Ruin's Dawn: Conquering Hive

[Basilisk]

Date: 35 of Saun, 721
Location: Outside the Labyrinth, Rynmere

The sky above the mountains was threatening, as if it were about to rain. Fortunately, the five people who found themselves called to the mountains appeared under an overhang. If they were observant, though, they would realise it was not a natural overhang, but had rather been carved from stone. At the back of the overhang was an ornately carved gateway and well lit tunnels beyond. In front of the gateway stood a tall woman with black hair and piercing green eyes. There was a moment, just a moment, of an overwhelming of sense of pressure and authority. Then that feeling vanished and the woman nodded at them.

"Excellent. You'll do nicely for the task at hand." she said, giving a particular nod to Nir'wei and Ralgar. "For those who don't know me, I am Empress Raskalarn of the Eternal Empire. You five were called here because my idiot brother Faldrun has taken it into his head that Kata and Mastes have something resembling intelligence. They're using some of my creators artifacts to gather ambient power, and then they want to use those artifacts to empower themselves." she said, her tone as cold and sharp as steel.

"Behind me is the Rynmere Labyrinth, where my brothers minions are filling one of the artifacts. Other Immortals have sent their people to deal with the other locations, but this one fell to me. Now, as to why you five were chosen, Nir'wei is one of Karem's finest, Ralgar is my son, the powers Tor'ree wields may help you stay oriented in the labyrinth, and Elisa and Balthazar, I expect, have something to prove and I felt they deserved the chance and could be helpful here." she said, before looking into the labryinth and then back at the group.

"Right, I don't expect you'll run into enough trouble to merit my presence, and my armies aren't going to be marching on the ruins where my blackguard siblings and that wastrel Mastes are hiding out on their own. Plus, I've got Karem in there spying on them, and I won't leave her wanting for back up. Be careful and be fast. Good luck." she said, nodding at them again before she vanished, leaving only a slight echo of her aura behind her.

!

Message from: Basilisk

Well, hello you lot and welcome to Rynmere. For this round, you can describe what your PC's were doing before Raskalarn called you all to Rynmere to help save Idalos, as well as what you do once your here. From the next round and on, your group will moderated by one of wonderful GST's, Fate. So, I'll leave you in the hands of Fate and hope you all have fun and enjoy the plot. Next post is in a week, on Tuesday the 15th.

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[Ralgar Warborn]

Ralgar glanced across the jungles of Scaltoth, where the Jungle was open and the tribe lived. Small buildings sat around as children and adults moved around, groups of kids playfighting with sticks and adults carrying heavy logs to break apart for firewood. It was the life he had chosen to live and enjoyed every day. Scaltoth was his home now, the Bro'ky'na were his people, and he was happy. As he watched, the man kept hold of his club, sat on a log and looking out over the people he fought for every trial.

Until he was gone.

Ralgar looked around at the people he was suddenly faced with, strangers that he had never known before - bar one. Nir'wei. They had been together in Scaltoth before. The others, however, he had never seen. Especially, it seemed, the woman that spoke. Something about her was familiar, in a way. But he knew he had never seen her before. Then she spoke. Ralgar somehow understood her, another weird translation to him and his group. Raskalarn, his mother. This was the first time they had met in his lifetime, having never seen her before. It wasn't exactly the meeting he expected to have with his mother, for their first time. If anything, a small part of him prayed that they could meet casually. While his tribe did not worship the Immortals, he did not hate them as much as some. He simply did not bow to them either.

Instead, he got this. A warning, of a quest he were to go on. An acknowledgement of being her son - and that was that. Ralgar didn't know what he expected from the meeting, or why he expected much of anything, but it hadn't been this. Did he feel bitter about it? Maybe a bit. But why? She had never been there before, why would he care if she was there now? Perhaps she didn't have time for formal introductions right now. What she said sounded bad, though she didn't know who the Immortals she spoke of were. So Ralgar took a moment to stand, club still in his hand.

"I am Ralgar Warborn. Deathkissed of Bro'ky'na" he said to everyone, looking to the group, including where Raskalarn had been stood. "I do not know if you understand me, but I understood her" he explained with a nod, in the hope they would be able to. Whatever Immortal magic was at work here, maybe it translated what the others were saying too? He could hope so. Whatever this mission was, they would need to communicate, though Ralgar had little idea why he should care. This wasn't his place, Scaltoth was. The danger of a man like Faldrun wasn't something he had to fathom often, or ever. Yet he found himself here, chosen.

Then he turned to Nir'wei, as blunt and honest as always. "If you were not here, I would walk home. My people do not work at the wishes of Immortals. But I trust you. If you enter this place, I will follow" he said with a simple and blunt tone to him, not caring if it left a bad impression on the others. It was his truth. Immortals were not the gods of the Bro'ky'na. Their wishes were not of any importance to them. Raskalarn was not a mother he had ever been raised by, or a figure that mattered to him as a god or a parent. The only reason he had to be here was the person he knew from Scalvoris, that had helped him and his people as well as the Island. That was who he stayed for.

"So what do you want to do, Nir'wei of Scalvoris?"

Off Topic

Basilisk gave me permission for Ralgar to have a "translator" temporarily in his head, so he can understand others and they can understand him. Only for the duration of this event.

~~Haltunga~~ Common~~

[Nir'wei]

"Progress looks good," Nir'wei agreed, pointing to a hidden corner of the map of Faldrass spread over the table. "This area still looks like it could do further surveying, as I understand it, there's an unused hunting trail that runs from there," he continued as he trailed his finger along the contours of the landscape, "culminating here, which should be close to the temporary campsite northeast. What did they call it again?" Nir'weis second-in-command, Tylar Erasmi, collected another book and flipped through it quickly to search for the lists of newly-appointed surveyors. Rhovius was jotting down every word spoken for proper notation and cataloguing. It was of absolute importance that Faldrass was properly surveyed so that work could begin, setting up positions of importance to monitor development... track movements of native fauna... there was so much to do for a single island, it was honestly baffling, imagining the work being expanded to the rest of Scalvoris on a similar scale. One day, perhaps.

However, his whimsical fantasies were dashed the splinters by his receptionist Marcus, listening in on their conversation and piquing up from the front desk. "Dexter, sir." Of course! He could almost slap himself.

"Yes. Yes! Send Dexter, extend his expedition by three days. Have his return route take this route, run around the side of the hill to meet this blank space, and then--"

And then he wasn't in the Office of Natural Affairs anymore. Nir'wei didn't realise it immediately, his mind was moving too fast in the energy of the moment. "--we fill in the corresponding... articles... what?" Instead of the warm insides of his Office, now there was an overhang of rock. Where his staff had been arranged just moments ago now stood strangers - though the closer he looked at each of them, he realised that all bar two he recognised. The way one spoke, she was responsible for this mess, but before he could ask who the hell she was and what sorry excuse for a mother hadn't taught her to ask for permission before teleporting people in the middle of business, she dove straight into an introduction, followed by an explanation. At least she was brief and to the point, no milling about. Faldrun had done something, Kata and Mastes were involved, Rynmere Labyrinth contains something supposed to help, presumably they destroy it, seize it, generally disrupt the process.

Why they were chosen was what really perked his attention. Karem was involved. Raskalarn didn't even hang around for questions or to answer concerns, vanishing with the wish to support her... and, clearly, entrusting the operation to carry on smoothly in her absence. Clearly, then, it must have been something of significant importance - potentially even a danger to Karem. The temporary irritation that always seemed to come from Immortals shoving him around and trying to get him to mop up after something that inevitably turned out to be one of their own mistakes slowly evaporated. This was important. They had a job to do. Karem, possibly even Raskalarn too was counting on them to do their bit, as they did theirs... and he'd trust their judgement on this.

The moment he'd made up his mind, Nir'wei turned back to the others and scanned them once. "You must be Tor'ree. You're the only one I don't know about, so. Nir'wei." They could forget titles and lordships for the sake of this little adventure, so he offered her a hand to shake. "I'd appreciate if you told me what Raskalarn meant when she referred to your powers." It was clear that their summoning had not been some random assortment - care and thought had been put into the people that would undertake this mission. Well. Most of them. He recalled the records of Elisabeth and Balthazar and steeled himself for that.

"I understand you." He was surprised, considering Ralgar's obvious lack of a translator, but chalked it up to some expert forward-thinking by Raskalarn to ensure they weren't floundering uselessly from the very beginning. "And I understood her. Excellent. The Labyrinth of Rynmere is... nowhere I've heard of, despite living here for a number of arcs. If we're facing minions of Faldrun, we're in good hands. I can empower weapons to burn them alive as long as I can set up preparation. Only thing we need to do is watch out for traps placed on the tunnels and make sure that we maintain the element of surprise at all times. Keenest eyes and lightest feet up front, along with Tor'ree to make sure we have our bearing. We'll take them down surgically and with extreme prejudice, capture the artefact..." he suddenly grinned with something almost gleeful, "and stick it to that son-of-a-bitch Faldrun and anyone who makes the mistake of standing with him."

Raskalarn had wasted no time, and so Nir'wei would not either. The ornate gateway loomed before them. He couldn't summon enough mount-sized beasts to hold them all, and they couldn't requisition horses, so they'd be stuck on foot today - but that was fine, as his footsteps were rendered silent by Karem's blessing anyway. His bow was ready, and Cyshe as well. His wolves were eager, Vabina practically salivating in Nir'weis excitement. Oh yes. This might actually be fun after all.

Let the hunt begin.

[Balthazar Black]

35 Saun, 721

Balthazar knelt down beside his things when he decided he and Elisabeth were done discussing Defiance for the trial. He could not demonstrate but he could still advise and with the eyes on them he did not encourage lots of practice. He instinctively reached over to his special black satchel and pulled it over to him, opening the pocket on the right side but not the main pocket. He was glad the bag could store some things, even if it couldn't store very much in the two side pouches. He pulled out the little wooden mouse with beautiful eyes and a winding tail, examining it for a moment before putting it back into the pocket it was in. While he enjoyed the music, it was not what he was looking for. "You're getting better at not falling." He commended Elisabeth as he searched the pockets. He didn't seem to find what he wanted.

Balthazar turned to face Elisabeth and as he did the world seemed to spin faster than usual. The colors he expected to see shifted into darker shades and when all the motion settled, Elisabeth was the only familiar thing left. His brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed a little while Balthazar looked around suspiciously. It was not the first time he'd been pulled from one place to another but it was never any less discombobulating when it did happen. He recognized Nir'wei first, then another man and a woman with dark hair and green eyes. His eyes traced back to Nir'wei and the other man when the woman began to speak but it was not long before she had his undivided attention. She'd brought them here but he didn't recognize her immediately. When she introduced herself, Balthazar's eyes widened a little bit like a child's. It had been a long time since he'd been in Yaralon, longer since he'd gone to the Temple of Raskalarn there, but he was fond of the few memories he did have. His expression leveled out quickly and he looked at Elisabeth to make sure she was doing alright. Elisabeth might not have had the same feeling about immortal's that Balthazar did, but it was rarely comforting to be summoned.

Raskalarn explained why she'd called them all there, citing that she thought he and Elisabeth had something to prove which confused Balthazar though he did not show it. Faldrun? Kata? Mastes? Artifacts from Raskalarn's creator that empowered Immortals? A lot of information came quickly in a tone cold as steel so Balthazar listened more than he thought. He knew he could reflect on it later and try to dissect it as they performed whatever task was at hand.

According to Raskalarn they'd been brought to the Rynmere Labyrinth where one of Faldrun's minions was filling one of the artifacts. Her final words came quickly, informing them of events transpiring elsewhere and Balthazar commit them to the back of his mind. The main point, it seemed, was that they needed to act carefully and fast. When Raskalarn vanished, Balthazar looked to the others around to see what they said. The immortal gave all the necessary introductions but the man, Ralgar, introduced himself once more and declared he'd have abandoned Raskalarn's quest if not for Nir'wei. It was fortunate that Nir'wei was there. Persuading the group to stay together could lead to trouble but hopefully this would go better than any of the other assignments Balthazar had been on with the Council member. Balthazar introduced himself to those who did not know him with a simple gesture to himself and his name, "Balthazar."

Nir'wei singled out Tor'ree and asked what powers Raskalarn had mentioned, Balthazar stood quietly and listened. He cast a glance back at Elisabeth when Nir'wei began his quick recap of their assignment, instructing the best eyes and gentlest feet to the front. Balthazar did not go. He knew his eyes were good but he was not always the softest footed person. He was better than some, but not better than the many creatures he'd seen at Nir'wei's disposal in the past. However, Balthazar was not alone. "My diri is more quiet than me, I could send them ahead if it would help." Balthazar asked as he cast a glance down at the floor beside him where Fuego was. Hello, Fuego. Fuego waved at Balthazar in response to his telepathic greeting. Nir'wei was Fire Forged as well so it stood to reason he could do with his diris everything Balthazar could, but if Nir'wei thought the extra eyes ahead would help then Balthazar would do it. Did it ever hurt to have more eyes out?

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 35 Saun

Rolling her eyes as the Yari had his back turned, Elisabeth smiled at the remark, bending over to grab Iustitia and her scabbard belt from the ground. "You're getting better at getting hit. Imagine that. Both of us making progress...."

Grabbing her pack, she tossed it over her shoulder when the sensation came. The feel of being pulled was familiar enough to the young mage now that threads of panic began to form when she realized what was happening.

Someone was calling her – again.

Appearing under an overhang, Elisabeth quickly assessed her situation. Balthazar. Relief flooded her being when she realized that he had also been summoned. At least they were together this time. Sighing softly, she quickly strapped on her sword belt, readying for whatever they had just been volunteered for.

The only other she recognized was Nir’wei. He had been present at Cylus Dusk on Faldrass, was one of the Barons and, she presumed, knew of her due to her relationship with Balthazar.

Touching the silver ring she wore, the mate of which was on Balthazar's finger, she glanced up at him, arching an eyebrow curiously, cerulean eyes questioning.

Elisabeth did not recognize the woman before her, but it was made clear soon after that it was the Immortal Raskalarn. They were in Rynmere – a place Elisabeth had been told about a few times but never been to. She remembered Woe mentioning being from Rynmere…and someone else. Oh! Xander. That’s right.

Faldrun, Kata and Mastes. Well, that was a trio. Faldrun she had some passing familiarity with due to the Siege of Storm’s Edge. His name had been tossed about quite a bit and as such, Elisabeth had learned a few things, none of which she thought would be helpful. Faldrun was up to something, the other two were apparently involved and the group had been sent to act as spoilers.

Arching an eyebrow gently at the mention of powers, in relation to one named Tor’ree, Elisabeth found herself curious but remained silent. Raskalarn’s gaze fell to her and Balthazar, words of proving themselves. Well, that wasn’t difficult to riddle out but also, not an unfamiliar situation to be in for her. Every trial was one where she was trying to ‘prove herself’. Whether to an Immortal, Balthazar, Kura, Haven, or someone else, it was a never-ending situation for her.

She listened to the others and immediately looked to Nir’wei. It didn’t take much to figure that out that he would most likely lead them. He asked the question of Tor’ree that had pique the young woman’s interest, releasing her from the need to ask herself.

Balthazar, she knew what his abilities were. The others, not so much. Elisabeth also didn’t know how much Nir’wei knew of her abilities considering they had never even had a conversation. Nodding to all, she was brief. “Elisabeth. I'm a Defiance mage and I know a bit about fighting with a sword and unarmed.“ Magic was a tricky thing, so she thought it best to get that out there from the start. The other information wasn't entirely necessary but she felt it was always good to know what the others around you could do.

Within her, she felt her spark tug and pull. It wasn't an unusual sensation but she understood what it was trying to tell her. Annexamus, her name for the spark, craved new experiences, pushing her constantly to her limits to obtain them. Only discipline and meditation held the tide, along with a good dose of understanding and learning about her spark. It desired balance as well, and as such, Elisabeth was always looking for ways to appease it.

Listening to Nir’wei’s remarks about how he saw things going, she nodded in agreement. It felt like it would be a straightforward affair, but Elisabeth was experienced enough now to know that nothing ever happened like it was supposed to. Balthazar mentioned Fuego, whom she knew to be his Fire Forged diri, ever-present but only visible to her once. The young mage had good eyes - better than Balthazar - but she was not well-versed in stealth. " I'm very observant, but not particularly quiet."

Staying close to Balthazar, she gazed around to the group, listening and observing...but mostly remained silent. Her fingers went to the necklace she wore, unconsciously adjusting it. It was something of a nervous habit really, but she had no desire to see it damaged, tucking it underneath her clothing and when the time came, moving with the group into the labyrinth.

OOC Note about Elisabeth's Necklace

Elisabeth is wearing her heirloom necklace. This necklace has its own moderator (Basilisk). Please check in with him as the necklace has been known to have odd reactions to things like magic...

[Tor'ree]

Tor’ree sat in her room writing with everything closed leaving her surrounded in darkness. And yet the woman had no issue whatsoever seeing. Her hand slowly went to the back of her neck and felt the area where her mark was. She had been marked by none other than Audnev that night in the forests around Desnind. It made her feel even more of an outcast than her own solitude had. So the woman had packed up and left making her way to the city of Etzos. Since being there she had found a job that would help her find a purpose.

“I need to go get more ingredients,” Tor’ree stated putting her quill down.

She got up making sure her boots were strapped and grabbed her cloak putting it on and walking back outside of her room. The Sev’ryn fought the audible hiss that was waiting at the back of her throat. The sunlight and torch's tormented her sensitive eyes so she quickly pulled her hood up and made sure it was low over her eyes before leaving. Once outside Tor’ree stopped herself because she was no longer in her new home, but in a new place. Looking around as much as her hood would allow she found she did not know where they were nor who she was with.

Shifting some she kept her head low and looked forward when a woman began talking. The Empress Raskalarn? It did not mean much to her, but the city name did. Rynmere. Tor'ree ventured a very pained look out from under her hood to see more of what was around them. At the mention of a labyrinth the woman turned back and listened carefully in case they would be able to ask questions. Her blood ran cold when the woman mentioned her “powers”. Was the woman before them a true immortal? How else would she know of what Tor’ree could do. It did not take long for her to feel eyes on her back.

When the woman said they would not receive any help from herself or her troops Tor’ree felt like saying something smart. But that would have done nothing except make her even more less inclined to aid them. Once she was gone attention to turn to each other in the group, the woman took a half step back while tugging at her hood again. The one called Nir’wei seemed to know of everyone but herself. Tor'ree fought the urge to snap at his hand when he asked about her powers and introduced himself.

“My name is Tor'ree yes. I,” Tor'ree found herself not wanting to answer his question but ignored it. If they did not trust her then why would they protect her, “I have the ability to see in the deepest dark without light as if the sun were out. It does not matter if it's inside or outside. My vision is unhindered.”

[Fate]

Ambience

As the group continued to stand there the darkened sky continued it is rumbling concert as the Immortal spoke to those she had summoned. No one could see the lightning strike directly as they stood in the mountains of Rynmere, but they could see the flash as it raced down one of the canyons in the blink on an eye. Despite the heavenly percussion concert going on around them all of them could hear each other well without having to raise their voices.

For those who had been in Rynmere before and paid any attention to there architecture, the carved overhang had similar features as really old stone structure in the kingdom. Eliza, Balthazar and Nir’wei as they looked around could perceive there was different structure to the rock the of the overhang verses the mountain beyond it.

The biggest draw at this moment though wasn’t what was over there head, but the gate beyond. They each felt a draw to enter those gates. For Nir’Wei the draw to pass through the gate was like the command for the packs alpha. Elisabeth and Balthazar felt their curiosity spike as gazed up on the gate. The question of what could hidden beyond those gates. Ralgar couldn’t have said how he knew it but he could feel that one of his greatest challenges lay beyond those gates. Tor’ree also had a similar draw, but the passage seemed to promise a great hunt. The kind that she could tell her children later.

As Balthazar summoned his dirri companion he waved but there the young mage could feel a shudder come from the fire spirit. It looked at the gates and spoke slowly. “Fire has already touched those gates. I can sense some type of inferno beyond.” Nir’Wei’s fire spirit also appeared with hesitation, and whispered. “I to can sense the inferno, but it feels different. Not part of the test beyond.”

As they looked at the gate they could begin to see that the edges still had melted looks to them as if someone had burned the edges of the gate, but even as the watched it began to slowly form back together. The edges began to grow crisper cleaner, and a image emerged, one that would give each person pause. And as anyone approached the gate they could begin to get the strong stench of burned paper, a lot of burn paper. Beyond the gate the could vaguely see an open space with in the cavern itself, but it seemed as if there was a haze beyond that prevent truly clear vision.

Now the question was there. Who would enter the Labyrinth.

The gate despite its personal image was one of the kind that opened inward and was composed of two separate swinging doors. Beyond the there was a short passage that grew so narrow that the only one person at a time through and as they went farther and farther into the tunnel the smell of burning grew more and more like tense.

Then just as suddenly as it became narrow it open until into a broad cavern. It was very hard to tell what was going n the other side of the cavern as there was smoke coming up from piles of paper that were merrily burning away. With the smoke in the air it was hard not to cough but even harder to see. They could tell that so we’re on the other side was a wall and that pull they all felt was drawing them all towards the same spot. Despite the piles of burning paper there was a path that could easily be taken between the different piles some large and some small.

Info & Rules

• Due to the time-sensitive nature of this, I can not hold out for people to post. If you miss a round, there will (I'm afraid) be consequences. Please Communicate with me if something comes up for the week. There will still be consequence but different.
• This style of event moderation - with objectives etc - was created by a wonderful moderator named Crimson.

Objectives

!	Message from: Must-Do Objectives
	Describe the image on the gates which shows to each pc what they hate most about themselves.

!	Message from: Can-Do Objectives
	Describe pc reaction to the Labyrinth's pull. Use the words Drum, Theatrical, Rigid.

[Nir'wei]

Nir'wei didn't mean to, he knew it was probably rude, but he paused as Tor'ree explained her power. There was something more to it than just that, probably. Hopefully. He never would have thought much of it unless an Immortal had dropped down from the sky and explained that they had personally selected each of the people gathered there based on their powers and skills. Unfortunately, that was exactly what had happened. As much as he really hated to do it so swiftly, especially given the reactions that had resulted all the other times this had happened, there was no tip-toeing around this. "Night sight will be valuable. Thank you."

With no other strategy offered, beyond Balthazar offering up his FireForged diri as an extra pair of eyes, Nir'wei nodded. "Sounds good. In that case, it's best if I go ahead." They'd see why a moment later, since the effects of Natural Camouflage were beginning to take shape. His body, and his clothes, were beginning to mimic the environment around him. As a high-level power, it was no mild shifting, but a full-body masking that made him difficult to spot even when standing directly before them, unless they possessed keen senses of their own. "We're behind enemy lines, with little dedicated support if things go wrong." He would not be so rash as to depend on Raskalarn in his moment of crisis, nor did it seem like Karem would be able to offer assistance when otherwise indisposed. "Our only advantage is the element of surprise. Watch ahead for traps, take nothing for granted." With that, he turned around and back to the Gateway.

Why did it draw him so, though? Surely Raskalarn would not enchant it so, nor Karem. There was also the smell of burning that washed his enhanced senses until tears formed in his eyes. "Not part of the test... I wonder who that could be." Raskalarn had already spoken his name. Smoke and fire stood before them... and as he approached the Labyrinth entrance and looked upon the edges of melted stone, a strange symbol emerged of a man, kneeling, alone, with their head bowed and wounds marking their chest and stomach. He knew what it meant, even if he presumed nobody else would - if they could even see it. His weakness. The one thing that he hated about himself more than anything else. A lesser Nir'wei from times before would have become angry at such a symbol, or repressed it. Looking upon it now, however, he saw it for what it really was. "Faldrun's turmoil." A shallow attempt of sowing unrest among their ranks. "Do you think he's really here?"

Cyshe nor Gaddwin could give real answers, he knew. "Stay close to me. Tell me what you feel at all times." The Lake spirit soaked him with Flameborn's Bane, granting him resistance to flames and cooling his body. The Fire spirit's Blazing Heart thrummed in his chest like a drum, further steeling his skin from the flames around him. Against the smoke that beat upon his senses as he passed beneath the archway and down the narrow passageway, his Weathered body allowed him to slow his breathing and regulate his internal temperature further still. What little coughing he was forced to make, he muffled into the wadded fabric of his sleeve. Unfortunately, for all his resistances, he was not immune to fire. He would take the path. Squeak, Kin and Castile fanned out before him, the three Omega wolves remaining in spirit form with their heads low and ears perked. Like him, they possessed enhanced senses. Even though the crackles of the fire masked their hearing and the smoke shrouded their sight and smell, it was clear that something was trying to draw them deeper. Tugging on him much as the scent of a deer, during a hunt. An enticing sensation, something similar to a lure. Whatever it was, he needed to be certain that it wasn't a trap.

Hence, Cold and Myrth were sent to investigate the rest of the first room within the labyrinth. Were the piles of paper arranged in such a way to create a single line through which they were forced to cross the room? If they traced around the edges of the room to pass the outside, could they cross via a route not immediately set out before them... would it have been better to put out the fire, and then cross?

Not without knowing if they were alone or not. Above all else, they needed to ensure that they didn't alert anyone else of their presence. Extinguishing the fire would have done exactly that. If this was a trap set in advance, the best they could do was try not to trigger it, but keep it as intact as possible.

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 35 Saun

Nir'wei spoke and decisions were made. His abilities manifested, causing the young woman to arch an eyebrow. She thought, perhaps, she could make out Master Detection his outline, not rigid but instead blurry. It could have been her eyes playing tricks on her, however. Elisabeth had desired to offer additional thoughts but anything she had thought of, he had already spoken to.

She nodded as he said to be on the lookout for traps, realizing that they could be walking into a giant one. The circumstances in which they had been dropped were suspect, but in her estimation, there was nothing they could do but do as they had been asked and keep their eyes open.

It wasn’t long before Elisabeth began to feel a pull. It started as subtle in its intensity but became more as she fought it. The lure of a puzzle, a curiosity, overwhelming. There was something beyond those gates that called to her, energy rhythmic, almost like a drum, wishing to be solved. She had been rooted in Haven for most of the cycle, so the lure of adventure and mystery was intoxicating.

Elisabeth was curiosity personified and yet she resisted for it, in the past, had gotten her into trouble. A lot of trouble. Learning from her mistakes was something she was attempting to be more conscious of and as such, moving in on her own was not advisable. She could, and would, fight her urges and attempt to keep herself from doing something foolish.

Taking a moment to look at the gates more in-depth, Elisabeth noticed the melted edges and smell in the air. It didn’t take much to tell that something bad had happened, presumably with fire. Reaching out her hand, she thought to touch the gate but at the last minute decided against it, instead slipping on a pair of gloves. They were in an unknown place and touching things randomly probably wasn’t such a good idea.

The moment before she went to turn her attention away from the gate, something caught her gaze. Peering closer, an image of the ice statues she had seen on Ishallr, immediately reminding her of her failure there. No, it wasn’t failing that upset her as much as letting people down. Elisabeth had, in her estimation, let people down by not being better and letting her mind take over. That was the one thing she couldn’t abide by and the one thing that tormented her time and time again, the very thought of disappointing those that counted on her.

Yet, it drove her too. To be better and make sure that the mistakes of the past weren’t repeated.

Glancing around at the group, she constantly made sure that each was alright and that they were together, watching the perimeter as they moved.

It was then that they happened upon the fires, which struck her as curious. Why would there be piles of paper on fire, just littered about? It was a bit theatrical, in her opinion. The pull of curiosity was taking her to a spot on the other side of the piles, but her mind whirled. Should she try to put out the fires? Being a Defiance mage made it possible, but if they were truly wishing to be pass unnoticed, putting the fires out was the exact opposite of what they would want to do. Besides, there were other paths available to them.

Elisabeth followed a safe distance behind Nir'wei – not too close but close enough to keep his camouflaged outline in front of her as best she could, halting once they reached the fires. Grabbing the corner of her cloak, she covered her nose and mouth to help with the smoke inhalation. Keeping her voice quiet, she spoke her immediate thought, having had enough experience now with things that appeared to be one thing but were something completely different “Perhaps the path around the outside would be the least obvious? As well, the walls might yield some sort of clues?” If where they were was truly a labyrinth, and she had no reason to doubt that, could they take anything at face value?

OOC Note about Elisabeth's Necklace

Elisabeth is wearing her heirloom necklace. This necklace has its own moderator (Basilisk). Please check in with him as the necklace has been known to have odd reactions to things like magic...

[Ralgar Warborn]

Ralgar glanced to Nir'wei as he spoke, deciding he would stay here and mess up any plan Faldrun had. Had it been anyone other than the man stood before him now, Ralgar might not have been so willing. But in their time together in Scaltoth Nir'wei had been a brave leader. That was enough for him. So he pressed forward with the group, but not before acknowledging his ability to hear everyone else. "I only speak Haltunga, at least well. Whichever Immortal or power has done this has made sure we understand each other" he spoke to everyone around. "Should we meet again in future, that may not stay true."

Once that was out the way, Ralgar glanced to the gates that drew him in. A deep challenge, some sort of conflict or difficulty awaiting him. It drove him in a way, yet it gave him hesitation too. In any experience he had a supernatural draw to a place was not to be trusted immediately, and Raskalarn had not been persuasive enough with her son as a mother who had never been there for him. A deep part of the Deathkissed beckoned him to turn and walk away, find his way back to Scaltoth and be with his people. Ralgar was no adventurer, nor did he go out of his way to find challenges outside of his home. Perhaps it was a nudge by the Immortals, to try and persuade him to move forward. Perhaps it was something else.

Whatever it was didn't work.

Ralgar looked forward at the gate and, in the same moment as everyone else, caught sight of an image. "My people" he muttered under his breath, staring at the image of a tribal village in flames, small figures that he could only assume were bodies scattered everywhere. It was his fear to a degree, a hatred he felt, the thing he fought every day to prevent. The loss of the Bro'ky'na because he was not good enough. The day that their tribe would fall because Ralgar Warborn, the Deathkissed, would not be strong enough to do anything about it. Nir'wei spoke for a moment, about Faldrun's turmoil. What were the others seeing? Slowly, Ralgar moved beside Nir'wei. "If he is here, and this is his doing, then we'll make him regret ever showing us whatever it was you saw. All of us" he turned and nodded to each of his companions one by one, not wanting anyone to be impacted by this Immortal and his games.

Once they got to the fire and smoke, Ralgar offered no input other than to follow closely behind the group, trying to keep as much smoke out of his eyes and lungs as possible by using his cloak to cover his mouth and nose. Should they decide to cross he would stick by them. However, the pull he felt was stronger than before, the man looking ahead. Why was he being drawn here like this? It wasn't natural, it wasn't a normal sensation or feeling - which made it dangerous. Immortals liked to play with mortals with each trial, as if they were better. That was how the Bro'ky'na viewed them, that was what Raskalarn had done when she had a child she never came to see. It was perhaps the draw here. All of this felt like a trap.

"Whatever is pulling me towards this place is dangerous, to have such a draw. I don't like it here" he said, before hearing Elisabeth's suggestion of going around the outside. It made sense, to follow a different path than the 'obvious' one. Whatever was drawing them here might have them right where it wanted them. "I agree" Ralgar nodded with a guttural tone, glancing to the others to see what they thought.

~~Haltunga~~ Common~~