Acqua Alta

[Cocoa]

Ariellana smiles at Myn.

"Good thinking, Myn."

She inspects the doors closely, looking for more information.

"Whether or not there's anything unusual about these doors, it might be wise to say Praise Aucoth, Opener of Ways before we try to open them and go inside.

"Better yet would be to hear the Magus responding to our knock. In a friendly tone. I'm somewhat worried about all of the things that have gone wrong since we came here."

[Palpatim]

Rogur snorts at the understatement. He whispers, "I'm glad to hear this isn't business as usual for this part of the world. I was beginning to worry that you inland folk set magical guards attacking people as your friendly way of saying 'Hello.'"

[Umiushi]

This is the sixtieth Main Post. Players' posts in either thread are due by 11 pm, Tuesday, October 13th. The next main post will appear in the Acqua Alta or OOC thread by 11 pm, Thursday, October 15th.

A minute of waiting after calling out, Zephyr carefully unbars the door and pushes it open a crack. Taking up a fairly large space, the room appears dark, windowless, and empty. After a moment of examination, Zephyr notices a pale glow from the floor. Carved into the ground in the center of the room is a complicated diagram composed of sigils and geometric patterns. Surrounding this is another diagram of a similar sort, but drawn with chalks and dyes rather than being carved. However, this diagram is just as luminous as the one it encapsulates. It takes up nearly the whole of the floor.

[yukonhorror]

Letting his curiosity get the best of him, Zephyr opens the door, enters, and starts to examine the sigil, but at a distance.

"Excuse me, is the lady of the house available?" After a moment of silence, "I don't think she is in here."

[yukonhorror]

"Ariellana... Come in here. You seem well versed in these sort of things. Can you tell us the nature of this room and this sigil?"

While he waits for her response, Zephyr decides to poke around to see if there is another room the magus may be residing.

[Cocoa]

Ariellana takes one look at Zephyr's expression. Sigil? Combined with the words about Aucoth? Not a good sign. Ariellana heads over to Zephyr and peeks into the room.

She is startled at what she sees.

"That's a portal!" she exclaims. "I didn't know there was one in the Tower. They aren't too uncommon, but I was under the impression that they were better regulated and guarded than this. They're usually in Ioun's monasteries, fortresses, and other important buildings.

"I wonder if the glowing energy in the other room is related to this portal being here?"

She thinks for a few more moments.

"A lot of these portals won't work at all if you don't know the name of your destination. The magical name, not just the everyday name that anyone might know. Some portals are traps -- they'll only lead you to your death or some unknown plane. Well, that's what the stories say, though I don't know how anyone would be able to write down what happened to someone who went into a portal and never came out. Not much evidence, I shouldn't think.

"Some of the nobles and well-educated arcane practitioners use these regularly for travel. Others use them at need, but only if they know the name of another portal where they want to go.

"I wonder if this is a legal portal? I wonder why it's here? And where is the Magus? I don't fancy going to another dimension or even another city to find the woman. We have things to do in this town and can't dally around for too much longer."

More thoughtfully, she adds, "If events in town get to be too much for us, we could always use this portal to leave quickly. Assuming we can determine a destination, of course. And assuming we can work the ritual to activate the portal."

[Ithelryn]

Myn smiles at Ariellana. "Thank you for your insights."

"Is there any way for us to easily know the 'name' of this portal by simply being here? If so the Magus may be unhappy with our presence here."

"But it is no real matter, for this does seem to set our path does it not." Myn eyes the unadorned door.

"Unless your prophecy holds true Ariellana, and we have to use this portal to take us to some hidden abode which would probably prove to be more expense then it is worth. In truth I doubt that is our path, though I'll take your more learned council on this matter Ariellana."

[yukonhorror]

"Before we start jumping into portals, let us explore our current setting first. Maybe there is a hidden chamber where the magus likes to gather her thoughts. After a thorough investigation of this room, let's as ALL go to the room with the spooky vortex."

[Feantari]

Karu nods in agreement, and begins carefully going over the stonework around the room.

[Cocoa]

"As far as I am aware, the names of portals are meant to be secret, known only by the people who maintain them. You're not supposed to be able to arrive at someone else's portal unless they tell you the name of it. In reality, I believe that some of the names are a semi-open secret, though you have to know the right people before you'll learn anything.

"But I am not formally educated in arcane matters, nor can I easily wield arcane energy. If you want to know more, and have it be reliable information, you should ask someone besides me. I mostly know a few things I've picked up over the years from reading things and listening to people."

She smiles faintly at Myn's comment, though her eyes do not look at all amused.

"I too hope it is not our destiny to use this portal to escape. If so, our plights will be desperate indeed.

"Let's hope we can find the Magus without any more incident. I'm sure Karu is anxious for us to be out of here and on to our next task."

[Palpatim]

Rogur cranes his neck to peer around his companions and listens to Ariellana's explanation. "So, she's not here either," he snarls through teeth clenched with frustration. To be so close to this Magus, only to find another obstacle, makes him want to cry out.

He shoulders his way into the room and glances around distractedly, like a caged animal looking for a way to escape, or someone to attack.

[Ithelryn]

Myn stays in the the hall outside the portal chamber.

In a quiet voice tune to not carry Myn says, "Rogur, please calm down. We aren't invited guest here so we can hardly expect a warm welcome. The Magus surely had reason to seal her door as her kind seldom do anything without a reason. If we do meet with her we well need cool heads if we wish to continue with anything else today or perhaps ever."

"As for our next course of action might I suggest to other passage, though don't rush exploring the portal if it pleases you." The latter statement pitched more towards Ariellana and Karu.

[Palpatim]

Rogur glares at Myn, and matches his whisper fiercely. "As you say, we are not invited by the Magus. But it remains that the bookseller and the young lass have both tasked us with finding this woman."

He draws breath as if to continue, then suddenly deflates. "But I take your point. Whatever else happens, rushing headlong into things won't help matters." His mouth twists in a sardonic grin, and he adds even more softly, "Just don't expect me to stay calm if we're attacked. Again." He turns back to surveying the room.

[yukonhorror]

"Hey, I found something. I am going to peer inside to see if it provides any clues as to the Magus's whereabouts or about the mysterious things in this room and the other."

Zephyr opens the sack fully and reaches his hand in to see what he can find.

"Rogur, why don't you go ahead and check the chest while I search this sack."

[Cocoa]

Ariellana walks over to look at the chest with Rogur.

"Zephyr, perhaps you want to check out the sack for traps, clues, and what-not before you... Oh. Too late, never mind." Ariellana prepares to duck, shove Zephyr out of the way, or run; with their luck lately, she wouldn't be too surprised if the sack explodes, turns Zephyr purple, or emits a half-dozen demons after it's opened.

She crouches down at the chest. "Rogur, do you see anything amiss here? If it's locked by a magic user, it would be wise to be careful. And we'll need to apologize once we find the Magus. We're just looking for clues as to where she's disappeared. Where is she? Weary said she would be on this floor. Have we been in all the rooms yet? I'm not counting portals to other planes, energy vortices to other dimensions, or any other space not firmly in this tower, in this time and place. Maybe we should continue upstairs."

She looks down to the captured winged thing to see if it's conscious. Is it sentient? Would it answer questions? Is it the Magus or associated with the Magus?