Diablotin 2 session 21

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Session

Session date: 2009-05-17

Diablotin date:

Raw

Narrator: You are currently heading back to the shimmering veil that separates this plane from the Ethereal.

Narrator: Alma, you had asked to be on the lookout for something that might once have been a possession in your walk back to the veil.

Narrator: Shining your lantern into the occasional shell of a building as you pass, you catch the dull glint of something metallic, unlike the surrounding stone and rubble.

Alma: Oh! Hold up!

• Alma will peer into the building to make sure there's no three headed shadow dogs before going to see what it was.

Ilphere: Hmm...?

• Ysabeau halts, the bones rattling in her sack.
• Seth moves over towards Alma, sword drawn, and keeping an eye on his new friend, also.

Narrator: The building seems empty.

Alma: I just saw something shining.

• Alma will head over to the glint
• Sanadhil pauses as well

Narrator: It is a whistle, greyish-silver, with a loop where it probably once hung from a cord.

• Sanadhil will cast DM

Alma: Hm.

• Alma reaches out to pick it up by the cord.

Narrator: No magic, San.

• Guillame glances over, but continues to watch the surroundings.

Narrator: The cord is long since gone, Alma.

Alma: (oh right, sorry

• Alma picks it up directly.

Alma: I was just looking to see if I could find anything leftover from the inhabitants.

• Alma will leave the building again so we can be on our way.

Sanadhil: its not enchanted

Sanadhil: hmm.

Sanadhil: did you want to look at it now, or later?

Alma: Once we get back... I'm still not comfortable here.

Sanadhil: *nods*

Narrator: You continue on your way, then?

• Ysabeau sings a bone song to herself, silently.
• Alma nods, unless there's more in the building.

Sanadhil: we could explore the rest of the city more thoroughly - we have more time allotted, certainly.

Narrator: A few things like anchor points for ... chains? You're not sure. Nothing else that looks like a possession, though.

Alma: :|

Ilphere: Yes...

Ilphere: We might find something else of interest...!

• Dominik shrugs

Seth: Nell.

• Seth remarks out of nowhere.

Ysabeau: Hmm?

• Ysabeau queries Seth.

Seth: Nell. Her name is Nell.

Ysabeau: Whose?

Ysabeau: Oh, your bird's?

• Seth nods.
• Ysabeau smiles.

Seth: After Sara's Knell.

Ysabeau: Welcome to the party, Nell.

• Ysabeau speaks to the pigeon.
• Sanadhil nods
• Guillame smiles

Ysabeau: I hope our world won't be too sunny for you.

Sanadhil: a fitting choice...

Ilphere: She's very sweet...!

• Alma eyes the bird warily.

Dominik: its a shadow bird... get over it. Are we exploring or what?

Sanadhil: Yes.

Sanadhil: I'm curious to see how the Castalia appears here

Ilphere: Let's go then...!

Narrator: You will pass in the vicinity of where-the-Castalia-would-be on your way back.

• Alma will lightly polish the whistle as she falls into place with the rest of the group

Narrator: The most notable feature of that part of the ruined city is a tall, spindle-like tower.

• Guillame gawps

Ysabeau: :w to Seth: Dom's just bitter that he doesn't have a little friend, I think. I think Nell is lovely and very interesting.

Ilphere: Oh my...!

• Ilphere admires the structure.
• Sanadhil also
• Seth smiles at Ysabeau in agreement.

Ilphere: Let's get closer...

• Sanadhil nods

Guillame: Sure!

Ysabeau: (how heavy is the skeleton I'm lugging, I wonder? ^-^)

• Sanadhil tries to figure out if it has any kind of parallel in our world

Narrator: Nothing immediately leaps to mind, San. The Castalia in Diablotin has some towers and buildings of some height, but nothing quite like that.

• Sanadhil looks Seth's way

Sanadhil: is there any kind of real parallel between the buildings here and in Diablotin?

Seth: (K: Architecture?)

Narrator: (you can roll)

Seth: (20)

Narrator: Seth: the city seems smaller than D, on the whole, and basically only occupies the north (?) bank of the 'river'. Obviously the structure and design of the buildings is totally different. As the buildings here are mostly ruined, it's a bit hard to say whether they were residences or shops or what have you. And yet, there seem to be some rough parallels.

• Seth gets out his sketchpad and draws a rough outline, as best as he can

Narrator: Buildings seem to be larger and more ornate (what's left of them) to the east, and smaller/more humble to the west, as in D.

Narrator: (just for instance)

• Ilphere watches curiously...
• Ysabeau settles down on a crumbled wall, setting her bag down to rest while Seth sketches and people explore.

Sanadhil: Let's not separate too much - stay in small groups, at least

• Dominik idly picks up a chunck of rubble and bounces it off a wall

Ysabeau: Whew.

• Guillame takes in the skyline again

Alma: (Seth, you're still hurt eh?)

• Sanadhil will look in to the spire, but doens't venture out of sight from the main group
• Ilphere is going to head toward the spire as well.

Narrator: The skyline of the city is basically just a faintly glowing blur.

Alma: We really ought to stay together, if there's something using that tower as a lair...

Seth: (yes, but only a little. I'm at 37 / 49)

Narrator: The spire seems less damaged than many of the other buildings - at least, it hasn't collapsed, so that's saying something.

Ysabeau: ~I believe them bones are me/ Some say we were born into the grave/ I feel so alone, gonna end up/ A big ole pile a them bones~

• Ysabeau sings to pass the time.
• Sanadhil nods to Alma

Ilphere: Well, come on then...!

• Ilphere says a bit impatiently, pursing her lips.
• Alma follows

Narrator: You approach the tower, marvelling at its height. It is certainly far taller than any buildings in Diablotin.

• Alma wonders if she's felt anything in the way of wind, here in the shadow plane.

Narrator: There has only been minimal wind during your time here, Alma.

Ysabeau: (So who is going to the spire and who is hanging out with Seth?)

Ilphere: (spire)

Sanadhil: (spire)

• Alma will also go.

Alma: Maybe they could build so tall because the winds are so mild?

Ysabeau: (Seth, me)

Guillame: (Spire)

Narrator: (Altheo can stay with Seth ;)

Sanadhil: (I assume Dom will come with us.... you guys can have altheo ;)

Sanadhil: (yarr)

Dominik: (spire)

• Sanadhil loks to see who is staying behind, and figures that the two groups will both be safe enough, and will enter the spire

Narrator: The spire is relatively intact. There is a large entryway, with heavy doors shut tight.

• Ilphere tries to open the door.

Narrator: They don't move. Maybe locked or barred from the inside?

• Sanadhil casts knock

Narrator: One of the two doors will open at your spell, San.

Ilphere: Oh, excellent...!

Ilphere: (is it totally dark inside or are ther windows?)

• Sanadhil stands in the entry and looks around

Guillame: (How wide is the tower?)

Narrator: The only light inside, at least in this immediate area, comes from the stone walls.

• Ilphere will cast a Light spell and step inside.

Narrator: It's quite wide at the base, Guillame - it seems to narrow as it goes up.

• Guillame draws his sword and follows
• Sanadhil opens a lantern

Narrator: Inside, you have the feeling of walking where no one has been for hundreds or thousands of years.

• Ilphere casts her eyes about with reverence.
• Sanadhil tries DM again

Alma: ...

Narrator: The walls are decorated with carvings, dusty but not badly worn with the years.

• Dominik draws the magic longsword and takes a rear guard position as people move into the spire
• Ilphere will also DM.
• Sanadhil will look at them more closely

Narrator: San, it reminds you in some ways of the library you visited - similar layout, perhaps, though this section isn't filled with books at least.

Sanadhil: (well after I see if there is magic. sensory overload!)

Narrator: You detect magic on the door, San. Other than that, nothing in this area.

Sanadhil: (check for type, then move on to oggling the sculptures)

• Ilphere will examine the carvings as well... (what might I roll to attempt to make sense of them/recognize anything?)

Narrator: faint Abjuration on the door.

Narrator: The carvings are of people - the room is lined with sombre stone faces, looking down at you.

Ilphere: I wonder who they were...?

Sanadhil: (Shadar kai?)

Narrator: They look elf-like to you, San. Non-human, at least.

• Alma sparks a sunrod and illuminates a statue.

Sanadhil: yes...

• Alma looks to see if there are any inscriptions.

Narrator: The pale stone doesn't give a sense of skin-tone or anything like that, so it's hard to say 'shadar-kai' for sure, but it would make sense.

Narrator: Alma - each carving has a small inscription above it.

• Alma wonders if she can make it out.

Alma: (I don't know gravonian/shadar-kai, but I do know rat in case it looks similar)

Narrator: You can see it - not read it, though.

Sanadhil: are they names, perhaps?

• Sanadhil looks when he sees Alma peering

Alma: I can't read the script...

Ilphere: (can I read them?)

Sanadhil: (is the script familia, even if i can't read it yet)?)

Narrator: (can you read Shadar-kai? :)

Sanadhil: (NEXT LEVEL :V)

Ilphere: (nope, just on the off chance it was similar to gravonian)

Narrator: San - a familiar script, yes, though perhaps more ornate)

• Sanadhil csts DS in any case

Sanadhil: (CL that is :p)

Narrator: (I was trying to figure out what DS was :p_

Narrator: San - they appear to be names, yes.

Sanadhil: (I was thinking Decipher script. spell, skill, whatever -_-)

• Sanadhil will read a few of them out, if anyone is interested
• Sanadhil makes a few notes about the script and so forth
• Ilphere is interested.

Ilphere: Does it say anything about what they did...? Why their images are in here?

• Sanadhil looks around for more writing

Sanadhil: not on the statues.... this place remnds me of the library i visited, however

Sanadhil: if we're lucky, perhaps there may be some texts we can recover further in

• Ilphere nods...

Ilphere: Let's keep going ...!

• Alma will go on with the others.
• Guillame will stick near the other end of the party to Dom

Ilphere: (so what's beyond these statues?)

Ilphere: (are there stairs to an upper level?)

Narrator: The stairway that spirals up the centre of the building is still reasonably intact, though somewhat dizzying to walk up.

Sanadhil: (also, is there any moe writig in here or just the names?)

Narrator: Over the door, San, there is some writing as well.

• Ilphere heads up the stairs then, crafully...!

Ilphere: (carefully)

• Sanadhil reads it as well
• Guillame will follow, staying within Ilphere's light.

Narrator: San - above the door the inscription reads something you basically translates as 'Halls of Knowledge'

Sanadhil: hall of knowledge - promising....

• Sanadhil eyes the stairs dubiously, and will climb carefully after Ilphere

Narrator: The next level that you reach is designed like an amphitheatre, with a semi-circle of stone seats. Maybe a lecture hall?

• Sanadhil will look around for more writing, as long as his spell lasts
• Ilphere will continue up the stairs if there doesn't seem to be anything but seats.

Narrator: Continuing up, you come to an area with many shelves for scrolls and books.

Ilphere: (empty?)

Alma: This is where the Castalia might be, on our plane?

• Sanadhil checks them all carefully, hoping to find something overlooked and left behind

Narrator: At first glance - though you could look around further :)

Sanadhil: yes

Sanadhil: in this area

• Ilphere will search the shelves more thoroughly...

Sanadhil: (you want a search roll? ;x)

• Alma will also look around.
• Guillame will help search

Narrator: (that would be good :)

Alma: (I find some dust! - 12)

• Ilphere will also be on the lookout for concealed areas that might be hiding goodies!

Sanadhil: (18 :/)

Ilphere: (19 :/)

Ilphere: (... I call destiny :V)

Dominik: (18)

Alma: Are you two still looking for magic?

Ilphere: (25)

Dominik: (sorry 20_

Ilphere: ...yes!

Sanadhil: not actively at the moment

Narrator: Ilphere, amid the dust and debris, you find a relatively intact scroll, inside a case.

Ilphere: Aha...

• Ilphere looks it over to see if she can identify it.

Sanadhil: may I see it?

Ilphere: Just a moment...!

• Sanadhil nods

Ilphere: (geez dude wait your turn)

Ilphere: (is that a spellcraft roll...?)

Sanadhil: (hey man, I have an active spell here ;)

Narrator: The scrollcase is mildly magic, but not the contents. You suspect the case's magic was what preserved the document inside.

• Ilphere unrolls it and peers at it...

Ilphere: (So it's not a spell scroll?)

Narrator: correct

• Ilphere holds it out so that San can see as well.

Ilphere: (I assume it's in S-K)

Ilphere: Can you read it...?

Guillame: (nm my roll ;) )

• Sanadhil will read over her shoulder then, as he still as the CL going

Narrator: San - it's an account of the city's fall, you think.

Sanadhil: ....oh my...

Sanadhil: this is exactly what i was hoping for!

Ilphere: What? What is it...?

Sanadhil: it seems to be an acocunt of the fall of the city!

Alma: :o

Ilphere: Oh my...!

Sanadhil: (account)

Ilphere: We must take it back and translate it...!

• Ilphere says excitedly

Sanadhil: yes!

• Sanadhil skims as thoroughly as he can while they're standing there

Sanadhil: fascinating....

Dominik: should I find you two a desk to sit at or perhapse some candles?

Ilphere: No, we can take it back... We should continue exploring, now...

Sanadhil: ..yes, I suppose

• Guillame pokes at dust on empty shelves.
• Sanadhil does sounds a little disappointed though

Narrator: You continue up, then?

Guillame: (yes)

• Sanadhil steps away from Ilphere, and will follow up the stairs
• Ilphere tucks the scroll back in the case and secrets it away, then goes on up...!

Narrator: The next level that you reach is subdivided into a number of smaller rooms.

Narrator: Living quarters, perhaps?

• Sanadhil will search around for more things of interest
• Guillame will help to poke around the rooms

Sanadhil: :*Alma also pokes around some more

Sanadhil: (I only got a 9 on my search roll though... too distracted thinking about that scroll! :V)

Narrator: (sec, looking something up)

• Ilphere searches as well.

Ilphere: (25 on search)

Guillame: (17)

Sanadhil: (20 for Alma)

Dominik: (18)

Narrator: In each of the quarters you find the same scene - a long-dead body, lying seemingly peacefully upon the floor.

Ilphere: (do the dead dudes have any stuff? :V)

Narrator: Very minimal possessions as far as you can tell; nothing magical.

• Ilphere carefully examines a corpse (Still wearing her glasses) for any cloes as to cause of death, although she suspects there will be nothing to find.

Guillame: (are the bodies similar?)

Sanadhil: terrible...

Sanadhil: :*Alma is conveniently reluctuant to use her room-viewing powers -_-

Ilphere: (what kind of roll would that be?)

Narrator: They seem similar-ish, yes. It's hard to tell sex/age, but they seem to be the same species at least.

Narrator: (Search, I guess)

Ilphere: (do I get my glasses' bonus?)

Narrator: (sure)

Sanadhil: (can we keep going up?)

Ilphere: (27 if no, 32 if yes :V)

Narrator: Ilphere - there are no signs of violence that you can detect. From their postures, it looks as though they just lay down and died.

Narrator: Yes, you can keep going up.

Ilphere: Hmm...

Sanadhil: Poison perhaps...

• Ilphere stands up and follows San up the stairs...

Ilphere: That was my thought...

• Sanadhil thinks... 9spellcraft or k: arcana to think of spells that might because to cause some kind of quiet mass death?)

Narrator: The thing that seems especially odd to you is that they are all in roughly the same posture, on their backs, arms crossed - it's not like they collapsed in the midst of other activities, say.

Narrator: (sure, spellcraft)

Sanadhil: (26)

Ilphere: (/me will also roll on dat)

Ilphere: (23)

Sanadhil: maybe some kind of ritual, or ritual suicide...

Ilphere: It certainly appears organized, ritualized... yes...!

• Guillame ponders the fate of this city, and of the city under Diabolotin...

Dominik: Maybe that little scroll you have explains it all.

Narrator: To kill this many people over this great an area, it would either have to be multiple castings of a spell, or an epically powerful spell, or something like a cloudkill or whatever that could drift about.

Sanadhil: someone had to write it, and to leave it there....

Sanadhil: we will see

• Sanadhil heads back to the stairs, towards the top level

Sanadhil: (well, next level, anyway :)

Ilphere: They could have written it beforehand...

• Ilphere muses as she climbs.

Narrator: Continuing upwards in the ever-narrower spire, you arrive in an open, mostly empty room. The main feature is quite obvious - a stone slab with a woman's body lying on it. She appears completely unaffected by the passage of time.

• Sanadhil blinks

Sanadhil: my...

Sanadhil: *Alma will go and check her out

• Ilphere DMs the heck out of her...

Ilphere: :o

Ilphere: (is she Shadar-Kai?)

• Ilphere approaches the slab cautiously.

Sanadhil: (Is she naked? V:)

• Sanadhil also

Dominik: (is she hot?)

Sanadhil: (^5, Dom ;)

Ilphere: (are her bewbs perkier than mine)

• Sanadhil looks at the slap while the others check the woman (Writing?)

Narrator: She appears to be shadar-kai, yes. Age is difficult to judge, but she's not old - maybe the equivalent of 25 or so? She is wearing a grey robe and a circlet. She is not moving, not breathing. She radiates strong transmutation magic.

Narrator: She's not unattractive, if you like dark grey skin ;)

Ilphere: Strong transmutation...

Ilphere: (what spell might it be? SC)

Ilphere: (29)

Narrator: Temporal Stasis is the one that immediately occurs to you, Ilphere.

• Guillame is taken aback

Sanadhil: (32 - I assume the same?)

• Sanadhil nods

Narrator: San, you don't find any writing on the slab. Yes, you think the same about the spell.

Sanadhil: that makes sense

Ilphere: Temporal Stasis?

• Ilphere looks to Sanadhil for confirmation...
• Sanadhil nods

Sanadhil: its an expensive spell....

Dominik: and that means what?

Sanadhil: she's frozen in time

Sanadhil: until it can be dispelled

Ilphere: Not dead.

Sanadhil: right

Guillame: That's amazing...

Ilphere: This presents a curious dilemma...

Sanadhil: powerful magic, in any case.

• Guillame looks around the edges of the room, and for whether there are further floors above us

Sanadhil: we can't just leave her here, can we?

Narrator: Above this, Guillame, it narrows too much for the stairs to continue, though the spire continues up some distance further.

Guillame: What would Seth say? It's his expedition... maybe we should fetch him?

Ilphere: She must have been preserved here for a purpose... When all the others died...

• Sanadhil eyes Guillaume

Guillame: ...why would they build the spire so tall?

• Guillame gestures upwards

Ilphere: She might have something important to relay...!

Dominik: so... we bring her with us?

Sanadhil: Yes.

Guillame: (Guillame doesn't seem to be too invested in his suggestion)

• Dominik will go over and try to scoop up the woman in his arms

Ilphere: Yes, I think we ought to...

Ilphere: Should we check the rest of the building first though...?

• Ilphere looks to San.

Sanadhil: (Does this room have a ceiling? or does it just get pointy?)

Sanadhil: I don't thik there is much more to see - at elast not easily

Narrator: It gets pointy.

• Sanadhil looks upwards

Dominik: (I take it I have no problem picking her up? How much does she weigh)

Ilphere: Right...!

Ilphere: (I thought there were more stairs, whoops)

Narrator: Dom, you can make a will save when you get very close to her.

Dominik: (13)

Narrator: You feel very, very uncomfortable when you try to touch her. You have an overpowering urge to leave the area.

• Dominik stops short of touching her and takes on a grim look

Dominik: This ain't right.

Sanadhil: pardon?

Dominik: Lets get the fuck out of this place

• Dominik will start to move towards the stairs

Ilphere: We can't just leave her here...

Dominik: Like fuck we can't

• Sanadhil approaches the slab again

Guillame: We don't know how long she's been here - but we don't know how long she'll be safe, either.

Dominik: I've put up with your nieve wandering around in this place without knowing half the void that is going on, but I've had enough. Its time to go.

Ilphere: Mr. Rademacher that is quite uncalled for...!

• Ilphere says shortly.

Narrator: San, how close do you want to get to her?

• Sanadhil will se if he can remove her circlet, at least.... I can't possibly pick her up :p

Dominik: Fine, give me a damn light, and I'll find my own way out, you can stay here and mess with shit you don't know anything about.

Narrator: San, you feel no ill-effects when you touch her. You're right that you can't lift her, she probably weighs as much as you do or more. You can't remove the circlet, but touching it doesn't bother you.

Sanadhil: (or touching her skin?)

Narrator: Also doesn't bother you.

Ilphere: Well I never...!

Sanadhil: (Dom is a pussy ;p)

• Ilphere huffs angrily.

Ilphere: I shall certainly be glad to be rid of your ill manners...! ::(

Sanadhil: I fail to see what is so off-putting about a sleeping woman.

• Sanadhil says dryly
• Ilphere turns her attention to Sanadhil and the woman in stasis.
• Dominik doesn't wait any longs, snatches a lantern and heads down the stairs

Sanadhil: How disappointing...

Sanadhil: I certainly can't move her.

Ilphere: Sanadhil...

Ilphere: Hmmm...

Ilphere: M. Rionet...?

Ilphere: :m: The sovereign sleeps...

• Sanadhil eyes her

Ilphere: Hm... I had assumed it related to the man in my dream, but now this...?

Ilphere: Perhaps a coincidence... perhaps not...?!

Sanadhil: we can come back if we have to.

• Guillame was looking up at the spire again.

Guillame: ...sorry, yes?

• Alma will step towards the woman in stasis.

Alma: (Oh right I was looking her over anyway, wasn't I.)

Alma: Amazing.

Narrator: Alma (and anyone else who wants to try and touch her) can make a will save.

Sanadhil: (okay maybe it is because you are wussy humans ;)

• Guillame will walk over to the others.

Alma: (20)

Narrator: Alma, you also feel very uncomfortable as you attempt to touch her, and feel an overwhelming urge to leave the area.

Alma: This isn't right, she ... she's one of them. They worshipped in that blasphemous temple.

Sanadhil: you don't know that

Alma: I... I'm leaving. It's best that we go back to the city.

Ilphere: What is wrong with you...?

• Alma turns to leave.

Ilphere: Is there some other spell at work here...?

Sanadhil: ...

Sanadhil: (19 on spellcraft)

Guillame: That's most peculiar - did you not feel an uneasiness, M. Orecalo?

Sanadhil: no, not at all...

Sanadhil: however my heritage makes me more resistant to enchantments..... warding spells can also be targeted at specific races.

Narrator: San - there are spells like Antipathy that make people avoid certain areas or items - but you think this has to have a longer duration than any of those would.

Narrator: (unless someone is coming here to cast it every day or two)

Sanadhil: it can't be a simple spell....

Ilphere: (I will try my luck on SC)

Sanadhil: (permanence?)

Narrator: (could be, San)

Ilphere: (28)

Sanadhil: it would have to be permanenced as well, however

Ilphere: Very powerful magic indeed...

Sanadhil: all you sensed was the transmutation?

Ilphere: Someone does not want her disturbed...

Ilphere: But who, and why...?

Narrator: Ilphere, you know that Antipathy can be targeted to particular groups of people, so that could explain why Sanadhil is not apparently affected.

Ilphere: A spel of antipathy can be targeted at particular gruops... perhaps that is why you have not been affected?

• Sanadhil nods

Ilphere: It could have been cast to exclude humans...

Sanadhil: that would be logical, all things considered

Sanadhil: I'd recommend you not try and rouch her, then, unles you ywould also liek to be banished...

• Ilphere nods...

Ilphere: I wonder...

Sanadhil: but it does mean that I don't knwo what else we can do for her :

Sanadhil: :|

Ilphere: If I were to summon some sort of mount, perhaps you might be able to manage to get her onto it..?

Sanadhil: down these stairs?

• Sanadhil eyes the dizzying spire

Ilphere: Ah, true...

Sanadhil: we can come back.

Sanadhil: better prepared.

Sanadhil: (brb jol)

Sanadhil: (a)

Ilphere: (none of us have tensers's floating disk? :V)

• Guillame I suppose that's settled, then.

Ilphere: Yes, it seems we have no other choice...!

• Ilphere is clearly disappointed.

Ilphere: Reaching this place was not difficult though, so we should be successful next time...!

Sanadhil: hmm.

• Sanadhil casts detect thoughts

Narrator: (on her, I presume?)

Sanadhil: (it isn't specificaly a targeted spell, but I am mostly interested in her, yes :)

Narrator: (what's the DC?)

Sanadhil: (17 i believe)

• Alma examines the bodies in the rooms below, wondering if they are intact enough for Speak with Dead.

Narrator: You detect no thought from her.

Sanadhil: Hmmm.... it was worth a try.

Ilphere: Hm?

Narrator: (I don't think they are, Alma - they're skeletal)

Sanadhil: sensing her thoughts

Ilphere: Ah... I am not certain if she would have any...!

Sanadhil: no, i wasn' either

• Sanadhil dusts her off a bit, and makes sure she still looks fairly pristine

Sanadhil: we may as well go back down.

• Alma will also examine to see what, if anything, she can determine about their race.
• Ilphere nods.

Alma: (You said minimal possessions, in the way of just-clothing or is there something Alma could take to get a read on?)

Ilphere: I simply do not know what to do about M. Rademacher...! Spell or no spell, that rudeness was despicable...!

Narrator: (like, scraps of clothing, not much more)

• Ilphere says half to herself.
• Sanadhil will lead the others downstairs (wuld we see that Alma is there or should we just assume she's gone?)

Sanadhil: indeed.... i can't say I am surprised.

• Alma will make a note of the rooms and take bits of cloth from some of the bodies.
• Guillame doesn't feel it would be polite to comment

Ilphere: No?

• Alma is probably not making a lot of noise in the rooms.

Sanadhil: he doesn't seem to have much respect for research

Ilphere: Apparently not...!

Sanadhil: (well, you can probably at least hear us chattering ;)

• Alma will come out into the open.

Sanadhil: rather cut down the unknown than learn anything new....

• Ilphere pushes her goggles back up on top of her head, only now realizing she is still wearing them.

Ilphere: Such a waste...!

• Ilphere agrees.

Sanadhil: Ahh, Countess! Are you well?

Alma: I'm fine. I just stopped to see what else I might learn from the dead, here.

• Alma folds the bits of cloth she's trimmed from their robes into her book.

Ilphere: We are ready to depart...!

• Sanadhil nods

Alma: The ... whatever it is upstairs is undisturbed?

Ilphere: You will be pleased to know that your reaction is merely the result of a magical effect, and not anything particularly sinister about the woman herself...!

Sanadhil: Our best guess is that the woman is under some additional warding spell, yes.

Sanadhil: and yws, we left her as we found her

• Alma considers this.

Ilphere: . o O ( ... for now! )

Alma: That does make ... some sense.

• Alma looks ... conflicted.

Ilphere: Shall we go...?

Alma: Yes.

• Sanadhil leads on then
• Ilphere heads down to the bottom level.

Narrator: You make your way out of the building without further excitement, and can rejoin your other companions.

• Alma looks up the spire to see if there's any external indication of the rooms we were in.

Sanadhil: (Jola needs out again... brb)

Narrator: Not really, Alma - the building doesn't have windows.

Guillame: (Can we see where the tower becomes too narrow for the stairs?)

• Seth is sketching busily, not even paying that much attention to who has stayed in his group.
• Ysabeau isn't sure how he'd react to someone looking over his shoulder at what he's drawing, so decides it's probably wisest not to try.

Ysabeau: The architecture here is pretty weird, isn't it.

Ysabeau: Can you figure out how they built this way? I wonder what the people in Diablotin would say if you built something based on this place in our fair city.

Ysabeau: I suppose some would absolutely love the edginess and others would disparage it.

Seth: I'm not sure yet. It is technically very sophisticated. Aesthetically - well, it is beautiful but it doesn't correspond to the customary canons I would expect.

• Ysabeau nods.

Ysabeau: (hee hee hee... with Divine Insight I might be able to figure out how they accomplished some of their engineering feats, I just realized)

Ysabeau: They do seem to defy probability, some of these buildings.

Ysabeau: (brb bio)

Ysabeau: Is there anything in particular that stumps you?

• Ysabeau asks curiously.

Seth: Right now I'm here without access to a library - nothing stumps me, although many things intrigue me and I'll have to look into them later.

• Ysabeau smiles. Not a bit arrogant, is he. ;)

Ysabeau: Fair enough.

Ysabeau: (I wonder if an 18 would be enough to figure out an architectural mystery using DI.)

Seth: Aspects of this remind me of Cozovode architecture, although M. Orecalo would know more about that subject than I.

• Ysabeau nods, then repeats her agreement aloud since you are likely not looking at her.

Ysabeau: I wonder if or how the Cozovode are related to the Shadow people.

Seth: Hmm, yeah, interesting.

Ysabeau: It has some interesting implications, certainly, if they *are:*related.

Ysabeau: Have you noticed how some of the doors are at different levels from the others?

Ysabeau: I wonder if there were actually two different races living here.

Seth: Hmm, that's an interesting theory.

Ysabeau: Maybe one with wings and one without.

Ysabeau: I think some of them were capable of flight, or at least, prodigious leaps... the doors that are higher up have no stairs.

Seth: It's possible - I don't see any place where stairs even used to be attached.

• Ysabeau nods.

Ysabeau: That's what I mean.

• Ysabeau smiles.

Seth: Another possibility, though, is that there were bridges made of wood or rope or another perishable material, that went from door to door.

Ysabeau: Yes, that is poossible. Then there should be some anchor points where the ropes were attached.

Ysabeau: I'd like to climb up and see if there are... you game for it?

Seth: I think we should stay here, so the others can find us.

Ysabeau: When they come back, then.

Ilphere: (dude didn't we see some anchor points before?)

Ilphere: (nm that was in a building)

Ysabeau: (I don't remember any but that doesn't mean anything)

Ysabeau: When they come back, then.

• Ysabeau persists.

Ysabeau: I've had a good break from carrying those bones so I'm raring to walk around a bit more, now. But you're right, for safety we should wait.

Seth: Shouldn't you be writing a ballad or something, anyway?

Ysabeau: Do you need a ballad to immortalize you? I should have thought your buildings would be a more fitting tribute to your existence.

• Seth laughs

Seth: I'm at best a second-rate architect.

Ysabeau: Well, that wouldn't make a very good ballad either, then, would it?

Seth: We could be the first humans to see this place in centuries. Doesn't that ... excite you?

Ysabeau: I don't know if 'excite' is the right word.

Ysabeau: It's interesting, certainly.

Ysabeau: But until I know more, not much of a story.

Ysabeau: No, if I ever write a ballad about this, it will be some time away yet, when I know more fully the implications.

Seth: We're here - we get to *make:*the implications, through what we say and do next.

• Seth says, still sketching furiously, not looking up.

Ysabeau: Yes, and after what comes next, it may be food for a good, thrilling song.

Ysabeau: But it isn't yet.

Seth: You know, I don't really understand you.

Ysabeau: How's that?

Seth: You're a storyteller, or at least, you purport to be one. But here you are, waiting for a story *to be told:*about us. You don't seem to have any ... oh, I don't know, any *wonder:*at all of this.

Seth: A magic shadow bird just landed on my shoulder, out of nowhere.

Seth: Giant spires, made by no technique we've seen.

Seth: A battle with creatures of shadow.

Ysabeau: It has the makings of a good story, I agree. But we are still in the middle of it. A story is an arc, with a beginning, a middle and an end. It is hard to write a story when you don't yet know the end.

Ysabeau: I'm here; I'm remembering everything, committing it to memory. I'm thinking of ways of saying things, never you fear.

Seth: If you say so.

Ysabeau: All the stories we remember and love, we remember and love because they meant something to us. I don't yet know what this place means to us, to me. But I hope I'll find out.

Ysabeau: So thank you for sharing your thoughts on it, Seth. That helps me understand what it means to you.

• Seth grunts noncommittally
• Ysabeau leaves him to his sketching and continues to observe the architecture and puzzle it out.

Ysabeau: The others have been gone a logn while.

Ysabeau: (long)

Ysabeau: Do you think they're all right?

Seth: I'm sure they're fine. It hasn't been that long.

• Ysabeau shrugs, then curls up at the base of her wall for a nap.

• • • Sanadhil has joined #gnomeland
    • ChanServ sets mode: +o Sanadhil

• Dominik stomps back to the camp where Seth has been busy sketching, dropping the lantern noisily to the ground
• Ysabeau jolts awake.
• Ysabeau looks ready to fight, but relaxes when she sees it's you.

Ysabeau: Dom?

Ysabeau: Where's everyone else?

Seth: Ah, you're back. Uh ... alone.

Dominik: Oh there still up there, messing with shit.

Dominik: I told them they shouldn't be fucking with stuff they don't know anything about..

Ysabeau: What sort of shit?

Ysabeau: .me asks warily.

Dominik: Did they care... Nope.

• Ysabeau asks warily.

Dominik: All we found were corpses, long dead, except for this one woman, grey skinned, at the top of the spire, unaged.

• Ysabeau looks over at Seth for his reaction.

Dominik: Ilphere called it Temporal Statis or something like that.

Seth: I ... well, that certainly is intriguing.

Seth: Any sign of why she was singled out for this treatment?

Ysabeau: And... knowing her, she wanted to wake the woman up or something?

Dominik: The whole thing felt wrong, really wrong, and I told them such.

Dominik: I was gonna pick her up and take her with us, its what they wanted, but I thought better of it.

• Ysabeau looks with concern at Seth.

Ysabeau: They're bright people, but sometimes I think they didn't get the sense the gods gave a rock.

Ysabeau: Do you think we ought to go fetch them before they do something seriously stupid?

Ysabeau: . o O (If it's not too late already...)

• Ysabeau turns back to Dom.

Ysabeau: Was Alma with them still?

Dominik: Be my guest, if you think you can convince them to do anything... they obviously don't give a shit about what I think.

Seth: Either we all stay here, or we all go to find them.

Ysabeau: Maybe she'll keep them from, um... whatever it is they decide to do next.

Dominik: yah sure...

• Dominik kicks a small rock

Ysabeau: I'm inclined to go check them out...

Ysabeau: Sooner rather than later.

Ysabeau: I'

Ysabeau: I'll leave the bones here; we can get them on our way out.

Ysabeau: Seth, Altheo, Dom....? Your opinions?

Dominik: I'm sure if they're in trouble they'll scream for help... :m: or not

Seth: I think we need to stay where they can find us.

• Ysabeau looks worried.

Ysabeau: Dom just came from where they are; if he leads us directly back there, we'll meet them on the way.

Ysabeau: No one would miss anyone.

Seth: Very well.

• Seth packs up his stuff and checks to make sure Nell is still nearby.

Sanadhil: (just in time for us to come back out ;)

• Ysabeau arranges her sack of bones so that it's not immediately obvious to anyone who might pass by... if anyone's even around...

• Dominik is pacing anxiously as the rest of the party returns

Narrator: (approximately, Guillame)

• Ysabeau scrutinises the returning people to see if they're carrying anything body shaped, or if there is one more than expected. When she sees that there is not, she visibly relaxes.

Ysabeau: So you found someone up there?

Sanadhil: yes, a woman in a time stop

Ysabeau: Human or something else?

Ilphere: Shadar-Kai.

Ilphere: She is under Temporal Stasis and heavily warded... very mysterious...!

Ysabeau: Interesting, but I'm glad you left her be until you can learn more about her and the ramifications of moving her or trying to wake her up.

Ilphere: Hmmm...

• Ilphere says noncommitally.

Ilphere: There is certainly much to be learned here...!

Sanadhil: I can't imagine there is anyway to know without trying it.

• Sanadhil nods to Ilphere

Ilphere: Absolutely...!

Ilphere: We should be returning now though, we have a great deal of work to do...!

Ysabeau: After all, these people once enslaved our kind of people, and people are on edge enough as is with the dragon and the cult on the Downs and the change in rulers and the loss of the Arch... I think a little caution

Ysabeau: (is called for)

• Ilphere pulls out the scroll case and waves it meaningfully at Sanadhil.
• Sanadhil nods
• Alma looks at Ysabeau as she mentions the cult...

Sanadhil: Yes...

• Sanadhil eyes her also

Alma: All of this, down an alley, all this time.

Sanadhil: I think that further expeditions to investigate more thoroughly are in order, at elast

Ilphere: Well, well, nothing ventured, nothing gained...!

Ilphere: Definitely!

• Ilphere concurs.
• Guillame nods idly

Ysabeau: Yes. Risks are sometimes necessary, but one must think of the cost to not only oneself, but others.

Sanadhil: Are you finished your sketchig, Mr. Argo?

• Sanadhil notices he's all packed up

Alma: If nothing else we must determine whether there is any risk remaining from this city, and its hopefully dead cult.

Ilphere: The advancement of knowledge is of benefit to all...!

Ilphere: I think we are all ready to return to Diablotin now..:!

Ysabeau: It's of benefit to all only if all survive it and keep their freedom.

Seth: Yes, I'm done for now, although I may wish to return.

Ilphere: Brilliant!

• Sanadhil nods

Sanadhil: well, we can certainly plan for it.

Ysabeau: Yes, I think that's the best thing now. Learn all you can from this trip and go from there.

Sanadhil: lets go then

• Ysabeau nods.
• Ysabeau picks up her sack of bones.
• Sanadhil will head back towards the curtain, then
• Ilphere is practically skipping on the way back.
• Dominik moves into rear guard again.

Narrator: You reach the thin point between the planes without difficulty.

Narrator: After the strangeness of the Shadow plane, the Ethereal is almost a relief - misty and grey, but at least giving you glimpses of a home just out of reach.

Narrator: You are able to relocate the narrow curtain in the alleyway without too much difficulty, and pass through it to Diablotin once more.

Ilphere: Oh... so bright!

Narrator: It is early evening as you emerge. The colours and noises seem jarring after your travels.

• Ilphere blinks a little as she returns to her home plane.
• Seth checks - has Nell come with me, and how is she dealing with this?
• Sanadhil blinks his eyes to help readjust

Narrator: The bird seems unsettled, but isn't freaking out, Seth.

• Alma winces.

Ysabeau: Home sweet home!

Alma: Diablotin is so noisy.

• Ysabeau chirps.

Sanadhil: it is a rather shocking change...

Ysabeau: And isn't it lovely?

• Ysabeau pirouetted with her arms wide open.
• Sanadhil looks up at the sky, searching out the earliest stars

Dominik: Just great.

Sanadhil: yes.

Sanadhil: we shodl head back to the society, i think.

• Ysabeau nods.

Ysabeau: I'd like to drop off these nasty old things.

Ilphere: It is still early, we may be able to begin our work on the scroll...! :D

Sanadhil: return our borrowed gear, at the very least

• Ilphere says to Sanadhil.
• Sanadhil nods

Sanadhil: i would definitely be interested in that

Narrator: You return to the Antiquarian Society, still puzzling over your recent experiences. The hall is quiet at this hour of the day.

• Ysabeau finds someone who likes studying old bones of humanoids, possibly from other planes.
• Ysabeau also takes out the coins, counts them properly and documents the pictures on them by taking rubbings, before handing them over to someone who is keen on coins.

Alma: (There must be like, an artifactlibrarian.)

Ysabeau: (Probably Benalda)

Alma: The society may not have enough specialists to study all of this... we might have to contact the Castalia and the Church.

Ysabeau: Yes, but let's get them added to our library first since we did all the work of recovering them.

Sanadhil: Indeed.

Ysabeau: Then those who are interested can come here to study them or borrow them for study.

• Alma logs the whistle, the robe clippings, the vial? and her notes.
• Sanadhil wll assist with making sure everything is properly returned and such

Ilphere: (brb bio)

Narrator: (okay - I don't really have anything else here, so if you want to chat you can, or we can call it here)

• Dominik doesnt wait for the boring task of logging and ensuring all ther "research" is accounted for and leaves without a word.

Alma: (I will eventually want to touch things, but I can do up a list.)

Narrator: That would be good - I'll write up a translation of the document that San can come up.

Narrator: with

Ysabeau: (I'd be keen to know what pictures are on the coins)

Sanadhil: (yay! i am totally buying shadar-kai next level @_@)

Ysabeau: (and eventually, what kind of skelly it was - Shadar-Kai or something else)

• Alma will also try to speak with Vianca ASAP.
• Ysabeau wonders if Medan Conquaine would be interested in the coins.
• Ysabeau thinks Onec Girouard would definitely be interested in the coins. ^-^

Alma: (Essentially I am looking to ask Vianca to maybe talk to the RM about having the church come look at some of hte temple stuff.)

• Guillame will catch up with Fern, then head home to make sure his family know that he's returned.
• Ysabeau wonders if Navis Culpepper would like to look at the skeleton.
• Ysabeau will see if any of those people are around, and if not, will go home to her sister and take a nice long bath.
• Alma looks over the remains we brought with us.
• Sanadhil translates the hell out of bthat scroll @_@
• Guillame will try and catch up with San and Ilphere later to find out what the scroll had to say.