• Closed • The First Steps in a Thousand Arcs

[Aegis]

Ashan 95th, 718

The weather over Scalvoris was bright and warm this day. Wonderful weather for hiking through the Scalvoris Mountains. The air was crisp due to the altitude, a bit nippy still, but the sun kept the vigorous warm. And there was plenty of vigor marching through the mountains this day. Rumors had spread of a mysterious cave having been revealed after a large avalanche. For academics and treasure hunters and thrill seekers alike, it was an exciting find. There were runes and inscriptions that no one could read, images and carvings no one could understand. And, of course, the door no one could open. The door with three hand prints in the face. These prints did not appear to be carved, but rather as if someone's hands were pressed into wet sand.

Outside the cave, a couple of Darbyton Rangers could be seen monitoring it from what they felt was a safe distance, which translated to "can hit it with an arrow. Barely." And other their watchful eyes, people had come and gone all season to visit this... cave. There were a couple people inside the cave, a man and a woman, Hielor and Lyalay, respectively. Hielor had a penchant for excessively fancy clothing, all brightly colored, not suitable for hiking up a mountain nor residing in a cave. They were brightly colored, and accompanied with a bright red cavalier with a soft blue feather atop it. He was human, pretty, pristine, and clean. Lyalay, on the other hand, was his polar opposite. She wore dirty, worn trousers and blouse, accompanied by a tool belt, and a pair of goggles, currently atop her forehead.

Hielor was busy talking about fanciful things and ideas of what he was going to buy with the money from all the treasure they were going to find. He spoke of other treasures he and Lyalay had found in the past. Lyalay was ignoring his idle prattle as usual, as she was busy drawing more of the runic inscriptions in her notebook. She seemed to prefer charcoal, and would never be convinced otherwise. At the sound of new footsteps, Hielor looked up, "Welcome to our find friends! Do you come to join my expedition here? Me and Lya here are the greatest archaeologists of all time. And we'll add this feather to our cap as well, once we open this bloody door." Turning to his partner, "How much longer Lya?"

She huffed and rolled her eyes looking at him, "To decipher and translate an unknown language? Could be a lifetime. Or longer."

He kicked the door softly with the tip of his pristine, shined boots. A full season had passed since discovery and still they were shut. Impenetrable. Nothing could even scratch the stone surface. But as the newest arrivals entered the cave, a change in the air was felt. A warmth passing over everyone there, awakening their deepest yearnings, be it unspoken desires or the core of their very being, they were brought to the surface. And added to them, was the desire to open that door, here and now.

[Sephira]

There was pleasant warmth in the thin mountain air that trial. Sephira had walked in these mountains before, although it had been during the bitter cold of Cylus.

To-trial she had been granted time off from her role as an Element and since this particular mage didn’t understand the meaning of the word “relax” she had opted to investigate the strange caverns nestled in the Scalvoris Mountains. That morning she had purchased a backpack along with a medical kit in case she or anyone else was injured in the cavern. The woman had never done anything of this nature before, but at least it was a break from her normal schedule. After all the turmoil in Scalvoris and among the Elements, it would be a relief to get away for a little while.

A chilly stream gurgled in the distance as she walked up narrow path that led further into the mountains. Her footfalls fell softly as she continued her ascent. Sephira looked much less the part in an Element this morning, her signature red coat and her Element’s pin were nowhere to be found. The a few trials before she had purchase a full set of leather armor for today’s jaunt into the cavern. Rather than her favored red color, the armor was mixture of gray and black leathers with various laces and rivets to affix it in place. A black cloak she had purchased during Cylus rested on her shoulders to help ward off the remaining chill in the air. Her clothing was well fitted and lightweight; all to ensure that she fully retained her freedom of movement. Her sword belt was clasped at her waist where her saber Wyvern was sheathed. It was a necessary precaution in the case she ran into trouble on the road. Sephira’s hair had been woven into a simple braid that curled around the left side of her neck.

Finally she crested the last hill that led toward the cave and she caught sight of a handful of figures milling around. It seemed that rangers had been posted here to guard the mouth of the cave and to assist those that came there to make an attempt at entering this mysterious place.

Sephira gave a brief but respectful nod to the rangers. Even if she was not on duty as an Element she made a point to give the men and women of the Darbyton Rangers the respect they deserved. Scalvoris might be more of a mess than it currently was if they did not keep watch over the vast wildernesses of the island. The mage continued past the rangers and entered the yawning mouth of the cavern where two individuals were worriedly speaking in front of an inscribed door. She was almost immediately greeted by the first of the pair, a well-dressed man who appeared like he was better suited to a ballroom than to traipsing through the Scalvoris mountains.

“I had heard about this place not long ago.” Sephira replied crisply as she watched the pair struggle with the door. “Thought I might come and take a look...” She quirked a brow, her expression bore little amusement. The woman had hoped to explore this place on her own but now it seemed that she would be joined by these two.

When the rough and tumble woman complained about having to decipher the markings on the door, Sephira felts a curious sensation take hold of her. A warmth and a desire, for freedom and for choice, along with a yearning to open that door. The mage reached toward the inscribed gate with her open palm. Unsure of what would happen next.

Note

Supplies:
Medical Kit
---
Purchases deducted from ledger

Dialogue|Thoughts

[Rowan]

It might not have been the best idea to listen to Amaris but they'd been so enthusiastic about this that he just... hadn't been able to say no. It would be like kicking a small animal when you could avoid it: needlessly cruel. Listening to Amaris had led to him hiking up a mountain, which wasn't an activity that he'd ever anticipated himself doing. Nature was nice, he supposed but just wandering around in it for no reason didn't seem like a good use of time to him. Thankfully, they were actually going to be doing something at the end of their hike although Rowan wasn't sure how much it would interest him if he was honest. It was evidently exciting for the scholarly type that went gaga over newly discovered entrances to old places and markings that people were struggling to crack. It was probably also quite exciting to the sort of people who craved adventure or the hope of reward; these sorts of places could apparently hold all manner of treasures. The blond certainly wasn't the scholarly type and as for adventure... well, his main association involved being on a ship and given how ill that made him, it seemed better to stick with what you knew.

No, he was here for Amaris, solely for them and he guessed that they only wanted him along for brawn rather than brains. He flicked a glance at the mixed blood beside him, a frown on his face as he considered how he'd allowed himself to get into this situation. With most people, he could keep his guard up, warm to them gradually over time but they'd managed to catch him completely by surprise. They were an eye-catcher for one so of course, it had been difficult not to notice them once he'd ended up in their general vicinity. They were just so ridiculously tall - he might be a little sore about how they made him feel far shorter - and their appearance was so unusual that he'd gawked. Then they'd talked and it had doomed him. Matters of gender had been so unexpected that he hadn't known what to do in that situation and it had just made him more inclined to let them in. It was probably a mistake and something that he'd regret further down the line, especially as he might find himself tempted to tell them things, but for now, he was grudgingly content.

"Remind me never to let you talk me into this kind of thing again. My feet are sarding killing me," Rowan told them, as he shifted his bag on his shoulder, trying to ease the ache from where the straps dug in. He flashed them a thin smile. "I'd smack you if I got a ladder but I think it'd be handier if I just kicked you in the kneecap. Sound fair to you?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows as he chuckled.

He lapsed into thoughtful silence again as they went over the last rise and caught sight of the cave entrance and the Rangers that guarded it. The small hatchet that he'd been waving almost nonchalantly at his side as he walked was now pressed against his thigh, the young man doing his best to make it less visible. The last thing he wanted was for the Rangers to think that he was coming to attack them although to be fair, even if he brandished it menacingly at them, he doubted that they'd do much more than laugh but he couldn't help being paranoid even though it wasn't much of a weapon; it wasn't really meant to be.

Amaris had told him to bring 'useful' items and honestly, he hadn't had much notion what that might mean. Given their work, he'd guessed that they'd bring a medical kit and so that hadn't left much in the way of items to carry along. He'd settled on the hatchet because it might be useful for something - who wouldn't need a sharp thing that you could swing after all? Mainly he'd focused on weighing his pack down with items for him: some extra clothing, basic things like toothbrush and toothpaste, and an extra waterskin. The other item he'd brought, which had seemed instantly regrettable when he saw what was ahead of him was a coil of rope. If he'd had to carry that coiled around the top of his arm for the trek then he probably would have felt the weight of it but his companion had taken care of it, spiriting it away into a bag that magically seemed able to fit it and Syroa knew what else. Now, he kind of wished that he'd had Amaris take the hatchet too.

The Rangers certainly eyed it but he did his best to appear innocent, hardly glancing their way as the pair passed, but instead pretending that he was simply eager to see what lay ahead. However, when he got inside the cavern, he suddenly wished that he could go back, realising too late that a hope for retreat was no longer possible.

"Oh bogs! This just got awkward," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand as he grinned sheepishly. Of the three people before him, two were strangers but the armoured and saber-carrying - Syroa's tits! - woman was unfortunately familiar. He had been rather inebriated when they'd first met but she was unforgettable and regrettably, he'd definitely made the sort of impression that would no doubt still be fresh for a few seasons to come. He didn't doubt that Sephira had seen him and recognised him instantly. What was worse, he could still appreciate her now that he was sober and found the leather armour far too attractive on her for the sake of his sanity. He gave an awkward cough, trying to cover things up with a nervous, almost manic smile.

"Hi... I'm- we're here to join your expedition, yes." he told the archaeologists, waving at his companion as he moved into the space, shifting to the side furthest from Sephira as he eyed the door. Now that he was actually here, he felt a real pull towards it and he wanted to know what was behind it. Unfortunately, the archaeologists hadn't managed to get through it yet. They seemed more interested in the inscriptions rather than the prominent hand prints on the door's surface. Obviously, he wasn't as well experienced with these things as these... professionals but if he could contemplate pressing his hand into one of the indentations then they'd thought of it too and tried it. They were only handprints anyway but he did want to see how well his hand would fit. He found himself moving closer, ready to try just that. What harm could it do after all? Although Sephira might kill him before he got there.

Equipment things

-4GN for 10ft of light rope
-3GN for extra waterskin
-5SN for a small hatchet

[Amaris]

- common / murnasian

The trek had been something that they’d expected, but Amaris had never been quite so good with those. It was fortunate, however, to know that they were not alone in their discomfort upon reaching their destination. They hadn’t entirely thought that Rowan would join them on this particular expedition. They weren’t too greatly acquainted, but he’d seemed like an interesting enough person and like something of this ilk would be right up his alley. Or at least a good way to ward him off other such endeavors if this wasn’t where his interests lied, as they were beginning to notice.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can promise remembering to remind you of that,” they retorted, eyes wide in mock innocence before they looked away. Nope; that surely wasn’t as humorous as they thought it would sound in their head. The attempt would be written away later on as something not to try again. “Neither of those would be good, but whatever is the lesser of two evils.” They glanced down at Rowan, almost as if to confirm that he had been joking about kicking their kneecaps. He could surely read them, no doubt, and the thought of him following through on it was not far from their mind as painful.

They were quiet once more, gaze down on their boots for a moment. Well, not quite their boots. They could still remember how they came by them, and frankly they didn’t want to think of it. They distracted themselves instead with unraveling the metal tags that had tangled with their domain bag. The contents of said bag didn’t weigh on them as much it should, thanks to the bag itself. A med kit, rope as produced by Rowan, their warm sand packs for those who might need it, goggles, waterskin, and some paper with a pen. They didn’t think about the shears they’d thrown in there under the quick pretense that maybe they could use it as a sort of defense. They probably wouldn’t need it.

Amaris swallowed, looking forward to the three figures ahead of the pair. This was to be expected; they’d heard plenty of people making plans to come out to the cave. However, they didn’t entirely expect for their companion to react in the way they did to this. It would seem that Rowan had gotten acquainted with one of the three before them. They chose not to ask about it. But it would seem that they knew one of trio, as well.

The mixed blood was always in favor of seeing familiar faces on such expeditions, and they were doubly pleased to see Sephira. The woman had been kind enough to instruct them with weapons training in the season prior, and such training was a valuable thing now if they were bound to experience some semblance of what they did in the past two expeditions that had been part of.

“Sephira; a pleasure to see you again,” they greeted, smile wide. They next turned to the two unfamiliar faces. It wasn’t quite bickering that they suspected the two had been doing before, though the bright colors of the man’s attire was eye-catching enough that he drew much of the mixed blood attention. He didn’t give his name, but declared he and his companion to be great archaeologists. However, they couldn’t recall ever hearing the name Lya at any point...perhaps they just had more reading up and socializing to do.

Their attention was soon ripped from the man they could only describe as a brightly colored parrot as they fully stepped into the cave. It went instead to the door, closed and barring entry into whatever marvels it held. Amaris froze for a moment, gaze steady and trained on the spot before they blinked and looked over to Lya. From the corner of their eye they could see Rowan approach the door, but they supposed their could be no harm in getting close.

“May I take a look at it?” They glanced down at Lya’s notebook before looking at the inscriptions she’d copied, brows furrowed.

[Aegis]

Lya looked up at Amaris. And then looked up a lot more in order to find their face, way up there toward the roof of the cave. She smiled politely at the Councilor, for of course Lya knew of them, though they'd never met. "Of course, Councilor." The archaeologist stood up, offering the book of inscriptions to the almost-giant. Lya then pointed to the area on the wall she'd gleaned them from. "These four characters here are repeated together a lot around this cave. I think it might be a name."

The first character appeared to be what would happen if the number 7 ate the number 9. The second character was reminiscent of a pyramid made of hair. The third was simply a diagonal line. The fourth was a backwards G with a tail. Or at least, those were what was on the paper. And they most certainly didn't match to the part of the wall Lya was indicating. If this was pointed out to the archaeologist, she'd snatch her book back, look at the inscriptions once more, then back to Amaris, "Very funny Councilor, a well played joke. They very clearly are the same."

And Lya went back to work.

As Sephira and Rowan's hands reached out and touched against the stone, they felt an unusual warmth. It wasn't the warmth of sitting down in a seat an unseen person recently vacated, or the warmth of a lover in your arms, or the warmth of a night where you drank too much and had a particularly fond dream about waterfalls, only to wake up in filth. No, this warmth felt like a spiritual one. It warmed the very center of their beings. But Sephira's center wasn't just her soul. There were two parasites there as well, and they hated the warmth. Feared it. Were being caused discomfort by it, which they made Sephira very much aware of through the pain and anxiety that racked her own body. And before either Sephira or Rowan could removed their hands, stone fingers reached out of the imprints, and grasped them firmly. Tightly. Painfully tight. Not enough to break bones, but enough that pulling free was not possible. And Sephira's sparks were in their own state of panic, and her magic, cut off.

Hielor and Lya both rushed over, the former eyes wide with glee, the latter, fearful, trying to find a way to aid the pair.

"That's fantastic! Finally something has happened here! I was so bored this season. How did you trigger it? What did you do? You're part of my expedition, so your treasure comes to me before you get your cut, after all."

"Shurrup Hielor and help me get them free!"

No amount of wriggling, writhing, or pulling would free them. Lya slapped her own hand into the third imprint, but nothing happened. To her, at least. As soon as the hand was struck, the light tug that Amaris would've felt upon entering the cave became a very insistent yank. The door wanted them. And so, it continued to hold Rowan and Sephira in place while mentally bombarding Amaris with the desire to reach out. They could resist, flee, and leave Sephira and Rowan to be stuck here, or to possibly cut their hands off to be free. They could try to help in some other fashion. But if they relented, they'd find a stone hand reaching out to them, more gently than those that held the other two, more akin to a man offering a dance to a woman.

!	Message from: Aegis
	Okeydoke. So, Rowan and Sephira, feel free to post if so desired to experience this round, but it is optional/can be included in the next round proper. Amaris, limelight is on you love. This round is a short one. When Amaris posts, I'll post as soon as I am able, and the group can move forward (or not, based on actions here). As always, bring on the questions.

[Amaris]

- common / murnasian

Amaris blinked, at first unsure of how the woman would have known them. They supposed it had to do with what they had called them to start, but their pondering went instead to the inscriptions and the copies that had been made. Brows furrowed, they glanced between the paper and the wall. These...were not the same. In fact, they were very different. They squinted for a moment, not quite sure how to word this. “This...is not the same as what’s on the wall,” they stated, and was promptly met with opposition. A joke? They would never; they’d already seen with joking sounded like where they were concerned.

Lips pursed, they stared at the wall as if some great revelation would decipher the inscriptions. But, at the back of their mind, there was a tugging, a nagging they couldn’t quite sway. To turn and join the others at the door. But - first to see to figuring out what the inscription was. A warning, perhaps? Instructions on how to get the door open? Maybe even a history written on a wall like cave drawings. This placed had been shut off for over ten thousand arcs; perhaps this was the first example of writing they would find on Scalvoris. A thrilling thought that forced them to focus further, fumbling with their paper and pens.

It was not until a commotion sounded behind them that they turned away, concentration broken. Sephira and Roland appeared to be held to the wall by stone hands. Dropping their papers and crossing the space in only a stride or two, their hands flitted about like birds unsure of where to perch as they tried, and failed, to come up with a solution to moving the two’s hands from the stone. The nagging had become more persistent, urgent like an unintelligible chorus of whispers beckoning the mixed blood to place their hand on the imprint as the others had. It was sounding more and more appealing by the trill.

And so it was that they reached for the handprint to place their own palm over the cool stone, only to be met with a stone hand reaching for them as well. Eyes wide with wonder and breath held, they awaited the results of giving into the temptation.

[Aegis]

As Amaris grasped the proffered, it squeezed back firmly, though not as tight of a grip as those on Rowan and Sephira. Then simultaneously, all three individuals were tugged into the door. It did not open, or move. It pulled them in. To them, it might feel as though being pulled through damp, course sand, without the clingingness of the particles. It was dark, completely pitch black as they passed through, and all the while, Sephira's sparks were screaming in pain within her.

Then the trio was dumped out the other side. They found themselves in a large room, with stone walls, ceiling, and floor, all expertly carved into heavy bricks. The wall to the left of the part was covered in inscriptions and runes, quite similar to the outer cave. And soon it would become evident that they could all see clearly in here, as though standing in a room of their own house during the daytime, but there was no obvious source or direction of light. Straight ahead of the party, was a small river, of sorts. Small enough that with a good running jump, any of them could probably cross it. And it flowed, right to left, mildly choppy, but most certainly not turbulent.

Any attempt to reach across the plane of the water's edge, however, would find resistance in the form of an invisible barrier. Something prevented entry into or over the water. Looking into the water, a long, shadowy figure could be seen swimming in the water. Off to the right, the water's origin was a wall, or rather, a building. A shop to be specific. A big, wooden sign over a door, reading Charlie's Charming Carvings. There was a large glass window, well lit by lanterns from inside the shop. In the window, wooden toys of all imaginable types could be seen, dolls, fake weapons, ships, and so on and so forth.

A man inside the shop walked past the window, setting a new toy, a yo-yo on display. He then returned back through a door in the back of the shop. The store looked like it belonged in a large, fancy type of city. It truly had everything one could want, if it was made from wood. At the back of the shop, next to the door, was an ornately carved counter, with a sign that read "Training Courses offered". And from the back, a hooting whistle could be heard, playing a tune.

!	Message from: Aegis
	As always, questions are always available. Have fun

[Rowan]

Touch the strange door, he'd thought, what could possibly be wrong with putting his hand in the handprint? Evidently, plenty of things could go wrong. Given that it was a peculiar door of unknown age and origin, marking the entrance to who knew what, maybe he should have decided to exercise a little caution, especially when the blasted thing had seemed to call to him. Then again, this was him; he'd never gotten the hang of being careful and as such he'd ended up in numerous sticky situations. This was just one more of them.

His hand gripped tightly by a stone hand that wouldn't let him pull back although he tried - oh, how he tried! - but he wasn't alone in this entrapment for the Element's curiosity had seemingly gotten the better of her too. Thus, they were both more or less fixed to the door until Amaris approached, fluttering over them but seemingly unable to facilitate the pair's escape. Instead, they chose to place their hand on the infernal imprint too - that made three. Rowan only had enough time to see the stone reach out for the mixed blood as well before they were all pulled through the very stone.

It was a bizarre sensation, the blackness that pressed in from all sides making him want to cry out from the oppression of it. It was like he was being swallowed alive, due to be trapped in the mountain itself. His terror spiked, the young man genuinely believing that he was going to die, weighed down by the weight of earth.

And then suddenly, he was free, gasping for air, trying not to let panic overwhelm him. The moment was past but only now was it truly hitting him. He leaned back against the stone, eyes closed, panting as he tried to gather his scattered nerves. Rowan ran a shaky hand through his hair, gulping audibly before he let his eyes open again. Even then, he had difficulty concentrating on what was around him, gaze flitting from place to place, hardly seeing what he was looking at as it danced wildly back and forth. Gradually it slowed, as did the wild pulse in his ears and he began to piece together details: the water, the runes, the unexpected shopfront. It was odd, almost as if he was seeing something that should have been in an exterior location but which had been walled in instead.

"Clearly an ancient civilisation," he remarked drily, his voice weaker than normal as he gave a faint, uneasy chuckle. "This place isn't what I expected. Looks like there's a guy in that shop and while those ruins aren't in a language I can read, that sign is." He gestured towards the shopfront, taking an unsteady step towards it, his legs still wobbly from his fright. He wished he'd brought a skin of vodka or something with him rather than an extra skin of water. The young man hadn't expected the need to fortify his nerves though.

The blond stuck his hands in his pockets, hiding the trembling in his fingers as he affected nonchalance. He began a slow walk towards the shop, moving to the water's edge first, peering curiously into the flow to see something dark and indistinct. It made him shiver a little before he headed directly for the establishment, heading for the place where he'd seen the man. If anyone had answers about this place, it'd be him; after all, he appeared to live here.

"Let's see if this bloke knows anything about what's going on. Maybe he knows how to read those runes, Amaris; tell you what they mean," he called back softly, jerking with his head to indicate that his companions should accompany him.

[Amaris]

- common / murnasian

As they crossed over to the other side, Amaris was absently grateful for having held their breath to begin with. It might not have been necessary, though. Blinking, they glanced around before their eyes landed on the inscriptions on the wall. It might have been that the river or the toy shop should have caught their attention, but following the events of the Ice Caves, they’d come to a conclusion that sometimes the strangest features of the room were the ones that seemed the most mundane. They did, though, spare the river a glance as they approached the wall. The shadowy figure in the water was enough of a deterrent for them to put that particular part of the room into the back of their mind.

Before moving, however, they turned their attention back to Sephira. She had seemed to be in pain prior to entering the room, and it might have continued. “Are you alright? Do you want us to wait a moment?” It wouldn’t do for them to split up, especially given the reaction she had to the door alone. They would stay a moment longer if needed, but they would soon find themselves pulled away to something else.

They needn’t be told twice by Rowan to investigate the runes. They had been lucky to keep some paper in their bag, pulling a few out. They paused, examining the markings closely before starting to copy them down and checking them every so often. The mixed blood took their time at the wall, perhaps lingering a little longer than necessary. They turned away, averting their gaze from the river as best they could before following after their two companions to the toy shop.

[Sephira]

It hurt, Fates did it hurt.

Her sparks were screaming, with voices that she had never heard before, except perhaps in her dreams. It felt as if she was being unmade, like a tapestry being pulled apart one thread at a time. Her Sparks were so much a part of her that their pain reverberated through her soul. On top of this anguish the sensation of sand smothering her hung at the edge of Sephira’s consciousness. She knew that somehow they had been pulled into the wall, into the material of the gate itself. The mage had little room for other thoughts as she was overwhelmed by her Sparks’ overwhelming panic.

Suddenly the sensation of falling slammed into her senses and her Sparks grew quiet. Sephira’s knees hit the ground and she caught herself on the palms of her hands. Her lungs burned as she took in a great gulp of air, her body shaking as she tried to find her bearings.

They were in some type of chamber, the other two, both Amaris and Rowan had arrived there as well. The Element had met Amaris before, on the training ground of the Land Troops, hopefully they would put the skills they had practiced to work if the need arose. She had also met Rowan, although their first meeting had been a little rough.

“I’m alright.” Sephira said, her words shuddering as her Sparks finally calmed. “The gate...” she said as she came to her feet. “I don’t think it likes mages very much.”

Her customary calm had returned as she began taking in their surroundings. Ever the soldier, Sephira walked the edge of the room before stepping outside the survey the river and the nearby shop.

“This is not what I expected.” She remarked dryly.

The mage nodded when Rowan noted the man inside the shop. They needed to know where they were, if they had been transported somewhere or not. The Rupturer was especially unnerved at the idea of not knowing exactly where she was. Sephira had a sneaking suspicion that something terrible might happen if she tried to rupture them outside the room. With the way the gate had behaved, it could be reasoned that this place was built to contend with mages. However her other magic was gentler and hopefully would go unnoticed by whatever had taken hold of her sparks earlier. Her attunement Spark was a soft-spoken and analytical thing. It only wished to soak in the world in all it lovely details.

Sephira set off towards Rowan as Amaris examined the runes and silently began opening herself up to the surrounding Frequencies. Attunement took time, but perhaps there would be some Notes here that she could recognize and put to use. Maybe Attuning to the room would give them some hint as to where exactly they were.

Dialogue|Thoughts