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Post by Minora on Oct 24, 2022 9:20:43 GMT -5
Taking the winter cloak with a hood to cover her red hair is probably the most distinguishing part of her, seeing as few people who lived in Sol City had dark red hair as she did. The sun soon began to set as the night got slightly colder, something felt a little more off for some reason. The house gave off this strange magical aura that it had no gave off before, a light green hue came off of the manor and something she had not noticed before was that the garden where usually mages kept various herbs for potion making and spell usage that required such components, the garden was almost overgrown like it had not be tended too for a while. That wasn’t uncommon since she knew Evia had left the city quite a while ago, still she would have at least had someone tending to the garden and harvesting the plants.
Upon a closer look she noticed mushrooms growing from the plants giving off what looked like pollen and on the wall closest to the garden was more fungus growing from the cracks in the wall, maybe she was experimenting with the growth of mushrooms. Lots of potions and spells required this item along with food, the mushrooms were green though and almost sickly looking. Out of Minora’s bag she pulled out a brown leather tome and began flipping through the pages, turning it to the mushroom section of the book none of what she was looking at even closely resembled the fungus she was looking at.
“Strange… I’d like to get a sample of that fungus and bring it to Lady Kamille, she’s more knowledgeable than I am on these things. Other than that and the strange hue begging given off by the house I suggest we get started then.”
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Post by Sarris on Oct 24, 2022 20:05:16 GMT -5
Sarris made small talk and did her stitch work. When darkness was coming, Sarris tucked the Rome into her bag. Prince did his part of walking down the fence towards the gate to open it from the inside. Like any good cat he took his time, pausing to look at things and listen. When he made it to the gate he swiped at the handle causing it to unlatch and the gate to swing open. There was a magical pop that happened and all of Princes fur was standing on end as part of an electrical charge washed over him. If he would have opened it like human, the shock might have been enough to hurt him.
This got a nasty look pointed at Sarris, with a yowl.
“I think she has set some traps for unwelcome guests,” Sarris said in a playful tone.
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Post by Minora on Oct 25, 2022 16:28:08 GMT -5
Before reaching the gate of the manor, Minora had a twinge of fear? Before reaching their destination Minora turned to Sarris, placing her hands upon her shoulders, her voice in the most serious tone it could possibly be. For some reason, fear gripped her entire body like it had a tight stranglehold over her.
“If we encounter something dangerous you are to run as fast as you can away from here and to lady Kamille, To the mage guild itself and tell them what everything. Anything comes up let me handle it… Evia, is far beyond you.”
She spoke like Evia wasn’t far stronger of a mage than herself, the magic around the house felt strange and alive it felt like Evia’s energy but twisted and contorted the entire site of the house almost made her eyes hurt. Walking up to the gate only a moment passed before it popped open revealing the cat, she was actually quite impressed and figured maybe she should try and use animals for her more non-magical needs. Opening the creaky gate the first hurdle was the back door. It was a dark wooden ornate door with gold trim on the sides much like the rest of the house, obviously very expensive. Minora touched the wall next to the door before drawing the rune she had made before. The door shimmered a bit before unlocking and opening itself to a dark interior, through the house what seemed like pollen filled the air, not an absurd amount but more than really should be in a house like this.
The inside of the house was old too, uncared for like no one had lived in the house for years but Evia only left last month. Nothing made sense Minora was going to tell Sarris that they should leave but as she turned the door behind them had vanished nothing but a solid wall stared back at them.
“Well, that’s not good…”
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Post by Sarris on Oct 25, 2022 20:38:50 GMT -5
Sarris nodded in understanding while not understanding. She was not a mage in the hermetic sense of the word.
As they crossed the threshold, Sarris felt a shiver up her spine. There was no Fae here. No Brownies tending to the house and no Pixies around the gardens. There was something else that felt to Sarris like a large cold snake sliding across her body. There were no words that she could use to describe what she sensed. She could tell Minora felt some dis-ease at the place.
When the door disappeared, Sarris felt like Prince. On edge. She wanted to draw a dagger, but her instincts told her that acting in any way that seemed aggressive would meet a hostile response.
Looking around the room, Sarris saw some things that were of value.
"Those are traps," Sarris said pointing things of value out. "She set this up so any thief that got in here would grab things and leave quickly," Sarris noted.
Sarris closed her eyes and opened herself to her magic. Power thrummed in her. Trying to overwhelm her. It was raw and wild power and it made her want to be sick.
"Did she choose this place because it was a Nexus point of some kind?" Sarris asked acknowledging the power here. If it was this place should be crawling with Fae Folk. "But it feels corrupted," Sarris added.
She gently walked around the room looking at things but not touching anything. She did not notice anything that caught her attention. The books and scrolls she could not read, so they were of no interest to her.
"Let me know when I can help you," she said in a whisper. Sarris followed Minora out of the room on their quest.
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Post by Minora on Oct 26, 2022 8:40:04 GMT -5
Every bone in Minora’s body shook just from the sheer magic that ran through this house almost like she was being crushed. The air stale with a heavy musty smell coming from the home, honestly she didn’t know if this was a nexus point on the maps of Sol City old and new, no point like this existed in the city.
“I didn’t even know this was her home till i was told by the magistrate, let’s just find what i’m looking for and find a way out, this place makes my skin crawl. Just stay close alright?”
Not too far into the home the room they walked into was a study, three bookcases decorated the room as red paint chipping and faded from the wall, this house was really not attended to in Evia’s absence. Walking into the middle of the room books flew from the shelves and around Minora opening up as pages turned. Minora moved her hand becoming a book to get close as she read the pages as quickly as she did her face turned to almost pure horror as each book she read dropped to the ground after a few pages of reading. As each book hit the floor it would open showing nothing but blank pages
“No…No, these pages are blank, all these books are empty.”
In frustration she ran over to the desk with scrolls laid out with ink and quill but those too were blank. Minora picked the quill up and dipped it in ink than began writing the word “FUCK” as she did the letters would vanish as she wrote them. She took a deep breath; she didn’t know if she was more pissed at being out of her depth as to what was occurring here or that Evia was playing with her.
“New plan….”
As she began to speak a loud humming sound could be heard coming from deep in the house towards the hallway they were currently in, the noise made her hair stand on end, fear… She had to regain a little control; she couldn’t afford to lose her cool here, not with Sarris so close.
“Sarris… This is something different. Stay very close, behind me is best… I’ll need your help though. You can feel that magic right? It's wrong twisting. Magic itself is alive but this feels… Just remember if something gets through me I want you to run as fast as you can and get out. I highly doubt whatever is in here is terribly friendly.”
As the humming became louder the sounds of sliding footsteps could be heard sounding of plate mail, in the hallway looking into the room the two guards from outside stared into the room their armor was dented in they dragged their sword on the ground and from their back and head the same green sickly fungus was seen.
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Post by Sarris on Oct 26, 2022 21:19:39 GMT -5
Sarris watched. Flying books was not something she had seen. Books where the words disappeared was also strange.
“The nexus is where two ley lines cross and the magical energy can be used to power spells and substation them. The Fae like to use places like this to cross between their world and here,” she said explaining. This might not be magics that the Hermetics taught.
After the outburst at the desk Sarris asked a simple question, “If you are looking for books that are not hers, they should still have writing in them. Right?”
Sarris agreed to Minora’s instructions.
The two metal armed warriors with their swords dragging drew her attention quite quickly. Her thieves skills would allow her to become invisible. But that would not help Manora.
Sarris started scanning the bookshelves looking for a release. A click came and Sarris held the shelf in place. “Mistress, I believe there is either a secret room and a stairwell here,” Sarris said not wanting to use names.
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Post by Minora on Oct 27, 2022 9:00:12 GMT -5
Minora faced the two guards and raising her right hand up, a bookcase next to the one Sarris had used to open a secret passage began floating and then violently flew across the room smashing into both of the plate mail guards[1] sending splinters flying and the sound of cracked wood filled the house. The two guards flew back the sheer force of which the bookcase was thrown, sending them back and off their feet. Another bookcase flew across the room but this time landed much softer creating a barrier from the open door to where Sarris and herself were now.
Minora placed her hand on Sarris’ shoulder and smiled at her. Seeing her as a young child and now filled Minora with some happiness on how impressed she was on everything she had been observing Sarris do. Minora only let those feelings last for a moment and she seemed to snap back into an almost cold demeanor, she had too. Taking a commanding lead she looked down the metal staircase, the entranceway to this staircase was far different than from what the rest of the home looked like.
The house carried a beautiful lavish but studied style, something very obviously lived in by a mage but this entrance way and the stairs itself were rusted metal uncared for and what looks as though it had seen many years of usage. Old scars show years of worth but new scars deep cuts, something very heavy and very sharp cut through someone as dried blood also decorated the walls and floor. This part of the house gave off a scent of pure malice and the twisting magic became an even stronger presence.
“Okay, starting to get that punching above our weight class type of feeling… Thoughts ward? we can talk as we go, i’m not sure how long that case will be able to hold them.”
[1]Telekinesis You warp space around an object, giving you the ability to lift or move that object with your mind. You can target any object that is roughly the same size as yourself and one that you can see when casting the spell. You can then move that object around, lifting it up, moving it from side to side or even using the object for its intended purpose. You do not need to physically touch the object and can move it around as long as you can see it.
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Post by Sarris on Oct 28, 2022 12:16:32 GMT -5
Sarris was impressed with Minora’s ability to throw a bookshelf with her mind. The best Sarris could do was to throw a handful of pebbles into an area. Still it tied up the “guards” for a while.
Sarris laughed a little at Minoria’s comment. “That is what every mage wants you to think so you leave their stuff alone. That is why most mages like the dark brooding look,” she said as they went down the steps. Sarris was petting Prince because the creepiness of this place was getting to her.
As the circled and descended Sarris stopped Minora by holding her shoulder. “I think the next step or the one below it is trapped.,” she said with a bit of worry. The blood stain on the wall made her aware that something was probably rigged to separate body parts from the whole person. This was a condition that Sarris did not care to have happening to either of them,
“How valuable are these books?” Sarris asked as the went lower into the earth.
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Post by Minora on Oct 28, 2022 17:35:16 GMT -5
Minora slowed down to a stop before leaving the step she was on and then looked down the spiral case into the darkness. The natural magic of this area intertwined with the green energy, more like strangled the green energy twisted around the natural blue. Judging from how rusty and the state of things from what she saw she doubted any type of trap here actually worked. She continued to stare into the abyss before hearing a child's laughter and then immediately after a dull screeching and the sound of moving feet and no less of dust in the air.
“Honestly, if you asked me before this I would have told you it just contains old myths. Nothing of any real use the stories in that book date back all the way before Sol City. Now I'm beginning to think that the book may have a bit of truth. I don't think that this place was meant to keep people out, Sarris, prepare yourself for anything.”
If there were traps Evia would have had a way past them to allow herself some safe passage but traps were not her forte, she then turned to Sarris.
“Okay, I guess you are up. Can you disarm or at least give us an idea on what steps are trapped or even if the traps still work?”
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Post by Sarris on Oct 28, 2022 19:18:24 GMT -5
Sarris nodded at the instruction to be ready for anything.
“I can try to disarm it,” Sarris said thinking for a few moments. Then she looked at the arrangement and a wicked smile came over her face. “I have a better idea. Because the guards will have to get past that too... Hug me around the neck and hold on tight,” she said. She waited for Minora to hug her. Lifting her broom they rose into the air. Sith a slight push, Sarris pushed them out into the abyss of the stairwell. “I bet she did something like this,” Sarris said letting them float down the shaft. Some bats took flight while squeezing their alarm as the approached the green light.
As the did an trap beneath them went off bolts cross crossed and bounced off walls. The area was filled with projectiles. Bats s reached and fell injured.
“I would like to say I feel sorry for them,” Sarris said. As they reached the landing Sarris stopped them on the last step. Looking at Minora she said, “You can let go. The traps on the stairs are set at irregular intervals. Even running might get us killed.” Before moving Sarris asked, “Would you check for a wards or magical traps on the landing?”
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Post by Minora on Oct 29, 2022 8:48:39 GMT -5
Suddenly traps honestly were not of the main troubles that concerned Minora’s mind, not only did this whole place start to reek of death but it would mean that maybe Evia had something to do with necromancy or experiments on living beings. Deemed illegal in civilized parts of the world and for something like this to happen and under the guild and academy’s very nose, the blow back from this would cause some serious damage to the mage reputation.
Minora moved to the landing where the stairs stopped, nothing magical at least in a trap sort of sense. The landing led to a hallway filled with many rusty iron bars, black cobblestones filled the walls creating a dungeon meant to house people against their will, the smell of death lingered heavily in the air. Glass windows were next to each cell for a look inside, the sound of a child laughing filled Minora’s ears and mind something so familiar about the sound like a memory.
Some of the cell doors were opened, some had the doors ripped off or damaged in some way. There was no way back but going forward seemed like a much more dangerous idea but that laughter compelled Minora to try and follow where it came from. While Minora moved forward the sounds of laughter could only be heard by her.
“Hey… Sarris doesn’t that laughter sound a lot like Alon? Funny…”
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Post by Sarris on Oct 29, 2022 22:11:08 GMT -5
Sarris watched Minora examine the landing hoping to learn something.
As they walked down the hallway Sarris was very cautious watching for more traps. None caught her eye as the moved. “I do not hear any laughter,” Sarris said calmly. Her time with the Fae had numbed her to some mind forms of mind tricks as they liked to play them on people.
Hers came as visions in locked cells of children crying. “Did you see that little girl?” Sarris asked as they went down the hallway.
The smell of death, rot, mold, and animal waste even made Prince want to turn back.
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Post by Minora on Oct 31, 2022 9:35:18 GMT -5
Water dripped upon cobbled stone from pipes above their heads and the air became warm and humid, something not noticeable till they reached the landing. On the outside of each of the doors held a book locked in iron to stop water or erosion from ruining the papers, each room had one of these on the outside of the door. Minora walked slowly up to the first room in the hallway and with a wave of her hand the metal box popped off the chain and flew into Minora’s hands and in a moment she had the book open reading intensely.
“Maybe these books can give us an idea on what’s going on, do not move till i am finished reading no matter what you hear.”
“Subject 10 medical reports: after increased exposure to the Aislefnoise subject complained of oily shadows, alien voices in the mind and seeing the Aislefnoise with superstitious awe. Subject passed one week after exposure, through which the body began morphing like the others. Autopsy to be done soon.”
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Post by Sarris on Oct 31, 2022 14:05:32 GMT -5
The rhythmic dripping of the water on to the stones was a rhythmic sometime rushing the beat other times coming just before the next beat. Sarris stayed in place and watched. She fidgeted a little as she was not comfortable being this far down in the earth.
As she looked across the landing to the rooms, a pair of eyes could be seen in the dark. The eyes glowed like an animal and were placed about the height of a man’s.
“Minora,” she said gently. “There is something looking out the window,” she said and the eyes disappeared from sight in the room.
Sarris was not one to get scared easy but she had not herald what was happening down here. The feeling the place gave off was one that made her not want to open the doors of the cells.
She shifted her weight on the step. And held her broom so she could escape upwards if needed.
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Post by Minora on Nov 1, 2022 10:58:30 GMT -5
“I remember saying not to move while I read… I can’t get anything from this report. I'm not even sure what Aislefnoise even is. Something, maybe a plant or relic. I need to find Evia’s lab, she should have things we are looking for there, come on this place gives me the creeps.”
Creeps was an understatement, she was downright terrified but with Sarris here she had to keep a brave face. Minora’s boots tapped against the stone hallway floor passing by other cells, the air grew so heavy almost unbreathable as the end of the hallway revealed a laboratory filled with beakers and plants, arcane focuses and books upon books. In the center of the large room was a tree small with black wood with no leaves though the tree itself looked as though it was burned with no damage around it or the rest of the room, towards the back of the room was a table with three books opened flipped halfway.
Minora ran up towards the table and quickly started going over the books flipping pages through the pages to the start of them and started reading next to the table was a metal grate leading down further into the ground, as Minora read the tree in the middle almost gave off whispers none that could be made out but the sounds of many voices over each other chanting sung lowly. She pointed toward the tree and began to speak
“Okay, starting with the obvious thing that is the Aislefnoise, from what Evia wrote she found it in the Ashland two months ago. The tree seems to be very old, no specifics on a date or time period in which this thing grew. Apparently it was smaller before she brought it here to the city, also that no other plant life grew around this tree. There are more in depth medical records here as well.”
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