Wylla adjusts the heavy pack on her shoulders as she sighs slightly.
Going off to tell some crew to get back home. Not exactly what I was thinking I'd be doing today. But hey, it gets me out of the city a bit. Plus, this mirror thing. If they are this scared of it causing some kind of havoc, there'd certainly be some powerful magic that's worth checking out! she thinks to herself as she quickly moves to keep pace with the taller members of her travelling party. After the first few miles, the steady rhythm of the hike faded away into obscurity as she took in the surroundings, looking for anything of interest.
Not to be alarmist or distrustful you lot, but I'm a bit exposed. I'm going to magic myself up a bit, just to be on the safe side. If this is a trap of some sort, I'd much prefer my hide stay intact, if you catch my drift. she quips lightheartedly. Reaching down to her waist, she pulls out a slight jeweler's hammer with a rich red gym in the middle. Closing her eyes, her lips murmur praesidiis augendae as her hand touches her thigh. The gem on her hammer glows as a silvery blue cloud coalesces around her, making her appear hazy for a moment. In the next instant it's as if nothing ever happened. Silently, she slips the hammer back into her belt.
Wylla hollers out when they are still a bit away from the trio as she raises her small arm in a hailing salute.
"What mirror?" Isaiah asks. "Oh! There was something like that wasn't there? Ah, no. I can't say that I do." He says after several moments of thinking on the matter.
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As they are lead to the destined meeting, Wolfgang matches Wylla's mood. "Yes...." his deep, dulcet voice drawls out, as one either deeply disturbed or greatly distracted. Or both. "I concur."
Wolfgang forsakes much display, he simply snaps his fingers.
A translucent demon made of blue sorrow and red bitterness encapsulates his body. The soft stuff of the demon's form flies around Wolfgang, occasionally forming a thing that could be called a mouth opening in a silent scream, calling and begging for the death that will release it from it's duty.
At the meeting, he simply nods. "Such an amount is sufficient to suspend any banter. Be mindful--I have only agreed to find and rend announcement of peril. Further rendering of aid would qualify as...unforeseen."
He delves the fat of his intellect to see if he had heard aught of that which they describe.
"If that was the likely case they would't have needed to send four of us, eh?" Isaiah asks. "Fear not, I am certain the three of us can protect you from anything... unforeseen sir Wolfgang." He says with a sly taunting grin.
Wylla smiles at Isaiah's playful jab.
I'm sure that they think we're not a match for this mirror. But I'll admit, I'm a bit intrigued by it. I like collecting whatever tibits of magic I can. she says, with a sparkle in her eyes. Speaking of which, Ser Wolfgang, I'd really like to know more about what kind of magic you're doing right there. It's certainly foreign to me, but certainly looks fun!
Grinling also grins although it manifests as a look you would more likely see from a alley dog that's about to bite. He responds to the cheerful banter
I'm kind of renowned for my 'unforeseen' so don't worry Wolfgang, I'll cover your back. However, good to hear I have some substantial magical support. It'd be interesting to learn more about this mirror and its worth, whatever it is...
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Wolfgang nods back to Isaiah and Grinling. "I am more concerned about covering my front. But yes, 'tis said that the wise man expects the unexpected. So 'tis good that you see it so."
He turns back to Wyalla. His mouth doesn't move, and he seems to stop breathing as an answer forms in her head. It's as if words were uttered across an infinite black expanse, shouted down from a few pinpricks of light that screamed in endless torment, but from very, very far away, 'I've read tomes gleaned from powers beyond Earthly ken filled with things mortals were never meant to know. By listening to incomprehensible whispers that play along the edge of sanity like spiders with knives for legs and and speak with inhuman voices crafted from envy and torment, I'm able to call servants whose only desire is to sleep unbothered to my heed, and collect powers of raw essence crafted from the failings of men and misplaced dreams to do as I wish.
I'd be happy to teach you aught of it, but you know what they say about abysses and staring into them....'
To everyone else it appears that he stares silently at Wylla...and then grins wryly and chuckles. For some reason.
Wylla stares at Wolfgang with her head cocked slightly to a side as Wolfgang's answer fills her head. After he chuckles, she whispers artis exercere mea. A very faint flicker and trill of haunting notes swirl around and fade into nothingness. With a wink, she goes back to her walk.
"You're from the Society?! Did we fail? Noo!! I thought we had plenty of time. There must be a mistake." Ayita falls to her knees then face plants. She then peeks her head up. "You can go. We got this...Although many of us have mysteriously vanished. What's up with that? Maybe you should stay." Ayita scurries across the floor towards the newcomers with puppy-dog eyes. "We didn't fail though, did we?"
No I don't think you've failed as such but Trainer Nickels has asked us to come and find you. He said your team was in great danger and possibly about to walk into a trap. He said something about a mirror... Do you know anything about some mirror..? We've come to warn you and to tell you to get out of here. He said should we go looking for the mirror.
Grinling appears to struggle inwardly speaking this last phrase like a heated debate between two groups of politicians had just taken place in his head before one side disgustedly left the room. He gathers himself and continues
He also said that our lodge would be shut down... I've only just found work here... and he'd try to get us hired in another lodge...
Wylla runs her fingers through her hair, almost as if she was trying to remember something important.
Blast it all! I wish I could remember the entirety of Trainer Nickles speech. Was he actually warning us off hunting for the mirror or did he want us to bandy off to delay the closing of the lodge somehow? Damn my memory!
Oh right! One of the other things he mentioned was that Caldwell was holding out, or something of that nature. Any clue what in the blazes he was talking about? She quips as she fumbles about with a little cobbled together fire-starter.
(-2 from low wisdom, +2 for proficiency)
[ooc]Trying to glean what I could of his communication with us some hours ago. Did I think he was speaking straight with us? That kind of consideration.
"Internal politics it sounds like, anyway we're getting paid a fair sum to deliver this message and bring your lot back." The half-elf states. "Oh and my name name is Isaiah." He says with a polite bow.
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"I don't know anything about a mirror, but we were just about to go explore an area locked by a magic door. Whether or not you say not to go looking for it, someone we know has gone missing and we are going to go search for her. And you can't dissuade me otherwise. I don't leave friends behind, especially if they could be in danger."
"I don't like the sound of the lodge being shut down, but I don't deal in politics. Action and adventure are my style, and we can sort that other stuff out back at town."
"Oh, I'm Ayita, by the way. I'm a wood elf from the outskirts of Harispania, and I'm going to be a great hero one day like my idol, Rowtag the Warrior of Fire."
"Sorry my name is Grinling" the Rogue says, offering a hand to Ayita.
"I too am looking for adventure. But what's this you say about a missing friend? Who is it that is missing and where might they be? We surely cannot leave them behind. I agree with Ayita- we should find the missing friend before we go back. What say the rest of you?" says Grinling to the (much larger now) assembled team
"Her name is Valarie and she is a cleric of some sort. She was staying in the small temple here. She wouldn't leave with us and she was missing upon our return. But signs show that she was here very recently and left in a hurry. We're trying to find out where."
"I'm unfamiliar with whom you speak of but it sounds like a noble goal. Do you think your friends are in this Castle or simply in the surrounding area?" The bard asks.
"Names Klodd... and I can't see I'm sorry to see some reinforcements... but I agree with Ayita. We need to find Valarie... even if it's just her corpse".
Oh! Right. Names. How silly of me to forget. Head in the clouds I guess. M'name's Wylla, but you can call me Opaleye, if you'd like. She says, sparking the lighter in her hand. As for finding your friend, I would say that's a worthwhile thing to do, most assuredly. As far as I interpret it, so long as we aren't hunting that mirror, the search for your friend could very well EVENTUALLY lead back to the lodge. I'd be happy to help search, for whatever good I'll add. Anything is better than errand-girl work.
Well then team let's be off! Ayita, Klodd- you'll need to lead as you know the way. Trust that I will guard your back as we go."
"I sure hope that Valarie didn't leave the castle. If she did, we'll never find her. I do have a wand that can grant us access to the magic door but I'd be surprised if Valarie had similar access. I suggest a quick sweep of the manor and outlying buildings which we've cleared of danger, just in case, before we head into the unknown."
"How about you Wolfgang, are you willing to assist even though it is outside the scope of our mission here?" Isaiah asks.
"Do you believe we would be given full payment from an employer that is soon to be out of business when we could not even try and recover the full party?" He questions. "A feat like that would be more a stain on my record than an accomplishment."
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Wolfgang, his head screwed up in consternation as if he carries the sins of the world upon his shoulders, shakes his head. "No. I mean yes. I mean...we were contracted to contact the -team-. And we have. Is the cleric Valarie part of those that we were set to find? She sounds just like...an...an acquaintance."
Wolfgang shakes his head like a dog trying to throw off a muzzle. "Yes, 'tis sad that your friend is missing, but you said you don't even know if she's even -in- the castle.
Yes, yes, we might try to find her, but at least let us present a united front in telling your employers that the message has been given.
They may even have useful information in finding this...Valarie. Can we not at least let them know that their last and final contract was a success?"
"They way Ms. Ayita spoke was as if there were others who are missing as well and I don't think they'd only send two agents into a place such as this." He turns to the aforementioned elf and asks. "Am I correct in that assumption?"
I'm sorry but there's no time for this discussion! Valarie may be in mortal peril right now and we're leaving her to some evil end! If we don't act now it may be too late! I wouldn't leave any of you to a certain death and I won't leave Valarie! Im sworn to defend folk from evil and I'd appreciate your help!
After this outburst Grinling collects himself and in a calmer voice continues
I'm sorry but regardless of our trainer and our lodge . Now who's with me? Let's go find Valarie.
In regards to Isaiah's question, "Well yes and no. We did come with more people on our first excursion but they left on their own and not under duress as far as I know. I'm not as much worried about them."
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Wolfgang sighs in resignation and shrugs his shoulders. "Well, if you are bent resolutely on this course, then there is nothing for it but to gather the party and venture forth. Perhaps in our delvings we might some artifact or item of power that will prove beneficent to the lodge and stave off their coming closure."
Wolfgang follows Grinling into the tower.
Smiling at the new travelling companions, Wylla slips a charcoal pencil out of a small pouch on her belt and flips open her Libra Schema. Thumbing through until she finds a small open bit of margin, she doodles a small design for an amulet, with swirling lines and a handful of gem reveals. In chicken-scratch, she indicates they should be blue and purple and that it should be reminiscent of a morose and eerie face. Her quick sketch done, she stows her book and pencil and draws her hammer from her belt.
All set here! Let's see what we can find. She says, as cheerily as possible.
Typically not much escapes Grinling's keen eyesight and he moves quickly to find the source of the silvery glint. It is a pendant symbol of a coin and sword. He turns and holds it up so that the others can see it.
Hey Team look what I found. Do you think it might be a holy symbol? My knowledge of religion isn't great. You said Valarie was a Cleric yeah? Maybe this belonged to her. What do you think Ayita, Klodd? Look familiar? It may mean she passed this way...
I've got a bit 'o knack with knowing things. Picked up a bit during my studies. If I could take a peek? Wylla offers, inspecting the pendant.
But blasted be my Gnomish booties, I don't recall seeing that symbol anywhere that I've researched as yet.
"Yes. That is the symbol Valarie wore. But what was she doing over here and why did she drop it? We keep uncovering more questions than answers."
"We should check if the door to the tower is unlocked now. If not, we may still have a way."
Let me scout it out and I'll call you up when it's clear.
The rogue carefully and stealthily climbs the stairs checking for hazards
At the top he checks the door for danger and listens for noise on the other side before trying it to see if it's locked
Grinling signals back to the others with the 'all clear'. When they arrive he says,
It's stuck fast. Any ideas how to open it?
"Try this" says Ayita, producing a magical wand.
Initiative
Klodd moves in along the wall that the door closes against, casts Sacred Flame, then moves into the corner is possible.
Radiant damage (Dex save to negate, cover does not apply)
Wylla stares up at her compatriots stacked along the stairs. I'm not going to fight and claw my way through my own people just to be at the head of the line! she thinks, contemplating her actions. Deciding not to go charging up the stairs just yet, she holds, waiting until either more of the team piles through the door or at least gets out of the way.
Grinling moves to attack with Scimitar and Dagger the red (OOC-sorry I'm badly colourblind so I hope that's right! On the right of map) Orc
Grinling moves quickly to slash at the neck of the closest Orc and follows with a dagger thrust at the belly. The warrior's footwork, flow and timing seeming like a dance. After the strikes he moves counterclockwise around the room to have himself on the opposite side of the room from his team and the door
Isaiah keeps himself back as the group initiates a surprise attack. "This is my first time encountering creatures such as these. Do they all smell like excrement or is this a rare breed?"
Ayita slips between Wolfgang's legs, comes up running, and leaps over the table into a split kick aiming at the yellow and orange orcs' faces.
Ayita lands backwards into a headstand from her leaping kick and spins in a circle flailing two more kicks at the nearby orcs.
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Letting out an unmanly "Yip!" as the lithe elf darts under his legs, Wolfgang simply slips into the room and takes a step to the right.
Targeting the nearest standing Tafganor, he draws forth a sphere of emerald misery and crimson shame, orbiting a core of blue pride and a heart blackest pain. He hurls the void-made-manifest orb...
...and it strikes the foe unerringly.