well, let's just say that if I were a member of the Mage's Guild, I'd be wearing a white dress.”   She frowned,   “Though I'm not exactly sure where that came from to be honest.”   She seemed to hesitate for a moment, her head tilted to the side.   “I might be able to do something to pick the next destination, but it's with no guarantee. And it'll only be possible just before we leave.”  

        Shaking her head, she followed Elva.   “Let's pick that dude up. Toldec is kind of needed for that I guess.”   She certainly wasn't going to carry the guy himself after all.   “Though if he is awake, there are a few questions I'd like to ask him.”   she paused, considering, then sniffed,   “Not that he'd answer mind. And even if he did, we wouldn't be able to trust his answers.”   She might have something able to help with that, but she wasn't sure she wanted to do it when they still had two temples to visit. 
 
  
sarlon
You find the man in the exact room he was left in.  Though still beaten and dried blood is caked on his clothes, he sits on the floor in the middle of the room, his back to the door, cross legged his hands lightly on his knees.  He doesn't even flinch when the door opens and he's removed most of his outer wear and has folded them neatly on the ground.  His clothes are simple and unadorned, plain unbleached fabric, and sturdy leather pants and boots.  his hair is actually a very very vivid shade of red and falls to the collar of his shirt. Strips of fabric has been torn from the robes he was wearing and cover some of the wounds.

He makes no sound as you enter the room, though he turns his head slightly at the sound of the door opening.
DeTess
Elva grimaced as she entered the room holding the man and felt another Zone of Truth take hold. Given the nature of the place it wasn't that odd, and it would help them here, but that didn't make the feeling of the spell any less unpleasant. She placed her pack at the back of the room, and then approached the man, sitting down in front of him, just out of reach.

The zone of truth made most of the tricks she'd thought of for getting him tot alk useless, but she'd figured it'd be best to try and surprise him with truths anyway.  "So, Elrdrix. Why don't you tell us what happened at the temple of Shantu." 
sarlon
The young man barely flinches as you say words, but shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders, finally opening his eyes to look at you directly.  His eyes are entirely blood red, and he looks at you quite frankly quirking an eyebrow, and folding his arms over his chest, attempting to look hauty.

When he does speak his words are nothing you've ever heard before, "Collitate, netiuy obrik (this word is almost spat out).  Etiru martik alush lovitek!"
DeTess
Elva sighed. Well, she supposed getting the full explanation in one go was too much to ask for.  "You got your sword, and you got your mission. You arrived at the temple. There, you and Albright fought, and you won. Then you made your way to the Essence guarded by Albright, and either took it or destroyed it. These are all facts."  She took a moment to regain her composure, the continued, making certain to keep looking the man, or whatever he was, in the eyes.  "Now, what this looks like is that you went to the tempel to steal the essence, which means you no more get to claim self defense than the thief who killed the guardian of the vault they intended to rob." 

Elva gave him a moment to let that sink in.  "Now, you're about to be shipped off to court, and that court is extremely likely to see things as I just described them. So this might be your one and only chance to explain what it was you actually intended to do."  She considered for a moment, then decided to add one more thing.  "Making me understand what is going on here can only help you. By some minor miracle I'm currently not completely convinced you're the enemy of all living things I've been led to believe you are, but that doubt is fading." 
sarlon
His eyes widen and he angles his head to the side slightly, both eyebrows climbing into his hair line. "Hiuy averti norshu?  Casaan ofti Terensit niy Otiry?"  He points over this shoulder with a thumb in the general direction of the door.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         As Alyndra considered the man, it was obvious she wasn't all that impressed. Her gaze stopped on Elva for a moment after her lengthy appeal to cooperate, and she cocked an eyebrow.   “You understand what this guy is saying?”  
		
		Not that it was something impossible - she could do it after all if she really wanted to - but it would involve a spell...and she hadn't seen Elva cast one. So did they share the same language for some reason - which should be quite the interesting story - or was her ability to understand him found somewhere else? 
 
  
DeTess
 "yes, I do."  Elva responded to Alyndra and Elrdrix both.

 "Seems my Elvish companion doesn't understand it, though the Orc might."  She responded to the man in front of her.  "Now, I've done you the courtesy of answering not one but two of your questions. How about you answer mine?" 
sarlon
He waves his hand in an obviously dismissive gesture, takes a deep breath then turns slightly (still sitting) so that hes facing the door and Elva.  " Touti youij asse brunt asar. Hairt hsusit lelvi Yite'chun ji fessi saruh.  Theus averti thaosu t'bocis!" he slaps his hand down on his thigh in anger, then closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and continues " "Tius youju Literia ji hisy outi hui jusor. Tuis lor'tiri buere ukil Yite'chun ki niuju qutiy!!!" 
He actually stands up rather quickly, and begins pacing the room, but is making an obvious effort to not approach the door to directly, his hands flying as he continues speaking getting obviously more and more agitated.
 "Jukilo HETA yuoi wiye lorti ir Touti laric!!!" 

he points a finger at Elva and Alyndra, " Ye boit nimat cosun...ji heki, si heta heki Tialokite!" 
DeTess
Elva let out a sigh.  "I was afraid it was going to be something like this."  She stepped over to Alyndra.  "Can you confirm that he's affected by the zone of truth in this room? I think he believes what hes saying is true, but I'd like to know for certain. I'll explain everything he said later, but if it's true, then we're in trouble." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra frowned, obviously thoroughly displeased by what was happening. Or at least, by the fact that she didn't understand what the guy was saying. More than once she considered using her  Comprehend Language  spell to fix that little issue, but not only she'd have to touch him - which she wasn't about to do - the more time passed the less it'd be useful.

        When Elva asked her to confirm he was affected by the spell, she squinted. Not that she wasn't willing to check, but… it was the explaining  after  that she wasn't too fond of. Plus…   “No, I don't think I can.”   The young elf shook her head.   “First, because he's not the one targeted by the spell, but the area. All I'd detect is that he is standing in the right zone which isn't exactly useful.”   Her gaze stopped for a while on the man,   “More importantly, such a spell can't create truth out of thin air. What he thinks - genuinely - to be the truth could be nothing of the sort.”   She shrugged,   “If I were an evil mastermind, I'd make sure my lackeys know only what I don't mind my enemies finding out.”  

       She turned to Elva then, obviously waiting for that explanation now. 
 
  
DeTess
 "This isn't really the right..."  Elva sighed. She realized how shady she was being right now, but on the small chance that it wasn't  his  overlord that had been filling their follower's head with nonsense...

She continued, whispering now. She really didn't want anyone else to overhear.  "Look, in short, it's the standard 'everything you know is wrong' deal. He's from a world that has been utterly destroyed and is barely livable, and claims he and his people had been abandoned there by the gods after being created and being used as warriors in some kind of war? Both, probably."

"Now, he's been sent here by the elders after discovering some dark truth about those gods to restore history, or reclaim his world's history, or something like that by retrieving the essences and taking them to some valley here in this world... I think, the translation isn't exactly perfect."  She sighed. She knew how insane this all sounded, and the man's speech had been full of allusions that she couldn't follow at all.

 "I know this sounds crazy, and you're probably right in that he's the one that has been lied to, or is lying to us... But if there's even a 5% chance that he isn't... I'm just saying that we should make certain to find the truth, whatever it is. If his people are being deceived, that's a weapon we can use, but if it's ours instead..." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Once Elva was done explaining, Alyndra considered the man for a moment,   “At the moment, it's a lot of a  'he said, she said' , there's no way to tell who's right or who's wrong.”   She shrugged,   “Probably no one and everyone. Maybe the gods created a race of warrior to try and defend the previous world, maybe they didn't - for one reason or another - bring any of them when the decision was taken to leave. I can imagine this to be true. Is it right, is it wrong... If they couldn't take everyone, nothing would have been right.”  
		
		The young elf shook her head,   “Maybe they were in the right and the gods in the wrong in the beginning. If it is true, that's something they have to take up to the gods. Trying to destroy  our  world, killing all of us in the process however, makes it a moot point. I'm not saying the truth of then doesn't matter. At the moment,  they  are in the wrong.  They  decided to kill us all. And even if that's in order to save themselves, as long as they make it a decision between them and us, then I'll pick us every time of the day.”  
		
		She paused for a moment,   “Now, if there's a way to make it them  and  us  against  the enemy...”   She shrugged,   “Sure, why not. But it seems they've already decided not to go that way.”   
 
  
DeTess
Elva sighed. Alyndra was right, of course, and that did make the decisions they had to make easier. But it still didn't make her fell any better.  "Yeah, you're right. I don't like it, but you are. Honestly, it should have been a clue how evasive he was when I tried to figure out what would happen to us once they 'returned history back to its proper course'."  That last bit, she said a bit louder, giving the man one last chance to correct them, if there was anything to be corrected.

Then she spotted something from the corner of her eye.  "Oh, for crying out loud..."  The backpack which she'd put in the corner before entering the room was glowing slightly, and she could hear something rattling around inside it. She walked up to it and felt around, carefully, to get at the thing making all that noise.

Several moments passed, then suddenly a loud crack of lightning could be heard from outside, and Elva cursed as she janked her hand back. She quickly swung her pack onto her back and headed for the exit, before remembering Alyndra was there as well.  "Two things: one, that sword of his? Not quite a normal sword after all. Two: his lawyer just arrived, or at least an interpreter of sorts." 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah had stepped outside to enjoy the calming bird song and the sound of the waves while the rest spoke amongst themselves. He was feeling disquieted by the recent events, and hoped the environment would assist him in returning to mental quietude.  It's quiet, wonderfully quiet,  he thought as he assumed the lotus position again and intoned,  "Ohhhm." 

The thunderclap out a clear blue sky some ten minutes later actively lifted him off the ground! Josiah took an annoyed breath,  "Now it is too loud; I preferred when it was quiet." 

He hoped there would be time to clean his soiled loinclothes later. For now he would have to settle for them having a skidmark. Meanwhile, the man who approached was elegantly dressed with a long sword sheathed at his hip. He held his hands out, palm up in the ubiquitous gesture of showing neither weapon nor ill intent.
sarlon
The man slowly lowers his hands and rests one lightly on the hilt of his sword, but makes no move to unsheath it.  He speaks common with a very slight accent you can't quite place but shows eloquence and proper diction (obviously has been educated not a common man).  His hair is long and tied in a neat ponytail down his back, and bright orange with hints of yellow, but somehow you don't get the impression that it's dyed or colored unnaturally.

he speaks loudly but is not shouting, and is making sure he appears nonthreatening, apart from the hand on the hilt of the sword. " I apologize if I startled you, young man, my name is Koli'tek.  I am seeking the human you have named Elva?"  
Tyg3rW01f
 "Inside Sir,"  Josiah replied, pointing inside.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         	Alyndra smirked, grimly amused   “Well, I rather like being right myself, it's much better than being wrong.”   She looked a bit non-plussed after Elva's reminder though.   “Uh... Alright?”   And what exactly was she supposed to do about any of that?
		
		One thing was sure, she had no intention of staying alone with the prisoner so she stepped out of the cell and closed the door, wondering what that lawyer business was about. If it had been back at the capital, then maybe, but here? Who would know? Who would care enough? None of that seemed like good news to her.
		
		There were too many secrets, and she really wasn't fond of it. 
 
  
DeTess
Elva rushed out of the temple, hoping that whoever had just arrived wasn't the kind to immediately get into trouble. It was with relief that she found him looking both surprisingly human, and apparently having an entirely normal conversation with Josiah, as she saw him point over his shoulder as she approached.

 "I assume you're here for Elrdrix?"  She asked as she approached.  "He's inside, currently in custody. You'll probably have to check with the priestess before visiting him though." 
sarlon
The man's eyes are similar red shade to the man you have in custody, but a slightly lighter shade of red.  He turns his head in your direction and smiles warmly.

"Ah, lady Elva I assume?  I am named koli'tek.  It seems we are at an impasse.  I will gladly follow any customs or laws your land dictates."

He makes a closed fist places it over his heart and bows slightly.

"I will speak to whomever you wish me to first, but I would at least like to see him make sure he has not been unduely injured in any way."
DeTess
 'When did I become the point of contact for these people?'  Elva wondered, but she knew the answer already. The price of curiosity was often steep.

 "Yes, I'm Elva. It's.. uhm it's nice to meet you."  There was somethign about his voice that sounded familiar...  "Elrdrix is fine. He took a couple of hits during the scuffle in which he was apprehended, but he's doing well enough now."  She turned back to the temple's entrance, half expecting the caretaker to have appeared already at the disturbance.  "I can take you to see the caretaker and then presumably Elrdrix. He'll be taken to the capital shortly for trial, and I assume you'll wan to to accompany him?" 
sarlon
He stops briefly at the bottom of the steps, takes a breath, then begins climbing them muttering something under his breath, while your not sure on what he said his pained effort to climb steps is a small indication.

Once at the top, he stands a little taller than average, and while the fabric of his clothing looks strange and the cut of the fabric looks weird to your fashion tastes, it's well cared for and finely made.  He is breathing a little heavily from the climb but once he takes a moment to catch his breath he smiles and extends a hand to both of you as if to shake it.
DeTess
Elva hesitated for just a fraction of a second, then shook the offered hand. If he was planning anything, better to get it out if the way now. And if he wasn't planning anything being polite would be more helpful in getting the answers she needed.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         	Alyndra was standing besides Toldec in front of their prisoner's cell, her arms crossed on her chest and she looked... Well, one could charitably say that she looked annoyed but maybe a more accurate description was that she was pissed. On top of that, it was immediately obvious to anyone looking that she had no intention of moving any time soon, and would gladly spit fire - or whatever angry wizards did - if someone came to ask her to enter the cell. 
 
  
sarlon
He follows your lead and looks around a little wide eyes. Murmering about the architecture, and stopping occasionally to look at some with awe.  He makes a point not to lay to far behind  though.

The caretaker comes out into the main central chamber a question dying quickly on her lips, "what is that and why have you brought it here?" She points at koli'tek with a shaking finger.
DeTess
 "He claims to be an interpreter. The one we caught either can't, or refuses to speak any language I know, so if he's going to be tried, You're going to need Koli'tek."  Elva was tense now. Bringing him here was  a risk. If he attacked the caretaker, then she'd have to be ready to take action. If the caretaker attacked him unprovoked though... She wasn't sure what she'd do then.
sarlon
She walks up to him and begins speaking in rapid-fire language gesturing wildly, it's obvious she is angry, but you don't understand what she's saying.  He however is nodding and attempts a few times to speak but she keeps one going.  when she finally stops ranting, the last word has all the inflection of a question, to which he responds with a shrug and a simple answer.  She proceeds to slap him HARD across the face, and he bursts out laughing.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, " I apologize for that, its a very long story.  This thing here is a lawyer alright, but it would take to much time to explain.  But i promise an explanation will be forthcoming.  Make Our...."guest" ready for transport.  I'll secure passage for you to the other two temples incase more of his ilk are about.  Although I'm ASSURED"  she turns a fierce glare at the man, " that this will be the last of them for now.... "
DeTess
Elva had been wondering if the caretaker saw something different than the man she could see when she'd been referring to him as an 'it', but now she was wondering if there had been a more personal reason for that. What little she could follow of their discussion certainly sounded a bit moe like the meeting of two estranged lovers, than of two mortal enemies. As the discussion ended without incident, Elva quickly turned around to follow the caretaker's orders, and headed once again for the cells.

***

 ' Oh crap... '  One look at Alyndra's face made her regret a lot of the decisions she'd made in the past hour or so.  "Ehm... The caretaker confirmed that our new arrival is inf act a lawyer and says to make him ready for transport."  she nodded at the cell.  "Then I suggest we meet up with the monk, and I'll tell you everything I've learned in the past hour or so that I haven't been able to share yet in exhaustive detail... Does that sound right?"  She braced for an outburst from the elf. She couldn't exactly blame her. Elva had really not been keeping the rest in the loop, though in her defense, there hand't really been much of a chance to do so.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra didn't answer straight away, looking at Elva without much change in her expression. Finally, she nodded sharply.   “Fine.”   It wasn't like she had any more palatable options, and making a scene in front of everyone wouldn't help anyone, so...
		
		Still, she had no intention of giving the impression that it didn't matter, so without adding anything else, she left for the outside. If nothing else, she had to make sure Midnight had found Jasper and they were both ready to leave... 
 
  
DeTess
Once everyone had gathered outside, Elva started to explain.  "Alright, so remember how, after we knocked that man down and the caretaker took him inside, she'd just left his sword lying out here? Well, I worried about leaving it lying out here in the open, so I picked it up to take it inside and... well, it talked to me a bit."  She closed here eyes fro a moment to remember everything the blade had said to her.

 "It told me that the name of the guy we'd fought was Elrdrix, and that he and the sword where there to 'To open the 4 seals to bring history back to the proper path', and yes, I asked it to clarify that, and the fact that it didn't makes it sound pretty ominous. It also told me that they where looking for a valley, which seems to be key to whatever they're planning. It showed me an image of that valley and it kinda looked like it's somewhere in the northern mountains, but I'm not certain. There where four stone towers in the valley."  She opened here eyes again.  "" That was all it... no, wait, it also asked about these light earthquakes we where having. It kinda seemed to be relieved that those had started because it meant it wasn't too late yet. Don't ask me for what though." She shrugs.  "I'm sorry if I gave the impression that I had found a bunch of answers. I haven't, I just learned about a whole bunch more questions we should be asking." 
 "I also got some further mysteries from questioning Elrdrix. I'm not certain if it is because I picked up the sword, or for some other reason, but I could understand the language he spoke reasonably well."  She'd already told Alyndra most of this, but it'd be new info for Josiah.  "He claimed that what had happened to Albright had been self defense, but since he seemed to be there to steal the essence protected by Albright that hardly absolves him." 
 "After some prodding he told me that he and his kind had been created by the gods, used as warriors, and the abandoned to their own devices in a wrecked world. Apparently there was a tower there that the gods had forbidden them to enter, but their elders eventually fought their way into it, and then they learned some 'truth'."  Elva shakes her head to pre-empt any questions.  "No, he didn't tell me what that truth was. He once again said something about 'history', claiming that our world is the history of his world, somehow? And then he said that'd he'd come here to stop something. The word for that something didn't translate properly, but it sounded like some kind of disasteror calamity. Or maybe all of the disasters and calamities?" 
 "Just after he told me that the sword starting trying to catch my attention. You know, vibrating in my backpack and stuff. It then told me that apparently 'they' weren't really happy about Elrdrix killing Albright, and that they where sending an interpreter or lawyer, which was the guy that arrived out here in spectacular fashion."  Elva took a breath, and then continued. She'd kinda been rushing through the entire thing, but she knew that she'd be having second thoughts about sharing it all the moment she stopped to think about it, so she pushed on.  "I took him to the caretaker, and she seemed to know him. Also, apparently she speaks their language? Anyway, she yelled at the interpreter for a bit, slapped him in the face, then confirmed that he was indeed a lawyer. Also, apparently he claimed there wouldn't be any others like him coming for the foreseeable future, but she also thought that he was probably lying, so..." 

Elva let a short silence fall, then added a last thing.  "yeah, I know how insane all this sounds, which is why I kept it to myself in the first place. I wanted to try and make some actual sense out of things before I shared it, but the mysteries and questions just kinda kept on stacking on top of eachother, instead of getting me any real answers." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra squinted as she considered Elva, not saying a word for a little while. Finally, her tone still betraying some dissatisfaction, she said   “There are at least three moments you could have said some of that. The first one was straight after you picked the sword. You should have mentioned the little fact that it was  'not just a sword' . It could have taken control of your mind since then and we'd have never known.”   Barely pausing, she continued.   “The second is straight after it told you all of that,  before  you went to talk to that guy. And the third,”   somehow, that seemed to be the one she was the most angry about,   “is  before  you ran to that lawyer, interpreter or whatever he is...a shady guy by the sound of it. It wouldn't have killed him to wait for a couple of minutes.”  
  “As for the fact that it sounds crazy or not...”   She snorted,   “So what? It was  important . It would have allowed all of us, as a group, to pay attention to some stuff. More importantly, maybe it would have reminded one of us of legends or who knows what. I hope it was simply a misguided decision or an...oversight...and not because you don't care about what the rest of us think or don't trust us.”  
  “Now.”   Apparently decided to leave that...argument...behind - hopefully anyway - Alyndra visibly relaxed, and it was obvious being angry wasn't really something that came naturally to her.   “There are a few things to address in all of that. The first I want to mention is something that I think you haven't paid attention to: while the sword allows you to understand Elrdrix, it also allowed  him  to understand  you . And you weren't speaking his language. Which likely means that there is still a link between him and the sword. It's even possible that he's hearing everything we're currently talking about.”   Which would be a problem in more ways than one.   “Hopefully the range is limited for any direct communication, but should he be in range again...”   She grimaced,   “Considering however that it was somehow able to call home...”  
  “Like we discussed previously, the premise of his story are not verifyable at this time. Could be true, could be false, probably a mix of both. We'll have to ask Illidari and Almira if she's available I suppose. However, even if everything is true, there are a few more points to take note of. First, the fact that those elders are not happy with Elrdrix killing Ailbright is not the same at all with them apologizing. It wouldn't solve anything of course, but at this point it feels like they think it was a strategic blunder more than anything: it brought too much heat to them.”  
  “Second, I think we ought to learn as much as we can about that supposed disaster. It doesn't seem all that far-fetched considering all that has been happening recently, but it seems obvious they - whoever  they  are...”   And boy, she didn't seem happy to not know that,   “only care about protecting their own valley, sacrificing the rest of us in the process.”  
  “For now however,”   she turned in the direction of the temple, then grimaced,   “There's not much we're going to be able to do here. And hopefully, whatever...history...those two have will prevent mistakes.”   And if it didn't... There probably wasn't much they could do about it against those three.   “What we should do, is go to the other two temples as fast as possible. I'm not feeling too trusting with those valley guys and considering what they're willing to do, I certainly don't expect them to speak a word that is true unless it serves their purposes. Then we go back and have a talk with Illidari.”   And Almira hopefully, but...she wasn't going to demand answers from a God...
		
		She looked around at everyone,   “Does any of you thought about something we didn't mention yet? Any opinions? Do you agree with that plan?”   
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah, his chance at regaining his mental quietude lost, was suddenly in a bit of a dither.  "Whoa, whoa, whoa WHOA! Waitaholdit for one dishonorable minute!" 
Pointing at Elva, he snarled,  "You mean to tell me that after I WARNED you NOT to touch that blade, you went and did it anyway?! What, just because I’m a monk who read a single legend once, you think your intellect--which seems to have FAILED you by the way, Elva!--is soooooooooo superior to mine that no matter what advice I might offer is NOTHING more than the inane babblings of a baby whose brain has never formed?! 
Josiah continued, obviously having been on the receiving end of such disdain in the past,  “And, besides! Aly is RIGHT!!! That sword could even now be controlling your mind, and there is little of nothing we are now able to do about it! That blade may very tell you to kill me right now for telling you that! Ever ONCE take a moment to PAUSE and consider THAT?! Or is HER being furious at you, again nothing more than the unintelligent ramblings of a “lesser being”?!” 
Josiah waited a brief moment, then demanded,  “Well?! ANSWER ME!!” 
DeTess
Elva took Alyndra's rebuke stoically. The elf was right, at least to some degree. If both she and Josiah had stayed around, rather than leaving the sword just lying there, she'd have told them all of it then and there. But as the elf had already left for the temple...

Josiah's rant on the other hand was completely uncalled for. "So, Josiah, might I ask how you managed to get into the adventurer's guild? Because its clearly not for your abundance of courage or initiative." She responded, giving him an icy glare. "Yes, we all knew the sword was bad news. Yes, you even told me so  when you saw I went to pick it up, though that was already abundantly clear to me. Do you want to know why I picked it up anyway? Because I took this job to take risks, so others didn't have to. I'll apologize for not immediately filling you in on what I learned, but I will not apologize for picking up a dangerous artifact, rather than just leaving it lying there for any idiot to pick up, as you two where clearly content to do!"

"Tell me, if you where truly so worried about this sword, Josiah, why did you take no action to keep it secure? Why did you just leave it lying there, where anyone could have stumbled upon it? You could have picked it up yourself, covered it up, even warned the caretaker. YET. YOU. DID. NOTHING!" She shouted that last bit. "Blame me for not sharing information as quickly as you'd like as much as you want, but if you've got the gall to call me out on taking action to protect others while you where sitting on your hands, you should really reconsider your career choice."
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah, in reply to the chewing he was receiving, gestured grandly to the orc Cleric as if he were presenting a grand treasure to royalty.
 "  Render thou unto principality that which is of principality; render thou unto deity that which is of deity.  "  Josiah quoted an ancient text. He continued,  "I lost compatriots to not doing so when I first joined the Guild. That blade... is of deity, and therefore beyond me to meddle. I recall the olden proverb going something like...   'Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and tasty with spices.'   I had intended for our esteemed cleric to deal with the blade, and had thought my warning enough to alert him to the need for his talents. I was very gravely mistaken. But calling my initiative into question... that is a low--though thoroughly deserved--strike. I concede the match." 
So saying, the young monk bowed low.
DeTess
Elva realized that she was breathing heavily from the shouting match. She took a moment to compose herself, then nodded tot eh monk.  "I apologize, Josiah, I shouldn't have gone quite that far. However, I'll stand by this. My mistake today was in not immediately informing you all, not in picking up the sword in the first place. I'll make certain to bring up anything else I might learn as soon as possible."  She looked at the others.  "So... are we okayish now? If you want to poke around my head a bit with magic first to make certain I'm not under any charm or compulsion that's fine by me." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra took a couple of steps back, clearly surprised - and shocked - by Josiah's outburst. She looked at the two humans in turn, obviously really not sure of what to do…or even if she should do anything. Which she did: she took a couple steps back once again, to be sure that she wasn't included if blows started flying, unable to undertand what was happening. Or at least, why it was happening like that: she had thought she had been a bit harsh already, but hearing all of that…

        It took her a few seconds to answer to Elva's question when things calmed down a bit, and she kept an eye on Josiah.   “We are ' okayish '”   She didn't sound all that sure of it, but it clearly had more to do with the recent outburts than anything else.   “As for poking into your brain,”   she shook her head,   “We don't have time for that right now, it'll have to wait for when we're back. Right now, we need to go to the last two temples before those elders find someone else to send.”  
  “As for which one we'll go first,”   she shrugged,   “I'll pick one of the two scrolls randomly and activate it without looking, that way we won't know until we get to the temple itself.”   And, if they were listening through the sword, those elders wouldn't know more than they would. 
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah bowed to Elva again in the manner of a martial artist--fist to palm at shoulder level--to again offer his apologies. To Aly, he simply said, " Wisdom my Master would have given approval. Let us all be on our guard; we know not we shall face upon our arrival. "
sarlon
Jasper (the donkey) comes trundling back up the shoreline looking no worse for wear from the excitement, the cat perched on his back looking as smug as any ordinary house cat.

Once everyone gets close in, Alyndra pulls out one of the two scrolls looking only briefly and long enough to activate the power word that starts it going.  You all feel the pressure of the magic building up around you, again almost as if the magic is struggling to activate itself before it finally takes hold.

it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust, but several things all at once become apparent to your senses, as your eyes adjust.....your feet are becoming wet, there is a salty tang in the air and a light mist is hitting your faces periodically, the and sound of what might be a foghorn is heard distantly, only overshadowed by the sounds of a feline VERY upset, spitting mad (Alyndra, you're getting the STRONG impression from your familiar that they just got dunked in water and is as about as happy as you'd expect from being mostly submerged in water).

As your eyes adjust, you find yourself on another very different shoreline, numerous boats of various sizes are seen out in the clear waters.  The sun is well up in the sky and the heat is almost oppressive feeling like a wet wool blanket suddenly draped over you.  The Orc and Josiah are standing almost knee-deep in the ocean still along the shore, the rest of you are ankle or shin-deep in the same water.  Alyndra's feline and Jasper are also in the water, jasper to his knees and not looking happy, the cat, is paddling to shore, its wings a little too wet to lift it off the ground right this moment.

Other than the boats off shore (all look in good repair, maybe local fishermen?) there's almost no sign of life or human habitation.
DeTess
 "Well, this mission certainly takes us to pretty places."  Elva remarked as she looked around.  "Though it could stand to be a bit cooler."  She loosened her scarf and packed away her cloak as she spoke. The place showed a few more signs of human habitation than the previous two temples, but things where still quiet all around.  "Which way to the temple?" 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah looked about and said, " Hnh! Never been to THIS part of the world before. " Looking down, he saw several triangular shapes at his feet, and bent quickly to pick them up. " Oo! Pretty! "

Dex Roll to grab the shark teeth  (1d20+4)[ 17 ] 
Tyg3rW01f
((sorry. it's a thing with me: go to beach, look for shark teeth))
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “Uh…”   Alyndra looked at her feet and her drenched dress, very obviously not pleased. Not at the same level as poor Midnight, but it was clear that she didn't enjoy their new circumstances and the oppressing heat didn't do much to improve her opinion, nothing at all. Until she looked around her, and noticed the open sea.   “Wow…”   Not surprisingly, it was the first time that the young elf saw the sea, and so much water was… Well, it was definitely an impressive sight.

At Elva's question, she shook herself and walked to Jasper, to bring the animal to the dry shore.   “Well, I'd say we're looking for the temple associated with Water. In which case…”   She pointed towards the sea,   “I wouldn't be surprised if it were down there, somewhere. Which might be a problem.”   She grimaced as she wrang water out of her dress,   “Obviously.”  
  “So unless one of you can swim and go find what we need…”   She stopped there. Then grumbled,   “Never mind, I need to be there…”   After all, she was the only one who knew how to take the crystals safely and she most definitely didn't swim. Especially not in a dress.   “I guess we ought to find someone, maybe people around here know about the temple and how to get there.”   
 
  
DeTess
 "There's a lot of ocean around here to search if the temple is indeed down there, though none of the other tempels had been that inaccessible."  Elva shrugged.  "Agreed on finding someone to talk to though. If we go that way..."  She pointed along the beach.  "...we should eventually reach a port." 
sarlon
The orc grunts something nasty about heat and sand and the weather, and something unpleasant about magic as he slogs his way up out of the water and onto firmer land.  He takes a few minutes to remove his pack and some of his armor, carefully wrapping it up in his cloak before tying it up in a bundle and hanging it from his pack.  He notices midnight sniffing around his pack and reaches out a large fist to gently scratch behind Midnights ear, then to below the chin when his advances are welcomed.  He listens to Elva make a suggestion of which direction and with a shrug and a grunt he lifts his pack onto one shoulder and scoops the cat up in his other hand, midnight only reacting slightly more in surprise than anything, since the pettings and scratching are still being offered.

" Anyone know where we are? "  he deep voice rumbles out his eyes still scanning all around.
DeTess
 "Somewhere on the southern Islands."  Elva replied to her Orcish companion.  "I  think  it's either Lika'nowa or Ita'loiti."  She stumbled over the islands local names.  "The colors in the sails of those boats indicate what island the sailors are from, but it's been a while since I had lessons in geography, so I can't get much more precise than this." 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah's curiosity and quickness netted him a MASSIVE prize--the tooth was HUGE! Easily the size of the young human's palm, it was a deep lustrous black. He'd also picked up a few fang-like teeth as well, but he scattered them back to the surf. By Mal'turia, THIS was a treasure! Gripping the tooth in both hands, Josiah made his way to dry-er ground.
Once he'd stepped out of the surf, Josiah held the tooth up so the others could see. " Uhhm, guys? Anyone know what manner of being  THIS  came from? "
 
sarlon
the orc pauses in scratching Midnight and looks over, carefully plucking the tooth from Josiah's hand.  he looks it over carefully, before shruging...."We call this.....um.....Drepa kor'tholl.....but is....from baby?"

he carefully places the tooth back in josiah's hand, and grunts as midnight, unhappy that the attention had stopped sunk her teeth into the orcs hand as he moved to restart the petting.
Tyg3rW01f
" This is a tooth from a  BABY  Abyss Death-Mouth? Mal'turia's balls, how BIG do they get?! "
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra shivered visibly at the sight of the tooth. Or more like the massive fang.   “Far too big. There is  no  way that I'm going in there.”   And that was definitely not just because she couldn't swim.

        Resolutely, the young elf looked at Elva and nodded.   “I think you're right. I'd say we're closer to Lika'nowa though. If I remember correctly, they have two ports in fact, a fishing one and a shipping one.”   She paused, frowning,   “I'm pretty sure they don't have what we're looking for though.”  

        Quite sarcastically, she added,   “You'd think we'd be told how to find the temples without having to hunt them down and lose important time…”   She grumbled darkly under her breath for a moment, then asked   “Anyone has a brilliant idea or should we try to ask some of those fishermen?”   Assuming they could draw attention to themselves and convince some of them to see what they were doing there, but she really didn't want to walk all the way to the ports, on the beach, in the heat. 
 
  
DeTess
 "A tooth that large is from a a bay animal?"  Elva shook her head in disbelief.   "Sounds like a fisherman's tale." 
 "I mean, wouldn't it be easiest to just visit the nearest town? The previous two temples weren't exactly subtle or all that well hidden, so if it's here, the people of this island would know."  She replied to the elf.  "I'd rather not go swimming to try and catch up to those fisher boats, and I doubt I'd be able to get one of them to come to us." 
sarlon
While the group is talking something offshore catches Elva and Alyndra's eyes (orc and Josiah have their backs to the open ocean).  Over the ocean noises, they hear someone yelling something at them, and their eyes are drawn to someone on one of the boats offshore, their hands cupped around their mouth.  When its obvious you're not hearing them properly, the figure turns to someone near them then a moment later begins swinging their arms in a purposeful manner.  It takes a moment for you to understand they are speaking with flags, and a moment more for you to figure out they are indicating to stay put, help(?) coming.

Soon after a strange-looking boat is seen leaving the ship and heading towards shore, almost a direct path towards your location.
DeTess
 ""Hmmm, I'm not certain why they think we need help?"  Elva mused.  "But there might be something going on on the island that we don't know about." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “I'm not sure about  'easier'  in this oven. Though...”   Alyndra paused as she considered the boats,   “It looks like someone's coming to pick us up.”   The young elf grinned,   “Looks like you doubted your persuasion talents for nothing, see!”  
		
		After a few seconds, she squinted,  “Uh...”   She looked behind her towards the island for a moment before she answered Elva's musings,   “Maybe there's some kind of beast around here? It's not like we know much of anything about the place after all.”  
		
		Lower, she grumbled something about    “ wringing a particular halfling's neck ”    while she waited for the boat to approach, still casting a few wary glances behind her from time to time. 
 
  
sarlon
Odd sounds follow the progress of the boat as it approaches faster than you might have thought if it were oar driven (it's not since it's fairly small and 2 figures are clearly seen sitting or kneeling in the body of the boat).  The orc tightens his grip on Midnight drawing her closer, his right hand reaching over his shoulder to rest on the handle of the ax, though not drawing it.

Not long after the boat slides up on the shore a few feet down the shore from you, and 2 figures wearing the lighter garments of the southern tribes exit the flimsy-looking boat, made not of wood, but an odd cloth-like material.  One is a stout dark-skinned dwarf (common appearance of the southern dwarfs), his short hair and shorter beard clipped close to his chin, bones and various necklaces adorn his clothes and aside from a scimitar sheathed at his hip he wears no armor or other weapons.  His companion is a sight many of you have rarely seen, a gnome.  Nearly as deeply tanned as his dwarf companion, and carrying no weapons visibly, he's wearing an odd contraption over his eyes making them look gigantic in his broadly smiling face.

The dwarf walks closer his hands outstretched and palm up showing he means no ill intention (or at least offers no direct violence), the gnome stays near the boat fiddling with something hooked from his belt, his lips moving in quiet words but his body language practically SCREAMS frustration.

"We were to be expecting ya... a bit later in the afternoon than we planned or we'd of been waiting on the shore...I'm Captain Dorti, you probably don't know me....but Illidari said magic is getting funky and you may miss your mark.  You are the group to investigate the temple am I correct?"

His voice is rough and deep but well-spoken, his bearing and demeanor that of someone who is used to being in charge.
DeTess
 "Yeah, that's correct."  Elva answered, the slight tension that had been building inside her as the two strangers approached melting away again.  "Our previous arrivals basically took us to the front door, but it seems it won't be quite as easy this time around. Where exactly is the temple?" 
Tyg3rW01f
Once introductions and pleasantries were completed, Josiah showed his prize to the Captain. " Captain, Sir. Would you know of anyone who possesses the skill to turn this into a pendant/talisman for me? "
The boy kept a very firm grip on the very large tooth--it was his, after all. He had found it; he was not going to relinquish it lightly.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “Uh…”   Alyndra grumbled,   “Looks like I owe a certain halfling an apology. Sorry Illidari.”   Which should be enough: after all, he didn't know that she had wanted to wring his neck, so an apology he didn't know about would be more than enough, right?

        For a moment Alyndra studied the gnome, then turned towards the captain,   “Maybe those answers can wait while you take us to the temple? We're in a bit of a hurry.”   
 
  
sarlon
The dwarf leads you to the odd looking boat, nodding his head at josiah's question, mentioning some artisans in a near by village.

The boat fits all of you a little snuggly and the soft sides feel a little unstable as you climb in, the dwarf and the gnome push it into the water before hopping in with very practiced ease.  The boat bobs gently for a few moments, before the gnome touches an odd contraption on the side and with a faint gurgling sound the boat starts moving away from shore with surprising speed.

While the trip only takes a few moments, the trip is far from smooth, the boat bounces on every wave, and the softer sides of the boat bend a little more than you feel comfortable, but you all arrive at the hull of a good sized boat (named The Great joke).

The dwarf climbs the rope ladder first and indicates the rest of you to follow.

The orc with midnight climbs quickly first and he looks a little to green around the gills to make any of you argue for long.

The boat itself looks more like a cargo vessel than a fishing boat, and while there are tall stacks that might hold sails, you don't see any in use.  The surface under your feet is covered in a strange rough material but not wood.  A few people are on deck, one to help any of you climbing aboard with a hand for stability (they can easily be ignored or used for extra balance).

The gnome climbs up last with the remains of the boat hanging from one hand, and grins as he carries it off into the ship somewhere taking another crew member (a fairly young looking human male) with him.


 
 Spoiler: boat 
here's an idea of the boat you just rode in....slightly larger, but rough idea...

 
 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah kept his head on a swivel, trying to take in as many details as possible for documentation in his journal later.
(INT on the inflatable dinghy)  (1d20)[ 17 ] +2
(INT on the ship)  (1d20)[ 15 ] +2
DeTess
Elva appreciated the hand offered by the crewman as she climbed on board. She had a spell or two that made her a great climber, but right now she wanted to conserve her magic as much as possible.

The boat itself looked a bit odd to her, but she hadn't spend that much time aboard ships, so she shrugged it off as just being some kind of new design.  "So, where exactly do we find the temple?"  She asked captain Dorti.
sarlon
A massive hulk of a.....man (human, but looks like he's carved from stone, though it's very fleshy looking) steps up beside the captain and says in a surprisingly gentle and refined voice, "I am the ships first mate, we expect to reach the shores nearest the temple in an hour or so.  There are cool drinks and light refreshment down below, if you are so inclined.  You're welcome to stay topside so long as you don't interfere with the crew." He turns on his heel and climbs a flight of stairs barking orders as he goes and not long after the boat begins to vibrate very gently with only a slight jerk as it begins moving forward.

Captain dori barks a command at a young halfling who's given instructions to assist you then begs your pardon and walks to where the first mate had gone off too.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra poked at the boat's material with a finger a few times, obviously quite surprised by its nature and obviously wondering what it was…as well as if it was sure enough. Quickly though she forgot about  what  it was and instead focused on grabbing whatever she could to avoid going overboard. Once onboard the ship - and she certainly didn't disdain a bit of help for that - she was obviously relieved but still wondering what it was made of, she kneelt for a second to touch the deck's material but could only grumble and stood up.

          “One hour, eh?”   The young elf commented about the delay,   “Well, I sure hope that if there was a link between the sword and something it snapped when we left, otherwise there's no way we'll get to the last temple in time…”   She might be able to find out everything there was to know about the sword of course, but she'd need a whole hour for that and didn't want to risk delaying their arrival should they reach the temple before the hour mark.

        Instead, turning around, she asked,   “So… Any of you knows anything about…”   She gestured, indicating the whole ship. 
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah shook his head,  "Never before have I seen their like. Excuse me."  So saying, he found a spot by the ship's bow and took out his journal to write.
Dex(to write in such way all is legible with the movement of the ship)  (1d20+4)[ 19 ] 
Int(Recall the details)  (1d20+2)[ 10 ] 
Int(describe them in such a way they can be deciphered later)  (1d20+2)[ 5 ] 
DeTess
Elva shook her head at Alyndra's question.  "I don't think I've ever seen a ship quite like this, but most boats I've been on before where river barges and the like."  She walked up to the bow, near where Josiah was sitting, though she left him to his writing. She was more interested in marvelling at the vast ocean as the ship made it's way to tis destination.
sarlon
The orc gently sets midnight down on the deck, and hearing about something below decks he gets a little greener around the gills and wanders off to find a place out of the way and away from people along the deck rail.

The noonday sun hangs heavy in the sky and there is hardly a breath of wind making the heat almost suffocating.  Even most of the crew go below decks, only 2 remain on the main deck.  The ship's first mate seems completely unbothered by the heat and almost smiles when others grumble about the heat, though he doesn't reprimand any of the crew that retreat underdeck to escape the heat.

The trip moves smoothly, and those who stay on deck notice other ships sitting at anchor some shout greetings in various languages but the ship hardly slows.  The sun has barely moved when the captain comes up from below carrying a satchel, and a rolled up piece of paper under his arm.  he gestures to your group to converge on a small table on deck and begins spreading out the rolled piece of paper.  First glance is obviously a map, though it looks more like a treasure map than a topographical map.

"This is just a copy of mine, but its what you'll need to get there.  We'll put in port here..." he points to a small dot on the map, "There you can pick up any supplies you need, from there you'll be going into the alarak desert for almost a day.  I would not recommend traveling in the heat of day, maybe wait till closer to evening. Your halfway mark is the osais of Loriti, its a small halfling settlement and friendly.  They don't much take money so if you have any goods or find a supply wagon in town they'll likely give you better directions to the temple.  Otherwise from the oasis you'll travel the rest of the way to the temple.  Will you need a trip back to the mainland when finished?"
DeTess
Elva shook her head and glanced at Alyndra.  "I think we've got the trip back covered."  She looked over the map again.  "Are there any landmarks or similar in the desert we can use to navigate by? I hear it's rather easy to get lost otherwise." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “The return trip is not a problem, no.”   Which was a very good thing, because Alyndra didn't look all that pleased to hear about how they were going to go to the temple itself. Which brought her back to the desire to have words with Illidari: what exactly possessed him to put the scroll's destination so far from the temple??

          “We'll definitely need suplies. Different clothes, if nothing else.”   After all, while her dress was  definitely  not suited for a trip in the desert, she doubted the others would fare much better with what they were currently wearing.   “And better yet, a guide certainly wouldn't be superfluous.”   After all, not even taking into account the inherent danger of travelling in the desert, they couldn't afford to lose time. Or to lose even  more  time anyway. 
 
  
sarlon
Not too much later you guys start to see the port city coming up close, multiple buildings built like nothing you've ever seen before.  Mountains in the far distance as seen long before land, and the tallest peak as a cloud surrounding the top of it that doesn't look right, in fact, a few of the crew members talk nervously about it.  As you pull into port, those onshore make quick work of securing the boat to the dock, and your group is graciously allowed to disembark first....the orc all but bowling everyone over in his haste to get to solid land, he does at least mumble an apology but his pale face tells his journey was not very pleasant.

The port is a bustle of activity, other boats either being loaded or unloaded, shouts, laughter, curses, and more laughter come from every direction.  The captain advises a few places to look for supplies and says he'll talk with a friend in town if there are any traders heading to the oasis.

Points of interest in the town:

General goods store (non magical items, but gear for desert travel including lighter clothing)

Apothicary (mostly for local healing supplies, but MIGHT have some minor/lesser potions)

Bowyer and Armor smith (best you'll find is masterwork items though)

Blacksmith (rarely makes weapons mostly helps with the ship building)

8 Taverns and 4 inns: range in quality to even sewer rats wouldn't grace it with their presence to 5 star hotel.
DeTess
 "I don't know about the rest of you, but I really didn't pack any desert appropriate clothing."  Elva said to the rest of her companions.  "So I'll be dropping by the general store to get something more appropriate. Does anyone need something else from there I could pick up?" 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “I'm the same so I'll come with you.”   Alyndra answered Elva,   “This,”   she indicated her dress,   “is definitely not desert-proof.”  
		
		Turning to the others and the captain, she added,   “Let's say we'll meet there,”   She pointed at one of the taverns that looked to be somewhere in the middle of the quality range   “in a couple of hours? Does that work for everyone?”  . 
 
  
sarlon
The orc nods and "gently" grabs the monks arm mumbling something about a horse?  (You're not quite sure what he meant)

The general store is an interesting building, wide open front with a broad awning over the entrance and a halfling lounging on a chair just inside the entrance, a cap pulled over his eyes and hands folded over his chest.

Upon your approach he lifts his hat, yawns widely, and grins broadly.

"Ah welcome ladies! I have many things for such fine travelers as yourself! The finest silk woven from the air it self perhaps?" He waggles his eye brows at both of you and hops up from his chair, first offering both of you cool drinks (water or juice, nothing alcoholic).
DeTess
Elva considers commenting on the man's innuendo, but decides to let it slide, for now at least. There's only one store here, and antagonizing its owner before they get what they need would be unwise. She accepts the offered drink with a gracious smile.  "Maybe not quite something as light as that."  she responds.  "But we could definitely do with some clothing more suited to the desert environment." 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra nodded to greet the halfling store owner, clearly either not caring about the innuendo or maybe not even having noticed it, gladly accepting a juice.   “As she said,”   she agreed with Elva.

          “Though of course, if said silk is the thing to go for to avoid burning up in the desert… Or freezing at night, well…”   She certainly wasn't going to go for something else, silk was after all quite nice on the skin. 
 
  
Rakpappa
Tordic was highly pleased to see the port move into sight and even more grateful for the ship to throw out its lines and moor itself to the dock. Not wasting much time after the gangway was opened, he stepped rather quickly down the ramp, casting the vessel a baleful glower once he reached terra firma. Muttering an orcish curse about a horse's rear end and which way it faced, he turned and looked at the rest of the party as they made their way off the softly bobbing vessel.

" Horses will be needed.. " He said as he looked towards the town and the land beyond. Watching them head off towards several stores, he started off in the direction of stables, but after a block he stopped. He was used to odd stares every now and then, but seemed that perhaps he was receiving more than the normal amount here or perhaps it was just him being suspicious? Making his way back towards the dock area, he kept an eye out for the rest of the party.

Spotting several members talking with a halfling in front of a general store, he moved towards them, his greataxe swinging gently on his back and his chain shirt making soft clinking sounds as he strode towards them. Approaching from the side, he watched Alyndra take a drink and smile. Relaxing some, if she felt at ease then he should as well. Looking at them both as he approached he spoke, his deep voice rumbling through his rib cage and coming out akin to a dump truck..

" We good friends ?" He asked as he rested his his hand on his dagger and looked at the halfling.
sarlon
The halfling turns his smile still firmly on his face, starting to bow before a look a panic crosses his face quite plainly, as he looks up, and up some more into the orcs face.  His eyes are huge and wide, and while he stammers for a brief moment, shakily offering him a drink as well, he smiles as best he can and says, "yes....yes we are good friends, noble sir!"  His eyes flick to the handle of the axe peaking over his shoulder, then to the holy symbol on his chest.

"High praises to the great father of the mountain! He who forges with the fire of the Dragon of the mountain!"  (this is said in FLAWLESS orcish, no hint of disrespect as these are respectable titles for your god.) switching back to common, he walks further into his shop gesturing all those who are near to follow him as well, he does look up Alyndra and Elva and pulls out several outfits that look absurd by mainland fashion, but made of extremely lightweight material, and meant to be worn draped in such a way to not overheat the body when out in arid climates.  He allows you to try on anything, and you have to admit he wasn't kidding, the fabric is light as air and soft to the skin, and the effect of feeling cooler in this material is almost immediately noticeable.
DeTess
Elva tries out several of the outfits before settling on one that she likes the looks of. She considers asking the halfling whether he has that one in blue, but decides against it. The sandy light browns and whites are probably better for blending into the desert sands than the blues she prefers to wear.

 "So, how much for this one?"  she asks the shopkeeper once her decision has been made.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah looked about the shop at the outfits and seemed to be looking for something in particular.
Rakpappa
Tordic's face went from a scowl to one of surprise to a genuine smile. Here, in this land, he did not expect such a reply. Taking his hands, he made fists and touched them in front of his chest, bowing his head as he did so.

(Replied in Orcish)

" The Mountain Man sees you. Truly I did not expect such a response, you have warmed my heart after such a crossing on the ship. My thanks to you."

 

Visibly relaxed, the large orc watched as the others moved further into the shop and began looking at some of his wares. Looking down at his clothing, he realized that perhaps a change would benefit him as well. Patiently waiting for the halfling's attention after dealing with Elva, Tordic drank his beverage and perused some of the items. Once the keep was done, he spoke again, this time addressing another issue.

(Common)
" I too have a need of clothing for this area. Your assistance would be appreciated....When we are done, I have some questions as to where I could find a local artesian.. "
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah perked at the Orc's greeting. " Uhm, Tordek? Why did you just call our good sir merchant an accursed Runcible Spoon? What in the name of the First Master is a "Runcible Spoon" anyhow--And since WHEN do you have a camel that can do THAT with it's knees?! "
Rakpappa
Tordic looked up from the piece of fabric he was admiring and turned his head towards Josiah, a look of confusion on his scarred face.

" A what spoon...and who's camel....."
 
Wrinkling his brow, he then smiled and started laughing, a deep belly laugh that filled the shop.

" Indeed a runcible spoon.. "

He spoke before laughing again. Wiping his eyes as they were now watering, he let go of the fabric and shook his head.

" My monk friend, you are appreciated, if not a bit off, but appreciated none the less.... "
sarlon
A wicked grin crosses the halfings face as he hears all the banter in his otherwise quiet shop, and assists the entire group.

"My noble lady, that outfit looks as if it was made for you!" (speaking to Elva) he does apologetically help adjust some of the fabric, which confused you at first on the placement, and suddenly, it truly is as if were made from air, you're movements are even less restricted then your normal clothing, and you feel as if you weren't wearing anything at all.  "This particular style is so last year, but if you feel it is what you wish.....I'd take no less then.......20 gold?"

He wanders over to Josiah while Elva gets a feeling of the fabric, bows courteously, and speaks "a Brother of the fist, I haven't seen one of your kind in many many seasons, what brings you to our humble port?  Is there a seeker in the area?"
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah cocked his head like a canine, having picked up the habit from a stray that had come to the monastery some years ago. " A Seeker has been here? Whe-? " The halflings words sank in. " Ah. No, not that I know of. Have you anything like these? " Josiah picked at his robes which had dried from their dip in the sea, but were beginning to cling to him with sweat as they hadn't been designed with the sauna-like heat and humidity of a desert port city.
DeTess
Elva wasn't particularly bothered by the the fact that the outfit she'd picked  was apparently last year's style. She tended to prioritize what she liked over what was currently fashionable pretty much all the time. "20 gold pieces is fine, provided you throw in a pair of water skins as well." She responded while digging out her coin pouch.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         While she of course paid attention to her own outfit - asking about blue tones, and preferring something that would look nice, even if it happened to be of a style dating decades instead of years - Alyndra was more worried about getting something for Twilight and Jasper, to make sure that neither of them would take the heat too hard. They certainly weren't going to like it - but then again, she was pretty sure she wasn't going to like it either - but as long as they survived the ordeal in decent shape…

        Hearing mentions about Seekers, the young elf cocked an eyebrow, obviously familiar with the term.   “If no one's come to pester you with unending questions, you can probably assume that there are no Seekers in the area.”   She grumbled, going back to her own browsing. 
 
  
Rakpappa
Tordic looked at the clothing with partial interest, to him clothing had always been functional and at best built to last. This fabric he felt was something new...his practical mind boxed this information with styles of the arid wastes; while different from the temperate forests and vales he was accustomed to, it was something that was good for where it was designed.

He wandered around the shop, listening to the talk of the other party members before turning a corner and seeing Josiah holding up a free-flowing  section of fabric to his midsection.

With a dead pan face, the stoic orc looked him up and down and spoke.

" Once you are done equipping yourself monk, we have to find the one that knows of my axe. "

Turning on his booted heel, he found the shopkeep and looked him up and down again before getting his full attention. Unslinging his axe, he noticed the widening of the halfling's eyes and Tordic laughed again.

[Orcish]

" Upon the mountain I mean you no harm. I am told there is one here in this town that knows about weapons, this in especially. Are you aware of a smith or craftsman that plies in the trade and workings of this? (He said as he lifted his axe closer for the halfling to see )"
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah found an outfit that would suit this new climate, and walked over to buy it. " This, please. "
He carefully laid  the linen robes  on the counter and asked, " How much, good sir Merchant? "
The robes looked to his companions to be too much, but Josiah knew something that wasn't immediately evident: The fabrics were mostly linen, which would wick away sweat quickly and easily, while the wool cloak would keep him warm at night. A monk of the Open Palm needed to be mindful of such things, as well as able to adapt to discomfort.
sarlon
The halfling manages to outfit all of you, including a few recommendations for the animals traveling in this weather, though he voices concern about the donkey in the desert as not usual travel or pack animals.  He recommends the local camel vendor for mounts better suited to desert travel and might recommend something for Jasper.

When he sets an absurdly high price, he sets to dickering with Elva and with much good-natured laughing works out 80 good pieces for everyone's clothing, 5 larger than normal water skins, and a promise of trade goods needing to go to the oasis and a dreamy look in his eyes, that when questioned, he mentions it's his childhood home.

When the orc brings out his ax to ask the halfling about an artisan that might know something about it, the look of panic in his eyes is obvious, he almost rudely (for all his good natured bantering and joking this is almost a polar opposite reaction).  "A piece of that design is obviously of Mulito, his apprentice took up shop here when this town was founded.....you want anything to do with it.....go see him....but for the sake of the gods that protect us PUT THAT THING AWAY!"  (his words are rising in pitch and you get the sense of panic rather than true anger)
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah dressed in his new clothing and came out as the halfling was losing his cool. Placing his hand of the orc's arm, Josiah said, " Tordic, why don't we leave our good merchant to his shop and go see the smith he speaks of, hm? "
Rakpappa
Tordic did not expect the response from the merchant at all...Sure some people are leery of some weapons just as a matter of conscious, but this was almost primal, a deeper fear that seemed to well from the subconscious mind and arrest all rational thinking.

Putting the leather cover back on the weapon post haste, the orc appeared upset and apologetic. He did not want to create a scene in a country where he was a stranger and knew nothing of the laws or customs.

" My humble apologies honorable merchant, I meant no offense or harm. Please excuse my ignorance and allow me to leave... "  He spoke in orcish to the frightened halfling.

Turning and nodding at Josiah, he stepped out of the shop and waited for his companion before setting off together towards this named smith.
DeTess
Elva gave the merchant a suspicious look. Sure, getting an axe waved around in front of you wasn't pleasant, but he must have known the orc meant no harm, so why did he explode like that? She considered bringing it up, but in the end decided to file it away for later. They had a mission to get to, and stirring up trouble here and now wouldn't help. She quickly joined her companions as they left the store.
Tyg3rW01f
The halfling's response made Josiah do a double-take.  What in the name of the First Master?  Leaning against the doorjamb a moment, Josiah considered...
 
 Spoiler: Sense Motive 
 (1d20+3)[ 18 ] 
 
Tyg3rW01f
Cocking his head to one side, Josiah smiled like a shark scenting blood and pressed off to join Tordek. " Good Sir Shopkeeper; what is it about this weapon so discomfits you that your voice lifts a full octave in timbre and many decibels in volume? Surely, such a weapon--displayed only for your examination--isn't a threat to you. "
Josiah lifted an eyebrow, then added, coldly, " Or is it? "
Rakpappa
Tordic, in his haste to sheathe and remove the offending axe, didn't bother to think about the reasons why the halfling responded so. He was so caught up with not trying to offend and create a scene on foreign soil, that he paused momentarily to look at his party members as they asked questions.

Axe sheathed and placed upon his back, the burly orc stood near the front of the shop and watched the interactions with a curious eye. He now was curious and wanted to see what more the halfling knew...
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         While Alyndra completely agrees that camels would be way better in the desert than her poor Jasper, she certainly wasn't going to abandon him anywhere so she made sure to have everything she'd need to make it a bit easier for him. Thankfully, it wouldn't last too long, but she took note of the need to go see the camel vendor.

        The halfling's exclamations had her look surprised for a moment, not sure what to make of that. Granted, waving a big ax like that in the middle of a shop was not really the height of curtesy, but she obviously didn't think there was a need for such theatrics. Still, since this was the halfling's shop… Well, them's the rules.

        Plus, with their new clothes they were done anyway, so…   “Alright, I need to go see the camel vendor, and we need to find a guide to bring us to our destination. You guys want to take care of that?”   
 
  
sarlon
An angry scowl crosses the halfling's face before he squares up his shoulders and all but shoves the lot of you out of his shop, slamming down the wooden covering,  effectively all but saying "closed".

---------------------

 Camel Vendor :

a brightly striped tent just inside the city walls sits an orc,  his skin almost a pale green, and his hair black of a raven's wing.  He's seated on a stool mending some kind of wood and cloth-covered frame with a scowl on his face and you can hear him muttering and occasionally shaking his head.   He's bare-chested and wears loose linen pants belted at the hips. A coiled whip sits in easy reach just inside the tent.  The smell of cooking food wafts your way, and while unusual it's not unpleasant.

He glances up as you near then stands with a broad grin on his face as you enter a roped-off area around his tent.  a large beast (a camel), sits on the ground nearby placidly chewing on something and ignores your approach.

His common while slightly accented is near perfect, "Good day weary traveler!  Welcome to the Two Toad Camel!  I've not seen your face before, did you come in on the ship? How may I, Gol'rik Fireblood, assist you this fine day?"

 The Weapon maker :

It actually takes the three of you a bit of time to find the building, even with asking several people.  When your latest directions point you down a long filthy smelly alley you half expect this to be a mugging.

At the end of the alley at a dead end, you find the tiniest, grimiest, most repulsive-looking shop you've ever seen in your life.  the low wooden counter is nearly black with soot and dirt, a forge sits behind an old dwarf, the coals barely glowing in the dim interior, and an ancient-looking dwarf, his sparse white hair barely covers his balding head, and even his beard is thin and sparse.  He appears to be napping in a chair just behind the counter, and barely opens one eye when you approach the counter.  His sign hangs half attached to a pole over the counter and through the grime, you barely make out a name "The Dragon's Fire".
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “Hello sir.”   Alyndra greeted the man,   “I have a need to go to the Loriti oasis, and I must bring Jasper over there,”   she pointed at her donkey above her shoulder,   “with me. I know a camel would be better suited for a trek like that, but it's not an option.”  
  “I was told you could help me make that day trip in the desert as painless as possible?”   she asked, obviously not sure how 'painless' that was going to be, but clearly not seeing anyone she'd be better of asking to. 
 
  
sarlon
the big orc smiles and walks over to jasper slowly and cautiously, letting the animal get used to his presence (he obviously knows what he's doing).  He walks around Jasper picking up a foot every now and then clucking his tongue in thought.

"Fine beast you have here M'lady, its not just the heat of the dessert that would worry the beast, it's the small feet not able to walk across shifting sands that well."

He stands up and scratches his head in thought for a few moments, and then looks surprised as Midnight wanders towards the tent and the direction of the smell of food, he lets out a hearty laugh, as a woman's shriek is clearly heard from within and midnight is seen soon after sprinting out of the tent again a small hunk of meat clamped in her mouth.

The male orc looks shocked for a moment then lets out a hearty belly laugh, and squats down to Midnight's level, "Such a pretty Casalas, I assume she is yours?"

The orc puts out a massive hand towards midnight and after some low growling, the orc manages to scratch the ears and the wing joints, midnight making happy noises while eating.

(you've never heard the term Casalas before, so you think it might be what he calls this type of creature.  His tone is heavy inflections of awe rather than anger.)

"As for your beast there, I think I could fashion some boots that would displace his weight a little more evenly over the sands, they won't be pretty but if its just to the oasis and perhaps the temple they should suffice."
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “If you ask her, I'm hers, not the other way around, but...”   Alyndra rubbed her forehead tiredly,   “Yes, I suppose. Though,”   she glanced in the direction of the tent from which the angry yells were coming from,   “If your wife asks, I don't know where that beast came from.”  
		
		Switching to Elvish, Alyndra berated her familiar for a moment finishing with a   “One day you'll steal from someone you shouldn't mess with and end up in a stew yourself.”  , then sighed,   “It doesn't need to be pretty, as long as it works.”   The young elf looked suspiciously at her donkey,   “And Mr. Stubborn here doesn't mind of course.”  
  “Do you think you could get that done by tonight?”   She grimaced,   “I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a hurry.”   
 
  
sarlon
"will you be needing a mount for yourself?  or will you be walking the distance?  I have some fine riding beasts that could make the trip easier.  if you are just looking to borrow them, we could arrange something."

he stands up and glances at the tent from which a very heavily pregnant human woman waddles out shouting something to the orc in a mixture of common and orcish so it doesn't make alot of sense, but the jist is plain (stupid cat! you! get back here!!!  DON'T baby that thing!!!)  The orc smiles warmly and murmurs some words back, before she throws up her hands and walks back into the tent.  "Forgive her, she carries my son and he tends to make her irrational at times!"  He lets out another belly laugh and gestures you to come into the shade to talk, offering cool fruit juice and a padded seat near the contraption he was working on when you walked up.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah followed Tordic to the tiny disused smithy. Seeing the establishment's complete lack of trade, the young monk silently marveled how the shop still had an inhabitant.
Rakpappa
Tordic wasn't surprised so much by the halfling's reaction, after seeing him recoil so much at the mere showing of the proven weapon. Shrugging his broad shoulders, he stepped outside and after a brief exchange of words with his companions watched as they set off for the animals while he and Josiah went to find the smith.

Eyes wary in the alleyway, Tordic moved down the space between the buildings with a practiced step, hand on his side blade...confident that he and Josiah could easily handle whatever should arise.

The shop wasn't the cleanest, nicest or best positioned. Tordic at first had a moment of doubt but remembered a phrase taught to him one of his Mountain god elders..."Never trust a skinny cook..." Pausing just a brief moment, Tordic thought the thought, put it towards this situation and smiled broadly. He didn't want a clean shop, a well dressed smith or a shop that was on the town square. This place you had to want to find it, not just stumble across it due to its location. This shop was dirty and soot filled from years of craftsmanship, years of hammers ringing and metal forming under a watchful eye. This was a place where the smith saw more purpose in quality than window dressing....Tordic liked what he saw.

Noticing the "sleeping" dwarf, Tordic grunted loudly enough to be heard and without any words laying heavy burden to the air, simply unstrung his axe, took the leather sheath off and set it on the counter, waiting for the dwarf to take notice.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “Mounts?”   Alyndra hesitated for barely more than a second: she usually didn't mind walking, but walking in the desert's dunes was pretty far from usual.   “I suppose that'd be a good thing to have.”   Still, as she looked at the camel she couldn't help but feel hesitant. Those were much bigger than horses after all.

          “But we would need to borrow yes. In fact… We'd need to borrow them just for a one way trip. Which might be inconvenient, but we also need a guide, so maybe we can work something out? Fill two needs with one deed and all that?”   
 
  
DeTess
Elva kept back, observing the interaction between Tordic and the ancient dwarf in silence. She had to admit that she was getting rather curious about the whole affair. If nothing else, the halfling's actions certainly suggested something was up with the axe.
sarlon
 Weapon Master: 

The dwarf barely opens an eye to glance at the axe laid before him, "Laddie....I donnea sell new fangled weapons....look fer a youngen in the port.  That sorry lookin thing would snap if I tried to do anything."

The dwarf has barely moved, and only opened one eye that has the filmy glassey eyed look of someone who is loosing their vision.  "Now leave me be unless ye can give me something of worth or prove who you are."

He then proceeds to close his eye, and lean back in his chair again.


 Camel Vendor: 

"A guide?  A guide you say?  To the Great Temple of the south?  mayhaps we can work something out...my son is to near to entering the world or I would hold the honor of escorting a fine noblewoman such as yourself, but perhaps I can find you another....yes...yes...leave noble...Jasper?  with me and come back as the sun is near to setting and I will have arrangements made for you and any else you may travel with."
Rakpappa
Tordic scowled at the abrupt response from the slothful aged dwarf. Speaking in dwarvish....slow and deliberately, Tordic let the swell of anger and wounded pride put an edge upon his speech.

" By the word of the Mal'turia, what I speak is true. Open your eyes and look master craftsman....open and see what your sleep addled brain is fogging over. This is no decrepit toy, nor is it a broken weapon only fit for smelting into shoes or nails. I have been led to your shop for you and your skill to work the metal before you...think before you judge this by looks alone....it has drank deeply of the lifeblood of scores before me and by the hand of the Mountain Man, I shall add to those numbers.

Now...look...run your hands across its metal and feel its pulse, the weapon feels alive and is nowhere close to the end of its life....." 

Tordic picked up the two handed axe and turned the weapon horizontal to the counter, before pushing the weapon closer to the dwarf.
sarlon
 Weapons Master :

You see a faint flush creep over the old man's rugged palor and both his eyes snap open, the sleepy-eyed dwarf now standing up rather quickly snatching the ax from your hands rather rudely, "Laddie I was forging metals for the Man of the Mountain before your great grandpappy was in diapers!  My work is beyond your comprehension...I've forged with the Breath of the Mountain Dragon himself!!!"  (all of this is said in a dialect of dwarven that's a little hard to follow even for those who understand dwarven, its not hard to get the gist of what he's saying but it's like an American who never heard any other accent aside from his own, hearing an Irish person speak for the first time).

To the astonishment of everyone, he takes the ax in both his massive hands, the rotted termite-eaten wood looks like a hard sneeze would snap it in two.  He raises it high above his head and even Tordic makes an attempt to stop him from what he's about to do as the dwarf smashes the handle across his knee making to break it......

to everyone....including the dwarf....IMMENSE surprise, the handle doesn't so much as budge.  In fact, a stiff grunt from the dwarf shows he might have even hurt himself.  Surprise and awe flashes briefly across the old man's face, and he looks at you with a raised eyebrow.

Stepping back from the counter (but still plainly in view), he slams the ax into the nearby anvil, knocking it off its stand, and the ax still looks termite rotted, but doesn't so much as lose a spliter.

He disappears under the counter, you hear some rummaging around before several light sources flicker into life in the tiny room and he comes out holding the ax in one hand and a very plain looking dagger in the other.

"Tell me a lie, and I'll gut you before you can call the city guard....WHERE did you get this boy, and who is your clan?"
Rakpappa
The burly cleric raised a hand to stop the dwarf, but stopped and smiled broadly at the Dwarf's discomfort and change of opinion. Watching the blade hit the anvil, Tordic's face went into a wide grin and his chest began to swell with well deserved pride.

Surpised at the agility of the dwarf, Tordic did not move when now confronted with a suspicious dwarf and throat seeking dagger. Moving his hands to his throat, he pulled down his garments, exposing the throat as he faced the dwarf. In a deep and rich timbre Tordic spoke in Orcish, his voice a solid wall of history: pain, trials, agony and the rise of victory.

" Strike the throat as it is offered if I lie Master Dwarf, let your courage back your convictions.

I am Tordic...son of Ludrik of the Blood Fist Clan. My grandsire is Gathba, son of Hu'vek the Usurper, child of Chinkin, from the loins of DraBay, the family of Nordham of the Wilds and as I stand here before you I speak the truth, I have the blood of Kaldec the First within my heart. That axe was passed down from father to son further than even I know or have been taught. It has cleaved and stove many asunder and in turn fallen to the stone as it wielder be given a mortal blow. That of which you hold is as part of me as my limbs, but I know little of its creation and less of its creator. It has risen with the turn of history and fallen in the eddies and flows of bickering and betrayal. Not all of its wielders have been honorable, yet they are my ancestors and as such must be honored, even if they did nothing to honor themselves ."

Tordic stood now quiet, his chest exposed and a face stern yet full of pride and raging truth. Eyes locked with the Dwarf, he stood and waited.....
sarlon
The dwarf sets the ax down on the counter and stares at the orc deeply, and there isn't a word said between the two.  Josiah and Elva you notice the two are not moving and almost seem to not be breathing, but before anyone can react, the dwarf's hand snaps out, grabbing the orcs own hand slamming it onto the counter, and smashing the dagger, tip first, into the soft fleshy bit between the thumb and forefinger.
Tyg3rW01f
The epithet that left Josiah's mouth would have earned him a b***h-slap from even the most jaded of whores. " WHAT in the name of the First Master are you doing?! "
Josiah, in trying to grab for the dagger and a bit of bandage, managed to drop his megalodon tooth onto the counter. Maybe Josiah didn't know Tordic all THAT well, but the orc was his companion, and that alone was enough. The fact Josiah hadn't reacted fast enough to stop the attack further made him want to defend Tordic.
 
 Spoiler: Just because... 

Initiative 1
Wisdom (to understand the situation) 1
Intelligence (for understanding ORCISH) 1
Intelligence (for understanding the gist of the dwarven)  (1d20+2)[ 11 ] 
Dexterity (for keeping hold of his massive shark tooth)  (1d20+4)[ 14 ] 
 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra shook her head.    “I'm not a noble. We don't have those where I'm from.”    She squinted at her donkey,    “Jasper might be insufferable enough to be  'noble'  though...”   
		
		She took a moment to think about the offer, twirling a strand of hair with her finger, then nodded,    “Alright, works for me.”    Hopefully the others hadn't gone to look for a guide...    “There are four of us.”    
 
  
DeTess
  "Don't be so rash."   An insistent whisper reached Josiah's ear as he rushed towards the smith. Elva had kept her distance, but her magic allowed her to interfere easily nonetheless.   "Don't you think our Orcish friend could have broken the dwarf in half if he wanted to? We need to know what the smith knows, and antagonizing him won't help. If you haven't figured out why we need this info, come ask me."  

She wouldn't show it, but the behavior of the Orc's axe had left her chilled to the bone, not to mention feeling very jumpy, as if she was being watched. Even her armor felt like it fit worse than usual. The reason? She was fairly sure she had a weapon just like the orc's axe sitting in her backpack.
sarlon
The dwarf shakes himself and his hard features soften slightly, and you ALMOST think you see a drop of moisture in the corner in his eye before his gruff manner returns and he grunts as he looks down at the dagger sticking out of the orcs hand.

With a wretch he removes the dagger and lays it on the counter.  "laddie.....I have.....well....I can't promise you that what I will do will fix this.....but I can try....what I can't do must be done by the first clans.  and even i don't know where they settled to...."

His eyes glance to the other two, an eyebrow is quirked at Elva and you have an uneasy feeling shiver down your spine at his piercing glare.  Then he gestures Elva forward as well, and holds his hands palm up wanting the axe put into his hands.
sarlon
 Camel Vendor: 

The orc takes jaspers lead rope, and gently leads him away, midnight opting to stay with jasper (and the food smells).  He promises you something before the sun hits the west wall (he points to a section of city wall that is strange looking but once explained actually seems a fairly accurate time keeper).  He promises to feed Jasper and make him comfortable and have everything ready by late afternoon.

If you go in search of a tavern that you pointed out your traveling companions have not arrived yet, and the bar is only at barely half capacity.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah collected his tooth and stepped back, following Elva's advice.
DeTess
Elva stepped forward at the smiths invitation. He clearly had some talent for sensing objects like the axe. Or at least, she hoped that was what was making her armor squirm like that. She took a moment to quickly bring Josiah up to speed on her suspicions first though.  "Remember that black sword the one that attacked the temple carried?"  She whispered to the monk.  "It's not black anymore, appearing to be just a rusty length of steel, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's similar to the axe. And I've got another piece like that, which I inherited from my family." 

Having told the monk of her suspicions, she now walked up to the dwarf.  "I have one, maybe even two pieces like that axe. Can I presume you won't be threatening to stab me if I show them to you?" 
Rakpappa
Tordic stood, transfixed for what seemed like eons as he looked into the eyes of the aged dwarf. Memories flashed, stirred and bloomed to life..memories that the young orc had no business knowing, no way to explain why he suddenly saw time and his history in a different way and no rational explanation as to why it all now made sense.

Glancing down at the dagger point softly touching his skin, he barely registered its feeling before looking back at the dwarf as he pulled it away.

Turning and looking at Elva, he listened with cocked ear and peaked interest as she spoke of the items in her pack. Frowning at her remark of the stabbing, Tordic spoke bluntly.

" It wasn't the showing that made the threat Elva...it was if I was untruthful.  The confirmation that what I have been told about my axe has now rung true. I still know not if this master dwarf helped create it or it was in his lineage, but at least the path that we set upon is verified. You could simply take the items out and let him see..answer honestly and fear not the knowledge of that blade ."
sarlon
the dwarf grunts, and shakes his head "he speaks true lassie, so long as ye speak the truth to me, I will honor no harm while you are before Kolenidrik Grunslav."

(NO need for a knowledge history check or even a knowledge check, this is a dwarf from the original clans that came over from the first world.  It is said he sets up shop where the whim takes him, and only those who need his skill can ever truly find him.  There's a lot of lore and myths surrounding him that almost contradict themselves, some say he's a child of one of the ancients, some say he made a pact with a devil for immortality, some say he was one of the first heroes who fell out of favor of the rest.  One thing is certain, his smithing skills are BEYOND any smith known.)

He asks each of you to place any weapons on the counter before him looking over each one, picking them up testing their haft, and he shakes his head in thought grumbling unintelligible words.  When presented with the sword from the other temple, he hisses and makes a few hand gestures (think like a catholic crossing themselves).  "I'd destroy that thing if I were you lass, no good can come from the shadows made solid."

Elva, you notice he keeps eyeing you up and down and while a little creepy, you don't think he has ill intentions.  He does ask to see your armor though.
Rakpappa
It took the Orc less than a second to recognize the name and his eyes widened a split second afterwards. Blinking several times, he looked at Josiah and then at Elva before gathering his wits about himself so that he could speak.

" Master Grunslav, many tales and legends surround you. I have been told since I could remember stories of your hammer and the heat of your forge and the weapons that were created under your eye. Your story is yours alone and I shall not pry, but if you would dare to speak of the first world and the times you knew then...I would harken to listen.. "

Tordic spoke, this time in a more reverent tone, his brashness and bravado from before, gone with the rush of the dwarf's words.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah, knowing he had no such item, still placed his megalodon tooth upon the counter, and simply waited for the others. He wondered about the book in the library, and if his copy of it had arrived at the monastery as yet.
 By the First Master's blue balls, it couldn't have gotten more than out of that city's walls by now... 'tis only been a day,  he mentally scolded himself. His own Master had taken Josiah to task more than once for his impatience... so why Elva's  gentle  scolding seem more... potent?
DeTess
 "Tordic, could you help me with these straps?"  She asked the orc as she tried to get out of her armor so the smith could take a closer look.

 "There's some people that I think will want to check out that sword first, master Grunslav."  She replied to the dwarfs suggestion.  "Though anything you could tell me about that blade's origin would be much appreciated." 
Rakpappa
Nodding at Elva, he did not hesitate to move closer and help unbuckle the straps, careful not to jostle or pinch as he slide the leather through the solid sturdy buckles.

Once done, he smiled and stood back, holding part of her armor so she herself could hand it over to the smith. If it was anything like his axe, he wanted her to have the feeling of passing it to the dwarf and perhaps seeing the visions that he himself were granted.
sarlon
The dwarf takes the armor and makes a few sharp tugs on the leather straps that they too look half rotted and worn, dried out, almost as bad looking as the ax.

He turns to the monk with those piercing eyes and looks Josiah up and down as well, "and you laddie?  What brings you to these shores?"
Tyg3rW01f
" I am on my Discovery Quest, Sir. My Master is Master Kalasandra, a human monk of the Order of the Silent Strike of the Brotherhood of the Open Palm; I am a companion of these, and a Member in Good Standing of the Adventurer's Guild in my own right, " Josiah replied simply and truthfully.
The young male gestured to the massive tooth, " The only 'object' I possess is this: the tooth of a baby Abyssal Deathmouth. Even so, I reckon it likely not of what you would seek. "
Rakpappa
Tordic looked at the tooth and then back at Josiah with a new found respect. He kept his thoughts to himself but if the stories that he had heard about those deathmouths were true....then he was walking with some intriguing and dangerous people indeed....and Elva's armor...it looked as worn and ready for scrap as his axe, yet it too passed muster under the watchful eyes of the master dwarf.

Tordic was starting to put together ideas in his head as to whom he was traveling with, more than he already knew. If what he was thinking was true, he was in great company indeed.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah added of the tooth, " I found this tooth in the surf when we arrived. I looked down --as it is a habit of mine to hunt shark teeth when I am near a beachside-- and I saw a few. I grabbed for them and discovered this. Therefore, I have serious doubts, Good Master Smith, that it is the sort of item you seek. "
sarlon
the dwarf stamps his foot on something on the ground behind the counter and all the lights once again go out in the tiny shop, somehow making the air around everyone in the dim grimy alleyway seem to vanish.  A tingling sensation creeps down each of your spines as the dwarf begins chanting and muttering in a tongue that seems both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.  While you don't understand the words themselves the chanting.

 
 Spoiler: Elva: 
These words have the same feel to them as the man at the northern temple before they broke open the crystal.
 


His voice rises higher in pitch and he begins tapping the tooth, the armor, and the axe with the dagger in time with the chanting, almost like playing a musical instrament, and each item begins to glow faintly pulsing with each word each item starting to float very gently above the counter.  You'll notice the dwarf's eyes widen in shock but he continues his words.  a bright light engulfs all three items, momentarily blinding the three of you, but when the light clears you find yourself back at the docks not far from your ship that brought you here, unharmed, the sun definately lower in the sky then you remember, and your armor back on Elva, the tooth back in Josiah's hand, and the axe back in Tordic's hand.

You're getting some strange looks but no one seems to ask questions.
DeTess
 "Anyone wants to lay down any bets on the dwarf still being there if we go looking for him?"  Elva asked.  "Five gold says that he's gone."  She sighed.  "I'm going to check anyway, because I have more questions, but I'm not particularly hopeful."  The young woman set off back in the direction of the dwarf's smithy.
Tyg3rW01f
" I'll pass; I'd like to continue to delude myself that I know a losing bet when it sends me packing, " Josiah muttered, but followed after Elva.
  Had he  really  seen that St. Elmo's Fire glow about his tooth?  
Josiah shook his head. No, it had been about the axe and the armor, but it hadn't been about his tooth. No, he'd imagined that out of the delusion of grandeur that he'd found something of great power. Still walking, he took out his journal and described what he  thought  he had seen, and his conclusion that no, he'd imagined it, and the tooth was nothing more than a treasure to keep.
  The axe and armor were magic items, so of course they would react to magic. Natural things, like my Abyss Deathmouth tooth would  never  react to magic like crafted objects.  
Rakpappa
Tordic's eyes widened at the display from the craftsman. He was not sure what to make of the situation and when the lights dimmed and darkened, his muscles tensed anticipating...something. Hearing the chanting reminded him of being in the temple of the Mountain, but this was different. This was...almost as if there was no intermediary, this was as if watching and hearing the tings and pangs of the celestial anvil himself.

Shaking his head at suddenly finding himself on the docks, he was most unnerved. Looking around quickly, he relaxed some when he saw his companions, but then started once again. Taking his axe from his hand, he held it before him and he inspected it closely. He knew its curves, pit marks and feel of the worm eaten wood. Running his hands over the weapon, he closed his eyes and attempted to look with what his mentor referred to as his celestial eye, looking at the weapon without the trappings of the world around him.

OOC: Simply trying to see if it feels different, looks different, connects with him differently. Not sure what you'd like me to roll if anything.
sarlon
 
 Spoiler: Tordic 
 Tordic: 

The ax DEFINATELY looks different.  Most of the rust has vanished from the ax head, though it still has some spots and still looked pitted, the handle looks brand new, the obvious damage is gone, and a SLIGHT curve that actually helps you hold it a little better and the balance has definitely improved.
 

 
 Spoiler: Josiah 
 Josiah: 

The tooth in your hand has changed slightly, you find yourself able to grip it a little better, and you even think some improvised straps might attach it to your fist.
 

 
 Spoiler: Elva 
 Elva: 

Your armor is actually looking better than it has in years, the leather straps look fresh and new while missing links and rust have been replaced.  While they still don't shine, it looks less likely to burst apart if you took a deep breath.
 


Elva's suspicions are correct, not only can you not find the shop, you can't find the alleyway either.  Where you were once certain it was, now stands a storefront filled with glass objects that glitter and sparkle in the lowering sun.  If asked no one has any idea what you're talking about and when asked about a dwarven smith in town, they point you to a shop in the merchant division, but if investigated is nowhere close to what you were looking for, plus the dwarf is of the southern clans (dark skin, taller, less bearded) and very young.
DeTess
 "Well then, I suppose we'd better go and catch up with Alyndra then."  She was about to set out when she finally figured out what had been bothering her during the entire search. Something had felt off, and at first she'd attributed it to her armor fitting far better than before. However, it wasn't the armor, but rather her backpack being a lot lighter than before.

 "Oh, no, no..."  She dropped it and frantically started searching through it.  "Ah, damn it! He took the sword as well!"  She wasn't certain why she was so upset about it. The weapon had definitely been dangerous. But on the other hand, it had also given her a a completely different angle on what was going on. And even if it had been lying, there had to have been some truth she could have learned from it.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah considered a moment, then said to Elva, " at least whatever control it had over you--if any--will now fade and no longer be a threat. Although, whatever it told you will still constitute such. "
He looked about and offered a complete  non sequitur , " I wonder if any leatherwork artisans are in this area and available at this late hour? I just had an interesting thought. "
Rakpappa
The burly orc ran his hands over his axe the way a lover caressess their partner. Eyes closed, his fingertips danced over familiar and now non familiar bumps, edges and dips..his mind reading and remembering them like a roadmap in his head. Truly he walked with those that will light fires in this world, people that will shake and move and put past wrongs to right and put to bed those that still continue to wrong....

Looking up at Elva, he noticed her armor was considerably better looking than before. It too seemed to have the aura of the touched about it....looked better, moved better, even the strapping and links seemed to have been not only replaced, but upgraded in a way to reflect more of Elva herself...getting excited he moved ahead and was going to speak with her and Josiah about it when he noticed that she was miffed about something missing. Closing the gap he caught only the back part of the conversation and heard of the sword being taken.

Wrinkling his brow at first his anger flared over the audacity of someone taking something from his friends, then he remembered what she was meaning and he grunted loud enough to be heard as he approached even closer.

" Perhaps the blade was a price to pay for the work that was done. He spoke of it in a bad way, a way that does not seem to fit with who you are. He seemed rather wise to such things, look what he did to your armor...and even my axe! Mayhaps it is a blessing that we don't see yet, for if it was as he spoke, those items seem to have a way of attracting bad things and bad people ."
DeTess
Elva managed to bite down a rather undiplomatic response. She couldn't blame her compatriots for their suspicions. If anything, the feeling of loss she felt made her worry there might be a grain of truth to their line of thinking. Still, she regretted losing the first-hand source of information on their supposed enemy the sword had represented, even if it had opened her up to manipulation.

 "Come on, let's go find Alyndra and plan our next step."  She swung her pack back on her back and set off.
Rakpappa
Totally missing the more subtle undertones and traces of anger in Elva's voice, Tordic smiled at having his companion back. Nodding his agreement, he adjusted his gear and set out to follow his friends, eyes scanning for potential threats.
sarlon
By the time you guys find the tavern that you were meeting Alyndra, there is a rather large party entering from a ship that just docked, the quiet port has gotten loud shouts and curses and laughter boom from a large group of humans coming through the port.  Though all are dressed for a sea voyage.

You cannot see exactly how many, but you'd guess at least 3 dozen, mostly humans and 3 elves.

They are loud and rude and the entire crowd is surging towards various taverns, but they take little notice of your small group unless you attempt (no matter how politely or rudely) to move through or past the group.  The tavern you've found alyndra in seems mostly empty and the few inside look up with obvious scowls on their faces, you wouldn't call it open hostility but this place seems like a place for a quiet drink.

The bartender is a gruff looking human cleaning the bar top with a rag and grunts at your entrance.
DeTess
 "Hey Alyndra, how did your search for camels go?"  Elva sat down across from the Elvish mage.  "Do we have everything we need to start the expedition?" 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah simply looked around like a long-tailed cat in a room full of mouse traps.  "Why do I get the feeling if we make any sudden moves, we'll be evicted?" 
Rakpappa
Tordic kept his arms close to his side, covering pouches and weapons...he did not want to be the victim of a sneak thief's directed actions.

Once inside, his eyes adjusted quickly to the darker tones of the tavern and he caught the scowls of several of the patrons. Narrowing his eyes, he wanted no quarrel with these people, but he didn't want to be seen as a pasty either. Seeing his party seated, he moved towards the barkeep and nodded as the man looked up at him.

" A plate of meats and cheeses if you have it barkeep ..." He spoke in calm common. " While you are at it, one refill for the patrons in here and one for yourself if you please. We've just finished a long voyage and are parched and hungry. One more coin for merchants to avoid and ones that are trustworthy. " He spoke again, still in calm almost monotone common. He didnt want to create an alarm nor give cause for those nearby to be angry at a foreigner walking into their watering hole.
sarlon
The tone of the place relaxes once it's obvious your group while "large" is calm and relatively quiet, the patrons mostly ignore you except a muted cheer at mention of a free round.  You get the impression they didn't want any of those loud and rowdy people from outside coming in and disturbing the peace.

The bartender grins showing several missing teeth, but gladly takes your money and calls into the back room for someone, and ordering somethings (you swear he spoke common but he was saying things like "plate of rocks and flowers, tubs of yak, 3 gardens, a side of daisy's, etc).  He gestures you to take a seat wherever (plenty of empty stools at the bar or tables, there's maybe a half dozen patrons in here, including a couple of halflings wearing garb similar to the desert garb your group bought for yourself.
Rakpappa
Pleased that the patrons have settled down and that the barkeep has taken his order, Tordic tries to not let on that he has no clue what the barkeep said to the people in the kitchen.

Turning, he moved through the sparsely populated seating area and took his seat back with his companions.

" Food is coming and the locals are happy with another round. What is our next step in this strange town? "
Tyg3rW01f
" Personally, I wish to find a merchant who works in leather, as I think I have an idea for the tooth I found. " Josiah said simply.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra had been deep in thoughts, her spell book in front of her. Despite how familiar with the thing she ought to be - it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she had spent thousands of hours going over it - she looked at it as if it had suddenly grown fangs or something.
		
		As such, it took her a moment to even realize the rest of the group had - finally! - caught up with her.   “Camels?”   She blinked, looked up, then closed her book and nodded,   “Yes, camels. I did find some yes. And a guide, who will bring them back when we've reached our destination. We're to meet at sunset.”  
  “I was beginning to worry you'd gotten lost or something...”   
 
  
DeTess
 "Ah, no, not quite."  Elva started to explain.  "Tordic caught wind of this pretty much legendary dwarven blacksmith, so we went looking for him. He did some work on Tordic's axe and my chainmail, though he did it using magic. Magic that is in some way related to the spell Elrdrix used back in Albright's temple to open the container holding that temple's essence. I don't really know in what way, just that the incantations sounded similar, as if from the same language or the like. Anyway, as soon as he did that, he teleported us to another part of the city, but took Elrdrix's sword while he was at it. We tried to find him, but he basically disappeared from the face of the earth, taking his store with him. So, yeah..."  A sheepish grin crossed Elva's face, but the mirth does not reach her eyes, which show exhaustion.  "That's what we've been up to." 
Rakpappa
Tordic waited for Elva to finish speaking before his excitement got the better of him.

" He touched me with his dagger... " He stated hurriedly before making sure his voice was low enough just for the table.

 "I saw swirls of history, places, people, faces...it was as if I could see the lineage of the land and the story of my axe and the cosmos decided at that moment to shift and let me glimpse upon something that I should have no business knowing. He touched my axe with a knowing hand, not one that merely knows how to swing it...the way a father caress his child's head or looks upon a home that he built...I feel that he was one of the originals... "

He paused as he took a swallow from the tankard in front of him before continuing.

" Lady Elva is right...the magic used was deep and old. Primal perhaps..... ."
Rakpappa
(Once food and drinks are done)

Tordic looked at Josiah and nodded.

 "If it is a leather craftsman you wish, lets go seek one. The day is up, people are moving and merchants are ready for business. Perhaps this too will be an unusual experience." 

Intent: after eating leave with Josiah if he is willing to peruse the vendors looking for merchants that deal with leather. Not really looking to buy anything unless it catches my eye.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah smiled and left his share of the meal. " Yes, Tordic. The day is waning fast; let's go find a leatherworker. "
sarlon
Leather worker:

You find him still in his shop, open air like the halflings general store.  You see him at work cutting some very heavy looking leather very carefully with a knife.  He glaces up as you approach his stall and his smile is brief while he finishes what looked to be a very complex cut that required his deep attention.

"Good day gentleman, how may hasini be of service to you?  Fine new boots perhaps?"

Once his attention is away from the intricate work, from which he puts a very unique looking knife carefully into a sheath and putting it under the counter.  He steps out from behind the frame the piece of leather to tied to very tightly.  He is a tall dark skinned human male, once a very fit man in his youth, the grey in his hair and the slightly gone to seed.  His smile is warm and welcoming though, and extends hands to shake, they are rough and calloused from labor.

Back at the bar (for those who didn't go):

As the evening draws in, and the temperature begins to drop, this quiet little bar begins to liven up.

A few wildly dressed halflings come in shouting something about the new moon is high in the heavens and that means its time for.... something?  The word is unfamiliar, but a cheer goes up from the patrons.

Chairs and tables (aside from your own) and moved out of the middle of the room up against walls and drinks are being poured and even being politely offered to your group.
DeTess
After a moments hesitation Elva accepted one of the offered drinks.  "So what's special about tonight?"  She asked one of the locals.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah shows the merchant the tooth and says, " I had thought to fashion a way to bind this to my hand as a sort of katar? Err, a punch-dagger. or maybe a sort of bracer-like armor... "
Rakpappa
Tordic watched Josiah wrangle with the merchant. While he liked leather goods, he did not have any need for their services at this time so he hung back and let his friend complete his business.
sarlon
Leather worker:

The man smiles and politely takes the tooth looking at it this way and that frowning in thought and has Josiah extend his arm as if punching something and asks him to hold that stance while he pulls out a long battered length of leather and places the tooth along your hand, making adjustments and wrapping it making sure it's not to tight or restrictive.  He stands back and let's you make a few practice punches and makes adjustments till you're comfortable.  He makes some marks on the poor quality leather he was making the adjustments with, and removes it from your arm.

"Fine form young man, don't have the pleasure of seeing many brothers this far south.....I think I could make something comfortable for you....but it would take a few days..."

Tavern:

The drink smells odd but not unpleasant, it's mentioned that a seer saw the (that funny word again, makes you think it might be a local thing) in the heavenly lights and that's a sign of good fortune!  Tonight is a celebration!  They quaff their drinks and go for more, the quiet subdued tavern coming alive with song and dance and some basic parlor trick magic (nothing high skill level, some more slight of hand than anything, but one halflings seems to be doing some astonishing feats of slieght of hand that makes you think he might be an actual illusionist).
Tyg3rW01f
At the mention of "brothers", Josiah took pause. That wasn't an oft-used phrase...
DeTess
Elva allowed herself to relax as the evening went on. They where safe enough right now, so allowing herself to enjoy the festivities, even if she didn't quite understand what they where for, should do no harm. Though she refrained from joining in with the dancing, she did decide to show off a trick or two of her own. Though she lacked a deck of cards, a couple of spare coins from her pocket would do just as well for showing off her skills.

 
 Spoiler: sleight of hand 

 (1d20+11)[ 31 ] 
Elva is probably also mixing in some basic illusion spells (with the silent spell feat to mask the casting), provided her performance goes well enough.
 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah made very certain no one was looking too closely as he drew an amulet from under his robes. It was a simple thing, only a bonze hand displayed palm out, but the rune hidden in its lines was plain to see for any Brother.
" I look forward to your work, Brother Hasini. " So saying, Josiah laid ten gold coins on the counter, using the motion to hide the return of his amulet under his robes.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         While she had stayed in the tavern - she had no use for a leatherworker after all - it was quite obvious that Alyndra was ill at ease.

Not that she objected to the festive atmosphere as she smiled here or there, but it was very obvious that she wasn't used to the crowd and found it hard to deal with and quite overwhelming in fact.

Still, as time passed, she grumbled,   “We are going to be late. I hope Josiah didn't forget we're here for more serious things than his fang...”   
 
  
sarlon
As the early evening draws to dark, everyone meets up at the camel vendor.

 
 Spoiler: Alyndra: 


Midnight's belly definitely looks a little more rounded than when you left her here and she is contentedly snoozing atop a pile of soft goods near an equally contented looking jasper.  Jasper is wearing the most bizarre-looking foot coverings that go up almost to his knees, but they don't seem to be bothering him, while he munches on something in a nose bag.
 


The big orc comes out to greet you as you approach a broad grin on his face. he gestures towards 5 large camels laying passively on the ground just outside the city gates a small figure darting around them making adjustments and muttering something (you hear it's a male voice, but too low and indistinct to hear properly).

"I am sending you with my friend Lo'it, who is going home to visit family, he has agreed to take you to the temple as well and bring back the camels.  he's a bit......unusual, but I promise he is a good man.  Just don't mind his mutterings about temple snakes."
DeTess
 "Temple snakes?"  Elva asked as she set to mounting one of the big camels.  "Is that something we should keep an eye out for once we're there?"  Due to the festivities she was in a far better mood than she had been previously. Her worries about their enigmatic opponents and the missing blade for the moment pushed to the back of her mind.
sarlon
a young mans head pops up hearing the comment of temple snakes, and a wide grin cracks his broad good-natured face.

"oh yes miss, temple snakes are everywhere!  20 feet long, 6 arms, 4 heads!  3 mouths full of razor-sharp teeth!  they say just the site of one turns a man's blood cold.....you've never heard of them?!"

He comes to the side of the camel Elva is trying to mount and offers her a leg up.  As short as this man is you almost mistake him for a halfling, but he is a very short human, though his voice and build indicate he is no child (you'd guess the maybe mid-20s).  His tanned and weathered face shows him being an outdoorsman, and his ease with the large beasts shows he's at least competent.  He's wearing a sleeveless vest, baggy loose trousers, and odd-looking pointy-toed shoes,  there are several yards of fabric wrapped around his neck hanging just loose enough that you think it might also serve as a makeshift head covering since a pair of goggles hangs around his neck as well.

"temple snakes lives hundreds of years, and pop up all over the world....last time I saw one was....oh let's see here....a few seasons ago!  must have been 90 feet long, and spitfire and lightning from its mouth!"
DeTess
 "Ah, those beasts."  Elva replied with a grin. She accepted the man's helping hand and managed to clamber into the beast's saddle.  "Where I'm from we call them Well Bears. Thanks for the warning! After the trouble we had with one of those a couple weeks back I think we'd all rather avoid running into another one."  She added with an enigmatic smile.
Tyg3rW01f
" Terrific ," Josiah muttered. To Alyndra, he added, " I have the local leatherworker commissioned for a project, so I need to return within a week ."
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah listens to the tale of "Temple snakes"...
 
 Spoiler: Sense Motive 

 (1d20+3)[ 16 ] 
 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah smiled and did his best impersonation of a Master who had helped teach him Speech. " Oh,  those  temple snakes. Terrifying creatures are they. Heh heh. Teeeerrrrifying creaturrres. Hmmmm. "
Dropping all pretense of levity, Josiah glared at the midget. " Too bad your particular version of these snakes smacks of wild pipe-bud, drunken tales, and a scheme to extort 'protection' funds from otherwise unaware travelers. "
sarlon
the young man places a hand over his heart with a mock hurt look, winking at Elva.  "Good sir, I am independently wealthy, I have no need for shiny trinkets of what you call.....money?  my family and I have lived among the dunes our entire lives, and know them better than any two-legged ground-based creature!  I am going a favor for my friend to escort you to your destination, I will keep my tall tales to myself if they so offend your ears *Eloki no'sani!*"

He turns back to elva with a broad grin pointing to where to hold on if she feels like falling while the camel is moving, and better places to put her feet to hold her on with more comfort.

Any of you will notice hes actively avoiding Midnight and makes a weird hand gesture (think again like a catholic crossing themselves), but will help anyone who needs assistance getting onto the camels.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah gave the midget an appraising look. " Were my Master here, fella, she'd have found the most caustic lye soap available to use in washing out your mouth--twice! That particular phrase is foul beyond even what   I   am willing to use, and my vocabulary has earned me quite the palette for soaps. "
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra briefly inspected Jasper, not so much to check that everything had been done right - she'd be hard pressed to tell that after all - but to see  what  had been done. While she did, she glanced at Midnight,   “I hope you didn't steal all that food.”   Though of course, as far as Midnight was concerned, food she could get her paws on belonged to her so it wasn't stealing. More like an unwitting offering.
		
		Done with her checks, the young elf nodded to Lo'it, then turned to the orc,   “Thak you. And may your son be born strong and hale.”  
		
		She then observed said Lo'it, but she was squinting as she did so. Not so much because of those temple snake tales - she'd rather hold her judgement on that for the time being - but because of his attitude towards Midnight. As such, she merely observed his instructions to Elva and without waiting, climbed on top of her own camel...and rolled her eyes at Josiah's sermon. 
 
  
Thundor
The dwarf who approached certainly could pass for nobility... "Thundor (pronounced 'Thoon-door') of clan Grunhil has arrived! Word has it there be a group headed for the Southern Temple. As I am going that way meself, I suppose I could offer me knightly services as protector of the realm in exchange for good company... I have heard there be serpents ahead and me axe thirsts for the blood of monsters! If there be any bold adventurers here who could benefit from the talents of Lord Thundor, speak up! " The dwarf certainly could talk like one thrice his size but could he back it up? The greataxe strapped to his right thigh had an insignia suggesting he perchance wasn't just all talk...
DeTess
 "Well, that sure is an entrance!"  Elva cast an appraising glance over the dwarf, though she made sure to keep smiling. He looked capable enough, and there where no immediate signs suggesting he was associated with their enemies, but...  "What brings you that way, Thundor Grunhill?"  she asked.
Rakpappa
Tordic watched the antics of the dunes guide and between listening to him and looking at the camels, his attention was entirely taken up in whole.

Getting on the back of the humped beast, he moved in the saddle a bit and found it a bit more comfortable than the ones (saddles) he had ridden on before. Perhaps it was due to the creature it was on or a design issue, he wasn't sure, but was examining the stitching and leatherwork when the dwarf announced himself. Glancing up at first with only half interest, Tordic sat upright and looked hard at the dwarf, his eyes focusing on the dwarf's weapon: the great axe. While different than the one he had, carried and used, it still drew a warrior's eye to a weapon of that size.

He listened to the pompous introduction and grunted, but said nothing. He was interested in the axe however as he carried one too and it wasn't a weapon that many preferred. Looking at the newcomer he spoke, his slate gray eyes staring at the dwarf while he spoke.

"  Thundor, I am Tordic. Not many carry the weapon we do, even fewer those of your stature. Speak to me of the insignia on the blade. Symbols speak louder than we do and tell stories longer than we live..  ."
Thundor
Thundor looked down at the group... no small task for a dwarf to be sure! "What? How is this possible... how can it be that not EVERYONE recognizes the insignia of House Grunhil... only the greatest house of all dwarven kind since the beginning!!! I was bred from a VERY long line of nobles and leaders, and am normally addressed as 'Lord Thundor' amongst me clan! I shall forgive you this time, as you have not the great distinction of being a dwarf, and having heard of the backward ways of the lesser races, simply 'Thundor' shall suffice for now... indeed I have had the greatest honor of all dwarves, having received a recurring dream, likely from the Gods themselves, and venture to the Southern Temple to have it interpreted. In my dream I was flying... possibly on the back of a dragon... and it is well known that no dwarf has ever been known to ride a dragon! Whilst I come from the greatest of family names, and can trace back a long line of nobility for more generations than I have fingers and toes, and have been so blessed to be the dreamer for the Gods, nevertheless I am still but a lad and relatively unfamiliar with the ways of the elvinfolk, orckind, humans, gnomes and halflings. As spoken by my clan elder before being sent off on me quest, I am determined to bear the imperfections of the lesser races and learn more of your ways, as you are too numerous to ignore, and perchance something valuable may yet be gleaned in the undertaking! One thing at which me family excels is singing of our great adventures o'er an open fire at a table laden with food and wine, and I aim to have a new song written of me own tale, and the greatest songs are those in which a great dwarf was able to defy all odds to save the known world with all its races from impending doom! " Having made his speech, Thundor takes a long swig from his flask and asks most loudly: "Who shall share the honor of accompanying me to the temple and helping write me song?"
Rakpappa
The burly orc listened to the ramblings and racial slurs and grew more angry as the dwarf babbled on. Gripping the handle of his axe so that the cords and sinews rippled down his arm and forearm, he looked at the newcomer with ire and wrath in his eyes. Jaw tight, it was clear that the barbarian was having none of this.

Spitting on the ground at the dwarf's feet, Tordic's voice was cold and blunt.

" We are not lessor by any means dwarf and any imperfections found with this group start with you. Talk like that again to me and the only song you will be singing is a dirge....I know you not and care for you even less... "

As he was talking, Tordic slid his greataxe into both of his hands...while he wasn't one to start the violence, he for sure wasn't going to be caught unawares.
DeTess
 "Easy there, Tordic."  Elva stretched out a warning hand to the half-orc, though if he did decide to make it a fight, there wasn't much she could do to stop him.  "I take it you haven't really dealt with nobles before? This is pretty much par for the course, so don't let it get to you." 
Thundor
Thundor looked the Orc dead in his eyes, and tried his hardest not to be the first to blink. After a few minutes (which seemed to be much longer than that), he couldnt help it any more and blinked (rats!). At that, a big smile form on his face and he busted out with an amazingly robust laugh for someone his size: "Well met Orc! Finally someone with some gumption! Methinks I like you just fine! You have the mettle needed on the battlefield! It is good to finally be clear of all the boot-kissers and meet someone with character! I have brought with me some fine dwarven ale the likes of which you have never likely tasted... would this serve as a peace offering? Come, let us partake and discuss the journey ahead... I have told ye of my journey, pray tell what brings you this way, and how many are ye?" Thundor climbs onto his camel and fetches the flask of dwarven ale. As he passes his flask to Tordic, he winks at Elva and gives her a quick silent looks which only she could see which seemed to say: 'Whew... thanks!'. Then he put back on his 'I'm nobility' face and nudged the big Orc... "Don't be too hard on yourself, Orc, I have heard of the many storied feats of Gro'big the Orc, and there be rumors that your kind may be more dependable and fierce than the Humans... be there any truth to those? Tell me, and I will listen whilest we savor this fine ale and perchance at our next meal I will share a song with ye which might not be so hard on yer ears!"
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah walked past Thundor, but gave him the rough insult-shoulder.
" My companion, Tordic, is wise to stay his hand; you are unworthy his prowess. Tordic would cleave you in twain long before you had even drawn your weapon. Ha! Were Master Theodin Undervault of the Brotherhood of the Open Palm here, he'd have ripped that axe from your hands, then ground you to blustering dust with naught but his grappling before you could so much as set your feet. " Josiah had spent many a training session with the old dwarven Reaping Mauler, and knew Master Theodin Undervault was a treacherous opponent no matter the odds.
In further warning, Josiah growled as he mounted his own camel, " You have neither song to sing, nor deed of which to discourse, O Nobody of House Ignominious. Heed ancestral words, therefore, and become wise:   He who putteth on armor best not boast as he who taketh off.   "
Nudging his camel forward, Josiah inclined his head to Elva in acknowledgement of her own wisdom. Nobility was good for two things and two things only: pomp and useless boasting.
Thundor
Thundor turned to see this new fellow (hard to tell his race with his hood up). "Ha! Surely in your training with the dwarven master he MUST have mentioned the great house Grunhil, for many be the songs sung of me grandpappy! I have ne'er, however, heard any songs of Josiah... sing one for us now, and I'll join in once I hear the tune! ' Twil make the time on the road go by so much faster!"
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah looked at Thundor and lowered his hood. " There are none to be sung, no deeds to be recounted as glory. And so shall it remain until I have earned such honor in the eyes of those with whom I travel or in the thousand mead halls of the Adventurers' Guild. "

Josiah noted the dwarf seemed dissatisfied with the answer he'd given. " However... I do know a tale: Joshua Dragonstunner. Yes, now THERE was a brother-monk worthy of song. Joshua had been travelling with a group like ours: Kiba Trapslain--a Marked Rogue out to clear her name; Sarlon Fortressfire--a sorceress who burned a fortress to the very stone by accident; an orc, whose name sadly escapes me, who took on an army of skeletons and its bone-dracolich leader and emerged victorious.
And then there was Joshua.
In combat with a youngling green dragon, he ran up a sheer cliff! Attaining the escarpment,  he proceeded to take a leap at full run. Such was his speed that he seemed to disappear when most mortals would have fallen, only to reappear above the dragon. Landing upon the beast's back, Joshua summoned all his ki and stunned the dragon in mid-flight with repeated blows! It's said he struck the creature a hundred times! As the unconscious dragon fell to its death, Joshua leaped off off its back and, holding his hand to the stone, slid gracefully down to land upon the dragon's corpse.
The orc named him Orc-kin on the spot. By the time I was brought into the Brotherhood of the Open Palm, Joshua had long since travelled to other realms. I can only hope I might one day attain such legend. Meanwhile, my own history is one I hope to be forgotten. "
Rakpappa
Tordic calmed his breathing and visibly relaxed at the words of Elva. For as much as he was following his cleric path, the blood of his barbarian roots still burned strong within his veins. This at times led to conflicts of diplomacy...although violence in its own right was diplomatic in nature, just more final usually.

He began to open his mouth to reply when Josiah spoke. When the monk opened his mouth, Tordic listened as the monk spoke true and straight and the burly orc knew he could learn from this traveling brother. Hearing the words that were spoken, Tordic bowed his head with shame. While his reaction was heartfelt and had justifiable anger, it did not work with making himself a better cleric. Dismounting from the camel, he moved his axe back to its travel position and approached Thundor.

Clearing his throat he spoke again to the newcomer, this time a fair amount more sociable than before.

" Thundor, we all have stories and pasts and families in places that most of us have never seen. We are, right here, right now simply companions that travel together: no history other than what we create with each other. If you wish to continue with us know that where you come from and what your ancestors have done may have shaped you, but it isn't what makes you now. Leave the titles and hot air behind.

I am Tordic, Healer. Sometimes I heal with the aid of the divine, other times I heal with my axe, that choice is usually theirs to make ."

Motioning to those present he nodded and looked back at the dwarf, extending his arm in a greeting.

"   I will not speak for the others as their introduction to you is their story to tell. Know this though...we respect and care for one another and do not take to those bonds being tested easily  ."
DeTess
 "Ah,  I'm Elva. Just Elva."  Elva gave a slight bow towards the dwarf, as much as her current perch in her mount's saddle allowed for anyway.  "I'm with the adventurer's guild, specializing in acquisitions."  She quickly showed the dwarf her midnight black guild stone.
Thundor
Thundor looked over each party member, peering into their eyes to ascertain their intent (dwarves are, after all, quite slow to trust, for it has been said: the difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years). Satisfied that they all at least seemed sincere, Thundor said: "Well spoken, now THAT'S a story worthy of song! Methinks those serpents had best not show their fangs in our direction! Now then who knows the way? Lead on!" At that he took a swig from his flask and wiped the ale from his lips with his arm... "[hiccup] What wrong with ye sir... why do you look so fuzzy?"
sarlon
Lo'it makes sure everyone is comfortable on the camels (or as comfortable as one can be) then sharply whistles and as one each camel begins the odd process of standing up (dex or balance checks please).

As the camels begin standing it rolls out a small piece of beautifully woven carpet on the sands and sits down cross-legged in the middle of it and grins at each of you still astride your camels.  "ever seen a carpet fly?"  he mumbles a few words and the carpet hovers into the air with hardly a ripple moving through it, then with a strong voice (for one the size of a 10 year old boy), commands "Lets move out!"

The camels start moving in single file while the carpet Lo'it sits on hovers 2 feet off the sands along side the group.
DeTess
 "Never in person, no."  Elva replies to Lo'it.  "Though I once visited a storyteller who'd tell all kinds of stories, including one with a flying carpet in it, and he'd create illusions to accompany the story. does that count?" 
sarlon
"carpet flies....those annoying pests that enter homes through a passage the size of a dot, but can't find that entrance and live their entire short lives annoying you?  you've never seen or heard of one?!"

He giggles madly at his own bad joke and zooms ahead of the group slightly to make sure the lead camel is heading in the right direction.
Thundor
...2+3=5.... "stupid camel... not made with dwarves in mind! "
Tyg3rW01f
  Happy to see a "noble" be "common" for once in his life, Josiah laughed joyfully.
" No. No, they were not. The camel is a horse made by a committee of nobles. "  
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra had been quite taken aback by the dwarf's pompous self introduction, and had witnessed the whole interaction quite bemused even though it seemed to have been more posturing than real feelings. Though it might just as well have been him taking a step back and waiting for the right time.
		
		Still, one way or the other, she could have done without the male "organ" measuring contest that was bound to follow, particularly considering Josiah's words. She sighed dejectedly, rubbed her jaw, looked towards their destination, and over all tried to wait it all patiently, but it was obvious she had no taste for all that. She was in fact deeply regretting her forests.
		
		Hearing Elva introducing herself, Alyndra looked back, blinking, then simply said   “Alyndra.”   Maybe she would have said something more, or maybe not, but Lo'it's sharp whistle prevented it, as did the camels rising. Thankfully, despite her surprise, the young elf managed to stay on her mount without any issue as if she had done so numerous times already.
		
		Contrary to the men's "introduction", she looked quite a bit more interested by the flying carpet. Not that she'd have much use for it herself - she'd feel a bit silly on top of that - she was curious to know where it had come from and how it landed in the hands of their guide. Something to ask about later on, time permitting.
		
		Hearing Josiah, she shook her head and took her book out: she might as well study a bit. Anything but hearing all of that... 
 
  
sarlon
The evening trek through the dunes is rather pleassent, Lo'it keeping up an almost endless prattle of stories and legends (some so tall you can tell hes full of ****, others make you actually wonder).  Any attempt to hint at an end to these stories is met with deaf ears, but suprisingly the trip seems to fly by.  the moon is halfway up into the sky by the time you start to see the glow of camp fires in the distance.

 Halfling encampment: 

This cluster of tents large and small are all made with bright colors and loud voices.  Lo'it explains that this is a brief stopover to let you get off the camels for a bit and a small rest.  All the tents surround a large open well and several halflings shout greetings to your party in welcome.  Some swarming up to help dismount from the camels while others offer cool drinks and tidbits of food (mostly meat skewers with assorted vegetables), Lo'it walks off and is soon seen speaking with a very old looking halfling in low voices.

There is music playing, children running around, and mostly people settling down for the evening, there are no shops directly since this group appears to be very nomadic.
Thundor
(definitely in his element) Thundor graciously accepts the aid in dismounting: "Camels are meant for hard-arses" he could be heard muttering. Then he partakes in the drink and food and promises the 'host' halflings that one day their services will be uplifted by all as they one day tell tales of how Thundor the Great received strength from their fixin's in defeating the vile enemies lying just on the horizon. "In gratitude for yer help here today, ye shall go down into me journal, which one day may be showcased in the halls of me forefathers! Now kindly gather up into an orderly line whilest I write yer names into me book! "
Tyg3rW01f
Once they had all dismounted, eaten, and learned where they would sleep, ((likely at least an hour's time)) Josiah would strip to his under-linens and stand in a broad space. From the "Null" form, with hands at his sides, feet shoulder-width apart head high, and shoulders back, Josiah lifted his right foot to mid left inside thigh and balance there in "Center" to align/focus his ki/chakras.
 Dex   (1d20+4)[ 9 ] 
 Balance   (1d20+12)[ 24 ] 
 Concentration   (1d20+3)[ 10 ] 

Slowly, each movement kept in time to his breathing, he moved out of "Center" and into and through his kata. Repeating the process, he put considerable effort into the mantra, "Slow is smooth; smooth is fast" and making each strike purposeful, concise, just as his Masters had taught him.
 Dex   (1d20+4)[ 5 ] 
 Balance   (1d20+12)[ 15 ] 
 Concentration   (1d20+3)[ 12 ] 

Unarmed Strike ((at air))  (1d20+3)[ 19 ] 
Flurry of Blows ((again at air))  (1d20+2)[ 8 ]  (1d20+2)[ 14 ] 

Returning to the "Ready" of right foot back, fists held defensively, Josiah took a long, deep breath, returning to "Center", then slowly back into "Null".
DeTess
Elva happily accepted the offered refreshments and then took a moment to stretch her legs, making a slow circuit of the dunes around the camp. The journey so far had been quite enjoyable, and she particularly enjoyed their guide's banter. It was almost enough to let her completely forget that a world was at stake here.
DeTess
Elva narrowed her eyes as she thought she spotted some movement deeper into the dunes. Yes, there was definitely something walking there. It was hard to make out at this distance, but might be a human, or maybe an elf.

She started following the shape when she remembered the promise she'd made at the last temple. She quickly scanned the camp behind her, and the first of her companions she saw was Tordic. Not wanting to alert the mysterious shadow she quickly wove together a bit of magic to send a whispered message to the cleric.  "I've spotted someone suspicious skulking around the camp and I'm going to check it out. Be right back!" 

The message send, she turned back to her quarry and started chasing after them in earnest. As she moved she quickly wove some more magic around herself, shrouding herself in illusions to make herself blend into the surroundings and become all but invisible.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah's movements weren't exactly as graceful as he'd imagined, but the sand wasn't so well packed here. He had no idea he was being watched by some of the children, a parent or two, and two of his companions. His concentration was being well-tested due to the sand's give.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Early in the trip, it became quite clear that Alyndra's study of her book wasn't going quite well. She cursed under her breath, rubbed her eyes tiredly, gingerly held her forehead and even closed and opened her book a few times apparently to no avail.

		After almost an hour, she seemed to have figured something and spent a few minutes reading silently. Soon enough however, she quickly flipped through her book before she briefly yelled then cursed with a lot of feeling. Finally, she stashed her book in her pack, obviously disgusted.
		
		While she graciously accepted the offered food and drinks  when they arrived at the camp, it was obvious she was still thoroughly annoyed as if someone had played a bad prank on her or something and she seemed content to stay where she was before going to bed, barely keeping an eye on Midnight to prevent her familiar from stealing too much food. 
 
  
Rakpappa
OOC: sorry for the delay all. Had comp issues and with schedule changes at work, Ive forgotten many things. Mea Cupla please.

IC:

Tordic listened to the stories with half interest, some catching his attention more than others. Riding the lumbering beast proved relaxing after a spell, moving with the gait allowed the orc to catch some random Z's....just enough to rest the eyes and muscles.

Tordic had no embarrassment about dismounting...he knew he was going to be clumsy and somewhat ungainly and he didnt care. On the ground, he felt the ground shift and like a person walking on the shore from the ocean, his legs were spread wide and his hand out to catch him if he fell.

Taking the offered tidbits of food and drink made the surly warrior smile and he couldn't help but laugh when halfling children wanted to climb his shoulders like a mountain. Carrying several at once on both arms, he dodged and weaved in the area of the camels, giving the children a fun ride and making them laugh. Ride over, Tordic smiled and nodded. For all of his gruffness and crusty demeanor, he loved children of all races and when they laughed it was as if he was hearing the laughter of the celestials.

Sitting down with the rest of the group, he scanned the area and relaxed, noticing scowls on Alyndra's face, he was concerned but wary. While not physically imposing by any means, Tordic knew that within that small frame she was able to master and control forces that made him blanche. Best not to get on her bad side, he thought again. He knew what was a good fight and what wasn't and tangling with her at any given time would have been his demise.

Looking at Alyndra, Tordic heard the whispered voice in his ear and he was at first confused but then realized the voice. Looking around while staying seated, he nodded and giving her a minute or so head start...stood up and made general statements of relieving himself and headed off in that general direction.

{Not attempting to catch up with Elva, but move in a general area closer to her locale as an overwatch if needed or strong arm if required)
sarlon
 ELVA and TORDIC: 

Elva, you're not sure what you're chasing, every time you think you get close, it seems just out of reach, more like a shadow.  after a while Tordic you lose sight of Evla.


 Elva 

well, you've been running after this....thing for a while, up and down sand dunes, and when you finally stop to catch your breath, you let loose some rather creative curse words as the figure vanishes over the next dune.  as you start to move again the sands underfoot shift completely and you end up sliding down the dune you're on. Though unhurt (aside from your pride), you realized you landed on something much more solid than more shifting sands...

further examination shows stonework buried deep under the sands that look deliberate to be just a natural rock formation.
DeTess
Elva gingerly got back up to her feet, her bruised back-side complaining all the way. For a moment she considered chasing after the shadow again, but the chase had already taken her far further than she'd initially intended to go. Frankly, now that the thrill of the chase was wearing off she was kicking herself for going as far as she had. The creature had clearly been aware of her presence despite her precautions, suggesting it might have been a threat to her alone.

Instead of continuing her foolhardy chase she decided to take a look around her new location, after making sure the creature had gone out of sight of course. Something seemed to be buried here, some old ruin or another. She started brushing away the sand to get a better look at the stones she'd landed on. Maybe there was something here to salvage this little excursion of hers.
Rakpappa
Tordic half loped half jogged after the much more nimble Elva, eventually losing sight of the slim female.

Panting and softly cursing at her running off, he scanned the area as best he could. Frustrated, he looked back and forth several times before taking a deep breath and loudly calling out:

" ELVA!!! ELVA!!! Show your hide !!"

The burly orc moved still towards the direction he last saw her, walking this time and still looking and scanning, all the while calling out her name.
DeTess
 "Hmmm's there's definitely something here..."  Elva's fingers traced the outline of some large stone object buried in the sand. Small ridges suggested some kind of tilework or maybe a mosaic of some sort. She continued her exploration until she suddenly felt one of the stones start to give way. She immediately froze when she felt the motion, just in case she'd accidentally stumbled across the trigger for a trap. Several seconds passed with nothing happening, and she just let out a sigh of relief when she heard a voice shouting her name.

With a start she turned in the direction of the voice, which caused the object she'd found to fully depress with an audible 'clunk'. Immediately, the ground around her started to collapse, but she managed to leap clear before she was swallowed by the hole opening up in the sand.  "Tordic, new party rule! No shouting my name when I'm dismantling a trap!"  She shouted back, even though she knew her companion couldn't have known she'd be involved in delicate work like that.

While waiting for Tordic to catch up, she took another look at the hole from a safe distance. It was hard to make out, but right now it didn't look like the pitfal trap she'd initially feared, but instead it looked like a set of stairs leading down. She carefully approached, wary of any further surprises, and looked down. Yes, this was definitely a set of stairs leading down. She retrieved an amulet she was wearing around her neck from her shirt and removed the small leather pouch covering the amulet itself, allowing its light to shine forth. The stairs went down a long distance, past the edge of the area illuminated by her amulet.
Rakpappa
Tordic was relieved to see the willowy figure peek her head and shoulders above the dune. While he had no doubt of her ability to protect herself, there was always safety in numbers.

" Elva... " He started but closed his mouth when he saw the opening behind her.

" What is the starfire have you found witchy woman? Are....are those stairs? "

Looking past her and down, he shrugged his shoulders and laughed softly.

" Let me guess....we need to go down there? If so we need to gather the group... "
DeTess
 "I mean, technically we don't need to explore the mysterious ancient ruins, but..."  Elva shrugged.  "Does it count if I really want to take a look down there nonetheless? And yeah, we should definitely get everyone else to help us out here." 
Rakpappa
Tordic nodded at her logic. As they made their way back to their companions, he asked her how she came to know this place was there in the first place...

Once back at the camp, the cleric will remain mum about the stairs and let Elva tell her story as to how she found them and what she thinks is inside.
DeTess
 "I didn't know it was there, exactly."  Elva explained animatedly, still benefiting from the rush of discovering something new.  "I was chasing this shadow and getting nowhere close to it when I slipped down a dune and ended up landing on something more solid than the sand. I figured I wouldn't catch the creature and took a look around and... well, there it was." 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah, heard the half-orc calling for Elva, but only vaguely at first. Then the big warrior had called out loudly enough to have knocked the human monk off his feet. After dusting himself off, Josiah and come to see what in the name of the Masters was all the fuss over.

" There what was? "
DeTess
 "I'll explain, but I'd like not to have to do so another two times, so let's meet up with Alyndra first."  Elva led the way back into the camp to meet up with their Elvish wizard. She looked like she was getting ready for some rest, so Elva was happy they could catch her before she was completely asleep. It seemed the dwarven Noble was sitting nearby enough to overhear her explanation as well, but Elva saw no reason to try and exclude him.

 "So here's the thing. I saw a suspicious shadow and went chasing after them. They where quick though, so I failed to catch them."  She skipped over what she'd planned to do, or rather her lack of plan, when she caught the shadowy figure.  "However, what I did find was some old ruin buried deep in the sands, and a hidden entrance leading down. I want to go explore, but thought it'd be a good idea to let all of you know first, and to ask you for help, just incase there's some trouble in there." 
Rakpappa
Tordic listened to the speech, glad that while a new discovery was made, his party members were not hurt in its finding. When conversation moved around to him, he would suggest that the party eat well and sleep well and start their search in the daylight hours...not that the ruins will be lit, but it would give the party a chance to memorize spells, pray and make final adjustments as they could.


OOC:

Guys I will be out of pocket from the 15th of June till the 25th of June. I am going to Iceland and will not have access to the boards. Be safe and play your cleric as needed please. Will post when I return.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra yawned - though she visibly tried not to - as she considered everyone while Elva explained what she had found.   “I see.”   Was all she said for some time, her gaze directed at the expanse of sand beyond the encampment.
		
		  “I do have a question though.”   She added after some time.   “What does that have to do with our goal, which, if you recall, people are actively trying to prevent us from achieving, and may in fact be on their way to do just that as we speak?”  
  “I could consider coming back to explore...whatever it is you found, but as it is...”   she shook her head,   “Fate of the world and all that, right?”   
 
  
DeTess
 "It's not like we can go there right now though, we're waiting for the caravan to get moving again."  Elva argued.  "I'm not saying we should put our lives on the line down there. IF it looks dangerously trapped in there we can always decide to leave it be. Plus, who knows, maybe this ancient ruin holds some clues to what's going on. I mean, that's what we've been doing so far isn't it, visit ancient buildings to gather clues and artifacts to help deal with this threat. This one might not be on our initial itinerary, but there's no reason to not at least take a quick look around. If it looks like a bust or too much of a hassle we return, but if there's something useful in there that we would otherwise have missed..." 

Of course, the  real  reason Elva was going to go down there, whether the rest came along or not, was because she was just intensely curious, but she suspected that argument would hold little water with the no-nonsense wizard.
Rakpappa
Tordic smiled at Elva and shrugged. He too wanted a new place to go and while the caravan was a new and novel idea...he wanted something different.

" I say lets go check it out...worst case we can try to log this on a map or mark it somehow and pick it up on our way back....that is if we come back this way. I am curious, especially after seeing the dwarf that looked at my axe...there has to be more secrets around here for sure ."


OOC: Hope everyone is having a decent summer.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “You're right that we're not going to the temple right now. But,”   Alyndra shook her head.   “That's because we're supposed to rest. You might not want to admit it - or simply you're not feeling it right now - but we've had a  very  long day, with no idea of what's waiting for us in the morning. Besides an early rise that is.”   If nothing else, to avoid most of the heat of the day.
		
		She considered adding that she thought the arguments for going to explore whatever Alva had found to be at best spurious, but decided there was no need to say something that was probably obvious and too confrontational so instead she merely added.   “It's exceptionally unlikely that there'd be anything of any immediate value in there, and if there were, it's bound to be well protected thus dangerous. As for retreating  if  it is dangerous, it's assuming you can even do so.”  
  “I'm all for checking it out once we've dealt with the whole Apocalypse thing, but not now. I'm obviously not going to prevent you from going,”   she sniffed: it would be a stupid thing to do after all.   “but I am staying, and resting.”   
 
  
DeTess
 "You're not wrong, but..."  Elva wanted to argue further, but she had to admit, at least to herself, that the elf had a point. Now that the adrenaline of her earlier chase and the discovery was starting to wear off, she was very much feeling the tiredness from the events of the past day. She felt confident she could probably push through it for another round of exploration, but then she wouldn't be at her best when they reached their actual goal.

 "I'll just mark it on my map then."  she sighed.  "I suppose this is the time to act responsibly, not get distracted by every interesting location."  She looked longingly over to the direction of the ruin beyond the dunes surrounding the camp, then headed for a place to rest.
Tyg3rW01f
" Alyndra is right--we need rest, " Josiah opined. " Temple tomorrow, and this... ruin... at points after. "
sarlon
most of you manage to get a few hours of solid if uneasy sleep, vague dreams disrupt your slumber and minor ground shaking keeps everything interesting.

you're awakened carefully in the early hours before sunrise by some of the halflings who produce unusual breakfast items (fresh fruit and pastries), and help you refill any waterskins before leading you out to the camels.

Lo'it seems quieter than normal and mounting his flying carpet he looks to make sure everyone is mounted and ready before letting loose that sharp whistle again to get everyone moving.  the trek in  the cool of the early morning almost subdued compared to the ride out here.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah meditated as the caravan moved along. He had given Tordic the reins for his own mount so Josiah could do so.
DeTess
Elva took one last look at the dunes beyond which those mysterious ruins had been hidden before once again focusing her attention forwards as they continued their journey. There was no point in fretting about the paths not taken, so instead she mentally prepared herself for the challenges that no doubt awaited them. Which meant trying to take a nap in the saddle, as there was little for her to do for now.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
         Alyndra simply nodded as everyone agreed to stay and rest, apparently not feeling much of anything, she was more acknowledging the decision than anything else.
		
		As she woke up in the morning - already not  terribly  pleased to have slept that little, even without going on an expedition - Alyndra stood grumbling, stretched a bit, then thanked the halflings for the breakfast.
		
		On the way, she reviewed her spellbook - grumbling some more - while not paying all that much attention to her surroundings. 
 
  
sarlon
((ok orc keeps refusing to post or reply to me, back to NPC status he goes...))

The trip is uneventful and oddly quiet, the guide seems almost sullen, the complete opposite of your trip out here.  He stops all of you on the outskirts of what looks like a lush forest of thickly leafed trees, bright green leaves fluttering in the light wind that comes in from the barren landscape.  Even the plant life right to the end of the sands is lush and lively and there are species of plants that none of you have seen before.

"Follow that path,"  he gestures to a literal cobblestone path situated between clumps of bushes, "don't harm the plants if you can help it, and stay on the path.  You should get there in a few minutes, you can't miss it.  The guardian is a nice enough fellow, just watch out for his pranks."

Lo'it helps everyone dismount, and checks to make sure everyone got all their equipment, before giving a mock salute and leading the camels back the way you guys came.  The very early morning sun is just starting to peak over the edge of the dunes and already the heat of the day is overtaking the chill of the evening.
DeTess
 "This guardian sounds like a fun guy at least."  Elva took a look over the forest sprouting in the otherwise barren desert.  "Let's not keep him waiting, shall we?"  She set off along the path.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah, fresh from his meditation, agreed. "Yes. Time seems of the essence."
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “Pranks, eh?”   Alyndra grumbled, obviously not amused.    “Hopefully we'll skip that, considering...”  

            Shaking her head, the young elf turned to their guides.    “Anyway, thanks for getting us here.”  

             After a glance at the others, she then nodded,    “We shall.”   
 
  
sarlon
The trek through this almost jungle is interesting.  animals that are both familiar and completely alien watch you almost without fear...but they do not make any move to attack you or any action that would be considered hostile.  a massive stag with huge antlers walks across the path in front of you, and stops momentarily to gaze at you with almost intelligence in its deep brown eyes, before shaking its head and moving off completely uninterested.

After 10 minutes of walking along the path, you come to a broad clearing in the middle of this forest. this building is look to be made from a single large tree, though you get the impression that it's a living thing rather than carved into the tree.  A plethora of birds and small animals flit among the branches and you hear a voice singing....loudly.....and horribly off-key (no need for a listen check, it's definitely coming from within the tree building.)  The words are in halfing (if you know the language it's a bawdy "adult" song), and while it's off-key it's being sung with great gusto.
DeTess
 "Hmmm, heard that song before somewhere. No idea what the words mean, but it's pretty catchy!"  Elva hummed along with the song for a bit while heading up to the building, looking for a bell to ring or otherwise a sturdy doorpost to knock on to announce their arrival.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
              Very clearly, Alyndra liked the trip in the jungle a lot more than she liked the song. With a grimace, she answered Elva.   “Let’s just say it’s a, hmm… That song is, hmm,  inappropriate  in most circumstances.”   She winced at some of the verses, then shook her head, then shook her head.    “It’s probably safe to say that troubles haven’t yet reached this place at least…”  

            Looking curiously at Elva obviously looking for something, the young elf commented.   “We probably just have to go in and call out.”   Though she did neither, obviously expecting someone else to step forward… 
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
"Luv a duck... that's going to be my head for HOURS now..." Josiah lamented.
sarlon
As you enter the building up a very short flight of stairs (shallow, built more for shorter-legged races), there is no formal door, but a curtain of long fronds from a strange plant.  the inside of the building spirals up into the top branches of this massive tree and several animals lounge around the inside of this building.  the song seems to be coming from an alcove to your left up a short ramp, but before any of you can make any moves in that direction, the source of the song comes bustling out from behind another curtain.

This halfing is wearing little more than leaves over certain....ahem....parts of their anatomy. they are obviously unaware of any company aside from the animals in the building and are doing kinda a dance step as they make their way down the ramp.

a massive pure white tiger-like animal raises its head and emits a low growl in your direction from the middle of the room where it was sprawled over the floor.  though it makes no hostile move in your direction, it licks its chops and stretches a bit like a house cat, before slowly advancing on your group.
DeTess
 "Nice kitty..."  Elva backed away a little from the advancing tiger, then called up to the halfling.  "Ms. guardian! Madam! You have some guests!" 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
   “At least the place is nice.”   Much better than the song was left unsaid, though it likely was pretty clear. With a frown, Alyndra looked at Midnight.   “And you, be nice. Don't eat anything...”   She'd rather not have to explain why a beloved pet or whatever had suddenly gone missing after all.
		
		  “Oooh,”   Alyndra cooed when she saw the tiger, then glanced at her familiar, squinting,   “Maybe I'll trade if you're naughty.”   Though the day Midnight  wasn't  naughty had yet to come.
		
		Still, apparently confident, Alyndra stepped forward and offered the back of her hand to the tiger's nose.   “Hello you.”   
 
  
sarlon
The massive animal growls low in its throat, at Elva, then looks startled at Alyndra walking forward, sits on its haunches, and ***** its head in a fair imitation of a human going "huh" it then licks Alyndra's hand with its rough tongue (you're fairly certain you lost a layer of skin but no actual damage), before batting VERY VERY gently at midnight any emitting another low growl and walking off with a flick of its tail.  midnight follows and you swear you see her lick her own chops and gracefully sprint after the larger animal, both disappearing into a side entrance.

The halfling watches all this stopping mid-song, and bursts out laughing walking towards you with both hands out palm up.  "My apologies on Lista, she's not used to such....uh.....large visitors!"  The halfing grins up at all of you, not embarrassed at all.  Her face turns serious, and she says in a very formal voice "Welcome to the temple of the southern grounds, I am (insert name can't find my notes right now), guardian and protector of these grounds and animals.  Welcome to my sanctuary, how may I make your long pilgrimage more enjoyable?"
DeTess
 "I'm afraid we're here on an urgent mission from Almira."  Elva explained.  "So far, two temples have come under attack by a mysterious assailant who seemed to be after the essence held within. Albright has died and the essence from his temple was taken. The fire temple came under attack as well, but the assault was repelled."  Elva kept her misgivings and suspicions regarding those events and the true intents of their opponents to herself. Now was not the time for that.  "Lady Almira wants to gather the essences and caretakers at the capital and send us to visit the temples to pass on the warning and help out with brining the essence and guardian back if needed." 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah watched the tiger with the bored expression of someone ready to do violence if necessary. When the cats padded off, he lifted hismouth in a shrug and followed the rest, standing silent as Elva explained their purpose.
sarlon
The caretaker looks concerned and looks around the huge "building", her mouth twisting into a thoughtful frown of concern.  "I of course serve at Almira's whim....but to move this essence would be.....troublesome."  She points a finger up to the high branches.

if your gaze follows her pointing finger, high above your head, several hundred feet up in the air sits 3 tiny dragons, each seemingly carved from solid crystal.  You're not sure if it's a play of the light but you'd almost swear they're looking back at you and seem to move a little restlessly.
DeTess
 "It's a bit of a climb, yes, but nothing a little magic can't solve."  Elva squinted her eyes at the three tiny statues.  "Or am I missing something?" 
sarlon
The caretaker looks a bit sheepish, "well you see, a few decades ago, we had a wild.....erm....party here, and in a fit of drunken showmanship, I took the crystal and made it into those things up there.....next morning, when all was quiet and sober....I kind of forgot what I did and couldn't remember how to turn them back.....fun night though.....need to organize another....." her voice trails off in thought before she shakes her head and says, "well if you can help me get them down, and they're willing to listen....for ONCE (her voice shouts this word, but its most definitely directed upwards, each of you SWEAR you hear muffled laughter that sounds like water going over rocks in a stream bed.)  I'll gladly follow Almira's orders and report to her at once!  Might have to put some decent attire on...."

 
 Spoiler: detess 
looking closer through her talking you spot 4 different animals up in the top branches.  one looks like a rabbit, one looks like a cat, one looks like a bird, and one looks like the tiny dragon you initially spotted.  all 4 are sitting still as statues, but upon closer inspection, you see them occasionally shifting in place.
 
DeTess
 "Well then..."  Elva removed some kind of sticky black gum out of a pouch on her belt and quickly swallowed it, a disgusted look crossing her face. A moment later a burst of greenish energy appeared around her hand and feet, before quickly fading again.

 "Ugh, I really wish whoever invented that spell had come up with some tastier components. Well then, I should be able to get up there, but if anyone else has some suggestion for getting the creatures down, I'm all ears." 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah--in a highly uncharacteristically diplomatic moment--replied, " Why not just ask them? "

When everyone looks at him askance, the young monk spreads his hands. " What?! I  can't  have an idea that  isn't  completely bad once in a while?! "
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
 		Alyndra giggled when the tiger liked her offered hand, then turned seriously towards the temple's guardian. Though she did look with a frown as said tiger - Lista apparently - took Midnight for Gods knew what shenanigans. Nothing good probably, but hopefully she would have left before troubles came home to nest…

		  “Can't say I'm used to negotiate with sentient crystal…”   she commented with a frown as the temple's caretaker finished explaining the situation.

		She did look at Josiah when he suggested just asking the dragons, but she simply shrugged.   “Might be best to start by that yes. However… Well, not only we might have a problem of mismatched reality perceptions - as in, they don't see the world as we do and wouldn't understand our worries - but…”   she grimaced slightly,   “I get the feeling they'll just ignore us if we don't go to them over there.”   
 
  
sarlon
The group watches as Elva literally walks up the wall, climbing with grace to the upper branches.  you see her falter for JUST a moment before she begins to come down again carrying one of the smaller creatures in her arms, which oddly looks like a rabbit.

she goes back up and while you can't see or hear EXACTLY what she's saying, you notice a lot of hand waving and gesturing, before firmly pointing her finger downward.

Moments later, Elva and 3 smaller statues each resembling a different creature are all back on ground level.  The caretaker just scratches her head in wonder, "maybe I should have asked for help years ago...."  She chuckles then thank you for your help.

She pulls a hand-carved wooden whistle out of her waistband, and blows on it three times, though hardly any sound is heard making you wonder if it was broken.

moments later the giant white tiger, and midnight saunter back into the room.

"Now that they are back in range I can get myself to the capitol alone.  Good luck in your future endeavors!"
DeTess
 "I've got to hand it to you, Josiah."  Elva gave the monk a smile.  "Your idea ended up working better than mine, even if they are quite stubborn little critters."  She then turned to the wizard.  "So, Alyndra, one last temple to go, right?" 
Tyg3rW01f
 
 Spoiler: HIATUS WARNING 
Guys, I know I hang this thing up often enough, but I have it on very very solid authority that our DM is going through some tough times. SHE will have to tell more if she wishes to do so. Expect some silences for a good bit.
 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “Well, that was fast.”   Alyndra commented as the first creature was brought down. Though she was still a bit annoyed at the time it had taken them to get to the temple in the first place.
		
		When Midnight came back with the caretaker's tiger, she considered her familiar suspiciously until Elva's question distracted her.   “Indeed.”   she answered the woman.   “Might as well go right now if we're done here.”  
		
		Well... Once they were back with Jasper of course, she wasn't about to abandon her donkey in the temple after all! 
 
  
sarlon
Jasper is snoozing under a shady tree close by outside.

The halfling climbs with ease onto the back of the giant white cat, begins chanting some words and the entire building begins shaking, suddenly your vision goes dark.  Your group finds itself outside in a completely different area.  the bright sun overhead suddenly very bright after the cooler dimmer interior of the previous temple.

Though your eyes adjust fairly quickly you find yourself outside what amounts to a giant aquarium.  Walls of water are ahead of you (you are standing on solid ground, but the tile work under your feet is made in such a way that it appears like flowing water),  inside those clear walls are various animals swimming around with ease.  There are several people around you, seemingly unconcerned that a group just appeared in their midst.  A faint mist of water cools your brow but doesn't get your clothes wet. There are numerous buildings around you, but the biggest sits in the center of a giant pool of water where more animals (including a few dolphins which dance on its tail briefly before diving back into the water accompanied by a round of applause from the onlookers.)

Midnight and Jasper are with your group, though Midnight is back arched and bristling, making a low growling noise in its chest.
Tyg3rW01f
" By the Ancestors...! " Josiah gasped at the sight of a  ragged-toothed predator  swimming by as if nothing were amiss. " What IS this place?! "
DeTess
 "Oh, wow..."  Elva looked around in astonishment at the sights surrounding her, any worries about getting eaten by the giant fish suppressed by the sheer beauty of the oceanscape.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “Yeah,”   Alyndra told Midnight while reassuring her familar,   “I can’t say I really like this place either…”   Not that it wasn’t impressive or anything of course, it certainly was. But it was so very far from the forests she knew and loved…

                  “At least this time when ended up quite close to the temple, that’s something.”   Though… she had to assume that had they arrived farther out they’d have been in big trouble.   “Let’s see the local guardian.”   And hope they were there first despite the delay the previous temple had caused.   “Hopefully we’ll then be able to get some answers…”   
 
  
sarlon
As your group approaches the temple, something feels....off.

You're walking carefully through crowds of people all seemingly talking, laughing, etc, but no one reacts to your presence.  Even something as blatant as bumping into a person has the expected result....you feel the experience of bumping into someone, but they have no reaction, other than mild confusion.  Any attempt to talk to someone is blatantly ignored, almost as if they can't hear you.

Once you reach the temple itself....

everyone give me a will save.
DeTess
 "This is... eerie."  Elva whispered softly after she'd confirmed the people they saw were actually real.  "I thought they might have been illusions, but..." 
 
 Spoiler: will save 

 (1d20+6)[ 26 ] 
 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “Maybe not in the right, hmm, phase?”   Or something? Alyndra wasn’t going to pretend she knew much of anything on that particular subject after all…   “It makes the place more secure I suppose, but… I wonder what the cost of it is. Besides making it a pain for visitors…”   
 
  
 
 Spoiler: Will save 
 (1d20+6)[ 7 ] 
 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah walked along, growing a bit more uneasy. What was going on here?
 
 Spoiler: Will Save 

 (1d20+7)[ 17 ] 
 
sarlon
 
 Spoiler: Imladir only: 
Imladir only:
You have no further trouble walking through the area, you occasionally stumble on the uneven surface, which is quickly turning to a sandy beach as you approach trhe temple.  The grounds are lovingly maintained, and you just have a feeling of calmness wash over you.  the inside of the temple is empty, but you can't quite shake the feeling that something still isn't right.
 


everyone else...

 
 Spoiler: uh oh... 

The glare of the sun high overhead, makes your eyes swim and water,  you shake your heads and rub your eyes and when you reopen them, the whole landscape has changed.  Water is ankle deep in places, shards of glass lay in various places all over.  huge chunks of what might have been the temple lay scattered over the area making walking difficult (though you notice your wizard walking with little effort).  The temple on the edge of the shoreline lays in ruins.  There are dead bodies floating face down in the water, though there is no sign of obvious trauma (no stabbing of blunt force damage suggesting an attack).  Trees local to the area have been snapped in half and lay scattered over the ground.
 
DeTess
 "Oh no..."  Elva froze for a moment as the area around her came into focus again, revealing the truth of the matter. She was torn between the priority of their mission and the urge to try to find any survivors, but after a moment or two of indecision she started heading towards the temple as quickly as she could.  "Josiah, please help me search the ruins! Alyndra, please prepare the teleport scroll, just in case whoever did this is still around!" 
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “What do you mean?”   Alyndra looked around, trying to determine what had alarmed Elva, but obviously failing to do so.   “Wait, what ruins? I mean, the building is not the best, but still…”   The young elf frowned, then squinted,   “Are you alright?”   
 
  
DeTess
 "What do you mean 'what do you mean'?"  Elva came to a stumbling halt and turned back to Alyndra.  "You must have passed out of the range of the enchantment or whatever it was, same as me, right?"  She took a step closer to the elf, studying her carefully, looking for a sign that she could still be under the effect of some spell. Was that a small dullness to her pupils, or a little sparkle of energy playing across her brow?

 "Oh, you are still affected aren't you..."  Elva almost added a comment about how she heard mages where supposed to be good at overcoming effects like this, but swallowed it. Now was not the time for that.  "Oh, that's an issue... "  She looked around to see if she could see anything that could help get the mage out of the spell's influence.  "Could you take about half a step forwards and then kick sideways with your left foot?"  She asked.  "Not too hard though."  There was a piece of scattered rubble there that Elva had been convinced had been hidden from her sight before. If the Elf somehow made contact with it that should be enough to snap her out of it, right?
Tyg3rW01f
" Her ki might not be aligned well enough for what just happened, " Josiah conjectured. He did, however, do as asked and began searching the ruins for clues.

 
 Spoiler: Perception ((Spot and Search combined)) 

 (1d20+5)[ 16 ] 
 
sarlon
The area's destruction gives a strong impression of a large wave crashing into the area suddenly and then retreating.  The damage to the building and most of the area (trees down, glass broken) is pretty consistent with this.  You don't think it has malicious intent behind it.

Sadly you don't find any living people though their bodies do indicate that this happened maybe earlier today rather than longer ago.  inside the temple proper that place is in chaos.  Fragments of crystal that you'd seen at the other temples are all over the place, some embedded into the walls from the force of the explosion.  The body of an orc dressed in what could only really be described as swim shorts lays half crushed under a huge block of debris.  (you're 98% certain this would have been the temple guardian).  hes clutching something in his hand and blood pools from under him into the water.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah was the one to find the remains.
 
 Spoiler: Fortitude against the usual extreme nausea that seems to be the meme when folks find a body 
 (1d20+7)[ 11 ] 
 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah's stomach quickly revolted at the stench of the bloated bodies and decay. It was a good minute or so before he could stand again and his gut stopped revolting. Odd, he didn't remember eating flatbread, cheese and ground meat...
" oof... Found the Guardian...! I think a giant wave came through. One of those 'subaru' waves... "




((YES, he means   TSUNAMI  , but geez, think about it...))
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “What am I supposed to be affected with?”   Asked Alyndra, obviously beginning to wonder what kind of prank was at play there. Not that she  truly  believed Elva would do that kind of thing there and then, but… Somewhat doubtfully - and with a bit of a glare aimed at Josiah - the young elf kicked sideways.   “I still…”   Whatever she had been about to say would never be known as she stopped there, looking around, her eyes noticeably widening.   “Oh.”   Was all she said for some time.

          “I see what you mean.”   She looked some more, then nodded,   “Definitely a wave, yeah.”   Which would be pretty ironic considering where they were…   “We… probably are too late then…”   Not that being there when the wave came crashing would have helped any. But if that damn scroll had put there  near  the previous temple and not where they arrived…

          “I…guess…”   She scrunched her nose,   “that what we need might be in his hand.”   She pointed at what she assumed to be the guardian…obviously not eager at all to go grab whatever it was. 
 
  
DeTess
 "Ah, well..."  Elva didn't want to touch the body any more than Josiah or Alyndra did, but she had seen and searched her share of bodies, even if most of them had been far less 'fresh' than this one had been. She moved up past Josiah and started prying open the temple guardian's hand.
sarlon
Clasped in the dead orcs hand is a sliver of what your mind can only describe as solid water though it flows through your fingers and winds around your wrist and a faint sound of what seems like a giggle enters your mind.  a 2 inch wide band of nearly pure water floats around your wrist. though your skin feels cooler you don't feel wet at all.
DeTess
 "Ehm, hello there?"  Elva tried to keep her voice steady as she addressed the.... being?... that had just wrapped itself around her wrist.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “Hmm…”   Alyndra frowned,   “last time you heard things in your head it didn’t go terribly well…”   And she wasn’t sure what to think of the fact that such things only happened to Elva.

        There probably was a lesson to learn there… 
 
  
DeTess
 "If it's any consolation, this creature seems a lot friendlier than the sword."  Elva looked it over carefully.  "I think it might have been the Guardian's familiar. It might be a good idea to bring it back, it might be able to explain what happened here to people that can properly understand..."  Elva became quiet for a moment, then decided to try something.

 "Hey little guy, you don't happen to be able to speak this, do you?"  She swapped over to Aquan from common, dredging up her knowledge of the language from that time she studied it ahead of exploring an old sunk temple.
sarlon
Images flow through your mind but manifest out in the open.  It's just after dawn, the orc wanders through the building, with a pleasant sense of sleepiness (like one just waking up), the orc raises a hand in greeting to someone behind you, though turning you see a young human family, a young child hiding behind it's parents legs (think shy toddler more than fear of the orc).  The orc squats down to the child's level and holds out his hand.  The water thing flows down from his shoulder and forms into a dolphin shape and does a few cute things making the child giggle.

Suddenly the ground begins shaking, more violently than what you guys had felt halfway across the world.  Fear enters everyone's mind the orc shouting to people to run from.... something.....then darkness and confusion till you open the orcs hand.

(everyone can see this illusion)
Tyg3rW01f
" Yes, definitely a Tsubari... giant wave, " Josiah said, still getting the word wrong.
DeTess
 "Could it have just been a natural disaster, maybe the result of the world's destabilization?"  Elva wondered.  "Still a massive tragedy, of course, but in that case the essence should still be around, right?"  She turned back to the little water elemental around her wrist.  "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know about an elemental Essence being kept here? It's really important that it is kept safe." 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah did a double-take. " Wha-?! AGAIN?! " Under his breath, the young muttered an oath and a deep desire for something alcoholic, then said aloud as he pointed to the water elemental, " Were I to hazard the guess, I would say THAT is what we're looking for. "
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “Hmm.”   Alyndra seemed somewhat willing to concede the point of said creature being somewhat friendly…even though it was kinda hard to tell of course.

        Seeing the scene had Alyndra sigh and shaking her head: it was something she could have done without.   “Tsunami, not Tsubari or whatever.”   she distractedly corrected Josiah.   “And I doubt it was natural: had it been, I don’t doubt the guardian would have seen it coming and been able to do something about it.”  
  “Though it doesn’t mean the Essence is not here anymore: it could very well be that whoever was responsible could try to destroy the temple but couldn’t come here for one reason or another and hoped it would be enough. As for it being this…”   Alyndra considered the…whatever it was…for a second,   “Maybe? Unless we find anything more conclusive, it’s not like we’d have much of a choice. Though we’ll have to be careful when going back, carry it in a flask or something. It might not like suddenly finding itself in open air.”   
 
  
DeTess
 "Well, the little guy won't or can't tell me if it is the essence. I'm not seeing any immediate threats, so I suggest we dig through the ruins to see if we can find any trace of our target, or confirmation that it's this guy."  Elva didn't really wait for a response, and started heading deeper into the ruins, keeping her eyes open for any signs of their target.

 
 Spoiler: perception check 

perception:  (1d20+10)[ 25 ] 
 
sarlon
this temple would have been absolutely stunning, wide open windows let sea breezes into the building, the walls and floors covered in sea life pictures, depicting known animals, and some VERY strange ones (roll...knowledge: nature if you have it, otherwise straight intelligence checks, if you want to know).

The layout is fairly simple....natural and manmade depressions are in one corner closer to the sea side of the building and the remains of what might have been screens float in or near them...this side of the building is very hard to get to far into due to the depth of the water (minimum 5 feet deep before dropping off further). this corner is also the most damaged and chucks of blue painted wall float lazily in the now calm water.

there are a handful of small rooms (mostly changing rooms) and what must have been the guardians personal quarters which were on a platform overlooking the ocean.  theres the remains of a stone outcropping that could easily have been jumped off of straight into the ocean not far below (maybe an escape route, but more likely a place for him to dive in for swimming casually).  Not much remains in this room.  A large heavy bed teters on the edge of the cliff jump, books and papers that weren't washed out to sea are heavily water logged, though there is hardly any water on the floor in this room.  one thing that definately stands out in this room is a very heavy looking stone basin in the center of the room, a few lighter things that would have been swept out by the wave have come to rest against this stand that the basin sits upon.  strange runes and symbols adorne this rather large bowl (alyndra, you're detect magic would light it up like a christmas tree).

The little creature around elva's wrist wriggles then leaps from her wrist to the top of her head (mildly wetting her hair), before leaping into the basin and expanding to fill the whole bowl (aproximately 12 inches in width) the middle of it rises up briefly before settling down in what could almost be interpreteted as a contented sigh.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “I’d say that answers our question. And hopefully this one will be fine in his bowl even if we teleport back. But…”   Alyndra looked around with a frown,   “Why are there no bodies but the guardian’s? Some being washed away, sure, but all of them? Unless the, uh,”   she waved at the creature,   “Held on to his body I suppose.”  
  “Speaking of which…”   the young elf focused on her companions for a moment,   “Any of you know which rites should be observed? I’m not sure my education covered that eventuality…”   She frowned then, a bit annoyed that it didn’t come to her right away. 
 
  
DeTess
 "There were more bodies outside."  Elva gestures out through the ruined doorway.  "Though you might have missed those due to the magic you were under."  She didn't sound angry or accusing. If anything she sounded a little bit jealous.  "Tordic, do you know if there's anything we can or should do for the remaining bodies?"  She addressed th orc priest now.  "Normally I'd suggest to bury them, but if they worshipped a sea god then that might not be the right answer." 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah considered, then said, " I don't know if this is one Tordic would know, but I had heard there was a rite that involved a piece of wood with local flora on it set around a candle that was put out to sea with a whispered prayer... There's also the one about putting a gold coin over the right eye of the deceased when they are interred in the grave. "
sarlon
the orc nods solemnly, and kneels down beside the dead orc's body and beings muttering a prayer making hand gestures over the body.  Though the words are in orcish the intent is obvious (gentle words to send the spirit to the after life).   he then begins to try and move the rubble off the body to more expose the body.
DeTess
Elva stepped forward to help the cleric clear away the rubble.  "I think once we're done here we should be heading back, right?" 
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah looked up from his work of finding a small piece of wood, a shattered candle, and the few remaining flowers. " Likely a wise plan. Do not forget the gold coin over the right eye. I have the little raft in the works. if we bring the water-thing with us, don't forget its container -- if it has one. "
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “Yes, but...”   Alyndra paused.   “Well... Considering who he was a burial at sea might not be a bad idea I suppose. Since he's an orc however... Finding his clan might be more appropriate however. They may have specific rites.”  
  “But other than that,”   she shrugged,   “we can go back yes.”   And even better if they teleported from where they were as she wasn't eager to see what she had missed on the way in... 
 
  
sarlon
((sorry guys its been a busy month, see post in OOC for more info about some minor changes coming))

The Orc cleric is still mumbling and making gestures over the body, and he makes no effort to hide a tear sliding down his cheek, though his words are unmuddled by emotion.  At least one of you notices movement coming up over the sand dunes, and sees a party of people...a couple of orcs (one seemingly out of place among these people, dressed oddly for this weather), 2 elves, and a dozen humans and halflings (these are dressed more appropriately for this area.)

Some are carrying makeshift weapons (wooden sticks, short swords that look more like practice swords, and farming implements), and the way they're moving they show obvious signs that they don't know what to expect.  One of the humans walks forward and speaks briefly with the orc kneeling by the dead body, and then waves his hand at the crowd, they all except the oddly dressed orc dispersing to tend to the other dead bodies on the shore.
DeTess
Elva looked on worried as the group of strangers approached them, but it quickly became clear they were locals, maybe even relatives of the victims.  "We really should get going..."  she mumbled as the new arrivals pressured the Orc into helping, then sighed.

  "Please tell me how I can help, so we can return to our mission as soon as possible."  she offered her help without much in the way of hesitation. She couldn't leave these people to deal with this calamity on their own, after all.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
    “We have to bring that guy,”   Alyndra pointed at the bowl and its occupant,   “back soon, but…”   She shrugged,   “I don’t think a few hours will matter all that much at the moment considering that this was the latest temple we needed to go to.”  
  “But at the same time…”   She pointed at the new arrivals,   “I don’t think there’s anything we can do that they can’t, especially as strangers.”   
 
  
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah released the tiny raft to the surf nd made his own gesture of peace as it floated away. He turned, and nodded at Alyndra's words. " You're right; we should be going. We've done all we can do here. "
Deadcanons
" He's Crow, " says a voice behind Alyndra.

Crouching on the edge of the outcropping, apparently having just pulled himself up from out of the water, is a mossy green orc in a thin sealskin cloak. As he stands to his full height he tosses off the hood, sending a spray of water behind his back. His moonlight black hair is held back in a tight, skinny braid that disappears beneath the cloak hem. A huge longbow, clearly built for a creature even bigger than him, is slung across his body.

 "Crow clan,"  he mutters, half-turning away to wring the water out of the cloak.  "I've had dealings with them before. Good people."
 
He looks ruefully in the direction of the basin, the creature swirling around.  "He shouldn't have died."  His lip curls, the flesh pulling back to reveal the thick white base of his tusks. It is so easy to imagine the orcish face in a snarl, and the temptation is here now -- but this is not a snarl. It is the pained expression of someone looking at something they are powerless to stop.
DeTess
Elva turned around, surprised at the new voice coming from behind them. She wasn't really used to getting snuck up on, but at least the newcomer didn't seem hostile.  "Did you know him?"  She asked.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah turned, startled. " Where-?! "
Deadcanons
" Not well, " he replies to Elva, his gaze shifting to meet hers. " But I knew of him by his legend, as it is with most priests.  " It seems like he might say something more, but he doesn't -- instead falling into a halting silence.
Imladir
     
      Alyndra Aramiar  - Elf Wizard (5) - HP 30/30 - AC 18   
 
 
 
    
 	    Maybe because she heard the orc coming behind her, or because she’s not the most jumpy of people, Alyndra simply turned in the direction of the newcomer, greeting him with a nod.   “Not many should have.”   Was the only thing she commented.

		  “Can we leave things in your hands? There are things that require our presence elsewhere, things that might be related to the reason he,  they  all died.”   she waved around. 
 
  
Deadcanons
The orc shrugs. " I don't know what you expect  me  to do. I had a haul of fish from the river on my way in, and I passed that out amongst the survivors. " He studies her. " There's not much more someone like me can contribute. Where are you bound? "
DeTess
 "We'll be going back to the capital now."  Elva replied when Alyndra seemed hesitant to answer. The orc seemed a bit odd, but she didn't feel like he was their enemy or anything, so no reason not to answer gis question.
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah looked to his companions, then said, " We're on a quest to gather and protect the crystal focuses of each Temple. "
Deadcanons
The orc grumbles to himself, averting his gaze. " I don't normally work for free... " he complains, seemingly to no one.

" I'd like to join you, " he says eventually, returning his gaze to the party. " I'm a good shot,  " he lays his hand over the bowstock on his chest, " and I do clean work. I can also hunt and track. "
Tyg3rW01f
Josiah shrugged, " To be honest, I thought we were paid in whatever treasure we found that we could carry after any combats we got into. I have been wrong before, however. "
sarlon
The villagers have been moving around you with more purpose mostly following Tordic as he performs last rights over the bodies...You each get the impression you're no longer needed here.

Alyndra motions all of you including Nuka to surround her indicating that its time to return home and pulls out the scroll that's been used to transport you before and begins the ritual.

Something feels off to every single one of you as the power of the spell begins building up, almost like its being fought, you feel like something is pushing down on you, down into the sandy beach.  Your vision goes dark as the spell finally takes hold, and there's almost a snapping sound as you feel your body being moved through the magic....

continued in  chapter 2 .