What Magic Lurks Beneath the Waters

[Colt]

The man called Azmere was cold and efficient, taking stock of what he could before slipping into the Web to look farther. Automatically, Shahar settled in to wait and to watch; although he hadn’t seen signs of anything large and dangerous––yet––that didn’t mean they were safe and a man in the Web couldn’t defend himself. Until Azmere returned, Shahar would keep an eye on his body.

Words were being exchanged behind him, between the two women, and what they said was making him uneasy. Someone was out there. They needed to move.

When Azmere returned, he leveled a gaze at Shahar. They needed to leave, he said, as if that wasn’t clear enough. And then he reached for his belt and drew a dagger, holding it out to Shahar in offering.

Shahar paused in surprise––he’d never been offered something by a stranger before––but it passed quickly. There was no time for surprised. Dipping his head gratefully, Shahar took the dagger and looked out to their destination. The group was moving towards the trees, and so that was where he would go. He hesitated long enough to send a glance at Azmere, accompanied by concern request, sister, he gestured at Seirei, indicating that she was who he was talking about, protect her. Azmere had the look of a warrior, and Shahar couldn’t protect anyone if he was scouting ahead.

To Seirei, Shahar signed for careful, this one, he gestured to Azmere, stay close to him. He was likely worrying more than was necessary, but couldn’t much help it; without any knowledge of where they were or what was happening, he had no point of reference to say what was dangerous and what was not. In a way, Seirei’s presence was almost a blessing; sharing danger with her anchored him to something other than himself, keeping him aware of his surrounding and how they related to everyone.

Shahar headed into the grass in front of the group, although he didn’t immediately sprint out of earshot. It was just like hunting, at least in execution; he fell into a swift, quiet hunter’s crouch, cautious of where he placed his feet and of how much noise he made. As long as he wasn’t crashing around, he could still hear the movements of the others, even if he couldn’t see them.

Cutting a strafing pattern through the brush, Shahar did his best to investigate the flora; this certainly wasn’t his land, but whose could it be? He ran his fingers through the grass, asking it if there was another Witch in the area. What killed the grass most often? What were the largest herbivores? What small creatures ate the seeds, and did any birds build nests nearby?

He routinely looked up at the trees he was approaching, looking for signs of major danger that could threaten the others. With a single javelin and dagger, he had little chance by himself if there actually was something, but he didn’t intend to fight anything that did pop out––he was the scout, the warning signal, and his purpose was to give the others time to protect themselves.

[Naiya]

Shahar

Whispers followed him through the grass, pressing him forward with urgency, promises of strange wonders and unfamiliar shapes in water ahead. The wispers of his god mark were difficult to decipher, telling him of creatures he knew nothing about, but all the same they told him, shared what they could. There were no predators The path through the grass lead them near the path lit by the pale fingers of Leth, Shahar could easily make out what appeared to be a house.

Strange the feeling told him as she searched the area ahead, pressuring him with a feeling just short of danger. A house must have a keeper, the lights that swing from the trees promised that, perhaps the keeper could help them?

Still, whispers pushed him away, there was water near, away from the cottage and the lights, but the same hesitance was in the promise. It wasn't dangerous, but neither was it safe.

Movement by the house was his deciding factor, he watched closely, trying to make out the shape. It appeared to be human, and where there was one, there could be more.

He had a choice to bring to the others, risk the visit to the house, see if the people were able to help, or follow the path of the grass eaters in the area, leading off deeper into the trees away from the lit path and the house.

Amunet

The bark of the tree was rough against her palms, clearly unfamiliar, not like anything at home. It was pale, the skeletal light of Leth bleaching the color further until it seemed the bark was nearly white.

As she peered further into the shadows something in her vision clicked into place, the pale bark of the tree was mirrored further into the woods, but not as though common, rather as though the passage of something had left a distinct trail through the trees, forever changing markers in the dark.

Careful no to stray too far the woman let her curiosity lead her along the trail hoping to catch sight of where it might lead them before dragging the others along.

Seirei

Amunet huddled close to her, a shared sense of urgency pushing them both towards the trees, but it was a different pattern that caught Seirei. Her eyes were trained to the ground, her care to be silent holding much urgency.

Along the ground was a strange sight, small trails seemingly washed clean by water, but completely dry. They aided her steps as she followed her companions, but they split, roaming off in a direction separate from the men.

Her curiosity was aroused, what moved like water, but was dry? It seemed a riddle, one that lingered in her mind even as she shifted her attention. They were growing scattered, Amunet was off a bit of a distance, seeking intently something in the trees, Shahar had gone ahead, leaving her in the care of the Watchman.

Amunet was a healer, her friendly companion who seemed genuinely concerned for her well being, but Shahar had asked that she stay with the man. She too had a choice to make.

Azmere

The Watch had taught him caution in seeking the unknown, and with Seirei entrusted to his guard it was important that he keep to his training. He stayed in careful step with Shahar, following him at a distance and keeping his own eyes out for other surprises.

He wasn't so far ahead as to truly be scouting, a truth that reassured the man. He more flanked the party, keeping them in sight, but with a better view. That left Azmere the man with the weapons, ushering the women along their line of safety.

Post orderAmunet first, make a decision about your PC's risk taking and go for it. Shahar second, take in your surroundings and decide your fate. Seirei next, pay close attention to the hints and bits you are getting, they could be important. Azmere last, take in everything and dive onward, you'll have to push power here, take full advantage.

[Amunet]

It was so surreal. It was like something you would see in a dream or vision. The red head had heard from some in the sapphire clan, those marked by Avalis, that visions often cast strange shadows. Only as far as she could tell she was fully conscious and awake. The trees white bark was a curiosity as there was an urge to collect some to investigate later; however, this was no time for her herbal curiosity. Amunet gauged the details of the trees in a ragged course laid a trail. It caught her eye just as Zulrav would give breath. It tugged at her as if ethereal fingers were tugging at her garments to bring her along.

The girl signed to Seirei to keep moving and she would be back. The red head looked back to see the tall solid figure of Azmere close by. The girl relaxed a little as she moved what in her mind was a reasonable few feet… err yards down the trail. Her eyes took in the details that Leth’s light would reveal to her. Even in the dark, once her eyes settled to catch the nuances of light around certain objects, those two were carefully cataloged. The trees made an interesting trail border along with the brush and foliage.

She took a dagger and ever few feet marked three cuts with a curved cut on two of the cuts on a tree. The clever girl figured that it could be followed if someone chose to get her while Shahar was scouting. The danger of it, nor the security issues of the matter dawned on the undaunted and ever seeking little healer. The diminutive lady just carefully and slowly walked forward to see what was around the bend of this little trail that so tugged at her consciousness. Her head would look back occasionally and mark a tree at the bend before moving forward.

The girl had an independent streak that was a large part of her personality. Still the more information they had, the more knowledge they had, perhaps their success in surviving this would be greater. Azmere could find her one way or the other, so there was little fear in that. The girl dearly missed her strider. In one retrospect, the girl marveled at the sheer beauty of this forest. Amunet was not very quiet about her trapse through the trail as feet stepped on just about everything that could crack or pop.

[Colt]

Shahar pressed ahead, his stance hunched and cautious. The dagger Azmere had given him was held in a loose reverse-grip, something inherently defensive that could be changed if need be. It certainly wasn’t the weapon he would have preferred, but it was miles better than nothing at all; pickiness was not a luxury he’d been able to afford… well, ever. It would do for now.

The whispered messages of the grass through his skin were vague––although, to be fair, grass was not usually an observant entity when it came to animals or people––but he did manage to glean some useful information from that which touched him. Herbivores were present, of course, along with the smaller predators and omnivores that lived between the stalks. As for large predators, ones that would pose greater threat to the others, there seemed to be a lack of information. There didn’t seem to be anything directly in their path, at least, which was something of a blessing.

Ahead, the trees blocked out the sky as the Witch drew closer to them. The lights were clearer now, at least to the point that he knew he wasn’t imagining them; there was something else, though, something more than just lights beneath the shadow of the trees.

A building. Solid and square, decidedly non-Drykas in its construction; wherever they were, it had to be something other than where they had come from. The Web existed, but the strangeness of this place defied all logic.

And then he saw movement.

It was small at first, and he wasn’t certain if it had been anything at all, but then there was more movement. Yes, he was sure of it; something was making its way next to the house. It was humanoid, although that was the limit of his observational skills. It was too far and too dark to make out anything concrete.

He needed to get closer.

Fingers tightening around the hilt of the knife, Shahar’s swift crouch turned into something more experienced and tense; he approached the darkness of the forest as if approaching a dangerous animal that might lash out and eat him at any moment. He did his best to watch for danger, but most of all he watched the house, and the figure beside it. He needed to know who or what it was… if he could only get close enough to see…

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Small trails along the ground made it easier for her to walk quietly as she followed the others. They were swept clean of dirt and debris, as if water had flowed through here recently. And yet...the ground was dry. No water had made these trails. So what had? Was it dangerous? Or was it something that could help them? Perhaps even something that might explain how they had gotten wherever here was, and how they might get home.

When the trails split, leading away from the others, Seirei hesitated. Amunet was off a ways, making marks on trees. Shahar was scouting somewhere ahead, out of sight. And Azmere was a ways off as well. There was risk in moving away from the others. But there was risk in staying with them, too. Who knew what kind of dangers existed in this strange place? And what were the chances that they were ones that normal weapons could fend off? Which was the greater risk? Going off on her own to follow the trail, or missing the chance to find something that might bring them home, or help them in some other way?

Finally, Seirei decided to follow the trail. At least for a little ways. She didn't have a weapon to defend herself, but she did have her branch. If she encountered an animal of some kind, she might be able to drive it away with the branch, or at least keep it at a distance until she could run. And she wanted to be more than a useless burden that the others had to protect. More than that, she wanted...needed to prove to herself that she was more than a useless burden. So she gathered up her courage, and followed the trail as quietly as she could.

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[Azmere]

Azmere was still shaken by his experience in the Web. The blinding djed and encroaching darkness both bore the weight of ill will towards he and his kinsmen. The Watchman was grateful in Shahar’s willingness to scout. The trees were many and thus the potential for danger was high. The Drykas were not woodland folk. The two forests in their realm were not frequented by many and for good reason. Wanah’ite was a terrifying place with all manner of beasts and the Kai’neha Valley was so dense that it almost seemed fortified. The archer shook his head to brush away the abstract and irrelevant. He needed to focus. While he was not familiar with the pregnant woman or her brother, they both bore the mark of the clans. This was enough for the Drykas to place them under his protection though he suspected that Shahar was very capable in such things.

Azmere moved along after the rest being careful in his steps to be silent. He used a long stride and kept his gait slow and smooth so that each heel to toe footfall was eyed and placed on soft support. This also served a dual purpose that allowed Seirei a chance to experience a bit of freedom. As a stranger, he did not want to hover though he was never out of sight or earshot. The watchman moved along the trail and would occasionally spy the fresh cuts into the tree bark. Knowing Amunet had a dagger, this was assumed to be her doing since she was prone to wandering off. He made a note about the markings and quickened his pace just a bit. Even though the healer was keeping track of her tangent trail, on wouldn’t need much help to find the redhead. The constant and rhythmic sounds of boots crushing anything and everything on the forest floor were a dead giveaway of her position even as she moved further from the group.

Keen eyes scanned up and down the trees as well as into the wooded depths that surrounded them. It was this pattern of searching that revealed the faint twinkle of lights in the distance. Azmere could not be certain of the source but after blinking a few times, he was convinced that it was not a trick of his imagination. The archer made several quick steps to close the space between his body and the expectant mother. Before he was within arms’ reach, he pursed his lips into a small circle and gave a low whistle while allowing his tongue to flicker inside his mouth. This mimicked a nocturnal sound familiar to the Sea of Grass. He hoped it would draw her attention so his approach wouldn’t be such a surprise. If not, his sudden appearance at her side would have to suffice. Once he had Seirei’s attention, Azmere’s fingers would make the signs for wait and quiet. His face was calm and his body was slightly relaxed and he hoped this intentional display would help keep his charge at ease. ‘Panic is a sin of the unprepared.’ Asmodeus used to say.

Once the archer had the woman’s attention he would make the low call several more times but added more projection and focused his efforts towards the last area he had heard Amunet. The repetition would make the noise stand out since it was commonly an ambient noise and not something so forceful or regular.

Azmere closed his eyes and fueled the starbursts in his eyes with concentration and steady breathing. After several ticks, he opened them again to see Seirei wrapped in a soft blanket of a very pale pink. The djed swirled about her hair and shoulders and revealed itself in several placed where the woman had traveled. Azmere twisted his head towards the sound of snapping twigs and caught a few glimpses of floating djed painted between the tall trees. While the color seemed to shift, the general height matched that of little Amunet. She was still near and Azmere made the call three times in a row making sure that each one was uniform in length. Finally, he turned and gazed back towards the lights in the distance. More patches of color littered the landscape and the closer they got to the lights, the shorter they presented. The pathfinder took this to mean that their scout was hunkering down for one reason or another. That was enough information for the Drykas.

The watchman closed his eyes for several more ticks and allowed the magic to pass from his focus. When he opened his eyes again, his vision had returned to normal and he was looking at Seirei. He held out his left hand towards her stick and drew up his club with the right. He wanted to sharpen a point on the end for her and the mounted glassbeak horn would make short work of the task. In fact, Azmere gauged he could have the chore completed before either of the other two members of their party rejoined them.

Textbox courtesy of Firenze

[Naiya]

Amunet

Her passage was loud, but not unusually so, and it was noise that Amunet was used to ignoring. So it came as a surprise when she was suddenly quite aware of the growing noise of her passage. She slowed, her survey of the surroundings changing, taking on a new purpose. The ground was littered with plants and herbs, some familiar from her home, others less so, all of them scarce in the sea of grass.

Light fell on the ground, a glow ahead, perhaps a clearing, as her eyes jumped from the horizon to the ground, she began to note that the growing light shone quite strongly on certain rocks. Closer inspection might find them to be gemstones mixed among the dirt. A sound in the distance began to grow, a rumbling crash that held promise of water.

Azmere's call still reached the woman, even over the noise. She was far beyond the group, and ahead she could just begin to see the stone face that echoed her steps back to her...

Shahar

His cover stayed firm, allowing him to sneak forward just enough. The form came clearly into the light, bending over the ground to lift something from the dirt before carrying it back to the house. She, for he could see now that it was a woman, continued to lift the plants from the ground.

The woman was adorned with many jewels, the gentle clinking of them reaching his ears. She was old, skin thin and loose, her hair glowing silver in the moonlight.

She worked quickly, but with movements that were slowed by age and perhaps injury. She walked strangely, a bobbing motion in her step, but determination to complete her task seemed to keep her going.

There was still no sign of other wildlife, a nearly complete absence in the area surrounding the house.

Seirei

The paths led her forward, carving a path through the trees. It seemed like the grass around her pushed her forward, urging her forward in a way that was almost protective.

She could hear the echoes of water ahead, the landscape opening as the trees grew less dense. There was clearly something ahead, but the commotion behind her drew her attention as well. Azmere seemed to have seen or heard something. Perhaps it was better to stay and see what was going on.

She had a choice, the safety of her companion, or the promise of safety that seemed to be all around her in the grass and the light shining through the trees ahead.

Azmere

His approach to Seirei brought the sound of the water to his ears as well, rough and heavy, he had to wonder what choice to make. The lights were indeed ahead, bobbing with the wind, it seemed to promise him a goal, perhaps safety, but he couldn't be sure.

His pathfinding allowed him to see his companions, but he might also have noticed the bobbing, dark path of something else towards the light, the lack of animal trails moving through the grass and trees, and perhaps even a swirling gray path that moved in directions that made little sense ahead in the direction Seirei had been moving.

[Amunet]

Her steps moved forward as the foliage and the pattern changed among the flora. The quick eye narrowed as she knelt down at one particular patch of foliage. In Leth’s light, it cast a silvery grey on everything but the smell was pungent and inviting. It was something she hadn’t seen before. That ever seeking eye saw another shaped leaf she hadn’t seen before scooting over to that one just like a butterfly went from flower to flower. She wondered if she should take samples. A little wouldn’t hurt the plants. With the dagger that only was used only to cut herbs that held her initials on it, she snipped a sample from this clump or that clump of herbs. There was not many she recognized but those that she did was not often seen in the grasslands. She almost forgot she was in a foreign place as it was like coming home to such bounty of herbs that tickled her curiosity to know more and the thought of how these would help her people and maybe others.

As she moved to other clumps of herbs, those blue eyes spotted the glowing on the ground. The Healer knelt there to examine this glowing spot only to discover it was a rock, no a gem? Her hands busily dug into the dirt to reveal the gemstones glowing. She picked it up to feel it and look at it closely to see if she could determine what made it glow. Just as she was careful with collecting herbs she thought Semele would want the same thing maybe. It was only polite not to overtake anything the girl thought. The girl picked up five small glowing gems and put them in the pouch with the herb samples at her waist. The pouch usually held some coin but never full. The focus on the glowing stones kept her blind and deaf to the growing roar of water she moved ever closer to. What grace was upon these waters she pondered. The girl rose her nose to the air to take a few experimental sniffs. It lacked the salt smell of winter grounds and seemed to smell fresh but it sounded like great waves hitting a stony shore. The red head smiled as the silvery light revealed a stone face that she wanted to reach. The sound of rushing waters hitting water and something hard became more distinct as it was no longer sounding like waves.

The noise, as she turned her head behind her. It was too steady to be animal or bird. The group must be calling her but there was something ahead, she knew it. The question that came to her often in these dilemmas, does she follow her instinct or follow practicality. Her brow furrowed for a few moments as she regarded the decision before a smile came to her face. She gathered more of those glowing stones that she could find and made a trail from beginning of the herb patches towards the stone face that she approached. She put a glowing rock on a natural ‘ledge’ near the stone face as a marker. The area around the stone face echoed around naturally. The girl looked then for a way towards the waves. She gave a prayer of thanks to Caiyha and Semele for their gifts. That’s what she thought the herb samples and the glowing stones were. She had one more glowing rock for the entrance to mark it for the others.

She then turned around and thought upon the echo and how did she let Azmere know she was moving on. It wasn’t like her medical skills were needed. The fear of danger was cast aside for the adrenaline rush of curiosity. The girl tried to whistle. How did they do it? She remembered that men and women had their lips together. Her first attempt was more shrill wind than a whistle. She didn’t want to shout as that would not be wise in their circumstances. It was ironic the wandering girl thought of one safety point. The girl tried again and got a poor bit of a whistle as she loosed her jaw down and focused air through a small hole through those tiny lips. It was shrill and sounded a bit off key but hopefully the echo would send the sound towards Azmere. Hopefully he would move forward with the rest. Her lithe little body moved around stone to seek to make it to where the waves were crashing to see if there was something of knowledge to attain. The girl moved around the stone to move forward to the sound of great rushing waters.

[Prophet]

If any of you ever return, let me know and I'll hook you up.

 

Azmere

XP

• Acrobatics: +1
• Investigation: +1
• Leadership: +1
• Logic: +2
• Negotiation: +1
• Organization: +1
• Pathfinding: +1
• Planning: +1
• Philosophy: +1
• Stealth: +2
• Swimming: +1
• Tactics: +3
• Tracking: +2
• Weapon - Longbow: +1
• Webbing: +1
• Wilderness Survival: +1

Lores

• Acrobatics: Using your body to make fulcrums
• Amunet: Friend, healer, diplomat
• Amunet: Curious and gets into trouble for it
• Amunet: Feels good to hold
• Amunet: Leaving a trail to follow
• Asmodeus: Panic is a sin of the unprepared
• Azmere: “Is this what dying feels like?” - A thought while free falling
• Azmere: Cautiously curious
• Azmere: Bested by an orb of white light
• Azmere: Forests make him feel claustrophobic
• Azmere: Instinctively a protector
• Drykas: Strength in numbers
• Drykas: One people, One family
• Investigation: Finding answers to strange occurances
• Leadership: Assuming responsibility in a group of strangers
• Logic: Family sticks together
• Logic: Traveling as a group is safer in foreign lands
• Negotiation: Making fast allies
• Organization: Intermittently tracking inventory
• Pathfinding: Using magic to gather information and create a plan
• Planning: Preparing one’s body for impact
• Philosophy: Explaining phenomena with diving acts
• Seirei Dawnwhisper: Adopted into the pavilion
• Seirei Dawnwhisper: Pregnant
• Seirei Dawnwhisper: Shahar’s sister
• Shahar Dawnwhisper: Can talk to the grass
• Shahar Dawnshisper: A fellow Drykas
• Shahar Dawnshisper: Scout and tracker
• Stealth: “Don’t tread. Float” - Stormblood family saying
• Stealth: Elongating strides to reduce the number of steps
• Swimming: Learning that hard way can be a fight
• Tactics: Knowing when to trade stealth for speed
• Tactics: Using nonverbal cues in unknown situations
• Tactics: Using a pattern to observe and scan a new area
• Tracking: Using multiple sightings to create a trail
• Tracking: Combining trails from man and beast
• Weapon - Longbow: The science of loading
• Webbing: Searching for the Web in all the wrong places
• What Magic Lurks: Fall into a pool on the SoG; wake up elsewhere
• What Magic Lurks: A place with no Web and dying grass
• Wilderness Survival: Using animal sounds to safely get someone’s attention

Miscellaneous

• -5 Arrows