First Adventure 07.2: The Ravine

Archengeia wrote:The Matriarch frowns, and reaches out a hand before hesitating, refusing to actually touch it. "Someone..." she frowns at it. "Someone teleported to this object... via magic I can't quite identify. There's... horrible murderous intent in it."

*His eyes twitch for a moment. Makes sense, somehow.*

"And this is some sort of byproduct, then, or a marker...? The bodies were found in the desert, half-buried in sand, no trace of whoever left them there. I thought the wind had erased it all, but... Anyway, there's one more thing. Sethos, do you mind?"

*He waits for the bag to be brought forth.*

"The horrible murderous intent part fits with the enemy we fought last night, right outside. That pack of centaurs was strong enough, but the leader was insane. His ability is what caused the earthquake that damaged this cave. Before he died, he babbled some nonsense i couldn't understand, in undercommon, i think, then called down a last spell and shattered himself, nearly tearing me apart with him. I though he was just crazy, but this morning i touched one of his charred remains and something slammed into my mind unlike anything i've ever felt before. I could barely resist it. I think... maybe it was trying to make it's way in. I have an elemental affinity with earth, and so did those remains. Everyone else who touched it got jolted or scorched, probably because they were incompatible. Those remains are in this bag right now. I strongly recommend against touching them, especially if you're elemental affinity is the same as mine - i nearly died, or worse. But if you can tell us anything about them..."

Sethos' eyes widen "That is rather abominable" He stops for a minute, taking the facts in, his right hand starting to shake again, with a grimace he pushes it into his pocket and looks back to the matriarch, "I suppose there's little else we can get from this" he sighs and rubs his face "This whole affair is just question after question".

The Matriarch eyes the rubble very warily. It's clear just being near it is causing her pain. "That... is very powerful, whatever it... was." She peers at it, wincing, trying to discern what she can. "I... it doesn't feel like magic. At all. It feels like something that... isn't elemental."

Hanuel dumps some of the debris from the bag. "It feels like some sort of perverted earth elemental..."

Sethos walks to the nearest wall and plonks himself down against it, producing his pipe and beginning to smoke.

"So all we know, is that whoever killed Harkun was both very powerful and very horrible" He takes a puff and exhales "Presumably they were manipulating him, but we're basing that on nothing but intuition" He takes another puff and exhales "And we have nobody left to question on the matter" He puffs and exhales before falling silent, staring into middle distance.

Archengeia wrote:The Matriarch eyes the rubble very warily. It's clear just being near it is causing her pain. "That... is very powerful, whatever it... was." She peers at it, wincing, trying to discern what she can. "I... it doesn't feel like magic. At all. It feels like something that... isn't elemental."

*Eyes widen*

"Non-elemental energy? Is that even possible...? Yet it most definitely reacted different to me than it did anyone else....."

*Eyes focus, facing Silvina*

"Whis Kor or one of us will handle the talks with the guild. Aside from that, i have one more card to play. There's a man in town, a runner up for mayor, seems like a strong candidate. He has spoken out against the mayor in the past. If he's legit, backing the process of your stay here may catch his eye. If he's not, if he has any part in this, and we go to him with this piece and this knowledge, he will have to get rid of us. If he shows his hand, we'll be back on the trail. Either way, it's worth seeing him."

Spoiler:

Gnawbone looks down at the strange creature. "Can I help you, little one?"

Archengeia wrote:Gnawbone looks down at the strange creature. "Can I help you, little one?"

"Do you know anything about the runner up for mayor, one Hotawa?"

Sethos gets up and heads out the door after Higaide before thinking of something and turning un-enthusiastically back to the matriarch "I don't suppose you could give us a way to track where this entity that killed Harkun came from?"

Sethos:
The Matriarch shakes her head. "With something I am so utterly unfamiliar with, I would not know where to begin."

Higaide:
The Gnoll thinks a moment. "No don't think I've heard the name before. Why?"

Sethos lowers his head "I didn't think so" he says before leaving.

And does not follow Higaide to Gnawbone, he instead goes straight to the front door and outside, he looks up for a second at the dim sky before looking around and seeing nobody. He slowly slides down the door into a sitting position, his head in his hands and his eyes closed, before he begins punching the door with his elbow. He does this three times, pushing himself up on the third and continuing up the staircase with a light sniff holding back tears as he pulls his pipe from his pocket once again.

Higaide:
The Gnoll thinks a moment. "No don't think I've heard the name before. Why?"

"Well, he could be useful. One way or the other. If he's legit, he could tips the scales in your favor, help you stay. The guild is on it too now. I'm going to see Hotawa, and pull at that thread for all it's worth."

*Heads back to Sethos and Hanuel. Time to talk plan.*

The trio makes their way back towards town, only to be turned away at the outskirts by several very anxious looking guards. They are informed that for the immediacy a state of emergency has been declared and no one is being allowed in or out, and they will have to return at another date.