"Aresna," Anson mutters to himself, then again, each time getting softer. His right hand is up, finger raised, as though he's about to make a point, but listening first. He leads the way down the stairs, hunting for something else to activate.
Sherine managed not to eat either piece of the tracking device on the road, and as such, Nalo is able to crack open the seal on the tiny bottle, and pour the contents over the top of the numenera device Zi gave the group.
The smell of the liquid inside the bottle is very similar to the sweet scent you caught when you first entered the crypts. The one that fades the longer you're down there.
There's no fanfare, or any indication that the device is working. It stays inert in Nalo's hands. But a moment later, every drop of the dark liquid she poured on the device seems to have disappeared inside it.
The device might be warming up in her hands... whether by the heat of her own body, or the device actually tracking is hard to say.
Ceri runs her eyes over the device, then quickly loses interest and starts poking around the creches on the walls.
From the room they're standing in, Anson gets the impression that there are other machines hidden in the crypts. Their voices and movements are far from his senses.
All except one. A rather large one that commands attention, and feels to him as though it's fairly close by, somewhere to the north. If ever a silent machine could be menacing, this one certainly is.
I... would like to go back
One day
Another pause.
Your people are delicious, but I am not meant to be here
A weird feeling that shifts between melancholy and humor.
Anson stops in his tracks. "There's a machine down there. Something big. Something... well, if I were a nervous sort, this would be the precise thing that would make me nervous."
In response, Jarris' composure breaks for just a moment before the smile slips back into place. "I suppose that shouldn't be news. If a valuable artifact is being protected by the Aulifex, there are bound to be a few things to slow thieves down."
Tavene merely taps the flat of the blade she already had unsheathed against her leg.
"Can you hear, or see, or sense... or whatever, where the machine is?" Ceri asks.
"North of here, and close."
"Then I advise we move carefully." After she speaks, Tavene looks pointedly at Ceri, who has resumed peeking into the creches along the walls.
The next hallway out of the room is short, connecting directly into a room twice the size as the one you just left. This is the first room you've entered that gives you any indication that the crypt is more than just a simple place to store the bodies of the dead.
The walls are covered top to bottom with gears of varying sizes, materials, and styles. They all manage to fit together into something beautiful, though none of the cogs appear to be moving. There also appears to be no function to these gears. When Anson listens again for machinery, he continues to sense the large mechanical presence to the north, but gets no indication that this room is connected to it, or to anything else in the crypt.
The only other doorway leading out of the room is barred by a large gate, and contrary to the path you took to get here, this room is not dusty. Neither does it show signs of recent use. It also seems to be the source of the metal-and-oil smell you picked up on when you first descended the stairs.
"This is beautiful craftsmanship!" Jarris says, running his finger along one of the cogs.
The ceiling is unadorned but for a globe that's currently dark.
Panamax reaches out to touch the cogs, but doesn't ... quite. "Is the numenera actually doing anything?"
Panamax reaches out to touch the cogs, but doesn't ... quite. "Is the numenera actually doing anything?"
"The best I can do is a 'not right now probably,'" Anson says.
To Ceri, when Tavene has her back turned, Anson gives a little go ahead nod.
Nalo runs a hand over the edge of a few of the gears, following the path thier interconnection. After a moment her hand settles on a large gear, the tips of the fingers giving the lightest spark.
*mostly trying to see if there is potential energy in the machine/gears out if it is connected to a power source
For today Nalo is trained in "Notici ng Details"
For the earlier spoiler
Added after preview - an alert for said scent coming from the numenera in carrying or around
To Ceri, when Tavene has her back turned, Anson gives a little go ahead nod.
She winks in response and does indeed go ahead.
When you touch the gears with your fingers, you get a strong sense that your electricity would be a real boon here in getting whatever mechanism this is started. Although it seems like it would take some focused electricity - the spark didn't seem to do much.
Although you can't discern purpose from machines the way Anson seems to be able to, this whole system seems like a playground for someone of your skills. And you'd definitely guess the gears power the door as much as they just look pretty on the walls.
As Ceri makes her way around the room, you all see she's taking a keen interest in the more reflective gears in the room. At a glance, it looks like vanity.
But it's not vanity. She's not even looking at her own reflection; she's trying to catch Tavene's.
Anyone paying attention in the room might notice that when Tavene passes in front of reflective gears (of which there are a handful scattered around the walls), you think you see that the reflection of Tavene is not doing the same thing as the one with you in the room. Ceri noticed and is fascinated by it.
Anson heads over to Ceri, and indicates a reflection. "Probably be rude if we brought it up now, huh?"
Ceri glances sideways at him, then back at Tavene, who is busying herself with something in her bag. "Yeah, I think now is probably not the best time." She smiles, and looks back into the reflection.
Tavene's reflection is staring at both you and Ceri. She smiles, which is so unfamiliar on Tavene's face that it's almost unsettling.
She leans her head closer to Anson's. "Our Tavene must not smile very much. The smile looks more natural on the reflection's face.
Panamax shrugs. "Nothing here for me to heal."
"I've heard it's never a good idea to tell a woman to smile. After all, a smile is something to be earned."
Nalo runs her finger over a shiny gear with a smile brightening her face. She looks over at the pair of Anson and Ceri, "I'm pretty sure that they connect to the door. And I am almost as certain I can jump start the system. Which will let us open the doors."
Just the slightest edge of manic slips into voice and smile, "And will power all of the traps too." She pauses waiting to see if there are any objections to the power the dungeon plan.
Other than eating us, what have you experienced here that is good? What can we do to make you comfortable until we find a portal for you? concern mingled with curiosity.
Panamax nods. "I want to see this," he says.
Nalo turns her focus back to the gears, fingers tracing a number of paths created by the interlocking devices. The sparks that crack the air much stronger than her initial test.
(in case you think the machine needs a controlled power up)
that'll be a difficulty 4
Cause totally trying to figure out what I'm giving power to, if anything else is noticeable from this area
and difficulty 3
1d20
Nalo runs her finger over a shiny gear with a smile brightening her face. She looks over at the pair of Anson and Ceri, "I'm pretty sure that they connect to the door. And I am almost as certain I can jump start the system. Which will let us open the doors."
Just the slightest edge of manic slips into voice and smile, "And will power all of the traps too." She pauses waiting to see if there are any objections to the power the dungeon plan.
** spoiler omitted **
Anson shrugs, gives a thumbs up.
"I've heard it's never a good idea to tell a woman to smile. After all, a smile is something to be earned."
Ceri chuckles. "I like that." She says simply in response.
"I'm pretty sure that they connect to the door. And I am almost as certain I can jump start the system. Which will let us open the doors."
"Sounds good!" Ceri watches what Nalo does with clear interest on her face.
With Nalo's fingers teasing lightning across the cogs, there's a grinding sound in the distance, and a few of the cogs start turning. Which leads, slowly, to every cog on the wall turning.
With the walls brought to life, a few of the cogs make interesting musical sounds, with a few grinding rust onto the floor of the room. The gates to the exit slide up into the ceiling, leaving the way open for the group.
"Beautiful work!" Jarris compliments her after the gates open.
That machine presence you felt earlier is now on the move, though oddly enough, it seems to be moving away from the group.
As the group moves past the now-opened gates, the device they triggered upon entering the crypt begins to warm up, and faint voices can be heard, coming from somewhere ahead of them.
"I guess there really wasn't a way for us to get through here undetected." Tavene says, stepping towards the front of the group and gesturing for Kilo to follow at the rear, sandwiching them all between two Glaives.
Anson frowns. "Not to worry anyone, but that intelligence I sensed? It's moving. Away from us, of all things."
"Maybe it sensed the raw power of our group and decided it forgot something at home?" Ceri says hopefully.
The next room in the line of lefts looks like a room that has no business existing, let alone existing inside a crypt.
The walls, the ceiling, the floor... all organic material. In fact, upon closer inspection, it looks to be flesh. The walls move gently, as though with shallow breaths, and there's an unpleasantly sweet smell in the air. There are patches of skin dotting the room, otherwise it's just exposed, unidentifiable flesh.
"No thanks." Ceri takes a few steps back from the room and crosses her arms, standing in the hallway just outside of the fleshy boundaries.
The sweet smell is like a wound that's just started rotting.
"Ever healed a room before?" Jarris asks Panamax with a wry smile.
The voices you heard earlier are louder here, and seem to be coming from all directions.
Anson frowns. "Not to worry anyone, but that intelligence I sensed? It's moving. Away from us, of all things."
Nalo frowns slightly. "I hope I didn't abate it away but we needed the door open. Is it moving fast, like it's fleeing or just regrouping?"
After making sure there are no obvious exits in the flesh room, Nalo stays in the hallway instead looking at the numeets she activated at the crypt entrance sniffing the small device.
After his trip through Kordech with Anson, Jarris finds Kilo again.
"You're in luck! I found a merchant who was willing to part with a map that includes Thaemor, Navarene, and Malevich, should you need to go east in any of those countries. All he asked for was a favor." He grimaces slightly. "Most favors are fairly innocuous, but sometimes... not worth the price of the item. No matter." He hands the map to Kilo.
Kilo, grinning broadly as he first caught sight of the glint, levels a slightly concerned eyebrow twitch at him as he speaks, "a favor..." he deadpans, "and what then do I owe you?" he asks quizzically.
The small device in Nalo's hand is still warmish when she takes a closer look at it. Visibly, nothing has changed on the device.
The room appears to have no additional exits.
Close observation of the 'door' you came in through reveals that although the flesh there doesn't look injured, it doesn't look healthy, either.
He waves his hand in response. "You owe me nothing except to let me get behind you if anything goes sideways in the crypt." He smiles. "And maybe also let me accompany you if you do take that trip? I'm unfamiliar with that area and always interested in new experiences."
Your group retreats from the flesh room, and Ceri heaves a sigh of relief once you start making your way away from it. Rather than turning right to return to the room of cogs, you follow the hallway until it comes to another room of creches and the dead.
Passing through this room leads to another juncture; a straight path and a right turn. The path forward leads to a room about the same size as the cog room, filled with more of the creches. There are also stone tombs on the floor, four of them, undecorated and mostly unremarkable.
Almost as unremarkable, there's a thin line of un-dusted stone just at the threshhold of the room. There doesn't appear to be a wire or anything of that nature, just a line where dust doesn't seem to gather.
It's very quiet in the crypts; the more suspicious of you would feel uncomfortable, as you expected there be some resistance or something guarding the treasure you seek. The device grows a little warmer in Nalo's hands, indicating you're all going in the right direction.
The sense of a warm 'thank you' emanates from the container.
I have only been in the cage of this plane
Your memories are good
Panamax's memories are good
It pauses.
The light here is good
I am as comfortable as I can be in this space
Unless one of you would become a container
"Tripwire...or something." Kilo points to
a thin line of un-dusted stone just at the threshhold of the room from his position at the rear of the group.
"Oh. I guess we should all step over it then," Anson says about Kilo's revelation.
To Nalo: "I'm not certain. Just that it's moving away."
"Don't think it's an actual wire." Kilo shrugs, "Can't see it." His eyes continue to scan the threshold looking for any flicker of light or motion giving away what might actually be there. He makes no move to stop anyone, however.
"Really," Nalo says with very little disbelief. "hmmm..."
Nalo picks up a little dust (or once-human) from a creche, rubbing the material between her hand until it sparks, then blows it in the direction that Kilo indicated. Seeing if the static electricity helps reveal the trip.
To Anson: "It's too far away for you to try to communicate with it?"
An image of two disparate liquid being stuffed in a too small jar... followed by another image of a second liquid flowing into a jar holding a different liquid and the jar liquid being destroyed in the process.
Anson opens his mouth, and looks like he's about to launch into a long explanation beginning with the word actually, but catches himself, deflates a little, and says... "Yeah, much too far. I'd need to see it."
After Nalo blows a little bit of the static-charged dust over the spot, there's a ripple on the floor as the dust is repelled. If she follows it away from the floor, she finds that the line continues up the right side of the doorway, disappearing into the stone.
Anson may not be able to communicate with the presence he felt earlier, but he can tell that it stopped moving and isn't far enough away for comfort.
And then... the presence disappears.
There's a long pause as Esha parses the image.
I would not eat or destroy my container It says with something like a chuckle.
It would be like now
I would communicate directly with the container
The human
And perceive what they perceive
Another pause.
I have never tried this before so that is how I think it would work
"Oh good. It stopped and then disappeared. So... that's nervewracking."
map that includes Thaemor, Navarene, and Malevich,[/ooc]
Kilo finds Nalo during a moment of downtime. "Aloha 'ui!" Kilo exclaims excitedly, "Remember what you said about the Void...er, Empty Sanctum? I...er, Jarris got me a map!" he unfolds the parchment on a nearby table. "Is it on here?"
Nalo winces a bit at Anson's pronouncement, "This seems to be a proximity alarm, so there is a good chance I set it off trying to get a look at the trigger."
A shrug, "Means going through the door will get us to someone... something... that likes to be aware of its surroundings. That's forward progress." Nalo seems to be trying to convince herself of this and failing.
Nalo pokes around the door, careful not to trip the alarm, and doesn't find anything immediately obvious as a way to unlock the door without tripping the alarm. A few in the group have likely seen a system like this before; the door would be triggered elsewhere, and it's very likely that multiple doors open at the same time if one is opened.
You can hear something approaching in the hallways outside of the room, and it's taking no care to be silent. The measured footsteps sound like marching to your ears.
Ceri has dropped to her stomach and is eyeing the line of no-dust on the floor as closely as she can without tripping it with the tip of her nose.
"I can almost see something... in here..." She says, mostly to herself.
Tavene and Jarris are in quiet conversation near the exit of the room you're all in. Tavene looks irritated, but that's nothing unusual.
When you take a moment to see if there's anything behind Esha's words, you get a sense that it's not suggesting it to hurt you. However, you are also not convinced that it wouldn't take control of whoever chose to be its 'container' and take off with a friend of yours. Grand theft companion.
If you had to guess, you would guess that Esha would mean well, but would probably be overwhelmed by everything it could experience for the first time in a human body, and it would be very easily distracted.
Kilo continues to scan the room and back the way they came from his position at the rear of the group.
"Something's coming," he remarks, indicating the direction with a nod if the head."Sounds like marching."
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Nalo drops down near Ceri, not close enough to disturb her concentration, "Do you think you could manipulate it to bypass the settings on the door?"
"It'd be easy to find passage to Auspar, less so to Jyrek." Pointing out each city in turn, "But the land between those points of civilization and your goal are not often traveled, so it'd be foot or hoof along with all the dangers that encompasses."
For brief moments the beaker turns completely one color or the other, "I don't mind sharing experiences, but I don't like giving control of myself to anything."
The beaker again, the color blue, but the sunlight liquid inside, not mixing with the blue but not taking over, a quiet passenger.
"Does that make sense?"
Ceri bites her lip and looks up at Nalo from the floor. "I'd love to be confident and say 'of course I can!', but..." she gets up and sits back on her feet, resting her hands on her thighs. "I don't think so. There are moments, when I was looking into whatever this is, that I felt like I was seeing into another location, or maybe another place in time?" She shakes her head. "But other than touching it, which would probably be a bad idea, I can't see any other way to disable it from here."
At Kilo's comment, Tavene snaps to attention and walks away from Jarris mid conversation, weapon at the ready.
"We should leave now unless you guys want a fight."
A quiet chuckle.
Yes
You would want to be a container
Not a prisoner
A pause that stretches on for a few moments. You get an impression that even if not a lot of time passes for you, this is the equivalent of Esha really taking time to digest concepts and ideas.
Making a prisoner of any of you would be just as bad as eating you it says, finally.
Perhaps there is someone out there who would be comfortable with... another long pause. Symbiosis?
In case I cannot go home
"So... fight or risk the alarm." Nalo looks at the door. "Granted the fight might follow us."
"Or we could talk to the person coming, explain why we are here and they will help us." At the look from people, "Someday it will happen."
"I can try to short-circuit the alarm as we open the door." She jacks her thumb at the door, indicating her preferred route.
A flash of sunlight on water in Nalo's thoughts, the closest she can give to a smile as she would interpret it on Esha's dimension.
What can you offer to make it a symbiosis rather than parasitic? Nalo's mind is open, like she trying to think through Esha's options.
"Do that," Anson says to Nalo's plan.
Kilo grunts his concurrence. His attention does not waiver from the approaching footsteps.
"Sounds good." Nalo follows the line the static electricity formed, takes a deep breath, and then with one quick movement, she places her right hand at where the line disappears into the stone to the right of the door and her left hand on the knob, releasing a blast of energy as she opens the door.
When Nalo's fingers touch the alarm's line, for just a few moments, her entire arm seems to disappear.
As the electricity surges through the invisible circuits, the line on the floor disappears, and you only know this because dust settles over the space on the floor the circuit-thing occupied before.
The door slides open, and anyone listening carefully (like Kilo and Tavene) would hear other doors sliding open nearby.
The room revealed is about half the size of the one you all occupy now, and dead ends in another row of creches. These creches, however, are filled with objects instead of people.
Anyone watching the door is not surprised when a large figure appears from the shadows. It's a man wearing what appears to be a military uniform, and he looks at you all with complete stoicism.
"Raknar gebben. Alos." His voice is flat with command. No weapons are visible on his person, but he carries himself with confidence borne of authority. The language is not one you recognize, but you know when someone is commanding you to leave a place when you hear it.
Ceri looks intrigued by the man, but doesn't approach him, instead looking to the others with a okay what now? on her face. Jarris curses under his breath.
"That's not a man," Anson says. "It's a machine."
The man turns his focus to Anson, and his arms elongate, barbs sprouting from them as they stretch until they touch the floor.
"Raknara yanen." He says, stance changing from one of rest to one of the hunt.
"Whoops," opines Anson.
Anson draws his crossbow.
"Mastigophore." Kilo says, drawing his blades. "Probably has a partner around here somewhere."
Nalo is still looking at her arm, then the wall. Under her breath, "I wonder if you can jump to that room directly..."
Panamax perks up at the sound of the unfamiliar language. "Can you say that again?"
Panamax moves between the man/machine/phore and Anson. "Any chance it's a fleshy machine?"
"What-ophore?"
"It smells like it's just started rotting," Panamax says. "There's a pleasant thought. It may be too far gone for me to heal."
Panamax thinks for a moment, then comes to a decision. "If we need to go this way, I will try it."