[Game Thread] Recurring Dream

[sikdragon]

Walking into this old temple on the floor is a pentagram. Each point facing an altar representing each of the five elements. The fifth being the largest and largely inaccessible. The goddesses represented are: Belisama, Brigid, Don, and Macha. In the center of the pentagram is a table with four items: A compass, dagger, shield, and a set of keys.

In runes burnt into each of your foreheads is a symbol of your season of birth.

"Go to where you truly belong, with the tool that best arms you for the seasons ahead," a soft familiar voice beckons you.

OOC: An OOC discussion, albeit appropriately labelled, will be allowed to solve this puzzle. This will account for the mental processes by which your characters make their decision. I want you to introduce your characters, not everyone knows everyone. Those who you should know merely look familiar.

[Pilfer]

Cinnie brushes her hair back, hooking it behind an ear. For a moment, her hand hovers by her head, lightly brushing her cheek. In a slow, deliberate movement the hand moves to her forehead and lightly traces the lines etched there. Normally, she would have panicked at her face being marred in such a manor, but she now felt calm. Maybe it was the voice. The soft, familiar tone spoke to her in ways beyond words. It told her she was safe, that everything was gonna be alright. The voice made her feel like she was home. It was strange, because she had never felt that way in her life.

Looking at the others, the shadow of a smile brushes across Cinnie's lips. They made her feel the same way; safe and familiar. She wanted to enfold herself in them, to surround herself in the group, and feel safe; a feeling she didn't enjoy as often as she'd like. Unconsciously she leans toward them, preparing to take a step in their direction. With a slight jolt ,she stops herself. That wasn't who she wanted to be, the child from those far off days, tagging along, being tolerated. She was far more now, and she would show them. With a ripple of silvery laughter, she steps towards the table.

Closer to the table than the others, she turns to them, and shrugs. With the movement, her green cloak falls from her shoulders and you can see her whole. Cinnie looks just like the young girl you used to know, only older, and impossibly beautiful. She is dressed in bright colors, with a sword at her side and a crossbow on her back. A lute hangs from a strap across her body, and without thought, her hands move to it. Soft beautiful music fills the temple, and when she speaks, her voice is melodic and fascinating.

"Four alters, four seasons, four items, four gods. But which with which, and why and how?" Cinnie was smart, had always been smart. Far smarter than anyone had given credit for. But now, she would show them. "I was born in the spring, like a lamb, when the grass begins to grow. Mine is the season of life, and life comes from the earth." She stops playing, and the silence which follows is almost deafening "But how to unlock the life, hidden in the earth from the killing frost of winter? Why, with a set of keys." Taking the keys from the table, she moves to stand by the altar of earth.

[notna]

Chance plays thoughtfully with his ring on his right hand as he listens to Cinnie as she thinks out loud. His Green eyes watches her from under his brown locks as she moves to her appropriate statue, then snaps his fingers and exclaims I think you're on to something, Cinne, so that must mean a person born in fall must go to Brigid, the god of agriculture. He walks up to the table and looks at its contents. Looking at the remaining items, he gaze rests on the shield. Also the god of protection. He moves to heft up the sheild and goes to the corresponding spot by the deity and winks at Cinne. She was always pretty smart

[notna]

Chance, or Derek as most of you remember he was once called, is of average height, and has the looks of a boyish prince than a gambler, that is if it werent for his well-worn attire. His traveler's clothes, overcoat and cloak are all a dull brown, accented with green and black plant designs at its edges, as well as mud and dirt. He also carries his pack, a rapier at his side and handaxe on the opposite.

[Eligre AiLoki]

A sharp-looking tawny hawkfolk, almost entirely unlike the fuzzy yellow child that had made the pact, adjusts her loose silk sheets that are all she has for clothing. Her talons click against the stone floor as she ponders to herself. Veils of silk cover her head (red), face (indigo), torso (sky blue), and legs (orange). They vary in solidity of colour, the blue being almost paint-thick, the indigo just a slight blur of colour. Despite the rainbow combination, she seems darker than she should be, more sinister, predatory. Perhaps because of the substandard lighting in the room. She was by no means the yellow fluffball she used to be, her maturity starkly different from her youth in colour, posture, and attitude.

Seeing the others around her, she also notes the symbols on each's head. Azil reaches down to the floor, and presses her head towards the ground in a deep prostrating bow towards the symbols of Macha. But really, what she was doing is checking the minor light reflection against the floor, seeing a vague shadow that can account for the fact that Autumn was on her forehead.

"A riddle! The harvest season. Some might say a dagger is used in the winter, to fend off wolves, but mortals are weak creatures, we use shields to protect ourselves from danger, we do not actively seek it. A compass is useful in night and day, for when you are lost in the snow or the deep foliage of summertime. Not in the open drabery that is the fall. A knife is used for culling the herd, chopping the wheat, and digging into the soil. The autumn's item is the knife." She ponders aloud, then picks up the blade, doing a quick flourish with it before it almost cuts off her fingers, then she sheepishly holds it steady. "Macha is love and war, and both are fiery. Adding to it, we know the summer is fresh air, the winter is cold water, the new earth sings in vernal times. The land of red leaves is where I must go." Flapping her tawny wings, Azil makes her way towards the alter of Fire.

She turns back, and seems to notice everyone else for the first time. Going in a finger-point identification, Azil recites in turn the symbols on each person's head, to better ease the trial. "I'm sorry, I don't know anyone's names. I'm Azil... Shield-person, I think that is better for winter, but we might be on the wrong wavelength. But winter fire Macha dagger doesn't seem right either."

[francho]

Behind everyone was where Na'shir stood, wrapped in many clothes as to cover her face and body, many different cloths covered her padded armor that could only be seen at a closer inspection, only her eyes could be seen shining at some intervals due to the light that managed to get through. It was hard to tell if she where human or anthropomorph.

She carefully watched the other people around her, a feeling of knowing them ran through her head but the she could not remember when. As they all spoke and started solving the puzzle, Na'shir shift her gaze at the four gods and then at the four items, her birth season was summer and in summer one tends to travel, thus the option was clear and simple to her.

Na'Shir approached the table, gracefully avoiding any physical contact with the others. She looked at the table and in a low voice she muttered ........summer.....travel.....compass, she sayed as she grabbed the compass from the table, then quietly step aside, carefully watching the humans.
Na'Shir gave an inspection to the compass, trying to see if it had something special or meaningful.

[sikdragon]

When you approach an altar with an implement, a portal tears itself in reality rendering an elemental manifestation just on the other side of this newfound door, "Step when you are ready, but be quick. They come to take you from my bosom."

Those who stand now with you become a blur. Your eyes focus as the rest of the world turns around you. Dizzied by whatever's causing this room to fold on itself is only growing more violent, "Quickly, my love."

[Krogher]

Drake always had been the pinnacle of efficiency. He liked things done quickly and he liked things done right, usually best accomplished under his command, at least in his mind. When he heard the soothing voice boom overhead, he simply adjusted his chain shirt, and stepped towards the center. He looked briefly over the items, his eyes flit to the gods, and then he made his selection. His left hand, the one not burdened by the Bordare shield, reached out for the keys and snatched the ring connecting them.

The handsome fighter strode towards the statue of Belisma, represented by Winter. "Belisma, goddess of water and wit, how do I unlock your secrets? Shield and sword I have, a compass I have no need for as I navigate by the stars, so I take these keys to liberate the oppressed." He was a bit surprised as the rift opened before him, and took a cautionary step backwards. He saw the elemental, adjusted the strap of his helmet and shield, and stepped towards the portal. Today he would accomplish something, he just didn't know what quite yet. "Speed friends, there need be no delay. This is as much riddle as it is opinion. You take what you NEED in preparation, something you do not have with you. I'll see you on the other side." With that, he stepped through the portal, wasting no more time on words.

[Hellioning]

Meddas sighed. He was clean today, as was his armor, which shined. He was proud of his shiny armor. He shined it earlier to day, just for the occasion. He moves with a grace unexpected from someone in armor, though the material it is made out of and his muscular physique probably had something to do with it. He was really confused, now, but he shrugged and stepped forward.

[Eligre AiLoki]

'Who was he? What were their names...?' She was a bit put off that no one helped introduce themselves. Were they just shadows? Illusions? Dreams? 'Maybe they can't hear me?' Azil kisses the knife hilt. The world blurred, more so than the normal tears she constantly cried when bonded to this vestige of loss. When she hears the voice, she shrugs. "My choice is clear, though my path is murky. Set loose the rafts for Tyr Na n-Og, more souls await." The kite gives her wings one sharp flap, pushing herself off the ground, and lets the mealstrom in reality pull her now unfettered body through the gap.

[notna]

Seeing the rift appear, and watching his childhood friends pass through, Chance looks back up at the statue of the god he has chosen. well, here's to a fruitful harvest I guess... He turns his head towards the rift in front of him and takes a deep breath... then a second, and with the shield in front of his body and bracing himself for whatever was on the other side of the rift, he takes a running start, and jumps through the gap in space, but not before exclaiming, Come on guys! Lets get a move on As he passes through the rift, he takes a glance at those remaining and flashes what he hopes isn't his last smile at them...

[Pilfer]

As the portal opens before Cinnie, she flinches back in surprise. The world fades and twists around her, and she loses sight of... well everything. The feeling of safety vanishes, replaced by an all too familiar feeling of fear and uncertainty. She doesn't show it though. A slight narrowing of the eyes is all the apparent change. With feigned courage, she steps through the portal.

[copatt]

Ansley pads silently into the temple on barefeet. There are others here before her, people who seem vaguely familiar. Each has a sigil branded upon his forehead. Ansley relexively reaches for her own forehead and traces the lines of the scar she feels there. Summer.

Further in the temple, Ansley studies an arrangement of altars, one each dedicated to Belise, Brigid, Don, and Macha, as well as a fifth, unkown altar. Between the altars, at the center of a pentagram, is a table on which rests a collection of items: compass, dagger, shield, and keys.

Instinctively knowing what she must do, Ansley goes the items. A compass, symbolic of the journeys that I have been too afraid to make; a dagger, a useful tool in the wilds of my homeland; a shield, sure to be needed when war with the Mezzinine comes; keys- for the unlocking of secrets and discvery of knowledge. Ansley runs a hand over each item, finally settling on the compass. Time to face my fears.

Ansley raises the compass briely, watching as its hand slows to a stop. The next choice is easier. Ansley walks to the altar of Brigid, who she and her family has long revered most amongst the gods.

[francho]

Na'Shir held the compass with a tight grip, something about it gave her a comforting feeling.
The four altars shinned and a mysterious voice resonated through the entire place, "they come to take you from my bosom" was what alerted Na'Shir, memories of her captivity ran through her again, thus she quickly moved towards the altar of the god Don.
She gave a quick look back to the others, her eyes where wide opened as to alert the others of possible danger, then she quietly moves into the light that shined from the altar of fire, putting her hand in first just in case something went wrong.

[HiddnVillny]

This was...different. Not exactly what Pietro had expected but then again, what did the young fox expect to see?
In the old shrine vaguely familiar people mumble to themselves and gather by the altars of the gods, each marked plainly on their brows. A quick motion confirms Pietro's fears of being marked in such a manner himself and he grimaces.

As if it were not hard enough to earn gold as Leonard without new markings on my face...

Lost in his thoughts, Pietro missed the instructions concerning the items as they appeared and followed his own stream on logic when the selection was offered to him.

Yes, a dagger would be most useful but....

Pietro fingers the compass for a moment before his eye is caught by the swirling energies. The world spins and Pietro drops to one knee clutching his head, the compass dangling from a clenched fist. His vulpine features harden for a moment as he tries to catch his breath and make sense of what just happened.