AChapter 4
The inside of the temple is a testamount to the ancient grandeur of the pre-folly era, the ceilings are huge, the windows are stained glass, beautifully restored with images of imps of different elemental alignments. The great hall is a riot of colour and the myriad chamber and halls leading off it all seem to be being used for different purposes. There seem to be thirteen chambers dedicated to the shrines of the order and elements of the universe and then everything else has been put to whatever purpoe the imps fancied. Bathrooms, bedrooms, meeting rooms, lounges, studies, library... an endless variety of different purposes all next door to each other, upstairs and downstairs with no real plan beyond the 13 shrines scattered throughout the main temple building. Kal has led you all inside and over to the rooms the ice imps are using as a meeting room and dinning hall were a large meal ha been spread out for you all. "Well everyone welcome to the temple, you did good getting thorugh that maze in just under one day."
"It was a most interesting maze we were put through. That is two of those paths i have walked, ever the raise in difficulty." Marduke offers with a chuckle and a smile as he moves to find himself a seat. "It has been a long since since I was here, still as interesting as ever." One word to put for it. His staff put to the side, and the summoner clearly intent on enjoying some food and relaxation.
Ainsley is soaked to the bone by their adventure, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying the sights. Her eyes are wide in wonder, observing all of the windows, naming off the elemental alignments to herself as she goes. She sticks near Lee as they walk, reaching to grab his hand. Her tail droops, and almost drags along, showing how tired she is. She looks over to Kal with a couple of blinks. "Uhh...? We did well?" she says, finally coming out of her daze, seeming greatly surprised. She laughs lightly, and shrugs her shoulders, then shyly seeks out a seat for herself, so that she can sit with Lee.
"Up until the very last bit, I'd have to agree," Silmeria says, bobbing her head and smiling in greeting to those imps they pass by. "You all did quite well... Um. But is that... question and answer... puzzle... a new thing?" she asks of Kal, tilting her head. "Because I can certainly see us needing a day or so to cover all that ground on foot, if it is..."
Lee unwraps the cloth from about his head, that he wrapped around his head before stepping into the beam of light, and re-situates his hat atop his head during the walk to the dining hall, taking in what sights he can after that, able to appreciate the aesthetics of it, if nothing else, "All's well that ends well, if y'ask me. Still, your lot must've done some fair bit o'homework fer some o'them questions. That one I answered, the martial arts one, last person I know of who wore that symbol's dead some decades past now, fer example." He follows Ainsley with a smile, his hand taken, and takes a seat beside her, getting comfortable.
Kal just grins at Lee and waves his tail at Silmeria, "Those are secrets," he grins, "But we did our research and there is a whole city under their Silmeria. You whren't going in a straight line I can promise you. The curves on some of those tunnels are how do we put it... deceptive. You can't really see them curving around but they do so you end up going in circlkes." He beams at Ainsley and Marduke, "You did better then some a lot of people get to that last chamber and spend hours arguing over what to do next, no one wants to step into the light. Tghat's the final challenge! Now eat up and then you can go clean up and rest and then you can tell me where you want to go next."
Marduke just shakes his head and offers a smile to Silmeria and Lee, 'What Kal means to say is that of the rooms we probably visted a couple of times because we got spun around. There were what six tunnels at the end and we were given one. Each is probably a different difficulty and such. A whole city, built as puzzles and challenges." Grinning a moment, "Its beautiful in that way." Turning to the food and chuckling softly, 'Glad I did something right at least, as for where we are going next. Canals wasn't it?" starting to eat up.
Ainsley decides to dig into her food, sparing no more effort toward conversation. She is extra hungry, and gets as much as she can shovel into her mouth on a plate in front of her, with a cup of something tasty and sweet to drink. While she eats, she thinks about where they should go next, and resigns herself only to listening to the others, glancing at Marduke first, and then Lee and Silmeria. "Hmm."
"The canals, yes," Silmeria says, looking askance at Marduke briefly, before filling up a plate for herself and beginning to tuck in. "Though thank you *very* much, Kal, for the food and the rest. While our trip hasn't been so hard as all that so far... I doubt it'll stay that way, considering."
Kal just smiles at Marduke, "Not quite, you never went down the same tunnel twice but we have miles of them!" he grins, "Anyway I am glad yer all made it! Once you are refreshed you can tell me where you want to go tomorrow. Over to the fort or the canals."
Lee seems to mirror Silmeria's look at Marduke, without realizing it, while picking a selection of foods for his own plate, "Sounds like an agreement, then: Th' Canals." selecting a drink, looks to be wine, he takes a sip, then continues, "What's th'objective fer tha canals? I remember what I saw on th'map well enough, but can't quite recall what we need t'do there."
Kal just smiles at Marduke, "Not quite, you never went down the same tunnel twice but we have miles of them!" he grins, "Anyway I am glad yer all made it! Once you are refreshed and have slept," he licks his lips and grins, stretching out in mid air and smiling, "I'll take you over to the canals! Tonight you should enjoy the temple, explore a bit, look around, pay yer respects to the shrines all that sort of thing!"
Marduke gets himself some tea for his drink and sits down to start eating going quiet. He offers a hmmm glancing to the others as he nods to Lee, "Find the bedchamber, to the compas rose. Finding it will be the hard part." Turning back to his food, seems he will not be long in eating himself, "I will be visiting the shrines for a bit if anybody needs me."
Ainsley is still mostly silent, except for eating up. She'll probably be one of the last ones to leave the dining table, unless Lee can stop her from eating as much sweet food as she can. One of those problems of hers. She reeeaches across the table for something colorful and delicious. Of course, once she is retrieved from this state of gluttony or she just simply reaches her limits, she will probably just find a place to curl up, and pass the hell out for a little bit, not sparing much interest to the shrines or in exploring. She's tired, tired people don't have time for nosy stuff! Unless she's diverted at some point by an Imp or something, that's about as much as she accomplishes at this point.
"Marduke's right, there. We're looking for the bedchamber of Queen Ashe, and the Compass Rose that's supposed to rest therein. And that sounds like a wonderful idea," Silmeria says to Kal, bobbing her head in agreement. Once her food is done, she rises, pausing to rest a hand on Ainsley's shoulder, before the Esper makes her way toward the Shrine of the Sphere of Death, curious to see how the Imps revere the concept in general. That she can pay her respects to and check in with her patron, certainly a bonus.
Lee nods, "Right, th'bedchamber, th' compass rose. No time fer pessimism; That'll be easy!" He grins, cheeky optimism at work. He waves a hand to Marduke as the summoner gets up to explore, "Right, see ya back 'round later." He eats at a more restrained, and leisurely, pace than Ainsley, though he does seem to keep tabs on her intake to a certain extent: he only starts trying to reign her in when the amount of sweet things begins to become excessive, "I'm sure there'll be plenty more in th'mornin', luv, no need t'stuff yerself completely silly just now. Although, I'd wager we'll need to reprovision ourselves afore we leave. No doubt some of our rations didn't fare well with th'water treatment we all got." Being still damp, himself, he can sympathize, it seems. And when Ainsley seeks rest, he offers his cloak, wrung out of as much remaining dampness as he can manage, raising a hand to Silmeria as well as she departs, "Might do some o'that m'self, but later on, not jus' yet." For now, he stays with Ainsley.
Kal smiles and shows Lee and Ainsley to a nearby room that is mostly a giant pile of cushions and blanket with a small window and balcony looking out into an inner courtyard. It is a quiet, peaceful and calm room away from the hustle and butle of the imp filled palace and beyond the courtyard can be seen a small ampitheatre were lights are playing back and forth across the stonework.
The shrine to the Sphere of Death i located down in the Palace cellars, the chamber clad in ebony blocks of stone sombre and hush, quiet and peaceful no sound seems to echo off those dark stone walls and in the centre of the chamber is a raised stone ledge and inside a pool of grey water. It is still and undisturbed and the cloudy mixture seems to invert and draw the eye ever deeper. There are only two imps down here, their fur dappled shades of grey and they turn to face the eper a she enters and they bow to her, "Herald of the Lord of the Afterplaces, be welcome here."
The shrine of Power is in the tallest tower, the whole thing has been hollowed out, the floors removed and the dome at the top removed. There is a large blue crystal floating atop a pillar of light that ascend the entire inside length of the tower. It i accompanied by a flock of smaller crystals that crackle with energy and the imps that dart down to greet Marduke are grey and white in colour, spiky fur and sleek scaled forms flowing around the summoner and welcoming him, baring him upwards along that pillar of blue light until he is suspended above the city just below the crystals. "Be welcome summoner who has journyed high, cousin Znk'erta has told us much about you."
Marduke doesn't take long to explore the place and find his way to the tower where the shrine of power is held. Making his way up he glances over the crystals and smiles to himself nodding looking at them from the distance below and tilting his head. A smile offered to the imps as they come down, "Hello theeeeeeere." A meep escaping him as he grabs his staff and holds on for dear life, "AYEEE." Working to keep his wits, "I eerr yea I hear a lot of people talk about me, though I don't know what is being said. I umm." Glancing down a moment, glad he isn't afraid of heights and then back to the crystals, "Have come to pay my respects."
Ainsley, in the calm and quiet of the room, takes some time to get her clothing all dried out, using her fire magic to do so. She even helps out with Lee's clothing, and then she picks a cozy spot and curls up on her side, using his offered cloak as another blanket. She's not a very durable creature, the trip through those tunnels had tuckered her out very much, even if they hadn't been down there as long as some people would've been. She makes sure she's partially buried in the cushions, taking advantage of the number of them to give herself that extra comfort. Before she dozes off, she spares a sweet smile at Lee, and reaches out to touch at his hand, but beyond that she's out like a light. "Go stock up, then," she says, "Gotta be prepared..."
Silmeria answers the bow with a deep curtsy, dipping her head in respect to the imps that tend the shrine within the city. "And I am made very welcome," she whispers in reply, a gentle smile on her tanned features, "for which I am thankful. It's a beautiful Shrine you tend, and I simply had to see it with my own eyes... How fare your cousins who attend my father, if you know?"
Lee smiles gratefully at Ainsley, happy to be dried, and gives her a kiss on the cheek as she beds down, nodding, "Aye, luv; I'll be back along later. Sleep well." With that, he's back out in the more trafficked areas. Reprovisioning is on his list of things to do, by morning if not immediately, but the shrines draw his curiosity, and he spends a while wandering... Coming to the Shrine of Power, he stops just outside it's entrance, looking in and up, seeming reluctant to pass the threshold for some reason...
One of the storm imps grins at Marduke and gestures up at the crystal, "Then pay them Summoner, Power is here.. speak to its energy and let it answer you if it so desires." They grin and bob and coast through the air around Marduke, electricity crackling and sparkling along their fur as the crystals rotate around the central one above Mardukes's head. Downbelow as Lee stands on the Threshold an imp bobs down, he has shaggy grey and white fur like his brethren and grins at Lee. "Hello pilgrim," he tilts his head, "Come inside and say hello, power flows through all of us you should offer it your respect." Downstairs the imps smile at Silmeria and sit on the edge of the pool, "They fair well.... as do those of us scent here to serve on Terra. Come sit and gaze into the Mercurial Pool, you may see something of use it passes through the Shale Path to the Ashwood lands of the departed."
Marduke closes his eyes as he considers a moment and nods. Holding onto his staff he opens his eyes and chuckles softly, "As it is then." he offers and starts to chant, as he wraps the mystical energies around his body gathering them up and points a hand to the crytals he smlies, "For the alter of power, I offer it power." No formed spell, just raw energy directed at it, his tribute. HOping it will work at least.
Marduke's magical energy lances up into the crystal, it crackles and glows and a beam of blue/white light lances until the evening cloud cover above the city and then fades. The imps laugh and clap and swoop around Marduke, "I think it liked that," One of them says with a grin as Marduke starts to lower back down, "I think power will be watching you for a bit!" they wave as the summoner descends slowly to the ground below....
Ainsley isn't really doing much. She's passed the eff out. Probably dreaming about various things that she's read about. She has pretty vivid and creative dreams. She also mumbles in her sleep, when she overeats. She mumbles mathematical stuff, botany trivia, and literary terms, and strange and theatrical things.
Silmeria bobs her head, taking a seat next to the Imps at the rim of the pool. "Thank you," she murmurs, eyes drawn ever deeper into the shifting silver pool. Drawing in a deep breath, Silmeria arranges her thoughts, preparing to update Hades on the progress of the quest should the communion allow for it.
As Silmeria stares into the pool of liquid mercury the shimmering, fog like silvery fluid seems to part for the esper. There is a sensation of moving.. and yet not, she is rushing deeper down into the pool and yet still sat next to it the imps watching her and guarding her body. Inside her mind, her sight beyond all sight is now in a dusky clearing, a throne of bone before her and sat upon it looking toward her the black haired figure of an middle aged gentleman. He inclines his head to the girl, "Welcome home Daughter,"
Lee shifts his focus to the imp greeting him, giving a wan smile, "Greetings, though no pilgrim am I, I'm afraid... More like a wayward son. An' I do respect Power; Power is a hallmark of Father, so how can I not? But... I don't think I should enter 'ere. I'm," he trails off, searching for a word, and finally arriving at one, the slender man of crimson eyes looking just a bit forlorn, "I've become unpure, I think is th'best way t'describe it."
The imp before Lee grins at him, "Then come inside, let Power scourge the impurities away and leave just what y ou should be. It will.. if you welcome it back and let it... if not know it is always here!" He grins and glances behind him as Marduke lands, "Summoner Marduke here has accepted Powers blessing though I suspect it won't manifest as he expects." Ainsley is left alone to sleep and dream, no one has any reason to interupt her and Kal is off doing whatever it is ice imps do.
Marduke smiles as he comes back to his feet and gets his balance. He offers a smile to the imps and then glances to Lee and the imp, offering a hmms. "I expect nothing, was only offering my homage to the shrine. I ask for nothing in return. If something does manifest, that would be most unexpected for anything at all." Glancing to Lee, "When did we want to leave, soon or in the morning?"
A snort, and Ainsley wakes up, and rubs her face. She looks around the empty room, and then gets up to a sit. She frowns lightly, and gets up to find an Imp of Knowledge to socialize with. Surely there's got to be one or two of them around to talk to, while she's waiting to get into a proper sleep mindset, right? Kind of hard for her to sleep in a strange place, alone, nowadays. "Father," Silmeria murmurs, lowering herself into a deep curtsy, bowing her head. "It is good to be in your presence once more." A pale greeting for one's father, perhaps, but the Abyss is a realm of flat, muted, eternal peace, vastly different from the dizzying highs and abysmal lows found on Terra. "We've arrived in Old Rabanastre, Father, and our pursuer has a name: Savourn. Tomorrow we search in earnest for the Compass Rose, and it is likely that our way will be barred yet again... though I doubt he'll be as... courteous... a third time. The Whisperer *wants* Ainsley, this much is clear; enough to send agents to act openly."
Lee nods to the imp, "Per'aps another time, then... I'll at least endeavor to enter 'ere before leaving th'city." He looks up towards the higher reaches of the shrine, "But I don't think I'm ready yet, an' there's other things I need t'see taken care of." In an uncharacteristic display, for him, he sweeps his hat off and bows to the imp, "Fare thee well, until you see me again." Straightening, and placing his hat back atop his head, he gives Marduke a tip of the brim, "If y'expect nothin', then good sir Imp's words'll still ring true, won't they? An' mornin', I think, would be best. Much as I fancy th'night, I don't wager bein' out there in th'dark'll be much of a pleasant experience, an' Ainsley needs 'er rest besides; no doubt we could all do with some, in fact, and best have it while th'chance for it is on offer rather than do without. Like m'mother used t'say, take it when y'can get it, for y'never know when th'next chance'll come. Anyway, got another stop t'make, m'self, so I'll see you back at the hall, eh?" He turns, and heads off towards another shrine, the shrine of Time & Space. And this one, he enters without hesitation, hat coming off in respect to the shrine.
Marduke is left alone in the entry vestibule to the shrine of power, the sun has set full now and the only light is from the crystal above and across the courtyard the lights playing around inside the ampitheatre. Hades on his throne listens to Silmeria and when he speaks his voice is soft and quiet. "I am pleased by your progress daughter, guard Ainsley well, the whisperer must not be allowed her, send her to me before allowing this.. creature to take her. I know his name.. Savourn... he has never walked this way, the whisperer owns him. Beware the corruption that is inherant in his words, his presence... if he attacks in the city.... call on me... I will send what aid I can."
Ainsley meanwhile has found the shrine to Knowledge, it's set up in the old royal library wing. A massive oblong shaped room whose walls are laden with books lovingy preserved behing locked glass doors. In the middle of the room is a small, modest altar, a bronze statue of an open book and the only imp in the room is a orange furred creature who is reading a book, idly playing with a horn, he doesn't even look up as Ainsley walks in engrossed in his reading.
The Shrine of Space and Time is in what might have once been the old ball-room, it is set in the north side of the palace and the floor is slick marble tiles and one whole wall is a curved extravagance of glass windows that let those insight look out at the clouded sky beyond, the odd star visible. There is no altar, no focal point just the odd silvery furred imp hanging in mid air talking to each other and the starlight shining weakly through the glass to illuminate the floor as above the main entrance a mighty clock ticks away the silent moments of the night.
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