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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 23, 2016 15:48:03 GMT -6
Remus's words had been well meant, objectively speaking Nayru recognized that perfectly well, but they still brought darker thoughts to mind. He didn't know - couldn't know - who she had been before meeting him. Before Veigue, and before Elly. Before she had slowly been forced to realize that perhaps there could be a place for her in this world. Many times she had wondered... no, knew that Elibe would have been better off without her. If she hadn't been too cowardly to do what needed to be done, Elibe would have been spared a great deal of suffering.
But... at the same time, she wouldn't have been able to begin atoning for her actions. She couldn't have helped people like she did now. Veigue might well have died in that burning village, or to Zarius, or to that later business with his family. Remus might well have died in that Ilian town. She had saved lives in Sacae by destroying that nest of Baels, and later the bandit fortress; in Bern by defending that village from the gargoyles, and perhaps countless lives in southern Bern by taking on the chimera - and learned something about herself and her nature in the aftermath. As they continued to wind their way through the repetitive journey downwards, Nayru tried to reconcile the two mindsets and gauge the value of what she was doing, but there were too many unknowns. Perhaps someone else would have arrived in time for each of the episodes she listed. Perhaps not. Exactly how many lives would the chimera have taken? Would Veigue have survived the burning village, grown all the stronger for handling it alone, and been able to defeat Zarius and the successive fights alone? Was it her actions with the man attacking Remus that had spawned the actual threat to his life?
In the end, all she could do was what she could do. And for now, that meant trying to live in the moment. Still a bit difficult of a trait for her to pick up after living as she had for so long... but it had once been one of her strongest traits, long ago. It felt a bit like coming home to be able to do it again, even if it took some effort.
Five walkways and roughly 250-300 feet below the first she and Remus had visited, Nayru stopped abruptly when she noticed a break in the smoothness of the wall along the latest platform. There had been a few small carvings along the way, and a LOT of runes, but none of them had been particularly interesting or made much sense so she and Remus had mostly just ignored them. They couldn't read the runes and the carvings were simply individual dragons or humans or places (she thought), so there wasn't a great deal of information to be gleaned there. But this... most of the wall was covered in the damn runes she couldn't understand, but this time there was another large mural. To the right, what she had first noticed, was either a volcano, a mountain, or MAYBE supposed to be an island. It looked much like a very small scale version of the first carving they had seen, a triangle with dragons on one side and men on the other, but now there was only one dragon and one man, crossing blade and breath atop the peak of the carving. She kept walking, and saw the tell-tale depiction of waves, then ships, with men and... something that looked like men in them, possibly dragons, but many with ears that were far more distinct and even bestial than the elfin ears that were relatively common among dragons.
Some even had tails, for fug's sake! Dragons almost never had tails in human form. Like... it wasn't IMPOSSIBLE, but it just wasn't really a major feature, and certainly not common in portrayals. There were winged men and women above the ships too, all facing left, where what she assumed was another island. That seemed more manakete-ish, but... honestly, if she had to guess, though it was hard to tell from ancient carvings, they looked a lot more like feathery wings than the scaly, leathery material that most dragon wings were forged of.
But it did give her some ideas. Crossing her arms and leaning back against the railing, which was DEFINITELY NOT A TERRIBLE IDEA brought on by a sudden lapse in having a brain at all, Nayru cocked her head to her trailing companion before nodding to the murals. "Well, Remus, I think we might have a tentative answer to at least some of the questions from earlier. Get a load of this."
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Post by Remus on Aug 23, 2016 17:37:48 GMT -6
At the end of the day...what truly mattered? He kept doing what he could. To help Amelia and Owain. To help Nayru. To help Elibe. He was sure there would be choices that weren't so easy for him. Ones that didn't come so naturally. He'd handle those though, when he came to them. The priest moved silently behind Nayru as they traversed past countless runes. Countless glyphs and images that depicted a haunting reminder of the bitter war between humanity and dragon. They were ferocious images. Some, at-least, were. In the lapse of time that they walked, it only served to further the battering upon the priests pride that some things truly couldn't be undone. Of-course, he was not to blame for the sins of his ancestors, but that didn't make the weight of the guilt any lighter. It oppressed his shoulders perceptively with great intensity just by imagining it. It was only when he looked to Nayru that the unrelenting squirming which tore his internal organs to pieces eased quietly to a halt.
Well, Remus, I think we might have a tentative answer to at least some of the questions from earlier. Get a load of this.
"It's...well..something. What is it? I don't quite..understand it..Ah..I can't see all of it clearly though. Maybe this can help..?"
He snapped his gaze along the monstrously lengthy mural. His staff's light could cover part of it, but the obscure angle of light put the shadows across larger portions. So here, Remus decided he would try something new. He slowly walked a few feet closer to Nayru, standing next to her before he quietly extended his hand. A brilliant burning light began to shine outwards. His palm lit up with holy magic, before it condensed. Two shining orbs glittering with radiant divine light burst into existence within his grasp. It was by no means a difficult feat, when compared to channeling energy to cast purge. The control wasn't overly taxing either.
In moments, he willed them to hover at the far left, and far right of himself. Each one hovering while idling as a constantly existing light source that better illuminated the entire length of the mural itself. The priest gazed at it further, before noting as he tried gesturing towards the individuals with bird like wings.
"Nayru. They don't look like dragons..or...dragon like. Even I can tell that. But um..half animal people? I mean..do those exist on Elibe? I've never heard of it. That doesn't say much though since until I met you I, like most of Elibe, thought dragons were gone."
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 23, 2016 18:28:42 GMT -6
"Well that's handy." Nayru chuckled, but she was privately somewhat more impressed. Remus seemed to be taking to Light magic like a fish to water. If she recalled correctly, he hadn't even been able to muster it at all before the battle with the gargoyles in Bern. To have that level of control already... it definitely said something for either Remus's potential or his hard work. Maybe both. The dragon didn't know which was more accurate, but suspected that people had sorely underestimated the young priest's ability in the past until he finally found a reason to actually unleash it doing something more than simply teaching others. Was that a good thing or a bad thing, though? Remus could just as well have been a great bringer of faith and kindness within the church, in another age. Was this battle-hardened Remus, inured to the sight of blood and constantly pushing himself beyond his own limits, a happier Remus?
Nayru just didn't know. Couldn't know. But it was who he was now, whether either of them liked it or not. And she was just going to keep supporting his ass whether he liked it or not. "I am a bit envious, though," Nayru abruptly admitted to the priest, continuing and changing her train of thought somewhat. "Your magic has such... utility. To be able to strike down foes with righteous judgement - or simply light up a dusty old painting on a wall somewhere." Conversational tone for the most part, but there was an element of almost... wistfulness to it. She didn't really talk about it much but while Nayru didn't hate herself and her power as much as she once had, there was no denying that her ability to use it for more than destructive purposes was ah, sorely lacking, to say the least. She could control the intensity somewhat but it was a very... linear power to put it simply. She punched things. She could protect herself. She could even offer some limited ranged support now. But Nayru would never be able to heal and protect others quite like Remus would. And that was alright, in some ways. Not everyone could do the same thing, and they shouldn't. But it did sting a little bit that there was no use for it at all outside of combat and occasionally opening big doors.
Simultaneously though she was considering Remus's comments on the tapestry of history being revealed, or at least hinted at, to them. It was the same question she had wondered herself. What was with the animal people? Assuming that was what they were anyways, maybe it was just her and Remus seeing what they wanted to see. "But yes, the... creatures depicted here are unexpected. I've never heard of beast-men before. Some mentions of the Tarvos and Maelduin that once roamed what is now modern-day Sacae, but they were mere monsters, not men... though I suppose the Maelduins we saw near the river shows that perhaps not all of them are mere monsters. I can't really see them building something like this though. The Tarvos of lore were universally nomadic - either in tribes or alone."
"Some say..." she stepped forwards, approaching the scenery, "That once, long ago, there was a great war between races. Akin to the Scouring, but far more thorough. The dragons won, defending Elibe from this threat, and they vanished into history cementing dragons as the guardians of Elibe." Nayru touched one of the feathered beings on the image, silently wondering. "But there are no dragons alive today who were there, and it was many thousands of years ago... if it really happened at all. These creatures on the other hand... seem to have had contact with Elibe, or perhaps came from Elibe, barely a millennium ago. And yet I have not heard of them. Perhaps they are simply following the example of dragons in blending in, but... here they appear in human form with inhuman attributes. Dragons only blend in because the human form does not have those attributes, at least not strongly. Certainly we would have far more rumors of beastmen and monsters of their ilk were they merely hidden among us in Elibe, would we not?"
The implications were pretty clear. These werebeasts had come from Elibe at some point in the timeframe of the Scouring. But the math simply didn't add up. Why had she never heard of them? Why had they built this place, and most importantly, "...But why have we seen none of their kind here yet? Did they die out after reaching the island, or are they merely in hiding?" Yeah Nayru, great thought, just imagine hundreds of thousands of angry furry people trying to kill you, waiting around every corner with spears and axes or whatever the hell backwards 'technology' they had. "But you're right. These are not manaketes nor dragons. I do not see dragons anywhere in the... escape group. Perhaps they too were enemies of the dragons, or attempting to escape their sight?"
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Post by Remus on Aug 23, 2016 19:10:24 GMT -6
Your magic has such... utility. To be able to strike down foes with righteous judgement - or simply light up a dusty old painting on a wall somewhere.
It wasn't a fact lost on him. That didn't mean it was flawless magic though...nor was that lost upon the young priest. Remus shifted slightly before focusing his gaze upon the mural. Eyes lost as they scanned every minute detail, taking in, yet not registering as his mind took him elsewhere. The priest's tone was quiet, but within such a large spacious place that mattered little.
"I admit..that I try to look at it like that. I try so desperately to. With healing magic, there was no trouble. No worries or concerns. But as I started to learn more of light magic..there's a slight..hunger within me. I can't properly explain it. I've just become more aware of it as time goes on. Like an itch..or a worry beneath my mind. To enhance and master it further. Grow stronger. That scares me though, because power with the ability to heal is a pure and just pursuit. Seeking power to press the boundaries of my own limits..that idea scares me. I'm doing it for my own sake. Not another's. Even when I try to justify it as such..I feel a great shame. As if I'm lying. As if I know the real reason is simply to grow stronger. I don't know..I guess I fear the day when the idea of striking down another does not seem unacceptable to me."
The priest shook his head softly, dismissing the thoughts or fending them off for the time being. They had no place in the light, heh, light, of such a discovery. He gazed towards the stone tablet upon the wall once more that housed such grand designs. Taking in what Nayru said as he tried to ferment the idea within his own mind. Cogs turning and processing the magnitude of what they were seeing. Everything she said was speculation, and her final musing that they had died off at some point upon reaching the island's shores. That seemed likely to a degree. They hadn't seen neither hide nor hair, or in this case, feather even, of them. Which...wasn't entirely implausible. This was a ruin after all. The priest turned to Nayru, trying to swallow the whole image before speaking further.
"Would you say then, that it's possible they used this large place for some type of purpose before they died off..if that is indeed what happened. It's just strange to me that we've found no sign of them otherwise. Though if they did live here..that would explain why the stairs were so large I guess. Maybe ah..even the open space? If there are people with these large wings..maybe they could glide..or fall down and still land safely? "
He looked over again once more, willingly adjusting the orbs and mentally guiding them so they moved closer and higher up to better shed light on the situation.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 23, 2016 19:51:28 GMT -6
It wasn't that unusual for Nayru to not have a fantastic answer ready instantly, but it was fairly uncommon for her to really not have any real response at all. She could... understand Remus's concerns, somewhat, but they were inherently alien to her. Something she struggled to really comprehend. Dragons were born with strength. They had potential beyond the wildest dreams of mortals, but even a young lost egg could exert strength beggaring all but the greatest strongman or muscular warrior. Combine that with the fact that they were so much lessened from what they had been - from what every dragon knew they COULD be - the question for her had been nearly fundamentally opposite; what was the appropriate amount of force to use? How little could she exhibit and still solve the problem? How did she hold it in check when it threatened to consume her?
It wasn't until very recently that the very thought of becoming stronger had even occurred to her. It simply wasn't something that she had thought about much; if anything, she had wished to be weaker for a long time. But in her time with Aerious and Elly and Veigue and Hayle and Remus and others, she had learned that she too could understand the desire for more strength. To come to actually enjoy fighting, albeit preferably non lethal. To want to understand herself and her power, and how to use it. She still wasn't sure exactly how she felt about that, but it was the closest she could really come to understanding. Continuing to slowly walk down the mural and try to take in all its details up close, Nayru slowly spoke up in response. "...Dragons are born to power. To see it as a problem, or a threat, is... rare. It is a difficult mindset to grasp."
And yet in a backwards sort of way, she could understand where Remus was coming from, to a degree. She too had feared her power and despaired at what it did. Slowly raising her hand before her, staring down as she clenched the naked palm, so very human in its slender fragility, into a fist. "It simply is. What one does with that power is what determines its value. Power is not inherently good or evil." She paused, trying to find the right words. "Nor is its pursuit. For a long time, I didn't understand what it was to hunger for power. Humans... like you and Veigue... taught me what it was like. The need to protect those you care for. To protect the innocent. To crush evil. And... for your own sake. To learn what you're actually capable of. To take hold of power you cannot control; to make it your own, to better yourself physically. To refine your essence as you do mind and body. To become... whatever your ideal of the perfect man, or woman, is. The Overman. Übermensch. A shining hero, a paragon. The perfect warrior or the wisest sage."
The dragon turned to Remus, leaving behind the question of the beastmen and the island for the time being. They were interesting, and she would get to that later, but right now Remus was more important. "Remus, I know better than anyone else how dangerous... uncontrolled power can be. What it can do in the wrong hands. But-" There was a certain level of irony in HER of all people lecturing anyone else about power being totally cool to use casually. Nayru was not blind to it. But if her experience could help him in some way, even if the shame was great, she would bear it. For him. "Power itself isn't evil. There's nothing wrong with wanting to get stronger. You just need to keep your focus on WHY you wanted to get stronger in he first place. I think it's when you lose sight of that that things go wrong. History, human and dragon alike, is full of great men and brilliant heroes who grew complacent and greedy in the wake of their good deeds. If you can keep track of your goals... of your guiding moonlight... then power is just a means to an end, and getting stronger is just you preparing to do even better things."
She smiled, but there was a soft sadness to it rather than any real joy. It was a cruel truth, but one she had always known... even if her own cowardice had kept her from adhering to it perfectly. "And in the face of great evil... sometimes striking a foe down IS the greatest mercy you can offer, to them and to the world."
The funny thing is that Kraft probably would have agreed with all of that. The humans... and the dragons of the Scouring would have, too. None of them thought what they were doing was evil. None of them woke up one morning and decided 'hey, screw those guys, let's go kill everyone else.' Even Kraft, whatever his failings, had likely convinced himself quite thoroughly by now that he too was doing the morally correct thing - that those who failed Elimine did not deserve life, that those who betrayed him deserved only the darkest of consequences. So what was the difference between Remus and Kraft, really? It had to be a moral compass. It had to be the ability to recognize when violence in the name of the greater good was necessary, and when it was merely evil in the guise of proper action.
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Post by Remus on Aug 25, 2016 20:13:50 GMT -6
"It simply is. What one does with that power is what determines its value. Power is not inherently good or evil."
It was said so matter-o-factly. Yet in that dark ruin, surrounded by ancient things in a shadowy place, the light of a new philosophy rained upon him with unsuspected potency. A revaluation that felt both obvious, and obscure. In part, it felt obvious because the sheer level of simplification it entailed was perfectly suited to his own blunt and honest nature. In another hand, it felt like a revolutionary concept that he'd never truly been exposed to. The fact that power was simply that, and it was the intent behind it which drove it. So often it was based on the type of power within human society. The power of ancient magic was considered evil. The power of Holy magic considered righteous. A black and white example, literally. Where as, Nayru's line of thinking divided it into a more even solution. Intent behind the power.
His gaze briefly diverted from the mural to Nayru with an almost brightened look in the dancing lights and shadows that twisted about between the three light sources to make for an ever shifting image. A smile widened on his lips and his expression became far more relieved. As if a mighty burden had drifted from his shoulders and he instead gained the ability to lift an even greater weight despite this.
"Haha..it's strange. I never thought to look at it from that perspective. You know, it's a shame that human's and dragon's haven't well...become able to coexist again. I feel like we could learn alot from dragon's. And ah, thanks Nayru. What you said? It really helps! Seriously, it does!"
He nodded, and then slowly pivoted his upper torso to sweep his hand slightly. They had pondered upon this mural but he wanted to focus on it, given that it was the big discovery of the day. Not his rather simple shift in logic that "Try to do good and you'll do good". The light intensified slightly to grant a greater radius of illumination while he shifted to visibly address it. He was curious what else Nayru might see in the shifting light and ancient stone carved images.
"Ah. So um..what else are you able to see here? Any other conclusions you can draw from it? We know these look like Animal people. But if we don't hear about them from the scouring..what er...might have happened to them? You don't seem to recognize them distinguishably so it makes me really ponder what exactly is going on with them being here on the artwork?"
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 25, 2016 21:26:02 GMT -6
She hoped she had gotten through to Remus, but in the end you could never truly know. Just hope. Hope that your feelings got through to the other person and helped them, in the intended way or otherwise. It did sound like she had though, from Remus's response... and his hopes of the future. Nayru smiled ethereally at his comment before turning back to the mural. "You might be surprised some day, Remus." Arcadia... the living proof of what he said, and she hoped. Scouring heroes, normal humans, and dragons of all ages, living together in peace. It wasn't perfect by any means... but it was home to all of them. "And I share the sentiment."
As for the simple drawings on the wall? Well, that was something she could speak more freely of. While Nayru... trusted Remus, as much as she was capable of for all her failings, it was not her place to reveal Arcadia to the outside world on a whim. Too much could go wrong, and she had made too many mistakes in the past to embroil her home in another of her misjudgements. But someday, Nayru thought, she would like to show him just what coexistence could look like. "I believe this image tells us the short story. These beastmen left Elibe during a war between men and dragons - possibly the Scouring, possibly an older war. They must be the source of a few human legends, like werewolves... but I cannot imagine they were intimately close to human civilization or there would be far more left of them. Perhaps no one missed them when they left, or perhaps it was in a very ancient war long before the Scouring and there are simply no remaining records left."
"Almost all human AND dragon archives were destroyed in the Scouring, so even in a few generations it would be easy for humanity to forget a race that was not perceived as a threat like dragons. As for dragons..." She wasn't sure about that, honestly, and it did suggest a major hole in her theory. Perhaps there was something more that she was missing, a powerful magic like mass memory alteration or time travel, but those (probably) didn't exist, and were in the realm of speculation nonetheless. "Most died in the Scouring... obviously. Most of those alive today are younger than it so they would have never seen these creatures at all. Older dragons are, ah..." The younger dragon trailed off, not entirely enthusiastic about making her race look bad, but she DID remember that bit of Arcadia quite well. "Well, they aren't very, you know, forthcoming about the past. I think... most of them just want to forget about the world they lost."
When put like that, it was a bit melancholy. For obvious reasons, yes, but the idea that rather than being bitter they just had regret was depressing. Was Erim like that, too? The ancient dragon must have known of these creatures, and yet she had never told Nayru... though that wasn't so surprising. She had an eternity of stories, but avoided so many questions of her past. And Nayru had seen the great sadness in her mentor's eyes when the elder women didn't think she was looking. She had her own battles against the past to fight. "If these creatures understood ships and the like, they must have been intelligent. It's possible they still live here on Vinland, and are simply in hiding as the men of Elibe come to finish the job they started on demihumans."
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Post by Remus on Aug 26, 2016 20:59:02 GMT -6
the priest's gaze locked onto less of a particular animal and more on the entire scene. As Nayru translated the images into a palpable story that his brain could entirely process, the priest tried to ferment the image within. The idea that these...beast people were real beings became both a source of fantastic internal sights so vivid that he almost forgot what precisely was reality and what wasn't.
Within those twisting shadows and floating lights, the duo examined the ancient tablets which told such a historical tale as this which had evaded all knowledge on Elibe itself. The very prospect, that an entire society existed without anyone knowing..? It was crazy! A huge secret kept so well...it was crazy! It would've been like if dragon's had exited all alon- Oh wait.
So. They were a large enough race that they could erect these great relics and monuments. They also knew a fair bit about current events. The scouring must have had a large enough importance that it would warrant these entire murals to be put upon the walls within this place. Yet not important enough that humanity tried to maintain documentation of any distinguishable kind. If I were to check the oldest tomes in Etruria, I might never find it constantly.
He shifted one more as the lapis haired priests eyes fell level onto Nayru. He moved slightly, ensuring not to move past her just yet while he tried to speak aloud. At-least to get his thoughts going.
"I didn't see any signs of major civilizations along the outskirts of the island. I assume that means if they are still alive, they moved inwards? I wouldn't know for sure but just a hunch? We hadn't seen any yet. Nor any real sign this place was inhabited. So do you think maybe their some..underground dwelling society now and that's why we haven't found any yet? "
It was probably a ridiculous notion. At the end of the day they'd only know for sure by exploring lower.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 26, 2016 21:17:26 GMT -6
"No, there's no one here." Perhaps it was a bit too hasty of a dismissal on her part, but Nayru had not sensed any life in this place, nor had she seen any evidence of recent life aside from the tracks in the courtyard. This place had obviously not been serviced in a long time, despite its relatively stellar condition. Finally, while she was admittedly far below mediocre in regards to the so-called superior draconic senses that some of her kin evinced, Nayru still had a very good sense of hearing by human standards as well as good smell, and she simply hadn't detected anything recent. Some... somewhat older stuff, but it smelled more like animal, and very sparse and old. More likely related to the dead rat Remus had found, and other indigenous life, than some secret underground society.
That wasn't the only reason she shot it down that quickly though. There was another, arguably even better one. "Remus, I don't think these creatures were ever exactly a 'civilization' in the way humanity understands the term. We would know about them from their ruins on Elibe if that was the case, but I've never-" The dragon paused, brows furrowing in the twilight as she struggled to register something at the verge of her memory. HAD she seen those runes before, once? "I don't think I've ever seen these runes before," she amended slightly, not wanting to go too deep into it. As ever, while her memory held the answer, it would take time and effort to find, and would pretty much shut her down as a participant in the conversation and exploration alike. Better to just figure it out later.
Also, there was something else that had just spring to mind. "...They've been watching us the whole time." Another pause as she started pacing, only half paying attention to Remus, her speech growing faster as she thought. "Not us. Well, maybe us, but the expedition. All those rumors, the half-sightings around Aurnion. The adventurers coming back spooked." Her head snapped to Remus abruptly. "They've been gauging us, probably. Trying to figure out if the people of Elibe are a threat or not. It's the simplest explanation - if they left during the Scouring and had a millennium to get used to this island, it would be easy to hide. Temporarily. While they decided what to do. If they're actually intelligent, if it's a proper culture or even a nomadic civilization, they probably don't know how to react to us any better than you and I would to having some bigass werewolf guy dropping in through the ceiling right now."
Furtively glancing upwards just in case, the tension and excitement evaporated from her voice simultaneously and instantly as yet another thought struck her, from a parallel process that had been running in the meantime. Nayru scratched her head, looking around as if the answer was there to be seen. "But... if that's all true, why isn't anyone here? This place is a treasure trove of knowledge... and it was obviously incredibly important at some point. Possibly even central to the civilization, given the sheer size. So why haven't I seen or sensed anything?"
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Post by Remus on Aug 28, 2016 0:01:19 GMT -6
...They've been watching us the whole time.
Remus instantly became more aware. More paranoid. He was so troubled by the notion that they were being watched, he was turning and gazing about wildly. The priests gaze scanning through the twisting shadows and light of the old ruin while the Dragoness elaborated further on her own concerns. However, while the priest shifted and turned to look about, he noticed that his stalwart companion did not seem to worry in any shape or form. Was it because they were in such an enclosed environment that they had not to worry about? Or could it have been because there was no real way any one could spy upon them from the current location? After-all, the large spanning hallways and winding paths did not make for a very deceptive path from which they could be watched. He also couldn't see any outer location from which they might be spied upon.
Then again, he didn't know this place as well as they no doubt would have. So, like most of the situations, he'd have to trust in Nayru's experience and knowledge. IF she didn't panic, neither did he because she felt safe enough not to. This prompted the priest to think further on the matter even as he moved entirely to Nayru's side. After-all. There might not be any crazy dangerous beast-people spying on them, but he could still try to be sure for his own sake.
Though her valid points rang true in his head, the one that rested the most within him and troubled him was her final. Why she hadn't scene anything. Sensed anything. Etc. The priest tapped his staff quietly against the ground while looking over and moving slightly as if fidgeting within his poise. The hesitant touch in his tone showed the priest's thoughtfulness behind his own words.
"Well..this is a a new and foreign place. Maybe they have a means to dampen magic? Or maybe they can simply hide? I do not claim to know but that's just what comes to mind."
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 28, 2016 2:39:06 GMT -6
Dampening magic, flawless hiding... the truth was that Remus might be right. Nayru didn't like admitting she didn't have flawless senses, but it WAS possible there was something strange going on. Not to mention the fact that after a millennium of separation, it was entirely possible that magic had developed in entirely new ways than it had on Elibe. So... "Maybe, yeah," she agreed grudgingly to blueberry's theory. There was little mistaking the forced admission in her tone rather than gleeful agreement, but then would anyone really expect it of her? "I do think we're alone down here, though. Maybe not above ground, but there are clues if you know where to look and how to listen. I'm not a proper tracker, and it's very possible some of the false alarms I had up there were the result of actual watchers, but down here I just haven't felt anything. Nothing has been disturbed, there are no signs whatsoever of civilized life..."
The dragoness shook her head as she scratched her thigh. Goddamn itches. Something was off about this whole damn place and she didn't understand it. "It's like a tomb. One day everyone just up and left. Why?" The mural half forgotten, she turned full away towards the railing, the cavernous chasm sprawling out before them. So many questions, and so few answers. They knew more now than they had coming here, it had certainly been a fruitful trip... but not enough. It was never enough. There were just too many inconsistencies, in her theories and her solutions, to claim them as absolute truth. What if these creatures had come long before the Scouring and she had ascribed their arrival to that time out of hubris that the Scouring was as important to these beings as it was to her? Perhaps if she had a NAME to work off - Beastkin, Laguz, Dogfaces... ok maybe not that last one.
Remus's light, perhaps fittingly, seemed to struggle against the darkness much as she did. Not their nearby surroundings... but the enormous central room they were at the very corners of now. Far too large to be lit by a single man, the blue glow seemed to be consumed whole by shadow the further it tried to pierce. There was probably something poetic there, but she wasn't in the mood for it. Sometimes, there were tiny glints of reflected light, but too far in the distance to make any real use of them. They still couldn't see the bottom, and if anything it almost felt as if the far wall was even further away now.
But... while she couldn't make it out, Nayru did think she could make out the very faintest glimpse of light somewhere near the far end of the room, deep below. Not across from the wall she was up against, but lengthwise, maybe two or three times as far away, far beyond the range of Remus's light. Maybe something pink or red? Sure would be nice to have some hawk eyes right now. "Well, we aren't gonna find out jack crap here. Let's keep going down, maybe there'll be an evil sealed god in the darkest depths of the forgotten citadel of nightmares," Nayru joked, or at least she desperately hoped she was joking, saving the world sounded cool and all but she was more of a books and ruins kinda gal, not so much on the tentacles and... eternal murder enslavement stuff.
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Post by Remus on Aug 28, 2016 17:36:49 GMT -6
It was an unsettling thought. Trying to move through this unknown dark place and all the while keep their guard up or prevent themselves from falling to any unknown dangers. Like exploding magical rune traps and giant death guillotines on the ceiling! Luckily they hadn't found much yet danger wise. Even as Remus moved through the ruins with a crawl of a pace along side Nayru, the behemot of a room they found was a monster to take in conceptually. Remus had never been in a room so large within his life. In-fact, as far as rooms went, it was likely the biggest he'd ever confronted. A great looming expanse that swallowed them hole as if stepping into the void itself. Perhaps this was what the nether felt like? Almost as if the nether was reading his thoughts, he became aware of another emphasis to the rooms size. That he could not illuminate it all. The field of vision simply dwindled in the distance and vanished. The shadows consuming the meager light the priest could conjure.
It unnerved him a bit. How couldn't it? As if though, to step up to the challenge, the priest honed in the essence of his holy magic similarly to how he had prior. In this regard however he did not project three smaller spheres. Instead, he lifted his staff upwards while a rush of magical wind swirled about him before a great orb of radiant divine magic which burst forth brilliant light like a great beacon. A large orb of pulsating light which permeated almost as if a living source of energy.
This was a noticeable effort for him to conjure up compared to the others. It had taken a pause, concentration, and a small portion of his energy allocated to maintaining it. However the orb hovered about fifteen feet above the priest like a disjointed corona of divine essence that had come from the priests very soul. It also created a more defined light source than that from his meager staff. As opposed to the soft blue light which darkened outwards mere feet from them and then became swallowed by the void, this pushed back the essence of shadow definitively to create a well lit space around them. Like the other light, it still fell to the same dark reaches eventually. Almost symbolic as well. No amount of brilliant light could fully penetrate the dark on it's own.
If anyone had been following them, they'd certainly have vision of them now. However this also created a very safe and well lit path before them visibly. Remus turned to Nayru while moving near and to the back right of her, with a sheepish smile and a shrug of his shoulders before justifying his actions almost preemptively. His tone housed the usual "Remus" chuckle.
"Well, if anything was following us..maybe they'll be blinded and unable to see us directly?"
"Well, we aren't gonna find out jack crap here. Let's keep going down, maybe there'll be an evil sealed god in the darkest depths of the forgotten citadel of nightmares,"
She had a point. The room was huge, sure! It was however, huge and empty. To this end, the priest quietly nodded and moved to Follow Nayru. He would keep the light source going, and with the barrier spells still upon them, he felt far less worried. A combination of the female dragon he called friend at his side, his defensive magics upon them, and a sturdy reliable light source behind them all allowed him to feel far safer than he ultimately had any right to.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 28, 2016 19:22:28 GMT -6
Huh. Well she'd be a monkey's uncle. Er... aunt? That saying didn't work as well if you had boobs. Aside from being slightly nonplussed by her momentary digression of thought, Nayru was more impressed by Remus's little light show. The disappearance of the original spheres had been an unpleasant surprise, but moving on up to a single larger sphere definitely helped shed light on the subject - figuratively and literally. The dragon pursed her lips staring up at the orb, nodding in mixed satisfaction and being impressed at his efforts. She chuckled as she looked back down to him. "Geeze Remus, if I knew you could do that I would have brought you along for your utility rather than your charming demeanor! I bet you do this for every girl."
Rather than do anything like, say, give him a chance to react or actually hold a conversation on the subject, she lightly punched him in the shoulder with a mischievous grin before turning and starting to walk down the, well, walkway. As God intended it. "Now c'mon, let's get moving. We've been down here at least an hour already, the climb back up is gonna be a lot harder, and I'm not carrying you back up unless you ask real nice." While she was facing away from him by now, Nayru lifted her left arm to wave him to come along, her gait not especially fast but a definite spring in her step. She was kind of excited, scratch that, getting to be pretty excited. Even if there was so much they didn't know, it had definitely been a fruitful trip nonetheless, and doing it with a friend was a lot more interesting than solo.
Interestingly enough there was no repetition of the usual pattern this time - the end of the walkway still terminated in another entrance to the rock but the path and stairwells didn't loop around this time, instead delving deeper into the rock in what her (limited) navigation memory suggested was a large u turn or possibly even approaching 360 degrees. It was hard to tell, especially since there had been more stairs in the first stretch going down whereas the last half seemed to be mostly flat... and very, very far underground. Might just be her imagination, but Nayru could almost swear she FELT the obscene weight of the earth pressing down on them even within the dusky corridors they now called home.
At last they came to an exit, or rather an entrance to the great hall they had clambered along the sides of previously. This time though it was from an end to it. The dragon thought it was pretty close to below where they had entered the hall the first time, but far, far below, and closer to the center of the room this time... probably. The walls were so far off in both directions that she couldn't tell if they were actually in the center. Before her, though, was a grand walkway, a good eight feet across if not slightly more, spearing directly into the heart of darkness spreading out endlessly before them. Perpendicular to it, parallel to the wall they stood at the edge of, was another path off to the right and also ending in darkness, but nothing similar to the left.
"Huh." She had the feeling that it would be a pretty damn impressive sight if she could actually SEE worth a god damn - Remus's new light was definitely handy, but the place was simply far too large to actually illuminate. Nayru took an exploratory step closer to the edge of the abyss, looking down without hopping off... obviously. "Aaaaaand I still can't see the bottom. Wonderful. I think this is about as far down as we can go, we're not equipped for rock climbing. Does pretty much confirm this place is at least partially built on an existing fault though I think, otherwise there'd be solid floor everywhere here."
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Post by Remus on Aug 29, 2016 13:38:35 GMT -6
Geeze Remus, if I knew you could do that I would have brought you along for your utility rather than your charming demeanor! I bet you do this for every girl
Remus barely had time to chuckle. In-fact, he was mid chuckle with his brain just trying to cognitively form a response while Nayru's mighty falcon fist of judgment crashed into his shoulder. However, unlike most things that had to breathe to exist that Nayru punched, Remus did not explode through a wall. Or explode. Or hit a wall. It was odd to actually acknowledge that Nayru could hit lightly. Given all the absurd strength feats he'd seen from her, he just assumed she had a default setting of "MURDER, DEATH, KILL," mode. It was a rather realistic shift.
Nayru however was content to advance. March on. Tally ho! Sally forth! Other words and phrases..that involve moving!
The priest tucked his gaze somewhat and moved to follow behind her, taking swifter strides as she mentioned not carrying him back up. Here, the priest attempted to funnel his inner machismo. Boy, that wasn't a very large pool to tap into was it? It resulted in him flashing a slight grin as he tilted his head and smiled brightly. Because that was the definition of masculine, wasn't it Remus? "Maybe some day I'll get to a point where I won't need carried, heh. But that is not this day!"
His meager jest induced laughter within the priest as he tilted his head and examined her quietly once more, the brilliant light source following silently with powerful pulsating light. As they entered narrow paths and confined spaces it would be of far more use, casting no crevice unlit. However when they entered the lower floor to find another large chamber, he felt again the soft intimidation from the grueling depths. It was like he was fighting a war against nature and the laws of light and dark. That did not hinder him from maintaining his orb though, and even as Nayru moved to examine further into the depths, Remus decided to attempt something else now. This was almost like a perpetual test course for his powers of light. More like practice, but hey, it had to happen some how.
He continued to emit the light of the orb but tapped his staff slightly and then ascended it. The soft familiar blue light came back into existence, winking on as the priest slowly enhanced his concentration. He inclined his right hand, and extended his palm. After a moment, the large orb of light traversed the gap between their walk way, and the one off to the side that moved to the Abyss. If nothing else, to examine what they could without moving much yet. That, and because he wanted to see if he could manage the ability of maintaining the bright orb while moving and manipulating it.
His words were quiet, from the focus he exuded while performing his task, but still easily audible in that dark echo filled place. "So..we can't go down...but where do we go from here? This place seems far too large to simply go back up empty handed..no?"
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 29, 2016 14:27:44 GMT -6
"Hmm... I see two options," Nayru stated thoughtfully after a moment of continued thought. Remus had jerked her from her momentary reverie but it was necessary, otherwise she would have been down here for a lot longer. "One, we check that side passage. Might go somewhere different. We've basically just been following the path straight down and ignoring branching passages - anything from living quarters to archives could be hidden in that direction." That was the most likely scenario, though the dragon wasn't sure what they'd find down there. Likely to be valuable information nonetheless though. "The other," she intoned, stepping out onto the walkway - and immediately being bathed in an eerie blue glow that was decidedly different than Remus's and interrupted her commentary in a moment of sheer surprise and reaction as she reflexively spun to the side to see the deadly... brazier... that was now lit.
Yeah... she had kind of been expecting another fire trap, honestly.
Still taken aback, Nayru carefully walked up to the raised brazier, its spindly black outline brightly lit by its azure glow, a wisp of almost spectral flame flickering within its confines, and put her hand near it. How interesting. It wasn't hot at all. In a move that would likely give Remus a heart attack she impulsively swiped her hand through it and was rewarded(?) by a distinct intense chill that, much like the flame itself, passed through her hand as if it wasn't even there. Curioser and curioser. "The other, uh, option," Nayru continued after a slight pause, her rhythm decidedly interrupted. "Is that we follow this path and see where it-" she took a few steps down it and another set of braziers erupted in pyreflame as well, "-ok seriously are we exploring an ancient temple or is this the leadup to the final f**k**g boss of Vinland? I seriously don't feel like fighting any demon gods on a walkway this prone to being punched in half."
She was joking, mostly, but the dragoness was admittedly a little more on edge now than she had been since the episode on the stairs with Remus. So far this place had been pretty basic, albeit impressive engineering, but she was starting to get a bad feeling about this. Ancient magic rarely ended well for anyone involved, and this whole place WAS starting to look more like a tomb than a temple.
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