The soft brush of the salty air finally wakes you up. There is sand between your fingers. A beach! The rushing sound of the gentle waves breaking a few yards from where you lay sprawled on the sand confirms your suspicions. Your mind is empty and you have absolutely no clue how you landed here.
As you look around you see the beach is empty. In the distance some gigantic crabs scurry away. Your eyes kid you not, they are indeed as big as pigs, with vicious claws to match. But they seem more scared of you than you are of them.
In between the gentle dunes, with fair tops of waving sea-grass, that mark the end of the beach you notice a small path. At the beginning of the path you see several items on the ground, shining metal sparkling in the sunlight. A small awkwardly written notice, that surprisingly even the illiterate can read, says
"Please leave all weapons here. Beyond this point the gods will provide."
_____________________
Perhaps it would have been romantic if her eyelids had fluttered open, as a sleeping princess waking from some long and mystical sleep - but they did not. Gwenywen's eyes shot open with sheer shock, and she gasped as though she had woken from a dream of drowning. Sand, she could feel it beneath her cheek and in her mouth. The taste of winds and the sea, cold and salty, rushed in and out of her lungs as she took those shuddering, desperate breaths. Perhaps she had been taken by the sea, but then .. how long had she remained there, sleeping on the beach? And how was it that she was here at all, unknown as the location of 'here' was?
She pushed herself from her drowsiness with wiry, slim arms, until finally she sat. Gwen pushed the hair from her face, usually pale, but in her shock bleached to ghost-white - only to find that her frightened eyes were soothed by beauty. Beauty, yes .... by the Mother, what are they?
Utterly awed by what seemed to be crabs of enormous proportions, Gwen scrambled to her feet and backed away. Little abrasive grains of sand stuck to her clothing, dull flecks of golden-brown against the bright red of her skirt and bodice - she let them stay where they were. Only when it became clear that the giant crustaceans weren't about to rush forward and rend her to shreds did she dust her clothes down, and took let her eyes travel across the terrain. That she had no idea where she was seemed to be less and less of a concern with each passing moment. A more pressing need to know where she headed built within her instead.
The sign she read - "please leave all weapons here". That was a hard task. The one item that the Achadiel possessed that could calm her fear no matter the situation was her quarterstaff. Her mother maintained that the staff was as 'tough as a mountain', but then, her mother had made it for her. Gwen could hardly imagine letting go of it, and her fingers instinctively tightened their grasp at the very thought. But still ... it was no toy. Though she had never tried it before and the thought appalled her, Gwen was entirely sure that she could cave a head in with her quarterstaff, should the need arise. And so she obeyed, and placed it on the sand almost lovingly. She might never see it again, after all.
She made her way towards the path between the dunes, making a mental map of her surroundings. Perhaps she already knew where she was, and it was just a matter of finding her way back to more familiar territory? She already knew that idea was a long shot.
Entrance Thread for Gwenywen Calenth
Moderator: Mods
OOC: Hi Gwen, I'll be your mod here for now! Feel free to pm me for any questions, remarks, suggestions, announcements 
Indeed the beach of the Oracle was the stage of a unique spectacle. The crabs weren't that dangerous as they appeared at first sight. Once one could observe without fear their bright red shields dancing contrastingly over the sand, it became an experience of unmatched aesthetical quality.
As Gwen walked up the path many before had trod, she passed by the same large fields. In the distance there were well tended fields, replete with crops gently swaying in the mild breeze that swept the Isle. Although she could see people working, she like those before her, felt herself drawn along the path, and could not veer away to investigate these fields, or the attendant farmers.
Soon she found herself approaching a collection of white buildings. The path ended on a dusty square, in front of what was clearly the centrepiece of the settlement, if one could call it that. The entrance, marked by two huge marble pillars, had no doors, only a deep, inviting darkness, that pulled at her very soul to enter, in fact Gwenywen found the pull of the entrance almost unbearable.
Indeed the beach of the Oracle was the stage of a unique spectacle. The crabs weren't that dangerous as they appeared at first sight. Once one could observe without fear their bright red shields dancing contrastingly over the sand, it became an experience of unmatched aesthetical quality.
As Gwen walked up the path many before had trod, she passed by the same large fields. In the distance there were well tended fields, replete with crops gently swaying in the mild breeze that swept the Isle. Although she could see people working, she like those before her, felt herself drawn along the path, and could not veer away to investigate these fields, or the attendant farmers.
Soon she found herself approaching a collection of white buildings. The path ended on a dusty square, in front of what was clearly the centrepiece of the settlement, if one could call it that. The entrance, marked by two huge marble pillars, had no doors, only a deep, inviting darkness, that pulled at her very soul to enter, in fact Gwenywen found the pull of the entrance almost unbearable.
Last edited by Finodborn on Sun Oct 03, 2004 12:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
Verum et factum convertuntur.
Avatar by the Artist Currently Known as Eira.
Avatar by the Artist Currently Known as Eira.
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Gwenywen Calenth
Already on edge with some strange tension - though of course, the situation she found herself in would promote some kind of wariness - Gwen moved fowards, the soft leather at her feet padding hesitatntly upon the path foward. The horizon of fields was a surreal sight to the achadhiel, for though she knew of the farming methods of humans and other such races, it was a sight she had not yet seen either in or outside of Taquar - it seemed to Gwenywen odd, that one would tend lovingly to a such vast plantations, only in order to exploit them at a later date. Even her herb gathering was done in frugal fashion, and this, was something different. Of course, hunger was hunger, and humankind adapted to it the best they could, considering they were a race inclined to panic and haste. Futhermore, the musings only led her to believe that she was in no danger - hard working types would have no time to harm her, perhaps, and such civilisation hinted at civility itself.
And such wonderings also blinded her to the steady, hypnotic progress she was making along the path, as though drawn to a magnet. She continued on, her steps steady and slow, until she came to the pillars - and confusion stunned her momentarily. Gwen's nose wrinkled at the sight before her, darkness that both beckoned and unnerved her. Are you losing your mind? You know not where you are, and find yourself compelled by some .. thing?. One foot went in, as she considered the facts - she was lost, she was alone, she wanted to go fowards ... but what of the danger? What of the fear? Solace was found in the thought that help or counsel might be beyond the welcoming gloom - but still, she frowned and bit her lip, torn between desire to proceed and anxiety at the possibilities that might entail. In the end, desire won over, and she stepped into the dark.
OOC: Thankyou!
Looking foward to writing with you.
And such wonderings also blinded her to the steady, hypnotic progress she was making along the path, as though drawn to a magnet. She continued on, her steps steady and slow, until she came to the pillars - and confusion stunned her momentarily. Gwen's nose wrinkled at the sight before her, darkness that both beckoned and unnerved her. Are you losing your mind? You know not where you are, and find yourself compelled by some .. thing?. One foot went in, as she considered the facts - she was lost, she was alone, she wanted to go fowards ... but what of the danger? What of the fear? Solace was found in the thought that help or counsel might be beyond the welcoming gloom - but still, she frowned and bit her lip, torn between desire to proceed and anxiety at the possibilities that might entail. In the end, desire won over, and she stepped into the dark.
OOC: Thankyou!
Looking foward to writing with you.
Last edited by Gwenywen Calenth on Wed Oct 06, 2004 9:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
As she stepped into the hall, her eyes were drawn to the middle of the temple, where light fell in through the roof. There was a pool right under it, sparkling in the sunlight.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she saw four small channels run away from the pool, where overflow water would be easily drained.
At the far end of the pool a large decorative construction hung over the pool, almost like an aquaduct. Darker in colour than the rest of the stone, there was a suggestion that water flowed regularly from its top, about ten metres high.
But not now. Everything was quiet, hushed, waiting....
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she saw four small channels run away from the pool, where overflow water would be easily drained.
At the far end of the pool a large decorative construction hung over the pool, almost like an aquaduct. Darker in colour than the rest of the stone, there was a suggestion that water flowed regularly from its top, about ten metres high.
But not now. Everything was quiet, hushed, waiting....
Verum et factum convertuntur.
Avatar by the Artist Currently Known as Eira.
Avatar by the Artist Currently Known as Eira.