Despite his distance the magical blast knocks the wizard off his feet. He stands and nods in appreciation at Gavin's healing before moving forward to examine the damaged mantle.
++An impressive result, though likely not one the device was designed to achieve. The damage to the cube caused the internal fluid to leak, which appears to have been the trigger for the ensuing destruction. With such energy I believe it was likely meant as a power source for some other function of the cube; otherwise why such a complicated container? Also I hardly think the intent was to inflict such damage on the manor itself.
++I wonder what the fluid was composed of; Gavin, did you note if the substance had any traits of interest?++
Fenrick is unprepared for the blast as he takes it full on. Luckily his divine protection keeps him from getting too injured. He then stands up. Well... that was unexpected.
As the others assess their wounds and regroup, Gavin continues to wash healing energy over them.
"I didn't have enough time to garner any real answers, but the cube seemed to be designed to siphon energy away from the portal? Or perhaps the Tower itself?" Gavin responds.
"Thanks Gavin" Lyra brushes herself off. "So the tower connects to somewhere, that is filled with things that are not people who are aware of the openings and how to close them."
"In this instance, Pigeon, it appears so."
The Witness allows his sight to slip into the magical spectrum as he studies the mantle, hoping to distinguish some variance caused by the damage in The Tower's otherwise uniformly overwhelming aura.
After spending some time studying and analyzing the (painfully) dazzling auras, Gavin and the Witness determine with some degree of confidence that any magic that may have distinguished the now-cracked mantle from the walls around it must have been destroyed in the explosion.
After a few minutes of waiting for any hazards to present themselves, Gavin approaches the mantle for a better inspection.
Once he is certain that there is no threat, he suggests returning to their original goal.
"A good meal and warm bed for tonight are not yet out of the question. Shall we make use of the day's remainder?"
"Yes, but one moment" Lyra says, before stepping away and giving Seth a chance in the tower. They had planned to shift at the elf town, since Seth is better with people but... "She would never say so, but the doll people rattled her a bit." her brother explains.
”Very well. Let’s see if the way back to the stairs remains open.”
Gavin finds no additional threats nor objects of interest in his search. Following the hallway back where they came from, the explorers find that the archway from the staircase has been replaced by a solid wall.
Fenrick will travel with the group up the stairs. Can we agree on something? Next time we intrude on strangers' homes, can we please use aggressive investigations as a last resort. Fenrick is looking right at Gavin as he speaks through the telepathy I do not understand why breaking the fine things in the home was necessary, but I am fine leaving it in the past if we agree to not be so aggressive again unless there is aggression against us.
I can assure you that I will continue to investigate the Tower in the way that I see as most fit. Even if it includes temporary, minor disturbances. Breaking a simple, easily mendable plate to attempt an interaction with those Golems is not something I would consider a grievous sin. I am certain that I have the proper respect for rights and possessions and would not deprive anyone of either without cause or the ability to rectify.
"Guys, we need a bit of focus here. The stairs are gone." Seth moves up to the wall, to touch, looks, smell even to try and see if it is real and if there is any secret door, mechanism, seam, anything.
The wall certainly feels real to Seth's touch and his thorough inspection reveals no signs whatsoever that there was ever any archway there. He does, however, recall that when the group passed this floor on their way down it seemed a solid wall and it was only on the way back up that the archway presented itself.
"The Stair Scholars did say most openings off the stairs were temporary in nature. No matter - I believe I can attempt to translocate us back to the stairs."
The Witness' spell proves effective and the explorers once again find themselves on the seemingly endless staircase that has been their home since arriving in the Tower.
After double checking their surroundings to ensure safety and get his bearings, Gavin suggests they continue.
"We've still a ways to go before reaching this Elven community', we best be to it."
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Fenrick makes no response at the time to Gavin as it dawns on him the situation that he clearly overlooked. Luckily The Witness was able to save that problem easily. As we start to travel again, Fenrick considers his words before speaking up again about what is weighing on his mind.
I do not believe you do have the proper respect. He just broke into a home, accidently, but we did. And the first thing you thought to do was start breaking their belongings. It isn't about how easy something is but rather the respect to the owners. Next time you bring our your tea pot to make tea, would you not be upset with me if I took it and smashed it? It may be fixed with the easy of magic but the action itself is disrespectful to you and aggressive. I am not saying that there might not be times for such actions, but we went into the home and while we scouted out the surrounding, the first step you did was pick up a plate and smash it. Were there not more obvious ways to get the doll people's attention that may of led to us learning more before needing to flee. Am I the only one who seems to have a problem with this? If so I will accept the will of the group... Fenrick looks down defeated.
"I have seen far too much actual violence in my life to believe that cracked flatware compares in any way. I will try to avoid making you feel uncomfortable in the future, but there will be times when I will need to make split second decisions and asking after your sensibilities may not be possible in all cases before acting. Had I know that your disposition would be so affected, I would have sought another path.
I will try my best to do so in the future."
Fenrick and Gavin continue their discourse as they return to mist, switching to telepathic communication when speech is no longer possible. As vapors, the explorers return to speeding up the ever spiraling staircase. Just a few floors below where they entered, by the Witness' count, they round a curve and just barely catch a glimpse of a lone man in perhaps his mid-thirties disappearing.
"Lyra didn't like it either, but she was, as I mentioned on edge about the inhabitants when you broke the plate. It started my brave super stabby sister." Seth jested, before puffing into wind, his first time. Odd, he thinks, but not out loud.
++There's a man up ahead, I'd like to make introductions, if there are no objections++
Gavin thinks to the others as he puts on the breaks.
”I’m often perplexed by the decisions of others,” the wizard shrugs, ”but in my experience my attempts at convincing them to change their point of view more often results instead in an increase to their resolve. In the end, I find the only person I can control is, at best, myself.”
++None here. Perhaps this is the ‘pragmatic loner’ Haedron from our own time; I believe he is predisposed towards stealth.++
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This is not about "making me uncomfortable". We lost an opportunity to learn more because destruction was your first reaction to the new situation. But yes, try to make it sound like you are being the bigger person and "playing to my sensibilities" when the orc is asking you to not break other people's things. Fenrick is clearly upset both by Gavin's actions and now the way the old man is talking down to him. He doesn't respond much to much more as he tries to think over how he could of made his point better to not put Gavin on the defensive in the future.
Fenrick stays quite as we slow down and allows Gavin to take the lead.
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Gavin, now solid again, hurries forward to where he last saw the figure and looks around a bit confused.
"I'd swear he was here just moments ago?" he wonders out loud.
"Perhaps I misjudged he speed?" Putting his hands to his mouth and calling out loudly down the curve of the staircase, he tries to project his voice.
"Fellow traveler! Please slow down! We seek only peaceful discourse!"
++He's turned invisible.++
The Witness quickly goes through his mental checklist of the ten most common signs of invisible creatures, searching for each in turn as he attempts to discern the man's location through the acumen of his physical senses...
Seth swirls into existence and casts see invisible on himself. "We have run into several people on the stairs so far, and so far have happily avoided having any sort of physical altercation. If you don't want to talk, we understand, though we would love to trade information."
Fenrick will join the others by turning back to physical matter. He will also position himself to be standing next to The Witness, just in case of an altercation.
The explorers see and hear nothing as they return to physical form. Gavin's shouts, at first, go unanswered, but when Seth casts a spell to see the invisible a voice calls out nearby, "Greetings, fellow travelers. I mean you no harm. I'm content to explore the Tower alone, but if you have information to trade--and believe I might have information worth trading for--then I'm open to trying."
++He is about 10' past where you are standing, Gavin. He's lightly armored and holding two shortswords, though they're currently down by his sides rather than being up in an aggressive stance.++
"Great, we can start with something simple." he bows to the hidden person. "I am Seth Posfurore. And you are?"
Fenrick detects the persons morals and ethics.
I am Fenrick, servant of the Lady of Graves.
"I know who all of you are already..." the invisible man answers tentatively, "although, I don't really understand why you, Seth, have two names."
Seth gets the impression that the man isn't really looking for an answer to that riddle and watches as he looks around thoughtfully. When he speaks again he offers, "there have been two other groups that passed by... two men who smelled of sulphur and blackpowder, and a group of four with one woman and two burly Svenik men... if you can tell me who they are I'll tell you about myself."
Fenrick does not sense any aligned auras from the man.
"Our question was a formality, Haedron Gentz. We have much of the information you request, but if you wish an exchange we'll need more in return than the name we know you by."
The invisible man cracks a wry smile. ”What else would you like to know, Witness?” he asks.
"I am Gavin, as I'm sure you know. Information about the other groups we have seen and encountered is limited at best, and I'm afraid sharing what we do know might overstep the unspoken boundaries of the relationships we've begun to cultivate." Gavin replies in the direction of the voice.
"As to what information I seek, I would like to know what brought you to the Tower. What led you to take such a leap of faith into the unknown? Alone, no less.
++We're cultivating relationships with unspoken boundaries?++ The wizard sighs quietly. No matter how much I observe other people, their expectations and motivations consistently elude me.
Unless I read their minds, of course.
Seth sees Haedron look confused for a moment, then the otherwise invisible man asks, "So you want to trade information... and the information you'd like is about me, a person in the Tower... but you're unwilling to give any information about any of the people in the Tower in exchange for it?"
He hesitates for a moment and then adds, "I guess that means personal information is quite valuable. So, what other important information do you have to exchange for these precious personal details?"
Fenrick stays silent as the others try to arrange a deal with this individual.
"Personal information is indeed quite valuable to me. The people of the Tower are as much a part of it as the walls and magics. I seek it for potential allies and to increase the likelihood that I will be where I am needed, when I am needed."
Gavin says, trying to determine if that made sense.
"As to what I will trade, I will tell my story and make you a promise. If you are in need, and you cause is Just, I will aid you if I can."
”I did a little research on you before we left,” Haedron offers. ”I don’t think I’m willing to pay for any additional information about you right now. If promises can be exchanged, though, how about this: in return for your promise I will promise that if I do need your aid in the future I will pay for it with information about myself?”
++He seems curious to figure out the give and take here more than trying to take advantage.++
Gavin thinks for a moment, considering the terms,
"I think that would be just fine, Haedron. Be well and travel safe." the old priest finally responds.
++I have no further questions, but am in no rush.++
++Given our fellow Seekers from our own time already know of us and appear - to me at least - to be favorably disposed towards trusting us, logic implies reinforcing that trust should require less effort than building new relationships. We also know at least some facts about them to base our own judgment on, as opposed to the complete unknowns of Seekers from entirely different times.
Based on this thesis, I'm going to share the information we've learned about The Tower I believe he'll find useful. 'Better the outsider you know,' as the saying goes.++
The Witness nods in the direction Haedron seems to be.
"Know this, Haedron - we believe somewhere around the two-hundredth floor of The Tower is a community of most of the Lower Tower's resident Seekers, spread out across several floors and living under the aegis of a company of elven soldiers. We also believe there are at least two outsiders permanently residing somewhere within The Tower who likely entered through a plane other than our own, bypassing the Seeker's Quest.
"For reference, we're currently on the one-hundred-seventy-first floor, as counted from the bottom of the stairs.
"Openings from the stairs to interior chambers," the wizard motions towards the interior wall, "randomly appear and disappear by magical means. If you lack the ability to transport yourself through solid matter, I would advise caution in entering such passages, as they may well close behind you."