[Story] Expedition I: Lake Kagamihara

[Kaigen]

Rahat eyes Ser Brookshire right back, trying to get a read on its disposition. It certainly sounds like devoted, rigidly formal courtier, but she almost thinks she can detect an element of irony to his words. Assuming she's not imagining it. There's also the fact that its warnings could just as easily apply to itself; it could just as easily be employing a trick to draw them into a place where it can exercise its power over them. It's not as though she has a better idea of how to find Argritte, however.

"It is not easy for me to ignore a cry for help—it is why I am listening to you. But I hear and heed your warning."

[briar]

Lake Kagamihara Briarheart Hollow "The sunrise at Lake Kagamihara is pretty famous. You see, when the sun hits those glaciers just right...well, guess you should stay up and see for yourself, eh?" -- Overheard from a passerby in Tradewinds

📅 11th Day of Second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After Union / After UnificationA.U. Terrain🌄 Travel & Camping Base TN is ERROR.??????? Weather🌞 Travel & Camping Modifier is ERRORHeavy Fog; 30°F Time of Day⏱ ERR:OR ?? Locale Info A quiet, out of the way lake famed for its solitude and crystal clear waters, it is overlooked by Mount Seneschal, the tallest and most iconic of the Reigncrown mountain range. Legend has it that the emblem on the Rouge flag was designed after the view of the mountain from this lake. In the Summer and Autumn, it is a common destination for hikers and campers, and features a small lodge where one can rent small boats to venture onto the lake. Environs: Lodge Area, Northern Lakeshore, Southern Lakeshore, Twinspring Grove Locale Info Background Music Khrysa 🩸 14/14 • Current Stamina💪 3/3 Rahat 🩸 21/21 • Karma for this Locale🍀 2 • Current Stamina💪 2/3

Rahat & Khrysa "Queen Alyskrandaricroix," the catbird persists, this time a little more harshly, in response to Khrysa. It seems quite perturbed about something so menial, and less so about the prospect of someone being in potential trouble. "Come now, it isn't difficult. Say it seven times in a row and you'll have it." The bird watches Khrysa for a moment or two after with narrowed eyes and an expectant look, but ultimately is re-distracted by Rahat's response. Its feathers having been slightly ruffled, it takes a few seconds to preen a few of them back into place before shaking and returning to meet her gaze. "Then you are wiser than most," it says plainly in response. "And were it not for the need of outside help on behalf of poor Argritte, I might be tempted. But fortunately for you, that is not the case, as I am bound my professional courtesy to see them safely home. So for that long, at least, you've nothing to fear from me." Rahat can't discern any untruths in the catbird's statements. Its eyes do certainly have the look of a predator, but its tone and demeanor suggest wisdom and pragmatism, and moreover, a sense of refinement, likely thanks to its position. "Now then," it continues, straightening itself, "The problem is as so: Argritte is, as I have already said, the Alchemeister to the queen, and is thus responsible for a great many thing including, but certainly not limited to, preparing Her Majesty's meals and refreshments. But Her Eminence's tastes are constantly changing, and thus, Meister Argritte regularly has to come up with new and more interesting dishes, which, in turn, requires obtaining new ingredients for said creations. As it happens, Meister Argritte was out attempting to procure one such ingredient, but in doing so has wound up trapped, and is in need of assistance. I would help, but I lack the...ahem...faculties...to do so." So saying, it lifts its bird-like claw and taps them together, making a sound similar to that of two marbles striking one another. "Thus, I sadly must rely on you. Now, let's get going, shall we?" The creature takes off into the air again, and begins swooping towards the forest's edge where the strange new path has appeared.

Storyteller Notes Please make Travel checks per the House Rule here.

[Xyza]

Khrysa

"Oh! Err, sorry..." Khrysa stammers apologetically at Brookshire's rebuke. "Um, seven times, let's see...Alakrandracrox...Alysandracroix....Alyskrand acroix...Alyskrandarycroix...Alyskrandaricroix.... Alyskrandaricroix...Alyskrandaricroix! Okay, I think I got it!" she announces.

Khrysa is unsure what to make of the creature's exchange with Rahat. It did still seem helpful despite some grumpiness, but she couldn't totally ignore some of the more ominous hints in its speech despite her proclivity to see the best in people.

She brightens up as the owlcat discusses Argritte's problems. "Oh, a fellow chef! And one that gets to create new dishes all the time! Ahh, that's so much better than just making the same recipe over and over every day..." she admires wistfully, reminded of her motivations for exploring away from home. "Getting ingredients can be tough sometimes, though with this, er..." she couldn't quite work out exactly what this thumb-dependent problem might be. "Well I guess we'll see when we get there?"

[Kaigen]

"Lead on," Rahat says, not inclined to waste time practicing the Queen's name if there is truly someone in need of assistance. Normally she would show more respect, but the Queen does not seem to merit it

[briar]

Lake Kagamihara Briarheart Hollow "The sunrise at Lake Kagamihara is pretty famous. You see, when the sun hits those glaciers just right...well, guess you should stay up and see for yourself, eh?" -- Overheard from a passerby in Tradewinds

📅 11th Day of Second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After Union / After UnificationA.U. Terrain🌄 Travel & Camping Base TN is ERROR.??????? Weather🌞 Travel & Camping Modifier is ERRORHeavy Fog; 30°F Time of Day⏱ ERR:OR ?? Locale Info A quiet, out of the way lake famed for its solitude and crystal clear waters, it is overlooked by Mount Seneschal, the tallest and most iconic of the Reigncrown mountain range. Legend has it that the emblem on the Rouge flag was designed after the view of the mountain from this lake. In the Summer and Autumn, it is a common destination for hikers and campers, and features a small lodge where one can rent small boats to venture onto the lake. Environs: Lodge Area, Northern Lakeshore, Southern Lakeshore, Twinspring Grove Locale Info Background Music Khrysa 🩸 14/14 • Current Stamina💪 3/3 Rahat 🩸 21/21 • Karma for this Locale🍀 2 • Current Stamina💪 2/3

Rahat & Khrysa Brookshire nods in time, counting each time Khrysa says the name, and ruffles its feathers in a way that seems...pleased?...when she finishes. "Excellent, and congratulations. Now you need only remember it when you meet Her Majesty in person. Supposing nothing eats you before you can, of course." Rahat seems ready to go, however. The catbird seems in agreement, and so does not dawdle, jumping up into the air and spreading its bird-like wings wide. "On we go, then. Do try to keep up," it says, and flutters off towards the path it pointed out earlier. It is a fairly straightforward path, and while nothing jumps out at the trio as they make their way through, you do get the sense that there are certain...presence...within the forest around them. Like being watched from many directions, but unable to see the watcher. Eventually, the path comes to an end in a small, circular glade which is anything but natural. Four large trees stand in each cardinal direction, with what looks to be door-like impressions emblazoned onto the bases of their trunks and overgrown with ivy vines. Meanwhile, the center of the glade is a low platform and a sort of pedestal in the center. Atop this pedestal is curious object--a tangle of five rings surrounding, and attached to, a metal sphere at the epicenter. The device sits, unmoving. "Here we are," Brookshire says confindently, "A curious place, this. I believe Meister Agritte called it the 'Armillary Gate', though I myself don't know how the thing works, and, embarrassing though it is to admit, its far too intricate for me to manipulate. Which is where your dextrous little appendages come in. Argritte disappeared into...er..." The owlcat winces slightly, its confidence faltering, and begins looking back and forth between the four doors. "...well, suffice it to say, they're behind one of these doors. Y-you figure it out!" it says at length, coming to rest on an overhanging treelimb.

Storyteller Notes Both of you succeeded your Travel checks (just barely in Khrysa's case)! Feel free to make whatever checks you feel appropriate! But I do suggest at least one of you make an active Perception check.

[Kaigen]

Given Brookshire's dire warnings, Rahat expects to walk a gauntlet as they follow the trail. She moves deliberately, eyes sweeping to each side, ready to snatch up Xyza and run if the situation calls for it. But for all that, the trip to their destination is uneventful.

The device at the center of the clearing calls Rahat's attention. It reminds her a little of the devices the learned members of her tribe would use to track celestial movements, though far more complex (and less portable). She hums. "I know you don't know how it works, but how does Argritte work it? Do they move the rings somehow?" She turns her attention to the doors. "Can we just open the doors to see if Argritte is on the other side?"

Rahat presumes the answer to that is "no," so she inspects the area around each door in turn."How long ago did Argritte go through?" If she can find tracks or another sign of passage, she can at least determine the right door.

 

Rahat gets 15 on Perception and 23 on Survival.

[Xyza]

Khrysa

Khrysa sighs in relief as the owlcat confirms that her pronunciation practice had paid off, though needing to remember it for later and the possibility of being eaten beforehand scared her in about equal amounts.

She tries to remain on her toes as they progress down the path, especially as Brookshire had warned about potential danger along the way, but she finds it difficult to maintain the same level of watchful sharpness as Rahat the whole time, still fascinated by the mystical scenery of this area.

Once they reach the glade, Khrysa takes the time to Perception: 3look around, at first more drawn to the door inscriptions on the trees. "They're...behind one of these? So...inside the tree? Or..." Khrysa wonders. It probably wouldn't be that simple; there was definitely something magical going on here...perhaps it was similar to how she and Rahat had even been drawn here in the first place?

She then moves to look at the device in the center. It was apparently linked to the doors somehow based off what Brookshire was saying, but Khrysa wasn't sure how the sphere might indicate where Agritte had gone. She tries to tilt her head from side to side to figure out how to use it, but doing so just Investigation: 3made her head spin, literally.

OOC Rolls

[briar]

Lake Kagamihara Briarheart Hollow "The sunrise at Lake Kagamihara is pretty famous. You see, when the sun hits those glaciers just right...well, guess you should stay up and see for yourself, eh?" -- Overheard from a passerby in Tradewinds

📅 11th Day of Second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After Union / After UnificationA.U. Terrain🌄 Travel & Camping Base TN is ERROR.??????? Weather🌞 Travel & Camping Modifier is ERRORHeavy Fog; 30°F Time of Day⏱ ERR:OR ?? Locale Info A quiet, out of the way lake famed for its solitude and crystal clear waters, it is overlooked by Mount Seneschal, the tallest and most iconic of the Reigncrown mountain range. Legend has it that the emblem on the Rouge flag was designed after the view of the mountain from this lake. In the Summer and Autumn, it is a common destination for hikers and campers, and features a small lodge where one can rent small boats to venture onto the lake. Environs: Lodge Area, Northern Lakeshore, Southern Lakeshore, Twinspring Grove Locale Info Background Music Khrysa 🩸 14/14 • Current Stamina💪 3/3 Rahat 🩸 21/21 • Karma for this Locale🍀 2 • Current Stamina💪 2/3

Rahat & Khrysa By the time Rahat begins asking questions, Brookshire has given itself over to preening its feathers, and gives an intentionally loud sigh when pestered. "Can't you see I'm busy?" the owlcat flusters, but ultimately answers her questions, in its own time, first addressing Khrysa's: "Don't be foolish. These are doors leading to other places within the Queen's domain. One might think of this place as a sort of travel hub, and many like it exist here by decree of Queen Alyskrandaricroix, that her wingless and magic-less servants might better serve her interests." At that point, the owlcat flutters down, hanging just over the sphere. Brookshire pokes at it with its claws, but of course, lacks the dexterity to grab onto the rings. "As for this infernal thing, it turns, yes, but I can make no sense of its function or mechanics, other than it is tied to the doors and when they open. To be perfectly candid, I've no use for such a thing, and therefore have had little reason to learn anything about it, save that it is here and functions as intended. Argritte was not so fortunate, and asked many similar questions when they first arrived as well. I suppose they discerned its inner workings through the many years that have passed since. Hopefully it will not take you quite so long." Brookshire goes silent for a moment, pondering, "I suppose we could wait simply for the right time, but who knows when that is? And I have little doubt that Her Majesty's patience will have long since run out by then. She does so dislike it when her tea is late." Per the last question, Brookshire looks around. "I believe it was... ah, yes. That door." It points to one door that, to the best of Rahat's knowledge, and according to her 'map', likes in the opposite direction of the glade in which they first arrived in this world. It is a dull green color, and bears a sigil which looks like a small cup on a tray. Tracks on the ground also seem to match this story, though she notices that the footprints become drag marks within about five or so feet of the door itself. At this point she notices that all of the other doors also are different colors, and each has a different emblem. Clockwise from the green door, there is a yellow door with what looks to be a layered sandwich, a blue door with what is unmistakably a steak-shaped sigil, and an orange door with what looks like a fried egg. Seeing investigations proceeding, Brookshire removes itself from the strange sphere and, once again, takes root upon one of the overhanging branches. Just then, the recognizable sound of a bell in the distance drolls into the two companions' ears. The second bell, meaning they only have one toll left according to the Queen's threat.

Storyteller Notes ----

[Kaigen]

Rahat frowns and nods as Brookshire explains the Armillary Gate and points out the door. The tracks seem to confirm the owlcat's shaky memory, but when she sees the drag marks, her hackles go up and she looks up sharply. "Ser Brookshire—look at me please, this is important—did you see Argritte go through this door? Did they enter willingly, under their own power?'

Regardless of the owlcat's answer, they have precious few options but to get the door properly open to find Argritte. Time is running out, and Rahat does not like their chances if they have to prepare the Queen tea without guidance. She returns to the Armillary and inspects the rings. If this is a navigational tool of sorts, if it is close enough to the devices she's seen in the past—very big ifs, to be sure—there's a possibility she could puzzle out its workings enough to give a try at operating it.

[Xyza]

Khrysa

"Ohh...so that's how it works..." Khrysa muses in response to Brookshire's explanation of the doors within the domain. While that fact was fascinating, it also raised many more questions...like whether something of that sort was how they had gotten here in the first place. It seemed there would be little time to ask those now, though, as the owlcat looked irritated and the need to find Argritte grew with every second.

"When the doors open..." she murmurs to herself, still trying to wrap her head around this whole convoluted setup. It certainly wasn't encouraging that it had taken Argritte years to figure out. It also catches her attention when Rahat raises the point of Argritte perhaps not going willingly, though she isn't sure how that would tie in to things.

As the bell rings and Khrysa is hit with a rush of stress from both the current situation and the reminder of previous stressful dinner deadlines, she tries to focus on figuring things out here. "Do you know how to use that...round thing, Rahat?" she asks, while looking over the emblems on the doors.

"Hmm...what could these mean?" the images of food were much more familiar to her than the spherical device, but certainly not in this strange context. "Green tea is good. Yellow sandwich...blue steak? Hrrm...or...if you were to put these all into one meal...wow, that would be heavy for one meal! But perhaps...a fried egg for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and a steak for dinner? But when would tea time be?" she wonders if she is remotely on the right track with her scattered thoughts.

[briar]

Lake Kagamihara Briarheart Hollow "The sunrise at Lake Kagamihara is pretty famous. You see, when the sun hits those glaciers just right...well, guess you should stay up and see for yourself, eh?" -- Overheard from a passerby in Tradewinds

📅 11th Day of Second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After Union / After UnificationA.U. Terrain🌄 Travel & Camping Base TN is ERROR.??????? Weather🌞 Travel & Camping Modifier is ERRORHeavy Fog; 30°F Time of Day⏱ ERR:OR ?? Locale Info A quiet, out of the way lake famed for its solitude and crystal clear waters, it is overlooked by Mount Seneschal, the tallest and most iconic of the Reigncrown mountain range. Legend has it that the emblem on the Rouge flag was designed after the view of the mountain from this lake. In the Summer and Autumn, it is a common destination for hikers and campers, and features a small lodge where one can rent small boats to venture onto the lake. Environs: Lodge Area, Northern Lakeshore, Southern Lakeshore, Twinspring Grove Locale Info Background Music Khrysa 🩸 14/14 • Current Stamina💪 3/3 Rahat 🩸 21/21 • Karma for this Locale🍀 2 • Current Stamina💪 2/3

Rahat & Khrysa Brookshire puffs up, looking mildly annoyed at being pressed. "It is as I said, Agritte was bound for that door when last I looked, though I confess that I did not see them pass the threshold. When I returned some time later to receive their update, they were not to be found, either here or in their home. Thus, I can only surmise that something has gone wrong." Investigating the armillary reveals that it consists of the following parts: The Base: The sphere sits upon a swivel base, and is suspended in the center via two legs on either end. This allows the entire thing to be sun in 360 degrees horizontally, as well as tilted 90 degrees either forward or backward. The Inner Sphere: At the epicenter of the armillary sits a small, metal sphere roughly half the size of a human's palm. It is golden and smoothe, with enough of a surface to easily show a reflection of anything close to it, albeit horridly disfigured. The sphere itself is static and can not be moved or spun, except when the base is spun or tilted as above. The Inner Rings: Of the five rings in total that orbit the device, the first three from the middle spin elliptically around the sphere, which is to say they can't be tilted, only spun horizontally. Each one is marked with small notches. Two of them number 1-60, while a third is marked 1-12. One of these seems to move on its own at regular intervals, and another one seems to move forward one for every full rotation of the other. The third one seems to be silent, at least for the time being. The Outer Rings: The two remaining rings out of the five total run cross-ways across the other three, but also move elliptically. One of these rings is marked with what Rahat suspects are the phases of the moon, but with small square holes that go all the way through the metal ring. The other ring has these same square-like holes, but without symbols. Unlike the smaller inner rings, these two rings do not seem to move on their own. Meanwhile, the owlcat can be heard ranting in the background. Something along the lines of "And really, why should I have stayed to watch? Argritte has done it countless times! Why should this one time be any different?!" The creature no longer seems to be directly addressing either Rahat or Khrysa, however, and is merely voicing its irritation.

Storyteller Notes ----

[Kaigen]

Originally Posted by Xyza

"Hmm...what could these mean?" the images of food were much more familiar to her than the spherical device, but certainly not in this strange context. "Green tea is good. Yellow sandwich...blue steak? Hrrm...or...if you were to put these all into one meal...wow, that would be heavy for one meal! But perhaps...a fried egg for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and a steak for dinner? But when would tea time be?" she wonders if she is remotely on the right track with her scattered thoughts.

"Depends on who you ask, I guess," Rahat says. "My tribe stops for salted coffee at dusk, but that doesn't seem common elsewhere." She's not even sure she could venture a guess as to time of day in this strange place, let alone when they would take tea. Ignoring Brookshire's rationalizations, she leans down to say to Khrysa in a low voice. "Be cautious around those doors. It looks like Argritte was dragged through, though by what I'm not sure."

The Armillary Gate controls are as complex as Rahat feared, and she does not think she has the necessary reference points to really understand them, but she has to try. Leaving the inner rings alone for now out of fear of damaging whatever mechanism moves them, she experiments with the outer rings. Positioning herself with a clear view of the blue and orange doors, she says to Khrysa, "Watch the green and yellow and see if anything changes." She then begins to manipulate the ring with moon phase markings, going one notch at a time to see if anything responds to the change.

[Xyza]

Khrysa

"Salted coffee, huh? I've never had that before, I want to try sometime! Back at the inn we had complimentary tea in the late afternoon, but it wasn't one of our specialties or anything..." Khrysa ponders whether this was helping at all to interpret the engraved emblems, before leaning in for Rahat's whisper. "Oh...do you think something dangerous might pop out?" she tenses up, readying herself just in case. Brookshire implying that something unusual had happened seemed to confirm the need to be cautious.

Khrysa still only has a vague notion of how the spherical device might work, so she leaves that to Rahat, focusing on the green cup and yellow sandwich sigils as requested. "Got it!"

[briar]

Lake Kagamihara Briarheart Hollow "The sunrise at Lake Kagamihara is pretty famous. You see, when the sun hits those glaciers just right...well, guess you should stay up and see for yourself, eh?" -- Overheard from a passerby in Tradewinds

📅 11th Day of Second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After Union / After UnificationA.U. Terrain🌄 Travel & Camping Base TN is ERROR.??????? Weather🌞 Travel & Camping Modifier is ERRORHeavy Fog; 30°F Time of Day⏱ ERR:OR ?? Locale Info A quiet, out of the way lake famed for its solitude and crystal clear waters, it is overlooked by Mount Seneschal, the tallest and most iconic of the Reigncrown mountain range. Legend has it that the emblem on the Rouge flag was designed after the view of the mountain from this lake. In the Summer and Autumn, it is a common destination for hikers and campers, and features a small lodge where one can rent small boats to venture onto the lake. Environs: Lodge Area, Northern Lakeshore, Southern Lakeshore, Twinspring Grove Locale Info Background Music Khrysa 🩸 14/14 • Current Stamina💪 3/3 Rahat 🩸 21/21 • Karma for this Locale🍀 2 • Current Stamina💪 2/3

Rahat & Khrysa The moment that Rahat puts her hands on the ring with the moon phases, she realizes just how heavy it feels. She can also feel the thing move, if only just barely perceptibly. It seems all of this contraption's rings are constantly in motion, some are simply more difficult to notice. To her surprise, it is incredibly difficult to pull one way or another, and though not impossible, it takes the better part of her strength to turn it either direction. As she does, however, she doesn't immediately notice anything change in her environment. The doors remain shut, and the world remains still. When she turns the ring so that the next phase of the moon is where her hands were when she started, her eyes catch a glimpse of movement. Not around her in the glad, but rather, up in the sky. There, directly above, is a moon, just like the ones from the world she knows, but larger and far closer. Not only that, but it seems to be the Waxing Gibbous phase, which happens to match the symbol on the ring where it and the other outer ring intersect. Unfortunately, this seems to be the only change. The doors remain steadfastly locked, and the only sounds coming from the glade are the actions of the two adventurers, and the muddled mutterings of the resident owlcat courier, who seems to be stewing atop a nearby thicket.

Storyteller Notes ----

[Kaigen]

Rahat stares up at the moon, a bit awestruck and very disconcerted. That has to be an illusion, she tells herself desperately. There is no way I am handling an artifact that can control the very moon. Despite that, she puts all of her strength into putting the ring back where it was, grunting with effort. Hopefully the door they need to open does not rely on moon phases.

As she gets her breath back, Rahat reevaluates the rings. If they're looking for the right "meal time," then maybe they're looking at a smaller scale. She reaches for the third inner ring, the one marked 1-12, and tries it, seeing if she can match things up to the afternoon tea time Khrysa talked about.