IC Story Thread: The Call of Apollo

The water nymphs extend their hands in subdued applause to you three, and their heads nod and bounce with big grins at Charisteas' question. They burble some words in their fluid tongue, and motion for you all to follow as they move away from the ridge, deeper into the cave.

One of the naiads drapes herself over the edge of the waterfall and beckons Capaneus over. She hangs one arm down low, and uses her other arm to channel waters from the fall onto her hanging arm so that it cascades off of it like a fountain.

As Capaneus stands beneath it, it washes over his wounds, sweeping away the ichor and some of the pain...

They beckon Pagoni to stand beneath the waters... Afterward, they indicate they can do no more, and beckon you all up to the upper level.

The naiads stand before the two small waterfalls and as you look upon their full form for the first time, you see their skin is almost translucent... like you can see their lifeblood following beneath their skin... and their feet... it's hard to tell if they have feet at all. When they step, there is a foot that comes out of the water, but when it comes down... it's like their bodies just merge with the water-surface at the ankles.

A very mysterious creature... But as the wonder wears off, you see they stand before the two small waterfalls that fill the chamber, and they beckon you toward them like as if they were doors...

One of the water nymphs takes each of you by the hand and guides you into the shroud of the waterfalls... As the water envelopes your body, you feel it being pulled into motion as if by a strong current. You're still aware of the gentle pressure of the nymphs hand, but you cannot make them out. All you can really see is is the swirling of water and bubbles in violent torrents around you, and a bright light seemingly distant somewhere above you, and... also you notice a burning orange somewhere seemingly deep below...

You've heard that there are gateways into the underworld in certain rivers, and you can't help it as an unnatural chill passes through your body, as you wonder at whether that might be the origin of the burning glow below...

You don't have much time to ponder this though, as soon you are borne up onto a rocky river bank. Deposited rather roughly, upon your hands and knees, as if you were spat out by a great wave. You look around and you find that you are... some place else... you can only assume it is the Calydonnia region where the Oracle told you the boar has been.

There are some rocky, rolling hills to the west, and perhaps a kilometer from the river banks to the east, you see the walls of a city.

The way to the east is mostly open space, and with the exception of a few copses of trees and stands of brush, you could see if anything were to be approaching you from a good way off. And so it is that you arrive at the walls of the city, no more worse for wear than when you emerged from the river. There are a couple of worn and rutted paths that lead to and from the gates, side by side, and a rather large garrison of troops sit in an encampment off to one side of the shoddy road. There are a handful of them keeping watch over the gate and they hail the three of you as you approach.