The Broken Land [IC]

[ylvathrall]

Tactical Map

It all seemed so innocent at the time. The temple had been easy to clear out, and almost safe. There were no real monsters, and barely any functioning traps. The biggest threat you faced was boredom, and even that was alleviated by the quick pace of the exploration. Only a day in, you'd already reached the sanctuary of the temple. The scholars were making progress on restoring and reading the inscriptions, while those of less academic inclination established a safe perimeter in case the ruin turned out not to be as deserted as you thought. True, there was a pool of arcane energy in the center of the sanctuary, a small depression filled with magic so concentrated it became almost a physical presence. But such things aren't uncommon in the Mana Wastes, and this one had been treated with the respect it deserved. It was in a quiescent phase, not yet having enough energy built up to overflow, but the mages had still established wards around it, and everyone gave it a wide berth.

And then, it happened. Perhaps you saw something out of the corner of your eye, or felt a shift in the magical energies, or perhaps you were simply lucky. Whatever the reason, you turned to look just in time to see the pool change. The light it gave off grew brighter, and took on vivid colors unlike anything you'd ever seen before, unearthly hues that had no names.

Then the energy burst forth in all directions, washing away the magical wards like sandcastles before the tide. The leading edge of the power hit you, and you could feel it change you on a level so basic and profound you couldn't describe it if you tried. Your world went white, and the last thing you heard was the sound of your own screaming.

_________________________

The next thing you're aware of is waking up. You're lying on something relatively soft, and you feel terrible. You're simultaneously so hungry that you could eat a horse and so nauseous you don't think you could keep down a glass of water, your head is pounding fit to burst, and it feels like every single muscle in your body is sore.

Opening your eyes, you find that you're lying on a simple cot, naked beneath a thin white sheet. The room you're in is large and open; there are paper partitions to section it into smaller chambers, but at the moment none of them are in use. There are no windows, and the light instead comes from a number of bullseye lanterns spaced around the room. The walls, floor, and ceiling are all whitewashed wood; between the lights and all that white, the room is uncomfortably bright, especially after you first open your eyes. It smells strongly of alcohol and incense, and more subtly of blood, disease, and death. There are seven doors unevenly spaced around the room, each of which is made of wood with a brass handle.

Looking around, you see several more cots, each with a person on it in much the same condition you're in. After a moment, you recognize them as having been on the expedition with you, though only a small fraction of the people from the expedition are present. There is no one else in the room.

[TheOneHawk]

Akdar awakes and slowly opens his eyes, surprised to find himself still in the body he remembered. The blast from the pool seemed certain to be the end of this particular incarnation, though somehow it had not quite managed that. The pounding in his head and overwhelming nausea made him almost wish it had, though. Offering a heartfelt prayer of thanks to Desna, he slowly tries to sit up on the bed, fighting through the pain of it to get a better look at his unfamiliar surroundings. Probably a hospital of some sort, from the look of things, but how did he get here? Didn't seem likely any from the expedition would have been in any shape to get him here after a blast like that, especially seeing a few others from the ruin in the room with him. Perhaps one of them would have an answer, it didn't seem especially likely but it was still worth asking. "Anyone awake? Seems we encountered something of a difficulty in our exploration, do any of you know where we are now, or how we got here? I find myself at a loss for explanation outside of divine intervention."

[Stormwhisper]

The first thing Asuka senses is the taste.
The dry, acrid flavour of bile in the back of her throat, pushing her tongue up against her teeth in an effort to get away. A weak whine rises from somewhere beyond, in reaction to the urge to vomit out whatever remains in her stomach.
It must have been a rough night.
The scent though, and the ache in her joints, remind her what happened. The blast of magic that had seemed to tremble, swell and crash down upon them. The flash of colour and light, all consuming.

Her tail twitches in response to the memory. Mentally, she makes a checklist of all her limbs to ensure that nothing vital has been obliterated.
When she is sure, and the voice penetrates the headache, she opens her mouth to speak.
"Perhaps it was divine intervention. Perhaps we are dead, though I did not think that the afterlife would be quite so punishing," she grumbles, her voice still weak and gritty. Speaking is like trying to push a horse uphill; lots of effort and not very rewarding.

[Prehysterical]

Bolten is surprised when he comes to, though the combination of nauseousness and bodily ache is enough to make him wish he was dead. He rolls over and makes a retching sound, momentarily regretting his survival. This reminds me of that one night Iengalan took me drinking... How can I be living, dead, and dying at the same time? Raising himself up on his hands and knees, Bolten smacks his dry lips as he tries to get his bearings before being foiled by the bright light. Before he can contribute to the conversation, the young dwarf makes a terrible realization. He begins feeling frantically under the sheets, rasping, "Me hammer! Where's me hammer?!"

[ForgotTheOldOne]

"Stop talking. Everyone stop talking." The words grate from between Sorothril's clenched teeth. Others were always loud, an unfortunate tendency she had observed in races with less keen senses than her own, but these voices seemed to boom against gongs inside her brain with every syllable. Then again, her own voice, low growl that it was, made her head hurt even worse, so perhaps the others were not, in fact, shouting at the tops of their lungs for no discernible reason. It only felt like it.

Soro let a moment pass while she considered the various possible talking points being made. "Ouch," she groans, in way of general agreement to the kitsune's assessment of their situation. "By the Thrashing Tail, that hurt," she adds, just in case her views on the subject weren't clear.

A cautious test of her extremities finds a full range of motion painfully possible, and so she sits up, letting the sheet slide and opting to preserve modesty by wrapping herself protectively within her large, green-feathered wings. One hand emerges from within the wings to pinch the bridge of her nose when the dwarf begins shouting, and - not for the first time since she left the comforts of her jungle home - she reminds herself that throttling people to get them to shut up is not considered socially acceptable outside of the serpentkin tribes. Mostly.

[Dondasch]

"...ishing"
The noise wakes Adisse from her slumber. After experiencing the pain, nausea, and hunger, she immediately regrets this happening.
She lies still for a bit, letting the shock of the sudden discomfort ebb. She then begins to go over recent events in her mind.
'Alright, so I was guarding the ruins, and then the pool... did something.'
Groggily, she looks around, fearing danger, but sees only fellow expedition members; some of them appear to be talking.
'I should probably let them know I'm alive'
Adisse gathers her strength to speak.
"I'm awake." she croaks, and then winces at her own voice.

[Halae]

Wisteria, the ghoran who had acted as the chef for much of the group during the expedition, is currently lying on one of the cots. Astonishingly, she actually looks healthier than she did before, her leaf-hair bearing a sheen in the light and she doesn't look so thin. When she sits up and looks around, however, awoken by the various individuals talking, she says "Calm down Bolten."

That's how she always is. Deal with the small things and you can get your head together to deal with the big things, if the big things don't resolve themselves along the way. Wistera will move over to the drawrf (she's not much taller than him, though a good deal scrawnier)

"Look where we are. A hospital, I think. Probably back in Alkenstar, given the feel of the area. Our gear should be in a room close by." that's easy for her to say - all of her clothing and equipment is either part of her body, or tucked under the leaves that she sprouts to act as clothing, a strange thing compared to most ghorans. Not that the plant-folk are by any means fully normal.

[TheOneHawk]

Akdar nods at the Ghoran's words, struggling for a moment to remember her name through the haze caused by his throbbing head. It doesn't take long, though, everyone always remembers the cook. "Wisteria is right, we're probably in some form of hospital. I'm sure our possessions are nearby." He spends a moment carefully adjusting the sheet to form something of a toga around him in preparation of standing, but remains sitting upon the bed, still struggling with the nausea too much to risk that much movement.

[ylvathrall]

Only a few moments later, one of the doors opens and a woman enters. Formidably built and wearing a white apron and cap, both of which are starched until they could likely stand on their own, it would be hard for her to look more like a nurse if she tried.

She glares ferociously around the room as she enters. "If you don't keep it down around the patients, I'll have your...oh." She trails off upon realizing that it was, in fact, you who were speaking. "You're awake," she says, as though the possibility of her patients waking up was one that had never occurred to her. "How are you feeling?"

[Halae]

[Wisteria]

"Hungry, and our dwarven friend is concerned about his equipment. I'm fairly certain most of us are wondering how we got here, if you could inform us."

Despite feeling a bit terrible, wisteria is keeping herself serene. Nothing's exploding (right now) so no reason to be worried, right? they'll probably have to pay for the stay at the hospital, but they're all lucky to be alive anyways, so that's not much of a concern.

[Prehysterical]

After recovering from the surprise of the nurse's entrance, Bolten sits down and looks indignantly at Wisteria. "It's not just a hammer, I will have you know. It is very important to me, so please don't go making comments about my..." At this point, Bolten looks down and realizes his lack of clothing. A most undwarf-like squeak escapes him and he hastily wraps the sheets around his waist. His cheeks blush beet red from embarrassment. Oh, and in front of a bunch of girls too! Gods have mercy! Out loud, he mutters, "Before anything else, can we get some clothes, please?" He looks straight down, unable to meet anyone's gaze.

[Stormwhisper]

Asuka lies in silence, her eyes closed as she hears the others around her wake up. An odd assortment of survivors it seems. She recognises the voices; the Samsaran, Akdar was the first to talk. And then the yell of the dwarf, almost a second explosion as her head erupts in protest again.
Does he not feel this throbbing? How can he bear to raise his voice?
Sorothril then - one does not simply forget a strix - and the aasimar paladin, Adisse. Finally, of course, the Ghoran - another odd one. How curious.

She slings an arm over her eyes as the others ruminate on where they are, trying to connect the dots in her head about what had actually happened. Had someone done something to the mana pool? The relics in the wasteland were delicate instruments, dangerous.
She snorts through her nose at the puzzle.
At the nurse's arrival, she gears herself up and then pushes up from the bed, unsurprised to find herself undisguised and fully foxlike.

"Yes, clothes and food," Asuka echoes quietly, relieved that the headache hadn't worsened when she moved, "as to what happened... that light? Do you recall it? What might it have been?"
Her mouth still tastes like the rough end of a minotaur, which is far from pleasant and keeps her from being loud. She smirks at Bolten, amused by his unintentional exposure. Equipment indeed.

[Dondasch]

Adisse shifts to watch the nurse, though she does not try to rise yet. She listens carefully to the others, and considers their statements.
'So, the Kitsune also saw the light'
She speaks, though quieter this time-- she has learned her lesson from her previous attempt.
"I saw a light from the pool, though I know not what it was."

[TheOneHawk]

Akdar sits quietly for a moment, musing. "Without a doubt, something went wrong stemming from that magical pool in the centre chamber. A bright light is all I remember as well." Pulling out of his thoughts, he turns towards the nurse. "Other than some nausea and a headache, I feel significantly better than I probably should due to the fact I'm not dead. How did we arrive here, so far from the incident? Also, where exactly are we, Alkenstar?"

[ylvathrall]

"Your belongings should be in the chests under your cots," the nurse says. "And you're in Deadeye Hospital, in Alkenstar City. As to what happened...you should probably discuss that with Khair. He's been waiting to speak with you since you got here—impatiently, I might add. Let me go get him, and some food."

With that, she sweeps out through another door. A few minutes later she returns, carrying a tray and accompanied by a richly dressed man who appears to be from Kelesh originally, although his clothing and accent are local.

"So," the man says, staring accusingly at each of you in turn. "I am told you are all that is left of the expedition I funded. Would one of you care to explain what you did in there? I am sure that the Grand Duchess would like to know more than that you were found half-dead in the sand outside the temple, before she has you strung up for treason!"

The nurse glares at him. "If you cannot keep your voice down, I will have to escort you out," she says warningly. Then she begins passing out bowls of soup and fresh bread to each of you.

Khair falls silent, but continues glaring at you.

[Halae]

Wisteria gives Khair a level gaze. A lot of humans aren't willing to look at ghorans like people, which hurts, but hopefully Khair's a little different. Either way, Wisteria frankly doesn't care.

"We survived a magical explosion," she says, "Frankly, I'm surprised nobody is missing a limb; I would have expected the roof to come down on us there. We probably would have stayed out there, but we aren't even aware of how we returned to Alkenstar. Your accusations won't help you find anything out, either."

and then she begins eating her soup. Her entire bearing suggests that she doesn't particularly view Khair as a threat, and she's not hiding that fact.

[TheOneHawk]

Akdar remains seated on the bed and murmurs a quiet thank you as the nurse hands him his food. He dips the bread into the soup and slowly nibbles on it, hoping to avoid upsetting his still unsettled stomach. As he eats, he listens to Khair's rant politely but pointedly avoids making eye contact with the furious merchant.

[Dondasch]

Adisse had hoped to eat before answering, but decides it best to attempt the diplomatic approach now, given Wisteria's reply.
"We had entered the temple easily enough, as there were no monsters worth mentioning and the traps had broken down with the passage of the years. We did find a pool of magic within, but wards around it were erected by those among us with such powers. Other than that, we left it alone while the researchers examined the ruins.Later, while I was in the vicinity of the pool, I happened to see a flash at the edge of my vision. I turned and saw the pool glowing in strange colors. It then let out a pulse, and next thing I knew I was waking up here."

Having now spoken more than she desires to in this condition, Adisse starts on her soup.

[ForgotTheOldOne]

Sorothril retrieves what few possessions she had with her while waiting for the nurse's return. Even once she has everything in place, it is not significantly more modest than her previous state of dress, with only a bit of fabric here and there to cover up the less socially acceptable bits. Anyone who might have a mind to look twice would quickly find something interesting elsewhere however, as the portions of her body not covered in 'clothing' are taken up with savage tattoos or dangling trophy skulls. As she settles a larger, beaked skull mask over her face, her outwardly calm expression seems to shift into something fiercer, more intense. When the merchant enters and begins spewing his tirade, Soro's hands tighten within her bone and leather gloves, a scowl spreading across her face. A friendly demeanor was never her strong suit, anyway.

"So you're the one responsible for this mess?" she demands, moving closer to the man and glaring at him from behind the empty sockets of her mask. "You had a hand in our being sent into a place with powers clearly beyond our ability to combat, and you have the shk'aith" - a colorful bit of phrasing in the serpentkin tongue, that - "to imply that it was our wrongdoing?" A short length of sunbleached wood appears in one hand, and she manages to make a simple twirl of the rod between her fingers seem threatening. "You will apologize for your tone this instant, and you most assuredly be handling the costs of this stay - with a generous hazard bonus on top. And if you think differently for one moment, you will be swallowing your ashk'eketh teeth the next!"

Temper sufficiently sated, Soro turns and sits back down on her cot, calmly sipping soup, though her glare never leaves Khair.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Not an intimidate check. Just Charisma 5 in action.

[Prehysterical]

While the nurse is gone, Bolten swiftly leans over the bedside (covering his rear) and swiped the chest from under the bed. He then puts on his clothes as the sheet is tossed over his head, resulting in an amusing image of frantically rustling sheets reminiscent of an upset ghost. Upon finding his hammer, Bolten gives it a wet, sloppy kiss and pats its head reassuringly before placing it back on his belt.

After Sorothril threatens the man and the others voice their opinions (or don't), Bolten feels obligated to point out timidly, "Ahem, Mr. Khair, was it? As the expedition's official arcane representative, I can assure you that the proper precautions were taken in studying the source of the magic. Wards were set up, perimeters set, the works. As Adisse pointed out, we only had just enough time to realize that something had gone wrong before it blew up in our faces... literally.

As for the Grand Duchess... How are our actions treasonous? We performed our duties in accordance with the task given to us with no intention of political upheaval or inciting unrest. And as you know, Mr. Khair, the magic in the Wastes is extremely volatile. These expeditions always carry a measure of risk, or the prize would already have been taken. If you would allow me access to the site again, I could figure out what exactly caused the pool of power to react so violently and so suddenly." Bolten finished by meekly placing a spoonful of soup in his mouth.

[ylvathrall]

After hearing the various responses, Khair seems momentarily at a loss. He looks around, apparently deciding who to turn on next. He appears to briefly consider replying to Sorothril, but quickly decides that that might not be the best thing he could do for his own immediate safety.

In the end, he settles on Bolten as the most appropriate target. "Official arcane representative?" he says. "In that case, perhaps you can explain to me what you did out there to cause this disaster! I know perfectly well what risks an expedition to the Mana Wastes entails, and they do not include a catastrophe of this sort. You will have your chance to examine the site again, dwarf. A team leaves tomorrow to determine what the cause of this was. As you woke up just in time, you will all be going with them." He glares around the room again, as though daring anyone to contradict him.

[Halae]

"Sure, but that'll cost you extra," Wisteria replies glibly, "If you seek to order us to do things, you need some way to hold it over us. With an investigation ensuing, you have no way of holding charges of treason over our heads, and that means to do this you'd need to hire us, as guards and guides."

[TheOneHawk]

Akdar raises an eyebrow at Khair. "You wish us to return to the same place we were incapacitated the very day after we recover from a coma of indeterminate length?" He sighs and shakes his head before standing up and finally making solid eye contact with the merchant. "I will go, but not for you. Your anger means nothing to me and your threats even less. I suggest you reassess your attitude towards us if you wish to receive the profit you expect from this expedition. Either that or join us yourself."

[Prehysterical]

Bolten looks surprised at the man's sheer illogical ranting. I just explained... The headache and the nausea, pushed aside as Bolten's curious mind sought understanding of their situation, comes back and Bolten presses a palm to his temple. It's like he stuck a wrench in the cogs of my mind. Groaning, Bolten replies, "I will be sure to go with them. I am curious myself. But can you please let us be for a while? I am already suffering from severe sickness and your shouting is not helping matters any."

[ylvathrall]

"I will not be paying any of you one bent copper piece," Khair says. "I already paid for your stay here, and I'm already regretting it. If you'd rather stay behind, be my guest. The magistrate will assume you don't cooperate because you were complicit, of course, but don't let that stop you. In fact, I hope you don't go. Watching you get executed for treason might make up for some of the grief you've put me through!" He smiles nastily.

At this point, the nurse grabs Khair by the arm and physically drags him back out of the room. He goes without fighting, still smirking at you over his shoulder.

Spoiler: Knowledge (local) DC 10

Show

The law Khair is describing does exist, although it's rarely enforced. Any action which increases the danger posed by the Mana Wastes is regarded as subverting the state, and is thus technically treason. The law dates back to the founding of Alkenstar City, and as such is worded quite vaguely, without the precise language of most more recent laws. Because of this, the magistrates don't typically enforce it, since it might include even completely innocuous actions such as traveling across the Wastes or possessing objects that were found there.

The law is still on the books and legally valid, though, and if you were found guilty, it bears a death sentence of a particularly nasty sort.

[TheOneHawk]

Akdar watches Khair be removed from the room with a a look of pity. "What a pointlessly angry man." He mutters as he returns to his bed and slowly finishes his bread and soup. Once he has finished his meal he crosses his legs, closes his eyes and begins to pray to Desna for his magic and good fortune.

[Halae]

Wisteria goes to the box under her bed and pulls out a small pouch, which she tucks under the folds of the leaf clothing at her waist, and as well as the staff laid beside the box. She travels light.

"Since we have the day, whether we choose to go or not, I'm going to find somewhere nice in the sun. Maybe I'll find a tree to sit under." She always feels better with the weather over her; unless it's storming, the rain always feels nice when it happens, and as a ghoran the sun is always wonderful to feel on her leaves. Not that finding a tree in Alkenstar is terribly likely.

Unless someone wants to stop her, she's just going to head out into the yard to lay down in the sun, her staff next to her. Those that have seen her do something like this before - which would be everybody in the group, come to think of it - know she enjoys talking while she soaks in the sun, and doing so is an open invitation to the others to come talk. She's an excellent listener as well, having the patience any plant should.

[Prehysterical]

Bolten shakes his head at the man's viciousness. Why was the man being so rude? While Bolten continues to ingest his soup, he takes the time to pull out his spellbook and begin selecting his spells for the day.

[Dondasch]

Now that interruptions do not seem imminent, Adisse retrieves her gear and gets dressed.
"Well, now that that boor is gone, it's time to prepare for the day."
But first, Adisse finishes her meal, taking her time; she's in no hurry after all.
Taking her cue from the others readying their spells, she sits crosslegged on her cot, and begins to quietly recite the story of the Shadow Labyrinth-- a maze with no walls, only areas of light and areas of darkness. Of course, what most would-be heros hadn't realized was that the dark areas were the safe route, as strange and unseeable creatures lurked in the light.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Bards have to sing, recite, or play an instrument while readying spells.
I'd post a more detailed version of the story, but my time is currently too limited.

[Stormwhisper]

Asuka has been in bad situations before, and this definitely counts as another to add to the list. She thanks the nurse quietly for the food, and when Khair enters and proceeds with his speechifying, she half-shrinks back into the bed. Again, she's been in trouble before - and trouble tends to come with overbearing authority figures. Usually she might have a bit of sass for him, but as she's still somewhat confused and nauseated, she's happy to let the others unleash their frustrations on him.

"I quite agree," she smirks in agreement with Akdar, "a little courtesy for the sick would have been appreciated. And I feel it might have been more beneficial to him to simply ask rather than command us to return there, even if the askance was merely a guise."
She gets up and stretches her arms, ignorant of her nakedness, and then drags the chest out from under the bed. The soft leathers go on quickly, but she slings the armour over her arm for maintenance; the gods only know how long they have been out.

"I'll come with you, Wisteria. Perhaps the fresh air will bring an end to my headache," Asuka speaks up quickly. She fetches the rest of her belongings - most of which get tied to her belt in pouches and sheathes - and bounds after the ghoran. On her way out she murmurs a phrase in Sylvan and her body shifts and changes into that of a spritish, more humanlike female. Though it is not her true form, it is the one she favours; her tail and ears remain foxlike, but the rest of her body isn't such a huge shock for people who aren't used to seeing a five-foot fox walking around on her hind legs.