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10:33, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

On Stranger Tides.

Posted by Dread Pirate RobertFor group 0
Anders Mendelsson
player, 36 posts
Vesten
Thu 12 Aug 2021
at 17:19
  • msg #511

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"That is came here to 'recharge' is only a guess on our part," Anders offers.

"It's possible that what we are thinking of as 'recharging' may completely different that what it' actually here to do. It may be more like a priest returning to his church after months away. It's not recharging its power, only its purpose."

"Or, for that matter, maybe it's returned to find a new purpose! Perhaps the old one was accomplished or was no longer possible. No, no no! I'm not saying it has a mind of its own. I firmly believe that it doesn't. Is it able to project a compulsion at someone? Certainly yes. But I don't think it could have succeeded with either of us. It might not have succeeded even with Prad if he'd known what he had."

"I wasn't there, but he was trying to pawn it for money. He wasn't under any compulsion then. So, maybe it took time for the Pearl to work on him. In any case, as long as he was heading in the right direction, it had no need to compel him."

"I'm not so sure your comment about beholding to ancient powers is accurate. We may not have any written record of who these ancient people were, but certainly the Syrne were human. Are we descended from them? Who knows. So how can it be that what they made isn't our legacy to begin with? We have no idea what happened to them."

Vasily Pavlychenko
player, 171 posts
Ussuran Sorcerer/Duelist
HP: 0
Thu 12 Aug 2021
at 17:56
  • msg #512

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"I'm curious what leads you to believe that the Syrne were human? Certainly, if the other ancient races that we know a smidgen more about do not seem to be human at all. Think of the Sidhe of the Blessed Isles, the demons of the Sarmatians, or Matruska from my own homeland; certainly, neither seems human in mind or, from what we know, body. And neither's motivations seem to fully align with humanity, even if both passingly seem somewhat benign.

I admit that it is possible that their blood could, possibly, be intermingled with our own. That may even explain some of the sorceries that exist among some people. But that doesn't mean that we should allow ourselves to become dependant on anything that we cannot control or reproduce for ourselves."

Fiora Ambrogia
player, 24 posts
Sophia's Daughter Strega
Thu 12 Aug 2021
at 19:34
  • msg #513

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"Curses to either side."  Fiora frowns in the direction of the pearl.  "I'd hesitate to assume anything with a fate that tangled doesn't have a mind of its own.  Even if it doesn't, fate does, and it clearly cares about it a great deal."
Valentino Iocovelli
player, 77 posts
Vodacce Nobleman
Sat 14 Aug 2021
at 21:00
  • msg #514

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"When people first started stumbling across these remnants of a previous civilization," Valentino explains, "they were all lumped together as the 'Syrne', though I don't know where the term came from."

"The mystery was that no remains of bodies have ever been found. It took years to realize that there were different ruins, and that each different one seemed to have been built by a different species."

"The Syrne were just the most recent. The theory is that they proceeded us, but there have been a few... unorthodox... theories that we may, in fact, be the Syrne, just having taken a few steps backwards for some reason. It has been suggested that one of those reasons might be a war against the previous species."

"As you can probably guess, these theories aren't popular with the Church."

"What makes it sad is that they could be wrong, but the Church won't let anyone find out."

Fiora Ambrogia
player, 25 posts
Sophia's Daughter Strega
Sat 14 Aug 2021
at 21:53
  • msg #515

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"Which is, itself, heresy.  If the world is a riddle placed here for us to solve, forbidding people from following the clues we're given might be the most profound form of heresy."  Fiora rolls her eyes at the hypocrisy of the Church.  "I don't think the lack of bodies is important.  It just means we haven't found their graveyards.  Or they cremated their dead and we can't tell the difference."


"However, unless there are some bodies here, I don't think we're solving that mystery today.  The pearl we might, or at least part of its puzzle."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:27, Sun 15 Aug 2021.
Vasily Pavlychenko
player, 172 posts
Ussuran Sorcerer/Duelist
HP: 0
Tue 17 Aug 2021
at 15:30
  • msg #516

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"Shall we continue to explore the place? It seems that we do not know enough about the situation to make any reasoned decision, yet. So the only path forward is to learn more."

Vasily opens the next door in the hallway and peeks in.
Fiora Ambrogia
player, 26 posts
Sophia's Daughter Strega
Tue 17 Aug 2021
at 22:47
  • msg #517

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"Agreed."  Following Vasily out in to the hallway, Fiora peers around him into the next room when he opens the door, keen eyes searching for any relevant details that might hold an answer, to this or some other riddle.

As they search from room to room, she keeps her left hand on her sword hilt, not exactly expecting trouble, but also not expecting not trouble.  Who knows what might have been left behind by the Syrneth, or by other treasure hunters.
Dread Pirate Robert
GM, 236 posts
Master of Fate
Danger Pool: 5
Fri 20 Aug 2021
at 22:23
  • msg #518

Re: Inside the Cathedral

The next door is on the right hand wall of the hallway. It does not seem to have any lock on it and opens easily to reveal what appear to be living quarters. It's just one large room but there are sofas, chairs, tables, and beds. The room's decor is a paler shade of the same green that makes up the exterior walls. There are pillows and cushions and blankets and carpets in here that are made of a translucent green material, but all the hard surfaces are the same green glass.

It doesn't take long to determine that nothing of a personal nature has been left here.

The sight of the blankets make you realize that the temperature inside the cathedral is comfortable, rather than the somewhat chilly climate on the outside.
Fiora Ambrogia
player, 27 posts
Sophia's Daughter Strega
Sat 21 Aug 2021
at 06:16
  • msg #519

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"They really liked green, and things you can see through."  Slipping past Vasily, Fiora steps further into the room and draws her dagger, flipping it around to grip the side ring and using the pommel to poke one of the pillows.  If nothing happens, she sheathes it again and picks the cushion up, feeling the material and texture
Alessandra Castillo
player, 39 posts
A lady, then a pirate.
Sun 22 Aug 2021
at 22:05
  • msg #520

Re: Inside the Cathedral

In reply to Dread Pirate Robert (msg # 518):

"How odd." Alessandra remarks, about the temperature. "Green is a nice colour. I wonder what it meant to them." She adds afterwards.

She moves away and looks about the room.
Anders Mendelsson
player, 37 posts
Vesten
Mon 23 Aug 2021
at 02:32
  • msg #521

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"It just may be that it's the only color that this material comes in," Anders responds. "Either that, or it's the theme of this particular place."

"Ha! Imagine another cathedral that's all purple! A red one would be strange, but a blue might be nice."

Dread Pirate Robert
GM, 238 posts
Master of Fate
Danger Pool: 5
Mon 23 Aug 2021
at 02:36
  • msg #522

Re: Inside the Cathedral

Nothing untoward happens when Fiora pokes one of the pillows. When she picks it up, it feels like cloth... kind of. It has a softness to it, but she can clearly see that there is no weave to it. It's like a pane of glass that's soft and flexible.
Fiora Ambrogia
player, 28 posts
Sophia's Daughter Strega
Mon 23 Aug 2021
at 04:03
  • msg #523

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"Maybe.  I don't think a dormitory would have 'luxurious' furnishings, so these things were probably rough fare for them."  Setting the pillow back down, she looks around again.  "And now they'd fetch a kingly sum if we sold them.  Shame we have to keep it a secret, if it's somewhere the Pearl likes to visit.  Else we put more people on its trail."


[Is there just the one door in this dormitory?]
Vasily Pavlychenko
player, 173 posts
Ussuran Sorcerer/Duelist
HP: 0
Mon 23 Aug 2021
at 17:27
  • msg #524

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"Ah, this room is not unlike the other. And, yes, while these things might be quite valuable, they also should be left here, lest they provide clues for others to follow.

I'm going to guess that the other doors along the walls of this hallway have similar room, but of course we should peek in, just to be sure."


While Fiora more closely examines the bedroom, Vasily checks the other doors in the hallway, just to verify that they are all, as he surmises, rooms.
Dread Pirate Robert
GM, 239 posts
Master of Fate
Danger Pool: 5
Fri 27 Aug 2021
at 15:32
  • msg #525

Re: Inside the Cathedral

The next door down the hallway is on the left, and when Vasily opens it, it's instantly clear that it isn't living quarters. The walls are lined with green glass shelves and there are green glass workbenches along the wall. Four tables are in the middle of the room though there is a large clear area right in the middle.

And there are numerous items scattered across the shelves and bench but not on the tables. Valentino identifies the objects as Syrne artifact.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:04, Fri 27 Aug 2021.
Vasily Pavlychenko
player, 174 posts
Ussuran Sorcerer/Duelist
HP: 0
Fri 27 Aug 2021
at 16:43
  • msg #526

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"Oh my! Miss Ambrogia, I think you'll find this room much more interesting than that one, if you'd care to come examine it." Vasily enters the room, but doesn't touch any of the items just yet.
Valentino Iocovelli
player, 78 posts
Vodacce Nobleman
Fri 27 Aug 2021
at 17:22
  • msg #527

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"Some of these items look like Syrne artifacts," Valentino comments as he peers through the open doorway. "At least, some of them resemble other items that the scholars claimed were Syrne artifacts."

"That helmet that looks like a skull is probably from the Thalusian Dynasty, which some claim was actually a race of giant humanoid insects."

Alessandra Castillo
player, 41 posts
A lady, then a pirate.
Sat 28 Aug 2021
at 02:04
  • msg #528

Re: Inside the Cathedral

In reply to Anders Mendelsson (msg # 521):

"I would like to see a cathedral all in pink. Having it all in green, it is like it was made out of emeralds." Alessandra comments.
Alessandra Castillo
player, 42 posts
A lady, then a pirate.
Sat 28 Aug 2021
at 02:06
  • msg #529

Re: Inside the Cathedral

In reply to Valentino Iocovelli (msg # 527):

Humanoid insects! Goodness gracious, Alessandra hopes that they do not exist anymore!
Fiora Ambrogia
player, 29 posts
Sophia's Daughter Strega
Sat 28 Aug 2021
at 02:11
  • msg #530

Re: Inside the Cathedral

Following the others into the next room, once there's room in the doorway, Fiora looks around with a smile.  "It's amazing how long their tools last."

As she moves through the room, she continuously glances back and forth between the scattered artifacts and Prad, or the bundle he's carrying rather, searching for any connections that might exist.
Anders Mendelsson
player, 38 posts
Vesten
Sat 28 Aug 2021
at 03:32
  • msg #531

Re: Inside the Cathedral

Anders, too, keeps a closer watch on Prad as they investigate the next room.

"Is this a workshop or a museum?" he wonders as he looks around at all the items scattered around the room.
Fiora Ambrogia
player, 30 posts
Sophia's Daughter Strega
Sat 28 Aug 2021
at 03:46
  • msg #532

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"The only difference is time." Fiora answers off-hand, still searching for anything that was or will be or should be with the pearl.
Dread Pirate Robert
GM, 240 posts
Master of Fate
Danger Pool: 5
Sat 28 Aug 2021
at 04:21
  • msg #533

Re: Inside the Cathedral

Between Valentino and Fiora, they soon realize that the workbenches and shelves have been set up in sections... a different section for each Syrne dynasty and a different section for each sorcery.

Fiora doesn't quite recognize the different sorceries, but she does know her own. There are three different Sorte decks sitting on the counter, along with several loops of knotted strings of various sizes. They appear to be made of silk with silver and gold threads woven into them.

There's no response from Prad, and nothing in here seems to have any connection to the Pearl.
Fiora Ambrogia
player, 31 posts
Sophia's Daughter Strega
Sat 28 Aug 2021
at 05:48
  • msg #534

Re: Inside the Cathedral

"Syrne decks..."  she breathes, reaching out for the first of them, brushing her fingers over the back of the top card, feeling the strands of fate as they wrap around the ancient cards.  A flick of the wrist fans the deck across the workbench, and another flips them all face up in a wave.  Simple tricks of showmanship learned from her mother when she was small.  They serve other purposes of course, feeling the threads, feeling the finish, the quality of the paper or the... glass? in this case.

Leaning down to examine the faces, Fiora searches out the Major Tarot, looking for the faces they always show, curious as to what faces the Syrne would put on the cards.  Did they look human?  Did they look like something else?  What face do they give the Devil or the Heirophant?  The Emperor or the Fool?
Vasily Pavlychenko
player, 175 posts
Ussuran Sorcerer/Duelist
HP: 0
Tue 31 Aug 2021
at 15:14
  • msg #535

Re: Inside the Cathedral

Noticing that Fiora is examining sorte decks, which are commonly associated with the fate witches, Vasily looks at the tables to see what other sorceries are represented here. Some of these things are pretty well known; the Montaignions transport themselves through bloody doorways so they are probably represented, at least in part, by the gloves that they commonly wear, the Sarmatian sorcerers commune with some sort of demons, but who knows how that may be represented, sorcerers from the so-called Blessed Isles champion the causes of those Isles and are empowered by Faeries of some sort, The Eisen brew potions to help them deal with the dark monsters that live there, and the most common sorcerers from his own land are widely know for changing shapes in service of Matruska.

Still, he'd never heard of any sorceries from Castille or the lands of the Vestenmennavenjar. And he happened to know that, at least some places, there were less widely know magics. Was there anything that could represent any of those?

"This seems to draw a sort of likeness between the Syrne dynasties and current sorceries. I suppose that makes some sense for at least some of them; they're known to have their origins in one ancient powerful being or race or another. But I've never heard that Porte, Sorte, or Hexenwerk are tied to any kind of powerful being beyond the sorcerers themselves."
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