“I imagine the word ‘normal’ will lose much of its meaning here.” Seranna said in reply to Yelenn’s comment about normal circumstances. The statement felt even more appropriate when Yasmin called for a strange creature that could only be described as an orb of water with a face upon it. Seranna could not begin to imagine what it was or what it was capable of, but if Yelenn counted Yasmin among her allies then both she and it were not to be feared.
It was then that Seranna realized her error. She had been so excited to see Yelenn again she hadn’t taken the time to introduce herself to Yasmin properly. She worked to correct this quickly and performed a brief but polite curtsey, “I’m overjoyed to meet you and your companion Yasmin. It’s an honor to encounter another friend of the otherworldly. It will be nice to not have to worry about wearing the mask, at least in the company of friends.”
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Yasmin points down and the watery orb flows back into her pouch to curl up... somewhere.
"Not my spouse," she clarifies. "Just a water elemental and a conduit to the elemental plane in question. I'm a sha'ir - I commune with elementals and use them to channel elemental magic."
Seranna chuckles at Yasmin's response, "Of course, I would not be so bold as to assume..." she trailed off before decidedly changing the subject. "You will have to forgive my ignorance, as I'm a stranger to your craft, but even I understand that water is a mighty force to call an ally."
Yasmin shrugs. "It's fine. I get the feeling that all of us here are outsiders by the, uh, standards of, uh, people who don't deal on a regular basis with extraplanar entities."
"Pretty much why we all ended up here in the first place." Yelenn says introspectively.
"Well, I'm not picky; I'm just trying to figure out how to survive," says Yasmin.
"So, ah, how does this 'key' work, Xeros?" she asks.
"I imagine that applies to us all." Seranna said in response to Yasmin's comment about trying to survive, "In the end I believe that our chances go up dramatically the larger the group and the more we stay together...speaking of survival, what exactly are we doing in this dreary place?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"We were exploring this house to make sure it wasn't dangerous," says Yasmin as she holds up the magical orb. "It might as well serve as a base of operations for now... it seems abandoned except for the child upstairs; and there is shelter, and a kitchen we can use if we can find food, and beds in which to sleep. Eventually we'll need to find other people or ways to replace things that wear out and to grow more food, but for now it's something."
She turns the magical orb over in her hand and back, and says, "Xeros here said this is a key that keeps him locked in this strange... water-cellar. I don't know... this island is very unusual; strange things up against each other, hedge-mazes and water-mazes and illusionary towns full of monsters that think they're not monsters."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Whoever created this place came up with a number of....creative means of imprisonment that go far beyond anything I've ever heard of." Yelenn adds. "You're right though, at this point it's about making the best of the situation we find ourselves in and sticking together."
At Yasmin's inquiry Xeros moves over to inspect the orb as she play's with it. "Xeros has no idea how key works. Just that is the key. The Warden might... if she's here... or still alive. If not, Xeros remembers layout. Xeros just does not have authorization to open doors."
"Let's go see, then!" says Yasmin. "Looks like we need to find a Warden or open a door."
"Sounds like a plan to me. They're safe enough upstairs. If we encounter anything too dangerous we can fall back and head back up to the house to rest." Yelenn says in agreement. "Lead on Xeros."
Zeros and promptly sets fourth on all fours towards the end of the watery hallway. Once there he simply sits and waits for the others to catch up, as true to his word, the door is not affected by his presence.
Once someone does approach the proximity to activate the door Xeros lets out a quick hiss as the marbles substance begins to dissolve, before hopping over the threshold once it’s large enough for him to enter. Now in the colossal chamber everyone entered from he begins to move in a swaying zigzag as he advances, more to take everything in than to move forward.
Eventually he notices the rubble, and possibly the rope off in the distance. Stopping he tilts his head before he turned back to the others. ”You broke prison?”
"Apparently." Yelenn says with a smile. "Or more likely Yasmin now has the key?" she finishes with a shrug.
Xeros tilted his head the other way before looking back at the rubble, curious how small Yelenn had broken the ceiling. Moving over to the rope he begins pacing around it, occasionally sniffing it accusingly. ”Need key. Was told. But prison broke. So maybe not?” he thinks aloud while circling around it.
Reaching out he cautiously touches the rope, yanking his hand back as if it was scalding at first before putting it back and taking hold. Nothing. Placing his other hand on the rope he let out a triumphant hiss before his arms lit up. Swirling runes skittered across his flesh and caused him to jump back, giving a growl that died into a grumble. ”Nope. Still need key.” he says rather sheepishly.
Yelen's eyes widen as arcane runes dance across Xeros' skin, seeming to cause him pain. "That looked painful."
She studies the gargoyle's reaction seeking its authenticity while trying to unravel the possible arcane effect she just witnessed.
”Itchy. Stinging. Warning.” Xeros replies to the Magus as he rubs his arms as the runes fade
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Damn....definitely a curse alright. A nasty one called a Mark of Justice. The caster sets parameters of what action by the target triggers the effect. Things like 'trying to escape'"Yelenn says immediately feeling sympathy for Xeros.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Mylyna saw the effects on Xeros and immediately felt sorrow for her new friend. It seemed they hadn't gotten him free after all. She looked to Yelenn, who seemed to know what it meant, and asked, "Is there something we can do to free him?"
"I don't know... this 'key' is some kind of enchantment," says Yasmin. "I'm not sure how it would remove the spell from Xeros, though."
Xeros nods to Yelenn, then after Yasmin and Mylyna spoke he tilted his head up in thought. "Could go find the warden, she might know. Or the original prisoner. If it has died, no reason for prison and guards anymore. If it's still alive... that could be dangerous." he thought aloud, letting out a long sort of whine after through closed teeth. "Xeros did not know prison was broke. If friends wanted to leave now... Xeros... would not be mad."
"There are different forms of magic that can break a curse like that, but they're all beyond me at the moment. Another way would be to circumvent the parameters of the curse...but that would require knowing them." Yelenn explains. "If the curse is supposed to hurt Xeros for trying to escape, and he was moved without having anything to do with it, or the prison itself was undone, it theoretically wouldn't trigger the curse."
Xeros nods along with Yelenn’s explanation. ”Friend Yelenn smart. Brave and smart.”
"Well... maybe this key can unlock the prison, still," says Yasmin dubiously. "But I'm not sure how. We can try leaving with it, first, see if that changes anything."
She clears her throat gently and says, "Um, Mylyna, you seem to have lost your top."
Yelenn smiles at Yasmin's comment, knowing that what little clothing Mylyna had didn't matter much anyway.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Mylyna threw her arms around Xeros and hugged him tightly as she said, "B-b-b-but I don't want to leave you trapped here. We promised to get you free." The thought seemed incredibly distressing to the serpent woman. Yasmin's suggestion and observation caught Mylyna's attention and seemed to calm to her and she glanced at Yasmin and said, "Huh?" She ran her hands up across her belly and breasts and then shrugged as she said, "It wasn't going to last long anyway. I only had a nightie and it was ruined anyway." She slithered over to and then around Yasmin, a circle of coils around the woman, as she pressed in closely and asked, "Does it bother you?" There was genuine curiosity in her voice.
Xeros let out a happy hiss as Mylyna hugged him and reaffirmed her promise to him. "Thank you. You are Good Friend, Mylyna, Xeros is happy to have such good friends."
When she broke the hug to slither over to Yasmin the guard tilted his head and watched on curiously.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
"Just, um, not used to it, I suppose?" says Yasmin awkwardly.
"So, shall we explore further down here first, or try to leave with the orb and see if it functions as a key allows Xeros to leave?" Yelenn asks, with a hint of amusement in her tone.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Seranna watches in silence. She was hardly cut out for what was at work here. Her new friends seemed more knowledgeable and experienced. They already had a plan and were ready to implement it. She wasn't sure how to help so for the time being she decided simply to play tag along. However her studies did pay off, in the brief moment Xeros tried to leave she recognized the symbols that flashed across the surface of his stony hide. It was a mark of justice, and while she doubted anyone present was capable of breaking its hold over him, she also recognized that Yasmin was holding an orb of pure magic that they repeatedly referred to as a key. Biting her lip she motioned with a finger.
"Now this might be a crazy thought, but I think it might be worth trying before we go seeking out the Warden, or worse yet, the prisoner. If that orb is the key maybe we should let Xeros hold it and then try to leave. Maybe we can work around his curse. Maybe its the key to freedom in that it will break the curse rather than open a literal door?" She had no reason to believe that it would work, but it was just as much of an idea as any other, and it would subsist as the beginnings of her meager contributions. Wishing to make herself a little more useful she smiled faintly as she looked to Mylyna as she coiled around Yasmin, "If you still have your top, or know where to find it, I might be able to mend it. I've a knack for such things, it's how I've managed to keep my own dress in serviceable condition in spite of our environment."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"I'm willing to give that a shot," says Yasmin. "Here," she adds as she holds out the orb as best she can while partly entwined by Mylyna's coils.
Eyeing the orb suspiciously Xeros raises a clawed finger and taps it, creating a rather sharp clink in the process. When... whatever he was expecting to happen doesn't, he proceeds to tap it further before gently taking it from the Sha'ir's grasp.
Xeros lets out a long cooing sound as he takes the orb, turning it around in his claws. "Xeros feels good, not cramped anymore." he says to no one in particular as he begins unconscionably twisting and turning his body around. While his movements and agility till now had matched what would one would expect from his semi-serpentine body, his range of movement was now approaching that of someone with Mylyna's physique.
Staring up at the rope he readies himself before lunging up for and deftly.... backlflipping away and landing effortlessly on his feet, the rope barely swaying in place. "It started again" he said as he showed his hands, the runes barely getting to form on his claw tips before disappearing.
Seranna frowned as she watched the ruins disappear. For a moment she really thought that was going to work, "Sadly, it seems I misinterpreted the function of our key. It looks like we'll be searching for this warden after all."
”Is okay.” Xeros tells Seranna.
"Hmmm.. okay, so much for that. If it actually is a key, perhaps we need to find the lock. Otherwise, something else might serve as a key." Yelenn muses. "So.....call it a night or continue on down here?"
"I don't see any reason not to press on," says Yasmin. "We haven't run into anything really hostile or dangerous thus far."
Nodding, Yelenn turns to Xeros. "Lead on Xeros, we'll explore more and see what we can find."
Xeros nods to Yelenn then looks to the end of the chasm like hallway they were in. "Straight ahead is the room that leads to the prisoner," he then tilts his head to the left. "That corner leads to the Warden and her guards, you have to walk at it just right and don't stop till the opening appears."
He then looks off to where the right corner would be. "No idea if there is a door there, never went over."
"I'm thinking at least seeing this 'prisoner' should be our first move before dealing with the Warden." Yelenn suggests.
Xeros nods and, lest anyone object, begins heading towards the wall where he said the room that led to the prisoner would lie.
Mylyna looked at Vaelong and said, "Oh I mended it a few times, but a fine silk nighty doesn't hold up to the elements very well." She shrugged her shoulders and continued, "I finally gave up and the last scrasp fell apart a few days ago." Her expression became sad as she pited, "It was my favorite one too."
When their most recent attempt to free Xeros failed Mylyna nodded in agreement with the general consensus, "Let's see the prisoner and then the wardens."
Seranna frowned at Mylyna’s comment. She had hoped that her talents might have been of some use, but according to the lamea there was simply nothing more that could be done, the nightgown had met its end and couldn’t go any further. It felt inappropriate to leave a comrade, new or not, exposed to the elements in such a fashion. Though Mylyna was obviously comfortable with her body, and the former noble could certainly see why, it would be in her best interests to have some sort of barrier between her and the elements if possible. She toyed with the idea of tearing off a large section from the hem of her dress to fashion into some sort of cover but then again, she was no seamstress and she doubted anyone else present was either, or that they would a lot time for such a thing.
Instead she simply offered her hand out for Mylyna to take, “Just encase we find trouble around the bend, please humor me this at least.” She said to the lamea, her hand beginning to glimmer with arcane power, “It’s not much, but it is all I can do.”
Seranna turned her head to one side not long after the offering, realizing that the group had already decided that they would be moving toward the prisoner. She sighed, dreading what sort of wretched thing would require such an elaborate prison. She would try to stay positive, maybe they were civil, perhaps they could even be reasoned with!
”Let us press on then.” she said, with every intention of leading from the rear.
Noting Seranna's spell, Yelenn's eyes narrow for a brief moment before she nods, giving the summoner a smile. "Good call."
Taking a breath and drawing her sword the magus leads the others after Xeros.
Oblivious to the conversation between the noble and Lamae, Xeros marched on... until he almost walked straight into the wall. Stopping himself to prevent that gaff he cranes his head around, mouth partially open to say something when he sees Yelenn right behind him.
At her approach the wall gives way like the others previously did, eliciting a happy growl from the gaurd as he turns back to look into the next room.
It was small. And empty.
Big enough to house everyone present with room for arm space, but not much more, the room beyond being a solemn cube. Trotting in Xeros sniffed the stale air and began looking around, aimlessly walking up to one of the walls he puts his free hand up to and begins to gently drag it across. "Key goes... Key goes..." he begins mumbling.
"Key goes here!" he excitedly says as he points out an indention on the wall, just the right shape to partially slot the orb. "Key goes here, opens up the pocket, opens up the Prisoner's cell."
Looking to the others he takes a moment to see if everyone is ready before he carefully places the orb up into the slot. And waits.
And waits. "Key... goes here?" he murmurs as he pulls the orb away and repeats the process. "Key goes here. Key goes here. Key goes here! KEY... ohhhhh," he stops and lets out a happy squawking noise. "KEEEEEEEEY." he says matter-of-factly before turning his wrist clockwise while holding the orb in the slot.
He only moves his wrist for a second, just enough to be taken by surprise when the orb drops as the wall ceased to be. It didn't disintegrate like the other walls, or fade like the illusion blanketing the city. It simply ceased.
Beyond where the wall once was was now a towering chamber, more reminiscent of the great hallway they first entered this prison in but not quite that encompassing. That one stretched longingly into the darkness, this one stretched up into it. Or rather, down.
Taking up the center of the room was a large hexagonal prism sticking out of the ground, a murkier, duller dark than the marble floors, slightly tilted, but still almost reaching to the ceiling of the vast chamber. And across from them a face leered back from a facet of the pillar, gray and twisted with spite. It was long, stretched, almost equine, with a crown of cruel horns growing out of the top of its skull, some went up, some curled down, and others danced cruelly in whatever direction they wished, some even ending up trapped in the pillar, forcing the head to look directly ahead. It's gray glossy eyes stared blankly forward at the newcomers, but even without focusing on anyone in particular it was hard to shake the feeling of absolute loathing it emitted to everyone and anyone.
Lower, almost near the floor, a set of hands sat wide apart coming out of the pillar. Curled, they showed off their long claws fingers, more prominently they showed off the extra knuckle each digit possessed.
The orb Xeros dropped slowly rolls forward.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Eyes narrowing for a moment, Yelenn seems about to say something but stops, instead striding forward and picking up the orb before it can roll to the crystalline prison. "Anyone else feel that?"
'I was beginning to think you were gone forever little one'
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Nope," says Yasmin as she darts forward to pick up the orb before it can roll away.
As she picks up the orb, Yelenn's eyes go wide as she feels a veritable fortress of clarity and self assurance envelop her. Turning to look at Yasmin in amazement she exclaims, "Wow, this is what it feels like?"
"I guess? I don't know if it feels the same for you as it does for me," says Yasmin.