((Back from my trip! ^_^ Managed to get something up today after all!<img alt=":D" src="./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" title="Very Happy"/><br/><br/>And as Xarces already said, I can't accept new people Pacattack, the game is pretty full. Especially if the character goes against the design of being in a mercenary group, something this entire game is pretty well centered around, unless the group themselves decide they want to break off and do their own thing. x3 ))<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> 20+ Knowledge, Arcana </span><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Wells are universally known to be 'beneficial', though each comes with their own danger. It is a danger, though, that even a first-year student of the arcane arts is more than capable of dealing with. Many have been the reports of commoners stumbling across these valuable resources, people with no knowledge in such things or any sort of training to deal with them, and trying to open it by themselves.<br/><br/>Results have...varied, but it's almost never good.<br/><br/>However, even the average soldier with no magical training can open a low to mid-grade well, as long as the appropriate instructions are given. It makes the situation concerning Actil all the more strange. Even a high-grade well would not exhert such a toll to open it, and given he is clearly studied in matters of the arcane, with appropriate time to prepare (Something they'd had, it seems), it should have been only a matter of 'finding what worked' to get the well open.<br/><br/>Even more odd about this particular well, most did not take on the form of 'locks'. A door? Perhaps. A chest? At times. More often than not, it was simply a magical 'glow' in the air that, with the appropriate magical effort, would cause a new flood of usable arcane or even divine energy to flood into the world, creating a point of high power that could be utilized.<br/><br/>(In essence, picture a place where your spells-per-day were tripled, quadrupled, or even higher. In places of higher energy, enchanting items becomes easy, and creating persistant magical servants is rather doable. Such places are incredibly valueable...to the right people)<br/><br/>This one, though...seemed different. Tumblers. Multiple tumblers, but locking away what? This was not a simple wellspring of magical energy. Either this was magical equipment, likely powerful items lost in whatever strange rift created the wells in the first place....<br/><br/>...Or this was, in particular, a place that was 'sealed' for another reason. It would certainly explain the strange sense of dread...and why things seemed to be decaying, dying,  as much as growing...</div></div></div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> Spellcraft 20+ </span><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">It is pretty clear that Actil did his due diligence when it came to standard practice, as far as opening a well is concerned. By all rights, the well should have likely already been open - it was classified as a 'low grade' well, and a skilled practitioner of magic would be more than capable of opening it in a matter of twenty-four hours, if  not less. In fact, either Alura or Cyria would likely be able to open it without any real trouble, and likely upon the first attempt.<br/><br/>At least, in theory.<br/><br/>The overwhelming sense of life is somewhat normal, and something that should be expected in the area of most wells, though to varying degrees and the sensations associated with them were generally quite different as well. The sense of dread, of near-hopelessness, though, was something new, and something that had not been heard of, or at least documented. Worse, it was clear he'd done his job 'right', so spell error was not the cause. It was the well itself...<br/><br/>Aiding Actil is within the realms of possibility, all it would require doing is casting a spell (any spell), at the final tumbler. It would, in essence, form a link that would bind you to the well long enough to get it open. Of course, given what seems to be happening to Actil...it might be risky.</div></div></div><br/><br/><br/><br/>Alura's assurance that she'd be safe seems to somewhat calm the neko girl down, as does the sensation of her slender, almost 'tickly' wings flitting backwards, partially surrounding the sides of her body. A gentle, appreciative sigh escapes the catgirl's lips, her trembling body seeming to soothe just slightly when the gentle, magical 'tingle' of Alura's wings begins to sink into her skin, bringing with it a calming feeling that has her nestling just a little bit more tightly up against Alura's back. Though Meera's grip around her middle was a little tight, it was by no means unpleasant - especially not with the immense softness and warmth of the catgirl's nicely sized breasts pressing up ever so tightly up against the back of her head...and 'squishing' around to encompass the sides of her head as well, to a degree.<br/><br/><br/>The deathgrip on Alura's middle remains well into the cellar, Meera holding her more and more tightly as the unpleasant sensations of 'wrongness' roll over her in rippling waves, making her once more shiver against the fae's back "Mmff...he was only down here two days. Not even that long really...he looks so...horrible. This must by why Aniel wouldn't let anyone down to see him. I don't like this place..." Her voice drops to a low whisper, the 'scuttling' sound of Cyria joining them drawing a little jerk of surprise from her, but when the drider makes no openly aggressive action, she settles back in, especially when everyone else seems to find it perfectly acceptable - another friend? "H-hi, miss spider lady..." Meera practically whispers, only just barely loud enough for Cyria to hear even in the near dead-silence of the cellar.<br/><br/><br/><br/>Anastasia also begins to move a little closer to Alura's side, but her request makes her stop short. Swallowing nervously, she nods "Um...y-yeah, I'll help him." With that, she flits forwards and takes up one of the little discarded bits of cloth scattered around him, lightly padding his brow with it to clear some of the sweat from his eyes. More and more, the pallid coloration of the half-dragon's face becomes visible, and as Cyria and Alura draw closer, they detect a faint 'tremble' in his body, as if he's straining simply to hold himself up, to hold his arms stretched out towards the final, jittery magical tumbler.<br/><br/><br/>"Help?" He rasps, shaking his head "No, Aniel...there is something wrong. I wi-will do this. Water, please..." When Cyria lifts the water skin to his lips and begins to pour a little trickle inside, he begins to hack viciously, yet tries to swallow all the same. It results in more than a little of the water dribbling down onto his robe, but he hardly seems to notice at all, and at least a few drops of the cool liquid manages to make it's way down his throat. It does absolutely nothing to clear up his coloration, nor his harsh breathing, but the look of relief on his face is nearly palpable.<br/><br/>With a sudden sag, he leans against Cyria's side, hardly seeming to notice the large spider legs that suddenly pierce his field of vision, or the fact that she was quite a bit larger than Aniel "T-thank you...Aniel...I-i-im...so close. So close..." He whispers, eyes unfocused, simply staring straight ahead at the final tumbler standing between him and the opened well. The touch of the half-dragon's cheek against Cyria's body is a bit of a shock - he is cold as ice, to the point it is nearly uncomfortable to touch him "There is a v-veil here. It is...unlike what we were told to expect. This is not a minor well....t-t-this is something greater. Far, far greater...I can almost see beyond...vague glimpses...fear, despair, hope, life...so much...so much..."<br/><br/>The final tumbler gives an audible, raspy hiss...and scoots just a single inch to the side. So close to opening. So very, very close...<br/><br/>Little by little, the small group assembled in the cellar begin to feel other things, other strange sensations, all emanating from the magical lock. Slithery sensations of warmth and wetness that ripple across their bodies, a sensation that both Johan and Alura have experienced - the sensation of being swallowed alive. Following that, a new impression, one of hope and bravery that seems to make their hearts swell. Another sensation, loss...followed by sharp little pin-pricks of pain, then a sense of depair and fear and anger. Following that, smug satisfaction, contentment, PLEASURE....<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> Veil, Arcane knowledge 20+ </span><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Veils are literal rips in the fabric of the world that allows a glimpse into the 'world beyond'. It is said amongst the most studied scholars that this reality is simply one of three or four possibilities.<br/><br/>Veils, though, are only associated with the most powerful of wells, not a simple 'minor well' as this one was reported to be. If there is a veil here, a rip in space, it is a literal goldmind. To be able to wrest control from another group, moments before it is claimed...it was only the greatest of fortunes.<br/><br/>Still, something was off...very, very off...</div></div></div>