CH1: Falling in the Deep End

[Mysticsage]

"An eye on what?" Veritas asked looking where you were pointing, "All I can see is white mist."

The look on both men's faces was one of one obvious confusion as they looked back at you, as if worried that you hit your head in some way.

--
As you begin moving back towards the captain's quarters that buzzing you have been feeling intensifies as you threaten to break line of sight with the orb.

if you want to ignore the feeling and break line of sight I'm gonna need a will save.

[Schnizzer]

Will save:

Rolled 1d20+2 : 5 + 2, total 7

[Mysticsage]

Feeling the buzzing against your skin, and choosing to ignore the sensation of being watched, you make the active decision to go back to the captain's quarter. However, as soon as you settle on that choice you feel the air shift around you. Everything seems to slow around, suddenly Veritas' words slow drawing out the sound, and the fog against your skin suddenly feels as thick as mud constricting your body. Only the buzzing feeling remained the same, as it began to shift, concentrating from a wave across your body into a single force like a knife trying to claw its way deeper into your being.

As the power moved from your physical body to push to something deeper, it touched something at the core of your being, something that the primal part of your brain tried to protect with everything you had, and yet it meant nothing against this force. At that moment that it touched your very soul, a connection was made between you and whatever was the source of the power, if only for a short moment. The source of the power was too alien, too massive, for you to really understand what it was, or what it was trying to do by making contact.

However, you could taste their desperation, an almost child-like need to not be left alone, these feelings and more bled through the connection to your soul washing over you as if you were actively drowning, and then at then the anger set in, and before you could even understand why this thing was upset the connection broke. The buzzing ended then, leaving your body completely numb, except for a burning sensation in your chest where your heart was.

Whatever that power had done to you in that split second that time had slowed it had left its mark, and then as if the world was exhaling, time resumed. A hand going to your chest feeling a warmth under your skin. However, the second shoe was about to drop.

"An eye on what?" Veritas asked looking where you were pointing, "All I can see is white mist."

The look on both men's faces was one of obvious confusion, as they looked back at you as if worried that you hit your head. Neither one of them had experienced what you just did as they continued to watch you in concern.

you have about one turn before the back half of the boat will be struck with a massive lightning bolt, partially destroying the ship and blowing the three of you overboard as your vision goes white.

I just want to give you a moment to respond to what has just happened before the next thing goes off.

[Schnizzer]

What were they talking about? The ball of light was right there in the sky and this wasn't the time for jokes and games. He turned to face the others and his expression quickly changed from confusion and annoyance to fear and dread. He looked down as he placed his hand on his chest and then looked back up to Veritas and Raynolt. He wasn't sure what was about to happen but he had a bad feeling about it.

In the brief moment, all he managed to be able to do was reach out and yell, "Take cover!"

[Mysticsage]

Less than a heartbeat after your warning the fog opened up directly over your ship, and filling the gap was a blast of electrical force so great that the ship was partially pushed under the water before the power exploded outward.

In a flash, half of the ship was gone and the three of you had been flung, with the debris, like fleas from a dog, out into the open water. The last thing you remember before losing complete consciousness was the sensation of sinking deep under the water as that buzzing sensation returned to your skin as if to get you to the bottom faster.

Location: Unknown
Time: Unknown

When you next come to consciousness, you are not greeted by the smile of your father, or the light of the divine gates, even the sounds of the ocean are gone. Instead you find yourself staring up through a glass ceiling atrium and a solid ground of marble flooring.

Without even needing to sit up you could tell that you were somewhere completely foreign to where you had been before, and inside some kind of opulent entryway.

[Schnizzer]

Did we die?Armand felt his chest as he laid down searching for any holes and damage. He then slowly attempted to get up with a groan and look around. There was a look of confusion and worry as he tried to figure out where he was and if his companions were nearby. What in the hells happened?

Perception for surroundings and to see where the others are

Rolled 1d20+6 : 16 + 6, total 22

[Mysticsage]

Your voice reverberates back to you as you shout out to your companions, however after a moment of waiting, it is only your voice that fills the silence of the place as you look around for more detail. Searching your body quickly for damage, you don't even see a scratch to denote the voyage you just survived. A fact that may or may not comfort you given your currently strange environment.

As you turn your attention to the room itself, you see that this is in fact some kind of central atrium. Chairs seem specifically placed in that usual back to back way used for public spaces to sit and wait. There is even a large marble desk built into the wall, made out of marble where you imagine a greeter might sit. In total this large space might be able to hold over 50 people comfortably. However, with only you there it felt somehow ominous. It didn't help matters that there was zero in the way of a torch or even a candle in this room. The only light coming from outside the glass ceiling, a rotating pillar of light, that had passed over your head twice now that you have started counting, and a soft orange glow from one of the many connecting halls.

In fact, as you used what light did draw your attention, you realized there was a number of halls connected to this central room, and as the light above you passed by once again you could see that the  of the door ways in front of you had brass lettering over them. One was named Raynolt, Veritas, Armand, and Valerie.

Besides having the names of people you knew on them, these doors were unique for other reasons had you not been looking for every detail you could. Gems, had been embedded into the center of the three of the massive doors. Each was the size of your fist, but they strangely did not seem to catch the light overhead. Instead, some of the gems seem to admit their own light, though you would have missed it at first glance.

1 of 5 in the Raynolt door
3 of 5 in the Veritas door
5 of 5 in the Valerie door

the door with your name seems to not have any gems, but unlike the others, it was your door that had the soft orange glow behind it, from the slit under the door, as if someone had lit a fireplace.

[Mysticsage]

I never expected the afterlife to have a waiting room .. Armand walked around the waiting room area looking around for a moment. Not seeing his companions, or anyone else for that matter, he continued towards the doors.

As he stopped in front of the doors and studied them, a thought came to his mind. If I'm dead, what are these doors for? He stopped as he thought about which door to open. He briefly reached for Valerie's door before stopping. No, he thought, if I'm going to get out of here I'll need help. He then reached for his door emitting the light from behind it and opened.

[Mysticsage]

As you open the door with a heavy shove, you walk into the hall baring your name to find a well appointed museum gallery. Several rows of display cases, of all sizes and shapes, stand like ideal soldiers in the room. As you stepped in further, you could tell at a glance what most of them were without even reading one of the plagues, things like the first treasure you had ever found, the first letter you had received from your father, and even something shaped like his casket was barely visible behind frosted glass.

Even the walls were lined with paintings of you from different times of your life, as if they had taken your memories wholesale and painted them from a third party perspective. The largest painting of all being a portraitt of you with your father centered on the back most wall. However, as your eyes scan over it something seems off about the composition that you would need more than a glance to understand

Along with the various strange pieces from your personal life, there seemed to be just as many empty cases especially as your eyes drift down from the painting and to a tight cluster of paintings at the center of the room. Most of the cases there were empty, except for two that stood out. One was a folded pile of clothes, and the other, at the center of everything, looked to be an empty hat rack that both would also need closer inspection.

[Schnizzer]

Armand walked down the hall and couldn't help but stare in amazement. It was practically his whole life laid out in front of him. There was the dagger he found from a lost tomb of a long dead mage in Osirion. A painting of him going on a dig with his father. And there... He stopped at the glass containing his father's coffin. He stared at it with a sullen face and reached out the glass, stopping himself just short of actually touching it. He drew his hand back and tilted his hat back slightly. "Right, I don't know where I am but... I'm not done!"

He walked on leaving his father's coffin behind. He had mourned him in his own way, or so he had told himself, and decided the best way to honor his father was to finish his work. So he continued past the paintings and cases. He eyed the painting, tempted to go straight towards it, but he decided to check out the other two cases first. He slowly walked over towards the case with the clothing to see what they were.

Perception on the case with the clothes

Rolled 1d20+6 : 4 + 6, total 10

[Mysticsage]

As you walk up to examine the clothes you see a small plaque that reads:

Climber's outfit
Any problem is just a mountain that requires the right tools to climb. This suit holds the desire of a body capable of facing those challenges without losing your grip.

Donated from the Veritas Sherlock exhibit

As you read over the plague you see three similar gems as those you found in the doors. These are clearly smaller but of similar shape and cut. One of the three was glowing on this particular plague.

As you glance back to the writing on the plaque however you must have blinked and missed something because reading the inscription a second time the section about the donation was gone. In fact, as you glance back up at the large painting of you and your father, at the center back wall you notice exactly what's off you are wearing the exact same climber outfit. You even had the dark shadow of stubble that you normally tried to shave away. But, there was something even more off about your depiction, where you were normally around the same size as your father, here you dwarfed him. In this painting you stood at least 6'2 if not 6'3.


Turning your attention to the hat rack, you find that is unique in being one of the few items not locked behind a case. Only a velvet rope cords it off from the rest of the public. This particular exhibit seems to have pride of place at the center of the exhibition, which is strange considering the seemingly incomplete nature of the piece itself.

[Schnizzer]

Armand looked at the plaque. He hadnt misread it, right? Well, thats curious! He stares at the painting as he walked to the hat rack. He was sure that had changed.

Stepping up to the hat rack, he moved around the velvet rope. Armand studied it and thought for a moment before warily removing his hat. He stared at the painting, I better get this back! He then placed the hat on the hat rack and took a step back.

[Mysticsage]

As you move to place your hat on the rack in question, you can feel the weight of the crystal shard hidden away before it tumbles out, at last second, just as you finish placing the hat. In many was, this hat was the thing that had started your journey. It was the only personal effect that had been recovered in tact after your father's death. The only memento of his legacy, besides you, the only thing sharing in your burden.

Carrying all these emotions as you place the hat on the rack the floor around it began to shine along with the crystal shard. Feeling that same pull you felt before on the ship you were consumed by the light being produced by the hat and the crystal.

You blinked once, and you were no longer in the strange exhibit of your memories.

In the course of one blink, you were in your family home, sitting at the table where you and your father had breakfast since you were a child. As your eyes continue to focus, you can feel the air alive with that strange magic, and then you here the thing you would have never dreamed of hearing.You heard the familiar sound of a knife scrapping butter on toast, as you realize your father is sitting across the table from you without a care in the world.

"Do you need another cup of coffee, You seem a little out of it this morning?" your father smiles at you.

Please set the scene of the last breakfast you had with your father before his death. You have all the memories and understand of the current you so feel free to act as you please.

[Schnizzer]

Armand looked around for a moment, trying to understand what had just happened. He looked over the plain kitchen with very few dishes and utensils. There was a window with the view of a small garden outside in the back of the small home. The table in front of him was set with a plain white cloth and two plates with eggs, sausages, and toast. There was a coffee pot with a bowl of sugar and two coffee cups next to the plates. Everything here seemed so familiar...

His eyes followed the sound of the voice and he stared at his father for a moment. Then clicked and he realized where he was. This was the last time he saw his father alive. He had gotten into an argument with him because he wouldn't let him travel with him. Armand had wanted to go with him but his father was adamant about him staying behind without much of an explanation. Of course, Armand had realized that his father had suspected something may happen during the trip. Unfortunately, he was unable to figure that out until after his father's death.

"Yes, sorry! I just... I guess I didn't sleep very well!" Armand wasn't sure what he was doing as he reached and poured himself another cup of coffee and took a sip. He'd always hated the taste of his father's coffee. It was always too strong, habit from working late hours studying old writings and ancient artifacts. Now, though, it was the best thing he'd ever tasted. It reminded him of something he'd never get to experience again, or so he thought.

He then smiled and looked at his father across the table. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

[Mysticsage]

"I was saying, that I know you are disappointed that you can't come with me, but I promise the work I lined up for you as a part of the archives will look better on your application to the Society than any expedition in the world," He said it with a weak smile. You both knew just how boring the archives could be, nothing but reading papers and doing research was the lowest rung of the ladder in the society.

Your father had gone out of the way to make sure you would be buried in work while he was away on this particular expedition. The research job was just the last step in his very transparent plan, and every time you pushed him as to why he never gave you a satisfying explanation. He had even been keeping the entire trip a secret from you until you had heard someone gossiping about your father when they thought no one was around to notice.

Now, this was the last chance you had to get answers and maybe change his mind. Though right this moment, his trip seemed to be the furthest thing from his mind as he doted on you as if you were a child again, as he pushed one of his sausages onto your plate when he thought you were distracted.