Amongst the Flames — IC

Post by **ratwizard** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:32 pm

"My name's Valla," she says genially with a smile. "I'm so excited to finally be here! Katrin told me all about this place on the way," she uncharacteristically spouts, as her strange and dark magic works its way through her words. "Maybe we can have a tour of the grounds? Please tell me there are all kinds of awesome things built into this place... Secret passageways, hidden engravings, that kind of stuff!"

[SHOW]: Arcane Mutterings to lie through my teeth: 12(1d20) +13 = 25

Post by **Namelessjake** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:54 pm

"It's great to meet you Katrin, and you too Valla," Jandar says smiling again. "Certainly follow me," he says to Cleo, ignoring Shira'stasa's request. He leads the Tenants from the temple's courtyard and into the main hall, a large altar to El-unod at the far end. From there he goes through a door into a long corridor with a stair case at the end. The trio goes up one flight of stairs before Jandar leads the Tenants into the second room on the left.

The room is a decent size, a desk stands against one wall while an entire corner is littered with cushions. A curtain is partly drawn across a doorway, inside appears to be a bed. "Please take a seat," Jandar says gesturing towards the cushions. "And feel free to open the wine," he adds pointing at a bottle on the desk. "I just have a few papers I need to get, I'll just be a moment," the Priest says before stepping back out of the room, leaving the two Tenants alone.

kalis5 · Post by **kalis5** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 10:00 pm

Geral looks about the building, thinking on Eoli's words.
"We'd get spotted and arrested in a moment. We don't exactly blend in... I don't know about you, but I don't think spying on the priesthood is exactly looked well on here. And we might miss a signal from Cleo... I have a bad feeling about this whole thing, you know?"

Post by **PureZaros** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:41 pm

"This is a temple. I doubt they lock everything up as soon as night falls, given that these people are supposed to provide shelter for those that need it." Eoli retorts, then pauses to think. "Of course, they're not doing a very good job of following their own tenets, so I understand where that worry comes from. I get an uneasy feeling from this situation as well. That's why I want it over and done as soon as possible."

He gestures around the courtyard. "I don't mean go sneaking in every place we can. Just to patrol the courtyard and keep a keen eye out for suspicious persons and conspicuous places."

Post by **Fialova** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:51 pm

Cleo glances around the chamber after the man leaves, excited to be in a priest's chambers. So this is how they live. I could do this, I think, if being a Tenant ever gets old. I bet the Sek-bas temple has even better chambers too.

[SHOW]: Perception to spot anything of interest/suspicious while looking around: 17

Post by **Namelessjake** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:54 pm

[SHOW]: You find nothing suspicious in Jandar's quarters.

Post by **ratwizard** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:55 pm

With a shrug, Shira'stasa cracks open the bottle of wine and pours herself a cup with whatever she can find in the vicinity. "Well, this is turning out interesting," she notes quietly with a chuckle. "Let's hope he doesn't have other intentions of bringing us two ladies up here," she continues, this time her tone more serious. "Stay vigilant, Cleo."

Post by **Fialova** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 7:00 pm

Cleo frowns as she realizes that the only particularly interesting thing about the room is the corner full of cushions. Why does he need so many? What a strange man.

"It would be nice if he had something better to drink. Wine is so cliche, I wonder if he has any tea hidden around here. Or maybe some pomegranate juice, mmm." She walks towards his desk as she speaks, glancing at (and reading) whatever parchments may be on it.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 7:09 pm

[SHOW]: Most of the papers seem to be drafts of various sermons on the teachings of El-unod, however there are a couple of hand drawn maps as well. One of Thesus and one of the temple itself.

Post by **Fialova** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 7:31 pm

Cleo reads a few of the lines of some of the sermons, but quickly realizes how similar they are to every other sermon she's heard and moves on. Instead, she begins to check each of the books in the room one by one, hoping maybe a few of them will sound interesting. Maybe I can gather a few more gifts before leaving tonight she muses.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 7:38 pm

[SHOW]: You find several books in the room;
A couple of books very similar to the book on El-unod's teachings you received earlier,
A book detailing the varieties of Serran Wines,
A book on the legends of the Age of Myth,
A book entitled "The Great Dune Worms of The Serran Desert"

Post by **Fialova** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 7:44 pm

More theology texts, pass. Cleo moves on to another book. Wine? Really? This guy has no taste, ugh. She once again changes her focus. Oh, the Age of Myth! That sounds exciting. She keeps it in her thoughts as she checks the last one, not thinking anything can top it. Great Dune Worms? Are those really a thing? I knew I hated the desert... She picks up the last book and begins to read it, the terror and excitement at the prospect of such creatures clearly visible on her face.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 8:56 pm

[SHOW]: The book details the findings of the Author on his journeys through the Serran Desert in the 4th year of the 2nd Era.

Introduction

The origin of the Great Dune Worms is unknown however texts dating back to the founding of the Great Library make mention of them and there are several legends that make reference to Giant Worms. I spent a year travelling around the middle of the Serran Desert trying to document these illusive creatures and this book details my findings.

Appearance

The desert is expansive and the Dune Worms are rare, many think them to only be myth, however on my travels I was fortunate enough to see one. The first thing one notices about these worms is the size, they are immense. They dive in and out of the sand making it hard to work out their true size, but I estimate the one I saw as being about 1500 feet in length and at least 100 feet in diameter. At the time I was with a seasoned Dune Worm Hunter, Sinbarra Arrakis, who was acting as my guide.

The Dune Worm is covered in large scales, each one a few feet across. These scales form an armour as tough as iron. The front end of the worm is the most menacing part. Thousands upon thousands of sharp teeth line the beast's cavernous mouth, some twice the height of a man.

Peculiarly every Great Dune Worm is unique in it's size and appearance. They all adhere to what I have described above, however worms have been documented with a number of unique features. Mouths consisting of three or fours jaws opening like flower petals, as opposed to a more normal two, and huge spikes emerging from their bodies. One Worm killed early in the first era, was even said to have another mouth where its tail would normally be.

These unique features have lead to those who live deep into the desert, where sightings are most common, to name the worms. Based on sightings it is currently estimated there are around 25 Great Dune Worms alive today. These unique appearances also allow us to attempt to age the worms sighted today. Many of them are described in texts dating back as far as the written word will allow, meaning many people have speculated that these creatures are in fact immortal.

Hunters

They are certainly very old but immortality is up for debate. However they are at least killable. Most of the legends of old document hunts, and the practice is still going on. The worms do not seem to reproduce as far as we know, so as they have been hunted, their number has declined, leading in turn to a decline in the number of hunters. In fact now days very few people out side of the inner desert cities have even heard of the worms, let alone the practice of hunting them. My guide, Sinbarra Arrakis, claimed to have killed 2 Great Dune Worms and several Lesser Dune Worms, a creature I will document later in this book. He told me that no worm hunt is alike, however one vulnerability of the worm is often exploited to aid in killing it. Hunters, once they have located the worm, will attempt to pry open a scale. This allows sand to get beneath the worm's scales causing irritation to the point where the worm will not submerge for several minutes until it has begun to heal over the opening. This helps prevent escape and makes it easier for the hunters to find other weaknesses leading to the slaying of the worm.

It is unknown what the worms' diets consist of, or if they even need food, however Sinnbarra told me that he knew of several men who had lost their lives to one of those gaping mouths.

Lesser Dune Worms

The Lesser Dune Worm, while still holding a relatively mythical status among those from the edges of the Kingdom, is much more common than the Great Dune Worms and, as the name would suggest, it is much smaller. They tend to be around 400 feet long at most. Unlike the Great Dune Worms, they are all very similar in appearance.

Their relation to the Great Dune Worms is unknown, although I believe they are most likely some kind of sub species. Others have presented the case that they are in fact the offspring of the Great Dune Worms and it just takes many hundreds of years for them to reach full size, something which is not out of the realm of possibility.

Endnote

These creatures manage to be beautiful yet terrifying at the same time. I have a great respect for those that hunt them, it is a task which requires great skill. This book is by no means the answer to every question we have regarding the Great Dune Worms, and it's very likely we'll never get all the answers we want. I doubt they'll ever die out, the desert is vast and with such small numbers I think that soon sightings will be something that happens only every few generations. If they are truly immortal then they'll burrow through the desert sands forever, a true testament to the creation of the Gods.

Post by **ratwizard** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 2:58 pm

"What'd you find, Katrin?" the older Tenant asks, sauntering over while sipping at the wine. A little too fruity for my taste, she thinks to herself before peering over Cleo's shoulder. "Worms, hm? The creatures these deserts harbor are quite fascinating, truly. Wouldn't want to run into one of those, that's for sure."

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 5:06 pm

"They sound fascinating!" Cleo says excitedly, her eyes wide from the information held within the tome. "I'd like to see one. Maybe not up close, but from a safe distance. Who knew such gigantic things lived under all this sand?"

Post by **PureZaros** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 10:33 pm

Slightly puzzled by Geral's lack of comment, Eoli shrugs and moves to stand. "Well," he grunts as he levers himself from his seated position. "I'm going to go take a walk. Do what you will."

Leaning slightly on his staff, Eoli begins making his way around the courtyard, examining the layout of the temple.

[SHOW]: Gimme a map or something! :|

kalis5 · Post by **kalis5** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 10:40 pm

Geral watches Eoli go with a sigh, shaking his head slightly as he watches the building's windows for movement. He wonders for a moment whether or not the Malachite Blades are even there or not, and if they aren't just some random bandits claiming the same. Could be for all he knew but... What did the High Priest get out of it? First pick of the spoils? He guesses greed can corrupt anyone.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 5:58 pm

Cleo and Shira'stasa hear footsteps in the corridor and Jandar soon appears in the doorway, clutching a armful of scrolls. "Shall we get started then? He asks rhetorically, setting down the scrolls on his desk and choosing a book to start with.

Clearly very knowledgeable about the history and practices of his God, Jandar talks for a little over an hour giving a very detailed history on the worship of El-unod. "Well I think that just about covers everything," he says, smiling at Cleo.

[SHOW]: As you are only in the courtyard it is hard to assess the layout of the entire temple. The courtyard is square with the fountain in the centre. It is flanked on 3 sides by the temple which is 2 storeys tall. The doorway to the main chamber of the temple, opposite the archway into the courtyard, is open and you can see the large room inside. Looking in the windows on the other two walls, the rooms in those parts of the temple appear to be storerooms, studies and priests' quarters.

[SHOW]: As Eoli walks around the courtyard and Geral sits and waits, you both notice a woman enter the courtyard. She doesn't look like any of the Priests which have occasionally passed through and she appears to be searching for something without wanting to attract too much attention.

Post by **Fialova** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 2:24 pm

Cleo listens intently as the man goes over all of his accumulated knowledge. By the end of it, while glad to have heard it, she is a bit shocked at how quickly he was able to get through it all. I wonder if someone else here knows more, an hour's worth is barely a single lecture.

"That was so interesting!" she says, before standing up. "But knowing so much about the temple is a little difficult to follow with only the small knowledge of it that I have personally. Think we could bother you for a tour of the grounds?"

Post by **PureZaros** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 8:14 pm

Glancing movement out of the corner of his eye, Eoli resists the urge to turn and look at the source. Showing interest could be very bad in this situation. Thinking quickly, he moves back towards the central fountain, where he pretends to look down into the basin's waters.

Seeing the woman, but more importantly seeing her actions, Eoli narrows his eyes slightly, suspicious of her. What are you doing here, I wonder?

kalis5 · Post by **kalis5** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 10:24 pm

Geral watches the woman, noting how out of place she is here. It's dark, most of the priests are in their rooms, yet she's walking about like it were daylight. He will have to wait and see what she does.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 7:24 pm

"Of course," Jandar says to Cleo. "Follow me," he adds making his way towards the door. "This is the living quarters, if you hadn't guessed already. They're all pretty much the same, except the High Priest's personal quarters which are through the door at the end of the corridor. The interesting stuff is mostly back downstairs," he says heading for the stairs.

Post by **ratwizard** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 7:31 pm

Shira'stasa follows along, pretending to be interested in what the man has to say. She whispers to her fellow Tenant as they step behind him. "Cleo... What should we do? Perhaps one of us can distract him while the other checks around this place for evidence." She nods along with a grin to the man's words. "What's his place like? The High Priest?"

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 7:47 pm

"I was just thinking the same thing," Cleo whispers back. "I can pretend to get lost, give me a moment." She turns to face the corridor mentioned, feigning a distracted gaze. At the next corner or split in the hallway she steps away - assuming Jandar has his gaze affixed elsewhere.

[SHOW]: If Cleo can manage to sneak away for a minute she will turn into a cat and begin roaming the halls, looking for stuff in a less conspicuous fashion. Tell me if you need any sort of roll here.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 7:57 pm

"Bigger and a bit more luxurious than our personal quarters," Jandar laughs, making his way downstairs with Shira'stasa close behind. "I haven't actually been in there recently... He doesn't seem to invite people in as much as he used to for some reason." Meanwhile Cleo manages to slip away successfully and change into her cat form in an alcove further down the corridor.

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 8:07 pm

Well that was easier than I thought I would be. Good thing he is so into this, or he'd have caught me easily. The now-cat Cleo scampers down the hallway towards the High Priests chambers, approaching the door slowly and listening for any sounds coming from within.

[SHOW]: Perception to listen: 13

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 8:11 pm

[SHOW]: The room is silent as far as you can tell.

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 8:50 pm

Not hearing any sounds, Cleo attempts to nudge the door open. Of course, there's always a downside.

Post by **Scratcherclaw** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 9:01 pm

Noticing the two men watching her, Juliette struts over to them. In a very clear Imardanian accent, she says, "Uh, bonjour! Have you two men happened to hear any rumors about this temple? I'm searching for a certain group of people, you see." She gives them a forced smile to show her good will.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 9:03 pm

[SHOW]: The door opens slowly as you nudge it open, revealing the High Priest's quarters. The floor is covered with rugs and the furniture is much more grand than what you saw in Jandar's quarters. A large four poster bed dominates the back wall of the room. Curtains appear to cover two door ways to other rooms.

Post by **PureZaros** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 9:16 pm

"Oh, nothing in particular. A couple companions of ours are just getting a tour of the grounds. We're waiting for them to get back." Eoli says, suspicious of this woman. Looking for a certain group of people, eh? Could she be in on whatever this conspiracy is?

[SHOW]: Bluff check in case it's needed: 20
Geat. Nat 20 on a probably unneeded roll.

Insight check for checking intent/whatever: 16

Post by **Scratcherclaw** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:03 pm

Juliette frowns at the information Eoli gives her."Oh, well that's a shame. Do you know where I could find someone who could help me? I have a large amount of wealth available. I could from a family of powerful and wealthy merchants. If you could please direct me to someone who can help, that'd be lovely."

Post by **PureZaros** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:22 pm

"Frankly, I'm wondering what you're doing out here, looking for what I can only assume are shady characters." Eoli retorts. "You do know what they do to ladies, correct? What, or who are you looking for? I'd rather not direct someone somewhere that they'll get hurt. It's not in my nature."

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:25 pm

Cleo quickly glances around, but doesn't immediately spot anything interesting. Instead of searching the room, she first decides to dart towards one of the curtains and take a quick peek inside.

kalis5 · Post by **kalis5** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:30 pm

Geral looks her up and down and sighs, shaking his head.
"You don't want those men. Eoli, it's alright, this helps confirm our suspicions."

He stands and walks over, extending an arm to the woman.
"Geral. Malachite Blades. I'm not sure if we have an extension here to contact, but I can probably direct you to one of the other towns with extensions I know of."

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:33 pm

Peeking around the curtain Cleo sees what appears to be the High Priest's study. A large desk and bookshelves fill the room. The High Priest himself is sat slumped over at his desk, softly snoring, with a bottle of wine open on the desk. "You're not supposed to be in here," a voice says from behind Cleo.

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:36 pm

Cleo ignores the voice and continues into the room. Remember, cats don't understand human speech. Time to be a convincing cat. She slowly walks over to the sleeping man and leaps onto his desk, moves some things around on it, knocks the wine over, and cozies herself up on a nice stack of papers before finally curling into a ball. That should do it.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:40 pm

The High Priest continues to snore, oblivious to Cleo's antics. "He hates it when I do that," the voice says again, this time the sound comes from doorway to the study.

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:43 pm

When you do that? Humans don't sit on desks. Unless it's not a human. Cleo's ears twitch and she opens an eye, looking back to see where the words are coming from, though not moving her head from the position.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:48 pm

Cleo opens her eyes to see the head of a light grey cat poking out underneath the curtain. Its dark green eyes staring straight at her. "So what are you doing here? I don't remember seeing you around before."

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:50 pm

"I've never been in a temple before, I wanted to check it out!" she meows back, lifting her head up to face the new cat. "Do you live here?"

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:54 pm

"Yes. I rarely leave the temple. It's an easy life," the grey cat replies with a yawn.

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:56 pm

"What's the best room to sleep in? And the best thing to knock over? Are there any secret naps spots? Secret nap spots are the best!" Cleo sits up and begins to lick herself as she awaits a response. Fur tastes weird, I think I will stick to the top half.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:59 pm

"He used to keep cushions under the rugs, that was good but then he went and filled it up with hard things, stupid human," cat replies, ducking back under the curtain.

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 11:01 pm

"What kind of hard things? I want to see. Maybe we could move it out." She stands and leaps off the desk, scattering the papers she had been sitting on as she does so. She bounds across the room and past the curtain, looking around for the rugs mentioned.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 11:05 pm

"It's under that red one," the cat says nodding at one of the rugs. "You can try if you want, but it's heavy and I'm going to have a nap," it says jumping up onto the bed and curling up into a ball.

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 11:08 pm

Not wasting any time, Cleo rushes towards the red rug and sticks her head underneath, eager to see what is hidden underneath. Thanks cat, you made this way easier!

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 11:11 pm

[SHOW]: Underneath the rug, several planks are laid over what looks like a hole in the floor.

Post by **Fialova** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 11:14 pm

Oh wow, that is not what I expected to find. She paws and nudges at one of the planks, attempting to move it enough to squeeze into the hole. I really hope it isn't dirty wherever this goes.

Post by **Namelessjake** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 11:21 pm

[SHOW]: After some pawing You eventually creates a gap big enough to squeeze through. She finds herself in a small pit filled with large coin purses, jewellery and other valuables.