Slaves to Desires (The Demon and the Phoenix Mines)

[Maryring]

The old Wizard known as Warren Moon has become famous, or shall one say "infamous" for his animal experiments. Several freaks of nature has been created by his vile experiments, and most die as their new bodies fail to handle the abuse they are put through. Some survive though, some thrive... and some escape.

Young Scientist Atta, and Musteval Guardinal Peter are both working for Warren, but not with him. When Warren orders the brutal murder of seventeen dangerous experiments, Atta decides that things have gone too far. Along with Peter, she helps the animals escape, in hopes of leading them to Elysium. The outer plane tuned to Goodness, which is home to the Guardinals, angels who have taken the shapes of animals. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned. Peter is dragged back to Elysium by an unknown individual known only as G, while Atta and the animals have all been scattered into three groups, that at this very moment lie scattered around the globe.

On the open plains is not a good place to be for a group of genetically modified animals. In an attempt to find safety, they take refuge among some old mines, but the mines prove to be anything but safe. In addition to unstable tunnels and rumours of spontaneously combusting workers, Sivore the Dire Rat mage finds a sheet of paper. And though he can not understand the harsh language written on the sheets, he know that it is bad news. It shows no signs of decay, and merely holding the sheet makes him feel ill and paranoid.

[Kuma Da]

Margaret

Margaret appears beside Sivore in a good-natured motion-blur. "Wassat? Paper paper paper words food recipe?! Is it good?"

[Duke of URL]

Zhahn

The eagle slowly strolls through the area to where Sivore finds the paper. "What does it say? If you need help, I can read pretty much any language." While waiting for a reply, Zhahn attempts to detect and identify any magical traces about the object.

[Maryring]

From his position Zhahn guesses that the papers are written in either Abyssmal or Infernal. He can't be quite sure until he actually holds the papers however, which means that he might have to give Sivore a prod in the chest, or even forcibly take them from the rat.

[J-H]

Sivore
Sivore gladly hands the dark sheet over to his team-mate.

[J-H]

Sivore
If somebody doesn't do something, the hungry rat is going to use a stick to scratch the words on the paper onto a wall somewhere so that it's available if needed, then tear it up and eat it.

He's hungry and bored.

[Duke of URL]

(( Shh! Zhahn's trying to read. ))

[Maryring]

A bad feeling wells up in Zhahn as he reads the paper. The paper is riddled with bureaucratic nonsense, but some vital points catches his eye. The paper is a contract, a contract between the owner of the Phoenix Mines and an unpronouncable name that can only belong to either a demon or a devil. While the exact details are a bit fuzzy, after all, Zhahn hasn't had to deal with real lawyers yet, it is clear that the owner has been selling the souls of his workers to the demondevil in exchange for the success of his mines.

[Khosan]

Animus

Animus puttered around on the desk they'd found the note on. He pushed papers around, not really paying particular attention to what each individual sheet said as he pushed it away. After disheveling half a stack of papers, Animus turned back to the rest of the group; he didn't really feel like flying any more, he'd had enough of carrying that lyre for one day, and just wanted a place where he could take a nap.

"If nobody has any objections, I propose we find a place to settle down to sleep for a little while. The past few hours have been weird enough, and I think we could all benefit from a little rest. Then we can talk about food and this whole issue of...angry scribbles? I don't know what that is."

[Duke of URL]

Zhahn

"Well..." the eagle starts off after reviewing the papers. "There seems to have been a rather... peculiar arrangement here. It seems that the mine owner sold his workers' souls for fiendish favors." He frowns, as best as an eagle can. "I can't say I'm quite sure I agree that he had the right to sell other people's souls, but the contract looks binding."

"What I can't tell is how binding the contract is beyond the closing of the mine. Do we risk falling under its terms by just staying here? I would think not, but the language is quite convoluted. In any event, I can see why the humans would shun the place."

[J-H]

Sivore
"That doesn't sound good.

We can always move on to the mountains and find someplace else to stay."

[J-H]

Sivore
Seeing his compatriots stand there doing nothing, the rat decides that they have been robbed of their capability to think by the parchment. He steps outside, casts invisibility, and then heads off to a likely-looking overgrown part of the forest to find food and someplace to stay for the night, abandoning the party's quest.

Spoiler

Show

9 days of no activity, I'm calling this as dead...PM me if it ever restarts