Re: Viroviacum: The Temple of Juno
Seti begins his examination, "This is most troubling,", still standing at a respectful distance from the pool. "These runes around the perimeter," he says, pointing to the recently carved Infernal runes,"are Infernal. I am not adept in that language, but they certainly have a magical presence, as part of the ritual ceremony used against the pool. And see," he points again, "something has polluted the top of the water. It looks healthy underneath, so perhaps all is not yet lost. Now, for speculating, I suspect the ritual may have required some sacrifice or torture for completion, a common ingredient in powerful Infernal spells. They may have hoped to round up certain priests or other key figures for such purpose and been interrupted. Be careful," he reminds Scolo, "the runes very well may be trapped."
He looks around to ensure that they are left alone, that any crowds of other who may have gathered near the Font can be shooed away. Dagnish should be able to manage that task, as many people have a natural revulsion to Mongrels already.
"As I recall, Iris, the divine herald of Juno, appeared here and was given water by the priestess Lucida. In return, Iris blessed the water, but the priestesses kept the knowledge of its power to themselves, something not uncommmon amongst clergy and I suspect wizards too," he adds, hoping to help Scolo understand their human similarities in the face of so many differences.
He sighs briefly, "Unfortunately, I know little of rune magic either. I have spent most of my career guiding men, not material items, and while Lord Pluto is committed to his Olympic kin, the celestial nor infernal realms are my specialty. I could summon a celestial outsider, for the benefit of their presence, but my powers could only keep it here a short time, several minutes. I can perhaps remove any curse left behind, but I have not yet learned all of the rituals to proper hallow such an artifact. I could pray for guidance, that He may grant me insight, but there are no priestesses left here to which we can turn; although it seems likely their spirits may remain and could offer some guidance."
"You know much of melding the outer planes and prime materials. How do you think we might remove these runes and the oil polluting the water?" he asks, hoping Scolo's brilliance extends this far.
Realizing they'll need help, at some opportune moment, he asks Dagnish to summon Spica. Knowing the populace is already suspicious, he tries to keep a low profile, not likely easy with the grandiose wizard in tow. He knows that the unicorn also exudes some celestial presence, but he does not know the extent of her power. "The water," he says somberly, "it's poisoned, in a manner of speaking. Being a fey, kin to the natural elements, I wondered if you might know anything of how to undo this corruption." It's a long shot, but it seemed worth asking.
"Do we know anything of what happened here?" he asks Spica, since she's been here for a while. "Did the priestess leave anything behind. If they knew what was coming upon them, they may have had some contingency plan for such a disaster, although few ever see their end coming as quickly as it does."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:49, Thu 02 Aug 2012.