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Ain't No Party like a Davennus Party (Open)

Started by detectiveryan, March 15, 2017, 10:01:13 PM

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detectiveryan

Kallisa Noctia "Flicker" Davennus was in a pickle.

The trick of the pickle Flicker was in was soon to be an incredible pickle that would make most of her ilk say ick, what a pickle-- the type of pickle that sticks and, occasionally, gives a tickle in the back of one's thinker that tells them they really ought to spend less time spewing useless half-rhymes and alliteration and more time trying to get rid of the pickle in question. And anyway, Flicker hated pickles.

She steepled her fingers over her stack of papers. One of her ears twitched involuntarily when the breeze through her slatted window hit it, not unlike a cat's ear that flicked in response to touch. Likewise, her papers rustled. There were resignation notices, mostly, from the various mercs and thieves under her influence who had suddenly decided that they wanted to become farmers. She'd stuck several sewing pins into a big map at the bottom, marking the same damned area in the same damned tomb half a mile east of Zantaric where they'd reported strange things. Doors without handles, and torches lighting by themselves-- that sort of thing. Personally Flicker didn't believe in any force she couldn't engage with her trusty daggers and a whole lot of grit, so the whispers that it was ghosts sounded ludicrous.

Still, perhaps this called for an investigation from the boss. Flicker still had the map of the tomb, and there was no telling what other riches were involved. Perhaps it'd been awhile since she went treasure-hunting, but her adventurous spirit had never truly rested. She'd made sure word of the treasure hadn't gotten out to anyone but her people-- so to the tomb she went, out through Zantaric in the dead of night.

Sandybro9001

Maya arrived at the entrance of the tomb, her old worn dress freshly patched with mismatched pieces of cloth. The chilly night air didn't bother her as she stood examining the entrance.

So there's supposed to be a ghost here, this could be useful

Maya reaches into the large satchel slung over her shoulder and pulls out a piece of chalk and draws a circle on the sealed entrance, marking the thirteen runes around the edge of the circle. She then pulls out a small bunny she had caught earlier in the night and killed it, in a way that I would describe in more detail if I could figure out how to get spoiler text to work, and focused the force of life leaving the rabbits body into the circle, the runes weaving a complex entropy spell that causes the door to crack and shatter before her, revealing the darkened crypt inside.

detectiveryan

So someone else had come to the tomb-- naturally. Flicker figured that something of this magnitude would draw others to the site. She watches in mild awe as the woman in front of the crypt opens it with no effort aside from a little bit of blood sacrifice (though what kind of crypt didn't require a little bit of blood sacrifice?)

Flicker clears her throat. "'Hoy there," she calls. "I don't suppose you consider yourself an adventurer, do you? I happen to be in need of someone with... adventuring talents." She gives a friendly grin, though it seems too wide and too pointed to be truly friendly. "And considering that impressive feat of magic you opened the crypt with, am I correct in guessing you've an interest in... the arcane?"

Sandybro9001

Maya turned and looked at Flicker for a few moments, mouth moving a little as if remembering how to speak.
"Sort of..." Maya's voice is surprisingly smooth and sweet like warm honey, which didn't seem to fit with her tattered appearance. "And yes, magic is somewhat of a talent of mine."
She glances back over her shoulder, into the crypt and back at Flicker.
"I'm guessing you wish to explore here as well, I guess you can join me, you may prove to be useful."
Maya steps to the side of the entrance, her body language seeming to invite approach.

detectiveryan

A nice voice, Flicker notes. And with magic like that, they'd definitely... probably not die. Flicker prepared her crossbow before venturing closer to the entrance, ducking her head in order to fit through the round door. She squints into the darkness.

"Heard there was a ghost in here," she says. "My mercenaries kept comin' back from treasure-hunting jobs scared out of their wits, flapping their gums about-- about things moving on their own. Nothing I said seemed to get through to them, so it seems I'll have to find out myself. And having a mage at my side won't hurt." She seems to add that last part as an afterthought. Flattering.

Sandybro9001

Maya reaches into her satchel and pulls out something hanging on a chain, she whispers into it and it begins to glowing, shedding light around the room and revealing itself to be a crystal in the shape of the skull of some sort of rodent.
"I know about the ghost" Maya eyes Flicker up and down. "If you help me bind the ghost, you can have all the treasure you can find"

detectiveryan

Alright, not suspicious at all. "Just how much do you know about the ghost, anyway?" she asks as they venture down the corridor. It slopes down gently, and there's a little trickle of water on the floor. The walls are mossy but the stone below is laced with runes-- not that Flicker can read them. In the distance there's something that sounds like growling. Ominious, but Flicker's not going to be cowed that easily.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Flicker realizes. "Here I am traveling with a lovely lady and I didn't even introduce myself! Kallisa Davennus-- my friends call me Flicker." She holds out her hand for Maya to shake. "I lead the mercenary band the Phoenix Feathers, based out of Zantaric. Pleasure to meet you."

Sandybro9001

"Plea-suurree" Maya answers, sounding out each syllable of the word "to meet you to, I am called Maya, and I too am basses out of Zanteric"
Maya eyes the elf girl up and down Yes, she'll do
As we descend into the crypt we approach a light and we come to a fork, the corridor splitting going left and right, now lit by torches and the entire place smelling of burning dust and cobwebs.
"I know a little bit about this ghost, it was once a girl, the heir to a now dead family of nobles who gained their status due to magical talent. The books say only that she was killed in extreme violence, and the combination of the circumstances of her death and the power of her bloodline is what caused her to manifest as a ghost, and a fairly powerful one, after all most ghosts can't hurt people, but this one can."
Maya stops at the fork. "Which way?"

detectiveryan

Interesting how much she knows about it. Flicker senses that there's something Maya isn't telling her about this ghost, but thinks better of mentioning it. She wonders how much Maya knows about ghosts in general-- and she wonders about the air of ancient and primal magic that she seems so familiar with.

"Not just a ghost, but a magic ghost," Flicker hums. "Good thing I packed my runed bolts." She pats the case of bolts on her leg. They are, in fact, etched with runes-- meant to subdue magical beings. A friend of hers makes them up in La'marri. Hopefully she doesn't run out.

"Left, if I recall correctly," she says, consulting her map. "Further down. There should be an atrium at the very end, the entrance to an old system of storm drains."

Sandybro9001

Maya turns left and starts walking, her shining skull goes dark and she sticks it back in her bag and speaks in a flat tone of voice.
"Runed crossbow bolts... please don't destroy the ghost, it is why I am here."

As Maya walks down the lit passage you can see the curling scars all over her arms and neck, running under her tattered dress and down her legs to her bare feet. Her bag is bulging but doesn't seem to weigh her down at all. Her eyes scanning ahead.

"I'm surprised you were able to find a map, I was only able to find the entrance, and even then couldn't find a key."

detectiveryan

Flicker's eyes reflect the low light like a cat's. She creeps through the darkness carefully, her sensible leather-backed iron armor not even clinking. It fits well-- she's either tailored it herself or knows someone who did. She's thus far avoided hitting her head on the ceiling, though it's been close.

"One of my men made it, actually," she says. "Charting out the tunnels. He made it all the way to the atrium, which is where he saw the ghost... then he turned tail and ran back to base, scared out of his wits. Hopefully this place doesn't have any nasty tricks up its sleeve, like changing the layout or such." One never can tell with magic.

Sandybro9001

They reach the end of the passage, opening into a large room, it's high walls indented with alcoves, most of which contained rotting wooden coffins. The floor sloped inward gently to a [ditch] with a small stream running through it that drains through a hole in the wall barely 5 feet tall. There is a metal door embedded in another wall between two occupied alcoves.

Maya scans the room. "The ghost isn't in here right now, at least as far as I can tell. You said to go through the sewer, not the door?"