Chim breaks through time, gazing into the world of spirits.
For a heartbeat the insidious monument becomes a thing of beauty: the astrologer can feel that it was a place for cosmological education and reflection.
The spirit of a broken old scholar rests half-buried in the mud at his feet. The single, weeping eye doesn't seem to see him, lost in memories and sadness. Yet the cyclops whispers for a few moments, in an archaic tongue. "I would do anything to stop the pain. That is when my 're-education' was finally complete. That is when renounced my dissident colleagues, scholars, friends… betrayed them. My reward for this betrayal? A swift end to the suffering here at the Prison of the Vacant Eye. So I thought. It was only an end to the mortal suffering. An eternity far worse was waiting. If only I knew.
What care I for who resides in this accursed ruin? She is one like I was once; a scholar and student of history. Far is her sight, backwards into the past and sharper than yours, little one."
…I would do anything to stop the pain… The ghost turns away and weeps. The vision fades.
You gather together. Mariama lights a clove. So… TEACHERS… this STUDENT is wondering: you got a plan, or what?
"We apparently stand before the Prison of the Vacant Eye," Chimwemwe says. "This may be a post-classical edifice used by those who had rejected the traditional Ghol-Gan religion and become dominant to force conversion. I fear there may be undead cyclops left behind in their torment. I learned little about the kayal that have taken it over, though."
"Let us sneak over to the stone columns and try to find a way to make moving the debris you saw less noisy," Chimwemwe suggests. "We should also be alert for restless souls of former prisoners who may prowl the cage."
You make your way through the much and through the teeth, coming to face with a pile of rubble. It's impossible to squeeze for anyone larger than a small creature.
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Soomdevi's familiar slips through the rocks like… a shadow.
They return minutes later. Giggling, they whisper about a pool beyond choked with more stones but a sunken passage to the right. Spelunking!? They grin, white teeth glinting in the darkness.
Akoril shoulders his bow and does his best to move boulders while Wisps covers the sound.
Wisps listens carefully to the ambient noises and then tries to mimic them, but louder, adding in some extra wind.
You eventually make it through and find yourself facing a dark pool. There is no where to go but through the water. Soomdevi's familiar mentioned a passage under the wager. Where it goes, how far it goes, and what dangers lurk there is currently unknown.
A steady, gently croaking rumbles through the cavern, as if from large amphibians.
"I don't like this" Kiri whispers, wading slowly and as quietly as they can into the water.
Kiri sneaks forward. They observe the pool… nothing stirs. They peek under the water and find it murky. They do not detect anything hiding down there.
"If I had enough time, I would prepare a way to breathe underwater," Chimwemwe says with a dejected tone. He draws out the spear from over his shoulder. "Does anyone know the incantation for dancing lights?"
"Rather lure any predators toward a false light," he clarifies.
"I could cast light on a coin and toss it in. It wouldn't dance, though."
Akoril stage whispers. "It's in my book, but no in my mind."
Wisps drops a lit rock into the pool, but you do not see anything stir.
Akoril looks to his companions "Ready as I'll ever be."
"I suppose we have to."
You dive in. Nothing attacks you.
You blindly grasp around the cold, murky water. There is a small passage to the left and a wider passage forward.
Soomdevi leads the way to the wider passage. From under the water, you can make out a steady ringing sound, like someone hammering. Sound travels well under water.
You surface on a shore.
A protruding cave wall divides this wide cavern into two parts. An enormous stone table and benches stand to the left, while the right remains a rough cavern with just enough tumbled stone and smooth walls to indicate that it used to be worked, but collapsed long ago. Torchlight flickers.
There are two familiar faces here… and one less so.
Your old friend Thiravo the Quick, his hat battered and his rod-of-wonder fighting stick gone, chisels morosely at the stone with a pick. Onyije is here as well, pounding at at another spot on the stone with hammer. She looks angry. And bruised.
A huge, ugly cyclops paces back and forth, smacking his greatclub against his fist. Thiravo cringes every time he hears the meaty thwack.
Onyije turns and sneers at the brute. Fearless, or foolish. Or fearless and foolish.
The cyclops leans in, towering over her. "Tir see disgusting angry looks, stupid little half-orc. You want Tir crush your little skull?"
Thiravo the quick interjects, speaking rapidly. Master Tir! You see she is only frustrated at the slow progress of this great project! Who would not be? Hahahaha, yes that's it. We are all anxious to see this complete! Please, master, don't hurt us, it will only slow down mighty Halbrux's great efforts. I would not want to see you punished for wasting valuable resources, and though this one has a terrible attitude (unlike me, master) she is strong!
"Uhhhh…" The giant cyclops rubs the club on his skull as he cogitates over that fast-talking halfling's words. Then, he notices Soomdevi. He grins at the fetchling, showing off his rotted brown teeth.
"HEY! Shadow guy. Knight of gloom or whatever. Stupid name, hard to remember. Anyways, are them more prisoners you got with you? He points the club at Chim, Akoril, Kiri, and Wisps. Think we smash this annoying angry one to a pulp? He points at Onyije, who's eyes widen with hope when she sees her teachers and mentors. She keep giving Tir bad looks. Like she not happy be breakin' rocks all day. Maybe she be more happy dead, ya know? We got extra workers anyways, with you bringin' in… he counts on his fingers. One… two… three… four more."
Kiri picks up on Soomdevi's plan, pretending to cringe away from the fetchling as Soomdevi shouts, then shuffles forward nervously, trying to play up the abused captive.
Thiravo the quick darts behind the cyclops' legs when he sees Soomdevi. Not… you! Tir, that's Sir… uhhh… Sir Sable. Yeah. The mightiest scariest Knight of the Gloaming Heart there ever was! Please don't let him hurt me, Tir, you need my maximum labor force!
Thanks to 'Kiri and Thiravo's deception the cyclops, who seems to be named Tir, buys it. He laughs darkly. Huh. Huh. Huh. No hurtin' workers unless I says so. He leans in, squinting down at Soomdevi. His breath smells like rotten meat. He looks pretty small from up here. Not so tough. I ain't never heard that name before but all them knights seem the same to me. Tiny shadow-people. Ain't no one scarier than us cyclops. Especially me.
Thiravo the Quick enthusiastically nods, words spilling out of his mouth. Truth! Oh so true, master Tir! And of course the overseer of this place, Halbrux Far-Sight herself, is just a room over. She is always nearby isn't she, master Tir? And if we make a lot of noise or stop hammering rocks for too long, she will be disturbed from her very important meditations and then come and see what's wrong, and then we'll all be in trouble.
Tir remembers people are supposed to be working. Ya! That's right! All you! Break them rocks! Tir points to a pile of tools in the corner.
Thiravo cringes. Yes master, right away master! Thiravo scurries across the room and grabs his pick. He winks at you.
Chimwemwe resists arching an eyebrow and slogs onto shore and looks around as if searching for a pick.
Wisps joins Chimwemwe, while trying to look as sullen as possible. She whispers when she passes Onyije, "We're here to help. Got any intel?"
Yeah we should kill 'em all is what! This guy's dumb but the boss is smart, cyclops, a powerful mage… made deals with the knights…
Tir shouts.
Chimwemwe tries to create cover for their discussions by appropriately timed slams of the pick against rock.
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Akoril at least carries a pick to try and fit in.
Again Thiravo interjects. They're just hungry, mighty Tir! Surely Sir Sable here forcibly marched them across the swamps on a starvation diet. Can you go hunting for us? You are the best mightiest hunter. We need fresh food to be good laborers.
snarls Tir.
"You haven't been feeding the prisoners? But surely the boss will be angry when we keel over from hunger. I certainly wouldn't want to be you when she finds out you haven't been hunting. You better go do that right away!"
Halbrux Far-Sight will applaud this wise decision, master Tir!
The cyclops lumbers away, through the door opposite the table and up the stairs.
Thiravo grins. He whispers, tapping rock to make it sound like he's hard at work. You are lucky I'm here, friends! Not only have I assisted you in concocting a believable plan, but I am willing to forgive your trespass upon the ruins of bloodsalt. Let bygones be bygones. I am magnanimous. Now, as to my reward—
Onyije raises her hammer, as if to strike the halfling. You sold the us out to the knights and then they betrayed YOU as well, you sniveling, mendacious”—
A misunderstanding! Haha, I had losses to recoup and merely intended to warn the knights AWAY from the village by telling them there were Magaambyans taking rest, distracted and relaxing in Kiutu. Perhaps I was too honest, another tragic fault of mine. I only wished some small token, some coins, for my reward. Terrible. A horrible misunderstanding… and of course those evil knights inevitably betrayed me as well, an innocent bystander.
"Regardless of the how of the situation," Chimwemwe says now that their cyclopean guard has gone, "we need to rescue our friends. And you. Where is the mage? We should deal with her before Tir returns."
Thiravo nods enthusiastically. Yes, we need to focus on the future and not linger upon the niggling infractions of the past. But let us not forget gratitude for more recent successes. Namely, my quick thinking and cunning that has saved you from being overrun by cyclopes. I will stay here and cogitate upon an equitable percentage of the priceless historical artifacts which you will no doubt discover in this ruin. These valuable finds will surely elevate humanoidkind's academic understanding of the Ghol-Ghan empire. Likely, my fee will be well under 40%.
Thiravo smiles at Onyije, which just makes her seethe more. She spins away from the halfling and turns to Chim.
You say the word and I'll bust that fool's teeth in, professor Chimwemwe. Look. I have more important news. Bad news. Those gothic knights took the other Lore-speakers… some ritual for their boss. They went to Jula. I guess there's a secret portal to their homeland there.
The rest of us new students are in cells near the head cycplos, who's some insane historian obsessed with these ruins. She works us day and night. I think she has some deal with the knights of the gloaming heart to give her free labor, but doesn't care what they do otherwise. A total monomaniac. And she lairs right across the hallway… third door on the left. There's also at least three more cyclops guards around too, but I think two of them are upstairs right now. Tir is the toughest of the lot by far. She points down the hallway. All the knights are up above, guarding and waiting for more prisoners…
Chimwemwe chuckles at Onyije's quip despite the dire situation and the dire news. "I doubt we have the man power to move these stones and seal the mage in her room before we are discovered," he says, mostly thinking out loud as he begins to draw invisible diagrams in the air.
"Well under 40..." chuckles Akoril. "Things are definitely even more dangerous than they looked from the outside."
"We should move quick and confront this boss before Tir returns."
Onyije nods. We should destroy her. I've seen… bodies. She works her prisoners to death. She only cares about her research, no matter the cost. Of course, I'm coming with. They took my spellbook and gear, but this pick will be good for stabbing out her big horrible eye.
You go around the corner, below a massive table that drios blood. There must be a large creature sloppily butchered atop it.
A muscular cyclops here pokes at five frogs in a pen. The frogs have saddles. It looks like he is tormenting them for fun.
He turns around and shouts Get back towork! The students in the pens see you and cheer.
The third door on the left flies open. A dark-haired cyclops wearing scholars robes steps forth. Her ink-stained fingers clutch a wicked looking greatclub; manacles jangle at her belt.
Visions of the past empire await me. I shall not be disturbed.
She makes a single quick gesture; time dilates around her for a moment, and now she moves faster. The great empire unlocked the wonders of blood. Visions of horrific sacrifices swirl around her as she incants a divine spell, the images of blood seeming to empower her natural abilities.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Far-Sight
➤ Kiri
➤ Wisps
⠀⠀➤ Chimwemwe
⠀⠀➤ Akoril
⠀⠀➤ Soomdevi
⠀⠀➤ Blinks
Cyclops 1
Akoril waits for inspiration from Wisps as his mask drops down over his face and opens with a pair of arrows carrying electricity although one disolves into the aether along the way.
Wisps scoffs. "We can handle this."
She weaves magic with her fingers, trying to draw away the caster's speed.
Kiri quickly casts a spell, disappearing from sight before sneaking as quietly as they can forward to the wall in front of them.
Chimwemwe speaks an arcane equation that summons three identical copies of himself. They all four then trace the invisible tattoos along their arms. Every rune and tattoo on the four Lirgeni arcanist inventors flares with pale blue light.