Charonquest

[wooliefrand]

WHO: Lily
WHERE: Lily Barn
WHEN: Early Day 36, post ritual!

[alright nerds lets go get your emotional support shepherd]

Comments

great hall

[endsjustified]

[the footprints led you through some narrow, twisting side passages, up and down and all around -- the lamps remain dead all throughout, so it's a good thing you're carrying some light. these aren't very interesting, save that you occasionally might sense something watching you from particularly dark patches of shadow, and may want to move ahead a little quicker when this happens.

eventually, you come out to what must be the great hall at the front of this family mansion. it's expansive, but much dimmer here than it was in the starting hall. your flowers continue to serve you well here, and some of the blazing starlight from outside comes in through the windows, but the many lamps and the whole-ass chandelier above are all dead. the oppressive tomblike feel persists despite how open this area is. you can make out the faint acrid smell of molten metal in the air.

the floor here is made of cloudy glass. you can make out an endless multitude of wings and feathers trapped beneath.

this is obviously something of a hub point, because you are clearly able to reach several other areas from here:

- the fancy twin stairwells ahead to the second floor lead up to what you automatically know are the 🔒 family chambers.
- there is a set of wide double doors across from them, that almost certainly lead 🔒 outside.
- a huge door in the east wall, you know, leads to the 🔒 ballroom.
- an equally huge though less fancy door in the west wall leads to the 🔒 library.

...however.

the footprints continue in this area. they're no longer a barefoot child's; they're tracks from Charon's boots, a faint smudgy trail that's printed grey ash across the floor. it leads behind one of the stairwells.]

Re: great hall

[ohlord]

[... Charon, that's gay as shit.

anyway.

eyeing all those doors, debating trying them but nah.

we're following footprints]

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[hey shut the fuck up?

you can follow the trail...

there's a small, nondescript door behind here. it's locked.

but there's a faint resonant tug from the Rune on your hand. it seems to be pulling you towards an unmarked spot on the wall.]

Re: great hall

[ohlord]

[never once have i ever shut the fuck up and never will i, in fact, shut the fuck up

looks at his hand.

then the wall.





fuck it. using GUARDIAN EARTH? gonna have a fucking HEADACHE later, probably. it's fine.]

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[it's fine.

the wall shimmers with the spell, and an illusion dissipates, revealing a small alcove with a switch inside.]

Re: great hall

[featherduster]

[ WAIT, SORRY, TF IS GOING ON WITH THE FLOOR??? This is exactly like stepping into the Plants' shared consciousness.

Crouching down to press his flesh hand to the glass. ]

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[the wings and feathers are shining green, made of something like crystal, and huge. they clearly look nothing like his or Perci's. whatever creature they belong to is utterly still beneath the floor.

a soft impression of a memory, on contact. words, feelings. it feels fresh and recent.

"Now that we know the locations of all the other Runes," Luc says, "We can proceed with our plan. Sarah, you go after the Lightning Rune. Yuber, you start looking for that old general. We have a stranglehold on the land we need for the ceremony."

You push aside the tentflap with a gloved hand, following your commander out. The air whips cuttingly through the encampment, almost hard enough to rock you where you stand, startling horses and the more skittish of the soldiers. You note, in the part of you that dispassionately catalogues such facts, that he would not have allowed that to happen even a week ago. His control over the True Wind Rune is degrading rapidly; has been since his confrontation with his brother.

"The time is growing near," he murmurs, like he heard you. "For me to gather all the True Runes, and then give up my soul at the altar."

You breathe out, feeling his words settle. It's been a long time since you've grieved; the emotion almost startles you, thick in your throat, simultaneously leaden and sharp in your belly. Strange to feel, when you'd known this was coming almost from the start of your acquaintance. You suppose you hadn't expected him to inspire quite so much sympathy from you, or genuine loyalty.

"You are prepared to die...to save this world?"]

Re: great hall

[featherduster]

[ 'He wouldn't even have wanted this from me.'

Pulling his hand away apologetically and standing up. Don't get distracted; find Charon.

He resumes following the footsteps. ]

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[you can follow the trail of ash behind a stairwell...

there's a small, nondescript door here. it's locked.

but the bell on the Bluebell staff chimes when you get near it...? and an answering chime sounds from behind a particular but otherwise unmarked spot on the wall.]

Re: great hall

[hardpity]

[ FOLLOWING THE FOOTPRINTS!! CHECKING FOR HIDDEN DOORS ]

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[there's a small, nondescript door behind the stairs. it's locked.

the flower in his pocket gets hot, though...]

Re: great hall

[hardpity]

[ floats it with magic...

touches it to the door lock? ]

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[it kinda of tugs at his hand like a dowsing rod, leading him towards a totally unmarked random spot on the wall.]

Re: great hall

[terraria]

( perci covers his nose. that smell... molten metal?

he tries to catch a speck of bright, blinding light like white-hot iron, but can't find anything but darkness. the dark patches of shadow do make him hesitate, but it's only out of respect for charon's privacy that he doesn't venture closer.

... oh.

the floor... he wonders about this. the footprints lead elsewhere, but he remembers...

the library, wasn't the library where he wanted to go in charon's dream? he can't help but try to press a hand against its doors. )

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[you can push the doors slightly open before they're halted.

through the narrow gap, you see, well, a grand library. it's a bit different from the one in the pasture, but it has the same comforting smell and vibes. it's extensive, crowded, the wall shelves floor-to-ceiling with the higher books accessible only by ladder, the freestanding shelves between not actually terribly organized to the unfamiliar eye. a bit of a maze to wind through. all of the books have a handmade look -- the printing press has not been invented in this world. most of them look Old and Fancy. there are lamps and desks and varying degrees of fancy armchair to sit in. some of the desks have piles of books and maps and papers upon them, like people were actively doing research in there not long ago.

unfortunately, getting a closer look in there is impossible right now. there's a thick silver chain holding the doors shut from inside.]

Re: great hall

[terraria]

( ... hmm. he wonders how much and what kind of history has been written in those books.

either way, when he's sure there's no pushing in, he goes back to the footprints. the idea that charon may circle back to the library doesn't seem to be one that's worthwhile, anyway... it is one of the more obvious places to hide.

and that's what he's doing, isn't it? hiding. it's not like charon was trapped in his mind - and again, a library would be a terrible place to trap charon in. he'd be thriving.

he follows the trail of ash and bootprints, and lifts his lily to try and see better. )

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[he can follow the trail behind a stairwell...

there's a small, nondescript door behind here. it's locked.

his flower gets hot in his hand.]

Re: great hall

[mykidisthebest]

[gives the shadows the bird as he walks to the great hall. I WILL! DEAL! WITH YOU! LATER!

the glass floor gets a few taps with his foot; does it seem stable, or flimsy? do the wings and feathers beneath look like they're trying to break free?]

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[the glass is thick and stable.

the wings and feathers are shining green, made of something like crystal, and huge. they clearly look nothing like Perci's or Minuet's, though Lethe or Styx might recognize them from dreams. whatever creature they belong to is utterly still beneath the floor.]

Re: great hall

[mykidisthebest]

[





is there anything in the great hall that is sturdy enough to break some glass. a suit of armor with a spear or something, maybe,]

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[THERE'S LIKE SOME MISC SIDE FURNITURE ALONG THE WALLS AND STUFF]

Re: great hall

[spinebuddyandme]

[ No he's stopping to examine those shadows the first time he feels something watching, waving the glowing Lily towards them ]

Scarab, do you feel that?

[ Scarab is checking for any strange energy readouts!! ]

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[there is an inhuman energy lingering in the shadows. faint.]

Re: great hall

[spinebuddyandme]

Charon, what the hell...

[ Turns back to follow the footprints, but Scarab's staying alert for any sign of that inhuman energy getting stronger ]

Re: great hall

[endsjustified]

[it doesn't! it's just...watching.

he can make it to the great hall without incident, though.]