Cursed Memory

It has been a pleasant trip through the mountains to the small mountain valley that holds the village of Agiamno. So named apparently by the lord whose lands this first was. His castle actually still stands on the side of the mountain overlooking the valley and it's easy to spot as you enter the valley itself. As you approach the village itself there are two, very tall figures who are just outside the village. A man with the head of a bull, and a man with two lobster-like claws. They... seem to be arguing, but currently unarmed.

GAME: Crik rolls perception: (12)+11: 23
GAME: Mikilos rolls perception: (11)+29: 40
GAME: Irshya rolls perception: (12)+13: 25
GAME: Ulthan rolls perception: (17)+6: 23

"I said that I intended to meet the adventurers!" The bull-headed man says to the lobster-clawed man who furiously waves said limbs in the air.

"You're not suited to the job! They're going to take one look at you and run! Or kill you off!" He declares heatedly.

"You're not much better! Look at those claws! I'm more _diplomatic_ and! I'm the mayor! So it's my job!" Unusual conversation indeed!

Mikilos reads most of the trip, familiar with the area by map, if not exactly in person. Tucking away his text as the village comes into view, the wizard frowns in mild concern as the figures become clear. "Adventurers are rather known for running TOWARDS trouble. Bit of a defining feature. Greetings, I am Magus Mikilos Mithralla. And I take it your atypical appearances are the crux of why we're here."

Crik was busy trying to pretend he was a bundle of rags with a black beak poking out, staring at the texts Mikilos was reading. Or trying to peek at them. Who knows what kind of magic wizards get to reading about?

When the group approaches the pair, the corvid tilts his head. A book of notes is pulled out, with unsettling diagrams in them. "... curse from where one cannot pronounce, one could not speak, one cannot understand?" He hopefully asks, beak open.

The Goblin walks with a limp, leaning upon her trident as a walking stick. She cants her head sideways, left and then right, as she eyes the tall men. She straightens, rising to her full height of three foot nothing, and clears her throat.

"Ahem." She pauses a moment as Mikilos speaks, and then nods in agreement. "It is unlikely your appearance is going to frighten us off. Not everyone is mighty, but I think we've all been in scrapes before with monsters and the like. It is your actions that decide how we'd react."

Once more she nods. "Yes, the mission board at the Guild said it was a curse?" Irshya steps towards the two men. "You can both tell us what has been going on."

Ulthan shakes his head at his more seasoned comrades' boldness, and just stands back, he was on this trip to learn more, so he's busy looking and listening, and keeping his mouth shut.

The two stop arguing and turn toward the group of you in surprise. "Uhhh. Oh! Yes." The mayor nods seriously his bull head and looks at you with big, round, brown eyes. "Well... you see..."

"Oh just get on with it Borus!" The clawed man commands irritably, eyeing you distrustfully.

"You see, this area's always been cursed, and we've looked like this for YEARS. Really it wasn't that bad? We're far away from anywhere else so we decided not to cause trouble and just... go on about our lives... Only..." He eyes his companion a moment and lobster-claws nods firmly. "Last week the sun refused to go down. We've had a whole week of sunshine! Nobody can sleep! You've got to do SOMETHING!"

Lobster-claws shakes his head at the mayor's dramatic request and steps in grumpily. "Our local cleric suggested that a group of adventurers such as yourselves could easily break the curse." He motions with one claw toward the castle. "You see, none of us can approach the castle. Nobody knows why, but we figure outsiders should be able to go in there and fix whatever in there cursed us to begin with. The cleric says that's where the curse is from, so that's where you should go."

Mikilos nods as the situation is explained, or at least, expanded upon. "Would it be possible to meet this cleric, please? Seems they have an idea what's going on, and I'd prefer to have as much information as possible before proceeding."

The bull looks at Mikilos, but before he can talk the lobster-clawed man grunts rudely. "Any of you clerics of Vardama? Because the cleric died a week ago. We buried him out in the graveyard."

"Ossif!" The mayor gives the other man a distressed look but he only shrugs without offering any sort of apology.

Crik starts to walk closer, taking a sudden hopping step as he looks up at the pair. And then at the lobster claws. Before back up at the bull headed man. "Any odd urges? Bouts of hysteria?" At the lobsterman. "Lost taste for fish? Speak strange languages?" The book is pulled open again and he stares at it blankly for a moment, before raising his gaze again. "Do others look strange to you?"

The corvid gives Mikilos a glance as he asks more sensible questions, before rolling his eyes back towards the pair. "Was the cleric still..." Looking down, then up, then back at, then down, finally at the pair. "Normal?" Irshya's expression turns thoughtful, and she rubs at her chin. "Mikilos, that's a good idea.", she says with a toothy grin. "But, gentleman, have you tried leaving your village? Not to suggest that you abandon your homes, but simply to see if it was possible?" She leans heavily upon her trident as she considers things. "How often do you have visitors and travelers? Are they able to leave also, or do they get... stuck here?"

She blinks at the revelation of the cleric's death. "How did the cleric die?"

Ulthan keeps following the discussion, but with his non-existent schooling in magic or curses, he's not got much to offer himself.

The bull-mayor looks at Crik. "Um... Well now that you mention it... Grass does look rather tasty to me? But I haven't eaten any!" His voice turns defensive and the lobster-clawed man at his side laughs. At least until Crik turns on him.

"Oh... well." He turns slightly green. "Could YOU eat fish if your arms were like this? I don't speak any weird languages though. And everyone looks like they should. I think.”

Borus sighs. "Is it getting worse? And we just haven't noticed? The cleric had a tail. That's generally unusual right?" He glances toward Irshya. "Well, we don't get many visitors, just the folks that come by accident really. Most... see us and flee to be honest. They don't stick around."

Ossif answers the next bit. "The cleric was nearly eighty years old. We're pretty sure he died of old age. Wouldn't rightly know though. He was the only one that knew anything of healing. We've been worried what happens when someone gets sick, but we can't really send out for a new one can we?" He glares at the mayor.

Mikilos blinks, deflating slightly at the news of the cleric's demise. "My condolences. I... probably could contact him, but not without a great deal of time and effort. Time likely better spent investigating the castle. Can you tell us anything more about it? I read a little of the history, but nothing that seems particularly relevant."

Ulthan says, “Well, you could send a letter to the church that the previous cleric belonged to? They should at least be informed if one of their clergy is missing or gone..."”

Crik lifts up his arm, and a small notebook just falls out of it. He pulls out a pen and starts audibly scratching notes onto the thick paper. He seemed to have all kinds for no particular purpose. "Did the castle's owner have a penchant for digging deep holes without explanation?" The corvid then asks.

His tail was bopping up and down.

The Goblin blinks, glancing sideways. "Oh sure, tails on clerics is certainly a little unusual." She shuffles her feet a little. "Okay, so they died of old age, but they left behind a message that adventurers should go to the castle, because it's the source of the curse?" Irshya rubs at her cheek, and glances up towards the keep.

"I suppose we should go check that place out then."

Crik gets another sidewise glance. "The old lord of the area died some generations ago, so I don't know if he had a penchant for hole-digging." He seems tired, but perks up when you mention you'll check out the castle. "You've our gratitude! Safe journey!"

The pair return to distant bickering - seemingly about sending for a new cleric - as soon as they think you're out of earshot. Which leaves you to head toward the castle!

The path to the castle is unsurprisingly very steep since the castle is actually built into the side of the mountain. Nothing attempts to stop or stall you on your march toward your destination. It's actually smooth sailing for a change though... you do note that the sun hasn't shifted its position in the sky since your arrival. It is midday, and it seems determined to stay that way.

The castle is an impressive work of architecture, being built into the side of the mountain. A huge gate bars you from actually entering the keep itself.

GAME: Ulthan rolls survival: (11)+5: 16

Mikilos frowns, glancing towards the stationary sun. "That... is concerning. I can think of a few ways to have the sun appear to stand still, but to cover a whole valley would be difficult."

Ulthan busies himself on the way up looking at the path, and then stops, backtracks a little and calls out. "Hey, guys, this is curious... It doesn't seem anything but wild animals have gone closer than this point to the gate..."

Irshya is a little winded by the time they get to the gate of the castle, and she is thankful to lean upon her trident once more. "Phew... huh... that was a bit of a trudge, wasn't it? I guess they don't see a lot of guests here. Probably how they like it... though.. the mayor said that the lord had died. Who's left up here, then? Was there an heir to inherit the position of lord?"

The Gobbo peers up at the sun when Mikilos mentions it, and she shrugs. "Perhaps this place is stuck in time? No time passes while you're here? Obviously it is a new phenomenon, since people have died in the past. It might be some fae magics, perhaps? That could explain people sprouting animal features, couldn't it?"

Crik pauses with the other two, looking up at the castle. "The castle does not exist." He flops open a notebook. "We are already beyond." The corvid says in a gravely manner, nodding his head vigorously along with Irshya's words. He then points at the gate.

"... is that gate magical?" The egalrin asks then. "Or can we invite our way in?" Ulthan picks up a pebble and tosses it, hard-ish, against the gate from where he's staying as the Egalrin claims that the castle doesn't exist. Direct verification works pretty well for him.

The rock hits the gate (eventually) and there's a gentle 'plink' as the rock bounces off without seeming to harm the gate at all.

Mikilos tries not to flinch at the idea to Time Magic and fey. Once a lifetime is enough. "Um... perhaps we should just try opening it? At worse, see if I can remember how to pick a lock."

The Gobbo lets out a huff of breath, and limps towards the door. Hefting her trident, she uses the butt of it to bang on the door as loudly as she can. "We should at least attempt knocking first. No need to make things more difficult than they have to be."

Dropping the trident to her side again, she leans on it once more. "If there's no answer, feel free to open it however you think it necessary."

There is no more response to the goblin's knock than there was to the pebble thrown at the gate.

Ulthan walks towards the gate, having marked the end of other tracks with a small sapling he pulled up and laid across the path. "It's curious how the tracks didn't come closer than that to the gate. Anyone feel anything that'd make them averse to walk closer?"

GAME: Crik rolls perception+2: (5)+11+2: 18

Crik hops on closer towards the door, feathers ruffling as he starts to look up and down the gate. He takes in curiously all the not-happenings from the others.

"... the gate contains no obvious traps." The corvid says after his very thorough examination. "I think we should just try opening it." He gestures towards Mikilos.

Mikilos shakes his head. "I'm not seeing any notable enchantments. A compulsion to stay away might be part of the curse."

GAME: Irshya rolls strength: (4)+0: 4
GAME: Ulthan rolls strength: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL)

"It could be that whatever compels them to stay away ends at that particular point. Or, something was here to chase them off? Or something snatched them up. There could be many reasons." The pool-shark shrugs her shoulders. "Whatever the reason, it is currently not affecting us. And since we haven't received an answer to our knock, we should endeavor to get inside."

Irshya pushes against the door with a grunt, and a huff. "A... little help here?" Ulthan leans against the gate and tries to give it a push, but loose pebbles under his feet shift, and he drops down on his face, slowly, sliding against the gate.

GAME: Mikilos rolls strength: (19)+0: 19

Mikilos .....pulls.

Mikilos tries the pulling method, and the gate slides open easily, revealing... A courtyard! But not your normal, average courtyard. It's filled with statues. Even more oddly, the statues are... of half-human beings. Among them you notice a statue that looks remarkably like the mayor... and one that looks like his adversary…

Throughout the proceedings, Crik stays politely quiet, until the door opens. The eager corvid hops within the courtyard and looks around, starting to thumb over his notes. "... yes, the person had a head of a bull for a head." He reaffirms with himself.

Beak turns towards the rest of the party. "Magic?"

Irshya hmmphs. "Ominous. You only build them that way to keep things... in." She peers around the courtyard. "I'm picking up more ominous vibe here. Maybe the reason why they never got inside is because they uhm... were walked away like someone playing them like a game piece?"

The Gobbo peers at Crik a moment. "You don't SAY!"

Mikilos nods, his eyes glowing a faint blue as he peers around. "Magic. Lots of it."

Crik spreads his hands at Irshya. "... confirming." He does make a quick note on it for himself, before stepping closer towards one of the statues. He points at the sculpture. "Is this the person, or is the other person this person?" He asks, "Which one is the real one?"

Ulthan pulls himself up from he ground, not even the slightest bit deflated by his failure, as if he's used to things not going his way. He peers at the statues, and shivers.

"The statue is a likeness of the real person.", Irshya says quietly. "We should move along."

The Gobbo limps along towards the door leading further into the castle. "If the curse is controlled from here, and the townsfolk said the lord died... has it just been running without someone watching over it? Is the sun staying in place a sign of the magic starting to break down, with unintended consequences?" She peers at Mikilos. "Well, Archemage? What is your assessment so far?"

Ulthan walks forward, taking a look at the various statues around the courtyard. "I think I'll have much less nightmares after this, if these are all 'just villagers'..."

GAME: Crik rolls perception: (15)+11: 26

Mikilos peers at the statues for several long moments, walking around, careful not to get too close. Then sighs and shakes his head. "These are part of the curse. Maybe templates? But they aren't the source of the curse."

GAME: Ulthan rolls perception: (13)+6: 19
GAME: Mikilos rolls perception: (16)+29: 45
GAME: Irshya rolls perception: (18)+13: 31

As you walk through the courtyard you notice that one of the statues is damaged. A rock seems to have fallen from further up the mountain and collided with the head of one of them. The statue notably... has a tail and wears the religious vestments of a cleric of Daeus.

Mikilos says, “....I am curious what would happen if I repaired the statue... but not enough to actually do so.”

Crik follows on after the rest, taking a hopping step forward. It was like he was limping out of excitement. "... old age, it seems." The corvid says, beak open as he stares at the statue. "... we should keep moving." He was getting too curious about repairing the statue, himself.

Ulthan nods at Mikilos' comment. "I do wonder, we forgot to ask when they were born..."

Irshya peers at the broken statue. "Well, this kind of confirms my theory. Whatever is happening, it is happening without supervision now." She glances sideways at Mikilos. "With that in mind, I wonder what would happen if we brought these statues outside the castle grounds." Nodding in agreement with Crik, "Indeed, let us press on further."

The interior of the castle is through the front door - which is easy enough to open given that it is not locked either and is far less troublesome than the front gate. The castle itself stretches far to the left, to the right, and up. In fact there's probably a cellar too, but that's not visible from here. Instead there's something odd in the center of the main entryway. Namely a brightly glowing orb. It's clearly magical.

Crik pauses, holds up his paper, then draws a big orb. That is, a circle on the middle of his notepad. He was attempting to make it proper size too, viewed side to side against the paper. "The source of the magic?" The corvid asks then, staring at the more magically inclined.

Ulthan peers at the orb, then looks around for other furnishing in the entryway.

Mikilos's eyes glow blue again as he peers at the orb. Slowly walking around, the mage looks off in other directions of the castle. "This is the source of the magic, though I'm not confidant it was meant to be a curse. Some sort of memory sharing? It's... very complicated, tied to other parts of the castle. I... probably could break the effect, but the backlash would be.... unpleasant. Especially for the townfolk affected. Dealing with the other parts elsewhere in the castle may help untangle the mess."

GAME: Irshya rolls knowledge/arcana: (7)+13: 20

"Oooh, shiny!", the Goblin says, of the brightly glowing orb. Her eyes then narrow. "So, anyone wish to take bets on whether this is controlling the sun, and that at one point recently, it was moving around here?"

Irshya shrugs at Crik. "The source of the curse, maybe... but it is a source of magic, I think." She blinks at Mikilos for a few moments, and nods. "Well, then uhm... let's go this way!" The Gobbo begins heading to the left.

Crik stares at the orb for a while, and then turns his head towards Mikilos. "... if the crushed statue is the actual cause, then how old are these villagers really?" He finally asks. "If the last castle owner was from generations ago?"

Seeing Irshya get a move on, he quickly follows on after her, feathers ruffling along the way.

The left hand side of the castle holds a few rooms, namely a living area that is well furnished with things that are from unsurprisingly a few generations in the past. There's not much in the way of dust surprisingly, but it clearly hasn't been cleaned either. There's a kitchen, but all the food is gone and all that remains are some empty dishes. Further there are the servants quarters. All neatly arranged, but... empty.

Ulthan follows behind the more knowledgeable mages, and keeps an eye out for anything untowards moving.

Mikilos shakes his head and shrugs. "I don't know all the details yet. Maybe the statues change as the people grow? Maybe to statues lock people into a shape? I don't know yet. We'll have to see and find out."

"So the priest dying caused the rock to fall down the cliff and smash that statue? That's pretty creepy." The Goblin huffs as they walk along. "See anything that sticks out? It's obvious that the place hasn't been lived in for years. Where did everyone go? Did they abandon the place after the death of the lord? Or did they die with him, I wonder?"

She peers into the servants' rooms curiously. "Hmm, is this it? A bit of a letdown."

"Maybe it is us that is rotating around the sun. Maybe this place just stopped." Crik speaks by himself, flipping open his notebook and making more notes. He curiously looks around the rooms, but then he shakes his head. Irshya gets a look from the corvid then, tilting his head. "Where next?"

Mikilos snorts softly. "If the world were going around the sun, we'd all be flung off."

Ulthan pokes around and checks behind doors, then shrugs and turns back towards the hall. "Or did the Priest die because that rock was dislodged, and smashed his statue?"

Irshya shrugs at Ulthan, "It could be either and both! Hard to tell." She glances to Mikilos. "How do you figure? I mean, the sun sets and rises. Either the world is going around the sun, or the sun is going around the world."

The Goblin gestures the way they group had come.

"Lets go back to the orb, and to the right from there." She begins limping back down the passageway.

The right side of the castle holds a few more mostly inconsequential rooms, and then a huge arboretum. Trees of various species are held inside this beautiful expansive greenhouse. There's tons of plants too. All growing quite harmoniously with one another.

GAME: Irshya rolls knowledge/arcana: (3)+13: 16
GAME: Crik rolls knowledge/arcana: (5)+3: 8
GAME: Mikilos rolls knowledge/arcana: (3)+35: 38

Crik nods his head towards Ulthan. "That seems the natural explanation." The corvid replies, with his beak held open. His cloak fluttering behind him, he follows on after Irshya, following her to to the arboretum. "... trees." He looks up. "Big castle."

Ulthan eyes the trees with slight distrust, but doesn't know too much about them to give any opinion, just... general distrust from living in the Dranei highlands, where trees are imported as lumber.

Irshya whistles lightly, peering upwards. "Okay, now this is pretty interesting. These are here, despite no one caring for them. At least, not the lord of the keep or his descendants." The Goblin looks to Mikilos once more. "Unless there is something in here that we're missing... looks like you're going to have to mess with the orb, somehow."

Mikilos frowns thoughtfully. "Trees are usually pretty good at taking care of themselves, I believe. But I'm sure we're missing something. Some step that makes the other parts obvious. Were there designs on the floor of the main hall? I don't remember any... a basement, maybe? I'm sure there's SOMETHING here, just not finding it."

"There doesn't seem to be anything here." Crik states, looking around the trees. "I agree with the proprietor, we should 'mess' with the orb somehow." The corvid says whilst moving towards one of the trees. He lightly touches its bark, tilting his head curiously.

There is no reaction, positive or negative from the tree. It seems... to be a tree.

"So let's see if we can use the orb, then. You said it connects to other things.." Irshya looks to Mikilos, and gestures to Crik. "That appears to be our only option, currently."

Mikilos frowns, then blinks, perking up. "Okay, that may work. I was thinking of Disjoining the orb, but may be easier just to ask it. Will take a few minutes, but the sun is staying afternoon, so think we've got the time." A last suspicious glance at the tress, and the elf heads back towards the magical orb in the middle.

Ulthan walks at the rear of the party, again.

GAME: Mikilos casts Legend Lore. Caster Level: 19 DC: 27
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d4: (2): 2

Crik nods his head excitedly, following the tall elf back towards the magical orb. And then... settles down as he waits for the magic to happen.

Irshya raises an eyebrow. "Well, unless it's going to take you centuries, uh, yeah, I'd say you have time." She crosses her arms and frowns. "Why didn't you think of that before? We might have avoided walking back and forth, through potential traps and past horrible, Goblin-eating monsters."

She huffs while Mikilos gets to work, and watches over the man while he's concentrating.

It takes about twenty minutes for the information to filter into Mikilos's mind. Information about the orb that sits in the grand entryway. It seems, that the orb is in fact a relic from the age of Kulthis. Specifically it is designed to share the memory of the person whose memory is inside it. This one belongs to someone named... Thoth.

Mikilos takes a few moments to check the cardinal directions before taking four small ivory incense holders, setting them around the orb. The incense makes thin streams of colored smoke, which slow twist and wind in a ring around the orb, making for half seen shapes with the scent of forgotten memories. The elf wanders thru the haze, muttering, trying to recall things he never knew before. "....Thoth. The relic shares the memory of Thoth." The wizard frowns. "Not fond of using a Kulthian device, but this one seems fairly stable and harmless, so far as such things go."

Crik was there, staring in quiet, in the dark. Cloaks and all. When Mikilos finally speaks he lets out a startled caw - that leaves his beak hanging. "... a memory device?" He asks, with a tilt of his head. "But how a memory explain the curse?"

“Thoth? I know a Golem named Thoth. Perhaps they are his memories? I'll have to ask him when I next see him." She peers at the orb, and then Mikilos. the Gobbo grins toothily. "Since you're getting along with it so well, can you see what else it's attached to? Any means to undo the curse?"

Irshya looks to Crik, "Memories are powerful things. Perhaps enough to power a curse, even."

Mikilos nods to Irshya. "Yes. I'm still unsure the specifics. Maybe it's a memory of a curse? But the memory orb is powering the curse. Perhaps sharing the memory will weaken the power."

Crik looks towards Irshya, then towards Mikilos. "... should we find the golem and bring it here, then?" The corvid suggests then, sensing the apprehension at moving the orb. He gestures with his hand. "Or I can take the orb." Blank stare.

Ulthan hmms as he looks at the Orb. Probably not an easy feat to bring that to the golem, or the golem to the Orb.

The Goblin shrugs, "Only one way to find out. Share the memories. How do you propose we do that? Should we all touch it?" She looks very unsure of that. "I think it might be easier to bring Thoth here, than the other way around. I can't tell if it's heavy, but, who knows what might happen if we move it?"

Irshya looks to Mikilos expectantly.

Mikilos nods. "Moving it a little should be safe, but I'm not sure taking it out of the room, let alone the castle. Pretty sure I just-" The elf gingerly picks up the orb, rotating it a half turn forward, the three quarter turn to the right....

Immediately a memory plays out in Mikilos's mind - and his alone - The memory of being... very small. The size of a little bird, and about the same shape. It's very much as though the memory is... actually Mikilos's own memory. The little bird-body looks down at itself uncertainly and then to the side, at someone beside it. A smiling person with pale skin and elf-like ears. A person with pale white hair and... There's feelings there. Feelings of trust and uncertainty. "You can do it."

The voice is gentle and the uncertainty fades. The little bird body gives a hop forward and then! FALLING! There's a moment of pure terror and thrilling excitement as the ground suddenly fades away and then the wings spread and falling becomes flying. The world laid out before it - beautiful and unimportant - so small beside the feeling of flying. Banking to the right and then flying BACK! Returning! To embracing hands and a joyful smile. Home.

Mikilos blinks. Hard. "....aww. ...oh. Um, I was of the impression it would share with everyone. It's... a baby bird golem memory? First flight. Ah, just hold the orb and turn it over like this if you care to see it for yourself. Pretty sure it's safe."

Crik tilts his head - but he is certainly willing to take a chance at finding out what is hidden in that orb. "A bird golem." He glances towards Ulthan. "We do know this bird." He then does as was instructed.

It doesn't take too long for the corvid to just fall silent and pull the hood over his head farther.

Ulthan nods at Crik, pretty sure we know the bird.

Ulthan waits until Crik is done, then follows the instructions to 'see' the memory for himself.

"Aww, a baby Thoth?" Irshya waits for the others to have their turn, and then moves the orb in the described manner. She goes silent as the memory plays out in her head. "Yeah, a baby Thoth. Adorable. However... the link to the curse seems unclear. So... someone used this globe as a power source, despite that not being its purpose?"

As Irshya takes the orb, or rather a moment after, there is a sound from outside. A soft sound really, and a curious one, but one that is not easily identifiable…

Ulthan heads out, following the sound. Mostly out of curiosity, while trying to make sense of the memory he just received from the orb.

Crik turns his head as he looks around for the sound. "This is getting stranger. No wild life. Sounds. Memories." He glances at the orb, then at the others, then at Ulthan who was already going out.

"Let us find the bird golem." The corvid suggests then - before flipping open his notebook, tail bopping as he looks forward to finding more mysteries of this place.

Mikilos sighs, double checking the orb is okay before heading towards the door. "Long as it's not a giant demon spider."

The Goblin is last out the door. "Wait, shouldn't we take it with us?", she wonders. "Or are we leaving it here?"

"If we take it with us, what would happen to the village?" Crik asks, tilting his head. "... though I can carry the orb." He stares blankly.

Ulthan stops and looks back. "Yeah, we could certainly carry it, but do you think the curse would follow it?"

Mikilos says, “....I don't know. I don't think the curse would follow, but I'm very unsure what would happen to the villagers”

"Well, we should decide, shouldn't we? It is obvious the curse is ... failing, or going awry. No guarantee that something won't happen to the villagers to begin with."

Irshya gestures with her hands. "So... does it stay, and we return with Thoth, or do we take it to him? Perhaps... we should ask the villages, tell them everything we know and let them decide their fates?"

GAME: Mikilos rolls perception: (12)+29: 41

"One of us could stay behind?" Crik offers, "Make sure it stays safe, while Thoth is retrieved?" The corvid ruffles his feathers a touch.

Mikilos nods at the idea of shunning respon- ...I mean, giving the villagers options. Then the magus blinks, glancing around the room as the blue light returns to his eyes. "Oh. Ah heck. Well, I was wrong. Removing the orb AT ALL wasn't safe... well, I mean it disrupted the curse, which is unraveling as we speak..."

Ulthan uh-ohs and looks around.

Nothing has changed or seems out of place. Even the distant noise you heard earlier has now ceased and there's nothing but silence and the sounds of yourselves.

Irshya squeaks and hides behind Mikilos, putting the wizard between the castle and herself. "Why didn't you know that sooner?!?!"

Crik looks at Irshya, Mikilos, then Ulthan, then back to Mikilos. "... then we might as well take the orb with us? Is it powered by the curse?" He asks, looking up. "And we probably should start going?"

Mikilos shrugs. "It's a complex system with lots of moving parts. Normal operations and falling apart were hard to see a difference. Fairly sure if anything was going to explode, it would have. But I'm not ruling out the giant demon spider option. Those things show up way too often. Which is to say, at all. Anyway, yes, take the orb, let's check on the village. And whatever that noise was."

"I'll wait while uh, someone strong goes to get it? I would probably drop it." She eyes the wizard and Ulthan. "Ulthan?"

Ulthan shrugs. "I'll carry it, just don't ask me to open doors while I haul it.”

Ulthan goes to rummage in his backpack, coming up with with a medium-sized leather pouch he's made to carry his nieces' and nephews' gifts in. He then goes to the orb and slips the pouch over the orb, pulling on the drawstring.

With the orb secured, you head out of the castle and back into the courtyard. An... empty courtyard. It's empty. No statues. Not one.

There's a sense of disquiet that haunts your steps as you make your way back down to the village, and it's something that's only confirmed when you reach the place and find it utterly abandoned. There's no one here.

Fresh meals laid out and still hot to the touch. A ball laying in the street where some child had kicked it. All gone. Disappeared without a trace.

Ulthan feels his mouth drop open as he peers around the village as he looks around. "Anyone else getting seriously creeped out?"

"Well.. their time ran out with the curse? Were they constructs of someone's imagination, or real people living outside their time?", Irshya wonders. "I wonder if it could be made whole again, if we put a different power source?" The Gobbo looks to Ulthan. "Creeped out? No. Sad? Yes."

Crik heads out the first of the group - pausing as he enters the courtyard. Notebook momentarily forgotten as he looks around the courtyard - but finally, he starts making notes for himself. Orb. Sound. Statues. Disappearance.

When they reach the village though, his head droops a bit. "... I don't think we will find any answers here." He says, dejectedly. "Disappearances like this never have a straight solution."

Yet! "But we do have the bird golem." His tail bops up and down.

Mikilos sighs. "A living memory of a curse. I'm not overly surprised, but is kinda weird... I just hope it didn't hurt to stop existing."

Ulthan closes his mouth ands nods at Mikilos' wish.

Eventually, you leave the valley, leaving behind the odd village with its odd castle. The moment you step foot outside, the darkness of night consumes you.

Somehow, the sense of foreboding never quite fades away...

-End