Inktober #23: Ancient

As you step into the room, Piri, your darkvision acclimates for the next 60 feet in front of you. Beyond this massive doorway lies an even more massive...temple, as far as you can tell. Long worn tapestries hang on the walls, some tattered to ruin, some having fallen on the ground, with colors you are unable to discern without some light. The ceiling is barely visible to you, with a symbol repeated in seemingly irregular intervals, the same symbol you saw faded on the stone post that led you here. On either side of you pocketed into these grand stone walls are two alcoves, each with what appears to be a statue, though they seem almost out of place in this massive room being just slightly larger than you. And that's about all you can make out. Do you keep going in?

"Hey, um, big big big temple ahead," says Piri, a red-haired half-elf in a deep black cloak and light leather armor with daggers in her hands at the ready. "A couple suspicious symbols in the ceiling that are probably traps, and two statues that will more than likely charge headlong at us the moment we enter. Thoughts?"
The basso voice of a towering Goliath clothed in robes and almost covered in various mechanical trinkets answers, "I can always send in one of my toys. If it's trapped, no harm done to us."
"But also no guarantee it won't bring down the entire place and destroy any treasure before we have a chance to get to it, Uthal," Piri replies. "Squirrel?"
A stout gnome with a scar down his cheek, clothed in green with a bow and empty quiver strapped to his back, and a mouse on his shoulder, gets up from his crouch looking for tracks on the ground.
"We're not the first ones here. But there's also no sign that anyone who went in ever left. So something's waiting in there for sure," he says. "You sense anything, Yev?"
A tall orc woman in full plate mail with a massive two handed maul slung over her shoulder clinks her way over to the door. As she does she pulls out a symbol hanging around her neck, which faintly begins to glow with a bluish shadow-like flare as her eyes close.
"There is a sense of death around this place, but nothing undead."
"Right," says Piri. "So we've got a death trap in front of us, a storm coming in behind us, and, likely, more basilisks. Better the stone in front than turning to stone behind us?"
They all look to each other, and indicate reluctant acceptance.
"Good then, traps traps traps, looking for traps traps traps..."

You cast your eyes back around the room, Piri, this time specifically keeping an eye out for any mechanisms. Make an Investigation check.
14.
You do notice what appears to be very faint bloodstains, conveniently located in roughly the same spots as where the symbols lie above in the ceiling. However, you have no idea what might trigger it. You do also notice that while there are clear blood spatters in those locations, there is also an increasing amount that does not correspond to where the symbols are as you get further into the chamber.

"Hang back, Piri, I'm going to try poking," says Squirrel. He reaches back into his seemingly empty quiver but his fingers are suddenly closed around an almost beam of light energy that he then nocks, aims, and fires into one of the symbols. It impacts into the stone, but the moment it does a crackling blue and white light flashes in the stone itself and the arrow disappears into it.
"...So...definitely magical," he says.
The massive goliath bends down and takes what looks like a whirring ball with legs off his belt and sets it moving forward, directly under the closest symbol. The second it reaches there...another flash, and this time the stone rockets down into the floor, smashing the toy to pieces. As it does the mouse on Squirrel's shoulder quietly squeaks in fear.
"Told you," says Uthal.
Careful not to step under any symbols in the way, Yevelda makes her way cautiously and rather loudly as the plate armor clacks and clanks, echoing in this massive hall, over to the statue along the left wall. She inspects it carefully before deciding to poke it, and...

A vision fills your mind, Yev, of a massive battle. You are a soldier, human, fighting alongside what has to be the biggest creature you've ever seen. Humanoid, in full plate, swinging a massive axe back and forth into a horde of what appear to be mechanical men imbued with some kind of magical energy seeping out of the cracks in their forms. All around you there is madness, terror, war. You can see people of all different races, trying to make a stand against an army that stretches as far as your eyes can see. You're swinging, parrying, shoving, and then there's a bright flash as you hear an earthshaking roar and look up and see this giant you've been fighting by grasp its shoulder in pain around a spiderweb-like burn of a wound that crackles with the residual of a lightning strike. You follow its gaze to see what looks like some kind of massive siege engine, and behind it, a grinning skull-like visage wreathed in the same light that fills these warforged bodies. It points a finger towards the giant, and unleashes a sickly black beam...as you feel an axe carve into your skull.
Roll a Wisdom saving throw.
17.
You come back to your senses, back into the great hall, and manage to resist any lingering effects.

"AAAHHHH BALLS," yelps Yev. "THE HELL WAS THAT?"
"The hell was what, Yev?" asks Squirrel.
But before she can answer, Piri has already stepped over to the other statue, and also touches it.

Piri, a vision comes to you of that same battle, but you are a Tiefling and farther back on a bit of a hill overlooking the incoming tides of warforged, the siege engines, and the eerie glow that overtakes it all. You are slinging spell after spell, calling on the demon you have made a pact with for aid and magical ability. You see ahead of you and to the left this giant to dwarf giants. You see the lightning strike him, and you see the sick black ray shoot towards him. But you also see beside you a being made of stone. A golem twice your height, carrying a banner with a very familiar symbol. And you see, as this ray shoots out, the golem slams the banner into the ground, and mere feet before the ray would impact into the giant...it dissipates. In fact now you can see a shimmer surrounding you, surrounding the entire army. And in an instant, every warforged inside the dome falls down, falls apart, and loses the glow that was keeping it sustained. You somehow instinctively know that golems...can't normally do that. There is something about this one, something special. But before you can take a word to thank it, to ask it any of the numerous questions flitting through your mind, a skeletal visage wreathed in light appears before the golem. You reach out, grasping for what magical artillery you have left, and a quick finger in your direction snuffs out your life.
Roll a wisdom saving throw.
4.
You take 10 points of psychic damage as you feel the deathblow as if it were really happening.

"OOOOWWWW OW OW OW," screams Piri.
"What is going on?!" yells Uthal.
"Did you see?" yells Yev across the room.
"Battle? Giants? Robots?" yells Piri back.
"YEAH!"
"YEP."

For the sake of brevity, you both fill everyone in on the two visions, and the differences between them. You decide to head further in, avoiding what you can see of any traps laid in the way. Before long you start to see faint light emanating from sconces on the wall and two large braziers, each burning as if they were freshly lit. And then you come into view of a resplendent display. A coffin, larger than any you've ever seen, surrounded in stunning gold scrollwork, etched with panels that seem to tell the story you've already seen, though the tale does appear to continue past what you've experienced. In amongst the scrollwork, which is so large you can clearly make it out even 100 feet away, you can clearly see a name spelled out in several different languages. In fact it appears to be in every language there is. Here lies High King Lo-Kag, Savior of Arlia. You also notice that the fabrics and banners hanging here look brand new. Not touched by dust or decay or any sign of use or time.
And before it all, is, to you Yev, a familiar sight. A stony golem, kneeling on a raised platform, holding onto what seems to be a perfectly intact and unfaded banner. And it's eyes appear to be looking straight at you...

Inktober #22: Ghost

I wake up to see your back to me. I feel like I'm always the one to wake up first. But I don't mind. I stare absentmindedly at your shoulders, watching the slight rise and fall as you breathe. I roll over as delicately as I can to check the clock. 7:23am. Early this morning. Good. A little time to take you in.
I roll back, seeing the mess of your black hair against the pillow, your bare shoulder, the sheet wrapped tight around you but comforter tossed aside in the late summer heat. I keep it around me. I always ran cold. Run cold.
I continue my gaze downward, admiring your waist, the curve of your hip, all the way down your leg to your foot hanging off the edge of the bed, a habit I've never understood but always smiled at.
I don't want to wake you, but it's too tempting. I reach out towards you, just to feel the warmth and slight amount of sweat on your back.
A trilling birdsong from your side of the bed stops me as you shift and stretch your arm out to quiet the alarm.
8:00 already? It came too fast.
You blearily shift around, first onto your back to stretch your arms up to the ceiling, only to turn your head and see me, smile, and swing your arms over me in a silly and warm embrace. I'm awash in the memory of every time you've done this, whether I'm awake or not. I can't help the smile.
Too quickly you swing back the other way, and I admire every inch of you as you dress for work. You turn back with a wink and then exit, heading to the kitchen to make a quick breakfast.
I leave the me turning back towards sleep behind, and follow.
I turn the corner and almost run into the refrigerator door as you open it, mutter a quick "Oops, sorry," before I remember you can't hear me. You'd hear her, in the bed, but she didn't come with you this morning. So I do, now, instead.
It's a simple ritual you rarely stray from. Turn on the kettle, grind the coffee, grab a pan, cook the eggs, toast the bread, pour the newly boiled water into the french press, put the food on a plate, pour the coffee, and head to the dining room. It must seem mundane. I usually stayed in bed because a big breakfast would make me feel ill. But now that I get to see you do this...I understand the meditation. The repetition. The ritual of it all. I love you for it, and for so much else.
In a blink you're done and you head back towards the bed. I rush in and rest myself where she is as you lightly plant a kiss on my cheek.
"I'll see you soon," you say.
"I love you," I say.
"mrf oo," she says.
You grin and walk out, image disappearing beyond the front door as you leave.

"August 9th, 10:45pm, please," I say aloud.

The room shifts nearly imperceptibly, as the light changes from early morning to dark, a pair of used socks appears by the bed, the clothes in the closet shifted slightly between hangers. And she is no longer in bed.
I can hear the TV from the other room. You'll be getting tired about now. Ready to return here. Did we have sex this night? I can't remember. It doesn't matter.
Soon enough I hear the TV turn off, and you two walk by the door to the bathroom. We brush our teeth, floss. She giggles at something you did. I wait here.
The two of you walk in, get undressed and into light pajamas. You set the alarm. She takes position where I am. You get in on your side of the bed. We kiss. But no more, I can already see your eyes drooping.
We rest there with your arm over me, and you nearly asleep, until you wake enough to turn over and turn out the light.
I try to put my arm over you, hold you close, but she didn't this night. I have to be careful not to pass right through you. But the glow of the Proof tech still gives some heat, and soon enough I fall asleep there with a smile.

I wake up to see you eyes open and facing me...why? I check the time, 4:34am. I look back at you and suddenly realize that she's not there.
Do you-
"I can feel you there," you say suddenly.
I gasp. My heart ratchets up into my throat with every quickened beat.
"I don't really know who or what you are," you say quietly.
"It's...it's me, please, please you know-"
"Whatever kind of spirit you may be, I sense you intend no harm. And so, you're welcome here, and I hope you feel at home."
"Please, you can hear me can't you? Oh god, you're looking at me. Please!"
The toilet flushes.
I reach out and I touch your face, passing straight through, but I could swear I see you shiver.
She walks back in, and your eyes close before she sees you. She carefully climbs back into bed and quickly falls back asleep.
You open your eyes once more. You see me, don't you?
And then you turn your back.
Your breathing slows.
As does mine.

You always joked you thought this place was haunted, didn't you?

And now I'm the ghost haunting our past...so that you can't haunt me now.

I choke up, hold back more than the couple sobs that escape.

And I will myself to sleep.

In what feels like an instant, I wake up, and see your back to me. Even now I'm always the one to wake up first.

But I don't mind.