The eerie sounds of a forest at night encapsulated the twisting path that lead north from Choras Village. Darkness had come quickly and the forest seemed foreboding and alive. Ahead the path widens, slowly opening to a large clearing. The spires of the forgotten castle rise high above the forest canopy that encircles them. The grass has grown unchecked, waste high. The stonework is dated, eroded, ominous. The wind peirces this place, odd sounds emerging from all areas of the castle, escaping the windows and gaps in the stone. Ahead the massive stone archway leading inside is dark.
— Since I'm DMing as well, Jonas will post last in the order. Lena or Peter can start.
Night was settling in and Lena was a long way from any village, town or inn. She knew better than to stray to far from a safe house when dusk begins to set but she had lost track of time and it seemed to come so quickly. A path had been walked through the forest, probably over the course of decades from transport into Chorus Village, and Lena knew it best to always stick to a path. The others had stayed behind but she was sure that Peter had come out this way roughly the same time as her. If she could find him at least she would not be alone. A sudden flock of bats emerged from a nearby tree, causing an involuntary scream from Lena. She threw her cloak over her head, shielding herself from harm until they had passed. When it was clear, she reered her head and continued on. It was getting darker and Lena was beginning to feel she would be better off just setting up tent where she was… But then she noticed the castle. Clearly derelect for a long time, the castle looked neglected and unloved. Still, it could perhaps offer some shelter from the night. She pushed through the large, iron gates that creaked loudly, almost as though they were in pain, and began her way up the path.
Peter travelled through the woods with only the moonlight as his guide. Peter knew Lena and his comrades as set out and with night setting in this was a particularly dangerous place to be. Even as the peak of his power, Peter had thought about searching through this area for things no one strong enough could find, but the war kept him from him. Now, he was in one of the darkest areas of the world. This was no man's land he was stuck there at night. His foot stepped on a twig, his mind too worried to notice it was there. Something in the bushes rustled to the noise and Peter rushed on.
The loud noise of a gate opening caused Peter's ears to raise in alarm. Without worring what was around him, Peter rushed to the noise to see the villa that was known as Hero's Grave. A place few returned from and even then most people didn't believe they came from there. Most of the stories were about people going and enver returning it. Peter rushed to Lena side and grabbed her shoulder, “Lena, stop. Let's wait for Jonas to catch up.” Peter looked up at the villa and his ear shook with fear, but the ambitious side of him saw it as an oppurtunity to do what we hadn't done before. Prove to himself he is just as capable as he had been before. He may not have power, but he had comrades.
Night had come quickly, though perhaps Jonas had just lost track of time while talking to the people of Choras. The young adventurer moved briskly along the forest path, having lost sight of both Lena and Peter who had left ahead of him. Their was a coolness to the forest at night, it was unsettling. A shriek cut through the night air, disturbing the the normal forest sounds while sending a jolt down Jonas' spine—He knew it was Lena. ” Damnit. ” Jonas muttered to himself, knowing that his friends must be close and fearing they might be in danger. Jonas unclasped the latch that held his blade in its scabbard, reaching behind his head and grabbing the hilt in the process. He pulled the blade clean and picked up the pace, darting down the forest trail. His footsteps were heavy, anyone would hear him coming, but he would have to take that chance. In the distance, the moonlight revealed the ruins. The Hero's Grave was a towering castle, neglected for who knows how long. The light shown eerily into the clearing where Jonas caught sight of two silhouettes moving towards the ruins. He moved through the iron gate and slowed his place, recognizing his friends as he grew near. ” What happened? I heard a scream. ” Jonas asked, lowing his blade.
— OOC Talk: No need for me to post as DM again until someone goes inside. 226 words ~ 226 total
Lena stood at the entrance to the castle, terrified to move ahead but oh so curious at the same time. Suddenly, a hand grabbed at her shoulder. She spun around instantly, gasping in such fear that barely any sound escaped her mouth. Her eyes softened as she sighed with relief. “Peter, you scared me. I was looking for you.” She was happy to see a familiar face and was now contemplating the idea of the two of them venturing inside the castle for a little exploration. Peter mentioned waiting for Jonas. “Are you sure he is coming?” Just then, the iron gate at the end of the path began to creak and the silhouette of a young man came running up towards them. Involuntarily, Lena hid behind Peter, clutching onto his shoulders for protection. It was just Jonas. She sighed again. “I swear you boys are just trying to scare me!” She stood out from behind Peter, a little embarassed. “The scream was probably me… I got ambushed by some bats but I'm okay.”
Lena sudden jump behind him caused Peter to jump in alarm. He drew his gun only to notice it was Jonas. His rabbit ears relax a little as he waved in his direction, “Lena wandered upon Hero's Grave. I never looked into in your time, but now it's a place of rumors.” Peter turned back towards the villa. A fast wind blew part the estate causing an eerie noise to fill the air, “I never had time to investigate, but I doubt any who have gone in have come back.” Peter glanced over at Jonas and Lena and shrugged, “Or at least got to do anything. Many tell tales about this place. No one knows what's inside, but it's the resting place of a great hero. Most of the stories say there are treasures in there. At least we'll get what the people who never came back brought in with them.” Peter took another look at the villa and his rabbit ears shook, “I've always wanted to see what's in there.”
Jonas' heart rate began to drop, though there was a pervasive tenseness about the castle, a feeling that something was just not right. He was relieved that everyone was alright, just shaken by the atmosphere of the forest and the looming structure by which they stood. As he listened to his friends speak he raised his blade, twisting it behind his body, calmly sliding it back into it's scabbard. With the blade returned he re-clasped the leather bands that held it in place before replying. ” Well we've come all this way haven't we? ” Jonas asked rhetorically as he took a step towards the foreboding entrance ahead of them. ” Lets get to it. ” He continued to speak, taking another step towards the darkness. A rush of excitement roared though Jonas' veins, the sense of adventure had arrived, a thrill he was known to seek. Stopping, Jonas looked back at the others. He reached into his satchel, which was slung across his shoulders and rested against his left hip. Rummaging for a moment he pulled a small lantern maybe seven inches tall, the metal brass. Holding the lantern in his right hand he rummaged more, retrieving a small box of matches he kept with him for such a purpose and pulling a lone match free struck it against the lantern causing a small flame to ignite. Jonas carefully lit the lantern's wick and then started forward, entering the dark passageway that was the entry to the Hero's Grave.
The lantern light illuminated the dark passageway which was roughly five feet wide. The walls and were made of stone, expertly cut and laid to make a fine inner structure. The interior was cool, wind from outside moved though the castle freely, coming in torrents and leaving all at once. Ahead the light revealed an end to their passage, though it split in two directions both to the right and to the left.
— One of you should decide which way to go, make sure you posting doing so as we should always be moving forward.
Lena positioned herself in between Jonas and Peter, feeling somewhat safe sandwiched in the middle of them. Jonas pulled out a small lantern and managed to add some light to the terrifyingly dark corridor. Inside her own satchel was a device that could add some extra light. Reaching inside, she found the cylinder shaped object and pulled it out, pressing a button that released a small seep of flammable gas. Pulling back on the silver cog, a spark was created, igniting the gas inside the cylinder. A small flame appeared within the cylinder and cast a beam of light forward, much like a modern day flashlight. The beam was not that bright and could only reach several meters in front of them but was enough to add some extra light to the empty looking castle. They soon reached a wall, providing them with two different routes; one to their direct left and one to their direct right. “Well, we have to choose one route.” She shone her light down the left hall first. It was difficult to see much. Then she turned to the right path. “They look the same.” She was already facing right so edged closer to that route. “Let's start on the right side and see if it loops around.”
Peter moved together with the group towards Hero's Grave. It seemed odd. Peter was always worried about going here before he travelled in time, but with his allies he felt secure. His rabbit ears even bobbed with happiness.
Hero's Grave was just as he imagined, maybe even a little more grim. The darkness seemed to be alive. Peter caused a small aura to form over his hand for light, “It's amazing. To think of that history that place contains that few know.” Peter could see past the haunting nature of this place. If it wasn't for that though, he'd love to train and meditate here, but there may be time for that later. Now it was time to explore and see how far we could go. “Right seems fine.” He continued behind Lena using his aura's light to assist hers.
The coolness of the drafts cutting through the corridors of the Hero's Grave sent a chill down Jonas' spine. He had agreed with the others that they should go to the right when they reached the T intersection in the passage. Looking over his friends, the best he could in the dim light, he could tell spirits were high, there was a sense of adventurer running through all of them. The darkness ahead of them seemed endless, the light from their devices and magic only pushing it back a few meters around them. Jonas knew that just at the aphelion of their devices could lie any number of treasures or dangers, this fact excited him more than any other. ” This place still exists in 1010. ” Jonas started to speak, the rhythmic clicking of their boots now echoing down the long passage they had entered. ” Everyone still says it's haunted as well, I was surprised that even in this time a veil of mystery is thrown over this castle. ” He finished speaking, wondering if Lena had ever heard the rumor, sure that Peter had not.
the stone walled corridor continued to stretch straight for some ways. Under the feet of the adventurers a series of rich green rugs led them further, the borders sewn in a beautiful red hue. In the distance a rhythmic thud sounded though the passageway, timed with the bursts of wind that moved past them. As the light reached ahead movement of a sturdy oak door, heavy and thick, banging with each gust of wind against a stone that had been placed between the door and it's frame came into view. The passage continued on past this door, the wind growing stronger as the moved farther down the passageway.
— We can either continue down the corridor or enter the room.
With everyone accepting her idea to turn right, the group steadily continued on down the corridor. “Then I wonder how long this place has been left abandoned for?” Lena assumed the large castle was once home to a noble family, much like her own had once lived. She pictured women in elaborate gowns and men dressed from head to toe in fine suits and top hats. The treasures contained within were an exciting prospect but suddenly she wanted to know more about the building itself and who could have called it home. Banging noises from up ahead caused sudden alarm. Pausing on the spot, she reached her arm forward as far as it could go, trying to extend the reach of her light. A door came into view, opening gently and then slamming shut. “Surely it's just the wind.”She held her gaze to the large oak frame. “Perhaps we should see what's inside. I want to know more about this place. I bet it had many secrets to tell.”
The darkness of the hall was errie, but the villa was not as bad as Peter had previously thought. “It hasn't been abandoned all that long. My parents had heard of the hero, Cyrus, when it was current news.” Peter thought about how in their time this place seemed to be a long forgotten darkness no one wished to go near, but now is a darkness everyone one tried to see into. He remembered hearing about Cyrus' battles from his parents growing up. Most of them exagerrated or told to teach Peter something. Still, those came back to him as he walked the halls.
The sound of a door banging against something snapped Peter back. It was the wind doing that, but was someone controlling that wind? Didn't seem to hard considering the other stories about this place. Nodding, Peter examined the door and saw something blocking the door and the frame, “Wait.” Peter pointed to the stone, “This may be deliberate.” He put a little more magic into his aura and opened the door slight, cautiously lighting everything he could incase of traps.
The doorway opened with a squeak, the push of the strong wind currents give the already heavy oak door more weight. The light illuminated the large room, it was rectangular, the stone floor covered by the now familiar green rug. Along the back wall, some twelve meters straight ahead from the door were two massive windows, the glass long broken. The other walls held the tattered remains of tapestries, frayed and torn from years of being exposed to the elements. The room was littered with broken furniture, wood strewn everywhere. In the very center a two metter diameter dark hole was roughly cut into the stone floor. It lead down into darkness.
— We can either continue down the corridor or enter the room.
Jonas followed Peter as he opened the door, giving a moment to test for traps before feeling it was safe. Stepping past his friend he entered the large room and though dark he was able to make out the state of things. He watched his feet as he walked, moving around the broken remains of a table and two sitting chairs which were once covered in the finest leather. His eyes soon became fixated on the large hole in the center of the room. Jonas walked closer, peering down attempting to see into the darkness. ” Many secrets indeed. ” Jonas said as he turned back to face Lena. ” I say we go down there, someone put forth a lot of effort to dig that hole. ” He spoke as he turned back, pointing to the rough dug hole with his free hand. Jonas' expression was one of excitement, this was the kind of thing he lived for. His mind has already come to the conclusion that there was a great treasure in this place and clearly the hole meant someone before had tried to claim it. Jonas knew it was a craps shoot, but he was willing to take the chance that it had not been found.
Peter followed behind Jonas and looked around the room. It had been a long time since someone had been here, his parents may have been lying that they knew Cyrus. Peter shrugged it off, his parents wanting to seem important against a son who could use magic with great ability. He knelt down by the hole and extened his hand slowly so his aura glow could see more. “True, but chances are they never came back.” Peter looked up at Jonas and Lena and smiled, “But they didn't have us as a team. Be ready to help me up if it's deep.” Peter moved his aura glow to his feet and lowered himself down the hole with his hands on the edge for his comrades to pull him up, “Tell me if you see anything down there.”
As they entered the room it was clearly another area that had not been touched for many years. Lena noticed the large hole immediately, completely ignoring the rest of the rooms elegant features. “As long as it isn't there because something came out of it…” Lena allowed Jonas and Peter to approach the hole and kept her distance behind them. She offered a little extra light from her torch as Peter climbed down into the hole. “Be careful down there.” She leaned a little closer, worrying about what could be down there. From where she was standing it was just a dark, empty hole. “Jonas, let's go down with him.”
The light penetrated the darkness of the hole, revealing its secrets. The hole opened into a large room, roughly half the size of the one above. It's furnishings were rubble, though remnants of a two sets of bunks and a broken table could be made out. The floor and walls were stone, though less detail put forth in their outward look, which was rigid and uneven. One passage, a few meters wide led from this room into darkness.
Jonas followed Peter down, lowering himself down into the hole and the dropping the final two meters. The hard stone floor was not forgiving on his knees as he landed, but the pain departed quickly and was replaced again by a feeling of excitement and wonder. He quickly took in the room, doing his best in the dimness, it appeared to him that it was once a servants quarters or perhaps bunks for guards, he could not be sure. His eyes caught the single passageway leading out. He turned to Peter, then back to the hole, knowing that they would have to go on. ” Let's help Lena down. ” Jonas said as he put his arms up and motioned for Lena to climb down and use himself and Peter as a platform to descend to. ” We me be under the main level, I wonder how deep the structure actually goes. ” Jonas said aloud as he stood. In the distance a low barely audible rattle clacked against the stone, the sound traveling through the passageway back to the lone room.
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