Phelan had reminded cautiously quiet as the journey progressed. As they approached the encampment he did feel a sense of relief; seeing so many of his own people was a bit comforting. For now at least.

He looked over Soinr and her assistant as they were brought to her. When he spoke, he blinked slightly, pausing. Before he could speak however, Willa filled the pause with her own question. It was a good question, he just wished she had waited before asking it.

"Please forgive her forwardness, she's very exuberant and curious." He then gestured back toward Jubei. "My companion had heard there may be some information on the Dragon's Ode in this Weyr. It's not that distant a possibility." The last sentence was somewhat dry, but he tried to moderate his tone to match the warmth of Soinr. "It's largely a coincidence that it happens to be the same Weyr that you are interested in, although I will admit that we did hope to meet up with you."

Jubei gave a nod at Phelan's mention to underline what he said. "It is the only weyr on this island that has not yet been plundered and remains pristine. There's no better place to hope find some of their records in.", he spoke, smuggling it in after Phelan's words.

Willa quietly mumbled under her helmet.  Something about whether anyone ever wondered why this was the only weigher not to have been plundered yet...

    Soinr waved a paw dismissively at Phelan’s apology as she said ”It’s alright.” she looked down at Willa ”You were just being true to your nature, no?” smiling with a hint of amusement as Phelan continued.  Frejan’s though remained stoic, only raising a single eyebrow once Phelan mentioned the Dragon’s Ode.

  ”Shall we take this conversation to the edge of the camp?  It is a bit strange to stand her in the middle of it all and talk these things over.” Soinr gestured over to the far side of the camp nearest to the weyr.  Seeing no harm in it you followed along as she and Frejan walked ahead, you were followed by your soldier escort from before.
  ”I am sure you are familiar with some of the stories surrounding the weyr?  Therefore I wonder if you have managed to divine a way for yourselves to enter it, hmmm?”

  As Soinr spoke you also heard Amare’s voice in your mind ”Don’t be alarmed and don’t speak up, it would be wise for now that these people shouldn’t know that I have psychic abilities.  Especially telepathy.  It won’t end well.  Better for them to believe that I am only a peculiar wizard.” he then added as an afterthoughts ”If you need to ‘speak’ to me telepathically just think about talking to me.  Imagine yourself speaking the words at me and I will notice.”

Drex does just that. And how are we planing to get in, I can't recall, but did you not say that you know a way in? Or was that just a laps of my memory?

Jubei trudged along and grimaced a little at the mention of how to get in and slowly he shook his head. "Truth be told, we don't really know a way to enter. Hence why I was most relieved to hear that an expedition to it was already mounted. What we know however is that it is defended by automata that made short work of previous attempts to... uncover the weyr's treasures. That is where I hoped that we could come to an agreement. The Narayan prowess in solving mysteries is widely known, hence I have little doubt that you will find a way inside, if you haven't already. We in turn would offer to make sure that the automata pose no threats to you or your people. Maybe you have heard of the events in Kyssia? Thanks to us the town still stands. But yes, what do you say?", he asked then. It was hard to attempt and make a civil appearance, considering how the Narayah just barely made it past his knees. Indeed he wondered a little how the actual giants felt when dealing with the 'tiny folk'.

"As much as I wish I had a way in, I never really had interest in the Weyrs before everything happened. I remember my basic classes on Weyr automata but that's about it, although I assume your group was assigned a gearcaster or similar for this." He briefly switched to his native tongue before continuing in Common.  "I can provide support as an extra medic for the group. I also can provide Ritual support."

    ”An interesting offer and one I may take you up on.” as Soinr said this Frejan looked at her with a quizzical expression.  An expression which on Frejan’s face made him look like he was choking on something.
  ”Though we have yet to breach the warding around the weyr ourselves.  We came prepared for such an outcome though I must admit I am beginning to believe that whoever sealed this weyr a thousand years ago must not have been of this world.  As the ward is unlike anything our casters have ever seen and our archeologists are still puzzled by the only clues we have.” Soinr turned around to look at the utterly gigantic doorway not too far away from where you stood.
  ”A code written in darken and immune to all the powers of divination we have at our disposal.  I’ve had a team trying to crack it since we arrived with little success.  We are also engaged in other means to try and circumnavigate the ward or possible make a small hole within so we teleport a small team through as it seems the ward is sentient somehow.  I’ll allow you to set up camp on this outcropping near our camp if you wish but understand we are frightfully concerned with security here.  So please do not enter or move about our camp unescorted please.” Soinr finished.

Willa was only half listening to what was being said, still warily watching everything that was going on.  But she did have the presence to mind to half ask: "Narayah no talk to ward?"

It was unclear whether she actually meant someone should try talking to the magical field, or if she misunderstood and thought there was someone called Ward nearby.

    Soinr was surprised by Willa’s question and she sounded puzzled as she spoke ”We had considered communication but we couldn’t figure out the language it responds to.  You are remarkably observant.” she remarked.

  ”You are of course welcome to try.  Now unless you have further question for me, or something else you would like to discuss I think I’ll be returning to the camp and leave you to your investigation.”

"We had a long journey here. So it might indeed be wisest for us to have a bit of a look around and find ourselves a suitable spot to rest, before we tackle the obstacles proper. It will also give time for questions to actually rise.", Jubei spoke and nodded with a bit of a smirk, it was almost a bow even.

  As the night grew the towering weyr walls began to shine in the darkness, glowing faintly as if the crystalline walls somehow caught and refracted the faint starlight.  The pale green light from the walls was enough to see by once you allowed your eyes to adjust to it and so those who were curious gathered at the doorway to the weyr.  The glow from within the walls clearly illuminated the text Soinr had spoken of before.

  The carving upon the doors lay at its center.  A helix rose from the center of a large oval and terminated in a circle after seven complete turns the helix.  Around this image were five blocks of text very reminiscent of the engravings you had found on the wall within the inner cavern of the Dragon Maw cave.  Nonsensical darken scratches combined with draconic and alchemical symbols.  However each block was engraved carefully over crude spider-like diagrams each line ending in a circle around a single letter or symbol.

  ”I think you’ll find that what is written here and what we found in the Dragon Maw cavern are the same.” Amare noted.  ”I would hazard a guess that they are related.  As outlandish as this might seem I would propose that whoever the author of this text was they were the ones to seal this weyr.” he tapped the crystalline door with tip of his staff.  The wall lit up more brightly where his staff touched.  ”A somatic response?”

  ”Hmmm…oh yes!  Uh Willa, go ahead and uh, touch the-uh-wall.” Amare urged.

Willa moved toward the wall and started to reach for it, but then pulled back, shaking her head.  "Willa sorry..."  Her voice was full of regret and sadness.

Jubei seemed a little tense with anticipation as they stood before the gate of the weyr. His brows were furrowed as he mulled over what Amare said. In fact his lips were puckered as he bit on them, only to let out a snort as Willa pulled back again. "What?", he grunted and straightened himself again, clearing his throat. "What are you sorry for? If you have... received any kind of warning or vision when you had that little... episode earlier, then now would be a grand time to share it. Other than that I wouldn't know what stops you.", he spoke, arms crossed before his chest, brow raised with an... inquisitive curiosity.

Willa shifted about awkwardly.  Unused to being the centre of such intense speculation and, oddly, finding herself wishing for the hateful words and thrown objects that she had been used to before all this adventuring stuff.  She knew she had to explain herself, but she wasn't good with her words and nervous to boot.  Mustering herself she began, barely more than a whisper.

"Willa had vision." She nodded.  "But more than one and more than then.  Iron Jubei remember mountain?  Before Weigher.  Before City.  Before Camp.  Before soul-empty ground.  Willa see things then.  Many umbreans.  Lots and lots.  Were walking away from where we go.  Were scared and hurry-much.  Willa want to help Big, so think 'bout bandits.  Think maybe see umbreans leave place in mountains.  Place bandits find and make to live in.

"But since snow walking got hard.  All steps heavy.  Stomach fight to go back.  More and more harder, nearer and nearer to Weigher.  So hard Willa collapse!

"Then Willa see badness.  Not know what, but make to feel scared.  Horrible scared.  Willa no scared of Kyssea Big Bad ever!  But is scared now.  Not know what for, but know is in Weigher."

She raises her visor and turns to Amare.

"Amare think umbreans shut Weigher, maybe?" She looks around the assembled group, her emotional voice rising.  "Well Willa never been near Weigher before, but remembers Weigher and Weigher place.  Now thinking before vision, of umbreans after leave Weigher.  Not Bandit place in mountains.  So many umbreans.  All umbreans maybe.  Most Willa ever seen.  All sacred.  All hurry.  All leave.  All sealed shut door maybe?  Now all friends and all Narayahs wants Willa to open all sealed shut doors?  But Willa think Weigher stay shut for reason.  Even after all other Weyers open.  Think meant to keep thing in.  Not to keep Willa and friends out..." She looked at Phelan.

"Also, friends know Willa spawn alone.  Not know other Umbreans.  Makes to be worried.  Worried 'bout what is secret and not.  Feels guilty even helping Mr Phelan, Sir with walls-stuff.  But almost dies to get and thinks somehow friends help.  So is okay to help, maybe."

Finally she turns back to Iron Jubei "But Iron Jubei is bestest friend Willa ever have.  So will try open if he wants.  If Willa even can."   Her wide, wet eyes were fearful and pleading.

"To keep something in? A prison then? Hmm...", Jubei stroked his chin as he looked up the massive gate before them.
"I... am willing to risk it. We came all this way and to let it all be for naught... doesn't sit well with me. Besides, if its really dangerous then its probably better that we're here now. I doubt the Narayah will just leave empty handed and they may find a way to force it open without our help.", he spoke, looking to Willa.

"That said, this place is still the best lead to finding out what the dragons knew about Conflict's End. And that means finding their Ode. So yes, would you please open it?"

    Amare sighed and nodded at Willa and looked towards the red spark between the prongs of his staff as they unfolded.  He looked into the small brilliant point for a moment before closing his eyes as it suddenly winked out he sighed.  Sitting down upon the snow his head bent forward.  ”I do indeed have good reason to believe that umbreans sealed this weyer a very long time ago.” he said seated as he was the head of his strange staff folding back into its original shape.

Jubei tilted his head as he turned to look at Amare. "And why would that be? What can be in there that it would instill such terrible dread in them?", he asked and shrugged as he looked along the walls. "I have not felt any sense of looming dread and the likes. Nothing comparable to the dragon mawed cave... which in hindsight feels very much connected to this indeed. But yes, what have you seen in that staff of yours?"

"Umbreans magic so strong. Seal Weigher for so very very long even though lives so very short." Willa stared at the great doors as she spoke. "Also were so many - maybe.  If vision right.  But still scared.  Still run.  Still not so strong to beat scary-whatever-is.  Maybe Iron Jubei big enough?  Maybe Mr Phelan Sir smart enough?  But Willa feels too small.  If so many or more powerful magics not enough to beat.  Willa not think is either"  She sighed. "But will do as friend Iron Jubei wants."

She looked at him again, giving him one last chance to change his mind.

    Amare gave Jubei an agonized looked ”Therein lies the crux of this.” he turned his face down again while tilting his staff towards the door.  ”That is draconic magic wielded by umbreans.”
Amare rose up again after he gave what he said a moment to sink in.  He was apparently trying to compose himself. ”As well as something else connected to it.  Not unlike a mind but not.  Too…mechanical.”
  ”If you will excuse me I now have quite the headache I have to deal with so I will return to the camp to rest for a while until my head stops beating like a heart.” Amare walked back to the hut relying a great deal of his staff for support.

"A mechanical mind?", Jubei frowned and again pondered, giving it maybe a minute or so before he spoke up again. "It would hardly come as a surprise though, no? I mean, there are automata in there and they have to be controlled or directed by something." He shook his head then and paced a little back and forth. "And the Umbreans that used to... life here mayhaps ended up in a clinch with it? I mean, you do feed on psychic energies as far as I understood and I doubt that a mechanical mind provides much if at all in that regard. Maybe when the Umbreans looked for nourishment, it became hostile to them, if it wasn't already. And they shut it in."

He paused himself and shook his head. "We're not going to find out while we're out here. I know, I ask a lot, but please Willa, if you can then undo the seal."

Phelan however was shaking his head violently, having parsed through the sudden dump of information both Willa and Amare had provided. "Wait. Not wise. Willa's vision is bad enough, but Amare being able to detect a mechanical mind? That shouldn't be possible. Nor should there be an entity driving the automata like this."

He scowled, muttering something that sounded like a Narayan curse based on his tone. "We can't discuss it with the others. They'd not be likely to believe us. We need more information. Willa." He turned tact, suddenly focusing his full attention on the Umbrean. "Try your best to remember every detail from that vision. Anything in it could be of importance. Do you remember what your people feared from this place? They sealed it, before we open the seal we need as much information as we need. I will not be the adventurer who unleashed an unstoppable monster on the world."

Just as suddenly his attention left Willa as he focused on the Weyr, his eyes brightly as he studied the magical auras, tracing the lines of arcana as they wove around the building. As he gazed on it, he spoke again, his voice calmer, absent. "Jubei, I understand your eagerness to access the Weyr, but we must be cautious. I can tell you outright that Amare's information has revealed that something is very very wrong with the Weyr. If we are not prepared for what we might unleash... Kyssea would look gentle by comparison."

Arcana to Detect Magic: 26

    A vast weave of magic wove throughout and stretched out from the weyr.  Thousands upon thousands of spells meshed sublimely into a great, vibrant whole alive with power.  The spellcraft alone was masterful enough to bring small tears of awe unto Phelan’s eyes.  The hum of the energy within suffused his bones with a musical tone as though he stood before an orchestra under the guidance of a genius maestro.
  Realizing its purpose wasn’t too difficult once Phelan had had some time to process what his magical senses rung with.  To keep anything but the smallest particulates of the environment out of the interior of the weyr.  Beyond the immediate exterior weave an opaque mass of writhing magical energy prevented casual examination of the interior.  Judging by the operations active Phelan could deduce that there was a complex illusion set up to grant a highly realistic but nonetheless false image of the interior of the weyr from all above angles.  Doubtlessly the opaque wall itself was only the exterior cover of another layer of defenses.
  Whatever core there was to this spellwork it was probably heavily concealed and as such it would be a great enterprise to even begin unraveling this massive magical assembly.
  The door itself held a magical interface, as Phelan had suspected, related to the symbols outlined on the engraved diagram.  It would seem that some combination of touching the symbols would probably unlock doorway and allow access to the interior.  Though there was a continuous query to the walls surface.  Some contact the magic within was explicitly waiting for.
  Furthermore Phelan recognized the impressions of psychic forces throughout the spellwork.  He had limited knowledge of psychic powers but he could imagine there was another layer of psionics atop the great weave of magic he saw before him.

Jubei let out a snort, before he nodded slowly. "Yes... right. I ought temper my eagerness. Now that we have caught up with the expedition, there is no need to hasten things overly. I shall... medidate on this. Mayhaps I am granted some additional wisdom on... how to proceed."

With that he trudged away from the door and found himself a spot that was a bit more free of ice and snow. His heavy lower body came down as he shuffled himself into the semblance of a comfortable position.



13:15, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 22 using 1d20+5.
Religion: Divine visions of dire portent... or something.

Willa scrunched up her face as she tried to recall the unpleasant vision.

"Hmm.  Was black.  Black room.  Or void maybe?  With ball.  Blue ball in air.  Also brown.  And green.  And Yellow.  And Grey.  Blue brown green yellow grey ball. But mostly blue.  Also white cover ball.  But not all ball.  Some.  Like clouds?

"Under ball was...dunno...broken and orange...like tundra at sunset or rusty metal maybe?

"That's all see.  But was voice too.  Loud, like booming shout.  It say:" Willa took a deep breath and tried her best to impersonate it, volume and all, "Yawa Yats!"

17:39, Today: Willa rolled 13 using 1d20+11.  Bluff - MimiCRY!
This message was last edited by the player at 17:39, Thu 24 Nov 2016.