PM to join [Quest] The History Of The Future

[Gossamer]

While the others stood around talking, Hirem reached forward and attempted to open the door. It was made of sturdy wood that had a slightly blurred look to it as if perhaps once it had been carved with detailed work which had all rotted away. There were crusted sea life growing on the wood, further obscuring it. The handle to the door perhaps had been something once ornate but now it was rusted into an indeterminable shape and also encrusted with sea life. There were definitely pieces of it missing. When Hirem reached forward to open the door, part of the doorway collapsed, leaving more like a half door found in some farmhouses. The debris fell inward and while it was difficult, Hirem could pull the door open enough for people to walk in. The handle never did release from what was left of the rusted frame.

The interior was fully revealed and if anyone chose to walk forward, the orbs within the courtyard would light. The lamps were set in a circle around what looked like a central pit that dropped down out of sight. The interior had no roof and the walls were partially crumbled in places. There were open aired corridors that were probably closed off leading off into other parts of the ruins. The stones were damp from the retreating tide, but the pit itself had water down beneath in it that was at the level of the receding sea in the distance.

Once, the place must have been grand. However, now most of it lay in rubble and ruin, with only some of the arches that must have once made up the roof rising above them giving them a ghost of an idea how large the structure must have been.

There was a raised dais off to the left that seemed to lead to a small stage which exited through a half ruined door in the center of the dais. To the right there were two other cooridors, one north and one south. The southern cooridior coonected to the right door that lead back out into the courtyard. A smaller room could be seen off to the right of that doorway which was still standing.

In the distance, due to the lack of walls, they could see more of the structure. It seemed to circle around itself with multiple chambers. And while it was early quiet, the whole facility was not without life. Crabs crawled everywhere. Most of the surfaces were covered with vegetation and undersea life that would not survive prolonged periods outside of the water. Even the pit with its circle of globes on pedestals was teaming with fish who had gotten caught in the deeper water with the receding tide.

The room past the Dais seemed to be the one that was domed, the roof intact. Even the door looked easy to get through... with the wood already gone and just the frame standing. And while that room with its dome too had a very lack of definition to its structure, one could almost hear the echo of its glorious past.

The party could stick together to explore. They could break up and cover more ground... or someone could see if the pit held anything of interest. The possibilities were endless and the day seemed to have a lot of potential.

[Hirem]

As Hirem struggled with the door that led into the temple interior, he tried to use what little he understood of Akalak history to his advantage and determine what exactly this temple might have been used for. The Akalak revere Wysar, he of the stoic path, and Akajia, who governs the night and all that its darkness touches... and yes, Nysel, master of the Chavi that binds man and god together. Might this building be dedicated to their worship? He wondered if it might have been a shrine to Laviku, judging by its watery abode, but decided against that; it was obvious that the seas had risen beyond what the original architects had in mind when they constructed this building. There were no discernible symbols on the outside of the temple that helped Hirem identify the deity that it honoured, and even if there were, he doubted he would be able to place them - what little he had grasped of Rivarian history was obtained in a few cursory glances through history books. He understood only that this building was a pre-Valterrian construction, and that the magic entombed here was still active. How much, I wonder, has faded over the years?

He couldn't tell what portion of the strange magic that helped build this temple remained, but he was willing to gamble that it was no insignificant amount; the interior courtyard brightened with light as he walked through the temple door, more strange orbs spontaneously coming alive at his presence. Instinctively, a chill swept through Hirem's body, forcing the Benshira to pause mid-step. Electricity crackled underneath his skin and through his veins, an eerie prickling at the nape of his neck beginning to grow distracting. Calm yourself, Hirem, he thought, struggling to maintain his composure. Not all magic is dark in nature, and not all mages need be feared... besides, just like Kavala said, you must learn to work with and around magic if you wish to fulfill your destiny. Taking a deep breath, the Benshira resumed his walk into the inner courtyard, tearing his gaze away from the orbs to look at the ruined walls, ceiling, and distant temple rooms.

Almost immediately upon taking a look at the larger structure of the building, Hirem that this search was going to be much more difficult than they feared. The lack of walls around many of the rooms meant that small objects like books, treasures, and furniture were going to be long gone or else completely eroded. If we are looking for something that can inform us as to the true nature of this place, it will most likely have been swept away into the sea a long time ago. He wondered just how long the walls of this once grand structure had stood before they buckled under the weight of the Suvan and cracked apart, how long it took for the building to reach the disastrous state it was in... although, curiously, the bewildering orbs atop their pillars remained in their very orderly positions. Sturdy construction, or more evidence of their curious magic? The Benshira wondered how they would find the rest of the temple: would they find nothing of value, the rooms bare and atrophied by the touch of the sea, or would its ancient glories still be preserved, mummified by the mystical atmosphere that governed this realm?

What to do now? Hirem thought, coming to a stop within the central courtyard and staring all around, trying to make sense of this maze-like building. We have three able bodies and only so much time before the water could rise back up and claim this temple for Laviku. Do we split up? Were it not for the presence of magic in the building, Hirem would have thought that the best option; having only just emerged from the sea, it was unlikely that any predators capable of challenging a man would have taken roost here so quickly. Of them all, Jek seemed to be the only individual with any great knowledge of Akalak history, so he alone would know what to look for...but that didn't mean that the Benshira and Prakash were going to be entirely useless in scavenging this place. Although, the more Hirem thought about it, the more that he doubted that this really was an Akalak temple - he didn't think the ever-practical warriors the type to erect such a confusing building with a strange ceremonial focus.

Hirem knew what he wanted to do: the dais to the left led to a room that was still capped with a domed roof, seemingly the only intact room within the temple interior, and he figured that fact alone merited a look. I know not what we are searching for yet, but I feel that answers can be found within. Taking a few quiet steps to ascend the dais, Hirem glanced over his shoulder and called out to his companions. "I intend to search this way!" he exclaimed, hearing his voice echo for miles around, unrestrained by walls or a solid roof. "Come with me or explore elsewhere, your choice... but I doubt that you'll find anything that way," the Benshira said, gesturing to the far side of the room. "If you are alone and come under attack of some kind, let the others know by shouting. Our voices will carry far here. In..." He struggled to guess the time, but figured that it was close to the 12th bell of the day. "... two bells, if nothing else occurs, we should regroup here."

Turning back to face the top of the dais, Hirem climbed the rest of it and clambered onto the stage that towered over the inner courtyard. Keeping his breath measured, his step wary, his senses alert and his fists taut, he advanced slowly past the empty framing of the door and into the domed room.

Word Count :

1,004

[Ashar]

Ashar For perhaps the first time in his life, Ashar felt - what was the word? - somewhat indignant. Here he was trying to rectify a grave mistake on the part of the faithful, and here was that faithful blithely ignoring him. Well, not outright ignoring, but appearing more than a little disinterested. It was not Ashar's sphere to trifle with words and arguments, that was left in Jek's domain, but now that he had actually made a sincere attempt it actually stung a little to be rebuffed. In the end though, the Akalak shrugged mentally. It wasn't his problem to deal with, anyway. If the human was set on using his god as a crutch, then it was not Ashar's place to be bothered by the decision. Not that there was time to respond to Hirem's inaction anyway, as soon after Ashar finished talking another set of running footsteps appeared behind him. The Kavran turned to see the Akalak from before hurrying in, the girl having likely decided - smartly, Jek concluded - that it was too dangerous. It wasn't just any Akalak that had rushed in, though, because Ashar and Jek recognized this one. It had been a while, but it was hard to forget the fellow Kavran. Prakash! both brothers exclaimed at once, and were about to greet the other Akalak out loud until Prakash interrupted their train of thought with a rather hasty and concerned sentiment. "I doubt we have limitless time here; the tide won't stay like this forever," he said rapidly. "Is the left door alright with you lot?" He's got a good point, you know, Jek told his light brother while Hirem led the way to the door, Prakash right behind him. Whilst his words were entirely of caution, Jek had his own reasons for wanting to explore the ruins more deeply while he had the chance. It's unnatural as it is for the ocean to have receded so far, and I can more or less guarantee that it won't stay that way. If it comes back, then we're doomed because neither you nor I ever learnt how to swim. Who knows how much time we have to explore this place? Before Ashar could reply to his dark brother's words of warning, the dark-skinned human turned to face him. The Akalak was expecting some form of retort to his earlier challenge, but was instead surprised when he was called by his brother's name. "Jek, keep close to me," he said as he turned and tried to tug open the door. Jek, do you know this guy? Ashar asked. Jek just sighed. When they entered the building, both brothers took a moment to admire the place in which they found themselves, though for different reasons. Ashar's excitement came entirely from the novelty of what they had stumbled upon, namely the magically lit orbs that circled a giant pit in the center. Whilst perhaps not as cool as the glowing stones of the causeway outside, they were nonetheless fun to see light up at the entrance of the three men. He hadn't a lick of magical knowledge, but it impressed him nonetheless that it could be used to illuminate areas as people needed them. It simply seemed so convenient, and it took a load off of the people exploring as well as whoever might have needed to be there to light the areas in the first place. On the other hand, Jek's fascination was for the ruins themselves and what they might have been. Clearly, this structure was of Akalak construction: the details, the courtyard, the pillars, it all rang of Akalak architecture that had been around since Riverfall's founding and maybe even before. With its proximity to the current city of the Akalaks and the similarity of the architecture, it was very likely that this was one of their ancestor's pre-Valterrian buildings. That alone had so many amazing implications; the fact that their architecture hadn't changed much over the years, that the ruins had survived even the Valterrian, how close the Akalaks had remained to their place of founding. Perhaps, if Jek was very lucky, these ruins might be linked to Valkalah in some way. Whatever the case, this ruin was a treasure trove for a self-styled historian such as Jek. This was quite obviously not Valkalah, since Valkalah was a city and, though in disrepair, this building was surprisingly intact and Jek saw no signs of where the rest of the city might have been. It was interesting that the road connected to the coast at all, as if those who constructed it somehow had precognitive knowledge of where the Suvan would fall. Something this old and so intact despite its age was an open book for Jek, and though he might not catch everything that some proper historians might have he would definitely be able to tell some of the building's history. Besides, he was here and they were not. Before Ashar looked too closely at what was inside, he wanted to take swift stock of what his options were to explore and try to make a small mental map - just in case a hasty exit was indeed necessary. A quick survey of the room's edge confirmed that there were two, potentially three directions they could go in. Two corridors off to the right, and a raised platform with another door to the left. With that in mind, a decision would be made later. For now, there was the interior of the room to see. Not that there was much to see. For all that the structure was intact, what was inside clearly had been washed away by the ocean or otherwise removed from the interior of the place. All that remained besides some small sea-life were the pillars on which the illuminated orbs sat and the platform itself. Everything else was gone. Part of the floor was too. Ashar took a few more steps into the room, and came face-to-face with the giant hole in the floor, ringed with sea-life and filled with ocean water. Down below, he could see the fish swimming about frantically, trying to get out of their new prison. He whistled, setting the foot of his naginata down on the floor as he looked down. Curious, Jek mused, not necessarily to his light brother. This hole can't be here by accident. For starters, it's too close to a perfect circle for that. Any hole caused unnaturally would be very unlikely to cause a break like this in the stone floor, I'd wager, so this must have been part of the original design. Not to mention that the six columns are position in a similar circle around it, with the orbs in such a position that they could illuminate down into the pit. He paused, humming mentally. Or perhaps there was something here, as denoted by the pillars, but afterward destroyed by something? That would also explain the instance of a nearly-perfect circular hole where the object would have been. Perhaps an altar of some sort? That seems most likely with this type of arrangement. If it was an altar, it would probably have been to Wysar, since he is by far the greater patron of the Akalaks - or so the other Akalaks consider him. "I intend to search this way!" Hirem called from atop the platform, his voice suddenly echoing loudly around the empty space. Jek was startled greatly and, though he hated to admit it, so was Ashar. "Come with me or explore elsewhere, your choice, but I doubt you'll find anything that way." "I doubt we'll find anything anywhere in the blasted ruin," Ashar retorted, looking around the room at all the seaweed and crabs as he did so. "With how old this place looks and for how long it's been underwater, I'll be surprised if there's anything left at all." Unperturbed, the human continued speaking. "In two bells, if nothing else occurs, we should regroup here," he finished saying before turning back toward the doorway he was taking. As soon as he had heard the dark-skinned human's intention of heading in one particular direction, Ashar's immediate and continued instinct was to head in the opposite direction down the smaller corridors, which the human had challenged wouldn't be as interesting. After all, he didn't know that place any better than either of the Akalaks, Akalaks whose ancestors probably built this place. Who was he to say which areas were and were not important? Ashar, just go with him, Jek requested calmly. He lacked his usual sighing demeanor when he talked to Ashar, perhaps too enthralled by the ruins to put it on. He thinks I'm the one in control, probably isn't even aware of our dual souls. Go easy on him, alright? Why the petch should I care whether he thinks I'm you or not? Ashar asked somewhat forcefully, though the force wasn't directed at his dark brother. It was more due to his innate nature and minor frustration than any real disdain for either Hirem or Jek. He asked me to follow, and I would like to be as nice to him as I can in my current position. Besides, that room over there with the dome looks to be the most significant of the rooms, and I want to see what's in there. I want to learn as much about this building as I can, and by looking at its main areas I'll probably be able to tell more than elsewhere in this ruin. We'll go explore it later, then, Ashar replied as he immediately made his way toward one of the corridors on the opposite side of the room. Two bells is a long time, and I want to see what's down this way. If there's nothing interesting, then we'll hurry back, but as it goes a lot of the interesting stuff is found out of the way. Between the two corridors, Ashar picked the one on the right to go through, since he could spy a room beyond it. The other looked to go into an intersection, with no real guarantee of finding anything. Logically, then, the right corridor would be the best because it held a guarantee. Jek just sighed. "You should probably go with him, Prakash," Ashar called out behind him as he moved into the smaller space, his echoes reverberating more before entering the echoing chamber he was in. "You know I can take care of myself, and who knows what you'll find in there. There are probably some secrets hiding in some corner over there." And with that, Ashar took off at a jog down the corridor, headed toward the room he had seen. It left Jek disappointed that he didn't get to see the domed room, but what he really wanted to do was take a look down that pit in the room they'd entered. There was no way to tell from up here, but down that hole might have been something to indicate why it was such a central focus of the room. Neither he nor Ashar could swim though, and since he was not in control all Jek could do was tag along for now.