[First Deep, Event] Night of the Dead Living

[Chronicle]

Ash 65th, 120th Year A.o.S.

Rumor spread like wildfire throughout Kalzasi, in a way that garnered such mixed reception no less. The undead spurred back to life through what could reasonably be the fault of a Dread Mist, however, one such scholar claims that these two events alone aren't connected. Indeed much of the mystery lies therein around the monolith, and why these particular undead seems to amass around it.

The word on the street was that the Macabre Monolith, as many of the scholars in Kalzasi have named it, is the reason as to why such is the case. However, the original scholar, the one who discovered the sight, to begin with, has felt that while the name is appropriate to an extent, doesn't necessarily do the monolith itself a lot of justice. What she discovered here could possibly be an astounding breakthrough, one that excited the blonde as she sifted through her notes on the sight.

Before her the structure itself hummed softly, as though the surrounding aether emitted an ever so faint charge, with a hint of an echoing cackle eerily lingering within the spaces surrounding it. Truly this place felt menacing to stick around in, and yet the constant research that Madeline herself put into this ancient sight is about to pay off. Mist swirled all throughout the area of the First Deep, as the undead continued their parade into the Warrens to stir up trouble.

The bulk of the horde itself thinned out over the past several days, and yet, there were still quite a number of them seen throughout the expansive caverns. "Righto, let's see what I still have to work with..." The blonde scholar murmured to herself as she looked over her notes, as she expected she'd need to thoroughly brief her volunteers once they arrived.

She'd put in a request for assistance several days ago, but between the rumored Dread Mists and the recurring undead at nighttime, hardly anybody showed any real interest in braving the Warrens during that time. Today however four had managed to sign on, which delighted the scholar to no end once her request came back from the guild approved. At the monolith itself there was just the archway, the vacant space between the stone arches still softly hummed as she sorted her clutter on a makeshift table.

The poor lady had to make do with the stones surrounding the area, which presented another curious conundrum as some of the larger ones bore runes. Madeline suspected that they were tied to the monolith in some way, but that was also something the lady had yet to figure out for herself. So far the only thing she did know a thing or two of was the keystones, four of which were positioned around the Monolith like points of a compass.

Their placement was obviously important in order to power the structure, though that process alone was lost on Madeline, no sooner when she had believed she was finally getting somewhere. But then the Undead came around, and sure enough, her search for answers became all the more stifled and delayed by the unusual occurrence. The scholar had even tried to deal with some of them, only garnering few if little answers in her attempt to do so.

"That's right," the blonde spoke aloud to herself in thought, "with the few Undead I've interacted with, the ones that left this world once again had Dragonshards within them." Her blue eyes wandered right to the small pile of lesser dragonshards, two of them being Terrasyte, one an Aerolyth, and one an Aqualyth.

Part of her wanted to guess that these shards were 'anchoring' the spirits of these Undead, serving as their mediums while they wandered the Warrens, though that idea alone was pure speculation on her behalf, one she wasn't sure was reasonable given the other pieces of the puzzle before her.

A monolith that's powered by four keystones, surrounded by runic stones from a bygone age, with Undead wandering about disturbing the Warren's very own ecosystem. Something was off here and Madeline felt sure she was onto it, if only she could recall what in Ransera it was that eluded her memory. Still it looked as though there were four living sentient mortals coming her way, a boon that Madeline welcomed when she turned her head to notice them.

"Oh thank the Gods! I was wondering how long I'd be kept waiting." She called out to them as she stood straight to welcome them, standing no higher than at most five feet and six inches tall. There was no question that Madeline put in a small amount of effort to look decent, however, dirt still clung to her clothes and various exposed areas of her porcelain skin.

"Welcome to the monolith you four, no doubt you've come to investigate the strange events happening around it?" She checked with a courteous bow to the lot, her blue eyes curiously fixed on them, as she shot to them a welcoming grin.

"Why don't we start with introductions first? Once we're through with that, we can begin with further uncovering the mysteries surrounding this monolith." She gestured to them with hands outward and open, before folding her arms together and resting them under her breasts.


"Speech"

► Show Spoiler

Alrighty then! Our first round is pretty much just starting off with everyone introducing themselves, when we've accomplished that we'll cover the areas surrounding the monolith, and what you can expect to find there once the investigation begins!

[Rabu]

Rabu arrived to the monolith in his zoan form along side the other three hired to help with the investigation. There were two of the towering men of the sky and a black robed human woman with many tattoos. Not much had been said amongst the group and he didn’t get the impression any of them knew each other. The two sky men seemed fairly similar, stoic as they often were and as giant as ever. Their height and bulky figures made the Rathari wonder how they could ever get off the ground much less move without shaking the earth with each step. Obviously much stronger than him, but it was doubtful they were as swift or as nimble. The human woman was more of an enigma, she gave off a cold and mysterious Aura that peaked Rabu’s curiosity but also made him fearful of what he might discover.

Almost the entire way there, The Rathari was grinning to himself and there was a slight bounce to his step. He had a tune playing in his head with a particularly interesting melody that he’d heard one of his cousins playing earlier that day. It made him think of the spring, when the flowers were just beginning to bloom. His hands clutched the wooden Ocarina hanging from his chest and he moved his fingers around in tandem with the notes he had playing in his head. He wanted to share the song with the group but he didn’t want to attract the attention of the undead lurking about.

His attention was taken by a woman who called out to the group and beckoned them over. She seemed to be under the impression that they were late, but to the best of his knowledge they arrived at the time specified.


“Better to be late then never come at all.” Rabu called back with a smile to the human woman as they approached.

He strutted over and eyed the woman for a moment to asses her, though she didn’t seem too interesting. A bit disheveled but otherwise a typical human female. She was in complete contrast to the odd one he had arrived with.

“Curiosity has not taken the life of this cat just yet.” he added with a cheeky smile and and a light flourish of his hand.

“They call me Rainbow after Storm, a feline with adventure in their veins and song in their heart. I am of the Dancing Monsoon tribe, we play, we sing but most importably we dance.” He then demonstrated with a simple jig, ending in a quick and nimble spin.

“Though if you wish I also answer to Rabu."

[Talon]

Kalzasi and the Warrens had a complicated relationship. Talon could say that he understood the difficulties of that dynamic rather well. From the time they were small, the Avialae of the Jewel of Karnor were raised to be ever aware of its dangers and its blessings. In many ways it was a reflection of their careful reverence of Naori, the Masked Queen of Chaos. On the one hand, there was no denying that the Warrens were a dark place, filled with creatures that could rip limbs from limbs, defy all expectations and make even the powers of mages seem trivial. On the other hand, the dragonshards mined from its depths helped make the city wealthy. There were herbs and plants in the Otherwilds that were able to produce incredible balms and salves to help with medicine, there were wondrous creatures there. Every Deep of the Warrens held its terrors and its treasures. It was why the city thrived and it was also why it had very unique struggles.

Curiously, the undead and ghouls that were cropping up from the Warrens were of varying disposition. Some were hostile, some were joyous and simply wandered different areas in search of something delightful. It had placed the Sky Guard and the various mages of the city on edge. Throughout the Low City there were reports of as many fanciful gatherings as there were of disturbing attacks. It was such an odd sight that the entirety of Kalzasi was on edge. To that end, when the call for a team to go investigate the source of these occurrences arose, Talon decided to be part of that investigation. His companion had argued against it. There had been enough turmoil this season without him diving head first into an uncertain situation. But that was exactly why Talon was doing this. There was a precarious balance to the power structure of Kalzasi’s politics and his father had suffered several setbacks in days of late. What better way to assist his father and his family than to be one of the ones responsible for getting to the bottom of this very odd situation.

Despite his curiosity, Talon kept a hand on the hilt of his blade. He would not be caught unaware, even if he was more interested in discovering than he was merely attacking everything that moved. It was a difficult feat to accomplish, especially in The Buried Empire of the First Deep. There were few, very few, things that lurked in the ruined caverns that didn’t want to feast upon mortal flesh. He passed the archway and into the chamber of the meeting place, the Macabre Monolith, just as a woman was turning around. He counted a few others there as well.

“The Warrens are the definition of a mystery, my lady scholar. I doubt we will find as many answers as we will more questions.” Steel grey eyes passed over those gathered. Talon was adorned in his chainmail armor and protective leg plates. His hands were gauntleted and a pair of plated heavy leather boots adorned his feet. He kept one hand resting lightly on the pommel of his sword as he walked forward to join the group. He stood a head or more taller than most of them but that was not unusual.

“Talon.” That was all he offered with a nod of his head.

[Lyra]

Lyra pushed a stray hair that had come loose from her ponytail behind one ear, her eyes trained ahead with a near unblinking gaze. She had been staring at the back of the elf for some time now, glancing away whenever he would look in her direction. Whenever he would focus elsewhere, however, Lyra would return to staring. She wasn't quite sure why she felt surprised to see one of the fallen here. They were just as common as the humans it seemed, but that fact alone seemed odd to her. A part of Lyra wondered just whose kin this one was from, what ilk had spawned him?

Shaking her head she adjusted the strap of her satchel on her shoulder, one hand trailing to finger the leather with an almost tender motion. She had not intended to come on this little outing. This place, the Warrens as they called it, only served to remind her of her years of imprisonment. She had no wish to relive those times and would have preferred to stay far away. Yet even she could not ignore the odd occurrences of late. The dead they walked, a curious matter at most times, though their erratic and unpredictable behavior was what truly interested her. What would give rise to such behavior? More importantly, what was this 'monolith' that was spoken of.

One hand touched the archway as she passed under it, and she gazed up at it in interest before looking around at the larger cavern. She could see some of the dead millings about, but it was the stones beyond the crowding adventurers that drew Lyra's full attention. Rolling up the sleeves of her robes Lyra reached into her satchel, the symbol of the no eyed snake shimmering slightly as the clasp was undone, and pulled from it a wooden board with a clip on it. Onto this clip, she placed a single piece of thick paper. She also withdrew a quill and ink vial before closing the bag and moving forward.

She passed Talon Lyra offered a small smile, but the rest of those that gathered she ignored entirely, including the scholar. She made a quick course toward the monolith and the stones which surrounded it, pausing before a larger boulder which was covered in several intricate rune designs. She examined these markings with curiosity, tilting her head slightly as she raised a hand to touch the inert glyphs. Setting her bag down Lyra placed her vial of ink on top of this bolder, dipping her quill in the ink before turning to stare at the monolith. With slow, careful strokes she began to sketch the outline and shape of the landmark, paying close attention to the keystone positioning and highlighting any runes she saw.

[Hikami]

Ash 65th, 120th Year A.o.S
Company: Lots of people| Theme: | Thoughts: Interesting| Mood: Curious

㊋ They say curiosity kills, but in the case of a skilled warrior is that really true? Hyoga found himself among the few that answered the call to investigate the happenings within the warrens. Some were here for the glory, some to make names for themselves, but Hyo, Hyoga wasn't here for any of that.

He was here out of the sheer curiosity of what the dead had to do with the tower, and quelling the danger that could come from it remaining. He knew better than most that the only way to find out would be to experience it for himself. So he was here simply for the destruction of the monolith if the need arose.

There were so many here, of different skills and races, and he felt a little proud of how diverse the people were. Big or small no matter the form they were Kalzsian, and he was glad to be among them. It came time for things to get underway and he made his way to the front to listen to the small blonde woman.

When she explained the situation his brow rose and he made sure his armor was in top shape. It probably was the only thing that would keep him from ending up as one of the corpses. Part of him hoped there was some monsters effect by it in there to slay just in case.

She encouraged the group to introduce themselves and being the last to arrive he waited till it was his turn. He glanced down the line of them to see a familiar face.......the avialae from when he first arrived in the city and fought those shambling monsters. He let out a chuckle surprised at seeing him, giving the man a polite wave. "Hyoga Yoko, new to the city, but want to ensure this....thing doesn't cause trouble for the surface."

With that, he crossed his arms under his chest, not knowing what awaited him on this adventure and excursion, which excited him even more. ㊋

"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Galius]

Ash 65th, 120th Year A.o.S. "Five if you'll have me. I apologize for showing up late." His voice was rather monotone as he spoke. Walking out of the shadows as rings on his sword clanked against the blade. The clapping of leather boots on the ground. His body was covered in a mix of leather and plate. Protection against any of the creatures that rested within the warrens. "I was told you may need someone who can fight and while I may not be as skilled as some here. I know how to hold my own." As he spoke his hand rested upon the hilt of his blade.

"My name is Galius Antonius, Seventh son. It is nice to see you again Rabu. As for the rest of you it is nice to make your acquaintance." Curious as to how dancing would help them deep within the caves. But everyone had their skills and uses. Even if they weren't outwardly obvious to the Orkhan man. The rest of the group was as expected. Two winged warriors and a woman covered in runes. Curious group. One that he wasn't expecting to see on this type of adventure. He expected the likes of Talon and Xiang to be there. One first glance they were what he would expect of the winged race. Strong looking men, bound by honor and duty. But the woman didn't seem to fit his idea of an adventure. She seemed the more studious type. But he wasn't going to judge. Everyone had their reasons and there seemed to be plenty of knowledge and secrets within this group. Having more information never hurt anyone.

His eyes landing on Talon again. Studying him for a moment before speaking again. ”Every mystery has an answer. Every problem has a solution.” Watching the lady touch the monolith. Studying it with a keen eye as if she had seen much of the arcane before. His eyes moved from her to the stone. In the corners of his eyes he could see the shambling dead off in the distance. Shadows moving against the gray and black stone that acted as the background.

He stepped forward to fully join the group. Looking between them as if he was already assuming they accepted him joining. Not that he would take no for an answer. At least two of them seemed like they would be too bound by honor to do anything shady. Besides it was in the groups best interest to have another blade.

[Chronicle]

The scholar herself could only perk up once all her new arrivals drew close, her surprise evident when one of the four simply walked past with naught but a smile; to which she directed towards Talon familiarly before drawing closer to inspect the monolith. While a bit uncouth in her eyes, Madeline merely overlooked that little fact, and focused on those present who were willing to introduce themselves. Rabu was the first to have declared his presence near the monolith, and in clutching the ocarina that was dear to him, a very faint note almost sounded off in the distant proximity. Yet all but he seemed to be the one to hear it, as the rest were either ignorant to its echo, or simply incapable of hearing it as he did. "Rainbow After Storm... I love it!!" Madeline cheered rather enthusiastically, her finger still curled beneath her chin as she remained receptive to the group at present.

"Its quite true, a late volunteer is better than no volunteers at all." She remarked in turn with a bit of a light chuckle, to which another would hear something off in the distance. Lyra. As the soft traces of Madeline's laughter diminished into the air, the mage's touch of the stoneworks found on the monolith and keystone seemed to hum. Almost in response to her very presence, and yet not even Madeline seemed to stir at this subtle reaction. At Rabu's demonstration of the jig he gave, Madeline gave a brief clap of applause for the performer, nodding in turn when he stated his shorter name in turn.

Talon was the next one to introduce himself, to which the statement he made was agreed upon quickly. "Always questions to be asked here, it never ends noble ser." She responded in turn before another happened to pitch in, an Orkhan fellow who approached from the shadows of the rocks nearby. "Dear me! You should warn a girl before you scare her." The scholar teased vacantly as she eyed the Ork inquisitively, before a spark of curiosity seemingly ignited in her eyes. "How interesting!" She noted after the fact Rabu and this Galius fellow were in fact comrades, prior to the event which brought them together again.

"You're quite right about that Ser Galius," Madeline remarked in regards to the comment he made towards Talon, "though not all mysteries have a direct answer, there's always some viable explanation to be found somewhere..." On that note she trailed off looking a bit more introspective, paying mind to Xian also when he went up to introduce himself also. "A noble goal indeed, making sure things here doesn't impact Kalzasi is important. But..." She briefly held a grim tone with an expression of uncertainty, before quickly beaming to the lot of them as if she nearly hadn't a care in the world. "Imagine how much fun we're all going to have!!"

Clearly, her enthusiasm heavily outweighed the dangers surrounding her, but that didn't stop Madeline from carrying on with a hearty tone. "It's not very often we come across a chance this exciting! And given how ancient this structure really is, I bet we'll learn all sorts of new interesting things about it over time. For now, however, the Undead are what our primary concerns are. Which reminds me..." Now was the moment to highlight their fairly monumental task, one that she felt certain would cover so much ground in terms of discovery much later on.

"Rainbow After Storm... Talon... Hyoga Yoko... and Galius Antonius." To each individual she looked with certainty, even so much as casting Lyra a brief glance as the mage continued her work. "As you've heard the Undead are roaming about this area, however, they're not as dangerous as some would think. I'll explain that in a moment." She assured the group as she moved over to her table, moving around some of her notes as well as the several dragonshards in her possession. "This all began with a bit of an experiment of mine. I'm..." Suddenly her enthusiasm faltered, as though something occupied her mind in that particular moment. "Quite honestly I'm not sure how the Undead is a result of this, but I've been studying this Monolith for quite some time now."

Turning to the large structure Madeline looked at it, and then to the four visible keystones surrounding it. They appeared to be stone-like podiums, each one, in particular, bearing different shaped slots at the surface. "What you see before you is clearly ancient technology, predating the Sundering or perhaps even further back than that!" As Madeline explained Lyra's touch against the runes sparked a singular reaction, filling her with a sense of being neither here nor there, as though something about her felt ever so far distant and out of reach. As her observations of the monolith and the keystones continued, she'd quickly be able to discern that each keystone placement encompassed the monolith itself. "For almost a year now, I've theorized that it could possibly be activated, which is why I've spent a large amount of time studying many of these runes."

Madeline then pointed north past the monolith, towards a section of the area referred to as the Stone Grove. Littered with spires and boulders of carved stones, each and every one of them appeared to bear similar runic markings in turn. "Comparing the ones near the monolith with the most common references I could, it became increasingly obvious that many of these runes are a culmination of both coordinates and pictographs... though what they exactly entail, much less where, are another mystery that I've yet to discern. The point is that in using the keystones, the monolith is actually able to become active! It takes quite a large amount of aether of course, but the best source for that is found all throughout the Warrens!"

Thus Madeline shared her stock of dragonshards, showing them to each individual with vigor; except for Lyra. "While it may look like the keystones can be charged with just about any dragonshard, certain runes will only activate to certain types of shards. What's more, all the Undead around here just so happen to have a different variety of shards embedded within their skulls. How? Another mystery, but their appearance has to be linked in some way." There was a bit of confidence in her tone when she declared that. "Which is where you all come in, I need volunteers to spread out and interact with the Undead. There's five of you here now, so you can all tackle this task however you choose! What I need, in an effort to recharge these Keystones, is a Greater variant of the following Dragonshards; Aerolyth, Aqualyth, Pyrolyth, and Terrasyte."

In placing her few dragonshards back down on the makeshift table, Madeline turned to her volunteers once more, a hopeful look in her eyes as she tucked her hands behind her. "There's no certainty you'll find them all within the Undead, so we may as well try using lesser shards if we have to. The idea may sound unsettling to you all, but not every Undead nearby is aggressive, if anything they'll be quite happy to have new company around. The few shards I've gathered here were what was left of the ones I met, after I played along with whatever games they wanted to play. Some may ask you to dance, others may need a favor. However you choose to approach them is up to you, I simply seek the shards that reside in their noggins. That okay with everyone?"

She tilted her head awaiting a response, before giggling and gesturing her arms out to the surrounding area. "By all means go forth! If any of you have questions, I shall be here continuing my research." Madeline encouraged heartily as she twisted to glance once more at Lyra, before turning to watch and see what course of action the others decided upon. As they prepared to move out and begin their expedition around the monolith, one last faint sound was shared between the entire group; an ever distant cackle plagued the dense mist within the area.



"Speech"

► Show Spoiler

Righto here we go! So this is the map of the surrounding area, beneath it I'll outline each section, as well as your goal to reach the endgame here.



Centered within the map is the Macabre Monolith, and within it's vicinity are four areas to sweep for Dragonshards. To the north of the Monilith is the Stone Grove, which is a field of varying rocks from enormous to even pebble-sized, all of which bear strange similar runic markings that reside all over the keystones of the monolith. Within this section there are several undead roaming about, but it looks as though one of them is trying to corral the others; only to be ignored as the rest simply trudge around each stone with a somber moan.

To the East of the monolith is a broken staircase that looks to lead up to an ancient temple, with the stairs unclimbable without any gear or aid. The Undead here seem passive-aggressive, fighting off wildlife and any perceivable threats that approach the ruins.

To the South is the Ancient Pillar which looks to be a renmant from the Buried Empire, with Undead laughing as they watch a highly unusual scene. Shouting and wails can be heard from this area, as if something else haunts within it as well.

To the West is the Serene Spring, where despite it's name it's filled with Undead that are thrashing about in the pool.

Every section has a small mixture of the Dragonshards you're after, but there's only one Greater variant of said shards in each section. Which is why your goals are as followed:

A.) Collect Dragonshards, however you choose, and recharge each Keystone using Lesser/Minor; or Greater if you come to possess them.
B.) You're encouraged to treat the Undead however you may choose, so long as the Keystones are recharged, the event will considerably be completed; however consider getting the Greater shard a chance for a bonus reward at the end of the quest!
C.) You can effectively team up or split apart to cover more ground, it's also encouraged that you consider discussing this out, as there are now currently five participants and four areas to cover.
D.) There are obviously more mysteries to the Monolith, but clearly, Madeline isn't without her own sense of mystery here. Consider it merely optional, but it's possible there may be more to discover than what she's letting on.

[Finn]

"Six," he corrected apologetically once Madeline finished and the others were released from the briefing. Well, one of them was already getting up close and personal with the monolith, it seemed. There was something familiar about that back, but he hadn't paid her much heed, coming in late and just trying to absorb everything the scholar said. If anyone had noticed him enter, they had been more engrossed in the woman's story than his arrival, just as he would have been in their position.

Finn might have been on time, but he had only been given a hastily scrawled map to find the meeting place and he had been going back and forth in his mind as to whether or not this was a wise idea. He had many reasons to be there, but most importantly, he wouldn't be wandering about the Warrens alone—at least once he met up with the expedition. The backs of two winged warriors had been most reassuring when he found the place, though he had quickly fallen silent to learn about the keystones and dragonshards. The place was wondrous, even if he had been tempted to soothe himself along the way with a hummed lullaby. He wasn't a coward, but he thought there were plenty of rational fears one ought to carry into the unknown depths.

Well, some people knew the depths but all he knew were rumors, really. This was his chance to experience it for himself in relative safety. There was a longsword hung at his hip. He knew how to use it. There was also a lute slung across his back because while he had hurried home for the sword, he hadn't thought to leave the lute he was already carrying behind. Foresight flew out the window when an opportunity came knocking—and then quickly ran away so fast it needed chasing.

When he caught one of the Skyborn's profiles limned in phosphorescence, he found he recognized him. He touched his brow and bowed respectfully.

"My lords," he said in their tongue. It only seemed proper.

"I'm Finn," he offered to the woman in charge. "The last addition, I think, to this mission... quest... thing. I believe I heard everything, ma'am. We're looking for dragonshards like yours or bigger. Or better quality? I can tell the difference between costume jewelry and the real thing, but I'm not sure I can tell the difference between two bits of terracyte unless there's... a distinct glow or something. But I can learn. I'm here to learn." Then he shut his mouth because he was babbling. A bard ought to be more glib. He would have to work on it.

[Rabu]

“You are too kind.” Rabu smiled at Madeline and their cat like fangs made a brief appearance before bowing at her compliments. The Rathari stopped for a moment to look at their instrument, it had clearly made a sound but they weren’t sure how. Rabu wondered if the spirits were tying to convey a message but couldn’t be sure what the message was.

“Not a fan of the arts I see” Rabu shrugged as the strange human woman left them all to investigate the monolith. It would seem that the others weren’t exactly the personable kind ether, they said little and no one else commented on the cat’s dance moves.

“Oh yes Galius! It has been a while friend!” Rabu ginned and walked over to the new arrival with their arms outstretched for a hug. “its good to see a friendly face, in such a dreary place.”

Rabu nodded along to all that Madeline was saying, gasping a few things but was mostly lost. Their eyes light up near the end when things got less technical and started to sound more fun.

“So we can dance with the dead!” Rabu began to jump up and down with excitement. “I should have invited my entire tribe to this!” The Rathari would have almost bounded towards the undead like a fool but another arrival stoped him in his tacks.

“Finn!” Rabu opened his arms again to offer the fellow bard a hug like he did Galius. The Rathari bard was definitely a hugger whether people wanted one or not, it was the Dancing Monsoons tribe’s way and they took no prisoners. “The more Minstrels the merrier I always say.”

“Anyway why are we all standing around here for?” Rabu exclaimed to the rest of the group before gesturing towards the Undead in the not to far distance “You heard the woman. lets get this party started!” The Bard then lifted his Ocarina to his lips and began playing a cheery little tune as he skipped merrily towards the Undead hoard to the north.

“My human friend needs something from you, is there anything I can do to get it off you?” Rabu said to the first zombie they encountered who seemed to be the mostly lively of the bunch. The rest were more or less like one would except from the undead.

[Talon]

Talon observed the gathered group. A few of the faces he recognized. As Lyra passed, he offered her a bow of his head. The skills and insight of a scholar such as her would be vastly important in uncovering the mysteries of the monolith in front of them. To the Kathar, Xiang as he introduced himself, Talon gave another nod of his head. From what he had witnessed of the man’s abilities given their brief encounter at the beginning of the season, Talon could only assume that if things became dangerous he at least knew there was someone who could hold their own in a fight. As the others trickled in, an Orkhan man, a young man who seemed brimming with energy and was possessed of a sense of wonder that made Talon curious, the Novalys heir could only wonder what direction this gathering would go.

“Dragonshards are known to be adaptive things. They manifest in places where the veil between the mortal realms and the aethereal realms are thinnest. Upon exposure to the elements of our world, they morph and take on interesting properties that brush upon the things around them.” Talon observed the crystals that Madeline held out as well as the keystones that were assembled around the monolith. His eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to the monolith and the crystals assembled. With his hand still resting firmly on the pommel of his sword he examined the shards. Opening up his senses, Talon stirred his aether into motion. He brought the auras of the crystals into focus so that he could observe the dragonshards at a distance.

He felt the gentle breeze of the aerolyth shard. The light airy feeling that spun in his head and made the feathers of his wings rustle slightly was not an unfamiliar one to him. It made him yearn for open skies and the freedom to simply soar among the clouds. From the aqualyth he felt the currents of water swirling within the aether of the stone as though he had dipped his hand into a stream. The pyrolyth was a warmth in his senses and he could smell the smoke of a campfire as he observed it. The smell danced in his nose. Terrasyte was always one of the more difficult dragonshards to get a sense of. It’s penchant for being so densely packed with aether and reflecting the properties of the stone and earth it came into contact with made it almost seem like a rock in and of itself. The key was realizing that this density was only skin-deep. Talon dove deeper into the rocky dragonshard and once his senses broke through the surface, there was a pool of slow drifting aether underneath.

“I might be able to assist with identifying the grade of shards we encounter. My family is very familiar with the dragonshard trade.” House Novalys controlled the trade of aether gems across a good portion of the Northlands. Many of the dragonshards available in markets in the eastern half of the region came from a Novalys mine. When Madeline mentioned the undead, Talon remained impassive. He was not comfortable with the walking corpses that paraded around the Warrens and sometimes made their way up into the streets of Kalzasi. The Sky Guard were on edge. The Circle of Spells was no doubt conferring with House Briathos and their colleagues about this curiosity. His mother was far from amused. Talon’s knowledge and experience with anything relating to the Warrens was almost always to attack first and ask questions later. As a result, he was showing a supreme amount of restraint to not just obliterate every undead he encountered. Another voice drew Talon’s attention and he turned to regard a recent acquaintance. The minstrel Finn walked into the group and Talon had to admit that he was a welcome sight. He gave the man a nod before turning to join Lyra in her inspection of the monolith. If there was anyone among them that would be able to decipher the meaning of these symbols, it was going to be her.

“Master Rabu! You should--and he is off.” Talon looked on with a slightly concerned stare as the energetic man bounded off toward the nearest undead. He kept a careful eye on him before turning to Lyra.

“Can you make sense of these markings?” Talon gestured to the monolith that the Scribe was inspecting as well as the structures around them.