The Heart Of Ruhir

[Malchik]

OOC> I think we have all posts now. If I have missed someone out I apologise.

 

On Topic

 

Bharat's agents arrange to buy everything you require while you spend the next day checking out the archives at the two places mentioned to you.

 

You find descriptions of the temples but they do not really help too much. You will need to see them for yourselves. They adhere to a specific layout and this is set out in an article on the Sea Temple which seems in some respects an odd one out. The relevant extract reads as follows:-

 

From all the available evidence this is the only place in Bashkher to have been in existence in its current form before there was any written language in the state. Most interesting is that the delta has never been home to more than trees and birds. Without people to serve and not being a lodging in its own right it is difficult to explain its position.

 

However it must be borne in mind that the appellation Sea Temple is a modern one. Were the delta to be cleared of vegetation a more appropriate name would be island temple.

 

Its shape, that of a key, is not found anywhere else in Bashkher. There were once locked doors within it, again unheard of in other designs. Whether this is significant is hard to judge given the lack of knowledge of the gods or goddesses worshipped there. Any attempt to explain the design in terms of opening a door to the afterlife can be no more than unsupported supposition.

 

There is evidence elsewhere in Bashkher, included here in the chapter on the Skull Temple at Ippikander, that the majority of ancient sites were known to each other. Common artefacts of prehistoric nature have been found in seven. This is not the case of the Sea Temple. Pottery shards have been found but they bear no resemblance to anything elsewhere in Bashkher. It is for this reason that we must question whether the designation of the building as a temple is accurate.

 

There are four factors that go towards the accuracy of the title. Ancient buildings of this size, other than for worship, have never been found elsewhere in the country. Statues have also always been so associated. There is a three level structure common in temple design – tomb chamber, vault and temple proper. Finally, the layout of the funerary monuments in the tomb chamber adheres to traditional patterns.

 

A second interesting piece of evidence links five temples, those of Papred, Dohoti, Golconar, Ippikander and Kolokon.

 

Five of the ancient temples of Bashkher are characterised by the unusual phenomenon of having statues that glow under their own volition. The cause has never been found. The statues are of regular materials. They are not coated with a special substance. The glow is internal. Any part broken off or chipped continues to glow. It is known that historically Bashkher had access to powers loosely called ‘magical’ that are not available to us today. Whilst any discussion must remain conjectural, it is interesting to review the statues with the theory of trapping souls and particularly in regard to one myth – the failure of Raher and his three friends.

 

Given the reference, you extend your researches into the story of Raher and find the following:-

 

The legends were part of the oral tradition of Dohoti and the coastal regions north and east of Papred. The tales appeared to have come from another dimension or an earlier forgotten civilisation, or so the books said. They talked of magic. References to magic in Bashkher of recent times were restricted to the swamps of Ooo.

 

Raher was said to be a variety of different things depending on the precise legend. There were one or two similarities. He came from ‘another land’, he wished to cheat death, and he had been one of a group of four brothers who had been forced to speed up owing to the increasingly urgent nature of their quest. The majority of tales made it clear that he was a man with huge charisma, capable of inspiring great love and affection.

 

In his research he was accompanied by others. The tales varied exactly as to how many and who they were. Immediately north of Papred the number was three. In Dohoti the number was said to be four. Elsewhere it varied between two and three.

 

It seems reasonable to postulate the correct number as being three. Four could so easily be a misreading that somehow included Raher himself among the number. And there would have been times when the group separated.

 

It is difficult to be dogmatic as to the extent of Raher’s depravity. An analysis of the legends suggests a lack of scruples and a fondness for relying on chance, but little of evil intent. Of course the extent to which cheating death is perceived as evil varies greatly between individual cults and personal beliefs. We can have no idea what was actively worshipped at this time.

 

Be that as it may, Raher used his three friends, promising that no matter what wrong appeared to befall, they would live forever as the souls of statues capable of having everything human beings could have. He took something from each one of them. But here the legends vary so widely that it is not even possible to give an educated guess as to which might be right. In some versions the friends were trapped in the statues, in others they were placed in them for expediency pending some major change to come.

 

In this interpretation Raher intended to release them when he had secured some goal. Possibly they would have returned to human life as immortals, perhaps they would have been his slaves, again this is speculation. What the legends do agree on is that Raher failed in his aim and ended trapped in a statue himself. It has been postulated that when the brothers split up they became selfish, that Raher was acting alone and his entrapment was a punishment. It is difficult to accept this idea. Had three other such colourful characters really existed in Bashkher there would have been legends about them, too.

 

Whether any of the glowing statues has a connection to the story is impossible to say. Not one has shown peculiarity beyond glowing. Unless one includes their state of repair. All have suffered a little chipping in the course of time but an attempt to break off a larger piece of one of the Sea Temple’s statues failed miserably. The axe shattered first. It is easy to wish to seek a magical explanation although the real reason is surely prosaic.

 

To those of you with imagination you will not be disappointed whichever temple you choose to see them in. In each there are three statues with a similar unexplained glow.

 

the other relevant piece of information you require is that the Sea Temple can only be reached by sea from Masayrah. A fast coach to Masayrah goes from outside the City Temple every hour and takes three hours.

 

(For info the currency of Bashkher is the nipin divided into 100 finni. There are about 20 nipin to a normal gold piece. Tipping anyone a gold piece would be excessively generous)

 

Bharat's agents return to your lodging that evening with the purchases you requested (or nearest equivalent). Please can someone tell me what your plan of campaign is.

[WereWolf531]

OOC: To the best of my knowledge, we haven't really decided whether we will split up or not. And we also haven't decided which temple everyone will visit if we decide to split up, or which temple we will visit as a group. So unless there are any objections, I'll assume that I'll head to the sea temple (being a Shallaran). If someone wants me at a different temple or if the entire group is going to a different one, then let me and everyone else know. After all, Right now it seems what's really holding us back is the lack of a plan.

[Malchik]

OOC> We get the show on the road.

 

On Topic

 

You take the 12 seater coach to Masayrah and share it with two obese middle aged men, four schoolgirls, three chickens, a small dog with three legs and one eye that is not called 'Lucky' and a pot-bellied pig. It is not a comfortable trip. At Masayrah after some difficulty you find an old man who will row you to the Sea Temple for a fee. It seems pretty expensive but as Bharat is paying for this part of your journey it matters little.

 

He remains silent for most of the trip but as you enter the mangrove swamp he says. "Nobody's lived here since the last priest went mad. All went mad they did."

[ThetaOrionis01]

'I should have requested a fan,' Kyrika thinks wistfully. 'Perhaps it would have made that coach journey just a little bit more bearable. I'm not looking forward to the journey back to Papred. I'm not sure what's worse - the heat and smell inside that coach, or the insects out here!'

 

She swats at some annoying insect buzzing around her. [if Desani has provided them with insect repellant Kyrika will have applied it liberally before embarking on this trip].

 

 

The heat and humidity are getting to her, and giving her a headache.

'Maybe it will be cooler inside that temple. I wonder what we shall find? I doubt that we are the first ones Desani sent out there, but obviously his agents didn't find anything there. Those statues we read about... what could it be that makes them glow?'

 

The boatman's voice interrupts Kyrika's idly drifting thoughts.

 

"A priest? Forgive my ignorance, but I had assumed the Temple was abandoned. He went mad, you say? What happened to him? How long ago was that - perhaps this priest is still alive?" She smiles at the boatman. "I am sorry to ask so many questions at once, but I am very curious - would you be kind enough to tell us more?"

[Malchik]

The old man grunts and puffs foul smelling tobaccosmoke over everyone.

 

"Place was discovered by chance about 500 years back. No one knew what it was but they called it a temple. For a while they just kept the mangroves but maybe two hundred years ago someone had the bright idea of putting the place on the tourist map. They installed a priest - but he was a gibbering idiot within three years. Well, it could have been anything. They install another one and he kills himself after ten. This time they send a group of three and kept it like that for quite a while. But then people stopped coming. It's not as though it's an interesting ruin. The expense of keeping three out here was too much . They shipped two back. Three years on the lone survivor is mad as mad can be. He throws himself off the tower. 'bout fifty year ago now it was. It's keeping the mangroves back once again."

 

He chuckles. "You're nearly there. Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

[ixnos]

OOC: sorry been busy for the last few days

 

Due to the uncomfortable coach ride Kane had decided to use the pot bellied pig as a foot rest, without owner knowng Kane had knocked out the pig and slid it under his feet while getting a nap for the next 12 hours. Once the coach stops they set off in a boat, Kane notices the silence of Desani but says nothing only to raise an eyebrow a few minutes later as he mentions the last priest had gone mad...Kane grunts.

 

"Great, things that play mind games...all I need...wouldn't happen to have some rope to hang myself with now and just get it over with since if I go loopy and try and kill myself afterwards...I ain't going to be a happy lil' warrior"

 

He smirks seeing the confused faces, he shrugs cracking his neck...a habit that seems to calm and soothe him, much like an aromatherapy treatments, it also makes him quite focused.

 

"You say they shipped two back...where exactly, hmm nevermind, too late now to use them as guides...lord..noble whatever your fancy name is...you have a clue about these surroundings or are we going in 'blind'...I need to know so I can judge where I need to be within the group...no point standing at the back when the fighting is at the front if you get what I mean...infact Old Man...what creatures or bandits inhabit this area and around the temple...or if you don't know...what are the myths and rumours?

 

Kane knew he would have startled the others from his questioning but if Kane didn't know what they would be up against then he wouldn't be able to do his job properly and that's the last thing they want to happen at the start of the trip since if he couldn't protect then whoever is at the front of the group will have to defend themselves until Kane can make his way to the problem

[Malchik]

The old man stares at Kane. "Bandits? Creatures? Here! They'd sink up to their necks in quicksand. Which reminds me - stick to the marked trail until you are on the island. Just three spooky statues and they don't do anything. They just glow. Of course I've never lifted the stone trap doors to the lower floors. Could be anything down there." He seems to be amused by the idea.

 

OOC> If anyone else has questions I will answer them as if the conversation had occurred. In the meantime I want to ost a description of the temple.

 

On topic

 

Your guide waits while you follow a path though the swamp until you reach dry ground. You get your first sight of the building. It stands two storeys high and is made of yellowing stone blackened with age. Statues in yellow stone, so weathered as to be completely unrecognisable, adorn a parapet along the roof and stand beside the walls.

 

The building itself is in three linked parts. At the northern end is an octagon which remains in good condition. From the southernmost side of the octagon extends a narrow room about twice as long as the octagon just slightly too wide to be a passage. At the southern end of this and extending eastwards is a small room, possibly a vestibule or gate house. The walls of both of these sections are partly ruined. Indeed you can enter through gaps in the walls.

 

The 'gatehouse' door is long gone. Hinges give evidence that there had once been other doors across the narrow room but none remails. There are also wall mounts that indicate pictures or something similar had once extended the full length of the room. The wooden door into the octagon is new.

 

There is nothing else of note in the vestibule and narrow room.

 

Inside the octagon door you can see little. There is a smaller octagon inside with a door of its own. A narrow ambulatory goes around the smaller octagon. There are no windows, making it very dark even in the outer octagon. In the amultatory you could walk two abreast. The doorway into the inner octagon will take only one person at a time. There is absolute silence.

 

OOC> anyone feel like drawing it PM me and I can supply a few extra details.

[DragonDudeAW]

OOC > I'm just letting everyone know I'm still here and have just been really busy lately and I will post as soon as I can. It is way too late for me to be coherent so Ill post sometime tomm.

[WereWolf531]

"Well, I guess since there are no other volunteers, I'll go first," Khyros says as he strikes his flint to the torch, lighting it. Holding the torch aloft, he steps forward through the doorway to the inner octagon.

[ThetaOrionis01]

Kyrika shivers a little. The silence feels oppressive to her. It seems wrong to speak - even the sounds of their footsteps feel out of place, and sound far too loud - and she hesitates to ask the questions she wants to ask, but Khyros' voice breaks the spell.

 

"Be careful," she says, unnecessarily, as Khyros announces his intention to enter the inner room. "We do not know what may be in there. And watch out for gaps in the floor!"

 

'Why the new door, when everything else has been allowed to fall into ruin? Who or what is it intended to keep out - or in?'

 

"Do we know where the priests' living quarters were located?" she asks in a hushed voice. "I cannot recall reading about it, but then the heat in Papred was giving me headaches, and I may simply have forgotten. And," she adds after a brief pause. "Could we please have some light out here, to check the walls for inscriptions or things like that?"