Ruiz:
::follows Elena and Tien::

Elena:
::after tien is finished elena meets the two of you back inside::

Elena:
::nods:: that looks really good on you Tien ::fixes his collar::

Ruiz:
::grins:: And how did you get this new finery?

Tien:
Yes. ::Deadpan voice:: Yes, it does.

Elena:
So are the two of you ready to go find what these coordinates lead to?

Tien:
THe ladies bought it for me.

Ruiz:
As ready as Lexitus' sword, Elena. You? ::smiles again:: They bought it for you, I bet.

Elena:
All set :she taps the cylinder which you realize contains the rolled up maps::

Tien:
Oh, we are going exploring? Then let me change back into my other robes.

Ruiz:
Oh, no. ::grins::

Tien:
These are too nice to get soiled by everyday wear.

Ruiz:
Let us away.

Elena:
::smiles:: I'll make you a deal Tien... until I wear the stuff that An got for me, you dont have to wear the stuff we got for you... acceptable?

Tien:
::Braod Smille:: Yes, very agreeable. ::Runs to change:

Tien:
::Returns in his old black robes with new patches::

Ruiz:
Come. Let us away.

Tien:
WHere are we going to start?

Elena:
::elena nods and leads the way out of the building, unrolling a map out of the tube::

Ruiz:
::looks at map::

Elena:
Hmmm.. if this is the hill, and this is the main road, and this is Amon's house... ::she indicates all the places on the map:: I think it's right here ::she points to a spot that seems to be down at the bottom of the hill::

Tien:
::Looks in that direction::

Ruiz:
::follows his look::

Tien:
Any other signs?

GM:
::down at the base of the broken road you just climbed is a marble block... you didnt notice it on the climb up, and you cant really make much of it now::

Tien:
::Head for the block::

GM:
::you all find that descending the hill is much easier than climbing, and reach the base to find that the block is green marble with red veins, and the front is polished to a mirror sheen...

Ruiz:
This looks familiar.

GM:
it has writing engraved into the front, and is bordered with numerological symbols...

GM:
((actually the obelisks were black terracite))

Ruiz:
((lol well, damn. lol))

GM:
a large circle with a U on top, the taurus symbol, sits at the top...

Tien:
Do we have the rubbings from the other stone?

GM:
and in Urthish a few lines of text proceed downwards.. set into the face::

Tien:
::Read::

Ruiz:
I have them. ::pulls out rubbings::

GM:
::Tien can make out a few words, but this seems to be a far older form of the modern argot that urthish has become, and he cant decipher it with his miniscule reading skill::

GM:
::on looking at the rubbings, the typeset and organization seem very similar::

Tien:
I know this word and this one, but I can not make out these.

Ruiz:
hmm.. Elena?

Elena:
::scanning the stone:: Yeah, i can read it... it's archaic...

Ruiz:
what does it say?

Elena:
It says "Welcome to the Fair city of Taurus, may your stay be long and restful, and should you wish to leave take only good thoughts with you"

Tien:
Words of wisdom

Elena:
...but there's another bit down at the bottom in techspeak ::she squints:: Phy Alpha Psi

Ruiz:
I don't believe I'm saying this, but I wish Fizz were here...

Tien:
:;Tien looks at Ruis and then at Elena::

Elena:
::she smirks:: Fizz cant read tech... Does Phy Alpha Psi mean anything to either of you?

Ruiz:
Hmm... ::holds chin in thought::

Tien:
Alpha is one of the Old Urth alphebeth letters

Ruiz:
I will think on this.

Tien:
I think that the others might be as well. Alpha, Beta, Omega....

Elena:
::she nods:: Maybe they're here in this border

GM:
((yeah, what with the omega gospels you'd better believe priests would have some idea about the greek letters))

GM:
::you look at a number of sigils around the border::

GM:
((both of you make me Wits + Academia rolls)

Tien:
##Wits + Academia x2 = 7##

GM:
((with your Latin added in to bump it to 9 tien))

Tien:
rolled 1 20-sided die: 9

Ruiz:
##wits + academia = 7, acc-2##

GM:
((double the academia ruiz))

Ruiz:
##11, acc-4##

Ruiz:
rolled 1 20-sided die: 5

Ruiz:
((woo hoo..!))

Ruiz:
((WOO HOO Tien!!))

GM:
((still a success, but 5 + 4 is 9 adam :) ))

Tien:
((Ruiz is more learned that Tien. LOL))

GM:
((academia isnt learning, it's remembering what you learned and finding what book it's in))

Ruiz:
((LOL thanks for letting my secret out, Stephen. lmao))

GM:
::as ruiz puzzles out that some of these symbols might have meaning, hindered by his lack of a written vocabulary.. Tien easily picks out Phy Alpha and Psi on various parts of the border... the circle with the vertical line through it, the A, and the chicken foot::

GM:
::as you tap the letters you notice that all three depress slightly... even the psi, which has a hairline, nearly invisible, circle around it::

Ruiz:
So, Tien.. What do you see?

Tien:
These depress. ::Push them in order::

Ruiz:
:eyes widen::

GM:
::when you push them harder they stick down and stay, but after the three are depressed

Tien:
::Listen to hear if something happens::

GM:
nothing else happens... then elena reaches over and pushes the center of the Taurus symbol.. which also depresses and there's a loud click and a soft whirring sound...

Ruiz:
::hands move to weapons::

Tien:
AH. Something is happening ::puts ear near the stone.::

GM:
as the stone pops forward an inch then slides slowly to the left::

Tien:
:;Jumps back with surprise::

GM:
::it reaches the side and reveals a hole descending into the ground, large enough to enter..

Tien:
SHould we call the Don?

GM:
and a staircase... after a few moments, pale light fills the tunnel as fuzion lamps flicker on one by one::

Ruiz:
No. We should go on.

Tien:
Then I will go first. :;Crosses himself::

Ruiz:
::partially draws katana, stops Tien:: No.

GM:
::to punctuate this the whirring starts again and the stone begins to slowly start moving back into place::

Ruiz:
You, my firend, are too valuable.

Ruiz:
I go. ::moves quickly inside::

Tien:
::Follows Ruiz::

GM:
::elena enters last, having to pivot for the bag to fit in::

Ruiz:
::looks around::

GM:
::the slab finishes shutting, and the lights stay on, and by them you can see that there is a large button on the back of the slab... the stairs descend shallowly into the ground for a bit, then seem to level out into a hall..

Tien:
((What does the air smell like?))

GM:
and all is in white plaster with pieces littering the ground from gaps in the wall where bare stone is revealed covered in cracks... the air is very musty, you suspect from the puddles of water littering the ground that seem to have seeped in the cracks... and the fuzion lights are set into the corners between ceiling and walls...

Ruiz:
((are there any signs of life, at all?))

GM:
many of them flicker, some are out.. maybe from water damage::

GM:
::the only sound is your own breathing and the occasional soft drip of water::

Ruiz:
::moves forward, hands on weapons, senses alert::

Tien:
Elena, you have s spare tourch, incase the lights go out?

Elena:
::she nods:: Of course

Tien:
::Follows Ruiz:: Good. Just checking.

Elena:
::elena descends quietly behind::

Ruiz:
((what do we see as we go forward?))

GM:
::the stairs descend down for about maybe 5 meters at a gentle incline... then you reach flat floor and you see that the short hallway enters a larger room ahead::

Ruiz:
::moves quickly to the hallway, looking in::

GM:
::the room seems to be in the center of the hill, if your calculations are correct... and is a dome that seems to be almost parabolic, reaching up to a point in the center of the room...

Ruiz:
((well-lit?))

GM:
The lighting is the same as the stairs in brightness, but comes from a single fusion lamp in the apex of the chamber... the walls are bare steel, with a bit of rust spotting...

Ruiz:
((any sounds emanating form the room?))

GM:
((i'll get there, be patient))

GM:
there is a large square metal cube in the center of the floor, rising up from the maxicrete

Ruiz:
((lol sorry.. getting excited))

GM:
floor, it appears to be a meter and a third to a side, and may have once served as a desk... there are spaces of different colors across the floor and walls that seems to indicate that

Ruiz:
::waves the others forward::

Tien:
::Examion the Cube. :

GM:
there was once other, more portable furniture here... the cube itself has two columns of drawers, six to a side, in the face of the cube away from the door, each with a silver colored knob to open it::

GM:
::the temperature has been rising as you've entered and is now quite comfortable...

Ruiz:
::stalks around the room, alert for any danger::

Tien:
((Are there any other exits from this room?))

GM:
though you arent sure why until you notice four vents, one in each side of the room, near the light, which seem to be at the compass points... these are the only other obvious entrances to the room::

Tien:
((Anything on top o the desk?))

GM:
::the room, as a whole, is a 3 meter radius... with a 9 meter ceiling::

GM:
::no, nothing atop the desk::

Tien:
:: Look through the Drawers:: Ruiz, Anything?

Ruiz:
((anything else I see?))

GM:
((actually, strike that, 2 meter radius, 4 meter ceiling))

GM:
((we dont need the ceiling to be 30 feet high))

GM:
::the drawers slide open and are quite shallow, being about a half foot deep... thought they do seem very long and after you pull open the bottom right drawer you can swear

Ruiz:
::moves to Tien:: Nothing else I see.. What is in the drawers?

GM:
you hear a rustle in the back of the drawer::

Ruiz:
::jump back, draws katana::

Tien:
::Pull drawer all the way out.::

GM:
::the drawer stops at about half a meter, but as it catches the violent stop sends a sheaf of papers sliding forward..

Tien:
::Take the paper and put it on top of the desk::

GM:
it's a little larger than 20th century printer paper, and seems to be an antique vellum...

Ruiz:
Elena, can you read tyhese?

GM:
about half a centimeter thick, with a frayed cord binding it horizontally about the middle::

Elena:
::elena nods and slides off the cord, then proceeds to read through and share the papers::

GM:
((you guys are about to get mail, holdon))

Ruiz:
((ok))

GM:
((k, you got))

Ruiz:
((brb))

Ruiz:
These may be from Doramos.

Tien:
Yes. The great master. This must have been his work space or office.

Elena:
Hmm... you think? ::she squints for a minute:: I guess he did work on this planet

Ruiz:
Elena, Tien... This talks about another planet. ::sheathes katana::

Tien:
He is the one who made this planet the mystry that it is. Yes, beyond the gate...In the Dark between the Stars.

Ruiz:
Tien... My friend, do you not see? Your vision? Our vision at the gargoyle?

Tien:
Why would one of his greatness tempt fate by traveling beyond...

Elena:
well, if he could work on the planet it couldnt have been too bad

Ruiz:
This is the culmination of that vision..

Tien:
Yes, we are to travel into the dark. And the forces of Darkness shall try to engulf us.

Ruiz:
We must find more information.. ::opens more drawers::

Tien:
:;Crosses himself::

GM:
::the search proves futile.. whether doramos cleaned out his office himself or it was looted in the past, it was surprisingly thorough except for the papers in the back of the drawer::

Ruiz:
we must protect these notes...

Tien:
::Checks to see if the Cube has a seam or can be moved.::

GM:
::the cube seems to be part of the floor::

Tien:
Elena, may I see your torch? I want to look insid eht draws.

Elena:
Certainly ::she adjusts the Torch to throw a single beam and hands it to him::

Tien:
::Looksinside all of the draws as he opens them. Checking the tops for buttons and glyphs::

GM:
::there are no more glyphs obvious, and no buttons::

Tien:
((Can the drawers come out?))

Ruiz:
:watches Tien and the room::

GM:
((no, they catch about 2 feet out))

Tien:
I don't see anything. Perhaps we should leave now. This would make a nice bunker or storage for the Lord. Maybe a grainary?

Elena:
Yeah, i bet the hazat would love to get ahold of it

Ruiz:
Yes, they would. ::derisive look::: let us away. ::moves back down the hall, weapons at the ready::

Elena:
You know it'd just have opulent carpets in here in a week... We should find this "pegasus"

Ruiz:
what would it be? A ship..?

Tien:
::Stops at the edge of the room and gives the sign of the jumpgate cross:: Be at rest spirits.

Elena:
::she shrugs and follows::

Tien:
Is that a ship or one of his students?

Ruiz:
::moves to the stairs::

Tien:
Or perhaps the name of the dark planet?

Ruiz:
His student? No.. The way he talks about it, it sounds like more of a machine..

Elena:
No, the dark planet was Tacean Frigorea... sounds like Latin

Ruiz:
You have any idea what it means, Tien?

Tien:
Perhaps one of his engines to make worlds? :;Crosses himself.:: Of the wars that would be

GM:
((make me an introvert + read latin if you want to try to translate tien))

Tien:
fought over that if it is true.

Tien:
##8 acc -1##

Tien:
rolled 1 20-sided die: 14

Tien:
No, not really.

GM:
::tien cant figure it out at the moment, he'll need time to think about it::

Tien:
When we get back to the Lord's manor, then I can work to translate it.

Ruiz:
::moves up the stairs::

GM:
((who has the papers?))

Tien:
((Elena has the nice bag))

GM:
((okay))

Ruiz:
((yeah))

GM:
::you get to the top of the stairs and depress the button under the slap, which whirs once more and slides open::

GM:
::the sunlight strange since you'd adjusted to the synthlight::

Tien:
::Step outside and bask in the sunliught::

Ruiz:
::steps outside, cautiously::

Tien:
It is good to once more feel the light of the pancreator.

GM:
::no one seems to notice... either there's something strange going on or these people are just oblivious::

GM:
::or maybe.. just maybe... this is set here on purpose so that people wouldnt notice... according to some mathematical esoteric formula of psychology...but nah, that'd be too illogical and far out::

Tien:
:;Wait for the stone to close, then move up the road to the Manor house.::

Ruiz:
::follows. eyes at the ready::

GM:
::you watch the stone close and the lights wink out as the last of you leaves::

Tien:
Elena, if there is another planet, how will we findit? Will we need to spend a long time flying around beyond the gate?

Elena:
We'll cross that bridge when we come to it... it could be completely random information

Ruiz:
I don't know...

Tien:
Well, let us find the Don and Dona to gain guidence.

Ruiz:
Yes, let us find him. I wonder what he will say.

GM:
::you begin the long treck back up the hill::

Tien:
I hope that we do not need to find that lost planet, beyond the grace of the Pancreator. But if we are required to go there, then I hope that we are ready. ::Begins up the hill::

Tien:
((Camera pans out. Zooms out to the planet and then to the gate...showing a dark planet))

GM:
((heh.. i take it that means you guys are ready to break for the night?))

Tien:
((Yea, if you are?))

Ruiz:
((yep..!))