That... that tells me what I needed to know. That sword is possesed, and the people who made this place honor it but consider it dangerous. The exit is trapped, and there's a good chance there's other traps around here as well. If I touch the thing, it'll try to get in my head, and I don't have D to help protect me anymore. On top of that, the sword has a stronger influence than River does in his soulsphere.
...
We need to have a talk then.
I walk back to the sword's chamber and speak to it:
"I am addressing the being possessing the blade before me. Please identify yourself, and state for what purpose you would have me draw your blade."
I wait a while to allow it to respond, but if it doesn't, then I'll repeat myself and wait again. after I've asked it three times with no effect though, then will I finally give up on that communication method and instead use my innate telepathy, though I'm worried doing so might open myself to it influencing me, so I'd prefer to speak to it verbally.
<Hey, I know you're there. Identify yourself. I felt your request for me to wield you earlier, tell me why you wanted me to do that.>
in any case, I'm on alert for it trying to possess me or influence my mind.
note: I'm hungry, I'm on a constant passive hunt for evidence of prey. I'm staying in my current form to help me explore, but i'm going to shift to full-fox if I can find prey, meaning small rodents are very much on the table. I'm also on alert for water, and consider it even more important than food.
((This is interesting.))
You haven't seen much down here, nothing except a few spiders and small blind bugs. You could search around for something that might contain food or something edible, but your nose hasn't told you there's something like that around. Then again, you haven't really explored much of this place.
When you get back to the sword room, you are surprised and relieved to find some pieces of bone with tiny pieces of meat still clinging on them close to the sword. You're a bit worried about them at first but you're so hungry you just can't resist. You smell them while trying to keep your distance. They smell normal, like one of those small animals the genera had with a bit of human smell in them. You poke them a few times to make sure that you're not hallucinating them and that they won't explode or anything and then start gnawing on them. You don't know if it's because of the hunger, but they taste better than the best thing you've ever had. They don't manage to satiate your hunger though. They only leave you wanting more.
You also find a corner of the room where moisture has accumulated into a tiny puddle. You attempt to drink from it only to find it to be extremely salty. You spit it out and cough, trying to get the taste out of your mouth. The minerals here must have high salinity.
From what I understand, you're just standing near the sword and talking to it. In that case, verbal communication doesn't work with the sword and using your telepathy requires you to go fox, correct? You sure you want to go fox? Cause you'll need fire to turn back and foxes can't really wield big swords, if you end up wanting to do that.
((Y'all amazing for that entire sequence. That was awesome. Going straight in the sigbox for sure.
...
And I have just the idea to top this situation off!))
A competent magic user who I trust, you say?
*good idea gland extrudes a dollop of brilliance*
OH GENERAL WHEREFORE ART THOOOOOOOOOUUUUU
I know you kinda forbade me and by extension everyone else remotely associated with me from ever coming to your property again and I think I remember spiking all your food and drink with Red Bull before I left and there was also that mountain of forks I built next to your house but can you help my bud pretty please I promise not necessarily to cause further damage to your house and the psyche of your wife and children yo
That would include several days of travel towards the west. You didn't actually take him with you. You don't even have his phone number. You wanna travel west in the hopes that you'll be able to meet with him and that he'll then help with the revival?
East! That was it! It's so great to have an insistent voice in your head telling you what you have to do.
Anyway, get some rations together. Gather the dog jerky! Amass the salted cat meat! Necklaces of dried rodents, jars of pickled eggs! That's how the true woodsman survives the pangs of starvation.
And make sure to check around for any sign of Irine or River, or at least their soul spheres. I think I actually know what they look like, don't I? Well, for Irine I do, anyway.
Consider your supplies acquired.
As for finding Irine... During your search, you come across the well with the fire sword at the bottom. One of the men standing watch has just finished his meal and is dumping the remains into the well. You debate whether or not it is worth your time for a few moments before deciding to scold him for such reckless behavior. You don't want them to make whatever is down there angry. At least not while you're still here. When you're gone, they can be as stupid as they want.
You check down the hole to make sure there's nothing coming up to kill everyone right now. It's hard to see, you can't tell if it was just shadows from the fire making it look like movement, but you think you might have seen something moving down there.
((I love how the GM plays my character \o/ I also love how loveably silly Alan is ))
((Y'all amazing for that entire sequence. That was awesome. Going straight in the sigbox for sure.
...
And I have just the idea to top this situation off!))
((I want to see the link in full please I am also tempted to talk about Irine thanks to that last quip.))
Theri winced at the mention of Irine...in that way.
"Irine isn't a bird, and-I'll just go and rest here."
NOW I can meditate! In the least, if I cannot meditate, focus my thoughts on River and...paint a vivid impression in mind about him; say something akin to a prayer to keep him safe and mentally/physically/spiritually healthy. The same goes for Irine.
And then enjoy the softness of my rest and pillows!
You rest and think of River and Irine. You really want to help them. For some reason, you feel like he'll appreciate that. You can sort of feel him, just out of reach. It feels as if there's something more you can do for them, but you don't know what exactly. It's just a need to get up and do... something. Something that would help. A feeling building up inside you.
Saevus, After the End
((Note to self: get some accuracy upgrades after this.))
Let's try to go North then. Try to keep myself out of sight.
I'm assuming you want to head downstairs to do that, right? Out of the tower?
Shrug.