[IC] The Mysteries of Isz: A Kokotha RP

[Patches]

Yes, yes, promise you won't break anything. I have had too many excursions where people have broken priceless pieces of history. You're not lunkheaded as them, thankfully. she said, her watery tendrils beginning to disappear, as she finished scanning the room. The Isz did have the means to autominously power runes without having to touch them, something that we have recreated with rune batteries. They likely had some sort of gas in the air or vacuum, that kept things preserved. Those runes have likely stopped working some centuries ago, leading to decay... Less decay than you might expect though.

She said, walking over to a nearby wall, tapping it with her fist. Look for a rune. This door is likely powered by one. Otherwise we'll have to use a bit of force.

[Yomojo]

"Haha! Knew there was a secret passage!" Lucy exclaimed as she raised her fist in the air triumphantly. Looking at the area around the door, a strange sound came out of Lucille. In the middle of a city street, it would be nigh imperceptible, but in the quiet, echoing depths of the tomb, both Ash and Wingate likely heard it. It was a biological sound, like a squishing and stretching, with a faint gurgle in the background. Not a pleasant sound, all things considered.

With her vision altered to pick up contrast more acutely, Lucy gives the area around the door a good, long examining. Noticing something on the wall to the right of the door, she points to it. "Looked at first to just be part of the wall carvin', but could that there be the rune we're lookin' for? Haven't seen too many Isz runes, so I might be wrong..." she offers to Wingate, keeping her gaze on the spot and finger pointed towards it.

[Patches]

@Yomojo
*Body casters... Why must you make me so uncomfortable when you use your powers?* Wingate thougth to herself in regards to the sounds. But, that was neither here nor there.

Feeling the wall, symbol on the wall, it looked to be just a decoration, it camaflaguing with the other symbols on the wall. But there was no doubt about it, it was a rune. Putting a bit of magic into it, Wingate activated the rune, a blue glow coming from her fingertip. Then, with a loud noise like a stone hitting a stone, the wall next to her began to move open. As something that hadn't been moved in ages, it took its time.

[Yomojo]

"Woooaahhh... I was right. Awesome." Lucy said in amazement as she watched the door open. "Deeper into the temple... I'm excited. But, if this is anythin' like those movies, we gotta watch for traps all over the place. Pressure plates, holes in the wall, you know the shtick."

Ash rolled her eyes as she approached the other two. "As melodramatic as Lucille is being, I agree with the thought. Protecting your lives is my job, so any time your lives are in danger, my job is in danger too. And I take my job very seriously. So, let's all promise to be careful. We have no idea what we're walking into."

"But with that bein' said, let's walk right into it." Lucy said, looking to the door that had now ground its way open while they were talking. "You wanna lead the way, Winnie?"

[Patches]

Slipping on a glove, lined with a light rune, Wingate's hand began to glow a light yellow color. Liquid and Light magic was her specialty. Shining it through the corridor, she looked for anything that could be a trap. Mmm... Good call. It seems we aren't the first ones here. She said, pointing to an object on a ground.

A full skeleton, human from the looks of it. From its decomposition, they must've died centuries ago. No sign of injuries, unless there was a trap that didn't damage their bones She said, manipulating the skeleton with her magic tendrils. The door might have shut behind him, so I recommend having a few casters on the other size to open the door in case that happens. What puzzles me, is how he got here... Wasn't the tomb covered by earth when you discovered it, Miss Lucille?

[Yomojo]

"Far as I know, not "covered in earth" as much as "kinda collapsed cave entrance with overgrown foliage kinda obscurin' it". Entirely possible someone found their way in or somethin'." Lucy informed Wingate.

As the two mused, Ash called back up the way they had come: "Need someone to come down and keep an eye on the tomb. We're going deeper in." Her voice echoed through the empty room and up the stairs they had come down, her powerful, deep voice carrying far. A faint "Comin'!" came down from the surface, followed by footsteps of a White Tooth member walking down the stairs. "Although, the worst case scenario is that I have to mold a hole back out if the door closes. But, better safe than sorry."

"Man, that skeleton's pretty spooky though. All the more reason to keep our eyes peeled." Lucy said as she stepped closer behind Wingate, taking a closer look at the skeleton.

[Patches]

@Yomojo
Inspecting the corpse, Wingate tried to identify how old it was. Must have been centuries ago... Far before the cities of Kokotha were built. Poor soul, he must've been trapped in here and slowly suffocated or starved.

If all is lost and the door is unable to be reopened, in the even that it closes, I give you permission to use brute force. as much as she hated the idea, she wasn't prepared to die a slow death of being trapped in a tomb. She didn't plan on joining the dead any time soon.

With the rune on her glove glowing, she went forward, taking things slowly. She hoped that if there were any traps, they were already activated or disabled by the previous explorers here.

[Yomojo]

Lucy followed close behind, silent in both her attentiveness and reverie for the hidden corridor they were now heading down. Ash took up the rear, with a sigh. "I'd ask you to refrain from calling me a brute, Ms. Ipswitch. As I was trying to get across before, I can simply part the stone long enough for us to pass through if worst comes to worst. I've been fully briefed on how important it is for nothing in here to be destroyed. The White Teeth have shown much faith in you, Wingate, I ask that you show the same faith in me."

It seems like Wingate had unknowingly triggered a sore spot in Ash, this being the longest Ashley had talked continuously since the two women met. The large woman wasn't being aggressive, her tone indicated more that she understood that the teacher had not meant much by it, and was being as polite as she could considering the sour chord that had been struck.

Lucy leans in closer to Wingate, whispering in her ear. "Careful with that stuff, Winnie, Ash tries real hard to keep up appearances, and has had enough mooks call her a brute for it to start gettin' on her nerves. She's a nice gal, it's just that she's a bit self-conscious sometimes."

[Patches]

Implying the use of brute force doesn't suggest I believe you're a brute. Well, Wingate did believe she looked a bit like one, with those muscles of hers, but she couldn't let Ash know that. No matter, I will watch my words in the future. It is for the best of us both, is it not? She said, as she began to head down into the tomb, being extra careful; for all she knew, the floor could give way at any moment.

Very well, Miss Lucille. I didn't mean to imply I thought of her as a brute. But, that isn't here nor there, for now we must venture forth. She said, as the corridor began to lead into a wide open room. Covered in smooth stone, giving a shiny appearance to the whole room. Two more skeletons lied in the center of the room, weapons in hand, both of them lying on the only flat surfce in the room, the floor, which seemed to be covered in a gray sandy material.

My my... What do you suppose happened here? Wingate said, carefully making her way over to the two long dead adventurers.

[Yomojo]

"Well..." Lucy said, walking up behind Wingate, "I don't got the eye for it you do, but if they've been here as long as that other one, they coulda' been guards or escorts, and starved to death like the other one. On the other hand, they coulda killed each other, maybe. Some bickerin' over who gets what turned sour. Or even been killed by some rivals that followed 'em in. The other option was that they triggered some sorta defense mechanism in the room that killed 'em, in which case I hope it's a one-time thing, and we don't have to worry 'bout it." she continued to muse, looking at the skeletons, vainly searching for some sign of how they died. With how long they had been here, and how little of them remained, she knew she probably wouldn't get too much.

Ash, on the other hand, didn't stray far from the entrance to this room. She payed little attention to the dead bodies and the two women looking at them, instead keeping her eyes and ears out for trouble, surveying the small chamber for any hint of danger. If something happened down below the tomb, she didn't want to be caught off guard. Besides, she wasn't really interested in the academic side of this excursion anyways.

[Patches]

Inspecting the bodies, Wingate tried to prove one of Lucille's assumptions. Weapons are drawn. There was likely a fight here. If it was a fight between them, one could've killed the other and the other died of blood loss. That or the killer... she said, looking back where they came, Is our friend back there at the entrance. Inspecting the bones for any damage, she responded The Isz were known for their rune machines, so watch out for anything that could still be active. Take a look at this. She said, pointing to the spine on one of the skeletons. A hole shaped wound, separating the two vertebrae Some sort of stabbing weapon killed this one. Like a spear or spike. However... She pointed to the other skeleton in the room. That one over there is holding an axe. Not suited for stabbing... This is quite puzzling indeed.

[Yomojo]

"Spike... Hey Winnie, help me look for any holes in the walls, ceilin' or floor. You too, Ash. Mighta been one of those rune machine traps. Oh, and watch out for pressure plates, tripwires and the like." Lucy said as she began to sweep away some of the gray sandy material on the floor, inspecting the stone beneath.

Ash, slightly nervous about the idea of a still-active trap, stepped closer to the other two so as to better be able to protect them, if it came to that. She continued her scrutiny of the room, looking mainly at the walls and ceiling, eye now searching for any of the telltale holes Lucille had hinted at. Her arms flexed slightly, ready to spring into action should any danger present itself.

"If this place really is the deathtrap Lucille keeps hinting that it is, I'm going to have to ask the boss for extra hazard pay..." Ash grumbled as she surveyed the room.

[Patches]

@Yomojo
Give me a moment She said, picking up a small satchel on the hip of one of the long dead adventurers. These two and their partner back there may be long dead, but their words can help us.

As for what Lucille and Ash were doing, the walls of the sphere shaped room didn't yield any finds, perfectly smooth and carved, not even writing on it. The sandy material on the floor would feel like it went far deeper than the size of the room implied. Possibly leading down into a filled pit.

Wingate managed to find a few things in the satchel; a empty canteen of water, a knife, what looked like centuries old rations, and lastly, a journal. Mmm~ Now that's what I was looking for. She said, grinning at the find.

[Yomojo]

"Woah. Winnie, Ash, I don't think we're actually standin' on solid ground here." Lucy said as she looked up from her position on the floor. "Not sure what to make of it, but looks like there ain't a proper floor, just this packed, sandy stuff. Goes down pretty far too, not sure where the real bottom is." she shrugs.

Seeing Wingate pull stuff out of the adventurer's satchel, she shuffles closer to get a better look. "Ooh, now that looks promisin'. I'll leave the journal decodin' to you while I take a look at the other stuff." she says to Wingate, taking the knife the teacher had discarded and turning it about, examining it from all sides.

Ash felt a bit safer after she had confirmed they would not be impaled by a hidden trap. ~Lucille's ramblings are putting me on edge... but I can't dismiss them either. I'd never forgive myself if she was right and I ignored her.~ She continued to stand a couple paces away from the other two, stance slightly more relaxed now, still keeping an eye out just in case. She didn't perceive the lack of solid floor as an immediate threat, but she kept it in mind in case anything happened. To the other two, it was clear by this point that Ash had very little personal interest in what they found here, and all of the actual archeology would be up to them.

[Patches]

A sand filled pit? Interesting... It's in Yiskin... That'll explain why he is here, Yiskin vikings did come here long before the earliest Kokothan settlers. Most of the words are gone but I'll try to fill in gaps. She said, studying the paper, trying very carefully to not destroy the paper, fearing it'll fall apart at the slightest touch; it was already hanging by a few scraps in places, but she had to save it from further damage. Abbe is his name. Seems they came here in search of treasure~ Poor soul... I hope he got his reward in the after life.

The knife Lucille had looked to be Isz in nature. Must've been found in the tomb. It possessed a strange shape, double edged but asymmetrical, bearing strange patterns down the blade. As a matter of fact, the blade itself couldn't have been sharp enough to cut butter.

Lucille, come here, you have to be having as much fun with this as I am!

[Yomojo]

"It's in Yiskin? Great, that means I can read it!" Lucy says excitedly as she pockets the knife. She scoots over to Wingate, looking at the journal over the woman's shoulder. "Alright... she says, rubbing her hands in excitement "Let's see what this dead Yiskin can tell us 'bout this place." She starts reading the journal with Wingate, poring over the pages for clues as to how they found the place, how many people came down, what the tomb was like and what happened down here. ~What a godsend, some real recordin' of people who've explored the place before us!~

"Better make sure to keep this as intact as possible, might be worth somethin' in and of itself." she comments offhandedly while reading through.

[Patches]

While a few words, sentences, and even whole paragraphs had been lost to time, yet even so, the journal was remarkably preserved for the most part. Wingate's gentle touch kept the book from falling apart. For the most part, it was an ordinary journal, cataloguing someone's life, but then, half way to the end, was some remarkable bit regarding the exploration.

Day 1: Arrived on the shore of the new country. Supplies are low and I've heard rumors of mutiny. But, my spirits are high. If what the Gishkan woman back home told me, this land holds a lot of treasure. Father, mother, you laughed at me when I became an adventurer, but you'll lose out when I come back home with treasure.

Day 5: We've found it. The rumored tombs that dot the landscape of this country. Said to be full of strange artifacts and powers beyond our (illegible for a few sentences). Many are claiming this place to be cursed, but it's all but rumors and lies from overly superstitious folk. Will right again when we make progress.

Day 11: (Paragraph mostly illegible, except for a couple of sentences at the end). A bodyguard and I will go in after him tomorrow. In the entrance was a small dagger, said to act as a key. We'll hang on to it. Glows brightly when our magic users interact with it.

The journal ends there. Poor soul... I hope his descendants carry on his will of adventuring...

[Yomojo]

After reading that last part a couple times and scratching her chin, Lucy's eyes light up in recognition. "Winnie, take a look." she says, pulling the strange dagger she had picked up out of the pouch she had put it in. ~Makes sense that it would be a key, looks worthless in terms of combat~ Lucy thinks as she examines the dagger again. "Dunno what most of that meant, but the dagger part at least I think I can figure out." Taking the dagger firmly in her hand, she lifts it up slightly, feeding it a bit of magic from her rune.

"Lucille, I'm not sure if..." Ash speaks out as Lucy holds the dagger aloft, before being cut off.

[Patches]

@Yomojo
Inspecting the knife, Wingate noted Looks to be an Isz Kīla. They are said to have an intricate dance with these. But they are worthless in combat, being for traditional use only. An interesting find. Wingate herself had a similar one back home, it did possess a different design.

But then, as the dagger activated, even with the slight bit of magic Lucille fed it, a blue glow was let out, enveloping the room. Slowly, the sand in the room began to fade, turning into a mist form. As it did, Wingate found herself falling, as the pit of land began to dissipate into thin air. Lucille! She gasped, thinking as quick as she could, forming a barrier of light beneath the two of them, as well as Ash if she was standing below the pit.

The two skeletons fell back down the pit. The platform Wingate had created illuminated the pit, revealing a pit of thin spikes. Staring down, Wingate noted That'll explain the skeletons... Do you think it'll fill back up?

Deeper down in the pit, there seemed to be a tunnel. There was space between the spikes to slip pass, but without the knowledge of where they were or a platform like Wingate's, would likely end in impalement.

[Yomojo]

Seeing the pit open beneath them, Ash flings out a hand, a stone platform extending from the edge of the pit around the same time the hard-light platform sprung into existence. Due to the similarly quick thinking of Ash and Wingate, the three women now found themselves on a platform of light with a platform of stone beneath it.

"Lucille Barlow!" she snaps, "That was not a good idea. I did tell you to be careful before we came down here, and haphazardly activating all the magical items we come across is not being careful." Ashley says with a huff. She takes a deep breath, glaring at Lucy, before continuing "Please confer with Ms. Ipswitch and I before doing anything like that again."

Lucy looks a bit sheepish at the scolding. "Right, sorry." She peers down into the pit over the side of the platforms she is now on. "That explains that, then. I guess it hasta fill back up, judgin' from how we found the skeletons. And looks like that tunnel down there's our way forward. Can ya just lower us all down with the light disk, Winnie?"

Ash, seeing that the hard light structure was supporting them all fine, retracts the stone ledge back into the wall. She is, of course, ready to create any more platforms at a moment's notice.