Pavo replies "Maia, the lady swimming thought I ignored her and grabbed my ankle. I could have seen where she would take me, but decided not to risk drowning and fled. You should use your...[i]sight[i] to check out these waterfalls and pools. If you can't find anything, we shall need to leave, let the others know what we've seen and come back armed with more information. We've still got a tymvos to see and a castle to visit."
Pavo will rest to warm up. He will wait to see if anything comes back to the surface.
Well, look, we have to warn those villagers, right? There's some sort of wintry power in this place, and mebbe those dead children got lost in the cave, or got lured into the pool, and just...froze. Yah, get dry and warm, I'll keep an eye out, no way to sleep now.
[Yes, that is what I am asking of Raven. What does she tell the other magi?]
[tab][/tab] Asad, Raven's husband listened attentively to his wife's tale then offered to see what he could do to restore the comb. Inspecting it he felt mildly confident that he could do something with it, provided the local alchemist could part with certain oils and essences. He then repaired with the comb for a week or so, slowly restoring the comb. In the end he presents Raven with a badly battered and heavily scored comb with some of its features now visible.
[tab][/tab] The comb was bronze, fitted with a piece of bone on the top side. Most of the teeth have long since broken off and the last remaining ones have too much corrosion to be of any use. The bone plaque fixed on the front side is yellowed and blackened in some places. It is evident that once it had parts of it enameled in gold, but now there are just traces of it. The scene is a large ram leaping, two minimally clothed children (a boy and a girl) riding on it. Both the ram and the children are curly haired in the ancient greek style. A quarter of the sun with rays adorns part of the edge, heavily blackened. Surprisingly the metal underside where the bone plaque is fixed also has an engraving. While the front is a lovingly made semi-sculpture, the back is simple engraving on bronze. This depicts a scene at night, as a crescent moon is shown in the center of the semi-circle. On the left side is an elaborately dressed woman, a witch or a priestess of some kind, holding a branch of olive or myrtle. On the right a large leaf bearing tree with spread branches has a giant serpent or serpent-like dragon coiled around it. The head of the beast is many fanged, with a long curled tongue, and is resting on the ground between the root.
[tab][/tab]-[tab][/tab]Tomb Group 9
[Eh... its mid morning. The pool is less than an hour from the village and you started at dawn. It would take you an hour to return to the village, so....]
[tab][/tab] Pavo takes some time to get thoroughly toasted, just to keep any chills at bay. Maia is keeping an eye at the pool, but nothing untoward happens and nothing else is revealed. She has no further visions nor does she catch any glimpse of the those lights or the mysterious woman in the pool.
< OOC Oops, thought it was night or nearly so. No matter, Maia is in a foul mood, as she is up too early OOC>
I don't see anything, Pavo. Mebbe bathing in the pool opens the way? Not that I'm arguing for it, you mind! We did not find a thing in the Tymvos down over yonder, we found but lost whatever it was we found in this pool, maybe we'll get lucky next stop? As long as it ain't wolves, brr!
"Let's return to the village, warn them about the pool, and then head on the road to find that tymvos." Pavo says."We can keep on with the mission, even though what we've found here may be interesting. You had best tell the magi what you saw, and we can check the collective knowledge of the covenant as to what sort of creature that was."
[tab][/tab] Pavo decides he had enough of the waterfall pools and your groups gathers up its things, puts out the fire and starts the path back to the small village. By mid-morning you had arrived at the busy little settlement, once more causing a commotion among the villagers. The headman takes your warnings with alarm and some consternation. In fact, you fear that your tidings might have caused more agitation on the superstitious populace, given the fact that quite a few made signs of warding evil against your group when they thought no-one was watching. These people seem to believe that your group is ill-omened.
[tab][/tab] You back track a little, starting the path down towards the river again, only this time you take the more traveled path towards the river valley. The path veers sharply north, following the steep cliffs over the river for quite some way, until it reaches a clearing about two hours out the village. It seems this is used by woodcutters as there is evidence of camp-fires, plenty of mule tracks and wood chips and bark cover much of the area. In the distance you can hear the sound of two axes pounding on a trunk. There are several exits going into the wooded area, you chose to go further down as the account you got from the village was that the tomb is further north and nearer to the river. It is a slow going, the path not suited for a group as large as yours, but in the end you find yourselves nearer the river. You take a rest during midday, on a rise that gives you a view of the river bellow. Rasenite river is quite small compared to the Aoos or Vikos, but its stream bed is spacious and rocky, almost three times as large as the river itself. It seems that in spring, melted water violently fills the banks, possibly flooding the area, before the waters spill into the deeper Aoos. The place is filled by bleached broken tree trunks and branches and it is deserted; the villagers were truthful, no-one has settled here.
[tab][/tab] You continue north parallel to river for some hours, way past the second village hidden by the ridges to the west, until you reach a large opening in the river banks, quite near where Rasenite flows into Aoos. The river bed widens considerably, the river itself bending into an 'S' with a lone wooded seasonal island in middle of the bed, surrounded by a field of rounded rocks and pebbles on three sides. The eastern bank is sharp, the edge of a cliff ending just after the bend, but the west side is smoother and less inclined. With the sun in your eyes, and rapidly descending, you can make out what looks like a barren hill top in a clearing with some trees around it. It should take you less than an hour to reach it, but the sun would have been obscured by the mountains by that time, even though sunset will be some hours away yet. The climb will be easier than before...
Pavo looks at the hill top, considers the time of day and says "Maia, you have plenty of travelling experience. Should we head up there to camp for the night? It may be a little exposed, but it's well away from any flooding risk and would give us a good view."
<OOC What seems wisest to a traveller, IonianD? Maia has more relevant knowledge than I OOC>
Uhh, ain't that the tomb? Pavo, if there's something unnatural going on, then that place'll be where it's happening at and at night when you'd expect things to get lively. So to speak. So, does the, uh, scholar, want to carefully ken the area or just dive right in? she grins at this
"Maia, we came to investigate that place and find out what we can. Approaching it during the time it's not going to be active and leaving before dark isn't going to get us any information. Just like diving into a pool to see if a strange creature appears, sometimes I have to take a few extra risks. As we have to investigate the tomb and may need several people with tools, we may as well camp near it if we can see a potential campsite. If you see a better place to make camp, let me know and we'll set up there."
[It is easier and safer to find a dry spot away from the river to camp. Camping on top of the hill is not a good idea though, as it leaves the site exposed to the elements, never mind the various superstitions about burial hills. So Maia suggests camping near the hill, at the edge of the trees]
[tab][/tab] After a brief discussion, you leave the river behind and start climbing up the slope to reach the unnaturally looking hill on the western side. It takes an hour, mostly because there is no path to follow and the low, sparse forest makes climbing slow. Still you make it to the edge of the hill in time, and though the mountains conceal the setting sun your party manages to make a decent camp-site to spend the night. While your people are setting up in a small cleared area further from the hill, you scout a bit around the area. Its mostly holly bushes and pines, with a smattering of other bush vegetation this high up the slope, no larger trees. Signs of small animals and game crossings and some autumnal mushrooms are the only things of interest.
[tab][/tab] Closer inspection of the hill itself reveals a circular mound of earth and stone, similar to the ones you have seen before. This one is completely barren, covered in short hay, remnants of spring grass drying during summer, and not bushes or trees. However around the hill a circle of trees hedge it in. Wild olive trees, holly bushes and myrtles. Making a cursory round of the hill you discover an unnerving sight; there is a small tree, barren and dead near the hill, with myriad of charms hanging from its branches on rotten strips of leather. These charms are blue glazed eyes, the traditional Greek charm against the evil eye... yet all of them are cracked and broken, even if still hanging from the leafless tree, an apple tree...
[tab][/tab] Dusk approaches quickly. What are you going to do...
"This is beautiful! Thank you so much!" she hugs and kisses her husband.
For what she tells the other magi:
"So the short version is we went to the trinket seller, didn't see anything that jumped out and a lot of old stuff. Except this comb, that Digger found and wanted. My husband has done some to restore it and it certainly is beautiful. If nothing else, its a beautiful and old artifact and... it hasn't shown anything to the meager Intellego Vim spells I can manage, but I don't have any formulas and trying spontaneous magic is always touchy for me. I try to draw to much power and the spell goes wild. I could probably try and restore it a little more by magic, but that's unreliable. Its not a spell, but just my Gift's bleed.
The long version is..." Raven starts to be much more rambling, but she does her best to include as much detail as possible.
<OOC Any apple tree legends in Faerie Lore or Magic Lore that Maia might know? OOC>
Well, another apple tree on a hill, this time on top of a tomb! Seen better days. Maia gazes at the charms, <OOC do they have artistry, are they all made by the same person, do any of them look recent? OOC> Ya think it means something? Is it an omen or... just ominous? We should gather branches and prepare a small fire, to last all night, right, and have some larger logs, in case we reaaaallly need ta feed it. Like in a hurry. Maia scans Pavo's face to see if the beautiful Magus reacts with any hint of worry
[tab][/tab][tab][/tab]Next Meeting at the Council Chambers
[tab][/tab] Raven recounts what the story about the old relic is and how much they paid for it (expensive yet not surprisingly so). Magi that want to look into it with spells find out that its very very old (more than a thousand years old), not native of Greece and has no magic properties or qualities.
[tab][/tab] The apple tree is besides the tomb-hill, on the northern side. As for myths and stories about apple trees, there are a tone. From faery nymphs enticing mortals to the Hebrew mythology of the Fall, to the ancient Greeks stories of Zeus, Hades and Eris. Nothing particular jumps in mind though. The charms are another matter. These are small tokens made in the traditional way of blue glazed glass or tile, made in a roughly round shape of an eye. These are used to ward of the evil eye, either worn or put somewhere prominently over the entrance of a house or room. It is very bad luck that all these charms are broken. Apparently, superstitious people hang these in places of misfortunes or hauntings. While roughly of the same style, they weren't made from the same artist. Age is undetermined.
"None of us want to freeze, so let's get the fire started and people gathering wood. I will personally keep an eye on the tomb for the next hour in case anything suddenly happens. I would appreciate you keeping an eye out for... hidden things, as you seemed very perceptive at the waterfall. Once I've watched the tomb for a bit, I will come back down and we can set watches."
Pavo heads up to the tomb, then finds an olive tree to hide by. He kicks his sandals off. He is waiting to perform his Parma Magica ritual the moment the sun goes down. His sandals are removed so if anything really strange happens he can throw his robe off and transform into his Heartbeast. If all is calm, he keeps watching the tomb to see if anything happens.
Ya heard the scholar, friends, let's all gather some wood, build a warm blaze, let the scholar do his studying. But don't ya all get too comfy in these here accommodations, in case there's work ta do.
<OOC Maia looks to see if any of the trees is large and burly enough to bear her weight, and with comfortable nooks, so she can sit and keep watch on the top of the hill and towards the bottom. Now she starts to wonder, are the cracked glazed eyes looking towards the tomb, or are they looking out from the hill..something trying to get in rather than get out? OOC>
[tab][/tab] The burial hill is completely bare of any tree or brush (just the left over straws from long dried grass). The circle of trees is around the base of the hill and a some paces away. Maia finds a likely perch and gets comfortable for her vigil, while Pavo is inspecting the are around the hill and the people of your small group gather wood and prepare a modest camp-site. Looking closer at the various cracked charms, you cannot determined if there is actually a direction they should be facing, as most of them dangle from leather or hemp cords. If you could hazard a guess, you'd say they face outwards, with the smooth back towards the tree trunk.
[tab][/tab] It is roughly an hour later, when Pavo hidden behind the olive tree and ready to do his ritual, that sunset comes. Your position behind the massif of course makes it impossible to see the phenomenon, this is mountain country after all. The light dims and a chill falls. Both Maia and Pavo become alarmed in the dying light, the hair on their arms rising. This 'chill' is not natural. Something is wrong. Glancing at the camp-site some distance away, you see the alert grogs keep watch but they do not seemed alarmed or unduly alert. Is it something related to the tomb-hill or is it that just the two members of the Order can sense? What do you do?
Pavo immediately starts performing his Parma Magica ritual, as he is concerned there is something supernatural happening and wants protection. He keeps looking to the tomb-hill and the tree covered in charms, just in case anything visible appears. He is not shouting any warning, as he tries to keep quiet and not attract attention to himself.
Maia freezes against the tree, trying to see with her otherworldly sight if there's anything approaching. Is the feeling similar to the malevolent gaze from the raytor birds in adventure 1.1 that we saw at the end? She is ready to shout at the men to hasten towards the magus, to protect him, and themselves, but is unsure if that's a good idea. God be with us and protect our souls she mutters.
[tab][/tab] There is silence in the surrounding forest, only distant dusk sounds are heard and the rumbling of the river below. Pavo mutters his ritual hastily, keeping an eye around him, while Maia is trying to discern if something otherworldly is happening. Yet, despite your fears no attack is forthcoming. Just a chill, colder than normal, that falls with the sun setting. It is quite possible a feature of the place rather of a creature. Minutes pass, and you notice the light getting dimmer. Soon it will be true night. Your companions are worried, but do not seem to feel any colder than normal. It seems the nature of it is indeed supernatural in origin, but what is responsible you cannot say. Could it be the cold of the grave?
[tab][/tab] You take the necessary precautions and guard roster. You retreat near the fire for the night, yet Maia cannot shake the cold feeling (Pavo lost the feeling after he cast his Parma). It is much later, in the depths of the night, when a scared guard shakes Maia and Pavo awake. Pointing towards the hill he says ''Look!'' in a trembling whisper. Deep in the shrubs on the other side, you can make out a kind of blueish luminescence. It is unlike a light or a ball of fire, more like a pall of fog or a translucent sheet in the wind.