Aurora Mira's page

"Skeletons? They do not bleed. They can't be killed, only battered into pieces," Aurora whispers, looking a little pale at the thought. She seems to notice the tip of her javelin still glowing, and the light disappears, leaving you able to see little more than one another's outlines in the smoke and darkness.

"I can call it back," she whispers.

"We must reach Azizi's wine shop, near the western caravan gate," Aurora whispers, when all have assembled. "It's only a few blocks from here, near the beggar's bazaar."

She eases the bolt back and slowly pushes the door open. The night sky glows orange as the city burns. Though the fire is still distant, long trails of smoke wind along the streets, and embers drift down. You are in the midst of the shantytown that lies behind the temple hill, at the edge of the western desert. The houses around you are flimsy shacks that will burn easily, and the street you are on dead ends at the cliff face of Temple hill. To the west, it bends out of sight a few ramshackle structures down. Only a few people can be seen, hurrying away to some other place.

Aurora waves the newcomer towards the corridor that some of the others are moving down. Her eyes brighten at the sight of the scrolls.

"Thank you, Nikodemos, this is a bright spot in a dark day," she says. "Here are treasures truly worth preserving. Perhaps the heroes of the future will be inspired by the heroes of the past. Take a moment to catch your breath. We will be on our way soon."

****

She is startled when Ali makes the connection between their names, but she nods.

"The name does indeed mean dawn. My mother was of the Latins, an Italian tribe, but you have the meaning of it right."

Aurora proves surprisingly slippery, or maybe it's just that the Fist of Sekmet has one hand wrapped in bandages and is carrying a shield on her other arm. Whatever the reason, she evades capture, and finds herself pressing back against the wall.

"Brave servant of Sekhmet," she says, a bit breathlessly. "I know your intent is to defend me from harm, my task here is to see you all safely out of the temple. That means I must wait until all have assembled. Please, I must beg that you allow me to perform my duty."

She raises her voice, then, calling for your attention.

"Please, listen to me. Do not fight one another. The Goddess has told our oracle that among you are tomorrows heroes. That our only hope of defeating he enemy, stands in this room. To defeat him, though, you will need to stand together."

I hope all in this adventure will be better defined by their actions and their play than their avatars.

To the back of the priest of Hermes, as he hurries down the hall, Aurora grins and calls. "Promise that we'll share bottle of the finest Iberian then," she shouts, and then turns to the bickerer. "Perhaps you'll join us, and try to convince us that in the end, all this is chasing after the wind."

Please imagine this post came before Khelreddin's.

As she ushers the others down the corridor, Aurora turns to see a young greek in the robes of a priest of Hermes slipping through the door as it swung closed. She waves him over, her eyes watching through the gap in the door as a massive, winged beast flies overhead, spraying fire down on the city.

"Quickly," she says to him. "Let your God speed us on our way."

Aurora smiled patiently at Cuan's character, and gestures towards the corridor leading out.

"While I would be pleased to have the chance to discuss philosophy with you, it is not how I choose to spend my last minutes. I offer you a chance to survive. If you do not accept the offer, will you at least step aside for those who do?"

"It is the maybe that matters," Aurora says softly. She glances towards the gate as the sound of fighting grows louder. "The temple will fall, soon, and those who don't die fighting will live to be slaves and the playthings of demons. We have chosen to fight and die so that maybe you will escape, and maybe you will fight against this enemy so that some day, maybe others will have a better choice than this. We have chosen to fight so that one day, others may live a life free of oppression and terror. You are free to choose for yourself, of course, and perhaps our enemy will prove more fair. They'll be here soon."

@ Cuan

"Is marble truly what you see us fighting for?" Aurora says, concern causing her to frown.

Spoiler:

"Burn them I say! Only a rare few of those monstrosities can withstand our flames and for those there are some other solution." A grizzled and strange looking fellow comes through the door, a smouldering carcass behind him. He holds a strange, spherical ceramic ball in his hands.

"Now where's this passage? I've almost run out of fire."

Aurora looks at the charred corpse a moment before the door closes, and then her eyes turn to the one who came inside.

"Only have a care that you don't burn all that we strive to preserve along with those that we fight against," she says, pointing the way down the passage. "Let your philosophy always guide your hand, and you will see what it is worth."

Spoiler:

A soldier stumbles backwards through the door, tripping on his feet and the blood splattering the floor. With the clatter of armor and weapons, he falls on his back and his helmet flies off his head.

Except he, is a she, and she has seen better days.

"ouch." she says as she rolls over onto her hands and knees and picks her self up. Blood, human, orc, goblin, and various other shades coated her armor and stained the cloth padding under it. She sees the Priestess and the others, stands at attention and salutes.

"Orders, ma'am?"

Aurora picks up the helmet and hands it back to the woman that has burst in, as another soldier pushes the door closed. The blood covering Alekto is hardly noticed, though the priestess's eyes do scan her for any particularly grievous wounds. In the past days, the sight of blood has become far too familiar, and all have become numbed to it.

"Alekto, the Theban army is no more, your duty there is fulfilled. I can only ask you now to join these others, and to survive long enough to take another stand against this darkness." she says, and then snaps out orders. "Through the passage, with the others."

Spoiler:

Priestess, is there word from Lexandria or Saqqarah? The young foreigner seems eager for news, his eyes nearly welling with tears... but he manages to fight them back.

Worlds away and perhaps no matter, really. Where are my manners? I am Ali, and I am at your service.

The youth draws a scimitar and while letting the priestess lead the way, places himself between Aurora and any danger ahead.

*****

Slums... I am closer to home, already. Ali gives a genuine smile.

Reaching into the folds of his loose shirt, Ali produces a pendant with phoenix insignia. He hands it to Aurora. Nothing more that a brass trinket, be assured. But, if it is presented with a message... we will know it is from you.

Bending, Ali kisses the priestess' hand. Manners... what separate us from animals, monsters and barbarians.

Turning, he slips into the passage and closer to his destiny.

Aurora's reply to Ali's gallantry and his first question was cut off by the Fist of Sekmet, bringing news of the fall of the other cities.

"To the best of my knowledge," she says, "we are the last remaining stronghold in Egypt. How other lands have fared, I cannot say, but there may be some hope left in the Hellas."

*****

In the sacristy, she returns his bow with a warm smile and a quick nod, and her fingers close around the pendant. She cocks her head in surprise at the idea that such a decorous gentleman should have emerged from the slums. "I still hope that I may survive, to be the one to deliver the message. Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

Spoiler:

"_I_ am the word from Lexandria. And I may be the last." The dark young woman glanced up at him past the lioness' fangs that fronted her cowl, before returning to the binding of her right hand, layer on layer of white linen, finally enough layers to keep the blood from showing. "But if this is what the Gods will we are meant for, I mean to be well for it." Tying off the wrapped linens, she tests the hard fist-club against a wall, either not feeling or not acknowledging any pain. At the unasked question, she answered, "My spear. They splintered my spear, one of the great beasts, and the shards... drove through my wrist. The priestesses here, they got them out, but I've still no strength to hold a blade." She holds up the cestus-bound hand, and takes up her shield. "This will do. If it's to be the last weapon I wield, let the Gods grant, that I wield it well."

She falls into place in the flying wedge, her shield ahead of the priest, opposite Ali. "I am of Sekhmet.", she says to the Arab. Glancing at her bound hand, she stresses, "Fist of Sekhmet."

Softly, prayerfully, she adds, "...so may it be."

Aurora winces in sympathy at the sight of her bound hand.

"We cannot know the Gods' will, only embrace the fate that comes," she says, and then adds in a lower tone, not addressed to you, but as if she were only speaking her thoughts alouds. "I pray that they see your courage."

Spoiler:

"There is no time for manners! We must move!" Holding his bow at the ready, arrow nocked and aimed back the way they came. There is a slight but noticeable tremor in the man's voice. "It is not of the Gods' will that I-I am here. My own t-two feet carried me, and my own bow and skill protected me!" He says looking to the others. Hearing how frantic his own voice sounds, he shakes himself, as if to wake himself up and seems to calm a little. "I apologize. I've lost m-much up to this point, and I shall lose no m-more." He takes a breath. "You have my bow at your will. Y-You all lead and I'll bring up the rear! Don't want any surprises."

Before they leave the presence of the oracle, Aurora smiles bravely at the archer, her hand on his shoulder, reassuring.

"Your feet and your bow have done you credit, then," she says. "We have all lost too much. If you cannot honor the gods' request, though, perhaps you could honor the request of a woman, to lend your skill and strength to stand against the complete destruction of all that is good in the world."

Spoiler:

There was a snort from behind Ali at the mention of barbarians.

"Are you gonna talk or get a move on? I don't much fancy getting cut down by the beasties back there," a tall and worrying looking Gaul rumbled from behind them. His fiery red hair pulled back into a ponytail and a vicious looking sword strapped to his back. What is more impressive is that he was still standing after a pair of arrows to the arm and glancing blow from an orcish blade to the face. His facial wound had been hastily bandaged, leaving only one copper green eye visible.

Despite the blood and grime mostly covering him it is clear his armor and sword are both of excellent quality. From the looks of things he seems to be on of the mercenaries hired by Thebes well before the conflict. It is shocking to see that one has lasted this long.

"I ain't got no designs on dyin' today,"

Startled by the horrific appearance of the Gaul's and his wounds, Aurora takes a step back. A moment later, she recognizes the hair and the eye, and sighs in relief.

"At least one of our brave Gallic soldiers still lives," she says, smiling. "I pray your designs will keep you from dying today, and for many days to come. Your courage and strength will be needed."

The priestess Aurora leads you down a narrow corridor that slopes down behind the altar, and into a small sacristy, where the grey robes of the priestesses were stored, along with candles and other ritual objects. A dozen javelins stand in a basket in the corner, and the priestess takes one. A tapestry depicts the goddess in her full splendor, emerging from the head of her father.

Aurora pulls the tapestry aside, revealing a roughly cut passage that leads upwards through the bedrock. With a quick prayer, the tip of the javelin begins to glow, and she looks at each of you in turn.

"This will take you into the slums outside the city," she says. "I will wait here, for others may come."