"You must have met with Lagas," the Ancient says. "They are the only one who can impart visions and knowledge with a simple touch. I assume you also found the war chamber and have disabled all the traps if you can access the pool. It will be better for us to check each room just to be sure. The Footsoldiers are... persistent and single-minded. They will survive just for the sake of killing for another day."
The Ancient seems to war with themselves for another long moment before letting out a heavy sigh. A few crystalline tears fell down their cheek as devastation crosses their face. Just as soon as they let their emotion out, their guard returns as resolve twinkles in their eyes. At Cob's words, they become pensive.
"If time is indeed moving slower within the fort than the outside, then there is a problem," the Ancient says. "Bast Fort is created with three Sphere layers, two more than other forts. Each level has its own Sphere layer to ensure maximum protection for the Stargate, the Voidsphere, and the Seedling Sanctuary. The Sphere causes a time lock in which time stops completely inside the fort in comparison to the outside. Time simply doesn't progress inside the Sphere, or perhaps progresses at the rate of thousands of years outside for every minute inside. Curiosity puts this in place in order to save as many people as possible when the certain defeat of a facility has been assured. If time progresses inside the fort begins to become equal to the time outside, at least in this level, then that means either the First Sphere is only partially relieved when you entered or the Voidsphere, the source that all three Sphere layers draw power from, is not working as it is supposed to. The Voidsphere is under this level and it is probably where Chief Fiyero and Warrior Teranil are currently in. We will have to return to the war chamber to relieve the Second Sphere layer before we can continue down."
Cob looks from the Ancient to the others. He looks back and forth between them a couple of times then shakes his head.
"I didn't understand any of that," Cob finally says hoping that it makes more sense to the others. Wizards and scholars like those kind of puzzles, Cob thinks to himself. Hyrsam hadn't prepared him for this.
"War room? That doesn't sound pleasant. Is that where we fought the, the whatever those thing were that we fought? Where that weird crystal was? Or is it somewhere else?"
"I am struggling as well, but I do know where the War Room is. It is the place with the controls that I used to turn off the field in the corridor out there", Drexon says to Cob.
"Going from room to room is probably a good idea, just to be sure. Also, why are there no bodies of the creatures from the fighting before we arrived? Surely you and your allies fought some off", he says to the Ancient.
Eremoz thinks on the words of the Ancient for a moment. “So the next room over was the Stargate, I’m assuming. Does each level have another time lock? Or is there some other defense at play?”
The Ancient gazes distantly and nods at Drexon's question. "We fought valiantly," they say, "but the Footsoldiers are not the only ones invading. Perhaps you have seen the large one, the Breaker, an abomination of flesh risen from death. The ones that you have not seen will be the Necrons and the Predators. If you had then you would not be here with me. Perhaps you will survive the Predator given proper preparation, but you would not survive the Necrons. While the Predators are just a better creature than the Footsoldiers, the Necrons are, in a way, their chief. They are the ones that created the Breaker and they are the ones that had taken the dead Footsoldiers with them. As long as a Necron is leading the army, you can expect the number of your enemies to double. Raising the dead to do their bidding is their very strength. Many of us died trying to take one and they always come in three. I think Chief Fiyero took another before the Sphere is in effect."
"Bast Fort is special. It has three Sphere layers due to what is inside. Yes, the Stargate is in the next room. We use it to transport soldiers over great distances between forts. Warrior Teranil was the last to pass through the Stargate with the backup forces from Setec Fort before a Breaker attempted to use it. Warrior Teranil was forced to break the gate before the enemy can use it to invade other forts from within. The first Sphere layer is to protect the Stargate, but it was deployed too late. The second Sphere layer is to protect the Voidsphere. I only know that it powers the Sphere system over this fort and other forts have a smaller version of the Voidsphere that is below us. The last Sphere layer is to protect the Seedling Sanctuary. I do not know much about it as only Warriors, Healers, and Chiefs are allowed there."
"The Sphere layer is to be our last resort. Of course, many defenses are in place. As I said before, if you have managed to bring me to the Pool of Rejuvenation then you must have discovered the war chamber and deactivated the traps. This trap kills many Footsoldiers before we are overwhelmed and many of us retreated to the lower levels."
The Ancient ponders silently before turning their focus back at you with a curious gleam. "An interest in a long ruined fort is not the true reason you are here as only a couple of you seem to know about my people. I know that it is also not to relieve the Sphere as you have no knowledge of it. Who are you and what is your true purpose in this place?"
Cob does his best to keep track of what the Ancient is saying, but he might as well be speaking another language; voidsphere, stargate, necrons. It was almost too much for the fairy to take in. And all much more deadly serious than he'd anticipated.
He considers the Ancient's question and doesn't know where to even start with an answer. Hyrsam didn't exactly give him much to go on.
"I took a job as a courier since it got me up here to Bast Fort," Cob says. "Thought maybe there was some special magic here that maybe I could make use of. Didn't expect this."
"Does that mean one of these Necrons will be coming for the corpses of those creatures we killed?", Drexon asks a little worriedly. "Will the war room allow us to monitor any that do come? Is that a better place to be right now?".
He realises he had answers the Ancients question with more questions, and so decides to give a brief answer.
"Oh, and as for why we are here. It seems whatever magic is keeping you here like this is causing issues where we are from. It seems your defence mechanism might be malfunctioning", he says breaking down what he understands to be going on, whilst motioning for them to potentially move rooms.
“There is some kind of tear opening and swallowing parts of the outside world. We are here to investigate and, hopefully, stop it before it start harming people. Right now it’s out in the wilderness, but it’s spreading and moving faster.”
"Worrying," the Ancient says. "Perhaps it is better for us to continue to the war chamber. The faster we can go to the next level below, the faster we discover your problem."
The Ancient begins to stand up and exit the pool as the armor of frost and rime covering their torso starts to cover the rest of their body.
"The war chamber is the place to monitor the fort, yes. We will be able to assess the situation on this level, but not the level below. For that, we will have to enter the second war chamber below. The bedrock layer between each level interferes with the flow of magic between the levels."
The Ancient waits for the group to dress themselves back, observing each member of the group intently for signs of deception or suspicious nature. Finding none so far, they nod and begin to lead the group back toward the war chamber.
"Apologies, but I know not of your names or the group you belong to. I am Nalgas Elbanath of the 17th Waverider Section. Blessed be."
"Greetings, Nalgas Elbanath. I am Drexon Krayz of no particular affiliation, besides myself", Drexon says looking at the others.
"In truth we are just an odd assortment of individuals, thrown together by common purpose. I suppose we could perhaps decide on a name for our company at some point though", he adds as he makes his way back into the corridor towards the war room.
It is an interesting point, are they established enough to have a name for their group? They have travelled together for such a short time.
He keeps his eyes and ears open as moves cautiously forward.
Nalgas leads the group back to the war chamber. You cannot see the entrance anymore, but as soon as Nalgas reaches the junction, lines of soft blue lights travel from their palm to their forearm to create three helical lines. A hiss resounds around the junction as the hidden door to the war chamber shifts open once again.
Nalgas sits on the first large table in the room. They spare a look at the last table where the map of the facility is still conjured as an illusion but quickly turn their focus back to the table in front of them. After a little fiddling and tapping on the table, the four large obsidian plates that are set on the wall in front of the table flicker on with the illusion of a corridor that you recognize. On one plate you can see the crystal room with the two dead Footsoldiers there. On another plate, you can see the entrance junction where you came from. The last two plates seem to fizzle on and off before cracking at the seams and fizzling off.
"That is the power room," Nalgas says, pointing to the room with the crystal. "One is broken. The other seems to be turned off and cracked. That's good. The power crystals are volatile. A puddle, which means Breaker. No signs of Predator on the level."
Nalgas fiddles with the table once more and the pictures shown on the plates shift. This time, each plate shows the view of ten identical barrack rooms and the entrance to the barracks. Nalgas stares at one, in particular, the one where they exit from. They reach out to the plates before catching themselves.
"The one that is turning back to sand and dust is Marduk," Nalgas says. "I can also see Kiram returning to ember."
The pictures on the plates shift once more to show a grand common room and a dining hall. Leaning on a table barricade at the exit of the dining hall is another Ancient. They seem to be slowly turning to water as blood pools under them. Beyond the barricade are eight more Footsoldiers roaming the dining hall. Some of them are tearing into the partially elemental form of dead Ancients while some others are tearing into other dead Footsoldiers.
"That is Rodon returning to the sea. All of them are gone. I am the last surviving member of the 17th Waverider section."
After a moment of contemplation, Nalgas turns toward the group and says, "This level is clear except for the barricaded dining hall." Repressed pain and sorrow can be heard easily in their wavering voice. They square their shoulder and blink away their misty eyes. As much as they try to conceal it, their emotion is open to the world. There is a sense of unsureness in their gait and for a moment you get the sense that this Ancient may as well be very young -- just on the cusp of adulthood in current society. But, despite their trembling voice and uncertain gaze, there is also a sense of purpose and duty in their eyes that must be completed to ensure that their sectionmates didn't die an empty death. "If there is a problem on the outside, the source will be downstairs with the Voidsphere."
"May the Dusk Weavers tapestry be kind to them. I'm sorry for you loss. I am Dvark and I am an envoy of the Dusk Weaver." Dvark looks gravely at Nalgas "I believe we should continue quickly as well. With the flow of time so garbled I'm concerned about how much time I may have."
As he follows the group to the war room, Eremoz thinks on the symbol from his family store. Why is it here? What did my people have to do with this ancient war? Did his family know or is it just the remnant of a lost time?
Nalgas stares at Dvark for a long moment and says, "I have heard of the Dusk Weaver, the Lonely Mistress. She is -- was -- leading the 36th Legion to repel the attack on the western coast. Do you bear her mark? The Mark of Damnation? All soldiers in her legion bear the mark of a pale horse to symbolize their devotion. Sometimes a group of soldiers will do missions for a full year before earning their mark. It is a rite of passage before joining the 36th Legion."
Shrugging, Nalgas fiddles with the third table where the five crystals reside. Instead of pressing as Drexon had done before, they turn the crystal marked Lightning, Force, and Fire. The map on the fourth table changes to highlight new areas on the east side of the compound. They then hover over the one marked Void.
"The traps will keep them away if you don't want to deal with them now," Nalgas says. "I can open the second sphere layer with this crystal. The time field barrier that separates the two levels will be lifted and whatever was occurring there before the time field will once again continue. We better hurry if we want to help or discover more."
"You must have met with Lagas," the Ancient says. "They are the only one who can impart visions and knowledge with a simple touch. I assume you also found the war chamber and have disabled all the traps if you can access the pool. It will be better for us to check each room just to be sure. The Footsoldiers are... persistent and single-minded. They will survive just for the sake of killing for another day."
The Ancient seems to war with themselves for another long moment before letting out a heavy sigh. A few crystalline tears fell down their cheek as devastation crosses their face. Just as soon as they let their emotion out, their guard returns as resolve twinkles in their eyes. At Cob's words, they become pensive.
"If time is indeed moving slower within the fort than the outside, then there is a problem," the Ancient says. "Bast Fort is created with three Sphere layers, two more than other forts. Each level has its own Sphere layer to ensure maximum protection for the Stargate, the Voidsphere, and the Seedling Sanctuary. The Sphere causes a time lock in which time stops completely inside the fort in comparison to the outside. Time simply doesn't progress inside the Sphere, or perhaps progresses at the rate of thousands of years outside for every minute inside. Curiosity puts this in place in order to save as many people as possible when the certain defeat of a facility has been assured. If time progresses inside the fort begins to become equal to the time outside, at least in this level, then that means either the First Sphere is only partially relieved when you entered or the Voidsphere, the source that all three Sphere layers draw power from, is not working as it is supposed to. The Voidsphere is under this level and it is probably where Chief Fiyero and Warrior Teranil are currently in. We will have to return to the war chamber to relieve the Second Sphere layer before we can continue down."
Cob looks from the Ancient to the others. He looks back and forth between them a couple of times then shakes his head.
"I didn't understand any of that," Cob finally says hoping that it makes more sense to the others. Wizards and scholars like those kind of puzzles, Cob thinks to himself. Hyrsam hadn't prepared him for this.
"War room? That doesn't sound pleasant. Is that where we fought the, the whatever those thing were that we fought? Where that weird crystal was? Or is it somewhere else?"
"I am struggling as well, but I do know where the War Room is. It is the place with the controls that I used to turn off the field in the corridor out there", Drexon says to Cob.
"Going from room to room is probably a good idea, just to be sure. Also, why are there no bodies of the creatures from the fighting before we arrived? Surely you and your allies fought some off", he says to the Ancient.
Eremoz thinks on the words of the Ancient for a moment. “So the next room over was the Stargate, I’m assuming. Does each level have another time lock? Or is there some other defense at play?”
The Ancient gazes distantly and nods at Drexon's question. "We fought valiantly," they say, "but the Footsoldiers are not the only ones invading. Perhaps you have seen the large one, the Breaker, an abomination of flesh risen from death. The ones that you have not seen will be the Necrons and the Predators. If you had then you would not be here with me. Perhaps you will survive the Predator given proper preparation, but you would not survive the Necrons. While the Predators are just a better creature than the Footsoldiers, the Necrons are, in a way, their chief. They are the ones that created the Breaker and they are the ones that had taken the dead Footsoldiers with them. As long as a Necron is leading the army, you can expect the number of your enemies to double. Raising the dead to do their bidding is their very strength. Many of us died trying to take one and they always come in three. I think Chief Fiyero took another before the Sphere is in effect."
"Bast Fort is special. It has three Sphere layers due to what is inside. Yes, the Stargate is in the next room. We use it to transport soldiers over great distances between forts. Warrior Teranil was the last to pass through the Stargate with the backup forces from Setec Fort before a Breaker attempted to use it. Warrior Teranil was forced to break the gate before the enemy can use it to invade other forts from within. The first Sphere layer is to protect the Stargate, but it was deployed too late. The second Sphere layer is to protect the Voidsphere. I only know that it powers the Sphere system over this fort and other forts have a smaller version of the Voidsphere that is below us. The last Sphere layer is to protect the Seedling Sanctuary. I do not know much about it as only Warriors, Healers, and Chiefs are allowed there."
"The Sphere layer is to be our last resort. Of course, many defenses are in place. As I said before, if you have managed to bring me to the Pool of Rejuvenation then you must have discovered the war chamber and deactivated the traps. This trap kills many Footsoldiers before we are overwhelmed and many of us retreated to the lower levels."
The Ancient ponders silently before turning their focus back at you with a curious gleam. "An interest in a long ruined fort is not the true reason you are here as only a couple of you seem to know about my people. I know that it is also not to relieve the Sphere as you have no knowledge of it. Who are you and what is your true purpose in this place?"
Cob does his best to keep track of what the Ancient is saying, but he might as well be speaking another language; voidsphere, stargate, necrons. It was almost too much for the fairy to take in. And all much more deadly serious than he'd anticipated.
He considers the Ancient's question and doesn't know where to even start with an answer. Hyrsam didn't exactly give him much to go on.
"I took a job as a courier since it got me up here to Bast Fort," Cob says. "Thought maybe there was some special magic here that maybe I could make use of. Didn't expect this."
"Does that mean one of these Necrons will be coming for the corpses of those creatures we killed?", Drexon asks a little worriedly. "Will the war room allow us to monitor any that do come? Is that a better place to be right now?".
He realises he had answers the Ancients question with more questions, and so decides to give a brief answer.
"Oh, and as for why we are here. It seems whatever magic is keeping you here like this is causing issues where we are from. It seems your defence mechanism might be malfunctioning", he says breaking down what he understands to be going on, whilst motioning for them to potentially move rooms.
“There is some kind of tear opening and swallowing parts of the outside world. We are here to investigate and, hopefully, stop it before it start harming people. Right now it’s out in the wilderness, but it’s spreading and moving faster.”
"Worrying," the Ancient says. "Perhaps it is better for us to continue to the war chamber. The faster we can go to the next level below, the faster we discover your problem."
The Ancient begins to stand up and exit the pool as the armor of frost and rime covering their torso starts to cover the rest of their body.
"The war chamber is the place to monitor the fort, yes. We will be able to assess the situation on this level, but not the level below. For that, we will have to enter the second war chamber below. The bedrock layer between each level interferes with the flow of magic between the levels."
The Ancient waits for the group to dress themselves back, observing each member of the group intently for signs of deception or suspicious nature. Finding none so far, they nod and begin to lead the group back toward the war chamber.
"Apologies, but I know not of your names or the group you belong to. I am Nalgas Elbanath of the 17th Waverider Section. Blessed be."
"Greetings, Nalgas Elbanath. I am Drexon Krayz of no particular affiliation, besides myself", Drexon says looking at the others.
"In truth we are just an odd assortment of individuals, thrown together by common purpose. I suppose we could perhaps decide on a name for our company at some point though", he adds as he makes his way back into the corridor towards the war room.
It is an interesting point, are they established enough to have a name for their group? They have travelled together for such a short time.
He keeps his eyes and ears open as moves cautiously forward.
Perception: 3+5=8 (Passive: 15)
"Cobweb Goodfellow," Cob says with a short bow, "of the Pancorona Goodfellows, I suppose."
Cob follows along with the others, lost a little in thought about what all of this means.
But he too keeps his eyes and ears open for trouble.
Perception: 15
Nalgas leads the group back to the war chamber. You cannot see the entrance anymore, but as soon as Nalgas reaches the junction, lines of soft blue lights travel from their palm to their forearm to create three helical lines. A hiss resounds around the junction as the hidden door to the war chamber shifts open once again.
Nalgas sits on the first large table in the room. They spare a look at the last table where the map of the facility is still conjured as an illusion but quickly turn their focus back to the table in front of them. After a little fiddling and tapping on the table, the four large obsidian plates that are set on the wall in front of the table flicker on with the illusion of a corridor that you recognize. On one plate you can see the crystal room with the two dead Footsoldiers there. On another plate, you can see the entrance junction where you came from. The last two plates seem to fizzle on and off before cracking at the seams and fizzling off.
"That is the power room," Nalgas says, pointing to the room with the crystal. "One is broken. The other seems to be turned off and cracked. That's good. The power crystals are volatile. A puddle, which means Breaker. No signs of Predator on the level."
Nalgas fiddles with the table once more and the pictures shown on the plates shift. This time, each plate shows the view of ten identical barrack rooms and the entrance to the barracks. Nalgas stares at one, in particular, the one where they exit from. They reach out to the plates before catching themselves.
"The one that is turning back to sand and dust is Marduk," Nalgas says. "I can also see Kiram returning to ember."
The pictures on the plates shift once more to show a grand common room and a dining hall. Leaning on a table barricade at the exit of the dining hall is another Ancient. They seem to be slowly turning to water as blood pools under them. Beyond the barricade are eight more Footsoldiers roaming the dining hall. Some of them are tearing into the partially elemental form of dead Ancients while some others are tearing into other dead Footsoldiers.
"That is Rodon returning to the sea. All of them are gone. I am the last surviving member of the 17th Waverider section."
After a moment of contemplation, Nalgas turns toward the group and says, "This level is clear except for the barricaded dining hall." Repressed pain and sorrow can be heard easily in their wavering voice. They square their shoulder and blink away their misty eyes. As much as they try to conceal it, their emotion is open to the world. There is a sense of unsureness in their gait and for a moment you get the sense that this Ancient may as well be very young -- just on the cusp of adulthood in current society. But, despite their trembling voice and uncertain gaze, there is also a sense of purpose and duty in their eyes that must be completed to ensure that their sectionmates didn't die an empty death. "If there is a problem on the outside, the source will be downstairs with the Voidsphere."
"May the Dusk Weavers tapestry be kind to them. I'm sorry for you loss. I am Dvark and I am an envoy of the Dusk Weaver." Dvark looks gravely at Nalgas "I believe we should continue quickly as well. With the flow of time so garbled I'm concerned about how much time I may have."
Karm Zona, Archivist and Archeologist from the Archive of Ages, its a pleasure.
{{Did Karm also get a short rest?}}
Olloray Dim - Limbo's Pit
Gunther Korroden - Nightmares in the Mist
”I am Eremoz.”
As he follows the group to the war room, Eremoz thinks on the symbol from his family store. Why is it here? What did my people have to do with this ancient war? Did his family know or is it just the remnant of a lost time?
"Do we need to clear out the dining room, or will the barricade hold?, Drexon asks.
"I am not keen on leaving any of these behind us".
Nalgas stares at Dvark for a long moment and says, "I have heard of the Dusk Weaver, the Lonely Mistress. She is -- was -- leading the 36th Legion to repel the attack on the western coast. Do you bear her mark? The Mark of Damnation? All soldiers in her legion bear the mark of a pale horse to symbolize their devotion. Sometimes a group of soldiers will do missions for a full year before earning their mark. It is a rite of passage before joining the 36th Legion."
Shrugging, Nalgas fiddles with the third table where the five crystals reside. Instead of pressing as Drexon had done before, they turn the crystal marked Lightning, Force, and Fire. The map on the fourth table changes to highlight new areas on the east side of the compound. They then hover over the one marked Void.
"The traps will keep them away if you don't want to deal with them now," Nalgas says. "I can open the second sphere layer with this crystal. The time field barrier that separates the two levels will be lifted and whatever was occurring there before the time field will once again continue. We better hurry if we want to help or discover more."
{{Karm, sure, you can get a short rest too.}}
I think we should preserve as much of our abilities for what's unknown, especially if the traps can hold them off
{{To my surprise Karm is still unharmed, but the spell slot should come in handy}}
Olloray Dim - Limbo's Pit
Gunther Korroden - Nightmares in the Mist
"Agreed, if we are safe whilst the traps are active, I am happy to proceed with all haste", Drexon agrees.
Cob nods that he's ready to continue. After the dip in the water, he's feeling good as new.
((Do they still have the temp HP or have those run out yet?))