1.6 - Under the Dome

Darazen looks up from his tree cypher and finds several tree animals looking down at him and making a rukus. They don't look threatening to him though and he goes back to studying his cypher.

Utazó drops to her knee and with sword out, but lowered, she stares at the ground in front of her. In her mind, she tries to put together a complete image of one of the tree animals and suddenly, one appears in front of her. She concentrates and it seems to grow and prim and starts howling back up at the trees.

Yui watches carefully, hoping that these animals are like kindred spirits or cousins. She watches to see if they are being aggressive, or protective. After a few moments, she decides they are not making any aggressive moves, just hollering and watching and taking positions where they have not only good sight, but also the ability to hide.

Khoren looks up and hopes none of them will jump him, worse that they won't bite him. He steps forward to the break in the trees, seeing what might have been a path. In his thoughts, he tries to imagine where the other doors might be. ~I think we came in through a door on the western side of the dome, heading east. If I remember, there was a door to the east (opposite side) and a door to the north (bearing left). Still, this forest looks larger than the dome could contain, taller.

A bright bluish/white light suddenly appears 10 feet in front of Khoren. The light splits and two white dots form, one drawing up and the other drawing down. A thin line connects them and grows longer as each moves away from the other. The tree creatures are howling louder and seem to settle into a rhythmic harmony. The lower dot stops just inches from the ground, the upper one stops and hovers around 7 feet above the lower one. The thin line separates into two thinner lines and a young lady steps through.

She is tall with flowing red hair, her tanned skin firm and her eyes as dark as night. She wears a green outfit that appears to be made up of leaves. Each leaf seems to overlap the ones below (not unlike scales) and as she moves, they seem to move with her. She is armed with a sword on her belt.

As her foot hits the ground, the blue lines whip around behind her and the lights close in on themselves, disappearing into nothingness. She stops some 8 feet in front of Khoren and lowers her head for a moment. The tree animals fall suddenly silent.

"Welcome", she says, her voice soft yet as firm as her skin, "I see my 'alarm' did not frighten you nor did it turn you away. My name is Ryss. What are you doing in my forest?"

A tree animal huffs and snorts. She does not turn her head, but her black eyes seem to move and the animal falls silent again.

She leans ever so slightly and looks at the animal in front of Utazó, Very nice. I would have done the same.

Ryss accepts the bow and nods at Khoren, "Well met".

Quickly, she turns her head and nods to Utazó, "And to you."

Adjusting herself ever so slightly, she turns to Yui. With a slight bow, "You look like someone who could take care of herself."

Without so much as a twitch, she is now facing Darazen. "Young man, you seem to be interested in what was", looking at the tree. "Perhaps we should spend some time talking about the now."

In a blink, Khoren finds her looking directly into his eyes, the blackness almost unsettling. "Forgive, I was rude. You asked me a question and I did not answer. Then again, it was not a question so much as a statement. You stated that you hoped your intrusion was not unwelcome and that your intention was to pass through this remarkable 'glade' to explore the ...complex. I think that is what you called it, no?

Well I am not sure what you call this place, but I call this portion of the 'Glade' my home. It stretches from the barrier to the river about 20 argos south. Here I study the ways of the spirit as I have for the past 1042 cycles". She pauses a moment and looks through Khoren to Darazen and then returns her gaze back. "I think, if my math is right, there are roughly 13 cycles in what you call a year. I was 234 cycles when I settled in this place, so that would make me... 98 years old". She pauses for a moment, nods and says, "Yes, give or take a cycle".

"Now in that time, I cannot say I've ever seen anyone cross through the border. Birds and insects stay away, the trees even give it some room. And if I had not seen it with my own eyes, I am not sure I would have believed it. Still, you are here, in this complex."


Speed or Intellect Perception checks: Everyone

Note: Darazen will remember without effort that an argos is a very old unit of measure. 1 argo is about 208 -210 ft, depending on the resource he pulls from.

(Ooc: he said speed check, not snail check...)

OOC: What fun is passing all of one's checks anyway? :-)

Ryss eyes look past Khoren and narrow as she looks at Darazen, "Assassin's Heart, you say. I cannot say I have heard of that. I wonder if it is related to the 'Inquisitor's Soul'. It was a nasty piece of Numenera, very old; I think you would call it an 'artifact'. I don't think it was meant to be that way. The old sages told stories of in a different practice. They say it was used to my those who investigated or enforced the laws, I think. A person who wore it could read the intentions or feelings of another. It was also said to protect the wearer from attacks of the mind. It was lost long ago though. Of course, it may not have been the only one, but still... why are you looking for it here? Very few have passed through the barrier and those who have tend to just go to the city, 'Armtro' where they find a home and live out their lives."

Utazó, still stunned by this women who saw right through her illusion continues to stare.

Khoren turns his eyes slowly back towards the door. The blue barrier covers the door which is still open. Looking carefully though, it does appear the barrier is obscuring the door more and more. Soon, it may not be visible.

Speed or Intellect Perception checks: Everyone

"I don't like this."

Three rolls in one turn? I am generous... I'll give you TWO. Pick two (based on what you are trying to do).

(Ooc: I'll take memory check first, and the Numenera check)