Antero tries to orient on the shadow and get a swing in but only manages to swipe at air.

00:00, Today: Antero rolled 6, with a step number of 9 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  Axe Attack.

23:59, Yesterday: Antero rolled 6, with a step number of 6 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  Initiative.

Wungarr roars and charges the final shadow. Cutting through its torso with an enraged blow.

OOC:
12:02, Today: Wungarr rolled 9, with a step number of 11 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  aggressive attack stance.

12:02, Today: Wungarr rolled 15, with a step number of 5 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  initiative .

Gray moves, shifting behind the shadow and flings another mind dagger.

OOC:
11:06, Today: Gray Greensage rolled 8, with a step number of 9 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  Mind dagger dam.
11:06, Today: Gray Greensage rolled 4, with a step number of 10 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.
11:05, Today: Gray Greensage rolled 6, with a step number of 6 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  Init.

In reply to Gray Greensage (msg # 402):

As the last shadow passes by, the large fish with arms rolls it's giant, wet eye around and looks you all over.

K'n! Oc Kallah Oc!  K'n Quoso Zu!

It's voice is booming.  Even with this thing being massive, it's voice is like thunder going off right next to you.

But other than giving you an ear-splitting headache...it's not doing much.

Antero looks to the elementalist and half-deafened yells, "Are you sure this isn't a horror?  Maybe related to that fish temple thing we found?"

Gray glanced at Antero, unsure if he was talking to him. “You talking to me?  I’m a Wizard and just joined, I really have not figured all of what the bloody flaming goat balls is going on.  I don’t have the Astral Sight Talent, so I’m going off my gut feeling.  That said, an Ogre or a Wyvern aren’t Horrors or constructs, but both are dangerous.   What ever this is, it hasn’t attacked yet and it could have, so …. ” and shrugs.

OOC:
Init:  X
Thread Weaving:.  6 Iron Hand

Spells:

"Is it me, or are all the fish we keep running into linked to horrors of some kind? Makes a fellow want to change his diet, I tells ya..." Wungarr said, taking a quick breather.

OOC-Using fireblood to heal damage.

10:02, Today: Wungarr rolled 12, with a step number of 9 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  Fireblood.

In reply to Wungarr (msg # 406):

Gray, I think Antero is talking to Billyandar, who I guess has been hanging out in the background.

Billyandar considers a moment and shrugs.  "All I can tell you is...I don't think it's a horror.  It's not right.  But..."

He shakes his head.  "I don't know.  This is beyond me."

If he has anything else to say, it's cut off as one of the arms suddenly raises and slams down on top of the bone pile.  It starts to drag the fish body forward.

N'kkuk!  N'kkuk!  Oupste Mahqa!

The arms drag it forward but stop.  It seems to only be getting close enough so it's hands can reach the floor.

It reaches forward and extends a finger, drawing on the ground.  It makes a crude curve inside a rectangle.  It looks like a bell.

The big finger slaps down on the picture it's traced.

Nua N'kkuk!

Again it taps down, striking the bell shaped picture

Ufu N'kkuk!

Again.

Muo N'kkuk!

Then it raises the hand, keeping the palm facing down.  And it slaps the bell picture

KOOOO'WAAAANG!  Ko'wang N'kkuk!

“Seems it thinks we should destroy the bell up stairs.” He says aloud, watching the large fish thing.  Stepping around Wungarr, he casts Iton Hand on the Troll.

OOC
Spellcasting.  15
Will determine the effect when I’m home with my book.

"Or maybe just ring it three or four times," Antero says as he looks at the hammer side of his Scythan axe.

Looking at the creature he adds, "Think it might be someone under a curse?"

In reply to Antero (msg # 409):

The big fish points at you Antero.  And repeats:

A tap on the bell with one big finger.

Nua N'kkuk!

Again it taps down

Ufu N'kkuk!

A third time

Muo N'kkuk!

Then a pause.  And it slaps it's hands down on the bell picture.

KOOOO'WAAAANG!  Ko'wang N'kkuk!

In reply to Cap'n Will Kill U (msg # 410):

"This is just me, thinking my uneducated thoughts out loud...but what if it wants us to ring the dinner bell? That sounds good to anyone here but that thing?" Wungarr looked around at his shipmates.

Zehathil shrugs.  "Either it's a cursed person getting us to release it, or it's a horror getting us to release it.  How does it look in the astral?"

Gray had no Astral sight ability, and had already stated so, so assumed Zehatil was asking the Elementalist, Billyandar.

Turning to Wungarr, Gray shrugs, "Could be.  Lets go and give it a try.  What's the worse that could happen?" he asks, sarcastically, knowing that things could very well possibly get worse.


OOC:
Init:  X
Spellcasting:  15 x2 success Iron Hand on Wungar (last round. from behind)
Thread Weaving: 5  Mage Armor, recasting to refresh the spells duration.

Spells:

This message was deleted by the player at 18:52, Mon 14 Aug 2023.

Everyone going upstairs to ring the bell?  If anyone is staying behind, please let me know.

The bell sits in the courtyard, crouching like either an egg waiting to be cracked or a mouth, waiting to open and chew what's in front of it.

Only one way to find out.

How are you ringing it?  I mean, how many times?  Thanks

Antero eyes the bells suspiciously before readying his Scythan axe.  Turning it so he'd lead with the hammer side he looks to the others, "So...just tap it three times and then give it a big smack?"

In reply to Antero (msg # 416):

"That's what the critter who could not be bothered to learn Dwarven seemed to imply. However, you would think such things would make more of an effort." Wungarr shrugged.

And without further ado...

Antero rings the bell.  Three times.  And then one big smack.

The bell sounds like continental plates shifting.  You would swear you are in an eathquake except nothing seems to move other than some flies buzzing around.  Your ears rattle and it takes some time after the last smack for you to be able to hear each other again.

As the bell stops echoing, you hear...nothing.  Nothing seems to have happened.  At least up top in the Courtyard.

When you return below...the big fish with the arms is gone.  The only evidence it was ever there is the unpleasant stink of wet fish and the crater in the pile of bones it had been resting on.

Going to move things along a bit

A search of the area turns up quite a bit of coin 2240 silver Tavs, a lot of garbage weapons nothing worth noting, and a box that is sealed tight.  Inside the box are four pieces of quarts.  Two that seemed to be veined Two Absorb Blow blood charms, one that has a hollow inside it that is filled with some yellow liquid and...a worm? Darksight blood charm.  The last one glows softly.  Ye Old Light Quartz

Across a rack in the back of the room you find a rather grizzly discovery:  someone had dried out the skin of an Obsidiman.  One suit of Obsidiman skin armor.  If anyone wants to actually take it

There's another small box that has four sticks of oddly ambered colored chalk in it Four sticks of Firefly Chalk

---

As you examine the room, you missed a detail you didn't see before:  the walls are covered in what looks like painted shadows of fish and men.  The "paint" isn't paint though.  It's more like the shadows were just somehow burned into the wall.

As you examine the room, you get the sensation someone is laughing.  Maybe when you find the stash of coins, you hear a snigger.  Or when you toe aside a skull, it sounds like someone guffaws just beside your ear.

The laughter isn't sinister in sound.  In occurrence, probably sinister as all get out.  But just in terms of how it sounds, it sounds genuinely amused. Like something funny just happened.

A little bewildered by the mystery Antero looks to the others, "Should be bring a few of the dead guards back to see if anyone recognizes them?  Was this some sort of pre-Scourge fish cult temple or something?  Connected to the other ruin?"

Grey looks about, as stumped by all the knicks knacks they find as the shadowy paint on the walls.  At Antero's suggestion, Gray nods, "We should, that Obsidiman skin might have been someone important, or at least someone might recognize him as visitor.  We should report, so they can close any open murder cases and we can explain how WE DIDN'T do it." he offers.

"How ... do you guys divy items you find?  I'd like the light crystal, but if someone else is really wanting it, I'm not going to arm wrestle anyone for it.  It is something everyone could use, so since the nice lady hired me, I guess I will be traveling with ya'll.  if you don't already, perhaps we could have some group items anyone could use as needed?  Up to you all, I don't want to make things odd if you have a certain way of doing it already."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:02, Wed 16 Aug 2023.

In reply to Gray Greensage (msg # 420):

Wungarr gripped his axe at the laughing. He decided he hated this place, and wanted out as soon as possible.

"I don't particularly need any of that stuff...but I could use the money. The only bit of blood magic items I ever really wanted was a Garlan stone. That's expensive, but totally worth it for a troll." He said. "And unless you want to start carrying around heads of dead guards, it might not be worth trying to ID the bodies."

In reply to Wungarr (msg # 421):

Gray frowned glances at Wungarr, then Antero who had suggested taking the bodies back, "I wouldn't think we'd cut off heads, rather ask the city to come here.  Chopping off heads would likely only offend them.  As to the second, aye, I figured everyone could spend the coin easily enough.  I'm hoping to earn enough to eventually hire a trainer, although I think that might be a bit off, especially if I split my paths and learn other things."

Gray looks to the Elementalist, "Would you mind spending some time with me?  I'd like to learn a few things from you, if you have the time."

The trip back to Farram is an odd one.  You all feel like something is watching you.  Every so often, you swear you can hear that sniggering laughter.  But the closer you get to Farram, the more the feeling starts to fade.

The town is in an uproar.  You quickly find out that the crocks were contained. And they suddenly disappeared, just about the time you guys rang the bell.

You're asked all kinds of questions.  And yes, the Obsidiman is someone they'd been looking for.  He was a merchant named J'ool Flintstep, who worked for a Liferock located further up the river.  The authorities ask that if you happen by the Black Wet Liferock, if you would inform his kin of his passing.

Lahylla, the bard, also has some questions...

Zehathil and Gray (and as a reminder to Wungarr and Antero): if you want to earn a little extra XP, see below.

Lahylla is collecting stories of the trip.  If you sit down with her,giving her an account of what happened, she would be much obliged.

The way it works is like this: send me a PM with your account.  The more detailed and in character it is, the larger your XP award.  You don't have to write a novel.  And even just a few sentences will get you 5 or 10 extra LP.

You don't have to do it.  It is entirely optional.

Zeh and Gray: I am assuming you both are taking Lahylla up on her offer to act as guards for her.  I will be posting a new thread tomorrow moving us on to our next exciting leg of the journey and introducing you to the crew of The Futher, The Murkier.

Questons?

With the long day finally over, Antero nods to Gray and Zehathil in thanks, "It looks like you'll be joining us on the journey.  We sometimes troubleshoot or sometimes just have gotten into trouble along the way and I think we'd all agree you're welcome to join us in those sorts of sidelines."

He scans the others for agreement before continuing, "As far as swag we recover along the way, it's been equal shares for anything worth a bit of coin, and for things of quality...whether magical or mundane...if there is a use for it among us we try to split that evenly or at least fairly depending on what is found.  If if no one has any use for it, just sell it and split the proceeds."

The warrior stops to listen to any discussion.