Open Chronicles The Buried Temple [Elbion]

[Kara Orin]

Finally, Chaceledon gave his name.

In reply, Kara gave hers as, “I’m Kara.”

Melaniphi Syllis announced that she noticed the group having moved ahead of the trio and out of sight.

Kara finally voiced an opinion with, “Some of the group also saw images that resemble past events, and then images that have never happened. With that and the ouroboros symbol everywhere, I think they assumed these are all prophesies.”

The temple’s age should be far, far older than both the actual ages of Sigfrith Runecarver and Kara multiplied. To the ancient carvers, all of the images were of the future when their sculptor picks graced the stone.

Footsteps from the entryway approached the group. Kara turned. In the dim light, she saw a stout shape approach. A faint smile materialized on her face.

“A pleasure to see you alive, Maester Sigrith,” Kara said.

And while Kara’s attention turned to the latecomer, Chaceledon and Melani could always push onwards. They still stood at a diverging path – forward toward the group, or to the left down a path just after the carving showing a dragon holding a staff…

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon nodded, though he was a bit miffed no one recognized the name. Had he truly faded that far into obscurity? Did no one recognize him anymore? He had once been a designer that noblewomen would scratch each other for, now was he relegated to being forgotten even by common grave robbers? The idea was sobering.

She did have an interesting idea about prophecy. “Either that, or this is designed to deter robbery. If I wanted a properly no lethal way of making sure people kept their noses out of my business I would enchant the walls similarly. That said, this implies there is something to protect...” Chaceledon nodded to the path depicting the dragon and staff. “I believe that is the proper way to go in that case.”

He spared a look for the latecomer, one arduously plucked eyebrow raised. “How many of you mammals are there?” he said, a bit snippily, and turned to follow along his chosen path.

Kara Orin
Melaniphi Syllis

 

[Sigfrith Runecarver]

Sigfrith eyed the group as he came up to them and bowed courteously, although confusion was etched in his face from her words. "Well met again, Kara, and while I was many months longer than anticipated in my delvings deep between the Spine, I had not thought I was gone long enough to be thought dead. Although the rock did tell of a great shift in its position."

He turned to look over the other and let out a low hmm before moving on to inspect the walls again, studying the technique of the carving and the nature of the stone. "One does not protect something by carving histories and futures on the wall," Sigfrith said after another long inspection of the rock grain. He tapped it with his knuckles and listened carefully.

"As for being a proper path, I suspect there is no proper path, as we are not trying to get anywhere," Sigfrith added after a moment and tapped the haft of the axe on the floor beneath his boots, listening again. "It an option that is available to us, although I know nothing of the purpose of this expedition or why it is ongoing. But a temple so close to Elbion is something worth studying and preserving."

He kept as much of the edge out of his voice as he could at the last word before moving forward to inspect the junction in the path and the way the tunnels were supported.

 

[Kara Orin]

“Much happened at Elbion,” Kara told Sigfrith Runecarver with a somber look, “I’ll tell you once we’re at camp, if you join us.”

If the two will ever talk to each other after today.

At Chaceledon suggesting to go down a different path from the group, Kara was quick to agree with, “Yes, let’s.”

As Chaceledon would travel down that path, he would see many depictions of the creatures that spawned from the mist of Pandemonium. Demons, essentially. The staff was a feature in many of the reliefs in the hands of humanoids, elves, orcs, and dwarves. But not once by a dragon other than the carving Chaceledon saw earlier.

The path would grow narrower with each step. The temperature in the air grew with each step. After some distance, a green light could be seen at the end of the hall.

Meanwhile, Sigfrith would have noticed that the temple was of extremely sturdy construction. It appeared as if none of the stone or structure has deteriorated in the untold years since its construction. That much would be obvious by examining some of the carvings alone – they appeared as if the chisel just recently graced the stone.

Kara took a step to follow Chaceledon, but stopped as she noticed Sigfrith examining the stone. Her eyes widened. She turned to the fellow rune mage.

She told Sigfrith with urgency, “Maester, we shouldn’t wait here.”

If Sigfrith’s eyes continued to move forward rather than turn back toward Kara, he might notice a specific carving - one that the rest of the group would not have been able to see yet. It displayed a dwarf with the Runecarver symbol upon his back. A woman stood before the dwarf with long dark hair. No face was carved on her. This woman was shown driving a sword through the Runecarver dwarf – runes covering the blade itself.

Melaniphi Syllis

 

[Melaniphi Syllis]

Melaniphi wanted to push forward but once she heard the haft of the ax thumping down the hall she froze and moved back to her oringinal position at the center between Kara and Chaceledon.

Sighing as Chaceledon continued to be rude and snippy. She knew that thump anywhere. “Maester Sigrith.” She would say politely with a slight bow of her head.

Melaniphi had trained under sigrith for a few years in one of his specialty rune classes. She had been bright, but far from exceptional, and seeing as her classes had always been at the least 25 memebers she doubted he would remember her. They had only ever spoken privately twice and they had both been about what the current assignment had been at the time. She listened quietly. She nodded with agreement at Kara’s urgent tone.

“I think Kara may be right maester. Let’s push on..” She said gripping her staff with another nervous glance around. As a healer she was always looking for where the next attack was coming from, but in this place...Maybe the attacks wouldn’t be physical...

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon gave the dwarf a look. No one protected places by putting histories on the wall? Why the bloody hell not? Scaring people to the point they had breakdowns like the young healer with them would surely drive people from the temple. Had this man never heard of psychological warfare? Sometimes strange messages in the night did more to undermine an army than a barrage of arrows. He rolled his eyes and pursed his lips. What was he even thinking trying to talk sense into a dwarf?

As they continued the path became narrower but...blessed gods, warmer! Chaceledon was drawn to the warmth as much as the green light ahead of them. Feeling back in his fingers and toes. The well of his own magic responding to the warmth like a flower awakening to spring. It needed more warmth. It needed flame and fire. He looked back at the others, frowning as the newcomer paused to examine a carving.

This temple was trying to scare them and distract them. Images of demons on the wall and whatever had seized the rune mage’s attention. Chaceledon had a will as strong as iron and he was not going to be distracted further.

“Well? Are you coming or aren’t you?” Chaceledon asked them.

Kara Orin
Melaniphi Syllis
Sigfrith Runecarver

 

[Aratus Seldomus]

As one of important standing within his community- and so close to Elbion, Thelios sent Aratus Seldomus- one of their finer warriors and emissaries, along with several archaeologists and scholars that happened to be visiting Thelios to this popular expedition.

Aratus hated it.

Aratus did not want to do it.

Aratus, however, was requested to do so, and- begrudgingly, as much as he may claim otherwise, knew it was beneficial to keep in contact with the outside world, much more so important to have an active role in it. So it was why that his people decided to become benefactors to this collection of book-loving buffoons.

And why Aratus had to go with them.

And then they left Aratus to wander alone inside, more interested in the geography and charting with others at the entrance to the temple that was recently discovered, than go inside just yet.

Aratus heard voices and promised his party he'd rejoin them, and went inside. Shield on his back and sword on his side, the warrior from Thelios feared very little- though did not tread as a fool. The voices grew louder, but Aratus was a soldier- he took notice of many things to formulate a single picture. A picture was the result of thousands upon thousands of smaller images compiled into one viewpoint- such was the nature of a battlefield, and by extension, the environment.

And the place felt wrong.

Aratus itched at his head, feeling as though something was crawling atop his head. Likely a bug. He blinked, looking at the walls.

shifted Walls began​

and images of water, rising, blue water, and images of water

rising high. Familiar even,​

time but at the same-​

They were there before, weren't they? The markings?

Boots laden with the weight of pride and violence treaded towards the sounds of voices, and through the bending halls- and admittedly narrower hallways as he went on, he heard the voices closer, and the green light brighter.

He heard the ocean, for a split second. He felt sand beneath his feet, and the warmth of the sun. No, not here- it was dark, and it was colder than his home. And no sun. He had to be going mad- thirst, hunger. He took a swig from the canteen he carried.

Putting aside such thoughts and such intrusions, Aratus cleared his throat before speaking.

"I am Aratus, I mean whoever is beyond me no harm."

Aratus had a funny way of speaking. His accent was also distinct- if you were into anthropology, that is. To most, it just sounded funny.

It was also a slight lie- so far, there had not been a person on the lower continents, eastern continent, or from the tundra that he had not wanted to smack across the mouth at some point or another. A white lie, then. Aratus meant them no real harm, as it were.

But that was a point for another day.

There was a mysterious temple to explore and things to be discovered and goodwill to be made.

 

[Sigfrith Runecarver]

Sigfrith continued his slow and steady inspection of the walls, noting the smallest strokes of whatever tool was used to chisel the rock, as well as the grain of the rock itself. The carvings he noted too, but those were of secondary interest, only seen as an extension of the rock itself. This was living rock, born in fire and molten magma eons ago, and then this temple carved from its depths before being reburied beneath the harder rock of the mountainside.

But he stopped and moved away from the inspection of the stone as Kara Orin spoke of Elbion. There was a grimness and tragedy in her voice that hinted at a great deal of news. His habitual frown deepened, etched even further into his craggy features. "I will join you in camp to hear of this."

He turned back to the runes and paused, seeing one that struck him. A Dwarf bearing the clan rune being run through by a rune-carved sword. He squinted and shrugged his shoulders before studying it. Faceless woman, no face on the Dwarf. Many Dwarves had borne that rune and the past nine had all died violently or in some tragic accident. It was wyrd of all who bore the clan name Runecarver, laid upon them by the malice of the dragon who had massacred them and stolen their hall. Perhaps he was seeing his own wyrd. Or perhaps it was metaphorical or referred to any number of his forefathers who had been killed. If it was his own fate, he would accept it. He had always known he would either succeed in reclaiming his ancestral seat or be killed as a result of the curse. Dragon curses were cruel, subtle things that way, and their patience matched only by their casters. If he was to be killed by a woman with no face and a sword with more runes than he had ever seen except for one place, he would bear this knowledge dutifully.

Sigfrith paused as he heard a familiar voice and he sorted through the memories of who it belonged to before it finally click. "Ah, young Melaniphi Syllis, is it not? Remember what I told in you those classes, no? Runework is patient work, especially when runes in stone."

He squared his shoulder and inspected the rest of the corridor, his face betraying no hint of what he had seen. "But perhaps you younger folks are correct. There is much to see and who knows how little time to see it." He suspected Chaceledon was older, given what he had gleaned about the being's nature, but the behavior certainly struck him as being someone younger. "I will come along, but it is sloppy scholarship to not make proper records of the craftsmanship we see here."

But a voice from behind caught his attention and he turned, to call back. "Sigfrith Runekeeper, Maester of the College of Elbion, honored to meet you between rock and stone."

 

[Kara Orin]

Kara noticed the carvings that Sigfrith Runecarver looked over. Her face remained blank until he responded to Melaniphi Syllis in the usual Sigfrith way. Kara gave a faint smile at the sight of their interaction.

@Aratus then spoke out to the group. After Kara heard Sigfrith’s reply, Kara told them, “I’m going to make sure our friend doesn’t get lost alone…”

After saying that, Kara went to join Chaceledon in his journey down the slowly warming path.

The party split, for a time at least. And while Kara slowly drew further away from this intersection, a deep inhuman groan could be heard down the other path – where the rest of the explorers went. Its origin remained unseen.

And as Chaceledon drew closer to the end of his hallway, the green light slowly morphed into the visage of a large chamber. The light came from pools of verdant, luminescent liquid that lined the sides of the room.

On an elevated altar, a staff stood embedded in the stone below. Black metal served as the material of construction for it. The tip of the staff bore the image of the serpentine ouroboros that lined the temple walls. Chaceledon would have the opportunity to approach and touch the staff before Kara could see it.

 

[Melaniphi Syllis]

Melaniphi caught a glimpse of Kara faintly smiling before it evaporated like a drop of water on a hot stove.

It warmed her to know the cold human had SOME warm emotions to display.

She was distracted however as it turned out Sigrith indeed remembered her and greeted her in the kind, formal way he greeted most.

She grinned as he lightly chided her reminding her of the patients found in rune carving she had often wrestled with while under his tutelage.

“I know but when you can do something to help someone now why wait to do the basic formalities. The ancients themselves often have been found to leave out some of the finer points..”

She responded some what defensively. Not in a way that courted conflict, but in the same way a private would when trying to justify her actions to a superior. The same way she always had when her runes had gone....Wrong..in class..Her skill and intellect usually resulting in either a rune that performed well above expectations and other times resulted in...Well no one ever died..

She had been skilled, gifted, but had often been tripped up by her own confidence. All of the knowledge and none of the experience. She turned as a voice reached out to them.

As this unknown entity made its self known. She tensed as her staff glowed ready to bring up a barrier. Runes for in creasing and easing magic flow. Intricate and complex, but the trained eye of a master would see short cuts taken in certain areas. Her lack of patience showing even now.

It was then Kara decided to take her leave. Following Chaceledon which Melaniphi hadn’t noticed had began leaving as well.

“Kara! Wait we shouldn’t..split up....” Her voice trailed off as the girl continued to follow Chaceledon. “Annnnd...She’s gone..” She grumbled falling silent as the maester addressed the voice leaving her elder to do the talking for now.. This was why she hated working with civilians. They all had their own agendas and plans with little to no account for anyone else. If her squad was here she would at least have people that would stick together..If this place did turn into a slaughter house she wanted everyone together..

Wait...The accent sounded familiar..

Her train of thought and general mental complaining derailed as her brain began to work flipping through her mental notes..

 

[SerpentTyrant]

Two eyes emerge from the darkness of a corner as a naga seems to slither forth to peer out at the group,he watches them closely and begins to slither closer to them.

"More of these...Creatures...I never understood what my siblings saw in these kinds of people" he says with a scowl,he slithers closer to them.

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon was driven by the warmth. More people seemed to be coming but...the warmth. They were so preoccupied with staring at the walls, then the dragon would let them. The warmth called to him, and reminded him of what he truly was. Not some dark slave kept underground for the whims of a dead man. No, he was fire and light incarnate, more beautiful than any mammal and lord over the skies and flames that warmed Arethil. Gods, he felt like a man sitting next to a hearth after a long trudging walk in blistering snow. The warmth brought light back to his eyes, and assuaged his ascerbic nature.

He emerged into a warm chamber, lined with pools of verdant liquid. Chaceledon leaned his head back for a moment, embracing this deliciously warm chamber. He was on the cusp of feeling well enough to transform. He was too large to shift in the hallways, but perhaps here? No, not yet. There was a staff in the middle of the room, black and emblazoned with the image of a snake eating its own tail.

Chaceledon approached it, admiring the deep black metal. He reached out to touch it, and examine the symbol closer. His glass claws sang along the steel, and he moved to grasp it. If this was the source of the warmth...he wanted it more than anything.

What did he stand to lose?

Kara Orin
Melaniphi Syllis
Sigfrith Runecarver
Aratus Seldomus

 

[SerpentTyrant]

He continues to watch them to see if they are somehow connected to other events that have transpired here.

"Whatever" he says "Their just more people to add to the pile later...I'll just simple wait for my chance to introduce myself and see their reaction" he slithers back into his corner and into a small opening to a cave

 

[Kara Orin]

As Melaniphi Syllis stood ready for anything Aratus Seldomus might do, the low rumbling from the path beyond continued. Something shifted – agitated by the actions of the group that left Melani and the others behind.

Sigfrith Runecarver

---

SerpentTyrant
The rumbling would be imperceptible outside the temple and closer to the cave’s entrance. If Bask journeyed that way, he would discover the camp made by the group that Kara and Melani journeyed with to this temple.

It was light on guards.

---

As soon as Chaceledon touched the staff, he could have seen the glimpses of his life that the temple builders saw. His life in the past. Before and after Oor. The suffering under the undead’s enslavement. The steps he just took in the temple. The actions in the future the builder’s saw: immolating Oor with the staff and more.

Until his foretold death by beheading.

And that was it.

The ambient warmth from earlier abandoned the room. The touch of the staff became cold. The liquid sitting around the edges of the room dimmed significantly.

Chaceledon would have to experiment to discover the effects of the staff from now on.

If Chaceledon turned back to the room’s entrance, he would see Kara kneeling on her right knee. Head lowered.

“I apologize for my behavior,” she began, “I didn’t wish to alarm the others. Not much exists in writing of your name.”

 

[Sigfrith Runecarver]

"Hmm, indeed," Sigfrith said gently, pausing as he heard more voices from behind them and the growing growl beyond them in the other tunnel. As Melaniphi Syllis started drawing runes, his beard twitched in a smile at the sight of the shortcuts she was taking even in the process. "One does not rush the foundation of a cathedral because it will do good for people in a hundred years."

He turned and peered down through the tunnel towards thee growling, letting Chaceledon and Kara Orin go down the tunnel on their own. He did no runes of his own, for he dared not carve even the most basic of runes into the stone of the temple. It would be.... sacrilege. While he could do so, certainly, and several very simple yet powerful defensive runes, in only a bit more time than his impetuous former student, he would no more carve runes onto someone else's skin without permission.

Instead, he gripped the axe in two hands and squinted through the gloom into the tunnel before them. He called out behind them to Aratus Seldomus, "If you truly mean no harm, you may wish to join us, because there is some great mystery being groaning beyond and I cannot say that does not have secret side tunnels it may use to bypass us and catch you on your own."

 

[Melaniphi Syllis]

“Maester..” Melaniphi said protectively distrustful of the new comer he was inviting.

The rumble coming from where the earlier group had gone was doing nothing to soothe her fear. She had put her finger on the accent of the man. From a place at eagle head, she had studied there for a short time while passing through.

A republic and not very welcoming to new comers.

Her team had been treated with scrutiny and distrust from the moment they passed through the gates. Either way she didn’t trust that accent at all based on past experience.

“What d-do you mean..” She asked unable to keep the nervousness from her voice as Sigrith hinted at something using tunnels for ambushes. Something she had not been aware of and thought was something he should have brought up my sooner than this..

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon grasped the staff, and he saw his past. He saw growing up under the iron hand of his father and the needling tongue of his mother. Perfection, perfection always. No hair out of place, not a peep even as a child. Ceremony, elegance and ferocity. That was what dragons prized. He saw growing up and rebelling, his creations of jewelry and robes highly desired by both men and dragon alike. Rich, young, naive and arrogant. He’d fallen into Oor’s trap so neatly...a one night stand that would infuriate his parents, and one that he would never return from.

The scars along his body. The rapes, beatings, the cold creeping in until he could no longer remember what the sky looked like. Then the Volkers, the small blessing of another captive in a similar yoke to his own. Immolating Oor with the staff...burning Witherhold to the ground.

Returning to warmth...then beheading.

He glared at it. He wasn’t going to die. He wasn’t going to be beheaded. What reason would they have? All he wished to do was return to being the nigh-empress of design. The parties thrown in his honor, kings and queens and princes falling over themselves to commission his work. He rejected the idea he was a criminal.

When he opened his eyes, Kara was kneeling before him. Chaceledon lifted his chin a bit. Finally. Recognition.

“Well there wouldn’t be, would there? I’ve been under the yoke of a slave for far too long. Get up off the floor, you look ridiculous.” Chaceledon told her, though the chiding was gentle. He gripped the staff tightly and made a request of it. Warmth. Heat. The blowing winds of the desert. He needed it like a dying man needed water.

Kara Orin
Melaniphi Syllis
Aratus Seldomus
Sigfrith Runecarver

 

[SerpentTyrant]

The naga proceeded out of his cave as he said

"That rumbling has gotten me all worried...I must leave this place,for all i know,the cave could collapse with me inside"

He slithered towards the direction of the group,and pulls out a curved knife used for amputation,just in case

"These creatures are foolish if they think that the many cults of this land are going to leave them be...Then again,some cultist worship me" he says