The Reliquary of Ahazi, part 10
Log Info
- Title: The Reliquary of Ahazi Part 10
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Characters: Dax, Paenitia, Aryia, Venom, Ravendar, Seyardu, Lyme
- Place: Farmlands of Alexandros
- Time: Wednesday, August 11, 2021, 9:55 PM
- Summary: It's time to start running! The Sound-Lizards are coming. Everyone else is off to the races, with the shorter people and Seyardu, lagging behind. So much so that Aryia hands her mule-back cords to Dax and suggests she carry... someone, anyone. Ravendar refuses but Paenitia agrees to accept Dax as her unusual mount for the evening and is lifted up. Venom, who is well supplied, spreads alchemical grease on the steps as Aryia leads the way in getting out. They run, Lyme falls behind, the lizards slip on the grease and caltrops, then attempt to attack the party through the floor. They run faster, with Paenitia talking to her ride all the way. Finally they climb free, into the darkness and examine the Reliquary. It is magically sealed, trapped, with musical notes. Venom determines them, and Ravendar plays the music, it opens revealing a Harp, that glows with power. A possible Shard of Animus. The adventurers decide to immediately return to Alexandria, where they are met at the Explorer's Guild by Akoniril Belvade. She is amused to see them, and they are not. She taunts them to consider how, an artifact, a piece of Animus, existed over a thousand years ago when he died only twelves years back. They agree this is an interesting question and they'll sleep on it.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Dax 5'0" 110 Lb Human Female A 5' tall red haired human with piercings and tats. Paenitia 3'0" 34 Lb Halfling Female A Lucht knight, dark skinned in bold feathery finery. Aryia 4'8" 110 Lb Shadow Elf Female A heavily scarred mul with a curious look about her. Venom 5'6" 130 Lb Human Female A woman(?) about 5'6" in a ragged black veil and poncho. Ravendar 3'1" 40 Lb Halfling Male A red-haired Lucht Siuil man. Seyardu 5'6" 150 Lb Sith-Makar Female A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint. Lyme 7'2" 435 Lb Orc Butch Black-skinned oruch of suitable stature. =-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Went to a Show -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Davienne 5'1" 101 Lb Half-Elf Female A ranger with a cat. =-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Whirlpool Otyugh I am stinky! =-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Previously
The performance over, centre stage rises with a box which might be the Reliquary. This attracts some Sound Lizards, for some reason, one screaching then bursting through the wall, and two more distant and underground. The whole group surges to attack the visible one, and while many land blows it is Venom's Thunderbelcher that does the most damage and finally slays the beast, but not before it embarrassingly disables Dax, Paenitia and nearly kills Ravendar with its screams. Aryia and Seyardu juggle the Reliquary, as there is healing to be done, and then there is the call for a swift retreat.
There's a moment of quiet before those other roars echo again and the ground seems to vibrate.
Yep, time to get out of here.
Ravendar groans as he picks himself and his fiddle up off the ground. "Did we get it." He says before he hears the other roars, "If we did I think it's time to get out of here." He says as he starts back towards where they came from.
With the beast on the ground, Seyardu breathes a sigh of relief, taking stock of the room, and looking back to the plinth where the chest had been a moment, just in case there was anything missed.
"It is down, but there are more, and just one brought Ravendar down." She says, not rudely, but out of warning. "We may not be as lucky if there are others, and while I may be able to silence them, there is no guarantee. We should leave before we are cornered. Does anyone need any healing?"
Aryia, surprised that the lizard managed to fall, turns back and gives a thumbs up towards Venom. She runs by her, holding out a hand for a high five before stopping in front of Seyardu. The pugilist gestures for her to take the chest. "Let me have it, you might have to do magic stuff, and I can get it out of here really fast if I have to." She was wound tight, even more so at the sound of the distance lizards. <Handspeech>
Paenitia picks up her warhammer then hacks a piece of meat from the lizard. She will keep her promises, she and Ramirez will have it for breakfast. She waves her still bloodied blade, the silver flashing in an arc as she backs up, wrapping her prize and putting it in a pouch.
"Ole! It time to start running. Carry who cannot walk."
"Friend Dragon, we can heal above the stairs where they will have to burrow or squeeze to follow." The Red Knight advises, "I am the slowest, I will guard the back, we have to go now."
Venom turns her head back toward the roar in time to see it fall and cants her head. The thumbs up is returned, though the approach for the stride by five takes her a moment to properly read and she jsut barely gets her hand up in time. She slips another slug into the longarm, then signs, "Agreed." <handspeech>
Now
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Athletics checks, folks!" GAME: Venom rolls athletics: (11)+8: 19 GAME: Aryia rolls athletics: (8)+10: 18 GAME: Dax rolls athletics: (2)+10: 12 GAME: Paenitia rolls athletics: (8)+0: 8 GAME: Ravendar rolls athletics: (5)+1: 6 GAME: Seyardu rolls athletics: (1)+-1: 0 (EPIC FAIL)
With the light swirling around her head still, Dax is finally unstunned from the monster, "Who needs ta be carried? If anyone? If others cannot carry, I am sure that I am able." She offers for a moment before turning to start getting out of here. The lizards, not the scariest thing she's seen, no, it was the ghosts they performed for, "Let us get out of 'ere then."
As soon as the chest is in Aryia's hands, she begins hauling ass with the rest of the group. She's fleet of foot.
Very stubbornly, the little Red Knight who is falling behind the group, but perhaps not as far behind as the silverscale says, "I do not need to be carried. I will watch the back guard."
Clank-clank-clank.
Dwarves are fast over short distances in their heavy armour. She is not a dwarf, she has even shorter legs, her armour is almost as heavy.
She is not fast in any imaginable way, even squinting.
Seyardu is fast, when she is not worried about stumbling over debris. And these Ahazi ruins had a _lot_ of debris to stumble over. So she slowed in her run, falling behind the others. She would end up one of the back guard whether she planned to or not.
Ravendar can't seem to catch his footing as he runs on his smaller legs. He's trying to keep his fiddle safe as he didn't have time to put it away properly. He trips and stumbles and holds the fiddle close to him before he falls down onto the ground and has to pick himself back up.
Venom's rifle loaded, the veiled woman turns to make the withdrawal. There are formulations in her mind as she scans the immediate surroundings looking to good choke points, trying to fit her available tools to the problem at hand.
Hmm.
She looks to Paenitia as the emburdened Lucht's speed is going to be a concern. Even with her gear, she can't be but five stone, right? Ravendar's stumble juggles her numbers a touch, and the 'belcher props up over her shoulder as her other hand fiddles with something under her poncho...
Those roaring sounds behind you as you ascend the stairs are *definitely* getting closer. There's a rumble, the sound of shattering stone.
You're not going as fast as you like. Some of you are armored or simply slower than others. Seyardu in particular is struggling to keep up.
This could be a problem. Still, it's not as if there aren't doors you can shut behind you, obstacles you can hope will slow them down...
As the monsters are still coming, and there's definitely stragglers, Dax starts to let others pass by her. She's waiting for her companions to pass before starting to do things to shut doors, move large objects, seats, bookcases, anything you've seen in a movie to defend against velociraptors, she's going to start doing until someone tells her to stop. THen she runs up and past some of the slower folk to start getting things ready again for when they pass. Whatever to make it harder to catch up to them and their lil'legged friends.
Aryia tears off some leather cords under her sleeves and slaps them into Dax's hands. Dax has seen them used before, they make you carry things way easier. She gestures to the two smallfolk as she has her hands full with carrying the chest fullspeed.
GAME: Dax rolls strength: (7)+3: 10 GAME: Aryia rolls athletics: (14)+10: 24 GAME: Dax rolls athletics: (5)+10: 15 GAME: Venom rolls athletics: (7)+8: 15 GAME: Ravendar rolls athletics: (9)+1: 10 GAME: Seyardu rolls athletics: (10)+-1: 9
Dax grabs the cords and looks at them a moment, then in the direction that Aryia is pointing. She ohhhhs and nods her head a few times, "Alright, so the quiet one wants me ta be carryin' ya lil'knight and other fellows. Take a moment? Tie up like Loci fer sure but wit' a bit more support." She offers and preps the cords.
"What? You are going to be carry me?" Paenitia says, sounding a little shocked, and still far behind, "I am use to the bigger mount, but Ramirez, he will not be jealous."
She clanks along, "I have the box of caltrops, this will slow pursuit but does not cover the large area."
Ravendar shakes his head at the offer, "Thanks, but I can do this." He says a bit stubbornly. He starts off after the others away from the loud roaring. He is starting to get the hang of this as he moves ahead, doing a bit better then before. He still stumbles and bumps into stuff as he's keeps his fiddle close to him.
Venom draws a bottle from beneath the poncho, using it to vigorously wave the others up the stairs past her.
She she's moving quickly, but she doesn't sound frantic, anyway.
The veiled woman turns her head slightly toward Dax at the exchange and moves a little back the way they came. She sinks to her haunches, pinning the rifle to her side with her elbow to facilitate uncorking the concoction in her hand, the cork absently discarded before she starts to methodically pour the black substance out over the lower steps. While normally applied topicly for interests of grabby foes, perhaps the same basic mechanics will work here.
Maybe.
Well, for the next four hours, anyway....
... At least Aryia is able to get ahead of the rest of you and make sure there's nothing cutting you off. That's the good news. The rest of you are struggling. This place is cramped. You get in each other's way more than once. Behind you, you hear a crash. They're on the stairs now and it sounds like they're big enough that this is the only reason that they're not on you yet. If only you could figure out how to close these passages, you might have more time...
It was hard enough to move for all of them, and even as they reached more familiar ground, it was still a struggle not to trip up, especially when she has to maneuver around those who are laying traps or distractions.
"Ravendar! If you still have the drum, perhaps returning it to the stand will close the path? It is worth a try?" She shouts to him while she continues to try to keep up.
Ravendar is panting hard, "I think I do, I'm pretty sure I put it in my pack. Sure I can do that." He says as he continues to struggle to keep up with everyone else.
Lyme also resembles too-big-to-move-fast -- though he has good straight line speed when he gets into the open. The big oruch also tries to make sure he's trampling no one as he goes
Now that the cords were passed off, Aryia had one job. Get the box the hell out of there. She runs at the head of the group, hopping over obstacles and hugging the chest tight under an arm so it wouldn't dare open. She slows a bit as the others get far away. Not wanting to be the only one to get out alone should something be waiting for them.
Putting Pae on her back, strapping her in and stopping with the whole knocking things down tactic, Dax starts moving faster again. She's staying nearish to the rear though to ensure that people keep on coming. "We'll still hold up the rear, mostly, lil' knight, but at least this way ya can run away a lil' easier. If there be need."
GAME: Venom used a Alchemical Grease.
Venom pulls back once the first delay is set, and she debates putting the rifle away in case both hands suddenly find themselves in demand. The creatures seem pretty determined, and so, trusting she can probably still outrun everyone except maybe Aryia, she spends the time to lay down a dusting of caltrops, letting them dance into place upon the floor before she stands to move again.
Paenitia is carried, doing her best to get on top of Dax and perhaps direct her. The little knights desire to be in control of her mount exceeded reasonable expectations. She did not want to feel like cargo, and while her ivory steed was excellent, Dax has passable claws and could serve adequately if she understood knee commands, or had a bridle.
"Okay. I let you know if I have to swing the weapon. Right now, looking for the spot to lay the caltrops."
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+7: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL) (Lizard Athletics) GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+7: (17)+7: 24 (Lizard Athletics)
...up the stairs to where the drum laid, at last, another sprint down the hallways. You've got the drum back in place, but it doesn't close the gap you opened. Perhaps another step is required?
Or there's a lever to pull somewhere and you missed it. This entire place may have a reset button. Who knows? You're spending a moment hoping it will close when *crashing* happens and confused, pained roars.
Then another roar. The two beasts appear to be talking. The ground beneath your feet shakes, starts to crack...
GAME: Ravendar rolls reflex: (5)+7: 12 GAME: Aryia rolls reflex: (17)+9: 26 GAME: Paenitia rolls reflex: (16)+5: 21 GAME: Lyme rolls ref: (5)+2: 7 GAME: Venom rolls reflex: (5)+10: 15 GAME: Seyardu rolls reflex+2: (11)+1+2: 14 GAME: Dax rolls reflex: (20)+7: 27 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
... you're able to keep moving as the ground threatens to break down beneath your feet. Apparently, directed sound waves, like the ones that hit you earlier, can cause stone to crumble. Who knew?
Ravendar leaps from piece to piece as the floor starts to crumble under him. He almost trips a couple times, but manages to catch himself just in time. He looks around for that pedestal so he can put the drum back on it.
The ground starts to crumble beneath the redheaded human woman's feet. Dax looks around and starts moving with her legs a bit more widespread, "Ain't no different than bein' on a ship. Did I tell ya 'bout the time I was on a ship wit' such rotten wood we lost 3 sailors to jus' repairin'?" She speaks up and over her shoulder to Pae, moving in whatever direction the more knightly person commands. "I ferget who it was, but they did say we'd get drinks when we get back ta the city..." Clearly her motivation for such agile surefootedness comes to light.
GAME: Venom used a Caltrops.
Venom wobbles some with the shift of the stone beneath her feet, and her placing hand slaps down against it for bracing, the prongs of two caltrops glinting between her splayed fingers.
Ahem.
The silent woman shakes her head and pushes back up to her feet to resume the withdrawal with more haste and less trapwork.
Lyme runs, trying to keep up, trying to stay on his feet. However, as the ground cracks and crumbles, he stumbles, ankle turning on broken stone. He hits the ground hard, "Just like a ship my /ass/." It's his moment to recover, before he pushes himself to his feet and follows, trying hard not to be left behind.
Seyardu runs, and thankfully, the shifting ground does not trip her up much. She is steady on her feet, as long as nothing tries to actively trip her up. So she continues to run, as much as she wishes to stop to help, she is a liability herself. "Just keep up as best as you can!" She says back to Lyme. "I will stop to help if needed, but it should not come to that."
Aryia, by this point, had steadied herself at the front of the group, her spinning around to check. She looked a little frantic, split between escaping and making sure everyone else. Her feet stumble but keep her steady as she looked up to check the ceiling.
Screw it.
Aryia tries escape up the rope the left. If she's in the clear, she pivots around to stick her hand down the hole to yank others up.
GAME: Paenitia used a Caltrops.
"No. You have not speak about the rotting ship timbers. Shiver some that way." The Red Knight directs her Busty Mare, nudging her into a turn. Her reflexes are swift, but her mount's startlingly faster as the sonic wave hits, and they both weather it. "Yes, there are the plenty drinks waiting back at the watering hole in town."
Hearing a familiar clink behind her, Paenitia turns her head in time to see the sparkling glint of caltrops spreading behind them. Yes, now is the time. She grabs her own box tosses them to Lyme, "Lyme! Catch! Spread these!"
He is the furthest back, he can add to Venom's challenge.
Dax mentions to Pae, as she is running, "Well, there was a ship. It was 'spose ta look like it was fallin' apart. It was. Not a trick, it was a ruse ta make us get out ta see then sink." Dax comments, shaking her head a bit, "It worked fer the most part, but another ship was comin' by so we angled our sails and rammed that there ship." She smacks a wall as she's moving along, "Brittle as a chick's egg, our ship was, and jus' started crumbling underneath our feet. Suffice it ta say, we traded up an' made it home safe." All while running, skipping from cracking rock to cracking rock, "There's a lesson in there somewhere... I'm sure of it."
Lyme grabs the caltrops, and turns, spreading them as he runs, bringing up the rear...
"Yes! The best thing to carry you home is the one you are on that is moving!" Paenitia summarizes, then "tack to the left, deflate the gasbags. I mean, duck." She ducks. "My experience is with the Airship crew, but the sinking feeling is as bad, if not worse!"
Running from determined lizards and everyone's rambling.
What kind of crew did she end up with, here?
Venom nods back to Paenitia as she throws Lyme a second bundle of fun and she continues her withdrawal. She gives the half orc a gentle knuckle bump on the arm, but turns, backing up the hall to sight down the hall in case their pursuers have gained extra ground.
Ravendar does try to put the drum back where it belongs in hopes that will slow down the lizards before he takes off running after everyone else. Now a bit lighter so hopefully he'll be able to run a bit faster to escape.
Seyardu continues to run, focusing solely on getting herself out of there. She was the weakest link in the sprint most likely, and so she does what she can to take that concern off of the others present. But it is still difficult, and as the drum is being set down, She is one of the last up, but she doesn't stop still, continuing down the corridor they had entered from, and heading to where they had descended from.
Aryia is there at the entrance, flat on her stomach, with a hand extended to any that make it, her yanking each one up and throwing them aside to get ready for the next one. She wears out her arm and tears something in it by the time it was over.
You escape back up the stairs out of the ruined building and shut the way behind you as best you can. There's a few more rumbles, but eventually, it sounds like the creatures settle down. You're out of their territory and they could not care less about the surface, it'd seem.
That leaves you with the stone box. The one you were sent here to claim. The one that must be the reliquary.
All that remains is to see what's inside.
Aryia sighs in relief as everyone escapes, her sitting down next to the box to recover. "It's... it's trapped with magic, on the lid, don't open..." she signs languidly, catching her breath. <Handspeech>
Once out of the building, the rumbles die down, and Dax has gained some additional distance she stops. Undoing the leather cords she slowly lowers Pae back to the ground. "Well, we've got what we came fer then?" Dax isn't sure what a reliquary is or what the object was really. She smiles and offers the cords back to Aryia, "Thanks." She mentions though looks to the box, "So, we were after a box, all along. Didn't see tha' one comin'."
Seyardu pulled herself up, and it was only once she was farther away from the entrance near their campsite that she rolled onto her back on the ground.
"A reliquary is a container for sacred artifacts." Seyardu notes once she caught her breath. "I thought it may be trapped the way Aryia carried it. The question is, how is it trapped, and what is the sacred relic inside?"
Lyme gets out, finally, looking a little wild-eyed. It's never pleasant being the rear-guard, after all. He takes a moment, then looks over towards the box. "What's in the box?"
Paenitia is lowered to her feet, and pats at Dax's nearest thigh. "You are strong, you run well. I owe you the drink."
Ramirez is sleeping. Good. He did not see. She will not have to explain.
"I do not know." The Red Knight answers, "it is too dark to travel, and a long night. Will anyone here be unable to resist open the box?"
Dax flops over exhausted on her back, chest heaving, her breasts, unbound because of her sacrifice flop out to her sides straining her shirt.
The veil billows and withdraws for some time after the escape. It's a while longer before Venom considers the weapon in her hands and tucks it back into it's place under her poncho. Most of the components are common enough, and she's scouted enough of the market districts to know where to get the raw materials she needs for the rest. Nothing for it, now but to finish the job and get back.
To that end, she turns, catching Aryia's explanation just after her hesitation and she gives a nod.
Now empty, her hands start to flicker, twist and flex through the sequence of gestures to frame her offer, "I can take a look at the traps, but not the mafic itself." <handspeech>
GAME: Seyardu rolls knowledge/religion: (11)+5: 16 GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (8)+3: 11
Ravendar is one of the last to get out and he is panting hard as he moves away from the others. He puts his fiddle away first before he leans over and places his hands on his knees. He's panting hard as he tries to recover as he hasn't had to run that much in a while.
Seyardu Finally gets up, washing her hands before pulling a leftover fajita out of her pack to eat quickly. With that out of the way, she kneels down beside the box, investigating it further. She squints further, running a hand on the outside before she gestures to Venom and Ravendar.
"These lines, and the bumps, they are arranged in a certain way, are they not? Like the lines of music I have seen in books before." They suggest, pointing them out. "It seems they may wish for one more performance after the escape."
"Though, I do not believe, the lizards were scripted."
GAME: Venom rolls perception: (20)+10: 30 GAME: Venom rolls linguistics: (3)+7: 10
Or maybe they did plan the sonic lizards. One never knows. They really seem to like their music.
"Oh the surprise lizards are always in the script." Paenitia says, sounding deadpan and serious. She stares at the bumps on the box, which are incomprehensible to her, even though they are identified as musical annotation. "Perhap our Troubador may understand them, and do the encore curtain call?"
Ravendar recovers his breath and uses a bit of prestidigitation to clean himself up and look presentable. He moves back over towards the box and leans in to inspect it, "I can try to help out if it is something musical."
The particulars of musical expression aren't in her areas of expertise, but Venom does nod twice to Seyardu after looking the box over.
"Agreed, but the notations themselves are best left for him to translate." she signs, ending the trail of gestures with a thumb toward Ravendar. <handspeech>
"The box should disarm, if we can get the performance right."
Lyme pauses. "It's locked by music? Shit." He starts checking his straps out of habit.
"Yes, Ravendar has done an excellent job with their performances today. Though if possible, I may ask them for one more." She agrees, turning to the lucht as they move closer. "Would you be willing to try and translate and play this? I will aid how I can, before you play."
GAME: Ravendar rolls perform/String+1: (3)+8+1: 12 <OOC> Ravendar says, "I'll use some sands of Navos for a reroll" GAME: Ravendar rolls perform/String+1: (12)+8+1: 21
Ravendar studies the chest for a bit and he takes out his fiddle once more. He is about to play when he notices that one of the strings needs to be tuned. He spends a quick moment returning the fiddle before he starts to play the musical notes that are on the chest. This is possibly the first time in hundreds of years that this music has been heard.
With the proper song being played, it is one that is both mournful in its intonation and somehow restrained, the box vibrates several times before it's complicated interior locking mechanism opens. Perhaps it's sensitive to vibration or sound somehow? The Ahazi were a clever people, it'd seem.
The lid pops open slowly and you're immediately bathed in a sense of power. A glowing object is within, brightly, and it's radiance is *intense*. Sickeningly intense.
Whatever that is, it's hard to look at, but it seems to be some kind of harp?
But that level of *power*...
Lyme looks up, squinting. "What the--." A pause. "What is that actually?"
Aryia sits still as the lost song is replayed for all to hear, the shadow elf turning inward for a moment. A sigh leaves her. Then a click. And her eyes raise.
She withers under the radiance, Aryia only able to handle a glimpse of it before shielding her eyes and scrabbling away on the ground, kicking up dirt as she goes. "Close the box! Or cover it or something!" she blindly signs, trying to keep her fajita down. <Handspeech>
"And the box opens, you are correct, Venom. We are lucky you were along with us, Ravendar." Seyardu nods once the box is opening. Though she squints as she looks at the box, averting her eyes and finding the handsigns. "Yes! Close the box if the mechanism is opened. I believe we have what we came for, and that brightness will show such to any nearby. We should cover it, and not linger with it outside a safe place. That feels important."
"Yes! Cover. The goat farmer will want the strings as her piece." Paenitia says, suddenly looking around. She draws her warhammer. Now would also be the perfect ambush moment, with the hard work done, the traps sussed out and disabled, time for someone to swoop in and take it.
"If not her, anyone that see the light, and remember we are not alone in this search." It's not the little Knight's first rodeo, and she's already ridden the bull.
Dax snores, already asleep.
Well, cow.
The song touches something.
The veil shifts slightly, it's wearer's posture straightening as the melody plays, though the sudden flare of light makes her bring a hand up to shield what are probably her eyes.
The spell is broken by the sudden eruption of action from Aryia as she scrabbles away from the light. The other silent partner signs a quick, "My pack has extra space." to Seyardu before she makes her way to Aryia's side and, rather like the Nosferatu, moves to try and shroud the dark elf in the folds of her poncho, if only enough to protect her sensitive eyes.
Ravendar watches as the lid pops open and he can feel the power of the hard. He is drawn to it like a moth to a flame as he holds his fiddle and bow in one hand and with the other reaches out for the harp to touch it. "I'll hold on to it." He says as his eyes are locked onto this magnificent harp. "Just let me play it for a little bit."
"You will do no such thing until at the very least we know that it is safe" Seyardu says quickly as she lunges to snap the box closed. "I am not trying to be dismissive, but something does not feel quite right. And if it attracts you as such, all the more reason to bring it off somewhere safe. We have lingered with it open long enough."
Just in case, the sith-makar takes some rope out of her bag, lashing the reliquary shut before she offers it to Venom.
Lyme pauses, then rises to his feet. "I think Seyardu is right." He, too, strides towards the box.
Aryia does not have a retort to Ravendar, for she has become a poncho. And ponchos cannot talk. Especially this poncho. She's aware that someone is checking on her, and she motions something that is lost within the folds of the fabric, but she was glad to be rid of the radiance. Now to just get the spots out of her eyes-.
Tap. Wait, that's a gun barrel. She tries to focus through the glare, eyes glimmering in the pitch black void. Her head cranes up, and she's met face to face with a veil.
- ...
"T-nks," Aryia hisses out quietly, smiling. Though, she isa bit unsure what to do here. An awkward thumbs up comes up between them, followed by a nudge as she situates herself.
"I think we need the double watch tonight." The Dark Lucht suggests, peering off into the darkness surrounding the dig-site, "Two pair of eyes to watch for thieves, and watch each other so the box is not open."
She clanks about a bit, "Likely it okay, is the box magic up again, Friend Dragon? Maybe only the tune open it up, otherwise the trap set off, and few here can make the music well."
Ravendar blinks as the box is closed before he can touch it and he rubs his eyes a little bit with his free hand. He wasn't blinking for a long moment there. He nods, "Sure, let's get this back to city. But what are we going to tell the goat herder?" He asks as he looks around to see if the farmer is still around. "Perhaps we should offer some of our gold as way of compensation."
Expecting the dark to be no real burden to Aryia's eyes, Venom nods as she is nudged, acknowledging her word with a gentle clap on the hand.
She arches her back crane her neck enough to see what shenanigans are about the box, then, on the Lucht's suggestion, she nods and signs a thumb's up.
A moment or two, then she looks to Aryia, signing, "Box closed. You alright, now?" <handspeech>
"Double the watch, and leave as early as possible in the morning." Seyardu suggests and agrees once the chest is tied shut. "I will take the second watch, so I might prepare breakfast quickly. Are you alright though, Aryia? I believe Mul'niessa eyes can be quite sensitive to light and, even I could tell that was incredibly bright."
She reaches for her breastplate, clutching the symbol underneath. "Celestial mother, grant me sight of the magics present, so I may ensure the safety of this package for those present." She offers in prayer, before investigating the reliquary of the Ahazi, again.
Seyardu turns to those present, and she gestures to the box. "The box is re closed with the magic." She says. "But still, we should be careful. It may be dangerous if forced open. "And we should not do so again needlessly."
The shadow elf catches the box getting shut, her slipping back and rising to her feet. "I'm fine, thanks. It just felt... a lot. There was a lot. Almost threw up from it. And it being bright didn't help at all," she signs back, the two having their silent conversation. Though, she didn't have much else to say. The pugilist reaches out and gingerly pats the veiled gunslinger on the shoulder, holding it there for a moment before stepping off and joining the group.
"Agreed. And We might be tired, but we should get the fuck out of here. We have horses that have been resting. Getting this back under the cover of night may be best," the dazzled elf elaborates, eyes lit from Taara's gift. <Handspeech>
Seyardu looks back to the hand signs and nods, turning to the group. "We should return if everyone is up for it. When we are finished we can return, and discuss a cut with the farmer. As well as help with what tasks were asked of use before. But for now, this takes priority, for our safety, the object's safety, and the safety of those present on the farm. Aryia was saying we should leave since the horses and Ramirez should be ready to go."
Venom lets Aryia rise under her own steam and nods. Her head turns slightly to the hand clasping her shoulder, then she nods and reaches out to gently pat the other woman's shoulder. Approaching the gathered team, she starts to sign, "We're a bullseye on the haybale, now, it's best we get the objective back as soon as possible." <handspeech>
"Ramirez, hsst! Wake up. We go." Paenitia moves over to her sleeping hippogryph and rouses him. It's not the first time he's had the misfortune of sleeping in tack and saddle, but he was raised among revolutionaries, and unexpected departures are nothing strange.
He snorts, and wickers, and makes a quiet frustrated whinny while shaking his head. He will need pampering after this. Yes.
For now, the Red Knight and her Ivory Steed are ready to go. "Okay. Since we coming back, leave the camp. Maybe they think we still below and the horses wander off. The tents and pots we can retrieve when we back for the chores."
Aryia shuts the entrance so no stupi- err, regular, nice goats will fall in.
The Red Knight organizes the procession. She and Aryia in the front on Ramirez, Lyme and Syardu mounted up and taking the rear. This provides darkvision and low light at both ends. In the middle, guarding the Reliquary, are those that can't see in the dark. They'll have the sunrod mounted in Paenitia's cloak to follow. Ravendar, Venom and Dax will be those guards, ready to pop lanterns if an attack happens, but otherwise keeping between the two ends that can see.
They'll move fast, unless they need to sneak, in which case they'll still follow Paenitia and Ramirez's lead.
Off they go, back to town.
At the Guild
All that remains, then, is returning to the city, where Akorinil Belvade and the Guild of Explorer's awaits you. Your arrival is not unexpected and the scarlet-haired prietess of Taara greets you upon your arrival with the box.
"Oh, a present for me," she says in dulcet-tone of amusement.
"Yes," Lyme says, earnest enough. Or maybe just tired. "It is, of a sort."
When they reach the city, Seyardu is one of those present at the explorer's guild, near the front. Though she pauses near the front.
"We did not agree to give this to you, Lady Akorinil. You were vague in your request for who it would be delivered to." She says, looking at the cleric with no small amount of wariness. "I am not sure if we should be delivering it to you or not."
Once they arrive, the mul'neissa of the group glares at the priestess from the back with her arms crossed. She... wasn't the recipient of this. Aryia was pretty sure. She looks past them, scanning for someone else.
"Yes, that I was. Very good, all of you, for being so on the ball," says Akornil, who seemingly finds this charming more than irritating. "What a good little bit of playing within the bounds of law. You'd do well in Charn with an attitude like this."
She folds her hands together in front of her. "What do you suppose is in the box?" she asks. She already knows, clearly, but she's asking *you*.
"I do not think you musically incline." Paenitia says, immediately giving away some hint regarding what they found. Perhaps it could be surmized by anyone who knew about the Ahazi. In any case, confirmation.
The Dark Lucht is tired. It was a long day, a night of fighting, then one of tense riding, expecting and on the lookout for ambushes the entire way. As point, she could not let herself relax.
She had hoped she'd be able to sleep once she hit the city. Not navigate politics in the middle of the night.
Which is of course, when Taaranites most enjoy it.
Lyme folds his arms across his chest, eyes hooding. "Power. A good chunk of it."
"A middle finger to kiss you with," Aryia tiredly signs, though full heartedly commits to the insult. Her time out of that hellscape of a nation gave her some kind of backbone. "Move. We have other things to do." <Handspeech>
Ravendar pipes up with a bit of snark, "Something that you could not possibly understand. Something that can touch even the hardest of hearts, to inspire great acts of courage, to bring tears of joy and sorrow, something that can move people in a way that nothing else could."
"It's a harp," replies Akorinil, dryly.
"I am not sure why the middle finger, Aryia." Seyardu says, sighing as she listens to the priestess. "A full fist would be much better."
"As for what is in the box, something sacred to an extinct group, that I feel should not be in the hands of a selfish Taaran. We should find the person we should be delivering it to, as there I doubt it would be you. Thank you for pointing us in the correct direction, however, and peace on your nest." She continues, already looking around the guild for others.
Lyme nods. "It's a harp. Maybe not just a harp, though." He gestures. "Thus the certain hostility, hmm?"
Aryia cuts Lyme a glare. One thing you do not do in Charn is confirm the cards you have in hand.
Ravendar has run out of snark. "Need sleep. Inside," to Akoniril, "Later."
Venom is silent
Duh.
She doesn't have the particular sensibilities to be given the heebies about the Mul'niessa, aside from the fact that clearly her partners would rather chew off their dominant arms than give it to her.
The veiled woman scans the corners, then the exits.
Paenitia looks Akoniril up and down, mostly up, since she starts looking below the waist. She may have dark circles under her eyes, but they are hidden by her ever grinning mask. Weariness in her body is hidden by her armour. If she's careful, she can yawn quietly and no one will know. She's more a statue or doll in her encasements.
"You have been standing there all day, and all night, wait for us to return? Or you have some way to know we come? A guard at the gate, a bird in the sky? A crystal ball? I have the great curiosity."
She pauses a moment, a breath, perhaps another quiet yawn, "The tip was most helpful. You have the other things to point out, let me know." And she tries to remember who was supposed to get it. Some arcanist guild member, she thought.
Where is the Reliquary supposed to go? The party has forgotten the name of the recipient, if any, that they were given initially. The local mages were going to get it, to study. It's existence was from a tip provided by Akoniril, but surely it wasn't going her? Could the adventurers keep it? Could Ravendar open the box once more, break out into song, and demonstrate it's true power? Perhaps it is supposed to go directly to the Explorer's Guild. In everyone's mind, especially the silverscale's, there is no trust for a Taara priest and an unwillingness to hand it over to her.
It doesn't help that the party is exhausted.
Aryia sidesteps the priestess and follows Venom into the building. She did not have the time nor the patience to deal with her.
"Ah, yes. I, the high Taaran Priestess, certainly have nothing bette rto do than wait here for your to return and be insulted by you for having the temerity to send you out to claim something important. No, what it *is*, is not just a harp. You claimed something imbued with incredible power that belongs to a cult that worshipped Animus through the lens of bardic magic. What do you *think* it is?"
SOME PEOPLE have been harping on her.
Venom shrugs beneath her poncho, then rolls her neck a touch. She waves a hand to her cohorts, then starts to sign again, "We should get inside, our handler can deal with this." <Handspeech>
That said, the veiled woman gives a little bow to the redhead, and starts to move around her.
GAME: Paenitia rolls diplomacy: (15)+7: 22
"That was a question I have the curiosity for, how you know when to meet us? It not important." Paenitia says, stares up at Akoniril, having to lean back to properly look at her face. She yawns, this time it's audible, even though her mask continues to present only the Smiling Man.
"I say again, I have the long day, lizards try to eat me, and a cauldron of water. I do not control the tongues or fingers of my allies, but they have the long day too."
She taps at her breastplate, "I can tell you how to spot the glaive against the glaive-guisarm, but the musical instrument, that is not my skill. You say it a harp, then, that must be what I saw. What it can do, I do not know. Who the Ahazi are, how they die out, perhaps you know."
She shrugs, "if they have a funny weapon, perhaps I hear a joke about that. Everything else, it the mystery. So the apology that it late and you wait, and that the patience of everyone is gone, but I am not the leader and the group want go inside, so I go with them."
"Yes, we are aware it is not just a harp." Seyardu says, staring at the priest now, and shaking her head. "Thank you for making that clear. We were not told to deliver it to you, so we will find the person who told us to find it."
"I am sure you understand, that claiming yourself the high priestess of a god who espouses cruelty and greed does not inspire confidence. Were you not compensated for the information?" She asks before she begins following the group inside.
There's a tongue-click of disappointment from Akorinil. "Such barbs and disdain and distrust. It will go where it belongs, I assure you, wherever you turn it in. But consider and ask those who knows, how such a thing of power can exist a thousand years ago when Animus did not die until twelve ago?"
She winks at Paenitia and then disappears inside.
"I will ask Ramirez about that in the morning and see what he think." Paenitia says, with a yawn, to no one in particular. It is a good question, one she might consider if the over-riding one in her head wasn't: where's a bed?
So, in the morning.
She goes inside too.
"I am sorry, but it is, I do not know if I should trust you." Seyardu sighs. "Thank you for helping us to find this regardless. If it is as you say, I will look into this more and confirm it."
And with that, Seyardu makes her way inside. She doesn't go to bed until she is certain the package would be taken care of.
OOC
<OOC> Dax wonders only if she charges someone if Pae gets a charge bonus to att+dmg like when mounted...
<OOC> Whirlpool laughs.
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "No. :P"
<OOC> Paenitia says, "... I have expert trainer, what if I train her?"
<OOC> Paenitia says, "I cn ride medium sized things. :)"
<OOC> Venom says, "she probably moves as fast as most medium mounts"
<OOC> Aryia says, "HAH"
<OOC> Paenitia says, "dig some knees and heels in"
<OOC> Venom stage whispers to Aryia, "Don't laugh too hard, probably we're the fastest ones here."
<OOC> Dax starts to get ready for bed but isn't gone yet just may be a bit slower than usual.
<OOC> Paenitia is tired to, but will continue to ride Dax as best she can. :)
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "DON'T START"
<OOC> Dax says, "Start?! Pae's already finished."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "AHEM"
<OOC> Aryia snerk
<OOC> Seyardu says, "lol"
<OOC> Aryia says, "oh lord please no not another "Someone does something with an object they shouldn't" again lol"
<OOC> Aryia looks at petrified statue plot
<OOC> Lyme says, "I mean, it's a classic :)"
<OOC> Aryia says, "ofc xD"
<OOC> Lyme says, "DON'T TOUCH THE SHINY RED BUTTON"
<OOC> Paenitia says, "I keep look out"