Zion: Light of the New Moon Part 2, Ch 1.2 Myrh
Zion - Light of the New Moon, Part 2 Chapter 1.2
Myrh Free Will
The Myrhean party heads into Stonebrook... but, as we soon find out, not is all as it appears. At this point, the party's Event Arc modifiers are ++ Luck, +++ Delay, and + Danger, but this is still subject to change based on future decisions.
The turn-off to Stonebrook was a subtle, small gravel path venturing into a large clump of trees. Without pause, Ryan led the party forward, ducking under a low hanging branch as he motioned everyone onward. "I know it doesn't look like much right here, but that's the point. Stonebrook avoids trouble with bandits because it isn't as noticeable as some of the main Waysides."
"I still don't like the idea of a city protected by a wizard." Kell noted, keeping pace with the group, "Too many things can go wrong with magical defenses... besides, wizards die."
"Brother Farstrider said he's been to Stonebrook before..." Jerard commented, "How do YOU know so much about it?"
"I've been there before as well." the masked leopard-wolf answered.
"And?" Beo pressed.
"And I do not much care to talk about it." Kell responded.
"I'm more concerned about them having supplies than I am about any kind of magical protection." Artemisia interjected, marching along with a cold expression on her reptilian muzzle, "We won't be there long enough to care about a wizard, or magical wards, or any of that... it's a non-issue."
"We may spend the night." Anya added, "But Artemisia is correct-- we are guests of the town and then we are leaving; their business is none of ours."
"The more information we have the safer we become." Yearl noted, "It couldn't hurt to know a little about what is going on in the town."
"Here." Brother Farstrider noted, motioning to a cobblestone path leading off into a less thick section of woodlands. He took the turn-off and continued leading the party onward and everyone followed, falling quiet as the trees thinned out and the evening sky was visible once again. A large hill rose up on the left of the pathway while trees continued stretching out before them on the right.
"I still don't see a town." Jerard noted, looking forward along the path toward the blank horizon.
"It's to the left." Ryan and Kell answered at the same time. Kell fell silent and let the priest explain.
"They built the town specifically to avoid attracting attention... unless you know what you're looking for you could walk within fifty yards of it and never see it."
"Hey!" Beo quickly spoke up, pointing at a metal strap securing a burning piece of wood to a tree, "A torch!"
Ryan chuckled, "We're getting closer... you'll see more of them as we draw near."
"These people must not be very smart." Artemisia noted, "Only imbeciles put fire so close to a tree."
"It's not real fire." Jasper commented, glancing at the burning wood as the party passed it, "It looks like a magical illusion."
"Illusionary torches last longer than real ones." Thera offered with a smirk.
"And probably cost hundreds of times as much to make." Kell noted.
"If the town is under the protection of a wizard he probably makes them for free." the mouse countered.
"I would doubt that..." the leopard-wolf noted smugly, "Not him, anyway."
"You keep making these not-so-subtle comments about this wizard." Thera called him on it, "What do you know about him?"
"Enough." Kell answered.
"How do you know so much about him?" Artemisia questioned.
"I've been to Stonebrook before." the leopard-wolf answered.
"So has Brother Farstrider," Beo pointed out, "But he didn't know a thing about him."
"Of course he does." Kell countered, "He's just lying."
Brother Farstrider stopped as the group came to a turn-off into a cave through the hill to their left, "No I'm not." he defended himself, "I was just here overnight... I didn't have time to meet everyone."
"And you also said you never saw the floating tower." Kell answered, walking by the priest and heading into the tunnel.
"The GLOWING floating tower." Jerard added, likewise walking past the wolf.
"I--" Ryan began, but he quickly moved to catch up with the group. The party emerged from the cave onto a long earthen bridge spanning a wide stretch of water.
"Allow me to present the tower of the Wizard of Stonebrook." Kell noted, with no lack of theatrical showmanship. He motioned to the south, calling everyone's attention to an enormous stone structure visible beyond some rolling hills and a large collection of trees.
"It doesn't look like it's floating." Beo commented.
"Its base is about twenty feet off the ground." Jerard explained, "You just can't tell from here."
"If you're going to all the trouble to make a floating tower why not REALLY make it float? Have it a hundred-something feet in the air so people can look at it and say 'Yea... that's a floating tower, alright!'?"
"I wouldn't think making a tower float even a foot off the ground is that easy, Beo." Yearl noted.
"Exactly... so if you're gonna bother, may as well go for the gusto!" the husky wagged vigorously.
"Thraudin the Grey's Theory of Elemental Constance." Jerard noted.
Beo turned and glanced at him, one ear falling to the side before he gave a very emphatic "OOOOOOoooohhhhhh...." and nodded with comprehension.
"What are you talking about?" Thera questioned.
"It's a mage thing." Kell answered the mouse, and continued toward two large monoliths flanking either side of the cobble stone road. He paused by a finely crafted sign; carved in it with a flowing form of calligraphy were the words that read WELCOME TO STONEBROOK.
"Wow..." Artemisia said flatly, "Suddenly I feel so much more welcome." and she walked past the sign. Everyone cut the discussion short, moving quickly to catch up to the no-nonsense dragoness.
"This place feels dead..." Anya noted, "...and not in a good way." she added.
"It's the lack of a Divine Shield." Brother Farstrider noted, "And it's getting later in the day." he adjusted the collar of his robe, tucking his holy symbol inside, "I'm sure everyone is probably getting ready for dinner."
"I don't smell any dinner." Beo noted, raising his nose to the air and sniffing.
"I don't smell much of anything." Yearl agreed, paw going to his sword, "It's far too quiet."
"I know this isn't a temple city, but even Waysides should have more activity than this." Jerard acknowledged, white fur bristling across his body as he rose up into his Moon Blessed form, "I don't like it."
Ryan Farstrider, once again near the front of the group, had fallen silent. His fur was puffed up and his tail was lashing back and forth in an agitated way, "Something IS wrong." he acknowledged.
Thera paused as the group walked past the first two buildings in town; the one on the left had a sign identifying it as STONEBROOK GEMS AND JEWELERY while the door to the right was clearly labeled as the KING GRAHAM'S MEMORIAL LIBRARY. The mouse tapped her chin, "Who's King Graham?"
Her question went unanswered as Beo suddenly let out a very animated "WOAH!" Everyone turned to look at him; the black husky was motioning ahead down the boulevard to what appeared to be a large park in the center of town complete with a small lake.
"Hmm." Jerard noted simply, gazing past it to the sun setting far out on the horizon, "We'd better find an inn."
"The bed and breakfast is north of here." Brother Farstrider noted, motioning left down a side street. The priest led the group down the cobble stone alley.
"Does anyone else find it strange that there isn't a single person on the road?" Beo asked.
"More than a little." Kell acknowledged.
"Why are we still going into town then, exactly?" Thera questioned.
"Because, regardless of what we are facing here," Artemisia noted, drawing a two handed sword, "we still need supplies."
"Once we take a look around we can go meet with Valeraz." Jerard noted.
"Who?" Beo asked.
"The Wizard of Stonebrook." Jerard, Kell, and Ryan all answered at once.
"I thought you didn't know about the wizard." Kell pointed out to Brother Farstrider.
"Oh!" the wolf suddenly noted, motioning to the two-story building to the group's left, "Here we are." he pointed out the sign on the picket fence announcing STONEBROOK BED & BREAKFAST.
Kell locked gazes with Ryan as he passed by the priest, not breaking the stare until he was at the door. The leopard-wolf checked the door knob, "It's open." he announced, and went in. Everyone else followed Kell, except for Artemisia.
"What are you hiding?" the dragoness demanded of the priest.
"Nothing." the wolf answered.
"If it isn't obvious, I don't like surprises." she hissed faintly.
"No surprises here." he offered hesitantly.
"We'll see..." she answered, and followed everyone else inside, Brother Farstrider right behind her.
The inside of the bed and breakfast was inviting. A fireplace situated off to the right kept the common room warm without it being too hot, and, though there was no scent of fresh food, the remnats of meals long-past still clung to the place, hinting at a long history of exquisite dinners.
"I don't understand..." Brother Farstrider noted, "This place was VERY busy the last time I was here." While everyone began throwing questions at the confused wolf, Artemisia casually slid across the edge of the group toward Kell, who was already wandering down one of the side halls.
"You have questions..." the assassin murmured when he came to a stop.
Artemisia leaned against the hallway's wall, "Just one."
"How I know so much about the Wizard of Stonebrook?" Kell turned around to regard her.
"It has been on my mind." she acknowledged.
"I spent months studying him." the leopard wolf noted, "because I was tasked with killing him."
"And you failed?" she inquired, a faint smirk appearing on her reptilian lips.
"A funny thing about that..." the assassin acknowledged, ears slowly splaying out to either side, "Actually, he IS dead... or should be."
"Then why hasn't this town been destroyed by the ravages of the Wild Lands if there's no wizard to protect it?" Artemisia questioned.
"You're asking the wrong person." Kell answered calmly, glancing back toward the common room. Artemisia's gaze followed the assassin's, taking in the sight of very disquieted priest, "I killed him weeks before Brother Farstrider said he supposedly came through here."
"So what about whatever Brother Farstrider thought he saw when he was here?" the dragoness inquired.
"He doesn't come across as a liar to me." the leopard-wolf noted, "But even he seems to realize his story doesn't check-out."
"What does that mean?" Artemisia asked.
The assassin sighed, slowly drawing his facemask off and pulling back his cowl, gazing at Artemisia, a hint of what could have been fear evident on his scarred face, "Nothing good."
* * * * *
There's something strange about Stonebrook, and it's something that the Myrhean Caravan can't seem to figure out. At least one member of their party is acting oddly, but what can it mean?
At this point there are many directions the party can go... and they might not do it all together. Below are the options for Contributing-Reader Votes:
1) This place just isn't working out... get the hell out and move on. (-- Luck) 2) Keep the group together and begin investigating town. (+Delay & Wildcard) 3) To heck with the town-- head for that floating tower! (+ Delay & Wildcard) 4) Spend a willpower and investigate one of the following (special): .a) Search the bed and breakfast top to bottom. .b) Check the nearby farm and farmhouse .c) Investigate the strangely peaceful city park, .d) Look through the town shops. .e) That library looked kinda interesting... go there! .f) Inspect the mining bureau building down the street. .g) Case the manor homes in town. .h) There's a lot of space around the town; take a look on the outskirts.
If option 4 is chosen then the Contributing Reader's character will do that regardless of what the rest of the party is up to-- that is to say, they're splitting up. Spending the willpower and chosing option 4 will result in said character getting at least one page all their own in the next post. Also, there are certain clues and points of interest all around the town and they can only be unconvered with special attention. If you wish to use Option 4 please state your vote in the form of number + letter, for example, 4c if you want your character to check out the city park. Anyone chosing this option may also elect to bring one author contributed character with them by making a Presence + Leadership roll, target number 20. If so, please state your vote as a number + letter + character.
Contributing Readers have until Thursday, November 10th at midnight to vote and/or use willpower.