Lurel grins. "I'd suggest we fill up our water bottles before we take turns at washing though. A bath, something to eat, and a brief rest, is, I think, something we could all do with. "

He gestures to Lisette and Siffli. "Ladies first. We'll keep watch up there."


Lurel climbs up the slope and looks out over the plain.

'So many tombs.. I wonder which one is Mara's? I'm pretty certain that that thing we found on the beach in Levdia has something to do with this. And I'm also certain that those Avelyssians aren't telling us more than they need us to know to do this job for them.'

He decides to ask the princess for information about the 'Keeper' as soon as possible.

Lurel remembers that Strigid gave them the number of Mara's tomb. 6738. Presumably when they get nearer to the tombs the numbers will be visible.

There is no threat to the party around the pool. You may stay there as long as you wish.

Lurel waits patiently until it is his turn to bathe, Washing off the sweat and grime, and pulling on some relatively fresh clothes do much to restore his spirits. He also feels a little more confident, now that they have successfully navigated the maze.

He looks up.

"Hmm... how do day and night work in this place, Princess? What I mean is - when is it going to get dark, if it gets dark at all?"

He opens his pack to see what there is left to eat.

"Food, and rest - I think we've earned that. Then we can go looking for Mara's tomb - I hope the tombs out there are numbered in some logical way...."


'And once we've found the tomb, and did whatever it is we have to do, what then?'

Your remaining rations (IIRC) are dried foods that are palatable, if not exciting when water is added.

Siffli tells you the little she knows of the tombs. There is a central monument from which 16 evenly spaced paths radiate outwards. The oldest tombs are in the centre the most recent at the ends of the paths furthest from the monument. Because Xetcherin is generally off limits, tombs are built 2000 at time and used slowly. Taking into account the date of Mara's death and the number of her tomb Siffli guesses that there will be 9000 tombs in the site, the majority of numbers 7000 up would be unused. The tomb numbers are inscribed high on the east facing wall and only visible from close to.

So far as day and night are concerned there is a difference but to anyone from outside Avelyssia it is hard to see. The general gloominess of the cloudy world becomes a little 'thicker' at night. The opaque white sky of Xetcherin makes it even harder to tell.

All in all it is not a place you would choose to spend more time than you had to.

Ford keeps watch with Lurel after filling his water bottles, and when it's his turn, eagerly sets into his bathing. Once he's done he gets into some fresh clothes, stuffing the old grubby ones back into his pack.

"Ahh... that's better."

He grins and looks around at all the tombs.

"Tomorrow's going to be a long day... who wants to take first watch?"

As you all get yourselves comfortable for a well-earned rest, Lisette clutches her head are cries out. She collapses. Slowly she comes round. It is as if while walking in the maze she had got lost. Suddenly she is back.

Lisette looks around. "Where are we? Did we get out of the maze?" Having asked such an obvious question, she rubs her head, and looks for something soft for a pillow. Hopefully, after this night's rest, she will be back to normal.

"Lisette!" Lurel exclaims. "What happened to you? You weren't reacting to anything, even when we were under attack... what's the last thing you remember?"

Lisette ponders...

"The last thing I can think of would be taking a drink from a well we found. I suppose there must have been something in the water, it tasted...off. How long have I been out?"

Lurel looks at Ford. "Where do we even start?"

He gives Lisette a brief account of their adventures in the maze, before continuing: "I don't like this place - it makes me uneasy. I don't think I could sleep here... I'd really rather just get on with finding this tomb. Let's start with the tombs closest to us, and see what numbers they have."

(OOC: Yay! Finally someone to play Lisette. :P)

Ford grins at Lisette.

"Ah, you finally came around! I thought you were acting strange. Welcome back."

He looks to Lurel.

"Hmm... I can't say I can imagine I could get a sound night's sleep here either. I'll come with you."

The path over the rise is straight and long. If it leads to a monument, you cannot see one. The first tomb you reach, just a rectangular building without decoration, has a large stone sealing the entrance. The number is 4985. The tomb is built to the right of the path. A little further on is number 4969 and further on again number 4953. Both are sealed and are to your right.

The next tomb is to your left and is open. A glance inside shows it to be as plain as the outside. There is nothing at all, simply a flat earth floor. The sealing stone is on the ground. It is numbered 9943.

Siffli was obviously a little out in her calculation.

From here on in the buildings alternate to the right and left. The number sequence runs 4937 sealed, right, 9927 open, left, 4921 sealed, right, 9911 open, left, 4905 sealed, right, 9895 open, left etc.

You notice that paths lead off to the right and left of every tomb perhaps forming a series of concentric circles linking tombs on each of the radial routes.

Whilst the distances between the tombs on the path are not big it is not comfortable walking. And the walk bewteen the radial routes looks to be long, although it presumably gets shorter the nearer you are to the centre.

It would certainly be a good idea to work out the quickest route to the tomb you need.

"Sheesh... this place looks even bigger close up than it did at the camp."

Ford looks around.

"Maybe if we find the centre, then we can find the line of numbers with Mara's tomb in it? Might take a while though..."

OOC: I assume Lisette went along with Ford and Lurel
IC: "We are looking for 6738. This path seems to be all odd numbers, so it can't be the right one. I think we should find out more about the pattern of numbering, if we can. For starters, numbers are 16 apart. If we find which path has Mara's Tomb, we save time."

Lisette begins scratching in the dirt...

_6738
-6400
_0338
-0320
_0018
-0016
_0002
"Mara's Tomb is on path 2, and..."

_4969
-3200
_1769
-1600
_0169
-0160
_0009

"We are on path 9."

"I'd be interested to see what the monument is, and that will be a good place to find our bearings from. Should we go inward?"

Lisette hears a voice in her head. Perhaps Anima.

"You are correct in assuming that the numbers decrease as you move to the centre but is it quite as straighforward? If the first number is 1 and then taking each of the sixteen radial routes numbers 2,3,4 and so on, you would be correct. But then the numbers in the nine thousands would have to be further out. They are also counting down - but to what original number? You ARE travelling on path nine but you will need one more piece of information before you can tell which you need to take."

Lisette gains a little in observation skill.

OOC> rehearsals!

"I don't think it can be as simple as that," Lurel says. "Siffli said there are 16 paths, but there are tombs on both side of this path - so there's no reason why it shouldn't be the same for the others. We need to find out not only the sequence of the tombs on each side of the path, but also how the sequences on each side relate to the other."


He, too scratches some numbers into the dust:

4985


4969


4953

___________________ 9943


4937

___________________ 9927


4921

___________________ 9911


4905

___________________ 9895



"Hmm...." he remarks. "If the tombs are evenly spaced, then the ones to our left must start around the 5000 mark. Which would mean that the one we're looking for is a fair way past the centre of the monument. I think perhaps we should see what the numbers on the next path to the left are like..... to see if our theory fits. Maybe there's something simple we're overlooking - if not it's going to be a long walk."

I seems to take forever to get to the next path to the left. Turning towards the centre you find the sequence alternating on the right, 4890, 4874, 4858 on the left 9894, 9878, 9862.

1001100011010
ignore all except last 4 bits: 1010
"This should be path 10..."
10011010100110
-->0110
"...or path 6", says Lisette. "I must be missing something."

"I would guess that Mara's Tomb would be four paths away, nearer to the center by quite a bit." she muses.

"Before we get there, what should we expect? the tomb was 'defiled', but what is meant by that? Do we just have to kill off some skeletons, or perform a ritual, or reseal the tomb?"

I wonder if Lurel can sense more, now that we are out of the Maze...

"Hmm... " Lurel says. "I have a horrible suspicion that Mara's tomb may be right on the far side of the monument. By my reckoning, this should be path number 8, and Mara's tomb should be on path number 2. But that's assuming that my theory as to the layout here is correct... which it may well not be. So we might as well head towards the monument, I think. But it's going to be a very long walk."

He grimaces. "I hope I'm wrong about the layout of this... else there are about 400 tombs between us and the one we're looking for."

He thinks about Lisette's remark. "Perhaps it has something to do with the abilities we, as a group, had to have. Mine hasn't been tested yet... so perhaps it will involve opening he ground to get into the tomb... or whatever is beneath it."

You are correct to assume you are now on path 10 and that the path you require is four further to the left (90 degrees). OOC> I make it path 14 but I could be wrong. OT> The quickest route would be to find the hypotenuse but travelling into the centre and out again is equally feasible.

There is nothing dangerous between where you are and the tomb except wear and tear on footwear and frayed nerves.

OOC> I am leaving work now but will be back tomorrow. It would help to know how you intend to approach the tomb.

Ford blinks. He clearly doesn't understand what the two are doing and looks as though he's getting a headache.

"Uh... so... we going forward or what?"

He looks confusedly at the two.

"We can either go forward, and then left, or we can take the circular path, then head in." Lisette continues, "If we go to the center, we walk a bit farther...but only a small bit. In fact, it would probably be SHORTER to hit the center, rather than going on the circle here."

Lisette looks for a round object to work with...are there any (unused) sealing-stones around? Also, she checks the nearby tombs for markings in addition to numbers...names, epitaphs, drawings, etc.

The tombs are all severely plain. Those numbered in the 9000s are empty. The sealing stones are too big for you to move although you could write on them. If you walk straight ahead both sets of tombs count down at intervals of 16. The only way to save time is to work out which number on the existing path would correspond to the tomb you need on path 14 and travel on the circular path from that. It wouldn't make so much difference.

Please advise if you are approaching Mara's tomb in any order and in any particular way.

"Look, we're wasting time standing around here doing mathematics. Let's just head into the centre then find the path we need from there."

Lisette says "We may as well head for the center. We might learn something of use from the monument (Will Siffli be able to read it?), and we won't miss the tomb that way. We made it to the sea, this will be a breeze in comparison."

You trek to the monument. It is a low sixteen sided plinth. It is numbered 1 to 16 on each side but has nothing else written on it. (There are no people to read it these days although the monument itself may predate the arrival of the Avelyssians). A very weathered statue, now completely unidentifiable, stands on the plinth. You set off along path 14 and eventually arrive, tired and short tempered at the tomb before Mara's. You can see even from this distance, that all sorts of things are scattered over the surface of the ground around the tomb. You will need to move nearer to see what they are.

Lisette suggests that the party go to the rear of the current tomb, in order to approach Mara's tomb unseen. She says, "We don't know if anyone, alive or...not, may still be in there."

"That sounds like a good idea," Lurel agrees. "But I think if there is real danger, Midge will be able to sense it. But still - can't do any harm to be careful."

OOC> The weekend is upon us and I am not working late tonight. This will be the last post (sounds vaguely military) from me until Monday. Ponder it well.

You group behind the tomb looking toward's Mara's.

Each of you senses something slightly different.

Princess Siffli feels that there is a presence but not alive and not Mara.

Lurel understands that the tomb will answer a question to do with the larger quest he and his party are on.

Ford knows that he has a major part to play in reaching the tomb.

Lisette knows that she will discover an item that will cause disruption in Avelyssia.

Midge knows that Anima has currently deserted them.

Ford blinks.

"I feel sort of weird. Like someone just told me... something..."

He looks around.

"I don't like this."

Lisette grins. "Time to shake things up in Birdville!"

The number of tombs implies one of three things.

• Avelessians are extremely long lived, with few children
• Xechi--whatever only came into use recently
• Only notables are buried here

"Siffli, which one is it?"

"Maybe this is not the only necropolis they have?" Lurel guesses. "Or maybe they have other ways of dealing with their dead, too, and only some of them are buried here?"

'This tomb holds a clue..... I have that feeling again, that our being here is not a coincidence. Everything is connected..... everything we've been doing has a purpose.'

He clears his throat, and cautiously edges forward to look at the debris on the ground.

"Let's see what this is... maybe there are some clues there."

When you saw the model in Strigid's rooms he mentioned that there were many necropoleis in Avelyssia. Xetcherin is special because it is used only for heroes and others felt to deserve great respect.

Avelyssians live the same length of time as an average human like Lisette, Ford or Midge. Lurel, as a wizard, will live a couple of thousand years and maybe more as he was brought up as a specialist in the school of Time.

As Lurel approaches, there is a fierce crackling of magic. He is unable to go further. He can see pieces of armour and tables and chairs scattered about. Somrthing about the armour brings back memories of a description given. One of the strange items found in the Castle of Storms on Levdia. OOC> Lisette you may have missed that, my bad OT> If you can replace it it will stop the depredations of the alien magic on Avelyssia. (You believe this is the madness of the King).

"What happened?" Siffli wonder, "Why did you stop, Lurel?"

"There's a magic here... I can't go any further," Lurel explains. "But other than that, it doesn't seem to affect me. I don't know - perhaps it only affects me because I, too, am a user of magic? Princess - can you sense anything about this magic? Is it alien to Avelyssia, or does it seem familiar?"

He peers at the items on the ground.

"That armour.... it reminds me of something. It's important."

'Perhaps this is why the Avelyssians were looking for someone who can open up the ground... to go under that magic barrier. But if they knew about it, why didn't they tell us? What are their intentions?'

Siffli cannot get past the barrier.

"Well..." Lurel takes a deep breath. "Let's hope that earth magic, at least, works here."


He attempts to open the ground and so tunnel under the barrier.

'I hope I am right, and this is what I am meant to do here. We must get to that tomb, I'm sure of it. And why else would Strigid have mentioned it? But whose barrier is this... and is it meant to keep us out - or something or someone in?'

The earth magic rebounds onto Lurel knocking him flat on his back.

He thinks he sees a faint animal form guarding the tomb.

"Whoa!"

Ford kneels down to Lurel.

"Are you alright?"

He looks over to the barrier.

"Well what now? It seems nigh impenetrable... is there some back way in or something?"

Ford can see the animal far more clearly. It is a largish dog. You have seen it before.

Lurel sits up with a groan, and rubs his back.

"Ow... that hurt. Looks like there's no way through that way. Anyone have any ideas?"

Ford looks at the dog.

"Hey... it's a dog! Some sort of dog seems to be guarding the place."

He squints.

"It looks familiar... hey, maybe it's that one that we encountered back in the maze?"

Lurel peers at the tomb.

"Isn't that the dog that was imprisoned for allegedly killing the chickens, when it was really a fox who did it?" he asks. "Laca, wasn't that the name?"

Lisette wills her weapon into a spear, and tries poking through the barrier.

----------------
SUCCESS: "Anyone have a piece of meat?"
----------------
FAILURE: "A security measure, but intended to protect the tomb...or the armor? We might want to look for another way in...and Lurel, what happens if you try digging further from the barrier?"

Lisette's spear is undamaged but cannot penetrate the shield. Perhaps one of you who has not tried to go forward yet might succeed, given the history of the dog.

Strigid did tell you you would all be needed for what you were.

"Hmm..."

Ford slowly edges forward towards the barrier. He looks at the dog.

"Hello there. We really need to get in. We're investigating what happened here for the Avelyssians. You have nothing to fear from us..."

With that he puts an arm forward to see if he can get through the barrier.

"Maybe"... Siffli adds... "I can manifestrate through the barrier?"...

As Ford approaches the dog the magic barrier parts but closes behind him. The dog is slavering and growling. Ford hears the 'dog' speak 'How can you breach my wards? What is there about you that prevents them working?"

No one else can get close. Siffli realises that if the ward was not there she could manifest herself forward. It might be important later but it seems only Ford can succeed here.

Lurel watches anxiously.

"Midge," he murmurs, "can you sense any danger for Ford while he's in there?"

'What could we do to help him anyway? That barrier is keeping all of us out - if there is danger we can only stand and watch....'

Ford looks at the dog.

"I'm not sure... but maybe now I'm here you could tell me who you are?"

He keeps his sword sheathed, for the moment.