[For reasons, I have chosen to step beyond the rules and write this post in the present tense. The rule of past tense still remains.]

You wake up.

You have a splitting headache.

The cold stone floor your completely undressed body is laying on almost feels like it is moving beneath you.

This isn’t where you went to bed! Where are you? How did you get here?

There are four others on the ground nearby. And about two decades of legionnaires surrounding you. Spears pointing at you. Whispers of the demons stirring.

At the edge, there are six robed and hooded figures whispering amongst themselves to the north. Did we cast the ritual at the wrong festival? Perhaps we should have waited for the Day of Viridia?

So many questions. So much information. And you haven’t even opened your eyes yet!

[OOC: I have PMd each of you a question that you need to answer before you can post in this thread. As I cannot unlock the thread before all of you have answered, PM me what you want to do in the IC thread and I’ll post it for you.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:35, Sat 23 Apr 2022.

Mustafa opened his eyes slowly, looking around, taking in his surroundings.

"What manner of devilry is this?"

The ogre laid still on the cold stone floor.  He knew that he was no longer at the Senator's estate but that was the extent of his certainty.  He kept his eyes closed for a minute or so, pretending to still be asleep while he listened to his surroundings.

Whispers of demons and rituals didn't really give the ogre any better idea of what was going on but certainly sounded interesting.  He opened his eyes and rolled over, propping himself up onto an elbow. Slowly looking around, he noticed that there were many more spears pointed at him than there were pointed at the others.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:01, Tue 26 Apr 2022.

When she returned to consciousness and became aware of her surroundings, Keira cursed herself for being a fool. The drink must have been drugged, what a rookie mist... Wait, her eyes were still closed. So how did she know what was around her? Her thoughts echoed the words she heard spoken as she laid still, her eyes still closed. What kind of devilry indeed.

Harnan wondered why the bed was so hard and cold. Had he fallen out in the night, too spent to notice? His headache was not at all unexpected, nor was the soreness in his back or the pangs of hunger from not haven eaten last night, and it was only after an attempt to stand that he become aware of the others on the ground, the soldiers, then of the priests.

He turned to the closest soldier and barked "Where are my clothes! My belongings! Bring them at once!"

Gurth was obviously the biggest and the ugliest of them, ogres generally where. He was more than a foot taller than Ursion and almost twice as heavy. The two of them were obviously the largest, strongest, and fittest of the group.

The only other non-human in the group was the shadow elf Keira. She was also the only female in the group. And she was attractive. She was only a couple of inches shorter than Ursion, but she was also the slightest of them. Even slighter than Harnan who was the smallest and most charismatic of the group. But also the only one of them that wasn’t graceful. Perhaps because of his back.

Aladin was the only one that wasn’t completely naked. He wore a holy symbol around his neck. And together with Ursion, he was the runt of the graceful litter. But Ursion also had the bearing of the warrior class. While Gurth was a warrior and Keira the classic damsel in distress. Harnan on the other hand was harder to classify, though it seemed that he had been in combat as there were a number of scars on his torso.

Of the humans, Ursion was the oldest and Aladin was the youngest. And by an accident of fate, there were seven years between each pair. Guessing the age of elves was impossible. As a human, she appeared to be in her early twenties and might be slightly older or slightly younger than Aladin. But as an elf, that might still mean that she was centuries old. While Gurth appeared to be somewhere between Ursion and Harnan in age.

The soldier that Harnan barked at pressed the point of his spear into Harnan's flesh.

At the same time, one of the two soldiers wearing a red mantle unfastened it and crouched near Keira, wordlessly offering it to her so that she could use it to cover herself.

The rest of the soldiers continued to point their spears toward the group. Many especially keeping an eye on Gurth. Keeping all of them in one place.




[OOC: I'm using character names for ease of reference. You don't know each other's names yet. And yes, even those of you with your eyes closed "see" this.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:37, Thu 28 Apr 2022.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 6):

Aladin cognized that this was not a good time to fight.

"Really, do I look armed and armoured? Who in hell are you, and what demons do you serve in dragging us here? I for one have no desire to be greeted by these pricks... " he said, referring to the spears in his face.

His attempt at diplomacy was not going well...

With her eyes still closed, Keira sat up and took the offered mantle to wrap around herself. The fact that she could see the mantle with her eyes closed concerned her even more than the pointed spears. She turned her head to "look" around, trying to determine the limits to her curious new sense.

Aladin addressing the soldiers didn't help. Two of them pressed their spears into his flesh as one of the other soldiers had done with Harnan only moments ago.

Keira wrapped herself in the offered mantle until she was decently covered and looked around.

The Ogre didn't know who the four strangers with him were.  He only knew that they were somehow on the same side for the time being. He stood up in solidarity with his new comrades and glared at the legionnaires.

He pointed a thick finger at them and growled, "No poke!", at them in broken Imperial.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:34, Wed 27 Apr 2022.

In reply to Gurth (msg # 10):

Aladin brushed the spears aside with a scowl. These fools still had made no demands, and he was beginning to think that they were going to have to fight their way out of the spears.

A pained expression crosses Harnan's face and he steps backwards, clutching his head.

"What is happening! I feel as if I am being torn apart!" He yells, then suddenly he is gone.

The soldiers continued to hold their ground. Neither Gurth's growl nor Aladin's scowl caused them to react. They remained on guard. The officer that had provided his mantle to Keira offered her a smile as he returned to his duties.

But when Harnan yelled and clutched his head for a minute and then vanished, the legionnaires started looking for him everywhere.

"One of them vanished," the officer still wearing his mantle said. And the six robed individuals approached. They were dressed in six different colored robes, crimson, ebony, honey, indigo, olive, and snow colored.



[Harnan has spent 3 FP. 7 FP remaining.]

Keira opened her eyes and gave the legionnaire a thankful nod. She stood up slowly, wrapping the mantle tighter around herself. When one of the strangers suddenly disappeared, she was visibly startled, putting a hand over her mouth in shock.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:48, Thu 28 Apr 2022.

In reply to Keira (msg # 14):

Not having achieved a lot by talking, Aladin waited. He figured that would eventually say what they wanted, though wether he was going to co-operate was yet to be decided...

The ogre turned when the man yelled out.  He looked around, confused when he noticed that he was missing.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:23, Fri 29 Apr 2022.

Harnan
This message was last updated by the player at 05:04, Sat 30 Apr 2022.

The six robed figures arrived at the legionnaires. And though their robes obscured their faces from the heroes' eyes, the spatial awareness that allowed them to "see" without eyes ignored such theatrics. But provided theatrics of its own as their clothes flickered between what their eyes could see and a translucent state that allowed the heroes to "see" beneath the clothes. Even the robed ones' entire bodies shifted between solid and translucent to that awareness. As did the legionnaires, their weapons, and armor.

Five of them were human and the sixth was a shadow elf. The human in the olive robe and the elf in the crimson robe were male and the rest were female.

The male in the olive robe and the female in the snow-colored robe looked like they came from Imperium or Torrium with their normal coloration. The honey and indigo-robed women looked like Northlanders with their light colors. And the ebony-robed female looked like she was from Highland or Kantor based on her colors being between the other two groups.

"Reveal yourself," the one in the olive robe said. And to his commanding voice, Harnan dropped his invisibility, still standing among them, Keira dropped the mantle that covered her female anatomy, and Aladin, Gurth, and Ursion stod without covering their manhood.

He looked the group over. "We should talk," he continued. He then turned to the officer whose mantle rested at Keira's feet. "Have them clean themselves up and get them some clothes."

As the robed ones were about to turn away, a large powerful dog with fur as black as sin blinked into existence among the five heroes. And as a reaction to that, Ursion flared wings of fire from his shoulders that almost reached the floor.

The dog, who seemed to have arrived in a better state that the heroes did, ignored everything else, padded over to Harnan, and started to lick his left leg.

The robed ones exchanged looks, shook their heads, and started to leave.


[Harnan at 7/10 FP ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:49, Sat 30 Apr 2022.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 18):

Aladin agreed that they needed to talk, but said nothing for now. His concerns would have to wait until they were clothed and ready. He cooperated for now, doing as directed.

Keira waited to see what would happen next. It seemed she and the others - whoever they are - were not in danger, at least not for the moment.

Harnan gingerly pats the hound om the head. "Yes, a little hospitality is overdue I think, clothing and perhaps some food. I am famished!" He remarks, following the robed priests. "Come along, Bloodfang."

The ogre looked upon Ursion's fiery wings with awe.  Never had he seen such a sight.  Things were definitely getting strange. Perhaps there was something to this demon talk after all.  He followed the group out of the room while pointing at Harnan's hound and simply said. "Doggy".
This message was last edited by the player at 15:14, Sun 01 May 2022.

The officer that had offered Keira his mantle picked it up and offered it to her again, but this time she refused its cover with a shake of her head.

Whatever ceiling this place had was too far away for them to "see" and looking for it only revealed shadows as it was too far away from any of the light sources in this room.

"We are in a tomb in the middle of the desert," the kind officer said as the procession got started. The legionnaires surrounded the five as they moved, their spears directed at the group, and Bloodfang followed next to Harnan, but gave Gurth a friendly look.

The legionnaires moved slower than the robed ones so they soon vanished around a corner.

"It will take three weeks to march to Lessat-Ha," the officer continued. "So there is no point in running away."

As the group came closer to the walls, their spatial awareness intersected with them, and that portion was covered in darkness. As they came closer to the corner, the corner became translucent so that they could "see" through it. It was obvious that they could "see" through a foot of stone, but not more.

One decade headed up the stairs around the corner first and as the group was allowed to go after them, Gurth shoulder checked one of the legionnaires who wasn't focusing on where he was pointing his spear any longer.

The legionnaire took a couple of steps before he could stop himself and he was just about going to skewer him when the remaining officer ordered him to stop, which he did.

The stairs were three yards wide and the walls were too thick to "see" through. It led up to a fully illuminated hexagonal room with an archway in every other wall. The first decade was stationed such that there was one other archway on this side of them and they were pointing spears at them.

As they headed to the next archway, there was a moment when they could "see" through the wall between the archways, but it ended so quickly that if this spatial awareness blinked as eyes did, they would have missed it altogether. All the other walls were dark to their sense.

The domed ceiling above them was 23 feet away at the peak and there was only darkness beyond. The room was slightly over 5 yards across from wall to wall. And as they reflected over this, they realized that they knew the exact distance to anything they looked at!

"Go downstairs," the friendly officer said. "Follow the corridor to the end."

The robed ones were no longer in sight.

As they now had been in closer proximity to one another, they noticed that there was a creepy feeling from the other four, as if something was off/wrong with them, but each of them realized that the other four could sense the same creepy feeling from them.

As they moved about, a map of their surroundings formed in their minds ten yards around them with precise measurements of distance and angles.


[OOC: Obviously the exact distance to the peak of the ceiling differs with your height, but 23 feet is a good average.]

[What do you do?]


[Harnan at 7/10 FP ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:59, Mon 02 May 2022.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 23):

When the officer started to at least talk about how far it was, Aladin tried to question how they were taken from their homes, who the robed ones were and where they were now.

"You would have to ask them about that," the officer said.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 25):

"So where do you fit in then, if you are not with them?"

"We are legionnaires," the officer said. "We were assigned to protect them."

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 27):

"Then you must know something about them. Who are they? Who do they work for?"

"You would have to ask them about that," the officer said. "Keep on going now." He signed for the group to continue down the stairs.

In reply to Aladin Sufran (msg # 28):

Aladin continued to co-operate.

"I would ask them, if they were here. They must have told you something, though. I mean, why were you assigned to gaurd them? What were they doing that was important to you?"

Keira just followed after the rest of the strangers, looking confused and clearly uncomfortable about this whole situation. Ancient tombs, weird rituals, strange new abilities - not to mention being naked again and having spears pointed at them - none of this boded well to her.

OOC: Guess we should head downstairs, but Keira is definitely not going first.

I wouldn't waste your breath talking to the help, they likely don't understand enough of this to make it worth your time." Harnan says to the man talking to the soldier.

Harnan pointed out the futility in talking to the legionnaires as he and the rest filed past Aladin and headed down the other set of stairs. Their Spatial Awareness dark beyond the walls, floor, and ceiling.

As Aladin tried to continue his conversation with the officer, he was just interested in getting the Bedouin to follow the others down the stairs.

The corridor at the bottom of the stairs had a number of doors at various locations on one side or the other. The corridor also ended in a door. And beyond that door were a number of pools of water. Each pool with a different temperature.

"Clean yourself up," the other officer said who had led the first decade following the five and the dog. He pointed out where they could find bars of soap and towels. As well as clean clothes they could wear afterwards.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:17, Tue 03 May 2022.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 33):

If we were being followed down the stairs, Aladin would ask the same questions of the officer who accompanied them.

"Keep on moving," the officer responded.

"I am, but why am I moving? If you serve demons, I should be obliged to escape. I will not allow myself to be forced to serve demons. Death would be better."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:28, Tue 03 May 2022.

The officer started saying something, but stopped, and just continued to push the group forward towards the pools.



[OOC: I updated a previous post to clarify that all the legionnaires followed you downstairs.]

Spoil the fun...I therefore had to modify my post. Since there is no one leaving us, the conversation would have continued down the stairs.

Keira took a quick dip in a pool as far away from others as possible, and then headed straight for the towels and the clothes. As she was getting dressed, she began to wonder just why there were pools of water, towels and clothes in a tomb in a middle of a desert? Just what was happening here?

Once she put on some clothes she decided to try to get some answers from the officer in charge. Maybe he would respond better to her questions? "Who are you people? And who are they?" She pointed at the other strangers. "And why am I here?"

In reply to Keira (msg # 39):

Aladin did not trust them at all and moved straight to put on clothes. Nothing seemed right, and he certainly did not want to risk that liquid not being water.

He looked for any other exits, keeping away from the water but taking a towel and soap in case it might prove useful later.

Aladin picked up a towel and soap.

There were no other exits.

And from Keira cleaning herself up, at least that pool was actually water.

After Keira got dressed, finally that compulsion had ended, she approached the officer that had offered his mantle to her.

"We are legionnaires," the officer said. "I don't know who or why any of you are here. You would have to ask them about that." Them obviously referred to the six robed figures.

"Hey, you," one of the legionnaires shouted at Aladin as he was trying to put some clothes on. "You need to wash first. No clothes before you clean yourself up."

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 41):

Aladin ignored the man trying to give him orders and continued to dress, listening in to the conversation.

He only picked up the towel and soap after he dressed. If he is not allowed to dress, he will still be holding the clothes, trying to put them on.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:36, Wed 04 May 2022.

The ogre followed the elf woman down to the pools. He picked up a towel and a bar of soap. He placed the soap in the middle of the towel and rolled it into a makeshift club.  While she bathed with as much privacy as could be managed; he stood menacingly in the doorway to block access and obscure the view of anyone trying to look past him. While the towel in his hand was hardly lethal, it could possible make someone think twice if they got smacked with it.


--------------
ooc:  Small edit to better clarify things. In regards to the towel, think back to the blanket party scene in Full Metal Jacket.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:06, Wed 04 May 2022.

Three legionnaires moved in on Aladin, with spears pointed at him, to force him to take a bath.

As Gurth placed himself in the doorway, a handful of legionnaires joined him. Not so much to obscure things as to keep an eye on him.

There was no one in the corridor.

Nothing about this made sense to Keira, and she realized she would get no answers from the legionares either. So while the soldiers were busy forcing someone to bathe for some reason, she looked around the chamber they were in. If there were any light shafts or passages leading to the outside, she could use them to escape. But even if she did so, if they really were in the middle of the desert, where would she go? Perhaps it was best to play along for now.

Keira looked around. The chamber was well lit. But other than the pools and people, there was only the clothing.

Six sets of clothing in varying sizes. All in the same style. All designed for men. All of it made out of wool. Underwear, but no bra. Socks. Lose-fitting pants. A lose-fitting, white, ankle-length, collarless shirt. A sash. An open robe. Boots made out of brown leather. And a headscarf. With each set of clothes, there is also a curved dagger.

There were no shafts. No other doors. No ways in or ways out. No corners. Or hiding places.

"Excuse me," the officer said to Keira and headed to Aladin. "The faster you clean yourself up, the faster your questions will be answered," he told the cleric.



[OOC: The headscarf looks like the one in Aladin's picture]

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 46):

"Before I make myself presentable, I need some indication that this is not serving demons. I serve a good God, and I would prefer to die than to be part of some diabolical plan. Baptism through water has significant religious overtones and I could never willingly partake and still serve my God."

"Unless you are the demons, there are no demons here," the officer said.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 48):

"Then what manner of devilry brought us here, and why do you want me to wash, at pain of death? How do I know this is not some sort of ritual, like the last one I was unwillingly involved in?"

"You would have to ask them about that," the officer said. "They want you to clean, so we make sure that you clean up."

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 50):

"Why? Who is they? If we are in a desert what does it matter? Happy for a sandbath, but no ritual washing until I know more."

"We're legionnaires," the officer said. "We have been assigned to be here. There are no rituals. You can wash yourself any way you like. There's no sand down here though."

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 52):

"Then you will accept me rubbing myself with a damp towel, with no immersion?"

"If that's what you want to do," the officer said. "We only have six of them though."

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 54):

Aladin will clean himself with a damp towel and then get dressed, after Kiera is done.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:57, Thu 05 May 2022.

After the elf woman had completed her bath and got dressed, the ogre silently left the doorway and went to the pools to bathe and dress.

Harnan bathes as soon as he has the chance. "Sacrifices should be clean and presentable after all." he quips, testing the water temperature to see if it is to his liking first before choosing a hot pool, then walking on the water to the center of the pool where he stands for a minute, then sinks in, at some point swimming a bit, seeming to have shrunk small enough to do so.

He cares not about the elf womans modesty, or his own, or the ogre, or the guards, paying attention to none of them. When he picks out his clothing, which ever of the sets seems more his size, he tries the dagger for shaving his cheeks around his goatee before he dresses. He does not don the robe or headscarf, instead rolling them up and carrying them.

Keira glanced at Harnan when he mentioned sacrifices. That... could be a possibility. Though why would anyone provide a future sacrifice with a weapon?
This message was last edited by the player at 08:30, Fri 06 May 2022.

Both Aladin and Gurth gave due deference to Keira and let her get ready first. The human then wet the extra towel and cleaned himself with it while the ogre took a bath. Both of them got dressed.

The largest set of clothes presented a challenge to Gurth. While loose for everyone else, they were quite snug for him. And too short. The underwear, socks, and boots didn't fit him at all. The pants ended on his calves. The shirt became a crop top with sleeves that ended halfway up his forearm.

The sash was long enough to be tied around his waist, but didn't look as fashionable as it did on the others. The headscarf and the robe were both tight too.

Harnan, on the other hand, ignored such pleasantries of modesty, selected a hot pool, walked on the water as if it had been ice to the center of the pool, and stood there for a minute, before sinking into the water and shrinking in size until he became small enough to swim several laps in the pool.

Having cleaned himself up, he donned the set of clothes that was closest to him in size. And he shaved with the curved dagger. Picking up the clothes he had chosen not to wear.

When everyone was ready, the legionnaires led them back down the corridor, but stopped at one of the doors and knocked. When asked to enter, they opened the door and ushered the group inside.

There was a table for 12, the robed ones seated on the left side of the table, with six unoccupied chairs on the right.

The table itself was laden with food from various parts of the world.

"Please come inside," Olive invited. "Sit, eat."

And with his words, the compulsion bound all of them again. So they sat down and started eating brunch.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:02, Mon 09 May 2022.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 59):

Except Aladin  but he at least pretends.

"So you are those who practice that demonic magic that brought us here?"

"We don't practice demonic magic," Olive said. "But we are the ones that brought you here. Not that the spell was supposed to bring you here. You're not our target demographic. But you are here, so we'll have to make do."





Including Aladin.

[OOC: I hope it is obvious that I am referring to the robed ones by the color of their robe.]

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 61):

He relaxed, just a little.

"Then what sort of magic was it, and why? And why compel us to eat?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:57, Fri 06 May 2022.

"Malfunctioning magic," Olive said. "And the compulsion is all part of the spell. Even a simple invitation like 'sit and eat' has to be obeyed. You can't harm us or allow us to be harmed through your inaction. Even if one of us would command you to do so. And unless we command otherwise, you should defend yourselves against all enemies. Though we are not your enemies."

"As for why we cast the spell in the first place, we need agents that are not affiliated with us that will do as they are told. And you cannot share our secrets with others. We need agents that look for treasures and artifacts for us. Agents that bring us wealth. And in return, we will give you a portion of what you find for us."

The ogre entered the chamber and walked over to the table feeling ridiculous in his undersized clothes.  He took a seat at the end of the table and sat down.  He paused and glared at the hooded figures for a moment but soon he began to sample the various dishes with great enthusiasm, always eager to try something new.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:48, Sat 07 May 2022.

In reply to Gurth (msg # 64):

"You know I serve my God, so if you ever command me to do something against his direction, I will become useless to you as he will withdraw any powers he has given me."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:00, Sat 07 May 2022.

Keira asks her questions in between bites. "Aren't there easier ways to find agents than a ritual in a tomb in the middle of a desert? Why bother with this? Who who were you expecting to summon?"

Harnan said nothing. He sampled the various foodstuffs to determine which, if any, were best in taste and quality then ate those while he looked at each of the robed figures.

They sat down and ate. Their first meal of the day, so it satiated their hunger. Some ate with great enthusiasm while others picked at the food. Eating only the tastiest of morsels. Some were quiet, others inquisitive, and yet others contemplative. A number of emotions running their minds and hearts.

"Your divine powers will be most useful," Olive said.

"That reminds me," Snow said in a melodious female voice. "The merchant that sold us the defective spell, you'll have to deal with him."

"There are easier ways to get agents certainly," Olive said. "But agents who have the required skill sets and don't have any connections to us are more difficult to find. So we decided to go extraplanar. Obviously, you were not brought here from another plane. So we'll have to make do."

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 68):

"Then it is both our interests that you respect Paye. Are you sure we are from this plane? I am not convinced that this is the same plane we were born on. Why don't you run some location names past us to see if we recognise any?"

Mustafa relaxes a little for the first time, and looks over the food.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:16, Mon 09 May 2022.

"The legionnaires have already mentioned the only place that is important to you right now," Olive said. "But Lessat-Ha is also where we bought the spell, so the merchant will likely be there. We will be in Garholt for some time, so go there with the things you have acquired for us."

"Go to the Temple of Heptinity there and show this ring," Olive retrieved a ring from a pouch and handed it to Aladin. "If we have left by the time you get there, there will be someone who knows where we have gone."

Harnan takes a plate and sets it down for Bloodfang. "What about supplies and operating capital?" he asks Snow.

"...and weapons and armour."

The ogre continued to eat, now working on another plate full of assorted dishes.  He seemed to perk up at the mention of weapons and armor.

A number of additional questions were asked and though some of them were directed at Snow, Olive was the one that responded to all of them.

"We have a suitable operating capital for you," Olive said and each of the six robed ones retrieved a leather pouch that they placed on the table. The pouches were about a cup in size each and were more than a third full. And from the jingling sound, there were coins in them.

"Supplies are trickier. We expected agents that didn't need to eat, so unfortunately we don't have any food or water that we can spare. But clerics often know how to supply such things." He looked at Aladin.

"We have weapons and armor and a few other things that you might find useful that we can look at after the meal."

Harnan ate intermittently. Spending a minute here and a minute there as if he was lost in thought.






[Harnan at 7/10 FP. Not that anything has changed here, I just forgot to include it in a few posts.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:22, Mon 09 May 2022.

"I can provide some meals and water, but long term it will not be enough for all of us. Large critters eat much more than a normal human. I can only provide for five normal sized humans."

He did take the pouch offered.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:02, Tue 10 May 2022.

"Is there writing material available?" Harnan asks.

Keira was not at all sure she wanted to spend the rest of her life working for this group, but the compulsion left her little choice at this point. Maybe this merchant could tell them more about this spell? Including, perhaps, a way to break it?

"I'd very much like to examine these supplies that are available to us. Money is of limited use in the middle of the desert." She still took the offered pouch, of course.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:42, Tue 10 May 2022.

"That's unfortunate," Olive said. "I hope you know how to forage or are willing to go without."

"We don't have any writing material."

"Of course, we can look at them as soon as we have finished eating."

Harnan was especially aloof.


[OOC: Is there anything else you want to do here? Or do you want to skip along to the supplies?]






[Harnan at 7/10 FP.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:07, Sun 22 May 2022.

GM passing a message

"Us without supplies will not be as effective, so it is your capability you loose. Our services to you will likely cease when we die, wether it be from hunger or battle, or both, it matters little, so your loss. Perhaps we should visit the merchant who sold you the dodgy scroll first?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:55, Wed 11 May 2022.

The talk at the table took a different turn and it looked like the meal would be ending soon. The ogre stuffed his mouth with another big bite of meat and then he piled a large handful of sweet cakes onto a small plate.

He looked at his new comrades to see if they were going to get up or stay seated.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:38, Wed 11 May 2022.

"One, and only one of our group is indeed extraplanar." Harnan spoke, still focusing on Snow with a slight grin, and he patted his hound on the head. "And your spell did indeed bring him hither. Perhaps it is not what you expected, but perhaps the spell did exactly what it was described to do, only more... and less.

He laughed a quick chuckle, then looked at Snow again. "I find it odd that there are six of you, there should be seven, but then what do I know about groups of Divine such as yourselves? Now, we are a family of sorts I suppose. Some of us by compulsion, others by happenstanse, but destined to be so for some time I imagine. We should get to knoww one another and be comfortable with each other. I am Harnan, a simple man of no import with few skills really. Before my rest was... interrupted I was in Bridgebury, in Highland where I was employed in, well, lets call it research."

He sighs, thinking back on some memory of said research most likely then says to Snow

"That medallion is facinating, I have never seen one quite like it. Does it have any special significance?"

"Keira." The elven woman did not offer any other details about herself at this point.

I'm ok with skipping to the supplies.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:26, Wed 11 May 2022.

"I'm sure you are capable enough to get what you need in the desert," Olive said. "It may be wise to travel to Lessat-Ha sooner rather than later, but you should still look for treasures and artifacts while you go there.

Gurth, who only needed to eat twice a day, but when he ate needed to eat three times as much as the others made sure that he had something to snack on as he prepared to leave.

Harnan revealed that Bloodfang was the only extraplanar creature in the room and that the spell that brought all of them here had brought it here too. It seemed that the at least 30 inches tall at the shoulders dog had latched on to Harnan only after it arrived. If Harnan was telling the truth.

He then made some religious commentary and talked about the group being family. And as those words crossed his lips, a new bond suddenly linked the four of them. And Bloodfang too.

Harnan then introduced himself. And Keira barely had the time to give them her name before Harnan asked Snow about her medallion.

Their eyes couldn't see a medallion, but their Spatial Awareness still "illuminated" everything within ten yards of them, even behind other things. Or beneath the table. All walls were thicker than a foot. And everyone else's clothes flickered between solid and translucent. Even their bodies flickered.

And as Harnan had pointed out the medallion around the female's neck, the group focused in on it and also noted that all of the six wore medallions. And that all of them were different.

And despite having their faces obscured in their robes, they could still see the faces as clear as day.

"How did you know that I'm wearing a medallion," Snow asked Harnan.



[OOC: Let me know if you want to try to persuade them to do something, such as provide extra food or something to carry the water in, and what skill you use to do so.

The new bond is Sense of Duty (Adventuring Companions) covering the group. I'll list it in the other thread when everyone has read this post.

While the Compulsion is there for you to overcome, if you want to. Sense of Duty is there for party cohesion. And as most of you didn't choose that as one of your disadvantages, I'm giving each of you 5 extra character points that you can spend on anything you like. But you can only spend them in a restful place and with the six and their legionnaires here, this is not currently a restful place.

Images for the six.
* Man in Olive robe: https://forrestimel.com/stock-art/priest-male-stock2
* Female in snowy robe: https://www.wallpaperflare.com...rrior-wallpaper-ecjg
* Shinobi Elf in crimson robe: https://www.worldanvil.com/upl...b459b59efcff2823.png
* Female in Ebony robe: https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d3/4...4982eca5a5957477.jpg. I'm not sure why I didn't get a link for this one.
* Female in honey robe: https://www.deviantart.com/das...ragonclore-513224762
* Female in indigo robe: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/437201076322786380/, but not in armor.

In size, Bloodfang is a mix of a great dane and a wolfhound, if that helps you imagine what it looks like.


]
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:32, Fri 13 May 2022.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 84):

"So our task is the collection of treasure, within the confines of the law, correct? And to just give it to you... exactly how?

And how do we carry it?"

"I can see through your clothing at will. " Harnan replies in a droning monotone to Snow, then he slips back to his normal animated speech and adds "I have long had the ability to improve my senses at will, last night for instance I aided a healer and a sick man by looking inside the sick man's skull and finding the growth that troubled him. At my will you are as naked to me as I was when you drew me here."

He shrugs.

"Perhaps I have upset your sense of modesty?. If so I apologize. You can imagine that if one saw all the people within sight unclothed at will soon any thrill would fade to blasé, no matter how attractive the subject."

Keira decided not to ask any more questions on what they are expected to do... in case she does not like the answers. And she gave Harnan a startled glance when he claimed he could see through clothing.

"Adventurers find treasure everywhere," Olive said. "Dungeons. Tombs. You get it for us and bring it to us. Next we will be in Garholt and you should visit us there. There are backpacks among the supplies. I think we should go there now."

As Olive rose from the table, the quartet of summoned heroes did so too. And the remaining five robed ones rose too. And all ten of them, and the dog that was heavier than all of them but Gurth, filed out of the dining room into the hall where they were joined by the legionnaires again.

"You should not, ever, look under my robe," Snow commanded. And as the command took hold, their Spatial Awareness still showed them everything.

All 30 of them went to a nearby door. One of the legionnaires opened the door.

"Come," Ebony told them and stepped inside. She was followed by the four and the dog.

The torches fastened on the walls, one by one burst into flame and illuminated the storage room so that they could decide for themselves what they were going to bring.

The group entered the supply room and the holy man to make his choices. The ogre turned towards the robed figures.

"Gurth take?", the ogre asked, pointing at the assorted items.

"Feel free," Ebony said. "That's why they are here. If we had had the correct parameters of the spell we could have prepared for your needs better. But unfortunately, this is what we have."

Keira picked up a staff and a few basics, but she couldn't help but notice a lack of food and water among the supplies offered. She hoped that suitable mounts would at least be provided to them. They would need them if they were really in the middle of a desert.

After Keira made her selection, the ogre gave Harnan a hard look over and stepped forward. He grabbed a backpack and began to fill it with various items, a bag of silver coins, bedroll, personal basics, pillow, shortsword and a quiver of longbow arrows.   Next he picked up the thrusting broadsword and tucked it into his sash and picked up the longbow.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:25, Sat 14 May 2022.

Worried about the lack of food or water among the supplies offered, Keira decided to talk to this priest that was supposed to keep them alive on a three week march through a desert. "You said you could provide us with enough food and water for five people. How exactly? And how confident are you of being able to provide enough food, and more importantly, enough water for five humans to be able to survive in a desert, for the next three weeks?

Basically, Keira is asking Aladin how is he planning on doing this (a spell?), why five people, and was extra water needed in a desert taken in account here?

Harnan picks up his coins, then follows into the storeroom. He selects a small backpack, bedroll, personal basics, straw pillow, the spear, the whip, a single arrow and the layered leather armor. He then goes back to where the pools are and picks up the extra clothing and his towel. He then finds a quiet adequately lit corner to start arrainging his kit.

"It is through the power my God gives me, but it is limited in how often I can cast it. We will need to head to a settlement very soon, these supplies are seriously lacking."

He takes some armour and basic supplies, including the Bedouin tent, but no suitable weapons are found.

The four of them picked up the stuff they wanted to bring with them. As everyone else remained at the storage, Harnan walked away to the baths. Two of the legionnaires accompanied him.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 96):

"Are any maps, mounts or sand sleds available?"

"No," Ebony said.

"But we can point you towards the closet oasis," Honey said. "Razzar is four days away on foot. I'm sure you can find more supplies there."

A legionnaire returned from upstairs, carrying six filled water skins.

"We were able to spare these for you," Olive said

"Do the legionnaires have any maps we could copy onto a section of tablecloth, for example?"

"We have found that there is little use for maps when all they show is sand," Honey said. "We travel without them."

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 100):

"In the desert we often travelled at night, and rested during the day. maps were very useful for finding oasis, when all one sees is sand..."

"As I mentioned before, I will show you the direction to the closest oasis," Honey said. "All you have to do is walk for four days. You'll get there."

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 102):

"Thank you. But from there? Do we have anything to ensure we travel in one direction for the entirety of the 4 days?"

"If you travel at night, you can use the stars to give you direction," Honey said.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 104):

"In four days travel, we don't have to get the direction far off to miss it though. Then what?"

"

"That's your job to figure out," Olive said. "We're not traveling with you. You have to be self-sufficient."

"Hmm." Keira was not happy with the lack of supplies or the answers given to them. But talking to these summoners was not changing this, and only seemed to be making things worse with every request they made. To limit the effect this compulsion has on her, she decided to stay away from them as much as possible from then on.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 106):

Aladin frowned, but rather than speaking, he thought that being self sufficient would include selling or using loot as necessary.

Then he wondered if they could read his mind, but said nothing, looking for a response.

There was no response from the six in regards to Aladin's thoughts.

Harnan returned over an hour later. And many things had changed.

Harnan walked in holding the spear which if one looked closely could see now has some carvings in the wood, and he was smoking a crude wooden pipe. Extra clothing was rolled and tied with a sash into a bundle. The most obvious detail was Bloodfang, who now was dressed in leather barding.

"We should waterproof two backpacks and fill them with water." he says, "but not from the pool I swam in. Other than that I am ready to depart."

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 110):

"We should rest and eat as much as we can, and leave just before dusk. We have a long journey. Is there any writing equipment we can take anywhere?

By the way, where are the legionnaires going, and when?"

"The legionnaires are traveling with us," Olive said "And you are not. And no, there is no writing equipment."

"And unless you have any other questions, we will be leaving now."

The ogre sat at the table and listened quietly.  He smiled when Bloodfang entered the room with his new armor.

"Now Doggy fight.", he said.

In reply to Gurth (msg # 113):

"Right. I guess we had better see where we should go then."

Harnan watched the robed ones and their soldiers leave. "Farewell! Safe journey!" he called out to them in a friendly tone, to Snow in particular.

Once they had departed he said to the ogre <DarkBlue>"I can make your clothes better fitting if you wish."<DarkBlue>

As they depart, Harnan will attempt to look under Snows robe again, testing the compulsion.

The group went back to the hexagonal room and exited through the final archway. As they passed through the room, their Spatial Awareness revealed that the wall between these two archways also hid a secret entrance and a corridor beyond that went straight until it reached the edge of that awareness.

They soon came to a staircase that led up to a cavern-like entrance. Outside, another decade of legionnaires was stationed with the camels that they were traveling with.

But more importantly, the desert was quite cool, for a desert, even though it was quite close to midday as it was in the middle of winter.

Honey pointed in a roughly southwestern direction and told them that they should be going in that direction.

The Spatial Awareness continued to flicker between solid and translucent so that each of the four who had been summoned could see through the clothes and through the bodies of everyone around them. Including Snow. Revealing everything one might like to hide beneath masks or clothes.

[OOC: Technically your Spatial Awareness isn't looking. It's not something you use to see as much as it is something used to "see".]

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 116):

Aladin will offer the legionnaires cash for a camel...that would enable them to be more self sufficient! He approaches the camels to see if they are friendly...

"I'm sorry," the legionnaire said. "But they're not for sale.

In reply to Harnan (msg # 115):

The ogre spat in the sand and watched as the legionnaires and the Six departed. After about 10 minutes, he decided that the group was finally alone.

"Thank you. I would appreciate that.", replied the ogre to Harman.

"I am Gurth, son of Brukug.", he said reaching out with his big meaty hand.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:06, Tue 17 May 2022.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 116):

OOC - Are you saying that we see the spatial awareness as similar to a heads go display in an aircraft cockpit or a FPS video game?

Keira shaked her head as she looked southwest over sand, sand and even more sand. "This has been a very weird day, and it's far from over yet. Well, shall we start this fool's errant?"

Did the Six and the soldiers depart before us? Keira might be tempted to check out that secret passage if they are not still looking over our shoulder.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:35, Tue 17 May 2022.

"But before we go, let's take one more look at this place. There might be something in there that could help us." Now that the Six and the soldiers were not watching them, Keira wished to return to the tomb to see if there really was a secret passage down there. Who knows what kind of treasure - or danger - they could find there.

Unless someone stops her, Keira will go back to check out that wall with a secret passage the characters just walk by on the way out. Any way to open it, or any cracks in it? Not sure if a roll is required, or against what.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:36, Tue 17 May 2022.

"I am Aladin, from the same town as the merchant we seek. Since I trained there, I hope we can find trustworthy folk there to help us. Hence, I would like to head there soon, but checking the secret locations here is a good start."

They went back downstairs to the hexagonal room. Their Spatial Awareness flickering between solid and translucent as they continued to see that which was beneath the surface or even through the other's bodies.

When they got downstairs, they soon discovered that there was another hidden passage behind the third wall.

[OOC: So, there are three secret passages. The first between the arrival corridor and the bath/food/supplies corridor. The second between bfs and upstairs. And the last between upstairs and the arrival corridor. Calling each corridor what you'll find if you go down it.

Let me know where you will start and what you're going to do.]

"Perhaps it would be prudent to search the know areas first?"

"I believe it would be. I suppose we should get on with it.", Gurth replied.

They went down the stairs towards the baths, where they had had brunch, and where they had picked up their supplies. There were a number of doors in that corridor that they had not opened.

Merely walking down the middle of the corridor, their Spatial Awareness penetrated the walls and doors and revealed crypts beyond with elaborate resting places for the dead.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:44, Wed 18 May 2022.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 127):

Aladin looks to check them in the order he approached them.

Keira joined Aladin in his search. She was not sure grave robing was something they should be doing, but surely it can't hurt to take a look at what's there?

The doors were not locked. And when they looked inside, it was just as they had "seen" through the doors. Elaborate and expensive-looking sarcophaguses in these well-decorated crypts. Dust everywhere, as these crypts didn't seem to have been open in a very long time. And all light came from the corridor.

Gurth grabbed a torch off of the wall followed his new friends as they looked around.   He carried a short sword in his other hand.

"Do you think we will find anything useful?", he asked.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:46, Thu 19 May 2022.

In reply to Gurth (msg # 131):

"Not sure, but probably worth checking. Respectfully"

"Give me a minute or two..." Harnan says, and he closes his eyes and concentrates

Harnan stood in the middle of the corridor, focusing. Balanced. Nothing betraying what he was doing. Not even the Spatial Awareness that "saw" right through him and everyone else in the corridor too. He stood there for about a minute and a half, so pretty close to the estimate he had given.





[Harnan at 7/10 FP.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:08, Sun 22 May 2022.

Gurth watches Harnan do his thing while wondering what it is exactly.

Harnan shrugs.  "I detect nothing out of sorts here and no treasure of any significance, yet my senses are not conclusive on either so there may yet be danger, or even treasure." He remarks, "I will examine the chamber more closely."

He moves into the chamber,  looking for writing on the walls or the sarcophagus's.

Gurth follows Harnan into the chamber with the torch.

Keira stayed well back as others examine the tomb, in case there were any surprises in there. She was more interested in the secret passages anyway.

How close is the nearest secret passage from our current location? Don't want to split up, but if it's nearby, Keira will go see if she can identify the mechanism to open it.

Gurth entered the crypt behind Harnan, giving necessary light to their eyes. Even though their Spatial Awareness covered the entire chamber and had no need for light.

The right wall in the crypt was too thick to be penetrated, but the left one allowed them to "see" the next one too. They could even see the wrapped dead body in the sarcophagus. As well as the skeleton, lungs, heart, and brain of everyone with in their reach. Or the view under their clothes and armor.

Harnan searched through the crypt.




[Harnan at 7/10 FP.]

[OOC: I'm assuming that Harnan entered the crypt closest to the stairs, on the right side of the corridor.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:09, Sun 22 May 2022.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 139):

Aladin will be close behind him, carrying very little.

"I believe nothing of interest lays in these crypts." Harnan remarks, and he has back to the corridor.

In reply to Harnan (msg # 141):

"No slings, axes or maces? Or maps?"

"If there is anything of value here, my bet is it would be hidden in those passages. Anything just left lying around would have been picked clean by tomb raiders long ago."

Let's check out the nearest secret passage - does our spacial awareness tell us anything useful? Can we sense the location of mechanism that opens the passage?

Gurth turned towards Kiera.

"That sounds interesting.  Let's take a look.", he said.

Aladin agrees, and follows to a hidden passage.

Keira, Gurth, and Aladin headed back to the hexagonal room.

Their Spatial Awareness "seeing" through the other, but being blocked by the walls as they were too thick to "see" through.


[OOC: All three hidden passages are in this room. The strictly closest would be the ones to the left or right of this corridor.

Decide which one you are trying to open and make a Traps roll to try to open it. Your Spatial Awareness may give you a bonus.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:39, Mon 23 May 2022.

Aladin will watch the backs of others who check the doors...
This message was last edited by the player at 04:56, Mon 23 May 2022.

As the group walks back into the hexagon room, Gurth points to he left.

"Let's start with this one. It's as good as any of them and we'll get to the rest later."

"Let me take a look..." Harnan says, checking the door the ogre indicated.

Keira looked over and "saw" through the frescoed secret door. It took her a little while, but soon she had the door opened.

Beyond it, a corridor led into darkness. But her Spatial Awareness revealed that it was ten feet wide and ended in a set of stairs. The stonework in the floor, walls, and ceiling remained the same as in the rest of the complex.

Gurth looked at the open door and then back at the rest of the party.  He smiled a very toothy smile.

"Let's go.", he said as he walked through the doorway and waited at the top of the stairs.  His torch illuminated the stone work around him.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:10, Tue 24 May 2022.

Aladin followed in silence.

Gurth entered the corridor, followed by Aladin, and the others. The torch illuminated 2 yards around the ogre while their Spatial Awareness "illuminated" everything 10 yards around them. Even through well-decorated walls. Unless they were thicker than a foot.

They soon reached the top of the stair that extended forward and downward in this ten-foot-wide corridor.

"Careful now. There's no telling what surprises may have been left to deter grave robbers." Keira commented from behind.

Though I'm thinking our Spatial Awareness could be very useful in detecting traps - things like trigger plates, deadfalls, pits and the like should be fairly obvious as long as we pay attention on where we are going.

Gurth turned back to the elf woman.

"What kind of surprises are you talking about?", he asked.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:49, Wed 25 May 2022.

Keira thought for a moment before answering. "Well, there's pits - both with and without spikes, then deadfalls, spring blades, spikes and bolts. Oh, and poison gas. And likely more, but with our new sense we should be able to spot any non-magical traps in time, as long as we pay attention on where we are stepping."

After a moment she added: "Well, probably, anyway."

"Right.", Gurth said simply and started down the stairs.  He moved slow and scanned the spaces around and above with his SA to make sure there were no surprises as Keira called them.

Aladin continued to follow the big critter.

The ogre suddenly stopped short. He turned back to Keira.

"I have never seen any of the things that you just talked about.  Would you mind coming up here to keep an eye out?" , he asked.

Keira hesitated before moving up front. "Well, fine. Just a warning - I am not exactly an expert myself."

Let's press on then. GM will probably make secret rolls if they are needed, I think.

They headed down the stairs and only a couple of yards after it ended, Keira stopped.

"Hold on. There's one of those surprises here." Keira examined the corridor ahead, trying to figure out what they are dealing with - and how to get past it.

GM passing a message.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 163):

Aladin paused as well, checking his surroundings.

GM passing a message.

"Pressure plates, several of them. No idea what they trigger, but I doubt we wish to find that out the hard way." Keira finally reported to the party. "We can probably just step around them, assuming we can spot all of them. I'll go first, and the rest of you can follow in my footsteps if you don't seen me skewered by a trap. I don't suppose anyone has any chalk or something else to mark them with?"

If nobody has any other ideas, Keira will move forward and step around the plates. And if someone does have something to mark the location of plates, she can do that as well.

"We only have what we found here. Would soap work?"

"Not sure soap would do. But we can improvise with something else." Keira scrounged around for a handful of pebbles and small rocks. She planned to use them to mark a safe path through the trap the rest of the party could follow.

Right, let's do this. Keira will use pebbles to mark the edges of a safe path as she goes through. I guess sand could be used for that as well.

Keira showed the way for the others. Her footsteps in the dust on the floor that had been undisturbed for a very very long time was a sufficient marker for what tiles to step on. And after a little while longer, they had walked down the length of the bare-walled corridor to the door. It was well carved with the hinges on this side of the door.

The smell in the corridor was musky and closed in. And their footsteps echoed on the stone floor. It was somewhat cooler in the corridor and the air was quite stale. But now that the secret door had been opened, circulation had improved.

Aladin will continue to follow along, quietly and patiently, as quietly as he can as he observed his surroundings.

Keira carefully examined the door for more surprises before they tried to open it.

When you say it is well carved, does that means there are carvings on it? If so, of what?

Gurth held the torch closer to the door so that they could better examine it.

Keira inspected the door and the lock.

With their Spatial Awareness, they "saw" through the door. There was another crypt. But this one was larger and the sarcophagus more elaborate. Like the others, there was a wrapped body inside, but this one was not alone. A silver-like mask was placed on her face. An amulet rested on her chest and a cylinder on her stomach.

"Tsk, locked and trapped. Such distrust." Keira looked at others after examining the lock. "Any ideas?"

In reply to Keira (msg # 174):

"I would suggest only taking what we need. Any other loot we will have to give away, and we do not have supplies to deal with serious injuries now. We can come back for that, perhaps after breaking the compulsion."

"That seems like a reasonable idea.", Gurth replied.

"You know, we have not been tasked with recovering anything specific yet.  Whatever we might find here today can be sold to to better equip ourselves for the future...in the spirit of being self sufficient."

In reply to Gurth (msg # 176):

"Exactly my point."

"Ah. Got it.", the ogre replied, a bit embarrassed at not having caught the gist of Aladin's statement.

"We can all see the prizes.  How do we get to them and leave safely?", he asked.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:28, Fri 27 May 2022.

"That is the question. I may have an answer, but before doing anything I wish to be sure everyone present is fine with grave rob... I mean, with becoming more self-sufficient with the help of whatever is in there." Keira said, looking at the door appraisingly.

GM passing a message.

In reply to Keira (msg # 179):

"The idea of robbing the dead is distasteful, but at this point, we may have little choice.", Gurth replied.

"I don't know how long this whole thing is going to last. I do know that we will need every advantage that we can get to make it through."

In reply to Gurth (msg # 181):

"But we should take only what is useful for is to be self sufficient. Anything in excess we will be compelled to give away. Until we find the merchant to break the compulsion."

"Right. I'll take that as a yes then." Keira dropped her pack by the side of the door and focused. In a blink of an eye she was no longer there, only her shadow remaining etched on the doors. Or someone's shadow anyway, as this particular shadow showed a hulking, hunchbacked, monstrous figure with long, long talons where its fingers should be.

The shadow flowed down and under the locked door, disappearing inside the burial chamber.

Shadow Form, going inside to loot the place.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:59, Sat 28 May 2022.

Keira dropped her pack and waterskin and changed into a monstrous shadow. She passed through the crack beneath the door. The rest of them could still follow her on the other side with their Spatial Awareness.

She reformed on the other side and she was back to her attractive elven self. She waited for a few seconds and then she tried to move the lid to the sarcophagus, but it didn't budge.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:37, Sat 28 May 2022.

The dead woman did not wish to share her treasure, but Keira had one more trick up her sleeve. She placed her hands on the lid, focused, and when she judged herself ready pushed at it with all her strength.

Concentrate for half a minute to eliminate skill penalty, then Power Blow to double Keira's strength (for 1 FP) as she attempts to open the sarcophagus again.
16:41, Today: Keira rolled 16 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,6,6.  Power Blow (14).

Aaaaand failed. Dice roller has really been messing with me lately. At least it's not critical failure, and if GM is ok with it, Keira can just try again. Maybe at -1 for repeated attempt?

Keira focused in an almost spiritual manner. Meditating. Drawing upon the powers of her soul or life force. And then pushing for all that she was worth. To no effect.

But she was not deterred.

She focused again. Drawing upon the kaleidoscope of colors. Merging them through the crystal of her meditation into a single beam of focused light. And as she repeated her efforts, she pushed the lid of the sarcophagus off, and revealed the wrapped body and the things that had been left with it.



[Keira has spent 2 out of 10 FP.]

[OOC: This talk of color and light is merely metaphorical, Keira is not a light source.]

On a day that started off weird, things just kept going off the scale.  Gurth watched with astonishment as Keira assumed her shadow form and flowed under the door.  He saw her struggle with the sarcophagus lid and wished he was in there to help with the heavy lifting.

With a grunt of effort Keira pushed the lid off the sarcophagus. She took a deep breath to recover and then whispered to the dead woman: "Forgive me lady, but we need these more than you do."

The body is wrapped up, right? I assume the mask and the container can just be picked up, but is the amulet under the wrappings?

Keira again turned into that monstrous shadow. She picked up the silvery mask and the cylinder. As soon as the items had been picked up, they too became shadow. But when she tried to pick up the amulet, it slid away from her. Repelled as if they were similarly charged magnets.

[OOC: All three items are on top of the wrappings.]

Aladin is not so enthusiastic at watching the shadow form. It did not look good at all...

He considered what he knew about the burial procedures of mummies...

"Would not the cylinder contain her internal organs? Not sure we should take them..."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:31, Sun 29 May 2022.

The dead woman was being very stubborn about her jewelry, Keira thought as she dropped out of shadow form. While she waited to be able to use it again she heard Aladin speak outside. "Huh, good point."

Keira examined the container she was now carrying, with the intention of returning it if it really contained the dead woman's organs. No point in defiling the grave any more than necessary. The amulet however she fully intended to take.

Alright, so: dropping out of shadow form, waiting for it to cool down again, examining the container and returning it if our spatial sense tells it contains anything that might have been organs at some point, then attempting to take the amulet while in physical form. Oh, and trying to close to sarcophagus afterwards if possible.

Keira returned to human form and waited for some time. The leather cylinder in her hands was about a foot long and an inch in diameter. She opened it and discovered a scroll of some strange material. None of them recognized the alphabet used as their Spatial Awareness allowed them to read through the wall.

Now in her physical form, Keira tried to pick up the amulet again. But again it slid away from her. As she tried to corner it with both of her arms, it slid out of the sarcophagus and fell to the floor.

Keira focused for some time again and picked up the lid of the sarcophagus and returned it to its place. Because of the size of it, that was more difficult than just pushing the lid off had been. She then noted that when the lid had crashed to the ground, that it also had smashed the jars next to the sarcophagus that had contained the dead woman's organs.



[Keira has spent 3 out of 10 FP.]


[OOC: The size of the cylinder was so obvious in my mind that I didn't think to post anything about its size. I'll try to do better.]

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 192):

"Maybe she should chase it out the door!" Aladin joked as he 'watched'.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 09:01, Mon 30 May 2022.

Gurth watched Keira's antics for a while before he grew frustrated.  He banged a heavy fist on the door to get her attention.

"That's enough.  Leave it.  Come back.", he shouted, hopefully loud enough to make himself heard.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:25, Mon 30 May 2022.

"Oh, well." Keira said as she looked over the mess she made. Before she left the chamber she tried to estimate the size of the amulet compared to the crack under the door, in case Aladin's suggestion might actually be possible. If it was, she was determined to give it a try before rejoining the rest of party. Maybe one of them would have an idea of what to do with an amulet that refused to be held.

What does our Spatial Awareness say, is there enough room under the door to chase the amulet under it? If there is, Keira would give it a try, but in any case it's time to go back.

Keira compared the amulet and the space beneath the door, but unfortunately, the amulet was too big.

So Keira transformed again and in her monstrous form, she slid under the door with the two items she had been able to pick up.

[Keira has spent 3 out of 10 FP.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:05, Mon 30 May 2022.

Keira shared what she got out of the tomb. "Shame about the amulet. The way it was protected, it must have been the most valuable item in there."

She wiped the sweat of her brow, getting some dust and grime on her face while doing so. "Never knew grave robbing could be this exhausting. Give me a couple of minutes to recover before we continue."

Back to physical form and using Breath Control to recover a fatigue point.
13:32, Today: Keira rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 3,1,6.  Breath Control (14).

If anyone can think of a use for the mask and the scroll, they are welcome to them. Otherwise, Keira can carry them until we decide what to do with them, I guess?
This message was last edited by the player at 11:35, Mon 30 May 2022.

Keira stood there and breathed deeply for two minutes.

[Keira recovered 1 FP and has spent 2 out of 10 FP.]

But you could continue to do that for 2x2 more minutes if you like.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:06, Mon 30 May 2022.

OOC: Nah, I'm good.

Gurth waited for Keira to catch her breath for a couple minutes.

"Let's get back upstairs.  Do you think that these items will be enough?", Gurth asked his new friends.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:57, Mon 30 May 2022.

GM passing a message.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 201):

"Enough for what? I could use a weapon. May I look at the document or scroll?"

"Enough to supplement the coin that the Six gave to us. So that when we can finally get to a city, we can purchase proper equipment.", Gurth replied.

"What weapon do you require? Are none of the ones we have suitable?"

In reply to Gurth (msg # 203):

"I am unskilled with them. I seek a sling or axe, or club or mace. Be careful not to have items we are compelled to give away."

Assuming he is given the scroll by Kiera, he uses torchlight to look at it.

"Of course." Keira handed the scroll to Aladin. "There are still two other passages we have not looked in. Should we do so?"

At least that is what I remember. You guys wish to keep playing tomb raider or do we leave this place?

In reply to Aladin Sufran (msg # 204):

"I would prefer a good hefty axe as well, my friend.  Any weapon is still better than none at all.  Luckily, I have also trained with a blade.  ", Gurth replied.

"Keira, Our next move may be determined by what he finds in that scroll case.  While he's at work, may I examine that mask?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:33, Tue 31 May 2022.

Keira gave Aladin the scroll tube and he opened it. He unfurled the scroll inside, and illuminated by the torch Gurth held, he examined it.

"Ii cannot read it.. Perhaps a mage can, it seems magical "

Keira gave the mask to Gurth. "So, which is? Do we stay and look some more, or do we go? There could be weapons in another grave, but there's no guarantee we will find any or that they will be usable."

"It's hard to know. We might find something useful or we may be wasting time.  Aladin would know better when the best time to travel would be.  I've never been to the desert before.  I would suspect that later would be easier since it's cooler."

Gurth examined the mask.  He hefted it to discern how heavy it was and inspected it for craftsmanship and any special markings.

ooc: Merchant skill.  Trying to appraise the mask for a fair resale value.
23:34, Today: Gurth rolled 7 using 3d6 with rolls of 3,3,1.  Merchant. appraising the mask.  target 9.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:44, Tue 31 May 2022.

GM passing a message.

Gurth spent a few minutes examining the silver mask.

"This mask is solid and well crafted.  It's probably worth a bit more than one of these bags of silver coin that we were given.  When we find a broker in the city, we'll be lucky to get half of that. Buy low, sell high, and all that.  Do you think that it will be enough or should we keep searching for resources?",

In reply to Gurth (msg # 212):

"I think we may need more."

Having acquired all that could be aquired from this crypt at this time, they returned to the hexagonal room up the stairs, avoiding all traps as they went.

[OOC: There are two more secret passages originating in this room. One to the left and the other to the right.]

Aladin suggested the one to the right first.

Gurth shrugged and nodded.  It seemed inevitable to him that they would get to all of them eventually.

Keira examined the passage suggested by Aladin to see if they could open it the same way as the first one.

Same deal as the last time, Keira in the front to search for traps? I'm thinking of doing so in Shadow Form this time though, since Keira would be less likely to trigger something herself that way.

Keira opened the secret door in question and entered the corridor. There were footprints in the dust leading in, but they were old.

Keira changed into her monstrous shadow as she led the way into the darkness. Their Spatial Awareness allowed them to "see" anyway. This corridor looked just like the previous one. And the walls were too thick to "see" through them.

Shortly after they had descended the stairs, they found a human female body on the floor.

She wore a sleeveless wraparound jacket. There were a number of buttons on the right side. Curved from her shoulder across the chest and down to her hip. Cords fastened on the side looped around them to hold it closed.

Fingerless gloves reached halfway up her biceps.

Three throwing daggers were sheathed on her right hip and there was a pouch slung diagonally from her right shoulder to her left hip.

There were two curved sword sheaths on her back. One sword was still sheathed, the other had a single edge and was of a design that they were unfamiliar with.

She wore pants and laced boots that reached halfway up her thighs.

She had long red hair tied in a single thick, long braid. Her eyes were closed, but there was a short scar near her left eye.

She wore a thick loop steel earring in her left ear and a similarly styled silver earring in the top of her right ear.

Her jacket was soaked in blood in places.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:43, Wed 01 June 2022.

Aladin approached to see if he could diagnose the cause of death...

GM passing a message.

While Aladin checked the body if the red haired woman, Gurth peered down the hall. He checked to see if the footprints in the dust went all the way to the end if the hallway.

GM passing a message.

"Aladin. Something is wrong. This is as far as she made it.  Let's get back to the doorway.", Gurth warned.

The ogre tapped Aladin on the shoulder and backed up towards the doorway.  He listened and looked around for one of Keira's so called surprises as he moved.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:00, Wed 01 June 2022.

"Indeed. Looks like this tomb raider didn't notice the traps before running into them. Give me a moment to see what we are up against." The shadow-Keira said from the front.

GM passing a message.

Keira took on solid form again. "Alright, looks like the same setup as before. And judging by the the dead woman, it's some kind of a spear or spike trap. I'll show a path trough it again and you can follow. But first..."

Before moving on through the trapped corridor Keira crouched by the dead woman to see what gear they could use or sell. Not like she needed it anymore.

So, same plan as before, just follow after Keira (assuming she does not step on a trap)?

But let's loot the body first. Keira could use the throwing knives, we should check out the pouch, and we can sell those swords (katana and wakizashi) if nobody will use them. Not sure about the rest. Is the jacket armor?

In reply to Keira (msg # 226):

Also check for any items not immediately apparent.

Gurth helped separate the weapons and pouch from the hapless woman's body. After unbuckling or untying the various belts and straps, he laid them aside for the others to peruse.

OOC:  How recently does the woman appear to have died? Does the body seem fresh or desiccated/mummified?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:37, Wed 01 June 2022.

They effectively looted the woman's body. It had been there for quite some time, but it was still recognizable.

They continued forward as Keira led them past the traps. Their Spatial Awareness allowing them to "see" beyond the torchlight.

They came to another door, this one with a strong steel bar on this side of the door, locked in place with a padlock.

They "saw" what looked like a large well on the other side of the door and there was a heavy lid on the well.

Gurth looked at the iron bar for a moment and then rattled it.  He gave the lock a quick tug.

"Is this to keep us out or keep something in?, he said, wondering out loud.

"The lock is on this side. I suggest it is to keep something in..."

"Should we try to open it or just move on to the last tunnel then? With the lockpick we found I might be able to get around the lock. Maybe."

The steel bar is a worrying detail.

"We could go to the last tunnel and come back here afterwards if we don't find anything."

In reply to Gurth (msg # 233):

"Good idea. Let's do that."

"Alright."
He turned and went back upstairs to the hexagon shaped room taking care to avoid the traps again.

They carefully returned to the hexagonal room. And for the third time, their Spatial Awareness helped them find a way to open the third and final secret door. This one led into a corridor just like the others. And just like the others, the walls were too thick for their Spatial Awareness to show them anything. And like the first time, the dust on the floor was undisturbed.

But this time the stairs went up.

Keira led them past the traps they had come to expect and were soon at another door. This door very much looked like the first door.

"Whoever build this tomb sure liked these traps." Keira commented as she once again navigated through pressure plates.

Locked and trapped door again?

Their Spatial Awareness penetrated the door again and revealed a room with two small chests. The left was full of copper coins and the right held an assortment of disparate items.

"And the doors are trapped and locked again as well, of course." Keira took a closer look at the chests and the trap on the door using her new sense.

Are the chests locked and trapped as well? And is the trap something that could be disabled with the tools Keira has (knife, lockpick)? Could Keira estimate how hard would that be for her (as in, what would I be rolling against)?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:57, Thu 02 June 2022.

"If there were no people like us, I suppose that there would be no need for them.", the ogre observed.

GM passing a message.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 241):

Can Aladin determine the items in the second chest?

GM passing a message.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 243):

Ok, can Aladin access the second chest, after the all clear has been given?

"Dealing with the trap on the door could be risky. Maybe I should just go in alone and bring the loot back?" Keira said after examining the trap on the door.

Two options here - take a chance with Keira's Traps skill of 11, or use shadow form again to go in, lockpick the chests and bring the stuff back out the same way. She'd probably have to take multiple trips for that, and we would not be able to get the chests themselves.

What do you guys think? I guess there's also a third option - if what is actually trapped is the lock itself, we could just break down the (wooden, I believe) doors.

I think we should open the doors. Sooner or later we will get a trap that will get Kiera, and by the time the rest of us get there, there may be just another dead body...

I have to agree. There may be a trap or some other threat that she can't avoid before going shadow mode again.

GM:  What is this door made of?  Does it open inwards or out?  Are you good with OOC discussions here in the IC thread or would you prefer to take it out to the official OOC?
This message was last edited by the player at 16:11, Fri 03 June 2022.

Alright then, Keira will try her luck with her Traps skill. Have to warn you though, the dice roller kinda hates me.

In reply to Keira (msg # 248):

You can take extra time on the task to add bonuses.

2x as long gives +1, 4x gives +2, 8x gives +3, 15x gives +4,
and 30x gives +5

You know, I never even noticed that rule before. DM, how much extra time could I take here?

Keira set out to disable the trap, taking her time to make sure she does not trigger it herself. After that she tried to pick the lock as well.

Taking... 15 minutes? for +4 to my roll. Not sure if our new sense also gives a bonus or not.
01:17, Today: Keira rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 3,1,6.  Traps (+4).

And lockpicking, again taking extra time for +4 to my roll.
01:21, Today: Keira rolled 16 using 3d6 with rolls of 5,5,6.  Lockpicking (+4).

Probably failed that one, unless there's some kind of a bonus from our Spatial Sense. GM, you can make another Lokcpicking roll again if this one failed.

Keira spent 15 minutes disarming the trap on the door. She then spent another 15 minutes lockpicking it, but she failed. Taking a deep breath, she started over. And after another 15 minutes, she unlocked the door.


[Keira has spent 2 out of 10 FP.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:36, Sat 04 June 2022.

Gurth patiently stood nearby, holding the torch to illuminate the door as Keira she worked to defeat the trap and then the lock.  At last she finished successfully. He gave her a nod, acknowledging her skills.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:02, Sat 04 June 2022.

In reply to Gurth (msg # 253):

Aladin also waited patiently...

Keira finally opened the door after wasting the best part of an hour. "I'm really not an expert with this. Now let's waste even more time getting those chests open."

Of course, the chests are locked as well, so I'll just roll for these again.
15:37, Today: Keira rolled 14 using 3d6 with rolls of 5,3,6.  Lockpicking (+4).
15:38, Today: Keira rolled 11 using 3d6 with rolls of 3,2,6.  Lockpicking (+4).

Keira spent another half hour unlocking the two chests. And as their Spatial Awareness already had told them, the left one was filled with coins. Coppers. And the right was filled with sundry things.

"Hmm. I was hoping for something rather more immediately useful. Out here in the desert, these coins are little more than dead weight." Keira said as the party rifled through the chests, herself taking a hand fan from the second chest. "I'd like to return to the first tomb and give that amulet another try. Something warded like that has to be quite valuable."

Dibs on the hand fan for no particular reason at all. Also, got an idea on how we might get a hold of that amulet after all, and it shouldn't take much time to try. Gonna need that sack we found on the body for that.

"Let's get back downstairs then.", Gurth replied.

GM passing a message.

They headed back downstairs, first to the hexagonal room, and then down the first secret corridor they had explored. Led by Keira past the traps and to the locked door.

Keira took the sack they found and again turned into a shadow to get trough the door. Once inside, she laid and opened the sack on the floor by the warded amulet, and then tried to push the amulet inside it.

In reply to Keira (msg # 261):

Aladin will want to see if they can fit everything into the chests. It will be easier to carry if they do that.

Keira turned into the monstrous shadow and slipped under the door. She placed the sack on the ground and it instantly became physical. She then tried to chase it into the sack, but instead it slid along the floor and over her shadow form to avoid being trapped.

Trying not to show impatience, Keira turned back solid to give it another go, trying her best to coax the amulet into sliding in an opened sack on the floor.

One more try. Yeah, if the amulet is intelligent or whoever cast this ward thought of this, it's not likely to work, at least not without a whole lot of chasing it around with a bag.

In any case, where to next? Do we check out that locked and barred room or do we head out in the desert?

Keira returned to her physical form and started chasing the amulet with the sack, but the amulet continued to be repelled. The closer or faster she got to it, the faster it moved away from her, in one direction or another.

"Oh, to hell with this." Keira gave up and slipped back outside. "I take it you saw what happened. Anyway, where to next?"

Keira turned back to her monstrous shadow form and slipped back out of the room under the door.

The others had of course "seen" everything through the door with their Spatial Awareness.

"Keira.  Let us in.  Maybe we can help you catch it.", Gurth said, raising his voice enough to be heard through the door.

Keira dropped her shadow form again and set to work on the lock. "Alright, but this will take some time."

Again taking extra time (15 minutes per roll). Maybe together we can then corner the slippery item and grab it or stuff it down a sack.

22:10, Today: Keira rolled 7 using 3d6 with rolls of 2,3,2.  Traps (+4).
22:10, Today: Keira rolled 14 using 3d6 with rolls of 6,4,4.  Lockpicking (+4).

Keira took her time, but she disabled the trap and unlocked the door. She then opened the door.

Aladin will enter when Kiera indicates it is safe to do so to see how the Amulet responds tohhim.

Where the amulet had evaded Keira's every attempt to pick it up, it just lay there unmoving when Aladin easily picked it up.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 272):

Aladin examined it.

"How did you..." Keira asked in confusion and frustration.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:29, Tue 07 June 2022.

GM passing a message.

"Not sure. Maybe it likes priests..." he said, putting it on.

Aladin removed the amulet from around his neck.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 277):

"Did anyone notice any effect of the Amulet?"

"Nothing particularly interesting, no. Apart from you being possessed by what I assume is the dead woman in the sarcophagus." Keira did not like this turn of events. Who knows what plans this spirit had for them?

"She's right. Full two way conversation with different voices. Holy city of Aemon. Congratulations on the new job, Champion.", Gurth replied with his usual gravely voice.

In reply to Gurth (msg # 280):

"Ah, so you heard that. Probably a good thing, I don't like to keep secrets and it saves me having to explain. But I am not aware of any compulsion to follow her. Ok, let's head to the last place, the well."

"Yes! The last door. I'm anxious to see what is behind it.", Gurth said with a bit of cheer in his voice.

"But first, help me tidy up here. It wouldn't be right to leave this tomb in disarray after she has given us these gifts."

He moved around the side of the sarcophagus and picked up the lid.  Gently, he put the lid back in place.  He bowed his head and said a quick prayer thanking for woman for her gifts and a request to the ogre God Wolcan to help her spirit find it's final resting place.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:32, Fri 10 June 2022.

"Riiiight. Given us." Keira said nonchalantly as she twirls a lockpick between her fingers.

Onward to the second door then? I am not sure if that one is also trapped or not, so I'll just make both rolls again.

10:15, Today: Keira rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 2,6,2.  Traps (+4).
10:16, Today: Keira rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,4,2.  Lockpicking (+4).

They tidied up in the crypt and left for the final secret corridor.

Keira led them past the traps in the floor to the door. Their Spatial Awareness enveloped them in "visual" cues only stopped by the thick walls and floor.

They could "see" the well beyond the barred door. Keira took her time bypassing traps and look on the door.

"Hmm. These were a bit trickier than the other two. It could be that there is something more valuable inside... or just something they really wished to keep inside." Keira said as she finally opened the padlock.

'"We'll find out one way or the other.", Gurth replied.

He reached out and put his meaty hand on the bar and held his short sword in his other one.

"Are you guys ready?"

In reply to Gurth (msg # 286):

"Ready" Aladins voice was emotionless.

They entered the room.

The well-like structure was in the center of the room, but it had a stone lid that covered the opening.

Standing at the center, the corners of the room barely fit within their Spatial Awareness. Moving around the room, the walls were all too thick to "see" through. As was the floor. But the vaulted ceiling was too far away to be sure. The four-inch into it they could see was all stone though. And the readings inside the well were strange.

[OOC: Gurth, as to your OOC questions. Now that you are inside the room, you can "see" that far wall was not close enough to "see" outside the door. It is a square room and about 16 yards diagonally between two corners. Which would make each side about 11.3 yards. And the outside of the well about 4 yards. The only other possible exit is the well.]

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 288):

Aladin jumped up onto the lid to get a better picture of what was above them.

Aladin jumped up on the lid of the well.


The dust on the floor was as undisturbed here as it had been elsewhere.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 08:06, Sat 11 June 2022.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 290):

He then climbed down, telling others he could see nothing.

"Not sure this was a good idea." Keira said quietly as they examined the well.

How are reading inside the well strange? Does it look like there is something inside?

Normally their Spatial Awareness had given them a clear "picture," but inside the well the "image" was murky. Still, it seemed to be empty. On the other hand, it seemed to only be a well-like structure built on the floor. There didn't seem to be an actual well connected to the structure.


[Keira has spent 2 out of 10 FP.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:25, Sat 11 June 2022.

"Seems to me to be a portal to somewhere distant...like it is not really here."

"We barely know where we are now. Let alone wherever this might lead.", Gurth replied.

"How can you tell?" Keira asked Aladin.

"Educated guess. We can sense what is here, so if it is physically present but not present, that suggests it is on another plane."

Interesting. How do you think it works?, asked Gurth.

"Hmm. Well, it could be that, or it could be something else entirely. I was hoping for a more definitive answer. Shall we open it and find out?"

Shall we? Opening it could be a bad idea. Using a portal (if this is a portal) is probably a worse idea. But then, I just remember I've put "Inquisitive" as Keira's quirk, so she is likely no stranger to bad ideas.

Voltampier looked up and unfurled his wings even as he started to shrink. In a few seconds he was around 3' long and he took off into the air, leaving a cloud of dust behind a he circled up toward the ceiling.

"Sure. Lets try it. Maybe we can find someone to break the compulsion..."

"Aladin, maybe you could talk to the Wolf Queen about the portal.  This is her sanctuary after all.", Gurth suggested.

Dragonkin are normally bipedal like most people. But Voltampier looks wilder, more bestial, and they walked like a large ape. While catfolk had a muzzle, dragonkin had a larger one, but Voltampier's was like an alligator's. And not just filled with teeth, there were huge fangs. Their claws were longer too.

On two feet, they were taller than Gurth even without the long neck. But Gurth was much bigger than Voltampier.

And despite still going around without clothes, there were no anatomic signs letting them know if they were male or female.

Voltampier shrunk themselves until they were only three feet long. They then unfurled their wings and flew around the room


Aladin and Keira pushed the lid off the well. It was heavy so it took a little time. Now that they could see the inside with their eyes for the first time, it appeared to be filled with mist, but it wasn't moving anywhere.

The bottom was completely dark. The darkness was two inches lower than floor level. There was no physical bottom, it was just too dark to see beyond that point. And strangely enough, their Spatial Awareness showed nothing beyond the darkness either.


[Keira has spent 2 out of 10 FP.]

"She was really only helpful about stuff related to her to be honest. Well, who want to be first through?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:34, Mon 13 June 2022.

"Do we really want to do this? It does look like some kind of portal, but who knows where it leads to, and if we could get back from there? Sure, if we had no choice we could risk it, but we can just walk away." Keira looked around for a pebble or a rock to toss down the well.

I can't see any reason to assume this would be safe other than "the GM would not put it here otherwise". Which is a good reason, but not one that our characters would know. Plus, I did only take a quirk level curiosity for Keira, so confirming that this is a portal is enough for her for now.

"I would like to know if going through would break the compulsion..."

"If you plan to go through the portal it would be wise to collect weapons and equipment beforehand. There may be no returning.", Gurth observed.

Keira looked around.

"I don't know, this seems like a huge gamble to me. We have no way of knowing who or what is on the other end of this portal. It could lead a thousand feet up in the air. In the middle of an ocean. To hell itself, for all we know. Is there any reason to believe there would be anyone at all on the the other side, let alone someone willing and able to help us?" Keira asked Aladin.

By then she has given up on finding a pebble, and instead decided to sacrifice a copper coin, flicking it into the well. "I wish... for a cup of tea."

Also, is there any air movement from the well, in or out?

Keira flipped the coin into the well. When it entered the darkness, it vanished both from sight and from their Spatial Awareness.

A long time later, they heard a faint clinking sound. The coin, finally, hitting the bottom.

There was no tea.

"Interesting. It could be heard hitting the bottom. So someone could pass through and at least call back, if not come back if the could perhaps fly."

"Or perhaps they could fly through and be trapped on the other side.", Gurth observed.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 01:17, Tue 14 June 2022.

Voltampier, in his 3 foot size, lands and hops up on the rim of the well. Looking down at the darkness contained within and hearing the coin hit bottom he shrugs. Seeing he can't reach the darkness at his current size he grows over the span of three seconds to his former size, takes a deep breath and holds it and slowly slips his head in, ready to pull back if there seems to be any ill effects.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:56, Tue 14 June 2022.

Back to his normal size, Voltampier leans over the edge of the well and sticks his head into the darkness. From the moment he entered the darkness, the head was no longer "visible" on their Spatial Awareness.


[Keira has spent 2 out of 10 FP.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:04, Tue 14 June 2022.

Keira, who was about to suggest poking the mist with a stick, winced as Voltampier sticked his head in it, half expecting him ending up a head shorter.

Gurth stepped up behind Voltampier, ready to grab his tail and yank him back from the well if he showed any sign of distress.

Aladin stayed close, watching for now what happened.

Voltampier started to grow in size until the well opening fitted him where he can inch down it without falling, and he started gingerly heading down.

Voltampier moved his arms from the well and into the darkness. As he had shrunk in size before, he now grew until the width of his body pressed against the well.




[Keira has spent 2 out of 10 FP.]

The dragonkin let out a quick bark once, to see if he could hear an echo, then backed out of the well and as his body shrank back to normal size he said "I can see nothing in there,  and it seems to open up, I feel nothing, no walls beyond the darkness as if it opens into a large chamber."

Voltampier called out and an echo responded to him. He then backed out of the well.

"Ok, so it seems safe to go through?"

Keira was again being a wet blanket. "Wouldn't that just make us fall down this chamber? From how long the coin took to hit the ground, that's quite a drop."

Not sure what now. Maybe we could lit a torch or something else and drop that down the well? It sounds like we would need a lot of rope to reach the bottom.

"A large chamber of darkness.  A very long drop.  I'm not sure that we will make much progress here. Perhaps we should take our chances out in the desert.", said Gurth.

They lit a torch and dropped it into the well. As soon as it entered the darkness, it was completely enveloped by it. No light at all from the torch escaped.

And as with the coin, it took quite some time before they heard that the torch had reached the bottom. Though the torch made more noise than the coin had.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Why not check it out? Can we get down on your back, Voltampere?"

"On my back? What do you take me for,  human? A camel?" Voltampier snarls back. "besides,  if the chamber is large and dark how would we find the opening again?"

In reply to Voltampier (msg # 327):

"We would have to know where it is. The other option is to tie a long rope to the top, but that has other risks, even if we had such a rope."

As the group discussed the merits of exploring whatever this darkness was hiding, the group started hearing skittering noises that increased in number and volume coming from the darkness.

Aladin touched the well, lighting it up, before moving away.

Aladin touched the well for a second and it started illuminating the room. The mist that filled the well above the darkness was banished, but the darkness itself was still impervious.

"I don't like this at all. Someone help with this!" Keira started pushing the lid back over the well. Even her curiosity had its limits.

I assume we just pushed the lid aside and have not completely thrown it off the well? Because if we have, we may be better off getting out and baring the doors instead.

Anyway, if you guys disagree, you can stop her from closing the lid.

[OOC: My assumption was that you removed it completely from the well and all my descriptions have been based on that assumption.

Still. It took only two of you to remove the lid, so it shouldn't be that difficult to put it back if you work together.]

Gurth decided that he didn't like what he was hearing.  He quickly stepped over and helped Keira pick up the lid and slide it back up onto the well.

Keira and Gurth picked up the lid and pushed it back in place.

"I don't know what those things are but it didn't sound good.", Gurth said, standing on top of the lid with his shortsword in hand.

"No, it did not. Let's get out of here and bar the doors again. I get a feeling they were barred for a reason." Keira agreed, her staff likewise ready. She observed the inside of the well, in case something appeared in there.

Aladin eyed the dragon for a moment.

"Bugs coming through would be vulnerable to a dragon breathing on them, but not held back by barred doors. I think there was more to that location than a few bugs..."

"This heavy lid should hold them for a while. Maybe a lot longer if we are not here to encourage then with our presence.", Gurth said.


OOC:  Do we still hear the noises under the lid? Is it still getting louder?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:11, Thu 16 June 2022.

Voltampier shuddered  at the thought of bugs crawling all over his scales, but a thought did occur to him. "If the noise is bugs,  and they were placed here to guard the tomb, the amulet may protect from them. Not sure how to test it though."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 18:49, Fri 17 June 2022.

As they decided what to do next, the skittering sound continued to come closer and closer.


[Keira has spent 2 out of 10 FP.]

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 341):

From below, or on our level?

[OOC: If you are talking about the sound, it's still coming from the well.]

In reply to Voltampier (msg # 340):

"It might be enough to just set it on the lid and see if the sound retreats.", replied Gurth.

In reply to Gurth (msg # 344):

Ok, yes, I was trying to make sure that the sound was coming from the well, where the llid is now on.

"Maybe it's bats and not bugs?" Voltampier said, more to himself than to the group.

He puts his head against the top of the well to see if he can identify the sound.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:59, Mon 20 June 2022.

"I doubt it will give us better tools. Let's head back to town, after I ask the wolf queen..."

He done the Amulet to ask the wolf queen what she's knows about this location.

Aladin put the Amulet around his neck.

Aladin bowed and removed the amulet.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 349):

"I guess you guys heard all that?"

"Yes. How long do we wait before we know anything?", asked Gurth.

"Great question, no idea..."

"Do we wait then? Or just head out now? Between the long drop, weird darkness and that noise, trying to enter this well without knowing exactly what we are dealing with strikes me as a really, really bad idea."

OOC: I guess we could wait a bit and then leave?

"Let's head back to town. I am still unarmed..."