Story : Within the Barrow.
From Ars Magica
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The lack of any real sensation or effect was the strangest aspect of what happened next. Had they not been crossing over at such a place, it is possible that they could have crossed halfway though a step, and not noticed a thing until something unusual came into view. | The lack of any real sensation or effect was the strangest aspect of what happened next. Had they not been crossing over at such a place, it is possible that they could have crossed halfway though a step, and not noticed a thing until something unusual came into view. | ||
| - | Instead, as they moved toward the broken stone portal, toward the bank of earth behind it, they suddenly found themselves stood within a dark, cool passage. On all sides, except before them, they could feel cold, damp stone. The sound of their own breathing, and the shuffling of their feet upon stone seemed | + | Instead, as they moved toward the broken stone portal, toward the bank of earth behind it, they suddenly found themselves stood within a dark, cool passage. On all sides, except before them, they could feel cold, damp stone. The sound of their own breathing, and the shuffling of their feet upon stone seemed unnaturally loud in the stillness of the barrow. |
As their eyes accustomed to the gloom, it seemed that some faint glow came from a hole in the stone ceiling a little further down the passage, and beyond that, darkness. | As their eyes accustomed to the gloom, it seemed that some faint glow came from a hole in the stone ceiling a little further down the passage, and beyond that, darkness. | ||
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| + | <span style="color:#663333">Ambrosius looked around the bare corridor, noting the unusually clean floor and well kept walls. He’d never been in a regio before, and didn’t know what to expect, so he was not all that surprised. He took a few steps forward to stand next to Mnemosyne and noticed that the smooth feel of stone under his boots was broken by some shards of the “real” world door that had fallen to ruin, freed by his clearing of the dirt and mud. He set his staff aside and leaned heavily against the close stone wall, the coolness of it sinking into his palm at an almost alarming rate, and lifted each of his feet in turn and picked the shards out of where they’d embedded themselves in the soles. In the gloom, he could barely see the bottom of his feet, let alone find all the small remains of the door. Dissatisfied with the persistence of the scratching sound his feet made as he walked, he noted, “I am, ahhhh, amazed at the difference between the ruins out there and the pristine condition in here. I mean, I knew that was how it was supposed to work, but…” he blew his breath out to create a low whistle. “Perhaps we could do with a bit more, um…” he paused, looking for the right word, “…illumination?”</span> | ||
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| + | <span style="color:#663333">He lightly tapped the tip of his staff on the ground and spoke the magic in a firm, clear voice. The top most section of his staff slowly began to emit light, but before it got any stronger than an ember, it seemed to struggle and die. Ambrosius looked intently at the top of the staff, an expression of concern on his face. For a brief second, the effect he’d been after seemed to reverse as the modest light from the ceiling seemed to be sucked towards the darkness of the staff. As quickly as it started, it stopped. The staff top apparently returned to normal. </span> | ||
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| + | <span style="color:#663333"> “Well, that was odd. I wonder what…” Before he could finish his sentence, the top most section of the staff flashed, many times brighter than the noonday sun and with such intensity that the light itself seemed to carry with it a force of wind. The intensity was physically painful; Ambrosius had been starring right at the flash when it occurred and, though he’d closed his eyes as quickly as he could, he sensed it would have made very little difference, one way or the other. His eyes watered up almost immediately, and thought the flash of light was less than a split second, he worried its effects might be more permanent. Carefully, he opened his eyes. He could see nothing at all. Even the gentle glow of the light source in the ceiling was gone now – he stood in total blackness.</span> | ||
Revision as of 16:09, 17 April 2006
The lack of any real sensation or effect was the strangest aspect of what happened next. Had they not been crossing over at such a place, it is possible that they could have crossed halfway though a step, and not noticed a thing until something unusual came into view.
Instead, as they moved toward the broken stone portal, toward the bank of earth behind it, they suddenly found themselves stood within a dark, cool passage. On all sides, except before them, they could feel cold, damp stone. The sound of their own breathing, and the shuffling of their feet upon stone seemed unnaturally loud in the stillness of the barrow.
As their eyes accustomed to the gloom, it seemed that some faint glow came from a hole in the stone ceiling a little further down the passage, and beyond that, darkness.
Ambrosius looked around the bare corridor, noting the unusually clean floor and well kept walls. He’d never been in a regio before, and didn’t know what to expect, so he was not all that surprised. He took a few steps forward to stand next to Mnemosyne and noticed that the smooth feel of stone under his boots was broken by some shards of the “real” world door that had fallen to ruin, freed by his clearing of the dirt and mud. He set his staff aside and leaned heavily against the close stone wall, the coolness of it sinking into his palm at an almost alarming rate, and lifted each of his feet in turn and picked the shards out of where they’d embedded themselves in the soles. In the gloom, he could barely see the bottom of his feet, let alone find all the small remains of the door. Dissatisfied with the persistence of the scratching sound his feet made as he walked, he noted, “I am, ahhhh, amazed at the difference between the ruins out there and the pristine condition in here. I mean, I knew that was how it was supposed to work, but…” he blew his breath out to create a low whistle. “Perhaps we could do with a bit more, um…” he paused, looking for the right word, “…illumination?”
He lightly tapped the tip of his staff on the ground and spoke the magic in a firm, clear voice. The top most section of his staff slowly began to emit light, but before it got any stronger than an ember, it seemed to struggle and die. Ambrosius looked intently at the top of the staff, an expression of concern on his face. For a brief second, the effect he’d been after seemed to reverse as the modest light from the ceiling seemed to be sucked towards the darkness of the staff. As quickly as it started, it stopped. The staff top apparently returned to normal.
“Well, that was odd. I wonder what…” Before he could finish his sentence, the top most section of the staff flashed, many times brighter than the noonday sun and with such intensity that the light itself seemed to carry with it a force of wind. The intensity was physically painful; Ambrosius had been starring right at the flash when it occurred and, though he’d closed his eyes as quickly as he could, he sensed it would have made very little difference, one way or the other. His eyes watered up almost immediately, and thought the flash of light was less than a split second, he worried its effects might be more permanent. Carefully, he opened his eyes. He could see nothing at all. Even the gentle glow of the light source in the ceiling was gone now – he stood in total blackness.
