[RP] Crag's Secrets: Chapter 1 - Arrival

Belladonna stepped cautiously into the tent, her sharp eyes immediately catching on a suspicious orb resting atop the upper surface of a small wooden dresser. As she approached, the orb seemed to react dramatically to the sunlight streaming in through the tent’s open flap.

The sphere absorbed each stray beam of light with an almost predatory hunger, drawing it inward, churning it into something else, and then radiating an otherworldly glow outward. This glow wasn’t just any light—it reached out toward Belladonna herself, casting long tendrils that seemed to brush against her skin like ghostly fingers, as though probing her presence, her very essence.

That was when the halfling’s instincts screamed at her—this wasn’t natural. Something was wrong. Acting purely on intuition, Belladonna snatched one of the blankets draped over a nearby bed and threw it over the orb. Instantly, the light dimmed, and the orb let out a piercing, eerie sound—a mix of an alarm siren and a high-pitched whistle—before falling silent as abruptly as a trumpet cut off mid-blare by an assassin’s arrow.

"Some kind of alarm?" Dalia, her companion, mused from the tent’s entrance, nodding approvingly at Belladonna’s quick thinking. "Nothing in the robes' pockets. But their owner? Definitely tall... and fond of hoods."

Belladonna turned her attention to the dresser’s drawers. Most were empty, but one yielded a collection of items:
- small, empty, bell-shaped glass bottle, with wooden stopper,
- small wooden figurine of a bird,
- slightly tarnished silver coin with intricate carvings along its rim. One - visible - side depicts a radiant sun,

What do you do?

Listening to Delia's thoughts on the robe's owner, she thinks back about what they have seen so far. Was that hunting blind designed for someone small like herself or someone very tall, necessitating the standing on the chair?

She shakes her head and focuses on the task at hand. Belladonna decides to pocket everything she has found for now.

"Hey, are you stealing somebody's stuff?"

Delia has wandered over to Belladonna and her investigations through the drawers.

"N-no! This just might be better to check out on that table outside. Maybe they're clues about what happened."

She gives a side eye to the covered glass sphere and decides to leave it securely where it is for now. She has no experience with the strange presence she was feeling with it and will consult with the others about it, once they are together and decided on where to rest for the night. She leads Delia out of the tent and plans to put the items they have collected on the table to investigate in better light.

Belladonna takes described items without any further problems, being careful not to touch the fabric lying on the top of the dresser and making it fall by accident. When she reaches for the coin and gets it into her hand, it feels slightly warm to the touch, as if infused with dormant energy.

Getting out of the tent and putting the peculiar items on the table in the center of the camp, she notices that Auren already managed to collect some wood, put it into the fireplace and is trying to start some fire. Seeing that Belladonna looks at him, Auren just comments:
"They have a nice supply of wood there, and more interestingly: quite a pile of metal ore in some barrels. Everything is evenly arranged." - he said that pointing to a small supply, sheltered with a square material suspended on four wooden poles [object at 8 o'clock].

When Belladonna puts the collected items on the table and have some time to look closer to them, she notice fallowing things:
- The Coin: is a slightly tarnished silver coin with intricate carvings along its rim. One side depicts a radiant sun, while the other shows a crescent moon surrounded by stars. When held, it feels slightly warm to the touch, as if infused with dormant energy.
- The Bottle: This small, bell-shaped glass bottle has an iridescent sheen that catches the light, reflecting faint rainbow hues. The stopper is carved from a smooth, dark wood and etched with a faint spiral design, suggesting it once held something potent. Inside, faint traces of a shimmering liquid cling to the sides like dew.
- Small wooden figurine of a bird: is a shape of a bird reassembling the one you have encountered on the bridge, but its legs and claws are curved around something resembling a pole that is embedded in square cube or pedestal. This pedestal have some signs of wear like it would scratched by a different surface from every side... or inserted somewhere.While Belladonna was engulfed with checking the items with Dalia at her side (not in slightest less curious and interested... if not even more) she didn't notice or heard that something is approaching them.

But Auren did. Instead of sounding a loud and immediate alarm to attract his female companions attention fully, he just said - slightly louder:
"Something bigger then halfling... or... even human... is coming our way." - not taking his eyes from the campfire, that was already starting it's first sparks to ignite, with voice as not emotional as he would be talking about turning the meat on the other side for the 13th time.

What do you do?

Belladonna's eyes flick up with concern to Auren, but her movements also do not suggest any urgency over his statement. She would like to spend more time on if the items are to be used together in some way and if the source of wood for the bottle stopper, bird, and what was collected at the camp were the same, but she decides to instead gather up the items once again, as though she had lost interest in the items and was putting them away for later, and whispers to Auren.

"Which o'clock are they coming from?"

She shakes her head very slightly at Delia, indicating that she should not become too agitated just yet.

Before Auren turn their attention to fact that something is approaching them, Balladana managed to notice that the bottle stopper is definitely made from some other kind of wood, definitely more "noble" then the jungle wood gathered in the camp. But the small wooden figurine of a bird - indeed, could be made from the same kind of wood that was gathered in the camp. It even looked as relatively newly made, in contrast to bottle stopper that could have many years.

Auren answering to Belladona's question just said:
"More or less... from that one." - and pointed his finger directly at Belladona, still not taking his sight from the fire that already started to grow at fireplace and spread on bigger logs.

For her only to realize that indeed something is approaching them... unfortunately she is turned with her back to it... and she already sees its shadow in front of her growing with each step...

And right about moment when Belladona is ready to act fast and decisively... she hears so familiar to her croak and feels a gentle poke at her bottom by Pepper's snout!

Belladonna makes an exasperated face at Auren as he blatantly points at a potential threat, giving away their element of surprise. She soon sees a shadow over the fire that is growing bigger and bigger by the second. She tenses her body, curling her hands into fists, and prepares to whirl around and face whatever danger is approaching head on when she hears a familiar croak and something pokes her bottom.

Her mood instantly changes and she whirls around instead with a smile and arms open wide.

"Oh, my darling Pepper! Whenever did you arrive?"

With a loud laugh, she jumps and holds onto Pepper's neck, her legs dangling in the air a little as she affectionately pats her mount's head. Auren secretly smiles as he continues to tend the fire. Delia also laughs heartily and wraps both of them in a big bear hug.

After affectionate cooing and checking Pepper's condition, Belladonna hops back on the ground and pats Pepper's side as she looks around the camp.

"Pepper, I am so glad you are safe! It looks like Mr. Sadur and Mr. Kimbek did a good job looking after you. Or maybe you looked after them! We should see what they think of the camp so far. I think that cart in the back would be good to check next."

Maybe Mr. Sadur knows what kind of bird this is and Mr. Kimbek and Princess Shallan know more what this old bottle must have held...

---

Pepper nods and croaks as she would understand completely what Belladonna had said to her. She especially seam agitated at the words meaning that it was her who looked after Sadur and Kimbek, then she makes another few more squeaks with much serious, almost terrified tone... as something scary was also happening with all of them. But ends her "speech" with cheerful note and a big, wet, sloppy lick across Belladonna's face. What probably means that everything ended well, but Pepper was a little afraid so she is even more happy to see her beloved caretaker!

As Belladonna approaches the cart situated in the western end of the camp[the map is turned 90 degrees, the west is at the top of it] she sees that the impression of vegetation getting less dense on that side wasn't just an illusion, but indeed: the camp seam to be situated at the western edge of the jungle hill they were climbing all the way from their "drop point" and on this site the hill's descent is much more steep, but should be manageable if her group would ever like to continue in this direction. Also there is quite a view visible at that direction:


Checking the cart Belladona notice that it is in quite good condition and it is almost fully loaded with high quality logs of wood that could be easily used to construct something. Like a little building or wood based machine.

Papper was of course strictly following Belladona's now, still very happy of their reunion, but also seamed not so impressed by simple logs in the cart, now looking with a curious eye at her caretaker as she would like to ask: "So... now... what do we check?"

From the jungle surrounding the tent complex comes the sounds of rustling. A soft susurrous emanated from the dense foliage. After a few minutes, whispered mutterings could be heard. "Follow the signs of the cow as it crosses the lair of the diplodocus." Whatsoever did Master Xiang mean? The trees closest to the camp started swaying in directions other than the breeze; clearly something was passing through. After a short while, a figure entered. Brother Bartholomew, Disciple of Stone, leaned on his staff and concentrated on calming his breathing. Looking around, he searched for signs of life. Cassandra? Rudolfos? Siu Ming? Anyone?? Concerned by the lack of response, he carefully proceeded deeper into the complex, senses alert for anything malicious.

Belladonna tuts at Pepper a little and replies, "Remember to show respect to Mr. Sadur and Mr. Kimbek. They may be who we depend on to catch and prepare our meals in the future."

Pepper stops in her tracks a moment, giving a quizzical look at her friend. The halfling just gives a smile and comforting pat on Pepper's neck. The dryosaurus nods almost like she understands and they proceed together to the cart.

"Whew, seems like a good spot to stay the night with this visibility. But I still wonder what happened to the previous residents..."

Belladonna's mind starts whirling as she thinks of what the wood could used for, but is gently nudged by Pepper's nose soon enough that this cart has been investigated thoroughly.

"Ha ha, all right girl, let's check out the boxes under the cloth."

As they move along, Pepper seems to become a bit agitated from something in the jungle.

"What's wrong Pepper?"

Belladonna puts a steadying hand on the dinosaur, but tries to get a better look at what Pepper is looking at.

On the mention of boxes under the cloth, Auren - apparently nearing the end of his (judging by the fuss he was making about it with his gestures) heroic task of Igniting the Fire - interjects:
"I have already checked that. They have a nice supply of wood there, and more interestingly: quite a pile of metal ore in some barrels and boxes. Everything is evenly arranged."
But this time it was Delia who first noticed the newcomer, probably at exactly the same time as Pepper if not sooner, as Belladonna notices her crouching next to the pile of wood Auren had brought near the fire and groping around for the largest branch she could find.

Or so does she thought.

"Naah... it's ONLY Brother Bartholomew, 'the Best Boss I Could Ever Get'." - Auren calms her down with fast words and "getting up" gesture, with mix of mockery and relief (so uncommon to him) in his voice.

Delia - confused - stands up quickly, straightens her clothes nervously and hopes no one noticed what was she just doing.
"HOW DID YOU KNOW!? You are sitting with your back turned towards him!" - she hisses towards Auren, but smiles, shuffles with her legs in place and looks at Belladonna for the permission to approach and greet the lost man that probably was sole purpose they all were working together in the past.



AS Belladona's gaze follows Pepper and Delia's, she sees that - indeed - it's Brother Bartholemow emerging from the dense undergrowth. Maybe a little tired, with visible traces of crossing through the jungle, slightly smeared with green vegetation and shaking off bits of torn leaves from his cloths, but... it's him! The one many thought they would never see again: Brother Bartholomew, Disciple of Stone, Royal Advisor, Princess Shallan's tutor, in his own person!

Just as Brother Bartholomew emerges from the jungle into the light of the campfire, Kimbek arrives from the opposite direction, also emerging from the jungle.

"Brother Bartholomew! You're alive?! That's amazing... I mean, the last I saw you were going for a ride with an avian." Kimbek allows his voice to trail off, aware that he's speaking a little frantically. He does however turn to the fire and eventually greets the others. "And how have you all fared in our absence? Anything need cooking?"

Bartholomew flinched slightly as he was addressed. His robes shuddered, letting loose various jungle detritus. Squinting his eyes and rubbing his nose and face as if they irritated him, he responded: Rudolfus? What are you doing out of the scullery? Aren't you on dinner rota tonight? And where is Master Xiang? I have questions for him!

"The interior of this tent is quite austere, it must have been used by someone accustomed to the rigors of travel and focused on something other than comfort. Perhaps a warrior?You all feel a little uneasiness from the current situation and feel that you should speed up your act... as you never know if the owners of the camp could return to it every moment... and you still don't know what they were doing here, why and probably the most important:
If they are a foe or a friend?

So what do you do?

Belladonna starts to run to hug Brother Bartholomew, but stops suddenly as he appears confused and irritated. Pepper shies away from the man and stays behind the halfling.

"Ah, Rudolfus? Master Xiang?"

As Delia and Auren are discussing what their returned friend is talking about, Belladonna relates to Kimbek their adventures to the camp and what they have explored so far. She is especially interested to hear his thoughts on the strange glass sphere they found in one of the tents. She also inquires about their time crossing over and Pepper's behavior, all the while sending worrying glances over at Brother Bartholomew's almost raving questions.

"I was going to check that big tent leaning against the stone wall next, but maybe we should bring Brother Bartholomew to the Princess first? They were so close, maybe seeing her will help calm him down."

Bartholomew continued to look quizzically at the group, squinting as if he could not see clearly. Yes, you, Rudolfus. Head initiate for this week. You are supposed top be in the scullery making the congee. Why aren't you? And where is Master Xiang; I have news for him and for Grand Master Sammo. And where are the other initiates? Bartholomew shivered slightly, jungle detritus falling from his robe, and massaged his eyes and temples yet again. I leave the monastery for less than a week and everything goes to pot. You are all older than I am; why do I have to take care of everything? Bartholomew turns to look inside of the tents, calling Master Xiang, where are you?

Kimbek begins to worry about Bartholomew. Do you suppose he was hurt by that bird and he is still recovering his senses?" He asks no one in particular. He looks around the campfire and the tents and tries to get an idea of what is where.