The cliffs faded away and dipped down to a wide grey sand beach, a deeply cut ravine gaped open and its edges gripped the sandy shore.

Large stones and earth had been piled up across the deep channel that cut the beach in two......though from the looks of things it had been a while since any real work was done on it and there were no boats afloat behind its dubious protection from the grey waves.  They sat, a dozen in all, dragged well up the beach almost to the scrubby gorse and samphire dotted cliffs.

A number of figures watched from the top of the breakwater and some of the companions tensed but the soon resolved into the forms of children waving.

" Hold oars! Stow and away! Ready to over!", Greylock boomed.

" You'll want to hold on."

As the men stowed their oars the ship was picked up onto the back of a dappled wave, Greylock swept the steering oar away and right and the end of the breakwater flashed past them an armspans away as the ship hurtled towards the beach.

The wave broke, Greylock thrust the steering oar away right once more and the ship came down on the sand with an audible thump before sliding effortlessly into the still, if more than a little fragrant, waters pooled before the river-mouth.

The crew cheered, Greylock wiped the sweat from his brow, " Tides a little further out than I realised.......that could have been embarrassing......"

The outer most men jumped overboard and began securing lines and heaving the ship over to a truly ancient looking wood and stone platform; beyond it steps lead upwards, carved into the face of the cliff.

" Welcome to Lacklaw!", he said as the children raced across the sand towards the ship.

Bael made his way to the beach, waving to the children, smiling.

"The children of Lacklaw!  A proper greeting for once!"

In reply to Bael Haywardson (msg # 2):

Kores slowly moves to the edge of the ship.  He glimpses at what is before him briefly before pulling his hood over his face.  In case of a sudden combat arising, he will remain near the back when they disembark.

Dann slowly disembarks, not knowing what to think of this sudden flock of children coming at him and his companions.

Yamousou stood up and waved at the approaching children. Younglings were strange creatures - some would welcome him with open arms, others would run from his strange looks and dark skin.

Rabbie's ears prick up when he hears the children. A ship! And not reavers (probably). Rabbie is almost as excited as the children. A ship means news, trade, visitors, and maybe even... something more exciting. Rabbie grabs his kit bag and races towards the cliff edge to see. He stands next to one of the boys at the top of the stairs and looks down to take in the scene. Definitely not reavers, it looks like one of the traders from Glissom City. Whats more interesting though are the passengers.

He ruffles the hair of the boy. "Have y'ever seen such a strange group? That one looks like his skin is burnt to a cinder, eh lad!"

Rabbie will wait at the top of the stairs to greet the strangers.

The children crowded around the Albishman,

" Yer a braa' gurt fella!"
" Aye, Wha Name ya ha?"
" Got anyting fer me?"
" Ware dra ye from?"



The children started moving towards Kores then stopped suddenly and quickly went back towards Bael.




One of the boys saw Dann and the Clansman could see the boy take in the plaid he wore, he ran up towards Dann and drew a fish knife from his belt, and put on his gravest face " Ye'll nae harm me ma, ya scunner guts.", he snarled.




When Yamousou appeared there was a sudden and utter silence.

The children stared with their mouths wide open, suddenly they started picking up pebbles from the ground and casting them towards him. He noted immediately that they weren't trying to hit him, rather the pebbles were purposefully dropping well short and the children all had the fingers on their left hands crossed.

Rabbie watched the children below with the strangers, then raised an eyebrow at the childrens behaviour towards the char-skinned man.

Yamousou raised an eyebrow. He had had stones hurled at him before, but last time they were intended to do him some damage. This seemed to be some local ritual to ward away evil spirits. He smiled, taking care not to expose his sharpened teeth, and held his palms open to show that he came in peace.

In reply to Yamousou (msg # 9):

Bael smiled at the children, and fairly sure he had understood them, said "My name is Bael!"

When he saw their reaction to Yamousou he quickly made his way over and put his hand on Yamousou's shoulder and smiled to the children - "And this is my friend Yamousou!  Can you say Yamousou?"

Rabbie hollered out as he started to descend the steps. "Stop with the stones, ye rascals!"

He spoke to Bael as he approached. "Bairns will be bairns. You've come a long way m'lord. Yer friend's come even longer. What brings you to Lacklaw?"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:01, Thu 14 Nov 2013.

The children stopped what they were doing at Rabbies call and ran away yelling and laughing towards the breakwall, happy to leave any possible ancient supernatural threats to be dealt with by an adult.

Dann stays impassible at first, then softly answers: "No, my friends and I did not come for that..." Looking at the boy's face, he feels compelled to add: "And I ususally don't harm women."

The back of his neck reddens.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:53, Thu 14 Nov 2013.

" Aye? Ye may pass.", the boy said gravely.  As he looked around he saw all his friends were gone and ran off across the sand after them.

Hugh nodded to Dann and jumped down off the boat.

In reply to GM (msg # 14):

Rabbie nods towards Dann and Hugh and continues talking to Bael.  "Yer House Carls might like to watch themselves here, we donnae see their type other than when they come a raiding."

He continues to watch Bael with a neutral expression.

"These two are good men, you can trust them," Bael said smiling as he gestured to Dann and Hugh.

"We've come to your town to speak to your elders or whoever might be the bearer of oldest knowledge here.  One of our group, Kores Varias, is something of a scholar and is trying to learn the ancient history of these lands."

He moves in closer to Rabbie and whispers "You might want to keep the children away from him though - he's a little bit...  ...  ugly... from a disaster with fire.  A little strange, but a good man."

*Cough!**Cough!**Cough!*

*Wheezes!*

*Cough!**Cough!**Cough!*

*Spits*





*Chokes*
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:01, Fri 15 Nov 2013.

Rabbie recoils a little from Kores.  "You'd better speak to Lord Hulmer.  Come."

Yamousou nodded towards Rabbie. "Please, take us to him."

As the proceeded he couldn't help flash a smile at the children, revealing his sharpened teeth.

Dann follows the flow, a little ashamed to rely on Bael to give him a good name, but at the same time remembering the villages he plundered with his clan too many times.

He starts to grin at the kids, though, engaging with them and playing small games.

Rabbie lead the companions up the carved steps as Greylock and his crew tied up and prepared the ship to take on cargo and offload the wares they had brought in trade from Glissom City.

Heavily cloaked and shrouded figures began to descend the stairs to assist with the offloading.

As they topped the rise they spotted a number of structures beside the river before it disappeared down into the gorge and the tidal lake below.

http://ancientweb.org/images/e...n_Viking_Village.jpg

"How has the village been fairing?  Is Lord Hulmer in good cheer?" Bael quizzed Rabbie in hopes of being prepared in case they were about to meet a tyrant.

In reply to Bael Haywardson (msg # 22):

Clutches staff with remaining 3 digits of right hand...

*Coughs*
*Splutters*

Bloody phlegm lands on some grass and he spits....

Kores looked about the village and saw little sign of centres of learning or ancient monoliths, simply ignorant peasants and their rude dwellings.

Though he noted few of them seemed overly affected by his appearance, undoubtedly these folk had seen many worse things in their rough lives...

"Alright, big man."  Rabbie nods to one of the men as they pass.



Rabbie talks as he walks, leading the others towards Lord Hulmer's 'manor'.

"Aye, Lord Hulmer's no a bad sort.  Looks after his own.  And there's no been too many raiders this season.  Most exciting thing happened lately in these parts was when Prince Doron and his men came treasure hunting."  Rabbie grins.  "Gave Lord Hulmer a mighty headache that did!" 



"The dogs'll be happy wi' that!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:22, Tue 19 Nov 2013.

In reply to Rabbie Brein (msg # 25):

Rabbie lead them through the village and up the slight rise on which squatted the Barons residence.

The turf covered stone and wooden building was surrounded by ancient earthworks of concentric rings. Someone had haphazardly placed pallisades about them.

http://jakeposluszny.files.wor...viking_longhouse.jpg

In Baels estimation it would halt a dedicated attacking force for a few brief moments.

Two figures stood at the entrance of the hall, one was a very elderly man who leant on the spear he held as much for support as anything. The other was a young woman dressed in a grey woolen shift and an old breastplate, once formed of corroded bronze but now mostly composed of leather strapping.

A series of bloodied plaid strips were tied to the haft of her spear.

" Who've you got there Rabbie?", she called.

She nudged the man next to her who seemed to suddenly start awake.

" What? Niave! Wha'yer? Oh, whose this then?"

" Rabbies brought some guests, Kerry."
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:48, Tue 19 Nov 2013.

Bael moved forward to shake the hands of first the young woman and then the old man before returning his gaze to the young warrior woman and bowing his head.

"I am Bael, and my friends and I have come to chat with Lord Hulmer.  My companion, Kores, is keen to speak to him about some of the treasures Prince Doron may have recently looted from the area."

Bael was careful not to indicate which of his party was Kores for fear of bringing the young woman's attention to his deformities.

In reply to Bael Haywardson (msg # 27):

Rabbie winks at Niave. "Yer no blushing are ya, lass?"

Niave took the offered hand after a small hesitation.

" Aye. Niave and Kerry, the Baron is inside."

She furrowed her brow when he bowed his head but returned the gesture.



" You'll keep, Rabbie.", she scowled then winked at him.

" More treasure hunters, will they be sowing as many fields as the last lot?"

Rabbie chuckles.  He looks at the companions and shrugs his shoulders.

Bael blushed and kept his gaze low.

The companions were ushered through into a low ceilinged space hung about with furs and warmed by a pit fire, whose smoke seemed reluctant to exit.

Blinking in the smokey air they spied a man lounging on a large stool, he scratched the head of a large hound curled at his feet and looked somewhat startled at the large number of armed and armoured men entering his dwelling.

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com...artner=allmovie_soap

As he stood to his feet suddenly,and somewhat clumsily favouring one leg, the companions noted a large number of other figures staring at them from the shadows around the walls. as their eyes adjusted they noted they were mostly children and a number of women of various ages.

" Welcome, Milords!"

" How can an old man be of service today?"

They noted he did not appear to be very aged, but the lines on his face told of worries piled over the years.

In reply to GM (msg # 32):

Rabbie moved to the side and stood slightly in the shadows with his arms crossed, watching the newcomers.

Dann moves to the side as well, leaving the front row to his companions and trying to fade in the background.

Bael nodded his head to the Baron, feeling that bowing would probably be too obsequious for a man of the people.

"Lord Hulmer, we've come to Lacklaw in search of history.  We've heard that Prince Doron came through here recently and visited some nearby sites.  I have also heard that he and his men caused troubles for your people - we have no desire to cause trouble, but we *would* like to see where they visited in their... looting.  Is there anyone here who can help us?"

" Aye, thats all well and good. But I'd like tae know who I'm speaking with.  You know my name but I'm nonet'wiser to yers."

" Aye, there are folks who can take ye there, once I tell them where. That sneaksome wretch at the back there....I see ye Rabbie!!", he chuckled.

"Forgive me, my name is Bael Haywardson.  I'm a traveller with the scholar Kores Varias who is studying the ancient histories of these lands.  Our party of travellers came in with Greylock just now.  I can vouch for my friends that we are all good men."

"We have met your Rabbie," Bael said, turning and nodding to Rabbie.

*Lifts a few fingers on his right hand as a gesture of greeting*

Rabbie scowls at his lord's unkind words, even if they may have been spoken in jest.



Rabbie takes a step forward.  "Aye, I can lead you through the wilds if milord tells me where the Prince and his band went."

" Greetings, Bael Haywardson. Welcome to the House of Hulmer. No doubt not as grand as your own."

" Greetings, Kores Varias. We have healers here who may be able to ease your pains.  We have some experience with the ravages of fire."

" Bael, who are the others here.  No need to be shy lads!", he said peering into the darkness.

He nodded to Rabbie and smiled wryly.

In reply to GM (msg # 40):

*Wipes side of chin*

"Most of us are travellers, not from this area, though Finan is from these northern reaches like yourself.  He is another scholar, like Kores, which is why they require the safety of travelling with fellows such as myself, and my three other companions - Dann, Hugh and Yamousou.  Finan may be of the north, but Yamousou is from far to the south - the wild jungles of Mungoda.  Totally safe though compared to what I expected."

Looking around him, Bael turned back to Hulmer with a smile and said "And your house is indeed grander than mine my lord, as you have a loving family surrounding you."

Rabbie squints at Bael, not sure if he is taking the piss.

Yamousou stepped forward as Bael mentioned his name. He offered a polite bow, showing respect to the local lord. "My lord, I am but a humble traveller, keen to see the many delights your land has to offer. I seek knowledge and memories to take back to my people when the time comes."

Dann feels compelled to present himself as well when his named is pronounced. He moves forward, bends ever so slightly and mumbles: "I am honored to be your guest". His attempt as a smile is pathetic at best.

" Flattery will get you everything........not that I have a great deal to give."

" Though....if your family is as noble as your words...", he looked around the room squinting into the shadows. " Have you given thought to marriage, Sir Haywardson?"

" Well, today is a day isn't it?", Baron Hulmer chuckled. " I never thought I'd live to see the like....and as silver tongued as the scion of House Haywardson."

" We've few delights to offer......though the cider and porks not bad.  I daresay with those looks there'll be some lasses among the holders with a mind to enquiring if your skin is the only difference about you....perhaps that will count as delights?", he chuckled.

" Knowledge and memories....aye, both those we are long on I think."

" I see you borderer. And your friend there. And I don't know your face, so you've naught to fear here."

" Well, if guests it is to be then we should make a meal of it!"

" We'll entertain you and Greylocks men this evening on the green....well, brown...until then take your ease in Lacklaw and I'll do my best to grant you favour."

Bael smiled and shrugged his shoulders, "I am somewhat... estranged... from my family, they are not as noble as I once thought.  I bring only myself to my future wife.  Never found one who could tolerate me yet," he laughed, relieved to see that their welcome to Lacklaw seemed to be going very well indeed.

The Baron is amicable manners make Dann feel a bit relieved. His smile becomes a lot more genuine, and he starts to look at the place and the local people with a different eye. He has a short exchange of looks with Hugh, to check how he feels about the whole situation.

Hugh is slightly more nervous than Dann having been reaving much more recently but he soon relaxes somewhat.

In reply to GM (msg # 51):

The market looks like a great place to be in, if its deserted.

Free to roam the village and surrounds the companions found themselves in relaxed surrounds.

Some of their earlier fears about the town were found to be groundless and they were greeted by smiles and pleasantries as the walked. Though the observant among them noted a distinct aura of wariness among the older villagers especially in regards to Dann, Hugh and even Bael.

What wariness may have existed regarding Yamousou was more than replaced by curiousity once they were assured he was not actually some kind of diminutive Fomóraiġ. The children were especially wary of him but some of the older girls and young women began to make a game out of daring each other to touch his dark skin.

Bael was trailed at a not particulary discrete distance by a number of young strongly built women that he recognised from Baron Hulmers hall.

Finan and Kores found themselves in the deserted marketplace being regarded by a number of quite elderly men and women with dubious expressions.

Father Jeffries chose to remain in the Barons hall, the constant chill sea wind proving a little too cold for his bones.

Rabbie tried enquiring of the Baron as to where he was to guide the strangers but was waved off, " It can wait!".

He stood outside the hall watching the groups movements.

Bael smiled awkwardly at the women, scanning to see if Niave was among them.  He hadn't met many warrior women and the concept struck him as curious.

Seeing that Kores and Finan seemed to be off for the empty marketplace, he decided to head to the distillery.  There might be time for a drink or two before heading off into the wilderness...

Rabbie will keep a careful eye on Dann and Hugh, still wary of the borderers.

When he is satisfied that they aren't being menacing he will check over his equipment, making sure everything is in order for a trek into the wilds.

Looking around the village, Dann spots the distillery and asks Hugh: "Since we are not here to rieve, why not check if these people have something decent to drink?"

 Bael did not spot Niave among the group and he soon wandered off towards the distillery.

The distillery building was a solid-looking timber and stone structure and as Bael approached it he saw Hugh and Dann doing likewise from the opposite direction.

As the two Borderers approached Baels gaggle of admirers melted away and the three of them found themselves standing alone outside the heavy oak door.

Bael knocks at the door, secretly a little happy that he had lost the gaggle of female followers.

Dann looks at the women going away from Bael, shrugs and waits for the door to open.

In reply to Dann of Clan Valin (msg # 59):

Kores rasps a few jokes at Finans expense, about his facial expression when he's going down, the high pitched cries for help, and when Finan retaliates about talks about Kores's condition he sniggers a few crude insults....

"A graveyard would be more interesting...  Maybe we can find more buried demons from other realms..."

The relative peace and quiet was great, but even for Kores the cold is biting hard...

*Heads to Barons hall*

The door opened a crack and an old woman, a very old woman, peered out, " Yes? Come to steal a wee drop of Morries gold have we?  Or are you three here to steal my virtue?"

Looking past her they saw a number of piles of casks and clay flasks surrounding a well used press.

http://www.merciatouristboard....irst_cider_press.jpg
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:23, Thu 05 Dec 2013.

"If we could purchase a few flasks of your brews that would make us very happy," Bael said, confused as to whether the latter part of her comment was some sort of local humour.

"It's always nice to sample the local drop when travelling."

"It seems that you made an impression on the other girls in the village, virtue or not!" says Dann with a laugh, while approaching to have a look at the house.

" Yes, because that worked out so well last time."

He flicked his eyes towards the Barons hall as he followed Kores, " Your thinking to ask him to reveal his secrets early?"

The group of old folk watched them go, chuckling to themselves.

In reply to Finan McRoach (msg # 64):

"No, its this damned biting cold!!!"

She hustled the three men inside, " So. Yer here. I've whiskey from Stonehead Holding, me own scrumpy and cider and some of old Fleichans rot gut."

" What are you looking to trade?"

Warmed by the inner fires of Brigantia Finan crooked an eyebrow, " Is it cold?"

The two of them walked back towards the hall and were waved inside by two young boys barely into their beards, apparently the next shift of guardsmen.

As they entered they saw Baron Hulmer crawling around on the floor growling loudly at a small child that was giggling delightedly. As he saw them he got to his feet.

" Ah, how can I help ye?"

In reply to GM (msg # 67):

"....Baron....  I thought Father Jefferies was here.  He was trying to avoid this northern climate.  I would like to minimize my exposure to the elements too."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:44, Sun 08 Dec 2013.

" He is.", Hulmer pointed over towards the far end of the building where Kores could make out the old Priest reading from his holy book to a wide-eyed group of children.

The priests words reached Kores as he listened, " "But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. 'Come,' she said, 'I will show you the man you're looking for.' So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple -- dead."

In reply to GM (msg # 69):

A ???Grin appears on Kores's face as he walks up to Father Jefferies.  Cracks in his dried skin form and blood oozes down his chin....



"...Staking through the head.  Not something to do when you play children.  See me?  I played with fire...."



Assuming the kids respond in some way, Kores will ask the Preist whether he has learned anything whilst Kores was away....
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:45, Sun 08 Dec 2013.

Rabbie is satisfied that he is fully supplied.

As he looks up he sees Bael, Dann and Hugh enter the Distillery and Finan and Kores head back into the hall.

The children stare at Kores but only among the youngest is there any sign of fear.

One of the young girls pulled up her tunic to reveal a massed whorl of scarring covering a fair amount of her torso. " I got pushed in one!"

At Kores question Father Jeffries looked up a little shamefacedly, " Ah......no, sorry I got...distracted."

In reply to GM (msg # 71):

Assuming (probably incorrectly) that Kores and Finan could cause little harm, Rabbie follows Bael, Dann and Hugh to the Distillery.  Besides, it's always a good time for a wee dram or two.

"I can recommend the whiskey, it's so peaty you can almost pick it from between yer teeth."

In reply to Rabbie Brein (msg # 73):

OOC: Is that all scar tissue?  Can it be treated?
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:05, Tue 10 Dec 2013.

OOC: Its an old wound, as healed as it will get. Well, at your current Rank anyway.

In reply to GM (msg # 75):

"Pushed in? You really need to be careful when you play around fire..."

" Was Reavers, Sir.", she firmly corrected him. " Was you Reavers too?"

"I could have some of that I'm sure!  Do you accept florins?" he asked the old lady, suddenly wondering whether coins were a dead currency this far away from the cities.

"No, I was trying to save some people from fire, and some people didn't like what I did."

"Maybe one day you can play with fire...  it is not to be feared, no better than knife...  You just need to avoid cutting yourself"


*Wipes saliva from side of face*

The old woman grinned, " Not a lot of use to me out here...what else you got?"

Dann scratches his head, figuring that he does not have many items to trade. "What about a flask of oil?" he tries.

" Aye, that'll do nicely.", she unstoppered it and sniffed. " Sweet......well, sweeter than seal oil."

" That'll cover two drams each, Goodmen."

Yamousou decided that when in Selentium it was best to do as the Selentines, he joined in the games and was soon lost in a haze of giggles and teasing eyes.  Eventually the younger girls tired of the game and he was led away and into a small freestanding farmhouse by a young woman pale as the driven snow with sable hair.

He was not seen for the rest of the day.

Finan watched Kores and the child and listened bemusedly to the foreign priest tell his tales.

" What do you hope to find out on the fens, Kores?"

In reply to Finan McRoach (msg # 84):

"Things...  things that were not created by men.  Unearthly creatures who exist in parallel dimensions that descend to our world.  Vast constructs, and evidence of civilizations, prehistoric to men.

I just know....  They are out there...."
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:36, Sat 14 Dec 2013.

" They may well be, Glissom is an ancient land and tales tell that it was not always the domain of men."

"Alright then, it's a deal!" answers Dann with a smile.

In reply to Dann of Clan Valin (msg # 87):

Rabbie eyes the whiskey.

"I havnae got ocht, I can bring ye a bonie hare next time I catch some on the moors."

" Yon Borderer is shouting, special deal on account of we dannae get much in the way of toffs visiting often.", the old woman cackled and winked at Bael.

She poured out the drafts for the four men.

" May the Flame never dwindle.", she intoned as she raised her own cup.

"To this fine town!" Bael exclaimed, smiling broadly as he lifted his cup and drank.

"So tell me about this Prince who visited recently.  He sounds like a right prick."

He hoped that his language seemed coarse enough to be appropriate.

" Prince Doron? Nay, he's a good lad.....jes' too quick to think with his crotch and too drunk tae give thought to consequences."

" But he gave a good portion o' the gold he got to the people......though Brigantia knows what he thought we were going to do with it up here.  He's not big on the thinking, but he'll make a good king one day.  Once his wildings behind him."

Embarassed at completely misreading the situation in regards to the Prince, Bael took another drink.

The old woman winked at him, " Some of his men....had a certain prickish quality."

"Some of his men?" repeats Dann as if expecting the end of the story, before taking a sip of his drink.

" Aye, dannae where he picked 'em up. A few Mercanian lads, some Rea...Borderers and a few southern boys.  Most of them too full of piss and vinegar, though a few seemed fresh off the farm with barely fluff upon their chins, but they could handle a blade and lift heavy things and thats all they were needed for he said."

" A few of them got into the tithe shipment of cider and there were some tussles and a few of our folk got hurt.  But nothing like what we've been through before......its probably with the Prince left so much of the gold.  Bit of shame burning on his cheeks, methinks."

Bael flexed his jaw muscles in hope that it would close his ears as to further details.

The four men and the old woman chatted for some time, indeed until the sun began to set.  At which point she pointed at four of the barrels, " We'll be needing those. Put yer arms to work lads. This way."

In the intervening hours they had discovered a number of things:

- Branburns sow had given birth to a huge litter, one of them had six legs.
- Carrie, Lamnas daughter, has been spending a lot of time with the Stonehead boy.
- Old Ragger has been fishing off the cape lately, never comes back with a catch though.
- Theres an old burial mound to the north about a half-days walk.
- Dorons men said something about following the white path.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:49, Thu 19 Dec 2013.

The two men spent their time talking to Baron Hulmer or his family members and listening to Father Jeffries read passages from his holy book.  In exchange the children told Father Jeffries some of their own tales; The Old Goat and the Fire Girl, The Giant who ate the Sun, The Frozen Swan, The Lying Boy and the Glass Tower, The Bronze Men. A number of them made the good Father more than a little uncomfortable.

Baron Hulmer chuckled to himself, " Its time to eat.  I'll give you what you want when we get there.  Thankyou for humouring me. You've been very understanding."

Rabbie hefts a barrel onto his shoulder and staggers a little under its weight (or is it the whiskey?).  "Alright, lead on."

Rabbie thinks about if he knows any more about the things discussed, especially if he knows anything that might be the white path.

22:24, Today: Rabbie Brein rolled 13 using 1d20. Local knowledge?

OOC: Rabbie has been to the old burial mound before, it sits just off the main path to the puffin rookeries.

The white path......could be an old trail cut into the chalk.....there are a few of them scattered about.

The villagers had dragged a great black cauldron out onto the green and piled under it an enormous pile of wood and dried seaweed which burned fiercely.

Flatbreads and dried seaweeds were piled on top of the flat stones that littered the green.

Others brought piles of dried berries and salt cod and shaved white roots of some sort.

A great scent of cooking cabbage and pork drifted from the cauldron which was stirred by a large matronly woman.

Other wooden platters of salted pork and dried lamb sat besides the others.

The Baron and his offspring moved down from the hall trailing Finan, Kores and Father Jeffries.

Yamousou emerged from one of the larger dwellings looking slightly out of breath.

Rabbie lead the others down from the distillery with their burdens.

Baron Hulmer called out to the others, " Welcome! My dear folk and our visitors from afar!"

" In the name of the Lady of the Flame I bid you welcome!".

" Please feast and drink!"

" Now is the time for your questions.", he said quietly to the companions.

In reply to GM (msg # 101):

"We...  are curious about...  ...stories from the past.  It is known that the Selentine came and shared their knowledge and wisdom...  But I have seen evidence that even before their arrival there are indications that greater, past civilizations existed."

*Wipes saliva from side of face*


"The Selentine built their roads, their aqueducts, diverted rivers and smoothed surfaces, but they did all that with the work of men.  I have heard of structures that exist, that would unlikely be made by man.  Have you heard of the Key of Solomon?"

"Perhaps some of the older generation may still remember stories of the past?  Things that indicated a greater age?"

In reply to GM (msg # 101):

Rabbie sets the barrel down and cracks it open.  "First things first."  He grabs some cups, fills them from the barrel and passes them around to Bael, Dann and Hugh.

Rabbie lifts his cup.  "To the Baron."

"To the Baron!" repeats Dann with a smile, before drinking at his cup.

In reply to Dann of Clan Valin (msg # 104):

Tries to swallow what he can before most of it comes out the side of his face....

The Baron is about to reply when Rabbie sets off a great round of cries from the villagers.....






" And to the People of Lacklaw!", the Baron bellowed in return.

After the cheers had died down he turned to the companions.

" The Key of Sulamen?  No I have not heard of such a thing."

" But, though your words are somewhat strange, there are traces of older occupancy here......and further north.  Perhaps you seek the Seat of Braoch?"

" But there is nothing so grand here. If your after the place that Prince Doron looted then you'll find it out past the old granary.  Rabbie, you know the place? From there there is an old chalk path towards the flint quarries, well, whats left of them."

" Once your about a quarter days walk out you'll see some trees atop a barr, a hill, topped by pile of fallen black stone. There is an entry there, it was filled but my guess is our Prince has left it excavated."

" You'll find what your after.  Try not to rile up the Hidden Folk while your there."

He raised his mug high, " To our brave visitors!"

He was answered by another chorus of throaty cheers.

In reply to GM (msg # 106):

Kores remains deep in thought, quiet.  He will of course try not to waste any drink, but he's inclined to keep his mind clear while he anticipates where they could go next.

He's inclined to take the mans suggestions, once we get over the immediate customs....

Bael raised his mug again and drank before a thought occurred to him - "Who are these 'Hidden Folk'?" he asked the Baron.

" The fae-folk.", the Baron said conspiratorially.

" Though I've not seen them myself, they are said to dance around the hill when the moon is new."

" It is an old story......but I'd rather not risk their displeasure."

"Have you heard of that before?" asks Dann discreetly to Hugh.

"And who was this Braoch?  Is that one of these Hidden Folk?" Bael asked, hoping instead that it was some long dead king rather than some troublesome land spirit.

" Fae folk? Aye, and so have you lad.  You've been in the city too long.", Hugh chuckled.

The Barons face grew grave, " Braoch is a name we give to he whose name should not be spoken. Those further north name him Gulro. He is said to sleep forever within the city of Nem, and he can damn well stay there."

" You'll find nothing so terrible this far south."

"Of course I have heard of Fae Folk!" answers Dann impatiently. "But I did not know they were present in these parts..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:05, Thu 16 Jan 2014.

Hugh shook his head, " Did ye think they were only in the tales of Reaver Clans? Nay, theres Good Folk all through Glissom.  And beyond it seems."

" Though its hard to find folk who've seen them with their own eyes.", he grinned.

*Raises one intact eyebrow*

"Nem.  Now that is interesting...  Is that place far?"

The entire village turned to look at Kores as if he had grown another head.

" Ay, its far. Thank the Lady. None now living know where that fell place lies. Somewhere above the Bracks or the Pagans."

The entire village turned to look at Kores as if he had grown another head.

" Ay, its far. Thank the Lady. None now living know where that fell place lies. Somewhere above the Bracks or the Pagans."

In reply to GM (msg # 118):

"Then...  Perhaps one should not ask the living then..."


Kores is interested in learning about settlements near the Bracks or Pagan mountains ....

Kores words seem to be having a somewhat chilling effect on the festive spirit and the villagers on the outskirts of the feast begin to drift away.  There are muttered words and various witch-signs made by the older members of the village.

The Baron called Bael over to his side, " I think perhaps leaving early in the morning would be wise.", he said sadly.

Dann casts a severe look at Kores before stepping closer to him. He whispers to his ear, with a gruff tone: "You certainly did not choose the best time to ask these questions. And what exactly are you looking for, after all? Are you planning to meet one of these dread creatures again?"

In reply to Dann of Clan Valin (msg # 121):

Kores takes pleasure in the discomfort and social embarrassment.  With a grin and saliva drooling down the side of his face he whispers...



"....They say men are mere pawns...  But men can be so much more.  There is much to the world and much to gain.  Death is no end to ones existence...  Those who are fortunate can rest...  ...For some of us the thirst for knowledge persists beyond..."

Bael nodded, understanding that his friend had darkened the room considerably.  "Forgive him - of all the books he's read, it seems none have covered social graces."

He moved over to Kores and tried to kindly suggest that it might be time to turn in.

In reply to Bael Haywardson (msg # 123):

Kores retires to ponder what lies ahead....

"... much to gain? Like a half burned face and a binding curse with a demon?" says Dann to Hugh, incredulous.

Rabbie sits in the flickering firelight, his face mostly concealed in shadows and watches the exchange between Dann and Kores.  His eyes narrow when the conversation turns to the city of Nim.

"I dare say the hidden folk would have ye before ye even got to old Nim."  He sips his drink.  "But I can take ye tae the chalk path and the black stones safe enough."

"We'd best leave early if you want plenty of time tae explore in the daylight."

Finan nodded, the Barons words about the ancient city and Gulro were not news to him.

He shook his head as Kores spoke but he was not surprised by the mad mans fixation.

The villagers drifted away and the Baron and his family went back to the hall. The companions were led to a larger building where fresh straw had been laid on the floor and there were even two pallets against the far wall.

They settled in for the night.

................

Rabbie roused them before dawn.

Hugh sprang to his feet, donned his armour and weapons and stood tapping his foot impatiently at the door.

Dann follows the example of his kin mate, although with slightly less enthusiasm. He is happy to be on the move again though, for staying in this place -- however nice it may be -- was not on his plans.

Bael got himself together quickly and then helped make sure Kores was ready to go in hopes that he could intercept any further misunderstandings between the wizard and the people of Lacklaw.

There were few to see them off that morning, though Yamousou did receive a friendly wave from a doorway as they departed.

Their path took them out of the settlement along a rough track, they passed a tumbledown thatch and wood building that Rabbie identified as the old granary.

After a little searching their guide located the old chalk path cut into the sod and led them out towards their goal.

As they moved through the scrubby trees they saw groups of pigs grubbing about the tree roots and undergrowth and they were thankful that the chill wind of the coast had faded.

After sometime they saw hills ahead with great clefts carved into them, suddenly they were called to a halt. Some distance away an armoured man lay slumped against a pile of broken slate at the quarries entrance.

In reply to GM (msg # 131):

Rabbie puts a finger to his lips and holds up his hand to stop the others.  He puts an arrow to his bow and scans the area for signs of movement or danger.

If there is no danger he will quietly move through the scrub, approaching the man from  a flanking position.

OOC: Does the man appear alive?  Does he look familiar?

As Rabbie moved forward he noted that the man was very much not alive, and as he approached to within 30m of the body his memory told him who the man was.

One of Prince Dorons party, though the tale told in the village had been that the man had fallen down one of the deep gullies and his body had not been retrievable. The good Prince had obviously not told the truth to his hosts.

The weather has not been kind to the man and foxes and badgers seem to have carried away a fair part of him. He is clad in a rather patched and rough suit of maille and there is a round headed mace across his chest.

Rabbie shakes his head, disgusted by the way Prince Doron left one of his men.

When he is sure there is no danger he will wave the others forwards, and approach closer to the body and try to determine how he was killed.

"Is there much in the way of dangerous wild animals out this way?" Bael asked Rabbie as he readied his weapon and trod carefully but surely towards the body with him.

"We are not going to leave this body like that, are we?" asks Dann, a bit disgusted by the sight.

In reply to Dann of Clan Valin (msg # 136):

Kores clutches his face.  The cold weather and his partially exposed teeth are not helping....

"I'm sure if I wanted to rot I'd prefer to do that with a little more privacy..."

OOC: The body is covered in dozens of small ragged puncture wounds.....whether these are the cause of death or not is difficult to determine with the advanced decomposition.

In reply to GM (msg # 138):

"Aye, we should take care of the body. Donnae want to leave it oot for the wild Haggits that roams these parts. Great hairy things with razor sharp claws." Rabbie looks sideways at Bael then winks at Dann. "Make good eating though."

He kneels before the body. "But I donnae ken what made these wounds."

Rabbie will look around for any recent tracks.

Dann simply starts digging where it is the most convenient, hoping for someone (particularly Hugh) to help him.

Bael found himself staring at the body, wondering if the wounds were penetrating wounds or some sort of burrowing creature.  He knew that corpses could be riddled with sickness and didn't want to be handling a body this messed up.

In reply to Bael Haywardson (msg # 141):

Kores keeps his distance...

"....and it is simply RUDE to make a SMELL like that...  I'd prefer to do that in the privacy of a hole or buried at sea...."

There are no signs of tracks nearby other than those of small mammals, Hugh and Dann scrape out a shallow grave in the topsoil before they hit the chalk, they then piled stones and dirt on top of the unknown warrior.

Father Jeffries moved forward and said a few words at the graveside.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:17, Sun 26 Jan 2014.

Finan paused over the grave and said a few words over it.

" We should move on before we lose too much of the day."

"Aye, there's nout more we can do here.  Just be on guard, we dannae ken what killed that man."

When the others are ready Rabbie will lead them into the quarry, looking out for the  barr topped by pile of fallen black stone.

Rabbie lead the group through the quarry and up into the low hills and grassy fens, after a great deal of tramping through the thick tussocks.

The chalk path petered out completely as they came out of a small copse of pines and saw the barr.

The hill was almost completely round and was crested by what had once been a basalt henge, though the stones had long since fallen.

The side of the hill had been excavated some time ago a pile of broken stone and discarded earth lay against it. A small cavity almost filled with tumbled earth at its base.

"Looks like we're here and looks like we've got some digging to do boys," Bael said, patting Dann on the shoulder as he walked over to the cavity to investigate.

Kores goes up the hill to check this out.


OOC: Won't take too long will it?
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:26, Fri 31 Jan 2014.

Kores made his way up the small hill to the top, there had originally been eight large stones about mansized set into the hill in a circle.  They had all fallen akimbo and lay atop each other in a great pile. They were unmarked and seemed unremarkable to Kores eye.

The hole had been dug months previously but the diggers had not made any attempt to brace it.

It would be an hour or two of work to excavate it again.

In reply to GM (msg # 150):

"I'll have a wee look around, make sure your man doesnae get into trouble." Rabbie follows Kores up the hill, keeping an eye out for signs of danger, and other signs of Prince Doron's expedition.

Bael makes a start at opening it up again.  "C'mon lads, put your backs into it," he says to everyone but Kores and Finan.

In reply to Bael Haywardson (msg # 152):

OCC - I'm sure the view must be good up there.

Any landmarks?  Any indication the weather is going to turn nasty?  Disturbed birds in the distance?  Windy day?

"If you give a hand, that will be even quicker." says Dann bluntly. This is addressed to everybody, and to Bael in particular.

In reply to Dann of Clan Valin (msg # 154):

OCC - Must be a bit windy up here.  I doubt Kores can hear anything....

In reply to Kores Varias (msg # 155):

If Rabbie doesn't notice anything of interest he will head back and help clear the entrance.

OOC: There are few landmarks; some more low hills, mountains in the far distance lots of trees and rocks.
A few birds sing in the trees, deer graze in a meadow a kilometre or so away, there is little wind.

With everyone ( except Kores) lending a hand the entrance is cleared away in just over an hour leaving a deep cleft leading down into the earth.

Finan considered the situation, " Who will lead?"

" We will need light."

OOC - how big is this tunnel?  Big enough for Bael to walk into with shield and morningstar?  Two man across?  and I'm guessing it's pitch black in there.

OOC: Single file. Head height for most of the group, some will need to crouch slightly.

And very dark.

Rabbie wipes the sweat from his brow then peers into the hole.  He sniffs the air.

"Are you all going in there?"  Rabbie looks around at Kores and Father Jeffries.  "It might be hard going."

"Is it the kind of place where we meet some of your demon friends?" asks Dann ironically to Kores.

Father Jeffries nodded at Rabbies words, " Yes. Well I think I'll remain here and see that no one cuts you off from the rear.", he said unconvincingly.

In reply to GM (msg # 164):

Kores moved his arm and whispered and a gentle blue light illuminated the entrance.


OOC:

*MOONGLOW*

Same routine as the last time we discovered the last demon.  All the redshirts in the front, science officer will focus on illumination and making stupid comments about any alien structures we discover....
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:14, Tue 04 Feb 2014.

As Kores casts his spell, Bael nods his head at him and prepares his morningstar and shield and starts to walk into the entranceway.

"Slowly and quietly if we can," he says over his shoulder.

Bael began to lead the way downstairs, he noted that some metres in the earth floor became stone stairs and the tunnel became much taller and slightly wider as stone walls replaced earth.

The steps were very steep and progress was slow as the other filed in behind.

Touching the stone walls, Bael wondered aloud, "How old might this be?  Did they ever think it would last this long?"

Still remembering what happened last time he was underground, Dann follows a few steps behind Bael, and takes all precautions to be discreet.

In reply to Dann of Clan Valin (msg # 169):

Kores examines the walls, the height of the tunnel way...  Perhaps this would give a clue as to the proportions of those who constructed this place?  Anything distinct about how this place was created?  Did they create channels for drainage?  Perhaps things like that would indicate the level of expertise they had in tunneling?

The stone stairway they descended was the width of a large mans shoulders plus another foot or so, and had risen to two and a half metres in height. The walls were carved into the chalk bedrock but the stairs themselves were grey granite brought from elsewhere. Water had made its way in from the dig-site but there was little moisture that wasn't quickly wicked away by the chalk.

There were marks of soot from torches and mud tracked in from outside on the stairs and similar muddy bootprints marred the white floor of the first chamber they entered.

A series of niches carved into the walls had once held the bones of men but they had been thrown out from there and lay scattered and dusty upon the floor.

A great flint door had stood blocking the way into the next chamber but it now lay in small fragments on the ground.

Rabbie gets over his initial surprise to the soft light invoked by Kores and follows the others into the chamber.

"It's old, that's for sure" he whispers.

Given the ample room in the tunnel and chamber Rabbie will have his bow ready.  He will check the footprints, trying to determine how long ago they were made (are they from Doron's group?) and if it looks like they left in a hurry.

He will also examine the bones to confirm they are indeed human bones.

OOC:
Track.
- The bootprints are very similar to those that would have been made by Dorons men.
- Their entry and exit appears to have been orderly....though it would have been easier to tell when the prints were fresh.
- The bones are indeed human and there are marks on some of them that indicate that small items have been removed from the bones. Likely metal anklets, bracelets and rings.

In reply to GM (msg # 173):

Rabbie stands up after crouching to inspect the bones.  "Looks like this place was looted long ago."

"Agreed. I wonder how these men died though..." answers Dann, perplexed.

Dann bends down and inspects the dusty bones, there is a strange deep horizontal score mark in the front of each ones third neck vertebrae.

In reply to GM (msg # 176):

Kores looks at the bones rather disappointedly...

"I had hoped that they may have chosen those with genetic aberrations, deformities and other special traits....  Seems they just selected healthy individuals.  What a waste, to send prime specimens to sacrifice.  You'd wonder whether their later generations would have kept their flaws and personal secrets alive amongst their descendants...."


Kores looks for anything resembling inbredness, joint fingers, distorted skulls and other deformations....

Finan examined the dead, "Ritually killed to act as an honour guard for their chieftain."

" Prince Doron made a mess.....", he said disapprovingly.

Yamousou grinned, " This is not so different from home."

" Except the dead chieftains tombs are quite a bit larger....."

"You'll have tae go further into the hills for that -  some of the old clans are quite... close."  Rabbie winks at Kores.

"Lead on Sir Bael, let's see wha' else Doron desecrated."  Rabbie peers through the flint door.

Bael moved towards the remains of the flint door, careful not to upset anything unneccessarily - most of the time the dead was dead but in places such as this his experience was that disrespect usually means a visit from folks who should be well and truly asleep.

Feeling more and more uncomfortable, Dann stays a good distance behind Bael, and brings his sword out.

The companions moved through the shattered door and into a larger chamber lined with shale walls.

The centre of the room was dominated by a large stone box, it had ones been closed with a heavy stone lid but that now lay on the chalk floor beside it.

A dry and dusty skeleton lay over the edge of the box many of its bones fallen to the floor. Lighter patches on the wall showed where objects had been removed from where they hung on stony protrusions.

In reply to GM (msg # 183):

"This must have been one of the nobility."

Kores goes over to check for signs of writings or carvings that might depict this guys story....
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:23, Wed 12 Feb 2014.

Not liking how unceremoniously this tomb has been stripped, Bael avoids getting too close to the stone coffin but watches Kores protectively with his weapon at the ready.

"I surely hope these people have travelled far into the heavens and can't see what Doron and his men have done here."

"Maybe they already did... and maybe they already acted about it..." answers Dann absently. His weapon still drawn he moves closer to the stone box, his curiosity and borderer impatience taking the better on his better judgement.

In reply to Dann of Clan Valin (msg # 186):

Tracing lines in the stone Kores whispers aloud...

"...they say...  once one leaves the body, one loses all desire for earthly things...  ...unless the person died with some unfinished business, motivated by hatred or a desire for revenge, then their earthly stay could be for....


....millennia...."

Kores finds little in the way of decoration on the tomb walls, the objects missing do match with a number of the gold items he saw in Glissom City at least as far as he can tell.

Peering into the box he sees the legs of the draped bones along with the wispy and perished remains of what was once leather and cloth of some type, perhaps the burial shroud?

As Dann is about to turn away his keen eyes see a strange notch in the stone floor of the sarcophagus, hidden by dust and the shroud but perhaps exposed as the golden items were torn from the body.

"Aye, just like my old aunt Morag."

Rabbie watches as Dann inspects the stone box.  "Looks like there's nout left here too.  I wonder if there are any more rooms."

Rabbie inspects the walls, tapping around with the pommel of his dagger.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:16, Fri 14 Feb 2014.

Chips of slate fall from the wall cladding as he taps his dagger but he does not locate any hidden passages.

"What could that be?" asks Dann, as he uses the tip of his sword to clear the area around the notch.

As Dann pushed the tip of his sword into the notch there was resistance and then something gave way.  There was suddenly a horrendous grinding sound and the whole chamber shook.

The base of the sarcophagus dropped almost a foot before catching then pivoted at one end revealing a black gulf below the stone box. The skeletal remains tumbled into the gap and were lost from sight.

Rabbie crouches low and places one hand on the wall for balance.  He looks around to check the others are ok, and listens intently as the dust settles.

Startled by the loud noise, Bael held his shield up high inbetween himself and the sarcophagus.

As the noise stopped reverberating around the room he slowly walked towards the box with his shield still raised.

"Dann, are you ok?  What happened?"

In reply to Bael Haywardson (msg # 195):

Kores shielded his ear with all the din....


"Don't worry...  The dead are woken by other things that are more disturbing to them, like the sound of beating hearts and warm breathes..."

"Looks like we lost the bones..." answers Dann elusively to Bael, looking at the new formed gap in the sarcophagus. He then tries to bring some light on top of it to check if he can see the bottom.

Waving Kores over to gain advantage of his sorcerous light Dann is able to make out a series of carved hand and foot holds in the walls of the chimney leading down. The light is unable to penetrate far enough to see the floor below.

Rabbie peers down the hole.  "Quiet" he whispers.  He leans over the chimney and listens.

Below, Rabbie hears nothing but a distant steady dripping sound.

"Are we drawing straws?" Bael asked, hoping they would say yes.

"Are we going down again? Is it really what we want to do?" asks Dann. After a pause he adds: "If what happened last time taught us something it is that we should be wary of these hidden caves found beneath the places where the dead rest..."

Bael looked at Kores, hoping that he would say that the descent was a bad idea.

In reply to Bael Haywardson (msg # 203):

"Well, the alternative is to stay at home, safe, secure...  like a woman!  See how nervous they are when they encounter rats and vermin in the home!"

"Perhaps all women should stay with the village!  Come!  The dead are awaiting visitors!!!"

Kores moves to go forward, and will make way for any women who want to return to the surface....

"You are quick to insult, wizard, but quicker to bend in front of your demon friends." answers Dann with a harsh tone. "It seems that now your face fits your mind: grotesque, and threatening. Fair enough, I will be going down with you. Not because of your pitiful remarks, but because this time I will be watching you closely. What happened in this cemetery will not happen again!"

Hugh clapped Dann on the shoulder, " Aye, he has a sharp tongue. Leave it brother, what will you do? Challenge the cripple to axes?  Theres no honour in that."
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:06, Thu 20 Feb 2014.

Yamousou watched the verbal sparring with interest then intoned a gutteral chant under his breath.

Two wide arcs of green light spilled out from his eyes which were now stark white in colour.

" Shall we down?"

OOC: Eyes of Night.

Finan ran his eyes over the tomb one last time then turned towards the sarcophagus.

" At the very least the haste of Prince Doron and his men has left us with an interesting diversion......or a terrible doom."

" We will not find out standing here."

In reply to Finan McRoach (msg # 208):

"You...  are quick to accuse me of bending to the Demon...  I didn't think you were capable of saving yourself!  Much less anyone around you!  It takes great intellect to pacify a demon, and much more to outwit it!"

"Watch me if you will...  Might be the last thing you will see in this darkness..."

Rabbie watches the exchange between Dann and Kores without much reaction.  "I donnae ken what happened with yer demons, but Baron Hulmer asked me to lead you here, and I've done that.  Prince Doron found some great treasures here, if he missed this part maybe there's more doon here!  I'll go doon with you for a wee look."

He shoulders his bow and prepares to climb.

"I got perfectly well that saving yourself was your only purpose." answers Dann with a lower voice. Turning to Hugh he adds: "There is even less honor in bending in front of eldritch evil, if you ask me. Ok let's move on, I'm tired of talking!"

Yamousou led the climb down into the dark, the green light from his eyes sweeping away the shadows.

As they all descended....Kores requiring the most assistance...they arrived in a large pillared chamber carved out of the chalk. The stone was decorated with thousands of intricate whorls and knot patterns.  At the far end of the chamber there was a heavy pair of bronze doors decorated with a pair of frowning goat-like heads.

In reply to GM (msg # 212):

Decorations eh?  Kores will check these out just to figure out their origins, the tools by which they were made which might give a clue as to the number of joints, digits, limbs or height of the craftsmen...

Staying fairly close to Kores but without making it obvious, Bael inspected the carvings in the stone.  Kores may lead him into these situations, but Kores also has kept him safe in these situations.

He leant in closer to the decorations on one of the pillars.

"Hmmmmmm..."

OOC: The carved patterns appear to have been made by a chisel, whether they were carved by humans or not is impossible to tell but if a man carved the pillar tops he was standing on something at the time.

In reply to GM (msg # 215):

Kores furrows his brow with disappointment....

"No better than any primitive with flint.  I suppose this place was not built with anything near that of Selentine architects...."

Kores will head towards the bronze doors....
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:39, Sat 22 Feb 2014.

Seeing Kores move towards the door, Bael quickly readies his morningstar and shield and hustles over to the door first.

He uses his shield to try and push one of the doors open.

Rabbie light his lantern.  "I'd prefer not to rely on sorcerous light doon such a deep hole," he mutters.

He examines the floor to see if anything else has been down here lately.  He will also try to figure out where the dripping he heard earlier might be coming from.

There was a loud squeal of metal on metal as Bael pushed the door open, the pale light surrounding Kores spilled into the room beyond revealing a spiral stair wound about the entire round room; descending deeper into the earth as it span into the centre of the room.

The ceiling was white chalk starkly reflecting the light and giving the companions skin a deathly cast.


OOC: If the descrip isn't clear the 'floor' is an 'open-cut' mine style staircase leading down into darkness.

Rabblies examination of the floor tells him that they are the first to set foot here in many ages.

As Bael pushes the door open the sound of dripping stops for a second but then can be heard louder echouing up from the depths below.....

Bael looked back for a head nod from Kores before continuing...

In reply to Bael Haywardson (msg # 221):

Kores notices Bael's hesitation and gives a slight turn of the head to indicate that Kores is still with him.

OOC: I must be near maximum magic points right?
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:59, Tue 25 Feb 2014.

"What's this noise?" asks Dann, half curious and half anxious about the answer.

"There must be some water soaking through the chalk."   Rabbie walks through the doors and looks down the void.  He holds his lantern to shine over the edge.

"What manner of folk built this...?" he whispers.

OOC: Yep. Minus the points for casting Moonglow and the daily Healing to get your arm in working order.

Bael starts to descend down the spiral staircase, careful to tred slow enough that each corner is reasonably well lit as they walk.

" Our ancestors. But under whose direction?"

Yamousou used his eyes to light the way down, " This is a deep delving."

Rabbie follows the others down the stairway.  "Do you think... Fomóraiġ?" He asks Finan in a whisper.

" Likely....or the Tuatha...but I would guess that you are right.", he said quietly.

The staircase ended at a massive bronze seal almost two metres across and set into the granite that underlayed the chalk.

It was cast into the form of a cartwheel. Between each spoke was a letter from what Finan recognised was the Kell alphabet.

Finan relayed his knowledge to the others, " I do not know the purpose of it though.  Perhaps a name will unlock the seal?  Or we can simply break through it......"

Yamousou knelt and laid his hands on the seal.

He began to intone in a deep guttural voice as he ran his hands over the surface.

" There is sorcery here.  Old spells, but I can't tell their tale."

In reply to Yamousou (msg # 233):

Kores picks some dead flesh off his face and winces as blood streams all over his fingers.  He occupies himself with trying to stop the bleeding....

Dann starts to become a bit impatient, and is clearly not interested by all these historical debates. "Is there a way to progress without making the whole tunnel fall on our head?" he asks, hammering a few times on the seal to test how strongly stuck it is.

Rabbie looks back over his shoulder to make sure there is nothing unexpected behind him.  He looks back at the seal.  "Wha' are the letters then?  Do they translate into Runic?" he asks Finan.

He inspects the letters.  Are they painted on or engraved? Or cast into the bronze?  Can they be pressed?

"I don't know that whoever built this would be too fond of us breaking it.  They may have died long, long ago but likely it was only their body that died..."

He turned to Kores just in time to see his bleeding face and quickly turned back to face the seal.  "What names are there that might be well associated with this place?"

The seal was solid and strong as far as Dann could tell, Hugh wandered over and regarded it, " Good work. This is craftsmanship."



The letters are cast into the bronze but as he inspects them Rabbie notices that two of the spokes of the wheel are slightly different to the others; longer and thicker.

He follows them back to the hub at the centre and presses down on it; there is a ticking sound and the hub and all the spokes move together rising up from the base where the letters lay.


This message was last edited by the GM at 06:07, Mon 03 Mar 2014.

" Not exactly. There is a conceptual basis to much of Nikkar but Kell is 'different', chains of sound."

" And I don't know what the sounds are......no one speaks it any more."

He turned to Rabbie, " Is there a local story? A name spoken, some bogey or the like?"

" Those golden artifacts came from this tomb.  Where there any names on them? Any of this script?"

Dann nodes at Hugh, but scratches the back of his head listening to his other companions. He thought he was gifted at languages, but he has a hard time make head or tail of this mystery.

In reply to Dann of Clan Valin (msg # 241):

"Excellent!  A fool proof device to prevent primitive grave robbers from taking everything!  Now if only we could figure out how to access this..."

Finan "thought hard then shrugged, "I believe Kores examined them most closely."

Rabbie snaps his hand back as the spokes move about.  He looks about to see if there is anything else happening.



"Old wives tales mostly."  Rabbie stares at the seal and tries to think about the local myths.


09:36, Today: Rabbie Brein rolled 18 using 1d20. Intelligence check - local myths and legends.

OOC: Rabbie racks his brain but is unable to summon knowledge of a name.  The local legends are now little more than childrens stories and fireside tales.

"So can ye spin this thing?"  Rabbie checks if the longer spokes can be moved and if they can move independently.

OOC: It turns on its axis as a whole. Just like a cartwheel.

In reply to GM (msg # 247):

"A dial...  this is...  ....intriguing...."

Kores tries to recall what he knows about what he's encountered....

Finan pushed forward, " I am surrounded by fools again it seems."

He leant over Rabbie and turned the cartwheel til the two long spokes framed a letter.

"If we do this in order it should open. The only question is what the word is?"

"What do we know of what came from this tomb?"

" Guillame told us of a maze and gave a copy of it into one of our keepings. There was also a torc or pectoral, statues of formorians, plates and other similar gravegoods, a strange sculpture like a naked tree......was there anything else?"

" None of these bore a name but perhaps a descriptor is the key? The maze of Nem is the most telling I think. Perhaps this one was the Architect or Mason? Could those be the words?"

" Or perhaps one of the Fomorian Gods? Or their king, whose name I will not speak here?"

" Are there those among us with magics that can discover its secrets?"

In reply to Finan McRoach (msg # 249):

"Can you try 'Nem'?"

" Worth a try. Nem is the eighth letter of the Kell 'alphabet'....perhaps it is that simple."

Finan turned the dial to the Nem symbol then pushed it down into place.

The dial locked into place and there was a clunk of metal on metal from within the seal but nothing further happened that the companions could see.

"Is this the tomb of a king? I think ye should try the Fomóraiġ king's name" Rabbie says in a whisper.

"Are we in a tomb of a king with no name? Wouldn't any of the people living around know of this lost place?" asks Dann, genuinely intrigued.

Finan shook his head.

"Is all the lore of our people lost to the common folk?  The ruler of the Fomorians dreams his eternity away beneath the City of Nem.  And there he will remain until the ending of our time."

" The one who lay above was a human chieftain, a king of sorts, what lies beneath this device? It is impossible to say."

Bael watches the brains of the group stumble on the dial.

"What if we just start dialing up random letters?"

In reply to Bael Haywardson (msg # 256):

Kores scratches his head...

"I prefer conversing with demons...."

"That might be fun but it'll probably get us nowhere." Rabbie turns to Finan. "What about we try Mason, like you said before, Hearth-Father. Or the tree - was it the tree of life? What's that called?"

In reply to Rabbie Brein (msg # 258):

In reply to GM (msg # 259):

Rabbie snaps his fingers.  "Ahh, I think i've got it!  I remember a story now about  Old King Coln and his Stone Goat.  The goat was called 'Flint Hoof' if I ken right.  They say that Old King Coln found Flint Hoof buried inside a mountain and the goat was able to build wondrous things from stone.  I cannae quite remember the story but I donnae think it ended too well for Old King Coln."

"Let's try 'Coln' or 'Flint Hoof'".  Rabbie says excitedly.

Finan turned towards Rabbie with a quizzical expression, " I would like to learn the truth behind that tale one day...."

He thought on what the closest matches to those words would be in Kell and tried 'Coln' and then 'Flint Hoof'.....

As Finan finished dialing in 'Coln' the seal shuddered and began sinking into the stone. After several long minutes of whirring sounds the seal settled at the bottom of a long vertical shaft.

Bael's eyes widened as the seal shifted and he moved towards it - "Lights," he summoned over his friends.

In reply to Bael Haywardson (msg # 263):

Kores raises his one remaining eyebrow as he sees the shaft reveal itself...

OOC: There are steps right?
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:32, Tue 11 Mar 2014.

Somewhat excited, Dann grabs the first torch or lantern he can put his hand on and approaches it to where Bael is.

In reply to Dann of Clan Valin (msg # 265):

With the lantern brought up it can be seen that the shaft is smooth sided and about 15m deep, though the seal reflects the torchlight little else can be made out.

Yamousou moved up to lend his sorcerous light to the task...

"That day might be sooner rather than later."  Rabbie watches the seal descend into the shaft.  "Deeper and deeper," he mutters.

"Are we going to climb down?"  Rabbie has some rope that he uses for snares, he checks the length and condition of the rope to see if it is suitable for climbing down the shaft.  Is there anything nearby to tie the rope to?
This message was last edited by the player at 23:06, Wed 12 Mar 2014.

Hugh offers his length of sturdier rope and a line is hitched, he offers to stay above and act as anchor against the metal lip at the top of the shaft while others climb down.

"Did you find a sudden interest in archeology?" asks Dann to his borderer companion, half smiling.

" A stronger interest in not climbing down into that devils pit!", Hugh remarked whisperedly.

Yamousou grabbed the rope which Hugh barely managed to brace in time and abseilled down into the pit....

"He's a keen one."  Rabbie watches Yamousou descend into the shaft.

He looks at Kores.  "Are you going to be able to climb doon?  D'ye need some help, ye poor old dear?"