Altair nods moving to the front of the group, abandoning his plague cloud. Inspecting the bridge
"Lets move as swiftly as we can. I have no idea what is happening here but if someone is attempting to affect our minds with magic it can't be good."
The bridge is dangerous and you have serious doubts that it will be able to hold all of you crossing at once. The drop is only 40 or so feet on this side, but as you get farther out the canyon deepens significantly.
Altair clicks his tongue as he looks at the bridge.
" weak braces, rotting timbers and frayed ropes both along the length and at the anchor points. It is very doubtful we'd be able to get across as a group without us dropping into the abyss. I don't suppose any of you have magic to help with falls? Well not that we will need to worry about it if the bridge snaps with us halfway. The canyon drops sharply and that sort of fall will assuredly kill anyone here." The man asks as he looks at the other side of the bridge while rubbing his chin.
" I'll go across first to test the thing. If I get attacked on the other side I can drop my cloud and delay until everyone else can begin arriving."
"I sort of do," Tarina stated flatly, "but I have only one use of it per day." Hopefully, none us fall, Tarina sighed.
"Not, much I'd be able to do if more fell," Tarina added. Worse case scenario, we'll all fall, but at least will fall together. Tarina cringed at the thought of plummeting to her death being a possibility.
The drop is only 40 or so feet on this side, but as you get farther out the canyon deepens significantly.
Altair nods and begins moving toward the bridge.
" Hrmm.. its too far across for us to trail a rope and the longer we wait the higher the chance someone gets the idea to sever the rope on the other side. As far as I can see short of navigating the canyon itself and climbing the cliff wall this is our only option to get across." With that he looks over at his companions and gives a somewhat forced grin.
" Well wish me luck. If I'm unable to make it across than the rest of us are not going to have a chance."
Altair moves out across the bridge as carefully as possible. As bad as it may have looked, actually crossing it is worse still. Wind picks up across the expanse that causes the bridge to sway constantly. He reaches the halfway point before the bridge starts to strain seriously.
From this point on the bridge you can see there is a cave opening on the plateau about 40 ft below the parties current position.
Altair does his best to keep an even, calm gait over the rotting timbers and frayed ropes. Calm. fear here is just going to get me killed. And speeding up will encourage a break.
The man looking behind him and down for a moment, considering the wind before he continues walking.
they won't be able to hear me over the wind. and I have no idea what is down there anyway.
It's distant, and difficult to see, but you think you /might/ see a few structures or piles of ruble below you. You do not see the dragon from earlier.
Altair squints at something beneath him before shrugging and moving onward. Old buildings but nothing moving. A city built on the ruins of the last.
Altair makes his way across the final half of the bridge. Once on the other side he finds a short path leading upward.
Following his example the rest of the party cross over, first Tarina and then Orntorias. All the while the bridge holds. It isn't until Karthan is midway across that the ancient rope finally begin to give way, unable to support his armored body. For a split second he looks to his companions with wild eyes, perhaps seeking solace or a chance to offer some last word. If he said anything, only the wind heard. The rope snaps, throwing the old knight off the side where he plummets and is swallowed by the darkness below.
Karthan Stonemason, Knight of Raiden, Cosmic Watcher, and old Thunder Giver is the first to perish at the hands of the forbidden lands.
Tarina manages to the cross the bridge with Moria Jr. closely behind. From behind her, the creaking noise intensified followed by several snaps. She spun around and saw Karthan mouth a few words as if he was saying goodbye and then the bridge gave way plummeting to the depths below taking Karthan with it.
Tarina screamed as she watched Karthan disappear from sight. She was too late; there was nothing she could do anything to save him. Tarina hung her head as tears filled her eyes.
Orntorias turns to the snapping of the bridge and rushes to the the edge - not knowing what he could do - as he sees Karthan start to plummet to the depths below.
He peers over the edge, but the darkness is too thick to see anything. He gives a small grunt and turns. "We must continue forward. We shall honor his noble memory." He says sternly as he walks forward, almost mechanically.
Altair whirls on a heel from where he had been scrutinizing the approach upward for traps or ambushes to see Karthan plunging into the dark. The mans face freezing into remorse and sorrow We had only begun this journey and already we are less.
Fists clenching Altair nodded to Orntorias and looked back to the exit, eyes dull with shock " Orntorias is right. We can mourn when we are safer. I still have no idea what those chanting voices from earlier were but I'm concerned if we stay for too long we shall find out." The man turning to look at Tarina for a moment before returning to the path ahead.
Lets move."
Tarina turns to Altair, her eyes still teary-eyed and nods.
"Sorry," Tarina sobbed, "I've lost many friends, and I can't say I'm over any." Tarina wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Alright, Altair," Tarina agreed, sniffling between syllables partially afraid of meeting a similar fate, "if he was still with us I know he'd tell us to carry on."
The Inheritor's find little trouble with the path up the canon and they find themselves on the surface once again. In the distance there is a medium sized structure atop a hill. Far off on their right hand stands the causeway. Besides those two things the plains stretch out in either direction.
Afterwhile, Tarina had stopped sobbing. When they reached the surface once again she had come to her senses. Hm, she wondered staring at the building that laid ahead, what do we have here? Her head remained on a swivel, cautious of anything that may lie before them.
"Could this be our shrine?" Tarina pondered muttering out loud to herself as she came to a halt.
The chanting from earlier has fainted, nor does she see anything overly unusual or threatening. Checking her compass Tarina sees that the hands continue to point towards the canyon.
Orntorias moves deliberately towards the structure. "This must be the shrine the maddened beast was mentioning." He casts a weary eye to the surrounding area - hoping that this lone structure could provide some answers to what was happening.
"Aye," Tarina agreed, "It appears to be so." She checked her watch.
Their seems to be trouble behind us, she thought.
"Avast ye," Tarina warned, "I fear we are being followed."
Altair nods woodenly as he gazes out onto the rolling grass.
" Well. It seem the best path we have at the moment." Looking behind him Altair squints as he looks for threats. Flesh elongating as he takes in a deep breath.
" This is not a good battlefield for my abilities, and we are wide open for an attack from distance. I still have no idea what occurred in that village but the more distance we place between us and it the better."
You do not sense anything dangerous with either your normal senses or enhanced smell.
"Aye," Tarina replied, "We are pickin' for the crows. An' even if there's somethin' behind us, it'd be wise to cover more ground."
She began to inch towards the building but stopped abruptly spinning around to face Altair.
"I say, we head for the building," Tarina advised, "it'd give us a good vantage point an' some cover. Savvy?"
" Agreed" Altair chimes as he begins walking to the structure, cautious of what might lie in the waving grass.
The Inheritors decide to make their way towards the structure, walking for about 20 minutes. As they grow closer, the structure takes a more defined shape, now appearing as an abbey of some kind with a large tower or silo attached to a main structure. Once you get even closer you can tell that it is abandoned, or at least in a state of extreme disrepair. There is a large hole in the roof visible from the outside while ivy and moss have begun to overtake the stone exterior.
The group stands about five feet away now, facing the entryway. A large wooden door stands closed. To the right there is a lantern mounted on the wall but it is unlit. Above the doorway there is a faded symbol painted on the stone with blue paint.
In some orders this symbol is considered to act as a ward against malicious intent and placing it above your doorway is critical to a peaceful household.
Orntorias moves forward purposefully and pushes open the great wooden doors, entering the building to see what lays hidden.
The door swings open and you get a view of the interior. There are no lights inside of the abbey, though the hole in the ceiling provides light enough to see. The space has a great deal of chairs and shelving scattered about and plenty of old papers cover the floor. On the far side from where you have entered there is a stairwell.
Two things immediately draw your attention: firstly, there is a large well in the center of the abbey.
Secondly, taking the place of where an altar would normally be, is a large woman. You estimate at a glance that she's about 12 ft tall, though it's difficult to tell as she is sitting hunched about against a wall. Flowing cloth covers her greyish skin.
As you enter the woman takes notice of you and speaks in a low, feminine voice: "Hmmm? More beasts? No, given thy visage thou fancies thyself a man." After that, she starts to hum some tune while watching you with amber eyes but otherwise makes no other movements.
"I am Orntorias, a Knight of Whyr. What may I call you?" Orntorias calls cautiously - the last thing he had expected was a giant woman lounging in the abbey.
"I am called Lucian" she replies with a small laugh. "Come, I beckon thee. It is unbecoming to call to one another across a room."
"Aye." He strides across the room, placing his weapon in it's straps across the back. He stands in front of the woman "What is this place?"
Altair had a dagger half drawn at the giant entering vision but sheathed it when she spoke. Dusting himself the lanky man walked to a comfortable distance giving a short bow of courtesy.
" I am Altair, thank you for inviting us in."
"Where I am from," Tarina divulged, "I am called Dread-shot Grim, but ye can call me Katarina."
Tarina cleared her throat. Something seems off, Tarina thought feeling a little threatened by the large woman, whatever it is I don't like it one bit.
"But I assure you," Tarina stated, "We come in peace."
I on the other hand, Tarina thought, do not. There is no telling what this giant, rather 'giantess' can do. Tarina rested her hands at her sides and sighed, I could at least try to fake it. 'Cause I can't risk starting something I won't be able to finish.
"This is a forlorn abbey, a place of worship from a time long ago. However, I am curious as well. Something about thine presence...tell me, for what purpose doust thou come here?"
The real truth that we all came from another world, Tarina thought, but even that seems far-fetched. Hm…
"Mind if I call you Lucy?" Tarina offered, gesturing with her hands as she spoke.
"If we told ye the truth ye wouldn't believe us," Tarina stated,"Or would ye?" Hopefully, she will, she sighed, and we can leave this unnecessary passive aggression behind us.
Lucian considers this for a moment before responding: "Methinks it would hardly matter if thou spoke falsehood or not, as long as thou didn't contradict thyself. I'd never know the difference."
"We have come to this shrine for it is the only true building we have seen since the causeway. A beast also scrawled such instructions before it's demise." Orntorias holds aloft the parchment.
"Lucy, we had no choice but to come 'ere," Tarina explained, "for this land is a strange one for me comrades an' I. We are not of this world, but trapped 'ere for some time an' I don't when and if we'll be able to return from whence we came. Alas not all of us hath made it thus far." Her tone after the word "Alas" changed to a more depressing tone in remembrance of events that had occurred earlier that day. Tarina held back her tears in an effort to not show weakness.
Altair shrugs at the giant's response. "Well in that case, I seek the path to break myself of the old blood. A flight of madness, I am aware. However I found myself on this path, and with the mysteries that surround this place perhaps I may yet find my answer. As to our groups reasons we are here, on reaching the other side of the canyon this was the only structure aside from the causeway. There doesn't seem to be an easy path back up to the top of it, this seemed the best option to avoid attention if another hunter like the canyon dwelling dragon came to seek the open field this place is surrounded with."
The thin man retrieving his watch and presenting it to the giantess.
" So far this device has given me a path to follow, leading me to this place. Though on reaching these lands it has become less reliable. I think though if I could sum up what I seek at the moment it is a place to rest and find my direction again. After losing an ally to a twist of fate it would be nice to at least give the man a few words. He deserved better."
The woman patiently listens to each of you in turn. Only when Altair has produced his watch do her eyes widen some.
"Yes, indeed. Then thou must boast the mark, at least one, and thou hast come from the lower realm. Certainly a rare breed indeed..." she trails off with an amused face before continuing.
"I am afraid I know little of the lower realms or the nations that thou hast claimed. However, if thou seeketh guidance I will oblige how I can. In the meantime, thou may share this humble abbey, though it is long since defiled as a shrine."
With that she rises to her feet and moves a few paces to the party before coming to rest on her knees before the party.
"Why stay in such a place?" Orntorias asks inquisitivley
Altair shrugs at the giant
" Well we are in good company then as I have no knowledge of this place either. do you know the history of the village in the canyon? I saw wall paintings there with a concerning image in it and what looked like lower caverns with ruined structures in them. Was that place built on the bones of an older city?"
Tarina remains quiet for some time after saying her peace. She too fell to her knees and then she began twirling the cold iron hook from earlier in her un-glove hand. Her other hand laid on her crocodile, Moria Jr., who kept groaning ever so often. Tarina sighed.
"Things used to be so simple," she whispered talking to her croc,"I know you have gone without water for a while, but I miss the sea. My home everything I had held dear, and now I do not know what to think."
"That is an interesting question. I stay because this is where I am meant."
She waits a good while before answering Altair, giving a great deal of thought to whatever she is about to say. Finally, she speaks:
"That village, its occupants, and indeed this whole area was once very different from what you have seen. To say it was built in place of some ruin is misleading. Rather the beasts hoped to capitalize on the shattered remnants of their forebearers."
"Thou hast asked of me something more vexing, but I will indulge thine curiosity nonetheless..."
"The painting thou hast seen depicts a holy war that once befell this place, spurred on by only a single man, his vision, and the host that followed in his wake. Culpability is always a matter of perspective, but regardless it was the beasts that were to be attacked for their practices."
"The being you saw in the painting, the one with light shining from its back, presided over the beasts. They spoke of it as Shanyen, the Furious Earth, and revered it as a god. In all the fighting it was only a matter of time until it woke to unleash its terrible wrath upon the invaders, the result of which is the canyon thou crossed to come here."
"In the end, though, Shanyen's worshipers were scattered and it was forced deep underground, back into the ichorous earth."
Altair listened intently at the giantess provided answers brow knitting before sighing sadly.
" It would have been nice to meet those tribesmen, all we encountered in that place was maddened beasts who only clung to the barest of language and the long dead. Though I think they were aware of us, there was chanting on the winds as we passed through the canyon and something reached out to try and effect some of our company." the human explains as he looks to his companions.
"Regardless I intend to cook something to revitalize everyones spirits. I brought enough supplies to cook something but I don't have much in the way of meat or vegetables. Lady Lucian I offer you to partake of the meal regardless but if you have such supplies I could craft something much more attractive." Altair requests as he places his heavy pack on a nearby wall shrugging a shoulder as the weight is removed.
You suspect that you may be able to use the dried plant as a replacement for flour, corn, or oat meal.
"Those" continues the giant "were not the chants of the living, but rather the cries of the dead who linger still. Likely, they took thou as trespasser and attempted to level some curse at thou."
"If thou seeketh foodstuff perhaps thou should make way for the basement of this place where such things were once stored. Be wary however, for the abbot still dwells there and becomes restless when interlopers appear."
" Well that explains some of what we witnessed in that place. I pray someday that those spirits find peace."
Altair gives the tall one a quirked brow " From the way you phrase it I take the Abbot is not one for conversation anymore? I'd be quite happy to engauge in conversation or trade if he is still receptive but as has already been show this land's inhospitable nature seems to leak into those who dwell here too long. With a few blessed, bright exceptions that is."
"Thou would be correct in assuming so, a malediction most foul has overtaken he. Such afflictions plague these lands, I'm afraid."
Altair sighs and retrieves his more pertinent weapons from the massive pack he brought, leaving the majority where it was.
" I shall see if there is much of value in the place then. I will return once I've sated my curiosity or the abbots perceptions defeat my own skill at stealth. If any of you desire to join me feel free though I would ask you stay back some lest my work to avoid the abbots attentions be spoiled." The human requests as he moves to the basement door and examines the portal as he readies himself.
The human resuming the spectral form he had yesterday and an absence of sound as he moves into the room. Doing his utmost to avoid upsetting any denizens.
Altair moves for the stairway leaving Orntorias and Tarina alone with Lucina the giant, who smiles at them fondly.
Descending Altair feels the temperature drop sharply, though the air remains quite thick - even feeling oppressive. It feels as if something is watching him or, rather, something is searching for him as his two spells have rendered him quite invisible.
Now in the cellar Altair can see its a small rectangular room, barely longer than it is wide. Near the certain is a robed figured collapsed face-down on the ground, presumably the abbot. Severe broken arrow shafts jut from his back.
On Altairs left hand side, at the far-end of the room, there is an open doorway.
Altair examines the room to see what features existed in it before moving forward and through the open doorway.
Eyes scanning for dangers I could still step in a bear trap after all.