Cavern Quest - Part 2
Amy looks at the orc and then over at the lady, and then back, and then again. She just stands there, hands drumming on her hips, as she thinks. "So, no knight came and attacked the orc, but the Lady says he - no wait, she said the monster overcame her. Amy looks back at the Lady and then over at the orc. "Her words speak true, but - " Sigh. "So what isn't true then? The appearance?"
Shao finishes his rice ball and rises. "Lady Seville, if you decide not to trust anyone who spent the last week, or so, jailed without food, who would blame you, really?" he offers. "Why not just try the door, over there, and come back later for them?"
Merrisol looks between Shao and Amy for a moment, then interjects once more. "Yes.. it's sensible to check the doors at this point, but it shouldn't surprise when they turn out to be each directly associated with the choice presented by that lever." He begins to unspool the rope at his belt.
Maggie says, "And the knight was Sir Bashar. Who came to defend the lady's honor against the orc. And a worm was roused by the noise and cast a spell on them. So. It is possible that, while the words are true, as Amy suggested, the appearance is not. So." Turning to the lady, Maggie nods, "Tell me what you looked like when you woke up this morning." Her glance toward the orc then, "You as well. Please."
And from the cavern maze, slips a Li-Fang. "Oh thank the heavens." she murmurs, "There you are..." There's a glance around at the party, as if counting heads and checking for any fresh injuries. "We heard some of the commotion from the ship, and then it got so quiet, I ah, got a little worried, Captain." she explains quickly, then falls quiet and looks up at the cages, as if trying to assess this new situation.
(B) The woman still wimpered in her cage. As far as bedside manner was concerned, Captain Flame and her Damn Laser Sword weren't exactly Patch Adams when it came to interviewing civvies and as much as the fair maiden wanted -out- of the cage, for the time being the metal bars that surrounded her were the only secure thing in her life, insofar as security could be found in a death trap. She rubbed her eyes, wiping away the trail of tears. "I'm just a woman! What do you think I looked like?" she bit, angrily. Then repenting, remembering that the switch was out -there- as she was in -here-, she waved her hands. "I mean... I mean... I woke up, like I always do. I look like... what do you want me to say?" She pleaded with Maggie, confused and distressed. The orc, meanwhile, simply looked away as if bored.
(B) Much to Merrisol's completely lack of surprise, both doors were barred with the same locking mechanism that was built into the cavern walls. There was no apparent means of unblocking them.
"Well, she said the beast came upon her, she didn't actually say it was this orc," Amy says, with a shrug. "Though she did intimate it. And in all this cave, no sign of any wyrm. Do wyrms change shapes?" A pity Amy doesn't know more of her Mandrake heritage as yet.
"Li-Fang-san," Shao greets, bowing to the half-jadean shipmate. "I trust you have met no acid spitting spider on the way here," he adds, all too serious. As for the current puzzle, he prefers to let the others explain.
Merri paces back from the other end of the cavern, after having studied those doors. "Miss Li-Fang! I take by your arrival we've still got our escape route planned out," he acknowledges grimly, gesturing her over. "Captain," he says to Maggie. "The doors are literally hinged on an accurate pull of the lever. Might I propose that we take mine and Shao-san's rope, and tie both by their waists, before any decision is made on the lever. We should not accept that either deserves death on those spikes, for the sake of a test."
Maggie turns as she hears someone coming up behind them. Lifting her sword, she sheds light on the situation and offers Li Fang a grim smile, "Good to see you and thank you but for now we are alright." Her glance turns to Merri and she nods, "Absolutely. Please do. So far, there is no evidence that either has actually committed a crime." Moving over, she explains the situation at hand to the woman, then returns her attention to the caged bird, "I don't want you to say anything other than the truth. I am sorry if I am being difficult but please understand. We are trying to figure out the mechanism that will free you both. Now, you say that both cages will open if we push the lever away from you. What happens if we push it toward you?" They all have their suspicions, don't they? But, has it been stated?
Fang acknowledges Shao with a smile and a graceful dip of her chin. "Only the trail of their corpses you left behind, Shao-san. It did make your trail delightfully easy to follow." There is another nod, this one for Merri, and somewhat more brisk and professional in nature. Sidling over to the First Mate she gestures to the rope, "We do, sir. Might I be of help?"
Amy looks over at Shao, and then back to Maggie. "I agree," she says, with a smile. She looks at Li-Fang, and offers a nod of her head, not adding anything further there. "Though I do note that the orc said that no knight attacked him, didn't he?"
(B) The woman pouted but at least she had calmed. Folding her arms before her, she leaned back against the bars. "Why would you do that? You would release that creature and who knows what evil he would be free to do! And you would send me to... to my doom! Why do you drag this out? Surely the wyrm would take measures to prevent you from foiling his efforts. Would you really risk my life for the chance to free that... thing?" She brushed mussed strands of hair from her face. "I told you it attacked me and it did not deny the accusation! How is the beast not guilty of a crime? What have I done to deserve this?"
Shao would rather consider the orc, right now. He gives said monster another look over, studying his expression and posture. He arches his eyebrow at the others. "At one point, we will have to choose. My heart is set, yet I should not influence anyone so soon," he states.
(B) The orc is calm, or at the very least seems resolved. His expression is grim, even moreso than commonly found on an orc, but not at all unsurprising given his circumstances. Hanging over a death trap is a rather grim situation to find one's self in.
Don't forget the big orange arrows scrawled on various walls and floors. Merri has the chalky fingers to prove it! He looks back at Fang once she has been informed of details by Maggie, and offers her the rope, now knotted in a ball at one end for a bit of throw weight. "Since we cannot be completely certain of what will happen when we shift that lever in the floor, we mean to safeguard both lady and.. subhuman.." Although the orc seems a swell chap, really! Just a touch grumpy, is all. "Once the others have determined the correct push of the lever, if you would approach that being with this and get him to secure this about his waist, we will see to it he doesn't drop to his death." He looks to see that Fang comprehends before turning towards the other Jadeaen. "Shao-san? The rope? Whatever the choice, we should not be obliged to summarily execute one or the other."
Maggie steps forward to address the woman, "What did you do? Well, by your own account, you picked mushrooms. Possibly mushrooms that belonged to the orc or his family. Is that a crime? That depends. Did the orc attack you? In what way? I see no evidence of injury. Still..." She turns a bit, then motions to Merri, Li Fang and Shao, "But you see? We do not seek to send anyone to their deaths, so calm down." Backing up, she moves to stand near Amy, "Any ideas, cousin?"
"So if our friendly missing fellow Bashar was rescuing this lady nameless from a beast, and yet the orc did not get attacked by a knight, then it might stand to reason that it was not the orc attacking the lady. So then," Amy glances over at the lady, very thoughtfully. "I think that dragons and wyrms do shape shift," she says suddenly, as she recalls something she was told. "And I am certain that the wyrm will try to prevent us from messing with his or her plans,in some way or other." His or ... hers. yes. "I do suggest that the wyrm is no doubt watching us all and laughing at us. But - through all this, where is Bashar? if orc and lady are in cages, what fate has met the heroic knight?" She looks over at the lady, and says, "You seem the most familiar with this wyrm, lady. Where is it now?"
(B) "He raised his sword to me and cried out in his barbarian language." the woman told Maggie and Amethyst. "Assuredly, it was only the involvement of the brave knight that saved me from a quick death." The orc grunted but interjected no statement. "And now I face this drawn out torment. I know not what happened to him after the wyrm arrived, or to where the wyrm has gone. I have not seen the creature since that day."
Shao gives the woman a glance and mumbles something maybe Merrisol can make.
Privately, to Merrisol, Shao says, "Could be he was warning her about poisoned mushrooms, or even the wyrm."
Fang takes rope in hand and nods, gently testing the weight of the end. "Right. No one dies." she totally down with that. Since Merri said 'being', she figures he meant 'orc' and so she heads toward the creature's cage. Finding a likely rock formation to secure her rope to, she stands in front of the creature's cage, lightly tossing the balled end of it in her palm. It's awkward, just sort of standing there, staring at him, so she clears her throat a little. "Ah, hello. I am Li-Fang. Might I ask your name, orc-san?"
(B) There was a newcomer. The orc noticed that the party had grown from four to five the the addition of the Jadean ninja girl. He studied her dispassionately just as he had the others when they arrived, but his eyebrow raised inquisitively as she addressed him. "I am Groknar, warrior of Bone Cracker clan." he told her. "Why have you come here, Li-Fang?"
Merrisol nods to Shao, while preparing the length of rope. His plan for preserving the two strange lives involves no pulleys, just a good strong rope and handful of spit. Ew.. grunt work. "If the answer is to be based on a smallish detail such as that.. I'd rather go back to watching you duck and dive around sword-swinging apparitions," he jokes.... maybe. "If I may, Captain," he requests of Maggie, hopefully securing The Nod from her before he proceeds. "My Lady!" he calls, striding forward towards the maidenly hanging cage. "My sincerest apologies for neglecting to make introduction. I am Merrisol of the good ship Wave Dancer, First Officer to Captain Flame," he informs her, a sweeping bow of the sort he doesn't really like to make.. but the traumatized young woman might need some extreme flourish to regain her sensibilities. "Would you grant me the privilege of knowing your name?"
Amy looks over to said orc, watching him for a long moment. She gives an approving nod at Li-Fang's question, deciding it's a great one. "And you, sir orc? What would you say of the knight in question or the wyrm?" she asks, quite clearly. Her gaze goes back to the lady, as she considers. "It does seem we have hit a dead end, if I understand correctly, Mister Merrisol? There is no exit from here, other than the two locked doors and the way from which we came?" She looks to Maggie. "Honestly, I think that the hysterical lady is very careful with her words. Whether she is speaking of one, two, three, or more different beings is impossible to tell. Her words I think are true, but misleading. And that makes me think that perhaps she is not what she seems." A pause, and then, "And if that is the case, then perhaps the orc is also not what he seems. We have not seen any signs of orcs in these caves up until this point after all." She takes a breath, before she says, all prickly, "And I really do not like this sort of test, for I would hate to send any one innocent to their death. It is an abominable thing to do, and someone should get a serious scolding." A brief pause, and then. "If we are to pull the switch either way, I should be closest to whoever we think will be falling, in order to assist as I can."
(B) As it happened, Merrisol's bedside (or should that be cageside?) manner was much, much more inviting than Captain Friday and the young maid reacted almost immediately. In spite of her wearied appearance, her sniveling paused and she even managed a smile as the seaman made his introduction. "My name is Samantha. Samantha Greene. It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Merrisol." Would you like to dance? Here at least was someone with gentlemanly courtesy. "I'm a farmer. Or, well," she blushed, "I live on a farm. But mostly I tend to the kitchen. I came to these caves for mushrooms, to cook. I heard of the great wyrm, but the creature had never bothered me before."
Fang smiles slightly, "Well met, Groknar. The Bone Crusher clan, they sound like a fierce people." With a small tilt of her head toward the rest of the party, she continues, "I'm here to find them of course, and they are here for our friend Bashar." It's all very pleasant, as if chatting over tea. Her dark eyes flicker to the others, curious for a moment and then she falls silent, allowing the orc to answer their questions. She's just here for the rope throwing.
(B) "All of my kind are fierce; the Bone Crackers, among the fiercest!" the orc said, raising his voice with pride. After listening to Fang complete her answer, he nodded. "What you seek," he told her, "lies beyond those doors." he told her, nodding his head in the direction of the metal doors. "Whether your way be easy, or difficult, remains to be seen."
Maggie gives Merri The Nod readily enough, "Okay. Yes. Let's get these folk secured. We have to push the lever and I know which way I mean to push it." Shocking? Perhaps. Striding forward, she stands by the lever itself without pusing it either way. Noting the woman's simpering at Merri she rolls her eyes because she can't quite help it. Just can't quite... not. "Right then." Turning to the orc, she inclines her head, "Sir, please follow Li Fang's instructions and secure yourself with the rope." Then turning to the lady, she adds, "Please follow Mr. Merrisol's instructions, Miss."
Shao gives the orc a stern nod of approval, and another to Merrisol. "The ropes are ready, Captain," he informs. He scoots a bit to offer Maggie a little more room and to himself, if he were to pounce into action. Awaiting, he gives Maggie the best smile he can summon through all this pressure.
Unfortunately, with the girl nattering on, Merri can't hear what's being said over in the other cage, even if he tries. He doesn't, though, listening to her brief history as attentively and patiently as he might had they been promenading in a city park. He nods, determinedly, and calls upwards again. "Miss Greene, I must say you have been brave. The time of your imprisonment is coming to an end, and I promise I shall personally see you away from this place, once we have concluded our mission. This rope I am throwing through your bars, will ensure your safety, if you will loop it once around the bars, and tie it securely under your arms... like so," he demonstrates on himself. And then, with a look of encouragement and a gathering of slack line, underhand tosses the weighted end upwards and into the cage.
Fang stops tossing the rope-ball, her head tilting curiously at the great beast in the cage. "I don't suppose you have any advice on how to do this the easy way?" But Maggie has made her choice, and she is Captain! "Groknar, catch!" the slender girl calls, then gives the rope an arching underhand toss toward the cage. "Tie that about the bars, then about yourself, and ah... hold on." She adds a few words of luck, spoken quickly in hushed Penglai.
Amy doesn't even mind if her farfetched theory is wrong. Or right. She just looks at Maggie, as she waits to see which way her healing skills will be needed. "Luck be with us now," she murmurs.
(B) Samantha looked askance at the rope in Merrisol's hands. "Are... are you sure?" Her smile waned in skepticism as to this plan, but it dis not altogether disappear. "Why do I need to hold the rope? If you're going to release me, and you still mean to free that... creature," meanie-face over to Mr. Groknar on the other side of the room, "then surely only he requires tethering?" Keeping the orc tethered sounded like a good idea to her, actually.
(B) Groknar merely nodded. He too seemed skeptical. In fact, he didn't look optimistic at all about this plan the humans were hatching. The orc extended his hands to catch the rope as it was tossed to him. THe knotted bundle of hemp (and not even the kind of hemp Martin liked) sailed through the air, even closer to the cage. Hairs stood on edge and the party sensed a growing energy when the candles brightened in their sconces. Before the rope reached Groknar, a flame of light shot forth from the candles and incinerated the rope (which, no doubt would have been Martin's idea, though to a completely different purpose).
(B) "It appears that you will have to make your choice, humans." the orc stated grimly. He did not seem altogether surprised by the overall outcome, though the light show certainly gave him pause.
Fang blinks as the rope turns to a lovely flamey mess. Jumping back from the fire, she stomps on the glowing end in an attempt to salvage as much as possible. Sheepishly, she brushes a bit of green hair from her eyes and looks up at Groknar. "Looks like."
Well. Merrisol does not look impressed at all when the rope he tossed comes back down in a swirl of ashes. "That... was not wholly surprising," he has to admit. "Good thing I didn't go with the original thought of boosting Shao-san up there." Turning, he sees that the same has happened to Fang's rope. His gaze moves quickly to each of his companions, and last to his Captain, standing decisively at the lever. His attention then lifts back to Samantha, now truly affected by anxiety and concern. "It appears, Miss Greene, that precautionary measures are not appreciated by your tormentor. Please excuse me." With a pivot, he makes his way back over to Maggie. "Captain.." he starts to warn.
Maggie stands ready, watching to be sure that each of the victims is secured. When the ropes arch out toward the cages, Maggie nods to Ame, indicating the direction she should go. She grasps the lever, but waits to be sure that... Well, not that the ropes flare into fire and are lost, "Oh, for..." A curse wells up, honestly it does. Some, who know her, might expect a small explosion. However, this time, she just nods. "Fine." Maybe the gentlemanly Merri and the polite Shao are teaching her better manners. One can only hope. So she grasps the handle of the switch and, using all her strength... She is interrupted by Merrisol. Lifting a brow, she nods, "Aye?"
Amy nods to Maggie, hefting her pack, and making ready. She pauses though, in case there is a last minute change of heart. "Someone keep watch on the doors," she says. Just in case.
Shao purses his lips in dismay, seeing the rope(s) being incinerated. He sighs through his nose, flushing out this outburst of useless attachment for a thing. He has to bow his head to Merrisol, in gratefulness for not being himself a well done shishkebab right now. He looks between... well, everyone, arching his eyebrow in suspense, ready to pounce in either direction.
Fang offers Amy a quick nod, "Doors, right." and since she's not holding rope, she'll stare at doors and not Groknar. Though some thought still tumbles about in her brain, wheedling her and not letting go. "Groknar, for what it's worth. What was your problem with her anyhow?" she finally asks, hitching a thumb Samantha-ward.
Merrisol slows, having seen the shift of weight in her decision-making. Eyes flinching around the edges, he looks at her with a touch of cold horror before he can manage to control the sensation. Then he locks it down. His gaze firms up, and he nods wordlessly to her and turns to stride back to Greene's cage as witness to whatever happens, not that it strictly matters. The outcome has already played itself out and all that's left is living with it.
(B) "She is a witch." Groknar said matter-of-factly. "Three of my clansmen are dead from her spellcraft and I came exact justice." Samantha inhaled sharply in anticipation of an immediate outburst. "A lie!" she cried out to the orc, "I'm not a witch! I've done nothing to you or your tribe of brutes!" Groknar said, "Now her words spin falsehood! She poisons my clansmen--" Samantha interrupted, "The only poison is that which spews from your lips, beast!" To Merrisol she looked pleadingly, "Are you really going to allow this? Will you trust this creature of evil over me?"
Amy takes a breath, and now that Merri has come and gone, she follows the instructions given by Maggie, moving towards where she thinks there will be most need of her care. She's ready to do all she can to save lives, her eyes gleaming deeply purple.
That look in Merri's eyes strikes into Maggie's soul and is exactly why she is standing by the switch. This is not something she can or will ask anyone else to do. Drawing in a breath, she nods to him once, horror and anquish echoing silently in her eyes. Then she turns and faces forward. Drawing in a breath, she once more gathers her strength. Oh, she hears the biplay between Groknar and Samantha but it does not change her decision, does not change the choice made. Her shoulders bunch and she pushes the lever over toward Samantha's cage until it can be pushed no farther. "Amy, go!" Witch, bitch, farmer's daughter or wyrm, they should save her if they can.
Shao looks at his Captain, impassive, while she struggles against herself to do what she has to do. Deep down, he understands, does he not? As Maggie readies herself to pull or push the lever, Shao glances to Amy and takes a few precautionary steps in the Lady's direction. Better safe than sorry with the Prince's daughter.
(B) Everything happened at once. With a clang, Groknar's cage door swung forward, hinging downward to become a ramp. The metal against stone overcome by the screen of Samantha's scream as she plummeted, the floor of her cage opening below her. Even as the latch on the leftmost metal door unlatched, releasing the door even as Samantha was released from her mortal coil. THe woman's scream was cut short as she was impaled, morphing into a gurgle, and then nothing. Groknar walked down the ramp. He did not approach the party. He just stood there, and looked upon the young woman, stating solemnly, "Justice has been served." Looking up toward the others, he added with a touch of wonder, "You humans are curious creatures."
Amy is on the move, as soon as she sees Maggie moving. Because she has every intention of doing exactly what she said, and throwing herself into saving the life of the person who they think might need it most. Or at least, she's trying to. She comes to a stop as the woman falls faster than anything she can do, her skills not up to pulling anyone back from death itself. She pales, and then drops to one knee, staring in stunned bemusement.
Turns out Merri should not have left the caging area, after all. He is too late back to do a thing for the woman of shadow. A cry of hopeless rage tears out his chest as he witnesses her screaming end, and he staggers a bit aimlessly to a halt before the spikes.
Fang focuses on the door. Death is never pretty, and this one even sounds horrible. She gives an almost imperceptable flinch at the scream, then her attention moves to the big ogre now standing rather close. Still friendly, but now wary that he is free, "Not so curious really." she amends. "But be well, Groknar of the Bone Cracker clan."
Stern, Shao points Merrisol to Li-Fang, throwing her a glance full of meaning. "Let us all back off from the pit," he orders, as softly as he can. He reaches for Amy's shoulder, to wake her up from her stunned state and pull her away from stakes even the best of luck can hope to win against. "Lady Seville, Captain Flame needs your help. She looks shocked," he kind of lies. No bossing zombie Ladies around death traps.
Everything happened more or less as horribly as Maggie expected. The lever kicked over. The orc was freed and the woman falls. Maggie releases the lever and turns to try and sprint to the woman's cage, tries to get there in time to... do something. Some impossible thing. But the woman falls to her death, the scream sounding, gurgling, failing as the woman dies. Maggie slows then stops looking down into the pit. There should have been a way to save them both. "Justice..." The word is flat and tastes of dust and death. Turning slowly, eyes empty now of all emotion, all humor, as flat and dark as a void between the stars to look at Groknar, "Live long and prosper, Groknar of the Bone Crusher clan and remember that some humans do not judge on appearance alone." Standing tall, Maggie ignores the tremble that runs down her spine and the shimmer that blurs her vision. So, Shao was not lying after all.
Maggie might not be the only one in shock, but the healer in Amy kicks in as Shao quite deliberately reminds Amy that she has work to do. Even if she'd rather curl into a little ball and whimper. She swallows, gets to her feet, takes a moment to throw up whatever might have been in her stomach, wipes her mouth, and then she turns and walks over to Maggie. A deep breath, and she takes a good long look at Captain Flame.
(B) Groknar grunted, though from an orc the sound was one of concurrence. "It is so that justice is blind, but neither deaf nor dull, as you are not." he told Maggie. Making a salute with his fist, he offered her an orcish salutation, "Keep your weapon handy and wits ready, Captain Flame of the Shadow Dancer." A gust of wind was felt through the cavern as air was pressed through the system of caves. The candles flickered, casting a dizzying array of lights against the rocky walls. And then both Groknar and the corpse of the woman sprawled on the spikes dissolved in a cloud of smoke that dissipated, just in the manner of the ghost knight a room prior. The disembodied, gravelly, yet now familiar voice was once again heard. "Thou hast passed the Rite of Justice."
Fang gives Shao an almost imperceptible nod and finds her way to Merrisol's side, to put a reassuring hand on his elbow. "Sir, we must move on. Please, come away." She looks somewhat relieved when the corpses fizzle into the ether, but it only last a moment. "Bashar still awaits us, yes?"
After mere seconds' worth of viewing the remains, Merrisol finally gets the bright idea of closing his eyes to the sight... and then covering them... then grinding them, with the heels of his hands. Nothing.. bloody.. works, though. So he jams his fists to his sides and just looks restlessly around the cavern walls, up to the cage with its hanging door, compulsively nodding, like he's figured everything out. He lifts his arm away from Fang's touch, glancing at her, and seeing the orc puff into smoke beyond her, with a dawning flicker of understanding in his gaze, and a long sigh that shudders towards the end. No looking back at the pit to confirm. He nods to Fang then, looking at her more directly, his expression composing itself without shame. Pivoting, he walks a step with her from the edge, then halts to see Maggie standing nearby, with Amethyst.
Hearing the voice, Shao looks up and about, startled. Lividity takes place on his face, yet he remembers his own words and moves closer to the center of the bridge. At the disapearance of the prisoners, he reaches down to sit, slowly.
Privately, to Maggie and Merrisol, Shao is scared, you know that much.
Amy doesn't look around at the corpses, her attention on Maggie. Though when that disembodied voice calls out something about a rite, then the petite healer frowns, and she does look around. "That - " she starts, and then she pauses. A moment later, she cusses in a Shadow dialect from near her home. Briefly, but the sentiment is there. "This is starting to get annoying," she says, a little sharply. "Hey, are we all in one piece? Everyone okay?"
Privately, to Amethyst and Maggie, Merrisol's eyes as he looks at Maggie are conflicted rather than reassuring or steadfast. And the same coldness remains from when he realized her decision and acting intent, although the horror has since receded. It had been an illusion.. but not at the time.
Maggie parts her lips to reply to the orc, her fist lifted in the same salute. Yet, her words do not come as the the breeze lifts and the orc shivers and vanishes on the air. Turning she notes that the woman also vanishes into smoke, ash and memory. Looking up, she hears the gravely voice and her gaze narrows as her focus sharpens. "Justice." Her voice is clipped and a new, hard glitter touches her gaze, "had damn well better not be blind either, you sanctamonious git." Her voice lowers to a near whisper then and she makes what might amount to a vow, "I will find you." Turning again, she inhales and nods to Amy, "Fine... Thank you." She looks to Shao, her gaze encouraging. Then her eyes seek Fang and Merri. On reaching him, the look lingers, then turns toward the door. "Let's get this over with and get the hell out of here."
Privately, to Fang and Merrisol, Maggie's eyes are filled with pain and determination. The horror of the decision she made and the action she took remain and a new coldness, a new glitter is held within. Even though it was an illusion. Only an illusion. It does not change what she did. It is clear that she is very much not 'okay' with it.
(B) The party left the cavern and moved onward past the metal door that had disbarred and opened upon Maggie's choice. There they passed through a tunnel. To one side there were openings in the stone where bars were installed to block passage, but not visibility. On the other side were a mass of webs, no doubt with the weavers of such not far beyond. But as for their side, the stone walls were clear and unadorned with the sticky netting.
The nature of the tunnel system as it was, one's sight travelled only so far as the next bend but sound carried on and on, reverberating every which way. Thus it was that the party heard the music, the soft strains of strings and the whirr of woodwinds, without being able to identify its source. They knew only that it came before them, and sounded merry.
Merrisol lets the others go through while he makes a cursory examination of the door. The way it is built makes it impossible to disable the hinges, or tear the door away from the stone. "Captain, with your leave, I will remain here, and make certain the door remains open. For all we know it may be a trap that closes behind us, resetting the illusion for the next rescue party." His meaning is quite clear. He will not take the chance of their recent experience.. and its fallout.. replicating itself for others.
Shao breaks his silence to look between Maggie and Merrisol and glance to the others. "No one should be left alone in this place," he says, his tone uncertain. His frown is not giving up since they have left the last ordeal behind and is far from improving. "I must admit... I am completely overwhelmed at the moment. Your orders, Captain, please."
Fang runs her fingers along the smooth stone tentatively. Since she hadn't been fighting giant spiders, or ghosts and she'd even had a nice lunch less than an hour ago, she is happy to take point, pausing only to turn and look to between Merrisol and the Captain. "Perhaps if this wyrm were defeated, his traps would be as well?" As the sound of string instruments filter down through the tunnels, she tilts her head, listening. "Umm... I am not the only one hearing music, right?"
Amy watches Merrisol for a long moment, seeing the look on his face. She looks over at Maggie, and as they are both saying onward ho, she moves over towards the now open door. At Merri's suggestion, she pauses, giving him a long look. "It might be worse to stay behind than to continue. If there's any justice," She winces at that word, "Maybe there's only one more of these tests?" She pauses then, blinking, and her gaze goes to Li-Fang, eyes widening a bit. "I hear music too," she says, frowning. "Though I can't identify what the song it, just yet."
Maggie stops at Merri's words and for a moment, she closes her eyes, then turns to look back at him. The idea that someone else might suffer the moments just past brings the horror of it freshly to her and she nods, "Good idea, Kerf." Her gaze lingers on him once more though this time perhaps for a moment or two longer. Then, blinking, she looks between Shao and Merri, then forward to where the music wells. Speaking, her voice is clear, determined, hollow. "You are also correct, Shao-san. If you two will stay here and work to destroy that forsaken trap, please. Fang, take point, Amy in the center and I will bring up the rear. Let's see what other craptastic bullshit this place has for us." Looking back again, over her shoulder, she adds, her voice almost trembling, "Be careful. Be safe. Keep your trumps handy." Her gaze sort of abstracts as she listens, "Yes. Music. How... disengenuous. Disarming. I don't trust it."
Privately, to Merrisol and Shao, Maggie's eyes shimmer with unshed tears though she blinks them away. The pain of before is magnified for an instant, then shut away leaving only emptiness.
Privately, to Maggie and Merrisol, Shao averts his gaze, in shame.
After speaking to each, Maggie focuses on Fang with a sharp nod, "That is my hope as well. We shall see." Lifting her sword, she nods forward, adding to Amy, "Let's hope so. Too many more and..." Then she stops and goes white as a sheet before whirling to peer back into the room where the cages presumably still hang. The horror that had been stable within suddenly blooms and she stands still as a statue for a span of heartbeats. Then her expression closes as though a door had been slammed shut. Slowly, she turns away from the death trap and begins to walk away from the room. The silence she wraps around herself is beyond profound.
Merrisol nods to Maggie, studying her with a stillness to his countenance. Why so judgy, Merri, damn. You're a frickin' pirate, if the rumours are true. Looking to Amy as she addresses him, he nods. "I sincerely hope so.. that this is the worst of it, Amy. And that there is not much farther to go." Reaching into his cloak pocket, he pulls a long chunk of orange chalk and offers it into her fingers. To find their way back, or for him to find them, if it comes to that. "Shao? You don't have to stay. Take care of the Captain," he mutters to his friend, while his eyes slide back up to follow Maggie as she passes through again. Something gives way in his expression while he watches her.. just a bit.. a glacier inching its way along. What might be revealed beyond is merely hinted. When she breezes back through to the way forward, his arm twitches up like he might grab for her wrist... then falls short. Burning rope short. He reaches instead for the open door and begins his study anew, looking for a way to free it from its stony mechanism.
(B) Finally the tunnel mouth opened to reveal ... a party? The spanse was grand, even larger than the cavern from whence they had just come, and finely appointed. Sumptuous silks flowed from the walls and billowed in the ceilings above. Around them were tables with various foods to dine on, fish and meats, sweetrolls, wines and ales to drink. At the center were an assortment of well dressed individuals, men in exquisitely tailored surcoats and women in gorgeous gowns. Each one was dancing, frolicking and langhing as they stepped in tune with the music that seemed to come from nowhere.
Again, Shao looks between Merrisol and Maggie, Maggie and Merrisol. "My apologies, Mister Merrisol? The Captain's wishes take precedence, so does the safety of everyone. I must assist you with securing the door," he says softly, his air uncertain. He unshoulders his backpack, giving the others a long sad look; his resolve is gone, his unflappability flapped. "Also, I believe I have the tool you need somewhere in there..."
(B) As Merrisol examines the apparatus of the door, he finds it very well engineered. The quality and craftsmanship was of the same calibre of quality as dwarven work, though it lacked the aesthetic commonly attributed to such beings. The bars that had once obstructed it while the switch was in its neutral position were pulled up along either side of the aperture, standing free and tall. While there was no visible means of accessing the door hinges, as they were hidden within the stone wall of the cavern, the bars were in plain sight. If the mechanics of the two were connected, obstructing the bars from lowering might in turn prevent the door from closing.
Fang summons up a thin smile, turning to Amy. "What is the saying? Third time is the charm? Or is this now the fourth? At any rate..." her words die on her lips at Maggie's sudden shift into silence. She looks for just a moment as if she might speak again, but just doesn't quite know what to say. So, with one last look over her shoulder she finds Shao, "Don't have too much fun breaking stuff." and then she's leading the way to the party beyond, secretly praying to the heavens they have sake. Seems like everyone could use a drink.
Amy steps into the room where there is a party, and she just freezes. She stares for a long moment, and her eyes gleam purple. Yes, you are all tired of seeing that by now, but then she looks at Fang and Maggie. "Alive," she says, with a breath. "They seem to be alive." She takes a breath, and then says, "Should we see if there's another door on the other side or something?"
It is unfortunate that, with all the times Maggie has managed to catch a glance or a near touch from Merrisol, this time she missed it. Having left Shao-san with Merrisol to see to his safety, she becomes driven. It is time to get this done before the mist that blurs her vision becomes perminant. She blinks it away from time to time but it returns each time. Stepping at last into the room with the dancers after Fang and Amy, she inhales, then looks to her cousin, "Illusion?" The life has left her gaze, her tone remains hard. Nodding as Amy afirms that these people live. Sheething her flame sword, she takes another step or two into the room. Sweeping from left to right, then back, she nods slowly to Amy, "Yes. And no. If this is another test, it won't matter if there is a door or not. We won't be able to go through until we figure this out. So, let's think. We had courage and ..." She spits the word, "/justice/. What is left? Compassion? Greed? From here it could be either. There is music and dancing. How long have they been at it? Are they exhausted? There is food and drink. Is any of it touched? Don't... touch any of it, by the way. In case it carries a forsaken curse that compels you to ... Dance. Or... do something horrible." Besides, there is sake on the ship.
-------------------------------------------------------------------[ DI5 ]----
Author: Shao Held By: Shao
Date: Fri Feb 22 17:14:08 2013 Focus: 0
Title: Tools For Such Jobs
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Token Description
The basic Jadean agent toolkit, meant to fit on one's person, hereby described:
- 'Kaginawa', a grappling hook, ropes and metal rings. This is also known as a 'tall ladder' as the rings act as crude pulleys,
- 'Kunai', an iron leaf-blade shaped multi-usage tool for masonry that is mainly used to gouge holes in walls,
- 'Shuriken', darts, spikes, knives and star shaped steel throwing knives, easy to conceal or apply poison to,
- 'Happo', a small eggshell filled with metsubishi, a blinding powder mix,
- A system consisting of a bladder and tubes used as both a flotation device and underwater breathing gear,
- 'Makibishi', the Jadean equivalent of caltrops,
- 'Tekko-kagi', metal climbing claws worn on the hands,
- 'Saoto Hikigane', collapsible leather ear trumpets to aid in eavesdropping.
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(B) As it happens this is the end of the line. The cavern, or at least this segment of the tunnel complex seems to have no continuation. It is a circular room, with three alcoves situated, in addition to the enterance from which they came, equistant from one another. Within each of the alcoves was a statue. One, to the right side of the room, was crafted in the fashion of a clenched fist, the right-most statue was of a skull, and on the far end a helmet. Situated above the entrance was a fourth statue, this one wrought as a heart. The dancers continue unabated without giving any notice to the group of adventurers. Fang finds sake amidst the platters. As she watches the dancers she notes how vibrant and lively they seem, though their movements are very precise, exact even as they move in sync with the music.
Merrisol skims his gaze about the unrolled kit of Shao's handy doodads, but lets Shao determine what best suits their purpose. Remaining just within the doorway with a vigilance verging well past paranoid, he reaches up to test the give of the bars, as though they might be wrenched from their sockets if the door cannot. Perhaps as Fang had suggested, they really do just want to destroy things.. or perhaps more accurately, reclaim some of the control over their options that had been so rudely removed.
Merrisol says, "Meaning if there is a correlation between the open setting of the door and the lifted setting of the bars, then wiggling the bars will wiggle the door, establishing the fact."
(B) The bars, like the door itself, are wrought into the wall itself as a solid piece of metal. While the mechanics were as yet beyond reach, Merrisol found as he tested the bars that they provided a lot of resistance to his manipulation. Something inside was inhibiting his direct manipulation of the bars just as the door was immobile. Pulling on the farthest point of the bar from its base, though, he managed enough leverage to wiggle some play. THe door moved slightly in tandem. While it did not present an immediate fix, the relationship between the two devices seemed confirmed.
The door is what really matters to Shao, not the bar itself. He chooses a tool, leaf-shaped and well kept, one with a ring at the end of the handle and puts it aside. Also from his backpack, he takes out a silk tarp or sheet, something all-purpose. The textile gets folded and tested for the gap between the door and its hinges, rince and repeat, until Shao must apply strenght to push it in. "The door should not close on us, Mister Merrisol? Do you want me to remove it?" he asks, showing his kunai and mimicing digging at the stone with it.
Fang bites her lip as her eyes fall on on the FOOD. Glorious piles of wonderful... "Huh?" a blink as her thoughts come screeching back to the women beside her. "Oh, alive, right. The people. Yes. And no touching food. Of course, Captain." But her stomach gurgles softly in protest, 'cause she ate a whole -hour- ago. That's like, seven hours in Fang time. With a small wistful sigh she puts on her work face and scans the crowd. "Nobody seems tired, but they don't seem, natural either. It's as if they've been what's the word... choreographed? Like Martin's backup dancers, back in the day. And the statues, do you suppose they are of some significance?"
Amy nods to Maggie, not intending to touch anything. She gives Fang a return smile, for her earlier one. Then she moves to look around, pausing as she catches sight of the statues - "clenched fist, skull, helmet, and ... heart." Amy's brow raises for a moment, and then she looks over again. "Courage. And Justice. Four statues? But - Huh." Curious, Amy moves to where she can see the center or the cavern, to see what is at the point equidistant from the statues. She seems oblivious to the food and drink that is visible around, as well as to the dancers. At least to begin with.
(B) Shao chips away and bits and pieces of rock chip off of the wall and fall to the floor under his attault. Given the size of his instrument, though, and the depth and hardness of the rock, it would seem to take some time before headway would be made. The door looked like have been made to withstand a siege.
Alive dancers but unnaturally choriographed. Unnaturally synchronized. Four statues. Heart, through which they came. Maggie stands near the tunnel while Fang and Amy reconnoiter. She looks up to see if there is a sword of Damocles held above the dancers or maybe the silvery strings of the puppeteer she means to have stabbity 'words' with at some point soon. When she does move, it is to turn and look up at the statue gracing the niche above the tunnel they came through. "Okay. Courage, Strength, Justice. Heart, Hand, Skull? Which leaves the Helmet for the Knight." Whirling, braid swaying as she moves, Maggie begins to make her way across toward the niche with the helmet.
After monkeying with the bars, Merrisol goes to one knee, examining Shao's handiwork. Then he leans back to incline his gaze towards the sconces inset around the cavern's walls, providing its deadly lighting and, of course, laser fire at offending adventurer wares. "Possibly.." he gauges the angles, although it is a bit encouraging that they aren't already being incinerated for their door-tampering efforts so far. "I don't imagine we can dismantle it, Shao-san," he glances at the steady but meager chipping with a raising brow. "Can we shove those metal pointed balls into the slots from which the bars emerge?" he suggests, pointing at the caltrops. "It would serve to jam them from lowering all the way down, and the magic fire may not consume them."
Bashar says, "Actually, hold on. Let me change something. I'm going to exchange the placement of the helmet and heart statues. The helmet is over the point where they came in, the heart is at the far point of the room. THe fist and the skill are to the sides."
Alive dancers but unnaturally choriographed. Unnaturally synchronized. Four statues. Helmet, through which they came. Maggie stands near the tunnel while Fang and Amy reconnoiter. She looks up to see if there is a sword of Damocles held above the dancers or maybe the silvery strings of the puppeteer she means to have stabbity 'words' with at some point soon. Very soon. When she finally moves, it is to turn and look up at the statue gracing the niche above the tunnel they came through. "Okay. Courage, Strength, Justice... Helmet... Hand and... Skull." Slowly, she turns to stare through the dancers toward the heart statue. A step is taken, then another. Her eyes narrow and she begins speaking in a soft sort of near sing song, "What is represented by the heart? Oh, many things. Many things. Her focus narrows again, her eyes narrowing farther, "Love. Seven blazing hells. Love."
Shao stops his unconceivably long undertaking, with visible relief if not gratefulness. He looks to his layed tools back there and nods, smiling. "I am impressed by your mechanical mind, Kerf. Always am," he compliments. He picks the one caltrop that escaped the pigskin purse and the purse itself, leaving the masonry tool behind. "You also are a good teacher to me. I see I carry too much gear, by far. Always this fear of failing..." He hands Merrisol the caltrop and draws one for himself. "They are safe. I do not use poison, it is not exactly foolproof."
(B) Amethyst's exploration leads her to the center of the room, where the dancers are. As she and Fang approach to examine the revelers more closely, they notice something odd not just in the dancers, but also their arrangement. Though each is synchronized according to one another and the rythim of the ghostly music, there appear to be gaps amidst the dancers themselves. All appear to be in coordination yet some make moves with a partner that does not exist.
Fang listens to Amy, then the Captain, then reaches out to flag down one of the passing dancers. "Excuse me. Miss?" she begins, but is promptly ignored as the woman twirls past in a rustle of silk. The same happens with one of the men. "Well, that didn't work. It's like we're not even here. Maybe that guy..." and she steps into one of the gaps in the dance, in one final attempt to engage a reveler in conversation.
Amy frowns, as she looks at the dancers, curiously. The missing dancers? Hrm. She tries to count them, seeing if by chance they are five short. Wouldn't that be something out of a horror show? She doesn't step into the dance, but her expression gets worried as Fang does. "No - Wait - " Ack. Amy looks quite worried, watching Fang, and then she takes a breath, watching with her heart in her throat.
(B) Like a shift in a Christopher Nolan Batman film, time itself seemed to Fang to warp, if only but for a moment as her movements inadvertantly fell in line with the dancer's. Laughter and revelry morphed into moaning and sobs, the bright colours of the fete turned drab and grey though she could not make any details from the shifting shades and hues that swirled around her. All in the span of mere moments and then she was back again amidst the fete. Amethyst, in her proximity to Fang at the time, felt the disturbance and her ears noticed a brief change in the tenor of the hubbub, but saw now visual change in her environment.
In her walk across toward the heart statue, Maggie is not so single minded that she misses Fang's entering the dance, "No." She turns that way, one hand extended as though she could turn her arm to rubber, reach across and pull Fang from the dance. No... humina-humina extendo-arms doesn't work. That is when she notices that there are dancers missing from the configuration. How many? Tilting her head a little, Maggie moves a bit closer to the dancers, "So... Maybe not love. Maybe..." Horror. It'll be horror. It's always horror.
Merrisol listens to Shao while he gathers some of the small chunks of rock already gouged from the stone frame, and stands up again. He shakes his head in reply to one or the other thing, accepting the metal throwing-weapon with a blink, and tweezing it delicately between his index finger and thumb. He pokes it into the slot beneath the bar, and uses a chunk of rock as a buffer to wedge it in as far as it will conceivably go. And then, what the hell, pack the rest of the space with more bits of rock. As he works on his side, he replies, "I prefer mechanical construct, Shao-san. I understand it, how one part affects the other. Things with limits, and their limitless potential. Like people, I suppose. Even with their failures." He pauses over that, then sighs a little. "Well? What else can be done here?"