Player Plot: Sulevin Blade Quest

[serannas]

WHO: Ellana Ashara, Galadriel, Merrill, Korrin Ataash, James Kirk, Samouel Gareth
WHAT: Tracking down the Sulevin Blade
WHEN: January 13th/Wintermarch 13th
WHERE: the Dales
NOTES: OOC Post

[ OOC: The plot starts with the first phase below in the comments section. Everybody tag into that one. There doesn't need to be a tag order; just hop in whenever. If we go maybe two full days with no tags, I'll try to hustle things along unless I was the last tagger, of course. When we reach a point that looks good to start the next phase, I'll post it as a new comment and close the previous thread. I'm pretty sure you can go ahead a track the whole entry without a paid account, and this way it'll be less confusing if we stick to one section at a time.

At certain points, I'll leave an ooc note asking for you to roll a d20 or to make some sort of choice so I can tailor the thread to your character. If anything's confusing or you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me via PM or a private plurk to lavellan. :D ]

Comments

[serannas]

At the simple word Sam gives, the flame burning hot in Ellana's chest starts to flicker and die. This is something they'll have to return to later. Sam means a great deal to her -- she is even wearing the ring he made her for her birthday at this very moment. She always does. And Cyril cares for Sam too. She doesn't want him to get caught up in the middle of a falling out between the two. Hopefully they can salvage this, but at a future time.

"I thought-- Wait!" It's whispered even though it's an exclamation. "Put out your light. I think I'm seeing embers from a campfire." Which means someone is here. Not in the room with them, but down at the end of the corridor.

[el_tybs]

He doesn't feel quite comfortable in not having a light in this place considering the things they've seen in the other ruins, but Sam lets the light dim and fizzle out. It takes a while before his eyes adjust to the dark, but even then he has to squint to get a glimpse of what Ellana was talking about.

"Or a torch?" he offers as if that would make the situation better. Campfire seemed so... settled. "We're checking it out aren't we?"

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin's about to call Merrill over, when the Dalish woman joins her anyway. Raising an eyebrow, she glances back to the box and tilts her head when it's opened. She whistles softly, looking over the hilt and pommel.

"...wow, will you look at that. This is really it, then?" This is the elves' area of expertise, not her own. Whatever they know, she'll defer to them.

[chainlightning]

"Oh," Merrill whispers, even as Korrin whistles. It looks amazing- a true product of legend, at least when she knows it's one. "Yes, I think so- or, well, part of it. We're missing the 'blade' part of the Sulevin Blade. Whoever is in here must not be one of the People; I could feel something drawing me to this box."

Taking a breath, Merrill reaches inside to grab the hilt. If she loses a hand over this, she's going to be upset.

[serannas]

Despite whispered tales of angry spirits punishing the wielders of this blade when they used it to spill innocent blood, there is no trap here. There is also no pull to make her pick up the hilt. That was just to get her to open the box. The choice to take it is wholly hers and when she does, it will feel the same as picking up any other weapon.

With that complete, they can finish exploring the area if they choose. There is only a corridor leading out and also the way they came in.

[serannas]

"Maybe," she replies, because they're already at odds and she doesn't want to make things worse. But she was the hearthkeeper of the clan, and if there's one thing she knows, it's campfires and the look of their glowing embers. A torch's would look different.

"Yes, we should. What do you think, go silently? Or announce ourselves in case it's someone unarmed?"

[el_tybs]

Even though it's dark Sam still looks down at where Ellana is with a raised brow. "Who comes to ruins like this unarmed?" Considering that the vines outside had to be cut it seemed like an unlikely thing.

Non-hostile would be nice though. "I say we go quietly. Who knows what's in here."

[gatheringstorm]

"Well, good that they don't have that extra help then." On the other hand, that didn't tell them what they were dealing with. Venatori, perhaps? Or something else? "Let's see if the others found the blade part of it, or do you feel a pull towards anything else?"

[laurenande]

"I belive so."

Galadriel arched a brow as she considered it--in truth, she wasnt certain if she could. She had never attempted to maintain a light apart from herself in Thedas, but it was worth attempting.

The light in her fingers increased in intensity for a moment. It solidified after a beat, becoming at once more tangible but somewhat dimmer. She paused her step as she peered at the darkness ahead of them and, without further preamble, cast the sphere of light ahead of them.

[serannas]

"That's true," she murmurs, before holding out her hand to him. "Will you take my hand? I can see the outline of the walls better in the dark than you." She doesn't even have to ask if he can see what she's seeing. She knows he can't.

[el_tybs]

He's not exactly in a holding hand mood but he takes Ellana's hand anyways. This wasn't the time to be stubborn especially when you couldn't see in a possibly dangerous place. "Lead on."

[serannas]

As the light travels, it passes the arches to reveal figures within them. But these figures aren't moving. They're statues, which is nothing new for elven ruins. The archers stand silent watch as the light moves on, but suddenly Galadriel will pick something up with her superior hearing: the sound of something scraping across the stone floor at the end of the room.

Jim won't be left out in the cold, however. The light she created moves on, and he'll be able to see a doused campfire, the light shining off the water on the floor around it.

[serannas]

And lead on she does, one hand curled around her staff and the other leading Sam so he doesn't bump into a wall. It isn't long before she sees a lump of something on the floor. A bit of rubble, perhaps? She inches towards it, her eyes able to see the outline. No, not rubble. She nudges it with her foot and finds it's fabric, but covering something hard.

"There's a knapsack here," she whispers.

[el_tybs]

No bumping into walls but he does stumble from time to time when a crack in the floor or a stone catches his foot. Thankfully he's quick enough on his feet that he doesn't make too much noise.

Feeling Ellana stop puts him on edge, wondering what she's found. When that's followed by the sound of fabric at their he's concerned that maybe they've found a body.

"Knapsack?" So not a body, but it shows that someone is or was here. "Anything weird about it?"

[universal_charm]

Had this been any other day, Kirk would have stopped to admire the architecture. As it was, his attention was more caught by the remnants of the campfire up ahead. From the looks of it, a fairly recent one too. Another shiver ran down his spine as he moved close to crouch beside it, glancing around them into the dark, but his eyes unable to make out anything beyond what Galadriel's light managed to illuminate. What he wouldn't give for flares right about now.

"Looks like Ellana was right. Someone was here, and might still be," he pitched his voice quiet and low to Galadriel, rising up and shifting his staff into a more ready position.

[serannas]

"Not that I call tell. Should I go through it?" She's a little torn on whether or not that would be wasting time, and though she's the leader here, she recognizes that he's angry at her for her decision making skills. So she'll let him decide.

[el_tybs]

Sam mulls on that for a moment, looking back and forth between where their feet should be and the speck of light he is now starting to make out. "Leave it for now? We can come back and check it out with a light once we've confirmed if someone is ahead of us or not."

Honestly, he doesn't want to be rummaging through something in the dark, or even staying in one place too long in the dark in these ruins.

[laurenande]

The architecture was quite brilliant and wholly representative of the elves of these lands. Galadriel was taken with it, insofar as she could be whilst wandering the dark ruins, and her gaze lingered on the statues even as the light traveled on. Had there not been a scraping sound, or had Kirk not caught her attention in a low tone, she might've stared too long.

"Be wary, the last ruins I walked had hideous traps and nightmarish beasts," Galadriel replied quietly and shifted her glaive in front of her. The room was dimmer as her light faded out, but not pitch dark so long as she occupied it. It wasn't much, but it was enough to see by.

[serannas]

"All right." Ellana leads them on towards that faint bit of orange, and nothing stops them from reaching it. It is indeed a campfire, and she sees crumpled pages lying beside it to use as kindling. She gasps, taking one in hand and opening it back up. Tilting it towards the glow, she can just make out that it's like the pages and scroll they found behind them in the first room.

"Someone's been using ancient elven writing to light their fire," she says, an angry tone to her voice. "I'd like to find out who. Come on." There's a determination to her voice and she takes Sam's hand again, moving towards the end of the corridor which suddenly turns right. As she turns to look, she can see a set of double doors ahead on her left, and a faint, pale light shining through an open doorway on the right.

"That must be Galadriel," she murmurs. "I wonder if she found anyone, or if this person went through to the next room."

[serannas]

Nothing else in the room seems to pull at Merrill. It feels as ordinary a room (for an elven ruin, that is) to Merrill now as it does to Korrin. But they now have a piece of what they've come for, without any traps set to stop them. It's a good sign.

Or maybe the only bit of luck they'll have on this trip. Who knows? A dark corridor lies ahead. Will they explore it?

sorry guys work + my fall on the ice = slow gadgets

[chainlightning]

The hilt is carefully tucked away; it's within reach to grab it, but Merrill carefully rearranges her pouches and fabrics to keep it mostly hidden from view. She can feel it sitting on her belt, though, and that's a comfort. A piece of history, right at her hip -- it's almost overwhelming, but now isn't the time.

"Well- I'm admittedly curious about how that spider died and who or what killed it." At the same time- ugh. Spiders. "Everyone else is probably still moving forward- there could be another main area up ahead that we could meet them at? Or meet- whoever or whatever else is in here."

<3

[gatheringstorm]

"Me, too. Let's remain on our guard, just in case." What are the odds that anyone entering the tomb would be friendly forces? Probably not high, though Korrin would love to be proven wrong for once. "I don't think there's anything else to find in this spot, so...the corridor ahead? If it branches off, we can always turn around and tell the others."

It seems the logical course of action to her -plus she wants to see if they can catch a glimpse of whoever else is around- so unless Merrill has strong objections, she'll take point.

[el_tybs]

There's enough light when they get to the fire that Sam feels comfortable enough to let Ellana's hand go, walking around the fire and also picking up the pieces of paper littered around. He certainly can understand the anger his friend is showcasing for using the pages as kindling, but at the time holds any judgement - you know just in case it did turn out to be some unarmed wandering soul who happened upon the place.

He's barely gotten time to look at the pages himself when his hand is grabbed again, giving a small noise when he's yanked away from the fire. Once more he has to rely on Ellana's sight in the dark, curious to when they stop again.

Hearing something about Galadriel he looks around, also spotting the dim glow coming from a doorway or something of the like. Seeing as they hadn't snuck up on anyone and that the other group obviously had light going on, Sam decides to cast another orb of light to see exactly where they were.

"Talking about the doors over there?" Now that he can see he certainly notices the double doors.

[serannas]

"Yes, those," she says with a nod of her head. "That will be our next goal once we meet back up with them. I'd rather we all be together again." Because obviously someone has been here recently and if the others haven't stumbled across them, they must have gone through these doors here, right? Though she didn't hear anyone go through a door when she opened the front doors...

[el_tybs]

Considering the size of the place and the fact that they couldn't hear their comrades as they walked around, it was possible to not hear anything from that distance. Or perhaps they had missed something on their side since they had been walking in the dark, like a hole in a wall or a tunnel.

Still Sam is in the same mindset that he would rather group up with the others before continuing on. "Well... up to you if you want to go back to check that knapsack since we're using light."