Cadfael's Response, The Get-Along Gang, Cancer, The Obsidian Obelisk
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Farron notice this with regret that he cannot aid the halfling, who is clearly in a state of near despair.
(OOC- Ty, how far are we from the site of Rennik's encounter? How far have we traveled? What time of day is it? Etc.)
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
It is still early morning. You would need to ask Rennik how far you are from his encounter. You are unsure how far you have traveled. It is difficult to tell in the heavy jungle, and none of the five of you have much in the way of wilderness skills.
From: Ty
Subject: is dan ok?
Twinky, was Dan murdered?
From: Scott
Subject: Re: is dan ok?
OOC:
He's a-scared o' the hurtin' we's about to lay on him.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Farron asks Rennik, "How far away was this encounter? And how far are we from the monument you spoke of?"
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Dan has been in and out of meetings and the lab since yesterday afternoon and hasn't had more than 5 minutes at a time to sit down and write a response. I'm done collecting my data now though and just have to prepare my report for tomorrow. I'll be writing something this afternoon (after I've had something to eat).
Nice to know you're all concerned ;)
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Pfft. I'm writing and sending THIS e-mail from class! So there!
Oh, and I've bought a new computer. What have YOU done, Dan? Hm?
*chirp chirp*
Yeah, I thought so.
:)
(I'll be set up with the new machine early next week when the monitor I ordered arrives.)
From: Dan
Subject: Suck it, RJ!
Stop pressuring me! I'm only human! You can't squeeze blood from a stone!
Oh, and Doakester, my old moniter is in the basement at the back. It's in a large cardboard box. I know it's now LCD and you probably don't want to sully your uber-machine with it but hey, it's there should you want it.
*scurries away*
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
When Rennik first appears from the bushes Cadfael holds his place in the back of the party keeping half an eye on the trail behind him. He has not forgotten the last time he let his guard down in the wilderness and has no intentions of being hauled around like a sack of potatoes again. He does, however, note Rennik and Garyth's pointed glances in his direction and decides he must be wanted. Still making an effort to be quiet he winds up standing beside Garyth as Rennik begins speaking of Lady Elise's purpose and continues on into his story of the monolith and the Halfling city.
As he finishes Cadfael stands looking completely and utterly dumbfounded.
"Rennik, Garyth, I swear to you both that know nothing of what lies ahead of us. Nothing beyond what we have learned since setting out toward the mountain. We have been through much together, the lot of us. Look around you, my face is not the only one to have grown hard and troubled since leaving Overlook."
He takes a moment and frowns slightly, thinking hard, trying to recall anything that may be of use. Finally sighing he shrugs his shoulders and carries on.
"I do not know why Lady Elise would speak of me; I was not with you when you encountered her at the farm and I've known no one of that name or description in my time. I do not even know how she would know that I traveled with you."
"As to your ancestors Rennik, until I met you I'd only heard tales of the Halflings that live in these woods but I have heard enough to know that few, if any, worship The Sun God. Surely if there was a temple in his honour at the base of the mountain I would have heard tell of it at *some* point. Are you certain you read the rune correctly? Take a closer look at Pelor's Grace on my shield, were the two suns the same?"
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
[This is another one of those times where I will wait for everyone to check in with a "this is what I do". Let me know when you are ready to move on.]
From: Karl
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Farron listens to this exchange with interest, but has nothing to add at this point.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Rennik stares hard, but wearily at Cadfael.
"The she bitch wished to turn me against you. In fact, her desire for me to hate you holds back my anger and frustration toward you and your sun god. She fears you. She wants me to work against you. You are important to her, and to our enemies."
His expression calms somewhat, more to mental fatigue than actual emotional ease.
"And it ties closely to your god, and my ancestors, I am sure. The symbols are the same, and the language was definitely an ancient form of halfling. Come, it is not far."
He walks with them along the path they had already been following, continuing to speak.
"This land was once a city of halflings, and that map is as ancient as the city itself, I am sure. There was a temple to your god, the one building of importance, and it is at the base of the mountain which now houses the darkest evil."
"I think your brethren, my ancestors, did something they shouldn't have, or bound some darkness here. Its evil poisoned the city and drove my ancestors away, to form tribes in the forests. It seems as though humans have discovered this evil, and it spreads through them."
"Somehow, you are the key to this. The gods are at work, and you are under their gaze. I still believe you know more than you tell, and that the priest scholars of your god could answer many of our questions. Hopefully, friend Sa'id can interpret something from the halfling text that I could not."
As they come to a bend in the path, he points into the bushes to the carcass of the hellhound, and explains where he was resting, where Elise emerged from, and the dynamics of the fight.
(OOC: I figure we can pause here if anyone wants to see anything, or move on. It's only another five minute walk or so to the pillar/map)
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Garyth had searched Cadfael's face as he responded to Rennik's question. He had seen no sign of deception, and so when Rennik seems to accept the priest's words, Garyth finds himself letting out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.
When they reach the site of Rennik's battle, Garyth whistles, impressed.
"That was a mighty blow, Rennik." Seeing the splintered remains of the axe's handle on the ground, he shakes his head in disbelief. He unslings his bow and offers it to the halfling. "It's not the same as yours was, but it has a good pull, and you are a much better shot than I."
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Rennik's eyes widen noticeably as he gently takes the bow from Garyth's hands and feels the weight.
"I do not know what to say. This is a fine weapon, and I will try to give it honor. Thank you, friend Garyth, to allow me to borrow it."
He grabs the fighter's right forearm in a strong grip in a form of handshake, and his face shows the first sign of confidence since he returned to the group.
"I must also thank friend Mission for the gift of this halberd. It seems to have some added properties, from Garyth's wound - is there any way to discover what it did? To use it, though, I must shorten the haft, which would..." he pauses, his brow furrowing with memory.
"... just what happened to its owner? And the thieves?"
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Garyth grins and returns the handshake, but at the mention of the halbardier his smile fades. Grimly, he recounts the details of the warrior's gruesome death.
"I wouldn't have wished that end on anyone, though I can only hope that it was well-deserved for his oath... As for the thieves... They got away." He looks embarassed.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Rennik furrows his brow a bit in puzzlement.
"Just how did two thieves, with no weapons, held under guard in a stone tower with only one entrance, by five well armed men, 'get away' exactly?"
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Garyth coughs and shuffles his feet. He explains the thieves' escape, leaving out no details and certainly not sparing himself. The whole time he does not meet Rennik's gaze. By the time he is finished the look on his face resembles a prisoner awaiting his own execution.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Rennik's eyes widen with the telling, staring from Garyth to the rest of the group and back in disbelief. At last, a toothy smile creeps across his face, accompanied by a slight chuckle.
"It seems you fare as well without me as I fare without you!"
He reaches up to grab Garyth by the armor on his shoulder and gives him a friendly shake.
"Just maybe the cowards will be foolish enough to seek revenge! Then I can do what should have been done in the first place!"
At Garyth's pained expression, he smiles and adds, "invite them to tea and biscuits, of course!" A quick elbow to the ribs adds punctuation to the joke, and Rennik grins like a child who just received a christmas gift. "Just maybe they'll be interested in an archery demonstration with this fine bow while they eat!"
With more seriousness, he continues. "If they run to masters in the mountain, they will tell of dissention in our ranks, of my running off, and of ineptitude... which is to our advantage. There is no more dissention, though they will suspect it. I have returned, but they do not know that. And of the ineptitude... well, maybe they're on to something..."
"... just to be safe, I'll take first watch tonight. We don't want the thieves sneaking back, after all..."
A half-grin, half-smirk returns as he points ahead. "The map is in the clearing just ahead."
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Garyth looks startled for a moment, but soon a sheepish grin grows on his face. He bows and gestures down the path. "After you, sir."
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
If this niceness goes on much longer, I'm giving one of you cancer. :)
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Heh. How about this, then:
Garyth falls to his knees beside Rennik's bed. The disease has taken its toll on the halfling; he looks so small and helpless. It's more than Garyth can bear. Before he can help it the tears are streaming down his face. He clutches Rennik's hand, bawling like a hurt child. "Don't die, damn it! Please! We need you!"
:p
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Hahahahahaha!
That's very good. Now if only Barbara Streisand would agree to direct!
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
Rennik coughs up blood on Garyth, then kindly asks him to empty his colostomy bag.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
OOC: Direct? She's slated to play Garyth. . .
As Garyth and Rennick grow chummy, Mission grows warier by the moment. His muscles are taut and the hairs on the back of his neck prickle sharply.
And the closer they get to the temple, the more anxious he becomes.
It's more than the idea of walking into a den of stinking evil. . . although that certainly played a big part of it. Anileth and Promise were here. His redemption and his child. Months of searching at an end.
Cadfael clanked and rattled behind him. Not holding his shield before him. Not showing Pelor's symbol. Why did that bother Mission so much?
Mission will keep a close eye on Cadfael and Rennick, but will go along quietly with the rest of the group.
Quiet, quiet.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Back on the path; meetings
"Of course I will try to decipher as much of the writing as I can. I am familiar with your language, and if the ancient dialect does not differ too much I may be able to hazard a translation."
Sa'id smiles at the banter between Garyth and Rennik. The party's mood seems to have thawed, at least for the time being. Some trust is being developed, which will improve their chances against whatever they are to face next. And Sa'id has to admit that he's glad to see Rennik acting more like himself. Mission seems like he might be somewhat ill at ease, but the monk is hard to read. Of course, Sa'id reminds himself, Mission is far more tied up in this than any of the others, even Rennik. He didn't doubt that they would see Anileth again. That thought damped his spirits somewhat...
Shaking his head to clear it, Sa'id follows Garyth, Rennik, and Mission deeper into the jungle.
From: Ty
Subject: Back on the path; ancient maps
Rennik takes his place at the front of the group, and bow in hand, leads the party down the trail. During the day, the jungle is still murky. The light that makes it past the thick upper layer of growth comes through a sickly color of green. Vines and creepers hang down from the branches and leave trails of slime on anything they touch. On the ground, thick tangles of ferns clutch at your feet, tripping the unwary. And in the warm damp breezes everything moves, constantly. It is very unnerving.
Only a quarter of an hour after finding Rennik, the party emerges into a small clearing in the trees that is little more than a wide spot in the path. In the center of this wide place stands the obelisk. It is half a foot taller than Rennik, and several feet thick at the base. It appears to be carved entirely from black obsidian, and the workmanship is excellent, especially when one considers its probable age.
On each side, the obelisk is covered in runes and regularly repeating lines. It is easy to see why Rennik called it a map. The placement of the lines and runes leave little doubt. The side of the map facing east shows markings of streets that go right up to the edge of the mountain. Though, if the scale is accurate, the city that once stood here must have been immense; fifty, even a hundred times the size of Nesalin.
Also on that side of the map, is the carving Rennik described. It is the only building actually drawn on the map, the rest being represented by the symbols. The building is lovingly carved in great detail, and must have been a place of great importance to be singled out in this way. And, as Rennik said, just above the building is a carving of the symbol of Pelor. No one in the party could mistake it for anything else. Cadfael even takes his shield off and holds it next to the obelisk for comparison. It is identical.
Sa'id does his best to read the symbols on the map, but it is impossible. Clearly each of them must mean something, but without any context, there is no way to translate. The symbols are similar to the characters used in modern Halfling, but there are significant differences as well. There is no sign of the elvish influence that is common in modern Halfling. Also, these symbols are clearly much closer to the pictograms the written language evolved from, though the first signs of stylized simplification are evident.
Sa'id gives Farron a look, and Farron nods. It will take magic to read this map.