Sleeping Giants Game 4

Intro

Nil's Meeting

It’s been about an hour. The writing on the wall hit you like a ton of bricks. A wave of fatigue came over you suddenly, and you had to excuse yourself from the rest of the group. You’ve been relaxing at the top of the fissure, catching your breath and thinking through the implications of your discovery. The fresh air has helped you to feel better, until you notice… the wind, where’d it go? It was pretty regular when you first got up here, but now it’s completely stopped.

You shake your head free from thought to focus on your surroundings. Something is off, but you’re not quite sure what. Things seem unnaturally still. The wind isn’t blowing, the trees aren’t swaying, the leaves aren’t moving. You go to push off the ground to investigate, only to find that your entire body is paralyzed from the neck down. Panic starts to come over you. Is this permanent? What the heck is going on?!

Just as you’re about to freak out for good, a small whirling tornado of smoke appears not 5 feet in front of you. The space all around you grows darks, and a deep purple light emits from the smoke as a low, rumbling voice emanates from it.

“Greetings, young one. You’ve followed the signs, and now you are here. Some may regard this fortress as the birthplace of your people. Others simply refer to it as the Sunless Citadel. Whatever its name, it acts as the gathering place for you six now. And it is here I have awaited you.”

At this point, the rumbling accompanying the voice has completely subsided, and you realize the words are being transmitted directly to your brain. This strange being is speaking to you telepathically. You notice that the world around you has grown completely dark, and you can see nothing else but the swirling smoke in front of you.

“I bring you a gift, young one. The gift of telepathy, should you so choose. In return, I ask only that you keep a watchful eye on your new companions. And pay particular attention to the child, for there is much more to her and her story than even she realizes. What say you?”

After a moment of hesitation, you give your answer. “…yes.”

The darkness surrounding you and the smoke disappears, and the smoke itself quickly dissipates. You find yourself in a room you’ve never seen before, but all of your companions are here. An ornate fountain is built into one wall, cracked and stained but the carving of a diving dragon retains its beauty. On the opposite wall stands a relief-carved stone door. Your companions are completely frozen for a moment, but they slowly start moving again, speeding up until they are finally moving at full speed. You look down at your hands and feet, which you have full control over once more. You hear the being’s voice echo in your mind one last time.

“Excellent.”