The Golden City - In the Vault Part 1 - RPLOG
Participants
Date
27/7/478
Log
Fenris is once more leading the group. He has not spoken about where he was yesterday, but he has not asked any questions either. The fluffy feline has led the intrepid adventurers as far as the bridge spanning the chasm, where he stops to look thoughtfully at the shattered gates. "So," he says, "You had a tour of the lower town I hear?"
Zuri hops after Fenris, tail flitting around curiously behind him. He smiles up at the big tiger. "Yea! Mister Olloch took us on a tour of the city, and taught us a bit of history and such. He seemed really familiar with what happened here, and also.. uhm.. a bit upset by it all. I kinda wanted to ask him more but I didn't want to make him more upset." He peers down the chasm, letting down a little 'woah'.
Rokarion followed behind the salamander as he inspected his equipment before nodding his head, "And he said that he sent you to entertain someone, what was that all about?" the plant being asked with a rub of his chin, "Looks like spirits do not really respect other people's engagements." the plant commented idly.
Kazel walks behind the others, her eyes and mind focused on her small black book once more, but she closes it as the others start talking. She perks up her ears and casts a look about her surroundings, before crossing her arms, as she keeps walking.
Cassidy keeps her hands in her pockets as she saunts along, glancing over at Natska. "It was quite an interesting tour. If I had any sympathy for the people before, I didn't once the tour was done. I'm fairly convinced they deserved what they got."
Natska gives Cassidy a small nod as she continues along beside her wife, listening to the rest of the group talk. She gives Cassidy a small smile at the comment, then shrugs her shoulders. "Assuming it was the truth, although we have no reason to believe otherwise."
Fenris smiles at Rokarion. "No," he says, "They don't seem to much care about the plans the rest of us might make. My attention was requested by one of the old patrons of the city. The dreamer had rather a lot to say about the people who once lived here." The tiger leads the way across the bridge, surprisingly still whole after all this time. "I am afraid there won't be time for a tour of the upper city today," he says, "But we will see the vault today. I think that your guide yesterday gave you an accurate description of the city's history."
The upper city shows all the signs of strife and destruction that were absent in the lower part of the city. This is certainly where the armies of conquest truly did their work.
Zuri follows along after Fenris, peering down the chasm with a mix of curiosity and awe. His attention is only captured back when they enter the upper city proper, and he detaches from the group to dart ahead and inspect a piece of wreckage.
Rokarion rubs his chin, "Accurate for his view." the plant being says as he walks with the group, "I do not doubt the city growing decadent, but that does not stop the spirit from spinning it for his court's benefit, and it was still more or less a genocide." the plant being comments as he looks down the chasm, "But back to today's mission. So do we know how to open the vault?"
Kazel rolls her shoulder and nods at Rokarion. "Even though that is true, it does not change the fact that they did nothing really to defend themselves. Seems they did not even have a militia. Just a question of time till someone plucks a fruit this ripe."
"That's fine," Cassidy says, rubbing the back of her head. "We can do the vault today. We can take a look through the upper city later. Not like it's going anywhere," she says, nodding at Natska. "Even if we have to do it just the two of us!"
Natska smiles at that, and nods her head. "Yes. It should be safe enough." She looks back in the direction they are heading, tail swishing. "What did you learn of the people, Fenris?
"Genocide?" Fenris asks, "Maybe. But it is not my place to cast judgement. The Dreamer didn't." The big tiger leads the way along the ruined streets straight to the great keep at the pinnacle of the city. "I can open the vault," he says, "Though I don't think that anyone will much like what we will see there." He looks at the shattered doors of the keep, then ducks into the shady interior where a great and terrible statue of Vasht's hideous head is set in the wall. "Mostly history that was ancient even when the city fell, Natska," he answers, walking up to the statue and murmuring a few words as he touches the statue in a few spots that click and move under his fingers. "Are we ready?" he asks, looking at the group.
Zuri looks between Rokarion and Kazel as they speak, and was about to make a comment of his own when he's distracted by their arrival at the vault. He lets out a little 'ooh!' as he darts over to the depiction of Vasht, looking up at it with both curiosity and apprehension. He nods at Fenris. "Y-yea, let's go for it!" He smiles brightly, choosing to go with curiotity.
"No one is casting judgement here, just stating the facts." the plant being answers as he looks at the vault, "Hmmm, very well, let us go then. We can talk history once we are done."
Kazel shrugs. "Lets go already. We have really been waiting on this island long enough now." The bat draws her axe with one hand, a wicked looking thing.
Cassidy eyes the statue over, before nodding at Fenris. "Sure. And why do you think we won't like what we find there? Will it truly be any worse than the things we've seen so far? Perhaps if it is nothing at all. That would be disappointing. An empty vault."
Natska comes to an easy stop, still standing next to Cassidy. She settles into a loose, readied stance, lets her hand rest near the hilt of her sword, and she gives Fenris a nod. "Ready."
The head of Vasht swings slowly open with a reverbrating groan revealing a dark hole beyond. The foul smell of stale air drifts from within, along with the smell of something old, dry and foul.
Zuri skips out in front of the hidden passage as it starts to creak open, and gets a face-full of rancid air that leaves him reeling. He blinks and wipes his eyes. "Oh blech! That stinks!" He pinches his nose with one hand while holding his bow with the other, then speaks in a nasal-y voice as he darts inside. "I was gonna say last one in is a rotten egg but I think someone in here beat us to it!"
Rokarion sighs and shakes his head as Zuri darts in, the plant being's face cringes for a moment before returning to normal as the smell hits him, not even his aroma could beat the smell of most likely old corpses or spoiled food, but at least it made it more bearable for himself. "Zuri, be careful, and don't just dart like that. There might be traps or other dangers."
Kazel cringes her nose and folds her ears as the smell hits her, but remains silent. She makes her way into the vault as well, her axe still in her hand as she pulls a small torch which she lights with a snap of her fingers and takes it in her free hand.
Cassidy pulls a face at the smell, reaching up to adjust her mask. "That is entirely too rancid. Surely something that happened so long ago wouldn't leave such a stench. Eugh, maybe something awful -is- still down there. Whatever it is, let's give it a moment to air out?"
Natska frowns, slowly nodding her head. "Entirely correct, Cass. And I agree with waiting a few minutes - perhaps even pushing some fresh air in."
Fenris shrugs. "I would, but," he does not finish, only points at those who have already gone ahead.
The light of Kazel's torch reveals a scene that may have been grizzly long ago, but now is mostly dust. The skeletal remains of some creatures, too badly decayed to identify, lie in the space beyond the door. The skeletons are very nearly crumbling to dust, but seem to have been at least a little preserved by being shut away from the elements out here. The inside of the vault is as much a ruin as the outside, at least here. There are a few stone shelves scattered about here, but they are broken and whatever they held is long turned to dust. Ahead, the great vault stretches into darkness.
Zuri holds his nose closed as he walks around the room, approaching one of the skeletons and peering closely at it. "Oh come on, it's not that bad!" He says in a nasally voice before uncovering his nose. He inhales for a split second before closing his nose again with a gasp. "Okay, maybe I was wrong..."
Rokarion purses his lips, his leafy ears perking up before he fastens his pace towards Zuri, "It smells horrible." he comments before letting out a light cough, "Also stay on your toes...I think I can here something inside." he adds before letting his vine wiggle from underneath his clothes, letting the flower on the tip shine and act as another light source.
Kazel suddenly stops moving, her grip on her axe becoming tighter. "You are right. We are not alone." The bat peers into the darkness and twitches her ears as she takes a battle stance, facing the direction the noise she and the jasmine have heard seems to come from. She raises her torch a bot to illuminate a wider area.
"Yeah, figures," Cassidy says, stepping along after the others. "If there was nothing in here, we likely wouldn't be picking up these smells. Probably some kind of critters that crawled in here and started to die. No clue."
Natska slips into the vault, then draws her sword. She gives Cassidy a small nod, staring into the darkness ahead. "Or one of the Shadow's eyeless hydras that he is so fond of..."
"No," comes an answer from somewhere in the darkness, followed by a wet, gurgling chuckle, "It is not one of his. It is one of mine." There is nothing new to see in the dark vault, but there is a sudden sense of presence, as if something that was asleep has suddenly awoken. "I am sorry," come the wet, deathrattle voice again, "But I fear it has no reason left in it. Only Hunger." Then the presence is gone and all that is left is the bubble of light around the party and the yawning darkness beyond.
"We should move quickly," Fenris says softly, pointing off into the darkness, "I'll head this way. Remember, we are looking for something that might be a weapon against the Craige. We meet back here in half an hour. Shout if there is trouble." The big feline lifts a hand and three little balls of blue tinged flame appear above his hand as he trecks off into the ruined vault.
Zuri shudders as the voice echoes around him. He finally lets go of his nose to nock an arrow on his drawn bow. "Hello!" He calls out, before turning back to his companions. "So uh.. let's start this exploring thing, I guess!" He looks back towards Fenris as he walks off. "H-hey! No fair!" He turns back to the others. "Mister Fenris went on ahead! He's gonna beat us to the thing!" He walks off in another direction, tail flitting behind him to betray his curiosity.
Rokarion shakes his head as he hears hunger again, "I said be careful." the plant being says as he quickly follows after the salamander.
Kazel grimasses and sheaths her axe in favour of keeping her spear ready to be used in her left hand. She carefully makes her way into a direction that has not been picked yet, her torch raised to the level of her head.
Cassidy glances towards Natska, offering a little shrug and starting after Rokarion and Zuri. "Well. Shall we go this way, then, Natska? Or do you want to chase after Fenris?" she asks, pulling her hands from her pocket and drawing a knife.
Natska makes a small noise. "We should chase Fenris so he doesn't get eaten," she says quietly. "But maybe numbers will keep the attention of the Thing, and help protect him. Let's stick with Zuri, and listen for screams for help."
It is hard to pinpoint sound in the vast darkness of the vault, but there is a scraping, drawn out sound, like something large dragging itself across the dust choked floor, then silence. Even the ragged breathing sound has stilled.
The main group, with Zuri in the lead finds that the vault once had a sort of order, great shelves lined up carefully and forming three sides of a square with aisles running between the squares, forming great boxes where food stores and artifacts of all kinds were no doubt kepts. Now, all that remains are bits of shattered pottery and stonework, ruined shelves and the occsasional glint of polished stone from this tool or that.
Kazel finds similar structure as she wanders in another direction. This place is surprisingly large! It must extend back under the back half of the keep and remaining city. The light of her torch shows stone pedestals in the center of squares of shelves, though most seem to be empty so far.
Zuri continues prowling ahead, tho not so quick that he outpaces the others. He keeps his bow at the ready, but moves from shelf to shelf as he examines the ruined remains. "I wonder what would be this thing we're looking for.. sword maybe? Magical thingie? Book? Can books be weapons? I mean other than using them as bashing implements..." He wonders aloud.
Rokarion shakes his head as he keeps looking around when the voice suddenly stops, "Interesting structure, but since the three of us have light sources the creature might be able to deduce were we are to a certain extent." the plant being says before increasing the luminescence on his vine to the maximum, "Hopefully this might draw it more to us than the other two." Rokarion looks at the shelves and back at Zuri, "Fascinating all old items, but no bodies unless they all went to dust, and can't see any marks to indicate violence.
Kazel walks over to the stone pedestals she saw and takes a moment to put on her spectacles, before letting her hand run over their surfaces and inspecting them closer.
"I have no clue, Zuri, but it's probably nothing we'd recognize as a weapon," Cassidy says, glancing around in the darkness. "It's something that spirits suggested we use. So... If I had to guess, it's some kind of artifact. Perhaps some... Religious token? Maybe something that holds sway over the Craige? Someting that would make them falter at the sight?"
Natska frowns thoughtfully as she walks with the group, although her sword is still held at the ready, steel gleaming in the light. "Knowledge, too, is perhaps a weapon. I wonder what our guide has to say of the Craige... they sound like they are hungry after all."
There is no sound, no cry, no warning as suddenly a long, thin appendage flashes into the bubble of light surrounding the main bulk of the party. The pale, fleshy thing lashes toward Zuri, the end opening in some kind of three pronged, grabbing claw!
Zuri notices the lashing tentacle almost too late. It moves so quickly that the nimble salamander barely has the time to dodge it, the appendage catching a fold of his outfit and tearing a rip into it as the salamander tumbles away. He lands roughly and raises his bow in the direction the thing came from. "Did you see that?!" He flicks his aim left and right, looking for something to shoot at.
Rokarion squints into the darkness as the appendage suddenly arrives and disappears again. "Well it came from that direction, be careful." he says before looking back at the salamander, "Stay still for a minute, Zuri." he says before forming some geometric symbols with his hands, intent on covering the salamander in a defensive covering.
Kazel perks her ears up as she hears the commotion and stops investigating the pedestals and sprints over to the rest of the group. "What happened?"
Cassidy brings her hand up and glances around. "Hmmm..." She then points off towards the left and fires a few flickering bolts of flame into the darkness, fanning them out in hopes of catching the creature with at least one of them.
Natska wheels, taking up a defensive position between the group and the thing in the darkness. She stands poised and ready, a cat ready to pounce when her prey shows itself again.
There is a strange gurgling howl as two of Cassidy's flaming projectiles find their mark! In the brief flashes of light, a huge, deformed shape is revealed out in the darkness. It is vaguely being-shaped. Two arms, two legs, one head. But the head is bulbous and distended with huge eyes and a slavering mouth of mismatched teeth and huge tusks. It's arms and legs are disproportionately long and from the way it hangs from one of the ruined stone shelves, its grey, fleshy hide seems nearly boneless! There is another wail and gurgle from the dark as the creature vanishes once more into the gloom, perhaps stunned by the sudden bright light.
Kazel arrives just in time to see the thing lit up by Cassidy's fire, only she has found herself on the far side of a screen of stone shelving! She will either need to climb over the precarious ruin, or go around.
Zuri stays still as Rokarion requested, his bow still trained in the vague direction where the tentacle lashed out from. As the thing comes into view his eyes widen in shock, but his instinct holds true as he brings the bow in alignment with it's torso. "The heck is that thing?" He asks aloud, but doesn't wait for an answer. The small salamander lets the arrow fly, center-mass, aimed straight at it's chest.
Rokarion raises an eyebrow as the things appears with its huge tusks and teeth and distinctive bulbous head, "That is fascinating...I hope we can preserve the body without much damage." he comments as it disappears out of sight, "In fact, I am quite certain it looks similar to all those ancients statues that we see, do you think it can be one? But if that is the case, how did it survive that long? Perhaps it is a spirit caller, and they get extended life?" the plant questions as he takes out his notebook and pen, "Questions aside, we must find it and make sure it won't cause us any more trouble."
Kazel propels herself of the ground with a gust of air magic and a beat of her wings, easily making her way over to the group. She takes her speer in both hands and takes a fighting position as her eyes narrow.
With the same hand as before, Cassidy snaps her fingers, using her typical lance of air to try to pierce between the eyes of the large beast. "It certainly is grotesque, that's for sure."
Natska gives Kazel a small nod and shifts her position, so that the two of them can fully cover the group. "It may well be, Rokarion. If so, it's been in here for a long time."
Another howl rips from the darkness. Sounds like at least one of those shots in the darkness struck true! Suddenly two long, rubbery, three fingered limbs fly again from the darkness, grasping for prey!
Coiled and ready, Natska reacts quickly to the flash of movement. Her blade arcs up and chops down in a rapid flash, thunking into one of the tentacle arms.
Zuri barely has the time to ready another arrow before the new appendages lash out from the darkness, both headed his way! He leaps up, quickly dodging out of the way of one of them, while the other gets swiftly dispatched by Natska. He lands back down, taking a step back with his bow still primed. "Why does it keep coming for me? What in the Saints' names have I done to it?" Other than arrowing it, of course..
Rokarion shakes his head, "Well I guess I will have to take the risk now." the plant being says in his usual idle tone before focusing his gaze on the location the creature last attack came from, numbers resolving in his head before he attempted to localize the ice storm he was casting to the monster's location.
Kazel takes a few steps back and her spear firmly into both hands, fixating on where the attacks are coming from and charges in that direction, the tip of her spear pointed at where the creature most be. Moments before she reaches her target flames start whipping around the tip of the weapon.
Cassidy watches quietly, frowning. "Mmm..." She narrows her eyes and looks ahead into the darkness, conjuring up a orb of flame therein. Flame that starts to expand to engulf the area where it was last seen. Hard to miss with that.
Amid all the fire and ice, Kazel finds that there is nothing to strike at! The creature must be very fast! A fortunate side effect of Cassidy's spell is the area of bright light it produces. There is a pained squeal from almost directly above where the gangly monster is perched high on a stone shelf. It squats like a monstrous frog, trying to shield its eyes from the light, distended belly hanging and jiggling as it flails.
