As soon as Bastien had come back from the shrine in the woodlands, he had set about making a notice for help in the quest. There was never any time to do things like the present and he felt an excitement thrumming in him at the chance to grasp at some more knowledge of the Divine creatures living in this world.
The notice, which hung on the door of the church, read thus:
☆☆☆☆
COULD YOU HELP THE CHURCH OF SAFRIN?
LOOKING FOR THE BEST ADVENTURERS OR WILLING DISCIPLES TO HELP WITH A QUEST
Go to the Ruins at dawn on Friday to meet with Bastien and learn more about this chance to help the church and go on an adventure!
☆☆☆☆
He hoped that would be enough to attract somebody who had some muscles (or at least someone who could fight, or maybe one of those Ascended who could see in the dark...but Safrin would not like that, he didn't think).
Though looking about the ruins, at the fallen pillars and dark archways...he wondered if it was just going to be a lot of looking about, rather than the adventure he had promised. The only thing he'd ever encountered in these ruins was a scared woman, never any monsters.
As the sun began to rise, he heard the crunch of feet coming towards him in the snow. Bastien glanced over hoping to see hulking warriors or quick witted rogues...and saw Rexanna and Jigano. He tried to not let his disappointment show on his face. Both fine people, to be sure, but not the sorts he would have picked out for such a quest.
"Hello, friends!" He still called, waving them over where he stood in the middle of an ancient courtyard, now spotted with snow and frost. "I did not expect your beautiful faces here, but what a delight! Thank you for coming to help me!"
Once greetings had gone by and Rexanna and Jigano were waiting for him to explain exactly why the hell he'd dragged them out to a ruin so early, he smiled and spread his hands out wide, ever the performer. "So. Just the other day, I went to a shrine in the woods. Not to bella signora della notte's shrine, no, but to someone else. But why such blasphemy, Bastien? You might ask. Well, I was hoping to hear someone else tell me of Safrin to know what they might say. And this voice which responded told me that in these ruins there is a magical stone."
With a dramatic flourish around the ruins, he continued. "And this stone will let me understand the secrets of the divine. Of course, I will share these secrets with all who visit the church. It will benefit all of us! So shall you help me search for the stone?"
~~~~~~
Both spots for this PQ are taken!
POSTING ORDER:
None for this intro round, whatever order you want to Jigano Rexanna :)
Let's not use posting tables to help out Cirago~
The party had been, somewhat to Jigano's surprise, rather successful. He didn't ask nor want to know what the private 'services' in the back room had been about, but out front there had been conversation and dancing to his music and a generally good time had by all. And now that he knew where the church was, he couldn't help but glance on it when his errands took him past. That was how he'd noticed the sign posted outside - one he'd read with a raised brow and a stifled groan.
Adventurers? Quests? Somehow the bartender-turned-priest didn't seem like the type. Not with the way he'd been groaning and coughing over the drinks when they'd met. But... Edy liked him, and Vervain had hired him. And the man had hired Jigano for a mutually acceptable deal, with chances in the future for further employment and performances...
With a sigh, the bard had set himself a mental note to get up early on Friday and at least make sure there enough other people along to keep the man out of trouble.
Yawning still, he ambled towards the meeting spot, blinking in surprise to see Bastien standing all alone. Well, not entirely - another woman was approaching as well, vaguely familiar though he couldn't quite place her. The bard managed a graceful bow in spite of the hour, summoning a tired smile. "Jigano, m'lady. A pleasure to meet you," he introduced before turning to examine Bastien with a critical eye.
At least he appeared hale and healthy today. Perhaps his sickness only came in fits? But his roguish charm almost coaxed a smile to the lorekeeper's lips. "Divine secrets? I'm always eager to learn a secret or two." He arched a silver brow, resting a gloved hand on the pommel of his rapier beneath his cloak, tilting his head curiously. "So... do you have any clues as to what it looks like, or how we'll know it when we see it? Or... where it might be? In a building, underground, up a tree...?"
Rexanna had read the sign at the door of Bastien’s church, and she had immediately been intrigued. While she wasn’t the best choice in terms of brawn and muscle, she was a quick thinker. Luckily it wasn’t immediate, either, which had given her a chance to prepare. She had found bundled, yet tight fitting clothes in case there’d be a need for running and movement, and she had also found a few smaller knives she could conceal in the clothing for an added edge. While she wasn’t certain if Bastien knew that she could handle herself, she most certainly could. She even had firework magic that could hopefully scare something off if they were afraid of fire and loud noises. But she wouldn’t be caught unprepared again.
Her hair was braided back and out of reach when while she approached the Ruins and spotted Bastien observing some of the dark archways. He turned to spot her and another that had come, which she didn’t recognize but she offered the silver haired man a gentle smile of hello. As Bastien addressed them, she nodded her head in greeting to him as well. She turned to Jigano then as he spoke his introduction, extending in a kind of bow of a more formal greeting that was similar to the one he offered her. “I’m Rexanna, pleased to meet you Jigano.” She spoke with her sultry, soft voice before turning back to Bastien to get an idea of what they were facing.
For a moment when she looked at the Ruins, she recalled a burning flame with buildings toppling one another as people ran screaming. But she focused harder, buried the terror that drenched that part of her memory away. This would be reconciling her wrongs. If she could help, fight back against whatever they found here, perhaps it’d put her soul at rest. It was easy to put the memories aside as Bastien spoke with such expression, and she laughed quietly to herself but nodded all the same.
“I’d love to help.” She hummed to him, before her head tilted curiously. Her lips parted but before she could say anything, Jigano had said exactly what she had been wondering. Would it be ordinary? One where they’d have to excavate the mines or walk by a plain looking stone over and over again without realizing it? If it was like that, then the task of finding this stone had just gotten a lot more daunting. But if it was a unique one easily spotted, it might actually be fun. She clamped her lips shut and looked back to Bastien with a nod in agreement to what Jigano had asked.
Well...the two were not the disciples he would have chosen, but they both seemed capable and interested at least. Bastien supposed the thing he needed the most here was willing spirits. Both Jigano and Rexanna asked for further clarification, so he adopted his dramatic story tellers voice again.
"I was told by the Voice that the stone will glow golden, and that we will find it by statues that may point the way." Looking around, Bastien did not immediately see any statues, but there were several half-gone buildings around which could house such figures. He looked about, trying to consider which to enter. The one with a mosaic around the door? Or the one with a creeping vine framing the long-gone windows?
Eventually he settled on a large building behind him, which appeared to have been important in it's time; the ruined architecture spoke to a place of grandeur with some parts of delicate stonework still surviving. He gestured for them to follow then headed into the building, stepping over fallen bits of stone and overgrown dry brambles covered in snow.
The inside was mostly just dusty - a mostly covered roof survived. While a lot of the place was dark, it was easy to see as soon as they came in that there was a large hole in the floor. It was difficult to work out quite what was in the gap, but as Bastien's eyes adjusted he saw it had a definite floor, and some ghostly shapes that could be figures or statues if he tilted his head a certain way.
It was about a 8 foot drop. "Can you see those figures, down there? Maybe that is what we are looking for." He pointed down into the hole, looking back to see if Jigano and Rexanna would agree.
Well, there was only one way to find out. Spotting a patch of soft moss on the floor beneath, Bastien nodded to himself.
"I'm going to go and see." He said casually, then took a few steps backwards. A few stretches that were mostly for show later (he was going to feel the pressure on his muscles the next day, but he could make it without) he ran forward and dived into the hole, rolling as he hit the ground to lessen the impact and coming to a stop on the moss, which did cushion his fall. Even as a blunt pain hit his side his desire to perform won out and he stood up, posing with his arms up and a face that screamed 'ta dah!'
----
Work a way down into the floor beneath! (Or, don't. :P If you want maybe you could find a secret set of stairs in the corner ;) )
Posting order:
1. Jigano
2. Rexanna
He smiled at Rexanna's introduction and courtly manners, even though her sultry tones so early in the morning seemed out of place. He wasn't sure quite how to respond, but thankfully didn't have to before Bastien stole the spotlight again. "Well, at least we'll be able to see it in the dark?" Jigano quipped. "And gold should stand out from the snow." But like his host, he didn't see any convenient statues around to help 'point the way.' The building that Bastien chose would have been his choice as well, a sense of fallen beauty to it that well might house artworks and statues of centuries past.
He picked his way carefully behind the priest, nimble even on the shifting rubble. He turned to offer a gallant arm to Rexanna over the worst parts, though he didn't try to force his help if she were comfortable at her own pace. The interior of the building was at least dry, though with the broken floor Jigano was a little leery of exploring too far in.
Bastien's eyes caught the statues first, peering into the hole while the bard looked to the ceiling and walls in open curiosity at what the building had once been. Once his attention was drawn to the subterranean figures, however, he blinked and nodded agreement. "Yes, I suppose... they could be..." he mused, not entirely certain. The Brow rose at Bastien's quick enthusiasm, and while the lorekeeper considered trying to stop him, the priest was already making his dive before Jigano had made up his mind to speak up or not.
Peering carefully over the edge of the hole, he applauded politely, but noting the depth of the drop he found himself tilting his head curiously down at his intrepid leader. "That was very impressive, Bastien but... how do you intend to get back up?" He hadn't brought a rope - a lack of preparation he was ready to curse himself for - but if there were statues and things down below...
"Surely the people who made those statues had a better way to get them down there?" he murmured to Rexanna, a smile playing at his lips as he started to look around the less-broken parts of the floor. "Let's see if we can't find some stairs..." He drifted over to a damaged portion of the wall to begin searching, humming thoughtfully to himself. It took some time (during which he studiously ignored any complaints Bastien might have) but eventually he found a corner with a plank of wood that had once been part of the ceiling tilted over it. When he ducked behind it a set of stairs awaited, descending into the dark. Testing the wood carefully, the Lorekeeper made a stately descent, walking over to join Bastien and Rexanna with serene calm to see what they'd discovered of the statues.
Her eyes lingered on Bastien while he mentioned a god she’d never heard of before. Yet the god seemed a bit more willing to help than the one she had encountered, and she nodded in understanding while she breathed a small sigh of relief. Thankfully it wouldn’t be as time consuming of an event, but now the challenge was how to get down there. Her eyes drifted to Jigano then as he mentioned it’d be easy to find in the dark and she nodded to that as well.
“I do have firework magic that might be helpful for a split second. A bit of fire manipulation too, but nothing good just yet.” She offered the information with a light shrug and a sultry laugh as she followed Jigano and Bastien toward the spot that he seemed inclined to go. As he looked down into the hole, she tilted her head and squinted her eyes as if it would help her see better. She remained silent while Jigano spoke, glancing to him just as Bastien dove into the hole.
That was certainly one way to do it. Though Jigano had the better idea as he spoke to her, her own lips quirking at his words. “Hopefully they’re still intact enough.” She offered with a light shrug, lowering herself to the stony ground and slipping over the edge. She was quite short, still, and as she brought herself into the dark she found there were still close to four feet of space between her and the ground below. At least that wasn’t as terrible of a jump as an eight foot fall. Letting go with a slight oomph wooshed out of her, she landed on the ground in the moss and flashed a light grin to Bastien before Jigano rejoined.
“Ah, so there were stairs.” She admitted with a hushed chuckle. Turning back to Bastien, she smiled easily to him. “Show off.” She said in jest before looking to see if there were indeed statues that they had spotted from above.
"Ha! We worry about getting back up when we need to get back up." Bastien responded to Jigano 's concern with a wave of his hand. It seemed that Jigano swiftly found a safer way to traverse the floors anyway (which was terribly boring to him but he let it go without comment, even if he did tap his foot in irritation against the moss at how long it was taking.)
To his delight, Rexanna did the adventurous thing and tried to jump down, though he was a little concerned for her health when he saw the way she hit the floor; his hands were outstretched to steady her but ended up going back down when he saw that she seemed to be alright. A shrug and a lopsided grin greeted her comment. "Why not show off when you have the skills to do it, ey?"
Whichever way they had gotten down, they were here now. And indeed, four statues were dotted around them. One had completed eroded, now just a base and an unrecognisable lump of stone, but the other three were intact enough for their forms to have remained visible. All three were women draped in cloth, the stone now full of holes and covered in dirt at the protruding edges.
It was not hard to see the point which all of the statues were pointing at - once Bastien focused in the darkness in the right direction, he saw a door. He motioned for Jigano and Rexanna to follow. Once he was close, he could see a inscription was on the door, but not quite what it said.
"We need a light." He declared, looking behind him. "Neither of you are vampiro, huh? So you cannot see any better than me. But maybe those firework magics? Or...an idea, Jigano?"
--
Think of a way to light up the room enough to read the door's inscription! I will PM it to whoever can light it up and read it so you can try work out the words :)
Order:
1. Rexanna
2. Jigano
As Bastien spoke, she offered a quiet chimed laugh in response. “Adventure keeps one limber, you know?” She joked in return, flashing a wink for good measure. Yet as she looked around, she could see the statues that Bastien had described from peering down below. Her brows raising slightly in surprise and perhaps a bit of a wonder that the artist truly did have decent vision. Stepping over to the most corroded statue, she peered at it the best she could. Though she looked to Bastien as he focused his attention toward a door.
Following him and leaving the crumbling statues behind, she noticed the inscription that was hard to read and Bastien’s following words. She shook her head to that unfamiliar term that she had heard him say before, but never the less smiled at the option of fireworks. She’d only ever done a medium sized one and it had promptly exploded the pumpkin she had set it off within. But there was no harm in trying. Looking to the two other men, she flashed a succulent grin. “Mind standing back a bit? Don’t want to hurt you if I don’t have to.” She purred to them before returning to the door.
Pushing down into that deep well of her power where she had before with the pumpkin game between Edy and Deimos, she prodded at it to pull something small. She didn’t need a giant explosion, she simply needed something small in order to read the door. But her control was limited, and she wasn’t certain if she even could bring out a small firework. Clasping her hands in front of her, she pushed at it until something akin to a ‘sparkler’ kind of firework began to burn and light up the corridor in unsteady pools of light. She held it up toward the door with a tilt of her head trying to read what it said all while trying not to get her fingers burnt.
{{{oh my gosh im so sorry I didn’t realize it was my turn x___x but anyway, Rex can either make one big firework, two medium sized, and 5 small fireworks, so she chose to make a small one like a sparkler that should last enough to read the inscription!}}}
At Bastien's comment about showing off, the bard merely smirked and let Rexanna enjoy the compliment. He followed behind them both, pausing to examine the statues a little more closely and letting them get a little bit ahead. He caught up as Bastien asked for a light, but could only shrug and give a wry smile. As he opened his mouth to say something about adventure preparedness, Rexanna spoke up with a sensual purr in her voice and the bard raised a brow. Assuming her magic was, like Edy's, fire-based he stepped back to give her plenty of room, glancing to Bastien to see if their host knew what to expect.
The fizz of a sparkler brought his gaze immediately to Rexanna's hand - and then up, sharp blue eyes scanning the words swiftly. "Once all eyes are pointed away, the door shall open," he read aloud. Chuckling he turned to look at the statues, beginning to walk back towards them. "While it might mean our own eyes, somehow I think it means the eyes of these lovely ladies here... those who have eyes left. Shall we see if, by chance, they can be turned on their bases?" He grinned, setting his hands on the hip of one and trying, experimentally, to see if it could be twisted to look away from the door.
Bastien clapped loudly for Rexanna 's magic, always impressed by the spectacle of it. What he would have given to have such power back in Venice, to have been able to enchant the crowds with actualenchantments.
Jigano read aloud the inscription as Bastien saw it. The obvious thought was for the statues behind them, and he was glad to hear Jigano come to the same conclusion. "I do not often touch a lady so intimately after only a few moments...but needs must." He joked as he moved to grab a statue opposite from Jigano. As they both put their hands on them, they would find the statues turned, grinding stone moving surprisingly smoothly.
It was not long between the four of them before all statues were turned (Bastien turned the one without a head as well just in case) and he turned to look expectantly at the door, which did....nothing. It didn't open or glow or do anything appropriately rewarding of their effort. Bastien tilted his head at it to think for a moment.
"Once all eyes are pointed away, the door shall open"...Oh. Jigano had mentioned their own eyes.
"Turn around, friends. Let us not look at the door either." As soon as all three of them had turned, Bastien heard the sliding of stone behind him and felt a cold draft - the door had opened. "Be careful, but I believe we must walk backwards." He took confident steps backwards, having learnt the act of walking any way he pleased years ago on a tightrope. However, his confidence would quickly prove a curse as his feet didn't meet the floor once they had passed the threshold of the door.
Bastien fell. Caught by surprise, he let out a rather undignified yell as he plummeted backwards a long way then had all of the air knocked from his lungs with a loud splash as he landed in a deep pool of water.
---
Did your character fall too? Did they stop themselves? its up to you!
Order:
1. Jigano
2. Rexanna
Jigano snorted softly at Bastien's 'gallantry,' but forebore further comment in favor of turning the statues. The fact that they did rotate so easily made him pleased to think that he had the right answer. As Bastien turned the final statue the bard looked expectantly at the door and -- nothing happened. Frowning, he had already started to turn back towards the stairs to find something to use as a battering ram, but Bastien's suggestion made it seem like they'd both decided to turn away at the same moment. Waiting a few more seconds would hardly hurt, so Jigano obediently looked back at the hole in the ceiling.
He was unpleasantly surprised to hear the door slide open behind them - and even less so at the cold draft. Again, he silently decried not bringing a rope or lantern, but as Bastien began to walk backwards the bard slanted a wry glance at Rexanna beside him. "Normally I would say 'ladies first' but since Bastien has already claimed that role, I hope you will permit me to claim 'age before beauty'." With a grin he began to follow the taps of Bastien's footsteps, eyes half-closing so he could listen to the sounds around them and feel the floor beneath his boots. The stones were cracked and uneven and there was debris, so he stepped carefully-- right up until he heard Bastien's yell descending at an unhealthily rapid pace.
"Bastien!" he yelled, starting to turn and then catching himself before his eyes could shift to the door. The splash was at least somewhat reassuring - that might have been enough to save the man, and it had sounded like enough water to soften the fall. But that didn't mean he wasn't hurt, and Jigano immediately started struggling out of his cloak and boots.
"See if you can find someone with a rope or something," he called to Rexanna, before backing up - far more cautiously - to the open doorway. When his bare heel found open air he took a breath and then dropped--
To a crouch, taking hold of the edge of the floor and lowering himself, trying to find toeholds and then handholds to climb carefully down. If he couldn't find them he would fall, tucking himself into a protective ball and hopefully not landing on the over-confident cult leader.
As Bastien clapped for her magic, a smile beamed across her face. She’d have bowed if she could – but it was important for her concentration to keep the light so Jigano could read the inscription. As they contemplated what the inscription meant, she closed her hands and subsequently shut off the light before moving to help them shift the statues should they need the help. And yet, the door still didn’t open. Her brows furrowed in confusion, wondering if they needed something more or had missed some part of it.
Yet Bastien brought up their own eyes again and she turned with the two men only to feel a draft and hear the door open. Bastien immediately began to move – backwards nonetheless – and Rexanna cast a side glance to Jigano as he spoke. A bright laugh left her lips and she nodded to him in a half bow. “After you.” She hummed to him, flashing a wink up in his direction, only now realizing how much taller he was than she.
Yet as they stepped back, Bastien’s feet slipped and an uncharacteristic yell left his lips before a splashing sound. Jigano was next, and he managed to catch himself but she wasn’t entirely sure she could catch her own steps as she followed in his footsteps. Her foot slipped and she immediately felt the sensation of her falling before her fingertips latched onto the side of the hole and a surprised sound left her. A few more sounds left as she searched for better purchase on the stones to pull herself up after just then hearing Jigano’s suggestion.
Huffing against her own weight, she pulled herself up slowly as Jigano dove back in. As she reached the top, she popped her firework magic again along her hands searching for any kind of rope, and when none was found she peered in the corners to find a thick looking vine that might be able to support their weights. “Hang on!” She called to them, fumbling with her fingers to tie it around the base of something that seemed strong enough and moved to the opening in the floor again. “Will this do?” She called down, relaying the vine down toward the water to Bastien and Jigano – her heart thundering in her chest as she tried to catch her breath.
Jigano would not find anywhere to grab on the smooth stone wall which ran in an almost perfect circle down to the well of water. But he would find when he plunged in scrunched in a ball, he went deep without hitting a bottom and surfaced fine, next to Bastien (who was treading water and trying to pretend he hadn't just screamed).
He could hear Rexanna scrambling around further up to find a rope, but for the moment looked down -- there had to be something here, this was where the Voice had led him -- and, oh. Down in the bottom of the water, if one really focused their eyes and tried to see through the murkiness...there was a faint golden glow.
"Jigano. I am going to dive. If I do not resurface do not come after me, friend. It is not worth two deaths." This dramatic command given (he had always been prone to drama) Bastien took a deep breath and sunk down into the water, forcing his eyes open despite the sting so that he could see the golden stone.
It was partially underneath a large black brick, fallen long ago from the roof. In pushing it aside, Bastien felt a stinging across the back of his hand but didn't care in the moment reaching for the stone as he felt the last of his air pushing in his lungs. As soon as it was in his grasp (it was smaller than he had imagined, just palm sized) he burst back up through the water.
"I have it!!" He announced with a triumphant shout, then looked up to the vine Rexanna had dropped. "Good job! You might want to tie it to something though! We are strapping men, yes?" In very good spirits now that he had found his goal, Bastien held it up to show Jigano then swam over to the vine and held onto the end, holding out an arm to clasp Jigano to his side.
---
Jiganos bout to get lifted like a pretty princess~
Is Rexanna stronk enough to lift 2 grown men??
Posting Order:
1. Jigano
2. Rexanna
At least Rexanna did not join them in the drink, for which Jigano was grateful on multiple counts. She could get a rope, or help, or something. Still, they were in very deep, cold water in the middle of winter and he could feel his temperature dropping as he kicked to stay afloat. Bastien's grandiose statement earned a raised brow. "Well, alright then, if you insist..." he said, not bothering to hide his sarcasm as the so-called priest disappeared beneath the surface.
Rexanna, at least, had a good head on her shoulders and Jigano heaved a sigh of relief at the vine that splashed down, just brushing the water. "Rexanna, you are amazing," he stated, fervent and heartfelt as he paddled awkwardly for the vine. He was not a strong swimmer at the best of times, and this could hardly be considered 'the best time' when darkness and deep water made uncomfortable echoing sounds all around him. He had just grabbed the vine and started to climb when Bastien resurfaced.
"Ah, well done then, but I'll make my own way up, thanks," the lorekeeper stated dryly, in spite of the water dripping off him. It wasn't that he didn't trust Bastien but...
No, wait, it was that he didn't trust Bastien, and the man already had one hand full of something that glowed. Perhaps the priest was confident he could climb with one hand, but Jigano doubted he could climb with no hands. Besides, he'd put on a little muscle since arriving in Caido. He could pull himself - just barely - up the vine, slow but fairly steady once he found his rhythm. Still, he was shaking as he managed to crawl over the edge of the doorway and roll himself over to the side to sit and lean against the wall, managing a wan smile for Rexanna. "My lady, I owe you my life. Thank you for your quick thinking and cool head!"
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