Ashlyn takes the cup with a soft smile. "Thank you, I truly appreciate it." She would normally offer a cute joke or a simple tease, but she was honestly just too thirsty and hungry to play her usual games.
Thratch carefully moves into the north room.
Tenchi observes the interaction between Ashlyn and Aterro but makes no comment. He also moves into the North room.
The group begins to shuffle out of the room heading north. The exit is a corridor that continues west with a passage continuing north.
Thratch recognizes the passage west leads back to the room where the scarab attacked, and he ran afflicted by fear. It feels so long ago.
The corridor that splits north forks into additional passages east and west.
To the west is a small room containing a stone head. Thratch is certain he ran past it yesterday.
To the northeast is a larger room with dust on the floor that seems to be moving and changing shape, primarily resembling a large pentagram.
In the corridor right below it, there sits a table. On the table is a glass jar with a scrap of paper under it.
One of the torches along the walls suddenly goes out, as has happened so often before. Both rooms seem otherwise unoccupied.
Riven looks back and forth as they travel and then speaks to Moq. "Where must we go to find Chronia?"
Well, it's somewhere around here. I know it's close to this stupid head here... maybe due north from here. I think going east is wrong. We should notice some strange time disturbances nearby. The place is huge, like the biggest in the maze from what I've heard
Riven makes his way to the northern opening into the large room that lacks a number on the map. He peers inside from the doorway using his sharp eyes to look around.
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Aterro accepts the soft smile with a soft smile of his own, and returns the empty cup to his mess kit.
As another torch along the wall goes out, Aterro takes some offense at it. "Oh confound! I suppose 'tis too much to think that there would be janitorial staff re-lighting these things. But since we're to be stuck here, no sense in letting the whole place grow dark through inaction.
After all, Heresy grows from idelness."
As the others make council about the direction to take, he takes his flint and steel and tries to re-kindle the blown-out torch.
Thratch goes to the table with the glass jar to see if he can see the note without moving the jar.
What do you guys suppose this is?
"It looks like a glass container."
Aterro reignites the extinguished torch and it continues to burn as expected.
The note under the glass appears to be completely covered in cramped black handwriting and folded several times over. At a glance it looks to be a love letter of some kind, going on and on.
Looking past the stone head you can see into the next room . There are multiple shelves covered floor to ceiling in books.
Also within the room is a complex, mirrored handheld magnifier in tarnished silver. It looks intended for reading.
A narrow doorway is at the far end of the room, and looks to lead to an adjoining room .
Riven makes his way to the large unmarked room at the edge of the map.
The large room is a warm cocoon of rotting silk and reflected light from chandeliers hanging 50' up off the high ceiling. There are screens of stacked glass and polished bricks of what appears to be semiprecious stone.
The floor appears composed of pale quartz sand, about an inch deep over rotted remains of granite flags. There are low lumps of abraded stone, that appear to be remains of sculpture.
To most, the room would appear beautiful and bright and falling apart.
Within, closer to the center, you see a beautiful dark-haired woman, barely clothed in scraps of gold and amber, attempting to coax single notes from a lute that writhes unnaturally. It appears to whither in her hands as she plays.
Near her is a beast on four legs, that appears to be constructed from stone and looks vaguely like an animal.
The woman looks up and notices you, and gently speaks a warning,
"Do not come too close. I'm holding back the aging effects as best I can, but you may fall prey to them."
"But otherwise, do come in and join me. Invite your friends as well. Fracture-of-the-Bone here has indicated that visitors are nearby. I love having visitors."
Riven turns back to the others spread out behind him.
"Attention, I have located what appears to be Chronia and a beast. She requests that we visit her but beware coming too close or else the temporal fields she is containing might age you prematurely."
Turning back he addresses the woman in the chamber.
"I have extended your invitation to the others with me."
He steps forward into the chamber testing the 'water' of temporal effect it might have on others though his body was made of far more durable material then organics. Looking around he took in the scene and the woman keeping alert for any hidden dangers or temporal fluctuation in objects around him.
"I am Riven."
Thratch moves to the back of the group, more intent on observing than interacting. Besides, this seems like a formal occasions, and he'd probably just f$*# it up.
"I am Chronia. This creature is Fracture-of-the-Bone, my pet."
Fracture-of-the-Bone runs up to Riven and tries to playfully bite him.
He snaps at Riven then makes a sound like baby-speak and runs back to the opposite end of the room before returning closer to his mistress.
Chronia laughs gently, "Don't mind him, he's just playful."
"So tell me about yourselves," she says to the group. "Tell me of the things you've seen here. Have you run into Psathyrella at all?"
You notice as she speaks her breath leaves a heavy fog as if it's cold, though it's quite warm in the room.
"My name is Kusinagi Tenchi, and I am samurai." said Tenchi as he entered the room. "I do not know what a Psathyrella is."
"No entities that have given that name has been encountered at this time. This is Alpha." He motions his lion to come sit beside him but not get too close to either the woman or the Fracture beast.
"I came online approximately 24 hours ago and have been traveling this place. I have seen a room of rope bridges and a room of chess pieces. I have little memories prior to coming online to speak of, however most recently after resting we encountered several Chameleon women in a nearby area who spoke of The Protocols of Antipathy having been initiated. Do you know what she was referring?"
Riven studies the Fracture beast and readies himself to intercept it with a drawn blade if it attempts to go after another party member or himself with another bite. His eyes also drift back to the woman's form and realizes gold and amber are likely the only things that have not rotted away from her prolonged presence. However the beast seems immortal or immune as well so perhaps his own body would tolerate the aging effect no worse for wear. He takes another step forward.
"I can provide more detailed accounts of our actions in exchange for answering any questions my companions and I might have."
"Chameleon Women? I have heard they and the Lizardmen have some means of weaving imperishable cloth. I would most certainly appreciate some of that to preserve my modesty. It would be worth an exchange of the Tears of Time I have collected."
She casually gestures to a glass vase near one of the walls.
"Remnants of my more desperate moments here, but I understand they're sought after by mortals for their properties."
"I know nothing of these Protocols of Antipathy. I normally do not concern myself with their business. Though it does sound somewhat unpleasant."
"What sort of questions do you have for me? And perhaps you have more tales to tell me? Perhaps of Psathyrella?"
She glances over at Vehemence, with some familiarity.
"What of you? You're a Muse, aren't you? I remember tales of your kind from long ago. Surely you've encountered Psathyrella in these walls?"
Moq wanders the room he only fuzzily remembers, Do you know how long it has been since the group from the wizards of Vornheim last met you? I was turned to stone for some time and the passage of time is hard to tell in this place.
Moq also walks along the east wall where there appears to be some kind of door...
Riven steps a bit closer to Chronia and feels strange, as though time itself is being sucked toward her and rippling back. It's a unique sensation being able to feel time moving like air.
Chronia responds to Moq,
"The wizards. I vaguely recall them. It's been ... what's that thing that's a long time, but not really long? Years? I guess that's a meaningful measurement to you. I cannot tell how long exactly. Ten years, twenty, I suppose? They sought Tears of Time when they visited, and brought artifacts to trade with Psathyrella."
"I am told by mortals that swallowing one Tear will undo a specified event in one's history."
"So you have seen Psathyrella recently then? Tell me of what happened."
As Moq listens he notices the door is unlocked from this side.
"Are there other tales to tell? I so love hearing of them. Or perhaps music? I love music dearly, but I fear that which makes the sweetest sounds does not last long in my hands."
"An exchange of imperishable clothing for Tears of Time is acceptable. You seek the medusa or news of her? Are you unable to leave this area to seek her out? What information of her do you desire? I am unable to perform music but there may be stories I can tell you."
Moq thinks for a moment and says, Psathyrella is the medusa! No, Chronia - she never revealed herself to me, but I was set free in the cells and not where I was turned to stone.
Moq pushes the door open and takes a look.
"I am not a musician, but I am a painter, if you would like me to paint something for you." Offers Tenchi.
You look through the door and see a room with torn cast lead fencing across the threshold of the southern entrance. It appears to be burned. The southern entrance appears to connect to the room with the pentagram that you had just viewed.
Within the rest of the room, A room-filling, 4-dimensional, open-work diagrammatic construct fluctuates constantly. It looks like an amoeba in a broken kaleidoscope. The construct pulses gently.
To Riven, "I ... I'm just curious of some news about her, I suppose. My presence can severely disturb this Maze, so I really don't dare wander."
She diverts to Moq rather quickly, "I'm sorry to hear that. She does have a bit of a temper sometimes."
She appears to be holding back. She's been asking constantly about Psathyrella but doesn't want to acknowledge that she's fishing for news or gossip or anything about her. You get the impression their relationship may have run deeper and possibly gone sour.
She then diverts to Tenchi, "That's very kind of you, but I fear that canvas and parchment will wither in moments if brought near me."
She gestures at the lumps of abraded stone throughout the room.
"These are the remains of sculptures, which is the only art that can last around me at all."
You peek into the adjoining room again and notice that the construct pulses harder as Chronia seems to get agitated.
Moq throws a pebble into it and just sort of watches it while listening to the conversation. Decades past... no use going back my old life definitely isn't there. Guess I need some money too, being nearly naked and homeless and penniless isn't much to look forward to. Tears of the medusa... maybe I will stick around for a while.
Moq is wrapped up in his own growing feelings of dismay mixed with hope, and a lust for treasure.
"Well, if you like, I can set it on the wall here, and you should have some time to gaze upon it." Tenchi indicates the wall near where he is standing.
Riven tilts his head thoughtfully as he considers Chronia. Loneliness is a cruel fate to be condemned to eternity.
"I am willing to serve as a carrier for a message if you wish one to be delivered to the Medusa assuming she is not hostile to my approach and return with any reply she might have for you."
Thratch ventures a question at the timeworn woman, from his position in the back of the group.
So what do you know of the Chanterelle? Who is she? Is she dangerous? Can she be trusted?
Chronia replies to Tenchi, "I suppose if you wish to make a picture, I'd be delighted to see it, even if it is fleeting."
Then to Riven, "I thank you, but I must say, she knows how to contact me, with certainty. We ... corresponded for a time, then the letters stopped."
"I'm sure she had her reasons." She continues with a huff.
"That said, should you happen upon her, if you mention in passing that perhaps she should speak with me, that would be lovely."
She then thoughtfully ponders Thratch's question for a moment.
"Ashen. Yes, I'd heard she was one of our loyal followers. Sadly she is the gatekeeper of this structure now, and I should doubt that she is in any position to do anything else."
Fracture-of-the-Bone runs around in the background, jumping through piles of rotted silk. He seems increasingly excited by the group's presence.
"Your pet seems increasingly excited. How did you come by it and is it immune to aging?"
You toss the pebble at the construct, and you see it distort and flicker before falling to the ground. Otherwise you see no change.
"Oh, he gets that way sometimes around strangers. Isn't he adorable? He's been with me as long as I've been here. He play bites a lot, and cracks open a new copy of himself from his own shell. It's quite amusing to watch. I think the time radiation does it."
You note, as she points out how adorable Fracture-of-the-bone is, that the creature is actually quite ugly.
Having no basis to judge the ugliness of the creature Riven simply nods at her statement of its cuteness.
"Play bites? That is abnormal for most pets to do so unless threatened. Without further input from my companions, seeking to obtain a set of clothing for you is my next objective. Moq, have you discovered something to the east of this chamber?"
Moq shuts the door but leaves it unlocked, and turns to the group.
Enough about the pet, yeah? If you guys have had your questions answered we should probably get moving again... but not out of this door, Moq then says to Chronia, What is your recommendation on where to go next? Do you know of a way to leave if the exit Ashen guards is closed?
Riven's question went unanswered so he simply moved over to where Moq stood and opened the door to look through it and see what was there. Information gathering was essential after all.
"Perhaps time is moving faster for us than our companions inside this room, causing slower reactions from them. I suggest we backtrack the way we entered this room and then go east."
At her assent, Tenchi begins removing his armor. Once he has it off, he will set his blades next to it, draw his paints and brush from his pack, and then begin to paint. After a few minutes of the most intense concentration you've ever seen on his face, he begins to move the brush like a madman, stopping only to mix colors and then dab the brush in it.
While frenzied, each of his strikes are precise, and son a picture begins to form.
When he finishes, he props his painting up on an easel to let it dry and cleans his equipment while it does so.
Once it is finished, he turns it so that she can view it. It is a picture of her pet in the moment of it's metamorphosis, it's spirit forcing itself out of it's old body, but not yet inhabiting a new one. The colors are vivid, and the imagery is easy for even someone who did not know about art to tell that this was exceptionally well made.
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Aterro had little to add. With neither threat to assess nor friend to greet, nor prospect of feasting, little was he piqued.
Though, as the samurai made his painting, a thought occured to him. Easing the burden of this...guardian of time...seemed a noble work. Though he had little skill in such craft, it seemed there was little else to do for the nonce.
"Ahem. Would a...ah, um, a song, be sweet to you? I know only a few, but if it would be meat for you to accept, I feel it should at least be offered."
If there is any assent, he'll break out into the only song he knows.
Well, calling it a "song" might be a bit of a stretch.
"Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Old King Cole was a merry old soul and a merry old soul was he!
He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his privates, three.
Beer, Beer, Beer, said the Privates,
Merry men are we!
There're none so fair that they can compare to Delta Company!
Old King Cole was a merry old soul and a merry old soul was he!
He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his corporals, three.
We need a three-day pass said the corporals,
Beer, Beer, Beer, said the Privates,
Merry men are we!
There're none so fair that they can compare to Delta Company!
Old King Cole was a merry old soul and a merry old soul was he!
He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his sergeants, three.
Push, push, push said the Sergeants....
Where's my hat, said the Leuis....
Take the hill, said the Captains....
Where's my jeep, said the Majors....
WIN THAT WAR, said the Generals...."
At the end and with the completion of Kusinagi's painting, he turns to Riven, ready to move on.
As he sees the unclad woman and her several effects. Vehemence is excited to learn what he may of the foe he wishes to acquiesce. However, as he opens his mouth, he witnessed a bad omen; a manifestation of his son.
The spirit of Remorse hung before him, and the image of a noose sprung into his mind. The impression wasn't as the painting of despair, but the memory of the backlash of that experience was more than enough to make the furnace king bite his tongue.
As the conversation parades forth between the party, Vehemence judges Chromia as a weak and paltry hag, and refused to converse with her.
He had gained enough from listening even so, at least to date his conquest momentarily. He vexed his son on his spirit, and kept his eyes open in case something else ill were to spring forth upon him.
"I swear they get stranger every time." you hear Chronia mutter under her breath during Aterro's rousing tune.
"Thank you, that was ... lovely."
Then she looks at Tenchi's painting.
"Beautiful, but fleeting. I shall admire it while it lasts. But I suppose that's all any of us can ever really do."
She sounds a bit saddened at that last thought.
"I suppose if you're looking for other places to explore, you could seek out Psathyrella. I don't know of any of the exits, but I have heard the Bondye Reparatè come from another land and there's a gateway somewhere near the Gardens where one of my sisters dwells."
"Your company was a pleasure. Please come back and share more tales."
She returns to her lute.
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Moq leaves out the door they came in from and stands guard just outside.
Riven moves out the way they came as well sensing the meeting concluding.
"Your time is appreciated. We will return if relevant data or items are collected."
"In case of more enemies I will engage my stealth mode while we travel."
His form blurs and camoflauges itself to the area around him as he begins to moves toward the eastern passage(Leading to 213) but not going too far from the rest of the party.
After storing his equipment, he redons his armor, then collects his weapons, gear, and Wan'di's body and says "I am now ready to proceed."
As Riven wanders the eastern passage and peers ahead, he spies a corpse on the ground in one of the narrow passages going north .
Riven using stealth approaches the corpse making sure to check his surroundings and the ceiling for chameleon women and traps.
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Vehemence without word follows suit, twenty five paces behind the golem.
He wouldn't abide more reckless deaths.
He summons the long blade to his hand, walking with subtle steps.
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Thratch will follow along.
Tenchi proceeded forward without comment, but with the characteristic swagger of samurai.