Fantasy The Chronicles of Solis

[SecretRock]

Theris Fey
Champion of Soros

Theris couldn't help but laugh at some of what Hassan said. It felt good to see him after all these years, despite the things obviously weird about the scene. Least of all was the coincidence of it all, but everything about the past week had been a coincidence. Some of it could have good outcomes, right? Not all of it had to be "save the world" and working with four strangers for who knows how long. The others didn't see it like that, and Theris didn't blame them. He ground his teeth a little bit as Sebastian and Amber spoke up. It surprised him that Amber was technically speaking in Hassan's defence.

"She's right. It is weird that he's here, but we have other things to worry about." He explained, moving over to the horse to stroke it's muzzle. Having the thing act up or run off now wouldn't be the best thing to happen. If the horse was acting like this, the rest of them needed to calm down a little bit too. He was probably included in that. Way too much tension in all of them, emotionally and physically. Maybe if he got the hang of enchanting he could make Sebastian armour that massaged him. The poor guy probably needed it. He smiled over at the rest of them, noting Amber's change in voice. It wasn't as good as a face, but it would do for now.

"Back to the point at hand: let's find what we're supposed to do here." He gestured to the centre of the spire, raising an eyebrow at them. He wasn't overly sure himself, but was there anywhere else they could look? Climbing was out of the question, the spire would probably collapse if they tried. What they were looking for wouldn't be lying around the surrounding area. They were guided here, a place dedicated to the gods. There had to be a reason behind all of it. "We can interrogate each other later, when we're all here."

 

[idalie]

Hassan Rakim Al-Zahrani​

He examined Sebastian's changing demeanour, from agitated to positively murderous. Exhaling whilst slowly bringing his brow into a fine arch of question. "You seem a little tired from your journey. I can assure you, I was sent by no other than an old friend myself and Theris share. As the young woman notes once more, I am but a mercenary. I might sell my loyalty for gold, but this is far different - isn't it?" Hassan tilted his head. "You've just become acquainted with me, this sudden turn of paranoia shan't serve you well in the days to come. But I hear madness is more common in the Esthines."

Looking toward Amber, he dipped his head with an aspect of thanks. "Kymir bless you." At least there was some sensibility. He hadn't expected to walk into a hornet's nest of suspicious glares and overzealous soldiers based upon appearance and words. He had his own belief in the divines and his own issues with them, yet these champions had been near insufferably cold. Even more so than the temperatures that turned the tip of his nose slightly red. "I know my presence is unwanted, you don't have to tell me twice, however, I suspect you might need all the help you can get. I meant no offence showing my face here. I came because of religious duty to myself, and an old friend. You can be insulted by what I wear or how I talk but are you also insulted by how I was raised in a culture you have only read about? Pray tell me, if you have visited alsahra
' alkubraa or the tribal lands within. And tell me again how even the poorest of us wear all the gold we own as they are passed down with significance, and to lose a piece is to dishonour the work of your family. I am not a rich man, nor a poor man. What I am, that should concern you, is someone who will sacrifice himself to see you succeed."

Gazing up to the spire as Theris smoothed over things with Sebastian, and to some extent Amber - although she had stood up for him. Al-Zahrani took a few more steps forward and away from the group as he examined the architecture of the white, crumbling stone. One could feel the place was sacred, it was something about the air. How everything was quieter, more reserved. It could've been his overworked mind, yet Hassan uttered in foreign words a series of quiet prayers.​

 

[Grouse]

Sebastian Ariston
Champion of Epthys (app)​

It appeared his two companions were willing to welcome the company, but Sebastian could not be swayed. ‘That does not explain how he knows why we are here -- or who we even are.’ His eyes did not leave Hassan. Sure enough, the man’s own response alluded to a mysterious old friend -- this did nothing for the paranoid soldier, except perhaps further try his patience. Was everyone from Otrodor trained to be so elusive with their answers?

Strangely enough, it was Hassan’s snide remark about his homeland that snapped away Sebastian’s sudden display of aggression. The former was taunting him, and though he hit a sore spot, it reminded him not to waver. A soldier’s greatest power is restraint, not strength, his father had told him once. Sebastian's furrowed brows relaxed, but his ice blue gaze remained just as cold. ‘You would insult my homeland, and in your next breath, rebuke us for making judgments about something we personally do not know.’ Sebastian scoffed, and abandoned his grip on his sword. Instead, he opted to attend to his anxious horse, his gaze leaving Hassan for the first time since he arrived. ‘I did not expect any less from a sellsword.’

Beyond that, he would say no more of the topic. His companions were right; they had more pressing matters to attend.

‘The stairs to the main entrance appear unstable.’ His words appeared to reflect Theris' expression. The place was in such a sorry state of disrepair, it was a miracle some of the main bridges even held up. His head turned around to do a brief survey of the area surrounding them. ‘The ancient churches in Esthines typically contain cellars, or tunnels underground. If this structure is no different, there must be a separate entrance somewhere.’ Provided, of course, that the underground had not yet caved in, or indeed, that thieves had not come before them.

Sebastian turned to Amber who had been first to arrive. He did not know how long she had been here, or if she had time to explore. If she did, it might spare them time. ‘Were you able to conduct a preliminary check of the area before our arrival?’

 

[Disco]

Amber Moorhardt​

Amber wasn't going to already put her full faith in Hassan, not by a long stretch. But it seemed Sebsation can be far more dangerous when provoked. Amber wasn't going to justify his potential outbursts by supporting him, instead she'd want to take a route of calm. Ease out of the dangers. Out of all things, it seems Hassan wasn't a threat. And if he was, then the group could deal with that later. Amber put some hot air in her gloves and rubbed her hands together as she had when she arrived. Living in southern temples for the past seven years made her not well versed for the cold.

"‘Were you able to conduct a preliminary check of the area before our arrival?’"

Amber gave Sebsation and the horse another look. It seems he already figured her for something. What it was exactly, she'd not know. Although Amber could take a few guesses. "I only arrived here a few moments before you and Theris had." Amber stated calmly. "Wanted to see if this was some charade my mind conjured before anything else." Amber took a scan of the Spire itself now, observing everything in full. "We should be fine to walk across the bridge so long as your horse stays back." Amber got the feeling that Sebastion wasn't going to want to part with his steed if only for a moment, her tone reflected this in sharpness.

"There's also a possibility that our missing champion might already be inside." Amber wanted to pose this to the group as well. The Kymer champion might have more information and already be waiting around. "We should go in regardless, if only to escape this infernal wind." The cold itself was never much of a problem, twas the wind-chill. Amber took a few steps closer to the spire now, talking as she walked. "If anyone else has surprises or companions joining us we should get them along too."


SecretRock Grouse idalie Berries

 

[Grouse]

Sebastian Ariston
Champion of Epthys (app)​

At Amber’s first words, Sebastian was ready to open his mouth and protest. After all, he’d literally used up his remaining fortune paying for and taking care of the stallion. There was much to be risked losing -- at least on his part -- by what she was proposing. At the same time, he couldn’t delude himself forever. The logistics of bringing it inside a run-down building would be a headache. The last thing he wanted was to become a liability.

As the woman continued, he found himself nodding in understanding. She had a point. He hadn't considered the possibility until now. In a way, it was a blessing that the four of them had arrived in such close intervals. ‘And if Kymir’s Champion arrives when we have gone inside, she may retreat thinking her vision was no more than a dream.’ Sebastian stood with arms crossed as he pondered their options.

Eventually, guiding the horse by the reins, Sebastian walked towards a nearby pillar. It was built of the same magnificent ivory stone as the rest of the spire, although most of its top half had since crumbled in the hands of time. Trying to test the durability of the ruined structure, he kicked at the baser, satisfied when it did not budge. Retrieving a piece of rope from one of the saddlebags, he hitched the horse’s halter onto the pillar. It was raised and bred in the arctic wastelands of Skon Thar -- or so the merchant had told him -- so it should be able to withstand the weather outside. His true concern was not the environment, but those who may dwell in it.

Sebastian headed back to the party. ‘If the champion is simply delayed, then the horse's presence must at least tell her that someone else has come.’ Although he had elected to push aside his reservations about Hassan for the moment, he stepped aside to wait until the mercenary was ahead before he followed their ascent.

 

[SecretRock]

Theris Fey
Champion of Soros

Theris stayed quiet as the other three argued out their points. He didn't want to side against Hassan and, apparently, the Witch who'd trained him. That's who he assumed Hassan meant by a mutual friend of the two of them. At the same time, he understood why Sebastian was suspicious even if he didn't like the way he was acting. There were ways to question people without falling back onto violence and threats. Luckily, the topic quickly moved on. He could ask Hassan privately later. Talk about things like his family, and his tribe, and the oasis, and how he knew exactly where and when to find them. The talk about Kymir's champion did pose some extra questions too, but those could be put to one side as well.

He started up the stairs, motioning for Hassan to follow him. He tested the steps before putting his full weight on them. He wasn't the heaviest guy, not tall or muscled, so he wasn't sure if they'd hold the weight of the others but they seemed fine as he walked on them. He stopped at the top, moving to one side of the wide, black column under the centre of the spire to wait for the others.

The column seemed about three people wide, maybe a little more, and reached a good metre or so above everyone's head. It was perfectly round and it's smoothness was only disturbed in three ways: a few small ships that looked like sword strokes, some small indents in the walls that formed the outline of a double door, and the small circular indent in the centre of said door. It had small carvings on the inside. Five symbols were around the circumference of the circle, each one different from the others. They all seemed ancient and Theris could swear he'd seen one on a temple before. He wasn't sure which temple, but it had been on one. Each symbol was situated in it's own fifth of the circle, surrounded by ornate carvings.

"It looks like there's definitely some kind of door," Theris told the others, running his fingers over.the cracks in the column. He pushed on the door, but it didn't move. There was no where to pull it. Given where they were, he had a feeling magic wouldn't work on the door either.

 

[Berries]

Finley Orowen | Champion of Acorr

Feeling Bart trembling with cold, Finely had taken a moment to shift his clothing around as to provide more warmth for the creature. Meanwhile, he had apparently missed the introductions and a great deal of initial conversation. He had managed to catch the names of the others, but other than that the only information he retained was that Sebastian appeared to be quite on edge. By the time Finley was prepared to re-enter the conversation, he had no idea what to say and instead just listened. That was one of his strong suits; the ability to listen. It was surprising how much information you could obtain from simply being quiet and absorbing what was around oneself. Meanwhile, the yet another man seemed to show up. Finley himself had no idea who the others were, but it seemed that Amber had been told who was who in her vision.

Deciding that he should probably get people's identities sorted out for himself, before he could speak they were all suddenly climbing the Spire. Sighing heavily to himself and looking down at Bart, Fin made a face at his pet. Before he climbed he sat down at the edge to pull on his shoes back onto his feet. Rubbing his toes to return some warmth to them, as soon as Fin was done he began to climb up the Spire. Once he was on the stairs he wouldn't have been able to connect to the earth anyway, so it had been a worthy investment to put his shoes back on and avoid losing them to the cold. Making it to the top of the tower he looked around. Seeing Theris test the door, Fin raised his eyebrow slightly at the fact that it didn't budge.

His attention moving to the five symbols, the man's interest was caught when he recognized one. He couldn't place where he had seen it before but it did seem very familiar, and he reached out to touch it. Restraining himself when he came to the conclusion that he probably shouldn't touch things that he was unsure of the origin of, he pulled back his hand and waited for the rest of the group to make it to the top of the tower. Once they had all arrived, Fin looked at them for a split second. "I'm Finley." He said abruptly before they could start examining their surroundings. His introduction had to be made at some point, and that would be that. Turning his eyes from the group back towards the carvings, he returned to contemplating where he may have seen such a symbol before.

 

[Grouse]

Sebastian Ariston
Champion of Epthys (app)​

When Sebastian reached the top of the tower, Theris and Finley had already positioned themselves in front of the wide pillar. The chips on the stone were the first things to catch his eyes. Struck by a blade of some sort, no doubt. Perhaps one wielded by Kymir’s champion? Sebastian rested his chin on his hand as he inspected it. ‘It appears a fight had broken out here some time ago. How long -- I cannot tell,’ he murmured, sounding almost like he was talking only to himself, as he traced over the marks with his fingertips. Of course, it was perfectly possible that the pillar was the intended target all along. In which case, a foolish move on the sword-wielder's part. A sword would only get damaged trying to cut through a fully-grown tree, let alone a stone column.

Crossing his arms, Sebastian finally moved on to examine what two of his companions had been watching all this time. None of the symbols on the door meant anything to him. If they were letters of an ancient language, he did not speak it. Were they representative of the five kingdoms? Perhaps, but why wouldn’t he recognise his own? Perhaps they were the symbols of the gods? His knowledge -- or lack thereof -- failed him yet again. And so, instead, he tried a different approach.

‘The circle could correspond to the pillar itself.’ He looked at the structure up and down. ‘These markings could be the key to inside access, but they mean nothing to me.’

As if he had lost interest in the pillar, the soldier headed back to the top of the stairs. The spot provided a great vantage point of the area around the Spire. He could see the outline of his stallion below, but little else of significance. ‘Still no sign of Kymir’s champion.’ He looked over his shoulder, gaze drifting towards the rest of the party. ‘If her presence is needed to receive whatever we are supposed to, then we can either simply wait, or try to seek her out ourselves.’ It might not be the wisest choice -- especially since many paths led to this area, and they had no way of knowing which one she took. Still, he could never get used to standing idle. ‘Or we could perform a check of the surrounding area. There may be clues lying around.’

Sebastian looked at the heavens, mind lost elsewhere for the tiniest moment, before he returned to where Theris and Finley stood. ‘Whatever we decide, we cannot stay here for too long. The area will welcome a snowsquall in a couple of hours. If we are still here by then, we will be forced to make camp here for the night.’

 

[TyVibes]

Awhina, Champion of Kymir

Awhina was tired after her long journey across land from the coast. The deserts had not been kind to her skin, however, she was a soldier and ploughed on, stopping at villages to trade for only necessities. Finally, she had reached the goal from her vision with the true Goddess Kymir, rightful mother of the sea and it's people. Chosen as her Champion to help right the wrongs of the world was an honour, one that Awhina was determined to uphold and see her Goddess proud.

Looking at the Spire she saw figures gathering around it. Too many to be just the other champions. This fact set off alarm bells in her mind, especially as she was alone on this journey. Usually she would have commanded her unit to surround the probable threat until attack or peace. However, since it was just her being the sole warrior, she crept low to the ground using what cover she could to get to the figures at the base of the monument long forgotten.

Once out of cover and within earshot she listened to the last bit of conversation shared between the mysterious people's gathered there. They spoke a language she could understand and mentioned something about champions and the spire, although, whether they were the champions or waiting to ambush them was undetermined. Awhina crouched lower so that those on the ground could not hear nor see her, however, the warrior noticed that there were people up on the spire who would surely see her if they bothered to look down at the buildings surrounding the grand stone spire.

She had to decide quickly if she wanted to come out openly or risk having mistrust between herself and potential champions if she was spotted hiding away from them like this...

SecretRock Berries Disco Grouse

 

[SecretRock]

Theris Fey
Champion of Soros​

Theris looked over as Finley introduced himself. He nodded. He wasn't sure if the guy was quiet, or shy, or something else. He seemed okay, though. If a little weird. Why wasn't he wearing shoes before? It probably was something to do with Acorr being his god, and all, but it was still weird. It would be like if he started carrying a staff because people used to do magic with them. Maybe that wouldn't be so weird after all. It would be useful for hitting people with even if it would be a little clunky to carry around like that. He tilted his head slightly, having seen some kind of moveent behind Finley. He saw a girl, not just any girl but a girl he recognised as the Champion of Kymir, crouching down to one side. He waved at her then looked back to the door.

"It certainly looks like a key or something," Theirs agreed, running his fingers over the symbols. "I recognise two of these. They were on some really old temple. I never bothered to check who they were for." He couldn't help but laugh at his next statement, "I didn't believe in any kind of deity before then." The irony wasn't lost on him but really he didn't have time to dwell on that if Sebastian was right about a storm rolling in. He was barely okay in this weather. An all out snow storm would be terrible for him, and probably some of the others judging by the way they were dressed. At least they were all there now so they wouldn't lose anyone if they did have to move. If Kymir's Champion did come forward. He didn't like all the 'if's about their current situation.

He pressed his hand into the circle and closed his eyes, focusing his energy. He hadn't had much time to practise with the skills Soros had given him, but he tried as hard as he could, getting the door to swing inward or outward or just fall off. Nothing happened and he lowered his hand with a sigh, stepping away from the column and going over to sit on the steps. He chewed on his lip as he though. His magic couldn't open the door, he wasn't the strongest person but it seemed it couldn't be opened through brute force either.

"If there is a storm coming in, maybe we should should find some shelter and puzzle over it there?" He suggested, craning his head to look at the others. He glanced across at Kymir's champion, seeing if she'd reacted to anything so far.

 

[Disco]

Amber Moorhardt​

Amber gave a good look over the Spire, the door, and its markings. The others discussed what they saw and in the mean time, Amber quietly pondered over it all. She had a guess, but it was just that. The likelihood of it working was more slim then she wanted it to be. Amber took another look over as she noticed the five circles with a symbol in each. Between the brilliant and ancient architecture with some simple logic, Amber posed her idea.

"Five circles for five champions?" Just a thought. "Of course, we'd need the fifth champion to be with us."

The others were talking of rain and well, that sounded like the least pleasant thing right now. Cold wind and air were enough, rain would just be a complete mess. Amber took a careful look around for any shelter. It was a very real possibility that they would have to hide away for possibly a good few hours and the detour was not something Amber welcomed.

It was now that the thief spotted Theris waving to someone and looking over his shoulder. The curious Amber walked over to get a glance at what he motioned to. Her sharp eyes would spot what she assumed would be the last of the Champions. Unless there was just another woman that was to be around here.

"Not another friend of yours, right?" She posed to Theris. A cold breeze brushed by and Amber noticeably winced, even with so much of her face covered. Seven years away from the cold really had been a determent to how well she handled it. Amber figured that whatever the reason for this woman being here, it wasn't something the group couldn't handle.


SecretRock TyVibes

 

[Berries]

Finley Orowen | Champion of Acorr

Despite the fact that he was somewhat more at ease now he had his shoes on, Finely was still a little chilly. Luckily for him he had grown up in climates such as these: heat waves one moment, deathly cold temperatures the next, so he had grown accustomed to it. Watching his breath cloud the air, Finely blew into his hands and rubbed them together once to make sure he still had feeling in his fingertips, which he did. He was dressed much more lightly than the others with a simple hide and clothes underneath. Looking up as they began to remark on the weather and the necessity to get out of here quickly, Fin nodded to Amber as she commented on the correlation between the five markings and the fact that there were five of them.

"It seems likely that we each correspond to one of the markings, though we would need somebody who can read them. Perhaps we can try to use our magical abilities to activate them?" Finley commented. Watching with an eyebrow raised as Theris seemed to attempt to move the door using his magic, Fin tried to determine the other man's magical abilities but wasn't able to from the brief display that he put on. Removing one of his shoes and placing it on the floor of the Spire, Fin attempted to sense what was beyond the door. "The door is well-sealed, I can't sense what lays beyond it." He remarked to the group, slipping his shoe back on once more. It was honestly quite the pain that the weather was so cold otherwise he could permanently be sensing the area around them which may lead to bigger conclusions.

Continuing to investigate the markings, Fin didn't see Theris wave to someone but he did notice when Amber spoke again, suggesting that there was another person down below. Not bothering to move to look over the edge of the Spire, Finley left it to Theris and Amber to determine whether or not the presumed person below was the champion of Kymir. He hadn't been given the vision of what the other champions looked like so he figured he'd be pretty useless in that regard. He wasn't sure why they had been given more information than him, but he didn't bother overthinking the point. It seemed like Acorr had been interrupted in the middle of his message to him anyhow by the connection between the planes of existence fading.

 

[Grouse]

Sebastian Ariston
Champion of Epthys (app)​

Perhaps he had been too hasty with the warning. Sebastian was wearing more than enough layers to withstand the cold, but he could understand the others’ concerns about having to tolerate more of this weather. ‘The storm will not come until after dusk. The nearest village is an hour away on horseback; a little more on foot. We should have sufficient time to … tinker with this device, and get back in time.’ The place was much too empty and eerie for his taste. He would rather get their business here over with than have to come back another day.

Sebastian could only keep quiet as the rest of his companions proceeded to suggest ways to unlock the pillar. Theris appeared to try magic, but to no avail. Finley -- well, he didn’t understand what the man was doing at first, but at his words, it was beginning to become clear why the man had been walking around barefoot earlier. At his suggestion, however, Sebastian crossed his arms, a look of worry crossing his typically expressionless features.

‘I have no magical training.’ He had a feeling that wasn’t quite what the man was trying to ask of the rest of the champions. ‘In the past, Epthys has sent forth … storms on my behalf, but I do not know how to call on them myself.’ He closed his eyes, sighing. His mind flashed back to his companions’ faces earlier, when he had announced the possibility of a snowsquall. Sebastian pulled his fur cloak closer to his body. ‘Although, I hardly believe any of us would appreciate the appearance of a storm any time soon.’

After a few moments, it was clear that the rest of the party’s attention had shifted elsewhere. Sebastian turned his head in the direction Theris waved at, his reflexes bringing him back to his sword as he glimpsed an armoured woman lurking nearby. Amber’s subsequent remark did well to calm him down almost instantly, however. He would wait for the others to confirm it before he made a fool of himself once more, but intuition told him he really was looking at Kymir's champion this time.

‘I hope not.’ Sebastian withdrew his grip on the weapon, and instead nodded to greet the stranger. ‘Because if it so happens the rest of Otrodor was invited to the party, I would have appreciated a warning.’

 

[TyVibes]

Awhina looked up at the other potential champions, one had seen her and waved down, then the other figures started noticing her, one drawing their sword. She decided that she should give these people a try, after all, this place was so old and deserted she doubted mainlanders came here just for fun. She stood up to full height and made her way up the stairs to join the others in front of...a door? It had the outlines of a door. And a little circle that some were still staring at with confused and thoughtful expressions. The warrior didn't look at it too long as she turned her attention to the task at hand, seeing whether these other people were the champions she had come to meet.

In her vision from the Goddess she had seen four others, and the people in front of her fit the appearance and qualities of those that she had seen. She smiled, to show that she came without ill intentions and proceeded to introduce herself.

"My name is Awhina Whetu Piripi i-Katona, Warrior of Katona and Champion of Kymir, the Mother Goddess of the Sea, the Changing Tides and Glorious Battle for our peoples. You are the Champions of other Gods, are you not?" She spoke clear and loud as all Leaders of Kotona should, to show that they were in control and were powerful, be it if they were allies or adversaries. Awi stood tall awaiting the responses of those in front of her.

 

[SecretRock]

Theris Fey
Champion of Soros​

Theris only watched as the others suggested ways to open the pillar. Most of them seemed to agree that the symbols held some kind of importance to it. He felt like the fact that it was indented meant something too. If it was meant to be just a hint about how to open the door, why was it pressed in like that?

"I've never met her before." Theris assured the others as the woman approached them. He was initially struck by how tall she was; she barely seemed older than any of them and she was already giant. Sure he'd seen her in his vision but it was different in real life. After her name, he didn't bother memorising anything she was saying. Titles were never important to him, and if it was important it would come up again later. She did seem impressive though; strong voice, commanding posture, if not friendly then at least polite. She was used to being in charge of people, just like Sebastian had been. Maybe she was from Esthines too?

He left the others to properly introduce themselves, squinting into the distance as a figure shambled towards them. They were little more than a person shaped shadow at the moment but they were walking the same path Finley had taken and showed no signs of turning or waiting until they were gone. There was no sign of anyone coming from any other direction, but it seemed like too much coincidence, as with everyone else who'd turned up. He leaned forward, trying to get a better look at the man before deciding that most likely wouldn't happen until he got closer. Instead, he stood and turned to face the others, trying to gauge how well they all reacted to their new ally.

 

[Disco]

Amber Moorhardt​

Amber was seriously dwarfed by the Champion of Kymer. Comically so. Awhina had just over a foot in height above Amber and was noticeably more bulky. The thief herself couldn't help but feel a tad misplaced here. The others seemed to have titles or some worth and importance; Awhina's clear valor emphasized this. Amber, on the other hand, was still nothing more than a street-rat. She had some alternative upbringing with the monks, but she couldn't dream of being so seemingly proud as Awhina. It was interactions like these that made her feel out of place. In classic fashion, Amber refused eye contact and made her body posture meek.

"Amber. Lady Anemis sent me." Her rasp ever so present. "So we have everyone then... right?" The Goddess only showed Amber four others and everyone fit the bill perfectly. So it was now just a matter of figuring out what the symbols did. The thief wanted to take another look over at them and so she had. The markings themselves seemed foreign to her but there was something that stuck out. One of the symbols appeared as if to represent Anemis. The monks at the monastery would have symbols to represent her and Amber for sure would have seen symbols related to the Goddess.

Finley had suggested using the magic abilities on the symbols earlier. But that seemed unlikely, especially after both he and Theris failed to do anything to the pillar with their powers. To complete that cycle, Sebastian commented on not being able to control his. It was only now that Amber realized that everyone's powers were quite different. Finley took off his shoe to use his. Theris, in almost cruel irony, had to use his arms to channel his. Sebastian apparently can't control this storm related power. At this rate it seemed that Kymir's champion would be able to call tidal waves. With the past failures, Amber didn't even attempt to use her power on the Spire. She didn't feel like collapsing cold for a few days anyways.

Berries Grouse TyVibes SecretRock

 

[Grouse]

Sebastian Ariston
Champion of Epthys (app)​

‘Sebastian Ariston, formerly of the Esthinean Imperial Army. Champion to Epthys.’ He examined Awhina’s appearance as she stood up, ice blue gaze momentarily transfixed by her strange-looking armour. He had always been slightly above average in height -- at least in Esthines -- but the woman now towered over him, carrying herself with a confidence only befitting that of a decorated officer. It would be foolish to judge someone solely on appearances, but that Kymir herself would choose this woman as her champion must be a testament to something. Hopefully, he would get a chance to see her in action soon. ‘I have not heard of Katona before now. Is this in Skon Thar?’ That would explain her unfamiliar attire, wouldn’t it? Then again, it didn’t exactly strike him as specifically tailored for harsh winters of the far north.

Sebastian moved his head as the others appeared to turn back to the pillar. He wasn’t sure how long Awhina had been hiding there -- how much she knew about why they were so fascinated with the impossible black pillar. ‘We are under the impression it contains whatever we were sent here for.’ He turned around, tracing his fingers over the outlines of the symbols for the first time. Sebastian tried to push onto the symbols, should they turn out to be buttons of some sort, and then he tried twisting the entire circle, should it turn out to be a dial instead. He sighed, defeated. ‘Perhaps there exists some kind of artifact that would fit into these etchings perfectly. An amulet, perhaps, worn by whoever was supposed to guard the Spire. If we are lucky, their corpse is lying here somewhere, and if the gods truly smile upon us, we would find it untouched by thieves.’

 

[TyVibes]

Awhina nodded in kind to those who had spoken before directing her attention to the pillar of the Spire that had seemingly captured theirs. Looking at the marks on the pillar the other champions, as she now knew, she instantly recognised one of them being a symbol to Kymir. Deducing that the other symbols must be for the other gods she looked to her new companions. Did they know this?

Awhina took a little time to fully take in her new accomplices, one, female, small and blonde. She looked lithe and would be able to fit through small spaces with ease, she had a secretive and doubting air around her. The warrior knew with more confidence and training with small weapons that the young woman would grow to be powerful in speed and agility. The man with no arm, his handicap worried Awi, usually those who had lost limbs to battle in Katona retired, however, she must put her faith in the gods, he had to be chosen for a reason. He looked strong anyhow.

The champion of Epthys, a taller, darker looking man, he was inquisitive and seemed a warrior or soldier like she.
"It is north of Dreasia as far as I know," she said to him in reply to his question on her hometown's whereabouts. She neglected to tell them that she was unfamiliar with the land as she had been raised in the water, after all, that would be seen as a weakness and soldiers must remain strong at all times.

The last champion was a man with long ginger hair, he had not spoken yet however, he carried himself with cheerful and calm air. He looked strong, however, that was Awhina could grasp from him without getting to know him better. Awhina looked at the champions in full. Together they could make a good unit and serve their world and their gods well.

"I recognise the mark of Kymir," she said walking over in a step to the door and placing her fingers tentatively on the stone where said mark lay. Awi noticed the indented rock. "Perhaps it is a key we must find, maybe for each mark, an amulet?" The last words directed at Sebastian as he had suggested the very thing first of all.

 

[SecretRock]

Theris Fey
Champion of Soros
​

As Awhina mentioned the mark of Kymir, Theris' mind made the connection between the two he'd seen before. The temples must have been dedicated to two of the other gods. The idea of a key, or of keys, made sense. More sense than them being able to force it like he'd tried to do. The sword marks in the pillar made the 'corpse' part of Sebastian's theory more likely. Shame, having someone who could tell them what this was meant to be would make things a lot easier on them.

"The gods rarely smile upon anyone these days, my son." A voice came from one of the bridges. The shuffling figure Theris had seen in the distance had gotten a lot closer than seemed possible in the time that he hadn't been looking. He was quickly coming closer, a staff in one hand being used as a walking stick. The man was obviously old, pushing ninety at the least, with long grey hair pulled into a bun and a fuzzy beard that covered a good half of his face. He seemed tired, deep bags under his eyes, but he seemed to have an almost grandfatherly demeanour about him. He stopped a distance away from them, his eyes scanning over all of them as he tried his best to straighten up properly. His back kept hunched over despite his best efforts.

"May I ask your reasons for visiting this place?" He asked, a happy and knowing note in his voice. Theris wasn't sure what to make of the man. Old people were hardly helpless, as he'd learnt the hard way more than once, and this man seemed quite fast and his hearing was obviously good. With his hunched back and what looked a little bit like a smile under that massive beard, he didn't seem like a threat, per se. Not a physical one. If anything, the man reminded him of an innkeeper. Friendly to a fault, even if it was an act.

 

[Berries]

Finley Orowen | Champion of Acorr

Looking up as the champion of Kymir appeared and introduced herself, Finley nodded to her respectfully. She appeared to know how to command which was a trait that he could respect. "Finley, Champion of Acorr." He introduced himself for the second time within a few minutes. The man was surprised to hear that Sebastian was unable to control his magic on his own, though the ability to create storms seemed quite powerful even if Epthys only summoned it on occasion. Eyes widening a little bit at the idea about having to find keys or amulets in order to place them in the five keystone places, Finley ran his hands over the symbols. It did seem like the indents perhaps were meant to contain something within them.

Carefully looking over the symbols, Finley tried to determine which one may belong to Acorr - based on Awhina's remark, these symbols would be of the gods. Closing his eyes to trace his memory back to the dream he had received, Finley tried to picture the God's presence before quickly flipping his eyes back open and regarding the symbols. Instantly he felt a faint sense of familiarity with one of them, to which he pointed. "I believe this one may be the mark of Acorr." He commented, though he wasn't entirely sure. His method of finding out was rather sketchy, after all. He had mostly disregarded talk of Awhina's origin, leaving it to Sebastian to ask questions of their newcomer.

However, Finley's attention was caught when yet another person showed up and began to speak from across one of the bridges. Looking up, he was surprised to see an old man moving towards them. The voice was friendly but held a powerful quality to it which hinted at a younger man, but it was evidently not so. As the old man asked what their business was, Finley opened his mouth to respond before shutting it hastily. His instinct was always to tell the truth, but now he realized how odd it may seem if he suddenly pronounced that they had all been summoned here by the gods. Besides, Finley had kept this summon secret from his companion Lyrie so he found no reason to blurt it out to this strange old man.

Searching his head for something both informative but also slightly inconspicuous to say, Fin failed in trying to find elaborate words. "We have gathered here under the summons of the Gods." He ended up saying, glancing sideways at the others to see if they objected to his statement or had anything to add.

 

[Grouse]

Sebastian Ariston
Champion of Epthys (app)​

An objection was indeed the first thing on Sebastian’s mind. He returned Finley’s glance with a sharp one of his own, but beyond that, it was too late to say anything now. Or to not say anything, so to speak.

The old man -- there was something wrong with him. He held a wooden staff as a walking aid, and yet Sebastian missed the tapping sound it would have made hitting the ground as the man made his way towards them. Even the old man’s posture implied he would have a hard time moving around, let alone creep on them completely unnoticed. And yet there he was now.

Sebastian’s mind instantly flashed back to the scratches on the pillar. Could they have been made by the stranger before them? Sebastian tried to examine the man’s garb, eyes scouring for glints of metal or pockets that could conceal blades. Alas, from where he stood, he could find nothing; the stranger was smart enough to keep his distance, although Sebastian couldn’t exactly object to that.

For a fleeting moment, his head turned towards the unfamiliar symbols on the door before returning to the stranger. ‘Are you here to help us open it?’ From underneath his cloak, Sebastian gripped the hilt of his sword, as he often did when he started to grow unsettled. ‘Or to keep us from doing so?’

 

[TyVibes]

Awhina turned around at the sound of the clear voice behind her, an old man, she was surprised to find. He had a long stick which he carried and his posture was terrible, that would hinder him in battle. Other than that there was not mich to see apart from his weathered features. He was stealthy however, he had crept up on thrm, Awhina was on edge.

At Finley's remark she stiffened herself more, when approached unknown adversaries you must take every precaution. Although Sebastien seemed to go along with that line and questioned the figure of his purpose here. Awi was interested to know the answer and was becoming slightly impatient with the man. However, Awi remembered tales of temples from her village about old shrines to the gods who were protected by guardians. She decided to put in her own question.
"Are you the guardian of the Spire?" She asked him. The way he sounded, the way he moved, the fact he had terrible posture and what seemed to Katonian as a walking aid, but yet managed to catch them by surprise. It was unnatural. A guardian or a very very old magician perhaps.

 

[SecretRock]

Theris Fey
Champion of Soros​

"Exactly, young miss." The old man pointed his staff in Awhina's direction, smiling as he made his way closer to them. "I am glad that you have finally arrived. Waiting can get awfully boring." He made his way up the steps and stopped in front of the group. He was silent for a while, his eyes lingering on each of them for a few seconds. He seemed to be considering them each in turn before speaking any further, as if he was judging them. "My name is Vlassis Spiros. I have come here every day for close to seventy years. I used to look after the keys to the spire, until they were stolen. It happened about a decade ago."

Theris stepped out of the way as Vlassis moved to the black pillar and ran his fingers over one of the sword marks in it. His eyes glazed and his face fell a little. It was barely noticeable under his facial hair, but Vlassis was lost in a memory for a second before looking around the group again. He cleared his throat and ran his hand quickly through his beard, straightening up as much as he could again.

"I no longer have the keys, and in my current condition I have no chance of getting them back myself. I did manage to track down where some of them most likely are." The old man told them. "I have the locations back at my house, if you would follow me." The man offered, moving back down the stairs and pointing back the way he came with his staff.

 

[Grouse]

Sebastian Ariston
Champion of Epthys (app)​

Wanting to maintain his distance, Sebastian stepped away as Vlassis drew near, although he also used the opportunity examine the man more closely. Still no weapon in sight. If he harboured any further apprehension, the soldier made no word of it. When the guardian’s offer slipped out so easily, however, Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

‘And if we are bluffing about the gods?’ He crossed his arms, head turning into the general direction Hassan disappeared off to. He shot the rest of his companions a pointed look, as if the simple gesture sufficed to back his argument. ‘I was under the impression the gods’ message was to remain a secret, but here you are, expecting us. Not long ago, we had a sellsword approach us like our presence here is the talk of the town. Who do I trust? Who do you?’

And yet, Sebastian could not deny that Vlassis was their only real lead. While it wasn’t in his nature to shed suspicions so easily, he was prepared to put any reluctance aside should his companions decide to follow this man. After all, what else did they have? ‘Before we come with you -- if we come with you,' he glanced at the rest of the party, 'tell me what lies inside the pillar. At a godess’ behest or not, I will not run anyone’s errands without knowing what I am getting into.’

 

[Aine]

It was just another average day for Merce, waking up at some ridiculously early time to prepare the troops, as well as securing rations and an adequate amount of water along with it. It isn't exactly the most gratifying job, patrolling the city walls, as you are generally tasked to deal with things that the people within the city don’t see, and therefore, don’t really appreciate. Stuff like making sure no one is sneaking in a large amount of untaxed goods, such as weapons, or making sure that there are no bandits gathering around too close to the perimeters of the wall.


Nevertheless, it’s a job that someone needs to do to uphold order within the capital, however, Merce would be lying to say that he likes his current disposition; despite the capital being safe, what about the villages outside of it? A country doesn’t consist of just one city, no matter how much the government may think so, there are a multitude of farmers and people outside of the city walls which are in need of help, and non are given to them. Not to mention the fact that he has gotten no-where in the past 10 years, trying to find out about what really happened to his hometown, although, by this point, he might as well give up and just go with the generic answer of ‘Bandits did it’. These thoughts frustrated Merce immensely, and no matter how many times he tried to take his mind off of it, he would only find himself thinking about it a few minutes later. Either way, he continued his routine, attending a meeting with a small number of other squad leaders before returning to collect his men from the barracks. Apparently, there have been signs of merchants, 'dealers' to be more accurate, sneaking in a large quantities of weapons and illegal goods into the city, apparently there is a massive cache of these contraband just north of the city, although it hasn’t been confirmed yet. Merce and his team were tasked with investigating and scouting out the location of said weapon store, as well as seize the illegal items, if there are any.

After a small briefing on the task they were given, Merce and his team would leave the city walls, following only vague directions given to him by his superiors, and an old map with a circle that marked the area in which they suspect the cache of weapons to be. As anyone would expect, it really didn’t help much - this, and the fact that Merce has rarely been north of the capital, led to him and his entire squad being lost for a few hours. They eventually found themselves outside of a beaten down sacred structure, and while time has definitely ran its course on the buildings it seemed to have this strange, holy aura surrounding it, even though one of the pillars seemed to be in the process of crumbling. Nonetheless, after noticing that his men were a little tired due to walking around aimlessly for the last few hours, Merce suggested they take a small rest somewhere close to the tower before continuing on their journey. He ordered some of the men to go fetch wood for a fire and, with the rest of the group, headed towards the main spire to have a closer look at the building.