Heady the Sea, part 1

Log Info

• Title: Heady the Sea, part 1
• Emitter: Jinks
• Characters: Jay, Jozi, Nemori
• Place: Alexandros Countryside, Heavyheel Farms
• Time: Wednesday, September 21, 2022, 7:00 PM
• Summary: Mama Bula's kids are in trouble again! Heady wandered off during a job and Kerry-Anne has gone off in search of the neglected wargolem. Git is worried what might happen if she doesn't have backup. Guilt is parlayed into action. Jay recruits Nemori and Jozi and they head out. A long ride later, they encounter Kerry-Anne at the trail the wargolem took. Following it, they find Heady, kneeling over a depression on the top of a hill. Further investigation shows it's some crashed, Kuthian object which they struggle to find an opening for.

---

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  Appearing  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Jay          5'9"     145 Lb     Eaglefolk         Male      A perky male Blue Jay with a discerning eye.
Jozi         5'8"     148 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    A brunette half-orcess with a sunny disposition.
Nemori       4'10"    110 Lb     Mul'niessa        Female    A tall and slender, dark skinned elf.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Jinks        3'4"     39 Lb      Gnome             Male      A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

Another day, another of Mama Bula's lot imperiled. Git-- road-weary, bedraggled, and more than a little frantic-- had chanced upon Jay in the Adventurer's Guild and explained that the egalrin had to join Kerry-Anne and make sure she didn't get herself killed. The gobber had obviously been in a recent scrap but seemed fine save a few bumps and bruises. Far from the strongest creature living in Alexandria (not even near the strongest goblin), Git's grip was dogged as he did his best to pull along Integrity and offer further explanation:

Tamzin, Heady, Kerry-Anne, Odundik (and Git) had been tasked by Mama Bula to make safe a valley of farmland before the indigent farmers and their families quit the refuge of the city to return home. All had gone smoothly until they discovered a cluster of vampiric, bat-winged heads in a barn. They won the day but Tamzin was seriously hurt (Odundik is carting her to the Soldier's Defense post haste).

On the way back to the city, Heady had stopped, turned, and limped off the road to disappear into the hills.

Git had insisted on pursuing but Kerry-Anne refused to split the group further, deciding that they would return to the city and make sure Tamzin received assistance from the clerics. The gobber had tried to argue with her and earned a slap for his dissent. That was the end of the discussion and they'd all marched back. He was supposed to be giving Mama Bula an update but hoping to find help first.

Kerry-Anne had left the city alone to look for Heady.

The gobber insisted that Jay (and his friends) owed him for Ratto. Heady had gone west off the road the Heavyheel Farms, 'near the rocky hill with all the yellow moss.' Kerry-Anne was on foot, so she shouldn't be hard to catch if horses were utilized. He knows she won't come back without finding the stray wargolem but is afraid what might happen if she's out alone.

The bluejay is easily dragged along, not resisting the gobber and unlikely to be all that successful if he did. Plus, there's Ratto. Really, all Git had to do was ask. The l-eagle egalrin isn't deluded about his own prospects; Kerry-Anne might not do well on her own, but a gobbo with a side of bird-brain isn't the first wish in reinforcements.

"Nemori! Nemori!" Jay caws in the hopes she'll hear, even though shouting in the streets is highly ineffective. "Nemori there's an urgent thing and I could use some help."

He turns to Git, "We should find her specific, then she can pay you back too. How long ago was it Heady split from your group? Do you have a paid up Explorer's rescue package? They should be sending people. I could advocate for that."

It really shouldn't have worked. This is a large city. The chances of one specific person among the hundreds of thousands of people living being within yelling distance at any given point in time are fractionally small.

Of course, the odds increase if you happen to be in an area they frequent. The odds increase even further if that person, for reasons of her own, happened to be seeking the squawking bird in question. Still not great odds, but this is Alexandria.

Thus it is that a dark skinned elf is leaning against one of the yet to be lit gas street lights, arms folded, garbed in blouse and leather and wide-brimmed hat, is waiting for Jay and Git as they round the next corner. When Nemori sees them, she straightens... and her eyes narrow upon seeing the goblin. An unwelcome revelation for her, apparently. But then she looks to the egalrin, silently questioning him as the pair hurry in her direction.

"Nemori! Nemori!" Integrity notices her and steers Git in the mul'niessa's direction. "Hi. Hi. Remember Heady, the golem with the broken bowl head? Git's friend, this is Git, you remember him. He knows Kerry-Anne, she was helping us out with survey group that got turned to goats, and at the donation drive."

The egalrin skims over many, many details, "Heady wandered off, and Kerry-Anne is looking for it, so I was going to help Git, except... y'know...."

He flutters expressively, "It's outside the city, it's dark, and in the woods, and the countryside isn't pacified. So, um. Are you busy?"

Git blinks, drag-ger becoming the drag-ged, and takes a half-step behind Integrity when Nemori looks down at him. The mud on his boots is dry and flaking where he walks, his shirt has that crust of dried sweat, and his lip has swelled a bit more since finding Jay and pulling him along.

"Y-yes... right. Right." The gobber has his own staff and he brings it up as a minor metallic obstacle to reinforce the Jay barricade between he and the mul'niessa. "... except I need to go to Mama Bula. And tell her everything. Y-you have to go find Kerry-Anne and Heady...

"I don't want her to hit me again."

Seldom does serendipity roll the hard six, but travelling through the street is an Oruch-blooded lass is her militant kit, freshly scuffed and dinged from training.

Hearing the recently familiar chirping of Integrity not too far from her position, Jozi blinks out of what reverie had held her before she tippy toes and looks around the crowd until she catches a flash of blue plumage.

Her course changes, driven by the Elgarin's tone, and as she draws closer to the congealing unit, she calls, "Integrity? Yalright there, sugar?"

"When they 'helped' us," Nemori paraphrases, emphasis on the word help. The quotation marks are quite audible. Her gaze shifts back down to the goblin, and her expression does not relent. "So we are to wander off into the woods, as night is soon to fall, upon the word of this little fool of an apprentice? Has he even said where you are to conduct this search?" When her gaze shift back to Jay, all it takes is a second look to prompt her to sigh. "Of course I will go with you. What would Robert say if I did not?" Aaaaaand eyes back to Git again. "You will tell us everything. Including what you decided you did not need to tell Integrity."

The shadow elf shifts a little bit as Jozi announce herself; the orc-blood gets a guarded, not quite hostile look.. but Nemori isn't about to turn down potential assistance from one of Jay's friends.

Integrity's head whips around, his beak claking closed then open. "Jozi! Jozi! I'm good. Good. Yes!"

He wipes his crest back down. "Just need to run off into the deepest, darkest wood, seeking a headless acquaintance and head-strong friend. Like Nemori says."

The bluejay focuses down on the goblin, "Sure! It was off the road. Heady went off the road into the bushes. There was a track, and a mile marker, wasn't there? What was the mile marker Git?"

And then back on Jozi, "You'll come right? You're built like a bailiff! Your words would carry a lot more weight. And your punches."

"It's really only supposed to be a rescue, maybe just carrying things."

Jozi draws up as she gives the gathering a quick appraisal, a certain amount of extra scrutiny spared the dark elf.

For reasons.

But, she dips her chin in a little nod before the jay's reply draws her attention, and....

A blink.

"I dare ya ta make less sense, sugar..." she returns with a momentary look of bemusement, then as things lean into making -more- sense, the oruchish lass nods, "Of course, let's go save yer friend."

Then, brow arching, "More friends, then?" she ventures.

"'Friends'," Nemori echoes, though her voice is flatter than stale ale and her expression is one to match.

"HMM!" Git huffs, frowning deeply and glaring at Nemori. "I'd be able to help more if-- if..." The gobber stops shaking the head of his staff at the priestess and takes a step back after a shortlived forward surge. He sighs, heavily, and his shoulders sag.

The large, yellowed eyes of the rogue wizard plead up at Nemori. "I'm not good at this-- but Heady helped you! He played his song and stabbed that thing and got smashed up real bad in that swamp.

"... you can be... like you are to me but Heady needs help and he *did* help you. He's my friend-- and Tamzin loves Kerry-Anne." The gobber tilts his head to look up at Jay before glancing at Jozi. Then back to the egalrin. "I'll see who else Mama Bula can send but you have to go now.

"If you go on horses you should be able to catch Kerry-Anne before she gets there; she's running."

Scraped knucles go the lightest shade of yellow-green as he wrings his hand around the staff's shaft and looks back at Nemori. "The path to Heavyheel Farms. There's a rocky hill with yellow moss about halfway from the city-- but if you hurry I think you can catch her before she goes off the road..."

Git is already taking steps back as he explains the last bit, glancing over his shoulder. "I'll send more people if I can... please hurry."

Nemori, of course, has no idea where these farms are. Even less where the yellow moss hill might be. But she trusts Jay will. Her head shakes once as her lips form silent words, then she looks at Jozi and Jay. "Well? It seems trouble has managed to find you again, Integrity. I will follow."

Integrity stares back at Git, the way birds can, looking at Nemori and Jozi when he does, then back at the Gobbo when his attention returns. It's an odd sort of mirror mimimcry. "Horses! Yes. We can get there quickly on horses. There should be some at the gate."

His head bobs, "Heavyheel Farms Path, look for a rocky hill with yellow moss. I think I know where that is, yes. Yes."

He looks up, "That should help, as long as it's light." Jay turns to Nemori, head bobbing, "It's... ah, there's a good reason for going." He tries to think of one, his hands dropping to adjust his belt, "A really good reason. Also, we might get paid."

Plus, Nemori agreed, "Ok! Ok! Let's go."

GAME: Jay rolls knowledge/geography: (12)+4: 16

Jozi takes that at face value and nods, falling in with Integrity, "Alright then, let's saddle up and head on out." she agrees, absently affixing one of her clawed gauntlets into place. She doesn't press for details until they're underway on what mounts they can secure, as talking at a jog isn't very effective.

The Heavyheel Farms are a largely halfling farming community to the North-NorthWest. There's a trade road that turns north before the Kultari Waypoint that heads that way. Sounds like the turnoff will be halfway down that road.

The oft-referenced Mama Bula remains an absent player as her wards continue to get in trouble. Leaving you to acquire horses from one of the many stables between your meeting place and the gates...

And, here you are, riding out from the western Phoenix Gates of Alexandria and taking the first fork to the north. It remains a well-worn path even after a few months of scant travel and with recent events, the flow of folk coming and going is growing strong again.

A colorful caravan of Tsura parts to let you pass. The jingling of bells, squeaking of wheels, and the happy sounds of horses back on the road are an almost palpable thing as you move between and ahead the traveling folk.

The ride isn't long but the sun makes a quick descent this time of year and a warm afternoon of blue skies gives way to a multi-colored horizon. Shortly thereafter, chilly winds blow dark clouds beneath a darker sky. The stars are present but appear only in irregular patches.

With the lantern glow of the caravan still in sight behind you, you come upon a lone woman crouched at the side of the road. She's doffed her pack and searches through it, likely after a flint and steel to light the torch tucked under one arm.

The bells turned Jay's head, not enough to stop for some but the thought is planted that it would be exciting to have some on the saddle, and jingle all the way. He is a rough rider, not at all skilled, but still enjoying himself as he spreads his wings and lets his horse pull him along while he barely remains in the saddle.

"Kerry-Anne! Is that you? It's Integrity, Integrity C Truefeather, Esquire. The C is for collected, and I'm here with Jozi and Nemori to help you out."

"Have you found Heady's trail?"

"Integrity. It is nearing nightfall and..." Nemori trails off as she lets her breath out. "Nevermind." Her eyes turn to fix on the fumbling woman. She waits another breath, then fingers a small stone out of her pocket, using it as the anchor for a minor light spell... which she then reaches over to hand to the egalrin.

GAME: Nemori casts Light. Caster Level: 6 DC: 14

Jozi spares the Tsurans as friendly wave with her unsharpened hand as they pass the travelers, but otherwise keeps an eye out for other dangers.

She gives a little sigh, and, "Those clouds could mean bad weather comin in."

As they come upon the lone woman, she spares Jay a quizzical look, then sidelongs as the Mul'niessa makes light.

A nod, then, she turns her attention to Jay's friend as he checks on her.

"... th'fuck business is it of yours, bird?" The exhausted inquiry sighs out of the ill-tempered Eldanari woman after a pregnant pause. Something clatters and clacks and she fishes two small items out of her pack. As the dim light from Nemori's spell reaches out to describe Kerry-Anne in shades of grey and yellow, she sets to work at lighting the torch.

The oldest of Mama Bula's kids (at least the ones you've met), Kerry-Anne is thickly-built with a strong jawline and a hawkish nose. Her dark, curly hair dangles dripping with sweat and she's still trying to catch her breath after the jog up from the city.

She wears a utilitarian breastplate with a chain skirt and one of her arms is a crude, wooden prosthetic etched with dark runes.

GAME: Jay rolls sense motive: (20)+11: 31
GAME: Jay rolls survival+4: (16)+4+4: 24

Kerry-Anne puts on a tough front but she's genuinely concerned for the wargolem. She's rushing and it's making her struggle with lighting the torch. She's also exhausted. There's a subtle twitch/flinch she's doing that makes it seem like some of her wounds from the barn are bothering her more than she'd let on, or Git knew.

GAME: Jozi rolls diplomacy: (8)+6: 14

"Easy, sugar." Jozi croons softly, holding up her safe hand in a placative gesture, "We come ta help ya find yer friend is all, got folk back home worried bout ya."

She tries a casual, folksy smile, "More hands on task, faster it gets done, right?"

"Git asked me to help." Jay straightens up, fluffs up, and dives right in, peering closely at Kerry-Anne "You okay? You're sweaty. Breathless. You look okay. Hey, let me light the torch."

Sweeping up the flint, steel and stick, he lights the tarred cloth after the second strike. "It's easier when there's already light. Thanks Nemori. Oh! Look. Tracks. Heady drags a foot, right?"

The bluejay's eyes meet Kerry-Anne's, "You should ride my horse while I follow the tracks. They're this way." A meaningful glance is sent Nemori's way, "Hope you've got some healing spells ready. She's fine. I might step in a hole."

He starts off down the trail.

GAME: Nemori rolls heal: (14)+4: 18
GAME: Nemori rolls knowledge/the planes: (9)+6: 15

Nemori just... stares after Jay for a second. Then she pinches the bridge of her nose. She stops to give the Eldanar woman her own examination; Jay may be many things, but a healer he is not. And she doesn't ask the woman's permission; if Kerry-Ann is fool enough to push her away, then Nemori won't lose any sleep over it. What she does discover, however, turns her already somewhat sour expression into something more pronounced. "Git mentioned there had been a fight. Vampiric, flying heads? I would guess you have been bitten." And then, without waiting for confirmation.. and again, without seeking permission, she casts.

GAME: Nemori casts Endure Elements. Caster Level: 6 DC: 15, "Converting"
GAME: Nemori rolls 1d20+6: (13)+6: 19
<OOC> Nemori says, "May as well use my luck domain reroll."
GAME: Nemori rolls 1d20+6: (15)+6: 21
GAME: Nemori rolls 1d8+5: (2)+5: 7

Kerry-Anne is distracted and soothed by Jozi's comments long enough for Integrity to snatch away the torch and stoke the embers of her ire anew. She listens to the egalrin talk with flared nostrils and then catches him by the arm with her brutish and heavy carved prosthetic. She's conflicted, clearly, and trembles as her frustrated temper rages against the clever part of her that can accept she needs the help.

"I. Don't. Ride." She finally manages to grunt out, forcing the fake hand open and pulling it back. "Don't get between me and the golem when we find him-- it. The gobber loves that thing and I won't hear his mewling if it isn't returned..."

A half-step is taken back from Nemori at the mul'niessa's silent approach, a shadow of fear passing ever-so-briefly over her features and making her look so much younger for just a moment. A young woman scared and lost in the dark. "... y-- ah..!" Seeking to answer the priestess' question, Kerry-Anne is interrupted by the healing magic's struggle against the alien poison. Red-ringed wounds seem to glow with heat for a moment before the fires and smothered and they begin to close.

Some small amount of the vigor returns to the Eldanar's face, too.

"Fine." She sighs, bending, scooping, and struggling to get the pack back on. Then she collects the banded wooden shield that was sitting beneath it. "If you don't have better things to do than stick your nose's in..."

She cants her chin at Jay. "Lead."

"Why'd you waste a spell Nemori? I told you she was okay. She's tough. Ow." Jay pulls free after Kerry-Anne lets him free, rubbing at his arm. "Walking is fine. Uh, then take the reins and lead my horse so it doesn't run off."

The bluejay turns to the trail, torch held high, a quick and secretive nod at Nemori before he starts along. "Any idea why Heady would head off in a direction?"

City folk...

Inasuch the girl's tenacity is admirable, there's some bemusement about the attitude that comes back their way.

Jozi gives a little shrug and sighs before following after Integrity, though she glances at the girl now and then, to see if she's suitably up for this, or if she needs further care.

Nemori is about to retort that she does have better things to do. Several, in fact. But she bites her tongue; easier done because of Jay's questioning of her judgement. "She was poisoned, Integrity," the shadow elf says with a slight stiffness. "Was I not supposed to? Would you rather have had her pass out and possibly die?" A scenario Nemori would profess to minding one way or the other. "I think we need to have a talk about mixed signals."

Once the group of now-four is underway, Nemori lends her thoughts. "Perhaps the goblin's friend was somehow infected by the creatures."

"Stop arguing," Kerry-Anne snaps, "and stop talking about me like I'm not here." She looks down at Nemori, glaring again. "I hate it."

"Right! We should!" Jay chirps, darting down the path, "After some more riverside training!"

The broad-shouldered Eldanar jerks on the horse's reins as she sets to walking, producing pained complaint from the animal. That gives her pause and she forces herself to stop and draw a deep breath. Her good hand reaches back and rests lightly on its nose.

When she speaks next her voice is still tired and hoarse but it's softer, too. "Sorry," Kerry-Anne offers Nemori with a sideways glance. She doesn't wait for a reply before setting off after Jay.

"It spoke," she answers the egalrin. "I've never heard it speak. 'Cruel-dah. Pray-tarr.' I don't know what it means." Catching Jozi's look, the human woman offers a tight nod. She might not be in the best shape but she seems fighting-fit.

Down the Path

The path is easy to follow; Heady's gait is both heavy and unique, the earth is soft and untraveled, and no attempt was made to hide its passage.

You move between hills that become less-and-less rocky as the path sets into a steady-but-gradual decline and the mounds rise to either side. The path expands wider into a grassy, earthen ravine with a few trickling rivulets through loose rock and mud.

The ravine ends at another hill, this one somewhat hemispherical if not for the odd boulder or clinging growth.

GAME: Jay rolls perception+4: (8)+15+4: 27
GAME: Jozi rolls perception: (15)+9: 24
GAME: Nemori rolls perception: (14)+10: 24

Jozi lets the friends hash out their business while her attention holds more on the girl between glances about their surroundings.

For a moment, there is a creak of leather in her hand at the dismayed whinny, and it seems the half-orc is about to backhand the taste out of their quarry's mouth, when the girl realizes her mistake and tries to soothe the animal, even apologizing.

She lets out a slow breath, a hint of reproach in her eyes, but she musters on, with now it's time to search, the rest can wait.

GAME: Jay rolls linguistics: (3)+8: 11, "Linguistics to figure out Cruel-Dah, Pray-Tarr"

The bluejay follows the trail and tracks, down the gradual decline, into the ravine, and through it to the hemispherical hill. Every once in a while he crouches to examine the ground, then rises up and strides forward, torch held high. He's clearly visible and clearly tracking as he comes to the hill, and pauses a moment to stare into the darkness.

Which reveals an inert, headless suit of armour kneeling at the top of the domed hill. "Hey! There he is! Head up!"

Nemori's lips begin to curl downwards when Kerry-Ann snaps at her... but she holds her tongue, and is somewhat gratified when the apology is offered. And a bit surprised. And then the search is underway; pondering upon the moment will have to wait until later.

Through the dark Nemori steps with the others, keeping her eyes open for signs of Heady. Or of a struggle. Or anything unrelated light nocturnal predators or others with questionable moralities.

Nemori is slower to spot the inert form of Heady than Jay. "This seems odd." She glances at Jozi to see if the half-blood agrees, then turns a questioning, if shadowed, look upon Kerry-Ann. "Is this normal for your friend?"

As the trek continues, Jozi turns her attention outward more fully to seek any signs that Integrity's tracking has struck paydirt.

When, in short order, the legal jay calls note to that fact, himself.

She gives a soft, "Well done, sugar.", then turns a wary eye toward the apparently oddly functioning, if currently genuflective golem before swinging down out of the saddle with an, "Easy, girl."

Catching the look from Nemori, the half orc nods thoughtfully, then she looks to Kerry-Ann for the response.

The golem doesn't react to the calls. It sits with pulet resting on the back of greaves and open gauntlets on poleyns. Leant forward as it is, the thing that was Heady has the appearance of a creature at prayer-- or bowing, ready for the headsman's axe. There's no flicker of the will-o'-wisp dancing in the gorget bowl that has served as the construct's face up to now.

Kerry-Anne drops the shield and horse's reins, both items forgotten as she growls denial at the prostrate armor. She stumbles forward, shrugging out of the pack and snatching the torch from Integrity as she passes to scramble up the hill. Earth, clumps of grass and scrag, and small rocks tumble down in her way.

The ascent is roundabout and difficult-- especially exhausted and with only one arm. The light of the torch brings greater clarity to the neglected plates of armor as she struggles her way up. The construct was a thing of bright brass and tin once but now it battered, faded, and covered in great patches of patina.

It continues to sit inert as Kerry-Anne growls out its given sobriquet with increasing and breathless insistence.

Jay follows Kerry-Anne. She has the light, she's finding the solid parts of the trail. The silent figure is a concern. "Any idea what his last words might have meant? The Cruel-Dah! and the Pray-Tarr?"

The lack of the will-o-wisp is a bad sign, one the bluejay has seen before. He looks around, hoping perhaps it hasn't rolled too far.

GAME: Nemori rolls heal: (17)+4: 21
GAME: Nemori rolls knowledge/the planes: (3)+6: 9
GAME: Jay rolls knowledge/local: (10)+11: 21

Wargolems are immune to disease and sleep. They're also exceptionally resistant to poisons. So it's unlikely this is a biproduct of the Vargouille. They also auto-stabilize and self-repair unless damaged to the point of destruction.

Nemori is definitely not the first one up the hill. While she's no expert on artificial life, she's been around enough death to have a pretty good idea of what she's going to find when she eventually reaches inert form of Heady. After her visual inspection, she puts a hand on the form's pauldron, closing her eyes. Finally, "Nothing. Whatever animated this form is either gone or... extremely suppressed. I fear it may be a victim of those creatures you fought," she adds, looking sideways at Kerry-Anne.

GAME: Jozi rolls perception: (6)+9: 15
GAME: Nemori rolls perception: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Jay rolls perception+4: (14)+15+4: 33

What appeared to be a shadowed indentation where Heady knelt down is actually a hole. It's a bit grown over and grassy but it's deep.

The stillness of the construct isn't a great sign and with a gentle stroke of the beast's neck and a 'shhhh, easy, girl.', Jozi draws her guided horse to a stop before she steps toward the silent form.

"Ain't no lingo I'm familiar with, sugar. Sorry." she concedes, easing up to the boundaries of the depression, when she suddenly draws up, "Whoa, careful y'all. This here's a hole!"

Dipping into a three point at the depression's edge, she glances up with a gentle request of, "Couldya shine the light down this way, give us a better idea what's down bottom?"

The bluejay eglarin perches atop the crest of the hill, carefully peering around. He tilts his head, one way, then another. "Hey. Hey! We're on top of something. It's not a building, it's something that crashed. That's why there is the ravine, it dug that out. Whatever got buried here got over-grown."

He moves forward, getting the torch back and holding it above Heady. The indentation the wargolem is in front of is not a shallow depression, it's actually a hole. Overgrown and grasssy, some light manages to filter down, and in the flickers are revealed metal bars and webbing."

"See? There's something down there. Maybe from the war."

And possibly a head.

Bringing the torch direction above the observed hole reveals that it is, in fact, some kind of well or vent, with a pathway beneath a set of sturdy, metal bars choked full of thick, white-grey webbing. Small rodent bones dot the silken construction and through the netlike webbing something ripples and reflects the torchlight from far below.

"No." Kerry-Anne finally speaks up after kneeling silently and digesting Nemori's diagnostics. She slaps the mul'niessa's hand away and grips the inert construct by the breastplates, growling as she shakes it violently. The form rattles and squeaks and clatters, the gauntlets fall limp off the poleyn and slide along the settled earth. The woman's grip with the wooden prosthetic slips and she spits. The inert construct sags like an incredibly heavy and oversized rag doll. "You broken down piece of trash..."

She mumbles something, coming up onto one knee with renewed vigor as her own gauntlet scratches against the bowl-like gorget, trying to find purchase and pry it up. Failing that, she slams her fist down into it before shoving the whole armored suit away. It lands with a scratching crash.

"... you can't leave him..."

The hole isn't terribly big. A small creature who's good at this sort of thing might be able to squeeze through if the bars weren't in the way.

As Nemori's one hand is slapped away, the other... twitches for her knife. It isn't a full fledged 'goes for it' though its a gesture Jay would likely register well enough, should he be watching. The shadow elf catches herself, however, clenching it into a fist instead while she uses her other hand to help herself rise and step away, her eyes cold. Instead, she turns away from the dead wargolem and grieving young woman to look upon the contents of the bowl, in particular the barred, and webbed, opening. Looks and scowls. Scowls and looks, then, at Integrity. "You had better not be thinking of trying to get in there."

Integrity is also hunched over the hole, glancing up to watch Kerry-Anne slam the armour. He remains silent, thinking, his beak slowly opening and closing, seeking the right words to console her, encourage her, and lightly guide the fledgling.

Failing that, to get her to focus her anger on him, constructively or no. A tactic the mul'niessa might recognize, especially if she notices the slight flinch of the egalrin as her hand flicks knifewards.

"I wasn't going to. It's tight. I couldn't fit down there. Oh... not without a shrinking spell."

His head pops around, "Nemori, do you have a shrinking spell? And a rope? I think his head rolled off and fell down there. I don't want to leave anyone behind and..."

He assesses the group, armoured as they are. "Well... you are all durable ladies but you are smaller than me, if you wanted to go first."

GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+4: (11)+4: 15

Kerry-Anne leaves the broken wargolem and crunches across the surface of the domed hill-- or the wreckage pretending to be a hill. Her face is red-eyed and angry and the dirt on her cheeks from the day's marching is wet and smeared. She looks down at the bars and crouches, reaching down to take hold of a bar with both hands and heave. Gravel crunches beneath her boots as her thighs strain, her face turns red, and her shoulders begin to shake.

The leather harness holding the prosthetic arm into place begins to issue a warning groan before the wooden grip slips and she almost goes tumbling back down to the ground.

A bit of the cobwebs have fallen away from the inside of the bars but they're otherwise unaffected.

It doesn't seem to be a way in or out since the bars are fixed. And whatever it is, it's hollow.

Jay watches as Kerry-Anne tries so hard to rip open the dome that she nearly tears her arm off. He reaches out, squawking, "It's not going to open," as she gives up and releases the bars.

"Maybe if we all pulled them." He looks at Jozi specifically, "Or we hooked them up to the horses, that might work."

He examines the hill, "There might be another hole, or something that's more like a door."

"Sugar," Jozi tells Kerry-Anne, "We ain't leavin' him."

GAME: Jay rolls perception+4: (11)+15+4: 30 (+4 Fav Terrain Mastery - Forest)
GAME: Nemori rolls perception: (11)+10: 21

Kerry-Anne is having a hard time. Lacking anything constructive to do, she sets to pacing and talking to herself. Jozi's assurance draws a look and the grieving Eldanari and she counters that 'he' can't know. She wonders if it's better to leave 'it' in the wilderness and tell Git that the wargolem simply absconded; to leave the gobber with that small shred of hope.

The path down that eventuality and the thought of confronting the wizard in exile is enough to strike Kerry-Anne mute. Before Jozi can cross the distance to the other woman, she's sobbing, and the yrchblooded warrior has to busy herself with consoling.

Nemori, meanwhile, finds more and more patches of smooth stone as she continues her search. Brushing away moss or caked earth, uprooting scrub, and sending rocks that'd tumbled into place how many years ago reveals a remarkably spherical stonework beneath. What's more: it appears to be a single, solid piece of stone. A rough, grey basalt.

Jay concurs, finding that some of the debris and growth around the sphere is difficult to clear but managing to dig away a contiguous path along the ravine wall to indicate a smooth diameter of at least twenty feet. Almost half of the sphere may be buried in the ravine floor.

It's quite remarkable, really, and in remarking the egalrin locates an intriguing pattern: three circular holes like the points of a triangle with a narrow, cross-shaped slot between them.

"Nemori! Nemori. I found something. Holes in a triangle shape with a cross-slot between them. Like it needs a key. Key. Hold on, let me check if it's a key-hole. I have a bunch of specialized tools for that." The bluejay crouches down, unrolling a fold of leather with his lock-picking tools.

In all practical sense, he will be able to confirm it's a lock if he opens it with them. Possibly even if he fails.

As the picks scratch away he examines the hillside once more. "Is this magically created, or did someone find a giant geode and hollow it out. Do geodes form in Basalt?"

There's no point in further grumbling; as much as Nemori would rather be anywhere else, she's here now. And pragmatism, at least, she understands. Since none of the others, most importantly Jay, seem ready to call it a night, she does her part in trying to facilitate matters. By exhausting all possible solutions to the current problem. So she joins Jay on the search for an alternate means of.. entry, she supposes.. while Jozi does her best to keep Kerry-Anne from alerting all manner of local hostiles to their presence.

She isn't the one to find the odd decoration on the sphere, though the sphere itself is odd enough. So foreign. When Jay does point out the triangled circles and what is.. possibly.. a key-hole of sorts, she's disappointed.

The shadow elf has been so close to believing that they'd done all they could do.

GAME: Jay rolls disable device: (6)+12: 18
<OOC> Jinks says, "Keep rolling until you get a 25. Just to see how many tries it'd take."
GAME: Jay rolls disable device: (10)+12: 22
GAME: Jay rolls disable device: (18)+12: 30

Integrity is the opposite of disappointed. He is the blue bird of happiness, once he's figured out the mechanism, "Oh! The key would be a cross, with a fixed portion and then a central portion that pivots."

He dives his fingers into the cross-shaped lock, "It's necessary to depress switches in the three of the holes, here, and here, and I need another hand. Nemori can you give me a hand?"

Expecting the mul'niessa's agreement, even reluctantly, he shows her where to press and hold.

"Okay, so now I'll get mine, and it's, okay... I press, you press. I press and now we all pull up." He leans back, his tailfeathers splaying.

Nemori's hands don't move to the switches immediately. Instead she brings them together in a slow, rhythmic clap.

Clap, Clap, Clap.

Then, with another long suffering sigh, the shadow elf kneels down beside Jay and the mechanism, placing her hands where directed... and pulling when Jay gives the word.

The basalt sphere vibrates and a low, almost imperceptible hum conjures butterflies in your stomachs. The smell of ozone fills the air and a six-foot section of the rock becomes plastic and spins, dilating back to reveal a recessed, heavy metal door with a center-set, circular wheel.

GAME: Nemori rolls spellcraft: (7)+11: 18
GAME: Nemori rolls knowledge/history: (17)+6: 23

Nemori startles back, hissing, as the artifice activates. "No. This is a bad idea. The magic is still active." She even reaches a hand to Jay's shoulder, an attempt to keep him from impulsively going for the.. door. "I was not here.. but the stories reached even my home, and there is no shortage of stories about it here. I cannot be certain.. but it is very possible this is artifice from the time of Merkabah. "

"Wow! It worked!" Restrained by his shoulder, the curious bird is held back from plunging in like a cat. He looks at Nemori, he looks at the door, "Merkabah? I've heard about that from the goblins. Also Robert's suit, it uses similar technology."

His head bobs forward, "So that's several decades it has been buried? How dangerous is it, I think it's necessary to get inside to find Heady."

GAME: Nemori rolls intimidate: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL)

Nemori fixes Jay with a glare. Or rather, she tries to. Unfortunately for her, time and proximity has, by now, probably worn off much of the 'threat' of an unhinged shadow elf. He's bested her at swordplay. He's been the hero, against her advice. Reputation and past experiences can only carry a threat so far. The glare passes from him to Kerry Ann.. and she needs hardly a second to know what that young woman plans to do, which would further propel Jay into heroic foolery. "Fine," she finally says, not quite spitting the word. She gives Jay a shove.. just a little one, to give her some space... and then she turns to the door, setting her hands to the wheel to turn and pull and open.

Low clacking echoes from inside the door as the wheel produces a ratcheting turn of internal gears. A release handle sticking out parallel to the ground bounces in sympathy to the left of the heavy wheel. A final, squealing groan punctuates with a thump as bolts withdraw and the door swings inwards with a surprisingly smooth action.

A hiss, a thrum, and the smell of ozone returns. A pulsing electrical blue surges through the spectrum to settle on a sickly, bruised red color that fills the webbed interior of the sphere and spills out through the barred vent above.

The stonework is a facade, apparently, as every surface revealed to you is metallic, crystal, or glassware. The details are lost to the blanketing sheets of webbing that begins to sway as the air pushes in from behind you and through the open portal. Things hang from the domed ceiling.

The floor is flat and a step down from the settled earthen trench of the ravine, the room itself hemispherical and twenty-five foot in diameter. The center of the space is recessed and filled with standing, murky water.

There's a grinding clatter as the artifice continues to come to life. A buzzing noise as blue-black zig-zags dance across the water's surface only to end with a *PAP* as sparks burst harmlessly into the open air. A pump wheezes open and hisses close. Countless smaller mechanisms along the wall shudder as they animate...

Combatty

Map
https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=mkmdcl70s3j

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