Open - The Forgotten Cistern

((Though this thread is open, It's highly unlikely that one would just wander down here. All are welcome, of course, but bear in mind that it would take quite a bit of doing to find the place unassisted, due to the maze-like nature of the tunnels beneath the city))

It was well into the night when she found the place, and only after hours of exploring. Earlier that day, she had been practicing her scrying technique, deciding to kill two birds with one stone and use her Astramancy to seek out a secluded location within the city walls that was safe, abandoned, and located in or near the heart of the city. It took her several tries, and she pushed herself to the brink of collapse more than once, but finally she was shown a vision of the perfect place. She was given no directions, and spent all evening, and well into the night searching for it. Her path was arduous and dangerous, and on more than one occasion she was forced to face off with the apex predators of the artificial biome that existed beneath the streets of Falderen.

Her first encounter was a slime that seemed slow enough to evade, but managed to find her regardless of how many twists and turns down dark tunnels she followed. Eventually she had to sacrifice her lantern, throwing it at the thing as a makeshift fire bomb. She still wasn't sure if it was actually dead, but if it intended to follow her, it was doing so slowly and cautiously now. After that she encountered a pair of giant rats, both the size of attack dogs. Those, she could fight more conventionally; the first was killed instantly when she snapped it's neck with a crushing leg lock she caught the beast in as it leaped at her. The second was more cautious, or perhaps more tenacious, because it took a good while to land a solid snap-kick that shattered the bones of it's forearm. After that it was a simple matter of wearing the thing down with almost a dozen fast but weak strikes. when it finally collapsed, she finished it quickly with a brutal stomp to the things head.

When she finally reached her destination she descended a flight of worn stone stairs to be greeted by an ancient drawbridge that spanned a wide but thin trench that ran the perimeter of the chamber. which was about thirty feet squared, with four evenly placed pillars, complete with flying buttresses that supported the ceiling. The only other openings in the walls anywhere were wide and narrow arches level with the floor that were barred solidly. The room was bone dry, and it would only take a bit of work to insure that they stayed that way by blocking the drains with clay or mud and using small fires to harden and seal them in place.

the draw bridge would also need some work, but for tonight it would hold, or at least make a lot of noise if something decided to bash it down. She was exuberant, especially considering how fickle the astral beings could be. The first time they answered her call, the showed her images of a girl selling dried meat and soft pretzels from a basket in the streets of what appeared to be an entirely different city. She shrugged off that particular memory as she pulled the drawbridge closed behind her and began emptying supplies from her inventory. First a small tent and bed roll, then an absurd amount of firewood, (thank god for 20 stacks, amirite?) and finally a few homey touches that she's begged, borrowed, or stolen over the last few days in preparation for this moment.

She built a small fire and set up a bit of uncooked meat on a stick to grill on the open flames. She knew it was best to wait for the flame to die down and cook over the coals, but she was hungry, and her cooking mastery was trash anyway, so it probably wouldn't make any difference anyway. With some time to kill, she looked over her makeshift camp once more and then strolled the perimeter, inspecting her new base of operations. The walls were cool and dry, and looked sturdy enough to withstand just about anything. the floor would need to be swept and mopped, and she may even have to think of some way to deal with the crypt like smell of the place, but that was a problem for another day.

Satisfied that she was safe enough for the time being, she did a series of stretches and exercises, then began unbuckling her armor and pulling her clothes off. She sat cross-legged and completely naked on her bed roll and began her evening meditation. She found that it helped alleviate the exhaustion and anxiety that came with spending a great deal of mana throughout the course of the day. A good stiff drink also did wonders, but that would come after she'd eaten something.

After a meal that was less filing and more burnt to a crisp than she cared, she climbed into her bedroll and fell into a deep sleep. tomorrow was going to be a busy day, hauling goods and supplies down here, and she'd have to find something with a good lock on it too.

 

Dempsey had spent the day half drunk and rolling around in a field, and was none the better off for it, except for a small, walnut sized stone that gave off some sort of magical aura. she'd invoked a few astral sprites to help her look for a magical crystal that was rumored to have been lost in the area, and that was all they came up with. She had no idea what it was for, or if it did anything remotely useful, but she decided to keep it in her pocket just in case. She needed a good luck charm, and she figured that would do as well as anything else.

As she entered, she invoked a series of light spells, choosing to illuminate the room in it's entirety, if for no other reason than trying to work a bit of astramancy practice into her training. It wasn't particularly difficult, but any time her concentration wavered for more than a moment, the room began to fade into total darkness. This was the practice she needed most though, as by mastering the bare bones basics of the school, she could have greater control, and work to mitigate the unpredictable nature inherent when dealing with the astral spirits.

The long abandoned cistern was a relic of the past, built long before the city reached it's current size, and rendered obsolete when a network of drainage ditches were installed in the city above, which ran water directly through the streets and to a reservoir outside the city walls. the room was still an object lesson in filth and bad smells, but she had come prepared; A broom, dust pan, mop and bucket, and an incense burner. She unceremoniously dumped her cleaning supplies into a heap on the ground, followed by her weapons, pack, and armor. Now clad in nothing but what's left of her starter tunic and underwear, she set about the monumental task of cleaning.

She learned two things that day. First was that straw brooms were terribly inefficient, and second, that she'd need to find a way to get some water down here, with the irony of being in need of water in the middle of a cistern not lost on her. The only option she saw currently was to make some friends who could fabricate the furnishings she needed, and were also trustworthy enough to keep this place a secret. For now though, she would have to rough it, relying only on the goods and supplies she could carry down here herself. For the time being, secrecy was paramount.

She had no idea what time it actually was when she'd finished her initial cleansing of the place. You couldn't see footprints in the dust on the floor anymore, and the place now smelled of rot AND incense, so she supposed that was as close to a step in the right direction as she was going to get today. She paused to wipe sweat from her brow and light a fire so she could dispel her lights. The practice was good, but it was starting to get tiring.

 

It seemed like ages since she'd last visited her makeshift dwelling. She began her evening ritual with the usual routine; Closing the door/drawbridge, lighting a small fire, and unceremoniously dropping discarding her armor onto the floor next to the rest of her belongings. She dug through her pack for a paper wrapped parcel that contained her dinner; a bundle of steamed buns and a cheap bottle of ale.

she watched the flames dance with a blank expression as she picked at her meal. She was more than hungry enough to eat, but wasn't in any huge hurry. Having accomplished her humble goals for the day already which included asking around about the mysterious egg she'd been carrying this whole time, purchasing a few books on the subject of Alchemy, and her usual training training routine. It had been a while since she had any free time to herself like this, but she realized she would have to become more multifaceted if she wanted to accomplish her goals. time and time again she'd been confronted with challenges that she couldn't overcome by simply bashing things with her fists.

She felt that magic was beyond her, given how demanding her daily regimen was already, and decided instead to focus on something more practical. She pondered several options before settling on Alchemy, which with careful preparation would put her on somewhat equal footing with her magic using peers. the ability to formulate healing salves, restorative tonics, and even things as exotic and effective as poisons and smoke bombs. She had quite a bit of reading to do just to get her head around the basic principle, and tonight marked the last night she would be staying in here for quite some time. with a collection of newly posted books in tow, she'd be going out and doing several days worth of field work, and for once that didn't mean walking around killing everything that didn't have a name.

The egg was another story all together. she had no idea what purpose it served, but she'd kept it in tow since her first day on Terraspehere. all she'd learned about it so far was that eventually it would hatch into some sort of pet or follower. She couldn't learn anything viable about it, except for the same handful of rumors that had been circulating over the last few days. the game UI only revealed the same tool-tip she'd been staring at for days, and a timer counting down to the 28th. She gingerly set the egg aside and finished her dinnenr, then began flipping through the pages of her most recent purchase.

Skill books were expensive, and she'd study this one as carefully as possible before setting out to gather more. She'd also need a fairly expensive set of glassware, tools, and a small fortune of other odds and ends purchases. 'One step at a time' she mused.

 

? ? ?

"ALONE IN SUCH A LODGING? DOTH THEE SEEKETH TO ESCAPE FROM THE LIGHT OF DAY? THE DAY SHALT NOT LASTETH STILL. T IS BUT A SECOND OF A SECOND. NYARLY SAYETH T IS BUT A TIMETH ERE THE ENDETH DAY. WHAT BETHINK THEE?"

A strange voice would speak from behind Dempsey as she was going about her business. If the Felis turned around. She would see a strange colorful woman standing in the room with her. The strange woman did not seem hostile but her voice and words were very odd. She had a thick accent that made understanding her somewhat difficult for those who may have little experience with old tongues such as those used in works of Shakespeare. The odd ups and downs in her voice also contributed to the annoyance of listening to it. She spoke like a badly played piano, notes jumping all over the place.

Blinking at Dempsey innocently for awhile as if expecting a response. The woman just made a thoughtful look with her hand to her chin before vanishing like a ghost. The room was again silent. As if nothing had ever happened...

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