Lorath nodded his agreement with Tamora. "I think we can all agree to rest now," he said. "I'm not so sure a watch will be necessary though, unless we have some reason to not trust the lizardmen around us. Still, if the party deems it necessary to keep a look-out I'll take a point on second watch." With that he laid in the moonlight and began memorizing his spells again before resting.

Evon nodded, still uncertain of where he himself would rather travel. Seeming less distracted now, he said, "It can't really hurt to keep watch - after all, we don't know what else might sneak into the camp, even with reasonably friendly lizardmen here. I can take one of the watches."

Everyone

The night passed without incident and everyone slept dreamlessly after their first day on the new world.

By morning, they had all recovered from the bruises and scratches they'd suffered the day before. Gan's face was still somewhat swollen and blistered, but they looked less urgent, aside from a bit of numbness, even the half-elf himself hardly noticed them any longer.

The red sun had yet to rise above the horizon, so for the moment the air was fresh and pleasant, but the choking heat of the midday would soon come. The sky was painted a beautiful shade of violet and as they looked to the western horizon they were met with an incredible sight. Halfway above the edge of the world was another, a titanic moon, possibly even bigger than the world they were on, was looming. It's pale white surface was marked with gigantic pockmarks, but otherwise it seemed as dead as the smaller moon they'd seen last night, no lights, no cities, no forests and no oceans.

A brief breakfast later and they had said their goodbyes, they were splitting into two groups. Evon, Lorath and the quiet Ulik set out for the swamp, while Gan followed Tamora, Bas and Anne towards the fabled Cliffs of Drriam. Both were seeking rumoured knowledge, but none had any idea what they were going to find...

(OOC: Everyone's fully healed and not suffering from anything other than the occasional bruise or scratch.)


Evon, Ulik, Lorath

The three marched along the shores of the lake till they reached the southwest edge, then set off into the jungle. At first it seemed no different from where they'd been before, except for slightly soggier ground underfoot, but just an hour into the thick vegetation they were wading through water up to their ankles, and it got deeper the farther they got in.

Around them, it looked as though the jungle was decaying, greens were replaced with blacks and browns got darker. The stench of rotting plant matter soon became overpowering and swamp fumes left them gagging, the silver lining was that the swamp had much less thick vegetation which sped up their advance, and when the sun stood directly overhead the water, disgusting as it was, provided a welcome respite from the heat.

Insects were buzzing everywhere, and by the time they saw the first sign that there was something worth looking for in the swamp, all three were nursing several stings and itches, though Evon seemed to have gotten off lightly compared to the other two. The insects avoided him.

Stained and overgrown with rotting vines, they spotted a fallen pillar made of white stone, half-sunk into the water. It had obviously been made by a skillful artisan, for they could still see the outlines of images carved into it's surface, and despite the tooth of time the images were still of amazing quality.

After passing the pillar, a new ruin came into sight with almost every step. Either the arms of a broken statue would reach out of the water like a drowning swimmer begging for aid or a short stretch of cobbled road would make the going easier for a few minutes. Occasionally their feet would strike hard rock instead of soggy mud and they'd know they were walking across some sunken piece of construction.

The one thing they gained from the ruins was that the Rhulisti had likely not been human, the proportions of all the statues and carvings were off, almost child-sized.

By noon they finally reached something worth investigating. Following another stretch of ancient road, they found that it, unlike the others, didn't just peter off and sink back into the swamp after a few hundred yards. Rather, it lead to a crossroad where it met another road, and at the crossroad were buildings, halfway intact ones.

Not counting the few broken walls that were just marking the outline of where a building had once been, they saw three. One with two stories that looked like it had once been a house, a circular building with a domed roof that might have been a temple and, located a bit away from the others, a single-storied rectangular one. The house-looking building had window-holes, but neither of the others did, whatever doors or glass that might once have barred any entrances were long gone.


Bas, Tamora, Anne, Gan

Striking out on an east-southeast course, the four made swifter progress than the trio. They were guided by two rangers and whenever Bas took the lead, it was as if the plants bent aside to offer them passage.

They came across nothing of interest for many hours, passing the time with small-talk and otherwise focusing on keeping an eye out for threats, but no natives or animals of the jungle seemed swift to attack an armed and trained party of four. At one point, what looked like an eight-legged, horned tiger, striped in black and orange, wandered across their path, it sized them up and then moved on, apparently not considering them a threat or worth eating.

Shortly past noon, they gauged that they'd made good progress and Anne, being the most nimble of them, climbed a tall tree to see if she could spot the chasm that the Sage had spoken of as being a landmark on the way. The rogue spotted it easily, it was a break in the jungle, several miles long and at least a hundred yards across, and a gray haze hung above it. Considering their current speed, they'd likely reach it before nightfall, with time to consider a way across or around.

She both made it up and down without any breaks, injuries or incidents, and they proceeded onwards.

They had barely resumed walking before there were sharp and sudden sounds from up ahead, however. Clangs of metal against metal, sounds of pain and anger, it sounded like a fight. Carefully advancing, it sounded like they weren't approaching a battle. Judging by the voices they heard, there were only two people fighting.

When they got closer, they could see what was going on. In a small clearing ahead, two creatures were, indeed, locked in battle. One was obviously an elf, though he was taller, almost seven feet, and leaner than any they'd ever seen before. He was covered in scars, long of limb and using a wooden shield and bronze scimitar to hold a terrifying creature at bay.

It was taller even than he, standing ten feet tall on two legs, it had four arms and was covered in chitin, resembling a giant praying mantis. It was coloured a dark, sandy yellow, but in many places it's chitin plates were cracked and discoloured with streaks of gray. While it still moved with amazing speed for a creature of it's size, it was obvious that it was ill.

One of it's four arms hung limply at it's side and looked like it had started to rot, and one of it's two large eyes was missing, only an empty hollow, weeping pus, remained. It didn't wear clothes, but several packs and bags were slung around it's torso. Many of them looked close to breaking or had been torn, the creature hadn't taken good care of them for a while.

Despite obviously being a tool-using creature, it was fighting unarmed, slashing at the elf with it's sharp claws and trying to maneuver around his defenses. It was visibly drooling a sticky, translucent substance, and the elf seemed particularly intent on avoiding the occasional attempt at biting him.

Neither combatant had spotted the party yet.

(OOC: Posting a picture of the creature in the OOC thread.)

Lorath looked at the three remaining structures, wondering what they could hold. He scratched the back of his neck, trying to alleviate some of the discomfort from the bug bites while making his survey. Now that he was here, he was very glad he had brought a backpack.

Since the house was closest, he took his weapon and shield in hand and stepped through the empty doorway. He entered cautiously, keeping an eye out for anything moving, and began to look for any artifacts.

Tamora

As they cautiously approached the sound of combat Tamora had drawn her bow and knocked an arrow. They halted just before the vegetation gave out and she leant her spear against a tree as they watched the combat. Her immediate instinct was to help the elven warrior but her first responsibility was to the group and particularly to Bas’ journey to the cliffs. Getting herself killed wouldn’t help that purpose and she couldn’t order Gan or Anne to fight. On the other hand if the insect creature killed the lone elf it would still be in the same area as them and in any case could she really let that happen? She caught the eyes of the others and indicated the combat with the point of her arrow. She held up her hand to indicate the higher of the two fighters, mimed the clawing action of the insect, drew her finger across her throat and looked questioningly at the rest of the party.

(OOC: Tactics PM'ed for if we attack the insect)

[ 02-06-2007, 02:09 PM: Message edited by: Armen ]

Bas

Bas watched intently as the elf battled the creature. While he wanted to avoid interference with the natural order of this place, the elf might provide an opportunity to learn a good deal. In addition, the creature's obvious sickness suggested it would not survive long regardless of the battle's outcome. If it infected the elf or any of Bas' companions with its sickness, the situation would become far worse.

Bas set his staff on the ground and removed his sling, readying a stone. The druid nodded at Tamora's suggestion to attack.

Evon looked around, his enthusiasm dampened but not dissipated by trudging through the swamp. "Well... here's something standing, at least. Hopefully there's something interesting inside." Seeing that Lorath had already started moving toward one of the buildings, Evon quickly yanked his shield off his back - nearly dropping it in the process - and reluctantly placed his hand on the hilt of his short sword before following the elf inside.

<font color=silver>Gan Vahnsen

Despite his face and the numbed, but blistered flesh, Gan had slept well and had kept up well too. He had made his way towards the cliffs with the others bemused and pleased at the prospect of exploring this strange new world. The horned tiger had filled him with awe and made him ponder what other manner of strange beast may lurk.

Upon stumbling across the elf and the strange insectoid beast battling, he drew his swords as silently as he could. It seemed that Tamora had notched an arrow to her bow the same time as he drew his blades. He caught her signal and frowned; they did not know who the aggressor was here nor why such a fight took place. Moreover, neither insect nor elf may appreciate any ‘help’. On the other hand, hanging back may insult the survivor and earn them a second battle… choices, choices.

His eyes shifted to the druid’s and he frowned as Bas readied his sling. It would seem that his companions were preparing for a fight. Of course, Gan himself had drawn his swords…

Stepping towards Tamora, the half elf murmured in her ear, <font color=skblue>“Is this wise? We know nothing of this situation… but if we act, let us end this quickly. What are your orders, ‘commander’?”</font> His last word held a touch of the sardonic but he would act as Tamora instructed. As long as one of the others was in charge, it meant he did not have to bother with the decision making. That, and it was on their head. Let everyone have a chance at leading… see where it got them.</font>

Tamora

Tamora looked back at the fighting in the clearing – neither combatant seemed to have heard Gan’s whispered question so she risked replying in kind. “Kill the insect creature quickly”, she answered. She had heard the condescension in the worldly warrior’s tone but chose to ignore it. Instead she raised her bow, pulled back the string and aimed for the creature. She turned to Gan “Ready?” she mouthed.

Lorath, Evon, Ulik

Despite the relatively intact appearance of the outside, the dwelling that Lorath and Evon entered was ravaged on the inside. Inch-high swamp water lapped over their feet thanks to the floor having sunk, and the only remaining sign that there had once been furniture on the ground floor were abnormally large piles of rotten wood here and there. The same odd dimensions that were prevalent among the statues and carvings also had an effect on the inside of the house, doorways were only about five feet tall and windows were located around chest height.

One stone stair lead upwards and another down, though water reached to the top of the downwards leading one, and it was impossible to see more than a few inches into it, any number of aquatic horrors could be waiting there to snag an unwary diver for dinner.

Upstairs things were in slightly better condition, even a few pieces of furniture remained intact, a wobbly, worm-ridden cot that looked like it could collapse if someone looked at it wrong and a rotting shelf attached to the wall around the height of Evon's groin were the only ones, though. On the shelf were numerous glass cages with tops hinged so that they could be opened, they also to feature airholes, but whatever had once been kept in them had either rotted to dust or a few pieces of unmoving chitin.

Extensive searching located a waterlogged book under the bed, it was a slim tome and time had damaged it so badly that the pages were all a uniform green-gray with only suggestions of letters here and there. Unless some way was found to restore it, it was as useless as everything else in the house.


Gan, Bas, Tamora, Anne

The four readied themselves for a battle that never came. As they were preparing to intercede on the elf's behalf, the insect-man leapt at him, apparently trying to pin him down with it's mass, ignoring the fact that his blade got stuck halfway through one of it's arms.

It swiftly got him on the ground, knocked his shield aside and held his arms as it's mandibles descended inexorably towards his throat. Tamora's shot was swifter than the creature, though, and the moment it's swift activity slowed, she expertly placed a single sheaf arrow right through it's head. For a moment it froze, then it collapsed, further pinning the elf who had to spend a few seconds getting himself free from under it.

His next move was to non-chalantly gather his gear while waiting for his rescuers to show themselves, he even wiped his scimitar clean on a broad-leafed plant while waiting. He didn't seem hostile, but not entirely convinced that whoever had rescued him had his best interests in mind either.

Ulik figured that there wasn't enough signs of life around to support predators in the water of the downwards staircase, so he took a chance and swam down to search the bottom rooms, periodically coming up for air.

Evon shook his head. "Well, these ruins certainly qualify for the name, if this is any indication. I hope we find a bit more elsewhere around here..." When Ulik climbed down into the water, Evon looked at him in askance, saying, "You might want to be careful..." but letting it die off as the big fellow slipped under the surface. "Well, best of luck." The young man wasn't about to dive in himself unless he for some reason had to - it's not as though he was even a good swimmer.

Glancing through the book again with the faint hope of finding something they'd missed before, he asked Lorath, "So, I don't suppose you really specialize in fixing up destroyed books?" He grinned a little as he spoke.

[ 02-07-2007, 05:35 PM: Message edited by: Encard ]

<font color=silver>Gan Vahnsen

Gan nodded to Tamora, professionally appreciating her shot. <font color=skblue>“Nicely done.”</font> He regarded the fallen insectiod and the alien elf and then glanced back at Tamora. Gan did not sheathe his swords, but nor did he outwardly threaten anyone; he just wasn't relaxing his guard. After all, the strange elf might attack. Louder than his whisper, he asked nonchalantly, <font color=skblue>“What now, ‘commander’?”</font>

Without glancing at her when he spoke, Gan's attention was really focused on his surroundings and on the new elf. The fact that he used bronze rather than steel was of interest to him. The insectoid's natural weapons were also of interest. To Bas, he murmured, <font color=skblue>“What is that creature? Have you seen its like before?”</font></font>

[ 02-07-2007, 07:46 PM: Message edited by: Calaethis Dragonsbane ]

Bas slipped his sling onto his belt and picked up his staff.

"I have not seen that type of creature before. It would certainly stand out in the forests back home."

The druid took a few steps forward and offered a short bow to the elf, followed by a greeting in elvish and common, hoping that the elf would understand his words.

[ 02-07-2007, 09:22 PM: Message edited by: Kazilan ]

Tamora

In spite of herself she smiled at Gan’s comment on her shot. “I am a Hunter” she replied as if that explained everything.

Seeing Bas move into the open she quickly shouldered her bow and picked up her spear. “We should guard the Learned One” she answered Gan as she stepped forward to take up a flanking position to the left and slightly behind the druid. She was glad that Bas had taken the responsibility of talking to the stranger although she would have expected nothing else. Taking her cue from him she adopted a relaxed posture, her spear held vertically in her right hand, the butt resting on the ground. She watched the stranger intently though, ready to intercede if he threatened Bas.

<font color=silver>Gan Vahnsen

<font color=skblue>“Of course, 'commander'.”</font> Gan answered with a curt nod, stepping into line and flanking Bas on the right, completing the 'triangle'. This time, his voice held less of the sardonic; it was more wry, as though naming others as 'commander' amused him on some level. Well, whatever secrets he had, he wasn't willing to share - yet. Aloud he mused, almost by way of making conversation to Tamora, <font color=skblue>“I wonder if there are more beasties lurking around?”</font> a pause and he acknowledged, quite respectfully, <font color=skblue>“Hunter.”</font></font>

Gan, Bas, Anne, Tamora

The elf watched with little surprise as the three stepped forward from the dense vegetation, his expression wary, showing that he wasn't expecting any friendliness from them.

Nonetheless, his features broke into a grin and he lowered his weapon as Bas bowed to him, then replied in only slightly accented Common, "No need for such formalities! You are my saviors!" He returned an exaggerated bow of his own, almost scraping the ground with his forehead, "I am Balth Viera of the Sun Runners," he said after the bow, "And you have my gratitude for saving me from this Thri-Kreen, normally I'd have been able to handle him, but Lady Luck has not been on my side much of late, your arrival seems to mark a change in things."

"May I have the pleasure of your names? And what brings travellers such as yourself to this savage land? You are dressed and armed like lords, not adventurers."


Lorath, Ulik, Evon

The disgusting water enclosed Ulik as he dove, providing him with little visibility in any direction, his search was reduced to groping around with his hands almost aimlessly.

Unseen things brushed their feelers against him or bumped into him and hurriedly swam away into the darkness. As he surfaced after his first dive, he returned soaked in water and covered in filth that almost left him looking like a walking pile of compost. On his subsequent plunges into the darkness, he discovered that the basement consisted of three rooms arranged in a line, with the stair at one end.

It seemed like the dive was just going to be a wasted detour until he felt something with many little grasping legs scuttle up his robe, across his chest and out his left sleeve. As it reached his wrist, it stopped, wrapped it's thin legs around his limb and started squeezing. At first it was merely a tight grasp, but it swiftly became painful.

Reflexively he headed for the exit and burst out of the water with enough force to shower Lorath and Evon in stinking swamp-water.

The creature attached to his left wrist looked like some sort of crustacean with eight legs. They were thin and chitin-covered, almost sharp-looking and they were making severe indentations in his skin, one or two were already drawing blood. It had no apparent mouth, head or orifices.

"Well, keep sticking yourself in dirty holes and sooner or later you'll catch crabs."

Ulik has an annoyed look on his face as he pulls a dagger out of his cloak and tries to cut and pry the creature off, seeming only to injure himself further in the process. Realizing the futility of that approach, he puts the dagger away and rubs his fingers in his own blood then touches the creature while mumbling some words under his breath.

[ 02-08-2007, 06:32 PM: Message edited by: Caleb808 ]

(ooc: backtracking a very small bit)
Lorath shook his head in response to Evon's question. "I've no idea how to restore something that completely damaged. No reason we shouldn't hang on to it anyways though, we might find some way."

When Ulik resurfaced and splashed them with water, he was glad he still had on his robe. Quickly he removed it, since wearing a wet garment in a place like this would only result in exhaustion. "Need some help with those?" he asked Ulik indicating the batch of crabs he had just brought up.

"I am Bas, a protector of nature. I can't speak for my companions' intentions, but I am trying to learn as much about this land as possible. Any information you can offer on its local peoples and customs would be appreciated."

The druid held his staff lightly in his left hand as he waited for a response.

[ 02-09-2007, 01:30 AM: Message edited by: Kazilan ]

Tamora

Tamora had flinched slightly at Gan’s question and her cheeks coloured as she realised her error. It was so easy to forget in the company of others that they were still in a very dangerous place. Not wishing to talk across Bas’ greetings she did not answer directly but nodded and shifted slightly allowing her attention to move between the stranger and the surrounding trees.

Following Bas’ words she stepped forward to stand beside him. “I am Tamora the Hunter”, she said, “traveller and now escort to the Learned One”. Formalities over she remained quiet allowing Bas to continue the conversation for now and maintaining a watch around the edge of the clearing.

[ 02-09-2007, 06:11 AM: Message edited by: Armen ]

Anne

Indecisiveness and inability to act. These were new among Anne's defaults. Could it be that life without the constant danger of being apprehended from one minute to another by the forces of order was having an adverse effect on her? She still felt the adrenaline surge when spotting the fight, still felt the blood pulsing in her veins at the prospect of a battle, but she had been unable to move.

Finally, once the battle was over and Tamora had introduced herself to the elf, Anne also stepped forward from her cover among the trees. To the left she could hear the bird, still following them, rustling among the leaves. She paid no heed to him, and introduced herself to the elf.

"My name is Anne. I am..." she paused for several, long seconds. "I honestly don't know what I'm doing in this world."

<font color=silver>Gan Vahnsen

<font color=skblue>“I would be 'Gan'.”</font> The half elf introduced himself politely acknowledging the Sun Rider, <font color=skblue>“At present I am following the 'Commander', our Hunter.”</font> he smiled at Tamora. He shrugged, <font color=skblue>“As to what I am doing here, well, one might ask the same of you.”</font>

He shrugged again, as though dismissing the 'dressed as a lord, not an adventurer', <font color=skblue>“When one journeys to another world, it is best to be prepared.”</font> Gan nodded towards the newly identified Thri-Kreen and asked, <font color=skblue>“What do you know of these ‘Thri-Kreen’? I have not encountered their like before now.”</font></font>

Gan, Bas, Anne, Tamora

"I'm a stranger to much of this part of the world myself," Balth said to Bas, "So I'm afraid I can't tell you much about this area, however, since you rescued me, I believe I would like to return the favour. Unless you have any objections, of course. Are you wandering aimlessly, or do you have a destination?"

He listened politely to what the other three had to say, not seeming too interested until Gan spoke, "You four are from another world?" His eyes opened wide with surprise, and then he laughed, "Well, I suppose there are still some things that can amaze me. Tell you what, you tell me how you came to be here and a few things about your homeworld, and I'll tell you about the mantis-men. Sound like a deal?"


Lorath, Ulik, Evon

Ulik's blood seemed to burn the thing like acid, it emitted an ear-piercing shriek so high that only animals and Ulik could hear it, Evon and Lorath sensed it as a passing instant of migraine-like pain.

It swiftly released it's grip, revealing that it's limbs had almost cut to it's victim's bone. Righting itself in mid-air, it scuttled over to the stairs like a cockroach and dove into the dark water, disappearing from sight.

Despite the depth of the cuts, they were bleeding surprisingly little, and already seemed to be on the path to healing. As clean as they were, it was possible that they might not even scar.

Lorath winced from the shriek and clutched his temple. "Well, if we're not going to find anything useful here, we may as well move on," he suggested. The temple seemed like it might be the best choice overall, so he'd head there next.

Tamora

In response to the tall elf’s question to Gan she cut in sharply in elven. “I should think saving your life would earn us friendship and trust in itself". She paused and smiled, "but what you ask is no great secret. We travelled here magically in a way that I don’t understand as I know nothing of magic. Our world is similar to this one although much colder.” She was nervous of revealing too much to this stranger – the thought of hordes of over-sized creatures from this world descending on the forest of Angor’s Haven was an unnerving one and the idea of her own forest being invaded by creatures from this world even worse. “What brings you to this jungle then if you are from a different land?”

[ 02-10-2007, 04:13 PM: Message edited by: Armen ]

<font color=silver>Gan Vahnsen

<font color=skblue>“Calm yourself, Commander.”</font> Gan murmured to Tamora, laying a restraining hand on her shoulder at her sharp tone, <font color=skblue>“We're the aliens here after all; he has no reason to trust us any more than we do him.”</font> He addressed the Sun rider, <font color=skblue>“Your offer sounds fair. I can add little beyond what our esteemed Commander has said without going into vast detail about the inner workings of our cultures. Tell us what you know.”</font>

Gan's words for once were not sardonic or in any way mocking, and he seemed to have dropped the underlying wry tone when addressing Tamora as 'commander'; for now at least, he seemed to be content to let her take the lead.</font>

[ 02-10-2007, 05:25 PM: Message edited by: Calaethis Dragonsbane ]

Evon, Ulik

Apparently stunned by the attack, Evon and Ulik decided to soak their feet in the swamp water for a while as they stood around, staring emptily into the air, possibly contemplating deep thoughts like the size of the multiverse or the meaning of existence.


Lorath

Meanwhile, Lorath was soldiering on. For some reason there seemed to be more activity in the swamp now, tons of squirming and scuttling things seemed to be moving around under the water and the few times where he was forced to wade on the way to the temple-looking building, they swarmed around him, probing and examining him for reasons unknown. Some of the things looked like serpents or giant leeches, while others seemed to be more akin to huge roaches and insects.

For the moment, however, they seemed satisfied to examine the elf and didn't pursue him unto land or attack him, and he reached the temple only slightly more soaked than before.

Beyond the doorway, the place seemed to consist of a single circular room with a domed ceiling. Once, long ago, it had obviously been painted in amazing colours, but when Lorath looked upon it, only remnants of the once-impressive splendor remained as smudges of paint here and there. In the middle of the room was a raised, flat dais, inscribed with runes, and near the walls was seating for many short people. Beyond the seating were niches which contained statues, or the remnants of same. Those that were still whole seemed not to be impressive warriors or mages wielding staves crackling with powers, but rather humble-looking robed figures the size of halflings. None carried mystical items or weapons, a few held books, but that was it.

Near the opposite side of the room from the entrance, a stairway lead down to somewhere under the floor, in a few places near it, the floor had collapsed, leaving gaping, dark holes to some subterranean realm. The splash and slosh of water was the only sound audible from those routes.


Anne, Tamora, Gan, Bas

For a moment, Tamora thought she saw the flash of anger in Balth's eyes, as though he was about to reply to her sharp interjection with a piece of venomous wit, but then Gan spoke and it was gone, replaced by his cheerful demeanor.

"I was but curious," he said, "I had no idea that there even were other worlds, and you are right to be suspicious of me, for all you know, I could be planning to lead a horde of unspeakable terrors to your homeworld. Mostly I just wanted to know how you got here, perhaps some sort of enchanted gateway? Or a mighty mage's spell?"

"I'm here because my tribe are nomads, our usual hunting grounds to the west were being infested with Thri-Kreen and we headed east instead, setting up camp near the mountains. The jungle is full of bounty, but equally full of danger, and with all these damn trees it can be hard to see it coming. I don't know much about the Thri-Kreen myself except that they are formidable warriors, often as agile as any elf despite their size, some even wield priestly powers or can employ their Will as a weapon. Supposedly their name means The Hunter People, but I've never sat down to talk to one, they are carnivores and not above eating other thinking things when times are tough, and some of them have a taste for elves that makes us a decent addition to their dinner table even in times of plenty. As you can imagine, this somewhat strains relations even between us and those of their number who are as civilized as their kind can be." He grinned.

"I'm not saying that they are unintelligent, most of them are, again, as smart as us despite their monstrous appearance, but they have no need for cities or camps. They never sleep and they make even the most wandering elven or human nomads look like they've settled down. If you ever have to fight one, bring spears and be ready to set against a charge, for they can leap immense distances, and don't let them get close, as their mandibles contain a terrible, paralyzing poison."

The Sun Runner rubbed his chin and seemed to think, "That's about all I can think of. Now, where were you headed? Perhaps I know something of your destination. No matter where it is, though, if you're comfortable having me along, I suggest we get moving. Standing still for too long may attract predators."

Lorath stepped in to the temple, making sure to tread lightly and watch his step. There was no telling what was alive in here, and he wasn't eager to find out. He went for the apparent altar, to see if he could read any of the writing, or at least copy the words into blank pages in the back of his spellbook.

"This is a magnificent ruin," he said in amazement, out loud but to himself. The statues piqued his interested, but you could never tell the true essence of a society from what they put on the front. He went for the staircase, switching to infravision as it got darker.

Bas shivered at the thought of people crossing over to his world, whether giant insect men or elves. Maintaining balance in this foreign land was enough of a challenge, but countering a threat to his own world at the same time? Impossible.

Bas' mind raced as he tried to think of a proper response. It would be better to keep this elf close, rather than send him away where news of travelers from another world could spread and bring unwanted attention.

"We are headed to a range of cliffs to the southeast. Your assistance in reaching them would be appreciated. To your other question, it was a powerful mage who sent us here. More than that I cannot say."

Tamora

When Balth started talking about the Thri-Kreen, Tamora walked over to where the creature lay. First she ran a professional eye over the creature’s anatomy noting its protection, natural weapons and any possible points of vulnerability. She studied the wound her arrow had made and attempted to retrieve it. Nodding to herself at what she had learned she turned her attention to the packs strung around the creature, looking for anything interesting or useful.

She turned back to the party at the sound of Bas’ voice and heard his invitation for the strange elf to join them. ‘So be it’ she thought, reassured by the Learned One’s caution in not mentioning the portal. A local guide would be valuable to learn from and from the little he has said Balth’s lifestyle seemed similar to her own. It would give her something else to think about in keeping the party safe though – she made a mental note to privately ask Bas’ feeling about the stranger the first opportunity she got.

She agreed with Bath’s suggestion that they shouldn't linger. “You are right about keeping moving though” she said to their new companion. She straightened up and made ready to move.

[ 02-12-2007, 11:19 AM: Message edited by: Armen ]

It took a while, but Ulik eventually mapped out the entire multiverse in his head and discovered the meaning of existence. With the small things taken care of, he moved on to more important tasks like aimlessly searching the ruins for something interesting. He tracked down Lorath and helped him search, though he let him lead the way this time. It was his turn to be the meat shield.

<font color=silver>Gan Vahnsen

<font color=skblue>“A moment, before we leave.”</font> Gan addressed his companions, <font color=skblue>“This area may contain more creatures but if what you say is true,”</font> he nodded to the Sun rider, <font color=skblue>“Which I do not doubt - then these mandibles; can this 'terrible, paralyzing poison' be harvested? We have a dead Thri-kreen here...”</font> He left his words to hang in the air for a moment.

<font color=skblue>“Such a weapon would prove useful. If we have time, I suggest we take some and move on towards the cliffs.”</font> Depending on how the rescued elf responded, Gan would react accordingly; obviously there is no point suggesting Bas (since he's the druid) take the poison if it cannot be harvested, or if there is a need to move on.</font>

Anne

Almost subconsciously, Anne's mind reacted to the flow of the conversation.

Poison. Her mind rattled off the various uses of poison she had learned while plying her trade. Poisons to kill, poisons to maim, poisons to cause discomfort, poisons to disable. Anne had previously used minor poisons, but never aiming to permanently injure someone. She was not of a violent nature.

"Are the effects of this poison the Thri-Keen have permanent or merely temporary?" she asked of Balth.

<u>Evon</u>

Crickets chirped as the munchies started to set in and Evon began to ask himself deep, important questions, like: What was it all about, when you got right down to it? Why is red red? And possibly more urgently, had it really been that good an idea to smoke those weird reeds he found on the way to the ruins? Like, whoah. Dude.

Growing out his hair and only wearing sandals started to seem like a very good idea.


<u>Ulik, Lorath</u>

Lorath's infravision turned everything into shades of blue and black. Outside the sun at least provided some heat, but in the shade of the building, it was very chilly.

To his infravision, the staircase and the holes were merely blacknesses in the blue of the floor, which was why he tripped over the corpse.

When Ulik entered the building, he saw the elf lying flat over a very runny corpse sprawled over the stairs, as though the person's strength had given up just as they were reaching for the top step. The corpse was clad in tattered and torn platemail, covered with a stained white tabard. A two-handed sword and a tower shield laid a few steps further down, both badly rusted. Most of the skin was black and swollen, while the soft parts like the eyes had long since been chewed away by scavengers, but it was still possible to tell that the dead person had once been a woman.

The only intact pieces of equipment were an ankh on a chain around her neck and a belt pouch.

The stairs continued downwards at a rather steep angle for a few meters before reaching a room with completely dark water just a few feet below the ceiling, though it was hard to tell whether it was dark from waste or just lack of light. It was also impossible to say how deep the water was, it could be waist-deep or it could reach above their heads.

As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they could tell that the room was a square shape and had three corridors leading away, two on their right and one on their left. A faint glow came from far up the nearest one on the right and the one on the left made a sharp turn just a few yards away from the room. Otherwise they all seemed relatively similar.


<u>Gan, Bas, Tamora, Anne</u>

To Tamora, it was obvious that the creature was formidable. It's chitinous plates were as thick as any armor and it's claws were the size of small daggers, the addition of two extra arms to wield them was hardly necessary to make it a tough fight. The mandibles were small, however, and besides delivering poison it looked doubtful that they were particularly dangerous.

Examining the bags, she noted that they looked to be of the same make as the one she'd recovered from the bird, but the bird didn't seem to particularly care about the dead Thri-Kreen. Either it only responded to whichever one had been it's owner, it's owner hadn't been a Thri-Kreen or it didn't have much loyalty. Within the bags were few surprises. Some herbs, a surprising amount of dried meat and three odd globes with a waxy feel and look to them. Each was somewhere between a softball and a volleyball in size, two were a light colour, and the third dark. When jolted, they sloshed slightly, suggesting they contained liquid.

"Temporary," Balth said to Anne, then spoke to Gan, "And I've never tried harvesting it, but you're free to try if you're skilled with that sort of thing."

"At any rate, if you are headed southeast, you might hit a big chasm that I saw when I crested a ridge some distance back, it looks too wide to get around without losing at least a day of travel, but possibly there's some way to cross it, I suppose we'll have to see when we get there. If the rest of you want to try playing with the Thri-Kreen's corpse, then perhaps the lady and I should scout ahead?"

<font color=silver>Gan Vahnsen

<font color=skblue>“I'm not sure that's a good idea.”</font> The half elf answered coolly to Balth's suggestion about splitting up, <font color=skblue>“It's safer to stay together as a group, I think.”</font> He glanced at Anne, <font color=skblue>“If you know anything of poisons, you're more than welcome to give it a shot - if you're versed in venom, I can try after you should you fail. Otherwise, I've no objections to trying my hand first.”</font>

Gan looked back at the rest of the group, <font color=skblue>“But its your decision Commander.”</font> Gan put the emphasis on the word this time, implying that Tamora should decide, <font color=skblue>“Under the guidance of the 'Learned One', of course.”</font> He smiled, not at all sarcastically; he seemed actually sincere and somewhat amused by the duo's arrangement.</font>

Anne

"I don't have time for this crap," she softly muttered under her breath. She was not one to play childish power games, and did not care how they played out in the group. She had no desire to lead, wouldn't have had any desire even if she weren't as insecure as she currently was.

She knelt down next to the Thri-Kreen and took out her knife from its protective leather sheath. She picked up a leaf and a piece of hollow bark from the ground. Holding the leaf over a mandible with one hand after having placed the bark on the ground she sliced into the mandible, hoping that the poison did not squirt out in an inconvenient direction, but dripped onto the bark.

Bas was starting to worry he had made a mistake in agreeing to attack the thri-kreen. They should have tried to move on without interfering. This elf was causing the druid more anxiety than he had counted on.

Bas frowned at the elf's suggestion of splitting forces, and nodded at Gan's suggestion. "I agree that we are better off staying together, especially considering that we are all unfamiliar with this area and the dangers we face here. Gan, please finish your work with the thri-kreen quickly so we can move on." Bas leaned on his staff and peered at the sun runner. "Tell me, traveler, you mentioned that the thri-kreen use their Will as a weapon. What exactly did you mean by that? Magic?"

Lorath looked at the two corridors with distinguishing characteristics, and looked to Ulik. "If it's all right with you," he began, "I'll take the one on the left." Into his bag he reached and pulled out a torch, then lit it. He cautiously edged around the corner, his shield peering out first, then his torch, and finally his head, just enough to see what was beyond.

Tamora

Tamora packed a share of the dried meat and offered some to the others if they wished to take some. She also stowed the herbs to show to Bas later when they stopped to rest. She examined the globes with interest. They appeared to be organic somehow rather than ‘made’ and appeared completely uniform. She held one up to the sun and peered through it seeing nothing but a faint translucency. It seemed pointless to carry them if they were of no use so she held one up to Balth and asked, “Do you know what these are?”

(OOC: If Balth doesn’t know she’ll lay a couple of large leaves on the ground to make a sort of bowl and then slit one of them to see what comes out.)

Tamora watched Anne’s attempt to extract the venom with interest. She wasn’t sufficiently advanced with her training to manage poisons but she knew the more senior members of her community made extensive use of them for defence if not for normal hunting.

She nodded through Gan’s and Bas’ objections to Balth’s suggestion that they should split up. She didn’t entirely agree with either of them that there was necessarily safety in numbers but for this group it was probably the least worst option and besides Bas had invited the elf along and she wasn’t sure about him yet. “I agree that we should stay together”, she confirmed to the others.

[ 02-13-2007, 08:36 AM: Message edited by: Armen ]