"Last one, here we go," Gewyn says, winking at Griff while clearly facing down two more gaps. "See if you can keep up!"
With that, Gewyn gets a running start and leaps as far as he can. He crests through the air, and starts to come down... clearly a foot or two short of the edge of the next shard. But his only reaction is to cross his legs underneath him, and then clap his hands. He vanishes into a cloud of mist, only to reappear sitting casually crosslegged on the ledge overlooking the lightning fields he had just traversed. He flashes Griff a thumbs up in encouragement.
Vin, Sam, Elthana and Serafina all dive off to one side getting completely out of the lightning fields and watch carefully as Gewyn and Griff move ever closer.
Gewyn on his perch and Griff following slowly behind, choosing to go more to the north and attempt to exit out that way.
Muir waits, his path forward blocked and he mentally prepares himself for the lightning to cease and to make his jump.
The arcs of energy lash out once more, one slamming down just to the side of Muir, another two narrowly missing Gewyn as he sits on his ledge offering encouragement to Griff. The rest of the strikes scatter around but coming crashing down one slams into Gewyn, his rubberised hat and boots ensemble helping to diffuse some damage he takes, he tries to move to avoid some of the strikes, (DC 17 Dex save, 12 lightning damage on a failure half as much on a save and then halved again due to resistance)
Neferox pads in a nervous circle around Vin hoping that the shocking ordeal will be over for the group soon.
Waiting and watching in relative safety, Sam takes a moment to catch his Second Wind - (healed up 11hp.) "Someone wake me when we're moving again," he then notes and sits and closes his eyes.
Watching Sam close his eyes, Vin gets the feeling the Half-Orc is in more pain than he is letting on. He digs in his pack and withdraws another potion, one he has had for some time, rather than one that he recently bartered for and got ripped off.
"Here", he says as he approaches Sam. "We need you in peak condition when we meet the dragon". He offers Sam a healing potion.
"I'd hate to use it and not need it, eh?" Sam responds with a smile, looking bad but not on death's door. If one were to guess they'd probably figure Sam to be at about half strength. "With luck we can negotiate a deal or something, yeah? And if a fight does ensue I think that should be in the hands of someone on the backline... Someone who could run up to give it to someone whose fallen."
"If it's a true big-ass powerful dragon then it could perhaps knock me on my ass with me having drunk the potion or not. If so then it's better someone else could run up and administer it to get me back up, maybe? If we're fighting a dragon we're going to have to be strategic, eh?"
Muir can't help but overhear Sam who was trying to rest "Yes rest a little just in case....We don't know what lies ahead, but if it is the way Serafina and Griff both explained it, the spirit of Lumithor awaits. I will do my best hopefully with the assistance of Gewyn to explain what we are doing and what we need. Perhaps Lumithor will be agreeable and also provide insight for Elthana and the other two.....well and me as well"
Gewyn manages to roll backwards over his shoulder, mostly avoiding the lightning strike, though he does shake his hand out a bit after he stands up (3 damage taken). "Huh, that still smarts. Alright, let's go get some lodestones!"
Griff makes his final move and with that everyone is clear of the fields, the lightning's arcs crackling over head to continue pummeling the shards, the group makes their way to the massiv crystal orb which is emanating such energy, though now they feel like they are in the proverbial eye of the storm.
Upon regrouping properly Serafina leads you all to an outcropping of what looks like underground ruins which now stick up like stalagmites from the ground leve of this destroyed orb. She stops out of the wind, the lightning still crackling love you and she takes a seat. "You are on a deadline but you all need to be prepared, the entrance to the cave is just beyond these ruins, would you like to gather yourselves properly or push on?"
"Gather ourselves?" Sam asks and does a quick headcount... "I do believe we are all here." With that Sam climbs to his feet, shoulders his maul and faces said ruins.
"Alright Load Stone Gatherers, let's gather some Load Stones..."
As Sam makes the decision for the group, as the worst looking member in terms of health right now, Serafina simply shrugs in nonchalance and begins leading the group off.
The entrance to the depths of the cave is not grand in the slightest, simply a huge hole in the ground broken off as if it led up into more of the crystal isle which is now missing. Around the hole and continuing within it, the air is thick with miniscule crystal shards which seem to obey no gravity at all. Serafina simply pulls her cloak taught over her mouth and steps into the hole, inverting her gravity to the side to begin walking down the inner walls.
As the group follow they see remnants of more murals though what was displayed here is lost to time. Serafina points them out and through the muffling of her cloak says, "the passage to Lumithor and the gate he protects used to be held within a temple," she gestures upward to where the isle outside of the cave was cleaved due to the shattering and is now more or less an empty void. "the path was decorated with details of what we think was the history of the raven queen, but this much has been lost, the situation with the lightning fields and our need to recuperate after the shattering means we just don't know exactly what was here roughly four thousand years ago... Before my time really."
Muir wide eyed stares at the pieces of mural "These pieces of mural are from 4000 year ago? The histroy of it all...lost because of...." he stops himself from completing that sentence and continues to look at the pieces of mural
Gewyn pulls a handkerchief from his pants pocket and ties it around his mouth and neck, turning sideways like Serafina and continuing behind her. He puts a comforting hand Muir's shoulder. "Lost implies it can be found again. Maybe the histories here will bear some scars, but don't we all?"
Vin withdraws the potion as the offer is declined, feeling a little unsure at the thought of running up to the victim of a dragon attack. He would do what he must though, and hopes it wouldn't come to it.
He also Serafina's lead, and surveys the remnants of the murals.
"Lumithor must know the history, right? Can you not just ask?", he enquires of Serafina. He is still not entirely sure what Lumithor will look or behave like, being a ghost or some such.
Sam slips his hand inside of his rust colored bag and pulls out... nothing. As he is about to pull out one of the balls of fur he sneezes a bit and realizes just why Serafina covered her mouth. He decides to grab a piece of cloth and do the same for himself... And to wait on the pulling of any critters until they are out of this nonsense. He's not sure they'd take well to wearing little masks even if he does fashion one for them.
"Sounds old," Sam notes about the murals that aren't murals 'cause they're not really there. He can figure by Serafina pointing them out and the other's reactions that it should be impressive or something but to Sam it's just rubble and rocks that don't mean anything. He doesn't much worry about what color a house used to be once it is painted over, he can't find much reason to get worked up about a picture that can be looked at anymore. If it showed anything important it would still be known, right? In stories and such. So Sam is not overly impressed... But he acts like he is since he does know that is expected. "Huh. Wow."
Elthana takes hold of her loose sleeve and holds it over her mouth as she follows the rest. She has a fleeting thought of Mori and how she found her putting the finishing touches on the beautiful gown for the ceremony. What was it going to be like when she got back? If she got back.
Pushing the thoughts out of her head she looks to the cracked murals and what is left of the temple and stops short. She stands still for quite awhile, knowing that time was of the essence but couldn't get herself to move. "I... I have seen these. In my dreams, only they weren't broken. They were whole." She says this in almost a whisper, the fabric of her sleeve making it difficult for the words to reach the others.
Though she was at the end of the line, not sure if anyone heard or noticed....
Serafina stops and turns 180 in quick fashion, staring daggers at Elthana, (nat 20 perception on overhearing El) "You've seen these before!? In your dreams?" Serafina's eyes dart to Muir and then back to Elthana, Her voice loud, commanding, but with a hint of fear as her adrenaline spikes and her hand goes to the pommel of her sword almost instinctually, "Nivara's memories are returning to you, how much have you gotten back? You need to make us aware of these things."
"Mmm?" Sam mutters, the brewing tension gaining his attention far more than a blank mural ever could. Noting that Serafina's hand is on the hilt of her sword, Sam steps forward to Elthana's side. "This is something can wait til after we've met the dragon, no?"
Elthana turns to Serafina, a bit in a daydream as she starts to recall, Serafina's words biting into her thoughts. As she sees the older elf's demeanor and now her hand over her pommel several emotions pass over her face, but anger wins out. "I AM NOT NIVARA!" she startles herself at the loudness of these words, but the conviction holds true. "Don't you turn everyone against me, make them think what you clearly do. I had hope... hope of maybe having some family that didn't think me crazy, didn't lie to me my entire life, something I might have found here in Thaeir. But apparently I was wrong. You have no idea how happy I am to have found Hector and then to find out I have a sister-in-law? Well... one that thinks I'm someone I'm not. Thinks I'm this horrific maniac that slaughtered people on this isle to her whim!! Do you know I saw that??" Tears are flowing now, she knows she doesn't have time for this, that Sergor has responded and she can't..."No. Sam is right, we have no idea how long it will take with Lumithor and we are down to 6 hours at home. 6!!"
She takes in a shaky breath and holds up her hands, "Please, take us to see this dragon and I will tell you anything you want to know."
Serafina's hand leaves the pommel of her sword but her gaze does not break. Angry at the situation, angry at Elthana, "you're not Nivara, yet... But you're gaining her memories, and you are breaking, don't think I can't see it.
I understand that this is scary for you, but can you really expect me to trust you? You say you saw what she did, I've lived with the consequences! Can you even trust yourself right now?
I'll take you to Lumithor's bones, that deal hasn't changed... but for everyone's sake, you walk in front where we can keep an eye on you" she nods her head down the tunnel further in, and her eyes soften slightly under her tied around cloak, "...for what it's worth Hector is glad to have found you too, I've not seen him so giddy in a long time... I just hope it's not in vain."
"Last one, here we go," Gewyn says, winking at Griff while clearly facing down two more gaps. "See if you can keep up!"
With that, Gewyn gets a running start and leaps as far as he can. He crests through the air, and starts to come down... clearly a foot or two short of the edge of the next shard. But his only reaction is to cross his legs underneath him, and then clap his hands. He vanishes into a cloud of mist, only to reappear sitting casually crosslegged on the ledge overlooking the lightning fields he had just traversed. He flashes Griff a thumbs up in encouragement.
Movement, jump to around 2/15, Misty Step to 1/13
Bardic inspiration 1d8 to Griff
Vin, Sam, Elthana and Serafina all dive off to one side getting completely out of the lightning fields and watch carefully as Gewyn and Griff move ever closer.
Gewyn on his perch and Griff following slowly behind, choosing to go more to the north and attempt to exit out that way.
Muir waits, his path forward blocked and he mentally prepares himself for the lightning to cease and to make his jump.
The arcs of energy lash out once more, one slamming down just to the side of Muir, another two narrowly missing Gewyn as he sits on his ledge offering encouragement to Griff. The rest of the strikes scatter around but coming crashing down one slams into Gewyn, his rubberised hat and boots ensemble helping to diffuse some damage he takes, he tries to move to avoid some of the strikes, (DC 17 Dex save, 12 lightning damage on a failure half as much on a save and then halved again due to resistance)
Neferox pads in a nervous circle around Vin hoping that the shocking ordeal will be over for the group soon.
Muir takes this opportuity to run and leap across to the last island and runs to catch up with the others
Waiting and watching in relative safety, Sam takes a moment to catch his Second Wind - (healed up 11hp.) "Someone wake me when we're moving again," he then notes and sits and closes his eyes.
Watching Sam close his eyes, Vin gets the feeling the Half-Orc is in more pain than he is letting on. He digs in his pack and withdraws another potion, one he has had for some time, rather than one that he recently bartered for and got ripped off.
"Here", he says as he approaches Sam. "We need you in peak condition when we meet the dragon". He offers Sam a healing potion.
"I'd hate to use it and not need it, eh?" Sam responds with a smile, looking bad but not on death's door. If one were to guess they'd probably figure Sam to be at about half strength. "With luck we can negotiate a deal or something, yeah? And if a fight does ensue I think that should be in the hands of someone on the backline... Someone who could run up to give it to someone whose fallen."
"If it's a true big-ass powerful dragon then it could perhaps knock me on my ass with me having drunk the potion or not. If so then it's better someone else could run up and administer it to get me back up, maybe? If we're fighting a dragon we're going to have to be strategic, eh?"
Muir can't help but overhear Sam who was trying to rest "Yes rest a little just in case....We don't know what lies ahead, but if it is the way Serafina and Griff both explained it, the spirit of Lumithor awaits. I will do my best hopefully with the assistance of Gewyn to explain what we are doing and what we need. Perhaps Lumithor will be agreeable and also provide insight for Elthana and the other two.....well and me as well"
Gewyn manages to roll backwards over his shoulder, mostly avoiding the lightning strike, though he does shake his hand out a bit after he stands up (3 damage taken). "Huh, that still smarts. Alright, let's go get some lodestones!"
Griff makes his final move and with that everyone is clear of the fields, the lightning's arcs crackling over head to continue pummeling the shards, the group makes their way to the massiv crystal orb which is emanating such energy, though now they feel like they are in the proverbial eye of the storm.
Upon regrouping properly Serafina leads you all to an outcropping of what looks like underground ruins which now stick up like stalagmites from the ground leve of this destroyed orb. She stops out of the wind, the lightning still crackling love you and she takes a seat. "You are on a deadline but you all need to be prepared, the entrance to the cave is just beyond these ruins, would you like to gather yourselves properly or push on?"
"Gather ourselves?" Sam asks and does a quick headcount... "I do believe we are all here." With that Sam climbs to his feet, shoulders his maul and faces said ruins.
"Alright Load Stone Gatherers, let's gather some Load Stones..."
As Sam makes the decision for the group, as the worst looking member in terms of health right now, Serafina simply shrugs in nonchalance and begins leading the group off.
The entrance to the depths of the cave is not grand in the slightest, simply a huge hole in the ground broken off as if it led up into more of the crystal isle which is now missing. Around the hole and continuing within it, the air is thick with miniscule crystal shards which seem to obey no gravity at all. Serafina simply pulls her cloak taught over her mouth and steps into the hole, inverting her gravity to the side to begin walking down the inner walls.
As the group follow they see remnants of more murals though what was displayed here is lost to time. Serafina points them out and through the muffling of her cloak says, "the passage to Lumithor and the gate he protects used to be held within a temple," she gestures upward to where the isle outside of the cave was cleaved due to the shattering and is now more or less an empty void. "the path was decorated with details of what we think was the history of the raven queen, but this much has been lost, the situation with the lightning fields and our need to recuperate after the shattering means we just don't know exactly what was here roughly four thousand years ago... Before my time really."
Muir wide eyed stares at the pieces of mural "These pieces of mural are from 4000 year ago? The histroy of it all...lost because of...." he stops himself from completing that sentence and continues to look at the pieces of mural
Gewyn pulls a handkerchief from his pants pocket and ties it around his mouth and neck, turning sideways like Serafina and continuing behind her. He puts a comforting hand Muir's shoulder. "Lost implies it can be found again. Maybe the histories here will bear some scars, but don't we all?"
Vin withdraws the potion as the offer is declined, feeling a little unsure at the thought of running up to the victim of a dragon attack. He would do what he must though, and hopes it wouldn't come to it.
He also Serafina's lead, and surveys the remnants of the murals.
"Lumithor must know the history, right? Can you not just ask?", he enquires of Serafina. He is still not entirely sure what Lumithor will look or behave like, being a ghost or some such.
Sam slips his hand inside of his rust colored bag and pulls out... nothing. As he is about to pull out one of the balls of fur he sneezes a bit and realizes just why Serafina covered her mouth. He decides to grab a piece of cloth and do the same for himself... And to wait on the pulling of any critters until they are out of this nonsense. He's not sure they'd take well to wearing little masks even if he does fashion one for them.
"Sounds old," Sam notes about the murals that aren't murals 'cause they're not really there. He can figure by Serafina pointing them out and the other's reactions that it should be impressive or something but to Sam it's just rubble and rocks that don't mean anything. He doesn't much worry about what color a house used to be once it is painted over, he can't find much reason to get worked up about a picture that can be looked at anymore. If it showed anything important it would still be known, right? In stories and such. So Sam is not overly impressed... But he acts like he is since he does know that is expected. "Huh. Wow."
Elthana takes hold of her loose sleeve and holds it over her mouth as she follows the rest. She has a fleeting thought of Mori and how she found her putting the finishing touches on the beautiful gown for the ceremony. What was it going to be like when she got back? If she got back.
Pushing the thoughts out of her head she looks to the cracked murals and what is left of the temple and stops short. She stands still for quite awhile, knowing that time was of the essence but couldn't get herself to move. "I... I have seen these. In my dreams, only they weren't broken. They were whole." She says this in almost a whisper, the fabric of her sleeve making it difficult for the words to reach the others.
Though she was at the end of the line, not sure if anyone heard or noticed....
Serafina stops and turns 180 in quick fashion, staring daggers at Elthana, (nat 20 perception on overhearing El) "You've seen these before!? In your dreams?" Serafina's eyes dart to Muir and then back to Elthana, Her voice loud, commanding, but with a hint of fear as her adrenaline spikes and her hand goes to the pommel of her sword almost instinctually, "Nivara's memories are returning to you, how much have you gotten back? You need to make us aware of these things."
"Mmm?" Sam mutters, the brewing tension gaining his attention far more than a blank mural ever could. Noting that Serafina's hand is on the hilt of her sword, Sam steps forward to Elthana's side. "This is something can wait til after we've met the dragon, no?"
(Isn't it fun when you fail a WIS save?)
Elthana turns to Serafina, a bit in a daydream as she starts to recall, Serafina's words biting into her thoughts. As she sees the older elf's demeanor and now her hand over her pommel several emotions pass over her face, but anger wins out. "I AM NOT NIVARA!" she startles herself at the loudness of these words, but the conviction holds true. "Don't you turn everyone against me, make them think what you clearly do. I had hope... hope of maybe having some family that didn't think me crazy, didn't lie to me my entire life, something I might have found here in Thaeir. But apparently I was wrong. You have no idea how happy I am to have found Hector and then to find out I have a sister-in-law? Well... one that thinks I'm someone I'm not. Thinks I'm this horrific maniac that slaughtered people on this isle to her whim!! Do you know I saw that??" Tears are flowing now, she knows she doesn't have time for this, that Sergor has responded and she can't..."No. Sam is right, we have no idea how long it will take with Lumithor and we are down to 6 hours at home. 6!!"
She takes in a shaky breath and holds up her hands, "Please, take us to see this dragon and I will tell you anything you want to know."
Serafina's hand leaves the pommel of her sword but her gaze does not break. Angry at the situation, angry at Elthana, "you're not Nivara, yet... But you're gaining her memories, and you are breaking, don't think I can't see it.
I understand that this is scary for you, but can you really expect me to trust you? You say you saw what she did, I've lived with the consequences! Can you even trust yourself right now?
I'll take you to Lumithor's bones, that deal hasn't changed... but for everyone's sake, you walk in front where we can keep an eye on you" she nods her head down the tunnel further in, and her eyes soften slightly under her tied around cloak, "...for what it's worth Hector is glad to have found you too, I've not seen him so giddy in a long time... I just hope it's not in vain."