"It's no wonder they say this place is haunted. I think someone suffered a violent death. A very powerful someone, and a very violent death. The psychic resonance of that event just overtook us. It was almost as though we were in the court of a Sorcerer-King for a few moments. But if that were true, it wasn't one I recognised, which would mean they were long dead. Did you ever hear of a sorcerer-king being able to die?"
Morthak tries to hush the screaming, still not understanding the situation. He looks at Jareen sharply, "What are you babbling about?"
"The past, my mad friend, the past. Nothing to worry your deranged little mind. We should continue on."
Grea uncurls herself from a tight fetal posture. She clutches at her shoulders and legs, then pats them all in turn, repeatedly.
"Are all city's rulers like that? I would take his eyes and water and leave him in the wastes."
"I think when he was alive, maybe there were no wastes." Jareen whispers softly.
Grea stares round-eyed at Jareen.
"He's mad. The wastes are the world."
"That was a king!? I thought it was a ghost. And see why you are afraid." Grea shrugs her pack higher onto her shoulder and extends her spear toward the stairs. "Higher?"
When the former villagers collapse from some unseen attack, the half-giant Jaryx steps toward them protectively, manifesting a soulbolt as he whips his head around looking for a target. As they recover, he scowls.
Grea rolls on the floor, groaning and holding herself with arms wrapped around her waist. "Up on the balcony. They're up on the balcony."
Jaryx looks around for an attacker on a balcony to no avail. He looks very confused, but is relieved to see all three affected recovering.
"Jaryx sorry. Not see bad man on balcony."
Shaken that even an empty ruin can present dangers to health and sanity, the group push on cautiously up the stairs. They emerge in the middle of a room. Unlike the others, this contains some furniture - a single, huge table, covered in dust.
Morthak steps forward, cautiously examining the massive table.
Jaryx maintains the soulbolt, looking for the elusive balcony, and hovering protectively near Grea.
Jareen considers the possibility of another vision, and decides that it's worth the risk.
He moves over to the table to have a look.
Grea keeps to the center of the group.
Arakan doesn't like all these random sounds or visions bouncing around between them. He tries to piece together the description of what they saw, with anything he knows.
As he tries to get a handle on what they are talking about, he looks over the newly entered room, feigning primal forces to look for auras while he does so.
Arakan wracks his memory for clues, but nothing comes.
As Jareen stands over the table a voice booms out, "The enemy is at the gates!"
Arakan warns the others, "I'm sensing that there's some life-force influencing magical energies abound. Be wary. It could be undead, or draining magics."
"Or just more remnants of important events. Be careful we don't end up fighting each other."
Arakan realises what is going on, and that Jareen reckless triggering of the ancient vision could be dangerous for everyone. The room fills with light and the table is suddenly surrounded by grim-faced menn dressed for war. Maps lie on the table-top, and small statuettes representing the enemy's positions cover it. They surround the city. The situation is hopeless.
A big man with dark hair and a shovel beard, draped in golden armour, is speaking - your king and god. You grip you dagger, preparing to strike. It is through his incompetence and arrogance that the city has been brought to this. If he dies, perhaps the enemy can be negotiated with...
But as Arakan casts his spell, the scene suddenly dissipates. The room is cold, dark and empty once again.
Jareen takes a moment to realize he's back in reality. Then he erupts, "Arakan?!! What have you done? The information in that vision could be impossible to reveal any other way. apart from the fact that it could help us in our more long term plans, it could be of vital importance to the Vailled Alliance. We must see these vision through to the end."
As Arakan is casting his spell, Jaryx is 'winding up' to launch his soulbolt, but the image disappears and he lets the soulbolt dissipate. "Who was important man? Why did Jaryx want to hurt him?"
"He was a sorcerer-king. A long dead one. We could have learnt much."
It's not hard for Grea to see where the vision was going. Her joints could still feel the quartering.
"Dead is good for these kings. Arakan, if you stopped the vision, thank you."
She looks back to Jareen. "If you would seek this knowledge, let us leave the room first."
After the vision fades, Morthak pauses a moment in shocked silence, then shakes his head and grumbles. "We're wasting time, and all the shouting will just invite more trouble to us. We need to keep to our mission."
Arakan stares at the old man like he has a tusk growing out of his ear, "Excuse me? What you mean to say is, thank you Arakan, for saving my ignorant, obtuse, crusty old ass once again. Right? Who cares what can be learned by some vision if you die in the process. This place is haunted, and they don't seem to want to play nice. Maybe learning stuff about this Sorcerer-king is why people don't return from this place. Let's just be careful, and not touch anything else. Clearly the dead don't want us to disturb them." To all the others he adds, "So, I was right in my assumption that healing counteracts the effects. If anyone else can stop them, it would be welcome, since I only have so much." That said he draws one of his healing fruits. Maybe if he can splatter it it will work the same.
"The dwarf is right. Stop fighting. " Her attention returns to Arakan.
"I can heal myself a little. Would that work?"
"I worry Arakan, that although we may get out alive without that knowledge, we may survive a lot longer with it. But I will acquiesce to your desire. Let's move.
"Not dead sorcerer-king. Jaryx saw him right there." He squints like he's trying to focus and make it come back.
Shaking his head, he conjures up his soul bolt again. "You smart. If you say was dead sorcerer-king, Jaryx believe you."
He doesn't believe Jareen. He's seen crazy people before and prefers to placate them by pretending to agree.