To the Belly

Joint post with Bandorchu, Omni, Jaxx, and LucianNepreen

When first light came to awaken the camp, Alexis did some light stretching to loosen her tense muscles. She checked in with Tarmen and Nicolaus whether there had been other disturbances aside from mysterious dust devils and then gathered her team.
“I’d like to cross that wreck off our list today, so I think we should get it done together, so we are faster.” She caught the anxious expression on Till’s face and sighed. “… save for Till, I suppose. Though I’m not quite happy with leaving you here on your own…”
“Nicolaus, please stay with Till to secure camp. Everyone be careful; we heard some strange noises in there. Could be the wood settling or just wildlife wandering around, but with all that mumbo jumbo maybe not.”

-At the wreck-

"Greyriver and Cagliostro mentioned hearing possible movement from the decks above. It is possible that some wild animals or natives have made their home in there. So let's be ready for a fight. In the most extreme case, we must be ready for sorcery, specifically someone who can control fire. So our torches may be a hazard. Regardless, if there is some THING inside that ship, perhaps it would be best to lure it out."
"Vastad..." Voah closed her eyes and centered a flat hand with the thumb between her breasts. Then in a gesture, she raised it straight up to her forehead as if cleaving a line from heart to mind.
"If there is to be a fight..." She opened her eyes and made a chopping motion, straightening the length of her arm. "May our weapons strike true."
Hunter remained silent as the holy woman prayed in her way. Though he was well aware of the existence of magic and magic users, he also knew a well placed arrow in the brain a major deterrent in spell casting. So he simply stayed quiet and stayed focused for any ambushes.
Tarmen looked at Voah, unsure how he felt about having her…. fanatic ways. Looking at the wreck to take his mind off of it, his brow furrowed in concentration.
“If Greyriver didn’t find anythin’ below, then I doubt it is a nest for nothin’ bigger than a crab.”
He retrieved the rope he had brought, gauging the length he had and what he would need for possible outcomes of their entry.
“Bout fifteen feet of rope, that’s with knots at each end. While I don’t like fumblin’ in the dark, the Arbiter is right. Less light, less fight. We stay together, don’t need to make the natives work easier.”
Alexis nodded her agreement and took lead, shield and sword at the ready. If something was out to kill them in that wreck, it would have to get through her first.
“Let’s do a sweep first then to see if we have some angry, breathing surprises in there waiting for us.”
Alexis signed to her party to wait before sheathing sword and shield so she could climb the ladder. She did so mindful that it could be rotten, even if most of the wreck was in miraculously good shape. Once she reached the top of the ladder, she set down in a crouch, slowly reequipping her weaponry. She pierced the dim light as good as she could with her gaze, looking for any immediate threats. Only when she was sure nothing was jumping them right away she gave the clear to her party, carefully stepping deeper in to make room.
Hunter remained on standby as his bow was ready to take out any visible enemies that would attack Alexis during her transition. He had a calm and focused mind as he was silent in his movements. When given the all clear he took a second glance around before moving forward. Then he covered the others as they approached.

You make your way to the next level of the vessel. Although dark, daylight pours into this deck from several fist size holes to the hull on your left. Detritus and broken wood and crates are scattered across the floor. You hear the scuttling of crabs across the rotten wooden planks. The ship groans and moans as you make your way deeper into its bowels. This deck seems to be some sort of galley and crew quarters. By the time you reach the main mast section of the deck you see a set of manacles hanging from it. In the ceiling surrounding the mast you see a set of faded runes. Directly across from the mast, towards your right is a huge hole the size of three men. This is where the ship is laying against the rocks on its port side. However you see no rocks and instead see a huge opening in the face of the rocks that look like some sort of natural cave. A shaft of sorts.

Voah was drawn to the runes and manacles. Holding her torch aloft she examined the scene to see what sort of runes these were. The runes although the Arbiter cannot be 100% sure appear to be of a warding and compulsion nature.
Voah noted the runes and the manacles for the moment, deciding she would come back to them when the party had time and were sure to be alone or otherwise safe.
As the holy woman was investigating the ruins, Hunter stayed on guard. He continued to monitor the ship and around it. He was looking for signs of life in all directions, be it humanoid or beast.
Alexis carefully moved closer to the strange opening, straining her eyes to pierce its darkness.

“What in the actual hell…?”

Tarmen had been quietly rummaging through the loose boards and rubble, both for clues and signs of its previous owners. Even if it had been sitting for centuries, if the wood had lasted then certainly metal would have as well. Coins, medals, heck he had even seen ruins with legible parchment that was probaby as old as this. Though they had been locked away, whereas this ship didn’t seem to have a sealed container anywhere.
Hearing Alexis near the ominous opening, he moved closer in case of trouble.
“Looks natural enough, want me to see if anythin’ is in there?”

“If that cave or whatever it is would not just happen to be right next to a convenient hole in the hull I would be more inclined to agree. So I’d prefer some light to go in there before any of us does.”

Glaring at the cave, Tarmen debated lighting a torch. They had already discussed no lights, so he mentally kicked himself for that order. Letting his eyes wander, a glint caught his eye from one of the ruined crates.
He lifted a small metal ring from the rubble. Looking it over in the dim light, he could see several carvings and that it was actually a torc. Something about it unnerved his instinct as he brought it to a shaft of light, realizing it was the pristine condition of the artifact. The light also revealed the carvings as symbols, each different. He thumbed over each and memorized them in turn. Hare, horse, spear, a wolf head, a ring and an oak. The detail was fascinating and confusing. He held it out to Voah, looking to her as the resident scholar.
“Arbiter, anythin’ look familiar on this torc or would you think we have found a sign on the natives?”

The condition of the ship and the iron torc made no sense to Voah. The Allosi surely still had to be alive for there no way these items could be in such good shape after a century and a half. Of course, magik might be the explanation for its unnaturalness. Was it some form of magikal protection or... could the Allosi control the flow of time itself?
"I could hazard a few guess from the meaning of the symbols but... this doesn't belong to the natives... not unless they are an offshoot colony of the ancient people of Allos."
She spun the torc around as she eyed it.
"We are undoubtedly in the presence of a magical effect here, or else the Allosi survive to this day."
"Let us press on. We can investigate this shaft after we finish our inspection of the ship." She handed the torc back to Tarmen.