The Gavisoria Games (IC)

[GrassyGnoll]

Sanfeng hops through the window Galwaith scampers through, ducking to his legs to clear the circular frame neatly. The orc rolls across the sandy floor to a safe landing, where he lays down his own pack and settles in.

Athletics (Jump): (1d20+20)[25]

[Serpentine]

Alwynn tosses his bag through the window, and then dives in through the window with a somersault.

Acrobatics (tumble): (1d20+8)[17]

He starts poking around the room curiously.

[Galathir]

You tumble into the room and find there is plenty of room along the walls to camp for the night. It feels as if there is about six inches of sand on the floor but it seems fine and free of any stones that would make resting uncomfortable. The dim dying light of the setting sun illuminates the room and the decaying machinery lies peacefully in the centre of the room, casting strange and twisted shadows on the east wall. The roof overhead seems solid and seamless, providing protection should any more acid rain happen to fall.

Vinto sighs with relief as he collapses down along one of the walls, resting his legs and back. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm rather famished. Would anyone else care for something to eat?"

[RaggedAngel]

Maekrix peers inside, and then he slowly clambers in, his powerful form ineffective at graceful tumbles and rolls. "This is nice," he murmurs as he scans the room for any evil presence. "I'm fine with setting up camp here, though we'll still certainly need a watch." He then looks to the machinery, inspecting it with interest. "What do you think it does? Have any of you heard of such a thing?"

Spoiler

Show

What is the level of technological development in this world on average, and how does the machinery compare to that?

[Serpentine]

Alwynn spreads his sleeping roll on the floor, tells Sanfeng to wake him up in a couple of hours, and lies down to sleep. But the dark and the silence makes his mind too busy. Within 15 minutes, it is clear to him that sleep won't be coming for a while, so he gets up and sends the orc off to bed.
He sits in the dark for his watch, looking dully at the letter in his hands.

[Galathir]

Galwaith joins Maekrix in examining the equipment and machinery. "I have no idea what it does, or rather, I suppose I should say, did. It looks fascinating though. I wonder if it's somehow related to the stuff in the other rooms."

Soon though, the trials of the day grew too heavy to ignore, and after taking a bit of nourishment from Vinto, he slumped up against a wall on his bedroll. "Wake me for watch whenever you need me" he muttered before falling to sleep.

The first few hours for Alwynn pass uneventfully. Near the end of the watch, a wind sprang up in the east like a wave of unreasonable happiness, spreading a feeling of refreshment and revitalization, even squeezing through the small windows and rushing in excited eddies around the small room. The air was fresh with plumes of invisible energy and through the window you could see the wind split the sky and force apart the glowering towers of cloud, unbarring the clear blue light of the moon just come into its own. The burst of light gave the region a new life, as the few grasses and shrubs strained and tugged at their roots in the energizing violence of the wind. The whole effect was curiously lively and almost romantic after the long, leaden, and unlifting day. Everything seemed to be glittering with something at once good and unnatural like a fire from fairyland, a portent of something majestic and terrible; of forces once again awakening; like a sunrise at the wrong end of the day.

Spoiler

Show

The technology level of the world is about on par with the early European Renaissance (around the 15th century). Basic mechanisms exist such as screws, cogs and connecting arms, watermills, astrolabes, telescopes, and the like. You have never seen anything like this before, with boilers, pipes, wires and other miscellaneous mechanical architecture.

[RaggedAngel]

Maekrix opens his eyes slowly; the gentle breeze wafting through the room was enough to make him long for the sky, despite the length of the day and the horrors that they were sure to face tomorrow. His life had been a hard one despite his wondrous transformation, and there had been times when his rejection from his home and his long years of wandering had weighed on him, almost too heavily to bear. Despite his dreams, his goals, and his responsibility, there were times when the weight of life was simply too great.

Now, however, he felt light. He felt free. It was the feeling he had when he flew, the feeling that filled him when he cast his spells in the heat of battle. It was a feeling of life and light and happiness. Maekrix, for the first time in years, felt content. He felt like he was home. "I love you all," he whispered, almost too quietly to hear over the wind whistling through the windows of the ancient building. "and I swear by my blood and my blade that death shall never take you while I yet live."

[Serpentine]

@^

Spoiler

Show

Gaaaaaaaay

Absorbed in his depressed contemplation of the disturbing letter, it takes Alwynn a few minutes to notice the breeze. His lips slip slowly into a gentle smile, and he stands up, stuffing the letter thoughtlessly into his cloak pocket. He stands at a window, gazing at the moon. Feeling restrained, he slips off his cloak, letting it slide carelessly to the floor, and stretches out his wings to let the air caress his feathers.
Alwynn's face crinkles into a proper smile at Maekrix's first words, then falls into a more wry one.
"That may not be a promise you can keep, milove."
He stands at the window until the end of the shift, by which point he feels he should actually be able to find sleep. As Maekrix seems to be awake anyway, Alwynn hands over the watch to him...
He lies on the floor with the others and falls asleep right away, one wing lying protectively over Vinto.
The cloak, containing the letter, remains forgotten in the corner.

@^

Spoiler

Show

Gaaaaaay! XD

Heh. This is totally Alwynn's sorta party, though - just bursting with fraternal - and not so fraternal - love!

[Galathir]

The wind continues throughout the night and you all wake up the next morning feeling refreshed and renewed. The air is still cool and the sun's cheerful light envelops the the small room.

Vinto wakes up and glances over at Alwynn, only a slight raising of his eyebrows gives a clue as to his reaction. He extracts himself and begin rummaging through his belongings as he begins to prepare some breakfast. "Is anyone hungry? I think we've got another long day ahead of us."

Galwaith awakens but remains stretched out luxuriously on his bedroll. "Considering the improbable and unconventional characteristics of our milieu, that may have been one of the most satisfying and indulgent slumbers I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Vinto, you look rather refreshed yourself, I must say. Wait . . . is that . . . yes it is! That's a wing imprint on your face!" He looks back and forth between Alwynn and Maekrix with a inquisitive grin on his face.

[Serpentine]

Alwynn snores.

[RaggedAngel]

Maekrix grins from where he leans on the wall, flexing his wings slightly. "My wings would have left much more impressive marks, I promise you." He stands slowly, working out the kinks in his muscles and flexing in his well-fitting chain shirt. "I suppose it would be a bit flagrant to fly for my morning meditation, so I'll just do it in here. I'll be useful again in about fifteen minutes." He then sits in a relaxed, cross-legged pose, his lips slowly moving in silent chants.

[Galathir]

Galwaith looks with an expression of feigned nonchalance towards Alwynn. "I suppose we'll never know then . . ."

Vinto blushes and drops a bowl on the floor. His attempts at casually picking seem rather forced and he fumbles it again before filling it with a hearty gruel. "It was nothing. I didn't even know until I woke up. It was probably an accident."

Galwaith gets up and expertly folds and rolls his bedding. He gratefully takes one of Vinto's proffered bowls and manages to touch his hand for just that one second too long. Vinto appears rather flustered. After he finishes eating, he stands up and stretches. The wind ruffles his hair as he looks out the window at the rising sun. "I say chaps, did one of you happen to light a camp-fire over at the other building?"

Sure enough, on top of the roof of the building to the south there is a small fire giving off a barely discernible thread of smoke.

OOC

Spoiler

Show

By a rather fantastical coincidence, by the time Galwaith finishes eating and notices the smoke, Maekrix finishes his meditation. Fancy that.

[RaggedAngel]

Maekrix stands quickly, taking up his ranseur without thinking, the weapon a part of his body as much as his claws or his wings. He closes his eyes for a moment, and then opens them, a tinge of platinum light pouring from them. He moves to the nearest window and launches himself out, keeping his paladin's senses trained on the area around the building and on the campfires, searching for tinges of malice or evil.

Spoiler

Show

Leeeeeeroooooyyyyy-

[Serpentine]

The smell of porridge - porridge, not gruel! - rouses Alwynn from his deep and satisfying slumber. He's just scraping the bowl of his second serving when Galwaith notices the smoke. Licking his lips, he goes over to the window and looks at it curiously.
Alwynn jumps as Maekrix leaps into action and scurries for his cloak and staff.

[GrassyGnoll]

Sanfeng awakes mutely and gnaws on his trail rations. He sits in silent meditation, helping himself to a second breakfast when the porridge is served. The monk walks unhastily after their soaring paladin.

[Galathir]

Galwaith is startled by the sudden and unexpected reaction from Maekrix. He dodges out of the way as the golden-headed spellscale leaps gracefully through the window. His query of "What's going on, why are we runni-" is cut short as Alwynn rushes past him to grab his cloak and staff. He dodges out of the way just in time to avoid being smashed against a bit of pointy pipe and then frantically beings to gather his own belongings together.

Vinto looks up, the raised eyebrows and the wrinkled corners of his mouth expressing his imperturbable resignation of the situation. Despite his calm movements, he prepares himself quickly and flinging his bag of supplies over his shoulder, he readies himself for whatever lies ahead. He spares a glance towards Galwaith. "Hurry up.mm Unless you want to be left here by yourself."

-------------------------------------------------

Maekrix races ahead. Squirts of dust and sand plume out from underfoot as you sprint to the other building. The ground passes by quickly and you cover the fifty feet with ease. You are unable to see anyone as you draw near but there is a slight wall around the room that could possibly conceal anyone hiding up there, or people could be hidden in the corners of the room.

[RaggedAngel]

Spoiler

Show

Wall around the room? As in, he needs to be vertical to get around it? Oh noes.

Maekrix takes two more steps in the dusty soil before launching himself into the air with a mighty heave of strength, flying thirty feet up to attempt to see around the wall and into the room. His platinum wings strain under the load but he manages to force himself into the air, the growing sunlight simmering off of him as he banks in a slow turn.

[Galathir]

OOC

Spoiler

Show

Sorry, didn't mean to be confusing. The building is the same shape as the one you were in, but the wall rises above the roof similar to the image here. You can still see into most of the room inside, but the roof is hidden unless you actually climb up level with it.

[RaggedAngel]

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

Since he's can easily fly (and prefers to fight in the air) he'll take off to see what's on the roof first, especially since the fire is there.

[Galathir]

As you fly up, the scene on the roof is revealed. In the centre, there lies a small fire, smouldering fretfully like a small child taking an unwelcome nap. Numerous footprints mar the otherwise pristine sand that has drifted into the corners and a largish hole has been knocked into the roof off on one side, presumably to provide easy access from the room below. No one is in sight, however, and the origin of the fire remains a mystery.

[Serpentine]

Alwynn stays on the ground and walks over to the building. He tries to peer inside.

[Galathir]

You peer over the edge of the closest window while trying to keep out of sight as much as possible. You are unable to see anyone inside the room, but there is ample evidence of recent occupation. Several small backpacks are lined up against the south wall and there are still packed down patches where bedrolls were laid out. The large open hole in the floor remains the only feature of interest, but unlike last time, you can see the sharp tines of a grappling hook deeply embedded into the edge of the hole, connected to a rope descending into the blackness.

[RaggedAngel]

Maekrix loops around the building once more before landing next to Alwynn in a spray of sand and dust. He peers inside as well, seeing for himself the contents of the strange building. "Odd, but I have a feeling it's just adventurers. Careless ones, too, if they left all of their belongings up here. I suppose they simply assumed there is no one around. Either way, it's none of our business. I believe that we should just leave and be on our way."

[Galathir]

Vinto comes sprinting up with Galwaith puffing close behind and gazes around the room along with the others. "They must have found a basement or something. I can't imagine there's anything of particular value down there though."

Galwaith's eyes perk up with interest at the prospect of fellow travellers, but he refrains from saying anything.

[Serpentine]

Alwynn strokes his beard as he looks at the grappling hook. "Going up, or going down, do you suppose? Going down, I guess... Let's say hello!"
He jumps through the window and squats at the edge of the hole peering in.

[RaggedAngel]

Spoiler

Show

I hate to reject a plot hook, but...

Maekrix holds out his hand when Alwynn jumps into the room, his eyes wide. "Wait! Why would you? If nothing else they may think we're trying to steal whatever stash they're going after, and they may try to defend themselves. I have no doubt that we could slaughter them, but I would truly like to avoid such a thing unless we really, really have to. Please, let us just continue with the quest the great gold dragon sent us on."

[Serpentine]

Alwynn waves aside Maekrix's concerns.
"Nonsense. Being on the road is no excuse for bad manners. And anyway, I want to know what's down there..."
He leans over the hole.
"Helloooooo down there! Are you okay, and are you friendly?! Not necessarily in that order!"

[Galathir]

Spoiler

Show

Don't feel bad. Just because there is an opportunity, doesn't always mean it's a good idea to check it out

Vinto is about to back Maekrix up and help Alwynn out of the room, when he is cut off. He gives a worried look to Maekrix. "I guess we're in for it now, one way or another."

Alwynn leans over the hole and the rope descends about forty feet. There are other floors beneath the one you are standing on, each about ten feet apart. The hole descends through three of them, and then stops on the fourth level which is faintly lit by the light from above. The sounds of Alwynn's voice echoes once or twice in the close confines of the chambers and then fades away. There is no other sound or motion for several long moments and you can just make out the glinting shape of a small mirror at the bottom of the hole as if someone was trying to see who was up there without exposing himself.

[Serpentine]

Alwynn grins at the mirror.
"Don't be shy! Want a lolly?"
He dangles his lolly sack over the hole, takes one out conspicuously and deliberately pops it into his mouth.

[RaggedAngel]

Maekrix sighs and calls down the hole, careful not to actually lean over it. "Please excuse my companions; we were merely passing through, and curiosity got the best of them. I wish you the best of luck with... whatever it is you are doing." Maekrix gives Alwynn a look. It isn't a happy look. "Really, please, I don't want a bunch of greedy explorers to take up arms to defend their loot. All we are doing is delaying our mission. You do remember the mission, right?"

Spoiler

Show

You know, the mission-y thing. In which we were to do stuff. And things.