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| Desert Findings | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 7 2009, 12:20 PM (108 Views) | |
| Guess | Jun 7 2009, 12:20 PM Post #1 |
???
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A hard, whistling wind blew fiercely throughout the bleak, white wasteland that was the desert. It was noon, but one could hardly tell due to the grainy blanket of fine, white sand grains that whipped mightily to and fro, blocking out most of the sun’s rays so that it appeared to be of the twilight hour. A person could barely see more than several feet in front of them, the frenzy of sharp grains being so thick. Despite the lack of a visible appearance from the sun, its influence in the area was still very strong. Where its rays of light failed to penetrate the sand blanket, waves of intense heat prevailed and steadily cooked the ground and those that walked along it. Razi trudged slowly through the desert sand storm. His head was low and his mirror-like eyes narrowed to slits to keep as much sand out of them as possible. Every now and then the tall robed male would lift his head up slightly to at least try to see where he was headed, even if it was a futile effort. The magician thought to himself as he slowly moved forward. He wondered how far he had journeyed into the desert and when he would finally and thankfully exit it or find some other means of shelter. Though the desert heat did not bother him due to his garments, Razi, at the moment couldn’t stand the desert. The sand, wind, lack of visibility… It all worked together to make a feeling of frustration and irritation well up inside of him. All he had wanted was a change of scene to practice his craft and put on a show in. Razi had thought the desert would be an ideal location, having overheard stories of its intense heat, serene oases and hidden treasures from travelers he had passed by. Later, once he was informed of its actual location; Razi decided he’d pay a visit as soon as possible. And here he was, wandering around, nearly blind and being pelted by an endless stream of tiny bullets. Something hard knocked Razi out of his reminiscent and hopeful thoughts. He blinked and stopped moving, wondering what he had bumped into while his head was currently leaned against it. Curiosity quickly took the place of all the disappointed and gypped feelings he had just a second ago been feeling. There was something new to hold his attention now, something unknown and interesting. This, of course lead to the new game of guessing exactly what it was that was touching him before actually looking up to see what it was. The blazing wind and sharp sand grains continued to beat against the magician’s robes, but he hardly noticed. This new interruption was just the thing needed to make his desert trip at least, somewhat fruitful. Razi was about to guess what the object was, running his gloved hands against its hard, yet smooth surface, but of course impatience got the best of him and he glanced up at the thing thinking it to be some sort wall or something. He had thought and somewhat hoped it to be a wall that signified the edge of a city. This thought vanished quickly though when he got a good look at what was before him. A large, bleached white building, perhaps a tomb or temple of some sort loomed above him, glowing a little in the twilight setting. Apparently it was one of the huge individual stone blocks that he had run into. The surface of the entire building was very smooth, the edges rounded out almost certainly due to the wind and erosive properties of the sand. As his intrigued gaze wandered over the building, Razi noticed he had run into the base of what was most likely, at one time a beautiful statue. Now it was just odd looking, the wind having taken its toll on the statue and turning it into a deformed version of its former self. Now it had an almost melted look to it with all the edges rounded out or missing entirely. He didn’t linger on this too much for it wasn’t all that interesting to him. The large staircase directly to the right of this statue was another story however. The staircase loomed in front of the magician; its large steps seeming like a mountain. The entire thing seemed like something out of an adventure book, for no one had told him that such a structure was likely hiding here. Slowly he trudged up the steps, the height of each individual stair and the fierce, unrelenting sand blowing wind making the trek to the doorway somewhat of a hassle for the strange robed and bandaged individual. A little while later, he reached the top of the stairway. Now that he was being protected from the aerial assault of sand by the buildings overhanging infrastructure, Razi turned around and looked out towards the desert. His mirror eyes failed to pierce the veil of sand the wind created, blocking him from making any gauge of how far he had traveled. With a snort, the magician began swatting at his robe and sash in an attempt to free his outfit of the annoying sand particles. Turning once again once this task was complete, Razi faced the entrance of the unexplored building. An old musty smell wafted out of the huge door-less entryway, which gave way to the pitch-black interior of the structure as he stood there thinking. He had wondered briefly where this building came from, last he remembered he had just looked up and saw nothing. Chalking that up to the thick sand cloud, Razi dropped the subject and walked into the building. The hard stone floor was cool despite the heat that blasted the outside. The toe of his shoe connected with a pebble and the sound of it clattering against the floor echoed throughout the dark hallway. The hall was clear as day to the magician, his shadow accustomed vision cutting easily through the darkness, stopping briefly on the various torch stands and odd cracked and now incomplete wall murals. After taking his time examining the pieces, Razi walked further down the hall, wondering what he would find deeper inside and hoping whatever it is to be something worth caring about. |
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| Alyth | Jul 7 2009, 04:42 PM Post #2 |
Muse Faucet
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"Yes...did ya not know?" "Worshipped?" "Yes, that's righ'. Long ago though. Cleared out now." "Everything?" "Na. Don't be daft. Left great gold and jewels behind so they say. An' enough trouble too." "What kind of trouble?" "Well first there's the desert. Vast. Can kill ye with great storms and heat. Then there's the findin' the places they lived. Huge temples they left. Shaped like a stud on armor, some. Tallest things you could ever see. Slave labor built 'em. Full o' traps and the dead. Places of evil. No'n goes there. Not for simple folk such as us." A short figure near the door pulled a mug closer and took a casual sip. So this is where it comes to. The view near the door was prime. While many who got themselves involved in tavern lore preferred shadowy corners, one could miss a lot of valuable information. It was wiser to be in a position where one could watch the comings and goings of the room and retain an avenue of escape. With a slightly reluctant sigh the figure stood up and padded over to the two men, studiously avoiding the fireplace glowing along the wall. Such a hot place this is...what need have they of fire? The men turned as the figured plonked itself down into a spare chair and scooted closer. "Eh mate, what's this then?" "I'm a newcomer in these here parts," the figure explained sheepishly, purposefully lowering its grade of voice. The two men exchanged looks, uncertain about the newcomer. The newcomer was wearing a dark cloak, and dark cloaks always meant no good as far as they were concerned. In certain places everyone wore them, but not so close to the desert, and not during the day. This person wanted to conceal its appearance. "Forgive m' manners. Drinks 'r on me, of course." The two men grinned and relaxed visibly. If anything was going to happen now, at least it would be on a full, drunk stomach. They waved a barmaid over and ordered their drinks. The newcomer feigned indifference, and the men assumed it was because the newcomer already had a drink going. "So, you new in these parts eh?" "Yeh...come from a ways off. Got a ways to go." The men accepted this. Strangers didn't often reveal much about themselves. They came to forget their sorrows and to learn. "Well, you won't be wanting to go much farther than this. Desert land real quick. Eat you up and spit you out, it would," warned the man that had spoken of the desert earlier. Picking up a sense of unease he added quickly, "Not that you'd be needing help or anything special. It's just, well, nature..." he trailed off somewhat lamely. He hid his face behind a long draught of ale and spluttered. The newcomer wasn't tall...in fact it was slight in figure. There was just something about its bearing that didn't sit right with him. "It sounds treacherous, to be sure. What if some poor soul got lost out there?" "It does happen," the second main man replied with relish, warming up to the talk and influence of ale. "People go out unprepared or run in with bad lots. The foolish end up without water. Start to see weird apparitions in the haze of heat, they do. Covers the whole land, like it would over a fire. Some get the heat sickness and die. Others see stuff that t'aint there. Dangerous country, to be sure..." The newcomer stayed and talked with the men for several hours, quizzing them on various aspects of the desert, and the tales of treasure and religion that grew out of it. The stories were fantastic and likely embellished beyond their original account. The drinks were refilled several times, after which the tab was paid, and the figure bade the men a farewell. Once back on the streets of the prosperous city, the newcomer removed her cloak with relief. Bright lights popped before her eyes as they struggled to readjust to the bright daylight. She walked with a purposeful stride toward the bazaar. A small, clean hostel provided her with a good night's sleep, and she woke early to do some last minute shopping. It was midday by the time she left the over-crowded bazaar. The day promised to be hot and dry. Already a vague wind was blowing dust across the unpaved streets. She wandered through them to the edge of the city and paused. It looks like an ocean... Unsure of herself, but feeling she had nothing to lose, Alyth took her first steps into the desert, and was soon swallowed up by the sun. The water was a clear blue, cerulian, and bottomless. It was nestled in the refreshing shade of several palm trees--a perfect oasis. Alyth had been struggling toward this dream for the last half hour, forcing her limbs into each new step. Long footclaws dug into the shifting sand, attempting to gain purchase. Strange golden and silver eyes blinked against the bright glare of the sun, attempting to bat away the image she finally realized was a figment of her imagination. The men had warned her not to travel during the daytime, but she had been too stubborn to heed them, and had forgotten their most important advice. "Great," she exclaimed bitterly. She sat down with a muffled 'thud' and buried her head in her paws. The darkness felt welcome on her burning eyes. After resting for a few minutes Alyth took a small swig of water from her water skein and erected a shelter with her cloak. It was a crude shelter but offered some protection from the sun. She lay there with her eyes closed, thinking of why she was there. I wish I could remember more. Perhaps I will sell tresure for gold. Things are getting difficult. Without any conclusive answers she fell into an exhausted sleep. Alyth woke with a start. At first she was disoriented and a bit frightened. She found that she couldn't move. The wind was wild in her ears, blowing sand in great waves, and burying her. With great effort she struggled out of the collapsed shelter and cried out as the wind whipped her cloak away. Thinking quickly and unable to breathe, Alyth pulled a scarf from around her waist and tied it over her nose and eyes. A rough pink tongue spat the grit from her mouth. Like a rabbit she took off into the faceless shifting sands, fear lending her strength she otherwise would have lacked. After a period of time the harsh winds died down to a warning. The sand now flew in slower, thinner waves. Still Alyth did not dare take her scarf off. A new mirage had appeared before her, and it did not look welcoming. By closing her eyes she sought to shut the odd triangle out, but the after-image burned clearly on. By this time Alyth had lost all sense of reality: time, direction, even her own body seemed like a foreign concept. She was only brought back to this reality sharply as she stumbled over the first steps of the structure and crashed to the ground. Painfully she stood up again, feeling her ankle which was now swelling rapidly. It showed no signs of breakage but was uncomfortable and prickled as she hobbled forward. So this was not my imagination after all. I wonder what it is...perhaps I have found what I was searching for. She clumsily climbed up to the front entrance and stepped inside. Her eyes took some time adjusting to the gloomy place. Once they did she noticed extensive pictures on the walls and an overwhelming symmetry in the construction before her. Although worn out, Alyth felt a giddy sense of excitement. This must be it! Reaching out a paw she brushed the wall lightly, marveling at the intricacy of the pictures. Stories...many stories...battle...slavery...worship... Her gaze darkened as she picked up on some of the unmistakable scenes. Sacrifice... She continued to brush her hand against the stone as she followed the images. Her paw snagged against one of the stones and it pressed inward, opening a secret passage. Startled, Alyth jumped back a pace, tail lashing wildly and ears pressed back on her head. She sniffed tentatively. The passage smelled musty and old, but she also caught a hint of something newer, unidentified. The smell put her on edge, and tentatively she stalked forward into the artificial night. |
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| Guess | Aug 14 2009, 10:26 PM Post #3 |
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???
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Razi had only traveled a short distance deeper into the ruins before deciding to stop. He had been examining every square inch of the place since he got there, which took up a fair amount of time and made his movements slow. Every hieroglyph on the wall was examined closely yet left untouched, their design and placement committed to the shadow magician’s memory in case he needed to recreate them on paper. Though his curiosity was peaking and begging him to continue onward, he hadn’t actually calculated just how tiring trekking aimlessly through the desert could be. He had lost track of time since he had been in the desert, though he knew full well that it had been at least a full day and night. His body ached, which was usually something that could be ignored, but this time required him to actually take a break and rest. The tall robed figure took to taking a seat on the floor, his back against the wall. As usual he made sure his trailing sash was out of the way, swept off to the side so that he wasn’t sitting on it. For a while he simply stayed slumped there, hooded head tilted back and at an angle to stare at an angle towards the ceiling, arms limp at his sides, legs sprawled out in front of him. He appeared as a broken doll, an oversized toy that an equally oversized child had discarded after having its fill of playtime. Razi’s mind was racing however, going through a thousand thoughts a second, all regarding what this structure was, where it came from and what oh so delicious treasures were waiting deeper inside for him to plunder. Minutes passed and eventually he found his strength returning, yet was becoming a tad bit lonesome. He lifted his head and stretched his arms before snapping his wrist and fingers forward and sending a small blob of darkness flying forward to splat against the ground. A purple glyph formed on the cool floor before the shadows of the surrounding area began surging into the glowing center and taking on the form of one of the magician’s trusted silver eyed shadow elementals. The creature that appeared this time was a common one, a wolf sized, dog of sorts, complete with sharp shadow claws and bushy tail. When fully taken shape, the creature sat at attention, the darker shadows that made up its body wispy and disintegrating into nothing towards the outline that gave it shape. Razi then stood to his feet and clapped his hands to have the elemental trail by his side, now feeling recharged enough to continue down the darkened corridor. They had only moved several paces forward before a sound from behind caught the magician’s attention. He stopped mid-step, spinning on his heel to turn round and face the sound, the elemental doing much of the same. Peering into the darkness, his mirror like eyes squinted in an attempt to see, but found nothing. Though Razi was a curious fellow and also one who could be fairly reckless as well, he knew when caution was needed and caution was always needed when exploring possibly booby trapped locations. As such he looked down at his shadowy companion and nodded. The elemental, aware of its summoner’s intentions shook before backtracking to the sound. It was silent in its movements as it trotted off, moving to scout through the darkness and find out what, if anything had caused the disturbance. |
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| Alyth | Aug 17 2009, 07:48 PM Post #4 |
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Muse Faucet
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After a taking a few steps into the hall the ground opened up beneath her and she fell onto a slide. The slide angled and she sped down it at a fast clip, shrieking in surprise. The fall was sudden and she had never gone that fast before. In a flash it was over and she fell off the end with a resounding 'whumph.' Her shrieks were cut off but the noise of her fall echoed strangely. It was like falling into a well, for the stones were curiously shaped and slightly damp. The sound of water dripping echoed in the chamber, though where it came from she could not guess. Water? Down here? The ground was made of golden colored blocks that shone brightly even in the dim passageway. Light shining down fitfully through the tunnel was the only source. Hesitantly the half-feline stood, her twisted ankle throbbing again. "Ugh...how many times must I injure it in this place..." she grumbled to herself. With one paw she drew the scarf down from her face. Her mouth and face were full of grit from the sand storm. She pulled out a water skein and took a sip of water, swished it about, then spat it on the ground. She took another few sips then shouldered the skein. Feeling she could not spare anymore water she pawed the grit from her eyes. With much blinking she looked up again and took stock of the situation. There was one rather dark tunnel before her, guarded on either side by tall statues of dog-like beings. The effigies were also made of the same golden stone as the floor. They were marvelously preserved for being left in such a dank area. Alyth approached them warily, her tail flicking lightly. She was hesitant to touch them, having just had a bad experience with the figures on the wall. The fact they were dogs-like did not bother her as much as it might normally. Though they were clearly placed as a warning she did not kneel before canines. A sound other than water echoed from the tunnel and she froze to listen. Her keen eyes peered into the gloom though they could not penetrate it far. She also glanced behind herself to the dank room. There was nothing there. Feeling the fur on her tail prickle she fumbled about in a pouch for flint. She yanked one of the torches from a bracket on the wall. It took a good pull as the bracket was rusted from years of disuse. After a few knocks the flint sparked and fire fell among the brush like stars. Alyth blew the torch into life and returned the flint to her pack. With a few steadying breaths she started into the tunnel. The tunnel was as dank as the room at first. It smelled faintly of mold. The further in she walked, however, the more dry the tunnel became. It began to gradually slope upward. Ahead a small light appeared, or so it seemed. Is that another room? Or is it something else? She sped up her pace and was startled as she nearly ran into a wolf. The half-feline's adrenaline pumped, causing her cheeks to flush in the gloom. She leaped forward at once, waving the torch like a mighty brand. Her attempts were to distract it as she slipped by and ran up the corridor. When she neared the top the young-looking woman shot a look over her shoulder. Suddenly she felt her body collide with something large and was thrown forward toward the ground. |
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