Tyrus Regulus Veneficius |
Tyrus walks through the door and starts methodically inventorying the healing lotions and potions, stowing them about his body, then pauses.
"Just a minute" he calls out, in a strangled voice, and walks back out of the secret room, around the corner and into the main room.
if no-one bothers him he'll come back after about 10 minutes
...continuing into a little niche in the wall.
Here, he sits down, heavily. Out of sight and hearing of the others, and with a potion still in his left hand, he starts to sob. Huge, racking, nearly silent sobs.
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
...No. I'm not going to give up that easily. Her grip on the wall tightened until her knuckles were white, and she hurried forward with no regard at all for stealth. Finally, she just bent down and wrapped her arms around Tyrus as far as they could go - which wasn't all the way around, actually.
She was nervous. She was lonely. She was terrified of herself, of the things that forced her to do things she didn't understand, to call forth creatures that shouldn't even have existed. But one thing she was determined to make true was that she would never abandon others the way they'd abandon her. So she simply sat there, hugging him for as long as it took for him to feel better.
Tyrus Regulus Veneficius |
The old man stiffens a little when he's hugged, then breaks down completely. He holds on to Luca like a man thrown overboard hangs on to a life preserver.
Eventually - once he's recovered into a hiccuping, tear and snot stained mess, and the sobs are down to snivelling, he cleans himself up.
"I'm sorry, Luca. I didn't want you to see me like this. I'm... Just... There was a boy, back at the fort. This" he holds up the potion bottle "Would have saved him. He begged me to... well... I didn't. I kept telling myself there was hope. Something might happen. It... it didn't. I didn't even go back to him. I couldn't..."
"I always was too softhearted. I used to carry spiders out of the house."
"I want to be strong. I need to be strong. I thought I was coping, but then I picked up the potion..."
"I'm sorry."
The big man picks himself up and starts cleaning his face with a handkerchief, avoiding looking at the girl
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
"...For as long as I can remember, my father's wanted to kill me." she said quietly. "So have my grandparents, my older brothers, and the neighbors down the street. Everywhere I go, people only see me as a threat or a tool they can use to advance their own agendas." Her hug tightened a little more. "Very few people care about who Luca is - they treat me like a freak because of things I can't even control!" More than a little frustration was evident in her voice, but she managed to quash it for her next words. "You're one of the only people who actually care about other people, Mister Tyrus. You actually think they matter, even if you don't know who they are, and you'll help them simply because they need help. And I'm not sure you realize how rare that is."
"I've seen far too many strong people hurt others because they didn't like them, and they didn't stop for a single moment to ask if maybe, just maybe, a kind word was all the other person wanted. You don't need to become strong, Mister Tyrus - your heart is already stronger than anyone else's I've ever met, so you just need to be yourself. And if anyone has a problem with that, then I'll protect you." That last bit was said almost defiantly.
GM Mercy |
Great RP guys. Loving it!
While the others discuss the plan, Luca's creature roots around in the spare boxes and bags of the storeroom. Eventually, it comes and finds her as she speaks to Tyrus in an alcove, some sort of box held in its mouth. It drops it at her feet.
It is a simple wooden box, once tightly sealed shut with nails but not warped slightly. From the bent creases you can see it is stuffed with straw, no doubt to cushion whatever is inside.
Anybody with a dagger should be able to pry open the lid of the box.
Tyrus Regulus Veneficius |
Tyrus is obviously shocked by Luca's revelation, his mouth hanging open.
"That's terrible! No little girl should fear for her safety because of something she can't control! A parent should always love their children..."
Tyrus stops, thinks, and continues in a different voice. He ignores Luca's creature.
"The strong hurt the weak, Luca. I denied that my whole life. I gave up strength, I helped people, made them strong... and when, at the end of my life, I needed help from those I had made strong... I was trampled underfoot."
"Luca, you have a Gift. A Gift that makes you strong. There are those who want you to be weak, so they can control you. When you are strong, you scare them. They tell you you are wrong, or evil, for being strong. Call you a Freak. It is a lie."
"There is nothing wrong with you, Luca. There is no shame in strength."
"I had thought my Heart was my weakness. I feel for others, trust too far, love too much. But now, I think I might have been wrong about that. Oh, I should not have made myself weaker. But I confused that with caring. Making ourselves weaker to make someone else seem strong is really the same as using your strength to make someone weaker so you can feel stronger."
"As you said - ' too many strong people hurt others because they didn't like them'"
"True friendships make both people stronger, not weaker."
"It cannot be a coincidence that you, Luca, who have had such a terrible father, are in the same place as I, who have had such terrible children. Both of us are broken, in our way, but together... perhaps... we can heal each other."
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
"What should be and what is aren't always the same thing." she said quietly, burying her face in his robes so he wouldn't see the moisture around her eyes. She wasn't crying, she was just... having a reaction to all the dust in the air. "I... don't think my powers are a gift." she said quietly. "But I... I am going to try and control them - make them listen to me, rather than being jerked around like a puppet on strings. And I'll go wherever you need to go for as long as you need me."
There was no denying that she was a frightened child... but if she had one redeeming trait, it was probably sheer stubbornness. She might have hated the way the world looked at her, and even been afraid of herself, but the one lesson she'd never truly learned was how to give up once she set her mind on doing things. And Tyrus... Tyrus was something the Void would not take from her.
Tyrus Regulus Veneficius |
We'd better get back to poor Dante
"Thank you Luca. I'll stay with you as long as I can."
Tyrus gives the girl a hug
"But for now we should probably head back to the others - they'll start to worry about us."
I'll just pause in case Luca wants to interject something first.
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
Luca quietly followed Tyrus out of the secluded area, half-hiding behind him. She had stopped to pick up the box her eidolon dropped nearby, though, and set it with the other things they'd collected. It might be worth examining soon - Fluffy, at least, seemed to think it was worth checking out.
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
"Is there anything else down here you think we should investigate?" Luca asked her Eidolon. It had its own ideas about things, and perhaps it would be able to lead them to something useful. Maybe... something Mister Tyrus could use to help build up his confidence a little more? Or to help free that water herald... thingie... person...
...
Luca wasn't entirely certain how to refer to her, aside from a recognition that she was important.
Tyrus Regulus Veneficius |
Tyrus returned. His eyes seemed brighter, and the rest seemed to have given him his second wind - while the fat man never had a 'spring' in his step, he seemed to tread more lightly than before.
"Alright. While I think we'll need to search some more, I suggest we start looking around as well."
"I suggest we form up as a group. I'll ward Myself and Luca - I was going to ward Torble, but I can do one more, if someone is unprotected. We open the north door - carefully - and proceed. "
"I might as well carry the light, I only need one hand. If I call for space, back away from the enemy. I'll be throwing fire or acid, and I'm not especially skilled with either!"
"Luca, you carry the healing potions. Do you think your 'friend' will consent to lead?"
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
Luca looked at her Eidolon. It looked back at her, blinked a few times, then rammed its head into the door to the north...
Strength: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
...and began padding forward. Not too far, of course - it had to stay close to Luca - but it was certainly investigating the area for any sign of danger. Meanwhile, Luca picked up the potions.
How many've we got, again? Just want to be sure. ^^
GM Mercy |
Luca's creature slams its body against the decaying wood, which splinters and shatters. The dark tunnel beyond is unlit, though the creature's darkvision pierces the shadows - it does not detect any danger immediately ahead.
Going to assume you guys will move into the tunnel, so will just post this now.
The tunnel looks more natural than the entrance, though it seems that at some point the floor was smoothed and there are areas where it is clear the tunnel was widened to provide easier passage.
The new stretch of tunnel lazily winds around a bend, and then the group comes across a fork. The natural curve leads around to the left, while another opening leads off to the right. By its regular proportions it is obvious the left opening is not part of the natural tunnel system.
And so you must choose: left or right?
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
Luca's Eidolon sneezed as it looked at the options, then walked a few steps down the left opening before looking back towards the others. It seemed like it wanted them to follow - perhaps on the idea that anything interesting was more likely to be found in an artificially-created area.
Dante Florence |
engineering: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
[ooc]Out and about. Not sure what my bonus is but i got it. Dante votes the artificial one as it might lead to more rooms that the dwarf worked from. Either way, send dancing lights as far as i can before [ooc]
-Posted with Wayfinder
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
The Eidolon managed to give off an aura of satisfaction as it lead the way down the right-hand corridor and into whatever chambers had been artificially created in this place. Luca, of course, followed from about as far back as she could, staying rather closer to Tyrus than she had before.
GM Mercy |
I'm just going to assume that at least one of you has a torch? Could somebody let me know who/what is providing light?
The rightmost passage winds around in a short, smooth, even arc before continuing arrow-straight for about a hundred paces - but when it ends, it is in a cascade of rubble seemingly from some long-ago cave-in. Pebbles and dust quickly pile up into stones and boulders.
Rolling these for the players due to Dante's limited posting ability right now.
Luca Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Dante Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 1
Tyrus Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 17
Lara Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Yllaine Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 6
Luca, Tyrus, and Lara all notice what look like wisps of old cloth and the occasional dull yellowish-white of old bone peeking out at places in the rubble.
Dante Florence |
Dancing Lights. 10ft radius orientation of four torch level lights so that is 60ft line of normal light in front of us. I also have a torch so 80ft ahead of us.
Tyrus Regulus Veneficius |
"Ah. This might be our quarry. Dante, you've tunnelling knowledge. Do you think this tunnel is safe now?" there is fear in Tyrus' voice.
knowledge:engineering: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Dante Florence |
Engineering: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
"Making tunnels yes. Destroying them, that too. Not clearing caved ones. And what are you...oh," he says finally spotting the old bones once pointed out. "I hope not. Something important might have been destroyed. But something important likely is beyond if it is."
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
Luca held onto Tyrus a little bit tighter as she saw the bones here. At least they were old, but... hmm. Her Eidolon moved forward a moment, pawing at the bones and checking to be sure they were actually dead, not just lying there. It had no interest in risking Luca's safety, and verifying things just to be sure was always worth the time.
Tyrus Regulus Veneficius |
"Well... that is a lot of rubble, isn't it. Perhaps we should investigate the rest of these caverns. It is possible we can find an alternate route. We wouldn't want to spend hours digging through rocks only to discover a few minutes exploration could have accompanied the same..."
Tyrus, very keen not to do strenuous labour for hours, sighs as he continues "... though if these are the wizard's remains there is an excellen chance he was carrying his notebook when he died."
"All right - group vote?"
GM Mercy: do Dante & Tyrus have any idea how long digging through the rubble would take?
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
Luca raised her hand. "Um... I could try to have one of those stone men go to the other side and look around, maybe bring something back if it looks interesting." she suggested hesitantly. That would probably be much faster and easier than digging through, especially if it soon lead to a dead-end.
Does the structure of this area permit that?
Dante Florence |
"Let's do both. Dig what we can out to see who this might be and have your stone man scout ahead."
GM Mercy |
Tyrus: With sharing the work out between the stronger members of the group, you think you could have at least the area of interest (where a body seems to lie under the rock) mostly cleared in under two hours. Clearing away enough rubble to find out what is on the other side would take on the order of eight hours.
Tyrus Regulus Veneficius |
"That's an excellent idea, Dante. If this is the dwarf in question, we'll need to see what he's carrying. He could well have a key or notebook of passwords on him that could save our lives. Meanwhile Luca's 'stone man' idea can tell us if we can avoid having to spend all day in hard labour!"
"That said, I've set up protections on us that will not last that long. I suggest we spend, say, half an hour scouting around - gingerly - and then decide what the best use of our time is. If we haven't encountered anything we can probably let the wards lapse while we dig."
Dante Florence |
"True enough. Magic is a limited commodity each day." Dante turns to head the other direction. His lights spin and shot out to form a line in front of him revealing most of the path ahead.
So lets go back the other way until Tryus's protection runs out. Then, if we aren't dead or dieing or running, we can come back and dig the bones out. I'll lead the way with lights as usual.
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
Luca followed Dante, sticking close to Tyrus and having her Eidolon lead from the very front of the group, serving as both spotter and point guard in the hopes that any dangers would strike it first. There were... quite a few reasons she'd rather it get hurt than anyone else, actually. It was the only member of their group she considered completely expendable.
GM Mercy |
With her creature leading the way, the group retrace their steps and take the other branch of the path. It curves and winds, and in places the natural fissure in the rock has been enlarge to allow for easier passage. There are areas where all but the quadruped need to duck under overhangs and several times Tyrus is forced to squeeze his more formidable bulk through tight spaces.
The caves dip and rise at times, but it seems to everyone that you are headed basically upwards - and then all at once you encounter an end to the easy hike through the darkness. A rock wall rises before you. It offers some hope for handholds, but is also damp and some places are covered in slimy moss. It would not be pleasant to slip.
This rock wall has a base Climb check of DC 15. Rolling below a 5 (total) on your check has the risk of hurting you.
Tyrus Regulus Veneficius |
"Hmmm. Seems that we have passed beyond the complex - unless a ladder or staircase has rotted away."
Tyrus carefully examines the wall, looking for any hint that something may have made the climb easier
Basically, if the guy lived/worked here, he wouldn't have climbed a wall like this every day. That means there is little point in us doing it.
Dante Florence |
"Anyone have a grappling hook?" Dante asks looking up at the formidable wall. Tyrus idea doesn't sound half bad either but this was probably not part of the complex. Still couldn't hurt to look around.
Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 2
Take 20 and Detect Magic.
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
Luca quietly shook her head. There were ways of getting up - having her stone men half-meld into the rock and hold out limbs they could climb might work - but she didn't have anything in the way of real rock-climbing equipment.
GM Mercy |
After several minutes of looking at the wall, Dante does notice a couple heavily rusted irons pitons, from which hang old worm-eaten bits of rope. They are too corroded and too far apart to be of any use when climbing.
The visual that accompanies that idea is hilarious, Luca! Better living through summoning...
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
And further proof that Vilstraks solve everything. XD
"Um... it looks like they climbed up this way once or twice, but... they probably would have made a ladder if they were going to go up regularly." the girl observed. That was one piece of equipment they might need to pack at some point. "Do you want me to send someone up to take a look?" Assuming Torble couldn't do it, anyway - he looked like a good climber.
Tyrus Regulus Veneficius |
brilliant thought on Torble! Sadly can't quite talk to him yet.
"I believe you are correct Luca. I find myself a little trepidatious. Climbing like this wasn't my forte even when I was a young, slim man."
"If you think you could get meaningful intelligence from a scout, I would appreciate the gesture. Possibly we could have it secure a rope for us? Does anyone have a rope?"
Dante Florence |
Dante touches one of the pitons and looks up the wall at the others. These were not going to help but it told him someone had been this way. And they probably wanted to find out who. "Someone used to head up there. But unless we get a rope up there we can't follow." He hands over 50ft to anyone that has an idea.
"Any ideas?"
Luca Wistor, the Void Caller |
Luca held out one hand and focused for a moment, calling - demanding, really - a stone warrior come through from wherever they were from. In seconds, it had appeared, and she passed the rope to it. <"Ascend this cliff and tie the rope to something. If no suitable anchor can be found, brace yourself and hold it so we can climb."> she told it, speaking in Aklo. The creature nodded and took the rope, merging with the stone to ascend through it and do what it could while it remained in this world.
Summoning Mastery: 7/8 uses.
Tyrus Regulus Veneficius |
Tyrus sighed internally, once again reminded that his raw magical power was as nothing compared to that of a teenage girl. A teenage girl who would be delighted to be normal - but that was a mistake she could not be allowed to make.
Good gods, I wish someone had talked me round when I was her age.
OOC: all good! Was just thinking it was cool that Tyrus wants more power, and Luca wants less...
GM Mercy |
The summoned minion merges into the stone with one end of the rope held outside in a clenched fist. The party watches as the seemingly-disembodied fist appears to float up the sheer rock wall of its own accord. Yllaine and Lara seem especially in awe at the miraculous abilities the creature displays.
It appears from the top again, almost thirty feet up, and seems to wind the rope around something up there. It looks down to Luca, points at one of the rusted pitons in the wall, and then points at the end of the rope.
The rope now seems to be secured to the very top of the wall. You can't be sure exactly how secure, though... ;)