The mystery of Benfal (Moore, Tryll)

[Anastasia]

You wander for a time longer. Up the path, around the path and all along the cliffside. This cliff finally cuts inward and leads to a narrow gorge. In the back of the gorge is a small pool of water, still and tranquil. There is no algae or other pollutants contaminating it and it is perfectly transparent. It's about 10 feet in diameter and perhaps 20 feet deep.

[Nephrite]

The last time he found a pool of water in Celestia, it led him below... but wasn't it different that time?

Either way, Moore will fly over to the side of the pool of water and say a prayer to himself as thanks for the guidance. Now, is he supposed go just go into it, or...

"What was it I did the first time..." Moore asks himself as he rubs his chin. "Do I just dive in?"

[Anastasia]

The pool does not show your reflection in it. Instead, it shows the reflection of a ship. A light ship, sailing over the seas of light.

The journey over the seas, to see all of that strange lost realm.

A journey that seemed endless and yet...

[Nephrite]

Moore is silent for a while as he watches the water.

They didn't really have a lot of water, like regular there, did they?


He takes a breath. Slowly.

"Although I do want to know about that... my focus is on more recent events." Moore says, as if the water itself is listening to him.

[Anastasia]

You see images in the pool. Images of the past, coming back in crystal clarity.

Reading with Lucy, a new collection of books looted from a dungeon.

Spending with with Veren and that lizard of his, proud and happy as he was of it.

Pepo, stalking about as if he owned all the world as he wandered the streets of the harbor.

Jetina, telling you about her home as your ship travels the sea of light.

Port after port, stop after stop. The ship is always moving, sailing on and ahead.

[Nephrite]

...

Moore takes a deep breath.

Of course, those were their names, how could he have forgotten?

And they all got out.

Why couldn't he remember that until now? Will he just forget again after he leaves?

He takes another breath.

He continues to watch the pool... no, he continues to watch the past play itself out.

[Anastasia]

The pool soon shows your reflection, yet your mind lingers on the journeys you underwent before.

[Nephrite]

Moore wipes away some fluid near his eyes as he takes a breath again.

"Memories are precious things, which is why I can't sit idle when I still have some that I'm not allowed to see." He says, as if, again, the pool can hear him.

"I need to understand what happened... no, we all do. All of us who were there -- even the people themselves who were liberated." He takes another breath.

Xiranthador is under water, isn't it? maybe...

He'd look really stupid trying to swim to the bottom of a pond he can clearly see, and yet...

He takes a deep breath again and takes a dive into the pool to try and check the bottom.

[Anastasia]

Fort save.

[Nephrite]

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+41 : 15 + 41, total 56[/blockquote]

[Anastasia]

The water is shockingly cold, but you endure it. It's a pool of cold water, yet as you sink down into it, you see the bottom is getting hazy.

[Nephrite]

Moore will continue to swim down and into the haziness!

[Anastasia]

How long can you hold your breath?

[Nephrite]

Forever, he has a necklace that provides air to breathe.

[Anastasia]

A good answer.

You're chilled to the bone when you reach the bottom - and then you're sitting on a chair in front of a roaring fire. You're also wrapped in a blanket and only damp instead of soaking wet. The chill rapidly leaves you as you look around. It's a simple kitchen with a hearthfire burning to provide you warmth.