Strange lights...

[Ed Chivers]

It had been a long day on the farm. Kazkan herded his cattle into the byre and leant on the fence, exhausted. The old goblin filled his pipe and lit it, looking out past the waterfall and out to the plains beyond as the day came to an end. Funny old business out there, he thought. No good will come of it.

Suddenly he straightened up in surprise, his pipe hanging loosely from his mouth. Out in the far distance, at a sandy-coloured bluff, a bright white pencil-thin beam of light erupted out into the sky. At first pointing straight up, the beam moved like a searchlight across the sky before pointing out at a patch of sky in the west. He couldn't see what it was pointing at, whatever it was was out of sight.

He stared at it open mouthed for a while, and then suddenly the light flickered and was gone.

[Kathryn Karnage]

Then boomed out across the valley "This is the voice of the mysterons...."

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Valley" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to thevalleyrpg...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/thevalleyrpg.
To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thevalleyrpg/61c4a75e-1416-4417-9da7-aa2f35c73ebf%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Ed Chivers]

🤦

[Rico]

 "This is the voice of the mysterons...."

Snerk!

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

Zardan had sat patiently listening to the tales of Bran and Dramble, as anonymous as a tiefling could be amongst the valley-folk.  

He shook his head imperceptibly at the enthusiasm, the unfettered naivety being recounted by the adventurers, returned jubilant from their foray into the outer world.

He sighed heavily, his expression never shifting from its "resting disaproval face", as some halfling wag had once described him.

"Don't you believe them?  They risked their lives to bring us these wonderous tales!" chided someone near enough to notice.

He gave the interloper his best dead-eye stare.

"Oh, I believe them.  All dazzlement and wonder.  Just enough danger to titillate.  It seems no one is pondering the deeper questions here".

"Deeper questions?".

"These 'Builders'.  Who are they?  What will they do when they notice their devices have been activated?  How w..."

"See, you didn't listen at all! They said this incredible place have been empty for years!  They're all gone, or all dead!".

This last filled the quiet after Dramble had finished his tale, those nearby turned to see what the fuss was about.

Zardan gave the faces turned his way his best dour look.

"Ha.  That is not dead," he intoned ominously, "which can eternal lie".

Those assembled looked to one another for reasurance, or comprehension, and finding neither, back to Zardan.

"And if they are dead," he went on, "what is there out there that could overcome the creators of such marvels, hmm?  And where is it now, whatever 'it' may be, and what will it make of us?".

Several people laughed, a little nervously perhaps, others dismissed his concerned with a wave, or a frown.

"That Zardan, he worries to much".

"You're just trying to frighten us!".

"Lighten up, these stories are fun!".

"C'mon, some people died out there you know!".

"Wait, did anyone else see that light last night?!".

"There was a light?"

"In the sky!"

"Old Kazkan told me he saw it too!"

"Thats more like it", Zardan thought as he slid to the bar for another drink, "These are not trivial matters.  Our way of life here is changed forever, one way or another".

Fresh mug in hand, he went in search of those adventurers present, to talk quietly with them, see if he could join the next expedition.

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

Ed, if the whole light in the sky thing is supposed to be a "meanwhile..." that we aren't privvy to yet, let me know and I'll edit it away!

Also, how do I add the necessary tags around here?

[Ed Chivers]

The lights in the sky are common knowledge by now - Kazkan wasn't the only one to see them and there are plenty of halflings who like nothing more than gossiping.

They came on for a little while before sunset the day after the last expedition left, and then vanished without a trace.

Also - you can tag posts in the desktop view. I hope. Let me know if you don't have the option - maybe there are some settings I have to fiddle with.

[GFSTaylor]

I said the coloured lights would make the abandoned building a great place to throw a party. Spotlights in the sky too - awesome !

Taika