Arilyn's Mini adventure
Arilyn runs up the stairs and pauses as she sees the teenage
girl. Her smile reassures the girl that she is a friend. "My name is
Arilyn Starglow, what is your name?"
"Fr..frr...Franny" the girl replies scared to death by a non guest being
upstairs near the rooms.
Arilyn smiles at the girl. You are so very beautiful and your name is so
lovely.
She hopes the girl will trust her
and answer her questions. "Are you indebted to that man? Are you a
captive?"
"He is my father. I love him."
Arilyn has this slight, sinking feeling in her tummy that, once again,
she has acted too quickly.
Arilyn listens for any threat from the rooms or from the
downstairs. "I will help you in any way I can...no woman should be
spoken to in that manner."
"I am but a girl Ma'am and my father did naught but remind me of my duty.
WHIch I must now return to. He was angry because he says 13 is too young to
date. I have met a boy I really care about, and he wont let me date him" her
face falls. "But I guess he knows best. Now I must return to work. THank you
for your concern"
"Franny...don't ever say that you are but a girl. In elven society, men
and women are equal. I think you are too young to date as well, but I
don't believe that any person should speak to another harshly...not the
way your father spoke to you." She holds out her hand, offering Franny a
sweet. "Follow your heart and know that you are special and unique.
Never lower your eyes to another, unless it is by your choice."
SHE knocks on a door loudly, but receives no response. Cocking her head in
confusion she says "But I saw him come up here. Where could he be?"
Arilyn sees the confused looked on Franny's face. "Do you know this
person...do you know the name of the person." Arilyn looks down the hall
and concentrates....listening for a noise.
"Rath..Rathanieal I think. A new guest. He just came up here not 15 minutes ago,
and now is not answering his door. I hope he is alright"
Arilyn knocks on the door...she continues to knock louder until the man
answers the door. If he does not answer the door...Arilyn will try to
break the door down.
Breaking the door open, Arilyn discovers
the room is well furnished with solid furniture that has been bolted to the
wooden floor. A large bed dominates the room with it's massive headboard and
ornately carved posts. It's thick blankets have been turned back to reveal green
silken sheets, Beside the bed, a small table holds an unlit taper in a small
bronze candleholder.
At the foot of the bed sits a massive trunk of teakwood bound in iron, with an
iron lock worked in the likeness of a screaming face. A wardrobe of dark, almost
black wood stands against the north wall.
-Arilyn hears a little voice tell her to go downstairs and to leave this
room. But another part of her...the very curious part, tells her to
investigate. She looks at the trunk, fascinated at the iron lock. The
face looks almost evil, but she wraps her hand on the lock and pulls
down. If the lock opens...she will open the trunk lid.
The trunk opens and nestled on a bed of old clothing you discover a strange looking
dagger. This unusual blade is flame shaped, and glows green in the dark. It's handle of
ivory is carved in the likeness of a whale. The tail of the whale serves as the cross
piece, while the whales mouth holds the pommel...a large pearl.
Arilyn is absolutely torn. The dagger is like none that she has ever
seen. It is so incredibly beautiful..so incredibly tempting. But this
dagger is not hers. She was raised not to steal...not to take the items
of others. But the green glow is almost mesmerizing...the handle so
beautiful. What harm would it be to just touch it...to hold it. She
reaches into the trunk and the tips of her fingers touch the dagger. Her
heart races and she feels her body tingle. 'I will just hold it for a
moment and then put it back,' she says to herself. She takes it in her
hand and watches it...her fingers lightly massaging the ivory handle.
Arilyn is reluctant to put the dagger back in the trunk and continues
her investigation of the room...holding the dagger at her side.
Beside the door and against the west wall, a ceramic washbowl filled with cool
water sits on a small table. Against the south wall, a large desk with with many
cabinets and drawers awaits exploration.
-She steps quietly to the desk and looks at the top of the desk. She
looks around, praying that there is no threat close to her. As silently
as possible, she opens the cabinets and the drawers. She looks around
and feels for an hidden buttons, panels or documents. But finds nothing.
Against the desk, a painting is on the floor,
facing away from you, you can't see what it's a picture of.
-Moving silently, Arilyn moves to the painting and turns it so that she
can see it.
Arilyn never completes her plan to open the duffel bag, for when she turns over the
painting,
Suddenly the light in the room is extinguished, and as your eyes adjust to
the dim light, you realize you're standing before a large pool in the middle of a
large, low ceiling chamber. The waters are dark and murky; it appears
something is alive in there by the swirls that occasionally appear on the waters
surface.
That something--whatever it is--must be very dangerous. Dangling above the
pool from a chain, an iron cage holds a humanoid skeleton whose flesh has recently
been stripped to the bone. Ragged bits of skin and hair still cling to the remains of
the unfortunate victim. Your eyes follow the chain until it is lost in shadows above,
but you spot it again as it descends to a large crank attatched to the east wall.
This wall, like the others-you now notice-is painted with fantastic murals of
frolicking nymphs dancing with flute in hand around ugly leering centuars. The
depictions are brazenly lifelike and painstakingly detailed.
On the far side of the pool, low steps lead down into the water. Once
bathers might have relaxed here, but now you wonder to what doom those steps lead.
Arilyn looks at the murals, letting her fingers touch over the nymphs.
They look so very real...so beautiful. She checks for buttons...for
levers and for traps. She walks slowly and carefully. If she finds
nothing, Arilyn will -> look at the crank. She turns the handle and
watches as the cage lowers into the water. Does the water still
bubble...is it some kind of liquid that burns skin. 'Damn, girl. Why did
you ever walk into that room?' she asks herself.
She pauses...thinking....and then uses the dagger as a beacon, moving it
to the right and to the left and then up and down...hoping that if there
is a safe passage, it will glow brighter to lead the way.
She is considering her actions, when the party appears to aid her.
Meanwhile, while Arilyn is off doing her adventure, another fair elvin maiden discovers there is more to life than the study of religion.
I am so worried about Kendra where has she gone to" Aerial thinks to herself when she overhears someone mention the strangers who have come to Landry.
"Maybe these strangers
have seen her. I will go and ask around about these strangers. First I will
scope out the inn and talk to the inn keeper about them.
She gets up from her dinner at the temple of Quiom, and unobtrusively exits, pulling her cloak around her face hiding her elvin features, she heads for the inn.
Back to turn 131