Valeria gives you an odd look, then smirks a little.
"If I feel my spellbook start to grow," she whispers to you, "I can simply re-cast the spell. But thank you for your concern."
As soon as Arma reaches the door of the throne room, she sees an oddity. A highly unpleasant oddity. Darkness is rising - literally so, rising up the corridor you all came through. It looks like a solid wall of blackness - or maybe a gigantic ooze - is headed your way, advancing through the granite-walled corridor. A sighing noise precedes it...
Arma immediately turns and shouts her warning to the others as she runs across the room as fast as she is able heading for another door...
"RUN! EVERYONE! SOMETHING DARK COMES THIS WAY!!!"
Robert keeps the rubies, and then takes the rest of the money as well.
OOC: how many coins of each variety are there?
Then, he takes a look at the armor, and says to Mirandix:
"Care to try? It might be useful to you."
Finally, he approaches Lady Valeria
"Lady Valeria, forgive me for my earlier lack of courtesy. It seems that there is no further danger around here, and as soon as our companions awake, we will be free to go.
I would just like to know if you have further plans. This all seems to have been a mess, politically speaking. Will you return to Cheliax?"
Kyrax watched the strange bird in fascination for the duration of its stay. As it pops away the bard shakes his head as if in waking. Well, that was curious. We are in a strange place for certain. Let us explore it. I recommend we stick together. When Arma recommends going back the way we came Kyrax visibly pouts. But we have already been that way. We have two perfectly good doors we have not been through. he cajoles. And as Arma announces the advancement of the darkness Kyrax moves, choosing the right-hand door. He moves to it and after scanning it quickly opens it. Unless he sees something unsavory he says to the group of sleepers This way.
Mirandix Approaches the armor, looking closely at it.
Mirandix Approaches the armor, looking closely at it.
The armour is a suit of banded mail, which stands waiting on a clothing dummy for someone to put it on.
Kyrax detects nothing unsavoury on the other side of the door, and soon enough you all pile through. Zhu fires a last spell at the approaching darkness - and watches it be engulfed entirely while the black wall approaches.
Beyond the door, you find a small room with a floor worn smooth and one wall chiseled smooth again. Etched out in black are the words
You have barely a moment to wonder at the meaning of these words when the blackness pours out of the letters and comes oozing under the door. Blackness engulfs you all... and you are at peace.
After an hour and a half, the dreamers awaken on their own, none the worse for wear. Physically, at least.
You spend a very little more time in the tower room, resting and healing up, before you make your way down again.
The tower is still and silent. You pass through rooms where you shed both your own blood and that of others, and find only empty rooms. Either someone snuck in after you and cleared out all the dead bodies, or...? Or you have no idea what might have happened.
As you come upon the Wizard-doors, they open before you and close behind you with nary a sound, but a breeze starts to picj up behind you. A gentle sigh at first, by the time you come to the cave of the Red Debbulls it has become a moaning gale that pushes at your backs. As you leave the tower and step into the light, that moan becomes a tone so deep that it hurts your ears and causes your weapons to hum in the sheath -- and you hear a great, rending crash behind you!
Looking up and back, you can see that Xorshak's tower is collaping upon itself.
For better or for worse, this stage of the adventure has ended...
Arma wakes and then stands confused for a time. She scans around and looks to the others. Giving an appraising look of thanks to each of them. Still, upon noticing the oddly appointed princess she makes her way to her first, though her gaze did notice Doritian's still yet breathing form lying nearby.
She kneels before the young woman slowly and contritely her gaze to the floor.
"Lady Valeria! I am glad to see you are alive! I hope you are well, and I am sorry for whatever ill has befallen you. I promise to see you safely home."
Her voice is earnestly relieved though it sounds tired as she speaks to the young woman they had risked so much to rescue. She will wait kneeling patiently for her to reply if she does at all.
From there she will walk over to Zhu and placing a hand on his shoulder look to him.
"Sir Zhu? While I was unconscious I dreamed and while this for me is odd I was wondering... Did you perhaps see what I did? I get the impression that we and the others who slept shared that dream. You spoke to me as if I was talking and yet I remember not most of what I said. Still your words were very kind... I would like to thank you for that, my friend! But beyond that, I also remember Lady Secunda, Bangu-Bangu and Dori...Doritian all being taken. I remember the prince saying something of seven pearls and seven sins... I remember that also being mentioned again in the last thing I saw before waking. Dire words that give me reason to worry. But please tell me... Were you there Sir Zhu?"
She will wait for his response as well and to speak to the others as she must.
Still after all of that, Arma will then walk over to kneel next to the prone form of Doritian and after looking for a time into at his blank stare, she will lower his eyelids for him and set herself to build a litter from her bed roll, hemp rope, her shovel and her longspear. Gently wrapping and tying his body in it. Speaking a prayer to Shelyn on his behalf before hand, she will raise him carefully and prepare to drag him from the tower once everyone is ready to depart.
Her visor jammed open from damage still she cannot hide the tired look of worry that crosses her face even as determination flares in her gaze going forward. As the tower falls behind her she looks back only to again steel herself to move on with her burden.
Despite his irritation with Arma during the fight, despite his willingness to slay Doritian, he cannot but respect her loyalty. Loyalty is a quality he values quite highly, indeed. As she is creating the litter to carry Doritian out, he salutes Arma, sheaths his curved blade and kneels at the other end of the litter, "Though I may not agree that this man deserves it, I honor your loyalty, Arma. If you will permit it, I will help you to carry him out of here."
Looking to Mirandix as he speaks she nods some as she continues to piece together the litter.
"I would appreciate it. Sir Mirandix."
A brief pause happens as she thinks for a moment on what to say continuing to build the litter as she does. Speaking softly to him, the words sound tired but firm.
"I do not believe Doritian was, entirely himself... At least not as I knew him... I am sorry you were hurt because of my hesitance."
She finishes tying it together and after putting Doritian in, lifts her end of the litter and turns her head to him over her shoulder to Mirandix as she feels him lift it.
"Thank you Sir Mirandix."
"Glad to see you folks awake," Bydar says, "I was worried we were going to have to start kissing people like in the stories and I don't know that well."
As he helps carry Doritian out, he calls over a shoulder, "Please bring that armor. Even if no one of us uses it, we should not leave it for Xorshak."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Pontia takes her notes, and anything she can find in the way of identification from Secunda's body. Her family will not be pleased...I shall have to take care. At least Lady Valeria may speak on my behalf.
"We'll have to hurry to catch up with the Chelish forces."
"Thank you Sir Bydar. I am sure you would have thought of something?" Arma says this pleasantly though still tiredly as she rises.
As the others ready themselves to leave it is when Pontia speaks up Arma does as again as well.
"Do you think we can catch up to them Lady Pontia?"
She sounds questioning as she had heard nothing that would lead her to believe they had not already returned to Chelish lands.
Robert greets those that had been asleep. Hearing Arma's words he asks
"So you had a strange dream with other people? What happened? And what happened to that Lady Secunda, in particular?"
"Yes Sir Robert... I believe the others were there, but I have never dreamed ever before that and the others would have to confirm if it was more than just my own experience."
She looks him in the eye with her tired yet resolved gaze and speaks with a voice seemingly fatigued. It is odd to hear as it does not seem like physical fatigue but more mental. Still after a pause she speaks again as if finding the words to phrase it correctly.
"I can say, that I saw those who were asleep and I also saw Bangu-Bangu, Lady Secunda and... Doritian. We were here... in this room in which we fell asleep in."
She looks about as if searching it and then with a moments glance to the ceiling she continues on...
"All of them seemed scared and confused about why they were there. The Lady in particular was trembling as if a child and did not seem to know fully what was going on. Her and Bangu-Bangu seemed by what they said though, to think something was wrong though the goblin cried something about being tricked. Then the hands, three massive female hands from a massive female shape... pulled all three of them screaming into a... a void... I cannot describe it much better for it is hard to imagine where they went. Only Doritian spoke about much. Seven black pearls, seven prayers and seven sins in a crown and then... they were gone. Pulled screaming worse than I..."
She looks to the still form of Doritian with a glance at those words.
"...But then we eventually were chased, by darkness and saw a message chiseled into a wall. Words about a rough beasts rise and fall. It was imprisoned I think it said... Then the three goddesses Desna, Mirarae and Sarenrae slept... It mentioned three powers and their disappointment... Something about lightless skys... And then some dire warning about the seven black pearls and seven sins and a crown... A crown so pure. Words implying the end of creation should the crown be assembled... It was said to be a blasphemy... Then we woke..."
Pontia makes a note of what Arma said, intending to look up references later, when she has access to a real library.
Zhu chuckles at Bydar's joke about kissing them all awake - a feeling that is surprisingly refreshing after the day's brutal events.
He responds to Arma, "Yes, I was there, and it did happen, Arma. You do not need to thank me. I am simply relieved that we are all together - including the princess! - and still alive."
He moves over to Mirandix and says softly, "However... there is something haunting your shadow right now, Mirandix. The shade of a goblin - a malicious one - lurks behind you. I saw it clearly in the dream world. Its purpose I do not know. I understand that may sound ridiculous, but the menace I felt is real."
Mirandix shows a troubled look on his face, "Perhaps not as ridiculous as you think, Zhu. I have no explanation for it, but I find that I can suddenly speak and understand the goblin tongue. As well, I have no explanation for the incident with the Ogre's ear." Mirandix shudders at the unpleasant memory.
Arma looks to Lady Valeria before they all leave the tower.
"Please wait one moment Sir Mirandix..."
Quickly digging through her back pack once more to find the magical sleeves from before, she moves and kneels to present them to the currently under dressed Princess.
"Lady Valeria... I hope this will help you. We discovered it on our path to your rescue. The others said that it's magic should be able to provide you with more suitable attire... Please take it."
After the princess takes the magical garment creating sleeves she rises back to go and hold the litter once more.
"Thank you Sir Mirandix"