Elandria, The Web of Destiny

Chapter 6 (Saemon)- Beneath the Surface

With the morning sun casting its golden rays through the loose canopy, our weary band stirs from their slumber. Despite a restless night punctuated by uncomfortable rocks and uneven ground, I rise with purpose. As we hastily break camp preparing a meager morning meal, anticipation hangs in the air. We aim to reach our destination before the sun's full ascent, driven by urgency and determination.

Amidst the bustle of our preparations, Tink wraps up a project he began working on early this morning, a small toy box that opens and closes on his command. "You can do some crazy stuff with that" I mention while continuing my own clean up, sliding my books into my bag.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"Magic is limited" I begin a display using an illusion of the weave flowing between worlds. "It's not from this material plane, it sits silently behind a wall between here and there. Mages, from time to time, can reach through that wall and open a temporary pinhole to pull it through. But the mechanical is so meticulous, with the right infusion it could create a DOOR, and channel all that energy exactly as necessary. That could be some dangerous stuff if put together right." He looks intently between me and the trinket, his curiosity piqued by the potential for innovation and danger alike. "Mull it over, I look forward to your progress"

With our belongings packed and our minds filled with anticipation, we set off along a small path, overgrown and discarded, marking the second right we were looking for. After short walk we arrive at the dilapidated cottage looming in the distance, a stark contrast to the vibrant forest that surrounds it. As we approach, a sense of unease settles over us, amplified by neglect evident in the outside porch overhang which appears like it could fall over at any minute. Lisle sure takes poor care of his home. Our walk was silent with each other until Tink suggests "Shall we try the door?" I nod, Survivor shrugs and goes to open it, the rest of us crowding closely around. Her touch is light but resists little against her touch, the timeworn door creaks open revealing the musty interior beyond, a feeling of trepidation washes over us.

"None home?" Peyt retorts obviously.

Tiamus pushes past the door "let's get this over with."

Inside the decrepit shack, the musty scent of decay assaults our senses as we venture deeper into the rundown interrior. It reeks of woodrot, feet, and moss in here. Everyone spreads out to the few rooms in this small hamlet; each area we explore reveals further evidence of neglect and abandonment, yet our focus remains steadfast on our objective. As I descend a small cellar stairwell, a sense of foreboding washes over me, amplified by the oppressive atmosphere of the dimly lit space. The cellar is a large storage area, the west wall is lined with tables covered in tools and survival equipment. To the east, a collapsed or filled in hallway suggests another room behind it. I take a closer look and it definitely appears placed and unnatural. I wonder what's back there. I leave it be for a moment turning towards the rest of the room, in the dark two deep amber eyes stare back at me, my heart sinks in fear before the relief of reality floods in when I begin to recognize the vibrant pink frill of Peyt. "Whew, Peyt you scared me. Help me look for anything.... Floating maybe? I'm not so sure what we're looking for." she nods viciously before searching the cellar with me. Her reptilian movement patterns give me the heebeegeebees but she's been kind so far.

I refocus my efforts to the search, rummaging through crates and drawers of this, nearly completely untouched cellar. Though one particular detail stands out to me: the dust cakes everything down here but it's very thin, almost non-existent in a single trail leading back towards a corner of the basement where Peyt is searching between a number of very large kegs. She disappears behind the corner from me for just a moment and before I can finish looking around she pops right back up, smiling big "Peyt found something!!!" I call to the group upstairs: