[When Dreams End] The Road Less Traveled

E

Exthalion

Elder Member
The journey goes smoothly as can be expected. The usual difficulties of travel occur at more or less the usual rate. You took the postal roads to the Shen river, where you booked passage north. At the tiny, and creatively named, town of Northford you are forced to get off. The ruins of an old fortress are visible on the top of a nearby hill, the source of the towns original, and equally creative name, of Northfort.


The docks are less of a proper affair, and more a relatively large sandbar where you can get off without getting wet past your knees. The town beyond is made up of a number of well built wooden houses, none of them more then one story and an attic tall, and one two story stone church.
 
"Shall we head to the Inn to rest our feet? It would seem a proper place to gather information on our current task." Ask Kesh of the rest of the group
 
Analise nods- sheathed sword clanking at her hips, armor donned. Metal plates shift and grind, as she smiles. "Alright....Sounds good to me, Kesh... hey- when you going to let me take a look at that Amulet..? It might not be what you think.."
 
"Sounds good to me!" Kaori hopped off the horse she was riding on, looking around for an inn or some other suitable location... or just for something shiny.
 
"Well let's have a look around this place, once we get settled in, of course." Verashay says looking around the area.
 
After the briefest investigation you are able to track down a goodwife willing to talk.


"A'int right it isn't. Supernatural as they say. Comes down from the high hills, the elf hills they is called on account of them spirits as life in the mountains. Never been an elf in them as I've ever heard, but that's what they call 'em. Don't move like any fog I've ever seen neither. Gets real warm first, real dry. Then the wind picks up and its come down like the miasma of the pit, that's how Father Northan called it, and you had best be indoors then. It comes under doors, fills a whole room quick as you like.


Though don't you be getting any ideas about staying behind my door. Goodmen Bluth and Byrnie both have their families stay in my home, and I don't have room for a soul more. More then enough with their goodwives telling me how to manage my own house and their whelps always underfoot, and their animals stinking up the place. Its the same in the whole town too, even the church. Though there's no animals in there of course. All the farmers have come in to town. To dangerous out alone in the fields with not another living soul for a mile.


If you want to stay, and the Lord knows it isn't an affair of money, you best make your way up to the Castle. Up on a hill though it is, its blessed they say. The fog never gets so high as that. The postmen stay up there when they come, and the Prince's guard to. If its good enough for them, its good enough for any good folk who obey the Prince's Peace."
 
"Course it does, St. Amira built the whole of it in one night to catch a demon while 'e slept. Its impious the way the Prince has let it fall into disrepair."
 
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Cassie nodded. "I agree," she said, head swiveling around to take in as much of her surroundings as possible. Then she turned to the goodwife. She smiled. "Isn't that the way it goes? Pray for patience, and God sends along people to try it. Out of curiosity, were there any particular goings on within the village at the time this fog started?" The lady very likely had her ear to the ground for town gossip. It might prove useful.


Then she caught the last thing the lady said. "Wait, he did what now?"
 
"Note to self, check the cellar for demonic presence." Kesh had never seen a demon before, and if it existed and wasn't just a fairy tale, he didn't want it to interfere as they dealt with the fog.


Then again, if the demon was real, it could be the cause of the fog. "Be on your guard, friends. I feel the situation may get more complicated, soon."
 
"She child," she stressed the saint's gender, "One of the devil's hounds it was, come to drag good Christians down to Hell. She had all the nobles pour out their liquors into a pond and let the beast drink itself half dead. Then she commanded the stones, as the good book says, and they built the castle to hold the demon fast and quarter any faithful men and true who would stand guard against the elves."


Despite the woman's surety, it doesn't take much to conclude she is exaggerating a little. You probably could find someone to stay with, though it is a sellers market where renting rooms are concerned.
 
"Let's head to the castle, it seems to be the only place for lodgings for now." Said Kesh, thanking the woman and giving her a bit of coin for her trouble.
 
Analise chuckles, and nods. "It sounds good to me! Any Castle raised by a Saint sounds good, eh? We'll have to check the basement for Demons, of course. Eheh.."
 
After a little more conversation around town you find that no one who has gone looking for the source of the fog has returned. Their bodies wash down from the hills after particularly heavy rains, and the general consensus is that they are unable to reach wherever it is in time.


The castle on the hill is decidedly odd. It consists of a keep surrounded by two square walls built out of local sandstone. The entire inner surface of each wall is abutted by barracks, stables, forges, and the like. Both of the outer walls and have their rubble cores exposed, the outer gate has fallen in, and both of the wards are overgrown with thigh high weeds. The keep is in better condition. It stands half as high as it is tall, formed from massive white granite blocks are each easily as tall and wide as any of you. The remains of a paved road remain in each ward, though both might have been older then the walls as their curves intersect the ruins as though running under them.


The keep's main gate faces east and is flanked on either side by two statues of seated saints with several smaller statues in niches. The gate appears to be missing, and the foyer directly through it appears to have been converted into a chapel at some point. A heavy stone altar sits against the wall, and fragments of wood that were likely benches remain on the floor. A little exploration shows that the builder may have been slightly mad. All the rooms are perfectly square in plan, and connect to their fellows seemingly at random. Ultimately there are actually only two paths, one to the left and one to the right of the chapel. The left is shorter and ends in one of the corners where the keep's well is located. The right terminates in the second story with a ladder to the middle of the flat roof.


Kesh fingers the rosary he is wearing idly during the search. Its an old thing he has had forever, doesn't even remember where he found it really. Still, its a beautiful piece of workmanship and the familiar feeling of working through the beads is comforting.
 
"Aoshi, I am not familiar with the inner workings of magic, but if this castle was truly built to hold a demon imprisoned, would the strange arrangements of the rooms have any sway on such bindings?" Asked Kesh, idly playing with the rosary. It was a habit he had picked up whenever he was bored, anxious or simply looking for a distraction.
 
She leans back, idly correcting him. "Call me Analise in this land, Aoshi draws stares..." As she gives it serious consideration- probing the question with her own knowledge of magic, as she continues to speak. "You really should let me examine that Rosary some time.."


[dice]5021[/dice]
 
"If you insist, although I don't see the point. I've had this thing since forever." Said Kesh, handing over the rosary to Analise.
 
She gives this it's own look, running it through her fingers, analyzing it piece by piece with keen eyes that stare in to it, and relay to her mind.


Her racing mind.


[dice]5023[/dice]
 
Verashay stands by keeping her eye open for any sign of danger or anything out of the ordinary while the other investigate. \


[dice]5026[/dice]
 
Aoshi receives several insights into both the structure and the jewelry.


Verashay does not notice anything coming.
 
Analise shrugs. "If it helps..? The Structure was most definitely built intelligently, with magical intent- it might very well /be/ a Prison for a Demon.. As for your Rosary.." As she hands it back. "While it would be /invaluable/ in the process of making a magic ite, it is not itself one.
 
"You found no outstanding features of my old rosary?" Asked Kesh, taking it back. He then gestured for the others to follow Kaori's lead and enter the castle "Pity, I had hoped it would have some charm on it that I could take advantage of. Ah well, no use crying over spilt milk."
 
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