Lunardust- Part One: IC Thread

[Calypso Major]

Lunardust ~ Part One:
~ A Prophecy Has Begun ~
(With your host, Raven Haruka!)​

Gold Premise: Part one of the "Lunardust" series, a group of adventurers come together under the guidance of the Goddess to raise her from the "dead"... relatively speaking.

Genres/Tags: High Fantasy , Adventure , Character Death

Pre-requisites: Intermediate+​ writing, posting speed of "every few days" or "once a week".

Disclaimer: All Iwaku Rules apply, and also this has the potential of being mixed, so keep it PG-13, please.

Sign-Up Status: Closed Sign-ups.

OOC Thread: Here

Player Tags:
@Joan , @Dip , @rechonq , @Isomia.n , @ERode , @Why Not? , @LavnderLights , @GrieveWriter

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Temple Of Zycie

An old, decrepit temple found a few kilometers south of Zeffari, at the base of a mountain. The external appearance of the temple is overran with weeds and ivy. A waterfall from the mountain can be seen landing behind the building.
Inside, the building is still old, yet well-kept. The ground and walls are made from stone, cracks of old age seen among them, and many rooms lie on multiple levels. Throughout the hallways and rooms, one can always find some sort of imagery depicting a beautiful woman.

There is a large banquet hall, another large room that's unfurnished--with the exception of a colossal statue of a woman, wearing marble robes and holding a goblet-like cup.

There are stairs leading both to the second floor above ground, and numerous floors below. The second floor above ground is prohibited to be gazed upon--as it is the level that Kosbucha's closest priests inhabit.

What lies in the first floor beneath the ground are rooms for sleep and personal prayer...but past that, only the priests know.

The midday sun bore down upon the Temple of Zycie, overgrown plantlife covering the walls like a fur hide, small flowers of white and pink adorning the worn stone underneath. The only thing that remained untouch by this phenomenon was the entrance to the temple- a pair of wooden doors which were at least 25 feet in height , the design of a curvaceous hooded figure holding a crown above their head.

Just in front of this door stood 8 people. While not all of them arrived to this seemingly suspicious spot at the same time, the earliest was only a single hour apart from the latest, and as soon as the eighth arrived- a door began to open with a loud creeeeeeaaaaaak, stopping after a few moments to leave a large gap.

For a few moments, nothing happened.

Then, suddenly, a luscious head of dark brown hair popped out of the gap, wide eyes looking around at the group, pausing for varied amounts of time on each person, before the stranger stepped out.

"Ah, you're all here, I see....yes, very good, very good- we haven't much time- so please, come in come in!"

The man, elven in his appearance, clasped his hands together, fidgeting with them nervously as he suddenly turned around, walking into the temple. It was obvious that he expected the rest of the group to follow him inside.

...After walking inside, the group came across a spacious room, adorned with absolutely nothing except a single statue, colossal in size. Clearly well-maintained, the harsh light of the midday sun seemed to softly caress the statue's face, a womanly figure not unlike the carving on the door equally caressing a goblet in her hands. Her face remained hidden, but the hands were done in great detail, as not a single blemish was to be seen amongst them.

"Well, how do you do? No, don't answer that, actually, that was a bad idea."

The man before the group began talking again, constantly switching his gaze between the statue, the group, back to the statue, and then to the ground...only to repeat the process again as he spoke.

"Yes, yes, not much time, I'm afraid. You all need to hurry and find it. She left it as a gift to her children...so only her children will be able to find it." Motioning to the statue, it was obvious to whoever knew the subject at hand what he was talking about.

The prophecy of the Goddess Zycie, made almost a century ago, according to tales.

"Anyhow, off you go!" Shooing his hands at the group, the stranger stood there, waiting.

The door in which the group entered in was suddenly closed, and looking back at it one could see another figure, hooded so as to conceal their identity.

"Ah, and it's not out, but in." This man spoke in nothing but riddles, yet at the same time seemed to know what he was talking about.

Looking around, there wasn't much points of interest besides the statue, the entrance, and a small opening to the left leading into a narrow hallway, just big enough for a giant to squeeze through somewhat comfortably.
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Listen To The Secrets

For Mat's ears only:
Outside, there wasn't much to hear, with the exception of rumors being spread about this place. Some say it's abandoned, others speak of cults and sacrificial movements to please Zycie.

There are also a few ghost stories, saying that those who disrespect the Goddess shall be smited here, only to wallow in despair for all of eternity.

But once one reaches the inside, all that's left to hear is one secret, a chorus of voices all speaking about the same thing.

"Down below...it's down below."
"A treacherous thing indeed."
"Only a child of the Goddess can unlock it."
"Pity the poor soul who does, though."

About The Lighting

While the harsh light of day must've been hard to handle, the inside is dimly lit, torches sparingly placed so as to provide the bare minimum amount of light for travel amongst the building. This room only had one window, a small skylight of one at that, which seemed to only light the enormous statue with a golden hue.

Upon further inspection, one could tell that the window was tinted so it would have this affect.

​

 

[Dip]

sɪʙʏʟ ᴍᴏᴇᴊᴇᴏɴ

To say that the doors to the beautiful Temple were just tall would be an understatement. The doors to the Temple was entirely massive and they seemed to be beckoning the young witch ever closer. She hadn't been the first to make her way towards the over-run Temple of the Goddess, but she hadn't been the last either. The young witch aligned her amulet almost perfectly between her two eyes and lifted her chin to get a grand view of the beauty that was before her.

The young elf had made her way to the Temple over the course of about an hour. She had just gotten done doing a rather elaborate reading which awarded her about twenty gold pieces and a rather fashionable pouch of beads. Sibyl wasn't exactly sure why she had to move towards the Temple, but every fiber in her being told her to journey onward. The elf packed up her small camp, extinguished her fire and set course towards the walled city of Zaffari. Needless to say, the blind witch managed to find what she had been looking for even before she had met with the walls of the city

Sibyl took some time to meander around the side of the Temple, collecting berries and snacking as she waited for others. She adjusted her amulet carefully as she rolled black and blue berries into her mouth. The young girl took it upon herself to make her way back to the entrance, and she was met with the eighth stranger.

And in good time, too! The large doors pushed open, and a man familiar in species made himself known shortly after. Sibyl nodded her head slowly to look him up and down, inspecting him closely. The young elf watched as he turned on his heels and B-lined it into the Temple, and Sibyl followed slowly after, pushing her head left and right to not only inspect the strangers with her, but to look deep inside the Temple.

Dilapidated, it was still beautiful, Sibyl decided.

The man continued to fidget nervously, like a little bug under a rock. The other elf asked how they were, but decided that he didn't care enough to go through with an actual answer. He tried to remain comfortable among strangers, and Sibyl could tell that it was harder than it seemed. Unlike the man, the blind witch kept her gaze-- well, what was left of it-- towards the statue. It was absolutely mesmerizing. The sunlight seemed to reach out to touch the beautiful marble, and Sibyl wanted to do the same. The urge was almost overwhelming, but she knew better than to touch something as sacred as the marble. She pitched the palms of her hands.

The elf spoke in very strange riddles, and Sibyl tilted her head. She had been quite familiar with the almost indecipherable prophecy, but the young witch had no idea what to make of it. Sibyl liked the ideas of gifts, but scavenger hunts and decoding would take a little more persuasion.

Sibyl almost jumpped out of her skin when she heard the loud echo of the wooden doors. She twisted, her amulet nearly falling off of her head in the process. What was once light was suddenly darkness, and Sibyl missed her sight terribly. She lifted her hands and ajusted the chain and charm, much like someone would adjust their hair or fix their glasses.

Out but in? Did this elf just expect the strangers to wander about the Temple for fun? Well... Sibyl was planning on doing that anyway, but was that just the goal. When vision was restored-- hazy, but restored-- Sibyl slowly turned on her heels and gazed back towards the beautiful statue.

"...May I touch it~?" Sibyl asked the other elf, her hands outstretched to touch the warm-looking marble.

 

[GrieveWriter]

​

Torvo had no idea what the so called temple had to offer, he had been taken from a small, run-down tavern situated on one of the trails leading from Zeffari. He'd been trying to have a stiff drink after an initially rocky morning which resulted in an arrow being lodged in one of the slits of his faceplate. He hadn't bothered taking it out, and had put getting himself deep in the grog over checking if it actually managed to pierce anything vital. But to be honest, he already knew it hadn't.

So the arrow remained, even during the trip to the temple. Torvo hadn't quite gotten around to talking to any of the others that had been rounded up either, instead focusing on the robes the elf man had been wearing and wondering how many shiny little coins he could sell it for. Would people buy robes like these? Pfft, of course they would! If they'd shell out coins for bloodstained armor then there's bound to be someone willing to pay for robes of the same caliber.

This train of thought had kept the armored dwarf quiet through most of the trip, happily chugging from his excessively spacious mug of grog as he hefted around the large chest strapped to his back. His heavy gulps of the alcoholic swill could be heard throughout the robed man's speech, but they lessened in quantity as the topic of the speech became apparent. This was for the great goddess? They were gathered for her? Torvo always served the goddess of chaos diligently, so completing a task for her was always a pleasure.

"Great Goddess...want Torvo help?" Torvo said slowly before giving a small chuckle, "Gehehe."

At once the meaty little man stepped closer to the statue in the room while taking another chug. The arrow still protruding from one of the slits in his helmet did make drinking a bit of a hassle. But Torvo would be damned if a single arrow was enough to stand between him and some fine alcohol "Torvo serve goddess gladly, but why goddess want Torvo find gift?"

Ignoring the robed man, Torvo took the time to stand before the statue and bow to it respectfully before turning and walking away from it back towards the group with another deep chug of grog.

The Dwarf gave himself several more chuckles before scratching his overwhelming beard in thought. Only her children were to find it? Torvo was fairly certain he was born from dwarves, at least if what he'd been told over the years had been true. He had always enjoyed entertaining the thought of being born from two great beasts who were hunted to death soon after his conception, but even one with his intelligence knew that that was little more than a funny thought.

But him as one of the great goddess' own children? Seemed strange, was he being scammed into finding some meatsack's lost possessions? Well if he was he could always burn the place down afterwards, it wasn't like this robed fella or his hooded accomplice looked to be in any form to stop him. But if this place was really made by the goddess, then maybe he should just kill the nervous runt and leave the building unscathed. But what if goddess really did want him to find random thing? Maybe it would be shiny.

As he concluded that standing around thinking would only lead to him boring himself to sleep, Torvo heard one of the other random individuals finally speak up asking whether or not she could touch the statue.

"Great goddess want thing," he said before giving another small chuckle "we go find for her. Pat statue later, search now for thing."

He turned towards the only other thing of interest inside the building, a small opening in one of the walls "Torvo look there, if thing not there, Torvo check inside robed man for goddess' desire. Gahahaha!"

That would actually sound like something the goddess would want to happen, and the dwarf gave a merry laugh as he took another swig of grog and happily sauntered to the opening before slipping inside.

 

[Joan]

Joan Raylen Drazelan​

Joan considered the waterfall briefly before shaking her head and going to climb down the mountain beside it instead. She could have gone down using the waterfall, but that would involve levitation, and she preferred to not use her abilities unless necessary. Besides, she wouldn't have been entering from the top, and that made it trickier.

She made it down the rocks with surprising ease. As she jumped down from the last rock and brushed herself off, she surveyed the temple. The plants on it made her smile. Hey, life. That's good. Then her smile turned into a frown. She still had no real idea why she was here. She had heard about the Goddess and pieces of the prophecy from travelers, and she'd figured out that her own abilities were probably related to that, but the thought still hadn't crossed her mind that this could be the same thing. She had just seen the building and gone down to it instead of avoiding it. That was weird in itself, and-

What's that sound? She ducked behind the edge of the temple just as another person walked up from the other side. She watched them somewhat suspiciously for a moment before getting the feeling they weren't an enemy. Gah, I don't like this. Thoughts popping into my head with no rhyme or reason...waiiit a second. Could this be related to that whole Goddess thing? She sighed and dropped her hand away from her bow. Yeah, that's probably it. Well, this should be interesting.

She decided to stay where she was for now--not quite out of sight, but not obvious and up front, either. As she watched, other people came up, and she took quick note of how each one carried themselves and what they had with them. As the eighth person including her came up, and the child with the amulet came back around to the entrance, she got a sense that nobody else was coming, and then the door began to open. So, yeah, I guess that's all of us. Oh, and I guess somebody's expecting us, or maybe they just looked out the window? Maybe I should just stop trying to figure out what's going on for now.

She quickly stepped away from the corner of the building and watched the door swing open. A moment later, the brown-haired elf poked his head out, and she found herself wondering what he was so nervous about as the group followed him inside. As she walked into the building, she glanced around and was disappointed to see that there weren't plants on the inside as well. Still, she could still feel the plants outside the building, so she could still take from them, and she had taken the time to do a big drain from a tree earlier, so that would probably hold her for a while...at least, that's what she hoped.

As her attention turned to the statue, she let out a small murmur of surprise. The statue had been preserved surprisingly well, judging from its hands at least. She didn't have much time to examine it, however, because then the elf spoke again, and she turned her attention to him.

Holy crap, he's nervous. But why? Then he said that thing about "finding it", and she raised her eyebrows. Ookay, maybe that's why. But what are we supposed to-- The doors swung shut, and she twisted her head around to see the other person standing in front of them. Her hand had gone instinctively to her bow, and after a moment, she pulled it away. So, we have to find something in the temple? Is that it? It won't be fun in a stone building like this, but... She let out a little sigh and turned back around in time to see the child with the amulet asking to touch the statue. She almost said something along the lines of "I suspect we can do a lot of stuff in this temple," but on further consideration, she closed her mouth again and went back to inspecting the room.

Let's see...two creepy guys--actually, one creepy guy and one guy who can't seem to get two words out without stuttering--seven other Goddess-children, a well-preserved statue, a tinted window--that could be an exit if we need it--and a door. Basically everything in this room...So, our options appear to be basically asking the guys questions, following the amulet girl's lead, or going through the door. I'm going to wait on the door until there are more people interested in going down there...you know what, I'm not sure how much these guys can even tell us, so quizzing them is probably out the window. If they're depending on us to find this thing, how much can they know? ...They still know the temple, though... She considered the two people for a moment before walking up to the nervous guy and putting one hand on her hip. He may have only spoken in riddles so far, but at least he had spoken.

"Is there anything you can tell us about the layout of the temple? Any clues about what we're supposed to find? Or are we just supposed to find it all on our lonesomes?" As she spoke, she kept one eye on the girl with the amulet in case she discovered anything.

Then the dwarf spoke up, and Joan felt a sense of dread growing over her as he slipped through the door. Check inside robed man? What? And...he has an arrow in his...ookay then. She glanced around at the other members of the group. "Is anybody going to go with him, or should I?" ​

 

[ERode]

Was she just taking a stroll through the wilds? Or was she running away?

A hooded figure pushed through the thick forest, brushing aside whatever branches obstructed her path. Green eyes glimmered underneath as she continued down the path with nothing much in mind. She had been on this rugged path for hours now, the rising sun now beating heavily upon her. But her sweat glistened like tiny gems, and her platinum blonde hair never clung to her face. Beauty persisted, even as the temperatures rose on that sunny day, and it would continue to persist until she killed herself.

It was a tempting proposition, something she had entertained multiple times in the past, but there was still much for Ashina to do. Much for her to live for. And so, her blade never met her throat, even though the past couple of days had been particularly trying.

So, the question remained. Was she just taking a stroll? Or was she running away?

The answer: Neither.

Breaking out of particularly thick foliage, the lady found herself in a clearing, gazing upon two massive sets of doors, six other individuals standing there like a bunch of jobless nitwits. It was a temple that clearly did not have any devout caretakers, not with ivy clinging all over it, and it had clearly attracted only lowborn individuals and inhumans. Ashina's emerald eyes flickered from one individual to another, and she internally sneered.

"Hmph."

What a rag-tag collection, where the best-looking amongst them was a skinny dwarf with womanly hair. They really should be grateful for being in her seraphic presence then…but on the other hand, it'd be irritating if these weirdos got any ideas in this scenario. So she kept quiet for the time being. Her instincts told her to wait, and so, she did, keeping one hand resting on the pommel of her rapier.

For all the time wasted, what she got was some hairy elf peeking his head out of the temple doors, before telling them all to come in. Hah. As if she could even be associated with these plebeians! But that instinct, that strange 'pull' compelled her once more, and Ashina walked in at the very end, trailing behind the rest.

It took some time before her eyes adjusted and she truly realized what was going on.

The gigantic statue of a faceless woman, standing in the only place where natural light could filter through. Of course, it was the dead Goddess herself, Zycie. Which meant that this 'gathering' was for all those blessed by her to obey the call and fulfill that prophecy. Which meant that she was blessed by this Goddess.

Ashina smiled.

It would be so easy now. So easy to whisper to the tyrant King. So easy to describe. So easy to foil this prophecy that will revive the Goddess that laid such a heavy cross upon her. So so so easy!

But her anger was reined in, and the young lady closed her eyes. It would be easy, but she would only benefit from a small bit of self-satisfaction. The King would still be in power, and she would still be a fettered canary. It was satisfaction in the short run, suffering in the long run.

And, ultimately, she would lose once more.

Her fellow 'blessed' were talking now, discussing various silly things. The short-haired elf seemed to have the most sense on her head, but then again, her competition was a dwarf too numbskulled to pull that arrow out of his armor and another elf more interested in molesting a statue than doing practically anything else.

"Go ahead," she shooed the short-hair, "Though I'd love to join in on this treasure hunt, I've been walking all day and would loathe to get any dust or spider webs on myself. Some fresh milk and a light salad would be wonderful right now, priest."

It wasn't a question, nor a command. It was simply a statement, as if she fully expected the nervous wreck of an elf to provide her a meal.

 

[Cwispy]

2 weeks ago

"How long ya' gon' sit there? Starin' out like that?"

The old man spoke with a leaf between the few teeth he had left. He prodded the tiny man on his bandaged arms with an old cane. He poked him again, hoping that the tiny man would stir awake from the vacant stupor that trapped him in silence. Scratching at the patches of salt and pepper that decorated his chin, he deliberated for a moment what he would do with the tiny man. It was unacceptable for a merchant of his caliber to leave a penniless soul in such a desolate state. Curious it was, that the young tiny man held fast onto his chest, clutching at his breast. Holding onto something.

He deliberated and then had his caravan guard hoist the tiny man over his shoulder. They began their travels there, and the old merchant said "I know just where to take you."

1 week ago

Still he clutched at his breast, but the merchant man was elated to see the tiny man looking again, his eyeballs fishing out into the world. He even ate, walked, spoke curtly, and would remove himself from camp to wash. Never said who he was, what he had been doing, why he was the way he was outside the impregnable walls of Zaffari, and he never told them about his injured arms. Despite this, the old trader was lifted tonight, around their caravan's campfire.

He inhaled on his pipe sharply, exhaling the smoke from his nose. "I know just where to take you boy." The tiny man didn't respond, which wasn't unusual, the old man was just hopeful. And determined. "There is a temple these crazies like you flock. Not sure exactly who it's salutin' but I'm sure you'll fit in. Giant woman on the front door." The old man punctuated his sentence with a vulgar gesture and a whistle, illustrating the impression of a curvaceous woman. Then it happened. The tiny man's eyes flickered and met with the old man's.

"A Goddess?" The Tiny Man asked.
The old man's grin stretched, giddy at the boy's piqued interest, "Yeh. I guess you could say that. Temple to a Goddess. The mad go there," he leaned in towards the fire, the hot embers illuminating the age in his face, "But you're not mad, are ya?"
The tiny man's brow furrowed at the question, then he became fixed back on the fire. "The Goddess Zycie."
"What? Zycie?! You're shittin me!"
"I shit you not." He answered quickly, raising his gaze from the fire, scanning over the members of the caravan. Then he inhaled deeply before reciting an excerpt from Pentilus' 5th Edition of Lost Myths. Speaking at great length, he neglected to ever take a breath, exhaling long passages, still clutching at his breast. He could imagine now where the Mantle was leading him.
Stunned, the old merchant collected his jaw from the ground and finally asked, "Who are you?"

"Aurelion Elios is my name."

Now
Aurelion had been dropped off at the front of the temple several minutes before anyone else had arrived. He thanked the old man and his company for helping him gain a sense on himself. Not that he had actually had that yet, but he thought it was the least he could do for the merchant and his caravan, to give them a sense of finality They began to like the tiny man, and Aurelion was grateful for their hospitality. Clutching at the amulet on his chest, he surveyed the temple, noting the intricate architecture and how it seemed built for the overgrowth reclaiming it.

Others arrived one by one, an odd assortment of travelers. A young witch dressed like autumn, a kind eyed giant, a drunk dwarven brick, an impossibly beautiful human whose presence emitted a stench, a tall (and admittedly intimidating) she-elf, a man- no maybe an elf- hidden under a cloak, and a human woman riddled with scars; who were they and why were they here? They didn't speak a word to one another so it didn't seem to be a coordinated effort. Aurelion studied them until the large stone doors slowly pushed open. A timid handsome elf poked his head out through the gap, scanning them all briefly before ushering the group inside. He spoke very little and mentioned their time was limited. Aurelion cataloged that piece of information.

Once inside their nervous tour guide revealed that they were to find something, and that it was not out, but in. Not out, but in? Aurelion mouthed the words after the elf had said it, and then the group became restless, starting with the blind elf, followed by the drunken dwarf still guzzling his grog, and punctuated by the large elf woman's query. Aurelion suspected they weren't going to get anything from the frazzled elf who seemed like he would be spooked by his own shadow. Especially the immaculately beautiful human who requested refreshments.

"Is anybody going to go with him, or should I?"
It was a good question, really. The Tiny Man shrugged, and quietly walked behind the drunken dwarf, figuring that if any challenges or traps lie ahead, it was best to be behind the dwarf that seemed unperturbed by an arrow being mere inches from his face. It was always best to be right behind the fool who dared to do something first, but it was in horrible taste to be the last one to follow the crowd. Hand on the pendant underneath his jacket, he started behind the dwarf towards the small opening.

 

[Lavender Lights]

ღ Cecil Hymn ღ

Not even the breeze was blowing, the grass didn't move an inch, a single bird was not chirping. The silence of nature would have been overbearing had it not been nature. Nature had a certain silence too it, almost like the silence was it's own sound. It wasn't like silence that fell after you finished a loud task and it wasn't the kind of silence during a family meal where somebody causes tension. It was the most peaceful kind of silence, the only silence that Cecil liked.

She didn't know why she was standing in this spot, or how she had ever found it. One minute Cecil was whittling a new arrow and the next she was wandering. It was this weird pull, something made her want to go somewhere today. She had found herself accidentally blinking, as she referred to her strange gift by, to different places just in site and closer to a mountain. She had learned to control this gift of hers when she was younger, meaning she hadn't accidentally blinked in years. It was the strangest feeling as the familiar tug and pop of her gift.

Cecil finally got a hold of herself and began walking, she knew she wanted to walk closer to the mountain. Cecil had taken off her arm wrappings earlier, as she normally wore them to hide all the scars, she could feel two large bruises forming and felt the sting of a very minor cut on her arm from her accidental blinking. But this didn't matter to her right now, and she was used to this feeling by now, what mattered to her was getting to this destination that she felt tugged too.

Cecil finally reached a giant temple, The Temple of Zycie, and her jaw almost dropped at the large doors and beautiful structure. She looked at the others as she arrived and watched as others came as well. She was fascinated by each person but before she could say anything the doors opened. 'We triggered something. I guess this must be everyone.'


Cecil played with the simple silver ring on which was on her middle finger of her left hand, she was tempted to drop it outside in case she needed to get out. But a part of her also wanted to make sure she had it inside. 'I am sure it's okay. Everything happens for a reason and these people don't see to want to cause anyone here harm. What's inside can't be too bad, it's a temple for heaven's sake!' With that thought she made up her mind and kept her ring on, following the man and the rest of the people inside.

'Everything he is saying is above my head. I am sure somebody else understands, at least I hope so. I just want to talk to everyone and get to know them. Are we really all her children? Why us? Does that make us siblings?' Cecil's face blushed with that thought, 'Does this have to do with that story about Zycie? I wish I could recall more about this.' It was almost frustrating to Cecil to not know what was happening, but she wouldn't let that get to her. She bit her bottom lip to remind her to smile and did just that, she grinned.

She wasn't sure where to start, then she heard someone ask if someone should follow the dwarf, who she thought could possibly be drunk right now. But then someone else took off after him, did they all need to go? Would they all need to find this gift together? Part of Cecil wanted to follow but also wasn't sure if she should stay with the girl with the odd amulet who asked to touch the statue. It also threw her for a loop that the really pretty girl, who gave Cecil but a slight moment of jealousy from her perfect looking skin, stated she wanted to eat. "I don't blame you for wanting to touch that statue," Cecil let out very quietly with a small laugh.

 

[rechonq]

Mat had been traveling for a couple of weeks to the city of Zeffari. He had just explored a set of ruins far in the eastern mountains and was feeling called to Zeffari, at least he thought it was Zeffari. He made it to the grand city, but still didn't feel right. He tried eating and sleeping and even bathing, but he couldn't feel comfortable. He was being called somewhere. He was being called South. He didn't understand it. The only thing South was the goddesses temple. He didn't think there was anything interesting there, but he had to get rid of this feeling.

Sure enough he was certainly wrong. He came so find several others already waiting. Some more came too. Once there was eight of them in all, the door opened and an elf came poking out. He quickly invited them all into the temple. Mat had been judging some of the other comrades that had gathered. He was certainly the largest of all of them and by quite a bit too. He sort of felt out of place, but for some reason this certainly felt like his place. He was pretty certain the murmurs he heard were all past whispers. Even if they weren't everything seemed like nothing more than rumor until he entered the temple.

There was surprisingly only one unnatural thing he heard in hear. It made it feel like it was more unnatural than most of what he heard. Mixed secrets were common, but to hear only one so clearly distracted him for a moment. He quickly turned back to the elven man again as he turned down his desire to exchange pleasantries. It was odd that they were all gathered right now. He felt a connection to them, despite not even knowing their names. The hooky idea that they were all some children of presumably the goddesses just made the connection deeper and more awkward.

He couldn't help but stare at the statue too. It was certainly interesting and with the question to touch it, there was no way he was going to resist now. In fact, the questioner looked pleasant to touch too. He walked past her and pat her head. "I'm sure there's no harm in touching it." Her hair was soft. 'Why are small things always the greatest to touch? He thought to himself with hints of jealousy and concern since he was surrounded by so many cute small people. He continued to the statue and reached up to touch the hands of the monumental statue. They were quite smooth, but he was satisfied after just a moment of touching it. He was a little curious as to whether anything was in the goblet, but he chose to leave it be.

Mat took in the final phrase of the elf and contemplated it with the resounding secret. 'What does *it's not out it's in* and *down below* have in common?' His mental musings brought him to an idea. He walked to the center of the room and slammed his foot down on the stone floor. It didn't seem to do anything, but crack the floor a little. The temple shook a bit with his stomp. "Heha, I apologize." He said looking a little embarrassed at his actions. "Let's just follow them." He said pointing to the two headed down the hallway and began to follow after them. He continued to keep his eye out for anything that looked like it led downward.

 

[Isomia.n]

Location: Temple of Zycie || Time: Day || With: Troupe, a nervous elf & a generic hooded mystery stranger(?) || Mentions:(hopefully) Everyone​

The time had come. Not with a spectacular bang nor a sudden awe-inspiring epiphany but with a simple shift of the wind. One that swayed and ruffled the black threads of Röl's cloak and shook the very treetops he walked under. To any other it would've been an ordinary morning, maybe even pleasant with the promise of clear skies and a refreshing breeze. Unfortunately he couldn't share in the sentiment, being confined beneath a hood and worn wrappings winding up his arms and legs. Both did well enough to guard against the sunlight but the cool shade of the forest had been tempting. So he took off to the mountains, shifting through the thick canopies in favor of the open dirt path. He was however aware of the destination he was heading having traveled the same route many times in the past several years.

The first instance had been when he was a young boy, no older than fifteen and lost within the world and in himself. He had come looking for answers yet what he had gotten was understanding. Now every year or so he would return to the temple to pay respects to what he considers his old home. Perhaps if the circumstances had been different he would've stayed when the offer had been extended. But back then and even now he had purpose to fulfill, one that the goddesses nor her prophecy had given him.

As he neared the edge of the woods Röl could could just make out the familiar frame of the temple. It's exterior covered in patterns of swirling ivy and scrawling vines as an adjoining waterfall delicately provided the plants with a constant mist of fresh water. Recollections of plucking the overgrown weeds flickered to the forefront of his mind. Before he could contemplate on the memory further however a spectacle in the distance halted his advance. Hidden among the shadows he could just make out the form of several individuals all gathered in front of the shrine's entrance. He scrutinized the group with narrowed pupils, noting that none seemed of close relations considering the tangible silence and distance they each kept from one another.

They were all very much strangers but he couldn't shake this strange feeling of familiarity as if he should know who they were. Following that train of thought it didn't take long before the realization dawned on him. These were the others. The gifted children of Zycie and their union could only mean one thing. Within a few seconds of deliberation he was stepping out into broad daylight, pulling the thin material of his face shawl upwards as he quietly approached the small gathering before standing rather inconspicuously off to the side. He was sure that introductions would need to be made eventually but perhaps after entering the temple itself.

Just as the thought crossed his mind the heavyset double doors scraped open with a loud, attention grabbing groan. There was a beat of slightly stiff silence before a familiar figure stepped into view and proceeded to address the company with a nervous tumble of cryptic words before unceremoniously ushering them inside. Röl was the last to enter and welcomed the dim lighting of the expansive room. While the others filed into the open space he remained by the entrance way just as another cloaked figure emerged from the shadows and closed the door behind them. Even as the a hood obscured their features Röl vaguely wondered if he knew them.

Before he could investigate further his attention was brought back to the group as a young elf with thick bangs of reddish brown hair and a curious amulet enthusiastically approached the statue of the Goddess and inquired if she could touch it. A rough looking dwarf with what appeared to be an arrow lodged into his face plate interjected however and advised or more accurately, took action into finding the aforementioned 'item' by abruptly gallivanting into the nearest open passageway. Another elf competently took consensus of what course of action should be taken next. Her inquiry was met with two others, one slightly taller dwarf and the other ironically a giant, entering the hallway themselves. That left the curious young elf, another elven traveler, a silver haired maiden, and a very beautiful human girl in the temple's main altar.

Röl remained just as reticent as he had been before and continued to patiently observe what the the remaining few would do. In the meantime perhaps the hooded company by his side would reveal their identity if they truly were acquaintances.







​

 

[Calypso Major]

[fieldbox= , gold, solid]
After watching so many strangers carelessly stroke the statue of the Goddess, it wasn't very difficult to decipher that the priest wasn't any more relaxed- as he seemed to suddenly freeze up.

Or at least until he was spoken to, that is.

"Some fresh milk and a light salad would be wonderful right now, priest."

"O-oh...is that so? Ah, well, you see--"

"Oi, treat Sanzir with respect, lady." A gruff voice suddenly interjected on the conversation, as the hooded figure from the door moved to stand behind the elf.

"We ain't treating you to nothin'...not 'less you turn out to be the children of our Goddess." Pointing to the trio who seemed to congregate around the statue, he continued.

"Now, you young'uns better get off our pride and joy, and go follow the dwarf. You won't be finding anything here."

"Kain, you're not supposed to tell them that. It's not what-"

"I don't give a rat's ass what your interpretation of the damn game was, Sanzir. I just want these heathens to stop ogling and touching our precious Goddess. Now, you can either follow them around, or go report that you let strangers inside...again."

...The elf known as Sanzir sighed, before facing away from his companion. "I'm sure these fine people are the ones we're searching for this time, Kain."

And with that, he walked into the hallway, hurriedly following the dwarf and tiny man.

"...Whatever, just hurry it up then."

The hooded man gave a grunt, crossing his arms as he waited for the stragglers of the group to leave.

---

At the end of the hallway, one could find two staircases, each leading to either a floor above or below the current level. Before anybody else could choose which one to follow, however, Sanzir had arrived- albeit out of breath.

"Hah, hah....Ah, yes, do mind our privacy please. Upstairs you'll find our dining area, and below you'll find a multitude of living spaces, amongst other things. Do mind that if you decide to go up, you're only allowed to go up one floor above. The second floor is for the fair ladies only-- and not the ladies currently within this group."

Standing straight once more, Sanzir waited for the rest of the group to arrive, before continuing.

"Ah yes, and there are only certain doors unlocked down below. Any door which has a blue goblet on the front is available for you to search through- as is any open space such as the hallways and praying area. Yes, yes, just make sure that you find it. It shouldn't be long, after all her favorite color was the night."

...again, it seemed that he was available for talking-- though judging from the conversation shared between the two priests, perhaps that wasn't a fruitful decision to make anymore?
[/fieldbox]

Listen for the Secrets

For Mat,
As the chorus of voices quieted down, there was silence in this space.

...though, if he really listened, he could pick up a faint sound of a single voice, holding a one-sided conversation.

"Wait, what are you doing? Stop it!"

"What do you mean you-? I̢ th͟ough҉t͠ y̧ou͡ w̠̹͞e̩͕̤̗̯ŗ͓̖̠̱̺̺̩e̟̲͝ ̙̲̻͙͎͚͠g̷̜̙̣ó͙̤̖i͏͚̺̼̮͙n̬̺̘g ͜ͅt̞͕͚̖̪̪͘o̮̘ g̛̮ͫ̊o̳͕͎̹̿̒̉͊̊̕ ̷ͅg̟̘̜͕̟̟̰ë̡́̅͂̋ț̥͈̜͕ͫ ̪̰͖͐ͬ̋̅̚h̠͝e͓͖ĺ̸̹̣̑p̨̼̣͇͙̙̫ͣ̆͗́̎ͭ.̨͖̤̯̞̳̖̤͋̋̐ͯͨ.̗̱̳̓͘.̧͙͈͓̙̍̓̎͊̒?͗

"I...I don't like this idea anymore--don't leave me in here!"



"̡͕̩͓͍ͪ̓̿̒̍̿̽͟͠.̛̆͑̏ͦͯͫ̂͑̉̊ͨ̽͝҉̟̝͎̰̖̹̞͇̦̬͚̻͉͙̩̖͜ͅ.̧͚̭̥͉͙̹̖͗̔ͤͭ̎ͦ̐̃ͧ̀͞͡ͅ.̢̛̟͍̟̭͈͉̤̝͍̠̦̘͔̘͖͓͗̎ͣ͗ͥͯ͂ͪ̑̐̒͑͊ͫ̏ͅͅM̴̶̢̦̝̜͕̹̼͗̑ͥ͌ͥ̄ͤͧ̀͝ỹ̶̧̮͎̦͉͕̪̋ͪͯ͋̀͢͠͡ ̸̵̨̨͇̫̙̤̫͖̺͉̖͙̳̬͕̝ͨ́̇ͯ͋̆̒͜ͅq̶̞̩̰̱͎͍͙̺̰̞͉̙̩̹͆̑ͦ̓ͥ̋ͫ̽̌̍̀̚͘u̴̪̱͉͇̖̗͉̮͉̫̯͎̰̣͖̖͂ͬͤ̈͒ͥ̃ͯͤ̇ͩͮͣ̽͒͝ͅe͊͂͑̾̈́͆͑͏̵͔͉̦̯̗͖́͢ȇ͚̳̰͇̙͍͙̹̼̬̰͙ͭ̒̉̀ͣ͟͠ņͧ̂̈́̒͌̃̒͛ͬ͗ͦͦ̋̌͗̉͏̴͈̞̣͙͎̠̮?̷̒̓ͯ̓͋̍̈ͫ̀͒̃̄͆̂̑́̚̚͡҉͙̼͍̤̙̱̜̺̦̞̗͖̘̗̭ͅͅ"̶͙̥̪̫̣͚͈̭͙̲͔͖̦͖ͩ͛̒͑̈͒ͮ͆̉̉͑ͥ́̈́̽̈́͋̚̕͜ͅ



...Despite bits and pieces being undecipherable from this distance, the noise seemed to be coming from downstairs. Then again, perhaps he's overthinking this? With the odd choir of "down below" from before, perhaps this is nothing more than a distraction?

A Mantle's Urge

For Aurelion, yet another opportunity was in front of him. A faint tug in his chest represented something else attempting to pull the strings, something that wasn't human.

It seemed to want him to try and test the waters with these new people-- but then again, sometimes these sort of things are all about interpretation.

Who knows, maybe it's trying to suggest another interaction?

A Goddess's Touch

For the ones who had given respect to the statue--or carelessly caressed it in awe, as some would do-- another urge had appeared. Albeit much weaker than the one that had lead them to the temple in the first place. Tugging them downwards, it seemed that this urge was giving them the feeling of..."well, sort of greenish, but with more dimensions."

​

 

[Joan]

Joan Raylen Drazelan
​

When the impossibly beautiful woman spoke, Joan felt shock and cold anger growing inside her. What the hell?? She would be loathe to...Are you kidding me?? She pressed her lips tightly together to avoid blurting out her thoughts aloud and inhaled deeply through her nose. Calm down, Joan, and avoid making any assumptions just yet...please... She exhaled slowly as she watched the small human man and the giant follow the drunken dwarf. She felt a smile tugging at the corners of her lips at the actions of the giant and scarred human, but she was distracted when the nervous elf spoke.

One of Joan's eyebrows raised slightly as she listened to the exchange between... Kain and Sanzir, was it? She filed the information away for further use and considered the conversation. Kain doesn't trust us, eh? I actually don't blame him. After all, it sounds like Sanzir's done this before with the wrong people, and we haven't exactly offered much proof...I wouldn't trust us either. What if we could offer proof, though...? The best proof is going to be finding what we're supposed to find. As she finished that thought, Sanzir took off, and she opted to follow him, calling softly to the other four as she started walking. "Come on, guys. You too, miss 'walking all day'." She was unable to keep a hint of sarcasm out of her voice when she addressed the human woman.

She kept up with Sanzir easily and stopped behind him, looking over the stairs. "So not above the first floor, eh?" she murmured to herself. "Interesting..." She listened to the rest of the elf had to say, noting the clues he gave. Goblets on doors, loved the color of the night...That last clue was probably going to be how they found the correct room. Very interesting indeed.

 

[Cwispy]

Aurelion was tickled by the banter trailing behind him, his new associates indulged in touching the holy relic, and some did. One priest didn't seem too pleased with the manners of the supposed chosen, and the tiny man made sure to take note of every implication in Kain's voice. Aurelion reflected on the fact that polity in the aristocracy was typically derived from religion, the cohesive identity that made up a very inclusive group. Sacred symbols, rituals, and their prophecies; just like the temple priests in the heart of Zaffari. These monks were different, reclusive and from what Aurelion could assume, harmless, at least on the outside and Kain's overprotective attitude seemed to reflect that. He didn't want trouble, and didn't seem willing to start any.
There was, however, a mention of a game? Was this game a ploy of Sanzir's? This little bit of information cast some doubt on the legitimacy of this temple. Was it really holy grounds for the once illustrious Goddess Zycie? Aurelion was at least sure of something; the Mantle put him here.

The group was faced with two directions for them to continue. Upstairs, which led to a dining area, and was below another level which hosted the fair ladies as they were called. The Goddess' high priestesses? Were all the monks down here men? Aurelion decided to keep his eyes peeled to any monks that he may see, to test his thesis. Below were the rooms which would accommodate the tiny man and his new associates, but there were apparently rooms inaccessible, rooms which held something not meant for them. Interesting.

The Mantle stirred on his chest underneath his jacket. Reflexively, he tightened his grip around the amulet. There was something about this place, and the Mantle was pushing him forward to find out what it was.

"after all her favorite color is night."

This reminded Aurelion of the room they had come in before, the way the room was bathed in midday's hue, the light spilling in so gracefully. It was so dimly lit too. With all this new information, Aurelion decided. He slipped gradually and quietly, trying not to be noticed, to the back of the group and departed back down the long hallway they came. He wanted to check out the grand entrance which contained her statue, also holding a goblet, a symbol that corresponded with the goblet adorning the downstairs rooms. He also was hoping Kain would still be there, although he wasn't sure if he'd be able to identify the man since they all wore hoods over their faces. Right before he made his exit from his new companions, he counted that one was not among them. Aurelion couldn't exactly recall who was missing from their number.

Once he found himself back in the grand room, he circle around to face the front of the statue. He examined the sculpted image of the Goddess. From the books Aurelion read, he remembered the character of Zycie being presented as somewhat dichotomous. She was either revered as a magnanimous mother to the people, revered and worshiped by all for her wisdom and power and beauty, or she was the blasphemous heresy whispered about by devils trying to turn the pious from the righteous authority of King God Rozmyte Hilldew. The yokels, mountain-men and forest folk all had their own interpretations too.

When the King falls, and what was once green turns red, I shall stir.

Memories of a prophecy he had read about when he was younger flashed through his mind. It was a dusty tome written hundreds of years ago, but preserved with great care for its worth. That prophecy was not a particularly pleasant one, and it slightly made Aurelion's stomach turn when he remembered how haunting it had been. Strangely, however, that first line was cherished by Aurelion, and served as the only scripture he'd ever recite.

When the King falls.

The mystery and the ambiance of the strange temple had caused Aurelion to become engrossed in his thoughts for a few seconds, but then he realized there were other presences around them. In a bid to maybe attract the attention of the priest Kain, he got on his knees and bowed on the ground, his hands postured like a fish fin over his head, clasped together in what may have looked like prayer. Aurelion had no idea how these guys did it, so he did the best he could conjure from memories of what he had seen of the priests in Zaffari. He stayed in this position for a few seconds and then got up, pulling the Mantle from his jacket and kissing it, before tucking it away once more. His own personal sacred act of homage might have added a flair of authenticity. Then the Tiny Man turned to see who was left in the room, and then he noticed that the hooded man from before had remained behind.

Aurelion decided to approach him. With his obscured face he slightly resembled the mirrored concealment that the temple priests put on. After walking towards him, he extends an open palm, as if to wave slightly.

"My name is Aurelion Elios." He introduced himself politely, hoping to talk with this man, and maybe make sense of their situation together.


@Insomia.N
@Raven Haruka

 

[Dip]

sɪʙʏʟ ᴍᴏᴇᴊᴇᴏɴ

Three people came past, and told Sibyl for different things. "Touch the statue later.", "There's no harm in petting it.", "I don't blame you for wanting to touch it.". Well, those odds seemed entirely in the blind elf's favor! Sibyl took a step forward and touched the statue with two small, callused hands. It was warm and smooth, and it somehow felt safe. She likened it to a freshly-lit fireplace. It was inviting and welcoming and it only beckoned for subjects to grace it. If she was in a more private setting, she would gave gone so far as to rub the soft marble on her cheek.

She knew that the Goddess requested her service to find, as the impaled dwarf put it, a thing. She knew whatever had brought her to the Temple didn't drag her there so she could simply pet the Goddess, but she felt drawn to it somehow. She felt that it was important to 'feel out' the situation. She wouldn't say it out loud, but as soon as her small hands grasped the marble, she felt... something. It was similar to the urge to find the Temple, but it was somehow weaker. She moved her hands slowly across the surface, as if to look for a deeper pull.

She didn't really get a pull, per se, but she did get a push. A gentle push on the head, by a very tall gentleman. The young witch turned her head, craning upward to get a good look at who had touched her. She grinned at him impishly, before she turned back to the gorgeous warm marble before her.

It wasn't long before Sibyl's 3:1 odds turned against her. Her head swiveled to the side to inspect a very bitter-sounding hooded figure. "Don't touch our Goddes, you disgusting heathen!" Who could really blame her? The statue was just beautiful! Sibyl slowly pulled her itchy palms from the beautiful marble, and turned her body to face the gruff stranger, amulet first.

'You won't be finding anything here?' What exactly did that mean? It seemed that the cloaked stranger-- Kain, Sibyl assumed-- had slipped... something. She didn't know what to do with this information. She wanted to trust her gut, the pull that she was drawn to, but it wasn't her place to paw and poke at the precious marble Goddess. Sibyl turned quietly back to the statue, giving it one last look, before she turned on her heels and followed behind the hooded Kain.

As Sibyl followed behind, she peeked to the side of the taller stranger. She noticed two flights of stairs-- one ascending and one descending-- come into view. The blind witch was followed by the breathless other, and she couldn't help but giggle as he panted his way to attention. He addressed the stairs, and Sibyl instantly decided that she would make her way down the flight. The notion of goblets intrigued her, and the thought of snooping was something she looked forward to.

While Sibyl had noticed the goblet in the Goddess' hand, she hadn't made the notion of looking inside of it, or even pay very much attention to it. Well, mostly because the statue was entirely colossal, and it was just riddled with detail, and it would have taken atleast six Sibyls, one on top of the other, to reach the statues drinking glass.

She felt as if it was too late to turn back now, but perhaps downstairs would provide useful information.

The blind witch traced her fngertips along the wall as she slowly made her way towards the stairs. The young girl followed the path that few had traveled, and slowly made her way down the steps.

 

[rechonq]

Mat was just in the doorway, about to fully commit to following the two short people, when this hooded figure Kain seemed to have some sort of meltdown. It didn't seem like all the priests were in agreement to their entering of the temple, or about how to conduct business now that they were here. Evidently Sanzir's riddles were a part of some game that Kain was ruining. Moody killjoy ruining everything. Once there argument was over Mat continued again. Not only were the secrets telling him to go down, but he felt like he needed to go there.

Of course Sanzir gave another little riddle. That the goddess's favorite color was night. The new question was what was night or it's color. Most would quickly think dark or black, but typically an open mind was needed to figure these things out. Maybe there would be something downstairs that would help too.

Before he left he heard something else. He looked around him to see who needed help, but he realized the voice was coming from downstairs. It sounded different too. As it began again, he realized it was most likely another secret. It was hard to grasp most of it, but the person was definitely in distress. Maybe it was previous potential children who's adventure had not ended well. The idea that they haunted the place sent a chill down his spine, but what he heard next completely froze him in his tracks. It was jargled, but he was sure he heard it correctly. 'Who is the queen?' The little elf girl had passed him as he froze on his way down the stairs. "Wait." He audibly said. 'Who are the fair ladies? Is this queen one?' He mused. "Wait, wait." He said as his mind raced with ideas. Maybe they were supposed to go up to the fair ladies room anyways. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait." Now it just sounded like he was talking to himself and trying to figure out his thoughts. Which he mostly was.

Several seconds later, Mat made up his mind. "Blagh never mind, Sanzir, is the queen's room upstairs?" He said as he continued downstairs after the little elf. He figured if this game was about riddles and puzzles he ought to try and figure out things a bit cryptically too. Granted if the priest had no clue what he was talking about then maybe this queen is long gone. He never did know the age of secrets. He highly doubted it, but the secret could have been made as he heard it.

 

[GrieveWriter]

"Goddess want Torvo find thing," the dwarf said with a shake of his head and a chuckle "no time for little elf man meal. No time for ladies when Goddess want something. If Torvo no find thing for goddess, he give her ladies as apology."

Torvo paid little attention to those others arriving, fellow children or not they mattered little when the goddess wanted something. Last time the goddess wanted something, he had been tied to a pulley swung through some nobleman's fence. His companions at the time had forgotten about him during the assault and left him dangling from that damn pulley for 18 hours, retrieving him long after they'd made off with the nobleman's livelihoods. Now she wanted more stuff? Then Torvo find stuff for her. It always made him happy succeeding in her name. As he'd been made aware, seventeen weaklings get what's coming to them whenever the goddess is pleased.
Though perhaps they did deserve some acknowledgement, being chosen as the Goddess's children had to mean they encompassed at least some of her primordial influences. Torvo was sure that after they had pleased the goddess by finding whatever it was she left for them, he'd cook up some of the Warlennian pig carcass he currently had wrapped up in his chest. They'd be able to laugh over barbarian invasions and he could even tell them about that cliff he fell off earlier today, they'll probably be the greatest of drinking buddies!

Speaking of chest, Torvo shifted its weight on his back, some of his possessions inside making a bit of a clatter. He had though about retrieving one of his weapons from inside, but figured he'd save that for if the puny looking elf man turned out to be using him. Insulting him was one thing, he'd been insulted dozens of times by people he barely knew and other times by people he knew far too well. He was used to that, but to commit such heresy as speak for the great goddess herself? He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd said he was willing to give them to her, heathens who use her name in vain like that deserve only to decorate her likeness with their remains.
But that was thinking too far ahead, for all Torvo knew those maidens upstairs were having a merry old time telling tales of violence and vigor around a fireplace chugging liquor. Torvo was sure that after finding the goddess' gift, he and the other children would go join them in good old fashioned merriment.

That thought brought a warm smile to the Dwarf's face, and he chugged down some more ale as he followed the others downstairs "We find Goddess thing, then she be happy. Children have good meal together to celebrate, Torvo have good meat for meal. He cut it good for you. Anyone have taste for grog?"

To emphasize the question he shook his mug of grog, giving a hearty laugh to himself as he took another swig and descended the stairs.

 

[Lavender Lights]

ღ Cecil Hymn ღ

Cecil felt incredibly guilty after the small group that stayed behind to look at the status, or touch the statue, got yelled at. She certainly did not mean to upset anyone or disrespect the Goddess. Cecil bit on her bottom lip a little, wondering if she should apologize. But she figured from the way Kain, as she made mental note his name, was standing with folded arms that he may not want to be bothered right now.

'So we are not the first to come here, apparently. Then I guess we may not be siblings after all?' Cecil thought sadly. Part of her wanted it to be true, this seemed like such a mysterious game and she really wanted to be part of it. She also wanted her strange gift to have meaning and thought this would bring more meaning to her.

Cecil followed the others and joined them into the hallway and listened to Sanzir.

'It shouldn't be long, after all her favorite color was the night.' Cecil knew this had to be part of the puzzle but she was more curious about why he worded it this way. Not the night part, as that was an obvious clue, but the first part of his sentence ,'It shouldn't be long' was the odd part. 'I guess everything he says is odd, so this isn't much odder than the rest of what he said.'

She listened as the giant asked Sanzir, "Blagh never mind, Sanzir, is the queen's room upstairs?". Cecil also wanted to ask a question to Sanzir but didn't want to interrupt them, that would be incredibly rude. Also, the giant was slightly intimidating though she hated herself immediately for thinking that. 'Don't be scared. Everyone is good until proven bad. And even though, bad people can still be good...' She slightly shook her head, she could think about the morality of races and humankind for awhile and that was not what she was wanted to do right now!

Cecil decided to pipe in though and let out a small polite cough to get Sanzir's attention as well, "First, I do want to apologize for our behavior earlier. We did not mean any disrespect of your Goddess," Cecil bowed her head a bit in respect then looked up again, "if I may ask, you seem to know the Goddess better than anyone. Is there any where in here that would give us more information about the Goddess herself? I would love to know what kind of person she is," Cecil stopped, she wasn't 100% sure of the Goddess was still in existence, "or was. After all, it must take someone special to love the night so much that it was her favorite color."

 

[Isomia.n]

Location: Temple of Zycie - Main Alter || Time: Late Evening || With: Aurelion || Mentions: @Why Not? @Raven Haruka
​

[BCOLOR=transparent]Upon the human girl's abrupt demand for refreshments the hooded man interjected and countered her hubris with an equally brazen rejection. If Röl hadn't been aware of the man's identity before he had little to no doubt about it now. That brusque, borderline callous countenance could only belong to one certain priest—[/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Kain, you're not supposed to tell them that. It's not what-"[/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I don't give a rat's ass what your interpretation of the damn game was, Sanzir. I just want these heathens to stop ogling and touching our precious Goddess. Now, you can either follow them around, or go report that you let strangers inside...again."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The balant exchange of names all but confirmed Röl's suspicions. Of course the doorkeeper would be Kain. The grouch after all had always been strict when it came to the temples security and that same attitude would apply to any of Sanzir's [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]guests[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]; speaking from personal experience. Over the yearly visits however Röl had managed to worm his way into the man's good graces or at least not being told to leave every time they met. Sanzir on the other hand was closer to the young man and could even be considered as a casual friend. The elf had been more than accommodating the first time Röl had appeared unannounced on their doorstep and it was through him that he gained further knowledge of the prophecy. [/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent]Watching as the latter descended down the corridor, Röl decided that perhaps after the situation at hand had been taken care of they could have a chance to speak. Instead he turned towards Kain as the young elf and older woman followed the man's advice and disappeared down the dim passageway. Judging by his unwelcoming stance and hostile state the priest was not in the mood for a confrontation much less a conversation.[/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent]Just as he was about to turn and join the others however one of the previous travelers returned to the surface. At first he had assumed they'd found the treasure but as minutes passed and no one else turned it up it became clear that they had just gone up on their own accord. Apparently to pay tribute to the Goddess's statue yet replicating a similar stance that worshippers of the God, Rozmyte Hildew would perform. That gesture alone spoke volumes of the dwarf's origins which most likely would be the higher courts of Zeffari. Although no matter how Röl looked at it the stranger didn't carry the same air of an aristocrat nor their painfully forced elegance. What he could see was the subtle refinement in their actions, languid and courteous, as if he were almost putting on a show.[/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent]Shortly after the display the man rose to his feet and turned as if to address the room. Unexpectedly those pair of dark brown eyes settled on Röl's shrouded and half hidden figure before proceeding to cross the distance between them. It wasn't until they were two arm lengths apart did the latter stop and made a welcoming gesture as he introduced himself. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"My name is Aurelion Elios."[/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent]There was a moment's pause as Röl returned his greeting with a deferential nod.[/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Adrian" He responded, using his alias rather than his real name. There was no mistaking that although he felt compelled to trust the man and the others it would still have to be earned, prophecy or no prophecy. [/BCOLOR]

​

Aurelion decided to dispense with any more formalities. Judging from "Adrian's" curt response, he probably didn't revolve in circles that required ceremonious jargon. Aurelion leaned in closer while sweeping his gaze past his flanks, looking for any would-be eavesdroppers, not that the nature of their conversation required secrecy; old habits just die hard. But when he turned to look up at Adrian's face, and closely for the first time, he instantly realized why he had used the hood to cover his features. It took him off guard for a split second, but Aurelion recovered in the next, having been witness to the extraordinary countless times in his life.

He lowered his voice, contemplating a more honest approach, since the strange man made him feel like he was in familiar company, "Adrian, were you drawn to this place too?" He clutched at the necklace beneath his shirt, "I felt compelled to come here by an inexplicable force."

​

[BCOLOR=transparent] It didn't escape Röl's notice as the other quickly brushed aside the look of shock when their eyes had met. Long ago he may have been angered by such a reaction but now the only thing that remained of his past indignation was a dull and hollow burn.There was a moment's pause as he considered the man's words. On one hand his visits to the temple were like clockwork, once per year and somewhere during late fall when a swell of unearthly creatures would plague the outer reaches of Zaffari. On the other how coincidental were the circumstances that seven other individuals would appear at around the same exact time he had? He himself had already assumed that these people could be the children destined to awaken the Goddess but what did that make him? The more he thought about it the more he wondered if his decision to visit that day were entirely his own…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'm unsure" As unsatisfying as his answer might have been to hear it was the honest truth. Needing time to think he redirected the topic, "Do you know the legend of this temple?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent] Aurelion scratched his head, not sure what his new associate meant. "I know the legend of Zycie, but I've never even known of this temple until today. I remember a prophecy of her children" He decided to turn the question around, because it seemed Adrian may have known something about this temple that the rest of them did not. "Do you know anything about this temple?" [/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent] Sanzir's words came to the forefront of his thoughts but he felt as if it wasn't in his place to share it. Although that didn't mean he couldn't try and lay the pieces together for Aurelion to follow. "What I know is the legend. What do you remember of it?" Depending on where the half dwarf had been born or where he first heard of it the story would differ but each tale regardless would have spoken of a temple where the chosen few would meet.[/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent]When the King falls… [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent] Aurelion felt like Adrian was deflecting his questions. This indicated to the Tiny Man that Adrian knew more than he was letting on. He'd play along for now because he still had no idea who Adrian was. His concealment of his features, of information, could've been for the benefit of the group, or he could've been apart of the game. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He put his hand to his chin and began to think. "I know that the Goddess Zycie had a temple, where she was laid to rest while her priests shut their doors, except to the chosen ones, hoping for the arrival of her children." Aurelion contemplated that possibility, that [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]they [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]were the children of Zycie. Since he was someone who was acquainted with the webbed tapestry of fate weaving destiny in the smallest of coincidences, Aurelion had half-accepted that he [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]was [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]a child of Zycie. What would prove it is his new associates finding this object Sanzir spoke of. [/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent] Kain also spoke of other groups, so there was a likelihood that they were not the chosen ones. What happened to the ones who couldn't prove they were the Children of the Goddess?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Could this be that very same temple the legend spoke of?" He almost inaudibly mouthed the words, but Adrian was sure to hear him. He continued, "Sanzir spoke in riddles, so I can't quite make out what it is that we are here for. Kain was more plain-tongued, do you think he might tell us more?"[/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent] At Aurelion's suggestion Röl chanced a quick glance at the priest. Mulling it over, he gave a brief nod before adding, "He might speak with us but I do not know if he will tell us more". While Sanzir was cryptic in his approach Kain might quite possibly reject altogether. This temple was wrapped in secrets and despite having become familiar with it's stone walls there were more mysteries he wasn't aware of than Röl cared to admit.[/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent] Aurelion followed Adrian's eyes to the priest by the door, and almost felt like palming his face that he didn't make that connection. They all came in in such a rush that Aurelion hadn't figured out that Kain and the priest that had opened the door for them were in fact the same priest. It didn't deter the Tiny Man that he might reject them. He had already discovered something from Adrian's responses; this man wasn't revealing everything he knew about the temple. He wanted to pry more, but information has a way of leaking out when there is an absence of solicitation. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hmm…," he put his fingers to his chin once more, thinking about his options he whispered, "Her favorite color is night?" He looked at the stained glass window which was the only source of illumination in the grand entrance, the statue and architecture capturing the trickle of light. The sun's dying light was bleeding through, it would be night now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Aurelion resolved to at least wait in this room until night, to see if something would happen. He would also attempt to to talk to Kain. "I'm going to at least try and talk to Kain. See if he is willing. What will you do?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent] As the sun dipped low in the horizon Röl could sense the surrounding shadows quiver in anticipation of the coming night. In correlation he could also feel his powers heighten, the strange purple hue of his eyes glowing subtly brighter. He accepted the surge of energy with an almost imperceptible roll of his shoulders. Again, he looked at the priest before bringing his focus back to the conversation at hand. Initially he had also wanted to converse with Kain but had been delayed due the man's earlier outburst. Perhaps he could have some of his questions answered if he were to follow Aurelion's lead. Maybe even indirectly should the half dwarf ask the right questions.[/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I will follow." As a last minute thought he added, "If you will allow it." [/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent] Aurelion nodded, finding his new associate's deep violet eyes having a strange effect on the Tiny Man. He couldn't quite tell why, but he found them unforgettable. Even if he had drifted away to far lands where legend of the Goddess failed to be peddled, he would remember this man's eyes. [/BCOLOR]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent]Together they approached the priest.[/BCOLOR]

 

[ERode]

At the interruption of the hooded man, Ashina turned, her emerald eyes gazing into the shadowed face. Internally, she was amused, but externally?

This was all her disdain and loathing put into a singular expression. The sort of imperial disgust that a queen would reserve for a mud-stained serf, a mixture of apathy and contempt, sharpened by a cold, unattainable beauty. Was she all that mad? No, not really. But Ashina's masks were plenty, and regardless of what this 'Kain' thought and what this 'Sanzir' desired, she had no intention of joining the others in a pointless search, especially not when she was supposedly grouped with these 'heathens'.

That short-haired peasant can search all she liked. While the nervous elf lead everyone else downstairs, Ashina remained upstairs, unmoving. There was still that instinctive, irritating 'sense' that she should follow, but that was meaningless to her now. Other heathens can go along the whims of these outcast worshippers if they liked. Herself?

Ashina, eyes remaining on Kain, sat herself at the base of the statue.

She ignored the second 'sense' that invaded her own thoughts, urging her downwards, whispering nonsense into her ears.

And then, with a different, 'kinder' smile, Ashina said, "I was under the impression that hospitality would be shown to those that have travelled so far under the divine whim, priest. But perhaps the worshippers of Zycie have, over the years, strayed from her godly example, to the point where they would refuse kindness towards even a wayward stranger."

"Hm…treating you and Sanzir with respect, when you offer nothing but contempt and commands." That smile faded. "Reminds me of a certain king."

 

[Calypso Major]

Sanzir Mentions:
|| @Dip || @GrieveWriter || @rechonq || @Joan || @LavnderLights ||

Kain Mentions:
|| @ERode || @Why Not? || @Isomia.n ||
​

[fieldbox= , gold, solid]

"Blagh never mind, Sanzir, is the queen's room upstairs?"

"I beg your pardon? How--"

The elven man began to say something, only to pause- giving another ample time to interject their opinions on the matter.

"First, I do want to apologize for our behavior earlier. We did not mean any disrespect of your Goddess,"

Sanzir returned the bow, offering a small nod of his head.

"If I may ask, you seem to know the Goddess better than anyone. Is there any where in here that would give us more information about the Goddess herself? I would love to know what kind of person she is,"
...
"Or was. After all, it must take someone special to love the night so much that it was her favorite color."

"...Ah, well, I guess I shouldn't be as surprised as I was. Nobody's called the Goddess a queen in a long long time, you see, so come on. Follow me."

Sanzir went to walk down the stairs, before stopping in front of the girl who had one hand on the wall.

"Little Miss, are you...blind, by chance? Would you like me to assist you?"

Offering his hand, Sanzir waited for a few moments, before leading the group downstairs- with or without the elf girl beside him.

~ * ~

After walking down a single flight of stairs, the group was lead down a hallway, until they reached a group of doors. Each had a goblet painted onto it, in varying shades of colors.

The first one, a pale shade of wood- had an equally pale shade of baby blue painted on it, the outline of a goblet easy to identify.

The second door was a more common shade of wood, a cyan blue crescent-shaped moon drawn onto the center of the goblet.

The third door, a dark stained wood, had a royal blue crown on top of the goblet, hanging off at an angle.

The fourth door, practically black in color, was the only door which had a goblet that wasn't blue, instead having the symbol be concord-purple. A fluffy sheep was painted onto this door, a childish smile drawn sloppily onto its face giving the creature a disturbing vibe--as the grin stretched from one side of the face all the way to the other.

"Ah, my apologies travelers. The blue kept on fading too fast from the darkest door, so we had to use purple instead." Sanzir apologized, though it was a surprisingly dry remark this time. "But please, one person may go through each door-- the only exception to this rule will be the blind Miss, who can be accompanied by one of you due to her...condition."


~ M E A N W H I L E ~


Kain raised an eyebrow at the Tiny Man's impression of worshipping the Goddess. Surely, this wasn't what kids these days thought the temple priests did all day long?

...or was it influenced from that new-fangled religion popping up a few miles north?

Before he could watch more though, the man stood up, giving a surprisingly simple motion to demonstrate his sincerity in the action.

"I was under the impression that hospitality would be shown to those that have travelled so far under the divine whim, priest. But perhaps the worshippers of Zycie have, over the years, strayed from her godly example, to the point where they would refuse kindness towards even a wayward stranger."

"Hm…treating you and Sanzir with respect, when you offer nothing but contempt and commands."
"Reminds me of a certain king."

"Oi, watch it, little miss." The label used to address said Miss sounded like sandpaper against a piece of laminated metal, when said by the man. "Unlike my partner, I've actually met plenty a soul like yourself. So, off the statue, unless you plan on making a sacrifice for it."

Obviously aggressive in attitude, he rolled his eyes as the man from before approached him, followed by--

...give it a moment...

"Well shit, Rol. It's enough of a problem you're here, why'd you bring more?" Although he sounded harsh, one could tell that this was nothing more than playful banter-- as his voice seemed to soften more than it had with the girl. Of course, it still sounded like sandpaper...but more similar to the sandpaper of a cat's tongue.

As the group spoke with one another, the sunlight from before had all but faded away, and slowly a ray of moonlight crept into the room. Unlike the diffused light of day time though, this moonlight appeared concentrated- almost as if it was pointing out something.

Upon further inspection, it seemed like the glow was shining into the goblet in which was held by the beautiful statue, a fainter glow reflecting outside as a result.
[/fieldbox]

Listen for the Secrets

For Mat,
Unlike the faint whispers from before, it was easy to hear what was going on around these surroundings.
This voice seemed to be that of a women, though it somehow felt oddly soothing to listen to.

"My children will come for you... They'll murder you--!"

"...Yes, if that's what you wish. But I'm drawing a sheep on the door that leads back to the-"

​

 

[rechonq]

Sanzir seemed rather surprised at Mat's question, but Mat was even more surprised at his response. The goddess was a queen as well? He didn't actually know all that much about her, but if she had died, then it made more sense that she was a mortal. He didn't know how a mortal could come to be a 'god', but then he remembered that even now their king called himself a god. Somehow, the idea that she was just a normal person that managed to accrue this much power gave him a chill. He followed Sanzir down the stairs until he heard more voices. He stepped off to the side as he listened to it. The calming but angry voice behind these secrets certainly held a willpower of someone who would remain even in the afterlife. Mat felt paralyzed in the corner of this hallway as he thought about the children coming to kill them. He couldn't help but shake a bit as he thought of ghostly children waiting for them behind those doors with a mad woman cackling while were drug to her hell. It took all of his remaining willpower to look at the doors and listen to Sanzir finish.

Mat was terrified of every option. It felt like there was a 50/50 chance that either the dark door was going to kill them or the other doors would. He couldn't just let half of everyone walk to their death. He wanted to stop them, but there was no real reason for them to listen to him right now. He was just a strange giant that talked to himself. His mind raced with the facts and ideas. His mind felt cloudy and confused. Sanzir's riddles were getting old fast. First he tells them only the doors with blue goblets were unlocked, but here's a door with a purple goblet that is evidently supposed to be blue. He also said the queen's favorite color was night, but the voices sounded like the queen betrayed them, or was she betrayed? Everything seemed so complicated. He then remembered that they were called the children of Zycie. Maybe they were the ones that were supposed to slay someone. He didn't like the idea of slaying someone for a ghost, but somehow it seemed to help calm the madness. "Torvo, you mind if I borrow a drink?" He took a drink from the dwarf and began to chug it almost as quickly as it seemed the little dwarf could. 'He must be made of something else.' He didn't even care that it was his sloppy mug. He was surprised it was big enough even for him. He handed it back to him before speaking up. He wasn't going to let overthought confuse him, and Torvo's grog certainly helped with that. "I think the item we're looking for is behind the last door, but if we're all children of Zycie, why can't we just go get it?" He directed the question to Sanzir as he walked over next to the door.