Dark Hope - Chapter 1 - Pan Town

[Ahkash]

Me too. Go to bed already!

[Tänya]

Refreshed from a wonderfully full night of "rest," the human bard and elven druid enter the common room arm in arm. The druid glowed from the hot bath that had been provided her.

Making their way to the party's table, Tänya ordered some steaming grains to break her fast with, along with some freshly churned butter. Smiling over at Balpur, she then requested, "And I think I'll wash it down with a steaming hot mug of milk," as she winked broadly at the goblin.

Her eyes lingering on the bard, she slowly brings her attention back to the party. "Arael," she quietly begins. "I have heard Thonunian had suggested you see the underground temple of Graveris. I know not what you decided regarding this. But while we await word of if Kadir Shazar will receive us, I think it would be an excellent use of our time, other than preparing for any journey whiich may be ahead of us.

"What say you?"

[Mephiston]

Balpur rises a mug of milk in the direction of Tanya and he says:
"To your health, milady!"

"We can move towards the ruins before we move to the main road to the north... i think if the other member of our group want to, i'll be glad to visit that place"
Arael says

[Renard]

Renard smiles at Balpur's obvious love of warm milk ... something that curdles Renard's tastebuds ...
When Arael agrees to Tanya's suggestion of visiting the underground temple, Renard perks. "Excellent. Well shall we be off. I am curious to visit that place again myself -- knowing that there will no longer be a blood deamon, or something similarily nasty here." <grin>

[Mephiston]

[ooc]I wouldn't be so sure if I was you... Renard [/ooc]

"What about Ahkash and Thonunian? are they willing to follow us?"
Arael asks

[Thonunian]

[ooc]I wouldn't be so sure if I was you... Renard [/ooc]

"What about Ahkash and Thonunian? are they willing to follow us?"
Arael asks

Thonunian looks at Arael.
"As the one who suggested it to you, I think it would be wrong to stay behind if you want to go."

[ooc]I've never seen that emoticon before, Paolo![/ooc]

[Ahkash]

Coming down the stairs, the half-elf cast a suspicious gaze on the rest of the party, before joining them at the table.

"I'll be joining you," he said shortly, before signalling to the waiter for some breakfast.

[Tänya]

The elf finishing off her bowl of grains and mug of milk, casts a sidelong glance at the bard. "You are in a hurry. Let Ahkash have a bite first, hmm?"

Turning towards the dark half-elf, she smiles and says, "For whatever reasons you are continuing on with us, I am glad. I know Thonunian and I have similar reasons for this adventure, and I suspect Balpur does as well. Renard..." glancing at the bard, "Renard seems to have the wanderlust, as best I can make out. Perhaps the same can be said for you.

"But I am glad you shall journey with us, for I believe we will need your skills again."

[Mephiston]

You all finish your breakfast.
The party then moves towards the old ruins.
The sun is high and again it blesses those lands with a wonderfully bright day.
Tänya reaches the stables to take Solana with her.
You walk with calm in the glade after the corn fields. It seems so strange that such a malicious evil was there a few hours ago, and you feel somewhat proud of your actions. You freed those lands from the evil and the people of this town are enormously grateful to you for what you did.
As you leave the city some peasants gather to wave at you and give you their thanks.

After a while the group reaches the old ruins. You quietly and on alert descend the dark passage and finally arrive in the temple main chamber.
C'tar-melak is in the same place you left him

"Greetings, my friends... are you already back from your journey?"

[Thonunian]

[ooc]I am going to assume that Thonunian is back to normal...[/ooc]

Thonunian walks up to C'tar-melack. "Greetings again, Ancient One. My name is Thonunian. I was the one with the blood-red hair earlier, as I was in the middle of a transformation my sword imposed on me for the first time when we destroyed the Demon. My sword was what took in the Demon's blood for the Druid to heal.

"And no, we are not back from our journey yet, in fact, we have not even left. However, I wanted you to meet the last member of our party."

He gestures to Arael. "This young man's name is Arael. He has lived in the village for the past 30 years, being treated as one of their own. He has white-feathered wings, and amnesia for any and all of his life before arriving in Pan Town. Although it is almost impossible you would know anything about him personally, we wonder if you know anything about what his race might be? And if his armor shows any marks suggesting details about what he may have done before coming here?

"Arael, this is the 'root elemental' I told you about before, C'tar-melack. You may have a great deal to talk about with him. At the very least, I hope he can give you some answers about your old life."

[Tänya]

Seeing the tall elf was making introductions, Tänya decided to take a closer and longer look at her master's frescos. She had been preoccupied between the battle, hidey hole, gems, book, healing, and everything else that happened when they were last here.

...and I need not think of what I've just seen prior to breakfast...she thinks to herself. I never realized how much I need to consult him, until I actually left Lastwood...

Starting with what Beliant called the "prophecy" fresco, Tänya walked closer to it and studied it with the knowledge of everything she has learned so far. The fact that Beliant had been hurried was apparent, and the fact that he stayed her master far longer than necessary was because he had recognized her from the "prophecy," and not because he didn't wish to end their master/apprentice relationship, still stung. But she wanted desperately to hear from him again despite that pain.

Moving on, she studied the frescos from the beginning of the tale: the birth of the twin g-ddesses with Solaris blessing them and the animal worshippers, followed by the one of the skeletal hand on Graveris' shoulder while her eyes turned evil. Then the last, and largest one of all. Tänya devoted the most time to studying this one. The battle between the g-ddesses; Argothoth preceding Graveris. The animals turned against each other; Matheris' staff with the light spreading from it. And the final scene to the right, of Matheris standing triumphantly with staff raised high over Graveris, as Argothoth fled. If only there was something in these frescos to guide them.

Looking at White Blossom clutched in her left hand, and looking at Matheris' mage staff depicted in the fresco, Tänya walked ever closer, and started comparing the two. Mages had passed through her village, but she had spent many years in the glades with Beliant, and it had been long and long since she had seen one.

Keeping an ear open to the discussion behind her, Tänya continued to study the frescos. Beliant had painted these, and it may be the last she ever knows of him, if what she had seen was true...

[what the heck, I don't think I actually did this on the frescos earlier...spot, search, and various knowledge checks, after what all I have learned since last in the chamber, please]

[Renard]

As Thonunian makes introductions of himself and Areal, renard smiles. "What a fantastic hero this one will be," he muses to himself. Giving Akhash a friendly ribbing as he passes him. "Don't be a stranger, dark one. Introduce yourself."

And with a bow to C'tar-melack and a pat on Thonunian's shoulder Renard takes a moment to watch Arael and the root elemental, curious as to how these strange and powerful individuals react to one another.
Then, while keeping an ear out, will slide in next to Tanya, and with a playful hip-bump and a wink, will also take greater interest in the fresco paintings and study them and their possible symbolism...
<DM: Spot/Legend Lore checks....>

[Tänya]

The light of Matheris' staff drawing her eye, and the words of C'tar-melak recalled,

Although... i can say that it has a great power that come from the earth element... but it is a raw power... i don't think that it can be used alone...

Tänya pulls out the brown gem and looks at it once more. Then considering the golden wood of White Blossom, gently lays the tip of one end of the quarter staff upon the brown gem...

[ooc]just a hunch. if nothing happens, Tänya will replace the brown gem, and continue studying the frescos[/ooc]

[Mephiston]

Arael looks to the elemental.
Then he says something you can't understand... Arael talks exactly in the same way C'tar-melak does!

If the elemental had a face capable of showing emotion, he would be surprised!
They talk together for a while.
During the discussion, sometimes the elemental and Arael shake their heads, as they can't answer to a question.

The discussion ends when Arael does a deep bow.


Tanya trys to combine the staff and the gem but nothing seems to happen

[Renard]

The alien quality of the language spoken is enough to draw Renard's attention, but that Areal and the root elemental are speaking to one another surprises him. It shouldn't, for the winged man has shown a capacity for the unbelievable already and on numerous occassions, but Renard admits to himself that he is still young in the world and has not yet travelled and experienced enough to be otherwise.
With a smile on his face Renard flits his glance between C'tar-melak and Arael. The lengthy pause that follows prompts Renard to clear his throat and then politely ask, "Areal, my friend, what did you and the venerable soul of nature speak of."
Sudden shame comes over him, for he wonders if it was not personal -- an attempt by Areal to gleen some information about himself...

"Forgive me, my friend," he fumbles a little, "'tis none of my business."

Then after a while of examining the frescos, Renard looks over at Tanya and akss, "Spring flower, does any of this make anything we know or wish to know, clearer?"

[Renard]

Then there is a pause as Renard's eye catches something. He looks a little closer, his young brow furrowed in thought and possibilities. Then looking back at Tanya, "ah, my Little Warm Light of Farwood ... does Matheris' staff not look a lot like White Blossom?..."

[Tänya]

Shaking her head sadly, Tänya puts away the brown gem and continues studying the fresco. Then she suddenly hears the voice of lindar a'maelanim...

"ah, my Little Warm Light of Farwood ... does Matheris' staff not look a lot like White Blossom?..."

[ooc]...you apparently got the same results I did...
and it's Lastwood, silly [/ooc]

Having strode closer to the depiction of Matheris' staff, the elf jumped a little guiltily. Slowly nodding, she answers the bard, "It does. I would swear they were one and the same. But it was carved for me for when I attained the rank of journeyman. By Beli--..." Eyes opening wide, as all she had learned regarding her master since originally entering this chamber comes crashing once again into her awareness, she goes even closer to the fresco, and touches the staff in the painting with White Blossom. "No maybe. Identical. They are identical," she quietly mumbles to herself. "Beliant, what have you done?" she softly whispers, as she turns with a bewildered look towards Renard.

[Renard]

A look of compassion fills Renard's eyes. After silently sighing, he confides something in her he had been mulling over ever since he saw the vision of her mentor...
Tanya,"--he gently places his hands upon her sof shoulders--"when you trust, you trust with your whole heart. The danger of this is that you may see things with clouded eyes." Renard sighs audibly, having difficulty saying the notion that he fears. Then looking her directly in the eyes, he blurts, "There it the possibility that your mentor may not be who you think he is."

There. He said it. It did not make it true, but he felt that he neeed to express that possibility.
With held breath, Renard waited for her reaction as his heart raced...

[Tänya]

A look of compassion fills Renard's eyes. After silently sighing, he confides something in her he had been mulling over ever since he saw the vision of her mentor...
Tanya,"--he gently places his hands upon her sof shoulders--"when you trust, you trust with your whole heart. The danger of this is that you may see things with clouded eyes." Renard sighs audibly, having difficulty saying the notion that he fears. Then looking her directly in the eyes, he blurts, "There it the possibility that your mentor may not be who you think he is."

There. He said it. It did not make it true, but he felt that he needed to express that possibility.
With held breath, Renard waited for her reaction as his heart raced...

The elf looked back with growing puzzlement.
"I told you all I know, melamin. What more, other than him being the last living druid of the good Graveris, could he be? You are not suggesting..." she hesitates.

"...you are not suggesting he is misleading me, and there was no good Graveris to be a druid of?"

[Renard]

He shrugs that boyish way again.
"I don't have al the answers, dear one, I only have the tickles of suspicion. Instinct. It has lead me in many directions, including to you. But I know not if it is correct. I only ask you to be aware of the possibility. There are many contradictions, and few answers forthcoming..."

He lets the last words trail off and then looks at the rest of the group. "Well, anyone have any thoguhts on this chamber now that we see it in a much calmer atmosphere?..."