GREY MANE: Grey Mane clutched her head with her Hoof. "Err.... Eight Star is too good at surprises... Even in my standards..." She wandered around staring at the runes. They were what was most interesting to her.
Walking over to Violet (a bit woozily), Facia says to her, "I didn't quite catch your name! Mine's Facia."
Ultra Violet held a hoof to her dizzy head, and managed a small half-smile. "My name is Ultra Violet, nice to met you, Facia." The young foal shook her head to get rid of the remaining buzzing, and peered about with wide, blue-green eyes. "Oh my; this is just the kind of adventure I was looking for!" She stomped a hoof into the strange, golden sand, and gazed into the far, wavering distance.
Facia smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "I know! I'm so excited; I can't wait to make friends with some Zebras! I wonder what life here is like...? Seems like it would be hard to live in a desert." She paused, her smile becoming slightly less pronounced, but quickly returned to her cheery self. "Well, come on everypony! What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Grey Mane turned to her team-mates, whom she classed as 'Over-enthusiastic'. "Whenever you are ready to take a Proper mission instead of looking at grass and conversing tell me." To her the most important thing was to get the mission done. She then turned and looked back at the strange patterns.
The cobalt rogue's attention was instantaneously caught by the chained book attached to the wall. He looked at it carefully making sure to not tug on the chain any more than needed. He brought his head down close to it and began examining it closely. Something was off about this whole situation. He could taste it. Zephyr pulled his tongue back into his mouth and swerved his focus on the chain which disappeared into the hole and bound the book. It was obviously some sort of switch for there was no other reason the chain would go into the hole, though the question is, what would it trigger? With a heart full of excitement, he gripped the chain tightly with his hooves and closed his eyes at what would come. He drops the chain. It would be stupid to pull it, who knows what sort of detrimental effects it could have on the group? Spikes from the ceiling? Poisonous gas? Being crushed? Snakes? Spikes from the ceiling that crushed you to death as poison gas and snakes filled the room? What sick colts designed this tomb anyway? Then again, might just be used as a way to properly secure the book in place, but that seems too... simple. He began to pace slowly around the room, looking for anything in particular that may have stood out of place.
PERFECT MELODY: Melody noticed that Zephyr was looking for something. It was also apparrent that what he was looking for was not in the open. "Zephyr! Over here. These doors... Look like someething... Different should I say..."
Group 1 The chain felt sturdy and heavy in Zephyr's hoof when he lifted it momentarily. It felt like it could give a little, but not far. The book, on the other hand, had no mechanism keeping it shut, but it was so old, what use could it be? Group 4 Grey Mane could say that, without a doubt, she had never seen these runes before... why, these runes which marked these ruins were quite odd and unique. They held a very "foreign" feel about them, but inwards into the entry room of what she could see, there was a few pictures, and the largest one was awfully clear. A small shift and a head bob would get the full picture without going any closer; Zebras in masks circled around a large stone-looking beast with streaks of red paint coming down from its deadly teeth.
GREY MANE: Grey looked back at her 'team'. "I'm going to investigate that room. Come if you wish. I shant be long." She turned back and headed towards where she spotted the interesting picture. It was probably worth nothing to thier mission but she knew better than to overlook any details.
Zephyr prowled about the room carefully making a few laps around. There didn't seem to be any secrets hidden around the room, that he could see anyway. His attention was captured by the book again, there was something about it, something peculiar, something... egotistical? It probably though it was special, just sitting there on some sort of pedestal in a room by itself, just who did it think it was?! Zephyr stormed over to it in and flipped it open, how'd it like that? The book remained silent. Impressive. With the book sprawled open in front of him, the cobalt colt took a gander at the pages, maybe there was something useful in there.
Arc mumbles curses as his head swims in whatever he was still breathing in. His balance was off, sure, but he could still stand and throw a hoof or two. He wasn't out of this quite yet as he clambered into a wall, leaning on it to get his baring. "Do you think we oughta retreat? The Boy-Scout's down and we can't do much in his gas! I need to clear my head!" He starts to back tentatively away from the blobs, waiting to counter any pursuits on him.
Group One As Zephyr peers into the book, he sees it tells a story of the Blackwash family and their role in the Subjugation of Wraithoof, the Necromancer. To sum-up; In an era when the princesses were more concerned with one another, and less with the realms, Gallopmere faced the terrible wrath of Wraithoof, a powerful Unicorn with the power to control the dead. During the war on the dead, Sir Grandmane Blackwash lead the charge against Wraithoof. In the meantime, his son Bluesoul Blackwash, unlocked the secrets of the White Tome and was able to banish the risen dead, allowing his father to strike the final blow to Wraithoof, even as it cost Grandmane the ultimate price. It mentions that the White Tome is safely kept locked away within the Tomb and its secrets, buried with Grandmane. As Zephyr gets caught up in perusing the pages, he notices a piece of paper get disturbed near the back. Someone's slipped a folded page into this book! Group Four The main entrance of the ruins alone is large. Its ceiling reaches up at least four ponies high, and tribal masks decorate every part of the wall. Most of them look sorrowful or apologetic, and came in mostly red or green colors. Beyond the main chamber is a foreboding dark hallway. The archway leading into it is half-crumbled, only leaving part of it open for movement. Spider-webs net the hallway and corners of the room.
Ultra Violet trots forward, unafraid. She gazes at the beautiful sculptures and masks in awe, and notes the style and colors the zebra-ponies used. She summons a glowing ball of purple energy to light the way into the ruins. She studies the surrounding runes and pictures, trying to figure out the stories they told. "What could it all mean?" she said under her breath.
Zephyr's eyes darted back and forth as he read the words inside. Yada Yada something about Zombies. Something of bigger interest caught his eye though, near the back of the book was a hidden treasure. Ok, it was some more paper, but it was still hidden. Well well well, what do we have here? He snatched it out of the pages and unfolded it.
"Escape?While the going's getting good?" Throw scoffed. He looked at Arc to see that he was close to collapsing, and noticed that he himself wasn't in the best condition. "Actually, that manifesto's looking pretty good right about now. Tactical retreat!"
Facia lingered in the main chamber of the ruins, looking at the masks. She didn't know much about the Zebra tribes or what their masks meant, but these masks didn't look happy. In her experience, that meant that whatever was in these ruins wasn't going to make them happy. She looked nervously at Violet, who didn't seem to be having such thoughts. "Uh...shouldn't we be waiting for the ice-creamy pegasus? If we're in here she won't be able to find us..."
Violet peered back over her shoulder at Facia. "Hmm. You're prolly right, Facia!" She grinned at her new friend, and trotted back to meet her. The glowing orb floating nearby disappeared in a poof of purplish smoke, and she waved her tail. "Where do you suppose she'd meet us? I'm ready to explore! After all, these zebras seem like they have quite a magnificent culture!"
Facia frowned, thinking. "Maybe...maybe we should just wait where Eight Star sent us? We don't really know our way around, do we? Maybe this pegasus can show us where we need to go." As she spoke, she walked back out of the ruins, eyes scanning the skies.
Ultra sighed at Facia's lack of enthusiasm. "Eight Star sent us here to do something, not just twiddle our hooves and wait." She raised her head up stubbornly, and turned back to face the gorgeous ruins. She trotted about, studying the various masks and runes up close, and pausing to sniff at some brightly colored flowers that entwined along a broken pillar.
"Weeeeeelll..." Facia tapped her hoof. "I do really want to meet some Zebras..." "But then how will the pegasus messenger find us? Eight Star made it sound important that we met her."
