Dungeon Diving ho!~ [@Crusader Lord][@Crimson Paladin][@Click This] [hr] “Aha, don’t mention it. That’s what I’m here for~!” Lazhira replied to Leannah with a smile, Narkissa’s question however, caused her to frown. “...I’m...unsure.” She confessed, furrowing her brow in a manner suggesting mild confusion. “Enli says it’s been like this for awhile, and anyone in the village says its been like this for well...generations. I’m not sure though...I have my doubts about a lot of this temple, but its super interesting regardless.” Novak picked up a mask from the floor. The smooth surface of its wooden construction, not even eyes for the wearer to see through. Were those wearing it trying to obscure their sights for some reason? Or were they just attempting to mimic how the illuminator looked? Regardless of his thoughts, he would attempt putting it on. At first, darkness. Then slowly...ever so slowly, something started ‘fading’ into view. It was...the temple room in front of him? But his sight was odd. It was the same stone room, but all the color had been removed, as though he was viewing the world through some sort of black and white filter. His vision only extended a few feet in any direction, but what he did see might cause some minor concern. Small orbs of silvery light, similar in nature to Lazhira’s orb of light she used to help them get here, were floating all about this place. While those in and of themselves were perhaps, not too interesting, a quick glance to the stone statue would reveal the floor beneath it lighting up in the same silvery white light...as well as the floor immediately in front of it. Curiously, looking at Lazhira, would reveal her tattoo lighting up in the same manner, with her eyes, unlike being black and white, would be a silver color too. Seeing her like this would make him for a moment, think he had heard something whispering in his ear. “...see anything fun with that, Novak?” She’d ask innocently, looking to him with a grin. “I tried putting those on once, but I didn’t see anything new.” She pouted slightly. “Apparently old priests would wear those when attempting to gain insight from the Illuminator.” If Novak decided to take the mask with him [hider=Goddess Note] Item Gained: Mask of Insight A mask worn by those who once worshipped the illuminator. Wearing it sometimes allows one to see things not seen by others, but what is shown may not make sense, or may even be against what one already believes. They say sometimes too, you can even hear his mad ramblings at times. [/hider] Leannah wouldn’t find anything more interesting in the way written words. At least, nothing else she could discern as such, being unable to read the runes and ancient words within, so she’d set on her next plan. With a running start, she leaped to the top of the stone idol with a fair amount of agility. The stone was surprisingly light - perhaps it wasn’t made of stone at all? It certainly looked like it should be heavier than it is, yet it was easy enough to carry with both hands with her currently above human strength, and with a bit of agility and strength, she managed to slot it into the wall. There was a high pitched shrieking noise. If Novak was still looking through his mask, he’d see the silvery glow fade from under the statue. A voice not belonging to him intruded upon his thoughts. [i][color=silver]“The pit. Offer yourself.”[/color][/i] Several things would happen at once. The temple rumbled, old stone and gears moving. The floor under the statue gave way, causing the idol and the catgirl that had currently done the deed, to begin to fall. Leannah wouldn’t have time to react as she too fell. In the same instant, blobs of some viscous black liquid began to fall from the ceiling. Each one, eventually coalescing into a creature made of black slime with a greenish glowing light from within, and bony spines growing from various parts in their body. Rather than looking like any sort of animal, once could say they definitely resembled some sort of ‘slime’ creature from some video game, but far less friendly looking. There were about seven in total that had dropped from the ceiling, and though they were slow moving they [i]were[/i] moving towards the group with seemingly hostile intent. The foliage covering the temple began to burn as well! There was no telling how far this fire may spread, now, though given the snow nature of the forest it wasn’t going to go far, that was a small comfort to the party inside, though since most of the structure seemed to be made of stone, if they could get deeper inside or find a safe enough place to wait it out, it’d probably die down soon enough... “Leannah?! And Fire?! Why is there a fire?!” Lazhira shouted. “And these things, they look...in pain...” Leannah’s fall, thankfully would be brief. She would fall for only a few seconds before she would land on something soft, wet, and squishy, something that felt mildly like some sort of jello, but thankfully she would be uninjured. She’d have a few moments to take in her surroundings...and notice...she was on some sort of floor made of some sort of black substance. The room was lit by small crystalline clusters of white rock on the walls. On the opposite side of the room, the floor turned to stone, as one might expect of an old temple. A doorway seemed to lead deeper into it. Looking up she could see light faintly from the room she had fallen from. The idol had sunken lightly into the floor, the top of it the only visible part now. [hr] Nobbu and the Fox [@VitaVitaAR][@PKMNB0Y] [hr] Deciding to get familiar with the town and hunt a bit of information, Misaki decided to walk around the village and see if they could learn anything from the villagers. Her first stop was the waterfront. Her assumption of salt production was spot on, too. Upon initial glance, a few huts nearby the ocean seemed to be dedicated to it - evaporating the water until a salty brine was left and then carried and stored elsewhere. Seemed like they mostly used clay pots and containers to do so, too. Salt, huh. Salt could be used for any number of things. Preserving food. Flavoring it, but you would easily know these are barely even half the uses salt would have in a more advanced society should you even be able to get there. Indeed, salt was useful in a number of modern applications - deicing roads, plastic manufacturing, as an emulsifier...but such things were not currently useful to you. [hider=Goddess Note] Mineral Knowledge gained - Salt - A mineral with a number of uses, though the most immediate use would be that of food preservation, and a necessary mineral for humans and most animals. Other uses are in Agriculture, manufacturing, and more industrial purposes. The people of this world also consider Salt to be a blessing from the Moon Goddess, and is often given as offerings to shrines dedicated to her. [/hider] Among further investigation in the town, you would also find as you might expect, some sort of herbalist. The hut she used as her base wasn’t very large, but inside were a number of useful seeming herbs. Since you’d seem interested in learning about them, the older woman also would be eager to tell you as much about them as she could. Specifically their names and where they would grow best. [hider=Goddess Note] Medicinal knowledge gained: Teardrop - a plant with blue colored petals, white seeds with small clusters of flowers, perhaps reminding you of Lavender. They were used as fever reducers, as well as general pain relievers while having minor healing properties. They could be crushed and mixed with water and other herbs to enhance their effects. Found growing near rivers, typically in forests. Sleep leaf - a fairly unassuming herb with green leaves. Grows in shady, colder areas and slows ones reaction times and functions when imbibed. Hunters often use it on their arrows. Can be used to aid in sleep, as the name suggests. Could be mixed with other herbs to achieve other effects. Kyr reed - An herb with mostly recreational uses. A plant with wide leaves bearing numerous fronds along its stem. While having no noticeable medicinal purposes, it relaxes one and slightly alters one's perception. Can be smoked or eaten normally. Only found in this forest. Eshka root - One of the few herbs named after the reclusive and enigmatic goddess of the Underworld. In low quantities, it eases pain and helps the blood coagulate and eases bleeding wounds. Applied to severe injuries to prevent blood loss. In large quantities, however, it can be used as a poison, leading to severe thickening of the blood causing adverse health effects. Redpetal - a plant with red petals and bright yellow center. When mixed with Teardrop, it induces a temporary strengthening effect in the body allowing one to temporarily gain enhanced physical strength. Use sparingly. Common plant found in most regions. [/hider] Seems like useful knowledge in all aspects, though perhaps not immediately so. If Misaki intended to expand her knowledge, perhaps it might be a good idea to start maybe documenting some of these plants herself? Surely there would be others out in the forest that had some uses. Perhaps that was something she’d look into later. Her skill might also be suggesting there may be other uses gleaned from the plants if she were to somehow create a mixture of them… Whatever she decided to do, once she left the herbalists she’d hear something curious. Two villagers were talking about something. “Ah...you know, come to think of it..has anyone been to the Kyrnith’s grove in awhile?” “...probably not, I bet the hunters are keeping people away too.” “Shame. I hope the deer are okay.” “I bet the hunters started getting to them already. Easy source of food.” If she kept listening, or if she asked the two, they’d eventually talk about or where this ‘Grove’ was. On the southern edge of the forest - quite near where the obelisk was, actually just a little ways into the forest itself was a clearing where people once offered thanks to the Kyrnith for the bounty of the forest. [hr] The Roma Mob [@ERode][@Pyromania99] [hr] "O-oh...okay, I'll stay here with...Octavia." The pup barked happily, running around for a moment before settling down near the elvish child. The guard watched the group approach, obviously wary as he raised the spear at his side in a somewhat defensive manner as they approached. Upon seeing the horn, however, the man frowned, scowling. “By the Prophet...this entire trip has been bad luck from the outset I tell you.” He grunted, relaxing his gaze slightly as he looked over the travelers before him. “Wait here a moment. Commander Morgan!” The guard took off into the camp, a light jog as he left his post. They’d only be left there a minute or so before the guard would return with [url=https://i.imgur.com/vkWwGWy.jpg] a somewhat listless looking boy[/url] that couldn’t have been more than a few years out of his teens. [hider=Goddess Note] Name: Fiacre Morgan Race: Human Physical Attributes: Similar to you Magic Attributes: Greater than yours Weakness: Possesses no notable weaknesses. Abilities: Martial training (Intermediate) Denotes a skill with swordsmanship and martial ability. This particular individual is fairly skilled, and can fell most opponents without similar training. Ancient gods protection (lesser) - This particular individual has protection from harm, curses, and demonic influence thanks to their worship of a particularly ancient, nameless deity. However, for whatever reason it seems to be slightly limited. Ancient Gods Guidance (-----) - This individual has Guidance from some ancient deity. They will not be easily swayed from their mission and will be less susceptible to persuasion and trickery, while being more motivated to complete their goals. Wind Caller - With rigorous training, this particular individual has learned the secrets of utilizing the wind to perform various tasks. They are undaunted by strong winds, and have reached the point of being able to ‘read’ subtle movements in the air with some accuracy. Special attributes: Non-human Animosity This human has a particular distaste for non-humans and will actively seek to harm them in some fashion should the opportunity arise. A human. One of the most numerous, yet scattered and divided races currently to walk the earth. His name is Fiacre Morgan. He is a young adult. He is impatient. He is annoyed. He is suspicious of you, but doesn’t care to act at the moment. He is worried about something. He is in peak physical condition. No injuries. [/hider] There seemed to be something with the ‘Ancient Gods Guidance’ that seemed somewhat...different. As though there was something more to be gleaned from it but it was being blocked, or currently unreadable with her current level of skill. As well, it seemed most of the other soldiers here would have a similar read out, with various levels of ‘Martial Training’ along with Ancient gods Guidance and Protection. “...haaa, that’s definitely one of ours.” He would say to the group. “Thanks for returning it...I suppose the storm got them?” His eyes quickly shifted from Isidore to Leuca and Augusta but if he thought there was anything suspicious, he didn’t say anything. “First that botched raid, the storm blocking the easiest path south, and now this...” He frowned, rubbing his forehead. “Down two men and Captain Railey chased after that beast by himself.” He let out a long sigh. “Sorry, you don’t want to hear my complaining. You come from the northern areas, aye? Fiacre Morgan. I’m the commander here, I guess, since Captain Railey’s absent. We’re the Apostles of Rheane. We keep some semblance of order out here. As much as we can, anyways. The Elves and Bastelian don't exactly make it easy on us-" He was interrupted by another knight approaching. “Commander, no sign of Railey still. The scouts we sent to check the dwarven gates returned - they’re shut tight. The storm doesn’t look like its going to be breaking anytime soon, either.” “...hm, they only do that if they’re being threatened from something outside...or if there’s a problem within they’re trying to solve themselves. Well, that means we probably won’t have to deal with them, at least. Ha...I’m not going to get to do anything but sit on my ass this time aren’t I?” He turned back to the group having seemingly decided something. “Alright, thanks for returning this, travelers.” He glanced back towards the camp. “If you're planning on heading south, I'd suggest finding shelter somewhere or heading elsewhere. The pass has been blocked by an avalanche caused by the storm. I'd let the both of you stay here, but our supplies will be stretched thin as it is. We weren't exactly planning on an extended leave from the Cathedral.” He glanced over Isidore. "But...perhaps if you could help find Captain Railey, I could make an exception and we might all be able to get out of here sooner rather than later." [hr] Wayward builder [@Guy0fV4lor][@PaulHaynek] [hr] “Y...you met with the Kyrnith?” Enli’s face immediately turned to surprise and mild shock upon hearing this. “And...it mentioned something about Dawn being about to...blow?” He frowned, trying to understand what exactly Nicholas meant by that, but shook his head. “I’m not quite sure what that means, but if you’ve both met with the Kyrnith and are here now...and you want to help...” He held a hand to his chin. “What exactly did the Kyrnith say? It refuses to speak with those from the village, and most who have tried have ended up injured...or worse.” He looked over to Donovan as he asked his questions. “I’m...unsure what you are implying. We haven’t actively worshipped the Illuminator in...generations.” He replied, yet...there was a tinge of uncertainty in his voice as she glanced around the room. “...publicly, and the majority at least. There are no doubt who still do in this village.” He lowered his voice, as though he was afraid of being overheard. “But...I really have no power here. Akando, is the one with the hunters on his side, and I fear he might be involved in some manner. That girl Lazhira, too. If you’ve seen a girl with an odd tattoo on her arm...she is involved in some manner.” He cleared his throat, taking a normal pitch again. “If you wish to help, then maybe you should start with that old temple in the forest. Some other travelers already agreed to help, so perhaps it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to get their help. An odd Bastelian, a black haired girl and Kitsune from Chagawa. Quite a few to be honest.” [hr] Send Feet Pics [@Cu Chulainn] [hr] Soyala watched the proceedings. Malphas, taking the stone, offering a prayer to the Illuminator. The process of the arrow being knocked. Malphas focusing inward as he reached for that intangible feeling within. The same otherworldly power that seemed to lace his words at times. It wasn’t very large, nor powerful, but at the same time it would suffice - a small flame, alighting the tip of the arrow. It sailed through the air, striking the roof in some area. A blaze was lit. “Pfft...ahahah!” Soyala, merely laughed as she watched. “Full of surprises aren’t you! Alright then...lets clean this place up. I’m sure he’d love to meet you after this.” She hefted her spear, heading into the fog ahead of Malphas. The beings that laid within, were not anything of consequence. A wolf or two. A few of those bird-like creatures. Overall, they would encounter nothing notable over the course of their foray into the fog. The fire they started too, seemed to drive away and weaken it slightly. As they both carried the mark, the fog didn’t seem to have its disorienting effects, either. So long as they stayed sufficiently far away from it, they would likely be unharmed by what would be within, too. The flower though, proved a bit more difficult but he too would eventually find it...along with something else. The flower was growing near the base of a tree, thankfully a fair ways out of the path that the fire could spread too. A cluster of them, even. And near them? A deer. A mundane looking dear, save for its dark blue coat and white, spotted fur. It had an arrow sticking from its side, and its leg seemed to have been caught in a snare. “...one of the deer that roam this forest. Meats good. Looks like it got caught by an old snare or something after getting hunted.” The deer tried to back away from Malphas and Soyala, scrambling on the ground making pitiful noises, obviously terrified of its situation. “Give me a moment and I’ll kill it. Careful with that flower by the way. You’ll regret even touching it.” Of course, if Malphas had other plans for the deer, he could stop her...but there wouldn’t be much point to that, would there? [hider=Goddess Note] Ability Revieced: Commanding Voice (human - Minor) An ability denoting a supernatural ability to command something. Rather than charisma, this is more of a charm-type ability that makes one more agreeable. This one specifically only works on those that count as humans. As well, it only will currently work on those that would already easily do as you say. [/hider]