"Where do we want to go in? Looks like someone's home," Izzick said, his nose snarling up a bit. Just once couldn't they be welcomed in with a party, and parade, and some nice wine and food. At least the Sun Tribe had given them some of that on their return but still, he cracked his knuckles as they looked on. "Selvin and I could fly in on the balcony there and see who's staying here."

In reply to Izzick (msg # 3):

I'll respond tomorrow to give everyone a little time.  Thanks

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 4):

Selvin and Izzick, you wing your way upwards, keeping a careful eye out for any signs of life or sniper fire.  Everything seems still.

You peer over the battlement wall.  On ground, is a lantern, lit and flickering.  Next to it are what appear to be three pieces of chalk.  Someone has scribbled something on the inside of the battlement, but you can't read it from your position.

From here, you can also hear something coming from inside the nearby tower door Area 10 on the map.  It almost sounds like someone drunkenly singing.  But then it goes silent.  Like they suddenly are muffled and then allowed to sing again.  Whatever it is, it's faint.

Zuni crouched in the shadow of part fo the crumbled wall, watching the boys fly up to do their scouting.

Selvin and his new cat-like centaur form (panthaur? liontaur? wemic - no that was taken. he and Zac will workshop it later) kept a wary eye out as they flew their half-orc friend towards the balcony destination. He frowned at the chalk and made sure that Izzick saw it as well - it seemed like it could be arcane, but then again it could be the scribblings of a madperson for all he knew.

He swept up to the balcony but hovered for a moment, wings flapping, as they listened and inspected the balcony for any traps, or signs it wouldn't hold them.

20:00, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 15 using 1d20+14.  Perception.

In reply to Selvin Larst (msg # 7):

The balcony seems weathered, but solid to both your eyes Selvin and Izzick.  You both are careful about the chalk scribblings, but you are able to catch enough of them to where you do not feel like they are sigils or arcane in nature.  You would need to be closer to inspect them however.

Both of you can make out the noise a little better as well.  It does sound like someone singing softly to themselves.  But they fall silent at odd times and in odd places.

She told me she'd the voice sings.  And then stops.  Four heartbeats later it resumes.  ...an' tha's why I can't go baaaaaaack to Airoc!



Zuni, as you and the others take cover your Zuni senses begin to tingle.  In the rubble of the western tower, you think you saw something move.  No.  Wait.  Yes.  For a second, it was like someone was walking across a clear area in the rubble.  But if they are, they are fast.  They were there one second and gone a split second later.

Now who are you?, Zunis eyes narrowed as she tried to make out the shadowy figure that was moving in the rubble.

"You all stay here."  She said, whispering back at the others over her shoulder.  "I'm going to see who that was."

Slowly, keeping to the shadows as best as she could, Zuni crept towards the last place that she saw the figure.

OOC:
Stealth -> 25

Selvin raised an eyebrow with a slight bemused frown as he shared a glance with Izzick upon hearing the singing. He shook his head and then carefully alighted down on to the balcony. He set Izzick down and spoke very quietly, not in a whisper as those actually travel farther, just a quiet voice, back to the castle, facing out from where they'd flown in.

"Whaddya think? Should we go in, or go back an' get the others?"

In reply to Zuni Runesong (msg # 9):

Whilst Selvin awaits communication from Sir Izzy...


You slide across the space between your friends...well Chandanar and the Creepy Creepersteins...and the ruins of the western tower Zuni.  Overhead, you can see your two allies hovering over the battlement on the eastern tower.

You duck behind what looks like a chunk of fallen stone staircase, and glance around the corner.  The spot you last saw the figure is about ten feet away.

You study the spot and then suddenly, a man in blood covered chainmail is staggering across that spot.  He weilds a rather wicked looking war hammer and, as he staggers backwards, he seems to be swinging it at something.

And then he's gone.  Not there.  No sign of him.  Nada trace.  Zip.

And then he's back again.  Same bloody chainmail.  Same staggering backwards.  Same war hammer swinging.

And then he's gone.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:21, Sun 26 May 2019.

Izzick shrugged. "Gimme a sec here," he said, stepping a little bit closer to the chalk. He had to be curious - warning, ritual, trap? Whatever was written here might have helped them figure out the first mystery - who in the world was singing down below. His fingers traced some of the runes, careful not to disturb them as he tried to recall their meaning in this particular configuration of spellcraft. "See if you can get a look at our friendly and talented minstrel down below."

09:07, Today: Izzick rolled 15 using 1d20+10.  Knowledge Arcane.

Real reason Izzick flunked in the Acadamae - I can't roll on Knwoeldge checks worth a damn)
This message was last edited by the player at 13:11, Mon 27 May 2019.

In reply to Izzick (msg # 12):

The chalk scribbles turn out not to be mystical per se Izzick.  Instead, it's one word written over and over in a variety of languages.  Some you don't recognize.  But many you do, even a couple of very archaic scripts.

The word written over and over again is just that:  AGAIN

Zuni stared at the bloody man, who seemed to be stuck in some strange fight with an unseen opponent.  She looked around for who he might be fighting, but the mans disappearing act was making that difficult.

"Hells.  This is some sort of magic." she muttered, watching the man disappear once more.  She glanced back towards where she had left the others.  Zuni could go and get their assistance, because what did she know about magic?  Other that it was really fascinating.  Feeling like a moth drawn to a flame, Zuni stood up from where she had been hiding.

Hand on the hilt of her sword, she called out to the disappearing man.

In reply to Zuni Runesong (msg # 14):

You call out Zuni.  The man turns his head slightly...

And the scene resets.  You watch as the man stumbles back again.  But this time, shortly before he starts swinging his hammer, his head turns...

And the scene resets.  The man stumbles backwards.  His head turns.  And this time it continues turning.  As if something has struck the cheek he was turning towards it.  A bright arc of blood begins to spout from the man's mouth.

And the scene resets.  He stumbles back.  His head turns.  He takes the hit.  Blood arcs from his mouth as his cheek rips open from the outside.  And he falls backwards.

The scene stops there.

Izzick looked curiously at the words before the pattern began to emerge. "It says the same thing: again, again and again," he said, looking towards Selvin. He twirled his finger near his ear to say, "Might be dealing with someone who's lost it a bit." Someone who was mad didn't seem like that much trouble, after all, how much worse than a purple worm's guts could this be? He'd been using prestidigitation for a week and he was pretty sure he could still smell worm-juice on him.

Selvin had waited patiently for Izzick to go through the translation. Once it was, he raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Someone livin' in the past or just mad, yeah, could be. I guess we'll see."

He then smiled slightly and jerked his head a bit towards where they'd left the others. "Go back an' go in together or sneak around a bit first, like maybe with invisibility like I have, an' you...have?" He couldn't remember if Izzick had invisibility or not at that moment.

Selvin and Izzick, as you discuss your options, the singing voice inside suddenly shouts, WHADDYA MEAN THERE'S FIGHTIN' GOING ON IN THE KEEP!

Then everything goes silent.

And then the voice starts singing again.  ...and that's why I can't go baaaaaack...to Auric...

Then everything is quiet again.

Let's move things along

Just as your scenes play out, they suddenly stop.  The air suddenly becomes cold.  And heavy.  It feels like it does just before a winter storm.

And then everything changes.

---

Zuni, you're suddenly standing in the middle of a room.  The walls are thick stone enclosing a circular room.  A large, heavy wooden door bound with iron is on your right.  Torches flicker in sconces on the wall.

There's a man in front of you.  His back is to you and he seems to be studying a scroll.  You recognize him after a second.  It's the man from the vision.

A staircase runs along one wall, heading upwards.  From above, you can hear voices.  It sounds like four...maybe five men arguing about dice.

Behind you is a long table.  There is plenty of room underneath it if you wanted to hide.

Izzick and Selvin, suddenly it's snowing.  Large flakes are falling towards  the ground.  From where you are, you can see the keep is lit up.  Men are walking around the battlements, holding torches.  Guards manning their posts by the look of it.  The defensive all, which was suddenly ruined, is in perfect repair.  A guard is just down the wall, his back to you, clapping his hands and muttering to himself as he tries to stay warm.

Below, the ruins of the gatehouse have been replaced by an actual, working gate house.  A contingent of fifteen guards are coming in from some patrol.  You don't see a sign of Chandanar or your hangers on.

You can slip inside the tower door if you like. Or fly up to the roof of the tower.  Or go invisible.  Or whatever else you would like to do.

With a snap of his fingers, Izzick indeed turned invisible as well. "We go in like this then." After all, there was clearly more going on here than there seemed. And then of course the snow started too, only making this place even colder as stranger soldiers began to hold guard and everything seemed different. "Uh...I'm not the madman living in the past here, right?" Hoping for some confirmation that he wasn't going crazy himself. "You don't think it was the potatoes do you?"

Zunis eyes went wide with a mix of amazement and confusion as she suddenly found herself in a place that was not in ruins.  She took a long moment looking around the room before cautiously reaching out to touch the table.  Was it real?  It felt real.  Was this all real then?

What was going on?  The man in front of her she recognized from the strange vision, only he wasn't fighting and looked mostly intact.  So that must meant that whatever attacked him hadn't done so yet.  Hiding might be the prudent and safe thing to do, but there was a fight coming and if she was still around then having allies would be helpful.

Crap...there was a fight coming.  Zuni didn't know how far off that was though.

"Excuse me, sir." Zuni addressed the mans back.  She needed to think up something fast.  "I was told to report to you and...here I am."

Selvin raised an eyebrow at Izzick....who he could no longer see. Well, he had a way but that would cost him a spell for the day. Instead, he half-grinned and then quickly followed suit, casting Invisibility on himself as well.

....and then everything changed. "what...the...hell?" Izzick was apparently seeing it all as well. "uhhhh....no. either we're both crazy, which is unlikely...or, more likely,....magic."

In reply to Izzick (msg # 20):

Izzick and Selvin, the guard looks back, but sees only empty air.  He rubs his hands, trying to warm them and calls out, <Aqua>D'shal?  Is that you?<Aqua>

A moment later, the door in to the tower opens.  A blurry eyed man leans out, his hair a mess.  Behind him, you can see what looks like a small barracks.  There are seven cots with hide blankets set around the walls of a circular room.  Two other guards are asleep in some of the cots.  Across the room is a doorway which is open.  It appears a set of stairs leading down is through the door.

What? says the guy you would assume is D'shal.  He wrinkles his forehead and glances around.  Tryin' to get some sleep here dumbass.

---

The man stares at you blankly for a moment Zuni, then says the most logical thing he can come up with in this situation.

What?

You are spared an answer by the outside door opening.  A dwarf in black leather armor and a blood red goatee strolls in.  You sent for me? the dwarf asks the man, completely ignoring you.

The man gives you a confused look and then turns to the dwarf, jerking a thumb in your direction.  Did you send me a hooker?

The dwarf cocks an eyebrow.  Why would I do that?  I hate your guts. Besides, she looks like she could take you. I mean in a fight.

The man shakes his head.  Whatever.  Lissen.  Did you see these orders?  He waves the scroll at the dwarf.

The Dwarf sighs, takes the scroll, scans it, and shrugs.  Well it's unusual.  But we both know who's seal that is.  So what're you gonna do besides do what they tell you to do?

The man shakes his head again.  This doesn't feel right.  Why are we receiving a group of monks?

The dwarf waves a hand.  It's probably for...I dunno.  Another orgy.  We let them through the gate, no questions asked.  The 'why' of it is above my pay grade.

The man rolls his eyes.  Thanks.  You're like a song of wisdom, sung by a mute on a harp with no strings.  The man looks back at you.  Now.  Who told you to come see me?  His brow furrows.  Do I know you?  You look familiar for some reason.

Selvin put a hand out, reached about where Izzick HAD been standing, not wanting to waste a spell on See Invisibility if he didn't have to. His intent was to get a hand on the half-orc since they couldn't see each other, so at least they'd have semblance of sticking together with where ever they went.

Assuming he managed it, he tugged towards the tower and made a quiet, questioning noise "hmm?"

In reply to Selvin Larst (msg # 24):

I think it's pretty reasonable that Selvin can find Izzy's shoulder. I think it's also reasonable Izzy could figure out what just happened. In case that was in question

Sleepy guard looks around once you mmm Selvin. But he shrugs and starts shutting the door.

Izzy? You slipping inside with Selvin?

The half-orc followed inside, the not-so-visible hand on his shoulder hopefully a friendly half-human-half-tiger gripping him and not some other horrible monster. To make it easier, he untied his scarf, wrapping one end around his wrist and giving the other to Selvin so they could stick together. His eyes were kept as sharp as they could be but he swore reading a tome heavy enough to be barely lifted from table to table by candle light might have done some damage to his eyes. Still it was worth trying to figure out the hell was going on here.

Zuni?

The guard closes the door a moment after the two of you slip inside Selvin and Izzick.  The room smells of unwashed, flatulent men.  The sleepy guard wanders over to the nearest cot and plops face first in to it.  The other guards are all asleep.

Through the open door and down the stairwell, you can hear voices.  Several men speaking.  They aren't loud enough to be distinct from up here.

You see a man coming up the stairwell.  A large half orc who must have some ogre blood in him, because he's larger than even one of Izzick's burliest ken.

He stops just inside the door and looks around, then settles on the nearest guard.  He raises his leg, hooking his foot under the edge of the cot.  He raises his foot, lifting the cot up like it was made of paper and there wasn't a full grown man in studded leather armor curled up in it.

The used-to-be-sleeping guard looks up from the floor, blinking.  Ahhh shit.  Rotjack.  Whaddya want ya green skinned bastard?

The half orc grins down at him evilly and then looks serious. Where's Cranshaft?  I need to speak to him right away.

THe guard rubs the back of his head and shrugs. Didja try the command center?  e is commander ya know.

Oh yeah.  'kay.  Thanks.  The half orc smiles evilly again and turns, heading down the stairs.

I hope you get spit an' roasted you misbegotten freak!

Rotjack doesn't turn around.  You talkin' to me?  Or just quoting what your mom said last time she saw ya?  The half orc continues down the stairs.

What you guys wanna do?
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:28, Fri 14 June 2019.