video; un: rtozier

[summertimeblues]

[Surrounding a pair of stained and rumpled tomes is a jumble of a barbershop quartet. You have Yusuke Kitagawa, focus plastered to whatever he’s sketching in a tidy notebook. Red, last name unknown, is continuing to copy letters into her own collection and keeps her phone ready at her side. Richie Tozier and Dorian Pavus are the only ones paying attention to the video feed. Ironic, as neither one of them should even know what a livestream is.]

Greetings to the damned, coming in live from the asbestos-caked halls of learning down here in Olympia’s residential nerd district. My name is Rich, this is Dorian. Say hi Dorian.

Greetings, from your local residential… nerd? What does that even mean, dear Richie?

It means a well dressed man. [Richie smiles sweetly at the fossil sitting adjacent before turning his attention back to the camera.] Over here and ignoring the masses are people of lesser import. Anyway, we’ve all gathered here because we took up some of that under the table money in exchange for odd jobs, and today they stuck us up here in the book prison. We’ve been tasked with translating all this old hocus pocus and we found some interesting stuff, looks pretty well like a related spell. I know some of us remember that cuh-lossal skull in a cave. Terrible vacation destination, by the way, piss poor accommodations and it’s definitely haunted. Just a hunch, but I think something died in there.

More like they were rather exquisitely prepared, died, and then proceeded to serve a "higher calling." [Dorian rolls his eyes, leaning forward to take up more of the screen.] It’s a question of what that higher purpose is. Judging by the preparations of the whole thing, it’s either incredibly sanctimonious or incredibly… condemning. Shall we show them the texts?

[One of the people of "lesser import" look up at this time — the one with bright red hair — as if on cue ( really, it was just some good timing ). Takes a brief moment to roll her eyes at the dramatics unfolding in front of her, but she reaches for her phone nonetheless; soon, a text attachment shows up with the video. Otherwise, she doesn’t look like she has anything to add, and quietly returns to her work.]

There you have it. Take a looksee, it seems we’re missing a beginning and an end there. Any other fun tidbits would also be appreciated if you’ve got them. I personally have always wondered how bar mitzvahs are conducted in magical medieval empires. Do they have a ceremonial gremlin for it? I’m too scared to ask the locals.

[Richie suddenly frowns, sidetracked by the human noodle etching in silence across from him.] Hey Stringbean, what are you drawing? Is it me? [He leans across the table to snatch the notebook. Lovingly (and quite skillfully rendered) is the skull in said cave. Richie gasps in delight.] It is! It’s me when I’m dead! What a cuuuutie!

[He’s now leaning bodily over the table to pinch at the teenager’s cheeks. Red makes a face, the camera jumbles and goes flat and pitch black on the table. The last thing heard before the feed cuts is Richie’s yelp of pain (Red's boot has found his shin) and Dorian’s long groan.]

((OOC: The text will be added as a comment to the post! Any one of the four losers present may reply, but it's mostly going to be Richie and/or Dorian.))

Comments

addendum: the translated texts.

[persistor]

[...] upon the altar, being certain that the bearer is unconscious. In some more remote locations in the wilderness, a pit was dug and the surrounding cave decorated with murals depicting the ritual. Bones were found with serrated marks, indicating either rough-hewn tools for cutting or the gnawing of teeth. The shift from sacrifice to consumption appears gradual, related to—

[...] cradling the head, apply the poultice to the open incision. This will let the dragon-bearer relax such that they may participate in the harvest more willingly. Do not let the dragon-bearer exert too much energy, as they are vital to the completion of the process. Additionally, do not consume any of the poultice, and take care when harvesting materials that they are purified before consumption, as consuming a poultice-contaminated harvest will result in—

[tricksune]

[ Since the... broadcasting mishap, Yusuke's retrieved his journal from Richie's nefarious grasp, and they've been given the stinkeye by several Temple librarians. In an effort to keep things quiet, he uploads his 'notes' as a picture.

Cue earlier sketch of a skull and its surroundings, as well as some hazy recollections of the etchings inside. ]

This is one you meant, isn't it? I had thought it only a crypt at the time.
To think, that it might be for... this.

[summertimeblues]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and admit, I was only half joking about it being haunted. Akira and I definitely saw something. Bad trip, sans the shrooms.

[tricksune]

[ he doesn't know what shrooms are, literally no one in this room understands anything you say, richie ]

What do you mean?

[flashystyle]

Shrooms being short for mushrooms.

[Dorian says, unhelpfully, smirking behind his hand from across the table.]

[persistor]

[ Stares bleakly. ]

What did you see? More ghosts?

[summertimeblues]

something to that effect. the cave went pitch black and the walls glowed up like it was a neon rave. Mostly through some runes. A few robed figures hunched their way in and they were dragging fresh meat with them if you catch my drift.

Two of them lowered the guy into a pool of water and the others readied their knives.

then it all flashed blue and winked out.

[tricksune]

[ for the record, he shoots a look over his phone at dorian. can someone really trip over a mushroom? they're so soft. ]

Frankly, it sounds a fever dream. But if Akira saw it as well...

How can it be that you had a glimpse of such an aged ritual?

[flashystyle]

[Dorian winks from over his phone, nudging poor Yusuke's leg under the table. He's kidding, small child.]

It isn't an uncommon thing. This world is full of ambient magic, and magic tends to latch onto events that hold significance, no matter how gruesome. It's also possible they wanted it recorded as a testament to... whatever. The equivalent of taking a photograph of your food.

[persistor]

Only it's in a dark cave where there aren't any cameras. And it just plays at unsuspecting travelers.

But why that part? That wasn't in the translation.

[summertimeblues]

[Richie frowns, looking to Yusuke and then Red in a desolate anguish.]

do people really photograph their food

[tricksune]

[ Red needs to kick some more shins. Meanwhile, Yusuke speaks in a whisper as he taps vacantly at their weird Instagram expy, showing Richie a plethora of fisheyed selfies and pictures of sandwiches, in sepia.

He's done his millennial duty, so now Dorian can be his smart wizard self. ]

Regardless, it does seem to match what we've read. Perhaps we should assume it's true. Though even so, I'm no closer to understanding the purpose of these rituals...

[flashystyle]

Are we speaking now?

[Dorian immediately sits up, beaming from a) the fact he is completely right and b) the sound of his own voice. Sorry Red.]

It must be something with the... dragon-bearer portion of it. But how does one bear a dragon?

text;

[originallutece]

[Dorian has just been so dang busy translating texts!!]

". . . used in tandem with one another, their volatility increases noticeably. Our best suggestion is to separate the spells as thoroughly as possible until a more suitable method of combination can be found. A golden color is ideal; this seems to have produced the most stable effect, although the method of its production was unfortunately not recorded. We think that, perhaps, fluid from . . ."

More magic. Lovely.

Re: text;

[summertimeblues]

yes your favorite

that's nice even if the purpose is a bit nebulous. Sounds like they're putting enchantments on specific items. There was another job they handed out crystals for with different tricks and smokescreens, maybe this is the predecessor to that crap?

[originallutece]

Specific items or specific people.

Tell me more about those crystals.

[Bossy.]

[summertimeblues]

say please

[originallutece]

You can't be serious.

[summertimeblues]

deadly so

[originallutece]

There's one man who earns such a word from me, Richie Tozier, and it most certainly isn't you.

[summertimeblues]

then may you languish in dissatisfaction forever more

[originallutece]

Oh, for heaven's sake, save the schoolyard pettiness for when it doesn't matter, not when we're trying to solve a problem about our universe.

[summertimeblues]

Your comportment marks were all Fs weren't they?

anyway, they were different colors and they had different spells attached to them. You had to rub it up a bit to get it used to you, and then you were supposed to just will the spell into happening. Which would be fine if they didn't crap out half the time, nearly lost my hide thanks to that slick rip off.

One of them was for teleporting, the other was for multiplying whatever you did to one person. You slap Bob up the head, and Curly, Moe, and Joe all clutched their noggins too.

[originallutece]

My governesses weren't pleased to be teaching me, no. Fortunate that I wasn't in it to learn how to be polite, hm?

And thank you. I don't suppose you have any left, do you? I shan't say please for that either, but I'd at least ask to see it.

[summertimeblues]

i suppose i can't fault you on that line of thinking, i felt much the same way as a tyke.

Nope, we had to hand them in at the end of the trip. You'll have to take your pleases and may I's up with Voss the Boss.