February 21st:

"... I never saw Snarg.  Zeiss was headed to the ruins when I went to get Hanuel and Dara.  You should bring them back too.  I think they went to the Inn with Javan."

"Sounds like a plan enough to me. We'll head to the inn first, and Gwydo can find you a bed. Hopefully we'll be able to grab that, uh, 'mage' there too, or at least find her at the quarry," he added, putting an inconspicuous and clandestine emphasis on the word.

"She can take my room. I won't be needing it for the rest of the day."

Fierneceal and the rest of the group, after Kolson receives very rough and mundane splints and bandages for his broken limbs due to lack of any healing Kits nor magical means to aid, and the group congregates, heads towards the ruins, and finds Snarg still unconscious and Araiguna frantically searching the area.  As they enter the Anetheron Facility and seal it behind them they find a bruised and battered Zeiss, literally crawling along the floor, some ways in towards the rest and recovery area.

As Rory approached the scene, he looked about the room anxiously, wondering if Zeiss had been assaulted by an intruder. "Oh man, what happened to you?" he asked as he approached to get the former assassin on his feet.

When she sees the group arrives, Rainbow runs to them, producing many "Meeeh! Meeeh!". She then runs back to Zeiss who realizes that the group is there. He hears Rory's question and with difficulty, answers.

"I... I don't know. The facility did something..."

He leans on Rory, tired.

"You're... all here?"

Rory gave the little fur ball an odd look before answering. "Well, most of us. We already found Snarg and Araiguna. What exactly did this place do to you guys? How did it happen?"

Zeiss sighs. With a tired tone, he responds :

"I don't know... some alarms went off, I think. I was pushed against a wall. Then..."

He stops talking. His whole body stops moving.

"...I blacked out. Sort of."

He examines his companions.

"You don't look so good either..."

"There was a backlash from the Ley Line," Rory replied, "and a lot of people got hurt, especially people born with the fire element. I don't think anybody knows what caused it, and we need to get you and Snarg back to the inn, but I don't think anyone should go anywhere alone or rest all by themselves."

"You see that?" He pointed Fierneceal's head. "I found her slumped against a wall in her room with her head gashed. I think someone got there before me and did that."

He looks at Fierneceal's head. Then Rory. Then again at Fierneceal's head.

"Another backlash, huh...? So that's what it was... And you didn't think she might have been thrown against the wall just like me?"

He looks at Rory, waiting for an answer.

Rory's mouth opened a bit, caught in his thoughtless assumption. "Well...I was fine..." he finally stuttered. "Maybe some elements aren't affected."

He shakes his head.

"Let's get out of here."

He leans more on Rory, then waits for him to start walking.

To Arch:

As you are leaving you notice Gwydo carrying Z and helping a hobbling Kolson down the quarry, and everyone else maneuvers inside the facility.  Zeiss, having mapped out the most recent areas, points them towards the resting area, pausing only to let Fierneceal close the door behind them, before they all head towards the rest facility.

Those of you paying sufficient attention despite all the recent events and pains will notice that the facility is fully lit and thrumming with occasional pulses of power, whereas it was near pitch-black before and completely silent.  This makes navigating much easier but, in addition, at one point the group is approaching a three way split in hallways and Snarg frowns, wondering which way to go, and before Zeiss can say part of the wall on one of the hallways lights up slightly, indicating that you should go down that path; which happens to be the correct route.

When you finally arrive at the resting area, Zeiss finds himself amazed at how different it is.  Previously it looked like a dark, artificial garden with unmoving grass and trees, but now it is fully lit... to the point where it looks like it's daytime outside within the large room.  The grass is swaying gently in a soft breeze that is moving through the room somehow, and there is gorgeous and multi-colored flora in all directions, almost too much as the sheer variety and concentration of colors is a bit overwhelming.  Nevertheless when anyone present goes to rest, the very grass lifts up to hold you, in what can only be described as the absolutely perfect position custom tailored to your body so you can relax fully and completely.  None of you present have ever, ever, rested on something as comfortable or as soothing as these grass 'lounge chairs' before.

Not yet taking a seat, Rory looks around the room with eerie wonder. "How...? It's like they...contained a piece of the world outside and put it here--how can they do that?"

Zeiss looks around with amazement. His knowledge of engineering allows him to come with a theory : that the backlash from the Ley Line may have powered up the facility. He could not confirm this, but Zeiss was almost sure of it. He sits down on one of these strange chairs. Rainbow, as impressed as the others, finds a little chair for herself. She lays down on it and produces a "Meeh!" of pleasure.

To Rory's question, Zeiss simply answers :

"That's called a garden Rory. Isn't there anything like this on your island?"

"This is almost like when that Nightmare was jerking us around," Snarg comments, gazing around in wonder. "Maybe it's the same kind of thing here, yep?" He takes a seat and wiggles in comfortably as he continues to look around.

Zeiss wrote:Zeiss looks around with amazement. His knowledge of engineering allows him to come with a theory : that the backlash from the Ley Line may have powered up the facility. He could not confirm this, but Zeiss was almost sure of it. He sits down on one of these strange chairs. Rainbow, as impressed as the others, finds a little chair for herself. She lays down on it and produces a "Meeh!" of pleasure.

To Rory's question, Zeiss simply answers :

"That's called a garden Rory. Isn't there anything like this on your island?"

"Don't mock me," he huffed, "I know what a 'garden' is, but this is obviously different."

He looked at the creature that followed the Elf around, then back at Zeiss with a questioning eye. "Why did you bring it with you? It's just a pet."

Zeiss stares at Rory.

"Why do I put up with you? You're just a human."

"Hang on a sec..." Snarg leans back in his chair and closes his eyes. 

Spoiler:

"That's not what I meant. Why is it here and not somewhere safe? It can't help, and you're just putting it in danger," Rory reasoned. "Same with that other thing you've got, Gnoll. You should have just left them in your rooms."

Snarg's brow furrows a bit, although his eyes still remained closed. "We don't send you back to the inn when it gets dangerous."

Snarg:

Spoiler:

After a few minutes of being in the room, rested or no, some of you come to the almost sudden realization that any and all wounds or fatigue that was plaguing you have vanished.  Kolson's bones are fully mended, Fierneceal's head has been sealed and the blood wiped away, and all of you feel like you're fully rested despite the difficulties of the last several days.

"Do you want to leave Rainbow?"

He looks at the little Eevee. She looks back at Zeiss and shakes insistently her head.

"Well, she made her choice..."

Zeiss leans back in his chair, relaxing. After a few minutes, he feels a lot better. When he realizes everyone has been healed, Zeiss leaves immediatly his chair and look around the room, trying to find what did that.

Spoiler:

"Nothing." Snarg opens his eyes again and sits up. "Nothing to talk with in here I guess-whoa!" He feels around his mouth with his claw and pulls it out, examining the tip. "No blood, huh. Had a nasty gash in here before. Headache's gone too." Quite a bit more lively than before, he hops off of the stool and begins making some motions. "I wonder if this is like that temple. This could really help those refugees suffering outside!"

Spoiler:

Snarg of Wildpaw wrote:Snarg's brow furrows a bit, although his eyes still remained closed. "We don't send you back to the inn when it gets dangerous."

"Because I'm useful: I fight things," he casually replied. "Unless there's some special trick or something it can do, I don't see why it's worth the risk to bring it along."

Zeiss wrote:"Do you want to leave Rainbow?"

He looks at the little Eevee. She looks back at Zeiss and shakes insistently her head.

"Well, she made her choice..."

"Fine, but if something happens to her, I won't bother repeating what I just said."