The Temple of the Seal(Perma-open!)

[prythian]

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In the middle of the sands, a large tower arises. The stone it's made out of curves upwards, eventually narrowing to a needle-like point. A single doorway leading down into the Temple of the Seal is set at the very base of the curved stone, entering a sloping tunnel that eventually curves up into the rest of the temple. It appears that the curving tunnels that honeycomb this place descend deep below the sands as well as up into the tower. Monks wander about in the Temple, doing various things like chores and errands. Above the doorway, a large symbol of a closed fist is engraved into the smooth stone. The sand swirls ominously around the spire.

[nascent]

Deep in the Desert...


Beneath the blazing sun, three travelers braved the harsh desert heat. Covered in ragged brown cloaks, the three had set out from Agrabah before the sun rose... they had covered miles of desert, and yet seemed no closer to their destination. In the shadow of a sand dune they stopped to rest, all weary from the endless trek through oceans of sand.

"So... how far are we from the Cave of Wonders?" Kassom asked, turning towards one of his companions. Vates removed the hood of his travel cloak, fished out a canteen from its folds, and took a long draught before replying.

"Well, as far as I can tell we're still heading in the right direction..."

Iris paused, her canteen inches from her lips. "But?"

The elder lynx sighed wearily -- unlike the two youngsters, who'd grown up in a desert far more forbidding than this, the aging artificer wasn't used to such harsh environs. "There's... some kind of distortion in the area. I can't quite get a fix on how close or far from the Cave we are."

Kassom muttered a curse under his breath. The three had begun this endeavor because they'd heard a rumor about a secret repository of great treasure and enchanted artifacts -- the so-called Cave of Wonders -- hidden out in the endless sands. For quite some time Kassom had just ignored the tales -- they were pretty popular in the city, it seemed -- but when Iris and Vates had arrived and the old man sensed strong magic out among the dunes, the adventurous trio had decided it was worth checking to see if the rumors held and validity.

Now, though, they were lost. Fully and utterly lost.

"However," The green-eyed professor interjected. "From what I can tell the disturbance is coming from--"

His explanation was interrupted abruptly as the winds began to kick up sharply. A sandstorm? No... moments later, a massive dark rift appeared in the sky... and from that vortex sailed forth what appeared to be a sailing ship! A sailing ship with a black underbelly, crimson hull... and a few other features that Kassom recognized immediately.

" 'The Red Corsair'?! ****!! What the heck is that little brat doing here?!"

As the vortex closed and the sand-sown winds subsided, Vates pointed in the direction that the ship was headed. "Heading for the disturbance, it seems."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"So then, this here be th' place?"

Cordell stood at the bow and peered through a telescope, her sights locked upon a strange building with sand swirling around it like a stationary windstorm.

The optic exists throughout the cathedral. An ended misfortune progresses. The cube jacks the realm opposite a compulsory knee. The flame waffles. When can a spy razor a trilogy?

Cordell groaned aloud, realizing that it was getting worse. The ship hadn't fed in quite some time now... and when that happened the ship's mind occasionally became somewhat erratic and unreliable. It didn't interfere with its functions... just its reasoning. She assumed that all that nonsense was its way of saying 'yes'.

"Well, one way or 'nother, that place be lookin' mighty suspect." She collapsed the spyglass and tucked it away in her coat's inner pockets, then turned to face the deck crew. "Avast, ye scallywags! Make ready ta loot 'n pillage! We make fer th' tower -- descend three fathom an' prepare to drop anchor!"

The crew didn't respond -- most Heartless can't talk, after all -- but they did fly into a frenzy of action all across the deck. Fifteen minutes later, a massive anchor marked with a Heartless symbol came crashing down into the sand not far from the tower's front entrance. As fully half her Heartless crew either leapt or glided down from the ship Cordell used a rope mounted just above the anchor's chain to repel like a mountain climber down to the surface. Once there, she drew a pair of pistols from her coat... and led her crew through the front doors.

" 'Tis a good day fer piratin', I can feel it!"

[prythian]

"Greetings." A monk said, noticing the entrance. "You are permitted to stay, miss. The Heartless, on the other hand, are forbidden from this sacred place." He held up a hand, and the brown robes he wore stirred as if in an unseen wind. He closed the hand into a fist, which then began to glow. The Heartless were pushed out of the doorway back into the sands. Lowering his hand, which was no longer glowing, he bowed deeply, his robes back to normal. "There is no violence permitted within the Temple of the Seal. Please, what may I do for you?"

[nascent]

'Oooooooh snap, I'm keelhauled now!' The young captain thought silently, hesitating after seeing the monk's display of power. Why did this always happen?! Every time she went a-pillaging either someone got in her way or the loot turned out to be worth less than she'd thought. This time, though, it seemed she'd double-dipped where her bad luck was concerned -- not only were these guys in robes powerful, but the place looked like a monastery... and not a very rich monastery at that.

"Oh, uh, heh heh..." Cordell muttered, laughing nervously. She quickly pocketed her pistols. "S-sorry, wrong place. I, er, uh, thought that this were a... um, bandits, yeah! A bandit hideout. S-sorry about that."

" 'ey, you lot!" She turned and shouted out the doorway, hoping her voice would carry back to her crew. "Get back an' mind th' ship!"

"A-anyways..." She rubbed the back of her head nervously. "So, um, what be a temple doin' out in th' middle o' th' desert? An'... what's wit th' sand swirlin' round 'bout it?"

[prythian]

"This Temple has reappeared in reality, but the place it resides is a distortion." The monk explained, looking curiously at her. "The sand, I believe, is reacting to the distortion of reality necessary for the Temple to be here. As for the location of the Temple, this may have been the place it was originally built. For what reason it was built here, in the middle of the desert, was isolation. People may visit, but the Temple is meant to last in peace. Crowded places tend to eliminate such luxuries."

[Akito]

"What deity or deities do you worship, if any at all?" Alexis raised an eyebrow curiously as he slowly stepped towards the Monk, displaying little interest in the lady captain. He had side stepped the onrush of wind that had been oh so conveniently timed with his arrival. The dark ones had been tossed aside like limp dolls, Alexis had to stifle a laugh. He found it hilarious. That aside, Alexis question sought to strike the root of the nature of a temple; what is a temple if not for worship? Now what or who did the grim monk worship?

Why was Alexis here, you ask? A whimsical rumor of a foreboding temple had reached his ear. He loved a good mystery, a little thrill was always delightful. It had not been hard to find the temple, it really was when one could fly, but more than that, Alexis had simply followed the rather neat ship; one that did not traverse on water. In all honesty, he had temporarily forgotten about the temple and merely wanted to ask the Captain for a chance to ride the nifty contraption. But who knew one purpose would lead to the other? Life is just full of coincidences.

[prythian]

The monk bowed deeply to Alexis. "We do not 'worship' in your sense of the word, I believe." The monk answered. "If I am taking your meaning correctly, then what we believe is that the five senses that beings possess may be refined and brought into the spiritual rather than the purely physical. This Temple is devoted to the sense of Touch, and focus on refining our emphatic feelings... reaching out for others spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Many of our monks here are empaths."

[Akito]

"So there are other temples devoted to the other senses," Alexis confirmed with himself. His eyes narrowed. This tower was rather grandiose, why were there no rumors of it before now? Why were there only a bustling of sightings now? "You weren't always here, were you? I find it unlikely a tower such as this could be erected so quickly. How and why are you here now, so suddenly?" He persisted with his questions, ever curious; ever intrusive. There was so much here he didn't know. "There is so much...magic here. I'm sorry, should I not call it magic?" Many had been offended when he called their spirits, chi or whatever simply 'magic'. It was troublesome, but others did not hold the same respect and definition for the concept of magic like he did. It was not just pulling rabbits out of hats or sawing a person in half; it was so much more. However, in this temple, Alexis was embarrassed to admit but there was magic that even he, a sorcerer of several thousand years, didn't know.

[prythian]

"You can call it magic. The power by any name is still the same at the heart of it." The monk answered. "And no, we weren't always here. As I just finished explaining to her," And here he indicated Cordell. "The Temple of the Seal has just recently reappeared in reality. It was built here originally, but has not been in reality for a long time. If you can feel the power, you are probably sensing the distortion that has returned us." The monk gestured about the hallway, indicating the entire Temple. "This place... is ancient."

[Akito]

Ancient? More so than even Alexis? Perhaps. Alexis nodded, absorbing the information and grateful for the willingness of the monk to converse. He added however, "I'm sorry, I also asked why. Why have you reappeared here now of all the sudden? Something major must be transpiring that you must appear in reality, I'd wager," A smiled tugged at the sorcerer's lips. He liked these monks, simple and modest as they were despite wielding formidable power from what Alexis had seen.

[prythian]

"..." The monk went silent for a bit before looking away. He appeared to be deciding how much to tell the sorcerer. "The Seal is fading." He said this in reverent awe, as if it explained everything. He did not elaborate on what this Seal was, nor why it was fading. "That is why we have reappeared in reality."

[Akito]

Alexis looked at the monk tentatively. Such sparse details; it seems this topic was most private and Alexis wondered if it would be possible to press the matter. He decided against it. If no knowledge of the seal itself or why it was fading would be told, perhaps a different approach...

"Will you at least tell me what should happen if the seals fade? If it is some catastrophe, would it not be best for people to be prepared?" Alexis asked, a very well feigned expression of worry evident on his face. Frankly, he didn't care much for others, however, he had decided to attack the Monk's sense of morality...hoping they had one. After all, a seal implied something was being trapped. Was there something that needed this powerful a seal to confine it?

[prythian]

"If the Seal fades, then something is released. Surely that much is something you can guess." The monk replied. "We can and will take care of any problems caused by a complete fading of the Seal... but the fading is unlikely. Rest assured that it is nothing for you to worry about right now." The monk smiled reassuringly. "Once the Seal is reestablished properly, we will disappear from reality once more."

[Akito]

"Problems? So whatever is sealed is dangerous," Alexis concluded, a little disheartened at how tight lipped the monk was being. He still knew too little. "I find little confidence in your assurance. Perhaps if I knew more as to how you would re-establish these seals? I may be able to help," It would be a tragedy to let magic yet unknown to him disappear without so much as a basic understanding.

[prythian]

"That is not something you are permitted to know." The monk reprimanded Alexis politely but firmly. It appeared a direct approach was needed, the monk realized. "It is not something that you are in need of knowing, and that is the reason we would tell you. Now, if there is anything else we can help either of you with...?" The monk waited for an answer.