Val and Keth stare at the image in the journal. A great light flashes from the page and suddenly the entire party is flooded with the following:
You see an old man dressed in tattered robes leaning against a marble slab. In his hands, he holds a hammer and chisel. The marble, white in color has symbols partially chiseled into it. You can not tell what the markings are. The old man is kneeling, he turns to look at someone unseen. The Vision blurs and changes to: 7 beings in shining armor. Each having a pair of large white wings. (Rictor only sees vague outlines. The light blinds him) The vision changes: 7 robed figures stand around a table. The only light coming from torches behind the figures. You only see darkness in the hoods of the robes but, thy are chanting in some dark language that gives you the chills. The vision changes: You are surrounded by a War. Men dressed in uniforms, some green, some black, screaming in English and German respectively. The backdrop behind the figures is nothing but darkness. A large explosion lights up a barren land and the concussion from the blast shakes you. The vision moves where soldiers in black stand before a white marble slab. The vision changes: You are surrounded by desert at night. In the distance, you see the silhouette of a city bathed in lights. Two lights can be seen in the distance. The lights seem to be moving towards you and getting brighter. Suddenly the lights are so bright you are blinded. The vision changes: You see the Heavens open up and what looks like an army of angels are flying to the earth. You see the earth crack open and what you believe are devils come spewing out of the holes.
You snap back to your present. Each of you finds yourselves on the floor, covered in dust and dirt. The fire that was burning in the campsite is out.
Rictor points a shaky finger at the book, shaking his head at the others. "J-just me... my pac-"
Just as he's about to reveal his unholy pact Val touches the book and his world - not for the first time - is turned upside down.
When he awakes he immediately pats himself down, making sure all of his belongings are where they should be. Too many sleepless nights on the mean streets of New York City had taught him the hard lesson not to leave your possessions unguarded, even the ones on your person. Next he sits up groggily, still reeling from the pain of touching the holy symbol and the strange visions he had just seen. He looks around for his companions, hoping to ask if they saw the same things he did, when he realizes Celeste and Clay have vanished.
"Cel... Celeste? Clay?!" he shouts, momentarily forgetting the peril of the dungeon they had entered in his panic to find his friends.
Keth awakes abruptly, his arms lashing out as if he was ready to do battle. He sits up and realizes where he is, "Wha, what was that? Why did we see through the past? May the spirits protect us from those visions."
“We should leave. Get the cattle back. Then... I’m going to find someone who knows more about this book. Let’s clear the caves, first.” Val doesn’t actually move, choosing to lay some compresses on his burns.
"I agree, we should take a look around and see what has occurred with our friends. Those visions were odd, and there seemed to be something about seven people."
(OOC: I'd say we check out whatever parts of the cavern we haven't explored, but if we run into anything that might want to murder us we just run away. Or leave the cave altogether and regroup, then rest up and try to find the others if they're still stuck in the cave.)
(OOC: I'd say we check out whatever parts of the cavern we haven't explored, but if we run into anything that might want to murder us we just run away. Or leave the cave altogether and regroup, then rest up and try to find the others if they're still stuck in the cave.)
The party stands in the midst of making their decisions on what to do next. With Clay and Celeste's disappearance, maybe to parts unknown, exploring this place may be a bit harder than you'd want.
Abruptly the curtain to this room opens. a young man holding a torch enters and looks around a bit. He whistles and says "Almighty, ya'll made a right mess of this place." Each of you reacts, readying your weapons for whatever threat this may-be then, you recognize the voice. It's Jimmy.
Jimmy is a young kid around 18 who showed up at the ranch a day after all of you had, looking for work. He is a lean but muscular young man, red-haired, freckles dot his face wearing work clothing and a wide-brimmed tan hat he seemed to favor. He was a hard worker and did whatever he was asked but, like most young men he did the one thing that kind of irritated most folks. He talked. ALOT! Half the time he would talk so much that Boss Bennet would send the boy out to either check the horses or help Cookie but, even Cookie's even nature and comfort in spinning a yarn had its limits.
Jimmy is always polite, calling everyone Mr., Miss, or Mrs. then by their first name, and he is always eager and happy to lend a hand to whoever needs it no matter the task. It's just that he is........too nice......and talks too much.
You all know a bit of Jimmy's backstory, mainly because he has told everyone. He is from back east, Virginia you think he said, and seems to be well educated. To hear him tell it he was some sort of prodigy and went to, and graduated college at an early age. He tells how he got bored and came out west and after a few "adventures', as he calls it, he wound up at the ranch.
You do know one thing, Jimmy knows about magic and can do a bit, showing off every once in a while for the other cowhands.
"Mr. Val", Jimmy says "Boss sent me out to help ya'll. it took me 4 1/2 days to find ya, and I did so only cause I had to stop and water Jeb (you know that's the name Jimmy gave his horse).Ya'll know why I saw Mr. Clay and Miss Celeste hard riding north from here?' he asks. "I tried to holler but, they seemed all intended of getting as far away as they could from here. I thought maybe they had bushwhacked ya and was coming to check."
Other than the torch, Jimmy seems to only be armed with a dagger, his favorite quarterstaff, and a strange-looking pistol in a holster strapped to his right side.
Keth too approaches with Val and crouches to see what is happening with the book.
Val goes to the book, where Rictor threw it away from him and touches it. The book feels warm to the touch.
Abruptly the book opens to one page:
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1uAo0A1JNmYd0fEwDppbQnORVykW7qwRRHGQ2nzD54Rk/edit
Val and Keth stare at the image in the journal. A great light flashes from the page and suddenly the entire party is flooded with the following:
You see an old man dressed in tattered robes leaning against a marble slab. In his hands, he holds a hammer and chisel. The marble, white in color has symbols partially chiseled into it. You can not tell what the markings are. The old man is kneeling, he turns to look at someone unseen.
The Vision blurs and changes to:
7 beings in shining armor. Each having a pair of large white wings. (Rictor only sees vague outlines. The light blinds him)
The vision changes:
7 robed figures stand around a table. The only light coming from torches behind the figures. You only see darkness in the hoods of the robes but, thy are chanting in some dark language that gives you the chills.
The vision changes:
You are surrounded by a War. Men dressed in uniforms, some green, some black, screaming in English and German respectively. The backdrop behind the figures is nothing but darkness. A large explosion lights up a barren land and the concussion from the blast shakes you. The vision moves where soldiers in black stand before a white marble slab.
The vision changes:
You are surrounded by desert at night. In the distance, you see the silhouette of a city bathed in lights. Two lights can be seen in the distance. The lights seem to be moving towards you and getting brighter. Suddenly the lights are so bright you are blinded.
The vision changes:
You see the Heavens open up and what looks like an army of angels are flying to the earth. You see the earth crack open and what you believe are devils come spewing out of the holes.
You snap back to your present. Each of you finds yourselves on the floor, covered in dust and dirt. The fire that was burning in the campsite is out.
The first thing the 3 of you notice is Celeste and Clay are not with you in the room.
Rictor points a shaky finger at the book, shaking his head at the others. "J-just me... my pac-"
Just as he's about to reveal his unholy pact Val touches the book and his world - not for the first time - is turned upside down.
When he awakes he immediately pats himself down, making sure all of his belongings are where they should be. Too many sleepless nights on the mean streets of New York City had taught him the hard lesson not to leave your possessions unguarded, even the ones on your person. Next he sits up groggily, still reeling from the pain of touching the holy symbol and the strange visions he had just seen. He looks around for his companions, hoping to ask if they saw the same things he did, when he realizes Celeste and Clay have vanished.
"Cel... Celeste? Clay?!" he shouts, momentarily forgetting the peril of the dungeon they had entered in his panic to find his friends.
Val looks around. “I saw a man walk through a portal to miles away earlier. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised by much, but I am.”
Paladin - warforged - orange
Keth awakes abruptly, his arms lashing out as if he was ready to do battle. He sits up and realizes where he is, "Wha, what was that? Why did we see through the past? May the spirits protect us from those visions."
The 3 of you look around and nothing else seems disturbed but, you get the idea some time has passed for you.
What do you do?
“We should leave. Get the cattle back. Then... I’m going to find someone who knows more about this book. Let’s clear the caves, first.” Val doesn’t actually move, choosing to lay some compresses on his burns.
Paladin - warforged - orange
"I agree, we should take a look around and see what has occurred with our friends. Those visions were odd, and there seemed to be something about seven people."
Everyone roll an Insight check.
Insight: 6
"You mean get out of this death trap? You bet your bottom dollar I want to get out of here! But if the others are still trapped down here..."
His voice trails off, slowly turning his bowler hat round and round as anxiety sets in.
Insight check: 6
Val insight 9
Paladin - warforged - orange
OCC: What is the party's next move?
(OOC: I'd say we check out whatever parts of the cavern we haven't explored, but if we run into anything that might want to murder us we just run away. Or leave the cave altogether and regroup, then rest up and try to find the others if they're still stuck in the cave.)
Agreed
Paladin - warforged - orange
The party stands in the midst of making their decisions on what to do next. With Clay and Celeste's disappearance, maybe to parts unknown, exploring this place may be a bit harder than you'd want.
Abruptly the curtain to this room opens. a young man holding a torch enters and looks around a bit. He whistles and says "Almighty, ya'll made a right mess of this place." Each of you reacts, readying your weapons for whatever threat this may-be then, you recognize the voice. It's Jimmy.
Jimmy is a young kid around 18 who showed up at the ranch a day after all of you had, looking for work. He is a lean but muscular young man, red-haired, freckles dot his face wearing work clothing and a wide-brimmed tan hat he seemed to favor. He was a hard worker and did whatever he was asked but, like most young men he did the one thing that kind of irritated most folks. He talked. ALOT! Half the time he would talk so much that Boss Bennet would send the boy out to either check the horses or help Cookie but, even Cookie's even nature and comfort in spinning a yarn had its limits.
Jimmy is always polite, calling everyone Mr., Miss, or Mrs. then by their first name, and he is always eager and happy to lend a hand to whoever needs it no matter the task. It's just that he is........too nice......and talks too much.
You all know a bit of Jimmy's backstory, mainly because he has told everyone. He is from back east, Virginia you think he said, and seems to be well educated. To hear him tell it he was some sort of prodigy and went to, and graduated college at an early age. He tells how he got bored and came out west and after a few "adventures', as he calls it, he wound up at the ranch.
You do know one thing, Jimmy knows about magic and can do a bit, showing off every once in a while for the other cowhands.
"Mr. Val", Jimmy says "Boss sent me out to help ya'll. it took me 4 1/2 days to find ya, and I did so only cause I had to stop and water Jeb (you know that's the name Jimmy gave his horse). Ya'll know why I saw Mr. Clay and Miss Celeste hard riding north from here?' he asks. "I tried to holler but, they seemed all intended of getting as far away as they could from here. I thought maybe they had bushwhacked ya and was coming to check."
Other than the torch, Jimmy seems to only be armed with a dagger, his favorite quarterstaff, and a strange-looking pistol in a holster strapped to his right side.
“No. They got bushwhacked with us. Strange times, Jimmy. Did you see the cattle on your way in?”
Paladin - warforged - orange
Jimmy
"Yes Sir, Mr. Val. They seemed right as rain though there was this burro that seemed a bit mean and protective over them." Jimmy says.
“The burro’s doing what he’s supposed to. Let’s do what we’re supposed to and get checking the rest of these caves. Come along, Jimmy.”
Paladin - warforged - orange