Renew the Pact: Time of our Lives, part 11
Log Info
- Title: Renew the Pact: Time of our Lives, part 11
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Characters: Paenitia, Aryia, Seyardu, Lyme
- Place: Goldcoast of Veyshan, Tashraan, Temple of Navos
- Time: Friday, August 06, 2021, 9:03 PM
- Summary: Inside the Temple of Navos, the fugitive adventurers hear chanting. They sneak closer, it gets louder, and the words are not anything Navos related. Seyardu can't tell which god it's for, but it isn't good. The come upon the chamber where the ritual is being performed. It's impossible to enter without being seen, and they briefly debate a dynamic or more cautious entry. Caution is chosen. Inside they discover a group, all who seem to be strangely absent pieces, as if they were carved out, but not in any way that injures or impedes them. Except Shaevin, who is whole, and sarcastically asks the party to leave. Everyone has had enough of him, with Paenitia calling him out and Aryia getting ready to punch him out, and Lyme and Seyardu instructing him to get on with whatever explanation he's got. Instead of that, he stops time.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-= Paenitia 3'0" 34 Lb Halfling Female A Lucht knight, dark skinned in bold feathery finery. Aryia 4'8" 110 Lb Shadow Elf Female A heavily scarred mul with a curious look about her. Seyardu 5'6" 150 Lb Sith-Makar Female A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint. Lyme 7'2" 435 Lb Orc Butch Black-skinned oruch of suitable stature -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= NPCs of Note =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Shaevin Hostile Dawn Elf Male A priest of Navos, young and corrupt, a secret Voidist. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Whirlpool 5'0" Otyugh I am stinky! -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Previously
The adventurers find guards at their inn. Unwilling to directly engage, they sneak around back and Aryia slips in and brings out most of their stuff. The Temple is next, with Ramirez the giant white peacock-andalusian hippogryph, demonstrating to all how to sneak through the streets. They pass many guards, looking for something, likely them. The temple is locked up, they debate a dynamic entry but choose to sneak in again. Once inside, the inner doors are warded. Paenitia has no idea how to disable magical traps, but suggests she'll have the best chance as her hands are smallest. Aryia and Seyardu provide bracing and magical guidance. The little Red Knight takes the magic trap apart like a pro.
Success!
The door opens.
Immediately, now, you can hear low chanting. It's coming from somewhere inside that temple. A lot of voices, actually, perhaps a dozen or so commingled. There's something off about it, but it's hard to place exactly what. Inside is all that's left at this point once the door is open, and with a bit of luck, you've got ten there already. Pushing inside leads you through the darkened interior of the temple, coming closer to the source of the chant. A chill is settling into your bones as you stealth closer, silently.
Now to the main room, you hear the chanting end and a voice echo, "THERE IS NO FUTURE. THERE IS NO PAST. ALL IS AS ONE."
Now
Aryia's brow pinch together as she hears chanting, worry crossing her face from the words and how they echoed. She steps a little closer to the party, fingers twitching in anticipation for something, anything to happen.
Paenitia turns towards the chanting, then whispers to her allies, "maybe we sneak in for the look. This does not sound good."
Not good at all.
Seyardu stops moving quickly, looking between those present. Her hand comes up. "Wait" It says. "This chanting, was the cleric from before working with them? Or did someone else, take over due to events? Either way, this sounds bad." <handspeech>>
Aryia does a massive shrug at the question, something that didn't need to be in Handspeech to get across. She nods towards Paenitia and follows her lead, ready to quietly approach whatever it is they might approach.
Seyardu falls behind the group, stowing her shield. She wasn't coordinated, and she did not wish to trip over anything unseen.
The chanting DOES sound bad, doesn't it?
It is continuing as you draw closer to the central chapel, with the distinct feeling that you should not be here.
"Come," The Red Knight hisses quietly, rolling her bare feet on the flagstones, "Creep with me, closer to see what that is."
She fingers the warhammer on her belt, but doesn't draw it, "be ready for the fight, but not looking for one. Come, this way."
Suddenly silent despite her heavy armour, Paenitia leads the way. Slowly...
GAME: Paenitia rolls stealth: (13)+9: 22 GAME: Aryia rolls stealth: (2)+12: 14 GAME: Seyardu rolls stealth: (16)+-1: 15 <OOC> Aryia says, "gotcha. So our stealth rolls are Paenitia 25, Aryia 28, and Seyardu 15"
Sneaking closer is easy enough as a team. Watching each other's back, ensuring that nobody makes that critical error. Like a well oiled machine, you move without a squeak.
Finally, you're approaching an open passageway that has to lead to the altar area you were in earlier. The chanting is definitely coming from in there, and it sounds like there's a number of individuals inside. It does not seem likely stealth will bve an option should you choose to go inside there. Too well lit, and too obvious an entry.
Paenitia halts at the passageway, exposure is almost guaranteed. She faces her companions, looking through her mask, "there is one way perhaps they do not notice us."
She straightens, "If we march in and match the chant. This may not be enough interruption for them to react. They think we join their team, were invite by Shaevin, and only he will know we not."
Aryia gives Paen a blank look at the suggestion of joining in the chant. "I don't know how well that will work out. Maybe they have the shard thing and they're doing some spooky shit with it?" the elf signs towards Seyardu, hoping they'd translate some. <Handspeech>
Lyme pauses. "We can't sneak in there, and have you heard me sing?" He shakes his head. "Maybe we should talk to them. Just talk to them. This is way, way passing weird."
"They may know exactly who is coming, though." Seyardu replies, with a glance to the door. "And I will obvious like a wounded hand. Aryia suggests they may have the shard there, and are doing something."
"The question is, if Shaevin was lying or not about their intentions, if they are part of those here. We may be walking into that Taraan followers trap, as I believe they suggested visiting here, did they not?"
"Well, then the decision is, this is something that help Farland or clear our names if we investigate?" Paenitia looks around at the others, shrugging a little, "If we go in, we have to pick how. If it a trap, the only choice may to be avoid. Is there the other suggestions?"
Lyme pauses. "At this point, what kind of choice do we really have?"
"Lyme does have a point, in a way." Seyardu sighs. "Regardless of involvement, their chants speak of foul desires. And if it is related to the time problems, from before, then they may be seeking to cause more problems due to it. And Shaevin speaks of us adventurers messing things up, if he is truly part of this. It does not feel like they forced themselves inside, to here."
At Seyardu's point, Aryia slowly exhales and resolves herself. Why would a ritual like this be carried out in the middle of the night when they just got jailed? She nods, and steels herself. Looking ready to walk in.
GAME: Seyardu rolls Knowledge/religion: (19)+5: 24
Seyardu leans closer to the noise, closing her eyes as she listens in on the strange chanting. She shakes her head, stepping back away to speak quietly again. "At the very least, it does not sound directly like the preachings or chants of Taara, or Navos." Seyardu notes. "That is not to say they do not have involvement, but they are not directing this at either of the gods. But the purpose, it still remains unclear."
Lyme nods slowly. "Maybe we should just go in and find out." He straightens up, cracks his neck, and starts towards the doorway.
Aryia Nods at the suggestion and takes a half step towards the entrance, her glancing to the rest of the party.
"Ok, we go." Paenitia agrees, nodding to Lyme and padding after the man, "I will not announce, and we see the lay of the land."
Her intentions stated, the Red Knight moves into the room.
Seyardu nods, behind most there to not give them away immediately, but following afterwards to take stock, and see those who would be present. Hopefully, the priest from before was not part of this, in some manner or other.
As soon as you enter the alcove, you almost immediately feel it... A coldness to the room that seems entirely too vivid to be natural. It seeps into your bones, your very essence. It speaks of something utterly wrong here, yes. This is confirmed, of course, by sight.
The Navosians will notice you almost immediately, sure, if you could call them that. Sure, they're all sitting in a circle, chanting about how there is no past, how there is no future.
... but all of them sitting there turn to look in your direction, yes, and they seem to be missing ... parts of their bodies. Like something came up and took a chunk out of them, except where it bit it simply left ... nothing in its wake. One of them only has a half a skull, but's not like a wound. It's just like ... something ... dissolved it and left them walking all the same. They all stare as one. The chanting stops.
Shaevin, the only one of them apparently untouched, seems to let out a sigh.
"It would appear," he begins, "we've been interrupted. I don't supposed you'd believe this 'isn't what it looks like'?" he offers, a sad smile coming across his face.
Lyme affirms. "You wholeness makes you perceptive." Lyme offers an embarrassed smile. "Why don't you start talking, because it looks very, very, very bad."
Paenitia has a sudden urge to check herself for all parts. The Navosians before her seem utterly unperturbed. They had warned that pieces of the past had gone missing; she wasn't expecting it to be so literal. "Yes, we want to hear the story of this."
Aryia ends the room, her eyes wide as she sees the unwhole people. Her jaw clenches and she crosses her arms, a foot tapping against the ground.
"You were very prompt with your summons, Shaevin." The sith-makar states, squinting to where they were. "So yes, start speaking about why you are surrounded by people who have had their bodies missing parts, and were chanting about oblivion. It didn't seem like you were doing anything devoted to Navos, to attempt to fix things, that much is clear."
"I don't remember summoning you here. Last I heard, you were arrested. Oh, don't look at me like that. Word gets around. And then you broke into my temple, and saw us at a most inconvenient time. Unfortunate."
He lets out a sad sigh. "I could have fixed it and you would have gone home, but resolving this sort of trouble is ... difficult. Costly. And now you've gone ahead and made it even more difficult by seeing this. I don't suppose you'd all prefer to simply walk out the door and pretend you've never seen anything."
<OOC> Seyardu says, "Sense motive this jerk" GAME: Seyardu rolls sense motive: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Aryia rolls sense motive: (18)+11: 29 GAME: Paenitia rolls sense motive: (16)+10: 26 GAME: Lyme rolls sense motive: (8)+3: 11
There is the distinct impression he's just stalling for time.
"That was the joke, that you summon the police." Paenitia says. A long day in jail and a longer night on the lam, without food, has not improved her mood. It has put her right back into her revolutionary days, fighting the good fight on an hour's sleep and half a burrito. She does not trust authority, especially smarmy authority caught with its pants down and pieces missing.
"And now you stall for time, for the thing you do not wish us to witness, after we force you to pay attention. You make the Taaranite a sooth-sayer and I wonder if any words we can trust from you."
Aryia glares at the man for a moment, two silver lines from how hard she was squinting. As Paenitia calls them out, the shadow elf stomps forward with long strides, all the way until she was within arm's reach of them. "Cut the shit or I break your arm," she threatens with some gestures. Her fingers twitch, ready to grab onto their collar should they try anything. <Handspeech>
If he moves to cast or attack, she is going to grab him.
"And so you do not come to help? After us clearly having been to you within the timeframe that makes no sense for the crimes. You have a lot of clocks in this place, surely one would prove that." The silverscale says. She wasn't sure what they were doing, and the smile was sad and confusing in its use. But she looks to the others present, and seems to find reassurance there.
"If you were doing something good, you would not ask us to leave in such a way. So in that case, tell us, do not stall, and we will decide what to do with that information. Though it seems the guards cannot be trusted here, to take you in."
Lyme listens to the chorus around him, squinting at the priest. "No. Get on with it."
Aryia's sudden stalk forward does not catch him off guard, not even a little. There's a subtle step back, a sway.
"Well, yes. We're casting out to something that -- well, it's a bit late now. You'll see. Unfortunate, but that's the price you pay -- and honestly if you'd just waited a little longer.."
There's a spiralling blackness at the center of the chamber, an absence of light that swirls into shrieking being, a voice that Definitely Shouldn't Be.
"You see, the problem with a Void: it's always hungry. We just need to feed it a little longer and we can fix *everything*."
His eyes are shining, now. "Put it all back, we have all the time."
And then time stops.
OOC
<OOC> Seyardu says, "Thanks for the recap!"
<OOC> Seyardu says, "That's... as concerning as last time."
<OOC> Aryia says, "ty for recap. And I totally forgot that's what we left on *spook*"
<OOC> Paenitia hugs, "Thanks. Glad you like my summaries and edits."
<OOC> Seyardu says, "I appreciate them!"