As you get closer to the peninsula, you find it easier to walk.
Perched atop a rocky islet in the weed-choked lake is a grim, battlemented building. Its ancient stones are stained and moss-covered, and the timbers of the stockade extending from one side are rotten. A Grey figure paces the battlements as if on look-out duty but it does not seem to have noticed you.
"It looks a bit run down. It doesn't look like they have many visitors. And I'm not sure if that thing on the battlements is a person or not. You wait here and I will sneak up to take a look."
Alora tiptoes closer to the building and tries to get a better look at the Grey figure.
"This," Jaheira corrected, "is nature reclaiming what she wrought from this offensive, distasteful, and unwanted defilation." It was a lesson that, she hoped, the others would heed well. Buildings and people would come and pass, while nature would prove eternal - thankfully.
"It is strange," Aerie muttered, mostly to herself, "to find a fortress in the middle of this wilderness. Especially occupied by people... Who would have built such a thing here, and to what purpose?"
Ignoring the Helm acolyte/fanatic's strange gestures and gobbledygook, Jaheira explained things to Aerie. "It is an old tale. this," meaning the disgusting edifice. "Strange as it may seem, it is in the nature of men to oppose nature. They attempt to tame, to alter, and to exploit her at every turn, only to fall in the end. Had I the power, I would speed the destruction of this blight, but am content in the eventual return of all things to the balance."
Really not keen on Jaheira's doomsaying, even as a follower of Baevarn, Aerie frowned. Still, the heavy ache in her heart had to admit: there was truth in the druid's words. Memories once again played behind her eyes, of the men who'd stolen her from her home, caged her for the entertainment of others, and finally altered her in a way she could never recover from.
If this so-called "balance" really existed, it should have smited them for their evil deeds long before they'd strapped her to the table. Aerie didn't know what'd happened to them; without her wings, the slavers' circus no longer had a use for her, and upon meeting Quayle, she left their evil behind to join his troupe instead. For all she knew, the vile slavers were still profiting off of innocent people, just as successful as before. No karmic justice. No balance to tip the scale.
Any fiery words she might have conjured in mankind's defense soon died in her throat. Aerie solemnly stared back at the ground, empty of any desire to speak further.
Really not keen on Jaheira's doomsaying, even as a follower of Baevarn, Aerie frowned. Still, the heavy ache in her heart had to admit: there was truth in the druid's words. Memories once again played behind her eyes, of the men who'd stolen her from her home, caged her for the entertainment of others, and finally altered her in a way she could never recover from.
If this so-called "balance" really existed, it should have smited them for their evil deeds long before they'd strapped her to the table. Aerie didn't know what'd happened to them; without her wings, the slavers' circus no longer had a use for her, and upon meeting Quayle, she left their evil behind to join his troupe instead. For all she knew, the vile slavers were still profiting off of innocent people, just as successful as before. No karmic justice. No balance to tip the scale.
Any fiery words she might have conjured in mankind's defense soon died in her throat. Aerie solemnly stared back at the ground, empty of any desire to speak further.
OOC Post of the year award from Bri. Yellow stickie with a blue sticker star on it and everything!
OOC Post of the year award from Bri. Yellow stickie with a blue sticker star on it and everything!
OOC: *gasp!* I'm so honored! *puts the sticker on her shirt* I want to thank my parents, my friends, my boyfriend, for all they've done to encourage me...
*keeps going on an average award acceptance speech yatta-yatta*
Alora will creep round the building looking for a door or a window. She will stay close to the wall the minimise the chances of her being seen from above.
Alora can't sneak around the building in that way, unless she wants to get wet... very wet.
New plan. Alora will approach the main door/gate and listen and see if she can detect any signs of life. She will then check to see if it is locked and try to open it.
Alora walks boldly up to the stockade door. As she does, she gets close enough to see the figure on the roof. It's a Dwarf, but not all there anymore. A shiver goes through Alora as she realizes that this is the spirit of a Dwarf who died long ago. Although it's a spirit rather than a body, it gives over the unnerving sensation of death and dead things. Alora feels her guts turning to water, but she is able to steel herself to keep going. For now at least.
The years of neglect and weather have taken a toll on this place. Yet, it seems that someone has been here recently- somebody with a grim mission- since two fresh, scaly hides hang limply from a hook near the door of the building.
The hides are recognizable as that of the same creatures that you and your companions recently slew in terrible and glorious comb... spell explosion. These ones look like they were slain with a sharp-bladed instrument.
The door to the place is fronted by a small flight of stairs, and everything about it looks dwarf-made to Alora.
Alora returns to the party. "It's really spooky. There's a Dwarf Ghost living there. Or is it a Ghost Dwarf? And he's not really living there because he's not living. But he's there and I think it's his house. That's what I meant by living there. And I think someone living might be living there too because there's two dead lizard things hanging outside. They're not living there. They really are dead. But someone must have killed them. And I don't think it was the Ghost Dwarf. Or the Dwarf Ghost. Who is the same person by the way."
OOC: Everything Alora says makes me happy, everything Aerie says makes me want to hug her infinitely, and whenever Anomen speaks Neera's crush on him only grows.
Neera speaks up, "I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable on Necromancy though I did have a friend who was. Strange fellow. Anyway, if I know anything about ghosts it's that they're usually pretty mopey and just want friends."
"Spirits should not remain in the natural world," Jaheira remarked, unpleased as she was by this lingering poltergeist. "Perhaps, some investigation is in order."
no investigation needs to be done. Let the spirits rest where they may and if there is some hostile person or persons in the building, best we leave them alone as they know the terrain better than we do and we have no quarrel with them.
We do however need to return this potion to the druid back at the keep that we promised to investigate the strange goings on oh... I don't know, months ago, and we haven't even done that yet. And as much as I LOVVVEEE all your company, I suggest we do what we came here to do and go our separate ways. Surely you all have loved ones you miss that you want to get back to.
Frolicking around chasing dead dwarves isn't going to make us see them sooner.
"While there is much merit in your words Anomen, i must side with our druid friend this time. If there is a chance to release one of my kin's spirit from it's afterlife torment i have to take it. Besides this i prefer quickness too, with caution."
"Some paladin," Jaheira scoffed, not at all impressed with the fake Anomen want-to-be of what some called a righteous order. "Ignoring what might be a vile spirit, simply because it inconveniences him somewhat. I will call upon the mighty women folk to see to this, and leave him to protect the empty campsite." Assuming that the addle-brained berserker-called-ranger and the dwarf would do the right thing. Maybe, they'd get lucky, and Anomen would depart out of boredom. Or something.
"Okay, so that's settled, we will go and see if we can make the Dwarf Ghost happy. And if we do he will probably want to give us some treasure as a reward or something. Follow me everybody!"
Comments
Alora heads off in the direction of the building.
Perched atop a rocky islet in the weed-choked lake is a grim, battlemented building. Its ancient stones are stained and moss-covered, and the timbers of the stockade extending from one side are rotten. A Grey figure paces the battlements as if on look-out duty but it does not seem to have noticed you.
Alora tiptoes closer to the building and tries to get a better look at the Grey figure.
If this so-called "balance" really existed, it should have smited them for their evil deeds long before they'd strapped her to the table. Aerie didn't know what'd happened to them; without her wings, the slavers' circus no longer had a use for her, and upon meeting Quayle, she left their evil behind to join his troupe instead. For all she knew, the vile slavers were still profiting off of innocent people, just as successful as before. No karmic justice. No balance to tip the scale.
Any fiery words she might have conjured in mankind's defense soon died in her throat. Aerie solemnly stared back at the ground, empty of any desire to speak further.
*keeps going on an average award acceptance speech yatta-yatta*
The years of neglect and weather have taken a toll on this place. Yet, it seems that someone has been here recently- somebody with a grim mission- since two fresh, scaly hides hang limply from a hook near the door of the building.
The hides are recognizable as that of the same creatures that you and your companions recently slew in terrible and glorious comb... spell explosion. These ones look like they were slain with a sharp-bladed instrument.
The door to the place is fronted by a small flight of stairs, and everything about it looks dwarf-made to Alora.
Neera speaks up, "I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable on Necromancy though I did have a friend who was. Strange fellow. Anyway, if I know anything about ghosts it's that they're usually pretty mopey and just want friends."
no investigation needs to be done. Let the spirits rest where they may and if there is some hostile person or persons in the building, best we leave them alone as they know the terrain better than we do and we have no quarrel with them.
We do however need to return this potion to the druid back at the keep that we promised to investigate the strange goings on oh... I don't know, months ago, and we haven't even done that yet. And as much as I LOVVVEEE all your company, I suggest we do what we came here to do and go our separate ways. Surely you all have loved ones you miss that you want to get back to.
Frolicking around chasing dead dwarves isn't going to make us see them sooner.
"While there is much merit in your words Anomen, i must side with our druid friend this time. If there is a chance to release one of my kin's spirit from it's afterlife torment i have to take it.
Besides this i prefer quickness too, with caution."
Alora heads back to the haunted building.