Private Tales The Race for the Rune

[Alistair Krixus]

Two Weeks Ago​

"The Seers are telling us to fall back Menaleen. They say magic works strangely in the area, and the ruins are the reason why."

"Nonsense, Platani, they are just scared. All of our readings have only suggested minor fluctuations in the arcane field. I-"

The conversation was cut short as calls for Menaleen reached their tent. With an excited grin, Menaleen sprinted out of the tent before Platani could speak more on the matter. However, it was clear from the frown on her face that she hoped to continue this conversation later.

The ruins, commonly called by the workers the Onyx Oasis, stood out on the plains of the Savannah like a sore thumb. The solid black stone that made up this location starkly contrasted with any of the other ruins in the area and had only been discovered after an earthquake revealed the beginnings of a deep underground system of buildings. The excavation group had flocked to the site when it was revealed that the structure held ancient languages so old that almost no one could translate...The strange gems that would surely fetch them a fortune did not hurt either.

Menaleen was led to a large stone wall that would lead deeper underground. The crew had been working on this door for nearly a month with all manner of explosions, arcane and natural, but they had failed to leave even a scratch. The onyx door was decorated with a masterwork depicting some sort of battle, or maybe a dance between what looked like humanoid figures and monstrous creatures varying from dragons to eldritch horrors. At the center of this door, was a wheel-like device engraved with runes, but runes so old that none of their own had been able to translate them.

"We cracked it, ma'am."

Menaleen did not wait for a further explanation as she stood before the door and nodded for her workers to open it. However, as they spun the wheel and locked the final rune into place, instead of opening, the runes began to glow with a dark purple. Instantly, the magical lamps set up around the work site flared to life far brighter than their limiters should have allowed. Magical tools used in the excavations shut off immediately. Even the nonmagical could sense that something had changed.

Menaleen prepared to yell at the incompetence of her crew before Platani leaned against her acting as if she needed support. She turned with a raised eyebrow before she took began to feel a strange pull in her stomach, exhaustion overcoming her. It was only then that all magic in the area went inert in concert together, all the magical energy being sucked towards that door. All around her crew fell to their knees, some already beginning to shrivel into strange husks. Menaleen scrambled to run, but only made it a few feet before she fell to her knees. She looked around and she was the last one left, all others turned into those dark husks, and even Platani was gone. Tears fell from her face, but even those quickly disappeared in this strange atmosphere. Just before the eternal darkness took her, she managed to whisper the words.

"What have I done?"

---

Present​

Alistair Krixus was a man of many talents, one of those just happened to be riding on a horse and multitasking, something that many Dreadlords like him had learned as they were raised in training. He glanced up to look at the surrounding traveling party of about 30 individuals, consisting of soldiers and scholars alike.

Just two weeks ago, a strange arcane signature had been detected by some of their spell formations in Vel Anir. He had asked to be added to the expedition after looking at the strange readings they had recorded.

Far more importantly though, rumors had begun to spread that at the center of this strange magical pulse were recently discovered ruins that held runes so old that no one had been able to translate them yet...No better carrot could have been hung in front of his nose. He simply had to see this place.

The spell was completed and he looked up with a frown.

"The stability in the arcane field has certainly dropped from the known levels in the Savannah, but nothing to the level of the readings from two weeks ago. The question then becomes was that pulse a one-time occurrence?" He asked his traveling companion and fellow leader on this excursion.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim Areth, as he was now known, could have been called in some regards a scholar.

Not in many, but by some.

He had spent the last fifteen years of his life traveling the world. He had met Sorcerer Kings, Kivren Sirens, Tyrian Blood Witches, Mallian Oathkeepers and even Nordenfiir Shaman's. The amount of different magics he'd encountered had been staggering, and yet none of them had ever given him as much as Rune Magic.

Even his own innate powers, the magics of his family that he had given up, had always paled in comparison to the Runes for him.

It was not power that had ever drawn him to the oldest of magics. Raw strength had never interested him, and the price had always been too high. Rune Magic was something different, not strength or energy given form, but beauty in it's own way. A language that could be used for things far beyond simple spells.

That was why he had funded this expedition.

It was a spark of one of his passions, a thing to drag him out of the throes of his misery ever since his beloved had been forced from his side.

"If I had to guess, a one time thing." Kasim mused. "Somebody triggered something, or it triggered itself. Most runes have a half-life."

Some eons, some mere minutes. Though Alistair would know that. "But I suppose we'll soon find out."

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair nodded in agreement as he looked at several runes hangings in the air from his readings. He could not help but notice they were...not as stable as he usually expected his readings to be. His hand waved through them, dispersing them, while turning back to focus on Kasim.

He was right of course. Runes that showcased themselves in bursts were rarely repeating, that would simply take to much power. However, he left unsaid another question. Magic always had a price. What could possibly be the price that was paid for magic on the scale that could be detected all the way in Vel Anir.

Alistair allowed the ride to fall back into silence until he heard a call from the front of the traveling band. It seems that they had finally spotted something. He glanced at Kasim, before lightly urging his horse forward to the front of the group.

A quick mumbling of a spell had his eyesight enhanced. The ruins themselves were exactly how the rumors had described them. A dark black that contrasted the light colors of the plains. It was made of onyx if the rumors could be believed.

"I think that's it. I'm still not getting any dangerous readings, so we will be fine to move ahead."

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim trailed along behind Alistair, still somewhat apprehensive about this entire journey. Not that he believed it would bear no fruit or anything of the like, but separating himself from his children had not been a choice he'd made fondly. Even if it was only for a few days.

Still, something like this was worthwhile, it had to be. "I'm sure there's danger your readings aren't picking up."

The former bard jested quietly.

"There always is." That was something he'd learned early on in his travel. Didn't matter much how careful you were or how much you expected, there was always going to be something waiting for you.

With a chuckle Kasim drew his horse forward. Moving alongside Alistair into the ruins themselves. He watched everything around them carefully, noting the pillars, how they'd fallen, and the patterns carved into their black stone.

Eventually the party came upon one of the larger and more intact structures, a huge building of black stone. Though no roof remained atop it, half of a stone gate still adorned it's doorway. "This will make a good place to camp."

Kasim commented idly, though was far more focused on the markings on the door. Slipping from his horse and walking towards them without another word.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair nodded in agreement with Kasim's assessment of the dangers. However, unlike the other rune mage, he did not seem to be taking it as jokingly.

As they rode into the ruins, Alistair immediately started picking up on the old runes placed on some of the buildings. They all seemed to have long lost any magical function if they ever held any at all. It was strange the writings were not like any he had seen before. They featured sharp edges similar to northern runes, but also features the curves and swirls of the elvish ruins, all mixed perfectly together.

He turned to some of the soldiers behind them and motioned for them to secure the perimeter of this building. Once he was satisfied that they were moving, he slipped from his own horse and moved to stand next to Kasim.

After a moment of looking at the runes again, he spoke up.

"That first rune looks similar to the northern rune peorth, but...maybe your travels have seen something like this." Alistair asked hopefully.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim didn't answer for a moment as he moved closer to some of the markings already obvious.

Most of them he did not recognize, though that wasn't too surprising. Rune Magic was a language all on it's own, developing and shifting depending on which people and whose culture had originally crafted them. Despite the differences though, most rune magic had a similar root.

This one he recognized. "Something similar."

He noted.

"But just influences." Another people having put their own spin on the ancient magic, not too shocking. Most cultures tended to blend Rune Magic with 'higher' magics as time went on, either making it more powerful or allowing for diversity in spells. "I think this is something new for me."

Kasim said, sounding somewhat delighted. "We'll need to start taking notes. See if we can find similarities."

That was where cracking this new language would start.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair prided himself on his intelligence, on his knowledge, on his always having the answers. It was such a common occurrence back at the Academy that most people would think that Alistair had a problem when he wasn't the smartest person in the room. In fact, it was the exact opposite. He was thrilled. The only way to truly become smart was to learn, and the best way to learn was from someone who actually had the knowledge to teach him.

A small smile pulled at his face as Kasim said he had seen something similar. That was good enough, they had somewhere to start. With a quick word, a book was floating next to him along with a floating quill. Another quick word and several of the scholars that they had also brought along went about beginning to archive the runes.

"I know most runes stem from basic root concepts, but do you remember where you saw similar runes? It may help us try and narrow down where and when these were made."

Well, they already knew it was incredibly fucking old.

He did not say much more as he got lost in inscribing the runes into his own notes while marking down a few more offhanded thoughts.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim thought for a moment, considering each line within the runes that he found himself staring at. His eyes closed as he tried to parse through a dozen memories, each one a little bit more dull then the last until finally something struck out at him.

"I was in Amol-Kalit." He said, suddenly smiling.

The memory, though very distant, stood out to him because it had been just a few months after he'd fled Vel Anir. Times had been tough then, and he'd barely been scraping by playing his violin in some of the desert taverns he stumbled into.

"One of the ruins in the desert." Kasim said, snapping his fingers. "I believe it was...Azlanti?"

Yes. "An old Empire, long long forgotten."

So long ago that most people thought it was just made up. He had gone to see the ruins in the midst of the desert simply because it had been a curiosity. The man who'd taken him had simply been happy someone was interested in the local history.

It made sense though. They were not too distant from Amol-Kalit, it would make sense if a language found in the desert shared a common root with this one.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Amok-Kalit? Alistair scrunched up his brow in thought as he seemed to stare even harder at the runes. Maybe he could see it a little, but this civilization must have been truly old as the runes had very little in common with the Amol-Kalit runic family...except. There it was.

Finally, along the wall, he spotted a rune that held a striking resemblance to the Kalitian rune for entrance. A rather simple rune, but a rune that seemed to stand the test of time...at least in part.

"Azlanti? Incredible, I believe I've seen the name in books but it was always written as some sort of myth told to get children excited."

To be with someone who had supposedly seen the city. Miraculous. He wondered how many amazing things he would have been able to see had he not been beholden to Vel Anir and the Dreadlords. The young Dreadlords shook his thoughts away.

With a moment of curiosity and inspiration, he reached out and gently touched the rune that he believed meant entrance. He added just the faintest touch of magic to the rune. With a jolt, the front door began to move...

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

"It's nothing but the myth now, just some ruins in the desert." Kasim said quietly, almost sadly.

He had spent nearly three weeks in those ruins cataloging and searching extensively. He had made some strides in his own runes due to that, but in truth...the trip had been a disappointment. Not because of what he'd found, but because of what he hadn't.

"The connection is a good one though." Kasim continued. "We should be able t-"

Before he finished speaking, Alistair touched one of the runes.

Almost immediately, Kasim jumped back. His hand grasped Alistair's shoulder and he janked the young Dreadlord with him. Letting both of them back up rather quickly as the door fell open and a wave of stale air suddenly found itself pushed out.

A howling gust of wind rushed over them, fluttering both Alistair and Kasim's clothes. Sounding like a deeply despairing scream.

For a moment the former Noble simply stood, blinking before he glanced to his companion. "Well, we can assume that rune is some form of the word 'open'."

An even better jumping off point.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

At the last moment, as Alistair embued magic into that rune, he could have sworn that he felt the magic sucked from his grasp and into the rune, almost hungrily. Thankfully, he did not have to figure out how hungry the rune was, as Kasim pulled him back from the opening door.

Alistair nodded quickly, but his mind quickly went to his notes as the floating quill and book continued to write.

"It had small similarities to Amol-Kalit runes for the entrance...I figured the last remnants of knowledge that may have been transferred over."

In hindsight, that had been very dangerous. If he had been wrong about that rune, the results could have been disastrous.

"Sorry for the impulsive decision."

He flung a ball of light into the freshly opened dark room before them.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim seemed to consider for a moment, and then simply tipped his head in a nod. "Just remember the old saying, Curiosity killed the Manticore Kit."

He said with a frown, admonishing his younger companion. Though not in any real sense of the word, there was no true rebuke to the way he spoke. Instead he sounded distracted, focused instead on watching as the light suddenly flickered forward.

The inside of the ruin was much like the outside, though that wasn't too shocking this far to the surface. It was likely that the air had made it in quite easily, and thus the wind and sand had worn away on the inside tunnels as much as the outside.

They would need to delve deeper into what lay before them to truly see anything.

"But." Kasim said with a wide grin. "No one ever learned anything standing around either."

He said as he slapped Alistair gently on the shoulder and began to move forward, stopping before calling out. "Three of you, grab some torches and come with us."

The men whom he spoke to almost immediately stopped their unpacking of things and began to do as Kasim had told them. Knowing well who was paying for all of this.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair could not stop the smirk from spreading across his face, but he nodded acceptingly. It was a phrase that he had heard growing up in the Academy, but he had never liked it. Mainly because he agreed to much with the second half of the phrase that was rarely spoken of back in training.

Sure, maybe idiots were killed by curiosity, but curiosity was also the energy of innovation. One had to take chances for discovery. It was the essence of science.

Alistair waited this time, allowing Kasim and the torchbearers to enter first. More so in an attempt to show he was taking a moment to be patient. He then stepped in behind, excited to see what each new step in the ruins would bring.

The first several feet into the tunnel were largely how Kasim had expected. Sand and wind had rubbed away any sign of markings that could have been useful. A little further in and there were still some signs of runes or what may have simply been directions. However, even these markings had largely been degraded down by time.

As they walked further in, and the weathering from the elements became less obvious. It also greeted them with another wonder. The stones on the outside of the building had been flat and matte in their presentation, also likely because of nature. However, the deeper they stepped inside, the clearer it became that this black stone, when clean, had a crystalline almost mirror-like sheen that bounced the reflections of the flames all the way down the tunnel.

From what he could tell, these tunnels may have once been natural, but some skilled craftsman had managed to get their hands on them and largely fleshed them out. There were clear signs of purposeful smoothening and added carving for functionality or aesthetics, it was hard to tell.

"They certainly knew what they were doing," Alistair mentioned in an impressed tone.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim slowly walked along the crystaline tunnel, eyes carefully bouncing from one smooth surface to the next. He searched for nothing in particular, instead watching for anything that might catch a second glance.

"Or they had plenty of time to do it." He mused quietly.

From his own experience, great works of wonder were built through one of two things; Powerful Magics, or time. No city was built in a day, save for those crafted by the very gods themselves. Kasim knew this, for he had already seen the cities wrought in only a few hours.

Eventually the walls themselves seemed to flow and change, twisting like the bends of a River and always going down. It seemed they walked for nearly an hour, idle conversation playing between the two of them.

Mostly theories, though a few jokes and some anectodes from Kasim himself. Until finally the winding tunnel opened up into a great chamber.

The inside of it was vast, stretching far beyond what the torchlight could carry. Huge columns of the same black stone reached up every dozen or so meters, grasping at a ceiling that could also not be seen. A huge grand hall lay before them, though where it lead was impossible to tell.

A quiet whistle echoed from Kasim's lips. "Now that's something."

He mused as he looked at the empty vastness.

"Perhaps we follow the wall." The noble said, gesturing to the left. "Until we find a door."

 

[Alistair Krixus]

The deeper into the depths that the two descended, the larger the sense of anxious excitement began to tug at his gut. It was like staring into the void. Endless possibility for incredible discovery...or destruction. It was only upon his focused inspection of the tunnels that he realized just how apt that analogy, in his mind, was.

The fluid turns of the inky black tunnels that stretch on what seemed like forever added an endless and deep effect to their journey. The flames from the torchlight flickered and reflected a hundred times over across the tunnels, almost giving the impression of dozens of stars in the night sky.

"Yes...a very very long time." He agreed.

To do something like this without insane magic would take decades if not centuries to perfectly blend in the fluid movements of the stone, especially when taking into account just how hard this stone was.

If the tunnels impressed Alistair, then the arrival into the grand hall caused his mouth to hang open ever so slightly. All of the imagery at play in the tunnels was ramped up several degrees only to slowly die down as the hall seemed to stretch at a great distance. The darkness ahead of them truly like the void he had just thought of earlier.

Alistair quickly nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, the wall...Getting lost in this vast darkness would not be a very good idea."

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

It was a marvel, truly, how the ancient had built things like this. Kasim found it all entirely too thrilling, a feeling that made a dash of guilt splash over him. He shook it off though, knowing that his children were safe and that no harm would come to them. Not now, not ever.

"Right...or..." Kasim began as he slowly turned back and forth, reciting a small poem in a strangely guttural language before he stopped; facing to the right.

He looked at Alistair, smiled, and then began to walk.

The wall was kept always within sight, in fact, Kasim decided to never venture more than a few paces away. As they walked the black ink of the wall didn't change in the least, and they would be able to see the massive hall really did seem to extend for miles.

Another ten minutes passed before, finally, they found a door.

At least it looked like a door. Sunk into the wall itself, with some of the same runes as what they had seen above carved into the frame. Kasim leaned in towards it, letting his torch hover close until he found the Rune that Alistair had earlier touched. "What do you think?"

Kasim asked.

"Curiosity...or patience?" They could wait, set up a small camp here and give themselves time to study until they actually understood. Or, they could just press on.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

His surroundings were already enough to completely occupy his attention, but the thing that really brought him out of his own thinking was Kasim speaking in that guttural language. It was a strange language, but still hold some sort of rhythm to it, maybe a song or poem.

Alistair considered himself a skilled linguist with knowledge of several languages that he had spent time studying. Some were more fluent than others, but his repertoire was impressive. Yet, here was this random language which he had no idea where it came from...He would ask about it later.

As they neared the newest door, Alistair stepped in close to view the rune, similar to the one that he had already pressed before. Curiosity or Patience? He had just been warned of the need for a bit more patience, but this wasn't just blind curiosity anymore. There was a sample that already proved that this rune meant open...It stood to reason that the same would continue....Only one way to find out.

"Curiosity." He replied with a grin on his face.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim smiled. "I concur."

He said, as if adding at least some semblance of scientific thought to the process. Though both of them knew the truth; they were practically two kids in a candy factory. Surrounded by both mysterious and grandeur that they could have spent years studying.

With only the smallest amount of trepidation, the son of House Virak reached out and swiped his finger over the small rune. He injected just the smallest amount of magic through it, and just like before the door began to fall open.

This time though it revealed no tunnel or grand hall, but instead a tiny room that at most could fit only for or five people. A light cast out from the top, two odd globes flickering with a dim glow that clearly showed due to their age.

Kasim frowned for a moment.

"Well that's...anti-climactic?" He said, slowly stepping into the room. "Is it...a closet?"

The noble asked, more himself than Alistair, though as he turned back to face the Dreadlord he noted that on one side of the doorway seemed to be an odd 'panel' carved into the wall. Upon it lay a dozen or so more runes, each one far more intricate than the 'open' symbol they had pressed. "Maybe not."

He said with a gesture to the panel so Alistair could take a look.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

The smile slipped from his face, as the thrill from moments ago disappeared as soon as he got a good look at the room that greeted them. Oh well, you couldn't win every time. Besides, they could look at some things in the small room, like the light sources. To still be active after all these years was its own impressive accomplishment.

However, the lights would have to wait as Kasim stepped inside the small closet, making his own discovery. Alistair quickly stuck his head inside the room to look at this 'panel'. The excited grin quickly appeared back on his face, even though it was clear that this would not be anything like the open rune from earlier.

Alistair stepped inside, fully, to scrutinize some of the markings. It only took a moment for Alistair to realize that he might as well be reading gibberish.

One or two of the markings had similar pieces to the open rune, but they were integrated with other runes to the point that it was likely that the markings had completely different meanings.

Slowly, that smile constricted into something more annoyed, but still excited. Using some context clues, there were exactly fourteen runes on the panel. Assuming one of those was the correct answer for them, that left thirteen wrong answers for them.

"I...It's a completely different level. I have no idea."

He turned to look at Kasim with a shrug.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim mused for a brief moment, staring at the symbols. A frown touched on his lips, and then for a brief moment he stuck his head out of the small room. "Bring the others down, set up some torches and a basecamp near the entrance of the Hall."

He told some of those who had followed after Alistair.

Exploration was all well and good, but they needed to actually make sure they could get back when they needed to. A frown touched his lips as he turned, searching the doorway and everything around it. He marked the runes he saw in his mind, and then stepped inside.

From his pocket he pulled out a small notebook and a pencil.

"These are the common symbols on the door." Kasim said. "It goes to reason that this might take us someplace else."

As Alistair had already suggested. "So if we go somewhere else, one of these symbols should lead us back here."

It was leap, but a logical one at least. He noted the symbols on the strange panel as well, and then rolled his shoulders as he looked at Alistair. "Let's give it a try, shall we?"

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair nodded along with Kasim's thoughts while he watched one of the guards hurry back with one of the torches to retrieve the others. This would make a good base as long as they were careful to not venture to far into the darkness.

Turning back to the symbols, he agreed with Kasim's assessment. If the symbols were meant to take them places...Then it stood to reason that the places closest together would have their symbols close together. While he did not know which symbol was for the place they were currently in, he chose to believe that it was the first rune and that it would follow some sort of order. He would believe that until proven wrong. It was the most logical.

Alistair nodded and reached forward to gently touch one of the runes, while gently instilling some magic into the symbol.

Instantly, the door to the room slid shut and Alistair felt his gut drop along with the rest of him, as it was clear that the room seemed to be going down. Alistair put out a hand to steady himself with the wall and then grinned.

"Well, we aren't dead. That's a plus."

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim felt his stomach drop, an odd but familiar sensation. "Ah! It's a lift!"

He declared with a wide teeming smile.

The Noble hadn't thought to find something like this here, but he supposed that it made sense in a way. Whoever had built this structure clearly had engineering skill, and Kasim was delighted to find they'd found an elevator instead of something that would vaporize them in an instant.

"I've seen something like this before, in Nira." A fortress city near Dornoch, famed for it's great Casinos and opulent wealth. The local Daimyo was well known for his love of gadgets and machinery. Kasim had spent quite a few enjoyable weeks there. "There are fourteen runes here."

He noted. "Which likely means fourteen floors..."

Kasim said, trailing off as he realized what that meant.

"If all of them are as large as the first one..." He looked at Alistair with a slightly sheepish grin. There would be a lot to explore.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair looked at the runes more closely, while they continued to descend. Fourteen floors...just how far down did this place go. He was about to suggest pressing another symbol that he suspected would send them back to the floor that they were just on.

The lift abruptly came to a stop as the doors slid open and brought them to a new floor. This time, when the door slid open, the room that met them was just as large, but not a mix of natural and crafted like the previous floor. It was far more clear that this room had been chiseled out by hand. The walls were also not as black and void-like. Instead, Kasim and Alistair were immediately met with a hallway that split into various directions.

The danger of the two of them getting lost in some kind of maze of hallways was just as dangerous as the darkness of the previous floor.

"If we want to search them all then...we can only go one by one." He looked at Kasim one last time before he stepped out into the hallway. Only for some sort of wave of magic to wash over both of them. That froze Alistair in place.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

It would take weeks, maybe years to search this place.

"We need a map." Kasim remarked almost idly as he followed Alistair out of the Lift and into the the hall. Another page was flipped in his journal, and he slowly began to trace a small sketch of both the elevator and the hall before them.

The drawing was quite good, especially for being done while walking. "I suspect that we might-"

Kasim stopped suddenly as he felt a wave of something wash over himself. The rune on the center of his back suddenly burning hot, and his lips thinning almost instantly as whatever magic attempted to grab him was countered and broken.

A shiver ran up his spine, and he glanced over at Alistair.

"It seems that we might need to be more ca-oh." Kasim cut himself off, noting Alistair's frozen state. "Shit."

With two quick strides he found himself at Alistair's side. From his belt pouch he pulled a small vial, dipping his quill in it a second later and then proceeded to draw a quick rune on the Dreadlord's neck. Alistair would feel the same heat flare out from the Rune, and then the spell that held him suddenly breaking. "It seems, somebody had something to protect."

He noted, sealing the vial and placing it back into his pouch.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

The sudden rictus that took over his body would have caused Alistair to frown, except for the fact that he could. Quickly, runes on his body began to examine the magic. From what he could immediately discern, it was something that he could have broken out of given time. That time was only shortened thanks to the quick actions of Kasim.

However, what bothered him was not the restraining magic, but the other spell discreetly placed beneath it. While he had been frozen, a spell had been examining him, almost scanning him. It never got the chance to finish thanks to Kasim, but this place was trying to get some answers, just like they were.

Alistair shuddered as he finally felt able to move, as several runes activated. Some were for outright physical dangers, while others were still examining the magical residue left in the air.

"Yes, the defenses are still active...fairly advanced defenses." He added.

An average mage would not pick up on the scanning magic that was discretely in action. Not to mention, very few wizards in this day in age would be able to counteract that restraining magic unless they were trained in ruins or equally as old magics.

Kasim Areth