Temple of Questionable Intent part 1 - RPLOG
From Rusted Promises
Participants
Date
29/4/477
Log
Arriving at the academy, the group will see that a wagon has been prepared! Loaded with climbing tools for those not gifted for flight as a Hare in mountain climbing gear stands at the ready, with a sign stating "Freesword expedition!"
Bite sways up to the hare, her cloak under arm as she waves with her other. "Hello sssweetie, I hear you're going to a temple?" she says excitedly, a bit of greed in her eyes. "I'd love to help you there, when can we start?"
Balrokzor doesn't even know why he is even present, but the Ankylosaur is making the best of things. He does possess wings, but he has never been seen putting them to use. It's a strange thing to see on a land bound creature anyway...or is it? Anyway, the ground trembles with each step he takes and will be next to impossible to do any form of stealth near him. He clears his throat, "There was no mention of a temple, miss. It was a ruin that was advertised. I believe they are different things."
Issi hurries up to the cart, no she can't fly, being a snake and all, but she can climb rather well. Cardio does a world of good in that respect. But ruins! Magic, loot, magic loot! And maybe the occasonal bit of scrap and lost knowledge. All worth it, even if it apparently was up a sheer cliff. She'll be fine really.
Rixo shuffles up towards the academy, adjusting her helmet with her free hand, the other carrying her hammer over her shoulder. "I'm always one to love some exploration." Indeed, the new head of the Explorer's Guild had to be present for such a thing! Whatever it might entail. Though her heavy black plate may not be the best for mountain climbing.
Hoshek slowly made his way to the cabin, hood up, hand behind his head "Oh.. Hey Ice!" he called walking up "You cane too? Well that shoulda been obvious." he chuckles adjusting his knives. "I hope the gear is good. I dint want to go falling off."
Siyu adjusts his clothing, heavy leathers and mail. He keeps his weapons by his side, the rodent is dressed not in silks or ready for a da of crafting, but, he's a freesword. Now he's dressed for fighting, going to see exacty what sort of project is going on.
The Hare looks to Bite and smiles wide, "Ah you must be the freeswords! We can start right away, the mountain the ruin is on isn't all that far away. About a days journey I reckon." He looks over Issi and frowns, "'ey, what's this? A shadow?" he peers at her pendant, "Well... Din't expect to find one to 'elp..." he shrugs though and looks to the others, "Well, hop in." before he goes to hook up the horses, "An' don't you worry, this here's good climbing equipment."
Bite nods and hops in the wagon, stretching and getting settled in for the ride. "Well let's go. I'm ready to tak-tackle the ruins! Let's go." she giggles and grins, the prospect of treasure enticing her. "So, who are all of you?" she asks those who she would be stuck on a ride with for quite a while. "And what made you want to run this historic search, just because you can?"
Issi is here because she wants to. She is a shadow yes, but that honestly shouldn't matter. She hops up to the back of the cart signing out {1221} to the other female snake. [Of course I'm here. Old habits die hard remember? I'm thinking this is going to be a good expidition to gather things like lost books, or the like. Its a Ruin, there could be anything in there, including lost magics!] She pats her belts, glaive? yes, daggers? yes. Grimoire and dulling potions? double yes.
Hoshek slides into the cart after Issi the Mamba smiling softly. He ah... couldnt read sign. Spoke shadow he did, though! His reason? He was a shadiw himself! Issi, undoubtably knew, but so far he was keeping it under wraps, his pendant hidden away beneath his armor, while staying around his neck
Rixo climbs into the wagon with the rattle of plate, nodding at Bite. "I believe we have met before. I am Rixo, though, for those of you that I have not met. It is nice to be meeting you all, and I do hope we all make it out safely from this little trip."
Siyu hms, "Climbing gear, well hopefully we have enough ropes and anchors..." he'll walk if he has to, just stretching and making sure all his equipment is up to date.
"Hoshek." he offers to the Taipan "I'm here because why not?"
The Hare looks over at Bite and blinks, "Ah, where are muh manners? My name is Canto." he peers at Issi's fingerwaggling and shrugs, clearly not able to understand sign language, "Yah! Let's ride!" as he calls out as he works the horses into action! "'m just the guide! You guys are the ones who are to protect an' serve so to speak." he laughs heartily, "Though, anythin' valuable you may find will go to the scholars. You 'ave been promised a sack o' crown."
The wagon lurches as it starts out the gates
Bite doesn't seem to understand Issi, tilting her head, but giggling and replying "I'm Bite, and I'm sorry but I don't know what you're staying. And that's fine Canto, as long as I get money in the end I don't care." she says with a nod, the cart going into motion she stretches out a bit before laying on her side slightly, using her cloak as a pillow.
The serpent also nods to Rixo, although she hissese "I have heard about you, and although I don't agree with your mission I'm glad you're here to help."
Issi hrmphs. Noone knew Sign. Great. [I am not writing everything down, that's just not practical. Not when you're likely to be within stabbing distance of something.] Thankfully everyone already knew she was a shadow. So she's just talking in a language very few understood (read hear). She still gets her point across that she can hear everyone with a nod, even though she's still adamant on not speaking.
Rixo sits fairly silently for most of the trip, turning to look towards Bite for a moment to comment, "My mission? What mission would that be that you disagree with? My wanting to explore?" She chuckles softly and turns towards Issi next, giving a nod. "I can understand your signs, fortunately. Not as well as some maybe, but I can understand."
Hoshek ehehes softly "Well... She isn't deaf." he says "She can hear us, and I can sorta understand her. Been around shadows enough that I picked up the language they use to commune." he lied leaning back lightly "Looks like we are gonna be spending a bit if time together for this Ice."
Siyu gives a faint little hm. He looks over at 1221, and he'll motion, "I'm here 1221..." he says, "I can understand your signing you know..." he offers with a smile. He looks over towards the rest of the group, "I think I know most of you. I am Gang Xi Siyu, Siyu is fine, I'm a merchant and craftsman, I dabble some in firearms too." he chitters happily, wetting his lips and walking along with the group. He hmmms a tiny bit "I'm here for discovery. The whole idea about...finding somthing new"
As time goes by, the long road seems to disappear somewhere around the silvervein pass area... Around evening Rixo senses something amiss! "Oi! Where'd all the animals go?" Indeed, it seems to be almost devoid of life in this area! Though, the group is pretty high up at this point.
Throughout the trip, it was rather hard to tell if Rixo was ever asleep or not, behind all that plate. As the evening approaches, the stoic tower of metal slowly turns a helmet towards the back of the wagon and peers out from behind the eyeslits. "Mmmh." She thumps a heavy boot on the wagon floor. "Might be time to wake up, if any of you are asleep. We might have some company in a moment."
The serpent replies to Rixo sometime along the way, "I"m not for keeping relics locked away." She rides the bumpy cart ride on her makeshift pillow, before Rixo speaks out, looking to her before sitting up. "Oh? Company?" she hisses and thinks for a moment. She looks out the back of the cart and works out a bit of earth magics, messing up the path to make it more of a chore and rougher to follow.
Issi wasn't asleep, she should be, but she wasn't. The first mention of trouble has her pull out her two daggers in a red glowing streak. Paranoid? Maybe, but honestly, she was attacked at a party by masked nobles pretending to be pirates. She expects everything at this point. Bone Dragon, bandits, cackles and squrkiks, hell even a madman weilding random, supposedly enchanted cutlery wouldn't phaze her.
Hoshek was up in a flash, the motion of Rixo's boot causing him to stir "Trouble?" he asks, focusing his gaze out into the black of the forest "Ice, good." he glanced to the other black snake seeing she was already ready for whatever. "How's our trail?" he only needed to look backwards to confirm "We need light. Anyone got any fire magics?"
Siyu looks around, "No Animals? Hm, well it is past the pass. Mossy is near..." he'll undo the bow from his back and nock and arrow. He'll make sure his quiver is clear and slowly walk about, trying to peer forward and see if anything is visible. His brace of pistols are clear too, but he has long range with the bow. The pistols for close up combat.
Whatever was following seemed to be scared off by the path shifting and changing! Canto looks back at the path and frowns, "Was that wise ma'am? It be the only path I know..." he watches over the path ahead and frowns, "The fuck...?" He stops the horses suddenly and groans, "The path collapsed!" Indeed, ahead is a cliff! Though about twenty feet higher seems to be another natural bridge! "Well, up ta you guys... Should we make a path or climb up tuh the top?"
Bite giggles and nods. "We can spend time fixing it later, if we need to. We're all able bodied, and I know math. So... I think we should go to the bridge, making a stable path for all of this isn't going to be the easiest task. What do you all think?"
Issi votes for climbing. She knows she hasn't leaned enough Earth magic to be useful yet so helping make a bridge was out of the question. She looks up at the cliff. Hmm, doesn't seem that bad a climb.
Rixo tilts her head to the side. "Ah, you are still with us, afterall," she comments, looking towards Bite. "In earlier rebuttal, I'm not locking them away. I'm putting them on display for the public to see. A museum, if you will. My goal is simply to make sure that individuals are not being greedy or profiting from what everyone should be able to enjoy. But yes. Company. I do believe something is following us. I cannot quite make it out, though. Doesn't hurt to be cautious." She, herself, doesn't seem to be doing much in particular about it, though. Happy to seat her heavy self right where she is, slowly tightening the grip on her warhammer. "I am willing to do whichever is deemed best. A bridge would likely be easier for me, though, but I can climb well enough in this, if I must. I do come from a mountain region, afterall."
Hoshek looks from the path to the bridge "Well, Ice votes we climb." he explained "I'm inclined to agree. The bridge up there seems the safest option, Should be wide enough for everything." Hoshek shifts his attention to the rest of the party "Siyu? What do you think?"
Siyu looks at the natural bridge, "Good Ambush posistion...should someone go and scout it out first?" he inquires.
Canto nods to Bite at that and waits for the vote, "Alrighty then, grab what you can. We can't take the wagon with us after all..." he pats the horses and frowns, "There should be a cave up ahead, that'll lead to the ruin. I'm gonna stay with these beaut's here, can't have them wandering off after all!" He looks at the bridge and nods to Siyu, "Good thinkin' lad."
Bite looks to Siyu and nods. "Well lets get a little closer, the climb comes first, and plan whoh to send ahead?" she suggests as she gives a thumbs up to Canto. "That's fine and all but it seems it would be easier to have someone actively using something than just lock it up." she giggles as she moves off to start a climb.
Issi hmms. [I could go first. I know how to handle myself.] She stows her daggers, not needing those out to climb. She looks up, thinking [Sneak across, I could either assassinate the ambushers, or expose them to you all. Either way works for me.] She pats the rock. She's got this.
Rixo stares up at the path and rolls her shoulders, setting her heft hammer over her back in its sling and grins under her helmet. "Okay then. Let's do this." She approaches the incline and reaches out to start climbing her way up. She wasn't about to let her gear stop her!
Hoshek looks at the face "Well, Ice said she could go first. Then sneak across or expose everyone." he says looking up the rock face, and feeling the rock. It didnt feel the best to him, but then again, he never had to climb a cliff face
Siyu looks over at Bite and he nods his head, "Who to send..." he looks over at 1221 "1221 volunteers. I can manage to sneak around too if I had to..." he nods his head "Whoeve wants to volunteer to go first." he will of course sling the bow again and make sure his pistols are clear. Ready to draw and fire if he encounters somthing. He adjusts his gera and gets ready to climb up.
The rock wall looks like a daunting climb, Canto watches from the wagon and offers encouragement, "'ey, you guys can do it!"
Bite works up a little air magic, before taking to the cliff. She uses a mix of magic and athleic grace to scale the cliffside, being sure to let Issi take the lead. She looks back to see how the others are once she's performed her task, unsure if the others were as agile as the female snakes of the group.
Issi works her way quickly and gracefully up the cliff, not really stopping for any length of time. Once at the top she quietly drops onto the shadows, keeping an eye on the bridge as her companions work their way up. The viper moves toward the bridge, looking about for anything that might try to kill them as they crossed.
Rixo pulls herself up with nothing but strength, determination, and her experience to help her. At the top, she unslings her hammer and leaves it propped on her shoulder again as she pulls her kite shield around with the arm. "I'm not one for much sneaking these days, really, but... If desired, I could probably get away with just marching over and smashing them. I'll leave it up to you sneaky ones first, though."
Hoshek grips the wall tightly. Welp, might as well get this over with. He was deft enough at least, climbing about ten feet before his footing gave way. Scrabbling at the wall wasnt enough, and his adrenaline pumped to their max as he began to fall. To him, it was as if everything slowed down, though he was sure he was falling at full speed. Thankfully, there was a bush or twi at the bottom, so he only got away from that with a hurting arm. Nothing broken that would have been a pain otherwise.
Siyu climbs up rather sucessfully, the rodent is pretty light, and a smith so he manages the climb pretty handily. A few more grunts and he rolls himself into the shadows as well. Three sneaky types just expecting an ambush! Well it pays to be parinoid in Silverine Pass.
Canto winces and rushes over to Hoshek's aid once he hits the ground, "Are ya alright lad?" Up top, there seems to be nothing around... There is a cave on the other end of the bridge though
Bite sits still and watches Issi from her posiiton, ready to act if needed, or proceed if she gives the okay.
