Dream Grottos - User contributions [en]

Birds 01 Thylaxine

2023-07-03T02:39:35Z

VanyaDoll2:

Only a day's hard journey south and west of Alderan, the campsite is almost too small to be referred to as such. Two fine if somewhat small-boned Semphari horses, one a palamino in coloration while the other is a brown and white paint, are staked out and sleeping standing up, at this point. The fire pit is frankly tiny, but well banked and populated now with fresh coals but no actual flame. A small one-person tent of light canvas very convincingly disguised with dried grasses to break up its lines and cause it to disappear from most sight, lies about five feet away from said small firepit.

On the other side of that fire pit a single figure moves almost but not quite silently through a complex and somewhat ritualized dance. Said figure is definitely striking to see, as the male is dressed only in a soft leather loincloth, a necklace with visible black claws dangling from its raw leather thong, impressive scars across the left side of the face and the upper chest. The male is improbably tall and powerfully built, quite likely to stand over six feet, drawing quite the interest in any Shaaren settlement. Yet he moves with smooth confidence and assurance, wielding a massive blade that glints in the moon- and starlight, a straight blade of nearly five feet in length, whistling through the air with the might of the movements.

And then that dance is disrupted when a low keening moan sounds out across the plains.
----
Far off and high above, a pair of broad white wings and a pale body glide through the sky beneath a cloud, flapping morosely to keep itself aloft without the heat of daytime thermals to buoy it. The griffon yawns heavily and blinks into the wind.

Laying on the lion-sized creature of myth and secured by no more than a simple rope and leather saddle, the young woman on his back takes a firm grip on her ropes as a particularly rough flap threatens to bounce her into the air. "I know, I know, I'm tired too. But we're close to those horses I'm tracking. I tell you the trail was fresh; we'll find where they're resting before dawn, then we can take our sleep and catch them before the heat of the day."
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Sharp eyes, not ears, hunh? ;)"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "It'd hardly be good manners to spot you and whatever that is in my opening pose."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "You could react to the moan. ^_- <3"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "K:Nature to recognize it, then?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "It's not natural. So being proficient you recognize that fact."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Hrm. Welp that's my only Knowledge, so Perception to pinpoint its source and look towards it?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Sure."
----
Bird Eyes rolls Perception (Griffon) (1d20+17) and gets 35 (18)

Bird Eyes rolls Perception (Bird Eyes) (1d20+18) and gets 23 (5)
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "The griffon has a much better read on direction, but even Bird Eyes is sure the sound came from the southwest, about ten miles away from the flashing reflections on that sword blade."
----
The mounted huntress pauses as a low moan reaches her ears over the night wind and the griffon's head turns to its source. Knotting her brow in concentration, the woman cocks her head at its unnatural timber. Closing her eyes and focusing, her vision goes briefly dark then relights as the sharp, eagle-eyed vision of her mount - his yellow eyes now glowing faintly with a magical connection.

"Far off... that was a howl of something great," Bird Eyes assesses warily as she makes a mental note of the direction before reopening her eyes.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I'll add in my next pose a reaction to the sword flashes and likely heading your way. You can have a turn again. :)"
----
Below, near those horses the huntress and her mount have been seeking, the warrior takes just one more pass and then turns in the direction of the sound. Human eyes cannot pierce the night, but instincts that go beyond mere biology send a quiver through his heart, and he has too much experience to just ignore that. The sound was distant enough he is not expecting it to reach their location immediately, so the warrior moves instead to the side of the tent, scraping his fingers over the fabric to alert the occupant within.

A few seconds later the flap opens and a smaller, slighter figure rolls out of the tent and then up to her feet in one smooth motion, unfolding with spear in hand. "What is it?" a voice softly asks in accented Raurhindi.

"A moan across the plains. An unnatural sound. It ... I felt it, as much as heard it." The male warrior responds in the same language, smoothly and fluently.

The woman turns her face towards the direction he points, clutching her spear tightly as she whispers words in Cantare, a murmured prayer. "Wise instincts. Something has been awakened."

That said, the male warrior moves to start packing up the tent, bedroll, pack and other things to get them loaded onto one of the horses.
----
Up on the wind, the glint of massive sword catches two pairs of watchful bird eyes as the griffon and rider scour the terrain back in from the southwest. The woman, Bird Eyes, laughs with a rueful lilt. "I found our horses. And there are the two people with them... my, one of them is big," she murmurs. Then just as quickly she rubs the griffon's massive shoulder reassuringly as a whistle of protest halts in his throat. "Relax, relax, you're the only man for me. I won't find a partner until you do," she placates with an amused smile at the bird's predictable jealousy. "Now, best not to scare the horses or they'll bolt. Just circle until they set off then fly high over to drop me off," Bird Eyes instructs.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes has a jealous bird. It is like inverse-Jhiao situation.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Birb needs pettings."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Fun fact: that long screech you normally hear in bald eagle videos is an over-dubbed hawk cry. Eagles chirp and whistle; they don't at all have an imposing quality to their vocalizations."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I think I had the griffon setup as another species of bird but I can't recall it at the moment."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "I did not know that."
----
"Do we have time to ride away?" the male asks even as he continues to pack as quickly as possible.

The female figure sweeps her eyes across the horizon, then turns her head to put her ear to the direction, and back and forth. "Good to get ready, even if not. Keep packing. But keep that overgrown toothpick of yours close to hand."

The male grumbles a bit at this. "You're the one with the toothpick, Guide."
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I'll hold my pose until the horses start moving. :)"
----
In just a minute or two the male has the pack horse loaded. Then he saddles the other, grabs the leads of the pack horse, and climbs up into the saddle.

The woman shakes herself a bit; she clearly did not get a night's rest. "We will not make Guilenheim for nearly a tenday. The foothills of Stone Gap are a day away. Our best chance is to head back towards Alderan."

The male grimaces at this. "What I heard ... it will catch us before we reach Alderan, yes?"

The woman sighs, and then nods. "Most likely."

"Then I would rather ride on, to our original path. If it comes, so be it. I choose not to be a coward run down while fleeing."

The guide shakes her head slightly. "That is not the wisest course." Yet her tone implies it is exactly what she expected of him.

"You're welcome to the other horse." he suggests.

The woman shakes her head. "I may know how to ride, as all Cantare do, but my strength is afoot." And so she sets off jogging through the high grass of the plains, moving with a ground-eating pace that the horses will work to keep up with.
----
Spinning around on her leather saddle as the griffon makes wide circles overhead, Bird Eyes checks the bags slung across the beast's frame and then the smaller ones tied to her belt. Shuffling a few small possessions between them and satisfying herself they're all secure, she double-checks the stone axe on her belt and the spears on her back, then lays back down upon Icarus and pats the griffon's shoulder.

On her signal the pair back out of their looping patrol and pass above the group below, casting a racing shadow just to their side. Bird Eyes places a short kiss upon white feathers as she slips a ring from her finger before sliding off and plummeting to the ground below.

Fanning out her arms wide, she beams while basking in the rush of freefall and watches the dark ground come rushing towards her through squinting eyes. Only when it gets close does she push the ring back up her finger and let its magic envelope her. With a sudden lurch the young woman's fatal plummet arrests itself and she tips feet down, falling the rest of the way at a safe if rough speed. A free hand presses her leather skirt down on reflex to keep it from flapping up before landing.

"<Hello travelers,>" she calls plainly in Cantaren as the young woman literally drops in some distance ahead of the group and off to the left. Her sandals land with a hard thump in the low grass before she stands up as the protective magic dissipates from beneath her.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Sorry for the slow pose. My muse was in and out for it, not for lack of interest. Post-dinner slump maybe."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "FYI the griffon's name is Icarus because part of the internet, which I don't trust to be truthful, says it means (roughly) "go to the sky"."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "It's because she met him essentially in captivity and they went on a looong maiden flight together."
----
Before the woman can actually reach the ground the woman loping ahead of the pair of horses and their rider stops in place, one hand reaching to draw up a dark scarf from about her neck, tucking it into place to cover the lower half of her face.

That move, it seems, is sufficient warning for the rider atop the lead of those horses to stop and for that massive blade to ring free, moon- and starlight twinkling across its blade as it comes to hand ready. The blade, seen this close, is most unusual in the Shaar: a blade so big would never be straight, here, as this is. He does not dismount, but he is already prepared.

The now-masked figure whispers words in Cantare, a shimmer coming across her eyes as she watches the other woman. "< You do not glow like an angel, stranger. Yet you fall from the sky like one. >" There is an interesting hint of accent to the masked woman's Cantare speech; not much of one, but it is there. Otherwise, though, her speech is smooth and lilting, natural and natively fluent.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Most of the internet doesn't have an etymology for Icarus predating the myth so it likely a nonsense etymology but the meaning is perfect."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Let me know if you're detecting magic aura with that."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "She's using magic to make herself see better in the dark."

<OOC> Bird Eyes straightens her clothes and adjusts her hair.

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Would I recognize any part of the woman's garb and do either of them wear anything that'd denote an old world tribe to me?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Very good questions! SO PROUD!"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "While the woman's base outfit is not familiar, and does seem ... odd ... she has a good bit of ornamentation. She has a beaded and feathered headband, earrings, and a wide belt/girdle thing. All of them, and the ornamentation hanging from the spear, look very Cantare."

<OOC> Bird Eyes puffs up her chest. ^.^

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Her visible skin tone looks darker than you would expect. Not Chultan dark, but darker than a Shaaren native by a reasonable bit."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "And a hood like in your reference pic or head exposed above the mask?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "By comparison, the male is very, very darkly tanned, and a bit weathered; very sun-browned. But his base coloration is lighter-skinned. Also, there's just enough light that she'd be able to make a guess that he's red haired, and green eyed."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Yay low-light vision! <3"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Hooded. Her hair is mostly tucked away, so no way to get a good bead on her hair coloration. Her eyes seem light, a sort of grey-banded green/hazel."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Who needs magic spells when you're blessed by Gwaeron. :D"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "And Selune. <.< >.>"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Or rather 9.9, it being 1AM."

<OOC> Bird Eyes waves to the moon and mouths 'thank you'.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Also, her spear itself appears to be fire-hardened pale wood, with runes, and a one and a half foot metal blade, runes there too. And some beaded feather thongs draping from it."
----
The fallen rider's large eyes flit to the massive blade and her brow lifts in surprise at its sheer size, as well as that of its wielder, but her own weapons stay holstered. For the moment at least, she's trying to be friendly. "< You are near Roctalon land. There we fly and ride. I am Bird Eyes of the Roctalon clan, >" she explains before cocking her head this way and that at the well-covered woman, so completely opposite from her barely dressed companion. Her brow furrows again as she studies both of them. Under magically aided sight her eyes are as startling as they are piercing, with barely any sclera visible around a massively enlarged pupil and marigold-yellow iris.

"" she asks first of the woman then the towering man nearby. "< And who do you follow? >"
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<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Question: the Roctalon, as you envisage them, live in the mountains between the Eastern Shaar and the Raurin?"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "They live on the plains near those mountains with semi-permanent settlements on the mountains which they return to seasonally. They have to be near mountains to catch new roc eggs but they hunt and live off the plains, either on horseback or flying on rocs above it."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger nods. "OK. That's what I needed to hear. Thank you."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "As such, though Bird Eyes herself has never seen it, she will recall something of stories heard from her people, speaking of 'black-veiled Faithful'. It is said that there is a people that lives deep in the northern reaches of the Raurin, who raid out of that place all across the Punjab (deepest part of the Southern Raurin). Their name, the Aiel, means The Faithful, or at least so it is said. And it is said that when they fight, they always pull up black veils to cover the lower half of their face. The story says basically 'fear the black veil'. It is also said that they seem able to disappear in almost any environment."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Where among the mountains isn't set in stone. Just aesthetically I like the lonely range near the Rolling Stone Gap. They're not a tribe of great account due to their small number and lack of ambition, but among Cantarens they're considered very old-fashioned and traditionalist."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Oh hey, Ignis knows the Aiel! :D"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Punjab like the border-spanning province at India and Pakistan on the west edge of the Indus Valley? Must have been be a lot of rivers up there once upon a time."
----
The woman nods as Bird Eyes introduces herself and makes clear her own affiliation. "< He will not answer you. He is growing more frustrated by the moment, because he understands neither of us. >" she offers in wry amusement. After a long moment's pause, she speaks again, this time in Shaaren, going slowly and being deliberate. Her word choice is perfect, which somewhat implies that her slow and deliberate pacing is more for the male than for her. "She says that she is Bird Eyes of the Roctalon Clan. They are an offshoot, or so it is said, of the Cantare, and long allies. I am Sister Aviendha Markhaab of Lucha, and one of the Cantare. The Tekumseh clan. My companion on the horse is called the Sandtiger, a sword dancer. He has said to me he has passed to the Seventh Circle in the training of Master Alimat. I have heard of Alimat and the Circles, but I know them little."

The male speaks up, his Shaaren halting and showing effort. "What is her intention?"
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<OOC> Bird Eyes says, ""Sister" indicates a priesthood status with Lucha, yes?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Yus."
----
Bird Eyes tilts her head again as she seems to be processing Aviendha's Shaaren Common as much as Sandtiger. Then recognition dawns in her large eyes. "< Sister of Mielikki-as-Lucha. Then we are friends, >" she assures while touching a hand to her to her bare side, indicating the white mark of Kryntheoria tattooed clearly at the top of her stomach. "We - are - friends," she repeats in slow Shaaren to Sandtiger and shows her other hand, empty and unarmed beyond the ring upon one finger. "We will talk later. Now, what was that noise? Why are you going towards it?"
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes still considers her clan a member of Cantare's tribe mind you. They just aren't hip on all the new lingo and bell-bottom fashions.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger hah!

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "You may notice some olde deity names. O:)"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "BTW: The Tekumseh clan are pretty well reputed; the current Chieftain of the Cantare is Tekumseh clan."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "My little way of showing the difference in dialect."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Wow, from all the way on the southern edge of the Raurin? They still have a major presence in the Cantaren culture from the other side of the mountains and half the width of the desert?"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "That's a long journey just to Council Hills."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "She's very far afield."
----
Aviendha accepts the declaration of friendship, and her empty hand reaches up to lower the veil from around her face. Seeing this, the Sandtiger lowers his blade to rest across his bare thighs as he watches and listens, not interrupting. It is, all told, a rather interesting thing for many women adventurers to see, a male willing to just sit and listen without interrupting or trying to take charge of matters.

"The noise is something very dangerous. But rather than ride away, back to Alderan and the Gates, or heading for the foothills, the Sandtiger said he would rather face the threat and continue along his established path, rather than act the coward." It may be a bit hard to be sure, but it sounds like Aviendha is deprecating Sandtiger a bit, without actually using the words 'foolhardy idiot'.

The Sandtiger exhales a bit, waiting, and then speaks up, again haltingly in Shaaren. "If you know what it was, since we're sitting still, perhaps you could say?"

"Given the hour, the location, and the date, I believe it to be something the ancient legends call a Thylaxine, a creature said to wander across the Veils Between to hunt for souls." the Sister of Lucha answers.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Not a creature I've heard of I'm sure."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Avi wouldn't say this, but it is a fae version of a thylacine."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I had noticed 'thylacine' in the name there. :P"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Makes sense. Almost a friend for Aoife then, and a creature of note and perhaps knowledge of my Romeiran."
----
Bird Eyes takes the new information in and snorts lightly. "Is Sandtiger a Malarite? You hunt for a challenge? Or is a thylaxine good to eat?" she asks brusquely, clearly not sharing the sworddancer's preference.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "You are busy tomorrow yes? Game day shifted?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Just had game day last Sunday. Next game day is next Sunday. Tomorrow I'm going out to lunch with Mom, after church. Going to take her to - her choice - either her very first ever experience with Indian food, at a place that has a buffet on Sundays, or to the best Thai place in my city. Then going to a friend's house for a while to visit."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Ah. I do hope you have fun. Do you think you'll want to resume this later in the day or should we plan for traveling cat across Sunday? :)"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "If all goes well I may be RPable in evening time. If not, I'm off all day Monday and we can continue then."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Yay"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "You know if we do this whole fight in the dark there will be such suspense for how you'll both react seeing all of me in daylight."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "You'll meet the griffon shortly I'm sure and Sandtiger will get to see he's not the only one who likes Big Weapons, but I do think I look better in the sunlight. It brings out my... eyes. @u@"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I'm almost sad I'm not ICly very prideful. I /could/ show off pretty well."
----
"May-lar-ite?" Sandtiger questions.

Aviendha snorts softly and shakes her head. "No, though I dare say he has some agreements." She then turns her head to address Sandtiger, speaking quickly in Raurhindi. "< She is asking if you follow Malar, the Shaaren god of hunting and bloodlust, implying your foolhardy desire to charge off towards the thlaxine was a desire to hunt it down for the manhood. >"

The Sandtiger listens to this, and makes a grimace. "No .. Malar." One hand reaches up to brush across the scars scoring his cheek and then along the necklace of curved black claws. "Already hunted ... the beast I needed for a name, and freedom. But I will not run like a coward. And this is the direction her maps say I must go."
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Oh I am going to have so much fun teaching Sandtiger food names..."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Brace yourself for that because the Roctalons have at least six words for 'honey' and so many more words for meat, game animals, and weather."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Cantaren probably contains most of them so Avi's will have it easy enough."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Don't suppose I recognize the beast those claws came from?"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I assume that was covered in my earlier inspection check, but just to be sure."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Well, the name he's carrying, given his statement, implies something."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Aye but I've never been to the Raurin Desert myself, I've only glimpsed it from the mountains."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "There is reputed to be a breed of very deadly desert-native big cat called the sandtiger. And they are said to be worst because their claws are poisonous. A paralytic."
----
"< You sound from a strange place... >" Bird-Eyes determines as she lapses accidentally back into Cantaren. "And you do not talk sense," she continues, sounding confused before anything else. "'Coward' abandons their band to danger. Two of us three are okay for it to pass by. Why seek it?"
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "ASDF naming myself "Bird Eyes" makes it really hard to find past comments about eye colors! I did not think this through."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Found it."
----
Sandtiger shakes his head just a bit. "I am not seeking it. I am seeking my destination." He points to Aviendha. "She said it was best to move, rather than keep camp. So, we move."

Aviendha grimaces. "Moving this direction, now, brings us closer to this thing. That makes it more likely it will find us before its time here is done."

The Sandtiger's answer is simple. "If it finds us, I will fight."
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Hrm. Now I'm wondering where Gwaeron's 'nature is a good thing' stance lands with fey."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Material plane nature you're supposed to leave alone and live in harmony with. Don't chop down trees, divert rivers, hunt excessively - that sort of thing. And that includes predators like tigers and alligators; it's better to vibe with or avoid them if you aren't hunting for subsistence."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "But all of those things are alignment N. Fey can be truly Evil and living in harmony with "the wild" doesn't necessarily include creatures from other planes of existence."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "All true."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "But but, the First World overlaps wild places frequently and they've been around forever so it's hard to call them unnatural."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Hm. Questions to ask my main god tomorrow at dusk."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Funny timing that, dusk is my prayer time so I'm /fresh/ with spells."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "A little annoying though. Dusk is prime hunting time so spending an hour of it praying cuts into actually hunting."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Dawn's best though so I won't complain. Prepping spells before sleeping then going right to hunt isn't a bad way to be."
----
Bird Eyes exhales a pursed sigh that trills her lips and what comes out sounds distinctively like a coo. "Then how is a thylaxine fought? How does it travel and how does it look?"
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger is going to push pause here for the RL evening.

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I do believe it is RL night now. :)"

<OOC> Bird Eyes hugs and switches back to Discord.

<OOC> Bird Eyes adjusts her feathers.
----
Aviendha rolls K: Dungeoneering (1d20+17) and gets 22 (5)
----
Aviendha's eyes crinkle a bit as she is clearly thinking hard. "The myths I recall only mention avoiding them. It was implied they could only cross over into the mortal realm for short periods when the Veils were particularly thin." At this she then turns and glares a bit at the Sandtiger. "Which is why I was recommending we choose a path ''away'' from the sound, to increase the time before an encounter and the chance it would be forced back to its own realms before it could reach us."

Of course Bird Eyes can likely avoid all of this by just riding on her friend, high above. Especially with juicy if stupid bait wandering around at ground level in easy reach.

The male grimaces. "I am not a coward. I do not run from a threat, or a fight. That bravery has seen me this far in my life."

"There is more under the Heavens than you have dreamt of, Sandtiger." Aviendha murmurs, choosing not to raise her voice loud enough to assure he will hear her.
----
The muttered comment seems to catch her fellow Cantaren's ear and the Roctalon glances skyward in agreement. "If we must go, I can stalk it and learn what we can see first," she offers. "Is there any value to killing a thylaxine? Do they stay dead or only return to their home?"
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "There we go. Now it works."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Missed anything after my last."
----
Honesty compels Aviendha's unhelpful answer, "I have no idea what value may lie in killing them, or what will happen if one is slain in this realm." The legends were not terribly explicit about that, as she recalls them. "I will warn, Bird Eyes, it is likely to be very difficult to spot. And it will not move in a natural way. The legends speak of its movement bending the eyes and the mind."
----
Something in Avi's answer seems to prick Bird-Eyes and she knits her brow pondering as a free hand fidgets with the mistletoe looped through her belt. "And does it hunt only human, not animals?"
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Aviendha nods. "So far as I know? Yes. It is drawn to only people." And what those legends say bout she does not recall: they are most attracted to those who are most connected with the spiritual essence of the Shaar.

Those who are witch-touched.
----
"Then with Gwaeron's guidance I may stalk in peace," Bird-Eyes considers hopefully as she takes a cord from her neck and lifts it off her head, showing the tiny carved whistle dangling from it. "I will fly out to it and see what I can see. Call out with this if you need me to return," she instructs as she holds the whistle out. It's not the course of action she had advocated, but the young Roctalon doesn't show any fear at the task before her. Whether it's the confidence of experience or the bliss of ignorance remains to be seen.

"May Lucha guide and protect you in the dark in-between places." Aviendha murmurs fervently as she reaches out her hand, grasping Bird-Eyes' hand and taking the whistle, as the tingle of divine magic flows from her touch and surrounds the huntress.

And so it begins.
----
<OOC> Syval debates an attempt at flashiness, although she is not a swashbuckler.

<OOC> Syval says, "Buh? Why is my name back to Syval?"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes fixes.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Because you partially disconnected? I think? I dunno."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "That'd do it. Undone by my shiny new adisconnect. That figures. XD"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "I'm too out of practice with mushing or I'd have purged those when I sorted out my login problem."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Whoo! I think I can make this check on a take-10. That means I'd default to it and not just try it for showing off! :D"
----
"Thank you, Sister." Bird-Eyes bows her head in recognition of the blessing before she backs away and turns her head towards the night sky. The Roctalon stalker stretches out her arm and beckons downward, then she waits.

"Steady your horses. They're going to spook," the young woman cautions as she smiles expectantly. Silence at first as a small shape descends from high above, streaking fast towards the ground in a tucked dive. It's far, far too large to be a normal bird yet not the mythical proportions of a mature roc. Wide bright wings flare out with a sudden whoosh as they catch air and the beast levels out hugging the ground and gliding towards Bird-Eyes. Watching it come in, the young Cantaren takes a few quick steps in the same direction, paralleling its path before catching the rope of its saddle as the adult griffon flies close enough to shadow her with its wing. Yanking her immediately from her feet, the magical half-lion half-eagle makes a flap of its powerful wings and ascends back into the night sky while Bird-Eyes flips herself onto its back and settles back onto the leather saddle.
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Technically I could have done that mount as a move action but mounting Icarus like this felt like a fun way to free action it. I have another variation or two in mind you might get to see later. :)"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "P.S. Sorry to your horses! ^_^"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Sorry. Phone."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes pets. "You're fine."
----
The Sandtiger rolls Animal Handling (1d20+13) and gets 25 (12)
----
With the warning given, the Sandtiger does his best to keep both of his animals controlled despite the baseborn instinct of terror awakened within them at the moving presence of a mighty horse-loving predator coming up swiftly from behind. Even with his efforts it is still a challenge with cries and rolling eyes and bucking, but it is minimal, and he is neither unseated nor does the pack horse break away and flee. He is also able to calm them once the thing is gone again.

"What was that?!" the Sandtiger demands of Aviendha. She simply rolls her eyes. "That was a griffon. Far better and smaller than the roc I half-expected from a Roctalon tribe member. If you insist on this madness, let us continue ahead."
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes proud smile. "More fodder for our campfire chat. You will likely never find even a Roctalon riding an adult roc."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "But that's hardly common knowledge."
----
As griffon and rider take once more to the night sky, Icarus makes a piping sound, prompting her rider to strokes the back of his head. "Thanks for waiting, boy. Did you miss me? They're a couple of new friends - interesting ones. For now, fly towards that sound we heard. I'll explain on the way."

Bird-Eyes turns around on the saddle and pats the griffon's hind-quarters before working to unfasten her armor from his pack and ready herself for a possible battle. "Yes, I know you want to eat the horses. Don't worry, they're honest folk, they'll trade fairly for our trouble. Maybe have to wait Guilenheim to enjoy it, but there they'll be a horse market from the other Cantarens. They can buy us even better eating horses - and I could make a honey-roast of them."
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "AFK for phone."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "When you get back, can you give me a pair of perception checks, pls? Or just tell me what the modifiers are for both of you?"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Back. Those are..."
----
Bird-Eyes rolls Perception (Bird Eyes) (1d20+18) and gets 33 (15)

Bird-Eyes rolls Perception (Griffon) (1d20+17) and gets 32 (15)
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "My best skill. ^.^"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "OK. +18. Good to know for the future."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "And I believe we both have low-light vision."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Note both of us have Perception bonuses active but you can assume they're on when we're searching for something and not in a rush."
----
In mere minutes the griffon and his rider have crossed many miles and left their new allies far behind. The challenge now becomes managing to spot something like the thylaxine in the night upon the plains.

Another might miss the subtle movements through the grasses, the odd changes in dark and light. But Bird Eyes and Icarus are able to pick it out, and what they see is definitely chilling. The thylaxine moves in a way that is deeply unnatural, literally disappearing from one location and reappearing to continue its movement from another. It moves as much by flickering as by stalking. And it covers distance with incredible speed. There is a cold cruelty to its intensity which bespeaks a feline predator combined with something alien, something from Beyond.

And there is a definite sense that the creature has locked onto something, or someone, and is making a beeline for that target, giving no further warning to anything or anyone as it comes.
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "I have a bird eyes shapeshift from my skin-walker race, Icarus has Hunter's Animal Focus (Falcon). His stay on except if I replace them for combat or doing something specific out of combat. Mine I turn off for social reasons and sometimes for combat if I can spare the action economy."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Massive bonuses, eh? And there's two of us so it's like rolling with advantage. XD"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "I apologize in advance if this messes up your module, because there's probably a lake between us and Sandtiger's Perception checks."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Can I make out any details of its physiology from here? Any weird extra limbs or obvious weapons besides front claws and nasty sharp pointy teeth?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Definitely so. Even Avi doesn't quite reach your levels. THough she comes a good bit closer than Sandtiger does."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "On that note can I K:Nature for thylacine knowledge if the non-magic version are a thing in the Shaar? I can infer physiology that way at least."
----
Bird-Eyes rolls K:Nature (1d20+14) and gets 16 (2)
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "The thylacine is an animal known in ths Shaar, yes. They are very stealthy. They are great cats, on a smaller scale than the really big ones, closer to janguar size, plains-focused, and incredibly stealthy. They are noted for having a particular cry that startles most plains-based prey, causing them to freeze or stutter, which often comes right as they pounce as a setup."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "With a 2, you will miss out on the 'additional info' sections."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "One of these days I'll remember to take-10 when not rushed."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "It did help my Perception checks, although with that if I was thinking I'd have taken 20 over 1-2 minutes."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "How fast is it traveling relative to a horse?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Horses are typically 40-50. This thing is moving around 70."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Yikes! We're not circling this thing then. Wow I'm glad griffons are as fast as they are."
----
"There," Bird-Eyes whispers as she leans over the griffon's head and points at the dark shape flickering in and out as it crosses the plain below. The huntress stares from atop Icarus and two pairs of raptor eyes study it from high above. Once she's satisfied, she gives her mount a nudge and the pair accelerate overhead to pass ahead of it, adding a burst of speed to help reach their new party ahead of the other-worldly carnivore.

"What a beast, it's almost as fast as you glide and it's on land," Bird-Eyes whispers by Icarus' ear. "It does look like a thylacine, so it should fight like a medium cat, but with that blinking in and out it's maybe going to like surprises - and be hard to pin down. It's lucky we like a chase..."
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "I just got a terrible sinking feeling for this thylaxine. This could be very interesting."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes is now hustling to get where she's going, but should be within range of the party before it's fatiguing.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger nods.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes also shifts some hunter magic from strength to stamina for Icarus' comfort even though checks aren't needed yet.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes will switch that back for fight time. She's just being helpful. :)

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Not like I can flap my wings to help him any other way, and he does remind me I'm dead weight."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger grins.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "In other news I think Google's trying to kill me. Just rolled up my 8d8 HD and got (sorted) 1,2,2,3,4,4,5."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Thank goodness first HD is maxed and it's minimum half so almost all of those are 4s."
----
DM rolls Icarus' Hit Dice (8d8+0) and gets 31 (2,6,7,1,2,6,1,6)
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Alas Icarus has less HD. An 8th level animal companion is 7 HD so that'd be 31-6=25 + CON stuff."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Just in case another roll would be helpful. You absolutely do not need to use those."
----
Bird-Eyes rolls Bird Eyes' Hit Dice (new) (7d8+8) and gets 37 (2,7,8,2,2,5,3)
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "How fast is Icarus flying,. then?"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "That is... exactly the same before applying the minimum. Funny. XD"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "160ft per round, or 3.2 horses. :D"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Thank you."
----
Of course, Icarus is eager to prove himself, and pushes to fly back as quickly as he is able, picking up from Bird-Eyes that this is important. The griffon is able to get back to the riding - but not pell-mell - Sandtiger and his afoot guide while still leaving at least another minute before the thylaxine they saw can reach the group. But it does mean timing is tight when Bird-Eyes launches herself down, cutting things very close with her ring's ability to slow her descent before she arrives.

By the time Bird-Eyes does arrive there has been a bit of a change in the circumstances of the group. Much like the huntress herself, the Sandtiger has changed, putting on a suit of samnite armor. He has also purposefully changed horses, keeping them fresh in so doing.

In Cantare Aviendha sharply asks, incisive to the most important information: "How far?" She knows the huntress would not be back this soon if she had not found the threat.
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Shaar tribes use meters for distance, was it?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "I honestly have not considered that, so I have been using Imperial/US measurements."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Makes sense when PF/D&D itself uses that for distances."
----
The huntress drops in more loudly this time, now dressed in a good covering of armor with a split skirt that goes past her knees and carrying throwing spears as well as a good weapon of her own on her back. "A minute at most and at our pace about 1300 feet," which speaks volumes for the creature's speed. Outrunning it with horses would be no easy task. "It looks like a thylacine so it should fight by pouncing and biting, but as you said it fades in and out of place and uses that to move quickly. I think it may try to ambush us many times in battle, if it can control that well."
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes study-studies spell list and plans.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Is Bird-Eyes giving this in Shaaren? Or in Cantare?"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Cantare on reflex, sorry. Should have <>ed that."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes would use Shaaren for Sandtiger but she heard Cantare so her mouth gave Cantare. She is not used to keeping mixed company.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "It has... been a while."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes steels herself after calculating AC. "Oh I am going to get wailed on. Glad there are several of us."
----
With a grimace the Sandtiger objects, "You two are using a language I do not know. What is going on?"

The bare-faced Sister Aviendha makes a sympathetic grimace herself, and then translates for Sandtiger. "It is coming. Form of a medium-large cat, apparently very fast, and it also is incredibly stealthy and seems to flit about, repositioning itself impossibly as it does so. And she says we have at most a minute or so before it reaches us."

Hearing that, Sandtiger dismounts swiftly and then stakes down the two horses about a hundred feet away, then walks over to join the other two. "If it has the advantage in mobility our best chance will be to cover each other's backs and present a united front." He says this, for once, commandingly, even as that huge blade of his whips out, point down slicing into the turf beneath their feet, as he starts ritually cutting a perfect circle thirty feet in diameter. Ten paces across. He doesn't even explain his reasons, he just starts doing it.

Aviendha kneels down, pressing her hand to the turf. "Sandtiger, I know you cannot see in the darkness as well as Bird-Eyes. My own magic is enhancing that for me, but I am afraid I do not have that to offer you. Do I need to create light, so that you can defend yourself, even knowing the creature will likely disappear from sight?"

As the prayer finishes Bird-Eyes will feel a ripple of cool clean divine magic flowing through the circle, licking across her skin as the three are bound together in cause.
----
"I do not fight well standing in place," Bird-Eyes speaks up as she watches the preparations and waves her griffon back down once the horses are safely clear. "It will try to ambush us, but we can trap it in the same way. I can fly above and dive on it when it enters the circle for one of you, then we surround it. I have a magic which can help coordinate our attacks."

So saying, the huntress takes the mingled braid of mistletoe and prairie flowers from her belt and holds it before her mouth as she gives a prayer to Kryntheoria. Then a new and invigorating magic stretches out from her and connects like threads to the other two, imparting a heightened awareness of one another's posture and movements as the light of the magic itself fades.
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes debaaaates between 2 choices.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Get Equipped With: Pack Flanking! Threatening the an enemy together now counts as flanking regardless of position."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "It's my less powerful choice but I think more likely to matter here if you're trying to keep your back from being taken."
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "And it's too mobile to surround and trap for normal flanking."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "That's Share Training (2nd level), FYI. The quintessential Hunter spell as far as I'm concerned. :D"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Also I'm good if you want to pause us before the fight proper given the hour."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "BTW, Avi has cast Prayer on the circle. So you have a +1 luck bonus to ALL die rolls. And the thylaxine will suffer a -1 to all of its rolls."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Sweet!"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Luck bonuses are awesome!"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Icarus gets lucky tonight too, right? :D"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger gigglesnorts.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes will always wingwoman that griffin. He deserves it.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "I do not know where a female griffon can be found just now, so I'm not sure how lucky he's going to get, I'm afraid."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "If he can get lucky in fighting a thylaxine and being paid in food for it, I think that will suffice."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Of course they aren't an animal so you need Summon Monster 6, which doesn't really work due to duration, and good luck finding a polymorph spell that can support 'magical beast' type."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "I can't even hit him with anthropomorphic animal and I doubt that'd help except for letting him speak Cantare."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Also funny realization: griffons speak "common" by RAW but I'm pretty sure for Icarus that's Cantaren."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Probably so."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Really finding Icarus a Mrs. Icarus is a capstone/retirement thing. He has adventuring to do first."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Doesn't stop it from affecting things, however."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "That and his appetite for horses."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "And cuddles. Imagine if you will 600 pounds of cuddle-cat that wakes up every 2 hours at night."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "He could be worse, but he is definitely a light sleeper."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes digresses.
----
"No light. I will make due." the deeply masculine voice of the Sandtiger comes out of the night as he comes back around finishing the impossibly precise circle he has cut into the turf. "Eye-ush-den-ae, Alimat. Kah-zong-tek-ah, Singlestroke." The words have a truly alien quality to them, and it seems pretty clear neither woman understands them, or even knows what language they are. And then the light reflecting off of those milky green eyes ends as lids cover them ... and remain in place. The male warrior strides quickly to the center of the circle, and then stands waiting.

"Do what you know best, Bird-Eyes. Whatever help you and your friend can offer, we accept gladly." Aviendha offers in Shaaren. And then she dives into a roll, coming up behind the Sandtiger with her spear in both hands, readying for battle.

"It comes." the warrior offers, as a shiver passes through his flesh. Eyes closed, how can he possibly tell? And yet ...
----
Her own magic help given, Bird-Eyes remounts her griffin when he swoops back down and the pair ascend with noisy flaps back into the night sky. Only after gaining a substantial height do they arc back around and begin to circle above the duo on the ground.

A small glint of moonlight catches on the curved weapon drawn from its saddle sheathe before disappearing behind broad wings as the Roctalon lays herself against her mount and focuses in their expectant minute on channeling supporting magic into his feather and furs.
----
And as Bird-Eyes and Icarus continue their loop above, things erupt down below. The tall waving grass parts as the dull golden figure of the tylaxine appears, visible to Bird-Eyes enhanced vision. And then it flickers and disappears, reappearing almost twenty feet away on the opposite side of the two below at the center. And then it leaps from that new position in an impossible instant!

The surprise follows when the Sandtiger, eyes still closed, pivots smoothly and swings that huge sword with incredulous speed, intercepting the attacking great cat with a gout of blood streaming out. Claws still bite into flash, even tearing through leather and chain to reach.

Aviendha twists around swiftly, jabbing with her spear past the Sandtiger as the opening is created. And as more of that impossible blood is spilt the creature disappears again, flickering to elsewhere to stalk around those two central figures. Then the gleaming wetness upon the spear's blade disappears, as if the blood evaporated, and a pulse of light shocks down its length.

And the stalking figure of the thylaxine starts to flicker again ... and instead starts to glow, as flames of green erupt across its body, outlining it quite clearly, a beacon to any perception. The vibration of the feline creature's body subsides, and it does not manage to relocate. It stalks freely, but only on four paws without displacing through dimensions as it has been.
----
Icarus tucks his wings into a dive as the Thylaxine appears within the center of the circle but Bird-Eyes pulls him away with a frustrated growl when it blinks away again just as quickly, leaving them without a target. Banking again until she's behind the creature's new location, the pair try again in their dive. If they can't catch it mid-attack, then they'll attack first and let the others rush in.

Streaking down through the air with the speed of a diving hawk, Icarus flares his wings at the last second and tucks his claws while Bird-Eyes angles her long curved sword over his shoulder to present another layer of attack and defense. From the sides it's also noticeable - if only just in the dim light - that the Roctalon's lower legs have transformed into wickedly hooked bird-like talons, much alike though smaller than her griffon's. Attacking the sides is normally a weakspot of horses; in the case of the aerieborn Roctalon, that may only invite a surprisingly nasty reprisal.
----
With the thylaxine surrounded by the green 'flames' it is a much clearer target to all, impossible for the sharp-eyed pair to miss. And though the creature does twist around and start bounding towards the pair that are truly its target it does not shimmer out of existence to reappear on top of them as it had previously. Clearly frustrated by this the thylaxine remains keenly focused on the Sandtiger and Aviendha, much to the detriment of its defensive choices as the plummeting pair are able to land powerful attacks while the creature is out in the open and not yet at its destination. The griffon's mighty foretalons bury deep, the beak a broadhead spear into the back of the foreshoulder. This opens the neck for the aerieborn Bird-eyes to slice through with her sword.

The thylaxine gives out an echoing (but against what?!) snarl and cry as it is raked and torn into so, then it twists away from the pain, diverted from its intended target as it limps a bit, resettling itself and trying to bite and swipe back at the fast-moving pair that have come down out of the night sky. Given their speed, the attacks do relatively minimal damage to the griffon, which is able to hop to the side and continue to press the attack on the beast whose blood now adorns his beak.

Then the Sandtiger proves that the giant of a man is still quite agile, leaping the distance to land beside the creature behind the reach of its mighty jaws, then bring down that incredulously-sized gleaming straight blade down into the back of the creature's neck, the blow delivered with such force it very nearly severs the thylaxine's head entirely from its neck.

Savaged and very nearly decapitated, the creature slumps down and crawls, trying to get away from its attackers.

Aviendha strides towards the creature and reaches out. Yet rather than stabbing with her spear the Cantare reaches out and touches it gently with the butt of her spear, whispering "< Go in peace. >" in Cantare. At the touch and the phrase, the green flames around the creature fade away, and once they do the thylaxine finally relents, slumping down entirely as its form ripples and fades away, gone.

The Sandtiger turns to the lady monk, a look of confusion and fury on his face. "What did you do? Why did you not attack and finish it off? End its misery?" He is pretty angry, his anger augmented by frustration as he is forced to stumble over his words in Shaaren to be understood. More than once he instead first uses a word or phrase in Raurindhi before he corrects himself again.
----
Wetted by thylaxine blood, the two avians move with the coordination of a single especially dangerous animal as Bird Eyes scrambles onto Icarus' side when the griffon turns to present its claws, and then remount when he turns upright again. Without colliding with his tucked wings or nicking his legs, the Roctalon still somehow manages to present at least one leg and the threat of her sword in the thylaxine's direction. Even to the untrained eye their instinctual teamwork has the hallmark of magic, endless practice, or perhaps both.

The avian pair too flummox when the thylaxine fades out of existence and Icarus' arches his back in a ready crouch while sniffing the wind while Bird Eyes turns to search the grassy plain in the opposite direction. A few seconds first and silence beyond Sandtiger's outburst before they cautiously consider the badly wounded creature escaped rather than killed. Icarus' arch relaxes somewhat but the eagle's attention is clearly still upon his surroundings as Bird Eyes asks directly to her fellow Cantaren, "Did you kill it or banish it? What has happened?"
----
Aviendha holds up her hand, forestalling more yelling - or verbal stumbling - by the Sandtiger, and instead turns to Bird Eyes and Icarus. "I released the hold of the Shaar placed upon it, trusting its instincts to cause it to flee back to the Fae realms from which it came." she explains. "I believe it is strong enough, if barely, to survive and heal. But we have clearly proven to be no easy meal, and I believe the hold placed upon it increased that fear. It will want nothing to do with us, as we have proven able to take away its greatest talent, and to do it grave harm without fear."

Finished explaining, the Cantare monk lowers her hand and turns back to the Sandtiger, explaining her words again in Raurindhi. He is visibly livid at this explanation. "It followed its instincts and fate. It should have met that fate, here. You have stolen the kill and dishonored the Circle." he forces out in stumbling Shaaren.
----
Bird Eyes frowns gravely as she drops to the ground and flexes her taloned feet anxiously in the soil as she holds her bloodied sword in front of Icarus' face for the griffon to sniff. "Peace. I am a Stalker of the Silent Path. It is wounded - we can find it again. That was a mean thing not to finish it, and leave it food for another creature," the Roctalon judges unkindly of Aviendha. "You say it was controlled by something?"
----
Aviendha lifts her spear. "It is back in the fae realms, now, which is its home territory. The power I called from the spear bound it here, to the Shaar, while the fires stayed lit, preventing it from bouncing back and forth unseen, surprising us. But I let that go, and it left."
----
"<A mighty spear then,>" Bird Eyes assesses as she looks at the weapon with a measure of awe and respect before returning to the topic at hand. "It would have been kinder to finish it, or scare it off at a distance."
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes had to revise that one a few times. Settling back into the mindset.
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger rubrubrubs.
----
Aviendha looks intently at her spear, murmuring, 'Apparently' in Cantare. She clearly does not agree with Bird Eyes' feelings that it would have been best to finish it, but she does not argue that point. "Had there been a way to scare it off at a distance, I would have been happy to try. My goal here was to save us from its threat, not to kill it if that wasn't necessary, and not to prove anything to anyone."

That said the Cantare monk and guide turns back to the Sandtiger. "Your choices are your own. If you find my dishonor so great that you cannot follow my guidance, so be it. This may not be Rejas' blazing sands, but I assure you the Eastern Shaar is just as dangerous in its own way, especially to the unfamiliar."

Or the alone.
----
Bird Eyes looks between the pair as silence lapses, then turns to inspect the blood upon her sword. The woman's eyes look almost normal now beyond a certain hawkish intensity as she dwells intently upon the small red mark illuminated by the moon overhead. Then she takes a scrap of leather from her pouch and wipes the edge clean. "What's done is what's done, and it's no good hunting the wounded creature now. If there's more to say let's make like the herds and walk as we talk."
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes stumped herself a moment on what animals would be roaming around the Shaar. It's a dangerous place for bison or elk.
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Then again, it has tigers. Bison at least should be safe enough."
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Lions and tigers and bears, oh mai."
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "*Vanya sneezes.*"
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Also of all things how to wipe off the blood, whether with water or lick it off or what."
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "My shifters would have. I did consider it."
----
The Sandtiger growls as he stalks over to where his two horses are staked out and awaiting his attentions. He wipes the blood on his sword off with the tall grass all around, then produces a rag from a pouch at his waist and wipes the blade down before then sheathing it in the rig across his back. He then works to remove the armor pieces he had put on, putting them back into a saddlebag on one of his mounts. He gets the horses ready to go, then swings up to mount the one he had not been riding earlier, clearly prepared to go even now in the middle of the night.

Aviendha watches this and just shakes her head. "It is late, and I am sure the Sandtiger will need sleep. But it is likely best we do not choose to rest here. Something out there will scent the blood spilled here and come to investigate."

That said, she waits until the Sandtiger is mounted and then leads the way. As she does so, she murmurs a few words in Cantare, and soft green flames spring to life on the head of the spear she carries, a dim 'torch' to guide the way in the darkness for those not gifted to see in such conditions quite so well.
----
"The smell will linger here," Bird Eyes affirms with a nod as she sheathes her own weapon on her griffon's holster before looking over to the horses. It's brief but there's a fondness in her eyes for the beasts of burden yet also a distance and unwillingness to approach. "<Hail us when you're ready to rest too. We've flown a long journey today and Icarus gets hangry without his naps,>" she caution to Aivendha before she remounts without bothering with the straps of her own armor, apparently so comfortable she plans to doff it while riding.

Icarus takes off at a bound and makes quick, gusting flaps of his wings to get airborne again then the Roctalon pair ascend back into the sky.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Permission given I will also absolutely fly a mile ahead of ya'll and prepare a campsite."
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I'm guessing we'll all crash pretty hard when we rest. I do have a little fun for making camp unless Aviendha wants to volunteer some Cantaren magic."
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "She can't offer magic until she gets there. :)"
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I assume she'd mention it before offering for me to fly ahead and do camp prepping."
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Apropos of absolutely nothing, what are the odds of finding a tree along our route which could tolerate around... 2 tons of weight in its upper stories? <.< >.>"
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger @.@
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Maybe one ton?"
----
Aviendha leads the way and the Sandtiger follows, glowering, ten feet or so behind the Cantare monk guide. He does strain a bit trying to spot the flying pair above, but in darkness such as this he is not going to have much luck.

Without conversation they proceed for about two hours, putting a good six miles between them and the scene of the battle with the thylaxine. As they near that location Aviendha waves the glowing head of her spear back and forth, signalling the pair above silently and pointing to her intended stopping point, a small hillock rise above the flat plains all around them, with a tiny stream flowing along its base.

One might almost get the impression that the woman knows these lands very, very well.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes searches for a sizeable tree upon the hill and hopes for luck.
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Maybe a stone formation rises up out of it?"
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Sure!"
----
By the time Aviendha waves them down, Icarus and Bird Eyes drop out of the sky with all the grace of choking geese to land unceremoniously and abruptly on the rise after only a spiraling descent to check the surroundings for predators. With the woman unarmored but griffon in front, they the hill top more closely and seem drawn to a bald stone formation to one side of its peak. Bird Eyes seems to study it from multiple angles while taking glances at the stars above before positioning herself from a particular direction and kneeling to pray. Icarus, all 600 pounds of beaked and winged lion, flops onto one side and promptly shuts his eyes.
----
With the aerie-born Roctalon praying and the griffon already resting atop the outcropping Aviendha gestures towards the hillock and then guides the Sandtiger upwards. "Set your tend here, Sandtiger, and your mounts down there. Take your rest. I will take the watch, and hopefully we will avoid further interruptions." She then checks with Bird-Eyes, waiting until she has finished her prayers before inquiring, "Were you injured, or any harm done to your Icarus?"

After the Sandtiger's tent is set up and his mounts staked out at the foot of the hillock he then stretches out within his tent and soon sleep has claimed him as well. To any who see him now unarmored and in the firelight of the camp once set it becomes clear that he is well and truly marked by scars, both upon his left cheek and across his jaw, and down over his right pectoral. The more recent wounds of the thylaxine's attack have, interestingly, not only stopped bleeding but seem smaller, now, than they were when the four gathered immediately after the battle to argue.

Assured that Bird-Eyes and Icarus are uninjured the Cantare monk nods, then moves back to the side of the small fire pit, removing from her small pack a bronze pot and a frame of wood and twine which she sets up over that pit and upon which she then sets the pot. Then she begins by pouring water into the pot and then starting the fire by hand. She continues to walk around the pit, looking out to keep watch, and periodically takes time to remove something from her pack or the large satchel at her side, cleaning and preparing it and then placing it in the pot. A large wooden spoon is produced and used to stir this slowly developing concoction as her attentive patrols continues.
----
There's a buzzing of busy insects about the rocks audible from partway up the hill as something in the Roctalon's actions seems to have roused a hidden hive of particularly large bees or wasps - the exact species is difficult to tell in the dim light. While none of them take much interest in the Cantaren or Icarus there's a frantic activity to expand their papery nest which is already the size of a shrub and growing quickly. Bird Eyes doesn't look up when the priestess approaches as she remains focused on her prayer, but not quite so much that she can't reply. "By grace of Gwaeron we're unharmed. Please don't disturb the wasps and you're both welcome to share our tent once it is ready. Speak 'Cantare' when you near."

And so the brown-haired Roctalon returns to her prayer and the insects continue they're supernaturally hurried construction - turning away only for a minute, the peculiar nest has grown into a wall taller than Sandtiger brace against the rock surface that continues stretching outwards in an arc. It's clear their task is nothing else and by the time a pit is prepared and fire set, the busy buzz ebbs and vanishes from higher up the hill. Bird Eyes stands and brushes off her bare knees and looks over her new domicile gladly. Almost twice her height and just as wide, the nest is large enough to fully accommodate Icarus or the three humans comfortably. With a little squeezing all four of them might fit inside.

The Roctalon young woman moves over to her griffon and pulls a large and thick ground sheet from one of her packs and ducks with it into the nest. Icarus rouses without a sound and pads quietly after her, with just his tail swishing slowly out the opening before it all tilts sideways with a muffled "oof!" from somewhere inside.

A few seconds later, Bird Eyes steps back out chuckling softly and shaking her head before looking down the slope and waving to Aviendha.
----
Aviendha shrugs. "I try not to speak her name too often." she admits. But there are no crows about, so perhaps it will be safe. Regardless, she is not going to complain; she is just rather impressed by the magic the Roctalon has called forth; an entire nest of wasps are building a more than human-sized shelter in an incredibly short period of time. Even being herself a monk, capable of Lucha's magic, Aviendha has rarely seen something like that. "I do suspect that the Sandtiger will remain in his tent. And I will spend most of tonight keeping watch, and preparing a morning meal."

When Bird-Eyes re-emerges from checking on and getting Icarus settled the Cantare monk smiles. "Dropped right on you in affection, I heard." She is clearly amused and pleased by this. "I am glad the two of you happened by this night. The Sandtiger and I may have been able to survive the thylaxine, but it would have been a much more difficult encounter." She acknowledges the debt, before moving away to begin her tasks, clearly intending to let the other woman get rest with Icarus.
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger finishes up last night's pose and gets it into the logs.
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "If you would like to RP something or someone else, I'm quite open to a change of scenario."
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "But I hate leaving something incomplete, and that pose was a ragged mess last night when I gave up."
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Ah touche on the name taboo. I should have considered that one."
<OOC> Bird Eyes rubs temple. "C'mon brain, work."
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Aviendha is more nervous about it because she has spent years out of the Shaar, and now she is newly returned to Cantare's lands. She is concerned Cantare will not approve of what has become of her."
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "So. Sticking with this? Or looking to do something/someone else?"
----
"In fatigue it was. He'll be sour with me for interrupting his rest to track you two without a meal of horse from it," Bird Eyes responds and she waves off the compliment with a hand. Seeing her without her towering mount and by the firelight as she descends the hill, the Roctalon is a fit young woman but beyond her eyes - which once again have an enlarged and piercing gaze - she seems much like any other Cantaren, or at least Roctalon. She furrows her brow curiously at the cooking pot then looks back to Aviendha and sniffs at the air. "It was nothing; we're all People of the Plains and the Sisters' children. You do have magic to help your rest while keeping watch?"
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "This one I suppose. We've got a story to tell here."
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "And I've got Bird Eyes figured out better than the others. My muse is just in a bit of a mood, but there's no story to tell with the others. They're just lone characters."
----
Aviendha smiles. "Well, I've no horse to offer Icarus, and I doubt the Sandtiger will offer any of his. But some food I believe we can supply, and more perhaps can be found later." Lucha, after all, is a hunter, even if she is herself not quite so great at that aspect as Malar.

The Cantare monk shakes her head. "Magic, no, but training, yes. I am trained by my Order, and with that comes the ability to make due with only a few hours of sleep in a night. This way there will be someone to keep watch, and there will be good food prepared for morning. I am sure all of us will appreciate that."

And once the others are up, perhaps the fleet-of-foot lady monk will go hunting to find Icarus a bit more to eat. A nice springbok or two, perhaps?
----
"I will stay up with you then." Bird Eyes decides simply. "The magic of the plain can sustain me - all of us even, but Sandtiger and Icarus deserve their natural rest." She chuckles softly and glances off to where the horses are resting. "I would not ask you to part with your mounts. His appetite is my responsibility. When we reach the next meeting site I'll barter something nice for him."
----
"You need not, but I will not dare to command one who hunts the very skies above, Bird-Eyes." Aviendha offers by way of respect. "There should be more than enough game across the plains to catch meals for Icarus without any need to barter for it. I just do not have quite so much in my pouches already to sate the beautiful beast."

The Cantare monk continues slow pacing around the camp, eyes outward, and spirals in towards the fire to stir, then back out to patrol, off and on.

"I have rarely heard of Roctalon coming quite this far west from the mountains. I suppose, however, they could easily pass unnoticed as anything other than more tribesmen and women, so long as one does not look too close at their feathers. What brings you, and Icarus?" The curiosity is pretty apparent.
----
"He is quite handsome isn't he? He's better in the sunlight," Bird-Eyes responds before holding up her hands and shaking her head to the compliment. "And no please. I only fly by the grace of Icarus, who Gwaeron put in my path." Walking over to the monk as she passes in her circling, the Roctalon joins alongside her patrol and takes the mistletoe loop from her belt before weaving it through the air with a brief chant. The plant is touched first to Aviendha's shoulder then to her own breast and through it passes a brief invigorating green glow that at once sooths and sharpens focus, imparting a peaceful, dream-like tranquility without the lethargy of sleep.

"Forgive me. As long as you do not move fast or work hard, this will help you rest as well as Sandtiger while awake. Honestly with only two of us, Icarus and I have rarely set a camp before today. But you're right we're far from Roctalon lands - farther I think than most of my people have traveled except when the Tribe meets at Council Hills." Bird-Eyes goes quiet at this and seems to be sifting her thoughts. "This seemed the right direction to fly. I don't know what's ahead of us. The Roctalon lands are lands of horses and roc - it's no place for a griffon to grow up or find a mate."
----
"Interesting indeed to see one of your tribe with a griffon, not one of the legendary birds." Aviendha responds. "Quite a story to that, I imagine." And this said of a woman who is Cantare, and yet not, and left them to train as a monk of Lucha, not Hoar, and now returns to their lands in company with a man who is not only not of the Shaar - none of such towering height could be - but indeed an absolute mystery with no name but one stolen from a deadly creature slain, and wielding a sword the like of which appears not even in Shaaren legend, so long, straight and true.

"Nothing to forgive, Sister. You but seek to lend aid and comfort, and I welcome it, as I hope you and Icarus will welcome whatever aid and comfort I can offer in return." Aviendha makes a gesture well known amongst the Cantare, one that means 'peace of the even lands', and then another meaning 'strength of the joined peoples'.
----
Bird-Eyes returns the strength gesture with a welcoming nod and smiles brightly. "We welcome your aid as well, Sister. I fear only a female griffon can give Icarus what he wants but you're welcome to try. He can be a little pointy, but I'm sure he'll warm up to your company - and your cooking," she adds with a small laugh before turning briefly somber. "I would like to tell our story only once if that's okay. After Sandtiger is roused for breakfast."

"What is your history? And your ''Order''? Is it normal for your band to dismount for fighting?"
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "The way to cat-bird's heart is through cat-bird's stomach. Other routes, proceed with caution."
----
Aviendha nods to Bird-Eyes, accepting that she wants to hold her story until the Sandtiger and listen as well, though she herself is not entirely sure the Sandtiger will much care. He has proven to be mercurial at times, and she has not yet learned the secret of predicting his moods and attitudes.

"My Order are the monks of Lucha that trained me. We are called the Seekers." Aviendha explains. "And we Seekers do not mount at all, rather unlike the Cantare." Both mounts, then, as she said, are the Sandtiger's, and neither are her own. "We learn to move with economy of motion and speed; I can keep up with those horses except when they sprint, and I can outlast them if they do. I learned much of the art of maps, healing, even surgery, and much of history and lore."

"By the stars and streams, I thought you were using plains magic for that," Bird-Eyes responds in surprise as her big eyes widen. "I've heard of scouts and roamers of the forests who move like you but from Lucha I understand. Mielikki enjoys the far-traveled. We Roctalons don't normally roam so far to worship her dearly; our ancestral land is easy to navigate."

The young woman tilts her head sideways on a thought. "I may owe her an offering..."
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Ahh freshly mopped floor. That feels better even if I should have done that days ago."
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "It needed it."
----
The cantare monk smiles and shrugs. "What blessings of hers I have to offer are given freely to those in need, Sister. That is what brought me together with the Sandtiger; I came upon him over a month ago at a small oasis in the Punjab. He was clearly raised amongst the tribes of the deep desert, for all he is most clearly not of them. He shared water freely, and I noticed that unlike most he marked out a clear line in the sand and laid stones within it to keep that line. When I asked, he explained that he had sworn an oath to follow that line until he found what he was looking for."

The monk of Lucha grins at that. "I thought it best he have a guide that knew the way and one who would know what he was moving towards before he got there. This journey of his has something to with his teacher, Alimat. And he was apparently very well trained in the ways of their duelists of law and justice, the sword dancers. Beyond that I must admit I do not fully understand his purpose. But he has been respectful in most things, and open to learning."

She does not comment how unlikely she finds that combination when found in such a male in her own experience.
----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:birdeyes]]
[[category:sandtiger]]
[[category:aviendha]]

Birds 01 Thylaxine

2023-06-26T00:18:17Z

VanyaDoll2:

Only a day's hard journey south and west of Alderan, the campsite is almost too small to be referred to as such. Two fine if somewhat small-boned Semphari horses, one a palamino in coloration while the other is a brown and white paint, are staked out and sleeping standing up, at this point. The fire pit is frankly tiny, but well banked and populated now with fresh coals but no actual flame. A small one-person tent of light canvas very convincingly disguised with dried grasses to break up its lines and cause it to disappear from most sight, lies about five feet away from said small firepit.

On the other side of that fire pit a single figure moves almost but not quite silently through a complex and somewhat ritualized dance. Said figure is definitely striking to see, as the male is dressed only in a soft leather loincloth, a necklace with visible black claws dangling from its raw leather thong, impressive scars across the left side of the face and the upper chest. The male is improbably tall and powerfully built, quite likely to stand over six feet, drawing quite the interest in any Shaaren settlement. Yet he moves with smooth confidence and assurance, wielding a massive blade that glints in the moon- and starlight, a straight blade of nearly five feet in length, whistling through the air with the might of the movements.

And then that dance is disrupted when a low keening moan sounds out across the plains.
----
Far off and high above, a pair of broad white wings and a pale body glide through the sky beneath a cloud, flapping morosely to keep itself aloft without the heat of daytime thermals to buoy it. The griffon yawns heavily and blinks into the wind.

Laying on the lion-sized creature of myth and secured by no more than a simple rope and leather saddle, the young woman on his back takes a firm grip on her ropes as a particularly rough flap threatens to bounce her into the air. "I know, I know, I'm tired too. But we're close to those horses I'm tracking. I tell you the trail was fresh; we'll find where they're resting before dawn, then we can take our sleep and catch them before the heat of the day."
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Sharp eyes, not ears, hunh? ;)"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "It'd hardly be good manners to spot you and whatever that is in my opening pose."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "You could react to the moan. ^_- <3"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "K:Nature to recognize it, then?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "It's not natural. So being proficient you recognize that fact."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Hrm. Welp that's my only Knowledge, so Perception to pinpoint its source and look towards it?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Sure."
----
Bird Eyes rolls Perception (Griffon) (1d20+17) and gets 35 (18)

Bird Eyes rolls Perception (Bird Eyes) (1d20+18) and gets 23 (5)
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "The griffon has a much better read on direction, but even Bird Eyes is sure the sound came from the southwest, about ten miles away from the flashing reflections on that sword blade."
----
The mounted huntress pauses as a low moan reaches her ears over the night wind and the griffon's head turns to its source. Knotting her brow in concentration, the woman cocks her head at its unnatural timber. Closing her eyes and focusing, her vision goes briefly dark then relights as the sharp, eagle-eyed vision of her mount - his yellow eyes now glowing faintly with a magical connection.

"Far off... that was a howl of something great," Bird Eyes assesses warily as she makes a mental note of the direction before reopening her eyes.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I'll add in my next pose a reaction to the sword flashes and likely heading your way. You can have a turn again. :)"
----
Below, near those horses the huntress and her mount have been seeking, the warrior takes just one more pass and then turns in the direction of the sound. Human eyes cannot pierce the night, but instincts that go beyond mere biology send a quiver through his heart, and he has too much experience to just ignore that. The sound was distant enough he is not expecting it to reach their location immediately, so the warrior moves instead to the side of the tent, scraping his fingers over the fabric to alert the occupant within.

A few seconds later the flap opens and a smaller, slighter figure rolls out of the tent and then up to her feet in one smooth motion, unfolding with spear in hand. "What is it?" a voice softly asks in accented Raurhindi.

"A moan across the plains. An unnatural sound. It ... I felt it, as much as heard it." The male warrior responds in the same language, smoothly and fluently.

The woman turns her face towards the direction he points, clutching her spear tightly as she whispers words in Cantare, a murmured prayer. "Wise instincts. Something has been awakened."

That said, the male warrior moves to start packing up the tent, bedroll, pack and other things to get them loaded onto one of the horses.
----
Up on the wind, the glint of massive sword catches two pairs of watchful bird eyes as the griffon and rider scour the terrain back in from the southwest. The woman, Bird Eyes, laughs with a rueful lilt. "I found our horses. And there are the two people with them... my, one of them is big," she murmurs. Then just as quickly she rubs the griffon's massive shoulder reassuringly as a whistle of protest halts in his throat. "Relax, relax, you're the only man for me. I won't find a partner until you do," she placates with an amused smile at the bird's predictable jealousy. "Now, best not to scare the horses or they'll bolt. Just circle until they set off then fly high over to drop me off," Bird Eyes instructs.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes has a jealous bird. It is like inverse-Jhiao situation.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Birb needs pettings."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Fun fact: that long screech you normally hear in bald eagle videos is an over-dubbed hawk cry. Eagles chirp and whistle; they don't at all have an imposing quality to their vocalizations."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I think I had the griffon setup as another species of bird but I can't recall it at the moment."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "I did not know that."
----
"Do we have time to ride away?" the male asks even as he continues to pack as quickly as possible.

The female figure sweeps her eyes across the horizon, then turns her head to put her ear to the direction, and back and forth. "Good to get ready, even if not. Keep packing. But keep that overgrown toothpick of yours close to hand."

The male grumbles a bit at this. "You're the one with the toothpick, Guide."
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I'll hold my pose until the horses start moving. :)"
----
In just a minute or two the male has the pack horse loaded. Then he saddles the other, grabs the leads of the pack horse, and climbs up into the saddle.

The woman shakes herself a bit; she clearly did not get a night's rest. "We will not make Guilenheim for nearly a tenday. The foothills of Stone Gap are a day away. Our best chance is to head back towards Alderan."

The male grimaces at this. "What I heard ... it will catch us before we reach Alderan, yes?"

The woman sighs, and then nods. "Most likely."

"Then I would rather ride on, to our original path. If it comes, so be it. I choose not to be a coward run down while fleeing."

The guide shakes her head slightly. "That is not the wisest course." Yet her tone implies it is exactly what she expected of him.

"You're welcome to the other horse." he suggests.

The woman shakes her head. "I may know how to ride, as all Cantare do, but my strength is afoot." And so she sets off jogging through the high grass of the plains, moving with a ground-eating pace that the horses will work to keep up with.
----
Spinning around on her leather saddle as the griffon makes wide circles overhead, Bird Eyes checks the bags slung across the beast's frame and then the smaller ones tied to her belt. Shuffling a few small possessions between them and satisfying herself they're all secure, she double-checks the stone axe on her belt and the spears on her back, then lays back down upon Icarus and pats the griffon's shoulder.

On her signal the pair back out of their looping patrol and pass above the group below, casting a racing shadow just to their side. Bird Eyes places a short kiss upon white feathers as she slips a ring from her finger before sliding off and plummeting to the ground below.

Fanning out her arms wide, she beams while basking in the rush of freefall and watches the dark ground come rushing towards her through squinting eyes. Only when it gets close does she push the ring back up her finger and let its magic envelope her. With a sudden lurch the young woman's fatal plummet arrests itself and she tips feet down, falling the rest of the way at a safe if rough speed. A free hand presses her leather skirt down on reflex to keep it from flapping up before landing.

"<Hello travelers,>" she calls plainly in Cantaren as the young woman literally drops in some distance ahead of the group and off to the left. Her sandals land with a hard thump in the low grass before she stands up as the protective magic dissipates from beneath her.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Sorry for the slow pose. My muse was in and out for it, not for lack of interest. Post-dinner slump maybe."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "FYI the griffon's name is Icarus because part of the internet, which I don't trust to be truthful, says it means (roughly) "go to the sky"."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "It's because she met him essentially in captivity and they went on a looong maiden flight together."
----
Before the woman can actually reach the ground the woman loping ahead of the pair of horses and their rider stops in place, one hand reaching to draw up a dark scarf from about her neck, tucking it into place to cover the lower half of her face.

That move, it seems, is sufficient warning for the rider atop the lead of those horses to stop and for that massive blade to ring free, moon- and starlight twinkling across its blade as it comes to hand ready. The blade, seen this close, is most unusual in the Shaar: a blade so big would never be straight, here, as this is. He does not dismount, but he is already prepared.

The now-masked figure whispers words in Cantare, a shimmer coming across her eyes as she watches the other woman. "< You do not glow like an angel, stranger. Yet you fall from the sky like one. >" There is an interesting hint of accent to the masked woman's Cantare speech; not much of one, but it is there. Otherwise, though, her speech is smooth and lilting, natural and natively fluent.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Most of the internet doesn't have an etymology for Icarus predating the myth so it likely a nonsense etymology but the meaning is perfect."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Let me know if you're detecting magic aura with that."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "She's using magic to make herself see better in the dark."

<OOC> Bird Eyes straightens her clothes and adjusts her hair.

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Would I recognize any part of the woman's garb and do either of them wear anything that'd denote an old world tribe to me?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Very good questions! SO PROUD!"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "While the woman's base outfit is not familiar, and does seem ... odd ... she has a good bit of ornamentation. She has a beaded and feathered headband, earrings, and a wide belt/girdle thing. All of them, and the ornamentation hanging from the spear, look very Cantare."

<OOC> Bird Eyes puffs up her chest. ^.^

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Her visible skin tone looks darker than you would expect. Not Chultan dark, but darker than a Shaaren native by a reasonable bit."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "And a hood like in your reference pic or head exposed above the mask?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "By comparison, the male is very, very darkly tanned, and a bit weathered; very sun-browned. But his base coloration is lighter-skinned. Also, there's just enough light that she'd be able to make a guess that he's red haired, and green eyed."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Yay low-light vision! <3"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Hooded. Her hair is mostly tucked away, so no way to get a good bead on her hair coloration. Her eyes seem light, a sort of grey-banded green/hazel."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Who needs magic spells when you're blessed by Gwaeron. :D"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "And Selune. <.< >.>"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Or rather 9.9, it being 1AM."

<OOC> Bird Eyes waves to the moon and mouths 'thank you'.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Also, her spear itself appears to be fire-hardened pale wood, with runes, and a one and a half foot metal blade, runes there too. And some beaded feather thongs draping from it."
----
The fallen rider's large eyes flit to the massive blade and her brow lifts in surprise at its sheer size, as well as that of its wielder, but her own weapons stay holstered. For the moment at least, she's trying to be friendly. "< You are near Roctalon land. There we fly and ride. I am Bird Eyes of the Roctalon clan, >" she explains before cocking her head this way and that at the well-covered woman, so completely opposite from her barely dressed companion. Her brow furrows again as she studies both of them. Under magically aided sight her eyes are as startling as they are piercing, with barely any sclera visible around a massively enlarged pupil and marigold-yellow iris.

"" she asks first of the woman then the towering man nearby. "< And who do you follow? >"
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Question: the Roctalon, as you envisage them, live in the mountains between the Eastern Shaar and the Raurin?"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "They live on the plains near those mountains with semi-permanent settlements on the mountains which they return to seasonally. They have to be near mountains to catch new roc eggs but they hunt and live off the plains, either on horseback or flying on rocs above it."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger nods. "OK. That's what I needed to hear. Thank you."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "As such, though Bird Eyes herself has never seen it, she will recall something of stories heard from her people, speaking of 'black-veiled Faithful'. It is said that there is a people that lives deep in the northern reaches of the Raurin, who raid out of that place all across the Punjab (deepest part of the Southern Raurin). Their name, the Aiel, means The Faithful, or at least so it is said. And it is said that when they fight, they always pull up black veils to cover the lower half of their face. The story says basically 'fear the black veil'. It is also said that they seem able to disappear in almost any environment."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Where among the mountains isn't set in stone. Just aesthetically I like the lonely range near the Rolling Stone Gap. They're not a tribe of great account due to their small number and lack of ambition, but among Cantarens they're considered very old-fashioned and traditionalist."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Oh hey, Ignis knows the Aiel! :D"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Punjab like the border-spanning province at India and Pakistan on the west edge of the Indus Valley? Must have been be a lot of rivers up there once upon a time."
----
The woman nods as Bird Eyes introduces herself and makes clear her own affiliation. "< He will not answer you. He is growing more frustrated by the moment, because he understands neither of us. >" she offers in wry amusement. After a long moment's pause, she speaks again, this time in Shaaren, going slowly and being deliberate. Her word choice is perfect, which somewhat implies that her slow and deliberate pacing is more for the male than for her. "She says that she is Bird Eyes of the Roctalon Clan. They are an offshoot, or so it is said, of the Cantare, and long allies. I am Sister Aviendha Markhaab of Lucha, and one of the Cantare. The Tekumseh clan. My companion on the horse is called the Sandtiger, a sword dancer. He has said to me he has passed to the Seventh Circle in the training of Master Alimat. I have heard of Alimat and the Circles, but I know them little."

The male speaks up, his Shaaren halting and showing effort. "What is her intention?"
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, ""Sister" indicates a priesthood status with Lucha, yes?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Yus."
----
Bird Eyes tilts her head again as she seems to be processing Aviendha's Shaaren Common as much as Sandtiger. Then recognition dawns in her large eyes. "< Sister of Mielikki-as-Lucha. Then we are friends, >" she assures while touching a hand to her to her bare side, indicating the white mark of Kryntheoria tattooed clearly at the top of her stomach. "We - are - friends," she repeats in slow Shaaren to Sandtiger and shows her other hand, empty and unarmed beyond the ring upon one finger. "We will talk later. Now, what was that noise? Why are you going towards it?"
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes still considers her clan a member of Cantare's tribe mind you. They just aren't hip on all the new lingo and bell-bottom fashions.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger hah!

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "You may notice some olde deity names. O:)"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "BTW: The Tekumseh clan are pretty well reputed; the current Chieftain of the Cantare is Tekumseh clan."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "My little way of showing the difference in dialect."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Wow, from all the way on the southern edge of the Raurin? They still have a major presence in the Cantaren culture from the other side of the mountains and half the width of the desert?"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "That's a long journey just to Council Hills."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "She's very far afield."
----
Aviendha accepts the declaration of friendship, and her empty hand reaches up to lower the veil from around her face. Seeing this, the Sandtiger lowers his blade to rest across his bare thighs as he watches and listens, not interrupting. It is, all told, a rather interesting thing for many women adventurers to see, a male willing to just sit and listen without interrupting or trying to take charge of matters.

"The noise is something very dangerous. But rather than ride away, back to Alderan and the Gates, or heading for the foothills, the Sandtiger said he would rather face the threat and continue along his established path, rather than act the coward." It may be a bit hard to be sure, but it sounds like Aviendha is deprecating Sandtiger a bit, without actually using the words 'foolhardy idiot'.

The Sandtiger exhales a bit, waiting, and then speaks up, again haltingly in Shaaren. "If you know what it was, since we're sitting still, perhaps you could say?"

"Given the hour, the location, and the date, I believe it to be something the ancient legends call a Thylaxine, a creature said to wander across the Veils Between to hunt for souls." the Sister of Lucha answers.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Not a creature I've heard of I'm sure."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Avi wouldn't say this, but it is a fae version of a thylacine."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I had noticed 'thylacine' in the name there. :P"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Makes sense. Almost a friend for Aoife then, and a creature of note and perhaps knowledge of my Romeiran."
----
Bird Eyes takes the new information in and snorts lightly. "Is Sandtiger a Malarite? You hunt for a challenge? Or is a thylaxine good to eat?" she asks brusquely, clearly not sharing the sworddancer's preference.
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "You are busy tomorrow yes? Game day shifted?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Just had game day last Sunday. Next game day is next Sunday. Tomorrow I'm going out to lunch with Mom, after church. Going to take her to - her choice - either her very first ever experience with Indian food, at a place that has a buffet on Sundays, or to the best Thai place in my city. Then going to a friend's house for a while to visit."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Ah. I do hope you have fun. Do you think you'll want to resume this later in the day or should we plan for traveling cat across Sunday? :)"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "If all goes well I may be RPable in evening time. If not, I'm off all day Monday and we can continue then."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Yay"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "You know if we do this whole fight in the dark there will be such suspense for how you'll both react seeing all of me in daylight."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "You'll meet the griffon shortly I'm sure and Sandtiger will get to see he's not the only one who likes Big Weapons, but I do think I look better in the sunlight. It brings out my... eyes. @u@"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I'm almost sad I'm not ICly very prideful. I /could/ show off pretty well."
----
"May-lar-ite?" Sandtiger questions.

Aviendha snorts softly and shakes her head. "No, though I dare say he has some agreements." She then turns her head to address Sandtiger, speaking quickly in Raurhindi. "< She is asking if you follow Malar, the Shaaren god of hunting and bloodlust, implying your foolhardy desire to charge off towards the thlaxine was a desire to hunt it down for the manhood. >"

The Sandtiger listens to this, and makes a grimace. "No .. Malar." One hand reaches up to brush across the scars scoring his cheek and then along the necklace of curved black claws. "Already hunted ... the beast I needed for a name, and freedom. But I will not run like a coward. And this is the direction her maps say I must go."
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Oh I am going to have so much fun teaching Sandtiger food names..."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Brace yourself for that because the Roctalons have at least six words for 'honey' and so many more words for meat, game animals, and weather."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Cantaren probably contains most of them so Avi's will have it easy enough."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Don't suppose I recognize the beast those claws came from?"

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I assume that was covered in my earlier inspection check, but just to be sure."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Well, the name he's carrying, given his statement, implies something."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Aye but I've never been to the Raurin Desert myself, I've only glimpsed it from the mountains."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "There is reputed to be a breed of very deadly desert-native big cat called the sandtiger. And they are said to be worst because their claws are poisonous. A paralytic."
----
"< You sound from a strange place... >" Bird-Eyes determines as she lapses accidentally back into Cantaren. "And you do not talk sense," she continues, sounding confused before anything else. "'Coward' abandons their band to danger. Two of us three are okay for it to pass by. Why seek it?"
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "ASDF naming myself "Bird Eyes" makes it really hard to find past comments about eye colors! I did not think this through."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Found it."
----
Sandtiger shakes his head just a bit. "I am not seeking it. I am seeking my destination." He points to Aviendha. "She said it was best to move, rather than keep camp. So, we move."

Aviendha grimaces. "Moving this direction, now, brings us closer to this thing. That makes it more likely it will find us before its time here is done."

The Sandtiger's answer is simple. "If it finds us, I will fight."
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Hrm. Now I'm wondering where Gwaeron's 'nature is a good thing' stance lands with fey."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Material plane nature you're supposed to leave alone and live in harmony with. Don't chop down trees, divert rivers, hunt excessively - that sort of thing. And that includes predators like tigers and alligators; it's better to vibe with or avoid them if you aren't hunting for subsistence."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "But all of those things are alignment N. Fey can be truly Evil and living in harmony with "the wild" doesn't necessarily include creatures from other planes of existence."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "All true."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "But but, the First World overlaps wild places frequently and they've been around forever so it's hard to call them unnatural."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Hm. Questions to ask my main god tomorrow at dusk."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Funny timing that, dusk is my prayer time so I'm /fresh/ with spells."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "A little annoying though. Dusk is prime hunting time so spending an hour of it praying cuts into actually hunting."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Dawn's best though so I won't complain. Prepping spells before sleeping then going right to hunt isn't a bad way to be."
----
Bird Eyes exhales a pursed sigh that trills her lips and what comes out sounds distinctively like a coo. "Then how is a thylaxine fought? How does it travel and how does it look?"
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger is going to push pause here for the RL evening.

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "I do believe it is RL night now. :)"

<OOC> Bird Eyes hugs and switches back to Discord.

<OOC> Bird Eyes adjusts her feathers.
----
Aviendha rolls K: Dungeoneering (1d20+17) and gets 22 (5)
----
Aviendha's eyes crinkle a bit as she is clearly thinking hard. "The myths I recall only mention avoiding them. It was implied they could only cross over into the mortal realm for short periods when the Veils were particularly thin." At this she then turns and glares a bit at the Sandtiger. "Which is why I was recommending we choose a path ''away'' from the sound, to increase the time before an encounter and the chance it would be forced back to its own realms before it could reach us."

Of course Bird Eyes can likely avoid all of this by just riding on her friend, high above. Especially with juicy if stupid bait wandering around at ground level in easy reach.

The male grimaces. "I am not a coward. I do not run from a threat, or a fight. That bravery has seen me this far in my life."

"There is more under the Heavens than you have dreamt of, Sandtiger." Aviendha murmurs, choosing not to raise her voice loud enough to assure he will hear her.
----
The muttered comment seems to catch her fellow Cantaren's ear and the Roctalon glances skyward in agreement. "If we must go, I can stalk it and learn what we can see first," she offers. "Is there any value to killing a thylaxine? Do they stay dead or only return to their home?"
----
<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "There we go. Now it works."

<OOC> Bird Eyes says, "Missed anything after my last."
----
Honesty compels Aviendha's unhelpful answer, "I have no idea what value may lie in killing them, or what will happen if one is slain in this realm." The legends were not terribly explicit about that, as she recalls them. "I will warn, Bird Eyes, it is likely to be very difficult to spot. And it will not move in a natural way. The legends speak of its movement bending the eyes and the mind."
----
Something in Avi's answer seems to prick Bird-Eyes and she knits her brow pondering as a free hand fidgets with the mistletoe looped through her belt. "And does it hunt only human, not animals?"
----
Aviendha nods. "So far as I know? Yes. It is drawn to only people." And what those legends say bout she does not recall: they are most attracted to those who are most connected with the spiritual essence of the Shaar.

Those who are witch-touched.
----
"Then with Gwaeron's guidance I may stalk in peace," Bird-Eyes considers hopefully as she takes a cord from her neck and lifts it off her head, showing the tiny carved whistle dangling from it. "I will fly out to it and see what I can see. Call out with this if you need me to return," she instructs as she holds the whistle out. It's not the course of action she had advocated, but the young Roctalon doesn't show any fear at the task before her. Whether it's the confidence of experience or the bliss of ignorance remains to be seen.

"May Lucha guide and protect you in the dark in-between places." Aviendha murmurs fervently as she reaches out her hand, grasping Bird-Eyes' hand and taking the whistle, as the tingle of divine magic flows from her touch and surrounds the huntress.

And so it begins.
----
<OOC> Syval debates an attempt at flashiness, although she is not a swashbuckler.

<OOC> Syval says, "Buh? Why is my name back to Syval?"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes fixes.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Because you partially disconnected? I think? I dunno."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "That'd do it. Undone by my shiny new adisconnect. That figures. XD"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "I'm too out of practice with mushing or I'd have purged those when I sorted out my login problem."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Whoo! I think I can make this check on a take-10. That means I'd default to it and not just try it for showing off! :D"
----
"Thank you, Sister." Bird-Eyes bows her head in recognition of the blessing before she backs away and turns her head towards the night sky. The Roctalon stalker stretches out her arm and beckons downward, then she waits.

"Steady your horses. They're going to spook," the young woman cautions as she smiles expectantly. Silence at first as a small shape descends from high above, streaking fast towards the ground in a tucked dive. It's far, far too large to be a normal bird yet not the mythical proportions of a mature roc. Wide bright wings flare out with a sudden whoosh as they catch air and the beast levels out hugging the ground and gliding towards Bird-Eyes. Watching it come in, the young Cantaren takes a few quick steps in the same direction, paralleling its path before catching the rope of its saddle as the adult griffon flies close enough to shadow her with its wing. Yanking her immediately from her feet, the magical half-lion half-eagle makes a flap of its powerful wings and ascends back into the night sky while Bird-Eyes flips herself onto its back and settles back onto the leather saddle.
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Technically I could have done that mount as a move action but mounting Icarus like this felt like a fun way to free action it. I have another variation or two in mind you might get to see later. :)"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "P.S. Sorry to your horses! ^_^"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Sorry. Phone."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes pets. "You're fine."
----
The Sandtiger rolls Animal Handling (1d20+13) and gets 25 (12)
----
With the warning given, the Sandtiger does his best to keep both of his animals controlled despite the baseborn instinct of terror awakened within them at the moving presence of a mighty horse-loving predator coming up swiftly from behind. Even with his efforts it is still a challenge with cries and rolling eyes and bucking, but it is minimal, and he is neither unseated nor does the pack horse break away and flee. He is also able to calm them once the thing is gone again.

"What was that?!" the Sandtiger demands of Aviendha. She simply rolls her eyes. "That was a griffon. Far better and smaller than the roc I half-expected from a Roctalon tribe member. If you insist on this madness, let us continue ahead."
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes proud smile. "More fodder for our campfire chat. You will likely never find even a Roctalon riding an adult roc."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "But that's hardly common knowledge."
----
As griffon and rider take once more to the night sky, Icarus makes a piping sound, prompting her rider to strokes the back of his head. "Thanks for waiting, boy. Did you miss me? They're a couple of new friends - interesting ones. For now, fly towards that sound we heard. I'll explain on the way."

Bird-Eyes turns around on the saddle and pats the griffon's hind-quarters before working to unfasten her armor from his pack and ready herself for a possible battle. "Yes, I know you want to eat the horses. Don't worry, they're honest folk, they'll trade fairly for our trouble. Maybe have to wait Guilenheim to enjoy it, but there they'll be a horse market from the other Cantarens. They can buy us even better eating horses - and I could make a honey-roast of them."
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "AFK for phone."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "When you get back, can you give me a pair of perception checks, pls? Or just tell me what the modifiers are for both of you?"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Back. Those are..."
----
Bird-Eyes rolls Perception (Bird Eyes) (1d20+18) and gets 33 (15)

Bird-Eyes rolls Perception (Griffon) (1d20+17) and gets 32 (15)
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "My best skill. ^.^"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "OK. +18. Good to know for the future."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "And I believe we both have low-light vision."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Note both of us have Perception bonuses active but you can assume they're on when we're searching for something and not in a rush."
----
In mere minutes the griffon and his rider have crossed many miles and left their new allies far behind. The challenge now becomes managing to spot something like the thylaxine in the night upon the plains.

Another might miss the subtle movements through the grasses, the odd changes in dark and light. But Bird Eyes and Icarus are able to pick it out, and what they see is definitely chilling. The thylaxine moves in a way that is deeply unnatural, literally disappearing from one location and reappearing to continue its movement from another. It moves as much by flickering as by stalking. And it covers distance with incredible speed. There is a cold cruelty to its intensity which bespeaks a feline predator combined with something alien, something from Beyond.

And there is a definite sense that the creature has locked onto something, or someone, and is making a beeline for that target, giving no further warning to anything or anyone as it comes.
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "I have a bird eyes shapeshift from my skin-walker race, Icarus has Hunter's Animal Focus (Falcon). His stay on except if I replace them for combat or doing something specific out of combat. Mine I turn off for social reasons and sometimes for combat if I can spare the action economy."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Massive bonuses, eh? And there's two of us so it's like rolling with advantage. XD"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "I apologize in advance if this messes up your module, because there's probably a lake between us and Sandtiger's Perception checks."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Can I make out any details of its physiology from here? Any weird extra limbs or obvious weapons besides front claws and nasty sharp pointy teeth?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Definitely so. Even Avi doesn't quite reach your levels. THough she comes a good bit closer than Sandtiger does."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "On that note can I K:Nature for thylacine knowledge if the non-magic version are a thing in the Shaar? I can infer physiology that way at least."
----
Bird-Eyes rolls K:Nature (1d20+14) and gets 16 (2)
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "The thylacine is an animal known in ths Shaar, yes. They are very stealthy. They are great cats, on a smaller scale than the really big ones, closer to janguar size, plains-focused, and incredibly stealthy. They are noted for having a particular cry that startles most plains-based prey, causing them to freeze or stutter, which often comes right as they pounce as a setup."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "With a 2, you will miss out on the 'additional info' sections."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "One of these days I'll remember to take-10 when not rushed."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "It did help my Perception checks, although with that if I was thinking I'd have taken 20 over 1-2 minutes."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "How fast is it traveling relative to a horse?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Horses are typically 40-50. This thing is moving around 70."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Yikes! We're not circling this thing then. Wow I'm glad griffons are as fast as they are."
----
"There," Bird-Eyes whispers as she leans over the griffon's head and points at the dark shape flickering in and out as it crosses the plain below. The huntress stares from atop Icarus and two pairs of raptor eyes study it from high above. Once she's satisfied, she gives her mount a nudge and the pair accelerate overhead to pass ahead of it, adding a burst of speed to help reach their new party ahead of the other-worldly carnivore.

"What a beast, it's almost as fast as you glide and it's on land," Bird-Eyes whispers by Icarus' ear. "It does look like a thylacine, so it should fight like a medium cat, but with that blinking in and out it's maybe going to like surprises - and be hard to pin down. It's lucky we like a chase..."
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "I just got a terrible sinking feeling for this thylaxine. This could be very interesting."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes is now hustling to get where she's going, but should be within range of the party before it's fatiguing.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger nods.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes also shifts some hunter magic from strength to stamina for Icarus' comfort even though checks aren't needed yet.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes will switch that back for fight time. She's just being helpful. :)

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Not like I can flap my wings to help him any other way, and he does remind me I'm dead weight."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger grins.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "In other news I think Google's trying to kill me. Just rolled up my 8d8 HD and got (sorted) 1,2,2,3,4,4,5."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Thank goodness first HD is maxed and it's minimum half so almost all of those are 4s."
----
DM rolls Icarus' Hit Dice (8d8+0) and gets 31 (2,6,7,1,2,6,1,6)
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Alas Icarus has less HD. An 8th level animal companion is 7 HD so that'd be 31-6=25 + CON stuff."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Just in case another roll would be helpful. You absolutely do not need to use those."
----
Bird-Eyes rolls Bird Eyes' Hit Dice (new) (7d8+8) and gets 37 (2,7,8,2,2,5,3)
----
<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "How fast is Icarus flying,. then?"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "That is... exactly the same before applying the minimum. Funny. XD"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "160ft per round, or 3.2 horses. :D"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Thank you."
----
Of course, Icarus is eager to prove himself, and pushes to fly back as quickly as he is able, picking up from Bird-Eyes that this is important. The griffon is able to get back to the riding - but not pell-mell - Sandtiger and his afoot guide while still leaving at least another minute before the thylaxine they saw can reach the group. But it does mean timing is tight when Bird-Eyes launches herself down, cutting things very close with her ring's ability to slow her descent before she arrives.

By the time Bird-Eyes does arrive there has been a bit of a change in the circumstances of the group. Much like the huntress herself, the Sandtiger has changed, putting on a suit of samnite armor. He has also purposefully changed horses, keeping them fresh in so doing.

In Cantare Aviendha sharply asks, incisive to the most important information: "How far?" She knows the huntress would not be back this soon if she had not found the threat.
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Shaar tribes use meters for distance, was it?"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "I honestly have not considered that, so I have been using Imperial/US measurements."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Makes sense when PF/D&D itself uses that for distances."
----
The huntress drops in more loudly this time, now dressed in a good covering of armor with a split skirt that goes past her knees and carrying throwing spears as well as a good weapon of her own on her back. "A minute at most and at our pace about 1300 feet," which speaks volumes for the creature's speed. Outrunning it with horses would be no easy task. "It looks like a thylacine so it should fight by pouncing and biting, but as you said it fades in and out of place and uses that to move quickly. I think it may try to ambush us many times in battle, if it can control that well."
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes study-studies spell list and plans.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Is Bird-Eyes giving this in Shaaren? Or in Cantare?"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Cantare on reflex, sorry. Should have <>ed that."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes would use Shaaren for Sandtiger but she heard Cantare so her mouth gave Cantare. She is not used to keeping mixed company.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "It has... been a while."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes steels herself after calculating AC. "Oh I am going to get wailed on. Glad there are several of us."
----
With a grimace the Sandtiger objects, "You two are using a language I do not know. What is going on?"

The bare-faced Sister Aviendha makes a sympathetic grimace herself, and then translates for Sandtiger. "It is coming. Form of a medium-large cat, apparently very fast, and it also is incredibly stealthy and seems to flit about, repositioning itself impossibly as it does so. And she says we have at most a minute or so before it reaches us."

Hearing that, Sandtiger dismounts swiftly and then stakes down the two horses about a hundred feet away, then walks over to join the other two. "If it has the advantage in mobility our best chance will be to cover each other's backs and present a united front." He says this, for once, commandingly, even as that huge blade of his whips out, point down slicing into the turf beneath their feet, as he starts ritually cutting a perfect circle thirty feet in diameter. Ten paces across. He doesn't even explain his reasons, he just starts doing it.

Aviendha kneels down, pressing her hand to the turf. "Sandtiger, I know you cannot see in the darkness as well as Bird-Eyes. My own magic is enhancing that for me, but I am afraid I do not have that to offer you. Do I need to create light, so that you can defend yourself, even knowing the creature will likely disappear from sight?"

As the prayer finishes Bird-Eyes will feel a ripple of cool clean divine magic flowing through the circle, licking across her skin as the three are bound together in cause.
----
"I do not fight well standing in place," Bird-Eyes speaks up as she watches the preparations and waves her griffon back down once the horses are safely clear. "It will try to ambush us, but we can trap it in the same way. I can fly above and dive on it when it enters the circle for one of you, then we surround it. I have a magic which can help coordinate our attacks."

So saying, the huntress takes the mingled braid of mistletoe and prairie flowers from her belt and holds it before her mouth as she gives a prayer to Kryntheoria. Then a new and invigorating magic stretches out from her and connects like threads to the other two, imparting a heightened awareness of one another's posture and movements as the light of the magic itself fades.
----
<OOC> Bird-Eyes debaaaates between 2 choices.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Get Equipped With: Pack Flanking! Threatening the an enemy together now counts as flanking regardless of position."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "It's my less powerful choice but I think more likely to matter here if you're trying to keep your back from being taken."
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "And it's too mobile to surround and trap for normal flanking."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "That's Share Training (2nd level), FYI. The quintessential Hunter spell as far as I'm concerned. :D"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Also I'm good if you want to pause us before the fight proper given the hour."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "BTW, Avi has cast Prayer on the circle. So you have a +1 luck bonus to ALL die rolls. And the thylaxine will suffer a -1 to all of its rolls."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Sweet!"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Luck bonuses are awesome!"

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Icarus gets lucky tonight too, right? :D"

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger gigglesnorts.

<OOC> Bird-Eyes will always wingwoman that griffin. He deserves it.

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "I do not know where a female griffon can be found just now, so I'm not sure how lucky he's going to get, I'm afraid."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "If he can get lucky in fighting a thylaxine and being paid in food for it, I think that will suffice."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Of course they aren't an animal so you need Summon Monster 6, which doesn't really work due to duration, and good luck finding a polymorph spell that can support 'magical beast' type."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "I can't even hit him with anthropomorphic animal and I doubt that'd help except for letting him speak Cantare."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Also funny realization: griffons speak "common" by RAW but I'm pretty sure for Icarus that's Cantaren."

<OOC> Mysterious Stranger says, "Probably so."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Really finding Icarus a Mrs. Icarus is a capstone/retirement thing. He has adventuring to do first."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "Doesn't stop it from affecting things, however."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "That and his appetite for horses."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "And cuddles. Imagine if you will 600 pounds of cuddle-cat that wakes up every 2 hours at night."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes says, "He could be worse, but he is definitely a light sleeper."

<OOC> Bird-Eyes digresses.
----
"No light. I will make due." the deeply masculine voice of the Sandtiger comes out of the night as he comes back around finishing the impossibly precise circle he has cut into the turf. "Eye-ush-den-ae, Alimat. Kah-zong-tek-ah, Singlestroke." The words have a truly alien quality to them, and it seems pretty clear neither woman understands them, or even knows what language they are. And then the light reflecting off of those milky green eyes ends as lids cover them ... and remain in place. The male warrior strides quickly to the center of the circle, and then stands waiting.

"Do what you know best, Bird-Eyes. Whatever help you and your friend can offer, we accept gladly." Aviendha offers in Shaaren. And then she dives into a roll, coming up behind the Sandtiger with her spear in both hands, readying for battle.

"It comes." the warrior offers, as a shiver passes through his flesh. Eyes closed, how can he possibly tell? And yet ...
----
Her own magic help given, Bird-Eyes remounts her griffin when he swoops back down and the pair ascend with noisy flaps back into the night sky. Only after gaining a substantial height do they arc back around and begin to circle above the duo on the ground.

A small glint of moonlight catches on the curved weapon drawn from its saddle sheathe before disappearing behind broad wings as the Roctalon lays herself against her mount and focuses in their expectant minute on channeling supporting magic into his feather and furs.
----
And as Bird-Eyes and Icarus continue their loop above, things erupt down below. The tall waving grass parts as the dull golden figure of the tylaxine appears, visible to Bird-Eyes enhanced vision. And then it flickers and disappears, reappearing almost twenty feet away on the opposite side of the two below at the center. And then it leaps from that new position in an impossible instant!

The surprise follows when the Sandtiger, eyes still closed, pivots smoothly and swings that huge sword with incredulous speed, intercepting the attacking great cat with a gout of blood streaming out. Claws still bite into flash, even tearing through leather and chain to reach.

Aviendha twists around swiftly, jabbing with her spear past the Sandtiger as the opening is created. And as more of that impossible blood is spilt the creature disappears again, flickering to elsewhere to stalk around those two central figures. Then the gleaming wetness upon the spear's blade disappears, as if the blood evaporated, and a pulse of light shocks down its length.

And the stalking figure of the thylaxine starts to flicker again ... and instead starts to glow, as flames of green erupt across its body, outlining it quite clearly, a beacon to any perception. The vibration of the feline creature's body subsides, and it does not manage to relocate. It stalks freely, but only on four paws without displacing through dimensions as it has been.
----
Icarus tucks his wings into a dive as the Thylaxine appears within the center of the circle but Bird-Eyes pulls him away with a frustrated growl when it blinks away again just as quickly, leaving them without a target. Banking again until she's behind the creature's new location, the pair try again in their dive. If they can't catch it mid-attack, then they'll attack first and let the others rush in.

Streaking down through the air with the speed of a diving hawk, Icarus flares his wings at the last second and tucks his claws while Bird-Eyes angles her long curved sword over his shoulder to present another layer of attack and defense. From the sides it's also noticeable - if only just in the dim light - that the Roctalon's lower legs have transformed into wickedly hooked bird-like talons, much alike though smaller than her griffon's. Attacking the sides is normally a weakspot of horses; in the case of the aerieborn Roctalon, that may only invite a surprisingly nasty reprisal.
----
With the thylaxine surrounded by the green 'flames' it is a much clearer target to all, impossible for the sharp-eyed pair to miss. And though the creature does twist around and start bounding towards the pair that are truly its target it does not shimmer out of existence to reappear on top of them as it had previously. Clearly frustrated by this the thylaxine remains keenly focused on the Sandtiger and Aviendha, much to the detriment of its defensive choices as the plummeting pair are able to land powerful attacks while the creature is out in the open and not yet at its destination. The griffon's mighty foretalons bury deep, the beak a broadhead spear into the back of the foreshoulder. This opens the neck for the aerieborn Bird-eyes to slice through with her sword.

The thylaxine gives out an echoing (but against what?!) snarl and cry as it is raked and torn into so, then it twists away from the pain, diverted from its intended target as it limps a bit, resettling itself and trying to bite and swipe back at the fast-moving pair that have come down out of the night sky. Given their speed, the attacks do relatively minimal damage to the griffon, which is able to hop to the side and continue to press the attack on the beast whose blood now adorns his beak.

Then the Sandtiger proves that the giant of a man is still quite agile, leaping the distance to land beside the creature behind the reach of its mighty jaws, then bring down that incredulously-sized gleaming straight blade down into the back of the creature's neck, the blow delivered with such force it very nearly severs the thylaxine's head entirely from its neck.

Savaged and very nearly decapitated, the creature slumps down and crawls, trying to get away from its attackers.

Aviendha strides towards the creature and reaches out. Yet rather than stabbing with her spear the Cantare reaches out and touches it gently with the butt of her spear, whispering "< Go in peace. >" in Cantare. At the touch and the phrase, the green flames around the creature fade away, and once they do the thylaxine finally relents, slumping down entirely as its form ripples and fades away, gone.

The Sandtiger turns to the lady monk, a look of confusion and fury on his face. "What did you do? Why did you not attack and finish it off? End its misery?" He is pretty angry, his anger augmented by frustration as he is forced to stumble over his words in Shaaren to be understood. More than once he instead first uses a word or phrase in Raurindhi before he corrects himself again.
----
Wetted by thylaxine blood, the two avians move with the coordination of a single especially dangerous animal as Bird Eyes scrambles onto Icarus' side when the griffon turns to present its claws, and then remount when he turns upright again. Without colliding with his tucked wings or nicking his legs, the Roctalon still somehow manages to present at least one leg and the threat of her sword in the thylaxine's direction. Even to the untrained eye their instinctual teamwork has the hallmark of magic, endless practice, or perhaps both.

The avian pair too flummox when the thylaxine fades out of existence and Icarus' arches his back in a ready crouch while sniffing the wind while Bird Eyes turns to search the grassy plain in the opposite direction. A few seconds first and silence beyond Sandtiger's outburst before they cautiously consider the badly wounded creature escaped rather than killed. Icarus' arch relaxes somewhat but the eagle's attention is clearly still upon his surroundings as Bird Eyes asks directly to her fellow Cantaren, "Did you kill it or banish it? What has happened?"
----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:birdeyes]]
[[category:sandtiger]]
[[category:aviendha]]

Birds 01 Thylaxine

2023-06-18T10:17:49Z

VanyaDoll2:

Birds 01 Thylaxine

2023-06-08T01:03:57Z

VanyaDoll2:

Birds 01 Thylaxine

2023-06-04T22:25:32Z

VanyaDoll2:

Birds 01 Thylaxine

2023-05-30T01:09:11Z

VanyaDoll2:

Birds 01 Thylaxine

2023-05-30T01:07:15Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "Only a day's hard journey south and west of Alderan, the campsite is almost too small to be referred to as such. Two fine if somewhat small-boned Semphari horses, one a palami..."

Journey Day 23 Sunbathing

2022-07-23T01:00:01Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "The rest of the evening passes in quiet conversation until Honoria departs for her tent, leaving Syval to the remains of the first watch. Newly attuned to the Witch of the Fen..."

The rest of the evening passes in quiet conversation until Honoria departs for her tent, leaving Syval to the remains of the first watch. Newly attuned to the Witch of the Fen, the swamp's heart leaves the group in peace and while a few wildlife here and there peek upon the campsite from afar, nothing comes close enough to trouble them.

As the dawn sun rises somewhere beyond the green canopy of trees it illuminates a white fog heavy with dew that hovers upon the grasses and around tree trunks. Later than most of the others to rise again, Syval shuffles out of his tent and stretches out as he stands to full height, still in human form but otherwise dressed for the day as he yawns heavily then looks about and sniffs. "Ahh, good air this morning. I think the swamp is glad."

"Breakfast has a good smell too," he adds upon eyeing the simmering pot of breakfast stew. Pointing a finger back towards his open tent, the young wizard draws forth his serving bowl and utensils then walks over to join the others. "So what plans do we all have for today?"

Neosodos lazily stretches upon his mistress' lap in a determined, asymetrical manner, giving tiny little kitten-sized roars.

Andie is currently gesturing slowly, causing the large wooden spoon to stir the pot of stew. "Given that I was up as late as I was, I was planning to take a rather lazy day, today. Sunbathing, I think, while I listen to all the Bog has to tell me."

Jyslin finishes a mouthful of stew and then considers Syval's question. "Well, other than maybe a patrol or two, I had not really planned on anything." Jyslin's whole purpose, it seems, is to follow Andie wherever she goes. "Tonight may be interesting. I'm hoping to spend some time communing during midnight watch."

Honoria already has her blade out and is working stone and cloth over it, cleaning and sharpening. "Maintenance, of course, and physical training. I may try to enlist you, and Jyslin, later. I have to make sure I do not lose a stride thanks to my sojourn."

Syval nods as he takes in the party's replies. "Those are all well and good, and I could use some rest as well after all the adventures we've had up until now. I would like to commune with the swamp too now that it's more friendly to us, so I may join you for a time if that's alright," he offers on his own account with a glance to Andie.

"Before we disperse what say we inspect the hag's treasures? I'd rather not leave them for fairies to take after all the trouble they caused," the green-haired wizard suggests.

Andie comments, "Why not just put the chest in the basement for now? We can work on examining that stuff later, when we are all fully rested." She clearly intends to be pretty lazy today. "The more the merrier for sunbathing, definitely."

Honoria hmms softly. "I really should walk out to the plains, to see if you were right about the hunnuli herd sticking around to see how we did." But she's not going to try traversing the swamp alone. Even now that it is no longer being corrupted by the hag coven, that's still stupid for the lady in heavy armor and without nearly so much woodscraft skills.
MAIL: Mailbox purged.
Name set.

"Inspecting magic items tires you? Fine, but I may look over it myself first," Syval chuckles even as he relents to the fen witch. Then when Honoria mentions the herd he spares a glance to Jyslin before suggesting, "Why don't you two set out together then? The sun's low enough you should get back around nightfall if the trails are favorable."

<OOC> Syval, accidentally arranging alone time with the wrong woman. Dip check failure.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hah!
Jyslin glances at the lady knight. "Sure. I would be happy to run escort and guide, if you don't mind the company?"

The lady knight smiles and inclines her head. "Your company and talent would be most welcome, Jyslin. Thank you." To Syval, then, Honoria says simply, "You have a good day communing."

The ladies do not leave immediately, but Honoria finishes with her sword quickly, then finishes her breakfast and goes to get ready to move again. By comparison Jyslin just finishes her breakfast and stands back up when Honoria is ready to go. "You three have fun today. Neosodos, don't let Syval break a wing, OK?"

The tiny dragon sighs and grumbles. "Ruins all my fun, she does." he protests in good humor.
<OOC> Syval says, "Phew, I think I finally got the rest of that liquid bandage off and my knee's okay to be left alone."
<OOC> Syval says, "It's a bit redder in spots still, and shiny, but that'll heal up quickly enough I'm sure."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li yays. "Yes, it should."
<OOC> Syval says, "I keep thinking I see a little bit of gravel in there but I'm pretty sure that's just blood that's pooled up enough to turn black. Not that I have experience with it but I'm pretty sure I'd know if I had a bit of rock embedded in me for a month, ergo being uncertain means I don't."
<OOC> Syval says, "Also repetitive in the typing which probably isn't a good sign for my poses. In either case I'm settled back in now so that should improve."

"And thank goodness for it," Syval laughs softly. Having started last he is also last to eat and so the wizard is just finishing up once Honoria prepares to depart. "Safe travels to you both and luck favor you with the herd's scouts."

Once the two blondes set off, the young wizard turns back to the remains of breakfast and invokes a fresh casting of his favorite incantation to help Andie with clean-up.

"Thank you again, Syval. That was very kind of you, to volunteer those two to head off together. Jyslin would have been very bored lounging about all day, and I would hate for Honoria to miss her opportunity." Andie offers. "And thank you for your help with cleanup. I appreciate it." Most importantly, of course, the young dragonoid is good at cleaning out the cooking pot before he cleans up the cooking pot; food is always best kept inside the gullet of a hungry dragon.

Neosodos stretches out a bit more, unseated now that Andie is cleaning up. "We should work on your flying. But maybe tomorrow. Honoria did ask me not to break your wings while she was away." he teases good-naturedly.

"It's only right that they get to make the journey, and I think they're both more interested in Hunnuli than the Heart," the dragon-touched wizard responds modestly as he alternately cleans and tidies the cooking utensils. With magical aid it's a quick and spotless process. "This will leave you without your gifts of poison berries throughout the day. Do you think you'll manage, Elder Brother?" he asks with a teasing grin towards the Eldritch Wyrm.

<OOC> Syval yawns. >.< "Guh, muse where did you wander?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry that one took a bit."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li grins.
"Given they are the first horses to tolerate Jyslin's presence in over five years, yes. I imagine you are correct." Andie observes quietly.

Neosodos turns towards Syval and licks his beak visibly. "Surely I can convince you to find a few, after all of the effort I am putting into teaching you." the tiny dragon protests. Oh yes, these two definitely come off as brothers, with this teasing going on. And Andie looks rather wryly amused at it all.

"I /may/ know where to find one or two bushes on the path Jyslin and I took yesterday," Syval hints vaguely. To Andie the young man nods smiling. "That was weird for me too but stranger for her I'm sure. I've only ever ridden summoned horses; they both seem to have more of a connection to other animals."

"That will draw us some attention if we join a caravan up to Aramis, but I trust you're both used to such things by now. I only hope Wishwell village doesn't have too many dogs," he hopes, naming the animal with sour distaste. With the breakfast tidied, the young mage dusts his hands with satisfaction. "There. Now if you can please reopen the portal I'll move the treasure for safe keeping."

"Plenty of dogs in Wishwell Village, or at least there were the last time I was there." Andie replies. But don't ask her when that was. "They're common especially in small towns and villages because they are such good guardians, alerting their people to trouble."

The witch then gets up and moves over to lay down the satchel, murmuring a word softly and drawing it up to reveal the opening into the basement of her hut in the Dread Bogs. "Here you go."

Syval grumbles quietly to himself as he heads over to the fateful treasure chest. "Well I hope they at least don't keep near the shops or you and Honoria may need to purchase for us, to say nothing of board for the night..." Once he's upon the banded wooden chest still with stripes of quickdirt buried in its seams, he stops and eyes it carefully, then the weredragon loosens his robes and shifts his form - just in case.

Taking hold of either handle, the transformed wizard hefts the chest easily and walks it to the portal - tucking his wings and tail as he passes through.

"No new prismatic trap. Seems it can't recharge," he note with dry humor upon stepping back out a few seconds later.

<OOC> Syval says, "Not least because a self-resetting magic trap for a legendary spell would be absurdly taxing, and probably shatter the chest across 20 different planes."
<OOC> Syval says, "To borrow Tolkien's idea of 'more magic than a door can hold = no more door'."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li heh. "All too true."
"I'm sure we can work something out." Andie promises Syval, and lets him go.

At his comment about the trap, Andie nods. "I am reasonably certain whatever focus they had prepared for the spell trap shattered in the release of the spell. That's why they chose such a powerful trap."

Ruffling his wings and then stretching them out once he's fully within the swamp again, Syval takes a deep lungful of air and glances towards the Heart Tree. "I'm still amazed they could even cast that, no matter how many there were. I thought hag covens enhanced their existing magics, that was something new entirely. Rituals are far different things from the common Art holding spells in the mind..."

[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 22 Hag Traps

2022-07-23T00:56:11Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "Stalking through the woods beyond the Heart of the Swamp, Syval's scales glide through bushes and around tree branches, their dark coat blending with the shadowed underbrush t..."

Stalking through the woods beyond the Heart of the Swamp, Syval's scales glide through bushes and around tree branches, their dark coat blending with the shadowed underbrush that's dimmed by the canopy above even in full daylight. His robes are dyed a few shades lighter green and tied up past his elbows and knees so the therianthrope can move more smoothly. Absent his pack and most his possessions, the city-raised wizard could almost be mistaken for a forest native, except that he lacks the purposed movement of a well-seasoned predator. For that, he's relying on his roamer.

"Straight or left?" he whispers as he taps his bardiche against the ground and turns his nose to sniff the air.

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh mai~! Well I do have some climbing rope. And since I'm a gentledragon the lady can tie me up first as long as she knows the favor will be returned."
With her own robes hitched up, twisted around her belt a few times to bring them to her knees, Jyslin stalks through on sandaled feet that find it child's play to make no sound. Her nose is quite mobile upon her face as the ashen blonde with the hip-length mane continues. She has a few sacks tied to the quiver on her back, just in case. "Left. Carefully; I smell blood, and something actinic. Possibly a toxin."

They have been following trails for a while, now. They have not - yet - found a cache of anything they would consider valuable. They did find the path the trolls have taken back up into the foothills of the mountains. Now they are tracking much older trails. Trails that predate the trolls' - and hopefully the hags' - arrival at the Heart.

"Plant or animal toxin?" Syval asks as he pauses long enough to catch the scent again then continues on in the new direction with his wings pulled tight and streamlined against his back.

"Smells mineral." Jyslin offers. Organic toxins don't generally build an actinic scent or taste. There are exceptions; she can recall a scorpion beast with a powerful acid-infused poison.

With Jyslin to guide, they move further. She does not so much disable traps as she sets them off when neither of them is threatened by them. Jyslin then - with difficulty - gets them around a sinkhole of quickdirt. Not sand.

But that is where Jyslin stops, turning about, sniffing. "They stayed here ..." she murmurs, tasting the air and examining the area in detail.
<OOC> Syval offers his bardiche as obligatory 10ft poking stick.
<OOC> Syval carries it for multiple purposes.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li cheers in favor of that.

Following the roamer-priestess carefully, Syval moves step-in-step with Jyslin's footfalls skirting the hazardous quickdirt, and at least one trap is disabled with the aid of his long polearm as a trigger. Since settling into his hybrid form, or perhaps getting to know the blonde, he's even offered it for Jyslin to use once or twice. In spite of the startling size and appearance difference, the wizard has clearly settled himself into the role of a sponging apprentice of the far more experienced half-elf.

Syval's brow lifts when she calls a halt and he slowly lowers the waterskin that was at his lips as he looks around. "I have an art for detecting poisons, and another for magic. Neither is silent."

Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
Syval rolls Shave (2d6+0) and gets 6 (4,2)
<OOC> Syval is still clean-shaven. He didn't prepare shave the past couple days to make room for other spells.
Jyslin shakes her head. "Sorry. I want to answer questions, but for right now ... I need to be lower."

That said, Jsylin closes her eyes and that silvery inner light builds around her, her body rippling and twisting until the light recedes to leave the tigress in her place. The big cat's muzzle is lowered to the ground, sniffing about, working her way back to the quickdirt pit. Her tail lashes with agitation.

Syval manages a smile with his transformed face and brushes his hand against the Selunite's shoulder. "As you please." Squinting a little at the light, the dragon-touched mage greets the return of the tigress therianthrope with one of appreciation before following after her when the sinewy striped feline wanders off. It might be the rarity of her scarcely used form, or perhaps simply the magic of watching all her clothes and belongings disappear into her - a feat still beyond the gear-laden dragonoid.

Furrowing his brow lightly as they return to the quickdirt, Syval watches warily and lightly flexes his free hand, preparing to grab for Jyslin if her footing fails her.

The tigress snuffles about frustratedly, and then turns her head, twists around, and bites hold of the butt of Syval's halberd. Then she twists back around, lining up the butt with the sinkhole of the quickdirt.

Catching the idea, Syval shifts his grip to behind the axe head and prods its pointed butt into the quickdirt, letting it sink inside inch by inch. "They buried it in the quickdirt? That's clever," the dragonoid snorts in annoyance. "I wonder how they were going to get it back out."

Syval has to push the shaft down a good bit - nearly a good four feet - before finally it strikes something solid. Something that is not dirt. And it shifts in position when prodded.

Jyslin steps away and lets herself shift, rippling back in another cascade of silver light. "They cannot die unless burned. I suspect they would just jump down in and gather it up, then be pulled out by others. The kind of hiding place they would assume no one else could explore."

Freaky indeed. But how do the heroes get things out?

"There, I found something!" the dragon finally proclaims with most of the haft buried underground, and all too gratefully wrenches the weapon back up from the clinging dirt. "Thorough, but it seems like it should be deeper somehow. If that's the bottom it couldn't even bury us upright..."

"They can't even suffocate?" he asks in surprise as the blonde priestess returns to his side. "Well whatever they hid the trolls didn't come back for. We've got shovels back at camp that can dig this up with enough time... or we could do things the fast way," he offers while flicking some dirt from his bardiche before turning to Jyslin with a bold spark in his sandy eyes.

"The fast way?" Jyslin questions. She has a feeling that whatever they have found is on a ledge or something on the side of the sinkhole, and that there is no 'floor' anywhere close. That would suit what she knows of trolls. "They can suffocate. But they will just black out. Once you get them back up they will recover, choke out whatever they breathed in, and then get back up."

One gets the impression the lady roamer has had to face trolls a good bit even before this adventure. Nasty bastards.

"You'd think something so unkillable could take the time to learn a little hygiene," Syval snorts derisively. "To think I was once worried I might be related to them..." Shaking his head free of the thought, the dragonoid surveys the woods immediately around them then turns back to Jyslin. "The fast way is one of us goes in and grabs it and the other pulls them out. As deep as it was for my bardiche, I should be able to get my feet around whatever's down there without going more than shoulder deep. We have good clothes to tie off, plenty of wood to hold, and did I see you pack some rope?" he questions with a glance to Jyslin's pack.

<OOC> Syval tries to hide a smile. Oh, and he should perhaps Bluff check here.
Syval rolls Bluff (1d20+7) and gets 24 (17)
Jyslin would not normally admit this, but she does because it is important right now: "I'm pretty sure I'm the strongest of the two of us. Which means I'm more likely to be able to pull you up out of there than you me." Had Jyslin worn her pack, rather than just her quiver, she definitely would have produced some rope. She keeps two whole coins of the stuff in her pack because she cares not at all for weight as another might.

Jyslin glances at the pit with a grimace. "This is going to make a terrible mess. Hopefully I can create enough water. Do try not to breath that gunk in, would you?" Jyslin then sets aside her quiver, shucks off her robe - revealing her naturally tanned and toned body with its interesting blend of noticeable athleticism and musculature along with more than merely modest curves, wearing only simple drawstring shorts and a laced-up basque beneath.

"You ready?"

"I shall try," Syval chuckles as he takes the roamer's permission to disrobe as well, unfastening his belt and sliding off his outer robe along with the pouches tied to it. Underneath, the hulking dragonoid is down to a thinner white tunic that reaches to mid-thigh, similarly exposing his tall and muscular frame to the tigress. Its back has been split in a wide V to accommodate the therianthrope's tail and fringe and taken together, the magically-infused wizard enjoys a more natural grace than typical of the larger laboring class, appearing at once supple and imposing in his verdant proportions.

Sandy eyes don't miss the chance to assess his partner in dirt-diving and Syval smiles confidently at what he sees. "Almost," he assures while crouching to retrieve a pinch of orange dust from his discarded pouch and recite an incantation. In a matter of seconds the green dragonoid, already an imposing size for humans, swells upwards and outwards to twice his height. "There, now I'm ready for a little swim," he says in a voice deep enough to rustle the leaves at their feet before flashing a toothy grin. "I think I might now be a little stronger than you, but I'm sure a Child of Selune could still pull me out in a pinch."

Reaching down to the athletic half-elf, Syval offers his arm and the enlarged shaft of his bardiche for Jyslin to grip as she pleases before stepping boldly over the quickdirt where he'd earlier felt the buried treasure.

<OOC> Syval says, "Now that I'm troll-sized this should also make it easier to lift out whatever I find. 1m duration so enough time to get up to some trouble."
<OOC> Syval says, "Any scaly eye candy for Jyslin is purely coincidental."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Riiiiight. Suuuuuure it is."
<OOC> Syval says, "Would you believe I expected her to decline my original idea and was ready to Enlarge Person to convince her? Quite a bit safer going 4' down when you're 12' tall."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Top of it is 4' down. No telling how far down the bottom is. Gotta get under it and lift it out against the suction of the quickdirt."
<OOC> Syval says, "Aye and that's important. So every extra foot is helpful."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah, and I forgot about that actinic smell. That wasn't from around the quickdirt, right?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Close. But not in it or immediately arround it."
"Hope you still fit far enough down." Jyslin quips. Did she look? Is she taking in the 'verdant beauty' of the revealed dragonoid? Probably. But Jyslin doesn't really comment on it. She just braces herself on the ground and takes hold of the half of the polearm just below the head. "We're taking a crude bath once we get you out of there, treasure or no. Get going, Syval."

The quickdirt is gritty, harsh and deceptively warm. It would feel comfortable, like a hot bath, but it gets hotter the further down Syval's bits proceed, and its grit is very harsh and abrassive, enough such that even against draconic scales he can feel it, though he is at least not taking cutting damage. Worse yet, as Syval continues further down, wiggling as the quickdirt seizes onto him and starts pulling him along, a bitter stench of a gas flows up into draconic nostrils. It is quite unpleasant, like hot death and putrefaction.

Jyslin sneezes, hands twitching and destabilizing things. "Sorry. Gawd, that stench. You OK?" she checks in.

"If not I will manage," Syval assures as he gives a slow but firm tug to check Jyslin's grip before committing himself fully to the quick dirt. His taloned feet disappear first and the dragonoid's brow furrows in surprise at the experience. "It's like hot gravel in here," he complains before snorting to clear his nostrils as he sinks past his knees and the dirt rises up his thighs. Inquisitively the delving wizard kicks his legs as if treading water to see how the gritty dirt responds. "Very hot, this may not be all natural... And it's still only the second worst thing I've smelled lately."

"Get ready to pull soon. Once I touch that treasure I want to float a moment."

<OOC> Syval says, "Almost smells like they buried a troll to guard their treasure."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Or some zombies."
And as the dragonoid slowly lowers himself further and further, to the point that his head is only barely above the surface - gagging on that stank - and his arms about at the level of the top of whatever it was his bardiche had found, he will feel something cold - how can anything be cold inside this hot gravel?! - and hard bite into his ankle, and a wave of sickness flows upward through his body. Quite an alien feeling indeed, since he has never gotten sick from disease before.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "3 points of claw damage and 1 level of energy drain, bestowing 1 negative level, reducing hit points by the last rolled hit die plus CON and other bonuses."
<OOC> Syval says, "FYI, I was feeling for that with my feet on the way down, but assuming it sank deeper I would have kept sinking to search so we can keep this as-is."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oof, that's a nasty bite. No Fort save?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Newp."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It's a touch result from a claw attack."
<OOC> Syval says, "Harsh. That's 16 "damage" from the negative level and 3 from the claw. Effective curse or whatever that is."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It's literally 'energy drain'. Undedz."
<OOC> Syval says, "Well I'll kick at it on instinct. Can I muscle through the dirt enough to manage that?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You can certainly try!"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You estimate there's probably a to-hit penalty assessed, beyond the 'I cannot see what I'm trying to kick' part."
<OOC> Syval says, "Of course. I'm kicking half-blind inside quick dirt and trusting the promptness to catch whatever that is before it can move out of the way."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nodnods. "Yus."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But it's better than just trying to keep sinking and doing nothing."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "As your advisor in all things game-system, I approve of this attempt."
Syval rolls Unarmed Strike (1d20+16) and gets 22 (6)
<OOC> Syval says, "Note: these rolls are using Lv8 Syval on the heels of the hag fight."
Guardian Wight rolls Miss Chance (1d100+0) and gets 82 (82)
<OOC> Syval says, "Art permitting I'm also Swifting Arcane Strike onto my kicking foot (the one not bitten) for +1 damage (and treated as magic). That's been a reflex of mine for a long while now per other fights."
Syval rolls Unarmed Strike Dmg (1d3+11) and gets 12 (1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. -4 for blind, -2 for 'restrained'. So that's a 16. And -1 for size differential. That's 15. Which is JUST what you need to hit. And it failed the 50% miss chance. Damage?"
<OOC> Syval says, "That's the 12."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh! I'm sorry these numbers are low. I didn't add Enlarge Person."
<OOC> Syval says, "No change to-hit but +1 damage so 13 not 12."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ack where'd that pose tab go..."
The dragonoid calls forth his transmutation magic and centers it on the foot not entrapped by the too-cold life-sapping claw, then twists and kicks towards what he is guessing might be the origin of said claw, getting lucky enough to nail something solidly.

"What are you thrashing about?" Jyslin protests, struggling to hold onto the shaft of the polearm as the dragonoid keeps wrestling about. She apparently has no idea what has happened to him ... yet.

"Ah!" Syval cries out in surprise as he winces, less at the bite and more at the wave of wrongness that spreads from the cold wound. Reflexively, arcana swirls around his opposite foot and he lashes out at the source while gripping his bardiche for support. "Out, out, out. There's something cold and unhappy in there."

<OOC> Syval says, "Found it, belatedly."
Jyslin rolls Strength Check (1d20+22) and gets 38 (16)
Jyslin mutters darkly. "Out out out he says, as if he weighs no more than a toddler." Then she sets herself, taking a deep breath, and grunts with force as she pushes with her legs and back to pull the enormous bulk of the enlarged dragonoid out of the clinging grasp of the hot gravel-like mud of the quickdirt. She manages to exert sufficient force that Syval is swiftly dragged against the hot gravel, feeling as if his very scales are almost being scraped off, and then he plops free of the suction and falls on top of Jyslin in a heap.

"Augh. OK. What the Hell is going on?" Jyslin complains from underneath. "You said something cold ... in there? But you said everything was hot?"

Kicking and scrambling as he can to help, Syval pays little heed to the discomfort until he's released from the trap and lands on hard, solid... priestess.

"Thank you," the weredragon mutters as he rolls his mud-soaked body off of Jyslin and pulls his legs away from the edge. With small bits of rock clinging to his clothes and scales, the formerly green dragon looks more like a giant holiday treat that's been rolled in crushed nuts.

"Yes it's warm in there and hotter the deeper I went, but then something cold clamped onto my foot. I gave it a kick before you pulled me out," Syval explains as he dusts off his hands and inspects his fresh wound with a frown. Already shrinking quickly away to nothing, it doesn't have the appearance of anything special. Certainly for a therianthrope of his fortitude, there's something else at play.

"The wound looks normal but it feels... wrong." The dragonoid snarls and glares back at the quick-dirt. "It feels like something just cursed me."

Jyslin takes a deep breath, then sits up and twists around to examine his injury, noting the ragging darkening of the flesh beneath and the whitening of the scales themselves where rent. "Unless I miss my guess, it must be undead." she murmurs, raising her hand and muttering a prayer to Selune as she confirms her suspicions.

"Yep. You've been hit with a life draining attack. So not only did the damned trolls hide their treasure in there where almost no one could find it, and put traps and such all around, they also either put it there because the undead already were, or they literally put the undead down there expressly to do just this. That's just disturbing as Hell." Jyslin shakes her head. "There's a prayer I can use to cure that, but I did not prepare it this morning. I promise I will tonight."

"There must be something valuable down there then," Syval concludes. After a long stare at the motionless dirt, he turns away from it with a snort. "Well if that's all it managed to do don't worry yourself. I've been feeling more vital day by day since discovering this form. A little undead drain can't match draconic hardiness. But unless you have any priestly ideas I think we're done today. We can come back tomorrow with the others and a plan," the enlarged weredragon assesses with a measure of annoyance. "At least we know the treasure will still be here when we get back."

Jyslin grunts. "To Mita Loss with that." She twists around, grabs at her robes, and pulls out from them the pair of silver-chased scimitar hilts Syval has seen in her hands many times. "Don't you stab me with that damned thing when you push it down in after me."

That seems to be about all the warning she's going to give before diving into that mess herself ...
<OOC> Syval says, "She's going in head first then?"

"Pushing it in-- hey, Jyslin!" Syval calls out in surprise as the priestess thrusts herself into the dirt. Scrambling up to his knees, the moves to the edge of stable ground around it and hovers overhead as the tigress disappears head first underground. Making a grab for her ankle with one enormous hand, the dragonoid stabs the head of his bardiche into the ground behind him to help serve as an anchor then lets his arm follow her down. "Crazy tiger-elf," he grumbles softly to himself, but the young wizard can't help from smiling.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "She was actually going to jump up and pike down. :)"
Jyslin rolls Seek Undedz (1d20+24) and gets 30 (6)
<OOC> Syval says, "Seems we've got 6s tonight."
Jyslin rolls Initiative (1d20+10) and gets 11 (1)
Wights rolls Initiative (1d20+1) and gets 2 (1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hah! Pair of ones! But Jyslin wins."
<OOC> Syval says, "Tied for last. Nice pair, yours is bigger."
Jyslin rolls Attack Right #1 (1d20+13) and gets 18 (5)
Jyslin rolls Attack Left #1 (1d20+13) and gets 30 (17)
Jyslin rolls Attack Right #2 (1d20+8) and gets 16 (8)
Jyslin rolls Attack left #2 (1d20+8) and gets 15 (7)
Jyslin rolls Attack Right #3 (1d20+3) and gets 14 (11)
Jyslin rolls Attack Left #3 (1d20+3) and gets 22 (19)
Jyslin rolls Attack Left #3 (1d20+3) and gets 5 (2)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Does not confirm."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But that's 4 hits, even blind and restrained."
<OOC> Syval says, "You know when you said therianthrope bondage last night I didn't realize this is what you had in mind."
Jyslin rolls Damage Left #1 (2d6+6) and gets 12 (3,3)
Jyslin rolls Damage Right #2 (2d6+6) and gets 15 (6,3)
Jyslin rolls Damage Left #2 (2d6+6) and gets 16 (5,5)
Jyslin rolls Damage Left #3 (2d6+6) and gets 13 (5,2)
Jyslin rolls Seek (1d20+24) and gets 34 (10)
That is indeed about all the warming she gives Syval before she bounds into the air, twists and pikes herself down into the warm quickdirt, She is quite literally holding her breath as she twists around until the suction grabs hold of her and starts helping her pull further and further beneath the surface.

The quickdirt writhes and twists, bucking as rapid movements take place within despite its heft and restraint. Flares of blue-silver light spark up through the dirt in pinpricks of intensity, and a vast pocket of that foul stench slow-belches out from the smoking earth.

And then Jyslin's very messy head finally breaks through the surface after nearly another minute. "Stick. Now."

Syval watches the writhing quickdirt with a mix of worry and awe as he 'watches' the roamer-priestess work. Casting a quick detection arcana upon himself the young wizard attempts to spectate through the curls of magic seeping out in and amongst the foul gasses. His nose wrinkles and hovering above the smell drives the dragon's eyes to water but he continues to wait it out, through the expiration of his enhancement magic and return to normal size. Unique in their group, except perhaps Neosodos, he's not afraid of his fellow therianthrope suffocating. Actually fighting whatever's down there is another matter.

When the former blonde finally breaches Syval deftly wrenches his bardiche from its place and jabs it butt first into the quick-dirt. Once he's confident Jyslin has a hold upon it, all nearly six feet of weredragon pull hard.

Syval rolls Strength (1d20+9) and gets 14 (5)
<OOC> Syval says, "Dang rand(). Not even a 6."
Jyslin groans as Syval finally hauls her out of the quickdirt, apparently leaving a layer or two of her skin behind in the process. Her skin is red and blotchy in protest, like a low-grade burn. But she manages to drag with her an enormous bound chest, which is then hauled up onto the earth. Jyslin then sprawls out, panting a bit as her body recovers from her time without oxygen while working that hard. She wasn't yet to suffocation, but she definitely felt the effects of fighting and struggling for that long without air to breathe.

"Benefit of my moonblades. The undead expired forcefully. And the moonblades did not much care about dirt, even that thick. Moving my arms was hard as could be." The priestess turns and coughs up some dirt, then blows out each nostril messily.

"Water. Incoming."

That's all the warning Syval gets before Jyslin raises her hands, renewing a prayer to Selune, and suddenly a torrent of water falls out of the sky and drains down upon her, the dragonoid and the chest. Over a fifty-gallon drum of water surges down upon them and then seeps into the ever-thirsty ground.

The ground will soon allow that quickdirt sinkhole to grow, as that torrent of water will expand its reach.

*Sploosh!*

Syval lands on his butt in front of the injured roamer and he has just enough time to look owlishly at the forming mass of water before it floods over him with a loud splash, soaking the muddy dragonoid from head to toe and washing away the gritty aftermath of the quick dirt. The scaled mage sighs in relief and basks in the sensation.

"Ahh, praise to Selune, that's a nice way to clean up in hot weather," he chimes and as water drips from his brow, Syval looks over his therianthrope partner, grimacing lightly at Jyslin's obvious wounds "Here, I'll move the treasure away from that stinking dirt. You take a rest and heal, that was a violent victory. How'd you even find that thing to attack it?" he asks while rising sopping wet to his feet and with casual ease lifting the chest away from the quickdirt as if it were only a tenth of its true weight.

The trunk is a lot lighter and easier to move without half the quickdirt mass on top of it, holding it down. It moves easily enough. Jyslin looks up at Syval, watching his movements while she waits for her body to - thankfully - heal from the damage the hot quickdirt has done to her skin. In about a minute she'll be fine.

"I could feel the cool of it in the hot of the quickdirt, and I swung towards that cool for all I was worth, honestly." It all sounds so much more useful than it felt at the time. But she definitely felt when the power of the undead dissipated, and that had been what she was after all along.

"The cool water felt good on my burns." Jyslin confesses honestly. Now that she's feeling better, she sits up and scoots away from the slowly liquifacting area around the quickdirt. "I know I'm being paranoid. But part of me feels like maybe we carry this back to the Heart and let Andie and Neosodos help? If the hags had the trolls put that down in there, I'm thinking I'd rather have a full-on witch on hand when we open it. And an adorable great wyrm familiar couldn't hurt."

The one skill the party lacks, honestly, is an actual rogue. No lockpicking expertise with anyone so far as anyone knows.
<OOC> Syval says, "Perception to inspect the trunk for anything nefarious, and I throw on Detect Magic as well for good measure."
Syval rolls Perception (1d20+16) and gets 29 (13)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Jyslin can in fact do Find Traps, but since it is specified as 'in your favored terrain', I don't feel that applies to the chest, which is not part of the terrain."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "DAMNED good thing Jyslin didn't roll that."
<OOC> Syval says, "What, you think she would have rolled another 6?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No. You rolled a 13."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh right, half-blessed."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Which for her would be worse than a 1."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Spellcraft for me, pls?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Well I just used up my good roll but here:"
Syval rolls Spellcraft (1d20+13) and gets 20 (7)
<OOC> Syval says, "Told you. :P"
With some patient and careful inspection Syval is able to spot that there seem to be unspecified mechanisms around both the latch and the lock. He hasn't the knowledge and experience to identify exactly what they do, but they are likely to be some kind of poison, gas or acid delivery system. Most concerning, however, is that his sense for magic tells him pretty clearly there is magic inside ... but refuses to give him even the schools of that magic for identification.
<OOC> Syval says, "I'd like to keep studying the magic for the strength of its aura. Can I tell that at all?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It is ... pardon the pun ... muddy. There seem to be multiple magical auras, of differing strengths. And they're all so close together that it makes it nigh impossible to get a solid read right now on any one of them. But there are some pretty strong ones as well as some that are less so."

"Was it that hot? I thought the dirt scraped you up," Syval responds as he sets the chest on solid grass and squats down. The weredragon's tail lashes wide behind him as he scrutinizes the chest and its bindings, going so far as to say another incantation and focus arcana into his vision. "That's ''Eldritch Wyrm'' if you ask him," he chuckles, "and I'm of the same mind. I can carry this easily and I'd rather give our companions the full treasure experience."

"And there is definitely something at work here... There's some kind of trap on this, and a lot of magicks inside - some of them strong," he observes with a wary smile. "I think we've found our treasure, priestess."

<OOC> Syval says, "Phone."
"Moonpriestess." Jyslin corrects teasingly. "And it did scrape me up. But also burned me. It was pretty hot on human skin, rather than dragon scales." But with the minute of time that damage has healed, the red blotchiness having faded back to her normal lightly golden hue. The ashen blonde gathers up her hair, twists it tightly and wrings it out. Then she coils it atop her head and pads over to scoop up her robes, sliding them down over her body and then letting her hair fall loose behind her as she works to secure her belt, sash and then her bandolier and quiver. Last she tucks her silvery scimitar handles back up inside her sleeves.

"OK. If you're hefting and toting, I'll stick on point and get us back to the Heart clearing." Jyslin offers. "And thanks for playing footman. I appreciate it."

The pair move at a measured pace, but still a decent bit faster than they did getting to the location in the first place; they're not so much searching for something as they are going back where they know to go while staying alert for any trouble along the way. Within just a couple of hours, around mid-day, the two will finally reach the large Heart clearing. Andie and Neosodos are flitting about at the Heart Pond and tree, measuring out locations with step strides and placing various items. Honoria is stretched out nearby working on isometric exercises in her silk gambeson as she chats with the other two in Maenast.

"< So, no one has reclaimed the land in all this time? But the ruins remain? >" the lady knight is asking.

After a bit Andie then answers, "< As I understand it, there are some forces that have moved in. Some love working in ruins. But none have ever tried to reclaim it or rebuild it. The moondark nights surely discourage that. >"
<OOC> Syval says, "Back."
<OOC> Syval sad dragon. Soaked, half-dressed Jyslin didn't last long.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, you have to store up these pleasant memories. There is such as too much of a good thing. ^_-"
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh I have not nearly had too much Jyslin yet."
<OOC> Syval, also a happily soaked dragon who probably looks similar.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "All glisteny green?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Dark, shiny green where the sun peeks through the canopy. Recall young greens are a dark hue, I'm only an age or two up from being mistakable for black."

"Small benefits. You got a nose, I got scales," Syval replies gamely as he gives Jyslin ample time to heal. Still pleasantly soaked and equally half-dressed, the dragon therianthrope is in no rush to leave.

Gathering his own robes when the priestess makes ready to leave, the wizard puts them on wet without any attempt to wring or dry himself and simply swings the chest onto one broad shoulder before thumping the ground in a ready gesture with his bardiche. At the 'footman' remark the dragon grins. "Of course, Lady Brenlas. After you," he responds with an aristocratically flowery deference. Syval drops the tone again just as quickly to add, "As a friend I'll give you a discount from my rate in Delzimmer."

Following along behind the roamer-priestess with chest in tow, the hulking weredragon proves his word and keeps up with neither complaint nor struggle hauling the well-secured chest. And while the return hike re-dirties his feet, the rest of the scaly wizard dries back to a fresh look long before they reach camp. His robes also return to their original color, and while Syval does renew it once, this last casting expires shortly before their return to the Heart, leaving him once again in High College red.

Perking at the ongoing conversation, the dragon listens curiously at first and doesn't immediately interrupt.

Despite her stretching activities and isometrics, Syval can likely tell something about that last turn of phrase made Honoria shiver. "< That, too, remains as it was? >" she offers almost mournfully.

Andie answers after a bit in a gentle but matter of fact manner, "< And so it shall until the time is right and peace is given. I am sorry, Honoria, but it is not for me, for any of us to grant that peace. >"

Honoria nods slightly, head hung low for a bit.

Jyslin watches all of this going on, unable herself to understand the Maenast. "Sorry to interrupt. Andie, do you and Neosodos need any help? I don't want to interrupt, but I thought I should mention," She turns, pointing towards Syval and his shoulder full of chest. "We found something. What? We aren't sure. But something."

Once the priestess interrupts for him, Syval steps forward and swings the chest off his shoulder, setting it down softly on the grass. "Jyslin's nose lead us to some hag treasure. The outside is trapped with something and there are several magic auras inside - too many to tell what. Just be careful around the lock and latches."

<OOC> Syval noses.
Honoria turns away for a bit, seemingly dabbing at her eyes, while Andie finishes a few placements and then rejoins the other two near the chest, with Neosodos in tow as usual. "Interesting indeed. I do not have the spell to locate or identify the traps." She turns towards Jyslin. "But when you renew your spells tomorrow, you can request it. I believe it is a minor enough spell to fit your reservoir."

Jyslin nods. "I've heard mention of the spell before, but never asked for it. Identifying them ... that won't help us remove them. I don't really have that talent.

Andie smiles. "True enough. But it should warn you if they pose a threat to you, and that will tell us more than we know now, and without risking anyone's life or health."

The priestess mmms and then nods. "OK. Fair enough."

Andie glances at Neosodos and the wyrm stretches out languidly. "Alright. Fine." the wyrm comments wryly with that singsonging lyrically raspy voice of his. Then he leaps from her shoulder to the chest, scrambles down the curve, and sniffs at the lock. Then he murmurs a single word in draconic. << Magesight. >> and his eyes change color dramatically, glowing visibly as he inspects the chest from the outside.

Syval spares a glance to the lady knight then shifts to stand with his back to her for privacy as the others move closer to inspect the chest. "Careful of the trap, Elder Brother," he reminds as Neos climbs around the chest. "I'm not too worried of the mechanical trap for myself, but if we need caution I may be able to help with Art. One of the spellbooks has a spell called Bigby's Feeling Fingers. It's simple enough I should be able to learn it by morning."

<OOC> Syval chuckles quietly at grumpy Neos. "Can I Survival check with Jyslin to find him a nice berry or three on our hike?"
Syval rolls Survival (1d20+7) and gets 17 (10)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sure."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jyslin has a +24, so together you can absolutely find a few nice poisonous berries. :)"
Neosodos rolls Perception (1d20+26) and gets 36 (10)
Neosodos rolls C: Alchemy (1d20+22) and gets 24 (2)
Neosodos rolls K: Dungeoneering (1d20+22) and gets 40 (18)
<OOC> Syval says, "If it's poison you're welcome to eat it, Eldritch Wyrm. Dibs if it's acid."
Neosodos rolls K: Arcana (1d20+26) and gets 31 (5)
Neosodos rolls Spellcraft (1d20+26) and gets 41 (15)
While everyone else is busy inspecting and assisting at the chest Honoria climbs back up to her feet and extends her hand, her shield flying to her arm and settling there. Then she too approaches, keeping back while others work. Right after she wipes her eyes with the sleeve of her gambeson.

Neosdos responds with mindspeech now, rather than spoken words, likely to avoid the risk that even his little breathing might set something off. << Acid, and neurolytic poison, enhanced with hag magic. Four point sources. >>

After about five minutes the tiny wyrm climbs back up the chest and settles comfortably. << Glad you decided not to open it in the field, Little Brother. Thanks to all my time with Andie, I can identify the magic inside as being covered by a hag curse. A very nasty and powerful one. But you were also right: there are multiple other magical sources. At least half a dozen scrolls, more than a dozen potions, and two other pieces. One I believe to be a ring, and the other an amulet. >>

Honoria speaks up after that recitation. "I cannot be sure. But we may be able to block their curse. Guardia can defend against magic. With my lance, I believe I could push open the lid while blocking with Guardia." A risky move, one assumes.

Syval sits down as Neos continues to crawl around the chest and study it, waiting for the elder pseudodragon to finish. Idly, he buffs the edge of his sapphire armband a bit, admiring how the sunlight plays off its facets. After the inspection is finished he looks back, and spares a smile to the ever helpful lady knight. "How do such curses normally find their target? I'd be a poor wizard if I couldn't magically open a chest from nine or ten paces."

<< Targeting is usually a case of 'whomsoever opens this chest without the key'. Or 'whomsoever touches these treasures after opening the chest without the key'. Unfortunately determining which of those conditions apply is very difficult if not impossible to do while detecting through the chest lid, and the muddle of other magical signatures does not help. >> Neosodos shares.

"Which means we must be prepared for both." Honoria opines. "So we prepare for the 'whomsoever opens this chest without the key' option. If that doesn't unleash the curse, then we have to figure out how to shield against it while we touch the treasures within." Because of course the lady knight approaches this like a tactical problem.

"I can easily enough summon another horse, and with some help from our lady knight," Syval adds with a glance to Honoria, "bid it to touch the treasures. That still leaves the problem of the lock and opening the chest."

Jyslin rolls Mystery Roll (1d100+0) and gets 65 (65)
"Opening the chest I can do with my lance." Honoria assures.

<> Neosodos offers, glancing at Andie.

The witch shrugs. "I did not prepare the spells for that today. I prepared for the rituals at hand, and magicks to help them and defend the Heart if the enemy returned."

"We can wait through the night before making our attempt if it's helpful," Syval offers as he looks around the group. "Or brave it today and accept the consequences." Looking to Jyslin he asks, "Do you have any spells that could bolster Honoria?"

Jyslin purses her lips. "A couple that could aid her a bit. But nothing I have can compare with what Guardia already does for her. Not really." she admits.

"You're familiar with its enchantments?" Syval asks in surprise, quirking his brow as he looks between the two blondes.

Jyslin shrugs. "I ... sorry. They're all Selunite in origin. So apparently they just sort of make instinctive sense to me." She seems, oddly, embarrassed and non-plussed by this. Clearly she did not think about it consciously, and did not know it would work that way.

The weredragon chuckles and makes a downward motion with his free hand to calm the priestess. "Be at ease. I only wondered if I missed a lecture. That's a most fine ability for a Priestess of Selune." Turning back to the armored chevalier, Syval takes Honoria's measure, then waits. "In that case then I believe the choice is yours, Honoria. You'll be the most in danger from opening it."

Neosodos rolls Open! (1d20+23) and gets 34 (11)
Of course Honoria is pretty much fearless. She takes all of this as a challenge, and she would never - ever - back down from a challenge. "Let us proceed." she opines.

Jyslin does cast one spell upon Honoria, on the hope that it may help somewhat. ''Aid''. Its benefit may be minimal, but she is doing what she can. And ignoring an odd itching sensation at the back of her mind.

Honoria gets out her lance and prepares, putting Guardia between herself and the chest.

Neosodos positions himself to the left of the chest obliquely, and stays low. Once everyone give the all-clear the tiny dragon opens his mouth and the draconic intonement, "< Open >" is uttered.

A beam of air-rippling force in a narrow cone sweeps out, striking the chest. There is a shudder, and then the lock snaps open, as about a dozen needle-like darts expel forcefully outwards. Thankfully the only people close enough to be at risk for those are Neosodos - immune to poison, thank you - and Honoria, who blocks them with Guardia.
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh Selune bless you Honoria, we are too alike. XD"

Syval nods to the stalwart knight and moves himself far to the side, though not without the edge of his lip tugging uncomfortably downward. While the dragonoid might not have any magical or mundane protections beyond his own hide, he might have preferred to take on some of the risk - and challenge - himself. It makes the calm before the chest opens all the more tense.
atting the air with his wings when the needles leap out, his sandy eyes flit to the Eldritch Wyrm and Honoria, and he relaxes a little at finding them unscathed. "That's the trap bested then..." And likely the easy part.

<OOC> Syval says, "*Batting the air. You get the idea."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "I do." :)
Honoria rolls Lance DEX? (1d20+18) and gets 23 (5)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li oof.
<OOC> Syval says, "I was curious how she planned to open a chest with a lance. For the record? +18 is enormous. Go lady knight."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "She is VERY skilled with a lance."
<OOC> Syval coughs.
Honoria rolls How many? (1d8+0) and gets 4 (4)
Honoria rolls Color #1 (1d8+0) and gets 7 (7)
Honoria rolls Color #2 (1d8+0) and gets 7 (7)
Honoria rolls Color #3 (1d8+0) and gets 1 (1)
Honoria rolls Color #4 (1d8+0) and gets 4 (4)
Honoria rolls Will Save vs. Violet #1 (1d20+14) and gets 18 (4)
Honoria rolls Will Save vs. Violet #2 (1d20+14) and gets 19 (5)
Honoria rolls Reflex Save vs. Red #1 (1d20+11) and gets 31 (20)
Honoria rolls Reflex Save vs. Green #1 (1d20+11) and gets 21 (10)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Uhm. Yerf. OK."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh dear..."
<OOC> Syval says, "Dang I actually have a higher Will save (by 1). She's 3 points better in Reflex but I'm also not heavily buffed. Hopefully Guardia is giving her something on top of that."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That includes the +4 of Guardia to all saves, and the +2 from the Aid spell."
<OOC> Syval says, "/Wow/. Okay my saves are awesome or else Honoria is all Fortitude..."
<OOC> Syval kind of assumed Andie or Neos would intercede if they thought he stood a better chance than the lady knight's fancy armor. Either way she at least has plenty of people to look after her for whatever's about to happen.
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm guessing that was a chromatic orb trap of a high level."
"It seems so." Honoria answers. She checks to be sure that none of the poison needles stuck anywhere problematic, and then she hunkers down again. "Everyone take cover, just in case. I am going to open the chest." She gives everyone a good ten-count - aloud, like a good soldier - and then uses her lance to push open the lid to the chest. She does manage it, but it is not a smooth operation, and she fumbles it to a crash.

When the lid crashes open a mote of light rises, corruscating through rainbow hues, and then launches itself at Honoria. The mote of light then balloons around her, enveloping the lady knight in a multi-hued shimmering sphere of light. All present can clearly see two flashes, in quick succession, of violet light across the lady knight's form, followed almost immediately by a flash of red and then one of Green.

And then the sphere is gone. And with it, so too is the lady knight.

Uh oh.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Prismatic Sphere, actually."
<OOC> Syval says, "@_@"
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh hey now give her back you overgrown Light Bright!"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "She completely resisted the fire, and she is largely immune to the poison effect. But the Violet is Plane Shift."
<OOC> Syval !_!
<OOC> Syval prepares to panic, then attempt a sneaky. But first panic a bit.
<OOC> Syval says, "Spellcraft check to recognize the trap please."
Syval rolls Spellcraft (1d20+13) and gets 31 (18)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li thumbsup. "You don't know the spell (haven't studied it), but its description is hard to miss.
<OOC> Syval says, "So I've heard of it not by name? Do I recognize the effects of that kaleidoscope of trouble?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You know the spell's name, but not it's formula. You haven't STUDIED the spell, but you recognize it."
<OOC> Syval says, "Is that a yes or a no? I'm not familiar with any of the keywords you're using. I don't know "the spell" but I know it's name and its "description" but not its "formula"? I know it's not on my spell list; that much is obvious."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You have never read the actual spell, even in passing. But you recognize its description and know the name; it's pretty legendary. You have a vague understanding of its powers, but in the more mythological sense, without the specifics that having studied its actual written form would allow."
<OOC> Syval says, "As someone who doesn't personally know the spell, "vague understanding of its powers" means 'this spell is really powerful and might have disintegrated her' or 'that might have been any 8th level spell effect I could imagine including turning her into a rock'? To be clear: I wouldn't know what the colors mean besides "really bad news"?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You would know that each color is a different power/effect. Your experiences with other spells would likely lead you to conclude red equals fire, green equals poison. But violet? Newp. No clue what that one means. And she got hit with that twice."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. That's what I wanted to know."
<OOC> Syval also squints at historical spellcrafters for making green poison instead of acid. Disgruntled green dragon harumph.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li happens to agree with you.
<OOC> Syval says, "What the-- orange is acid. Right then, wouldn't have guessed that."
<OOC> Syval says, "And blue is turn to stone instead of cold, which is completely absent. I guess white dragons have more to complain about."

Grudgingly, Syval backs further away and ducks down near the ground, flattening out his wings for what good it may do but keeping a firm grip on his bardiche, as if he intends to bash away anything that might come his way. The green-scaled mage watches warily with tension visible in his shoulders as Honoria awkwardly works the lid of the chest with her lance, then... *crash!*

Then the rainbow mote of light pops out and rushes the lady knight. "Honoria!" Syval shouts as her sun-lit armor is consumed in a sphere of chromatic arcana, then in four bright, violent flashes - nothing. The weredragon wizard freezes on his feet, stunned and wide-eyed at where the blonde chevalier was just standing and now not so much as a scorch mark remains. There's silence at first, so much the apprentice mage forgot to breathe, then his eyelids flutter and a thought jumps to mind. "That can't be-- that was prismatic sphere, wasn't it?! Wasn't it?" He asks, turning to Andie for confirmation of what's already sunk dread into the pit of his stomach. "How in Azuth's beard did the hags learn that..."

The others all gasp in mute protest as the lady knight winks out of existence. There is real shock and horror upon Jyslin's less guarded face, and even Andie looks disturbed and upset. Little Neosodos bristles angrily. It is he who answers the question asked.

<< Yes. It was a prismatic sphere. Normally a defensive barrier spell, they apparently adapted it as a targeted attack spell, a variant on Prismatic Ray. As for how ... one assumes they did so in the normal manner of their kind, through communion with their patron, or other writings. >>

Jyslin mutters, "Is there anything ... anything you can do, Andie? There's not even a body ..." There is nothing but abject horror from the weretigress; she helped find this accursed box, and now the playful adventure of opening it has wiped away one of their number!

"I cannot undo what has been wrought. But there may yet be something that can be done. Please, everyone stay back for a few moments." Andie replies. She raises her hands, casting multiple spells in relatively quick succession. Her eyes are replaced with what might appear to be twin shining orbs of sunlight itself as she gazes magically upon the energies already dissipating.

"They did not color-shift the spell. The red flash was fire, and apparently Guardia broke that effect. The green is a powerful poison effect. But there is no sign of her soul's passage here. I believe she was still alive when the others struck. But the violet ... the violet shifted her to another plane." Andie explains. "She is in the Beyond. Somewhere."

Syval huffs in agitation from the sidelines then swings his pack off his shoulders and digs through it, quickly producing the golden statuette of the departed lady knight. "Then we need to call her back." Cupping it before him and staring down at the ancient Maenast inscription, the wizard intones, "Honoria."

Nothing.

"Honoria. Honoria!"

Still nothing and the weredragon sneers angrily as only a passing wind through the clearing answers his call. "Blasted thing..." he mutters before thrusting the relic towards Andie. "Can you scry on this or connect to her through it? It must still be linked to her."

Andie eyes the statuette consideringly, and then nods. "Put it down over here. I will have to lay a containment circle to block out other magical auras and energies so that I can follow its trace. Neosodos, we may have little time. I need you with me, directly."

As the statue is put down Andie opens her satchel, then gestures as candles and crystals come floating out of the basement on the other side of that doorway, assembling around the statue as she creates a small circle of candles and a dual-triangle pattern within defined by the points of crystals.

Magic continues to flow as Andie calls to each crystal by name, each winking with light. With gestures each candle is lit in order, and a hazy sphere forms in mid-air keeping out the influence of any other magical energies in the area - her own, Syval's, or anyone else's. Neosodos settles on Andie's shoulder tensely, and advises the others, << She is worried about what may be happening on the other plane, wherever Honoria has gone. The poison is bad. But the environments of the Beyonds can be worse. Gather everything, quickly, and prepare as if you are headed into the worst unknown you can imagine. Andie does not have magic prepared that can simply retrieve Honoria; I suspect she intends to instead reactivate shift and send all of us to her, if she can locate Honoria. >>
<OOC> Syval says, "How far is our campsite from here?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No more than 400 feet. You're in the clearing, just not at the Heart."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. I couldn't recall how far into the trees we went before finding a good spot."

Syval promptly sets the statue where indicated then backs away to avoid interfering. There's a tiny light of relief in the worried dragonoid's eyes as Andie sets up her ritual. Even the most basic of planar magicks is far beyond an apprentice mage, dragon-touched or not. At least with the Sister present they aren't completely lost.

At Neos' instruction, the weredragon reshoulders his bardiche and bag then takes off at a run in the direction of their tents. "I'll pack the camp. Jyslin, take anything of use from the swamp house."

<OOC> Syval will grab everyone's packs and essentials as far as he can find them, especially Honoria's.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nodnods.
Feline DM rolls What plane? (1d100+0) and gets 19 (19)
Feline DM rolls Where on the plane? (1d100+0) and gets 93 (93)
Feline DM rolls GoodBadUgly (1d3+0) and gets 1 (1)
Feline DM rolls Ugly (1d20+0) and gets 10 (10)
Honestly Jyslin is not sure what to grab from the house, but considering the potential threat she does run inside, up the stairs, and fetches several vials, stowing them on her person as she returns, closes the doorway, and slings the satchel over her own shoulder so that they leave nothing behind. Then she steps forward, gently resting her hand upon Andie's shoulder that is not carrying a tiny dragon. "For the record, no one is leaving us behind. Either we all go together, or we do not go at all."

Andie does not pause in her casting, but she does slowly nod her head as she continues, affirming Jyslin's declaration. She doesn't even try to pretend she had not thought of leaving the others behind. But given Jyslin's shared faith, and Syval's personal connection to the lady knight she had already assumed doing so would go quite poorly.

The spells cast are rituals, taking time. Even so, Andie is going as fast as she can, and as soon as Syval is back with the group she prompts Neosodos.

The dragon lifts his head to look at the other two. << When we arrive, do '''not''' allow yourselves to get separated. Our destination is on the planes of Faerie. >>

Andie's chanting changes in force and tempo, as gestures resume, pushing the candles outward until they now surround the entire group. Then the crystals shift. She names each in turn, their glow changing color and intensity as she prepares.

Jyslin extracts a vial of softly glowing pale blue liquid and extends it towards Syval. "If you get to her first, feed this to her. It will cancel the poison. I have one as well. We may still have to do more ... but that much we already know."

Syval runs back to the clearing laden with the group's tents and other packs stacked upon his own and lashed together with rope into a tower that rises well over his head but thankfully like their therianthrope priestess, the he barely seems to notice the weight at all. Accepting the vial as he catches his breath, the wizard carefully stows it away then adjusts his straps and takes his bradiche in hand - making ready just in case .

"That's safer than an elemental plane at least. Let's go then, and hope we're not too late," he concludes as his free hand comes to rest upon Andie's back.

Andie rolls Casting Check: Plane Shift (1d20+32) and gets 43 (11)
As a last warning, Neosodos sends, <>

Andie's chanting picks up tempo and volume, and shimmering energies form throughout the circle defined around them. And then Andromeda slaps her hands together sharply, a ringing clap that seems to echo around them, and wrenches her hands about as if twisting the very fabric of the air.

And each of them will feel, at their core, that wrenching inside their very being, as strands of violet anergy close around them, twisting, binding ... and then tug inward and through them ...

... as they fall into nothingness!

Another wrenching, as they all lose sight of one another, their only connection the still-echoing sensation of their touch upon one another. For each, memories flash across the mind's eye of their first one-on-one encounter with Honoria.

Syval, as the lady knight appeared for the first time, summoned from the statue within the cottage basement one night.

Neosodos as Honoria approached the tent one night to awaken Jyslin and paused, smiling at the alert little dragon, then slid him a berry she had found that day.

Jyslin as she walked towards their latrine one night and encountered Honoria on her way back, looking quite refreshed and freshly bathed in her white silk gambeson, her holy medal visible for the first time to echo Jyslin's own.

Andie as she stood upon a croft of rock, looking down at the young lady knight, explaining the plan hatched by her eldest sister to protect her against the time taht would come. This memory has a very different flavor, for this is a very different Andie. This is in fact Rashia the third.

And then the wrenching happens again. The nothingness all about is gone. They stand just as they did. The crystals and candles are gone - back in the Shaar - but the statue still stands, until it topples on its side, not quite level here. They stand amidst a clearing of sickly pink berry plants. Not far away lies a circle of cracked green stone. They stand within a shimmering ravine. Beyond this clearing the rest of the ravine is filled with lush blue-white plants. The highest stretches of the walls are bedecked with glowing and sparling green mushrooms. Even holding one's breath there is a riotous assault on the senses of sight and scent.

Syval arrives unsteadily upon his two feet after the disorienting warp deposits them in the new plane, still holding firm to Andie. His sand-hue eyes look around alertly as he tries to take in the assault of colors surrounding them, searching for any hint of danger or of a silver-armored lady knight.

The wizard's hand relaxes but doesn't quite let go as he orients himself in the clearing. << Okay to breathe? >> a voice echoes in the mind of the group, weakly as if funneled through a too-small pipe. This time it's not Neos' but Syval's.

<OOC> Syval says, "Should I use my Lv8 or Lv9 sheet for what is to come?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Might as well use Level 9."
<OOC> Syval also thanks the Eldritch Wyrm for the practice, even if it's been a bit... painful.
<OOC> Syval thumbs up.
<< Hold. >> the Eldritch Wyrm sends, reassuringly, as he then sticks out his tongue, sampling the air. After a few moments he communicates again. << Do not let go of one another. The pollens here will try to distract you, entrance you, draw you along. What is here is not evil. But it is not good, and this is not a realm for humans, nor dragons. We are invading strangers, here. >>

Jyslin too holds her breath and looks around, then crouches down and points to the ground. There beneath her finertip lies obscured bootprints. And a few crushed berries. She looks around - a tad awkward while staying in physical contact with Andie and the others - and then points to a few additional signs, indicating a direction of travel towards the edge of the clearing and the blue-white plants.

Their knightly quarry went that way.

Bending his long tail around, Syval taps Jyslin on the back while she's crouched down then gestures with his bardiche to the bindings of their packs, and then towards one of the bags. << Rope in bag. Tie us together? >>

<OOC> Syval says, "How fortuitous Jyslin recently mentioned having whole skeins of the stuff."
Jyslin glances up, meeting the dragonoid's eyes, and then nods as she stands and twists around to the back of the pack, retrieving one of her own coils of a much thinner rope with a strong green tint to its off-white fibers. This is not hemp, but a jungle silk rope, like those created by the elves.

Jyslin makes Andie the center and anchor of their lines, and then ties on Syval in one direction, herself in the other, and even loops and ties around Neosodos' tiny midsection. She then pulls out rags, wetting them with the blue liquid from her flask, tying one around her own face, another around Andie's, and offers a third to Syval.

<< Most wise. Both are good precautions. Jyslin, you lead and track her. Yes? Syval, stay close beside her in case something sneaks up on her while she's watching the ground so much. >> Neosodos advises.

And off the group goes.

Syval finally releases the witch once he's securely fashioned to her and gives a smiling nod to the roamer for her help. Accepting the largest wetted rag he ties it to his head and adjusts the front to cover his mouth and nostrils. << Thank you, >> the werewizard offers for Jyslin's thoughtfulness.

Moving up with Jyslin, the dragonoid positions himself much like he had in their recent hike a world away, keeping a ready but relaxed grip on his bardiche and following in the tigresses footsteps with his eyes up.

<OOC> Syval says, "Phew, with two of us having Scent that was quick thinking. Trust the tiger-roamer to think of that."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "She's cute and wise like that."
<OOC> Syval says, "Good thing Andie's tied to us so we can't accidentally leave her behind."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smirks.
As directed Jyslin crouches down and leads the way, her robes hiked up just a bit so they do not drag along the ground and stir things up more than necessary. The wetted rags definitely cut down the riot of scents, and manage to greatly weaken the narcotic edges of the stuff they are inhaling. Even so, there's a languid sort of cool that flows over them as they move and breathe.

The group heads away from the fallen and broken stone ring and into the forest of blue-white flowering plants in the rivine. The light above is tinted with the shimmering and brilliant green of the mushrooms. Jyslin finds more signs of what she believes was Honoria's passage, including a place where she stops again, sure signs here that something very heavy and a bit broad pierced the soil. Plants are broken and crushed, showing what was likely a fall to one knee.

The trail leads on. As they continue they will find a few other spots where collapse seems to have happened. Eventually there are clear signs Honoria was walking while using the butt of her lance as a walking staff, and leaning upon it heavily. They finally emerge from the wealth of the blue-white plants as the cold settles fiercely into hearts. Ahead lie ash-covered irregular stone steps which lead up to a cave mouth, dark and obscured, marked around its edge with shimmering blue runes.

Through the path of the ash are the sliding, unsteady marks of Honoria's struggling passage.

Syval grimaces around his mask at the trail even clear enough for him to see leading through the runed arch. << She's close. Is it trapped? >> he asks with a glance back to Andie. After their experience with the hag chest, the wizard isn't about to trust glowing fey runes.

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry, nerd-sniped myself trying to figure out my new microwave for dinner."
Jyslin looks up to the group. "She's in bad shape. No signs of wounds or blood. But I am worried that she has been affected." Whether by the poison of the trap spell, or by the innaturally natural scents and pollens of this place no one can tell just now.

Andie eyes the runes. "I have to get closer." she mutters. And then she proceeds up the ash-covered stairs with the other two beside her and Neosodos still upon her shoulder. She reaches into the pouch at her waist, golden glow spilling out as she clutches something within, and murmurs another incantation. Once again, her eyes taken on that appearance of twin miniature suns as she gazes across the area.

"The runes are a barrier, attuned to two things. They keep out the pollens and fumes here. They also expressly forbid the passage of anything of troll or hag magic, make, manufacture or blood." Andie gestures to the ash on the steps. "The runes are beyond ancient, and they are Faerie runes."

Jyslin asks, "Safe to pass?"

Andie can only shrug. "From what I can detect? We are, none of us, of anything the runes are meant to keep out."

Jyslin nods, and pushes forward. "Syval, if something starts, I am trusting you to yank my rope and pull me back before it's too late, if you can." And forward she advances.

Timbers clank together and leather straps creek in his pack as Syval ascends the stairs with the others. << Count on me, >> he assures Jyslin before moving up with the group and shifting in front again as they press on towards the threshold. His wings tuck and his blade comes up defensively even as his other hand takes a light grip on the rope linking their roamer back to Andie.

<OOC> Syval says, "Note to self: copy these runes for later. That would have been /handy/."
"If nothing happens, follow quickly." Jyslin murmurs, just before she sprints the last several feet, bounding with that preternatural grace of hers through the cave mouth opening!

As Jyslin passes through the plane of the barrier there is a shimmer of matching blue-tinged white energy around her form, as if she is leaping through an otherwise invisible wall of light.

Most annoying, however, is that as soon as the tip of her tail has disappeared through the barrier, there is no sign of her. Just the same dark cave opening.

Syval freezes in his half ready lunge after the roamer and an audible growl comes from the green dragonoid as he tugs lightly on the rope to check that it still goes somewhere.

<OOC> Syval says, ".oO(Why do all the women keep disappearing!?)"
<OOC> Syval, nettled drake.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Awww. Poor dwaggin."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "What would really cheese off our weredragon wizard is if tugging on the rope brought back a severed end."
<OOC> Syval would accept the rope coming back with robes but not their wearer as a compromise, but would prefer them not coming back at all.
"Damnit. The cave is glamoured." Andie mutters.

<> Neosodos responds, adding his own frustrations.

"Enough. Together, Syval." Andie growls as her hand reaches up and lands on his shoulder. "Go."

And Andie follows Syval as he strides forwarda cross the ash-covered stairs, up to the mouth of the cave, the tingling prickle of the magical energy palpable to his draconic senses in a way such things really haven't been for him before. And as he finally strides forward, he will find himself blinded by that white glow as it forms around him and his companions. They cannot see anything of the cave that lies beyond, even as they can only barely see anything of what lies behind them as they glance back.

But after about ten seconds, all three have come through the field. And draconic eyes adjust more quickly than human, to reveal ...

... a large and well-appointed, almost homey cave. Jyslin is crouched just inside and to the left, leaving room for the others to follow, her hands inside the sleeves of her robe but having not come out with the weapons Syval knows all too well lie there. Along the right wall ten feet back lies a large cauldron very visibly ''not'' made of iron or steel, but copper, bubbling contentedly and giving off a very pleasant, earthy scent. Most of the cave is appointed as a combination of bedroom, dining room, kitchen, living room, library and apothecary all in one.

Lying on the bed towards the rear of the sixty-foot deep cave is the gleaming silvery metal-clad form of Honoria. She lies still and quiet, hands folded over her chest, her shield and shield arm uppermost. Eerily, she looks a lot like a funerary preparation.

And tottering around the kitchen space, keeping a careful eye on the crouching priestess hidden tiger is what at first seems like an incredibly wizened old woman. Yet something about that does not seem right.

"Ah, more of you. And all with that foul metal about you, save the littlest one. Though none quite so offensive as the first young lady." the seemingly old crone comments. Only aferwards will the mind realize she is not speaking Shaaren, or Maenast, but the mind is translating what she is saying nevertheless.

The old woman turns, regarding the group. "So what, now? Will you skewer and slaughter an old woman? Whatever do you hope to gain? Surely you see no riches here to satisfy your sort, whatever you may be doing in the Realms of the Winter Court."

Syval blinks his eyes clear of the dazzling glammer only to start at their cozy surroundings. Spotting Jyslin then backing to the right to leave Andie room in the center, his wings curl in behind his shoulders and the long tail at his back loops lightly around his thighs - better not to bump anything by accident. The fey crone is received with a guarded expression and the wizard is about to reply when the gleam of Honoria's armor catches his eye. The young man stares at her laying as if in a tomb, then looks over to Jyslin. << Heal her when you can, >> he bids quickly before he looks to the center of their ropework towards Andie, this time silently and dipping his head in deference.

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry to put more load on you but a fey granny in an ancient fey cave is a Dip check for a Sister first and a mercantile wizard second."
Andromeda rolls Diplomacy Check? (1d20+25) and gets 45 (20)
<OOC> Syval golf-claps with excited twitchy tail.
Andie too takes in the room carefully, without making any moves aggressive or otherwise. Then her hand reaches out, lying gently on Jyslin's shoulder. She can tell Jyslin feels exceptionally tense and prepared for violence, and sin't upset with her for it. But now may not be the right time just yet.

"I do beg your pardon for entering unannounced. I did not see a way to alert you to our coming, and we were in hurry to find our friend." Andie gestures towards the all too still lady knight. "I do apologize for bringing iron and steel here, but we could not delay in our coming to make that adjustment. If you will allow us to gather our friend, we would be only too happy to take all of this offensive metal and leave, not to bother you again and do no harm."

The old woman listens, watching carefully. Then she walks over closer with a steaming wooden bowl in her hands, filled with a freshly-ladled stew from the bubbling cauldron. "The poor child was near to death when she stumbled in here. I dare say only my wards' distaste for hag magicks saved her life, burning it off of her before it could finish the job. 'Tis a near thing." she admits.

Andie's eyes blink, resuming their blazing golden glow. "A stasis effect?" she questions.

The old woman nods. "Indeed. That shield would not be separated from her, and I could not touch it, nor her, with all of that. She did not have time for half-measures. So I gave myself that time, and her. I had intended that I would prepare a draft to restore her, and then banish the stasis and feed it to her."

Andie considers that for a bit. "And you do all of that because the effect trying to kill her is of hags. Your nigh-immortal enemies."

The old woman gives a toothsome grin. "Well, aren't you just a smart mortal. Yes, indeed. Anyone the foul hags want dead that badly? I want to see alive so that they can cut more of the bitches down."

Andie nods at this. "Of course. And I assure you, if you allow us to take her with us we will, all of us, be only too happy to visit the same and worse on all the hags we can find."

The old woman considers the group carefully for a bit. "Well, you could stay and share a meal and a tale with an old woman ..."

Andie sighs slightly, and then shakes her head. "Sadly, I do not believe we have that kind of time. We cannot afford to be gone very long from the mortal realm. Our affairs, sadly, are not nearly so patient as your own." She does ''not'' say aloud 'there's no way in Hell we are, any of us, going to accept any food or drink while we are here in this world that we did not bring with us'. But she thinks it very loudly.

While Andie speaks, Syval reaches to his waist and moves a few small belongings between pouches, then unfastens the leather sheathe of his bardiche and slips it over the weapon's broad metal head. "And if members of the Winter Court cross our path in the mortal realm, we'll gladly return the hospitality you've shown our friend. There are at least a few less hags there than a tenday ago," he adds, hoping to both sweeten the deal and chime in politely.

<OOC> Syval says, "I'm chiming in partly to take a little weight off your OOC shoulders here. Syval I think would keep his mouth shut given the opportunity but this makes for more balanced RP."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Appreciated. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "...Oh and she was preparing stew for Honoria. That would count as accepting and oh my that would surely be a problem. o_o"
<OOC> Syval says, "Just let me know if you want me to roll at any point rather than freeform things."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "It would have. Which is why Anie is making a point of 'gee, thanks, no thanks'."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But it WOULD have also healed all her internal damage. She wasn't JUST trying to screw Honoria."
<OOC> Syval says, "Now faeries can evidently cross into the mortal world in places and hang around there like the one in the river I met, so would such a thing preclude her from a planar shift back home? What effect would that actually have on confining her? (IC question, I'll K:Nature for it)"
Syval rolls K:Nature (1d20+8) and gets 11 (3)
<OOC> Syval says, "Yeesh, nevermind. ^.^;"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Too bad you're not doubly blessed. That'd be an awesome roll, if so."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Do you have any ranks in K: Planes?"
<OOC> Syval ahems. "Actually Miss Kitty-DM I'd like to submit an App Revision to pick up that trait on the justification I've got Honoria and Jyslin in the same party, Q.E.D."
<OOC> Syval says, "Net, 'tis Zenemas so why study it?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles.
The old woman considers the group for a bit, clearly closely weighing their words and actions. "You give your word you will do no harm to the Winter Court, and be gone from these lands with all your iron and steel? And that you will make no treaty of peace with the hags?" she questions incisively.

Andie shakes her head. "We will do no harm here save in defense of our friend or our own lives, and we would prefer to do none at all. And I daresay our actions in the past forty-eight hours have assured there can be no treaty but one of open war between ourselves and the hags. We destroyed a greater coven entire."

The old woman inhales sharply at that, and finally nods. "Very well then, strangelings. A bargain made." She holds the bowl in one hand and reaches into her pocket with the other, fetching out a small white crystal which glows. This she extends towards Andie. Neosodos, however, extends himself out and takes it gingerly between his paws. "Dissolve the crystal in fire, and the stasis will end. Keep your words, strangelings, and go in peace. Ma'abren'ai meets oath with oath, on behalf the Court of Winter."

Andie withdraws her hand from Jyslin's shoulder. The weretigress glances up over her shoulder at Andie, reads her expression, and her hands come out of her sleeves empty. "'scuse me, Ma'am." she offers, and moves quickly to the back of the cave to scoop up Honoria.

"Syval, can you ... wiggle your fingers, and bring that lance along? Please?" Jyslin asks as she starts back; her hands are full, after all. But she shows no difficulty with the mass of Honoria, her armor and shield. Just a lack of actual hands for any other task.
<OOC> Syval says, "''Wiggle my fingers''?"
<OOC> Syval winces. "Aaaand she just used my name in front of a fey."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But YOU did not say your name. You didn't tell her."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But you're right. She shouldn't have done that."

Syval winces to hear his name spoken but it more than suffices to get the dragonoid's attention. Moving with care through the cave and keeping his covered bardiche on the opposite side from their host, the green-scaled wizard retrieves the metal lance and leans it on the same shoulder as his own polearm. After a quick glance for anything else which Honoria may have left behind, he moves both steel weapons to his opposite side and heads back to the cave entrance.

"Thank you for your gracious hospitality, madam," he intones with a smooth formality as he pauses in passing. "And if I may say so, the runes by your entrance are beautiful."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah. Well 11 fey knowledge, such specifics are beyond me. I know only 'don't eat, drink, or get personal'. O:)"

Syval winces to hear his name spoken but it more than suffices to get the dragonoid's attention. Moving with care through the cave and keeping his covered bardiche on the opposite side from their host, the green-scaled wizard retrieves the metal lance and leans it on the same shoulder as his own polearm. After a quick glance for anything else which Honoria may have left behind, he moves both steel weapons to his opposite side and heads back to the cave entrance.

"Thank you for your gracious hospitality, madam," he intones with a smooth formality as he pauses in passing. "And if I may say so, the runes by your entrance are enchanting."

<OOC> Syval says, "*runes by your entrance are enchanting. I had to make the pun."
"Literally!" the old crone comments, and cackles gleefully, sonorously. She liked that bit of humor.

"Alright then, Daughter of Nine, be thee gone with all your curs'ed metal." the old woman offers, and Andie curtsies politely, turning as the group forms back up and heads out. She wants to know what that title was meant to be, but she does not want to hang around here long enough to find out. Time to go!

With their cloths still in place the party is able to traverse back to where they came into this realm, to the cracked pink stone circle, with little more than the disorienting narcotic effects. Nothing worse. The one difference is that upon this return trip the party is closely watched, both visibly and invisibly.

Small figures dart from one glowing mushroom to the next at the heights of the ravine, never fully coming into view. And high above the sounds of heavy footfalls crunching along snow and ice can be heard, without any sight of what is causing those footsteps. Yet none interfere with the party directly, beyond being a constant distraction and unspoken interested threat.

The casting of the return plane shift does not have the ritualized preparations as before. There is no physical anchor to follow. Instead Andie invokes something much more precious: blood. With three drops of her own blood upon a small strip of paper, she incinerates the paper as she completes the spell, reversing that otherworldly wrenching as the group is cast back across the Beyonds ... to arrive inside the Heart.

"Rinse off, immediately." Andie comments promptly. "We are covered with those spore."
<OOC> Syval says, "Do I get a flashback of Andie this time? :D"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hmms.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I think on this for a few moments."

Syval follows warily and quiet behind Jyslin, splitting his attention between the woods around them and the unresponsive lady knight in the roamer's arms. With the fey woman at their back his posture returns to normal with tail back and wings partly open, but nothing impedes their journey back to the clearing and the return casting - disorienting as it is - ends quickly with the group back by the towering Heart Tree.

Pulling down the mask over his mouth the wizard takes a deep breath of sweet mortal forest air just as Andie gives her warning. Unhesitantly dumping his several packs, polearm, and even bardiche into a pile, Syval moves over to stand close by the other women even as one hand moves through a familiar incantation for a cleaning spell of his own. Then half-crouching before Jyslin, he looks to the roamer expectantly while reaching out to take the lady knight.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Is he bracing for another deluge? Or is he asking to take Honoria? ;)"
<OOC> Syval says, "I cast Prestidigitation while walking over then put out my arms to take Honoria so Jyslin can deluge us without laying Honoria face down and drowning her."
<OOC> Syval says, "So both. You know I am a dragon. That means avarice. O:)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles.
"Turn her head." Jyslin advices as she lays the lady knight into the dragonoid's arms. Then she murmurs a prayer to Selune, and calls forth a deluge of water down over everyone.

Neosodos and Andie do not look thrilled with cold water, but they do not complain aloud. Instead they work swiftly together to lay down an effect to neutralize anything of the Faerie Realm that followed them, so that none of that takes root here. The tiny dragon is very suspiciously moving all around and sniffing, making very sure they did not bring back any invisible hangers-on.

Once that effort is complete the group can head back to their camp and set up, including Honoria's tent erected and her bedroll laid out so that she can be put to rest.

"The hags' spell was eradicated, so there should be no poison remaining in her system. But she has clearly suffered ill as a result. We cannot afford to mix two potions inside her. So I recommend that you keep the Sweetwater draft, Syval. We will instead use a Potion of Greater Regeneration." Andie explains as everyone works together. "Neosodos, prepare to sear the crystal."

And as the crystal is seared, ending the stasis, Andie swiftly pushes open the lady knight's mouth, pours a familiar-looking glowing golden potion down her throat and works her throat by external pressure to get it to go down. Over the course of a few minutes, Honoria's body will restore itself to full health and vigor, though she is a bit slow to finally stir and awaken.

"Wha -- Where are we? Why is everyone looking at me like this?" the lady knight inquires.

Syval accepts the lady knight and tucks her carefully against his chest, ensuring her head isn't up-turned when Jyslin summons a divine bath for them all. Shutting his eyes and craning skyward himself, the dragonoid fans out his wings and lets the flood wash over him, robes, scales, and all. A fine spray of mist jets out his nostrils as the therianthrope mage relishes the mid-day wash for himself before he sets to helping the others - blasting his and their packs with cleaning arcana to cover what the waters may miss.

Leaving himself and Honoria drip-drying in the Shaaren heat, Syval carries the lady knight with him back to camp and lends his taloned hands in getting comfortably resting upon her cot. While not quite hovering around the blonde heroine, the dragonoid's eyes flit back to her pale face frequently as if expecting her to awaken or be stolen back to the First World by hidden fey.

Seated at her side with a tense sigh, the sun-lit view that greets the waking Honoria includes an uncommonly attentive - and happy - looking weredragon leaning over her. Syval's face parts into a smile of relief as all his features lighten and his tail flicks behind him with cheer. "We're at camp, everything's okay," he assures before anything else. "We opened the chest but the trap threw you into the First World - and nearly killed you. Chipira was looking out for you I think, and Andie brought you back from the fey who saved your life."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li oops. I forgot to check ...
Kitty DM rolls Time Dilation (1d100+0) and gets 33 (33)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, thank goodness it wasn't 88."
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm guessing with 88 we would have all gotten the Honoria Treatment?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus. It could even have meant we showed up way the Hell back up and beyond in the past or the future."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "As it is, when we arrive back it's close to sunset, despite it only being about half an hour or so on our own personal clocks."
<OOC> Syval says, "I see, I see."
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
Syval rolls Time Dilation (What-If) (1d100+0) and gets 10 (10)
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm guessing my roll would have landed us even closer. Also does witchy numerology apply to larger numbers, like 33 is treated as two 3's or 77 is two 7s?"
With context Honoria is able to figure out what 'First World' means, and stitches the rest all back together. "I remember being dazed, very confused, lost, and weak. I think I may have been dying." she admits. But all is well now? That's great! "Did anyone else get hurt?" Honoria asks.

Because of course she does.

"Now that you are conscious, the rest of us can relax. We can deal with the chest tomorrow." Jyslin offers. "I'll leave you two to chat and go help Andie. We lost a lot of time, and she has to finish her ritual before moonrise."

And just like that, the dragon and the princess are alone together. "Sorry for the trouble. I truly thought Guardia would have it handled." the lady knight confesses.
<OOC> Syval says, "Where'd Jyslin sneak off to?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh sorry, I misread her as Andie."
<OOC> Syval eyerubs a bit and squints at the time.

Syval smiles up at Jyslin and nods to the roamer as she wanders off. The lady knight is in safe hands with him and the blonde is free to see to her witch. "Be at ease and rest," he bids gently. "We let you open the chest because you had at least as good a chance as any of us. Andie says Guardia did protect you from a fire spell, and given you didn't die on the spot I suspect it dampened the poison too." Unhooking his water skin, the dragonoid offers it spout first as well as a free hand to help Honoria sit up.

"Rejoice. You may be the only person in the past century to survive a prismatic wall," he adds with a grin while name-dropping the legendary arcana.

<OOC> Syval says, "Goodness Chipira really was looking out for her. In all the Beyond what are the odds of landing in the fairy world while suffering a hag poison, and then near a helpful fey?"
<OOC> Syval says, "I can't think of too many other outcomes she could have survived. The poison was ready to do her in well before we shifted over, even discounting the planes that themselves would have killed her."
Honoria grimaces a bit and pushes herself up, accepting the water skin and taking a long, slow sip, swishing it around in her mouth a bit before swallowing. "I never imagined their trap could be anything so ... much, as that." she confesses. "I suppose no one else did, either, or we'd have had another plan. Still ... that is pretty humbling." She looks incisively at Syval. "Was anyone else hurt?"

"No, we're all unharmed," the wizard reassures. Even if he's come to expect it from the selfless chevalier, the concern is heart-warming - and reassurance that they didn't bring back a fey duplicate. "The trap was only meant for one, and we were lucky in our short journey through the fairy world. You were near to an old woman of the Winter Court - or so she seemed to be - and you left more than enough trail for Jyslin to follow." Here again Syval smiles a bit as he takes back his lightened water skin, proud of the parts everyone played.

"Your remaining wounds should mend themselves shortly thanks to Andie's potion. I had no idea even with a dozen hags that hags could weave such an Art, or that they would expend it guarding a box. Surely its contents warrant study tomorrow, and then a fair portioning," the Delzmaer notes with a wink.

<OOC> Syval realizes in hindsight that being covered in steel would make it quite difficult for a fey to impersonate Honoria.
<OOC> Syval says, "Note to self: Clerics are anti-fey."
<OOC> Syval says, "Pure martials less-so because fey are tricky and they have awful will saves."
Honoria chuckles wryly at the handsomely avaricious dragonoid. "Investigation, definitely, before any partitioning. Your story sounds horrifying and harrowing. I can only thank Selune and Chipira that I survived that madness. I confess, i avoid the faerie peoples by any means. The stories of them have always bothered me." She is in fact glad she cannot remember meeting this one who clearly rubbed Syval's scales the wrong way.

"I give them their space as well," Syval sympathizes. "The others can give you a better accounting I think; fey are common enough in the Weathering Heights to be forewarned against and any past deals I've had with them were about as deep as that river fey we briefly encountered."

"Neos did say they're not innately evil and this one did quite a lot to save you out of a shared hatred for hags - she had ancient runes about her home that barred troll and hag magick. You stumbled through a field that sucked the hag poison right out of you, to say nothing of landing in that plane at all." The dragonoid sighs heavily and scratches his neck as along with relief the gravity of things begins to settle upon him. "Honestly I thought Andie would need to use another phoenix feather..."

Honoria nods, slowly, a true look of horror on her face. She's not really sure she could put into words the price that would exact upon her, let alone the price it would exact upon her bond with Andie. A phoenix feather, for her? Not for a dozen and more braves, as a means to end a hundred generations of war, but to bring back one lone lady knight. Could that ever possibly be a scale that balanced? And that's before the things that would change forever. "Then truly, Selune and Chipira guided the events in the only way that they could."

Syval nods solemnly and sets a supportive hand upon the lady knight's shoulder. "Indeed they did." Looking skyward, the dragonoid marks the dimming horizon somewhere beyond the trees with a curious hum. "It's later than it should be from when we left... I think it's still the same day. We'll know once the stars and moon are out tonight," he considers with an idle curiosity, as if the matter were purely academic. Compared to having their treasure and the lady knight back, it could be.

"Oh and you might still be wet in places. Jyslin gave us an expeditious wash when we returned to clean off fey world pollen," Syval adds as the thought returns to him, even though his own robes have been baked nearly dry by the Shaaren heat.

Honoria smirks a bit at that. "Most seems to have dried out." she admits to Syval. "But I can feel it. I'll deal with it later." Later, like when there isn't a male - draconic or human - sitting with her and watching. "I suppose for now you should perhaps go see if Andie needs any help with her rituals. She's going to have to complete them even more quickly, now, with the time I've cost all of you." Others can say she is not responsible or to blame, but clearly there's a part of Honoria that isn't so sure about that. "Nevertheless, thank you. Thank you for bringing me back. Even if I were to die here, I would much rather that than to be exiled to the Faerie realms. I've no business there."

"I wasn't going to leave you behind - none of us were. And you've cost us nothing, that was the hags' doing and our choice to chance their trap," Syval assures with a gentle smile that nevertheless shows a few pointed teeth. "Would you like to watch? There's quite some arcana wrapped up in it," the wizard offers as he turns his head in the direction of the towering Heart Tree.

"I would. But I do not wish to interrupt. Time is short, and I would not want to see any of it wasted." Honoria answers honestly.

Taking the cue, Syval rises begrudgingly back to his feet but offers the lady knight a taloned hand. "Then come. You won't harm anything just by being nearby. If anything having your eyes while we're focused on the ritual is a boon."

<OOC> Syval says, "afk for phone."
Honoria accepts the hand and rises. She checks herself, then gathers up her baraj and returns it to the hanger of her baldric. Then reaches for and fetches her lance to hand, returning its collapsed form to her belt before following Syval out of the tent.

Outside the tent and just a few trees past lies the Heart, and it is lit quite brilliantly. The barely-waned full moon has not yet arisen, but the clearing is dazzling with nearly one hundred candles. Prepared bowls lie at cardinal points. The stalking form of a massive tigress lopes along just outside the perimeter defined by the candles, and she chuffs and shakes her head at the other two in greeting as she continues her ambling patrols.

Kneeling on the tiny island at the altar there is the skyclad immortal witch born to the name of Rashia and now carrying the mantle of Andromeda - Andie - the Witch of the Fen. Curled sinuously around her shoulders lies the irridescent glittering red-gold-orange mottled scales of the Eldritch Wyrm himself, visibly glowing as he and Andie are clearly in close communion. A soft sing-song patter of a single voice is raised, as Andie works to complete the ritual as spoken in a tongue even more ancient than Honoria's native Maenast.
<OOC> Syval says, "And back."
<OOC> Syval says, "Whoo! I won the WILL check against Honoria. :D"
<OOC> Syval says, "Or Dip I suppose. Did the green scales give me advantage?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh! Skyclad witch. *coughs* o.o"

Syval helps the lady knight up with ease and slips out of the tent as her vanguard to the Heart. Stalking through the dim underbrush between the tree-ringed perimeter and then across the star-domed clearing, the sandy-eyed dragon slows and squints at first at the risen glow of candlelight. Then his brow pops up when he beholds the witch herself and the magicks about her.

Jyslin receives a look and a nod of acknowledgement as the tigresses passes as Syval takes the excuse to divert his eyes. Turning his attention to the circle of candles, the wizard pauses for a moment of study to recall the Sister's earlier ritual lessons, then he slings his bardiche across over his back, straightens the belt of his robes, and steps forward to help the immortal witch's casting.

<OOC> Syval says, "On the basis I helped Andie with some of the earlier ritual prep I assume she taught me enough to be useful here - whatever's involved in that."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Lesson one: never cross the circle until the ritual is done."
<OOC> Syval says, "Simple enough to follow, and one I've surely had beaten into me from the college as well. We do have bonding rituals even if they're lighter fare."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, my point is that means you can't go up and see how to help. There's a circle defined by those candles that covers most of the clearing."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah, okay. By "forward" I'd meant towards the edge of the circle, not going inside of it. Is there anything to be done from beyond it to help other than watching for trouble?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Most of the 'help' would have been the preparation beforehand. Once the circle was closed, it's all up to those inside; in this case, Andie and Neos."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah, welp surely no need to have rushed then. Mind if I tweak that last paragraph then?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Don't mind at all. That's why I was pointing things out."

Syval helps the lady knight up with ease and slips out of the tent as her vanguard to the Heart. Stalking through the dim underbrush between the tree-ringed perimeter the sandy-eyed dragon slows and squints at first at the risen glow of candlelight from the star-domed clearing. Then his brow pops up when he beholds the witch herself and the magicks about her.

Jyslin receives a look and a nod of acknowledgement as the tigresses passes and Syval takes the excuse to divert his eyes. Turning his attention to the field of candles, the wizard pauses for a moment of study to recall the Sister's earlier ritual lessons, then he slings his bardiche over his back, straightens the belt of his robes, and seats himself with his back against a tree and his tail curled before his lap.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hmph, let's say I set the bardiche down. Forgot to tweak that part of the sentence but it's not worth revising a third time."
Honoria watches the ritual in process with quiet awe. "Definitely a greater working." she comments, showing she spent more than enough time with witches in her own time to recognize such things. "But that makes good sense with the intent of binding herself to the Heart, and the Heart to her. I do wish I understood more of what that will change, once complete." Even so, they have seen the changes that have come across the swamp just by breaking its tie to the hag coven; one would imagine it changing at least that much again with a bond to Andromeda.

Soil of earth in the north. A bowl of water to the east. A bladder of air to the south. A censer of fire to the west. A ceramic node containing molten magma to the northwest. A bowl of ooze to the northeast. A jar containing still-frozen crystals of ice to the southeast. A cork-sealed tube of smoke to the southwest. Each of these are called in their turn as literal drops of Andie's blood are joined with hand-ground batter of jungle leaves and vines. The sing-song of words continues to nearly the hour of moonrise.

And as the ritual comes to a close Syval will feel a ripple of power wash out from the circle and down, down into the very earth beneath his claws, as the very flavor of the swamp changes.
<OOC> Syval says, "May I K:Occult to help answer Honoria's question, for whatever Andie explained to me during ritual prep?"
Syval rolls K:Occult (1d20+8) and gets 12 (4)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie's description was pretty vague, really."
<OOC> Syval says, "That sounds like her. :P"
<OOC> Syval says, "I swear the only time she's straightforward is when Jyslin's in her tent."
<OOC> Andie shrugs. "Sorry. It's just so hard to describe. And I knew you'd know it once you felt it."
<OOC> Syval +stealth check. O:)

Somewhere in the course of the ritual Syval pulls a tablet from his pack and scribes upon it, not trusting his memory alone to record the scene in all its occult majesty. "Before the Heart was hostile to us, now it feels more like it's waiting," the weredragon tries to explain. "I think she means to wake it - or befriend it. She said it will be clearer once she's done."

After a period of studious note-taking broken by quiet marveling at the enormous and intricate construction, the scaled wizard closes his tablet and then his eyes as he focuses inwards and feels for the Heart itself through his spark. The wave of arcane power flows over him and resonates with his inner light, where Charindol's touch dwells, and his scales prick as he feels the swamp's core lurch in response.

There is a brilliance to the feel of the swamp now, a richly textured vibrancy of light and possibility, shedding much of the darkness while still embracing mystery.

Honoria claps softly, gauntlets clanking. "Pretty impressive, and I do not even have the sense for it that you lot do." But through Guardia she has some awareness that it is so, without being able to feel it herself.

With the ritual completed, Andie then stretches out her hand, extinguishing the candles and lowering the warding and containment circle. Then she turns and gestures as the candles withdraw and assemble them out of the way. Then the containers of the now-consumed materials. Last up is calling her robes forth and slipping them on.

Syval smiles at the new feel of the swamp and sets a hand to the ground, savoring it before reopening his eyes. "How fitting. It feels like a dawn," he remarks as he surveys the ritual site then turns his eyes up to the night sky before rising once more. The dragonoid's tail uncurls behind him and twitches as his wings spread and furl again. The chance to rest and the magic itself have both rejuvenated the green-scaled mage, and his sandy eyes are a few shades brighter and more alert once more.

"Well woven, Sister. It was an honor to witness such a ritual and you were just in time," he calls out, noting the position of the moon.

Andie gestures the others forward, clearly assured that all is well and safe for them to do so. "Thank you, Syval. I appreciate the kind words. And you are definitely not wrong. The timing was very tight. With the Heart secured at moonrise, however, we have averted the issues I foresaw, and set back the hopes and plans of the hag coven and their patron." Unsaid is the reality that is a real boon to everyone and everything in the region.

"I am glad to see you are looking well, Honoria." Andie offers.

The lady knight bows to the witch. "Thank you for your aid in retrieval and treatment. My debt to you only grows with the day and the night."

Jyslin pads towards the center of the Heart, and then shifts back to herself once she arrives. "I am just glad no one and nothing tried to interrupt." Then she embraces Andie. "Glad everything went well." And then she produces a glistening black berry, offering it to Neosodos. "You were very patient." she teases the ancient eldritch wyrm.

Andie sighs softly. "It is quite a lot, honestly, and I would really like to just sleep. But are you sure you two can take on the watches after today?"

Honoria nods. "I am sure we can manage. Please, go. If your lovely priestess wants to join us tonight, after several hours, she would not be unwelcome. But we can handle this."

Jyslin smiles at that. "That sounds pretty good to me. Thank you both." That said, she starts steering Andie towards their tent rather than brooking any more hemming or hawing. That leaves things back down to just Syval and Honoria.

"I already got my nap. Would you mind some company?" Honoria asks.

Syval chuckles at the lady knight's wit and breathes deeply of the night air of the now emptied clearing. "Your company is most welcome. Your near death isn't weighing upon you after the potion?" he responds with a brightness in his eyes despite the surrounding darkness. The scaled wizard turns back towards camp and his tail brushes the lady knight's side. "Here, I can lead you back to camp."

Syval chuckles at the lady knight's wit and breathes deeply of the night air of the now emptied clearing. "Your company is most welcome. Your near death isn't weighing upon you after the potion?" he asks with a brightness in his eyes despite the surrounding darkness. The scaled wizard turns back aside and his tail brushes the lady knight's side. "Here, I can lead you back to camp."

<OOC> Syval says, "Same content, less redundant. Sorry, I'm still settling in a little."
"I appreciate the assistance." Honoria answers, reaching out to lay a hand on a big green scaled shoulder. "Honestly, I do not really feel much like I was near death. I know I was; I recall it happening. But physically, do not feel it. And I am deeply grateful to be alive."

Once they are back and settled Honoria leans Guardia against her body and leans back against the bole of a tree. "I cannot feel it the way you can. But I think you are right; the swamp does feel different now."

Syval sets a sedate pace back to camp and takes care as they pass into woods to chart a path that's relatively clear and walkable. His wing tucks out of the way to one side, partly shading the lady knight, and once they separate the young wizard jabs his bardiche into the ground as is his custom and crouches down to unpack his tent for the night. "The fey's stasis effect must have been well-timed," he remarks with the thoughtfulness of a mage with interest piqued. "It's for the best we departed when we did. That realm had many fascinating things but I'm sure nothing there was safe to dwell on."

At the mention of the swamp, the dragon-touched apprentice quirks his brow and looks over curiously. "How does it feel to you?"

"Less creepy. Less ominous. Less negatively intent." Honoria explains. "That's the best I can explain it. It's all rather nebulous to me. I imagine far less so to you."

"A little but this is the first land I've felt any connection to. I hope to take some time later and commune with it. That seems like the green dragon thing to do," Syval replies with a light-hearted smile as he finishes clearing a patch of ground for himself and lays out his tent. "It does feel... brighter. Not happy but at peace maybe, and surely more welcoming. We'll have an easier time traversing it from now on and maybe more game will return to it too."

"I do not know much about dragons." Honoria admits. "Not much beyond the basics. But I imagine you might be right." Right, that communing with nature, with the swamp, might be informative and useful. Worthwhile 'green dragon' behavior. "More game would be good. I haven't seen much since we came inside."

Honoria relaxes, considers for a bit. "I think I want to walk out tomorrow, if we can. I want to see if the herd really did stick around to see what happened. I want them to know we succeeded. And I'd like to thank them, again, for their help." Honestly she's not even considering that she could ask one of them to stay with her. But if they are out there she would not hesitate to listen to that advice. It really would change her new world life, to have a 'real' mount equal to her needs.

"I'm sure Jyslin would enjoy the exercise," Syval grins at the thought. "And that's a good thought. They deserve to hear the good news and again our gratitude. I do suspect a few stayed behind to watch for us, probably volunteers who liked the noble knight they met. You should ask if a young one is willing to join you," the wizard suggests slyly as he knocks tent posts into the soft earth. "It should give them plenty of stories and I can't think of a more fitting mount for you."

Honoria demures shyly. "The hunnuli are amazing. They were created, according to the legends, to be the mounts of great wizards. I am sure I am little worthy of that kind of bond. Yet even so, I would be beyond humbly pleased and deeply moved to accept that gift if it were freely offered."

The dragonish mage snorts lightly. "I've met plenty of wizards about the High College and the Hunnuli have sense enough to pick you over even the archmage. Perhaps in Volthuma's time mages were able riders but Delzimmer doesn't even teach casting from horseback, and they aren't a very coordinated bunch, don't let me fool you."

Securing his tent poles into place, Syval surveys his handiwork then turns his sandy eyes back to the lady knight. "If you won't ask their help then just make vaguely known your plans and that you intend to continue in long travels. They've seen your lance and can tell the obvious without being told."

<OOC> Syval says, "An amusing and quite hazardous realization has come to me: practicing concentration checks would be stupendously dangerous so it likely isn't done at all above cantrip spells. That's enough for the barest minimum of practice but concentrating enough to cast a cantrip is a world apart from casting more serious magic, so in practical terms that's an exercise for apprentices learning not a useful drill for graduate wizards."
<OOC> Syval is good to pause after that pose. His muse is ahead of him to bed.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li tucks in dwaggin muse. "Sweet dreams." :)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Cantrip through second level spells, basically. And you're not wrong."
Honoria chuckles wryly. "I will try to be more forthright than all of that. If they truly are still around and seem like they are interested, I will mention that I would welcome the friendship and company. But I will not ask them to make that choice." It will be a diplomatic balancing act ... and apparently something for which the princess knight is quite prepared.

She does take the chance to tease, however. "Are you saying that you are a rare and unusual wizard, Syval of Amlar?" The tone makes the tease very clear.

"Yes I am sure you will find the right words, princess," Syval nods knowingly, then a hand comes to his mouth as the weredragon tries to stifle his laughter, seated as close as they are to Andie's double tent. "Not as a wizard, Lady Penspiras, only in things that wizards are not. I trust in your judgement to tell them apart," he replies in a clean and polished tone, playing up the nobility.

"Ah and speaking of which..." With his tent erected, the scaled wizard looks down at himself then shuts his eyes and wills his transformation away.

Honoria offers a little smile and a nod. "You are getting better at that. And it's not quite as agonizing to watch." It may never be as easy as watching Jyslin's changes, but at least the crunching is minimized, and the grunts of pain and moans of agony are minimal now.

"I will do my best to remember your unique talents lie along different paths." the lady knight teases. "I venture to say with all of the changes wrought of time, my own skills and experience are probably not as applicable as once they were." In a fight? Sure. A war? It seems such things are unheard of, now. A princess knight? Nigh unto blasphemy in the mindsets of modern Delzimmer. And they certainly would not approve.

Syval lets out a shaky breath once he's settled back into human form and gives Honoria a small nod to show he's listening. While the process has gotten faster and more comfortable the tenderness that follows still takes a few seconds to fade.

"Perhaps but I would not leave them uncounted. Your skill at arms are as useful as ever beyond city walls and the world is wide with opportunities for statecraft and diplomacy. Delzimmer lives and breathes by the spoken word," the young wizard offers as he adjusts the fit of his robes back upon his original frame. Though not quite as stretched and showy, the silken clothes fit him better this way. "And I don't think the knowledge of your own time is lost and gone, truly. Your statue survived to this day so other things must have, and we're heading from here to a village founded by your order if legends and all the red hair are true. Chipira and Selune willing, you'll find connections."

"Certainly my skill at arms still has value. But my greatest skill lies in leading others in the manners of battle I know, and it seems there are nearly none such in this time." Honoria responds. Of course she knows nothing of the Brotherhood of Athena, though she could assume there would still be knights there. But lady knights? It is called the Brotherhood, which she takes to be almost alien to her own experience.

Honoria lifts her blonde braid. "Red hair was not so common in my time. Nor blonde, for that matter. But I do look forward to a chance to see what the remnants of the Chevaliers wrought in their mountain fastness."

"If you mean pitched battles in open fields then I fear you're right, but any traveling group on the roads include plenty of guards and those who can travel mounted," Syval offers. "They aren't armored in plate steel and most fights will be bandits or monsters like we've faced, but with silver and a cause perhaps there are enough for you to form a band." Chuckling softly to himself, the therianthrope mage brushes his sapphire armband. "Once my lessons with Neosodos are further along I would like some instruction for myself if you'll spare it. Flying seems much akin to riding on horseback and you're my better with polearms."

"Red is at least more common than green," Syval grins as he brushes a bang of his own. "Red hair is common to Aramis uniquely; it's peculiar elsewhere but not a bad thing, not unless one is otherwise witch-touched. Blonde you'll see everywhere though you'll stand above the common folk regardless."

<OOC> Syval figures our sparring so far has been of the dismounted variety, not that we haven't been training at all.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Maybe with bronze and a cause."
<OOC> Syval says, "Er thank you, keep that "gold and a cause". I substituted from "gold and a cause" but got the wrong metal. >_<"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smooches. "No problem. That's what editorial notes are for." :)
<OOC> Syval says, "Aye but I put such attention elsewhere I should have caught that. For some reason in my head it was gold that bronze switched with, not silver. Ah well, live and learn."
<OOC> Syval says, "Hmm, though if it gets me smooches maybe I should make more. <.<"
"Pitched mass battles. Open fields still seem aplenty." Honoria observes wryly. Indeed she would venture to say it seems there's even less massed forest in this age than her own, though she has not exactly seen full maps to affirm taht conclusion. "I'll teach you what I can, though I know little of flying itself, and there's a whole third dimension to that, and needs to land, which do not apply to horseback." She can see the differences, imagine them, but has no training or experience with them.

"True enough. Green is one only spoken of amongst faerie and some few elves, from what I recall. Though I did not know many of their kind in my time." Honoria explains. But stories are stories, and elves have always been closely associated with woodlands and nature, all of which comes back to green. "My height was rare enough in my own time. I've no problem imagining it is as rare now. But it seems so too will be my arms and armor. Subtle will not work much for me." Nor for the green-haired wizard, it seems.

Amazing when a weretigress priestess with hip-length ash blonde hair and a redheaded witch with a tiny pseudodragon on her shoulders can pass muster more subtly than others in their party.

"Your grace and etiquette will also betray you, but that supports your claim to noble birthright," Syval notes positively. "I'm fortunate that a wizard being "touched" isn't so strange but I've no hope blending into a new town without hiding it. And you're right that your arms and armor are equally fit for your station." Running a hand through his hair, the wizard sighs unhappily as he considers, "If we want to travel discretely I'll need to dye my hair and you'll need to disguise or carry your armor. Perhaps it would be best to carry a training sword as well, or at least slide a more weather-beaten scabbard around yours."

<OOC> Syval is amused by the mental image of how we might look in disguise together. Of course it's all out the window if there's a Hunnuli.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hah! All too true."
"I would probably be well served to start dressing like Jyslin. And color my hair. Assuming I wanted to pass with minimal or no notice." That kind of thing is anything but normal and natural to Honoria, but she is at least capable of thinking of it. "And you are right: I would need to doff the armor and pack it away unseen. Hiding away Guardia would be harder." The shield would not like that.

Tough thing when arms and armor have opinions on how they are carried.

"It's quite the large shield," Syval nods, following the difficulty if not the reason for it. "Perhaps we could cover it with leather or strap it to a pack in a way that blends in; wooden and hide shields are very common. And I would advise cinching your clothes a bit more than Jyslin does for mobility. I'm convinced running and leaping around like she does in full robes is done by a Selunite blessing. I wear mine shorter because that's harder than it looks," he explains while lifting the hemmed up end of his robe for illustration.

"And perhaps Andie knows some long-lasting illusionary arts, though that was never my school of focus so I doubt I could well cast them day in and day out without suspicion..." Giving up on the notion the green-haired mage shrugs in defeat. "All the same I hope we can avoid too much company before Aramis. It's well that Cantare has made peace and disguising and hiding are distasteful, even if they might be necessary for us."

[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 21 Heart Aftermath

2022-07-23T00:13:00Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "As has been usual on their journey, Andie is up first thing in the morning, preparing even before dawn with meditations spent in communion with the sun itself and Neosodos, wh..."

As has been usual on their journey, Andie is up first thing in the morning, preparing even before dawn with meditations spent in communion with the sun itself and Neosodos, who is glowing quite a lot this morning. As a side benefit, however, she did prep a stew before starting those prayers and meditations, so by the time everyone else is getting up there is a warm and filling, sustaining breakfast ready to go.

After a bit to pray for her spells, Jyslin guides Honoria back into her tent to help her get undressed, palpate to identify the rib in question, isolate it, get it into the right place, and then heal it before securing a new and better bandage.

It's bone. It will need time to 'cure' to proper hardness and stability. Jyslin is not powerful enough for the likes of Marcus' Mending Touch.

The two women can and do then join everyone for breakfast. Andie explains her plan for the ritual, and accepts Syval's attention and assistance as she includes him in the ritual preparations as part of helping to teach him more about ritual magic. Between she and Neosodos, it's clear they know quite a bit, and they share unstintingly, while making it clear that witch rituals are a bit different than simple arcane rituals; the principles remain similar enough that it's more a case of more precision and rigidity. Witches tend to be a tad loose, moving more by instinct than rote, and filling the gaps with primordial essence and their patrons' blessings.

Later that afternoon, while Andie is resting Syval has a chance for more exercise with Jyslin and Honoria, and then Neosodos starts Syval on flight training by literally hoisting him up into the air some sixty feet - to start; Neosodos can go quite a bit higher with his magic - and dropping him. insisting that it is best he learn to glide effectively before trying to propel himself with his wings, not entirely unlike militia training on 'how to take a fall before how to fight'.
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh goodness Neos! And I was thinking I'd just climb a tree and jump off it."
<OOC> Syval is actually quite a good climber at that. He did it for fun in Delzimmer.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But this way Neos can lift him up free of interference from tree canopy, in open air. Neos things that'll be easier for the ungainly green dragon form."
<OOC> Syval says, "Uhm... hrm... Should I be rolling checks for this? Do you mean to focus in on the flying lesson or keep things at this same cursory level?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Neos does not have great faith in green dragon aerodynamics. He's prejudiced."
<OOC> Syval laughs!
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I'm planning mostly cursory. Figure some things will go well, others not so well. But Syval should get enough practice that he should learn, over time and practice, how to glide, and then work up to flying."
<OOC> Syval says, "Hey now in defense of my (partial) race, a humanoid with dragon features and wings is not a green dragon where aerodynamics are concerned. Judge not lest ye be judged, Poke-wyrm."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li does not go into tiny magical sphere to be summoned at need.
<OOC> Syval says, "You do a fine job hiding in Andie's robes. That counts just as well."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He camouflages as her backpack. That's not in her robes. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Not when she's wearing them. You can't tell me with how cattish he is at times he doesn't burrow into them when she takes them off sometimes."
<OOC> Syval imagines a little copper mottled drake swan diving a basket of warm laundry.

In typical jealousy-inducing fashion, a night's rest has restored Syval to his normal self without any sign of the past day's wounds, damaged clothes, or (thankfully) troll smell on him come breakfast. The hulking wizard does eat a substantial helping even by his own standards though, and seems to take extra relish in the meal. With the trolls and hags behind them, it's a chance to relax in the Heart of the swamp suffused by a natural magic that tingles his scales. Leaving Jyslin to tend Honoria's wounds, the wizard moves between ritual work, to exercise, what camp chores he can benefit from, and... falling lessons. The young mage's spare times are spent studying his spellbooks as well as jotting studiously into his journal - with more than a couple curious questions snuck into conversations with the others that Syval seems to have been holding for a while. Downtime evidently means study mode for the apprentice mage.

That he's also taken to walking the woods and swamp around their camp more often than he had when the group was traveling could just as easily go unnoticed.

<OOC> Syval says, "First, I'd also ask Neos for help learning mindspeech, though if it's A or B I'll stick with learning flying first."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hmms. "I think Neosodos can do both. Simple rule: no yelling. He will push Syval to work up his own midspeech. If he wants to communicate while in mid-air, he'll just have to work through it. Or wait until he has crashed to the ground and walk over to say something. ^_-
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That'll teach the oversized hatchling to make fun of laundry diving."
<OOC> Syval laughs. "For those flying lessons, a fall from 60ft is... what again in fall terms? 6d10 with DC something Acrobatics to ignore the bottom 10ft?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh good grief and I forgot to ask about XP for the trolls and the hunnuli (mostly for Andie/Honoria) and the hags, etc."
<OOC> Syval says, "Because somewhere in here it's possible I level up and need to switch sheets."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah right, nevermind my HP is enormous. It is definitely going to hurt even partially gliding from that height but I'll survive... my robes may be worse for wear again when I show up in the evening."
<OOC> Syval says, "And we'll need healing breaks, which thankfully at 10hp/m won't be excessive. That's... actually kind of scary to think about how much HP I could feasible lose/heal in an afternoon doing that. Superhuman training montage, go."
<OOC> Syval stops there for now. Spellbook Q&A comes after.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It'd be 1d6+2d6+3d6+4d6+5d6+6d6=21d6. Without gliding and such, Acrobatics could reduce that by cutting off the last 10 feet; more with certain feats and such. So that'd bring it down to 15d6; down to 10d6 if it qualifies as jumping, I believe."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh right Shaar has old school exponential fall damage. That's... 21d6 in a worst-case roll takes Syval to -4 HP. Wow."
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm astounded that isn't an auto-death and I hope Honoria doesn't catch sight of their training or she will freak."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles.
<OOC> Syval says, "Syval will either develop a fear of heights or a disregard for solid objects if he's a slow flying learner. I'm tempted to say with the practice he got ahead of this though that it's mostly been glide-falls for reduced damage and not too awful on the measure. Still, you know, lethal to a normal person, but just painful for him."
<OOC> Syval is also pleased with himself for slipping in that 'walking in the woods' line. It deserved a passing subtle mention.
<OOC> Syval says, "Anyway, your go again unless you want to dive into the spellbook stuff he's studying on the side. I'll hush up. :)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li might also advise bringing up the broken baraj and conversing with Andie about how to secure it against further degredation and discussing repair and restoration. Not that we'll get into huge details, but I think this would be the right time to ask some questions, as then Syval will know ICly some of the materials and skills or skilled artisans he needs to maximize his success.
Most of the time none of the group bothers Syval on his walkabouts, though sometimes Jyslin will come within range to check on him if he is gone longer than usual. None of the group are concerned Syval cannot look out for himself, but they are a team, and some concern is only natural.

Within only a couple of days Neosodos has Syval gliding successfully from heights as high as one-hundred twenty feet and landing under pretty good control, with barely any damage to the dragonoid or the plants on the ground. It is at this point that they will shift their exercises to launching aloft with those wings; there will be lots of back-aches as muscles must accomplish feats never before attempted to heft that mass into the sky. And all of this assists Syval with perfecting his mindspeech talent, as Neosodos on no screaming; complaints must be done via mindspeech or wait until Syval has reached the ground and can walk over to join the Eldritch Wyrm, harsh taskmaster that he is proving to be.

Syval does manage to decypher several additional spells from the books with this time, and with the assistance of Andie and Neosodos he feels confident his progress will continue. Honoria seems to be working on something relating to her shield, but seems reluctant to explain just what right now. Jyslin is spending good swaths of time in meditation and prayer, and has taken to evening conversations with both Andie and Honoria regarding Selune's faith, history, and the history of her cult and church.

[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

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

Journey Day 20 PM Fireside Jyslin

2022-07-23T00:10:13Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "The steady buzz of nocturnal swamp life is ever present around the campsite, dulling the sharpness of hearing and casting an auditory haze over the darkness. It's noisy at tim..."

The steady buzz of nocturnal swamp life is ever present around the campsite, dulling the sharpness of hearing and casting an auditory haze over the darkness. It's noisy at times but stable, and quite a change in timbre and volume from the woods and plains that have served as the group's campsite for tendays now.

Feeling the taste of the timing spell leave his mouth, the green-haired mage on watch pokes at the weak embers of their former cooking fire with his bardiche and casts his eyes penetratingly across the darkness. Still nothing of note. Standing up with the help of his polearm, Syval grunts quietly as his stiff legs protest then lifts a hand to stiffle a heavy yawn. His hand stays up long enough to renew his simplest arcana and once the glittering green glow settles over him, the young man spits a ball of chewed up tree resin into his waiting palm.

In a practiced and half-attentive way, he rolls the wad between his hands while wispy arcane tendrils sweep over its teeth-marked surfaces sucking away saliva. In only a few seconds the "wizard gum" is back to a neat, round, dry, and unmarred shape - apparently fresh and ready for a new use. One last small touch of flavoring magic primes the treat for its purpose, then Syval glances skywards, noting the position of the moon.

Soft footsteps (for his size) approach the camp's only double-tent and the young wizard parts its flap with the edge of his bardiche to peek inside, then floats the gumball slowly, slowly through the air until it hovers over a certain blonde priestess. Then, it drops.

<OOC> Syval remembered his gumball this time.
<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry for the delay. I sniped myself thinking about my spell study progress ahead of the scene since that could have affected my set. Activity for another downtime."
<OOC> Syval will for the record not be aiming for the face, assuming he finds Jyslin harmlessly napping. He'll go for somewhere safe, like the butt.
At contact Jyslin rolls over from her side onto her back, away from the wealth of Andie's hair. Her breathing brings the scent of the flavored gum to her nostrils, and Jyslin gives a soft protestful moan. Then she lifts herself up with her arms extended behind her, only managing to keep the thin blanket over her body by dint of not having yet raised fully upright where gravity would demand it fall further.

Jyslin's green eyes blink open, a mystical silvery cast to the otherwise warm amber backlight reflecting from within their depths. The priestess yawns and then nods towards the mage standing at the flap to the tent. She turns to check on Andie with eyes open, and upon Neosodos. Then she lays back down, ducking beneath the blanket, which ripples and wiggles all about for a bit before the priestess then emerges, pushing the blanket aside and standing hunched over, tying the belt about her waist. She scoops up her boots and a few other objects and then follows to the entrance, stepping outside and closing the flap before following Syval towards the fire.

"Mmmmm." Jyslin yawns again. "Anything to report?" she inquires, just as she lowers herself to a seat by the fire and starts by working her feet into her boots.

Syval's own backlit eyes blink back as the mage watches the groggy priestess silently until he gets a nod. Then the little gumball drifts back up with a point of his hand and slowly creeps its way back out the tent while Jyslin rummages for her clothes.

Once back outside the tent and settling down, the dragon therianthrope covers his mouth on another yawn of his own and gives the priestess a little blameful glare before seating himself as well. "That swamp bugs are noisy and we killed everything hard enough that it's still dead," he answers in a dry attempt at humor. "The forest is glad I think."

Jyslin meets that reproachful look with tolerant innocence, as if wondering just what it is that earned her that gaze, despite knowing it is likely her yawning. She cannot be blamed for yawning, dangit. That's not fair at all! "I imagine the swamp here is very glad for our success so far, and will be even happier after Andie does whatever it is she needs to do. Especially glad nothing decided to make itself known after the fight."

They've been through enough.

"How are you feeling? Anything lingering from the fight?" Troll claws are not the cleanest, after all, and these were hag- and coven-backed trolls, so anything is possible. Jyslin cannot see that it hurts to ask, at least.

Syval smiles in the distinctive soft and confident way that creases his brow ever slightly and makes his eyes more intense, dragon-like, as he assures, "Not physically. Tired from the journey and the battle but between my nature and the healing draught the only thing hurt was my clothes." Which the priestess might notice are fully in their proper state again. No half-dressed dragon-mages tonight.

"It did take me a time to relax after so much action. And how about you? You were cautious after the trolls fled." Lifting his gumball again so it shows in the light, Syval offers it half-floating to the blonde were-tigress. "Here, have some wizard's gum."

Jyslin stretches out a bit more languidly, and Syval can likely hear some pops as things release and twist about. She groans a little at all of that, and smiles. "I was very hyped up and tense, after the right. Especially given the numbers that fled. I was very concerned they might decide to wait until our guard was down and strike again. And even moreso because I know Andie expended a lot of her power to turn the tide of the battle for all our sakes."

Jyslin eyes the wizard gum and shakes her head. "That's yours, Syval. You should keep and enjoy it. All I really need is water and time. Some stretching helped earlier." There's a slight touch of color to Jyslin's cheeks as she mentions that. "Is Honoria doing OK? I know she doesn't regenerate like you and I do." And she knows that Syval cares about the lady knight, and will have paid attention.

The wizard's brow quirks as his dark-adapted eyes spot the subtle color and he chuckles softly. "I have and can make more," he assures before turning to regather his pack. The usual suspects are half exposed from his earlier diversions: his map case, water skin, note slate, and books. "That was wise to keep caution. I've never known trolls to flee, and even less to make clever strategies, but fighting the rest of them would have been... messy."

Tugging the leather buckle of his pack shut, Syval grimaces in a way that's somewhere between worry and exasperation. "She broke a rib and as usual is toughing it out, so I think she would be grateful if you prepare some healing magic for the morning. Nothing fatal apparently, and she asked not to be woken up just for mending. I get the feeling today was more normal for her than it was for us."

The green-haired therianthrope pauses, as if there's more to say, then instead asks, "And how is our witch?"

The ashen-blonde priestess finally reaches down and accepts the bit of wizard gum, sniffing it again and then placing it into her mouth, slowly and experimentally tasting it, then starting to chew through it. Her voice, when she speaks, changes as her jaw and tongue work around the gum now.

"Apparently trolls can and do use strategy, when led by those with more of a mind for it. Like, I assume, hag covens." Jyslin comments, proving it is new to her, too, but that she asked some questions and received additional insights.

Jyslin purses her lip and almost gets up from her seat when Syval mentions that Honoria has broken a rib; only the fact he goes on to explain she does not wish to be awakened for healing keeps her from doing so. "A hard, stubborn woman." she comments, more under her breath than not, both impressed and maybe a little concerned.

"I think both Honoria and Andie are ... better prepared for something like today than you or I." And Jyslin sounds troubled by this. From her perspective she has always been the one with over a decade's experience as a roamer, a warrioress of the wilds, and blessed with the power of the weretigress. She imagined herself Andie's protector and guardian, as well as her friend and ... other, more intimate things. Seeing, today, what Andie is truly capable of doing, what she is able to confront without gawping or being stunned, has forced Jyslin to realize that she herself is little more than a hanger-on. A pawn. A minion. And not a terribly worthy one at that.

The hard ball of tree resin has a sweetness that shocks the tongue at first brush before mellowing out, with fruity overtones and a cinnamon spice. Wetted by saliva, it softens gradually from its rock-like consistency to something vaguely chewable.

"She is, she is," Syval agrees with a smile. "I also think she didn't want to disturb your tent. I only let her go because it seemed she'd had such an injury before. I'm sure she's bandaged herself and... whatever else a person does for that." The young wizard casts a look across their firepit that's a singular mix of grateful and unsure. The life-long therianthrope may be convincing himself as much as Jyslin.

"I'm glad I'm not the only therianthrope in our party," he says across the flickering embers. "Other people are all so fragile... At least with you, seeing you on all four feet after the battle was enough." The gratitude reaches Syval's smile and in his eyes is a small glimmer of fondness and something else. Perhaps if they hadn't been traveling with the rose-haired witch, their night talks up until now would have gone somewhere different. "These massed battles for control of whole regions are a thing of a different time, beyond the turns of fate. I'll take your skills over Andie's to lead us anywhere in the Shaar. Doubly so in the light of the moon."

Jyslin shifts position a bit, then lifts her eyes to gaze at the emerald-haired mage across the fire. She nods a bit, slowly. "I guess I grew up more normal; I don't think about how fragile others are, only more about how resilient I have become. Or how resilient I guess I want to believe I am."

After all, Jyslin could not have won today's battle. That was impossible. No matter how well she feels she may have done, she cannot help viewing her contribution as a mere pittance compared to Honoria, or Andie. It is humbling for her, and a bit terrifying. "I never wanted to be some great hero, changing the world." Her words make it clear that she does not see 'great hero' in herself ... but that she now recognizes she will be drawn into just that level of battle, likely time and time again. And all woefully unprepared.

The roamer turned priestess grins a bit at the weredragon's humor and nods in acknowledgement of the compliment. She appreciates it. "I do my best." She did not speak after the battle, of course; tiger jaws are not made for conversation. So she asks what seems the obvious question: "So, what now, for you? Dead-head back to Delzimmer? Over to Wishwell Village to join a returning caravan?"

"Neither of us is immortal but if we don't over-reach ourselves, well," Syval gestures loosely to the fireside, counting tiger and dragon both. "To say nothing of our stamina. It's fair to say growing up I would have died six times over at least, more since then. We're both favored by Selune and I think Chipira as well. I think our paths are guarded in their own way."

Reaching to his bicep, the wizard brushes his finger along the shimmering blue sapphires of his armband, appreciating it as much now as ever before his sandy brown eyes look back over to Jyslin unhindered by any failing of light. "To Aramis next and then Chipira decides," he responds with the simple confidence of faith. "After we rest here first of course. Honoria needs to visit them. I would like to hunt down the coven's home so no new evil can take their place, but whether we then return to Delzimmer with a pack horse loaded with trade goods, go north to Daer-Calt, or elsewhere I leave to fate."

Syval snorts lightly as he flits his eyes back to the occupied tents before returning to the blonde priestess. "Honestly I'm not sure how I'll even travel with new parties now, it's going to itch..."

"How about you?" the dragon asks the tiger.

Jyslin sighs gustily and shrugs. "Honestly? I get the feeling, as much from what Andie refuses to say as from what she does let slip, that Selune has a plan for me. A big plan. One that I would probably panic about if I knew." Bald honesty there. "For now, I will stay with Andie. Until my heart, my faith, or the very words of my goddess send me elsewhere, I will stay with her. But I do not think she will stay here very long. A week or two at most, I suspect. She came to solve a problem, and once that is done it will all be about trying to time the next leg of her journey to something else I cannot see or imagine."

After a bit of quiet chewing and thinking, eventually Jyslin does speak up again. "I admit, I would like to see Aramis. I have heard so much about the place. But I don't want to impose, and if Andie is called elsewhere, I do not want to be separated." She doesn't even bring up that she suspects if she is ever separated from Andie she might never find her again.

Syval smiles dryly in sympathy and nods at the roamer's assessment. "I agree about Selune's plan, though I think at least she will be good to you, come what may. Your blessed nature is proof enough of her favor... and you were just sleeping with her daughter."

"Maybe in that way I have it easy among us all," the wizard apprentice admits as he fiddles absentmindedly with the hem of his robe. "I may not have known my own nature until recently but I always knew Chipira meant me for something. Now it's just... finding out. I'm certain I could pass half a year here exploring myself and not grow bored, but I don't presume to have the time. That's something for me to do on the way to what needs done."

The buzz of insects crescendo to a peak in volume loud enough that Syval pauses and gives the woods a dry look as he waits for them to settle down. Leaning in, he continues. "I'd like us all to go to Aramis, and I don't think Andie will be so hard to convince. I think the genies she spoke of will bring us together again in three years, but I'm in no rush to separate before then. Especially from a roamer like you, priestess," the mage adds with a ribbing smile that's dampened only a bit by the young man's fatigue. "You aren't even charging as a guide."
Jyslin smirks a bit at that. "Mmm. True. We're actually paying you to come along with us." she observes, clearly not having thought about any of that in quite some time. Those arrangements had completely slipped her mind. "Once Andie is done here, or at least once the bonding here is done I'll ask her about Aramis. I honestly do not know. It's ... there are no swamps up there." The Andie Jyslin knows is one that has always been in a swamp, or traveling between them. Their visits to towns or cities have been infrequent and very brief, only just passing through.

"I worry about Selune's plans for me, simply because I fear I may not measure up to what she wants or needs." Jyslin admits very quietly. "That is one of the things that has been freaking me out, since I discovered who and what Andie really is." Because surely a Sister Alvamere would not start a relationship with someone who is not worthy of them, right? And given how important they are, what does a mortal have to be, have to ''do'' to be worthy of them?

Jyslin has not internalized the potential alternative explanation. Not yet.

"A Delzmaer does not forget debts, though the handful of gold Andie owes is paltry compared to what else we've made. Don't worry that I won't make right for it, and leave you both plenty of spending money," Syval assures, glad to have lightened the mood if only for a moment.

At the blonde priestess' admission he falls silent again, regarding Jyslin with warm Chipiran confidence, an anchor for her uncertainty that it'll all work out. Scooting around the firepit, the dragon-touched young man raises an arm, wordlessly inviting her in against him.

Jyslin does scoot over and hug Syval firmly. Then she offers, "You should get to bed. Even you need sleep. I'll see you in the morning. Then maybe we can organize some exploration of the clearing, here, while Andie prepares her rituals." Who knows what the trolls and hags might have left behind, after all?

Thick arms cradle the priestess with absolute security against the preternaturally well-built mage, the much younger therianthrope physically and mentally sturdy and resolute. Blessedly his robes don't smell of troll offal - if anything there's a faint whiff of cinnamon and magic. Once they part Syval offers a smile, then chuckles as he bows his head to Jyslin's direction. "I do but it was worth staying up. I look forward to our respite together, and you know I'm always open to talk."

Taking his bardiche and bag in hand, Syval lifts himself back to his feet and looks down at Jyslin's mess of dirty-blonde hair. There again is that mote of fondness in his eyes. "May your watch be as boring as mine, and the bugs a little less noisy," he bids before departing from the fireside and disappearing into his tent.

[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:syval]]

Journey Day 20/3 The Heart

2022-07-23T00:08:56Z

VanyaDoll2:

Jyslin rolls K: Nature (1d20+16) and gets 34 (18)
Jyslin rolls Survival (1d20+19) and gets 21 (2)
Jyslin rolls Perception (1d20+24) and gets 30 (6)
Jyslin raises a hand, calling a halt to the progress of the party as they skirt around yet another roving band. The forest has gone dark, and without their innate gifts and shared magics the party would likely be blind. As it is, however, those who have been relying on infravision and scent find themselves cut off: ahead, cool and wet air completely obscures all that lies beyond.

The cloud of moisture would likely be heavy fog, even an obscuring mist with daylight filtering through it. It would be glistening white.

Glistening white air hovering within a bog forest.

That likely explains the long-held name of this piece of jungle.

Neosodos' mindvoice reaches the group without the crooning of his tiny physical voice. << Andie says that we should prepare now. The mist bank here is tied to the Heart; as soon as we pass into it, the coven will know where we are quite precisely. She has also recommended, Jyslin, that you call upon the spell you used against the werehyenas back home, immediately once we break through the grove's outer ring. It will not be as sunlight would, but it will allow all of us to see movement more accurately than infravision can in this chill mist. Scent will be dampened as well, for obvious reasons. >>

Neosodos does not mention that draconic senses will in fact still spot movement and threats through sheer magical will; neither he nor his Little Brother will be able to share that with anyone, after all.

<< The grove includes an outer ring of trees some sixty feet thick. We should reach that ring some thirty feet inside that mist. Beyond that ring lies an open clearing some hundred and twenty feet across, roughly circular. At its heart lies the Heart Tree, and to the north of that lies the Heart Pond. The altar lies in the center of the Pond. The hags will almost certainly be gathered around the altar, and almost assuredly will have guardians surrounding the pond. Andie must reach the altar, and have time to lay hands upon it and release a spell to claim dominion over it, breaking the coven's hold. >>

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Syval halts with the party and takes a vanishingly small sip from his waterskin, wetting his lips before the coming violence as he catches his breath. << Perhaps the order of battle should be Honoria and myself first, >> he suggests over their shared connection. << Once we pass through the mist we can draw away the trolls by keeping to the trees. That will keep us from the hag's sight and so beyond most of their magic and I can weave a ghost sound of all four of us to attract the trolls. Then the rest of you come in and circle through the trees to get near the pool. If there's room Jyslin or I can rush the hags to disrupt their casting and Andie can support however the chaos allows. I have an enlarging spell for myself that will give me a minute of longer reach to keep the trolls at bay, another spectral horse that will last long after this battle is done, and enough Art for one more of either. >>

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Neosodos helps pass this around to everyone. They consider to the best of their ability. << Our time grows short. We have only minutes until the Hour begins. Whatever preparations any intend, do them now. I will call forth a distraction of very temporary rough duplicates to join the two of you. Enough, we can hope, that they will believe you are the whole group at first. >>

Jyslin lays a warrior's blessing of Aid upon both Syval and Honoria, as the lady knight prepares herself.

"Call forth your steed. We will lead it with us until we reach the clearing, and then I can mount." the princess knight recommends to Syval. This will allow that he need not spend even more precious seconds in the midst of danger to release both the mount and the enlargement spell. "My challenge will only protect Syval and I. Good luck to the three of you. Know that if you call, we ''will'' be there."

Once the others are ready Neosodos releases an additional spell, creating two more humanoid forms shaped out of magic and some of the muck and mire of the bog. They will not be able to fight, but they can trudge along with the other pair and seem in some small way to be Andie and Jyslin. Neosodos then coats them with a strong illusion's seeming of both women, with a tiny drake upon the Andie-clone's shoulder.

And then the pair can move forward into the mist, almost completely blinded at first by its cool moisture and opaqueness. Only the fact that moments later the entire mist field blazes with silvery light finally breaks this dreary spell of isolation.

But that also awakens keening and roaring howls of rage and fury that seem to be all around the pair and their simulacra companions.

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The party wizard summons forth a light horse for the lady knight then sheathes himself in an arcane barrier and waits. Only when the doubles are ready does the dragonoid cast his last preparation - and grow bardiche and all to a towering size. "We have a Sister among us and no doubt the favor of Chipira. We would not all of us be here together if we weren't meant to succeed," he encourages with an eager smile that flashes draconic, pointy teeth. "Let's make this battle a story worth telling." Then together with the lady knight he strides into the mist...

Against the howls of the hag's guardians the hulking mage roars back, shouting in his challenge a word of draconic to slip into the air around them sounds for the two duplicates. With the blade of his bardiche set before him, Syval plows through the fog towards whatever comes next.

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Unable to target based on either sight or scent any better than the party can, the trolls howl furiously as they raven about, trying to whip up panic and induce sound. And when Syval shouts back in return, they hone in on that sound and charge. Clawed hands bounce repeatedly off of tree trunks as they advance as quickly as they can, heedless of harm. They're not hard to hear coming, bouncing with meaty thunks off of tree trunks, impaling themselves on limbs, rustling leaves.

Syval and Honoria are forced eventually to engage with the half-seen horde in the mist, still trying to get to the clearing. It's a harrowing sort of fight, barely able to perceive the enemy. But large as he is, Syval can make a stalwart stand, and Honoria forms up at his back, giving sharp, firm orders. They continue to march the way the trolls came, more a slow and lumbering fighting stroll rather than a running fight. They must defend the simulacra and the steed as they forge their progress towards the glen's open clearing. It's a mess, to be sure.

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<OOC> Syval says, "...Oh wow that's a thought. I could have cast Ghost sound 45ft away from us and had them barrel into empty fog while we booked it. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20. That's what a 14 INT buys at the market."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ooh thank you! :D"
<OOC> Syval says, "(ICly Syval thought they were surrounded and hoped to (a) spook them and (b) draw aggro for Jyslin and Andie following behind.)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You weren't surrounded. But you DID graw aggro. :)"

Syval jabs and sweeps widely with his enlarged bardiche, using the weapon's sheer size like a bladed cane to feel the way ahead of them and trouble trolls that approach from the front. The sheer size of the weredragon gives the lady knight room to guard herself and their charges within the shadow of his weapon and on her sharp clear commands, the same glinting axeblade swings backwards overhead to help with foes at their back. Deadly green arcana arcs in the path of his weapon and explosions of color spark off the mage's robes as troll claws and teeth slash against his barrier, his clothes, and his leathery hide. Not as well armored as lady knight, several strikes draw blood and earn the dragonoid's towering rebuke of a swipe with claws of his own. Here and there the protective screen of his overhead axe swings cease as Syval's forced to fight off trolls against himself before returning to his weapon of choice - and gathering a new wound for his troubles each time. Obscured by the fog and mobbed by the troll horde, the scaled wizard can't keep purely to the civilized pole arts and protect himself at the same time.

Shifting forward and advancing slowly to keep within their self-made clearing of blades, Syval catches a break in the commotion and pauses for a deep breath. Then with the next crash of troll against tree before him, the green weredragon opens his mouth and disgorges his noxious breath weapon in front of them.
<OOC> Syval says, "Reminder for us both, the recharge roll for this breath was a 1."

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The acidic cloud of gas is not by itself enough to dispatch these trolls, but it is enough to melt at their flesh and their lungs, hampering them. And best of all its damage is the like that is much, much harder for them to heal. Painful, it also means that damage will not repair itself for days, perhaps even weeks!

Honoria strides purposefully, and she calls out the name of her shield, its glow fierce beneath silvery moonlight illuminating the dense mist. Then a surge of blue-white light surges out from the shield, driving back the trolls that would hamper their progress, allowing the pair to keep up their march, and their charade. It is clear that Honoria is not completely unscathed, but she is not showing nearly the wounds that Syval is, and she seems better able to dispatch those foes that get too close before they get extra chances at her vitals.

As more trolls arrive, it is impossible for either the lady knight or the dragon mage to tell if they are arisen duplicates of chopped off limbs having grown whole new trolls, or if indeed additional forces are arriving to continue harrying them. But finally first Syval and then Honoria manage to stride through and past the last white-cloaked tree, the press of forest all around them giving way to open air, thick still with mist but no longer with obstacles other than their foes. Massive hewing blows lay low their opponents if only for moments, and Honoria whistles sharply, tugging the mystical steed forward even as she vaults up into the saddle. Her sword disappears messily into its scabbard as the short pole is pulled out. With a barked command it becomes the mighty lance in her hands, as she gives out the call, the battle cry: "Humanitas, Selune, and Autreanne!"

And Honoria charges, trusting the instincts of her steed to know where to step, how to step, and readying herself for the impact to come. In the open she can see the looming height of the massive Heart Tree, and knows beyond that lies the pond and surely a huge knot of the enemy. And she makes haste for it as hard as the steed can carry.

Is it any wonder, then, that said enemies buy this entirely, and have not yet realized this is not the whole of the forces arrayed against them?

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Hewing down the last troll before him Syval's bardiche breaks the treeline with wide grateful swings as the weredragon forces his way into the more open space and finally lets the full reach of his polearm sweep in deadly arcs that leave a ghostly trail of forest-green arcana, turning back to stall the seemingly endless trolls long enough for the lady knight to saddle beside him. "Go Honoria, quickly!" he shouts above the din of battle. Another draconic roar punctuates her battle cry as the summoned horse gallops ahead and the weredragon brings his bloodied bardiche down upon the troll about to swipe her flank in passing. Left alone with the simulacra, Syval smears his sapphire armband with blood as he brushes its edge to draw out more protective magicks and squints grimly at the troll shapes in the fog. His hands shift upon his weapon's haft to take a more defensive stance overlooking the simulacra. Now he needs to buy time for the others to do what they must - and survive.
<OOC> Syval says, "Whoop, one too many new lines. Sorry about the formatting."

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The lady knight charges pell-mell ahead towards the massive trunk of the heart tree, prepared to veer around it to reach the pond and the foes she is sure to find there. With her speed of progress, those few trolls she and her mount encounter end up skewered and tossed aside, and still she does not slow her charge. It's a mess.

Syval's roar helps keep most of the trolls still standing focused on him, giving him plenty of targets for his rage and his sweeping bardiche. Of course the figures of the simulacra would be doing a lot to help out if they were real, but as it is their swiping blades pass right through the trolls, their shouted cries summon only harmless sparks of light. Syval could try to keep up with Honoria, but he would be leaving the simulacra behind, and with it much of the illusion their presence was meant to carry off to draw in their enemies and give the rest of their team a chance to be successful.

With the heavy mist there is no way for Syval or Honoria to know that the rest of their party has finally breached the edge of the grove's clearing. With the non-detection spells laid upon them both and the invisibility and pass without trace effects, they leave no evidence at all of their presence. They won't be able to maintain that forever, but the hope is that it will be enough to get them to the Heart Tree, from which distance Andie is hoping she'll be able to make a mad dash - perhaps even a dimensional door - to the tiny island and the altar. Even better if their allies have managed to draw the attention and even presence of the coven away somewhat. For now, Jyslin wraps her arms around Andie and runs swift and sure across the ground, her own senses keenly attuned to this place; it is illuminated in moonlight, and where infravision is useless, low light vision is now ideal here, and to a moonpriestess this place is well lit indeed.

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<OOC> Syval says, "Would you like me to add anything before or after my pose to mesh with those tidy line breaks? I can start prepending that too."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Nah. It's fine. :) *smooches*"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But I do appreciate the ask."

It's a sacrifice for the plan they've chosen for Syval to stay behind and the weredragon holds his advance at the same edge of the clear where Honoria left him, using the woods themselves as his unyielding allies to funnel the trolls. The task is taxing even before he spares attention and occasional swings to maim the ones nearest the simulacra, and it's all too fast becoming impossible to distinguish troll from dragon blood splattering his red robes. But stalwart and unshaking in his conviction the mage doesn't back down, and a mix of blade, claws, and even teeth battle back ferociously against the witch's horde.
Syval says "Send all the trolls you like! This day belongs to Chipira and the Sisters, and you won't have any of us!" Another deep breath precedes a second spray of acrid green, this time cast point blank upon the troll laid low before him and the wounded at its back. Is it the magic of the Heart Tree at work? The dragon neophyte produced this one more readily than usual.
"
<OOC> Syval says, "Mush client history as my witness I did not end my pose with a ". I have no clue where that came from."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li huggles. :)
Syval rolls Breath Weapon Recharge (1d4+0) and gets 3 (3)
<OOC> Syval hugs back and kisses. "I do enjoy pretty pose formatting to. If there's every a style change you'd like just let me know. If I've learned to stop using tabs I think I can learn anything."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You started with a " and did not prepend with an @emit; so mu* added 'Syval says, ... and then appended " at the end."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Just so you know where it all came from."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh! I am the silly. That was an actual newline not a %r between paragraphs. Thank you."

It's a sacrifice for the plan they've chosen for Syval to stay behind and the weredragon holds his advance at the same edge of the clear where Honoria left him, using the woods themselves as his unyielding allies to funnel the trolls. The task is taxing even before he spares attention and occasional swings to maim the ones nearest the simulacra, and it's all too fast becoming impossible to distinguish troll from dragon blood splattering his red robes. But stalwart and unshaking in his conviction the mage doesn't back down, and a mix of blade, claws, and even teeth battle back ferociously against the witch's horde.

"Send all the trolls you like! This day belongs to Chipira and the Sisters, and you won't have any of us!" Another deep breath precedes a second spray of acrid green, this time cast point blank upon the troll laid low before him and the wounded at its back. Is it the magic of the Heart Tree at work? The dragon neophyte produced this one more readily than usual.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li makes note to self to use the second version of that pose, not the first; and to edit 'witch's horde' to 'coven's horde' when editing this log for posting.
<OOC> Syval says, "Er, thank you. I guess I'm more tired than I thought. ^_^;"
<OOC> Syval shares blueberry yogurt.
<OOC> Syval will just be grateful Andie didn't hear that.
Honoria rolls Charge! To Hit (1d20+26) and gets 46 (20)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li fistpumps!
Honoria rolls Charge! Confirm (1d20+26) and gets 44 (18)
<OOC> Syval says, "Go lady knight!"
Honoria rolls Charge! Damage (5d8+130) and gets 156 (6,7,6,4,3)
<OOC> Syval nearly swallows his tongue. "And now I know who will wear the pants in our relationship. Wow. A +26 5d8+130."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Charging, critical hit, with a lance, and Challenge."
<OOC> Syval says, "Wait question: lances do x2 damage when charging and x3 crit, so that's x6 right? That should be 6d8 not 5d8? In case the extra die matters..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li doesn't multiple them; I hadd the multiples together. I dunno what the RIGHT way to do it is, but that's how I have always done it. Otherwise it just seemed like cheating. So the x3 +x2 = x5.
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh yeah Pathfinder has that weird rule about multipliers. Very good catch. That's a minor rule I keep forgetting."
It's rather unceremonious indeed, being carted around in Jyslin's arms as the werepriestess sprints across the mist-shrouded open ground, but Andie tolerates this because Jyslin is the one and only person present with the best actualy perception in this place. She knows from experience that the hags can 'sense' things moving in the mist, and can target them to some extent. But even the hags cannot see clearly, cannot identify things well. With the non-detection auras around them the human witch is hoping that the hags will be completely unaware, at least so far, that she and Jyslin are here at all, rather than being the simulacra currently - she hopes - still fighting alongside Syval and Honoria.

With her goddess' divine moonlight radiating through the mist, Jyslin can see here almost as well as most could see in bright daylight. And she knows where lies those who are enemy to her faith in the preservation and protection of mankind: key to avoiding running into them. Invisibility and the non-detection are great, but she has to avoid them hearing her footsteps, and even one quarter elven blood and a lifetime of roamer experience can only do so much. It's a challenge best served with some swerving distance, rather than straight lines of progress.

For her part, Honoria charges around the side of the Heart Tree and aims herself quite directly for the Heart Pond; instinct alone tells her that the enemy will be thick with forces around the pond, and her direct strike will draw down their intense attentions upon her, with no thought at all for the others she can only pray have made it this far. Her ringing cry of challenge has long faded from the moist and chilled air, no echo to be found here, but its challenge is unmistakable, and the thundering of the magical mount's hooves is still quite clear. Despite being largely unable to see Honoria's charge, her targeted foe knows she is coming and is unsurprised. Yet even having some idea what is coming does nothing whatsoever to spare one of the coven of hags standing at the pond's edge to lead the enemy forces, as the princess knight's charge drives her blazing lance right through the hag's defensive barriers and indeed through her entire body with a resounding and thunderous crash which drives the hag into the pond. The shockwave of sound is such that it can even be heard all the way back at the edge of the grove clearing.

There is no way to tell if her target survives the strike, as she is lost with lance still embedded through her. Honoria wheels the horse about and fills the void in those ranks with herself as the lady knight lays about herself with her baraj and shield, taking on the carnage trolls nearby. "Have at thee, foul ones!"

The distant crash of lance and flesh lifts Syval's heart as he continues to battle far behind and he raises his voice to roar once more. It's yet more of his distraction, defiance to the trolls writhing in the haze of his acid breath, and proof he's still alive. Panting and swinging slower now, the weredragon neglects more and more the simulacra in an effort to keep himself standing. A pair of trolls charging him together knock Syval backwards into a tree with a woody crash and his bardiche drops to the ground as he's forced into a melee. Mossy skin and verdant scales entangle in a mass of feral clawing and biting that illuminate the mist with sparks and flashes of fracturing magic.

<OOC> Syval creaks a bit. "I think that's my last pose for the night. My muse is fading.""
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hugs gently.
<OOC> Syval hugs back. "This is good stuff, and whoo Honoria! Thank you for the good RP."
<OOC> Syval takes a little afk for some bed prep.
<OOC> Syval says, "Ahh, that's better."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "FYI, I have been updating the map tonight."
<OOC> Syval says, "Nice. So I see. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Hehe, red hag. :D"
Neosodos rolls Burn! Casting check (1d20+20) and gets 22 (2)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hisses.
Hag 8 rolls Saving Throw (1d20+12) and gets 27 (15)
Honoria continues wheeling around, baraj and shield going in both directions at once as she carves her way to the edge of the Heart Pond.

That sound is close enough that Jyslin knows she has reached their destination even before she reaches the edge herself. She does not hesitate to drop Andie, trusting the witch to take care of her own transportation now as two gleaming blades of silvery light take shape and the former roamer becomes a whirling dervish of devastation upon the trolls she has found, becoming visible even as she is splattered with their blood and her robes spark with their feeble attempts to claw through to reach her flesh.

Dropped, Andie does not take a knee but immediately unleashes the magic she had already tied off, hopping magically from shoreline to island by will and memory alone. With the hags still present she knows she cannot simply claim the icon. But when she lays her hand upon the stone and lets her spell flow it is enough to disrupt the coven's own control, and that at least means they will not be able to summon the very power of the Bog against the party.

And then finally it is time. Neosodos has waited patiently, even as he has felt his mistress risk her life recklessly; listened to his little brother fighting potentially unto his own doom as as a horde of trolls embattle and surround him and keep getting back up despite his best efforts. Now, at last, the Eldritch Wyrm has something to say.

"Burn!"

At that command a pillar of flame erupts in place around the hag closest to him, stretching high up into the night sky, searing flesh from bone and powdering those bones as draconic fury is focused into the spell and infused with the spark of Lathander's own brilliance.

And the greatest power of the coven is broken, as their numbers are reduced from their thirteen by one who shall not recover on this mortal realm, and their link to the altar is disrupted preventing her recall until this battle is well over and decided.

And finally the mist begins to weaken and fade, though the entire glen is still bathed in brilliant silvery light.

As the piercing moonlight breaks through the misty vale the sounds of battle and carnage continue to echo distantly from the far end of the clearing. Entangled in a carnage of mossy skin and scales, Syval savages a troll to the ground and turns upon another, cleaving grim arcs through the fading fog with the green arcana bleeding off his claws and teeth. Tired, injured, and without his polearm, the dragonoid is still more than a match for a single troll. Their line still holds.

With the power of the coven in their numerology broken, with their link to the power of the Heart interrupted, the hags are furious, and they hesitate not at all as the four upon the island unleash that fury as one upon the figure just appearing in their midst. No matter Andie's own power and preparation, there is nothing she can do to somehow escape this unscathed, and a searingly green-gold pall of death falls upon the island and all those within.

A deep and bellowing twin roar of fury sounds as the mists begin to break and fade, and fists the size of massive boulders tear through those wisps to pound on Jyslin like mighty anvils hurled by an enraged and careless god. Strong as the therianthrope priestess may be she is staggered and splattered, driven knee-deep in the sodden ground and her body is broken by the blows, her therianthropic healing doing what little it can to keep her on this side of death's door.

With a renewed cry of "Autreanne!" the lady knight wheels her magical steed once more and charges past further trolls as she aims herself towards the largest foe she can see outlined in the fading mists, hewing at the two-headed bulk of the monger troll as if she might fell the mighty oak of its fury with her blows. Her shield erupts in light as it manages to deflect a powerful curse hurled from the closest of the remaining hags, the spell's landing still sufficient to unseat the lady knight.

So far away from his allies, all alone, the dragonoid wizard fights desperately for his own life as well as his allies. And through his rage and the crest of fear comes a few carefully chosen words of mindpseech: << Drink this, little brother. >> And a mote of golden light shines through the mists as that same glow falls from on high down towards the green-scaled warrior.

Syval drives his claws into a carnage troll's midsection then hunches over to gasp for air, only to roar in pain as the not yet dead creature slashes across his chest, spraying fractured magic from the multitude barriers they pierce. "You will not have us!" he shouts with half-breaths, still defiant in the face of the endless horde. "Syval of Amlar is not bested... by the thrall of hags! Send all your numbers to me, dragon-sired -- a green dragon -- is not bested by trolls!!" Gathering himself, the winded therianthrope shoves the troll mightily away and takes a wild swipe with his free hand, then staggers back against a thick tree. His own wounds are slowly healing but far slower than the hag guardians which even fallen are visibly stitching back together.

The wizard's eyes flash with fury as he catches sight through the thinning mist of another minion preparing to charge in, then a familiar voice jars his focus and the young dragonoid looks up towards the warm light of Lathander illuminating his scales. Opening his mouth to it, Syval chomps the mote of light when it draws near and swallows it whole.

<OOC> Syval has never eaten light before. This is a first!
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It's glowing. But it's not just light. It's a magical potion. ^_^"
The dragonoid is rewarded for his acceptance of chance and fate, as the small glass vial shatters and releases the tingling golden fluid within, a rush of warmth and vitality that carries with it tremendous healing potential, wounds knitting themselves closed completely in seconds. As more wounds are delivered, still the healing rejuvenates and restores for as long as its effects last; even swallowing glass turns into at most a minor inconvenience.
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh my what a potion!"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Syval has just consumed a Potion of Regeneration. For the next 16 rounds he'll be healing 16 hit points per round, up to and including regrowing limbs, healing nerve damage, regrowing eyeballs, etc."
<OOC> Syval says, "Phew! That's me at 30 HP then, roughly. Timely deliverance."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Big Brother is handy for those timely interventions. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Make that about 41 HP. My formula got confused when I pasted it over. The trolls are averaging around 8.5 dmg per round because 37 AC is SO MUCH."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh! But by my count that makes 11 rounds meaning no more Enlarge Person."
<OOC> Syval says, "Even more dodge but a little less hitting back."
<OOC> Syval says, "Pose goes to the party, I'll react to the potion afterwards. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "And on second thought I'll make that 30 HP. It suits the story better; my math was averages anyway."
<OOC> Syval says, "Would you like to pause here for the night?"
Jyslin Tigress rolls Leap (1d20+28) and gets 31 (3)
Jyslin Tigress rolls Claw #1 (1d20+25) and gets 45 (20)
Jyslin Tigress rolls Claw #2 (1d20+25) and gets 30 (5)
Jyslin Tigress rolls Bite (1d20+20) and gets 26 (6)
Honoria rolls Charge (1d20+20) and gets 25 (5)
Honoria rolls Baraj 1st (1d20+23) and gets 38 (15)
Honoria rolls Shield 1st (1d20+21) and gets 29 (8)
Honoria rolls Baraj 2nd (1d20+18) and gets 37 (19)
Honoria rolls Baraj 3rd (1d20+13) and gets 27 (14)
Jyslin Tigress rolls Claw #1 confirm (1d20+25) and gets 29 (4)
Honoria rolls Baraj 2nd confirm (1d20+18) and gets 32 (14)
The battle in and around the Heart Pond is brutal and the damage done is devastating.

The sickly yellow-green billowing cloud of death over the island is pierced by lances of brilliant white-gold light seemingly going in all directions.

Pounded down and breaking beneath the mighty blows of the enraged and agonized monger troll, Jyslin surrenders her blades, allowing them to fall as she calls upon Selune's power and her own blessing, the priestess disappearing into the form of the enormous tigress which roars and leaps upon the foe, tearing with tooth and claw.

Hearing the tiger's cry the lady knight wheels away from the monger troll, leaving the enormous two-headed foe to the priestess as she instead wheels once more, charging in the direction of the blast of the spell she deflected. The horse leaps the edge of the Heart Pond and the lady knight unleashes her martial fury upon the hag with staggering blows.

And in the heart of the conflagaration a small scaled figure lands unerringly upon his beleaguered mistress' shoulder, and his draconic might is added to her own, bolstering the witch as she continues their battle.

Back at the edge of the clearing Syval entangles himself with another troll as a rejuvenating fire floods his body from the god of dawn's magic. Mauled and bitten, his new wounds heal almost as quickly as they appear. Fatigued from the constant crush of battle, his breaths come more steadily and after he sucks in a greedy lungful of air, a green miasma leaks out the edge of his mouth and the dragonoid shows his fangs in a grim smile. Seconds later another caustic cloud assaults the woodland,widening the blackened, dead expanse that is the verdant therianthrope's battleground.

Syval rolls Breath Weapon Recharge (1d4+0) and gets 4 (4)
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh whoops, I also shrank this round."
<OOC> Syval says, "Eh, artistic license. Leave this pose as-is and I'll deal with it next round."
Andie rolls Casting Check: Stormbolts (Fire) (1d20+30) and gets 43 (13)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "SO glad she is not doubly blessed like Jyslin and Honoria."
Andie rolls Damage: Stormbolts (Fire) (16d8+36) and gets 108 (8,5,3,1,8,4,8,3,2,8,1,1,5,8,4,3)
<OOC> Syval says, "Witchy 13~"
<OOC> Syval says, "And Jyslin is single-blessed correct? Blonde hair but green eyes?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jyslin is doubly-blessed, though she does not look it. Her green eyes are a werekitty thing."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah that overwrote her blessed blue eyes? I would not have guessed that."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Blessed eyes are light grey, or silver."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah so they are. I had "stormy blue-grey" for Honoria and assumed it was the blue aspect."
<OOC> Syval says, "Is there a significance then to witch-touched being green eyes and a Child of Selune's eyes turning green? I'm tempted to blame Selune's influence."
Hag #1 rolls Saving Throw vs. Stormbolts (fire) (1d20+20) and gets 31 (11)
Hag #2 rolls Saving Throw vs. Stormbolts (fire) (1d20+20) and gets 37 (17)
Hag #3 rolls Saving Throw vs. Stormbolts (fire) (1d20+20) and gets 33 (13)
Hag #4 rolls Saving Throw vs. Stormbolts (fire) (1d20+20) and gets 35 (15)
Hag #5 rolls Saving Throw vs. Stormbolts (fire) (1d20+20) and gets 29 (9)
Hag #8 rolls Saving Throw vs. Stormbolts (fire) (1d20+20) and gets 25 (5)
Hag #9 rolls Saving Throw vs. Stormbolts (fire) (1d20+20) and gets 32 (12)
Hag #10 rolls Saving Throw vs. Stormbolts (fire) (1d20+20) and gets 35 (15)
Hag #11 rolls Saving Throw vs. Stormbolts (fire) (1d20+20) and gets 32 (12)
Hag #12 rolls Saving Throw vs. Stormbolts (fire) (1d20+20) and gets 23 (3)
Hag #13 rolls Saving Throw vs. Stormbolts (fire) (1d20+20) and gets 37 (17)
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh goodness that was a big AoE. c_c"
<OOC> Syval blanches @ saves and hushes up.
Neosodos rolls Intimidation (1d20+29) and gets 39 (10)
Carnage Troll #1 rolls Will Save vs. Intimidation (1d20+10) and gets 16 (6)
Carnage Troll #2 rolls Will Save vs. Intimidation (1d20+10) and gets 25 (15)
Carnage Troll #3 rolls Will Save vs. Intimidation (1d20+10) and gets 27 (17)
Carnage Troll #9 rolls Will Save vs. Intimidation (1d20+10) and gets 16 (6)
Carnage Troll #10 rolls Will Save vs. Intimidation (1d20+10) and gets 30 (20)
Rock Troll #1 rolls Will Save vs. Intimidation (1d20+12) and gets 22 (10)
Rock Troll #2 rolls Will Save vs. Intimidation (1d20+12) and gets 28 (16)
Rock Troll #3 rolls Will Save vs. Intimidation (1d20+12) and gets 19 (7)
Rock Troll #4 rolls Will Save vs. Intimidation (1d20+12) and gets 23 (11)
Monger Troll rolls Will Save vs. Intimidation (1d20+16) and gets 34 (18)
The mists continue to thin as the battle around the Heart Pond rages on. It is thusly not truly visible to the hangs gathered and coordinating as they assault Andie that the human witch was quite near to falling until the touch of her familiar bolstered her strength and vitality, giving her the strength to go on and renewing her defensive barriers.

Andie reaches into the pouch at her waist and grasps the searing stone held there, golden light spilling into the illuminated mist as it burns away. Her stave strikes the ground between her feet, and then the witch herself erupts like a blazing pyre, disappearing completely in cosmic flame.

Bolts of that flame strike outwards, striking very hag still standing on the island around her and around the edge of the pond. The first hag struck in the seconds that unfolds literally explodes as white ash; one is forced to image that her spirit, if it still exists, arrives in its next life still screaming and smoking. Each beam that lances out strikes unerringly and erupts, shrouding the hags in flame and eliciting wailing screams. With the power of their coven already broken most of them are simply snuffed out.

In the end, as the last of the bolts' deadly work is done, the pyre column suffusing from the heart of the Heart Pond's island extinguishes, and Andie falls to her knees amidst the ash piles of the hags. Neosodos lifts his head and booms out in a voice better suited to an enormous wyrm of city size: "Your coven is broken! Flee this place now, or be destroyed without mercy, even unto the seeds of your spawn!"

It is only later that some will realize this message was not delivered audibly at all, but by force of Mindspeech, where no translation could possibly be required. The remaining trolls see, as the fire has seared away most all of the fog that remained around the pond, that their hags are well and truly erased, and that booming command is enough to convince them to flee despite their usually indomitable will in the face of threats. Only the Monger Troll resists, but it soon finds itself beset and alone, as the enormous mystical weretigress rips into it with unabated fury whilst the lady knight has once more wheeled about and is hewing through the creature's legs as if to bring down a towering oak.

The terrible battle nears its end, as the few remaining trolls flee through the trees in search of some other source of food and power that will not erase them from existence.
<OOC> Syval gives Neos a berry for being such a good little tac' nuke.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Heh."
<OOC> Syval says, "Did anything catch fire just now?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That's the interesting part: no."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It's actually in the gosh darned spell description."
<OOC> Syval says, "Extra-Divine Fire*. :D"
<OOC> Syval says, "(If it's not from Lathander or the Elemental Plane of Fire then it's only sparkling magic fire.)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Or from a dragon's breath."
<OOC> Syval snap-points. :)

The light and heat of the sudden pyre press through the remains of the fog, illuminating even the far clearing and bringing a singular pause to the blood and gore of trolls and dragon entangled in mortal struggle. Still backed to the tree with gushing wounds as the acid spray of his latest breath fades out, Syval makes no move to drop his guard when the trolls pause and begin to disperse. Dazed by fatigue, adrenaline, and pain, the fanged wizard only stops his instinctive swipes at anything near him when his claws find air and every able troll has fled past him into the trees. Somewhere in the shadow of the witch's fiery reckoning, the wizard's arcana has finally departed, leaving him shrunken to normal size and small beside the retreating green shadows. Movement by his feet summons a magically drawn ball of acid into his clawed hand and Syval smites his last troll, only then stopping to once more catch his breath and sweep his jaggedly alert sandy eyes across the newly exposed clearing.

A hand half-clenches upon air prompting the scaled wizard to look around in confusion before walking from his tree and retrieving his bardiche. Then after looking about himself with mortal paranoia, Syval begins walking into the clearing towards the Heart Tree and the pool beyond it. Almost completely covered on his front in the sanguine grime of battle, his own and the trolls', his robes torn and tattered almost to ruin, and deep wounds still visible despite his startling rapid regeneration, the normally tidy mage looks like an absolute mess, yet his steps are stable. They've won the day and the hags did not take their wizard.

<OOC> Syval is going to smell trolls for a week.
<OOC> Syval says, "I now know that there exists a worse smell than troll. Somehow the inside of troll is worse."
<OOC> Syval has reaffirmed his reason to prefer his bardiche to his natural weapons. Claws and fangs are so much messier...
<OOC> Syval did debate a little letting the party come back to find him rather than going to them. Might have been more cinematic that way.
<OOC> Syval says, "Your go in either case."
Syval's approach is definitely noticed by those gathered on and around the pond, even in the oppression of darkness. Yet by the hour of the turn, the hold of the coven has been broken and indeed the coven has been quite literally erased. The trolls have been destroyed or driven off.

The enormous tigress paces around the outside of the lake, checking to be absolutely sure nothing is stirring that is not the party. Thankfully her own healing - though not magically augmented like Syval's right now - is working to close her wounds and knit back together the beautiful furry hide.

The lady knight has dismounted the magical construct that was her mount and approaches Syval, her helm's visor raised as she embraces the big green scaly wizard. "I am very glad to see that you survived, Syval." She felt bad leaving him behind, even though that had to have been the plan. Being the plan and sitting well in the heart are not the same thing in the slightest.

Finished, now, Andie has lain her hands upon the tiny wooden altar on the island and completed her own binding to the Heart and its power. Only once that is complete does she slip back through another dimension door to stand on the shore and check on the others. "I too am very glad you are still with us, Syval. Neosodos, you did well in your timing."

The tiny dragon ripples and flaps out his wings, puffing out his chest. << I am very glad my timing was sufficient, Little Brother. I grew quite concerned for you. But at last we have accomplished what we traveled all this way to do. I do hope that means there will be a bit of rest, now? Not more rushing and haring off to madness right away? >>
<OOC> Syval says, "Sanity check, those of us with low-light do have moonlight available yes? I thought I recalled silver moonlight when Jyslin was going about earlier."
<OOC> Syval also offers late strawberry yogurt dessert.
<OOC> Syval says, "FYI it's a whole 5 rounds for me to heal back to full, 7 since the potion took effect."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So in a minute, you're back to full. As opposed to a couple of hours for Jyslin."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There is moonlight, enhanced by the spell Jyslin cast. But that spell's effect is not nearly so significant when the mist has burned away. It's still there, definitely, but not for long; she's not that high a level as a priestess."
<OOC> Syval says, "Half a minute. And Jyslin's gaining 10-30 HP/m depending on her form, no?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "She is."
<OOC> Syval says, "Did you mean a couple hours for Honoria to heal then? For Jyslin that'd be enough HP to heal a terrasque."

The affectionate welcome seems to catch Syval by surprise and the dragonoid grunts under his breath before returning the lady knight's hug. Whatever tension he was still holding in his shoulders slackens as relief washes over him and the young wizard smiles in his toothy draconic way. "And I you, Lady Honoria. Chipira was on our side today, as was fated." Despite her armor poking his bare skin in places, he rests briefly in the princess' embrace as his eyes finish surveying the rest of their party, finding everyone present with all their limbs. Once he breaks gratefully away, already looking more himself and less a weredragon on death's door, Jyslin's striped form gets a special look and thankful nod. The roamer's prudence is as always appreciated.

"I might not be here without your help, Elder Brother. You summoned me a peerless draught," he replies to the Eldritch Wyrm with a look towards his witch in suspecting the potion's true origin. As to rest, Syval grins playfully. "For rest, ask your witch. She's paid for this journey; I'll follow if she wishes to hike through the night."

Andie smiles at this. "We have already done just that, and I thank you - all of you - for doing so. With a full day yet until the deadline, we have freed the Heart of White Bog and assured that ascendance of power has not been allowed to threaten much of the easternmost Shaar. I beg each of you to relax and take some measure of ease. I will have rituals to perform here for a few days. I am sure after some sleep and a good meal we can begin discussions of things like payment, future plans, and other possibilities."

Honoria appreciates Syval's giving credit where credit is indeed due. "I should say more than a few of the deities laid their hands upon our path tonight." She glances around at the others, and then collapses her spear and places it back on her belt. "Let us clean ourselves, and then set up camp, yes? Andie, I presume we should do so away from the Heart Tree and the Pond themselves? But close enough?"

Jyslin does come by to snuffle at Syval, clearly pleased to see and sense that he is well and appreciating that he understands and respects her own concerns just now. She stays close for a bit, watching over everyone, but then starts prowling around the outermost ring of the clearing to keep two eyes, two ears and a big tigery nose on matters.

At Honoria's cue, Syval weaves a familiar sign with his hand and banishes the red leftovers from Jyslin's fur as the tigress approaches, then he works on cleaning himself, what's left of his robes, and his bardiche. A willing look is offered to the lady knight and witch, just in case, and the wizard suggests, "Perhaps Jyslin and I can sniff out a less sacred water source for our camp once we've disposed of the bodies. After we've all washed I would enjoy to hear how the four of you made such a blasted mess so quickly."

The Child of Selune, fur, stripes, and all, gets a kind look from the dragonoid though he seems a little unsure of how to respond to her form otherwise. Syval might not have practice with cats.

<OOC> Syval kind of wants to pet but others are watching and also not sure how to pet.
<OOC> Syval says, "Anywhere around here I think is a fine spot to pause or fade, your choice. I'm okay to RP smoothly through or slide forward to a convenient social moment."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "We should pause and go to bed."
<OOC> Syval hugs. "Thank you for the grand RP session. Now we get to enjoy the wrap-up at our leisure."

Honoria accepts Syval's offer; she is pretty messy after all that fighting. She will still be doing plenty of careful kit repair and maintenance, but this will cut down on the stench of troll, and is appreciated. "I will help the others move the troll bodies." she explains to the lady witch, as Andie sets about to assemble their campsite, including a good fire.

"I have plenty of water available." the witch explains. "I would rather we all stay inside the circle until the rituals are done tomorrow. I realize you will have to take the bodies out. But do not linger, please."

Jyslin and Syval can find a spot a quarter mile away from the clearing, a marshy pit of the bog that will surely swallow up the bodies. It might be best to burn them, but it seems everyone is pretty well burned-out as it were. But they are not getting back up, and that is what is most important.

By the time the others return and are cleaned up, Andie has the campsite set up and a warm stew cooking. Fresh water is available in a few barrels, and she has the satchel open, presenting the open gateway to the basement of her hut in the Dread Bogs.

Other than checking on Andie frequently, Jyslin remains in her four-footed form and continues patrolling the outside ring of the clearing. This leaves Honoria and Syval to get rest as they see fit, which Honoria begins by removing her armor to clean up nicks and scrapes and check on each little piece. "Definitely the most difficult battle since I awakened from the statuette."

Once the bodies are stacked and a semblance of camp is made, Syval ducks into the portal to retrieve his dishes, then fills his mug from a barrel and drinks deeply. The mage is so thirsty he doesn't even flavor it.

"Fwuh! That was a battle that is worth stories," he proclaims as he wipes his chin dry with a scaled forearm. "And we all came out of it alive." The dragonoid wizard sits down heavily with a large, throaty huff. "Wealth and fame to all of you, and if I never see a live troll for the rest of my life I will have seen enough."

Honoria chuckles at this. "No one to see our battle but each other, and none of us bards. I doubt there is much fame coming for this battle, Syval."

Andie sighs. "And it would seem the hags had not yet managed to move themselves in completely. I have found no sign of any treasures of theirs. Though I will have a better idea of that after completing tomorrow's rituals."

The witch watches the tigress pacing around the clearing. "If she would concentrate elsewhere, she might be able to sense something. But she is doing what she thinks is right, and I do not want to lecture her."

Neosodos settles on his mistress' lap and stretches out languidly. <> he comments drolly.

The emerald mage smiles dryly to Honoria, though already his spirit seems lifted from their battle. "I think they may yet find us anyway. Chipira isn't often so direct. The gods reward great deeds in their turn after all; no need to pilfer the rock troll for gems." Lifting the ragged edge of his torn robes, Syval grimaces lightly, no doubt considering his own work to be done in repairing it. Then his brow furrows as Andie's remark pricks his ear. "Do they not travel with it?"

Neosodos receives a soft chuckle from the larger and younger drake but no comment. The Eldritch Wyrm has earned his quiet rest.

"I suspect that whatever their lair was before coming here still holds whatever treasures they were keeping. After all, they do not have a full cauldron, here, and there is no way a food coven of thirteen could function on the small travel cauldron I have found." Andie explains.

"There were thirteen of them!?" Syval blurts in amazement as he sweeps his head between the women. "By the gems which cheat fate, I had expected half a dozen at most. If you four bested thirteen hags with more trolls besides then I deserve little credit for our victory."

Both women who are currently still bipedal and human shake their heads. "Believe me, there's plenty of credit to go around." Honoria insists.

Andie simply shrugs. "It was a very difficult battle, and I had to unleash some of my most powerful magic to best them, even after breaking their connection to the Heart." Though she does not say it, clearly she does what she can to keep her own footprint upon the world to a minimum. The only other times that Andie has unleashed some of her greatest art has been to save Jyslin, and to bring back the dead Cantare braves.

Syval smiles at Honoria's modesty and shakes his head softly before helping himself to another drink. "Still, thirteen hags... their lair must be monstrous." The werewizard pauses, then sighs out his nose as his eyes turn heavily towards their Sister. "Does that not mean we should seek out and purge it so others don't rebuild in their wake?"

Andie sighs. "Someone will have to find it. I suspect their lair is up into the mountains. I will have to find some local resources willing to assist in tracking down that location, once the Heart is secured." Clearly not something she really wants to take on, or even seriously talk about right now.

Honoria speaks up. "I should like to see what has become of Aramis. I will gladly escort you there. Surely there are likely to be some in such a place willing to lend aid to a Sister in need, especially against such a threat as the resurgence of a hag coven?"

"Thank you for the offer, Honoria. I likely will take you up on that after a few days." Andie answers. "And yes, I imagine there are some in and around Aramis who might be willing to help. But I will likely not be telling them my nature. What we found and what we suspect should be enough to engender interest and attention, without any of that."

That said, Andie finishes drinking a bit more water. "I believe I am going to try get some sleep. I do recommend the two of you not stay up all night." And with that the witch scoops up her lap full of tiny wyrm and heads into her tent.

"I had planned to take that path as well, and I think I know enough of them to help in any negotiations," Syval offers up. "In any event our lady knight deserves a chance to visit when we're so close. It may be the one place in the Shaar you have a chance at blending in," he teases lightly to Andie before the witch-touched woman prepares to turn in.

"Take your rest. Jyslin and I will take our customary watches." Raising his mug with a nod, the wizard bids her goodnight. A glance is given to the patrolling tiger in their midst - he hasn't quite lost track of her - but Syval seems to assume her agreement.

The tigress turns, offering a chuff and a nod, wagging her ears as she watches the witch make her way into her tent and bed down for the night. Then she continues her patrol until she has come back around to the north of the Heart Pond. Then she pads softly over and through the tent entrance.

Honoria smiles at this. "I wonder if the people of Aramis still raise fine steeds? I would still like to procure one that is well trained, as your magical creation - most helpful, I assure you, Syval - is not." Of course given what Honoria has been told of the fate of the Shaar since her own time, battle-trained war steeds capable of sustaining beneath her are likely to be rare indeed, especially here on the Eastern part of the Shaar. The Brotherhood of Athena may very well be the only place where such steeds are common, and even there it would take quite a lot to get them to part with one.

The green-scaled mage chuckles kindly and waves off the concern. "No offense taken. It's an apprentice conjuration meant for the fields and trade roads. The Art for a war mount isn't lost I think, but it's certainly a rare spell to weave, as are natural horses which could bear the weight of your arms and armor. All horses of that stock who reach Delzimmer are from the Brotherhood of Athena, and they're a journey far north." Syval helps himself to some of the hot stew then lifts the ladel to offer it to Honoria. "There is a path to there from Aramis, though it's a distance beyond Daer-Calt."

Smiling slyly the young mage adds, "That seems a lavish way to travel compared to flying a dragon, or you could seek out the Hunnuli herd. I do think a couple were quite taken by you."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hugs.
<OOC> Syval hugs back. <3
Honoria accepts some stew and eats slowly, letting her body work on digesting and assimilating the food to aid in her own recovery process; she is, after all, merely human no matter how special or exceptional she may be. "The ... Brotherhood ... of Athena? Not the Sisterhood?" She seems very, very non-plussed by this. A bit of prodding will eventually get her to reveal that there was in fact a cult of Athena in her own time, but that the warriors of great excellence inspired by that cult were led by a sisterhood; while males could be had, the leadership was all female. When Syval explains that so far as he is aware the order has been called the Brotherhood, and largely led by and virtually consisting of almost - if not quite - exclusively males for as much of modern history as he can readily access, Honoria is dumbfounded. And more than a bit upset.

"If Aramis does not still train such steeds, perhaps someone there may still know this more advanced magic?" Honoria inquires. It never even occurs to her to wonder if Andie knows such a spell, though the witch is no longer at the fireside to ask. Perhaps that is it?

Syval smiles gently at the time-displaced princess. "Perhaps. They're a very witch-touched people and with their history, Aramis is a place such Arts could be preserved." The draconic mage stretches his wings out as he eats more of his own stew. It's visible - almost too well with the state of his clothes - that the young therianthrope is better for wear than the lady knight after their long day of riding and battles, and against the dark backdrop of the forest woods his mossy scales glint with a regal sheen in the firelight.

<OOC> Syval, only just passing the Will save to not prestidigitate an arrow towards himself.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles.
"Do you really think the hunnuli herd will have remained close by to the Bog, after dropping us off?" Honoria questions. "I would have thought they would leave us as rapidly as they had been in the process of leaving when they met us." Not that the lady knight would not love to ask one of the hunnuli to consent to bonding with her. They are, after all, amazing! And they don't mind dragon-scents.

"Your therianthrope nature does have its advantages." Honoria mentions later. She continues working on maintenance of her armor, and once done starts on her sword. Later she actually deploys her lance so that she can take care of that as well. Last of all is her shield; even with the magical cleaning she insists on caring for everything by hand, buffing out scratches and the like.

"It sounds like you intend to visit Aramis after we are done, here. Have you any plans yet beyond that visit?" Honoria inquires. They haven't spent a lot of time really talking about plans beyond reaching this very place and the battle they just finished.

"I think given the wisdom of their lead mare and interest in us, one or two may have stayed behind to learn the outcome of our battle with the coven," Syval reasons. The mage smiles at the compliment he receives and bows his head.

"Well I hope to spend our rest here learning more of that nature. At the very least a dragon should know how to fly, and beyond magical studies, shifting into a full dragon shouldn't be beyond me." Smirking a little he explains, "You'd be harder to carry otherwise."

"And speaking of shifting..." The weredragon pauses in his answer as he sets aside his bowl and shuts his eyes to focus inwards, relaxing the connection to his spark and willing himself back fully into human form.

<OOC> Syval says, "1) How does the heart of the bog feel to me now that the hags no longer control it? 2) Can I still sense it in human form?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hmms. "Yes, the Heart of the Bog feels different now that the hags are no longer in control. That started actually towards th eend of the fight. And it will feel different again when Andie completes the ritual to body to the Heart."
Honoria blinks, a bit startled at the turn in that bit of phrase. "Wait ... what?" Where did the idea of Syval carrying Honoria come from? She's not sure, nor does she know how she thinks or feels about that. It's just such a non-sequitor to her. "Your ... your gliding seemed to be going well, before we had to concentrate more on rapid transit than on more training. Hopefully you can find the means to fly." Honoria has no more experience with a dragon therianthrope than anyone else, so she has no idea what is and isn't possible.

Yes. The Eldritch Wyrm really is the expert on such things.

Watching and listening to Syval shifting back is never comfortable, but Honoria has learned to accept it and keep the wincing off her face even if it's not out of her eyes.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I imagine that in human form, his sense of the jungle would be muted, but not absent. Just less immediate. Like light through cheesecloth."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. It warms his heart to not have lost that completely. :D"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Basically, now that he is aware of and in contact with his spark, I would think he'd always have that sense. Only something that could mute the spark could mute his awareness entirely."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh, and we're still speaking Maenast right?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "SHe's mixing Maenast and Shaaren."
<OOC> Syval oddly enjoys that, and the accent still helps.

Syval exhales softly into the humid night air and rolls his shoulders before taking up his utensils again to finish eating. His sandy eyes catch the firelight as he notices the lady knight's gaze and he looks back reassuringly. "I'm sure it looks worse from the outside; shifting doesn't hurt like it did at first." Quirking his brow in puzzlement, the young mage apologizes. "Sorry, was that the wrong word in Maenast? I mean to carry you like a horse."

The lady knight looks on Syval quite questioningly, clearly unsure if she believes him that shifting is not painful; it certainly was before, and it doesn't sound any better now than it did then.

Then comes the non-sequitor, and Honoria considers his clarification, which she does not feel clarifies much of anything. "The word will do for that, yes. But ... why would I ride you, Syval? That does not seem helpful for either of us. A mighty wizard should not be a beast of burden."
<OOC> Syval says, "Buh. Client why did you not alert me to this pose? >.<"
<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry for the delay. Typing now..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li cuddleholds.

The young mage chuckles lightly as he explains, "Well I don't believe the others will follow us forever - to Aramis perhaps but to Delzimmer or past Daer-Calt? I'd originally thought we could travel with a caravan to make our way safely back, before I sprouted wings. Flying should be a great deal faster and avoid much of the troubles we've encountered, and it seems senseless if one of us can fly for the other to go about on foot or by horse." Syval smiles confidently as he appraises the lady knight, bereft of her armor but no less imposing for it. The pair are eyelevel seated and if anything, the young Delzmaer is comfortable with that. "I don't have much might as a mage but I'm confident armor and all I could lift you without great difficulty, and with the added strength of my draconic form you might even be light."

Honoria shakes her head. "Strong enough you may be. But large enough, and for long enough?" Though she has seen Syval get large, it does not last very long, certainly not sufficient for hours of travel a day. "And I do not relish treating you - or any draconic being - as a mount. I am untrained, and that would be rude to us both." Honoria won't say 'no'. But she will be sure to voice her concerns. The thought of perhaps catching up with the hunnuli did seem to interest her, though, so she is clearly not entirely against such things.

"So, after Aramis you will return to Delzimmer? I suppose you should resume your arcane lessons, there?" Neither wizard nor anything else herself, Honoria does not understand how his pursuits as a weredragon are different than those as a wizard. "I am hoping to find something in Aramis. Perhaps some message left for me. Something that can show me the path I am now meant to follow when all the world is so changed I can barely recognize it, and it me not at all."

"We shall see how Chipira and Kyreska have decided things between them. I haven't tried to become fully dragon in form yet, but I'm sure it's within my powers somewhere." Raising a free hand, Syval turns it so his fingernails catch the light of the campfire so the lady knight can watch as they scale over and extend into sharp claws for just a second before turning back. "I'm a shapechange wizard and dragon-touched; if any mage can do it, I can. And honestly I would enjoy the challenge," he assures with an easy smile. "I've always been fond of performing great physical feats and the studies of a wizard are far too sedentary for me."

Turning to his pack, the green-haired apprentice pulls out his quill and map scroll to update their progress while talking. "Eventually yes, I'll return to Delzimmer. There are things in the Library of Oghma and in the High College's tomes that may help us, but I think my studies there are near an end." Syval grimaces uncomfortably and scratches at his hair with the quill. "Until I've learned enough to pass the journeyman exam or our path leads there for information, I would prefer to continue our journey together."

"Help us?" Honoria questions curiously. "I must admit, Syval, I really have little idea where I will go or what I will try to do after visiting Aramis. Part of me hopes that going there I will see something, experience something that will give me the insight I lack, a path to follow." A destiny to pursue, perhaps, though she does not say it. "I have not yet really managed to understand myself in the context of this very different time and world."

Syval pulls the small cushioned desk from his bag while listening and sets it upon his lap with a soft clinking as the dry beans inside settle into place. Unfurling the map scroll across it, the wizard pauses and looks up again sympathetically. His hands stop moving as he focuses fully again upon the lady knight. "Well then, let's start simply shall we? After Aramis you're welcome to follow me back to Delzimmer and wherever else our path takes us, and I promise to do whatever I can to help you integrate into the present time. It's only right as the one who summoned you from the statue that I look after you." Dipping his head lightly, the green-haired young therianthrope admits with polite contrition, "And perhaps there is a touch of dragon in me because I think I would like having such a noble princess in my charge, and aiding you as I can."

Syval's sandy eyes hang on Honoria's for another beat, then drop back to his map and implements as he continues in a conversational tone, "Beyond the immediate future, there is the problem of the genies which may be upon us in 3 years' time. As great a local threat as the hag coven was, the signs are missing which say it was our ultimate destiny. I think we're all meant for a larger challenge and that's the largest one a Sister can imagine, so I think absent any other signs, it's safe to assume we are meant for that. Delzimmer has books on geniekind as well as texts on the Great War and history around it; I would say, for now, that could be a good start."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ever get where you know what you're trying to say but you only come up with 3 synonyms that don't /quite/ mean what you want?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles. "Sometimes, yes."
<OOC> Syval had that a few times here. Sorry for the slow pose.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smooch nose. "S'okay. Stuff happens. Though I was close to checking on Discord to be sure you were OK."
<OOC> Syval says, "I'll say the pose went through a few drafts between being verbose and to the point. I'm not sure I've completely sorted out Syval's manner of speaking in different companies."
<OOC> Syval says, "I am enjoying how his Chipiran faith is developing through play. I think that's getting close to right; it's kind of a mix of INT pattern-recognition and faith. Syval, Honoria, and Jyslin all have untapped potential based on various clues he's picked up, which implies the hag coven was not their ultimate destiny. Next natural guess is the genie apocalypse."
<OOC> Syval says, "It sort of weaves his faith with his wizard upbringing."
<OOC> Syval says, "You could say there was a background INT check for that last paragraph, in a sense. :)"
The lady knight considers this for a bit while she watches Syval working on his desk and the map. "True enough. The djinni peoples, as described, are a great danger. But there are many great dangers. The djinni had nothing at all to do with the destruction of the world I knew. And I worry that I would be of little use in battle against foes such as those." Not that Honoria has any better ideas; she's just being honest.

"Well, after our time here, and then Aramis, if we have no better ideas then I suppose we should try going to your Delzimmer. That, or to one of the other large cities like it. I doubt other small villages are going to be likely to enlighten us much." She seems more than a bit amused by Syval's comments about a dragon wanting to keep a princess. "With Cantare having agreed to let me go, I suppose I no longer have a need to hide myself from the world." That was the reason she was a statuette in the first place, after all.

"That is a relief," Syval responds, and seems to share the lady knight's feeling. "You needn't hide from the tribes at least. Bandits and civilized people will be a different problem I fear. You'll be... valuable to a great many of them and it's not right for a princess to have a commoner's protection of only her own strength of arms. Aramis should be safe for you, as places go. Autreanne's descendants people it and their hospitality is as famous as they are queer. Hopefully by Delzimmer we'll have a solution for you."

Looking back up at Honoria, the wizard watches as the firelight plays in her golden braids and chuckles softly to himself. "Your Shaaren is coming along well in such a short time, and we're near enough to water we could blame your accent on anywhere." Syval's gentle smile slips as his gaze drops to note the damage Honoria is polishing from her armor. "How are your wounds?" he asks with a note of concern.

Honoria peers curiously at the bare-chested human male. "I have difficulty believing mere bandits and the like would pose any threat to me, Syval. And if they do, then they shall face my full fury, and may their gods have mercy upon their souls." Honoria may be an honorable servant of the Mother and Protector of Mankind, but she is no one's punk or victim.

Period.

"I need no protector, common-born or noble. I was born a princess, that much is true. But the city I would have ruled has been dead for longer than most can even imagine." Honoria opines. "I am a lady knight, and I will defend myself and my own honor as any knight would." The way Honoria pronounces this almost evokes images of fields strewn with ruined bodies in her wake.

"My wounds are mostly healed, except for the broken ribs." the knight princess answers honestly. "I should have asked Jyslin to help set the ribs and promote the start of their healing. But she was quite determined in her patrolling, and equally so in accompanying Andie tonight." So the secretly romantic princess kept her mouth shut despite her likely significant discomfort. "It can wait for morning."

Syval lifts a hand tamely and softly nods his head, meaning no offense. "I know your strength of arms well enough, Lady Honoria. I only mean you deserve better. Even a merchant-born knight has footmen, a herald, and lesser guards for themselves. Your skill at arms, your honor, your lineage, and your history all alone deserve as much." The green-haired young man snorts derisively to the side in a rather drakeish gesture. "It galls me to think the middle rungs of the satrapies have more cloud with none of your merits."

Syval pauses for a drink from his water skin, careful not to drip on his map, then reaches out to offer it to Honoria. Opening his hand, the water skin drifts slowly towards her through the night air. "If you can give me clear instructions I can try to help, but at least I'll mention it to her tonight and have her check on you when our watches change. I never learned how to heal..."

Honoria does not argue the point to Syval more than she already has; she has made it clear that she does not feel it is necessary to secure her position or demonstrate the respect to which she is due. She does accept the water skin, nodding her thanks, and leans back stiffly, visibly gritting her jaw as she drinks from it slowly, several times. Then she rights herself, her color slowly returning as the pain eases up, and she closes the waterskin and holds it out to Syval. "Thank you."

As for Jyslin? Honoria says simply, "If you tell her to see me in the morning, that would be welcome. If she has time during her watch, that is acceptable as well, though I will not be able to sleep through that. And she may not have the spells left right now to help. But if she knows of the need, she can make sure to ask Selune for them during prayers." A moment of humor, really.

Syval retrieves his water skin with an uncomfortable look of sympathy at the lady knight's half-hidden pain. "There are non-magic ways of setting bones I would think she knows. Reaching across to the sapphire band on his arm, the draconic mage brushes his finger against its polished blue surface. "Alas my Art can only heal clothes and other objects, nothing alive. And sorry for my appearance," the green-haired young man finally apologies with a politely remorseful smile. He is at least a little self-conscious around the noble-born woman. "I do not have my mending art prepared so my robes will be like this until morning."

Syval retrieves his water skin with an uncomfortable look of sympathy at the lady knight's half-hidden pain. "There are non-magic ways of setting bones I would think she knows." Reaching across to the sapphire band on his arm, the draconic mage brushes his finger against its polished blue surface. "Alas my Art can only heal clothes and other objects, nothing alive. And sorry for my appearance," the green-haired young man finally apologies with a politely remorseful smile. He is at least a little self-conscious around the noble-born woman. "I do not have my mending art prepared so my robes will be like this until morning."

<OOC> Syval adds a missing quote mark.
<OOC> Syval takes a moment to be glad he filled in the spell sheet properly enough to realize he has to be choosy about his daily cantrips.
Honoria smiles wryly at the young wizard. "Syval, I was a knight. A soldier in a war. Believe you me, I have seen far worse than a half-undressed man whose clothing has been ruined in hard-fought battle. Even so, if you are bothered by it, I have a light blanket in my gear that you could wrap around yourself. I do not wish you to be uncomfortable." It's just that simple for her.

"The non-magical effort will be very painful. Necessary, but painful. These are not the first ribs I have broken and needed to have healed." Honoria explains. "To me, it has been only two tendays or so since the last time." Which means the last time was mere days before she was bound into the statue, given how long she has been out of it.

It's an admission of time that draws pause from the young wizard, even though he knew intellectually how time had passed for the lady knight. "You must have come directly from battle then... from one fight to the next," he realizes quietly. His map forgotten, Syval takes a moment to gather his thoughts, then offers, "I hope you can enjoy a measure of the peace in our time, and city life. There are plenty of attractions in Aramis and Delzimmer both."

It's a help perhaps that the small table is covering the young man's lap as he shrugs off his robes and removes the badly damaged undershirt beneath, leaving the muscular wizard completely bare from the waist up but more comfortable. He looks if anything a little leaner than when they set off; he's been eating enough from his large share to keep up but not to excess.

"If physical contests are to your tastes such things are still alive and well. Maybe city life has made me soft but I do try to keep my clothes on in high company. Wrestling is one of few times I don't -- exceptions are made for women of course," the wizard adds quickly.

<OOC> Syval facerubs a bit. "Hrmph. I can't say my muse is completely with me tonight. I'm having difficulty keeping a whole pose in mind at a time."
<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry if anything comes off stilted or jumpy."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nuzzles. "Should we pause for tonight? It's your call."
<OOC> Syval says, "Given that took me 20 minutes to come up with we probably should, at least on my side. I've still got a little to do before bed regardless though so I can hang around."
"It was a war, Syval." Honoria reminds. "That is how war is. It was perhaps two days prior that I was healed from broken ribs, before the ritual was completed, and I was bound into the statue."

The princess knight smiles. "I do not often wrestle, though of course I can. My own contests tend to be of more supposedly noble pursuits. Jousting, horse races, what we called barrel races. And grand melees." But for the first time Syval will see Honoria actually blush, as he speaks of the fact that of course exceptions to his rule of clothing are made for time with women.

That, at least, was a topic not discussed with a princess knight, even in wartime, at least not by a man. But Honoria does not complain or chastise Syval. She leaves him free to say what he thinks; she just cannot stop her own reaction to it.
<OOC> Syval says, "You would probably win more wrestling topless too, just saying you don't have to. O:)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chortles.

Syval shakes his head in disbelief. "That is difficult to imagine, honestly, conflicts with such intensity. Monsters raid or come like a landslide then end, and the biggest conflicts of Delzimmer are street fights and burned buildings. Nothing so large." Noticing the bit of reddish tint to the fair woman's face, the young wizard realizes he may have overstepped and coughs lightly into his hand. "*Ahem*... That at least hasn't changed greatly in our time, though no one contests with armor on horseback; horse archery is still practiced widely. Wrestling is well enough regarded among men of all classes, but in any garb I've only seen satrap guardswomen partake..."

A smile does slip out as he adds, "We could turn a fun profit in a fighting circle, though... perhaps not in Delzimmer. I have a reputation with very short odds."
Honoria merely shrugs and nods. "You have mentioned so before." she explains, proving she has been paying attention. She does understand that such massive scale warfare is frankly unheard-of in current times. She is not sure how to take that; it seems a good thing to her, considering the harm she saw visited upon all sides in the war she fought. But she had no choice then but to fight it.

"Mmm. Yes. Such armor as mine was quite rare even in my time." Honoria admits. "I am not much of an archer, but I am not incompetent. I simply do not have my own bow. Such was not my place." she admits. If she had needed a bow, she would have asked for one. But she had the weapons she needed to hand, and she was the best at using them.

"Most often, our contests would be lone individuals, either one on one, or many all against each other. Rarely were there teams." Honoria admits. But she can understand that her own capabilities would be unexpected in this timeframe, and could very well win by sheer surprise, not just her outright ability.

And as a warrior in actual war, Honoria sees nothing wrong with winning by virtual also of the opponent's ignorance. She would never lie, but if they do not think to ask, that is their stupidity.
<OOC> Syval, now trying not to think too much about Honoria in a fighting circle.

"The two of us together could handle a group of good size," Syval opines, "but individual is most common now as well." The green-haired Delzmaer leans over his map table with interest and asks, "Speaking of battles, do tell me the story of how you and the others killed so many of the hags and trolls. I couldn't see the melee through all the fog."

[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 20/3 The Heart

2022-07-23T00:08:41Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "Jyslin rolls K: Nature (1d20+16) and gets 34 (18) Jyslin rolls Survival (1d20+19) and gets 21 (2) Jyslin rolls Perception (1d20+24) and gets 30 (6) Jyslin raises a hand, calli..."

Journey Day 20/2 Trolls

2022-07-23T00:03:49Z

VanyaDoll2: VanyaDoll2 moved page Journey Day 20 2 Trolls to Journey Day 20/2 Trolls: So alphabetized search is chronological

Syval stops and his tail flicks behind him as he scans his sand-colored eyes over the surrounding woods. "And they're close," the mage murmurs, sinking into a ready crouch and putting two firm hands upon his bardiche.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Syval would be able to sense that there are at least two, possibly three smaller formations of them closing in from more than one direction. They were clearly able to sense the party's arrival long before they could see or smell them, and have acted accordingly."
Troll Archer 1 rolls To Hit (1d20+10) and gets 22 (12)
Troll Archer 1 rolls To Hit (1d20+5) and gets 25 (20)
Troll Archer 2 rolls To Hit (1d20+10) and gets 21 (11)
Troll Archer 2 rolls To Hit (1d20+5) and gets 22 (17)
Troll Archer 3 rolls To Hit (1d20+10) and gets 17 (7)
Troll Archer 3 rolls To Hit (1d20+5) and gets 20 (15)
Troll Shaman 1 rolls Casting Check (1d20+9) and gets 27 (18)
Troll Shaman 2 rolls Casting Check (1d20+9) and gets 17 (8)
Troll Hunter 1 rolls Trapsetting (1d20+12) and gets 30 (18)
Troll Hunter 2 rolls Trapsetting (1d20+12) and gets 20 (8)
Troll Hunter 3 rolls Trapsetting (1d20+12) and gets 28 (16)
<OOC> Syval says, "Ohhh my."
At Jyslin's warning, the group quickly forms up and prepares as best they can in a somewhat scattershot manner.

Honoria does not worry with stealth as she slogs forcefully over to a point beside Andie, clearly raising her shield and sword as she prepares to defend the witch.

The roamer priestess touches her robes, a shimmer of blue-silver energy crackling over them before she tucks her hands up into her sleeves, coming out with those bladeless sword handles once more.

Little Neosodos launches himself from Andie's shoulder up into the higher canopy of the trees as his advice comes to young Syval. << Little Brother, these will not be quite so reckless a band, and likely better equipped and prepared. I recommend a defensive spell, if you have one. I expect arrows, incoming, despite the forested surroundings. And be alert for traps; this is territory they have had time to prepare. >>

Neosodos may be Andie's familiar, but he has invested a good deal of time preparing and training Syval in his draconic nature; he's not about to see all of that hard work go down the tubes without putting some effort in against it.

No sooner has Neosodos given his warning than there is a hissing whirr in the air, as a small fight of arrows converges on the party. Though it is only six shots, they are all short spears in length, and very well placed with high velocities. Yet only one manages to get through, deflected by Honoria's raised shield, though its shattered splinters slice at her face and neck viciously. The intended target of Andie, however, is unharmed.

Syval will feel a thrum through his bones, as magicks are drawn forth - and not from amongst his companions. Something out there is drawing on the very swamp itself, and then casting those energies against the group, as vines erupt all around trying to pull them down under and the ground itself seems to dissolve into a vacuum.

As the group stumbles about combatting all of this Honoria manages to step on something which then erupts from the collapsing ground, driving pointed barbs into her foot and leg despite her armor, eliciting a real grunt of pain from the lady knight. Jyslin also sets one of these off, but she leaps clear before it can close around her.

And then come the bone-chilling, blood-curdling howls of glee as the trolls charge.
<OOC> Syval says, "Hmm, is there time in this same 'everyone forming up' interval for me to cast Mage Armor?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah nevermind. I asked while halfway through reading. Neos and the arrows answers that for me. Not quite enough time."
<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry, I got pulled afk a bit. I am back now and should be here to stay until bed."
<OOC> Syval hand-frictions. "Whoo... and here we go. No time for Mage Armor today. Let's see how well luck works as an AC bonus."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Everyone has time for one round of preparedness. Hence things like Neos taking flight, Jyslin activating her robes and gathering her blades, Honoria moving to a defensive position with Andie."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So if Syval wants to cast Mage Armor as his preparedness, that's A-OK with me."

Ah okay, definitely using my round for that then. I was debating pre-emptively casting it during my pose even but it's got a verbal component so that would have killed our stealth in case they hadn't found us yet.

<OOC> Syval says, "Agh OOC that please. >_<"
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah okay, definitely using my round for that then. I was debating pre-emptively casting it during my pose even but it's got a verbal component so that would have killed our stealth in case they hadn't found us yet."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh I like the idea I just had. :>"

Syval moves up close to the rear of the group to protect the side opposite Honoria and moves a hand to the strip of cured leather that serves as his belt. Running his fingers over the smooth hide the wizard focuses then summons a drop of magic from the Weave into an ephemeral shell around himself with a forceful command. The arcane armor forms only just in time as his ears catch the sound of arrows in flight and the dragonoid ducks to one side.

"This is a hell of a greeting," the mage growls as his wings flap hard but impotently fail to lift him into the air, forcing him to slash at the vines and stumble awkwardly from their grasp. "They want to surround us."

<OOC> Syval adds a ! on the end there and slips away for a snack.
<OOC> The trolls come in and nom a snack off the dragon.
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh it's on now. u_u"
"Yes, and we are too tightly grouped together." Andie comments drolly. It's a bit too late, but they have indeed made this easier on the trolls for surrounding them; their more widely spread-out earlier formation was actually better for preventing that, though that did also increase the risk of individuals getting surrounded and overwhelmed in detail.

Isn't combat fun?!

As the trolls charge Honoria lifts her shield and shouts out a challenge, pointing her sword at the biggest, meanest looking troll in the group, an enormous twelve-foot tall brute seemingly made of animated boulders. "Hold, all of you!" she calls.

<OOC> Honoria uses Chivalric Challenge on the lead Rock Troll, with a Swift action. (That's Knight-class code for 'this one is mine!') She also issues a Chivalric Command, granting all of the party a Morale-typed bonus to hit, damage and armor class of +8.

Andie issues for a command and her staff flares to life, wreathed in twisting golden flames, ready to strike the first troll to reach her and unleash its power.

Jyslin leaps up and away, bounding off trees to redirect herself around the troll advance, charging instead for the trolls she can see at the back who are preparing additional spells.

Neosodos prepares himself to strafe the enemy, calling to mind the draconic Words to summon one of his more powerful fire spells.

What materializes and charges the party includes a pair of enormous rock trolls, six lightly armored carnage trolls and three creeper trolls. Though they charge madly, they do not attack with unbridged berserker fury, but instead show intellect and planning in their choices, as well as keen knowledge of the swamp itself and the terrain. Behind them, three more carnage trolls stand in front of a very nasty-looking monger troll (nearly giant-sized, and two-headed).

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "WB to the swamp."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. It is humid here."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "To your left, we have trolls. To your right, we have trolls. In front of you, we have more trolls. Any questions? ^_^"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li j/k, at least half.
<OOC> Syval says, "Eldritch Blast?"
<OOC> Syval says, "</5e Memes>"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li giggles. "Or, of course, the ever-ubiquitous 'Fireball!'"
<OOC> Syval says, "So if I have this right there are 6 creeper trolls, 6 carnage trolls, 2 rock trolls, and a monger troll in total with the vanguard attacking us from all sides. Should be fun..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There are 9 carnage trolls - 6 in the vanguard and 3 guarding the monger troll - along with 2 rock trolls and 3 creeper trolls."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you I wrote 3 creeper trolls back there by mistake."
<OOC> Syval eyes bardiche, eyes breath weapon, eyes uncooperative viney ground...
<OOC> Syval says, "How many of the beasties are charging in at me specifically?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You look impressive. So without further evidence to the contrary, I think you're getting a carnage troll, a rock troll, and a creeper troll."
<OOC> Syval DragonFlex.jpg
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "By comparison and FYI, Honoria is getting the same tag mix, 1 of each. Jyslin is getting 3 carnage and 1 creeper. Andie is getting 1 carnage troll, but is in effect also doing battle with the distant monger troll. Currently none of them have actually aimed at Neosodos, though that is likely to change the first time the little drake decides to show off."
<OOC> Syval says, "So 3 carnage trolls who haven't quite reached us then, noted. And with Jyslin out there and a coming charge, not a lot of room for breathing. But that can change. :)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Those three are hanging back, seeming to guard the monger troll. Yet more evidence of unusual behavior."

Still fighting the vines underfoot, Syval moves up to cover the witch and lady knight from the trolls that rush them from behind. Jamming the spike of his bardiche against the wriggling ground he bellows a challenge to the monsters before him as green arcana envelopes the tall axe head.

"I have your back! Break out when you can and I'll hit them with acid."

<OOC> Syval takes a readied action to Brace against charging trolls.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Syval means an acid spell? Or his acidic (chlorine) gas breath weapon?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Acid breath. Now is not the time to quibble on technicalities; he's pretty sure if it kills grass it can bypass troll regen the same way acid orb did."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hopefully so!"
<OOC> Syval says, "It is a gamble!"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The person who knows is too busy to advise us ICly, so, we shall see!"
<OOC> Syval says, "With luck the vines won't like it either."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "We can hope! It do spring eternal. Y'know, until we die or something."
<OOC> Syval says, "I have faith in Chipira that we're meant for something greater than troll food on a hag coven's doorstep. Setting aside the immortal devotee of Lathander."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "NB: I'm about to roll a lot of initiatives. Syval should have a bonus of +3, as he is in 40' of Honoria."
<OOC> Syval Braces for rolls as well as trolls.
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls Initiative (1d20+5) and gets 25 (20)
Carnage Troll Hunter 2 rolls Initiative (1d20+5) and gets 15 (10)
Carnage Troll Hunter 3 rolls Initiative (1d20+5) and gets 19 (14)
Carnage Troll Hunter 4 rolls Initiative (1d20+5) and gets 8 (3)
Carnage Troll Hunter 5 rolls Initiative (1d20+5) and gets 9 (4)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls Initiative (1d20+5) and gets 15 (10)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls Initiative (1d20+0) and gets 4 (4)
Rock Troll Bruiser 2 rolls Initiative (1d20+0) and gets 8 (8)
Creeper Troll Striker 1 rolls Initiative (1d20+9) and gets 23 (14)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Initiative (1d20+9) and gets 27 (18)
Creeper Troll Striker 3 rolls Initiative (1d20+9) and gets 19 (10)
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Initiative (1d20+1) and gets 2 (1)
Monger Troll Shaman 2 rolls Initiative (1d20+1) and gets 13 (12)
Lady Honoria rolls Initiative (1d20+13) and gets 22 (9)
Sister Jyslin rolls Initiative (1d20+13) and gets 16 (3)
Witch Andie rolls Initiative (1d20+6) and gets 9 (3)
Neosodos Drake rolls Initiative (1d20+6) and gets 18 (12)
Syval rolls Initiative M (1d20+6) and gets 22 (16)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jyslin rolled a 3, and is doubly blessed. So she will treat that like a 20."
<OOC> Syval says, "So 33 Init. Since it's over 30 that means Jyslin attacks the turn before you roll initiative, right?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles. "In effect. She beats the highest enemy initiative by 6."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I confess, this would be a lot faster with physical dice. But here goes. :)"
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 1 (1d20+27) and gets 47 (20)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 1 (1d20+27) and gets 37 (10)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 2 (1d20+22) and gets 34 (12)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 2 (1d20+22) and gets 36 (14)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 3 (1d20+17) and gets 36 (19)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 3 (1d20+17) and gets 21 (4)
Sister Jyslin rolls Confirm Right 1 (1d20+27) and gets 46 (19)
Sister Jyslin rolls Confirm Right 3 (1d20+17) and gets 25 (8)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 1 Damage (2d6+28) and gets 32 (3,1)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 1 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 15 (1)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 2 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 19 (5)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 2 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 17 (3)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 3 Damage (2d6+28) and gets 37 (6,3)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And there is the great and terrible sound of a buzz saw chewing through meaty flesh and a bit of metal."
<OOC> Syval laughs. "Oh my goodness that is some damage."
<OOC> Syval says, "Now I know the score to beat: 37 in one swing, 120 in one round."
Leaping out ahead, Jsylin intercepts a knot of the carnage troll hunters with her gleaming silvery blades and her ferocious intent, the blades flashing with incredible speed and terrible accuracy, cleaving off parts as she dismembers two in short order. However, they are likely to be back up soon unless something is done to prevent their regeneration.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "She has managed to drop two of them into (low) negatives."
<OOC> Syval braces for trolls.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. I keep getting interrupted. That is the third package that has arrived while I've been working on this."
<OOC> Syval says, "Makes me glad for my package locker. Speaking of, I have a mailbox to check."
<OOC> Syval says, "That's better."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. I need two things, here. Can I get your (current, modified) AC, and your hit points?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li went ahead and built up one of her combat tracker spreadsheets. Because I am SUCH a geek, and this is a lot of combat.
<OOC> Syval says, "35 AC, 122 HP, per my combat tracking spreadsheet."
<OOC> Syval says, "That's unmodified HP and AC (27) + 8 from Honoria's morale boost for 5 rounds."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nodnods. "Nice. You have the same number of hit points as Honoria, btw."
<OOC> Syval DragonFlex.jpg
<OOC> Syval says, "That's a tremendous credit to the lady knight and says almost nothing about me. My HP has multiple reasons for being obscenely large."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li pets her flexer.
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm not normally taken to women with such great... hit pools, but Honoria wears hers well."
<OOC> Syval says, "I think it's the armor. Good HP deserves good AC to accentuate it."
<OOC> Syval </innuendo humor>
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smirks.
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Jyslin Claw 1 (1d20+18) and gets 33 (15)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Jyslin Claw 2 (1d20+18) and gets 38 (20)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Jyslin Bite (1d20+13) and gets 30 (17)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 1 (1d20+15) and gets 30 (15)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 2 (1d20+15) and gets 26 (11)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls To Hit Syval Bite (1d20+10) and gets 17 (7)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 1 (1d20+18) and gets 38 (20)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 2 (1d20+18) and gets 30 (12)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Syval Bite (1d20+13) and gets 19 (6)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Jyslin Claw 2 Confirm (1d20+18) and gets 25 (7)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 1 Confirm (1d20+18) and gets 29 (11)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. Yours are coming from Striker 1, not Striker 2."
<OOC> Syval says, "All the same to me. Looks like 1 hit with unconfirmed crit (thank you lady knight!)."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes. Jyslin is hit twice, with one confirmed crit."
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Damage to Jyslin Claw 1 (1d8+8) and gets 12 (4)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Damage to Jyslin Claw 2 (2d8+16) and gets 25 (2,7)
Creeper Troll Striker 1 rolls Damage to Syval Claw 1 Confirm (1d6+5) and gets 8 (3)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And with those attacks, we are down to 22 in the orer; that's you and Honoria."
<OOC> Syval says, "For simplicity we're put any of my AoOs in my combat block, aye? Otherwise that might have gone before the creeper."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus. Just roll the AoOs first."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Since Honoria was moving, and she doesn't have Reach, she did not get any. I failed to account for your reach weapon."
<OOC> Syval says, "Alright. I have the readied action against charging trolls and I'll roll an attack for each of my possible AoOs (3). Theoretically that could all trigger on the 3 trolls up on me, I leave it to your discretion what actually happens."
<OOC> Syval says, "This is where numbers get a little ridiculous... ^_^;"
Syval rolls Bardiche Brace M #1 (1d20+24) and gets 35 (11)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage Brace M #1 (1d10+21) and gets 25 (4)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes. Roll one each on the three on you. That's Carnage Troll Hunter 1, Carnage Troll Hunter 2, and Creeper Troll Striker 1."
<OOC> Syval says, "And 3 AoOs"
Syval rolls Bardiche M #1 (1d20+24) and gets 26 (2)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage M #1 (1d10+21) and gets 25 (4)
Syval rolls Bardiche M #1 (1d20+24) and gets 40 (16)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage M #1 (1d10+21) and gets 29 (8)
Syval rolls Bardiche M #1 (1d20+24) and gets 34 (10)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage M #1 (1d10+21) and gets 23 (2)
<OOC> Syval says, "And the brace hits for double damage (50) if it connects with 35 to-hit."
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm not clear on the Brace rules if that would apply to all AoOs in the same round but I assume not."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I think that's right."
<OOC> Syval says, "Any hits among the trolls? That'll guide where I swing next."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You've managed to hit all but the first one, Striker 1; your braced shot did not penetrate his AC."
<OOC> Syval says, "Welp, in that case next swings are at the... carnage troll then. Full round action."
Syval rolls Bardiche M #1 (1d20+24) and gets 35 (11)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage M #1 (1d10+21) and gets 27 (6)
Syval rolls Bardiche M #2 (1d20+19) and gets 34 (15)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage M #2 (1d10+21) and gets 28 (7)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Both of those will hit."
<OOC> Syval says, "FYI, HP 114->115 from Fast Healing 1."

When three trolls charge in Syval lashes out with his bardiche in jagged arcs to try to keep them at bay. Buoyed by the lady knight at his back, it makes for quite a magic-tipped sight.

<OOC> Syval says, "Not much to say. Mowing a troll-looking lawn."
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 2 Baraj 1 (1d20+23) and gets 42 (19)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Rock Troll Bruiser 2 Baraj 1 (1d10+13) and gets 18 (5)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 2 Shield (1d20+26) and gets 28 (2)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Rock Troll Bruiser 2 Shield (1d6+13) and gets 18 (5)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 2 Baraj 2 (1d20+18) and gets 30 (12)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Rock Troll Bruiser 2 Baraj 2 (1d10+13) and gets 19 (6)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 2 Baraj 3 (1d20+13) and gets 19 (6)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Rock Troll Bruiser 2 Baraj 3 (1d10+13) and gets 19 (6)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 2 Baraj 1 Confirm (1d20+23) and gets 35 (12)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. +aroll Creeper Troll Striker 2/To Hit Jyslin Claw 1/1d20+18"
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Damage Jyslin Claw 1 (1d6+5) and gets 6 (1)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Jyslin Claw 2 (1d20+18) and gets 23 (5)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Damage Jyslin Claw 2 (1d6+5) and gets 9 (4)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Jyslin Bite (1d20+13) and gets 26 (13)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Damage Jyslin Bite (2d4+3) and gets 9 (3,3)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Jyslin Claw 1 (1d20+18) and gets 28 (10)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Damage Jyslin Claw 1 (1d6+5) and gets 10 (5)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Jyslin Claw 2 (1d20+18) and gets 28 (10)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Damage Jyslin Claw 2 (1d6+5) and gets 6 (1)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Jyslin Bite (1d20+13) and gets 33 (20)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Damage Jyslin Bite (2d4+3) and gets 10 (3,4)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Jyslin Bite Confirm (1d20+13) and gets 16 (3)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. It does not confirm the crit on the bite."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And now ... so, so many rolls against so many people. Oi."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Neos goes on 18, and will cast Wind Wall. That makes it rather unlikely the archers will hit when they go on 12."
Carnage Troll Hunter 2 rolls To Hit Honoria Claw 1 (1d20+15) and gets 27 (12)
Carnage Troll Hunter 2 rolls Damage Honoria Claw 1 (1d8+10) and gets 11 (1)
Carnage Troll Hunter 2 rolls To Hit Honoria Claw 2 (1d20+15) and gets 25 (10)
Carnage Troll Hunter 2 rolls Damage Honoria Claw 2 (1d8+10) and gets 14 (4)
Carnage Troll Hunter 2 rolls To Hit Honoria Bite (1d20+10) and gets 27 (17)
Carnage Troll Hunter 2 rolls Damage Honoria Bite (2d6+5) and gets 10 (1,4)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls To Hit Andie Claw 1 (1d20+15) and gets 30 (15)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls Damage Andie Claw 1 (1d8+10) and gets 14 (4)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls To Hit Andie Claw 2 (1d20+15) and gets 34 (19)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls Damage Andie Claw 2 (1d8+10) and gets 15 (5)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls To Hit Andie Bite (1d20+10) and gets 23 (13)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls Damage Andie Bite (2d6+5) and gets 11 (3,3)
Carnage Troll Archer 1 rolls To Hit Andie Shot 1 (1d20+10) and gets 29 (19)
Carnage Troll Archer 1 rolls Damage Andie Shot 1 (1d8+5) and gets 10 (5)
Carnage Troll Archer 1 rolls To Hit Andie Shot 2 (1d20+5) and gets 16 (11)
Carnage Troll Archer 1 rolls Damage Andie Shot 2 (1d8+5) and gets 7 (2)
Carnage Troll Archer 2 rolls To Hit Honoria Shot 1 (1d20+10) and gets 27 (17)
Carnage Troll Archer 2 rolls Damage Honoria Shot 1 (1d8+5) and gets 11 (6)
Carnage Troll Archer 2 rolls To Hit Honoria Shot 2 (1d20+5) and gets 6 (1)
Carnage Troll Archer 2 rolls Damage Honoria Shot 2 (1d8+5) and gets 13 (8)
Carnage Troll Archer 3 rolls To Hit Syval Shot 1 (1d20+10) and gets 16 (6)
Carnage Troll Archer 3 rolls Damage Syval Shot 1 (1d8+5) and gets 7 (2)
Carnage Troll Archer 3 rolls To Hit Syval Shot 2 (1d20+5) and gets 8 (3)
Carnage Troll Archer 3 rolls Damage Syval Shot 2 (1d8+5) and gets 10 (5)
Carnage Troll Hunter 5 rolls To Hit Jyslin Claw 1 (1d20+15) and gets 34 (19)
Carnage Troll Hunter 5 rolls Damage Jyslin Claw 1 (1d8+10) and gets 12 (2)
Carnage Troll Hunter 5 rolls To Hit Jyslin Claw 2 (1d20+15) and gets 20 (5)
Carnage Troll Hunter 5 rolls Damage Jyslin Claw 2 (1d8+10) and gets 12 (2)
Carnage Troll Hunter 5 rolls To Hit Jyslin Bite (1d20+10) and gets 18 (8)
Carnage Troll Hunter 5 rolls Damage Jyslin Bite (2d6+5) and gets 10 (4,1)
<OOC> Syval says, "No hits on me with or without wind wall."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Newp."
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 1 (1d20+20) and gets 38 (18)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls Damage Syval Claw 1 (3d6+10) and gets 24 (4,6,4)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 2 (1d20+20) and gets 39 (19)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls Damage Syval Claw 2 (3d6+10) and gets 20 (3,2,5)
Rock Troll Bruiser 2 rolls To Hit Honoria Claw 1 (1d20+20) and gets 38 (18)
Rock Troll Bruiser 2 rolls Damage Honoria Claw 1 (3d6+10) and gets 21 (1,6,4)
Rock Troll Bruiser 2 rolls To Hit Honoria Claw 2 (1d20+20) and gets 22 (2)
Rock Troll Bruiser 2 rolls Damage Honoria Claw 2 (3d6+10) and gets 15 (2,2,1)
<OOC> Syval says, "Now those are hits. Wow that bruiser's got an arm. No nat-20s but that's 24+20=44 damage, aye?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus."
Andie rolls Casting Check (1d20+28) and gets 37 (9)
Andie rolls Cone of Flame Damage (16d4+64) and gets 110 (3,4,1,1,3,3,4,1,4,3,4,2,4,4,4,1)
Monger Troll Shaman rolls Saving Throw vs Cone of Flame (1d20+11) and gets 19 (8)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Frustrating thing? Missed the Massive Damage rule by 3. :("
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But he won't be regenerating that."
<OOC> Syval says, "That is good."
<OOC> Syval says, "Goodness but that's a massive fire spell. o_o"
<OOC> Syval says, "New plan: forget funneling them into my breath weapon, we funnel them into that."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "Cast with the power of her Staff, so it is much-augmented from base. And her base is scary."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Actually ... hmmm. The archers should save against that, too."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Oh. Wait. 37? They can't make it without nat 20s."
<OOC> Syval says, "What's a casting check? That spell has a variable DC that the caster rolls for?"
<OOC> Syval thought that was just her concentration check to successfully cast the spell.
Carnage Troll Archer 1 rolls Saving Throw vs Cone of Flame (1d20+11) and gets 18 (7)
Carnage Troll Archer 2 rolls Saving Throw vs Cone of Flame (1d20+11) and gets 22 (11)
Carnage Troll Archer 3 rolls Saving Throw vs Cone of Flame (1d20+11) and gets 22 (11)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "When casting in combat, you make a roll, as you can fark up just like anyone making an attack. The save DC for the spell is the total of your roll."
<OOC> Syval says, "Huh! That's an interesting way to do that. PF 1e just uses static DCs based on the spell and typically your casting attribute (and any save DC modifiers). Is that a 5e-ism?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That's a Shaar-ism."
<OOC> Syval says, "I see, I see. Well, that potentially swings spell DCs greatly since PF assumes a flat 10 instead of a 1d20. Makes things interesting."
<OOC> Syval says, "Please help me remember when I'm casting offensively. I am liable to forget by then."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "The flatter math in 5e makes it closer. I may need to figure out how to nudge things in PF1. But that can wait."
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Casting Check Rope Tentacles (1d20+20) and gets 34 (14)
Monger Troll Shaman 2 rolls Casting Check Thorn Shower (1d20+20) and gets 34 (14)
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Rope Tentacle 1 Damage (3d6+12) and gets 21 (5,3,1)
Andie rolls Save vs Rope Tentacles 1 (1d20+13) and gets 22 (9)
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Rope Tentacle 2 Damage (3d6+12) and gets 29 (6,5,6)
Andie rolls Save vs Rope Tentacles 2 (1d20+13) and gets 21 (8)
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Rope Tentacle 3 Damage (3d6+12) and gets 22 (3,2,5)
Andie rolls Save vs Rope Tentacles 3 (1d20+13) and gets 26 (13)
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Rope Tentacle 4 Damage (3d6+12) and gets 27 (5,4,6)
Andie rolls Save vs Rope Tentacles 4 (1d20+13) and gets 17 (4)
Monger Troll Shaman 2 rolls Thorn Shower Damage (8d4+0) and gets 23 (4,1,3,4,1,3,4,3)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Everyone but Neo takes 12 points of damage (halved for Neo's windwall)"
<OOC> Syval says, "That's 34 vs. touch AC I assume?"
The creeper troll facing off against Jyslin slashes into her viciously, doing good damage as its claws rip through her shimmering blue aura and tear flesh.

The rock troll, carnage troll and creeper troll attacking Syval are attacked swiftly; the braced attack of his bardiche digs a furrow across the armor the rock troll is wearing, sparks of golden energy shedding around the blade, but it manages to find deep perchase against the carnage troll and the creeper troll. The young mage then pivots his hips and swings mightily on the rock troll which resisted his bardiche earlier, hacking the creature deeply twice, but still it does not fall.

Honoria lays about her, attacking fiercely and concentrating her attacks on the terrible rock troll before her, though its incredibly tough hide manages to turn aside some of her blows. Even so, her baraj tears into its flesh and her shield smashes into it's body. Though the mighty creature is not brought low, it is badly hurt and roars in pain and rage.

The creeper troll facing off against Honoria slashes fiercely, but it's claws cannot find purchase past her armor. Yet it ducks in beneath her shield and manages to bite into the side of her calf.

Neosodos calls forth a Wind Wall to screen his witch and the rest of the party and cut down on incoming archery fire.

One of the still-standing carnage troll hunters facing Jyslin does manage to get a claw swipe through her defenses, doing some small amount of damage.

A flight of arrows from the carnage troll archers is intercepted by the Wind Wall spell and rendered ineffective.

Andie manages to pull her staff in, twist around and point it at the distant figure of the enormous monger troll shaman as her chanting calls forth a spark, a mote of flame from her hand that courses down the length of the staff and then erupts through the feathers, streaking out to blossom into a very lightly orange-shaded white cone of flame, searing away vision at any who stare too close. The archers in front of the monger troll are burnt away to ash, but the monger troll staggers free of the flames, furious.

The monger troll shaman than begins chanting, jumping about, arms flailing, each head of the troll shouting an entirely different phrase. The party is assaulted, as the vines of the trees grow several exceptionally thicker vines which club at Andie, pounding and clubbing her nearly to the ground. The other spell calls forth a hurricane of thorns from the trees which rain razor-sharp amongst the assembled heroes and their enemies alike, slicing through the thickest armor due to their magical nature.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. I need a couple of minutes afk. BBVS"
<OOC> Syval says, "Goodness and there goes half my health. 120 HP felt like a lot until now."

Syval grunts and roars as the pummeling trolls strike through his magicked armor and toughened hide, and a hand comes up to shield his face when the woods unleash an indiscriminate hailing of thorns. "Accursed creatures! Back to the Pits with all of you!" He shouts as the dragon-scaled wizard channels pain and anger into a wide, half-blind swing with his full weight, aiming to shatter the rock troll and carnage troll beside it.

<OOC> Syval activates Power Attack and uses Cleave, first on rock troll.
Syval rolls Bardiche Power Attack #1 (1d20+22) and gets 28 (6)
Syval rolls Bdc_Pwr_Damage #1 (1d10+27) and gets 31 (4)
<OOC> Syval squints at the dice. "In case that hits, here's the follow-through into whichever troll is adjacent to it."
Syval rolls Bardiche Power Attack #2 (1d20+22) and gets 42 (20)
Syval rolls Bdc_Pwr_Damage #2 (1d10+27) and gets 31 (4)
Syval rolls Bardiche Power Attack Crit-Confirm #2 (1d20+22) and gets 40 (18)
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh you're kidding me. XD Oh please tell me that first swing hit the rock troll..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "FWIW, you have a Rock, Carnage, and Creeper troll on you. So, after Rocky, who is your #2 target?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Per Cleave they have to be adjacent to Rocky. If both are, I'll go for the creeper. They're the one I missed on 35 and hit on 40 right, so they'd taken the least damage but also did the most damage to me?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Besides the rock troll I started with who knocked off 1/3rd of my HP."
<OOC> Syval says, "If I remember right, creeper rushed me for 8 at the start of things. They deserve comeuppance."
<OOC> Syval says, "FYI Bardiche is an x2 crit so that swing to the creeper is 31x2 = 62 damage if 42 and 40 both hit."
<OOC> Syval says, "Trivia: that more than doubles Jyslin's single-swing damage (37 vs. 93) but she still wins single-round (120)."
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 1 (1d20+27) and gets 29 (2)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 1 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 20 (6)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 1 (1d20+27) and gets 45 (18)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 1 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 15 (1)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 2 (1d20+22) and gets 26 (4)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 2 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 15 (1)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 2 (1d20+22) and gets 36 (14)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 2 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 16 (2)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 3 (1d20+17) and gets 20 (3)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 3 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 17 (3)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 3 (1d20+17) and gets 25 (8)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 3 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 20 (6)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 1 (1d20+15) and gets 21 (6)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls Damage Syval Claw 1 (1d8+10) and gets 16 (6)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 2 (1d20+15) and gets 22 (7)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls Damage Syval Claw 2 (1d8+10) and gets 15 (5)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls To Hit Syval Bite (1d20+10) and gets 14 (4)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls Damage Syval Bite (2d6+5) and gets 14 (6,3)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Honoria Claw 1 (1d20+18) and gets 35 (17)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Damage Honoria Claw 1 (1d6+5) and gets 7 (2)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Honoria Claw 2 (1d20+18) and gets 33 (15)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Damage Honoria Claw 2 (1d6+5) and gets 9 (4)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls To Hit Honoria Bite (1d20+13) and gets 22 (9)
Creeper Troll Striker 2 rolls Damage Honoria Bite (2d4+3) and gets 7 (1,3)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 2 Baraj 1 (1d20+23) and gets 38 (15)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Rock Troll Bruiser 2 Baraj 1 (1d10+13) and gets 17 (4)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Carnage Troll Hunter 2 Shield (1d20+26) and gets 45 (19)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Carnage Troll Hunter 2 Shield (1d6+23) and gets 28 (5)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Carnage Troll Hunter 2 Baraj 2 (1d20+18) and gets 38 (20)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Carnage Troll Hunter 2 Baraj 2 (1d10+23) and gets 25 (2)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Creeper Troll Striker 2 Baraj 3 (1d20+13) and gets 27 (14)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Creeper Troll Striker 2 Baraj 3 (1d10+23) and gets 32 (9)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Next round, she will move on to attack the carnage troll who is on Andie if no one else gets to him first."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "FYI, your creeper troll is down. Hopefully he stays that way."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Neosodos will ready an action and prepare to fly down and land on an ally if one goes down to deliver the tiny amount of healing that he can. He is not getting in the middle against the shamans, as that is just stupid, and everyone else seems to largely have their opponents handled."
<OOC> Syval facerubs a bit. "Glorious, one down, two to go. Rock troll is next hopefully. Once I'm down to one I can help Andie as well"
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls To Hit Andie Claw 1 (1d20+15) and gets 28 (13)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls Damage Andie Claw 1 (1d8+10) and gets 12 (2)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls To Hit Andie Claw 2 (1d20+15) and gets 20 (5)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls Damage Andie Claw 2 (1d8+10) and gets 11 (1)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls To Hit Andie Bite (1d20+10) and gets 21 (11)
Carnage Troll Hunter 6 rolls Damage Andie Bite (2d6+5) and gets 9 (3,1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, that 13 will hit. Because it's a 13."
<OOC> Syval says, "Witchy business. :D"
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh, that works both directions?"
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Casting Check Rope Tentacles (1d20+20) and gets 26 (6)
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Rope Tentacle 1 Damage (3d6+12) and gets 24 (5,2,5)
Andie rolls Save vs Rope Tentacles 1 (1d20+13) and gets 19 (6)
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Rope Tentacle 2 Damage (3d6+12) and gets 23 (4,1,6)
Andie rolls Save vs Rope Tentacles 2 (1d20+13) and gets 28 (15)
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Rope Tentacle 3 Damage (3d6+12) and gets 17 (1,3,1)
Andie rolls Save vs Rope Tentacles 3 (1d20+13) and gets 29 (16)
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Rope Tentacle 4 Damage (3d6+12) and gets 23 (2,5,4)
Andie rolls Save vs Rope Tentacles 4 (1d20+13) and gets 17 (4)
Neosodos Drake rolls Casting Check: Firespray (1d20+20) and gets 31 (11)
Neosodos Drake rolls Firespray Damage (1d3+24) and gets 26 (2)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 1 (1d20+20) and gets 23 (3)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls Damage Syval Claw 1 (3d6+10) and gets 24 (6,3,5)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 2 (1d20+20) and gets 22 (2)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls Damage Syval Claw 2 (3d6+10) and gets 16 (2,3,1)
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you magic armor and thank you Honoria."
<OOC> Syval yawns. "I think I'm one bed prep away from rest for tonight, assuming I don't need a midnight snack to really knock myself out. I'll need to pause my side here."
Andie rolls Casting Check Firebolt (1d20+28) and gets 32 (4)
Andie rolls Firebolt Damage (10d6+30) and gets 73 (3,2,6,4,5,4,5,2,6,6)
Monger Troll Shaman rolls Saving Throw vs Firebolt (1d20+11) and gets 13 (2)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Rassinfrassin monger troll is still alive. :("
<OOC> Syval says, "We can fix. Quite a sturdy troll."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I confess, I didn't want to have to figure out what it was going to cast this round. Oh well."
<OOC> Syval says, "Unless it's casting quickly it might be an accident of magic. Does any of that fire incur DoT?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "DoT?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Damage over time."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, the survivors re the Monger Troll Shaman(s), Carnage Troll Hunter #6 (on Andie), Carnage Troll Hunter #1 and Rock Troll Bruiser #1 (on Syval)."
<OOC> Syval says, "No more creeper troll on me, any of the 3 on Honoria, or the 4 on Jyslin?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Having just finished Andie's turn (9 in the init order), the only spot left is Rock Troll Bruiser #1, on Syval, and then we're back up at the top of the order with Jyslin at 33, Carnage Troll Hunter #1 on Syval, then Honoria and Syval at 22, then Neosodos at 18, then Carnage Troll Hunter #6, then Monger Troll Shaman ... and you get the picture."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "All of the Creeper Trolls, strikers and archers, are dead so far. None of them have healed enough to get back up."
<OOC> Syval says, "I think my battlefield notes are well out of date already. Thank you for the update. I'll scrub all the excess trolls from my board; I've got 3 carnage trolls you didn't mention among other things, so lots of napping trolls."
<OOC> Syval says, "--Oh, and I forgot the notation I used for 'unconscious troll'. That explains several of these."
<OOC> Syval says, "See previous comment about not knowing I did a smart thing."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There are some carnage trolls who are within a round or two of getting back up if they aren't prodded along back into unconsciousness."
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 1 (1d20+20) and gets 40 (20)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls Damage Syval Claw 1 (3d6+10) and gets 17 (2,4,1)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 2 (1d20+20) and gets 24 (4)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls Damage Syval Claw 2 (3d6+10) and gets 22 (3,6,3)
Rock Troll Bruiser 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 1 Confirm (1d20+20) and gets 24 (4)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No confirm. So Syval takes 17 points."
<OOC> Syval says, "My poor *checks notes*... 60 HP, okay I definitely felt that one."
<OOC> Syval says, "Now 43 HP, will be 44 HP on my turn."
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 1 Carnage Hunter #6 (1d20+27) and gets 37 (10)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 1 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 16 (2)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 1 Carnage Hunter #6 (1d20+27) and gets 37 (10)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 1 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 18 (4)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 2 Carnage Hunter #6 (1d20+22) and gets 25 (3)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 2 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 15 (1)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 2 Carnage Hunter #6 (1d20+22) and gets 28 (6)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 2 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 19 (5)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 3 Carnage Hunter #6 (1d20+17) and gets 31 (14)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 3 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 19 (5)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 3 Carnage Hunter #6 (1d20+17) and gets 26 (9)
Sister Jyslin rolls Left 3 Damage (1d6+14) and gets 20 (6)
Sister Jyslin rolls Right 2 Carnage Hunter #6 Confirm (1d20+22) and gets 37 (15)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So ... Jyslin literally shreds through that troll. He's so far down he would supposedly stop regenerating."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He's over twice hs starting hit points into the negatives."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh my goodness. Troll chutney."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "One might imagine the roamer priestess is taking it personally when trolls try to hurt Andie."
<OOC> Syval says, "@name Jyslin = Blender Kitty"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li puts a pull-string in the middle of her shoulderblades. Pull -- chainsaw sound.
<OOC> Syval says, "Perfect. XD"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Hunter one now on Syval."
<OOC> Syval says, "If that was a Matel toy her hair would be the pull string."
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 1 (1d20+15) and gets 35 (20)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls Damage Syval Claw 1 (1d8+10) and gets 15 (5)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 2 (1d20+15) and gets 30 (15)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls Damage Syval Claw 2 (1d8+10) and gets 14 (4)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls To Hit Syval Bite (1d20+10) and gets 21 (11)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls Damage Syval Bite (2d6+5) and gets 14 (5,4)
Carnage Troll Hunter 1 rolls To Hit Syval Claw 1 Confirm (1d20+15) and gets 23 (8)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Syval gets ripped-into for another 15 points."
<OOC> Syval says, "Dang a crit-threat from both of them. I am getting mobbed by these pests."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smirks. "The bruiser is not a pest." :)
<OOC> Syval says, "28 HP. I no longer feel excessively stocky. @_@"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He's not a boss. But he's not a pest."
<OOC> Syval says, "That's the same rock troll who walloped me for 44. Ah wait a tick it looks like I docked 8 HP for Honoria's morale boost instead of adding it."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. It's Syval and Honoria. Honoria is going to step up on Bruiser #1. Do you think you can take out Hunter 1 on your own?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Nevermind, misread an attack line that I should have separated for clarity. HP total is good."
<OOC> Syval says, "Frankly I'm not sure I have been this injured in my life. I am very much indignant enough to try. Success is up to Chipira."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Would you like to go first, on the chance I can bring down the bruiser and help you mop up on the hunter? Your call."
<OOC> Syval says, "Between adrenaline, pride, draconic pride, and Honoria's magic courage, I'm not backing down from them. I'm not sure the difference our order makes but I can go first vs. the hunter sure. You'll get a flanking bonus on the bruiser regardless."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sic 'em, Greenie. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "This'll be a 5' step for 10ft reach then full round power attack plus my continually renewed arcane strike, m'kay?"
Syval rolls Bardiche Power Attack #1 (1d20+22) and gets 32 (10)
Syval rolls Bdc_Pwr_Damage #1 (1d10+27) and gets 36 (9)
Syval rolls Bardiche Power Attack #1 (1d20+17) and gets 24 (7)
Syval rolls Bdc_Pwr_Damage #1 (1d10+27) and gets 29 (2)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "32 hits by a mile. As does 24 (shorter mile)"
<OOC> Syval says, "So modern mile and Roman mile?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well done. He's down. Oh, fudge. I missed something. I need you to make a saving throw, Fortitude."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh my, what for?"
Syval rolls Fortitude (1d20+12) and gets 28 (16)
<OOC> Syval DragonFlex.jpg.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Long time distance. But you were checking those every time the hunters hit. Their claws have a paralytic on them."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. You saved. *pets dragon*"
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 1 Baraj 1 (1d20+23) and gets 26 (3)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Rock Troll Bruiser 1 Baraj 1 (1d10+23) and gets 29 (6)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 1 Shield (1d20+26) and gets 46 (20)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Rock Troll Bruiser 1 Shield (1d6+23) and gets 29 (6)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 1 Baraj 2 (1d20+18) and gets 28 (10)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Rock Troll Bruiser 1 Baraj 2 (1d10+23) and gets 24 (1)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 1 Baraj 3 (1d20+13) and gets 28 (15)
Lady Honoria rolls Damage Rock Troll Bruiser 1 Baraj 3 (1d10+23) and gets 28 (5)
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh please, I'll give you a nat-1 for that roll. Riddle me this, tiger: what are dragons immune to?"
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 1 Baraj 1 Confirm (1d20+23) and gets 30 (7)
Lady Honoria rolls To Hit Rock Troll Bruiser 1 Shield Confirm (1d20+26) and gets 34 (8)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Both are confirmed."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So that brings down the bruiser, Timber!"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Dragons are immune to a great many things. How many of them you have yet for being a were, I do not recall. I leave that to you. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "As of Weredragon 4 my hybrid form is paralysis immune according to you. ;)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "For his action, Neosodos lands on Andromeda's shoulder, decloaking as he emits a pulse of golden energy into her."
<OOC> Syval says, "Or us as much as anything. I have vague memories of sifting through Pathfinder's Dragon page for abilities and traits. I digress."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And now ... here come the vines. And Shaman spells."
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Casting Check Rope Tentacles (1d20+20) and gets 23 (3)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Oof!"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That there is a fail, yon two-headed gentlemen."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "As you are shaman, the only spell failure you can take is loss of spell and loss of piety points. But it does mean that the animated rope tentacles will not be attacking this round. And that puts your additional casting checks at a penalty, as apparently your faith has faltered."
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Casting Check Rock Burst (1d20+20) and gets 27 (7)
Monger Troll Shaman 2 rolls Casting Check Summon Monster (1d20+20) and gets 30 (10)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Wow. #1 is just having a very bad day. With the piety loss penalty to the casting DC, Rock Burst also fails. That causes additional Piety loss, and the even more substantial increase in the casting check penalty, to the point he is unlikely to be able to cast anything until that goes away."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "#2 does succeed in his casting check. Barely. (He is also under that casting check penalty; their deity is not stupid enough to consider them ACTUALLY separate creatures)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, the ground erupts, mud, water and plant life sloughs off as earth and stone surges upward, taking the form of a towering 18-20ft tall rough humanoid with glowing emeralds for eyes in its slightly misshapen head."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That is, I'm guessing here, the largest earth elemental young Syval has ever even heard of."
<OOC> Syval says, "Conjuration being zenemas, I would absolutely believe it. Of trolls or green dragons summoning elementals I have probably heard of; an elemental with limbs the size of tree trunks, no."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Seeing this, Andromeda does something very risky: she calls out to Honoria, entreating for her aid and protection, as she herself remains focused on targeting teh monger troll. (The risk here is that I am about to roll the elemental's initiative, and if it goes before Honoria there's a limit to what the lady knight can do. Not nothing, mind, but a limit.)"
Monger Troll Shaman 1 rolls Casting Check Rock Burst (1d20+20) and gets 27 (7)
Monger Troll Shaman 2 rolls Casting Check Summon Monster (1d20+20) and gets 21 (1)
Elder Earth Elemental rolls Initiative (1d20+3) and gets 20 (17)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li whew. Sorry for the gaff there. And ... the elemental rolled well. But thankfully NOT well enough to beat Honoria and Syval.
<OOC> Syval says, "Sounds like we're dodging rocks then!"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Giant rocky fists. Yes."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Power Slams at +21 to hit, doing 2d10+22 each, crit 19-20"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hitting with strength 34"
<OOC> Syval says, "I am thinking I need a word with that monger troll."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Which word did you have in mind?"
Andie rolls Casting Check Augmented Searing Light (1d20+28) and gets 48 (20)
<OOC> Syval says, "I am thinking the sound this makes: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/20/eb/fd/20ebfde97dad7b5794f62488c57b6235.jpg"
Andie rolls Casting Check Augmented Searing Light COnfirm (1d20+28) and gets 45 (17)
Andie rolls Damage Augmented Searing Light Critical Success (10d8+32) and gets 71 (2,2,1,3,5,7,2,3,8,6)
Monger Troll Shaman rolls Saving Throw vs Searing Light (1d20+11) and gets 26 (15)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And no, you fail that save, Sirs."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie manages to unleash her spell, nails it, as the corruscating light wraps around her stave and erupts across the distance, literally blasting a still-smoking hole through the thing's chest as it falls over backwards."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Unfortunately, the spell to summon the elemental is complete, and it remains to act upon the order it was given. Andie finishes out the round as there are no original enemies remaining. However, Syval will be able to tell several of the carnage trolls are stirring, likely stoon going to try to stand back up or start biting at ankles."
<OOC> Syval says, "By Azuth's beard, what a spell..."
<OOC> Syval says, "So Andie aimed that at the troll not the elemental?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Correct. That's why she asked Honoria to help out against the elemental. SHe knew she was taking a risk, but she felt she needed to end the threat of the troll caster before worrying about the elemental."
Lady Honoria rolls Chivalric Challenge on Elemental (1d20+15) and gets 30 (15)
Elder Earth Elemental rolls Resist Challenge (1d20+10) and gets 18 (8)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hearing Andie's ask, Honoria steps up, and recommends to Syval that he set about to acid-spraying or setting aflame the fallen trolls all around them. Then she calls out, shouting as she points her baraj at the elemental, a booming call that seems to transcend language as she takes up a point in front of Andie. THe troll-summoned elemental turns, giving forth a deep and rumbling call that does not come from any mouth, but is the earth itself trembling with fury in response. And then it charges. Honoria, however, forgoes all attacks and instead summons forth a shimmering wall of force that extends out in front of her shield, goes down into the water and earth at her feet and arcs high overhead, enveloping the party's front as she stands, braced, and simply takes the attacks levied against her, attacks she herself called forth by challenging the creature, and keeps its will and intent locked entirely upon her."
Elder Earth Elemental rolls Slam Attack #1 (1d20+21) and gets 25 (4)
Elder Earth Elemental rolls Slam Attack #1 Damage (2d10+22) and gets 31 (6,3)
Elder Earth Elemental rolls Slam Attack #2 (1d20+21) and gets 37 (16)
Elder Earth Elemental rolls Slam Attack #2 Damage (2d10+22) and gets 37 (6,9)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Honoria is definitely driven down, her boots sinking further into the soft, wet earth as the blows ring resoundingly off of the energy field she has summoned. But though the energy field does surge and flicker, it does not fall. Not yet."
<OOC> Syval says, "Jyslin's still hanging by troll bits ahead of me so if I back behind Honoria then breath to the left I'd potentially catch our downed trolls but not Jyslin, her trolls, Andie, or the monger troll right?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jyslin is right beside Andie, as her last action was to buzzsaw right through the troll who was on Andie. Honoria has stepped up past her, guarding both - and the party as a whole - from the earth elemental. The trolls getting ready to get up would be largely those who focused on Honoria, and Jyslin's own first pair. I think you could turn to that side and breathe at them without catching the rest of the party, as long as your breath does not then ripple and move across the ground to envelop the party in following rounds. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "I wasn't aware it lasted more than a round to begin with. In either case, the party is getting a warning then the trolls are getting a breath attack."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Cough, dear sir. I mean, dear dragon."
<OOC> Syval says, "If my notes are still accurate it's DC 15 as a standard action vs. DC 5 as a full-round, so DC 15 if I'm moving into a good position for this to not catch the party?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus."
<OOC> Syval says, "And Honoria's morale buff was to attack and damage but not concentration, aye?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Correct."
Syval rolls Breath Weapon (Standard vs. DC 15) (1d20+11) and gets 17 (6)
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
Syval rolls Breath Weapon Damage (DC 19 Reflex) (4d6+0) and gets 16 (1,5,5,5)
Huh? (Type "help" for help.)
Syval rolls Breath Weapon Recharge (1d4+0) and gets 2 (2)
<OOC> Syval says, "FYI, HP 43->44 and Honoria bonus has 2 rounds left. Breath weapon is now 2 rounds to recharge."
<OOC> Syval says, "No 29 HP from 28."
<OOC> Syval mutters about sticky Excel formulas.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Honoria's bonuses expired when the foes she challenged expired. :)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And unconscious trolls do not get a saving throw. So they take the 16 points, straight up."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you for highlighting that! Oh dear me. Back to 27 AC for me."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Thankfully that should not mean much, as the only threat we have immediately is the elemental, who cannot reach us until/unless it penetrates Honoria's barrier."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And, not to put too fine a point on it, but Andie will, when it gets around to her, call on Honoria to drop the field and then she will banish the elemental back to his home realm with her apologies for him being disturbed. But she is definitely winded, given the number of powerful spells she has pulled out in very short order to get through this fight."
<OOC> Syval says, "That is concerning on multiple levels, yes."
<OOC> Syval says, "Not least that there is plenty of trouble yet ahead of us."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "We went five rounds, total. In the course of that fight Andie pulled out a 5th, a 6th, a 4th, a 3rd, a 4th and then a 7th level spell."
<OOC> Syval says, "My spreadsheet has 3 rounds. >_>"
<OOC> Syval says, "Call it 4 for the opener and... ah that's 5 counting the banishment then."
<OOC> Syval says, "Nevermind, pot's good."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I will grant you, she has quite a bit more available to her. But that's a lot in a very short window of time, under stress."
<OOC> Syval says, "And not to put too fine a point on it, but I can count the number of times I've seen any magic above 6th level cast on a single hand."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Thankfully she did not have to pull out the biggest of guns."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Those tend to erase whole swaths of the natural environment."
<OOC> Syval says, "The irony of that in a fen witch will never get old for me."
<OOC> Syval says, "Eesh, late already. Shall we dive into post-battle RP tomorrow then?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "If we get the chance? Yes."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "At least by getting out of combat, future RP should go more easily and be something we can start and stop much more smoothly."
<OOC> Syval says, "Aye, that's the hope."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li huggles.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sweet dreams, dragon."

Once the elemental has been banished back to its own realm with an apology for it having been bothered, the group has time to - as quickly as possible - douse the troll bodies and set them aflame sufficient to assure they will not be regenerating. At all. Period.

By the time that is done and they have extracted themselves away from the stench, Jyslin and Syval are completely healed, despite how much harm they sustained during the battle. Jyslin makes a point of healing Honoria's injuries first not so much because she is gravely wounded as because she is a Selunite, she is a little injured, and she is the primary defender in the group; best to have her at full strength while they sort out what the Frell they are going to be doing next.

Then it is time for Jyslin to worry about healing Andie. Which takes a while; the witch was in fact teetering on the brink until Neosodos returned to her, and though he does not separate from her and did heal her when he could, he's no actual trained medician. It takes most all of Jyslin's remaining Art to heal Andie's injuries. But she spends it all unstintingly, mostly restraining herself from giving voice to all of the clucking consternation over her lover's injuries to which she clearly wants to give voice.

For her own part, Andie tries to stay quiet, obey Jyslin's requests, and let it all happen. She is in fact concentrating on the swamp around them, feeling it out and trying to be aware of any additional threats. She knows this place is not safe; its heart is in the hands of a force inimical to her and to everyone in this group. What she needs to know is if that power is already taking steps against them. Hard to know just now, but she is trying.

It does not help that the party's two best scouts are busy healing or supporting Andie instead of scouting.
<OOC> Syval says, "And back."

Anyone paying a close eye to the party's heavy hitter when the last troll fell would find Syval in a similarly worrisome state, but as he did with the barbarians and trolls before them, the verdant dragonoid walks off his wounds stoically and works dutifully but quietly at the hasty troll disposal. The aftermath of battles seems to draw him into his own head and after seeing that Jyslin has the medical care in hand, his attention joins Honoria's in facing outwards towards the woods. A quick absentminded cast cleans the his few healed troll cuts but no attempt is made to mend the gashes in his robes.

Frowning as he takes a few steps further down their path and towards the magic heart of the forest, Syval crouches down and touches one of the vines that was previously enchanted by troll arts. The draconic wizard snorts distastefully, wrinkling his nose.

<OOC> Syval is trying to feel for lingering troll magic and any connection to the heart of the forest. He recalls feeling the forest's magic twist in response to the shaman's casting.
<OOC> Syval also is a /very offended/ green dragon at having forest magic used on him.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li pets. "Poor dwaggin. Afronted, are we?"
<OOC> Syval says, "More affronted because I can't do that myself, and that if I could fly it would have been less of an issue."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, I'm assuming that Syval is learning the flying thing. Just hard to do down under the jungle canopy. Much harder than out on the plains."
<OOC> Syval says, "I am, just not well enough to do it on command like this, yes."
With time and concentration Syval can indeed sense the troll magic receding, if only barely, fading from the vines and tendrils it had commanded against the group. But he can also feel that the magical miasma of the swamp is indeed touched and tainted; something wicked this way comes.
<OOC> Syval says, "The taint is moving/changing or just present?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Your pose now for the party or mine again?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Just present."
Once Jyslin is done healing Andie, she crouches down to look her over one last time. "OK. So, apparently our chances of getting a safe rest in here are close to nil. And you said that on a good day we had a least half a day's travel, maybe more, through this to reach the heart?" Sure, Andie covered this before, but Jyslin is confirming.

Honoria remains silent, watching and waiting. She has little useful to offer right now.

Andie sighs. "Yes. That is an accurate, if somewhat disheartening, recounting."

"The swamp is tainted. If you need rest, it's better to do it here than further in," Syval adds grimly as he stands up and takes stock of the others. It's a show of trust that Jyslin barely receives a glance. "I can summon a horse to use, at least for a couple hours... How depleted are your magicks?"

Andie sighs and nods towards Syval. "Both also true." The taint, and that if they were to rest here would be better than elsewhere further in right now. "I will admit, I have just used more magic in less than ten minutes than I have used in over ten days. But I suspect I should be fine. Jyslin has healed my flesh, and Neosodos' touch has restored my equilibrium. I do not think we can truly afford to remain still long enough for anything more than that. But I would like to avoid more such encounters until we can get much closer to the heart."

And Andie has been thinking over how to do that for days, now. "Unfortunately, the coven has clearly sensed our arrival and are already dead set against us. They will surely have put in place means to disrupt any attempt to reach them mystically rather than physically."

"Then we continue on foot and take caution as we travel," Syval suggests plainly. "As long as a band that large doesn't appear twice Jyslin and I can carry most of the fight - conserve your remaining magics for the hags themselves." Shifting the pack upon his shoulders the therianthrope adds, "And if you can make way, I would like to surprise our next problem with dragon's breath."

"Don't let me slow you down." Honoria comments. "Meaning no offense, Syval, but I can take whatever you dish out, at least until you are a good bit closer to a wyrm."

Jyslin glances at Syval, but does not burst his bubble. She has great confidence in her ability to hold up in battle, but she is under no illusion that mettle alone will be sufficient here. Not with their enemy already aware that they are coming and that they are already here.

"I will restrain myself as much as I can, I assure you." Andie comments. "After all, I am sure it is their hope and desire to bleed me of my magic and stamina, more than to actually hope they can prevent us from reaching them in time." So, neither stupid nor blinded by arrogance, this coven of hags. Most unfortunate, that.

Syval rests his weight upon his bardiche and breaths deeply of the humid, woodland air, letting it refresh him. "Of course Honoria. I've no illusions of where my strength of arms puts me in our order but I daresay the hags will sooner kill us than wear out two therianthropes. If there are any smaller risks ahead I'd rather we take them."

Casting his eyes back to the witchy women of the group he asks, "Can anything be done to make our travel less noticeable, or can the coven track us through the forest itself?"

Andie sighs and shrugs her shoulders slightly. "To be entirely honest, that depends upon their level of connection to the heart of the swamp. I believe I can 'fuzz' their sense of us to some degree, but how successful I will be will largely depend upon how much progress they have made. And I cannot tell that from here." So the witch will do what she can, but can make zero promises.

"Obviously we need to practice as much wilderness discipline as we can manage. And that includes sound discipline." Jyslin murmurs. She looks meaningfully at the lady knight, who merely sighs in response.

"Short of removing my armor and packing it away, Jyslin, there is little I can do about the noise I make when moving." Honoria responds. SHe's not being snippy, but it is the truth.

The former roamer nods. "I know. But I am wondering if you would be offended if we helped you with a mild spell?"

Honoria meets the werepriestess' gaze curiously. "I did not think the Silence spell would last long enough to be of use given how much travel we must do?"

Jyslin frowns and shakes her head. "No. That would not work. Not that I know of, anyway." She makes a point of glancing at Andie for confirmation before she continues. "But there is another spell. I originally learned of it from a bard companion during my days before becoming a priestess. Sound Bubble, he called it. It does not render silence, but instead contains all sound created within the bubble to the bubble. We would all hear you, but the sounds of your passage would not carry beyond the magic's border."

Honoria hmms softly and shrugs. "Well, if that spell would be of any greater duration, I would be willing to try it. I would not take offense. But I hope if real combat arises you will be able to drop it quickly."

The sinuous voice of the tiny reptile riding Andie's shoulder responds, "I shhhhhhould be able to bring it down quickly." Neosodos then turns his head towards Jyslin. "You pay attention well. Did not even name the spell."

The former roamer merely shrugs. "Helps that I'd seen it used several times before. Thank you for not being annoyed with me for suggesting it."

The little dragon ruffles his wings a bit, settling. "No. Not annoyed. Will do what I can to helllllp." Helping the others helps Andie, after all.
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh snap big pose."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, lots of little poses strung together."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "All of the NPCs are chatterboxing around you."

A little more light comes to the party wizard's eyes at the mention of a new spell and his gaze lingers on Neos long enough to promise, politely, that the Eldritch Wyrm won't make it out of the swamp without teaching him its rudiments.

Dropping his pack, Syval busies himself rearranging his supplies and tying off the pendant hanging from his bardiche as he adds, "I know a Whisper spell if we need it, but preparations would take me a quarter of an hour or so. Beyond more trolls, are there any favorite friends of hags in swamps that we should be ready for?"

Andie answers that last question. "They have surely connected to the swamp at least a bit, so I would expect the possibility of animated or corrupted plantlife. And there was a vegepygmy population here when last I visited. They are likely to have been negatively affected by the hags' influence here. You are unlikely to be affected by their poison, but they are incredibly crafty, stealthy creatures and vicious when defending their own realms. They also tend to function in large bands, given their tiny size."

Jyslin speaks up, "Please tell me there aren't moldmounds here?"

Andie makes a face that is clearly her attempting not to laugh uproariously. She coughs a bit and shakes her head. "No. No moldmounds here. Or at least, not the last time I was here."

Jyslin shudders a bit in suppressed horror.
<OOC> Syval says, "Imma' definitely ask for a Knowledge check on both of those. K:Nature is it?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus."
Syval rolls K:Nature (Vegepygmy) (1d20+8) and gets 13 (5)
Syval rolls K:Nature (Moldmounds) (1d20+8) and gets 25 (17)
<OOC> Syval says, "One suspects I have also encountered a moldmound before."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Vegepygmies are tiny humanoid creatures seemingly composed of cast off, rotting plant material and mold. That's about all Syval knows."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Moldmounds are typically enormous - large or larger - mounds of mobile, adaptive colonies of mushroom frills and the earth or other matter from whence they grow. They are not intelligent, per se, but do act on instinct, and apparently they grow strong enough to breed more of their own kind by infesting mammals with open wounds and then suffocating them to death, growing from the corpses as the new spores feed on flesh and blood."
<OOC> Syval says, "Yikes... And with my apparent familiarity I'd know that from more than book-learning. The ups and downs of visiting a little stream/waterfall in the woods."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "They are moderately unusual in that they can thrive despite moderate sunlight."

Syval grimaces as he tightens up his pack and gives a consoling look to Jyslin. "If the moldmounds here are alike to the Weathering Heights, then take solace we can at least outrun them. That and they do not enjoy acid." Andie meanwhile gets an odd glance as the dragonoid asks, "You look like you have a story to tell."

Andie shakes her head. "No. I am only now managing to emerge slowly from Jyslin's disfavor. I am not going to encourage my return to that circumstance by telling a story I am sure she would prefer I not."

Jyslin looks to the witch and nods. "Appreciated. Neo, I leave the sound bubble to you. I know that means you are going to have to stay inside the bubble. So it will be up to me to scout ahead. Keep in touch."

That said, the werepriestess tucks her sword handles back up into the sleeves of her robes and readies her bow, stringing it as she walks forward, measuring each step against the uneven footing of the swamp. This at least has the benefit of clearly marking for others good places to set their own feet as they follow a bit behind her.

Jyslin's sense of smell and Syval's will clearly be of vital importance as they proceed. Jyslin will also have the advantage of her hearing, while Syval will be stuck with only the sounds of the party around him while the bubble continues.

Neosodos waits until everyone stands, then rises up, focusing only momentarily as he utters the words 'Bubble of Sound' in draconic. There is a pulse and thrum as the energy sweeps out from the tiny wyrm and envelops the party out to a radius of some thirty feet, then stabilizes in place. There is just enough sense of it for Syval to be quite sure the spell is stable, neatly tied-off to the tiny dragon's concentration and emanating from his scaled form.

Making himself ready to travel again and now a little quieter, the party dragonoid casts his gaze backwards to check the woods behind them then sets off with the others. His fringe shudders as he feels the spell wash over him and anchor itself to its caster, and he breathes deeply of the humid swamp air, mentally preparing himself for whatever challenge the hag-warped swamp sets in their path.

Jyslin rolls K: Nature (1d20+16) and gets 18 (2)
Jyslin rolls Survival (1d20+19) and gets 20 (1)
Jyslin rolls Perception (1d20+24) and gets 32 (8)
<OOC> Syval afks for phone.
Jyslin rolls Reflex Save (1d20+20) and gets 23 (3)
Everything proceeds well for about two hours. Then everything falls apart a bit, as Jyslin strides to another mound of seemingly solid ground only to have it completely disintegrate beneath her. In mere moments the former roamer is nearly swallowed up whole by what turns out to be a massive sinkhole of quickearth. But at the last moment Jyslin is able to leap prodigiously and roll away, only losing her slippers to the quickearth.

There's some darkly muttered wild dwarvish cursing that follows, as Jyslin unslings her backpack and searches within to fetch another pair of shoes - boots, this time - and settles them on her feet before shouldering the pack once more. Thankfully none of the party can hear her cursing.
<OOC> Syval says, "Back. I got voicemail."
<OOC> Syval laughs. "Our poor guide. Thank goodness for her cat-like reflexes."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Meow."

Watching from the rear of the party, Syval sighs in relief when the roamer priestess escapes with everything but her footwear and takes the brief stop as a chance to drink from his waterskin and survey the swamplands behind them again. After the sudden attack from the troll band, the past period of peace has begun to set the dragonoid on edge. It's certainly no help that the thrumming heart of the swamp, ancient beyond words and corrupted as it is, draws closer with every step.

<OOC> Syval says, "And phone."
Jyslin rolls K: Nature (1d20+16) and gets 30 (14)
Jyslin rolls Survival (1d20+19) and gets 36 (17)
Jyslin rolls Perception (1d20+24) and gets 39 (15)
Checking behind the party is never a bad idea, and good of the dragonoid wizardling to be thinking of it; that offers the opportunity for him to see their tracks disappearing, all signs of their passage rippling away in slow motion as if the swamp itself is reflexively closing in around them.

Prepared once more, Jyslin heads off, checking ahead of herself carefully as she goes; she best avoid that problem the next time, rather than just trusting to her feline reflexes to get her to safety.

The path they tread gets a bit less direct as they twist this way and that, Jyslin clearly picking up signs of things she would rather avoid. Syval will be able to catch whiffs of distant troll scent now and then, as well as other things. But Jyslin leads on, relatively confidently, and the party manages to avoid trouble for the rest of their day of travel. The former roamer even manages to find them a small slightly raised hillock upon which they can set up and rest for the evening meal together.

Neosodos does have to renew the Sound Bubble during this period, but that does mean it is still in place around them as they gather to eat. "Apologies, but I think setting a fire to cook would be a bad idea." Andie explains, as they produce dried fruits, hard tack, jerky and bread for now. "If we can maintain this pace, Jyslin, we may be able to reach the Heart before the Hour."

The capital letter is audible in the emphasis of her phrasing, and the gravity of Jyslin's response as she nods slowly. "I assume if we do not get to them by then, they will be a good bit stronger, as it will finally be the last day."

The witch nods solemnly. "Yes. But if we have not reached them by the Hour, I strongly recommend we hold fast and only approach well afterwards. However strong I may be, I am but one against their coven. The heightening of the Hour could be disastrous."
<OOC> Syval says, "And back. Thank you for waiting."
<OOC> Syval says, "May I Survival check to snag some edibles while we travel or is the pace and route not conducive to that?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Including a poison berry for our helpful drake. O:)"
Syval rolls Survival (1d20+7) and gets 26 (19)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I'm sure you can gather some edibles. ;)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Am I right that we're within a couple hours of the Heart now? Does it feel any different to me from when we entered besides being stronger?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The gentle miasma of corruption you've been feeling is stronger, thicker. A taint."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Like veins of darkness pulsing beneath the surface."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. Since dismounting has Honoria been moving at 20ft speed or 30ft?"
<OOC> Syval says, "--I completely forgot about wizard gum. >.<"
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah well. Post-trolls I doubt anyone had an appetite."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Honoria is keeping up at 30ft. The benefits of being a knight of her level; even without her armor being magical, it does not slow her down."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. I thought I remembered that from previous conversation but hadn't thought to write it down. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "These are notes I should be taking for speedier play. Important to know the party speed."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jyslin is moving a good bit less than her own optimal speed so as to keep the party with her, and burning that with her testing of routes, etc."
<OOC> Syval respects and is a little jealous the roamer is fleeter of foot.
<OOC> Syval says, "If it were anyone else I'd be confident I could hustle her down but what I know of therianthropes and have seen of Jyslin tells me her stamina is competitive with mine."
<OOC> Syval says, "Which I admit has come to mind in other contexts but now is not the time."

Syval climbs straggling up the hillock after ducking behind some trees to relieve himself before meal time. Despite the humidity and unsure footing the green dragonoid looks and has so far been more quiet and comfortable at the rear of their line than his hulking size should allow. His sand-hued eyes are still alert and responsive, and the shade of thickening tree cover dulls the luster of his verdant coat to a matte, swampy green.

It's no wonder perhaps why true green dragons are such terrors in both forests and fens.

Fishing in one of his pouches, the scaly wizard produces a few handfuls of fresh berries and leaves which he offers among the group. Neosodos specifically gets berries from a different pouch; he wasn't going to risk mixing those up. "Even corrupted the swamp here is lively. I do think it wants us to succeed," he comments.

Neosodos crawls down off Andie's shoulder and across her lap to get close enough to Syval to accept the poison berries, giving adorable little churrs of pleasure at them, his long barbed tail swaying and curling about sinuously.

Cold food shared amongst the group is eaten quietly, but there is plenty to keep everyone fueled. The water is safe, pure, clean, and comfortably cool. How? No one knows. Or at least no one is saying.

"In as much as the swamp has an opinion, it would certainly prefer we succeed rather than fail. But there is little it can do to affect the outcome. What little it can do, however, it will; it will respect and honor us, at least as much as it can, until the coven's hold is solidified. Once that happens, however, all bets are off." Andie answers. "Rest, prepare and restore yourselves as best you can. We will likely not have much warning before the confrontation. And ideally we will end up confronting them tonight, rather than tomorrow, which will mean fighting them in the dark."

Honoria grimaces. Jyslin lays a hand lightly on the knight's forearm. "I know your sight is severely limited in the dark. But there is a blessing I can lay upon you to help. I will make sure that is my first action before we attack."

So long as the heroes have the advantage of choosing that moment, all should go well. But will they get that chance?

Syval eats quietly with the group then double-checks his pack, ensuring everything is still present and tight. "Our steps have been disappearing behind us; perhaps that will be a sign when the coven has full control." At the mention of the dark, the dragonoid smiles, showing spear-like teeth. "And I shall watch from our back with Neos in the middle. We should be safe as long as they don't catch us too suddenly. No doubt their trolls will try to beat us back while the hags cast magic but at least we'll smell them if we keep downwind." The green-scaled wizard grimaces and adds, "Though once we are finished here I may have had enough of troll stench for one lifetime."

<OOC> Syval stretches out and notes the time. "Would you like to continue this tomorrow as well?"
Jyslin rolls K: Nature (1d20+16) and gets 24 (8)
Jyslin rolls Survival (1d20+19) and gets 29 (10)
Jyslin rolls Perception (1d20+24) and gets 27 (3)
Andie nods. "I agree. The swamp is covering up our tracks and breaking up our scent trails as best it can, which has managed to help us avoid further assault parties." And Andie has managed to call upon the swamp to keep that up. It hasn't been easy, but thus far she - and the swamp - have been successful.

The last thing she wants is another Land of Lost Souls.

Jyslin stands and stretches out. "OK. Neosodos, are you going to be able to maintain another sound bubble?"

The tiny dragon nods his head. "Yessss. I can." It helps that the spell is only second level. He has lots of those per day, by comparison.

Once Jyslin has traveled down the hillock and then moving on, Neosodos climbs back up onto Andie's shoulder and unleashes another sound bubble as the group stands, gathers their things, and starts following the werepriestess.

The journey from this point grows increasingly twisting and convoluted, and at least a few times Jyslin is forced to turn the party back upon itself as she moves around paths, groups and threats she manages to detect. By this point Syval will also be catching strong whiffs of troll stench, and will feel an itching crawl beneath his scales as his draconic nature responds to an pervasive miasma of darkly tainted magical power thrumming through the swamp. The heart is clearly very close, and very strong.
<OOC> Syval says, "Is the swamp biome itself changing as we're getting further in?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "A bit wetter/looser. More rot."

Syval keeps close to the party's back and slinks behind them with his wings tucked as the swamp grows thicker and the sense of foul hag magic stronger. Checking occasionally behind for dangers and to gauge their disappearing tracks, his taloned feet continue to find fair purchase in the uneven ground even where it's spongy and wet. Not just for swimming, the webs between his toes seem to help trap the loose peat and mud underneath and spread out his substantial weight.

Fingering the leather tied about his bardiche, the green-scaled wizard looks around suspiciously, as if expecting to find hags behind the next clump of trees.

[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 20 2 Trolls

2022-07-23T00:03:49Z

VanyaDoll2: VanyaDoll2 moved page Journey Day 20 2 Trolls to Journey Day 20/2 Trolls: So alphabetized search is chronological

#REDIRECT [[Journey Day 20/2 Trolls]]

Journey Day 20/2 Trolls

2022-07-23T00:02:44Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "Syval stops and his tail flicks behind him as he scans his sand-colored eyes over the surrounding woods. "And they're close," the mage murmurs, sinking into a ready crouch and..."

Journey Day 20 Hunnuli

2022-07-22T23:56:37Z

VanyaDoll2:

\The conversation between the two dragons continues on for perhaps another half an hour before they both decide they're done. Neosodos returns to just quietly contemplating his mistress, communing with her as she restores her magical power.

Jyslin comes out from the tent at the dragonoid's summons and takes her watch, checking with him about what has been detected - not much - and then shoos him off to get some sleep of his own. She then later wakes up the princess knight to take her own turn.

When everyone awakens the next morning and Andie works on breakfast Honoria mentions to everyone that Jyslin should probably take a sweep a bit to the south of their line of travel this morning, as she saw something going on earlier in that direction. Since nothing came near the campsite, the lady knight stayed quiet and let them pass. "It looked like a gathering, perhaps a small herd, of rather large creatures. Large horse sized, war horses or the like."

<OOC> Syval says, "Is there a steady wind blowing away from the mountains that'd put the creatures up-wind?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There's a moderately steady wind blowing towards the mountains."

Syval's sandals crunch softly on underbrush as he ducks beneath a branch on his way back from the privacy of the woods. To attentive senses the young man's gotten more comfortable in the wilds since they first set off. "That's a strange sight this far along the Toadsquat," he considers with a light frown. "Maybe they're stock for the barbarians we met."

<OOC> Syval facerubs. "Sorry for the short pose. I think my mind's shutting down a bit for bed now."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smooches. "S'okay. We can pause here and pick up another time. It IS 9pm at this point."

<OOC> Syval was thinking to add a concerned look towards Jyslin at the prospect of her wandering off alone again. Her being downwind would have helped. Upwind means getting close to things.

<OOC> Syval says, "Correct me if I'm wrong, we're now on morning of 29th of Mar, day 20 of travel, and about half a hex from the White Bog?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus."

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. Not much for notes this morning but I'm going to try to keep things accurate this time."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li snugs.

<OOC> Syval hugs back.

Syval's sandals crunch softly on underbrush as he ducks beneath a branch on his way back from the privacy of the woods. To attentive senses the young man's gotten more comfortable in the wilds since they first set off. "That's a strange sight this far along the Toadsquat," he considers with a light frown. "Maybe they're stock for the barbarians we met."

The wizard looks to the sleeve of his robes as they blow south towards the rising slopes of the mountain range then he casts a wordless glance to Jyslin. Moving downwind with her scent ahead of her, Syval might not be keen on their roamer making another excursion alone.

<OOC> Syval says, "There, same pose as before with a little more subtlety and substance in a bonus paragraph."

Jyslin frowns. "I don't want whatever it is following or shadowing us where we won't smell them coming." she comments. Honoria doesn't do anything by scent, but she does understand the concern and she nods. "Hence why I mentioned it."

Though Jyslin seems quite prepared to trek off and investigate Andie speaks up. "I think not, Jyslin. We have other options." She looks down at the small drake curled up on one of the fire ring stones, soaking up the heat. "Would you mind, Old Friend?"

The dragon uncoils himself languidly and sighs, stretching his wings. His sing-songing raspy, almost but not quite squeaky voice answers "Verrrrrry well. But I want berrrries." he protests, turning to look at Jyslin accusingly.

The priestess smirks, and pats the pouch at her waist. "I promise."

With a harrumph, the little dragon coils himself, then launches up into the air, wings beating at the sky to claw and climb his way further up ... and then with a shimmer that starts at his nose and ripples down his length to his tail, Neosodos disappears. And after only a very little while even the beat of his wings is gone, leaving no sign whatsoever of his passage.

<OOC> Syval says, "AFK for phone, almost done."

Syval's shoulders sink in quiet relief as Neos gets the task ahead of Jyslin and as the mottled pseudodragon takes flight, the therianthrope focuses on him and thinks, <Thank you, Elder Brother.>

Walking fully back into camp once the little wyrm is out of sight, the young wizard takes a deep breath of air flavored by the witch's cooking fire and looks around the remaining women. "We're almost there now. Half a day's journey, or about that much, and we'll be at White Bog's edge."

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry for the wait."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smooches. "NP."

<< Berrrries! >> Neosodos replies as he flies away, beyond even his reach of mindspeech to perform the scouting mission asked of him.

Jyslin and Andie both nod. "Yes. About that. And time is very tight. Come, sit, and eat. Once Neosodos returns, we should get moving as quickly as possible."

<OOC> Syval laughs!

"It's done? Let me get my bowl, then," Syval responds before hastily ducking over to his tent to retrieve his breakfast dishes. No fancy levitation this time; the small displays of Art might be cute, but the young man's hands are faster.

"It is still the 29th of Marpenoth," he reminds as he brings his wooden bowl to the communal pot for food. "That's time enough to get almost to the core by nightfall if your domain is with us. One full day to scout the coven and deal with them, another to rest and prepare for the month-ending alignment. Truthfully I've never been to a bog before," Syval confesses with something of a smile. For some reason he seems to be looking forward to it.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Neos knows what he wants. :)"

One the bowls are provided, Andie serves up breakfast and then cleans things up as they eat. "I cannot promise the domain will be with us, which is why I am as concerned about our timing as I am. But we can only do what we can do."

Jyslin shrugs. "We amble around the Dread Bogs all the time, back home. A lot different than plains, or jungle. A lot of uneven grounds, high water table, frequent sinkholes and pooling water. I haven't been to this one, but the water can often go stagnant, leading to insect infestations. There are salves," she looks to Andie, then back to the others, "that can convince the insects to go elsewhere. But they aren't universally effective. Some things are just too stubborn. And watch out in the water for leeches, or worse."

Honoria frowns, clearly discomfited by this. But this is where they're going, what they are going to be doing. "This is going to be messy." she mock-complains. She cleans her armor and gear every night, regardless. But she can still be less than thrilled.

"A great deal of humidity will be trapped within. Expect things to feel a great deal hotter, and for perspiration to be less effective at body cooling as a result." Andie offers as advice. Of course a hybrid green dragon is unlikely to care at all, and the lady knight has magical armor that will cut the worst of that.

"That doesn't sound so different from Delzimmer's floods then. The rainy season always brings plenty of mud, water, and insects along with its snakes. I wouldn't mind if we could make some scaletail and roast insects tonight for meat," Syval considers hopefully. He can't help grinning a bit at the lady knight's only half-joking discomfort. "I don't charge for cleaning Art," the young wizard reminds as he settles in to eat. After a few bites his attention shifts inquiringly to Andie. "What of the horse? And how are you feeling?"

<OOC> Syval says, "I'm good pausing after this pose for rest. That'll be my last good one for tonight. It took a little longer because I forgot to write down "scaletail" in my notes."

<OOC> Syval says, "It's a local Delzimmer dish of snake or lizard filleted into strips, typically fried in a spiced oil as a street food, but it's also smoked and dried as a trail ration. According to the Forgotten Realms wiki, there is a good chance if you three went shopping for cheap meat rations in Delzimmer that's what you got. Especially as October shouldn't be terribly far into the dry season so I'd think there were still plenty of them around to catch."

<OOC> Syval would have brought some among his own rations at least. He certainly doesn't mind them. "Apparently roasted boar will in a hundred years or so be imported from Luiren, so I guess they're not really a thing here - which seems odd. I thought boars lived basically everywhere below the frost line."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "They do."

<OOC> Syval says, "Hmm :Ia Then again, monster ecosystem too. I should remember what else is out there and probably eats boar."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li tucks in dragon.

<OOC> Syval should bed prep, then much appreciates. :)

<OOC> Syval says, "Gah, wrong button."

Neosodos returns to the party; Andie is the first to know this, as she has been paying attention to her link to the tiny dragon, and she looks up from her seat astride the horse even as the tiny drake ripples back from invisibility to normal and flies down to gracefully land upon the witch's shoulder. <>

This draws some rather excited commentary from Andie and Honoria, whom clearly know what this means. But Jyslin clearly does not. << Quite amazing. I had thought the last herd long passed from the Shaar. Did they seem safe, Neosodos? >> his witch mistress inquires.

<< So far as I could tell, yes. As you will remember, their kind are not easy prey. The natural animals seem to know this and are not bothering them. I saw no sign of other threat. There seemed to be four dams and three stallions. I could be mistaken, but I believe the leader of this herd is the largest of the dams. Her mark was the most pronounced. >>

<OOC> Syval says, "Are they a magical critter I might have heard of in my studies (K:Arcane)?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It is within the realms of possibility."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "They are in fact a magical and a critter."

Syval rolls K:Arcane (1d20+13) and gets 31 (18)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li applauds.

<OOC> Syval says, "Magical critters are my speciality and historically I've used trips like this to study. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Lay it on me. What's so special about them despite being so rare?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hunnuli are an exceedingly rare - believed to now be extinct - breed of magical horses. They were noted for being larger and stronger than standard horses, as well as vastly smarter. And legends imply that they were able to bond with magically-gifted riders, becoming a sort of familiar, complete with telepathic communication, and a wellspring of additional magical energy."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Their nickname was 'witchsteeds'"

<OOC> Syval glances at Honoria.

Syval turns his head in surprise to the little drake. "You saw witchsteeds? They haven't been sighted in the Shaar for years - the High College thought they were extinct."

"It'd be a helpful miracle if we had the time and means to tame one. They'd make a far better mount than what we have," the young wizard considers with a baleful look to Andie's distant horse.

<OOC> Honoria glances back> "Mmmm?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Admit, one would be a fitting mount for you, and smart enough not to spook from Jyslin and I."

<OOC> Honoria nods. "OK. This is true. Yes."

Honoria mentions, "Hunnuli are also very fast, and have incredible endurance. But they tend to only accept and bond with very special riders. Even in my time they were rare."

Andie considers this. "Perhaps, then, we should make a point of trying to track the herd after we are finished in the bog? Then we would not lose time on our deadline, and we could take the time in an encounter with the herd to prove our good intent and wait patiently for them to come to trust us enough to allow our approach."

Jyslin glances around to the others, and draws some context clues together. "OK. Magical horses of some such? Sorry, I've never heard of them. 'Witchsteeds' sounds very interesting." She looks pointedly at Andie, who holds up her hands palms out.

"I did not name them. None of my sisters did, either. Though if I recall correctly, Autreanne did bond with one."

Honoria nods at this. "Indeed she did. And that mare survived through the entire war and our retreat up into the mountains. I, of course, cannot know how long the mare survived thereafter."

"Hunnuli are larger, magical horses that are supposed to be like natural familiars; intelligent, magically-charged telepaths like our Eldritch Wyrm," Syval supplies for the priestess. "Beyond that their abilities are wizard speculation, but since we have a couple experts here maybe you three can tell us more while we travel?" he suggests to the witch and princess with a smile that's not entirely magnanimous. Oh yes, the young mage will definitely be taking notes.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Scribble-scribble-scribble! :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Knowledge is power! In the Electrum Circle I can sell this information."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So also money! :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Which can become spells, supplies, food, raw materials for enchantments... so yes - power."

Andie and Honoria seem happy enough to share what they know. "From what I saw, yes. The hunnuli are very intelligent. Autreanne's mare was the natural leader of all of our horses throughout the retreat. The only competition were a few of the holy mounts. I cannot say if her dominance was helped by Autreanne's power and influence or not, but no mere horse however well trained could hold a candle to her. She was also able to telepathically communicate even with those who were not their bonded riders. I also witnessed that hunnuli carry loads half again as great as my own warhorse with ease, and maintain greater speed and endurance while doing so."

Yep. Honoria speaks very, very highly of the pretty, pretty horsies. She might have a bit of a fangirl crush on them.

"I must admit that we were never entirely sure whether Azuth summoned them from another realm, or created them by magically altering natural horses." Andie explains. "The first stallion was bonded to Dastian, one of Azuth's first holy blades. They were never very numerous, but by the time we left Raurin, there were thousands of them."

The witch shakes her head. "Many, many died during the Great War, slain on both sides of the conflict. And they seemed to become very depressed after the war ended. Their birthrates plummeted. I thought they were all gone. The last hunnuli I saw or read of was bonded to Volthuma Tredes."

<OOC> Syval giggles. "Ooh she's a horse girl. Honoria would get along so swell with Karen."

<OOC> Syval says, "Who for that matter would make a half-decent roamer without a lot of tweaks."

<OOC> Syval says, "That last one's not a name I'd recognize right?"

<OOC> Syval recalls belatedly the idea of a dragon mount and considers that a Hunnuli might be needless competition. :Ia

Syval rolls K:Religion (1d20+6) and gets 11 (5)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Volthuma Tredes is a legendary, if not outright mythological, figure of a wizard of great power loyal to Selune who went on a massive crusade against the forces of Miclante (god of the dead), especially the undead and his fire giant shaman."

<OOC> Syval says, "Around when was that, according to the legend?"

<OOC> Syval says, "And no relation of the fire shaman to the Raurin genies, or are the descriptions possibly compatible?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Newp. No relation. Genies are creatures from Beyond (the planes); fire giants are one of the breeds of giants (hill, stone, frost, fire, cloud, storm are the classics)."

Syval pulls a wooden tablet from his pack and listens studiously while quietly scratching away with his stylus. The wizard smiles a bit at Honoria's clear enthusiasm for the magical creatures and gives a small nod to Andie at the mention of his obligate patron. "Azuth's teachings aren't specific on that as far as I remember; they're simply credited to him. Hunnuli did exist within the Shaar going back for centuries but owing to their speed and selectiveness it was rarely more than lone sightings - similar to unicorns. After a long enough time without any being seen I think it was assumed they were extinct; living this far out I can begin to see why. They must keep distant from any signs of civilization."

Turning a skeptical eye towards the immortal witch Syval adds, "Don't tell me you actually met Volthuma..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And Tredes was supposedly from around 3k years ago."

Andie meets Syval's gaze and smiles. "I promise. I won't tell you that." But she does not say it is true.

Hey. She's immortal. Neosodos is old enough to have met him, so surely his mistress could have as well.

Jyslin just rolls her eyes. She still has not made all of her peace with Andie's immortality.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hehe! This actually seems like a nice FTB spot and it's late enough for winding down tonight, yes?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles. "It's not a bad spot, no."

<OOC> Syval hugs. "Thank you for another nice session. You kept me busy between poses doing note updates tonight." :)

<OOC> Syval says, "I'm having to get a little more organized with OneNote. Maybe I'll start learning hotkeys at some point too."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Heehee. I need to learn OneNote hotkeys, too. I use it a lot for work. And it seems most places still lean heavily on O365, so I'll likely keep that up."

<OOC> Syval says, "It's the gold standard for students too since schools have been picking up Office accounts for students. Cloud storage of documents must be nice; no more rewriting an essay because of a hard drive failure..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nodnods.

<OOC> Syval says, "I've Googled the hotkeys a couple times and there are quite a few. It looks pretty powerful, I just haven't learned more than a small handful."

<OOC> Syval gets settled. "Ahh, now to shift mental gears back to dragon therianthrope things."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li pets. "Yus."

<OOC> Syval debates testing Ghost Sound...

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry I can't offer much for setting. That was easier from in front than behind. Thankfully this arrangement shall eventually pass."

Syval pulls a wooden tablet from his pack and listens studiously while quietly scratching away with his stylus. The wizard smiles a bit at Honoria's clear enthusiasm for the magical creatures and gives a small nod to Andie at the mention of his obligate patron. "Azuth's teachings aren't specific on that as far as I remember; they're simply credited to him. Hunnuli did exist within the Shaar going back for centuries but owing to their speed and selectiveness it was rarely more than lone sightings - similar to unicorns. After a long enough time without any being seen I think it was assumed they were extinct; living this far out I can begin to see why. They must keep distant from any signs of civilization."

Turning a skeptical eye towards the immortal witch Syval adds, "Don't tell me you actually met Volthuma..."

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

Andie meets Syval's gaze and smiles. "I promise. I won't tell you that." But she does not say it is true.

Hey. She's immortal. Neosodos is old enough to have met him, so surely his mistress could have as well.

Jyslin just rolls her eyes. She still has not made all of her peace with Andie's immortality.

<OOC> Syval says, "Yes, I still have backscroll. Were we not doing an FTB here?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, if you were going to test Ghost Sound, this seemed like the place?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But we can just tromp along and work on that at camp tonight."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li fetches water while she works on composing.

<OOC> Syval says, "I'll add to this then. That works."

<OOC> Syval yawns a little." "Sorry, post-dinner lazy caught up with me for a moment. Good news is I'm feeling a bit more centered again.

<OOC> Syval *"

The green-haired wizard holds his gaze on Andie then shakes his head with a dry smile. "Well then, in another 3,000 years you can say you met us." After finishing his notes the wooden tablet is closed and slipped back into its pouch, then Syval scans the sparse woodlands around them. "Before we get too far this morning there is a spell I'd like to test. It should be about as loud as all of us shouting, so it's better to cast when we're ready to move."

"Well, we're ready to move now. So let's go ahead and go." Andie offers. She glances ahead at Jyslin "Keep and eye and a nose out, please. If they draw close to us, I would prefer to find a way to peacebly encounter them rather than run them off." The woman who smells like magical tiger and the man who smells like the half-dragon he is would be the challenges with that effort; they're intelligent, not noseblind or stupidly reckless.

That said, everyone spreads back out and gets ready to go, waiting while Syval makes the attempt at his spell.

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh, before I hit send, should I Will check for this?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No stress. No need."

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you for confirming. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "If this was in a conflict scenario, with consequence for failure, the answer would be yes."

<OOC> Syval says, "And that would be separate from a Concentration check (if applicable), yes?"

Adjusting his pack to one side, the young mage dips his head in appreciation then closes his eyes and focuses inwards. First he seeks out the familiar spark deep within his mind and grasps hold of it. Outside, his form thickens and scales with the therianthrope's transformation back into the weredragon form he'll likely hold again until well past sunset. It's a transformation that's gotten smoother and faster with practice but remains at best an act of concentration and effort. Syval releases a few large breaths when the shifting stops and at first gingerly flexes his wings until the post-shift tenderness fades.

Then after a long pause he speaks a word that hisses naturally past his serpent-like tongue and rumbles around thorny teeth. Neos alone is likely to understand it.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes."

<OOC> Syval says, "And if it's alright with you I shall leave the DM to portray the result as she feels fit since your resident drake-o-mage just cast a full-powered dragon roar via Ghost Sound (CL8=32 humans' volume which is the example dragon roar)."

<OOC> Syval says, "He is thinking 'well my normal spell is about as loud as 4 people so this so be as loud as 4, maybe 8, and a muted mini-dragon roar would be fitting."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh hah. I have an unassigned sorcerer cantrip slot. Something to fill in later."

And out amidst the trees some fifty feet away emerges a full-throated draconic roar. There might be some dragons that can roar louder; that would be a question for those that know them better. But it is not at all the 'miniature and muted dragon roar' Syval is expecting.

The dragonic hybrid will be a bit surprised, even shocked. And his mental instinct connects that sound with the one he 'hears' only in his mind every time he embraces his spark and his memory-shadow of the vision.

It should come as no surprise that the horse chooses this moment to take off like a shot. It takes Honoria every bit of effort she has to restrain the beast and not let this become a pell-mell chaos.

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh no I just realized something hilarious... XD"

<OOC> Syval says, "Dismissing a spell is a free action but you must speak "words of dismissal, which are usually a modified form of the spell's verbal component.""

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "And Syval didn't practice the councelation words."

<OOC> Syval says, "I might not know those words. Do I know those words? Did the spell come in a pair, so to speak--"

<OOC> Syval says, "Exactly."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He should know them. He has not practiced them. So I think it's worth asking the dice gods how good of a job he does at properly pronouncing them."

<OOC> Syval says, "Which kind of check would you like?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Spellcraft to recall, and Linguistics - Draconic to pronounce."

<OOC> Syval says, "I don't have separate Linguistics skills per language, so that's a general Linguistics check?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus"

Syval rolls Spellcraft (1d20+13) and gets 14 (1)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li oofs.

<OOC> Syval says, "I am a teensy bit distracted. It'll burn itself out in... oh only 7 more rounds. <.< >.>"

Syval jumps as much as anyone else when that terrible din fills the trees and turning in the direction of the roar he hastily fans down with his hands while trying to shout down a dismissal. Actually hearing the young mage is probably a lost cause until his spell ends.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hmph. That pose would have a lot more life if I had a language to use for incantations Not having one for wizard spells gets in my way here. I should Google for one later."

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry the pose is small and kind of junky."

Andie struggles not to be flung from the saddle and trampled as the horse continues to panic. In that condition she can do little to assist. But Neosodos launches himself from her shoulder up into the air and then glows momentarily as he hisses out - in his tiny dragon voice - the Word which commands the magic to stop. It's a targeted pulsewave that Syval can feel as it brushes the edge against him, snuffing out his spell and silencing the noice.

This at least allows everyone to reflect on this while order is restored. Wow, what a mess.

And yet Neosodos mindspeaks to Syval. << Well done, Little Brother. Next time, perhaps, practice your cancellation Words as well as Activation. But well done. >>

The green-scaled mage looks up in surprise when the roar stops without his help, only to relax when he realizes what the Eldritch Wyrm has done. Syval turns aside and coughs sheepishly, eyeing the terrified stallion rather than the pseudodragon. << The human Art for that doesn't work, I see... >>

<< 'Words' for activation, Little Brother. 'Words' for deactivation. >> Neosodos explains. << Practice both. >>

with silence restored, Honoria is able to fully control the horse, and its wild-eyed panic subsides to sheepish confusion, and then finally to slump-shouldered if brief exhaustion. Neosodos then returns to Andie's shoulder and curls around her. "I think your experiment worked out a bit better than you planned, yes, Syval of Amlar? Still, congratulations. Perhaps a bit further away, next time, if you do not mind?"

The guilty mage rests his bardiche upon his shoulder to raise both hands placatingly as he shakes his head, but even so there's an excited buzz of sorts at the edge of the dragonoid's features. "If I had known it would be that loud I would not have cast it. My normal magic is a whisper compared to that -- by Azuth's beard, the Journeyman who taught me didn't cast that loud..."

Syval checks himself before he starts /actually/ smiling and looks with concern between the witch and her mount. "Are you okay up there?"

Andie checks with Honoria, and then turns back to Syval. "We are, now. Thank you for asking. Let's get started. Our apologies, Jyslin, for making everything more complicated."

And off they go. Yet even as the small party regathers themelves and gets started, a new sound is added, this time coming from the southeast. A low, basso thundering. Subtly, the earth beneath feet, claws and hooves vibrates. And then come shrill, neighing challenges. And the clear blue sky above crackles with lightning, shockwaves across the heavens.

Andie reacts swiftly. "Scatter!" she cries.

Of course the party is pretty scattered already. But the reason for the witch's concern becomes evident as the source of the vibrations becomes clear: a charging herd of almost completely night-black horses, each one of them easily half-again as tall and broad as the battle-hardened barbarian pony upon which Andromeda sits. And largest of them all, leading the charge, comes one mare whose coal black coat sparkles as lightning crackles across the eyes and shoots down from her hooves to join those of the others.

The sound, ever so real, of a dragon's raging roar sounded. And this herd did not flee, but as actually charged out and is shouting their challenge at the beast, as if prepared to do battle!

<OOC> Syval looks around innocently and whistles. "Uh... Eldritch Wyrm, you're up." O:);;;

Any hope of a smile slips from Syval's face as he hears the rising thunder of the herd as well. "Oh no..." he bemoans before hastily running behind the nearest and largest tree he can find on short notice and tucking his wings in close. On a quick thought a moment later, the apprentice mage hastily recolors his High College red robes into a less eye-catching woodland brown.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hurray Prestidigitation. :D"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Color cantrip. Yus. Very handy."

<OOC> Syval says, "Not changing the scales though. That's going too far. u_u"

<OOC> Syval taps the pause button.<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li snugs dragon.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Mad hunnuli! Mad hunnuli herd! Run for your lives!"

<OOC> Syval says, "And you know what's even funnier? Syval'd originally planned on trying the spell in human form first."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But trying to spark-cast it?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Yes. Of course that'd be more difficult."

<OOC> Syval says, "It's a skill he'd like to develop eventually, since spending all his time in hybrid form isn't desirable."

Displaying aplomb and intelligence, the charging hunnuli bank and wheel, never letting themselves slow down enough that anyone would dare approach or obstruct them, and it is patently clear to every member of the tiny party that they have been spotted and assessed. While the massive black horses do not see the dragon they are seeking, they do smell him, and their wheeling brings them back around and aimed straight for Syval and his tree.

Which is when the madcap dash of the heavily-armored Honoria brings her up in front of Syval, shield raised but no weapon at hand as she erupts in light and bellows forth a commanding shout: "Stop!"

The herd splits in twain and chargies around Honoria, the tree, and the dragon hybrid between them, before rejoining and wheeling back around, finally slowing as they trot forcefully, still sparking but no longer crackling with doom's own hellforge of power.

Honoria winces as the lead mare's mindvoice shouts mightily and nearly levels her. << We heard the dragon prepare to attack, and came to help! Why, then, lady knight, do you dare defend this foul creature in its ill intent, as it even now attempts to disguise itself and pretend at humanity?! >>

<OOC> Syval says, "That's audible to me as well, yes?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "'audible'. Yes. But you're catching the 'backwash'; the majority of that mental force is being directed right at Honoria."

Syval grimaces at Honoria's reaction to the mindvoice and casts a betrayed glance at his tree before steps out into the open, relaxing his posture enough that his wings half-open as he jabs his bardiche into the ground and its Azuth pendant jingles against the haft. Sensing the moment's fragility he doesn't dare step close to the herd nor the lady knight. Even so the young man can't help staring a little at the mythical creatures.

<OOC> Syval folds his arms. "They better not mess with my lady knight."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li grins.

Still wincing, a gauntleted hand raised to press against the side of her head, Honoria speaks powerfully in spite of and through her pain. "I swear to you, honored hunnuli, that this dragon means and intends no harm at all, and is not pretending at humanity. He is in fact a hybrid, and what you heard was not his roar of challenge or ill intent, but a mistakenly-enhanced magical creation of sound, I believe wrenched from his own memories. I swear this on my life and my sacred honor."

And then Honoria moves back in front of Syval's changed position and kneels down, shield still in front of her but head hung low in submission, and awaits the judgement of the herd ... and the herdmistress herself.

The herdmistress trots forward and stops, lowering her muzzle to wuffle at Honoria's hair. She then turns her head, wuffling again towards Syval consideringly. << A hybrid, you say? >> This time the voice is the herdmistress alone, and not nearly so mind-shatteringly forceful. << None such as that have been seen in many herds upon herds. >>

Now that the herd is not attacking, the lightning abates across sky and ground. Their eyes become warm, rich and impossibly dark blue horse's eyes. But now all can see that each bears the same mark upon the left foreshoulder: a jagged white lightningbolt pattern.

<< We come to aid, not to condemn. If this creature is truly no threat to those in need, we leave it in peace. >> the herdmistress promises.

<OOC> Syval ponders...

Syval looks down with a moment's worry when Honoria kneels to the Hunnuli and his features betray a tense watchfulness until the herdmistress speaks. When she offers absolution he dips his head in gratitude. "The only aid we could ask is for safe passage to the White Bog as we seek the hag coven in its depths. My apologies for the fright caused by my miss-cast Art."

<OOC> Syval says, "Eh, I can't quite thread that needle. That'll be a job for a later pose."

The herdmistress trots a couple of steps closer, wuffling at Syval curiously. << Mmm. Learning your way. >> She looks up towards Andie, still astride the - by comparison - tiny barbarian war pony, and the tiny dragon resting on her shoulder with wings spread in the sunlight. << Apprenticed to a proper teacher, then? Good. >> That massive black head bobs up and down, demonstrating her approval.

<< Not yet a master of your wings, then? >> the herdmistress questions in good seeming humor.

Assured that the crisis is averted, Honoria climbs back to her feet as the headache slowly ebbs, the pained expression not as dominant on her features. "I thank you, great Hunnuli, for sparing me and my companion." she intones formally.

The herdmistress turns and bumps Honoria's chest with her nose. << Lady knight, your kind are quite rare these days. Perhaps even as rare as we of the herd. We would not eliminate such as you if there were any other choice. >> The herdmistress then looks around and questions, << Where then is your steed? I see only the one, and it far too small for your size and mighty armor. >>

Honoria answers softly. "My dearest friend was left behind across more time than I can tell the herd, and I have found no new companion. We have traveled afoot, save now for the lady witch, who due to exertion required aid if we were to make our deadline."

The herdmistress considers this for a bit, looking around the party and then back to her herd. << So it is as the young hybrid has said? You go to the bog, to confront the hags and their coven? >> When Honoria nods, the herdmistress continues. << Can your hybrid do the shifting of forms yet? Easier, then, to carry when its heels do not puncture the ribs. >> She gazes out past Andie. << And you can tell your tiger woman that we will not stomp on her, so long as she does not try to eat us. >>

<OOC> Syval snickers. "Now Jyslin gets to feel included."

<OOC> Syval says, "I don't completely follow what you mean by "Easier then to carry when its heels do not puncture the ribs.""

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Dragon feets has rear-facing/heel-pointing claw points."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Put a dragon hybrid onna horsie, and the normal riding position means attempts to nudge the horse will instead open up its flesh."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh! I thought she was talking about me shifting fully dragon for Honoria to ride. Thank you."

Syval coughs under his breath before shaking his head as the comment jabs at his pride. "You are right that I am still learning - the wings and the magic side of dragons. I have full control of my human form, the rest is coming with practice."

"And I am a male wizard," he clarifies.

<OOC> Syval had to bite back a few far more provocative ways of saying that 2nd paragraph.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles.

<OOC> Syval says, "Yeesh that pose took me longer than I thought."

<< Of course then, Mister Wizard. >> the herdmistress offers, without a trace of irony in her mental tone. << As we understand it from the Memory, the changing of the shape is an uneasy feat. Perhaps, then, you should begin that effort? Soonest done, soonest we can leave. >>

What? Did they forget to explain that the hunnuli will be transporting the party to the bog? Whoops! Well, now everyone knows.

Honoria gasps at this. Then she steps forward, resting her gauntleted hand gently upon the mane and neck of the herdmistress. "We cannot thank you enough for your kindness. Might I ask which of you might be willing to serve, however briefly, as my mount?"

The herdmistress bobs her head up and down forcefully. <>

<OOC> Syval says, "Welp I did ask for that..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Or tried at least, yes. :)"

"It's as you say," Syval affirms as he reaches back for his bardiche and grips it supportively before mentally releasing the grip upon his spark. The transformation back from hybrid to man is slow but comparatively uneventful, and the apprentice's robes fade back to their natural red at about the same time - their brief disguise expiring.

While Honoria goes to fetch her saddle, saddle blanket and more the herd moves amongst the party, sniffing experimentally. One of them sidles up to Syval after what seems pretty clearly to be some 'discussion' to which the two-legs are not privileged.

Another approaches Andie and then bows her head respectfully. << Sister, it is an honor to see one of your family again. Might we humbly suggest that you send your little friend on his way? He will not be able to keep up with us, he should not hurt himself trying. Allow him to return to his herd. >> the hunnuli advises.

Jyslin too is approached and sniffed by the remaining hunnuli, until one of their number chooses her as well. << Rest assured, Sister's mate, we understand your blended nature and do not fear you. We will carry you safely to the bog as quickly as we can. What training have you in the riding of our lesser brethren? >>

Honoria returns with saddle blanket, sattle and bridle, and gently, even reverently puts on and adjusts each for the hunnuli herdmistress. Then she sets about helping Andie down, transferring her saddle and gear to the volunteered hunnuli, and then getting the witch back up on the much bigger, much taller horse. Some assembly required, there.

Jyslin's strength and agility allow her to leap up and land lightly bareback on her hunnuli, and she settles quietly, petting the mane. "I will let you steer yourself, honored ally."

Honoria does then check to see what aid the change-weakened wizard may require before daring to mount the herdmistress so that their ride may begin.

<OOC> Syval says, "Nice pose. :) Do you mind a pause here for the night?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li snugs. "Nope. Do you?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Only as far as I'd like to keep going if I weren't too tired."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li tucks in dwaggin.

<OOC> Syval says, "Lucky Jyslin... it's been a while I'm sure but she at least learned to ride a horse before."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "True that."

<OOC> Syval is probably going to relax the herd by totally farking up 'climb on a saddle and don't fall off'.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, it'll be a blanket, not a saddle; we only have the two, AFAIK."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li kisses. "Nini."

<OOC> Syval says, "I've got a bit of bed prep first. Are you off to rest now?"

<OOC> Syval kisses back. "Sleep well and pleasant dreams."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li buffs dwggin scales.

<OOC> Syval reclines. ~u~

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah yes, the part where I'm getting on a horse for the first time..."

<OOC> Syval yawns and laughs. "Wishful thinking I suppose. I'll need to be a little more alert for this. Not sure how it's 8PM already..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li scritches dragon.

Once he's shifted into human form, Syval spends a moment catching his breath from the shock of transformation then looks up to the Hunnali waiting on him and bows his head politely. "Be at ease. I don't bite in either form." Then, taking his bardiche from where he jammed it into the ground, the stocky mage ties the weapon over his shoulder and approaches from the side. It takes a little fiddling with his robes first but with a practiced hop the green-haired weredragon mounts as well. He's had at least some practice

Once she has seen everyone safely mounted and under control, Honoria smoothly and gracefully mounts the herdmistress and then leads the way. What follows, then, is largely a blur for any not used to such rapid transport. The hunnuli herd thunders across the ground until they are up to speed, and then they progressively start sparking again, and they start running up the sheets of lightning they create until they are flying, if only a dozen feet or so off the ground.

To those riding it feels no different, as the enormous horses' bodies still bunch and compress and spring open, running flat out simply without the earth itself beneath their hooves. But once they are charging across the air itself, the hunnuli pick up speed, continuing to an almost ludicrous degree. The herd crosses three quarters of a day of travel in a mere few hours, coming to a halt outside the bog's outermost wooded perimeter before the highest point of sun for the day, and they do so unwinded, as though this feat is of no import whatsoever.

The herd and their passengers do seem to ride past or above several of what might have been potential encounters, including a band of gnarled and twisted giant-sized humanoid creatures whom attempt to intercept the herd with launched rocks and spears but fail. Once the herd lands it takes them a while to slow down and come to a halt so that their passengers can then disembark and work to remove the saddles and bridles and blankets, setting the hunnuli free once more.

<< We would be of little use within the bog. But since this is thy domain, we shall leave you to it. Perhaps we shall return in one moon to see if you have been successful. Travel well, and go with the blessings of your faiths, one and all. >> the herdmistress sends, before gathering up her four-footed people with a sharp neigh, and charging off across the grasslands.

<OOC> Syval will imagine he passed some of the trip sating his curiosity with his mount. "If you don't mind we can fill in a little of that offline to fill out my notebook with Cool Horse Facts."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You can feel free to come up with a list of questions you'd have asked, and I'll do my best to answer them in proper hunnuli non-herdmistress manner. ^_-"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I'm really super proud of myself for deciding that the hunnuli are 'unnatural' enough that the boss of a herd is a mare, not a stallion. That just tickles me all kinds of shades of lavender."

It's a bracingly fast trip and the singularly unique experience isn't lost on the wizard at the back of the herd. By the time the Hunnuli stops and it's time for everyone's disembark, Syval slides off wide-eyed and visibly a bit buzzed. Whether from excitement or a stray spark from the lightning road is hard to tell.

<< Elder brother, >> he thinks with a discrete look towards Neosodos, << How fast was that journey compared to normal dragon speeds? >> Then aloud he says foremost to his mount, "Thank you for your aid and the honor of your visit."

Watching the herd literally thunder away, the wizard takes his bardiche again in hand and stretches out from the long ride before shutting his eyes and restoring his half-draconic transformation.

<OOC> Syval laughs. "Credit to you that I barely took notice. They're clearly sentient so I assumed at that point they'd organize as they please."

<< There are dragons that can fly faster. But none can maneuver so well as a hunnuli, save the very, very small. Like myself. >> Neosodos answers. << The larger dragons can travel faster by reaching higher, to the thermal inclines. But they can only do so because of both their enormous wings and their massive sizes to stabilize them. Else they would be tossed about like spare baggage, as I would if I tried. >>

It takes the party about fifteen minutes to reorganize themselves in no small part due to a need to change their progress and pattern. Now that they have reached the bog they will be staying in closer order. Without a horse to handle they can do so well. But Jyslin will range ahead of the party a bit - remaining within easy sightline - to scout the right paths. Once again, it does seem that Syval will be traveling at the rear, but this time 'the rear' is only five or so feet back from the middle.

"I know the racket I make is less than ideal." Honoria offers to Jyslin and Andie before they begin.

Andie merely shrugs. "It is what it is, Honoria. I would no more ask you to walk these paths unarmored than I would ask Syval to shed his scales. Those about whom I am most concerned will know we are coming and where we are regardless of mere silence."

As the party begins moving into the bog, Syval will of course notice the increase in temperature - slight, at first - but also the increase in humidity in the air. His draconic nature luxuriates in this, leaving him feeling loose-limbed and at ease on a subconscious level he has not experienced before. And the shaded presence of trees all around seems to speak to something deep, deep inside his soul.

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh that's a fascinating thought. Fly up to the jetstream to get a wind speed boost. Now that'd really be fast travel."

<OOC> Syval says, "Do I have a sense for where the primordial magic deeper in the bog is located? I assume that's our heading?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You're kinda steeping in the outer bounds of it from the moment you step inside the bog, because the bog is (comparatively) so small."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But yes, there is a 'brighter' center to it, and that does seem to be the direction Jyslin is heading. She doesn't __seem__ to discuss with Andie or converse to plan, but she does seem to still know where she's headed."

<OOC> Syval says, "50 miles wide seems pretty big to me. That's some potent magic to be felt like that at 25mi. :>"

<OOC> Syval, excited wizard.

<OOC> Syval , also excited dragon.

<OOC> Syval says, "Just to check: Google's showing me bogs are generally sparse in trees and heavy in moss and peat. Is the White Bog then more open and spacious than the foothills we'd been trekking through earlier, or is it more swampy with a canopy of brackish-adapted trees spread overhead?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Again, we seem to have had some issues of understanding. We have been skirting the low-lying hills of the foothills; so we haven't been traveling through light forest. We have been traveling through open grasslands with intermittent copses or lonely trees."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That being said, here in the bog, at the outskirts you have big, healthy, heavy-canopy jungle trees. Further in you will find boggier conditions, fewer interspersed trees, a slightly thinner, higher canopy. The bigger trees will become infrequent, but subsequently taller and more massive, with higher upper canopies but fewer layers of canopy."

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry I didn't mean 'yesterday' earlier, more 'when we brushed the edge of the Toadsquat'. Really I was thinking of the Weathering Heights I'm ICly familiar with for what forest looks like. Thank you for clarifying. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "I started googling "bog" and now I'm down a rabbit hole of bogs vs. fens vs. swamps vs. marshes. I'll play with that more later and set aside RL definitions."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Also, there will be a sort of fog closer in to the heart and northern edge, owing to the fact that the water here is the assemblage of a plethora of tiny - thusly map-invisible - streams coming down out of the Toadsquats and down into here."

"If it helps, lady knight, I can color your armor to better match our surroundings," Syval offers as they walk. The bog is unfamiliar territory to him and its sights and sounds both give him plenty to adjust to , even as the stocky mage seems to find no difficulty in keeping his footing over tree roots and through sloppy peat. Catching a glimpse of bright insect life he even smiles a bit. "This is a nice bog so far. It's like an apothecary store in here."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah~, so we're in a fen. :D"

<OOC> Syval says, "Alas, too small for dragons to swim down. Note to self: invent innertube."

<OOC> Syval could probably lash a couple waterskins together to make one for Neos at least.

"There is good reason why I chose the territory of the bogs and swamps." Andie murmurs from a little ways off, though she does not try to insert herself into the conversation.

Honoria glances at Syval and shrugs her shoulders with clanking. "None of that will dampen the noise I make in moving. And I think changing the color of my armor would only make me ... not quite me?" She smiles, though. "I do not think a store would let everything roam free."

Andie chuckles at that. "No. But Syval is not far wrong. A vast array of the greatest natural healing agents come from plants and animals found in places like this, or in the deepest jungles. They are the wellsprings of life. It is a lot of what Mai and I have in common, and why Vitarie loved to visit us both."

The dragonoid can't help but grin, and flashes more teeth than he probably means to. "The gentle brook visiting the jungle and fen witches? Selune sorted you all right," he remarks in amusement. "The insects here can also be used in glow ink, and they cost a great deal once they travel as far as Delzimmer. Plenty more than healing effects exist in this place. I've sometimes wondered if the Halruaa chapter has a more developed apothecary tradition. Delzimmer's always seemed a little light."

<OOC> Syval says, "I am an idiot. ^_^;"

<OOC> Syval says, ""White Bog /Woods/""

<OOC> Syval says, "So yes, there are plenty of trees here."

<OOC> Syval says, "So woods with a foggy fen-to-bog transition in the middle? Like a tonsured forest?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li laughs.

<OOC> Syval says, "Apparently from my brief reading so far, ignoring valley bogs, bogs are elevated by peat accumulation in a river-fed fen until it's too tall. Then with only rainwater to feed it the soil pH changes and you go from lively weed-filled fen to mossy anaerobic peat bog. Valley bogs form when the soil is naturally acidic and river-fed, and take all this with a grain of salt because I still have a lot of reading to do and that's before anything gets translated into Shaar terms where magic is a normal thing."

<OOC> Syval says, "'Elevated mound of peat surrounded by trees' makes me think of a tonsure though. :D"

"I rarely visit Halruua." Andie admits. "And that despite that they have one of the largest fresh water swamps in all of the Shaar. Nevertheless, I can say that they are not shy about apothecary tradition. But they are less inclined to it than one might think. Their representation of the other faiths, outside of Azuth, are limited, and they are ... ill inclined towards witches."

And though Andie does not explain this, witches are the font from which constantly revitalized knowledge of and appreciation for alchemy and apothecary traditions flow, and most often and most directly into the divine traditions than the arcane.

Honoria just snorts at this and shakes her head. "Only fools pick fights with witches. Sometimes necessary, but never wise."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh! Educational moment please: what was the High College's position on apothecary and alchemy traditions?"

<OOC> Syval says, "I recall potion brewing is more of a witches thing than in PF standard, but there's some apothecary/alchemy knowledge outside that for things like glow ink at least."

<OOC> Syval says, "And poor witches, they get a bad rap. Blaming Shakarn and Cantare's group for that one."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Within civlization, yes, there's a lot of negativity or unease about witches, and yes, Shakarn as the Betrayer, and Cantare and the 'wild witches' did not help that."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The High College respects apothecary and alchemical traditions as knowledge worth preserving. But it is rare amongst their teachers that they have someone considered authoritative enough to teach it to a high degree. They often bring in cultists to teach higher classes for those few students who show an aptitude and interest. Or send them out to classes with those specialists."

<OOC> Syval says, "I see! So pursuit of that knowledge isn't frowned upon like necromancy (it's not zenemas), its original teachers just aren't well regarded. :)"

<OOC> Syval $u$

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah good, I do have a single rank in Craft: Alchemy. That plus class skill from Wizard should reflect a full but not focused study of the matter."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "It is not frowned upon. But they openly acknowledge those with the real talent for it are few and far between amongst arcane traditions. They do their best to support those who find themselves called to it, but they do so by looking outside of just themselves."

<OOC> Syval says, "Actually that's something I should integrate more into my background. My wandering would have been good for ingredient gathering as I've mentioned before, and well, green dragon. If there's any color that'd take an interest in magic plants..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It would be like those choosing to study engineering and mechanicals. They would bring in gnomes or dwarves with acknowledged skill at such things."

<OOC> Syval says, "A dwarf at the High College must feel horribly out of place. XD"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Indeed."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "In no small part because dwarves have no arcane tradition of their own."

<OOC> Syval says, "E-yup."

<OOC> Syval also ICly likes the idea of turning 'cheap thing' into 'expensive thing'. Thus, Craft: Alchemy.

"After Shakarn and the Great War some of that is warranted," Syval opines from the rear, "But it is good to know the truth of the matter a little better. If the true nature of witches wasn't lost at the tattered edge of Maenast legends, the Electrum Circle at least would view you all more properly I think."

"I'll admit alchemy was never my best subject but it is the easiest tradition to earn a living from. The challenge is in knowledge and gathering - the preparations aren't so bad." Here the dragonoid cringes lightly and adds, "But I will still leave the making of bombs to the gnomes. Drunken urine is a terrible ingredient."

<OOC> Syval says, "History lesson: phosphorus was first isolated and identified by alchemists who distilled it from urine. A common means of gathering urine for these experiments (and later production) was to leave a bin outside the local tavern."

Andie does not bring up that the gnomes cannot hold a candle - quite literally - to the craftings of a witch of Talos. Andie has seen the transparent gelatin they create, and its aftermath.

"Any path, any tradition, can lead to those who misuse it." Andie offers honestly. "There have been dark knights. Fallen holy blades. Wizard who embrace zennemas. Shadowy assassins. Yet none of these quite evokes fear in mortals as does the lone witch on their outskirts." She shrugs. "I have always believed it comes as much from a lack of true understanding - so uncommon are we, and so often held far away from them - that the worst rumors spread, and are never dispelled, feeding on one another."

<OOC> Syval says, "Is there a witch of Talos? <.<"

<OOC> Syval finished Googling as a refresher. He seems like a deity who wouldn't get a lot of devotees in civil circles.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But not everyone in the world is civil."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There's a coven of his called the Destructoria. Yes. Talos has witches. Not many, even compared to other faiths in the Shaar. But he has them. And they are scary as fark."

"I think you speak truth," Syval agrees. "Most Delzemaer at least aren't inclined towards open trust of things we don't understand. There are plentiful enough evils about the Trader's Way and Weathering Heights to teach that lesson. And as to witches specifically, you witches of Selune are somewhat the exception. Most witches and warlocks I've read of were cursing farmers or disappearing children, not teaching alchemy."

"Hags do not help, rare as they may be." Andie admits. For indeed the hags are witches, too. And they can and do steal children, curse farmers, and much worse. "It likely also does not help that witches find it very difficult to explain themselves to others who do not follow their ways. And what they do say will often make little sense without that basis." Does make one wonder how one trains to be a witch, doesn't it?

<OOC> Syval reaches over and hits the pause button. :)

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you for the session this morning. We covered some nice ground. ^_^"

want to pick back up where we were or slide forward?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hmms. "Why don't we give it a shot at continuing from where we were."
<OOC> Syval offers fresh hummus and chips while working on a pose.
<OOC> Syval says, "Homemade with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and walnuts for lack of more appropriate nuts."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh! And I need to give it a dusting of cumin."
<OOC> Syval says, "Better. Okay, now I'm posing."

"Most wizards can tell you that's wasting breath. Explaining the Art to a commoner isn't worth the time either. It's not their fate to understand such things I think; too many big and complicated ideas," the dragonoid opines as he steps around a thick tree trunk and glances up in appreciation of its thick and healthy canopy. "Now an open-minded member of the Electrum Circle might pay you handsomely for the privilege. It seems we have forgotten a disgraceful amount over the past ages."

"But I was not speaking just of commoners, Syval." Andie responds calmly as they make their way into the jungle growth of the outer ring of the swamp. She moves with a calm, easy grace that makes it clear she isn't just comfortable here; she was born for this. Even Jyslin doesn't quite look as comfortable as Andie does. "Even an open-minded member of the Electrum Circle or similar sets finds it near-unfathomable to understand what a witch has to say about what she does, how or why she does it." But she does not argue about what has been lost or forgotten; that much is patently true, but has nothing to do with 'witch' and everything to do with her unique perspective as an Immortal.

"Oh? Perhaps you can try me once we've dealt with the hags," Syval offers gamely to the small slight towards his pride. "After learning of Kyreska on this trip I think my mind is open to anything regarding magicks. There's much more to touching the Weave than Azuth's faith..." The verdant-scaled mage doesn't notice the calm ease with which the witch navigates but it's perhaps because he's have no trouble keeping up. The same sure-footedness the towering wizard had entering the bog woods continues to bely his size and there's no sign the muggy air is bothering him either.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "To which honestly the witch only needs to point back to the start of their interactions, when Syval was all furious with her for not telling him everything he wanted to know the instant he wanted to know it once he realized there was anything to hear. ^_^"
<OOC> Syval says, "Syval would say that's neither here nor there."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Uh-hunh. Sure. Right. ^_-"
<OOC> Syval says, "Not understanding an explanation of how witch magic happens is different from not getting one. He's at least come to accept keeping secrets and knowing more than she lets on is stock and trade for Andie."
<OOC> Syval says, "And for what it's worth he's assuming that's a Sister thing not all witches necessarily."
By comparison, the lady knight seems to be having the most difficult time of this transition, though the weather aspect - heat and humidity - thankfully does not seem to bother her too much beyond the frizzing of her hair. Thankfully that is bound up tightly enough to restrain its rambunctiousness. But she is still quite heavy, thanks, and she sinks - quickly and deeply - whenever she manages to set a foot wrong. Which she does more than a few times. She is strong enough to pull back out, but that takes time and requires leverage, which can at times be in short supply.

Jyslin comes around to the lady knight and offers some assistance, then recommends that she start following one of them, footstep for footstep. It's the easiest solution.

Andie's answer to the young dragonoid is simply to smile beautifically. "I think we can assume I will be continuing to do so."

Riding the witch's shoulder, Neosodos coughs at this. << Not more of that, please. >> He sniffs around, and then comments to Jyslin, << Jyslin, would you be a dear, please, and take three steps to your left. Yes, right there, within the void of the bole of that tree. Could you gather some of those berries, please? >> The tiny dragon sighs with contentment when Jyslin gathers up the berries, pulls them up where he can see them, and then tucks them into the belt pouch at her waist.

Syval snorts lightly in dry amusement at the witch's reply but doesn't give her a verbal response - he's begun to learn her sense of humor by now. His brow furrows with concern for the more clumsy-footed lady knight as Jyslin steps in to help. "Follow the tree roots. The ground is firmest where they hold it together," he advises from behind.
<OOC> Syval could Tensor a floating disk but is pretty sure it's neither sturdy nor long-lasting enough to be particularly helpful. And Honoria is a stubborn chevalier.
<OOC> Syval says, "And time for phone. That's a pause for my side but you can keep typing."
<OOC> Syval stretches. >.<
"Harder to do when my hard boots skitter off and can't fit in the space." Honoria confesses. Still, she does her best and with Jyslin to help she does better; not perfect, but better. She clearly does not like being the slowest and least able amongst the party, but there's not much she can do about that.

Jyslin shakes her head in amusement at the drake but is happy to help, and then she is back to guiding Honoria. In this case Jyslin is clearly deriving her sense of direction not from a map or an ability to see or sense the sun or the moon, but is instead visibly watching Andie and following her lead.

The party will continue this effort for about three hours. Challenges abound, but all are overcome since most of the party seems to be almost innately comfortable with this biome as it unfolds. Insect populations pick up here in the swamp, and there are lots of snakes. But it is not hard to discourage the snakes, and the insects seem to leave most of the party alone, and prove largely incapable of reaching Honoria through her armor.

But as the party gets just past mid-day those most attuned to the swamp will know, instinctively, that all is not well. Some may or may not be able to pinpoint the problem, but the changes in sound and 'pressure' speak to something moving. Drawing closer. And then Jyslin holds up a hand. She says only one word.

"Trolls."

[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 06 09 Quiet Journey

2022-05-08T12:26:50Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "Come the morning, Jyslin looks relatively normal. But she remains silent. Breakfast is served without the usual friendly banter. Each member of the group is eventually given t..."

Come the morning, Jyslin looks relatively normal. But she remains silent. Breakfast is served without the usual friendly banter. Each member of the group is eventually given their own amulet, like the one Andie gave Syval. With each, that tiny ritual, and then it is over. The witch herself looks tired and worn; she clearly did not sleep all that well through the rest of the night.

For her part, Honoria stays quiet as well, but she does talk with Syval now and then, making it clear in so doing that her silence is giving the other two women their maximum space and trying to avoid setting either one off, even if she does not fully understand the schism now between them.

For a few days this continues. Honoria talks largely with Syval, discussing history, her home and people in Falkirk, war, strategy, battle, weapons. Even her understandings of magic, or what she knows of the Sisters or witches in general. And she makes a point of sparringwith Syval twice a day, once to start the day and again to end it, insisting on pushing to difficult sparring when tired from an entire day.

As those days unfold, Andie recovers quickly. She is no less pensive, and her mood clearly infects Neosodos. He tries to be his usual personable self, and to be a peacemaker. But he feels her pain, her aching loneliness and her fear, and he cannot help being affected by it.

Oddly enough, Jyslin does still continue to share her tend with Andie. She does not put the witch out, nor allow herself to be excluded. But there are definitely times in those next few days when another sound bubble is erected, just as more arguing starts to spill forth. The two women are not at peace.

Encounters during this time are largely minimal. The group is moving away from the break in the mountains, leaving the Weathering Heights further and further behind them. Hunting does turn up some wildlife, and there are sightings of things in the distance, largely up further into the foothills. But nothing comes closer, and nothing makes a point of standing out where it can be clearly seen.

<OOC> Syval falls over like a matryoshka doll. :D

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I did warn you i'd been typing. :)"

<OOC> Syval <3. Honoria time, yay. :D

<OOC> Syval says, "I'll have used more of my downtime to practice mindspeech and play with my spark. Should I note any progress with either of those?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Depends on what he tries while he's practicing. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Well, mindspeech first. Then depending upon Neos' advice, merging with his spark or practicing shifting back and forth."

<OOC> Syval will also have offered to carry Andie that first day if she looks too out of it on the trail. The extra weight would not be greatly noticed. :)

<OOC> Syval says, "Mostly I wonder about mindspeech since that'll make it easier for Honoria to converse."

<OOC> Syval means to ask Andie at some point about a translation spell for her too but keeps forgetting to do so in scene.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Of course, if you give her a translation spell, she won't learn the langauge herself and will become dependent on it. :)"

Syval for his part is the stalwart guard of the party, keeping himself clear of the goings on between the two witchy women and focusing upon their travel. In his free moments the green dragonoid continues exploring his heritage, learning where he can from Neos on mind-speech and in quiet evenings trying to shift between the end of his watch and the next morning's sparring session. Neos' infected demeanor draws the young man's attention more than his witch and the Eldritch Wyrm is given more than a couple prods and offers to speak in their native telepathy to lift his spirits. Not completely left out, Syval doesn't distance himself fully from Andie and Jyslin either - Andie even receives an offer to ride piggyback after her first and most trying night.

In the rhythm that develops the green-haired and green-scaled young man seems to settle well. Honoria's conversations bring out a magely inquisitiveness as he listens intently to her talk of the past, occasionally jotting into his journal, and patiently educates her on the Electrum Circle's modern understandings of Art, local geopolitics, and the Great War. With millenia of time between them it leaves the pair plenty to talk about and the princess' company is welcome. Jyslin as well is courted in matters of traveling life, and the city-raised wizard takes time to help with basic skills around the campsite in between brief but friendly conversations - most of which have therianthropy as an ice-breaker. There's also, more than once, an offer for the quick-healing woman to let off steam in the twice-daily spars.

Syval will learn, amongst other things, the names of the four Sisters that were with Honoria's group when they came to these mountains all those many years ago to build a refuge from their enemies. Of course, he already knew the name of Autreanne; added to this are the names Rashia, Shakarn and Vitarie. Autreanne was the eldest and first, tallest, strongest and most mighty, the Mountain Witch. Rashia was second youngest, small, scrappy and spirited, the Witch of the Fen, and still also with Selune at the time. Vitarie was third youngest, the Witch of the Gentle Brook, a bright and happy little thing following Lliira, the goddess of Joy and Dancing. Shakarn was fourth in line, the Dreaded Witch of the Mounds even then, known to many even then as the Great Betrayer for having been the first to turn from Selune, and having remained ever-loyal to the Master of Death, Miclante.

One thing that stands out in their descriptions is that much as they all were very different, there were some things that were strong through-line similarities. Strongest of these is that each one of them was witch colored - red of hair and green of eye. Autreanne was least of this, being so tall and pale and inhuman-seeming ethereal in description, more blonde with red tints and silvery-green of eye, whilst Shakarn was the darkest of these with auburn hair and nearly-black green eyes.

For herself, Andie is polite, even friendly, but she does keep to herself a lot during this time. She does not chatter amiably, only interacting as required. Jyslin is not much easier to draw out, but she does actually talk, and interact. And she's happy to go hunting together. But she doesn't often take Syval up on the offer of sparring.

The one thing the chats with Honoria offer is more opportunity to quiz her on lessons of learning modern Shaaren.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hmm... I'm not sure I've got much to add here."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li frown. I'm an idiot.

<OOC> Syval hugs. "I'm not exactly at 100% with writing chops myself."

<OOC> Syval says, "If you like we can stop here and just chat."
In the early morning hours of the start of the group's ninth day sharp eyes manage to pick out what at first would seem to be birds high in the skies above the mountains to everyone's south. But sharper still it is possible to make out that their shape is not entirely avian. The range makes it difficult, as they are quite tiny against the sky.

Neosodos spots them and points them out to the group. << Unless I miss my guess, I do believe those would be outriders, guardians of the avariel. It would seem something untoward is threatening them sufficiently to demand warriors to the sky when they can be more easily seen. Dangerous thing, given more visible presence might draw the notice of the giant kin in the mountains, who consider their kind a delicacy. >>

<OOC> Syval says, "Would I know of the Avariel?"

Syval frowns as he squints at the far distant shapes in the sky. "That seems a good reason to lay low. At least we have the woods for cover. Perhaps they live in the mountain range? There's no settlement like that known to Delzimmer."

Syval frowns as he squints at the far distant shapes in the sky. "That seems a good reason to lay low. And us without cover... I guess we continue on and hope they and that threat do not trouble us."

"There's no settlement of flying people here known to Delzimmer. What are the Avariel?" he asks with a glance back to Neos.

<< The Avariel are, as I understand it, a branch of elves tied to their goddess of air, flight, weather and birds. >> the little dragon responds. He glances at Jyslin, and she shrugs. "I know the name of that goddess. But I must admit, I have never seen a winged elf."

Honoria speaks up. "< We knew of the avariel in my time. We rarely saw them, and had no business bothering them. But in our time they had a strong alliance with the Freyniir, and as I understood it they were much more populous. They had a city of their own. In human terms it was called the Crystal Aerie. I never heard the elven name for it. >"

Andie then takes a deep breath, sighing. "Yes. It was a very sad thing. Miclante's spread to non-human races became a disaster when he finally subsumed the giant races. Their reorganization brought with it a more dangerous intentional brutality. It was a sad devastation, something to be mourned."

<OOC> Syval says, "Knowledge check for Freyniir? ^_^;"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "An alternative term used for 'snow elves', a very rarely-seen type of elf rumored to be, uncharacteristically, taller than humans and as well muscled/built as they are. They almost never come down out of the frozen Toadsquat mountains."

<OOC> Syval says, "That's uh... History? Ah! Thank you."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh woah so the upper mountains are inhabited..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "K: History, K: Nature would both fit."

<OOC> Syval says, "K: Nature is my highest, Lore: Weathering Heights is 2nd if that's also appropriate. K: Nature it is."

<OOC> Syval says, "Just for my information, would this be a scenario for Lore too?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus."
Syval rolls K:Nature (1d20+7) and gets 10 (3)

<OOC> Syval sweatdrops and chuckles a bit.

"It seems they still occupy the same lands then," Syval chimes in as he pushes a stalk of tall grass aside and resumes walking. "I've heard of the snow elves up in those mountains but never seen one myself." Turning to Honoria the dragonoid adds, "< Freyniir in Common are 'snow elves'. They still live upon the mountain but I've never seen one before. Apparently Avariel still live with them. >"

<OOC> Syval says, "I'm okay to pause for the night when you are. :)"
<< They do not live with them, but they remain allies. They are elves, after all. >> Neosodos corrects.

Honoria questions, "< What is this about Miclante consolidating his hold on other races, including the giants? I do not understand, I thought that sort of thing was not allowed? >"

Without waiting for a translation, merely giving a tired and put-upon sigh, Andie responds. "< It is not supposed to be allowed. There are severe penalties levied against those who turn against their own pantheon to follow a god of another people. The damnations laid upon them can be quite severe. Unfortunately, there are no penalties I am aware of for the deities in question. >" So while the giants, and other races, may be SOFL for this, Miclante gets away with it all.

<OOC> Syval says, "Goodness as if things couldn't get bigger. :)"

Syval turns and fixes a furrowed gaze upon Andie at hearing Maenast from the witch. A pointed glance is given to her wyrm familiar then the dragonoid huffs looks back out towards the distant specks flying above the mountain range. "Whatever made those elves take wings, they're near Crow's Peak. < There's a human settlement on that mountain. > It's a mining camp for Delzimmer."

<OOC> Syval says, "AFK for phone."
Jyslin looks at Andie with a distinctly grumpy expression and turns away; one can almost imagine a feline slashing her tail in bitter fury and annoyance.

Neosodos nods from Andie's shoulder. "< It is true. That does seem to be the same peak as the human mining settlement. >"

Honoria turns to look back up at the mountaintop and the figures flying high above. "< It would take us days, if not a week or more to ascend so high as to be able to help them. It is unfortunate. >" The words of a woman used to being the Knight in Shining Armor, riding to the rescue of any and all who need her help or protection.

When Honoria says this, Jyslin turns back to stare intently at Andie's side for a moment, then looks back away as if it never happened.

Syval passes a sympathetic look to Honoria and frowns grimly. "< It's the hazard of mining in the mountain range. It takes two dozen guards to get a caravan there with supplies, much less working there, but the ore is good and so is the pay... Hopefully a survivor will escape to tell of it and we can learn what happened when we return to Delzimmer in a month. >"

MAIL: Mailbox purged.

<OOC> Syval afks for food this time.

<OOC> Syval says, "And back."
Andie glances towards Jyslin only after the ashen blonde has looked away, giving a soft, even tender sigh of real emotional pain. Then she looks away, back to their path ahead.

Neosodos churrs a bit. "< We can hope. >" he responds.

Honoria seems sad but resigned as she nods. continuing forward. She is a practical sort, and though she may have every idea what Andie is capable of, she would never think of asking such of the witch.

As the group continues, the winds pick up that afternoon, blowing hard down out of the mountains and across the grassy plains, cool dry air in a rush. There's a tightness of almost static in the air. That evening as the group sets up camp Jyslin comments, "Make sure the flies are up and tight. We'll have thunderstorms as things turn over tonight." Honoria nods as this is translated for her, clearly agreeing with that assessment though apparently not as confident of it to have offered that herself.

Syval ruffles his wings as he looks windward while knocking stakes into the ground. "And keep the lines tight. With how fast the breeze falls off the north mountain face, any storm will have strong gusts." The young dragonoid has been in a more taciturn mood than usual since spotting the outriders and for some time on the rest of their day's walk he passed occasional glances back towards the mountain's peak. Around camp that's translated into business, with the mage tending more thoroughly to the usual chores before seeking out the nightly spar with Honoria.

"< Since only one of us doesn't speak Maenast, do you have any long-lasting language spell that can help Jyslin? >" he asks without looking Andie's way. It's clear enough who the question is meant for.

""

Neosodos gives a hiss at this, clearly protesting. But his thoughts he does not share to anyone but his mistress; the tiny dragon has his limits, even when irked.

Meanwhile, Honoria and Jyslin are already working out, with Jyslin producing those sword handles of hers, blades of silvery light forming. Where Honoria battles with baraj and shield in heavy armor, Jyslin is much more light on her feet, wearing seemingly no armor at all - experience has taught Syval that her robes have protective magicks that spark and glint to show the shape of armor, but have none of the mass - while fighting with two lighter, quicker weapons. She is much faster than Honoria, and more agile, and seems to be nearly as strong despite the princess knight's advantages. It's an interesting session to watch.

"She is holding that grudge a long time, but then you've known her a long time as well," Syval responds, switching back to Shaaran now that the displaced knight is occupied. "More proof your reputation is earned. Did that fire spell break another rule?" the dragonoid guesses as he turns to watch the spar while finishing the construction of his tent.

Andie grimaces, and real tears shine in her eyes. "Longer than you can likely imagine, Syval of Amlar." she intones bitterly. Then she shakes her head. "I broke no rules. But what I did ... very few if any mortal casters have been able to achieve. To shape the spell so finely to my will was beyond the pale well enough for her to realize something was not as it seemed. And ... she has never been a stupid woman. It did not take her very long to put it all together and realize the truth I had been keeping from her."

Andie sighs. "She has not yet figured out the rest." she mutters tiredly. "I had hoped she would, that it would all come together. But it clearly is not yet time, as frustrating as that may be."

"Then why not tell her? And perhaps you owe it to Honoria as well," Syval responds then turns to regard the witch-colored woman strangely. "Perhaps you both do. Keep secrets if you please, but it's affecting this journey."

"And what was that Art you used for your fire spell? I thought Neos channeled fire resistance to protect her. It was a great show of power, certainly, but that didn't look any more discriminating than a simple Burning Hand."

"Then why not tell her? And perhaps you owe it to Honoria as well," Syval responds then turns to regard the witch-colored woman strangely. "Perhaps you both do. Keep secrets if you please, but it's affecting this journey."

"The Archmage himself could not have woven a spell as you did and to channel it down from the firmament I've never seen done with things larger than fists, much less flames which want to rise," the apprentice mage remarks pointedly as he stands again and the various cases and pouches filled with his craft thump against his meaty thighs. "There's plenty about you that's already an open secret now."

<OOC> Syval says, "New poseski."
Andie looks up at the dragonoid curiously for a few moments, still clearly sad and shaken, tears unshed in her eyes. "I cannot tell Jyslin the last of it. She must uncover it herself. It is the only way for her Becoming." Somehow the witch manages to make that capital letter audible; it's a mite eerie.

"As for Lady Honoria, I believe you will find that she knows. She spent nearly two years with a rotating coterie of half my sisters and myself. I may have been reborn since then quite a few times, but I doubt she would miss the implications of my presence." Which rather makes it sound like it's Jyslin and Syval who were being kept in the dark.

"The core spell is one no magi I've ever known could cast. It is rare amongst witches, though some do learn it. It is best known and most widespread amongst cultists. But I augmented the spell, intentionally." Andie meets Syval's gaze again. "They made me very, very angry, endangering her like that." Fury, thy name be woman protecting her own.

The dragonoid frowns lightly and his tail lashes behind him as he meets the witch's gaze with eyes that are sharp and consuming in an unsettling, inhuman way - overlaying the spark of intelligence with an alien detachment. Without meaning to try the predatory, serpentine blood of his chromatic half shows itself often and freely in Syval's hybrid form. "As they did to the rest of us. You had no qualms about trading her /possible/ safety for Honoria," he reminds flatly.

<OOC> Syval says, "I think I'm losing my sense for big poses. I wanted to touch all three of your paragraphs separately but they would have all gone in different directions."
Andromeda sighs and shakes her head, long fiery red hair washing along behind her. "I won't deny it, Syval of Amlar. Yes, I endangered Lady Honoria somewhat. I endangered Jyslin much moreso, and she vastly more precious to me personally." Though the witch has not said 'I love her', she has said everything but that, and quite honestly. "I believed I could control the power and contain it. And that the beautiful and amazing Eldritch Wyrm could protect her despite those terrible dangers. And I was right." She huffs, deflating a bit. "How, I must find a way to restore her faith and trust in me. She feels as though I was intentionally making a fool of her. That was never my intent. But she is hurting. I understand her feelings, her concerns. All I can do is give her time, and hope she will realize the truth as the shock ebbs."

"Maybe it's the dragon in me, but I don't think I would give away any of you," Syval says after a moment's pause. So much on loyalty. "For as many nightly shouting matches as you've had it feels like there's still something she's waiting for you to say..."

Andie cannot help chuckling wryly at Syval's response. "We are not really yours to keep, Syval. But the sentiment is appreciated for what it is worth." She doesn't seem remotely intimidated, but that's likely not a huge surprise. "If she really is waiting for me to say something more, I have no idea what it is. I have apologized, and I explained my reasons. And I told her how precious and special she is to me. She has to be willing to meet me half-way."

That said, Andie stalks off to work on preparing dinner, alone with only Neosodos for company. But only a fool would imagine she is not continuing to keep an eye on her lover and the sparring session.

To that Syval can only shrug. The dragonoid's latent magicks don't include telepathy to read Jyslin's mind. As Andie rises to depart he does leave a last remark, "Perhaps later you can tell me more about that spell you cast. It did seem more akin to a ritual and that's far away from the Electrum Circle's Art."

Left to his own devices, the green-scaled young wizard turns back to watching the ongoing spar for a few minutes, then heads off a short distance from the group and sits down facing the woods to meditate.

About twenty minutes later Honoria approaches Syval and then settles herself down beside him on his right, laying her sword across her lap and her shield against her right side. She does not speak, does not interrupt him, but just sits there quietly. One might imagine she too is meditating.

Jyslin, by comparison, goes padding off into the slowly falling dusk to explore and check things out, to make sure of how alone the party is on the plains tonight.

<OOC> Syval says, "Aww ^_^"

<OOC> Syval says, "My knight in shining armor."

Syval doesn't respond to Honoria sitting beside him, or Jyslin leaving, or the rising smell of cooking food from Andie's work. The dragonoid is once more buried within his own mind, exploring his spark and trying to draw himself closer to it. It's only well after he's lost his sense of time that he turns his thoughts away and focuses on the antithesis; releasing the spark and shifting himself back human. At least in this the therianthrope neophyte has had practice - enough to stay conscious if nothing else.

Most therianthropes would be terribly jealous of Syval's ability to shift back to his human form with, honestly, a minimum of pain and agony. But the sheer magic of his draconic nature makes the change reasonably painless and relatively rapid. It takes several long seconds, and there's a lot of tingly discomfort that fades slowly over the next minute. But it's nothing like the agony Jyslin could describe of her own original transformations before she was sworn to Selune's service as a moonpriestess. Now she finds her own transformation just as easy.

"< Welcome back. >" Honoria murmurs when the transformation is complete and Syval the human is back again. She remains keenly aware that he is still the dragonoid within, but it is nice to see that he can see at least some value in the human form still. That makes him more relatable to the human lady knight. "How go your meditations otherwise?"

Reopening his eyes and catching his breath from the mental sprint of effort that always marks the end of the shift in either direction, Syval turns with some surprise to Honoria and smiles somewhat belatedly. Her company is apparently not unwelcome as the sun sets beyond the end of the mountain range, far past Delzimmer. "It was okay. I made a little progress, perhaps. My spark is feeling a little more comfortable," and the roar isn't quite so frightening, "but none of the breakthroughs that will help our journey."

Grabbing the loops of fabric tied about his belt, the green-haired mage slips the top half of his robes back on and straightens his clothes such as he can while seated. It leaves the solidly-built apprentice still sleeveless but at least not topless anymore. "How was your spar with Jyslin? And how long have you been beside me?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Of course between the bronze necklace, sapphire armband, and the little fancy green rock around my neck I at least had some jewelry on."
Honoria turns and smiles at the mage after he has his top back on. "< Glad you continue to make progress. Of course, I am sorry you have not made more. >" She doesn't try to lecture him about not rushing himself; he knows what things take, even if he wants more than he has just now.

"< The spar with Jyslin was very energetic and fun. She is actually quite talented, though being fair I would say more of her talent is about row potential than trained experience and skill. It is a rare thing that I fight a woman stronger than I am. That she is smaller, that much smaller, and so much faster is pretty incredible. >"

Honoria glances towards the sunset and then back to Syval's human visage. "< I do not think I have been sitting here much more than half an hour. I came to join you after Jyslin ended our session and decided to go stalking for a while. Since her blades are spellstuff, they have limitations in duration, and once they were gone ... >"

"< They are incredible magic. Nothing around Andie is mundane, >" says the dragonoid mage to the time-displaced knight. Taking his ever-present masterwork bardiche from the ground beside him, Syval lifts it up proudly to shoulder height, then offers it over for Honoria's inspection. "< Not a problem with my weapon. It only has an apprentice's Art upon it but the core is solid. >"

"" Syval adds with a sly smile, as if it were an accomplishment to lose.

"< Quite often true. >" Honoria answers. Indeed, very little about any of the magic that any of them carry, wield or embody is mundane. That is the definition of the Art, but it is so much moreso. The lady knight reaches out, running her fingers over the half and blade, examining the bardiche without even considering asking to take it from Syval's hands and control. "< It is a very fine blade. And as you say, it will not tire or expire. >" Honoria would never think to say something against the spellblades, but she does not find them to be 'right'. A weapon should outlast its mistress.

"< It was a great challenge for me to find those willing to push me hard, when I began my training. I was not so strong as I am now, but by no means weak. Yet I was the princess, and a lady, and even amongst other warrior women I would find many hesitant to push me. I had to make a point of it, to earn their trust and faith, before they would push me as hard as they could. >" There is a mild sadness in her tone, but also real pride; it is because she earned their trust, because they agreed and pushed her as har as they did, that she survived. But it hurts that they are all so long gone, never to be found again. "< Hence why I will always do you the honor of pushing you as hard as you can take, and a bit harder. Others helped me to grow, and I will always return the favor. >"

That said, the lady knight easily kips up to her feet in full armor and then turns to slide her left arm into the shield, hefting it up as her right takes up the baraj with a graceful economy of motion.

<OOC> Syval bites tongue on juicy conversation topic.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hmms?

"< It's the best-forged bardiche in Delzimmer and equal at least in quality and edge to any other steel blade there. It's a rite of passage in the Art to bind one's magic to something in the world and not a ritual made easier by practice, so it's well worth the patience and effort to choose the best stock possible, >" Syval explains, neither parting with nor retrieving his at once artful and well-honed weapon until Honoria has appreciated it to her satisfaction. "< Normal wizards choose staves or jewelry. My choice was completely abnormal, then I even had to pay members of the guard to train me how to use it, >" the green-haired mage admits with an unclear tangle of emotion beyond the story, not all of it proud. To be 'normal' is perhaps something that's been as far from Syval his whole life as it has been from Honoria.

Taking her cue to stand, the wizard thumps the steel butt of his weapon into the ground and hoists himself onto his feet to stand a scant inch beneath eye-level with the towering blonde, regarding her with a warm and empathetic comfort. If the lady knight were equally barefoot they'd be even. ""

"< Did you ever think to wear a disguise and fight with the men as someone else? >"

Or at the least it is the best forged bardiche in Delzimmer within the years that the young wizard has been in the city; of taht at least Hoonoria has no doubts. But it is finesteel, not something rarer or more precious, and if Delzimmer is as large a city as has been implied previously - hard for the lady knight to imagine after the way the barbarian tribes reacted to such large cities in her own time - and with a wizarding school there, Honoria would rather assume someone has at some point commissioned a piece to be made of those rarer materials.

"< Everyone must chose his or her own path, and forge it, and themselves, just as truly as one might a weapon or shield. >" the princess knight opines. "< We, none of us, get much of a choice as to whether or how much we will stand out. And it can be hard. But it is what it is and forges us into whom we shall be. >" She does get how he feels, but Honoria has long since accepted her own burdens where such things are concerned.

"< If you want to, later, we can continue some lessons and a sparring session. Bardiche is not precisely my best weapon, but most of what I learned of lance afoot as spear should translate sufficiently. >" And they have the time, and Honoria the will.

The last question earns a bit of a snort and a shake of the lady knight's head. "< To disguise oneself would be dishonorable. To deny one's identity and family barely less so. >" she opines. "< So no, I never considered trying such a thing. Another woman might have, and I would not begrudge her that choice. But it was not to be, for me. >" She does not bring up the fact that had she done so she could very well have been putting the lives of the men she fought and trained with at risk of execution by the King. Not precisely good 'just before dinner' talk, that.

<OOC> Syval was particular in calling it a steel blade. Maybe some day he'll get a nicer one, but probably not. :)

Syval smiles with some dry amusement at Honoria's reply. "< Spoken like a true knight. I guess things are different when you know your place in the world and have nobility at your back, but you make that sound almost banal. >" Draping his weapon across his broad shoulders, the wizard stretches out muscles that a brief minute ago had wings sprouting from them. "< Clairvoyance is not my specialty but I do think the Fates have put us all here for some mercurial purpose, and I think I understand mine a little more now. >"

"< If you're willing to spar more tonight I will accept your offer - later, >" he adds appreciatively even if the young man doesn't look too eager to jump straight in. Even if he doesn't show it, the transformation's left him a bit tender. "< How are you feeling lately? Does our time agree with you better now? >"

Syval smiles with some dry amusement at Honoria's reply. "< Spoken like a true knight. Forgive me for saying but you nobles sometimes sound like you're quoting from a lesson. That is one thing that hasn't changed since your time...>" Draping his weapon across his broad shoulders, the wizard stretches out muscles that a brief minute ago had wings sprouting from them and sighs softly as they loosen up. ""

Almost as an afterthought to the conversation the green-haired therianthrope adds appreciatively, "< If you're willing to spar more tonight I will accept your offer - later. >" Even if he doesn't show it, the recent transformation's left him a bit tender. "< Speaking of the past, how are you feeling lately? Does our time agree with you better now? >"

<OOC> Syval says, "There, hopefully that helps a bit."

<OOC> Syval says, "Does that pose work for you?"
Honoria tilts her head slightly to the side, carefully regarding Syval as he speaks so of her background and those like her. She wasn't quoting any lesson; not directly, at least. She was just trying to adroitly explain her own feelings and position on the matters at hand. It stings a bit to know that he finds her way of speaking to such things lacking in genuousness.

"< I cannot know for certain, Syval, but I have to imagine that yes, everything in life is different when you have nobility at your back. But I suppose I will be learning that soon enough, given I am now utterly alone in this time. I am no noble, only a timelost relic of a bygone era. Beyond my gear, my armor and weapons which I will most certainly never sell, I have no wealth, and no influence to offer. >" She may have grown up as the height of nobility, but she is more alone than the lowliest peasant now.

"< Later it is, then. Though we'll need more stretching later, after dinner. >" That said, Honoria turns and starts walking back towards camp, trusting Syval to keep up with her. "< I still find it very difficult to understand the modern language. And I would likely need weeks if not months to come to understand the state of the world around us as it has developed since my time. I do not see that there is much change in the 'agreement' of this time. >"

This time it's Syval's turn to snort and he gives the lady knight a reassuring smile. "< You have the favor of a witch, a skilled priestess, and a dragon - and I've no intention of leaving you to the bugbears. Be at ease about the near future; 'wizard' is no meager station in Delzimmer and we can rest there after this journey with Andie. And I will procure a language spell, or perhaps she should make an enchantment for you. Learning languages seems like such a plebian activity. >" Whether the sandy-eyed mage means non-noble or merely non-magical is unclear as he follows the towering blonde knight back towards the firelight. Just as they get close enough for the muted flames to brighten her armor, Syval takes a hand from his bardiche and sets it heavily upon her shoulder. His gaze is warm and earnest while still holding that deep well of confidence that typifies the dragon-empowered son of adventurers and lumberjacks. "< And you are every bit as real as anyone else I've ever met, heritage and all. Kingdoms are easier to come by than noble blood. >"

<OOC> Syval says, "You ever get like 80-90% of what you're trying to say but stall out on the exact wording?"

<OOC> Syval also meant Neosodos by "dragon". He is small of size but big of voice.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "Yus. I get that a LOT."
"< Believe it or not, Syval, blood is never noble. Never. Spirit and heart are noble. Blood is just blood. >" Honoria offers, as if saying so isn't proof she is still quite noble indeed in her ideals.

"< For myself, I prefer to learn the language. I am pleased that others can speak to me in mine. But if I am to live in this time, amongst these people, I must understand them. And language is only the beginning of that, and far from the end. >"

Syval blinks and his expression collapses to a puzzled one at the knight's reply. "< Did I mistranslate Maenast then or aren't you a princess because your father was a king? >"

The princess knight cannot help but laugh quite brightly, shaking her head as she grins in wry amusement. "< No, Syval, you are not wrong. I am a princess because my mother was queen. But that is what makes me one-time royalty. That is not what makes me noble. It is a matter of ideals. And those who fail to live up to them are ejected, losing all noble title. >"

"< Hmm, that's a difference from our time then - or at least the local powers. We have laws to uphold but our Kauladd bends to influence and money, not the other way around, >" Syval considers as he taps his chin, giving genuine thought to the unexpected insight. "< Not that you will find nobles in the style of the great kingdoms in Delzimmer; our satraps have power because they each have twice as many guards as the nagra. Their wealth is inherited and so is their power, but their blood itself is as red as anyone's. You could probably teach them of the noble demeanor they imitate. >"

<OOC> Syval says, "Kauladd = Code of law, Nagra = police. Because the wiki has a scattering of local Akalaic."

<OOC> Syval says, "Not that I expect Honoria to know them, but after a point I won't know the Maenast word for everything. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Apparently Delzimmer also has a great many halflings, or at least had at some points in time."

<OOC> Syval says, "Let me know if Shaar-time you want to use a different take on anything than the post-Spellplague state of the city. :)"
Honoria listens, and weighs, and then has to ask for some translations for things like Kauladd, nagra, and satraps so she can be sure. Then she considers a bit longer, and makes a face of displeasure. "< That sounds like the so-called failed nobles of this time have forgotten those lessons, and now oppress the people they should lead and protect. >" And she delivers taht pronouncement with the kind of formality that says she has just taken this as some kind of mission statement.

Maybe those satraps should be afraid.

Syval smiles as however accidentally he's uplifted the knight's mood then waits patiently while Honoria ponders, letting his hand slide from her shoulder. Then it's the mage's turn to laugh in his earthy tone. "< Nothing so foul I assure you. The nagra are small because the satraps keep order within their territories. Competition between the satrap families keeps any of them from growing too powerful or mean. I would think it is more balanced than a single royal family having control of the whole city. >"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li's modern player says, "It's still oligarchy, damnit!" :)

<OOC> Syval says, "I'd call it pretty progressive for the Shaar, no? X)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I don't see an oligarchy as any more progressive than a monarchy, honestly."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Especially when that oligarchy is based on being wealthy and perpetuating that wealth."

<OOC> Syval says, "I'd say oligarchy is no different from a republic if you don't have the right to vote. I do wonder where political scientists draw the line between few enough ruling class to be an oligarchy versus a large enough ruling class to be a republic or democracy."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Republics and democracies are not supposed to //have// a ruling class. Only those selected from amongst the electorate to serve. That's not how it actually ends up working, but that's not the fault of the style of government, only the way it actually transpires in our own modern world in most instances."

<OOC> Syval says, "Modern? Republics and democracies /began/ with a ruling class and suffrage has expanded in modern times; if anything that's gotten better, not worse. The big upheaval over the whole matter was in expanding representation to progressively larger portions of the population - lowering property/land requirements, reducing ethnic boundaries, et cetera."
Honoria simply shakes her head. "< I suppose the answer is, as in all things, more complex. But with multiple such leaders are you more likely to have both the good, and the bad, and likely to have some of both. With a single king or queen, one has but one chance, but it is also much easier to see the truth of the good, or the bad, and then to take action as necessary in correct.> " Her wording may be formal, but that is as much a product of the language she uses as it is to her education and past. That makes her feelings no less genuine.

When the pair finally reach the campfire, they will find the deliciously prepared stew ready to eat, and the titian-haired witch sitting comfortably nearby, brushing her fingers over the spine and back of a sleeping drake in her lap. "< Dinner is ready. Please, feel free to serve yourselves." Andie offers quietly. >", choosing Maenast obviously for the ease of only having to say it once, not twice. "< Please do leave some for Jyslin. I am sure she will catch something and feed. But I would rather not offer her yet another reason to be angry with me. And perhaps she will appreciate something in addition to uncooked hunted game before dinner. >"

<OOC> Syval says, "They don't have a ruling class in the sense that the people who can vote are nominally represented, but in that system /they/ are the ruling class. It's just generally a much bigger group than in an oligarchy or dictatorship, which is why I wonder where that line gets drawn."

<OOC> Syval says, "Political science curiosity for later perhaps. Regardless for Syval, it's where he grew up and currently a successful mercantile hub so he will be suitably biased. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry, didn't mean to spam OOC. ^_^;"

"< I don't see how with a bad king or queen you would take action. If we have a bad satrap, shopkeepers leave for another satrap's territory and take their profits with them so the families mostly police themselves, >" Syval responds with a puzzled tilt of his head. From one who's always lived under a monarch to one who never has, some things don't seem to translate.

Coming upon the warm and crackling fire, the human wizard fights to suppress his smile when he spots Neosodos napping in his witch's lap. He nods to Andie then mutters an familiar incantation while weaving his free hand in a just as familiar sign while moving over to his tent. Syval sets his bardiche beside his pack and collects his food bowl before returning to scoop some stew. If Honoria beats him back, the first ladleing is offered to her.

"< Thank you, Andie, >" he replies quietly then asides to the lady knight with a faint magic dwelling in his fingers, "< Spice? >"

<OOC> Syval says, "Prestidigitation, what a wonderful spell o/~"

<OOC> Syval says, "I had to stop and think for a moment whether Andie or Jyslin might have already been doing that to the food before I recalled it's an arcane spell. This feels horribly belated in our journey now but I ought to have been offering to flavor the group's meals since magicking my own bowl would have lead naturally to an explanation of the trick."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah well, the second best time is now, as the saying goes."
Honoria waits her turn and then ladles up some of the stew for herself. "" she comments to Syval, with a merry twinkle in her eyes. She is well aware that Syval seems to have a greater urge for hotter, spicier foods than she.

Andie herself simply smiles indulgently at all of this, clearly not much affected by the mage's intent to so-said 'adulterate' her cooking.

As they eat Honoria will take her time and find opportunities to explain that as the shopkeepers in Syval's example might decide to move on in protest against unfair treatment, in a monarchy other leaders of the realm under the rule of a bad king or queen would be just as free in their own thoughts, and just as able to raise their concerns, even unto arms if necessary.

It is, in the end, clear that while both can conceptualize what the other has experienced, it is not 'real' for them in a concrete fashion. They will just have to agree to disagree.

"< Interesting to hear a political discussion. I must admit my own personal preference has been for quite some time a decided lack of politics, or rulership either above me or below. >" Andie comments. "< The freest government I have seen enacted is what I believe the sages have called 'democracy.' Every citizen is granted a vote, and it is the rule of the majority over all. Yet even that can be corrupted, dependent upon the rules for whom is allowed citizenship and a vote, and the power of the majority to lord over the minority. That is why I stay in the Dread Bogs when I can. >"

Syval eats his own bowl while discussing with a companionable openness about Delzimmer's government structure - and he does tune it's flavor a couple times while eating. It quickly becomes clear that the young man only knows his city's own government, whether or not other forms exist in the current day. "< Everyone voting on everything sounds bothersome. That really works? >" he opines while mildly furrowing his brow. "< For what it's worth living alone in the bogs seems the freest way to live. Anything else in some way is a rule by power: wealth, strength of arms, divine favor, it's all the same. The path to a free life is to gather enough power to be unconquered by others, whatever form that takes. >"

"< But also a lonely one. >" Honoria offers quietly. She does not judge; everyone is entitled to their choice. But she is a woman who always had others to serve, others to lead, others to protect. To be so alone as all of that would likely hollow her own unto death.

Andie nods. "< It can be, indeed. I will not deny that. Having a few friends to join you eases much of that. And some journeys, now and then, can break up the monotony. >"

"< I'll take the comforts and pleasures of the city, but it's nice to enjoy the solitude of the wilds as well, >" Syval offers, favoring something of a balance himself. He scrapes at a bit of stew at the bottom of his bowl and looks attentively to Andie. Something she said has pricked his ears. "< Do you always take your journeys from one bog to another? >"

The witch considers the wizard carefully for a few moments, and then shrugs her shoulders. "< No. Not always. But that is the larger proportion of my journeys. >" She does not proclaim 'I am the witch of the fens, what else would you have me do?', but it almost seems to hang there regardless. "< Of such is my nature. But there are time when I make other journeys, to other places, because there are things that need doing. So then I go there, and when done, I venture off to another fen, bog or swamp. >"

Syval chuckles softly, ever mindful of the napping wyrm in the witch's lap. "< That part of the witch's reputation is also true then. At least bogs are plentiful of alchemy ingredients. >" Finishing his bowl not for the first time, the brawny mage glances at the remaining food in the pot then sets down his dishes. Full or not the rest is Jyslin's - and Honoria's if the lady knight wants it.

"< Is that where your portal opens then? To the Dread Bog where the three of you live? >" he continues, tugging at the thread.

"< The satchel? >" Andie questions, and when Syval confirms she nods. "< Yes. Specifically, it opens to the basement of my hut there. >"

Honoria does not take more than she has already had, but instead settles quietly, pouring some of her water into her bowl to wash it down, and then tucking it away. "< Such as the satchel I have seen, but rarely, in my own time. >"

Andie smiles and shrugs. "< Mine is most certainly not the only such item, I assure you. But as I understand it many are more random in their destination, creating or attaching themselves to some random pocket plane or piece of reality at their inception, rather than to a place here upon the prime material plane. I encountered one, years ago, that connected to a series of caverns that - unbeknownst at least to those who were using it - were within Acheron, the first of the Hells. >"

It is during this chat that Jyslin lopes back into camp, circling the campfire a few times before coming over to lay down quietly, the tigress panting as she looks over the group so assembled. She stays quiet for a bit as the conversation continues, and then the silvery shimmering and warp rolls over her, and the tigress shifts and ripples back into the human woman in her plain robes, stretched out comfortably in the grass. She sits up and settles. "Smells like a lovely meal." she offers as a quiet compliment.

"There is some left, if you wish it." Andie offers, not in a meek voice, but without any edge or confrontation.

"< That must have been a dreadful shock, but not a rare one from what other apprentices have told me. Conjuration never felt like a well-grounded school; reaching into other realms all the time with higher powers and their own rules is asking for trouble. If a miscast evocation can turn the caster to stone I don't wish to be anywhere near miscast conjurations, >" Syval responds to the witch. Jyslin's arrival isn't noticed immediately but the striped priestess does earn a glance in recognition before the young mage returns to the conversation at hand. He does, none too discretely, scoot to one side to offer the woman space by the fire.

"< There is a reason why most of the Shaar considers conjuration to be Zennemas, and why being called a sorcerer is generally a prelude to a stoning. >" Andie comments drolly. It is really just about the darkest thing she has ever said, and yet it is said with almost jovial humor.

Jyslin does not interrupt, nor enter the main conversation. But she does get up and go to her tent, returning with a bowl and her own water skin, laying that down as she moves to the pot to ladle up some of the stew. Then she settles down quietly and eats slowly, savoring the flavors. Her emerald gaze can be seen glancing towards Andie as she does so, probably a clear if tacit admission that she knows all too well who made this, recognizing its flavor.

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah! Another important lesson for me. What's Zennemas and how does that relate to sorcery (vs. wizardry)?"

"< Rightly so. Zennemas is dangerous to more than just the caster, >" Syval agrees. No doubt he's had that point drummed thoroughly into his head. "< Was the same true in your time? >" he asks with a look to Honoria before lastly turning to Jyslin to add in Shaaren, "How was your hunt?"

"< Definitely so. >" Honoria answers with a firm nod. "< There are always those who choose to pursue that power and magic despite the risks. But it was clearly in violation of established norms, and anger against it was common on both sides of the war. >"

Andie nods, quiet as she lets Honoria tell it her way, without interruption. Even so, she thinks heavily about those that chose to violate those boundaries, including one of her own allies, her own sisters.

Jyslin glances up as someone speaks in Shaaren instead of Maenast, and she nods gratefully to Syval. "My hunt went pretty well. Nothing of a threat anywhere nearby as far as I could tell. And I caught a small boar." Her tiger was very, very happy about that. "It definitely smells like we should have a peaceful night."

<OOC> Syval, the accidental party glue.

"Good, we can't have too many of those," the green-haired mage replies cheerfully. "After the excitement at the start of the range the past few days have been quiet. I wonder if we're moving between territories, or simply too far from the good hunting grounds." Syval grins as he adds to Jyslin, "And a whole boar sounds like good eating. What's your favorite part?"

"I can't prove it," Jyslin responds, "but I suspect we've lapsed into a region that is the territory of something or someones that just honestly do not want to mess with us. Possibly they saw the incident a few days ago, and they've just decided to let us pass rather than risk it."

When questioned specifically, Jyslin pauses with an empty spoon, considering Syval. "Well, usually the tummy. It tends to be the richest and most flavorful."

Honoria is definitely listening to everything, working through the lessons she has been given as she tries to push herself through immersion to learn the new language. She'll have questions later for someone about some of the words or idioms.

"Good choice," the mage replies as he points a finger at his own bowl, causing the last small flecks of stew color to fade away like a mirage. "We should come to a valley in the next couple days - I think about five days before we touch the mountain range again. Then we pass into interesting territory and a full half day's journey south of the wagon trail."

<OOC> Syval says, "I have Lore: Weathering Heights but since we're far past that now, may I roll Knowledge: Geography to know of the Dungeons of Khufaiel and the White Witch?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sure."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "K: Dungeoneering would cover both as well, and K: History would cover White Witch."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Also, White Witch would be covered in K: Arcana and K: Occult (different info and different DCs)"

<OOC> Syval says, "I can only roll one type of knowledge against each topic, correct?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li kills her capslock and tries this again. "You can roll any of them that you are proficient in that you like. They serve as complimentary skills, so making one gets you a bonus on others."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah! Goodness you just signed yourself up for a lot of DC checks; I have ranks in everything you mentioned exception Dungeoneering. I think I can make an untrained check on that vs. DC 10 or less?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Here's Dungeons of Khufaiel first:"

<OOC> Syval says, "Ack, meant to hold that in my buffer."
Syval rolls K:Dungeoneering (1d20+1) and gets 19 (18)
Syval rolls K:Geography (1d20+5) and gets 11 (6)

<OOC> Syval says, "White Witch:"
Syval rolls K:Dungeoneering (1d20+1) and gets 15 (14)
Syval rolls K:Arcane (1d20+9) and gets 22 (13)
Syval rolls K:History (1d20+5) and gets 22 (17)
Syval rolls K:Occult (1d20+7) and gets 9 (2)

<OOC> Syval says, "I apologize to Andie for sleeping through that particular occult lesson. I was up far too late the night before with the daughter of a passing caravan merchant. <.< >.>"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li gigglesnickers.

<OOC> Syval says, "For Aramis:"
Syval rolls K:History (1d20+5) and gets 6 (1)

<OOC> Syval says, "Ouch..."

"Foothills and a valley, yes." Andie comments calmly. "The heights of the mountains moves south from here for a hundred or so miles, and then arches back northward quite dramatically." No comments about the 'interesting territory, though.

Honoria leans close to Syval and asks a few questions in Maenast, looking to get a few words translated, and she nods as the conversation becomes clearer to her.

Jyslin finishes rinsing out and cleaning her bowl, and then puts things away. "Since I have midwatch, I'll head to bed now. See you later, Syval. Have a good evening." She glances to Andie and Neosodos, offering at least a little nod, and then heads into their tent with her bowl and spoon.

Andie watches this, and then turns to the other two. "< If the two of you will excuse me, I am going to try to speak with her before she goes to sleep. I will see you both in the morning. >" Of course, Andie could let Honoria take the dawn watch, but they haven't really made that adjustment yet. All of the chores got arranged before the lady statuette was awakened, and that's just how things have remained.

After Andie has gone into the tent Honoria looks to Syval. "< If you still want to spar this evening, we should probably go a bit away from camp to do so, so as not to disturb anyone. >" Of course, exercising immediately after dinner isn't going to be easy, either. Decisions, decisions.

Syval gives Jyslin a peculiar look at first for her early departure, but he nods in acceptance once the sense of her excuse sinks in. Whether or not she wants to be alone, an early rest before midwatch is more than reasonable.

A less surprised glance is given to Andie as the witch departs to follow. "< I'll clean the cooking pot, >" the wizard sighs as he stands up and waves his hand over the stew pot, gathering the meal's remnants into the center. In the dim light of the campfire's embers, the natural glow of the young man's Art is visible even in this minor spell, stretching out from his hand and enveloping the cauldron's interior in a faint emerald haze.

"< Certainly I do, but first would you like the last of the stew? >" he asks without lifting his gaze from the simple cleaning task.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li puts it in tupperware and seals it for later, so it does not go to waste.

<OOC> Syval grins. "Oh I'm sure we can choke it down between the two of us, royal decorum be smote."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yeah. But I don't think Honoria would do that, if they're going to to go work out. I think she'd literally pull it off the fire and keep it for later."

<OOC> Syval laughs. "That works too."
Honoria makes a bit of a face. "< Why don't we put it in a bowl, off the fire, and let it wait until after the exercise. I think if I ate more now, I would likely sick up while sparring. >" And the lady knight's tone of voice makes it quite clear that is not just undesirable, it's nigh-unacceptable. And clearly she's not up for wasting food, either.

<OOC> Syval says, "How're the moon and stars out tonight? I imagine the sun's fully set by now?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Setting. Dusk."

Taking the cue, Syval reaches backwards and the dish he'd left behind floats up and into his waiting hand, then he shifts the spoon to one side and using the same gesture upon the pot, levitates the collected stew up into his bowl. "" he admits with a chuckle. "< Food for later. >"

Waving his free hand over the pot once more, the young mage banishes it of any leftover remnants then sets the bowl down, physically, away from the fire before moving away to retrieve his bardiche. "< Lead on, Lady Honoria. Let's start slowly so neither of us see our suppers again. >"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "We totally need to invent tupperware. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "I say a pot with a lid is fine. Seal it with a little wax or clay and it'll keep as well as anything."

<OOC> Syval says, "Or just a Bag of Holding. That's a stasis dimension right? ;)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Pot of Holding!"
Honoria leads Syval well away from camp, beyond even his earlier meditation spot before stopping. Then she calls forth her lance, specifically so that she can demonstrate with it to help lay out patterns for Syval. "< I know as a wizard you are taught to think about everything. And that has great value. But in physical combat you need to move faster. That means you need to teach your body and your instincts all of the pieces, and let those instincts take over. >"

And so the lady knight is going to work on giving Syval a lot more 'back to basics' training, as she tries to teach his instincts how to fight better. Katas and forms, followed by sparring. Rinse and repeat.

Syval chuckles softly and cracks his neck from side to side before stretching out his arms with the aid of his bardiche. "< Don't think I've spent all of my time in the High College. I have met my share of monsters and bandits before Andie found me at a tavern, >" he assures as he gets comfortable some distance away in an open stretch of grass. Beginning with forms seems to suit the brawny young man well in no small part because of the meal still sitting upon his stomach. By the time they progress to sparring his strength and agility have mostly returned.

Having seen Honoria fight sword and shield so much since she was freed from the statue, seeing her fight with the lance afoot is a bit surprising, if only to demonstrate that she is not just a master of one fighting style, but many. She clearly is a profesional solider, having worked her way up through many different roles and levels to reach the full lady knight she has become. And she is very, very good, not just at the fighting, but at teaching. Her insights prove she has learned not just how to fight, but how to teach that skill to others.

It will be a very engaging workout.
----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 05 PM Bandit Aftermath

2022-05-08T11:46:10Z

VanyaDoll2: Added categories

<OOC> Syval says, "And away our intrepid group goes for their morning hike, aye? :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Aye. Random checks for the day are pretty light. A weather change and an evidence encounter. I think because everything within any reasonable range is running the frakk away because SOMEONE decided to rain HEAVEN'S FIRE down this morning."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li <.< >.>

<OOC> Syval :>

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I cannot imagine why everything would be trying to be anywhere else but near us."

<OOC> Syval says, "In hindsight perhaps it's best that Syval's not a red dragon or (1) he may have enjoyed that inappropriately and (2) Jyslin might have competition for the flamethrowing red-head."

<OOC> Syval says, "Then again Neos would have none of that anyway."

<OOC> Syval says, "It's telling how enough went on that Syval didn't even ask about that bird thing Andie did."

<OOC> Syval pulls up notes.

<OOC> Syval says, "There were a few small things I was going to do along the walk or over our lunch break. Just talking questioning things."

<OOC> Syval says, "Asking Andie about how to ward ourselves against that voice and its MIND CONTROL, asking Neos for how to get started with mindspeak... ah, and just dragging my claws across something sturdy to see how hard they are. A rock, a bit of metal in my kit..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles. "That sounds like good grist for the mill, IMO."

<OOC> Syval says, "That last one just feels like something that's good to do absent-mindedly. It's a far too natural thing that I should have considered already."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nodnods.

<OOC> Syval says, "If you'd like to RP any of that out go ahead."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nips. "Hey. I'm not the only one here." :)

<OOC> Syval says, "Ack! You want me to set then?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I can set. Just remember, you can too. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "True, true. I think after my little dip into Tolkien I'm trying to get my mind better immersed into the setting. We're in the Toadsquat foothills on the northern side and you mentioned the weather turned?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Will turn, this afternoon."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah, important distinction thank you."

<OOC> Syval says, "Looking at a Shaar map and the huge forest growing off the Squat's southern side like a beard I'm going to guess that south is the wet windward side and that makes north the dry leeward side."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Most of the time, yus."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And we are far enough into said leeward side that we don't usually get a lot of rainfall at this range."
Following the fiasco with the 'bandits' and their kobold allies, the group has had a rather quiet rest of their morning. They have seen no threats, and very little even in the way of wildlife. The hunting has been annoyingly sparse as well; there may not be any meat other than jerk tonight for dinner.

Things amongst the group have been a bit odd. Having been chastised for going so far out on her own, Jyslin has remained close by the party, never venturing beyond the limits of the rest of the party's vision. Indeed, she started the rest of the day not ranging at all, but staying right with the group.

Silently.

Gloweringly.

Petulantly.

It is pretty clear that something has set off Jyslin, and it seems to be something relating to Andie. But despite that she has always seemed happily talkative with everyone in the party, she has refused to speak of this, and her conversations with the rest of the group have taken on a rather perfunctory tone. Not at all unaware of this, Andie has grown more and more visibly tense as well. And her tension has been translated directly to the bristled scales of her familiar. Neosodos has taken to flying patrols around the party just to get away from the tension. But he also seems happy to perch on a draconic or knightly shoulder for a bit, just for a break.

Sandy serpentine eyes scout the gaps in the woods ahead as Syval's bardiche brushes aside the branches of a low-growing shrub. Barring Jyslin's forays into the woods around them, the young dragonoid has taken to walking in front. It makes the journey less stressful for the naturally solitary mage; besides the small noises of the party at his back it almost feels like being alone at times. Neos' arcing flights across his vision seem to be an exception greeted with quiet amusement, and perhaps a touch of jealousy. Not that the Eldritch Wyrm is ever fully beyond the mage's perception - not anymore.

When the mottled red and golden dragon lands upon his shoulder Syval reaches up a free hand and brushes his fingers along the familiar's side before turning back towards his witch.

"So Andie, what means do we have of warding ourselves against that voice and its mind-poisoning ways?"

Seemingly almost relieved to have something to talk about rather than worry over her companion's unmistakable attitude, Andie speaks up after only a few long moments of consideration. "In the short term, I can renew the ward I put upon everyone the evening after it happened. But I believe I would recommend that I go to the effort of crafting tokens for each of you to sustain those words. I believe I have all of the materials I will need within the Cavern. BUt it will take me a day or two to finish some preparations with my cauldron."

Honoria does speak up to add her own question to that. "Would there be any risk of interference, then, with any of our other items? I know that my shield and my armor are quite substantial in the Art, and there have been other items found I could not utilize because of my bond to them."

Andie nods and gives a little shake of her head. "I do not believe any of that will be a problem. I will craft them not to require attuned bonding."

"Good. Then perhaps you should begin that work when we stop for a mid-day rest," Syval suggests. "Your fire seems to have scared the wildlife away from us for now - better you be gone when we're safest. Can we open the portal with your satchel?" A glance is given as well to Neosodos. No doubt the witch's familiar would have his place in the work as well, but the temporary loss of his draconic mentor seems a price worth paying. It may also help that Andie just offered him a new magical trinket.

<OOC> Syval nudges?

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. That was way more involved than I was expecting."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "'open the portal with your satchel'? Explain?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Meaning if Andie is in the cavern can someone close her satchel portal, walk around with it, then reopen it later so the party doesn't have to stop for the day or two she'll need."

<OOC> Syval pets. "You're fine."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Ah. OK. I did not understand that to mean anything like that. Thank you for clarifying."

<OOC> Syval says, "No one said Syval explained himself well either. :)"

<OOC> Syval stretches out. "And take your time in posing. I'll afk to afk in about 15 minutes. I might be gone past your bedtime."
It will take some explanation before Andie really understands what Syval is asking. Her answer once she does is relatively simple: "The item itself can be used in that way, closing to allow itself to be moved around whilst I remain unaffected within. It will not refresh its air until it is opened, but there are means to deal with that. However, it would require another to know the activation phrase for the satchel." The clear implication unspoken is that Andie does not like the idea of sharing the command phrase. How mean!

Neosodos does not seem perturbed by any of this. But he does wordlessly affirm to Syval that he would likely be needed to stay with Andie inside the cavern if she were going to be doing a working like that while the portal was closed and the satchel being moved.
Syval frowns lightly in thought and his tail lashes pensively behind him while he walks. "Then do we stop a couple days and set a more permanent camp?" the dragonoid wonders aloud to the group. Not that the wizard would mind more time to study his books or dragon nature but nowhere in view of the Toadsquat Mountains could really be called safe.

To be entirely fair, nowhere that is not inside a nicely walled settlement could be called safe. "I suppose we make with the temporary spell for several days, while I work on the tokens in the evening. I can stabilize the brew so that it should be safe while we are traveling. But it will not finish without my attention and involvement." Exactly how brewing and a cauldron are going to figure into this, Andie does not seem inclined to explain.

In truth, though Syval has little way to know this, Jyslin herself could open and close the satchel and carry it; she knows the command phrases. But she never uses them without Andie's permission ... and right now those two are not communicating almost at all, let alone coordinating with one another.

<OOC> Syval figured Andie left a tiger-sized opening for Jyslin to speak up if she mattered there, so yes he's assumed that for whatever reason she doesn't know how or can't. :)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Oh, Jyslin knows how. But right now she's figuring if she opens her mouth, all of the things she isn't saying are going to come spilling out."

<OOC> Syval is admittedly curious what she has to say, as the one who wandered far afield and got caught.

<OOC> Syval says, "That doesn't seem to match the grudge she's evidently holding, but it is the Rogue's place to pry not the Wizard's."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And we don't seem to have one of those just now."

<OOC> Syval glances at Neos.

<OOC> Syval says, "Has our sneaky scaly scout not taking any levels that grant him delicious Precision Damage?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Nope. Just natural skill at poison-delivering."

"As long as that won't drain your spell reserves too deeply," Syval cautions to the witch. "But I guess having you present with less spells as we walk is safer than not present at all. When the portal is open you're near at hand."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ahh much better. Increased DPI scaling. Now I can read properly."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li blinks owlishly?

<OOC> Syval says, "DPI = Dots-per-inch. Win10 has a resolution scaling setting that scales all content up or down so everything from the taskbar to text in a window grows larger or smaller."

<OOC> Syval says, "It's smarter than the old method of changing screen resolution because it lets you get high resolution smoothness at the edges of shapes while still enlarging those shapes."

<OOC> Syval says, "Tl;dr: Text too small, I made mine bigger."
"I shall certainly do my best, Syval." Andie promises without much complaint. She glances for a moment curiously at Jyslin; solving something like this or at least helping to support it would be right down the young moonpriestess's normal alley. But one look at the ashen blonde's face and Andie turns back to face front resolutely; there clearly is not going to be much coming from her just now. Now the witch just has to keep the tension from ratcheting through her shoulders and back.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Ah. Having a weak-eye day?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Realizing rather belatedly that I should have bumped it up a while back. I normally use my monitor or honestly get too close to the screen."

<OOC> Syval says, "And it's a bit dark in here so that's probably part of it."

"For all our sakes let's hope it's enough. That's quite an enemy we have... The academy either won't believe my notes on it or they'll give me full robes for them," the dragonoid wonders. For his part he's largely ignored the brooding priestess, leaving her to speak up when ready.

Bounding over a small creek, Syval ruffles his wings and glances back at them ponderously before snorting. "And I've plenty still to learn about this body. I cannot fly or mindspeak... Neos, I think those should be my next lessons," he suggests with a look over to the Eldritch Wyrm. His lesson learned from before, this time the inquisitive mage asks /before/ diving in snout-and-frill first on his own.

Neosodos considers the bipedal dragonoid's suggestions and nods. "Flying is likely to be quite a challenge for you at this stage. And sadly we are not an altitude enough to more easily use gliding to begin the lessons. Perhaps we can simply teleport you to altitude and let you figure it out as you fall?" The Eldritch Wyrm does have a rather dry wit. "I think you are less likely to break bones if we start by working on mindspeech. But you should be prepared to drink draughts of willowbark. I expect some headaches in your future."

Able to hear all of this, Honoria covers her mouth to prevent outright laughter at the thought of teleporting Syval up high into the air and just leaving him to struggle or fall and break something. A lady should not laugh so at another's misfortune. But she cannot help imagining it to be rather funny when happening.

For once, Jyslin finally pipes up. "I'm going to guess he can run a bit faster than you can, Neosodos. Perhaps if he can get the balance right, he can run forward enough to gain some lift? It could be a beginning, anyway. Let him feel the wind on his wings." Anyone want to guess how it is the land-bound roamer figured that out?

Syval passes a dry look back at the Eldritch Wyrm and snorts lightly as his wings twitch. That one slighted his pride. "Or I can study on my own, though after my transformation you seemed like you want to be involved. I've weathered plenty of falls and I'm sure I can weather more, but maybe I should accustom myself to flapping first?" the dragonoid suggests before twisting his wide form to squeeze through the gap between a tall pine and a shrub growing in its shade. "In a clearing at least..."

The sound of Jyslin's voice catches the wizard by surprise and he pauses again to look back at her. Why yes, that was the priestess who just spoke. "Or that," he admits.
Neosodos gives a hissing chuckle at Syval's response. "I was only half-teasing, little brother. Flying really does tend to work best by tossing the young off a ledge with a long fall." Neo isn't kidding; that's how he was taught to fly eons ago. "Even so, yes. You are right. We do a lot of flapping on the ground. That will help you to feel the muscles and tendons. To know how to bear down and put more force into things, and start to change the angles. Perhaps try the flapping for a few days. Then step up to Jyslin's 'running glide' experiment, before we take any unnecessary high-altitude risks."

"I'm not against it - it's the way you said it," Syval remarks as he turns his attention back to navigating through the wooded foothills - a task which has gotten noticeably more difficult since his transformation. A taloned hand comes up to brush against his neck and knock away a bug as he wonders, "Maybe that's why I like climbing things... and it is a good way to avoid crowds in Delzimmer."

<OOC> Syval says, "And time for me to afk before bed. Thank you for the time. Rest well when you do. :)"
"I always liked climbing the trees and the canopy back home." Jyslin answers Syval. "Change in perspective. And some of the best fruit can only be reached at higher altitudes."

Neosodos seems to concur with this. "Some of the best flowers, too. And I do love stingberries."

Honoria hmmms. "The only heights I climbed, other than the mountains, were the backs of horses and a few towers, I am afraid." No princesses up a tree, there.

"I've been up a good many things, and fallen down some. Delzimmer floods with the rainy season so the ground floor walls are made hard with covered timbers," the dragonoid explains for Honoria's benefit. "Trees are fun when fruit's in season. What are the trees like where you're from, Jyslin?"

Jyslin explains, "The trees in the jungle are ancient, tall, broad and mighty. The canopy is so thick and multi-layered that the ground is dark almost all day long. There are dozens of varieties of trees. Most are rough-barked and many-limbed, with broad elbows starting as low as six to eight feet, and topmost canopy as high as fifty to eighty feet." She goes on to describe the many different varieties with intimate knowledge and details, breaking down those with the best fruit, those most popular with different bird species, and those that live the shortest or longest. It is quickly very apparent that the roamer knows the trees of the Misty Vale Jungle very, very well. well enough to put druids to the challenge.

Syval listens intently at first then with growing surprise as the priestess keeps on going, which reflects itself in a little ruffle of his wings and a shift of his tail. If they weren't cutting a path through woodlands he might have stopped to take notes. "Wow you've studied your home jungle thoroughly. That's more detailed than what I've read in some bestiaries."

"I believe we have similar homelands. Amlar is shrouded in the heavy growth of many a tall tree and in the whole forest there's no land to walk on - only piles of leaves and underbrush. It's been a very long time since I've visited," the mage admits wistfully as he looks abroad at the unfamiliar cold-weather evergreens before them and the wide open spaces separating each trunk. "I didn't know roamers had a 'home'. I thought you were always traveling."
The moonpriestess chuckles wryly. "One is not born a roamer, Syval." For whatever reason the pensive, even angry demeanor is broken, at least for now, and Jyslin engages conversationally with ease. "My family had a home. We traveled widely within the jungle, but always returned to our home. When I grew to young adulthood and felt I was ready, I left the Misty Vale to see the lands which lay beyond. I found the human settlements, and was drawn to Shiertalar. From there I found those who called themselves adventurers who wanted to explore the Misty Vale, and I signed on to act as a guide for them. Eventually I became one of them." The rest of her story she has already shared before, so she does not belabor that point. "I assume my mother and father remain where they always were, doing what they always did. I have not been back to the homestead, or to Wynesboro, in nearly a decade." Surprising to hear one who looks so young speaking with such seeming depth of years. But it is not the first time.

"You have certainly ranged further than me," Syval remarks somewhat enviously. "The path of the Art is pursued mostly indoors with a wax tablet and a chair. I don't understand the journeymen who sit and write out the great tomes that they do without the aid of a levitating quill." Here the dragonoid chuckles as another thought crosses his mind. "Perhaps once our travels are done I shall fly back from Delzimmer to Amlar. It should make a much shorter journey than the path I took in leaving."

"My advantages were that my teaching was at home, with my family, and out of doors." Jyslin answers. "Had I instead trained for the priesthood to start with, as I did after I was infected, I would have gone into that temple complex and not left for close to a decade. And I likely would not have traveled far from there unless I was one of those bitten with the 'adventuring' bug, deciding to leave the temples and head out into the world for one reason or another. One can serve the goddess with true faith and allegiance and never leave the temple grounds again, given there is also a crematorium on-site."

Neosodos chuckles a bit. "Returning to Amlar might be far more interesting than you think, Little Brother." the Eldritch Wyrm opines. "After all, if you returned now Charondal would feel you once you reached the border of the jungle." And the implication is that the huge and very ancient green wyrm would not take kindly to his presence.

Mention of the great green dragon turns the wizard's mood grim and he nods solemnly to Neos' warning. "Yes. I feel Charindol and I are fated to meet someday but as long as he keeps to his lair in Amlar it will be at a time of my choosing. The path ahead of us is plenty long yet - that's time for me to grow while he naps." A glance is passed but unexplained back to Honoria as Syval adds, "And I've no plan to fly straight from the White Bog back to Amlar."

<OOC> Syval says, "*Charindol if my notes are correct. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus. Your notes and the wiki are correct."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I am as capable of a typo as anyone."

<OOC> Syval says, "Call it dragon pride but I am far more capable of typos. Thank you for confirming it for me."
Neosodos' humor mostly evaporates as he responds to Syval, "I suspect you are more right than any might wish. But I am not gifted with Sight to be able to confirm it, nor to offer any guidance towards that day." That would be his human 'mistress' or companion, not the little drake.

Andie speaks up at the end of all this. "I regret to inform you, but Charindol is not napping. As I understand it, he has not been for almost two hundred years. I cannot say I understand all of the reasons why, but it has something to do with both the elves of Eldeshaarthis and Magesandros."

And just like that Jyslin shuts back up and goes stony-faced, marching along without another word.

Honoria looks to Syval questioningly, but says nothing right now, as if she is of the opinion her words would better serve to set off unseen boobytraps than anything useful.

<OOC> Syval says, "Would I know either of those places?"

<OOC> Syval pokes?

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. Eldeshaarthis is the name of the city of elves within Amlar. It's within the realms of possibility Syval would have heard that name."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Magesandros is the gold wyrm that also lives inside Amlar."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He has a rather outsides reputation. His name is known pretty far and wide to anyone who has any interest in dragons and magic. His nickname in Shaaren is Mage."

<OOC> Syval says, "Aha. Thank you. And I did read up on Amlar as part of trying to find the source of my magical weirdness. Most of it was on magical creatures, butit makes sense elves would have come up--"

<OOC> Syval says, "Do tell. <.<"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It is said by some that Magesandros is the most magical of all wyrms of this generation of dragons. He has the biggest rep of any metallic dragon in this age/era. Bar none, at least amongst the mortal races."

<OOC> Syval says, "How did he earn that reputation? Does he use it often?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Many are the rumors that he has actively infiltrated countless mortal races' cities and studied their magic. And there are myths which say that at least in the past he actually took certain of those he met to become his apprentices of a sort."

<OOC> Syval says, "Well! Make that two dragons of Amlar which I must meet, and thankfully the good one travels."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And apparently likes people."

<OOC> Syval says, "At least ones with magic to share, and as a golden dragon he's thankfully more personable than most."

<OOC> Syval, already forming plans to meet Magesandros as part of phase 3 or 4 of his journey.

<OOC> Syval says, "--"

<OOC> Syval hastily takes notes, will be back with you soon.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nodnods. Cuddles. "Take your time."

"And I believe you said he killed my birth mother as well?" Syval asks in a blase tone over the crunch of dry leaves. "He at least is keeping to his forest and mostly to himself. That is close enough to sleep compared to what we're doing." Narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, the apprentice wizard nods at the gold dragon's name. It's one he recognizes. "If the rumors of him are true, he'll be very generous towards me."

<OOC> Syval says, "You mentioned at one point that my academy education was funded by an unknown benefactor... :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "I just might have a new guess for who that could be."

<OOC> Syval says, "Had to jot some notes on that and other things so I don't forget by the time it's their turn."
"And father, though his killing of your mother in that manner was accidental, to say the least." Andie answers Syval. After all, Charindol murdered the rest of that party of adventurers with his own magic and might; Syval's mother had escaped, and was only slain because the accident of draconic magic affecting him sucked the life from her as he rapidly developed to birth in hours rather than months.

As for how generous Magesandros might be, Andie says nothing more. That would be speaking with authority about the nature and intentions of a dragon, and would be beyond her purview based on what she has said previously.

"My teachers always taught me, when dealing with dragons, don't. Run the other way as fast as one can go." Honoria comments blythely. No one will ever say the lady knight is a coward, but that does not mean she won't choose the better part of valor in a situation; a dead knight cannot protect anyone from anything, after all. "I suppose some aspect of that has changed, now."

The Eldritch Wyrm chuckles raspily at that. "So, are we moving on with attempting gliding practice, Little Brother? Or discussing mindspeech?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Death by fanfic pregnancy. Harsh."

<OOC> Syval assumes you've been around the internet long enough to know of that Sonic fic?

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hunh?"

<OOC> Syval will explain on Discord.

Syval hardly reacts to Andie's inclusion of his father. The dragonoid for his own reasons doesn't seem to have much attachment to either birth parent, nor great stirring urge for revenge. Casting a sandy eye back towards Honoria he smiles in a way that shows teeth - and like much smaller wyrm, every one of them's a fang. "Sound advice today but dragons are now known to have good and bad varieties. When then will you be running from Neos and I?"

The tiny voice from Andie's shoulder brings Syval back to their original topic and after some consideration he answers, "Mindspeech if we can do that while traveling."

"For now, I intend to continue on with both of you. But that does not change the lessons I was taught. Nor, frankly, their general applicability and wisdom." Honoria responds wryly.

Neosodos offers a dry, wheezy chuckle at this interplay and stretches out his wings for a few moments before adjusting comfortably. "Mindspeech it is, then, Little Brother." And so begins a half hour lecture on trying to connect to Syval's 'spark' and then search from 'within' its presence for a connection to the world around himself, eventually differentiating those with minds from that without.
----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 05 Night Bandit Aftermath

2022-05-08T11:45:57Z

VanyaDoll2: Added categories

The small party managed to make most of the rest of the day's travel following the incident before making camp once more. Throughout the day's travel Syval and Honoria were able to continue conversing between one another, and Neosodos would join now and then. But unlike previous days' travel it became very clear that Jyslin and Andie were not talking amongst one another. In fact, they have not spoken to one another since Jyslin was successfully extracted. The tiny drake's bristling mannerisms make it clear he is feeling very, very uncomfortable right now. It does not appear that he is being tarred with whatever brush of distaste or fury that is directed from the priestess towards the witch, but clearly he cannot help being associated with her, and so is finding himself 'trapped in the middle', not unlike the other two party members.

Thankfully everyone are capable professionals in their travels and journeys, and so they are making things work while minimizing communication. They largely know exactly where to be and what to do to keep things going, without even once needing to speak to one another. But it's a challenge to say the last.

<OOC> Syval says, "Long phone. Murphy's Law..."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oy vey and now it is a busy night. Back from phone. One moment more while I tie up a loose end. 9_9"

<OOC> Syval says, "Okay, now to catch up here. Sorry that after setting things up my night got instantly torpedoed."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li shrugs. "Crud happens, hon."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah yes and I was meaning to practice mind-speak with Neos too. Still catching up on my notes a little."

<OOC> Syval says, "Agh and I forgot the polite term I'd started using for Neos when we're speaking dragon to dragon. Not his title Eldritch Wyrm but like how he refers to me as "little brother"."

<OOC> Syval vaguely recalls having some kind of deferent address for that.

Hanging towards the back of their group, Syval hasn't seemed to mind the shift to silence greatly and has filled a modest amount of it with conversations in Maenast. As in his earlier travels with the witchy pair, the dragonoid seems content to observe more than draw attention to himself. The sobering challenges they've faced in the past days have further cemented his attitude and added a fresh wariness to how his sand-colored eyes regard the woods around them.

<You seem even worse at ease than Jyslin, brother. Do we need to give Andie and Jyslin time in the portal to talk through... whatever this is?> he thinks towards the Eldritch Wyrm while making eye contact. Absent any developed skill in Mindspeech, he's hoping Neos picks it up for him.

Hanging towards the back of their group, Syval hasn't seemed to mind the shift to silence greatly and has filled a modest amount of it with conversations in Maenast. As in his earlier travels with the witchy pair, the dragonoid seems content to observe more than draw attention to himself. The sobering challenges they've faced in the past days have further cemented his attitude and added a fresh wariness to how his sand-colored eyes regard the woods around them.

<You seem even worse at ease than Jyslin, brother. Do we need to give her and Andie time in the portal to talk through... whatever this is?> he thinks towards the Eldritch Wyrm while making eye contact. Absent any developed skill in Mindspeech, he's hoping Neos picks it up for him.

<OOC> Syval says, "Fixed a typo. *her and Andie, not Andie and Jyslin."

<OOC> Syval tries to remember if he's wearing some kind of robe above his waist again or if he's still topless.

<OOC> Syval says, "The little things I didn't notate for myself."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I think you were still at this point topless. Though that may be something discussed and addressed now that we've made camp. Someone with sewing skills could modify something so you can have a top?"

<OOC> Syval says, "A good thought, particularly since I've got my existing robes and we "find" new clothes occasionally."
When the tensions are addressed, Neosodos sighs mentally. Yes, he picked it up since he and Syval have been working on his mindspeech, even if not perhaps with the level of success either would prefer just yet. << I do not know that giving them a private space to talk will actually convince them to do so. Andie is thoroughly convinced that she has done nothing wrong. From what little I can tell, Jyslin is rather furious, and hurt all in one. And I believe emotionally she has somehow decided that it is a test of Andie's love for her to realize why she is upset and speak to it, address it. >> The tiny wyrm's dry tone on this makes clear his feelings on the matter: this is dumb human emotional cruft, and he is only addressing it because it is screwing with his bonded person, and one of his best friends. He would much prefer it all go the Hells away.

Syval glances briefly skyward at the notion, so much for his thoughts on the matter as well. << In human language that's called the "silent treatment". Was it the fire she summoned? I've not seen her cast a spell so large before, and that manipulating voice is... troubling. >> There's much more the young dragonoid could say about a far-off and powerful voice able to control the minds of a bandit gang from miles away but without knowing more about it there isn't much to do but hope to go unnoticed.

The drake looks heavenward and sighs. <> More dry frustration with humans is rolled up in all of that.

<> Such a tired drake.

Syval shifts the pack on his shoulder and his thoughts are quiet at first in response, turned inwards until he broaches the dangerous question, << Could that be more manipulation from the Voice? We do have a spell to block it out but no charms yet. >>

<OOC> Syval says, "Still there?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. My fault. I should have said something. I got a call. It's over now. Apologies. :("
Honoria does not interrupt, but is clearly aware that Syval and Neosodos are conversing, as she seems to be watching first one and then the other back and forth, perhaps attempting to judge the topic of their conversation or how it's going. She's just not used to reading emotional context from draconic features.

<< I do not believe it is more manipulation. The spell is active. The talismans will take time once we have settled for the evening. Andie will likely need to use the cavern for the night. Hopefully she can manage to create talismans for all in a single night, but I do not know. >> Which proves the drake's conversations with his mistress have been similarly strained; he clearly has not already asked, which shows he is distracted.

<> Whether Neo would sense it might be a question; and there is the possibility that she herelf might be more resistant to such things than others. But he clearly feels ill-equipped to discuss the heightened and very human emotions of the human women, no matter how well he would normally say he knows them.

<OOC> Syval says, "That's okay. Welcome back. :)"

<< Well, then we will manage with what we have, >> Syval concludes after another pause for thought. While he might not like the new rift between the witch and her companion, human emotions are something he's plenty familiar with. The neophyte dragonoid isn't turning down another chance for meditation either, even if he'll likely be doing it outside Andie's cavern.

His sandy eyes glance to Honoria and the green drake smiles apologetically. "<Sorry, still learning mind-speak. I cannot do three people at once yet.>" Or even one person besides Neos. Baby steps.

Big, massive scaled and clawed baby steps. Neosodos turns his head towards the lady knight and his irridescent eyes get a swirling look as he reaches out to instead make contact with her mind, filling her in on the basics of the discussion thus far. Real consternation and concern shows in the lady knight's face, but the beter part of valor clearly takes precedence; even as another human woman she does not try to step in or mediate between the two whom she presumes to be lovers. Oh no, not dancing in that minefield.

"< Are we close, then, to where we should halt for the evening? >" Honoria instead inquires, aloud. She would ask in Shaaren, but she does not know the langauge; she realizes Jyslin is the one person being excluded here, but she cannot help that. Neosodos helps out, translating for the priestess, who turns and looks around, then nods. She then takes off her big backpack and starts extracting cookware and tent and the like as if it is any other night on the trail.

As before, the habits of camp take precedence without conversation or interrogation. Andie removes her satchel and sets it down, commanding it open once more as she has been. "Given our intention of the protective talismans, Syval, I will need the use of the cavern this evening. Would you and Honoria be so kind as to assist Jyslin with the preparations for camp and the meal?" She seems to barely wait for acknowledgement or response before she slips into the cavern and begins her work there. Neosodos gives the other three a long look before his perch upon her shoulder takes him out of sight.

"I realize my own lighting of the fire will not be nearly as effortless. But I can manage." Jyslin explains to Syval as she digs the fire pit manually, clearly going to the effort of setting up the more stealthy pit that will be almost invisible beyond this camp. Her past lifetime as a roamer is clear as her comfort in the wilds and with such preparations is frankly without question. She does not bother with hunting for dinner, however, and instead pulls out some supplies and rations, starting to cook up a soup for dinner.

"How does the new body feel after a day of travel spent?" Jyslin inquires of Syval while she works on all of this.

"Sure Andie. I'll be in to retrieve my bag when dinner is ready," Syval replies to the witch, lingering his eyes last on Neos before the pseudodragon disappears. It's been helpful not having his very human backpack not pressing against his new wings all day and as the group stops to make camp the dragonoid takes an opportunity to stretch out, turning enough to extend his full verdant span between a couple spindly trees. If the young man looked large walking around, it's dwarfed by his presence with wings out and a relieved grunt reveals he's not doing it just for show.

"Energized," he answers honestly as assessing himself turns to helping around their burgeoning campsite. While Jyslin starts on the fire pit, he begins setting up the tents. "My legs feel more normal now. Still a little weird, but everything is... a little sharper. I think this will be the safer form to keep once I get used to the wings too - as long as we don't have to pass among humans." In the middle of the wilderness north of the Toadsquat Range? Not likely.

<OOC> TEST
There are a few small errant villages here and there, but they are small, transient, and easily avoided. The group need not interact with any of them. THe most challenging is likely to be towards the end of the journey as they approach the White Bog Wood, for there lies Wishwell. A unique reputation, that place. "Unlikely to be an issue for a while, yet." Jyslin answers simply.

Honoria nods in agreement.

"Well then, at least you should have plenty of time to find your own balance in it." As a werebeast herself, Jyslin clearly has a perspective on such things, but her own nature is different twice over; she was infected, rather than born, for all that she now enjoys all of the benefits of a natural born werebeast. Also, her beast is ... a beast. Not a dragon. There must needs be differences there, surely.

"As a matter of perspective, I do recommend that you try out changing in both directions while you can do so with minimal threat. Then you can figure out how to do it when you want or need to, how it will feel, what challenges you will face, and how long the changes will take, before your life or anyone else's hang in the balance." Voice of experience, there

Honoria grimaces, forced to rely on Syval for translation before she can join the conversation still. "< Not that you need my advice, but I would agree with her. That does make some sense. I also suggest we try some sparring, tonight or tomorrow morning, to let you get the feeling for how this body will react and how you need to control it. >"

It takes a look from Honoria for Syval to remember to translate for the knight while he sets the first of their tents then glances skyward to decide if the watch tent is called for. "We have a long journey yet and honestly I look forward to spending more time learning about myself. I only worry about what dangers won't wait. That's good advice - both of you. Perhaps we can spar while supper boils then I'll sleep human and transform back in the morning," the young dragonoid offers before a thought strikes him and he scratches pensively at the scales of his jawline. "But I can see better at night like this..."

"< Your counsel is always welcome, Honoria. You're as much part of this band as the rest of us, >" he asides supportively to the blonde knight-errant.

Trust the lady knight to think about the martial implications; she is a professional soldier, after all. Not just a princess, this one, oh no. She does not bother to explain to the dragonoid exactly the shades thrown in her earlier comment; he will have to learn such things, eventually, but experience is in her estimation the best teacher. "< If you've a wish to spar, then we can make it so. You should ask Jyslin if she minds; the sounds of clashing may upset her if given without warning. >"

Jyslin gets dinner started and then moves to start setting up the tent she usually shares with Andie; whether the witch will be coming tonight or not, there will be a place for her regardless.

For Syval there is a sense - a stink - of strong magic building, wafting from the cavern.

The green-scaled young man flits his gaze to the portal and wrinkles his nose. Trust strong magic to distract the mage turned were-dragon. "< Wow, I hadn't realized Art could leak from that portal. Andie is working on a big enchantment... >" Once his own tent is pitched and some small prep is done to help the campsite Syval moves over to Jyslin's larger two-person tent and wordlessly starts to help her as well.

"Honoria suggested more sparring to help me get used to this body. Do you mind? You're welcome to join in," he explains casually.

"< When the portal is open, it is a doorway like any other, is it not? >" Honoria answers, since by speaking Maenast the dragonoid was obviously addressing her with the question. "< She did promise to work on talismans to protect us from the Voice. One presumes such talismans would be moderately major workings, as apparently the spell she was using to protect us was substantial in power. >" The lady knight from the distant past does not seem at all discomfited by the implication of Andie's level of power and experience.

Jyslin considers Syval for a few moments as they work on the tent together. "You are getting much better at speaking with your differently-shaped jaw. Well done." Hey, he has only had a day to work at this, so it's worth noting the success he is having. It helps that he has been talking all day, though, and in two languages. "I am sure Honoria is far better a warrior than I. I would not want to force you to face two opponents at once. But I may come over now and again." Of course Syval has seen Jyslin fight; she's no slouch to be sure. But she clearly considers herself not to be anywhere near on-par with the lady knight.

"" Syval asides back to Honoria before turning his attention back to Jyslin and mentally switching languages again. "Thank you. It's ssstill awkward. I hope I can learn mind-speak quickly," he admits, accidentally letting slip a hiss as the compliment makes him self-conscious. "I would think she'll welcome you sparring her too. I don't think I'm a challenge for her in either form."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You have been able to sense things through it. Smelled food on the cook fires from inside; sensed dragons through the doorway; etc."

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. That's my faulty memory at work then."

<OOC> Syval says, "How about we just leave that exchange as-is and move on? It'd be a bit messy to correct."
Jyslin chuckles wryly. "I rather doubt either of will be much of a challenge for her. But I can give it a try; at least I heal quickly." Clearly the priestess is expecting to be trounced throughly, even painfully. But she is not afraid of it.

Once the largest of the tents is fully assembled, Jyslin climbs inside to prepare things for a bit. After she emerges she makes her way to the fire to check on dinner's progress and do some stirring before approaching the sparring session already in progress.

Once the assembly of camp is complete Honoria gathers up Syval and takes him aside for sparring. The one clear benefit here is that she is such a professional, consumate warrior that she is not going to lose control of herself or her weapon; Syval's body is in no danger here. But his pride, if he had any in matters of melee, would definitely be at stake if not mortally wounded. Nevertheless a day spent moving about on those legs and with that body has given him better instincts than he had; so long as he does not let himself think too much or dwell upon his movements, everything at least goes where he intends without tangling tail with feet or worse.

When the sparring begins it becomes instantly clear the gap in skill between the pair, though for all the bookish reputation of wizards, Syval seems at least to know which end of his bardiche to swing with. His movements are comfortable, purposeful, and moving naturally enough between stances that it's clear he's had some formal training, or else a lot of practice mimicking someone who did. Of course the sheer size difference in sword versus polearm should favor the lady knight in agility but from pure physicality, the green dragonoid keeps up far better than his 14 pound weapon should allow. While his footwork seems to have suffered some from his transformation, occasionally put off balance or glanced by an out of place tail or wing, if anything his polearm has gotten even faster - and Lathander help her if Honoria's shield isn't up to intercept a two-handed swing.

Honoria actually takes the time to pull out her lance and drill Syval on some movements. Hers is not a bardiche, but it is long enough to give the impression of such, and that should be enough to help as she drills the draconoid wizard on the physicalities of wielding the bardiche in melee. "Remember: reach is wonderful, and keeping your enemy out and away from you is ideal. But you have to be prepared for how to choke up on the haft and take things in direct efficiently, rather than being overbalanced and just banging about helplessly with just the shaft. And that weapon is just as capable of defending you as it is of hurting your enemies."

Yes, Honoria even shows how to take her sword's blade in hand to do similar parries and shoves where appropriate, though she vastly prefers her shield. And well she should.

Jyslin does come over a bit later to watch the two of them practice. She does not interfere, nor involve herself, but she avidly pays attention, as both fight in ways she never much bothered to do in her own career. She was never much for shields, or anything but the lightest armor, and polearms would be worth nothing to her save as a means for a stretcher or a carry pole. But she is always avid to learn more, and is.

During a break, while Syval is drinking water Jyslin approaches to speak to him. "You should spend some time adjusting your mind to your expanded senses in this form. It may offer you advantages in combat. A heightened awareness of your surroundings that does not rely on human eyes can be a great asset. Especially given you have a weapon that is attached to you and behind, where eyes would find it hard to see." <re>

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh right, green dragons have pretty big tails don't they?"

<OOC> Syval should refine his dragon form notes.

<OOC> Syval says, "Do you recall how big we decided my dragon form is? Was it 7' plus bulk?"

<OOC> Syval can't recall if it shot up a foot or stayed roughly the same. He vaguely recalls the latter.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Around 7 foot plus bulk. Still size medium, but right up against the edge of that."

Like his fellow therianthrope it's a help for Syval that the unarmored young man heals quickly as even Honoria's more solid hits across their session didn't keep him down for long. With their respective stamina, the pair go at each other for quite a while, even after a day of trekking. By the time they call a break Syval's out of breath and dirtied up but otherwise doesn't look any worse for wear. Though if he had any bruises they'd be hard to see through scales anyway.

"That's a good idea Jyslin," he replies to the ashen blonde tigress before offering some of his water. "I do want to explore this body more - I can feel there's a lot I haven't tapped into yet. Is there a training method you recommend?"

<OOC> Syval ^_^ "Private expert training in the woods by pretty women. If trolls don't get us before we reach White Bog, this ain't a bad gig."

<OOC> Syval is a happy dragon. He's got his arms expert and his therianthrope expert, and how rare is /that/ one these days? And he's even getting paid to learn instead of shelling out heaping piles of silver for the privilege.

<OOC> Syval says, "Jeepers I'm as big as a tree now. Without adding any extra bulk for the +2/2/2 STR/DEX/CON or the wings and tail, the height difference alone puts me at 285 lb."

<OOC> Syval says, "Which, for reference, is still 50 pounds less than the 6'9" Halfthor Bjornsson because RL human size ranges are enormous."

<OOC> Syval says, "And that man's even got abs. He's just thick like an oak tree."

<OOC> Syval is going to be leaving deep footprints if he's not careful.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li rolls to track dragonoid with advantage!

<OOC> Syval says, "Careful, you may instead find a dire chicken."

<OOC> Syval says, "Those birds can cluck you up. u_u"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li giggles.
The weretigress priestess accepts the offered water and drinks some, then returns it as she walks towards the campfire so that she can check on their still-cooking meal. It's almost ready. "Mmmm. Given that your form is a dragon, there's likely more to explore than there is with that of the tiger. I would recommend movement first: experiment with modes of movement on all-fours, especially galloping and jumping. Experiment with rolling, as that can be vital in mobile fights and when falling. Then work your way up to gliding and flying. Neosodos will be your best coach on that stuff." Obviously.

Honoria adds her own to this. "I would recommend we experiemnt later with using your limbs in combat. See what your claws can do, and what they cannot. See how strong your tail is and how well you can coordinate it. Then add regular exercises of those." She's not recommending practicing bite attacks just now, but that really should end up in the rotation somewhere.

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh right, I moved my inventory to OneNote!"

<OOC> Syval says, "...and despite adding all the weights forgot to include the bardiche altogether. D'oh."

<OOC> Syval says, "I think I copied this back into Word too so it would tally up, or at least was partway into that. 6.6"

Syval nods along as he considers the ideas. "Galloping around on all fours doesn't sound very dignified, especially with a pair of good wings on my back, but I think I understand. And I have been meaning to test my claws out..." The dragonoid looks over one of his sets of dagger-like talons and smiles toothily as his wings stretch out proudly. "I was going to do that over lunch, but I have a metal file I can play with while we eat."

"Most animals with digitigrade rear legs like yours can manage a galloping gait that is much faster than they can manage upright on only their hide legs. Given that you may only be able to glide, rather than truly fly, you'll likely find it easier to take off at higher speeds." Jyslin offers. Because yes, the former roamer and daughter of a druidess grew up understanding how it is animals function, and she shares that wisdom and knowledge unstintingly. "Dinner is almost ready."

Syval snorts lightly, still finding the idea a bit distasteful but taking the experienced young woman's council. "Then I will try that later. My mouth is more of a weapon than it used to be too, so maybe being empty-handed isn't so bad..." The grip on his bardiche tightens unconsciously as he says that. No doubt the adventurous wizard has become attached to his polearm in more ways than one. Looping the water skin back through his belt, the dragonoid stands back up and dusts at his robes. "Good timing. I'll clean up and grab my dish."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry for the delay. Struggling with headache at the moment."

<OOC> Syval says, "SOrry to hear that. Any idea what brought it on?"
When Syval reaches the fire Jyslin is ready to ladle up food for him, as well as for Honoria and herself. She then ladles out a portion into a wooden bowl and carries it to the threshold of the cavern, where she sets it before returning with everyone else, thusly avoiding any actual interruptions of Andie's work. "I suspect they will be working much of the night." she murmurs quietly as she settles back down and starts eating. "We'll see how things are doing in the morning. There should be enough for some seconds, if either of you is still hungry."

With the aid of a little Art the apprentice wizard cleans up quickly and returns with his wooden bowl and utensils to eat. The claws do seem to cause Syval some small trouble in holding his spoon but the young man manages with a looser grip that lets his talons curl safely around his palm. Sitting takes a little more work but here the dragonoid has the benefit of practice and manages a mostly comfortable spot on the ground with his tail curled to one side as he tucks into his food.

"Thank you, Jyslin," he replies politely, letting the start of the meal otherwise pass quietly to focus on eating.

The priestess merely nods, offering a little smile, while all three seem to focus largely on the meal. Perhaps this is only to avoid the prickly subject of the two absent from around the campfire and the meal, but perhaps that is for the best? What else is there to say, after all?

"< Glad you are adapting well. >" Honoria offers after a bit, clearly having been watching Syval adjusting his habits, pose and posture for his new form and the needs of even sharing a simple meal having changed as a result. The lady knight herself as always acts cleanly and precisely with that oddly measured blend of precise courtly manners and the efficiency of a professional soldier.

"" Syval answers with a rare candidness, perhaps from knowing Honoria is the only one who'll understand him. "< And to learn Neos' mind-speech so we can communicate together. I only hope the wilderness here, and that Voice, give us the time for that. >" A glance is given towards Jyslin though the green-scaled wizard doesn't offer to translate. Particularly without the Eldritch Wyrm's presence, he's conscious of being part of two disconnected worlds between the modern roamer and ancient knight.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li applauds.

<OOC> Syval says, "What? <.<"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I like that Syval is feeling his way through how to deal with 'all this' in the social dynamics, not just his newfound abilities."
Jyslin just gazes at the dragonoid for a bit and then shrugs, assuming that if it were important that she knows Syval would feel more inclined to translate for her. Instead she just continues slowly eating her way through her dinner.

Honoria mmms. "< Probably best that I continue working to learn this modern tongue, as well, rather than assuming that translation will always be found. >" And Honoria has been trying, but it will take a lot of effort. It does not help that conversation amongst the group has become a bit stilted, and Honoria has only been around a few days as yet. This is going to be a while.

<OOC> Syval returns from starting soup dinner.

<OOC> Syval says, "Honestly this feels like a fated time to get to know Jyslin better like I'd planned to do before discovering Honoria and I'm OOCly kicking myself for forgetting so much of our past conversations. I feel like we've already discussed what most of my openers would be and I just can't recall them well enough to pick back up. >.<"

<OOC> Syval says, "ICly it's been what, 5 days? It'd all be fresh in Syval's own memory."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "Yeah. Six days at most."

"< That or get jewelry with a permanent translation enchantment. Knowing some Common will help you but both solutions would be appropriate for the Queen of Falkirk, >" Syval replies smoothly between bites, as if such an artifact were easily obtainable. It's a small blessing but the older Maenast seems a bit easier on his draconic tongue. The shifted wizard doesn't come across quite as strongly accented.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I'm mostly kidding. But, you could always ask Jyslin why she's so darned mad at Andie. ^_^"

<OOC> Syval says, "You joke but Syval is (1) a guy, (2) part dragon, and (3) wholly uninvolved in whatever fracas that is, so he very well could waltz right into that china closet like a big scaly green bull."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "This is quite true. He could do that."

<OOC> Syval says, "That said I don't think he'll open with it. Peek behind the curtain, he's thinking start the meal conversation with Honoria then switch to Jyslin and chat her up starting with therianthrope or personal stuff. He's got this feeling that thorn in the tiger's paw will present itself if she's given some room to talk 1-on-1."
Honoria pauses to allow herself a soft chuckle of wry amusement as Syval names her so, shaking her head after a bit. "< Given that my city barely exists as more than a ruin in this age, my people long since scattered or dead, I am no queen. At best I am a princess long in exile. But thank you. >" But even the lady knight and princess in exile seems hesitant to further impose herself upon the likes of their witchly companion for yet another magical favor for the simple task of translation. "" She does seem content, then, to spend some time questioning Syval on the modern Shaaren translations of various words she deems important to know. 'Danger', 'Enemy', 'Trap', 'Stop' and such.

"< Do you not plan then, once our journey is complete, to journey north and retake Falkirk? That may be fated, and what comes after will come, >" Syval responds with some amusement in turn, then allows the heavy subject to fall away for more mundane experience playing dictionary for the regal blonde. The dragonoid makes sure to speak the words in both languages clearly with another look towards Jyslin to draw the ashen blonde's attention. The lessons work in both directions, after all.

After covering some basics and eating through his bowl, Syval serves himself another ladle of food and gets settled again for more. This time his sand-brown eyes fall to Jyslin and the young man switches to Common. "What does it feel like for you being a therianthrope?" he asks. Tonight's the night for big questions it seems.

<OOC> Syval says, "FYI I'm resuming another scene on Jaden in parallel so I may slow down. Dinner's also coming up from the toaster but I botched the soup so it'll likely be piece-meal."
Honoria shrugs her metal-clad shoulders a bit at the question. "" she begins. "< I cannot know what lies ahead. But if I can achieve the destiny for which I was bound to the statue and gain the opportunity to break the curse of damnation laid upon Falkirk, I will gladly do so with all due haste and joy. And if so doing manages to bring others to the city, that it might be rebuilt and reclaimed for people, not just a crown, that would be one of my greatest joys. Not for my own position, but to have been a part of such hope and purpose for others. >"

Jyslin makes a point, as the lesson goes on, to instead demonstrate handsigns for Honoria and Syval, showing them how she would communicate these things subtly when they are on the trail. She definitely seems to approve of Honoria's choices of terms she wants to learn and supports the effort, repeating each word in modern Shaaren so that the lady knight can hear it spoken without the dragonoid's 'accent.'

When asked Jyslin considers Syval for a bit, as if mulling over quite what he means and how best to answer. "There are a lot of answers to that question, depending on point of view." she begins. "There's the question of what it felt like when I began, when I realized what I had become. There's the question of what it feels like now, having come to the priesthood and fullest acceptance of my calling. Or there is the more pointed question of how it feels when I shed my human seeming and embrace the form of the tigress."

Jyslin considers a bit longer, and then resumes speaking. "Starting with the first, it was very isolating. Lonely, and a bit terrifying. I was pretty consumed with fear that I would lose myself. Only my determination to keep moving forward really kept the panic at bay. That and the hope that when I reached the Temple, they could cure me." But of course that did not happen.

"What it feels like now that I have come to my calling is much more peaceful. I have reached acceptance, and been accepted in return. It is rather warm-hearted, really, as if I am constantly embraced by The Mother, welcomed as a wonder and bestowed as a blessing." Jyslin at least has the grace to look a little embarrassed by how flowery her language gets, but clearly this is the truth of her feelings.

"As for how it feels when I am the tigress, there is a clarity that comes of it. The tigress has less patience for the vagaries of human life and concerns. What others might think of her means nothing to her. How others might judge is pointless. Her senses are transcendant, and there is an incisive wisdom to the tigress that is hard to put into human words. She is also completely comfortable with being indolently lazy, without shame at all."

<OOC> Syval sits down with slaw. "Oh my." o.o

<OOC> Syval says, "Goodness you showed up to play."

Syval smiles at the full and thoughtful answer he receives, and manages not to tease at the ashen blonde's choice of words. "That sounds exactly like a very big cat and it's... similar for me too, I think." Here he turns pensive over his bowl of stew, drawing upon the memories of his spark flooding his body and the rope-like hold he's keeping upon it for his current form. Half-shifted, it feels near and alive. "I won't bore you with my growing up but there's a connection right? You feel something like a warm glow inside?" he asks, touching upon his head before chuckling softly. "I think on humans, dragons and tigers agree. Neos certainly does. Too silly and focused on small things. The world is much too big for that."

Jyslin chuckles wrly as Syval comments on tigers and dragons' opinions of humanity and human things. "Humans are humans. It is who and what we are. We will think, and feel, about the things that touch us. I could pretend those things don't matter to me, but they do. Only the tigress does not care, and I am not only her." There is a slight downturn to her voice. It would not be hard to guess that she is thinking of what the tigress would feel about her tiff with Andie, and clearly deciding it does not matter the opinion of the tigress, for she is not only tigress.

"There is a connection. Mine is as much one of faith as it is of just being. But even before I accepted my calling, I had a connection to the tigress even in human form. It was a bit more fraught, more challenging and uncertain." Jyslin explains. "It is part of why even as a human I am stronger, faster, healthier, with better senses. But nothing really compared to the tigress herself."

"And you can shift like this, halfway between the two?" Syval questions, taking a small point to poke at amongst the larger subjects. "I don't feel any kind of 'faith' with mine, but maybe that's Selune's work. You and anyone else who's seen me for twenty-and-some years knows I'm not all human normal, but I can't really tell what "normal" was - I never had it. And I know who I have to thank and blame for it..."

<OOC> Syval trims back a longer pose to fit Syval's pattern better. He'll respond to questions but hadn't intended to ramble back.

<OOC> Syval says, "You two also posed within 10 seconds of one another, believe it or not. <.<"
Jyslin tilts her head, letting Syval speak uninterrupted as he spews his vitriol and fury in calm, incisive manner. Then, at last, she speaks up. "Yes. I can take a hybrid form. I rarely do, but it can be done." She shrugs. "I assume that my connection of faith to my shifting comes from the fact that this was Selune's intent for me, and because she has entwined my Calling to my therianthropy. It is why I can shift as a natural-born therianthrope, much more easily than I could before I accepted my Calling."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah, in case my reply was confused, I meant it's Selune's work that yours has faith, like you assume. Not her fault mine doesn't feel like it. :)"

"That makes me wonder if the gods had any influence upon me. Do gods mettle in the affairs of dragons?" Syval admits. All his time among wizards and all his time alone besides have fostered an interest in big thoughts and self-reflection. It's a natural outcome perhaps, maybe even one the former roamer can relate to. The dragonoid seems prepared to say more but then thinks better of it, closing his mouth and turning back down to his bowl.

<OOC> Syval recalls Andie being essentially a witch of humans. He doesn't recall the pantheon itself coming up.
"Human gods? Rarely if ever." Jyslin answers with a bit of a shrug. "After all, if human gods get themselves involved in the affairs of dragons, dragon gods can then involve themselves in the affairs of humans." And though Jyslin does not say it, the principle of 'first is eldest, strongest and most powerful' would dictate that in a fight human deities would be grossly outclassed by the draconic deities.

"Well, I'm also a human am I not? But..." Syval pauses to consider as he inwardly confers with the thrum of his spark and what scant draconic knowledge he'd perhaps acquired in Delzimmer. "On second thought dragon gods probably don't care about those rules. Nor would most of them be flattered to have me as a devotee."
Jyslin nods. "Yes, you are human. And because you are human, that means that both I and Andie have some ability to help you. But not so much with your draconic nature, as that largely lies beyond our purview." Though Jyslin clearly does not avoid offering what insight and advice she can in hopes it proves to be of some use. "No, I do not imagine dragon gods care much to have a human devotee, one way or the other. I do know that I was told there are rules. Consequences that lie ahead for those that dedicate their hearts and souls to deties not meant for them. I am afraid you would have to ask Andie if she knows what that would mean. I do not know the specifics."

"She need not worry much then. I'm not eager to supplicate myself before some divinity for breadcrumbs of favors. That feels... unseemly," Syval replies bluntly, though pausing to find the word. "I have a feeling most dragons aren't very religious."

Jyslin just snorts and shrugs. "You would have to ask Neosodos about that. I've no idea. I know the dragons have gods, not what their individual and personal relationships are with those august powers." One thing about Jyslin is that she will not lay claim to knowledge or wisdom she does not have. SHe would rather declare her ignorance than overstep. "And I will not tell anyone how he or she should believe. I may have my opinions, but they are mine. Each person must find what feels right to them."

"That's a sound way to live. You'll start less fights that way," Syval replies with an approving nod. "What's that 'we' you said about helping me as a human? You're no witch, right? I thought only Andie was bound to those obscure rules?"

"I have some ability to help you. I am limited not so much by obscure rules as by my own lack of knowledge and experience." Jyslin explains. "I can tell you what I know, give you my own short-sighted experiences and viewpoints. But what I have to offer is limited by that and the insights Selune grants me as her priestess. And those where they relate specifically to you and your challenges are likely to be as limited as things are for Andie, for similar reasons."

"You're at least a fellow therianthrope," the dragonoid points out, and seems mollified by the blonde's explanation. His second bowl by now is nearly empty and Syval's reduced to slowly picking at the remnants as they chat. "How are you feeling since this morning? You seem fine moving around camp."

"I am fully healed. Physically." Jyslin answers. It's not quite so incisively angry as it likely would have been to Andie. But it makes the clear point that there are other injuries. Harms done. And some of those have not been healed.

"We both heal fast," Syval nods. "I like to climb around Delzimmer because the falls never hurt for long." He pauses yet doesn't ask for more. It's likely the dragonoid wasn't concerned for Jyslin physically in the first place.

"Sorry that it took us so long to reach you," he apologies instead, trying a rarely used tact and flicking a talon against the sapphire band around his arm. "I'm partly to blame for that. We took precautions first in case we were rushing into a trap."

"The one caution I can give you is watch out for bone breaks or socket failures." Jyslin advises. "Your body heals. But it will not necessarily move a piece that is out of place into the right place, which can cause more damage, as well as restricted movement and limited capability."

Jyslin just shakes her head. "I would expect nothing less than caution, Syval. No apology is necessary." That isn't what bothers her. Isn't what has made her upset with Andie.

"Good advice," Syval accepts. The dragonoid doesn't press further, leaving it to Jyslin to speak if she chooses to as he returns his focus to his food.

It is quite late that night, the middle of the mid-watch, before Andie and Neosodos emerge from the portal of the cavern. The scent of the Art hangs thick upon them both as they do so, the young woman leaning heavily upon her staff, visibly drained and obviously exhausted. She glances up at the heavens above, signing the height of the moon in the sky, and then glances towards the tent where she would normally be resting.

With a put-upon sigh the tiny dragon on her shoulder launches himself from her and flaps over to the tent, nosing under the flap to investigate. In the meantime his tired mistress wobbles her way to the fireside and laboriously lowers herself onto one of the seats arranged there. Then she turns her gaze finally upon the quiescent dragonoid keeping the watch at this hour. "All is well enough, I take it, since no alarm was raised?" Her voice seems wispy and weak, just as wrung out as the rest of her physicality.

Syval looks up from brushing a metal file against his talons as the witch returns from her portal. The cooking fire has burned down nearly to embers and sheds a dim light that's bolstered by pale moonbeams, leaving the young wizard more freedom in where to take his watch. The night air is cool but dampened from its usual buzz of insect life by the presence of two therianthropes in the camp, but he doesn't seem to mind the eerie quiet. No doubt Syval is used to it.

Sandy eyes hang on Andie's silhouette as the dragonoid's nostrils flare, gulping the spicy stench of so much Art. He reaches over and offers a strong, thick arm for support before taking his seat again. "All is quiet," he affirms in the gruffly hissing sort of accent that marks his speech and Neos' in kind. "Dinner with the others was comfortable. You look completely exhausted."

<OOC> Syval says, "Whoops, timed out."

The auburn-haired young-seeming woman nods a bit jerkily, lacking her usual finesse and grace. "Yes. I am, indeed." she answers then aloud, if softly. Neosodos returns to her from the tent, laying himself across her lap as his mindspeech reaches her. << She is sleeping lightly. Since you asked: yes, your bedroll was laid out as normal, within. >>

Andie nods her head slowly. She is frankly ready to dismiss the tired drake to take himself off to sleep when she realizes, a bit belatedly, that he might instead prefer to remain if she is going to while the dranonoid is also awake. "Very well. Thank you." she answers. Then she reaches into the pouch at her waist and extracts a beaten bronze disc on a beaded thong. She offers the thing towards Syval, her own scent and that of her magic hanging over the thing palpably. "As promised, Syval of Amlar: a talisman to ward off the mindvoice and its intentions. Please pardon my presumption in borrowing a sliver of one of your talons to bind it properly to you."

Taken from her hand, there is a spark as the energy of the talisman touches Syval and then synchronizes with him. There is then a shudder and shiver from Andie, as the burden of maintaining the spell that has been shielding him is released.

<OOC> Syval says, "I still have that spellbook to study too, goodness..."

<OOC> Syval says, "This is long enough for a necklace or more for wrist wear?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Necklace."

A dragon, even a diluted one, needn't be offered an enchantment more than once. Syval reaches out and accepts the talisman, pausing with a brief start as magic arcs between them before bringing it curiously to his nose. Smells like Art and... yup, smells like witch. "How formal... is this how witches give gifts?" he asks with a little tease in his voice as he looks the talisman over before tilting his head to slip it on around his frills, settling the bronze disk against his chest. "We could have found better working material for you. Did you have what you needed for good enchantments?"

And with a glance down to the Eldritch Wyrm, Syval quirks a brow quietly. <How are you feeling, Elder Brother? You seem less exhausted than your witch.>

The witch offers a tired chuckle at Syval's questions. "I cannot speak for all for all witches. But it is how this witch gives gifts." So yes. Sorta. "Thank you for asking, Syval. But I had what was necessary. The amulets will maintain their effect only for the intended bearer, and they should remain effective for about six months without issue. I can recharge them far more easily than to create them from whole cloth as I did tonight." So the amulets are not permanent magic. Likely part of how they can still function at this level on such seemingly inferior materials.

Curled up comfortably on his Mistress' lap, Neosodos adjusts his head position so that he is looking more directly towards Syval. << I am feeling fine. By the nature of witches, performing magicks they have not studied requires the presence of their familiar. But beyond helping to augment her, I was not contributing much of my own energy to the working. She will be fine. But she was already running herself down today, with the conflict ongoing, and the magicks used this morning. >>

<OOC> Syval says, "That one I got. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That was the last pose."

"That's more than long enough for our journey," Syval responds to the witch gratefully as he fiddles a little with the bronze disk. The young red-head did good, though not quite enough to keep the dragonoid's ears from pricking. "And when did you gather a sliver from my talons? You could have asked first," he points out with a light narrowing of his sandy eyes.

Andie merely shrugs her shoulders. "You trimmed them yourself. I merely gathered a bit of the remnant, as I did for each of us. Magic is as much about sympathy as it is antipathy, Syval of Amlar. With a bit of you mixed in, the magic can bind to you, and know you, and thusly can work for you and not for others."

Syval snorts a breath out his nose. "Well, thank you for the amulet in any case. How long until you've made the rest?"

<OOC> Syval settles back in, tail flick.
Andie smiles warmly and reaches into the pouch at her waist, extracting additional amulets. "They are complete. Hence having taken so long. You are simply the only one awake just now." Her head turns, as if drawn by lodestone, back towards the tent where Jyslin lies. Then she pulls herself back and turns to the dragonoid. "I hope you are adapting well?" she inquires.

Syval's nostrils flare at the sight of more amulets. Even lost in the scent rolling off the witch herself, the Art hanging on them entices the green-scaled mage. He smiles, then looks back to the witch-colored young woman and shakes his frills. "Were we anywhere else I would say I am adapting quickly. You know Jyslin asked me the same thing. I cannot fly, I cannot weave a dragon's art, and I can't yet touch my other powers without slow and focused channeling. Thankfully better senses and raw strength only call for maintaining this form, and it's shifting that's the hard part." Stretching his wings out behind him into the night air, the therianthrope - already a large human - is even larger in his transformed state.

"I imagine part of the next step for you will be spiritual inhabitation." Andie offers, as if it is the most natural turn of phrase in the world, rather than some near-alien jibberish Syval has never heard before.

The drake in her lap lifts his head slightly, then nods. << Likely true, such as it is. There are other paths forward, of course. Little Brother will need a meditation partner, I suspect, to pull that off at this juncture. But we may be able to do it. >>

Syval's head tips to one side as his wings curl back in, puzzled. "What is spiritual inhabitation? That sounds like... possession?"

Andie makes a handwobble sort of gesture. "In a way. But not an external possession." Neo continues. << The point of spiritual inhabitation is to find and merge with your draconic spark, your Core essence. To not simply grasp it with your mind and will, but to actually place your mind and will inside it and become one with it. When you can achieve that, you should have full possession of your draconic abilities at their current extent, without the need for such meditation and concentration; they should be mere manifestations of instinct and will. >>

Syval's jaw slackens as his sand-colored eyes fall onto the Eldritch Wyrm and stare. "Merge with /that/?" he repeats dumbstruck. "That sounds... like no minor feat. And every dragon for a hundred miles would notice me doing that, no?"

<OOC> Neosodos didn't mean to distress Syval quite so much. Sorry. *wingfold*

<OOC> Syval says, "Heh! Give him a moment. That was good news you shared, the spark's just left an impression."
Since this is a thing of dragons, Andie sits quietly and lets Neosodos lead. And the Eldritch Wyrm does not disappoint. He even beams with pride as his Little Brother gets it completely! << Exactly so! >> Is Neo preening? Yes, yes, he might be doing just that. << There would not really be any way to hide your draconic aura once you merge. Hiding that aura is a thing that takes most dragons hundreds of years to learn. >> Given that Syval would not be a full dragon he could likely learn it faster and more easily, but it would still be a challenge and not at all instantaneous.

<< And yes, that would mean that we would need to pay closer attention to the ranges of the various dragons in the vicinity, so as to avoid territorial incursions. >> Neo adds, as if it is some simple thing and not life or death. He might be downplaying things to come off more reassuring. Maybe.

"So I will need to know how to use my spark both ways," Syval considers as he collects himself again and the initial shock gives way to a wizard's thinking. His tail curls around one side and its frilled end taps against the ground. "Hiding in the cave won't help unless the portal's closed, but perhaps it's safer in there anyway. Are we far enough from that great old dragon now?" he asks while turning his head unerringly towards the peak of the Toadsquat range, a black void in the starry ceiling beyond the trees and foothills.

<< It's white, isn't it, Elder Brother? >> Syval gravely thinks rather than says to the wyrm.

Neosodos continues to answer as Andie remains tuned in, listening, but not interjecting unless addressed. << Currently, I would venture to say we are far enough away from that one, outside their territory. >> he answers. << The one potential rub might be the one that seems to be in the void between the range. That one is closer currently. It feels like it is deep below ground, but there is no guarantee that it is trapped there. It could have the means to come out, and interest enough to do so. >> Neo then nods. << Yes, Little Brother. The one high up in the mountains, in that direction, is a white. Colloquially it is known as Chill. It is quite old and powerful, though I do not believe it has yet reached wyrm status. >>

<< You think that as if a dragon below the pinnacle of its power is tolerable, >> Syval notes with dry amusement at the Eldritch Wyrm's calm. << What a bitter irony that the human lands would be safer. I don't sense dragons near Delzimmer and with their... temperaments, I wouldn't expect humans and chromatics to co-habitat. Except for perhaps a very well-tuned mage from the Academy all it would take is some thick walls to hide my spark in the middle of the city... >>

Huffing a breath out his nose in mild irritation, the dragonoid guides his thoughts back to the present. "In any case, my spark is a matter for after we've rested. You should sleep while you can, Andie," he suggests as he shifts his sandy eyes sympathetically back to the wyrm's exhausted witch.

<OOC> Syval waves. "Hi there." :D
The redhaired witch sighs softly, nodding. "I should, it is true. But I fear when I go into that tent sleep will not be forthcoming any time soon. And that I will be far more exhausted, yet, before I am allowed to sleep." Even so, she lifts Neosodos from her lap and lays him down on her spot as she vacates it. "You needn't join me for this. 'Twas my choice, and I must face it. Besides, you two can converse out here without drawing attention or awakening anyone."

<< Good luck. >> the little dragon offers, as he watches his mistress go. Then he snorts as even this tired she invokes a sound bubble around the tent before slipping inside, apparently having no intention of sharing what is about to unfold with anyone not inside said tent.

Instead Neosodos turns back to Syval and settles down again, nodding a bit. << As dragons age into various degrees, the range of their senses, and the breadth of their claimed territories, increase. >> He shrugs, ruffling his wings until they settle once more in almost - but not quite - the exact same arrangement. << It is rare to find a chromatic that willingly cohabitates with humans, unless those humans have sworn felty to the dragon and serve them. >>

See? Always exceptions.

<< Thick stone, by itself, will not dampen the notice of a draconic aura. But there are some things that can. I have never done it, but I have heard that an unbroken sheeting of lead can do it. I suspect that an empowered lattice of true silver could as well. And there are spells that can mute an aura. Even one I know of that can blot it from scent, but only for brief periods of time. >>

"Do what you must," Syval replies to Andie and allows the witch to leave with a somewhat dry gaze. The young dragonoid knows nothing of the conflict between the two women, nor does he approve of it disrupting their journey, whatever it is. Idly fingering the new sapphire artifact around his bicep, he leans against his bardiche and shifts in his seat, loosely mirroring the Eldritch Wyrm getting comfortable anew before him.

<< Then perhaps someday I'll have a leaden cloak, but I mean because so few humans even notice a draconic aura. You would only need to hide from sight and sound and to most of a city be invisible, >> he clarifies with something resembling arrogance towards those unaware masses. << Magic for that would be a powerful tool if it could cloak me at length, but it's better not to impose too much upon our witch - and dragon arts aren't her specialty. >>

<< You already possess the Art necessary to hide yourself amongst the humans, without any leaden cloak required. >> Neosodos responds. << Other than some like Jyslin, and a few with exceptional magical skills, none would ever notice your human form, Little Brother. >>

<< Of course, but like this or when meditating on my spark, >> Syval answers. << It would be good to journey through territories safely, and even if I do not rouse them from their lairs other dragons may be aware of my presence. At best a wandering green is no welcome guest and be honest to me, Elder Brother, >> the dragonoid bids seriously as sandy eyes hang upon burnished gold. << Whatever I am in dragon terms is not welcome by a chromatic and your kind manners aside, my flickering spark doesn't 'sense' like one either. >>

Neosodos shakes his head just a bit. << No. You would not be welcome in any chromatic's territory, though some would be more bothered or annoyed than others. All would consider you a rogue, by draconic tradition. It would be rare for one to treat with you, and most would just smite you out of existence. >> Hey, the young dragonoid did ask for Neosodos to be honest with him.

<< Most metallics and others would be uncertain and very attentive. So long as you stayed at a distance they would let you go about your business unless you threatened something or someone of value to them. You might manage to treat with one if you approached carefully. >> the Eldritch Wyrm explains. << But no full dragon would ever mistake your aura for that of a full dragon. >>

Syval nods, filing the important lesson away but not seeming to take it personally. << I do feel Magesandros and I could treat, at least. We do share a home after all, but that meeting is for far in the future. I don't plan to present myself before him as less than a fully realized dragon, half or not. Others I hope to avoid. You, Elder Brother, are plenty. >>

<OOC> Syval updates notes. "It took me far too long to find that name again."

<OOC> Syval says, "Left unsaid, "And your mouth's a little too small to bite my head off.""

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li giggles.
Neosodos chuckles wryly, almost as if the tiny drake can hear those unspoken words in his little brother's thoughts. << Someday, Little Brother, I do hope you get a chance to treat with Magesandros. But you'll be hard-pressed to avoid an encounter with Charindol on your way there. One of the difficulties of our kind is that dragons tend to ... cluster. >>

THe little dragon unfurls a bit, sitting up to face Syval in a less relaxed fashion. This, it seems, is important to him. << Most call it the Draconic Balance. I do not myself ascribe quite that profundity to it all. But in most locales there will be not one dragon, but three: one of good, a metallic; one of evil, a chromatic; and one of neutrality. >> Oddly enough Neodos does not actually explain what the dragons of neutrality are like, what groups them together. It's a pregnant pause of a miss.

<< And how their local sphere works out has a lot to do with not just their personalities, but their relative ages. In the High Peaks young Shivermoure is only a young adult, whilst the titular Brimstone Dragon is himself held to be the greatest of great wyrms. And few even seem to know their neutral brethren even exists. In the Forest of Amlar both Magesandros and Charindol are Great Wyrms, and so too is their neutral counterpart. They keep things must more civilized in most respects. >>

Syval snorts lightly and cracks a smile. <> Flicking his tongue briefly in the air, the young dragonoid thinks then questions, << If locales don't always have balanced dragons why don't the chromatics kill their metallic counterparts? >> A glance is given back towards the mountains. <<And who is the metallic dragon here?>>

Neosodos considers for a bit just how to answer, knowing that how he describes this will make a huge difference for the future of his 'little brother', long after they are no longer traveling together. << They can, and sometimes do. Shivermoure is the second silver to take up in the High Peaks; his predecessor was in fact slaughtered by Xekhydius just halfway through his terrible reign. But they will not claim actually overlapping territories. Each knows the sphere of influence of the others, and they will tend to avoid one another unless pushed for one reason or another. >>

Neosodos considers for a bit, and then explains, << The urge to minimize most conflicts comes from the fact that dragons are ... few. Beyond the least - drakes and such - dragons were nearly slaughtered to extinction in a time long before human history. They were faced by a fearsome and implacable foe summoned from the Beyond. It is from this cataclysmic war that the first of the giants were born, as well as many other creatures. Their enemies were eventually defeated ... but dragons live so long, and breed so slowly that they have only barely rebuilt from their near-extinction. >>

<< Before the war, dragons were the first race upon the world, and were thick over the surface. Rather than just a few hundred, tens of thousands lived across the world. A rare few other intelligent races had come, but only a few and only very recently, before the Enemy came. >>

<OOC> Syval shakes off post-dinner drowsiness and gets to replying.

Syval stares in reverent shock down at the mottled pseudodragon and a hand brushes the thin book hanging from his belt. << That is certainly in no human history I have read, in Common or Maenast... So then even dragons of different scales have some kinship? To say that of Xekhydius I think the archmage would choke on his own beard. >>

<< Aye. >> the little dragon offers wisely, nodding that tiny head of his. << For all faced extinction, and so they joined to act together, all as one. Not that it lasted long after the defeat of the Enemy. But the reason it is in no human history you've ever read is that humanity had not even been born yet. Not even the Daerynae had yet set foot out of the Heavens upon the Shaar. >>

Syval's attention turns to his own scales, looking over the slippery emerald surface of his exposed arms. << That... is no minor magic which created me then, >> he slowly realizes. << Can it even be called magic if it's not of Selune? >> The young dragonoid's eyes lift back to Neosodos and he asks as neophyte to his long-lived mentor, << How rare am I in the history of humans? >>

The imperious little wyrm snorts and then coughs, shaking his head. << Jyslin's Selune may be the font of magic for humanity, Little Brother, but surely you do understand humans were not the first with magic? Magic existed before them, and first with Aurum's great sacrifice did magic tome to dragons. From Kyreska does magic flow to all of the world, and all other pantheons treat with Kyreska to accept her Gift. >> He does not go into exactly how that is done, though Neosodos does know. It's just not germane right now.

<< First after dragons came the elves. The lizzaril, the shaugrunda. Then the giants. The goblinoids. And then the humans, as the Sisters were born. >> Neosodos explains. And who or what are some of those? That he does not explain.

That does finally break the green dragonoid's attention and he pulls the travel book from his belt, opening to a blank page to quickly scratch notes. << Lizzaril and shaugrunda...? >> he echoes while attempting to render them in Common. A few other words are briefly penned with his quill as reminders for later, then Syval's eyes return to the mottled Eldritch Wyrm. << And how much of that time have you lived through, Elder Brother? >>

<OOC> Neosodos scuffs a taloned paw against the turf and looks away innocently.

<OOC> Syval says, "You are begging the question, Elder Brother. :)"
<< The lizzaril would be an ancient reptilian people. There are theories that imply that modern lizard kings are descended of them, and that Yavin-Darris may in fact have been one of their foul deities who managed to survive their fall to then infest humanity. >> Of course Syval has heard of lizard //men//, but not lizard //kings//, so this does beg some questions to be sure. << Shougrunda are extinct, so far as I know, an ancient mammalian people. I have read that the seldom-seen quaggoth are supposedly descended from some that were magically altered by cruel sorcerous masters in those ancient times. >>

The mottled pseudodragon looks up at the emerald-hued dragonoid and blinks almost owlishly, as if he somehow never quite so that question coming. It takes him a few moments to formulate a response. << Not nearly so much as all of that, I assure you. >> he confesses. << Remember that the eldest true dragons known survive less than six thousand years, becoming the greatest of wyrms at three thousand. >> Which ... does not really answer the question of how old he is. Like, at all, with any concrete boundaries. <>

<OOC> Syval says, "Can you remind me what the typical lifespan of a pseudodragon is?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I have found some sources that say they generally live 100-200 years."

More names and new words get penned into the mage's journal as Syval seems to give up on keeping all of the new information in his head. It is second watch.

The unnaturally tranquil campsite is filled with the soft scratching of a feather quill on parchment only to stop soon again. Years of practice have taught the dragonoid how to write while listening. << Not from the Pool of Stars? >> Syval pauses and his brow knits together as he turns his head away and snorts a faintly acrid breath. The mind-speech stops though the agitated flick of his tail betrays a mind in motion.

Then a look of realization dawns upon the dragonoid's face. His large sandy eyes fall back upon Neosodos then flit up to Jyslin's tent. << So that's how it is... And it's okay for you to tell me all this, Elder Brother - about you, and her? >>

<OOC> Syval has realized A Thing (tm).

<OOC> Syval says, "Which as usual, means more questions than answers."
<< My magic comes from the Pool of Stars, as does all magic. But without my bond to Andie, I would not have found the Pool, and would normally not have survived long enough in the first place. >> Neosodos mentions. But he seems genuinely non-plussed by the rest. <> As the oldest-living intelligent race in the Shaar it is not hard to imagine they have the largest store of knowledge of ancient times, and the means to preserve that knowledge and pass it down.

<< It also sounds like you called Andie a Sister, but perhaps I'm only hearing things, Elder Brother, >> Syval responds as he spins the quill between his fingers then flips a couple pages back and scans over his journal with indifference to the darkness of 2nd watch.

<OOC> Neosodos asks in a sing-song voice, << Would I do that? >>

<OOC> Syval says, "Perhaps not where the women can hear you, mischievous brother."
<< A Sister? >> Neosodos questions, ruffling his wings a bit. << The Sisters are well known, Little Brother. Surely one such as that could not be tooling around all unknown like this? >> Which is not, in fact, a denial though it surely sounds like one. << If you want to know about the Sisters, Little Brother, you should talk with Lady Honoria tomorrow. She said, when we talked, that she knew several of them before becoming the statue, long ago. And she is, after all, a human woman. That would seem quite a natural connection, yes? >>
@emit
<> Syval considers as he taps a line with the feather of his quill. << And you do speak Maenast, a language dead for a thousand years, from your first mistress. >>

<> Syval considers as he taps a line with the feather of his quill. << And you do speak Maenast, a language dead for a thousand years, from your first mistress. Give me some credit, Elder Brother. I know pseudodragons do not live so long naturally. >>
<< All true, Little Brother. But I have said as much. >> Neosodos responds. He has not been caught out on anything, really, but he's also not admitting to some things, and that seems quite deliberate.<< I know many humans hold to the belief that 'when dealing with witches, don't'. I clearly do not agree. But I understand where they come from in their fear and uncertainty. And if ever there could be the witchiest of witches, I imagine ancient and immortal witches reborn time and again from the pre-dawn of humanity would definitely be that.>> The little dragon makes an interesting lilting purring sounds. <>

Syval snorts quietly at the notion. << If, Elder Brother, there were an immortal Sister and you were her enduring companion from her first life, that would make you much, much older than even the oldest of Great Wyrms. >> His eyes shift to the silenced tent across the campsite. << Whatever Andie is she clearly deals in powers and rules beyond common understanding, and judging by Jyslin's reaction - she broke one. I only hope her and Jyslin can make peace and nothing more comes of it. Our journey has enough troubles as it is. >>

Neosodos snorts and tosses his head. << Broke a rule? No. Andie broke no rule. But ... what Andie did, Jyslin did not know she could do. Jyslin did not know, and yet she learned, up close and personally in a way that is undeniable. And that forced her to confront a reality she was unprepared to face, about Andie, and about herself. The rest ... the rest is human things. >> Which means the dragon is out, and not going to give more details. Clearly, though, while he will always be on Andie's side, he understands Jyslin's upset, anger and hurt, and he feels bad for her emotional pain.

Syval sighs in relief and smiles wryly at the Eldritch Wyrm's human comment. << Good. That's a smaller matter than I'd assumed then. Whatever is between them can stay between them so long as it doesn't affect our trip. >> With Neos' odd explanation there are questions left unanswered but it's never been the apprentice mage's nature to pry deeply into personal matters. Most probably never gave him the chance to.

<OOC> Syval says, "Ack. Almost nodded off for a moment there. I was not expecting that."

<OOC> Syval says, "AFK for food. This will either perk me up or really knock me out. :P"
Neosodos snorts again. << Smaller matter? You clearly have not spent much time amongst human women, Little Brother, where there emotions are involved. >> As for how it affects their trip, the dragon has no further comment. He isn't the one with the ability to see the future.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li thinks that's a good point to wrap that talk and fade to the next morning?

<OOC> Syval says, "Sure thing!"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So IIRC, Jyslin has third watch, so she comes out of the tent to relieve you. Then there's breakfast. THe question becomes: do we want to just start with the next day? Or do we want to slide forward?"

<OOC> Syval says, "I think I'm okay with a slide unless there's conversation you'd like to go through there. I've got small questions and projects with people but I don't think any are first thing in the morning urgent."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh, and I meant to test my claws on metal at one point. I forgot the result of that..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "In essence, your claws currently cannot cut through metal. But you are strong enough to rend and twist it, make an opening, and deliver sufficient force to the flesh behind metal to do real harm."

<OOC> Syval says, "So my claws aren't hard/sharp enough to cut through but they're strong enough not to chip and break on impact?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. ^_^"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus."
After that, Neosodos goes quiet, his head turning towards the silented tent. His head lowers down on his clawed forepaws, and his wings furl around him. The little dragon has a very sad, pensive air about him. But he is not conversant. No mindspeech comes. No sounds but breathing.

An hour or so later, Jyslin emerges in human form, rather than tigress, to spell Syval and send him off to get more sleep for the night. She takes up his position silently, her eyes visibly reddened and puffy, face splotchy.
----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 05 Night Bandit Aftermath

2022-05-08T11:44:08Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "The small party managed to make most of the rest of the day's travel following the incident before making camp once more. Throughout the day's travel Syval and Honoria were ab..."

Journey Day 05 PM Bandit Aftermath

2022-05-08T11:32:52Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "<OOC> Syval says, "And away our intrepid group goes for their morning hike, aye? :)" <OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Aye. Random checks for the day are pretty light. A weather cha..."

Journey Day 20 Hunnuli

2022-02-02T00:51:57Z

VanyaDoll2:

\The conversation between the two dragons continues on for perhaps another half an hour before they both decide they're done. Neosodos returns to just quietly contemplating his mistress, communing with her as she restores her magical power.

Jyslin comes out from the tent at the dragonoid's summons and takes her watch, checking with him about what has been detected - not much - and then shoos him off to get some sleep of his own. She then later wakes up the princess knight to take her own turn.

When everyone awakens the next morning and Andie works on breakfast Honoria mentions to everyone that Jyslin should probably take a sweep a bit to the south of their line of travel this morning, as she saw something going on earlier in that direction. Since nothing came near the campsite, the lady knight stayed quiet and let them pass. "It looked like a gathering, perhaps a small herd, of rather large creatures. Large horse sized, war horses or the like."

<OOC> Syval says, "Is there a steady wind blowing away from the mountains that'd put the creatures up-wind?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There's a moderately steady wind blowing towards the mountains."

Syval's sandals crunch softly on underbrush as he ducks beneath a branch on his way back from the privacy of the woods. To attentive senses the young man's gotten more comfortable in the wilds since they first set off. "That's a strange sight this far along the Toadsquat," he considers with a light frown. "Maybe they're stock for the barbarians we met."

<OOC> Syval facerubs. "Sorry for the short pose. I think my mind's shutting down a bit for bed now."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smooches. "S'okay. We can pause here and pick up another time. It IS 9pm at this point."

<OOC> Syval was thinking to add a concerned look towards Jyslin at the prospect of her wandering off alone again. Her being downwind would have helped. Upwind means getting close to things.

<OOC> Syval says, "Correct me if I'm wrong, we're now on morning of 29th of Mar, day 20 of travel, and about half a hex from the White Bog?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus."

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. Not much for notes this morning but I'm going to try to keep things accurate this time."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li snugs.

<OOC> Syval hugs back.

Syval's sandals crunch softly on underbrush as he ducks beneath a branch on his way back from the privacy of the woods. To attentive senses the young man's gotten more comfortable in the wilds since they first set off. "That's a strange sight this far along the Toadsquat," he considers with a light frown. "Maybe they're stock for the barbarians we met."

The wizard looks to the sleeve of his robes as they blow south towards the rising slopes of the mountain range then he casts a wordless glance to Jyslin. Moving downwind with her scent ahead of her, Syval might not be keen on their roamer making another excursion alone.

<OOC> Syval says, "There, same pose as before with a little more subtlety and substance in a bonus paragraph."

Jyslin frowns. "I don't want whatever it is following or shadowing us where we won't smell them coming." she comments. Honoria doesn't do anything by scent, but she does understand the concern and she nods. "Hence why I mentioned it."

Though Jyslin seems quite prepared to trek off and investigate Andie speaks up. "I think not, Jyslin. We have other options." She looks down at the small drake curled up on one of the fire ring stones, soaking up the heat. "Would you mind, Old Friend?"

The dragon uncoils himself languidly and sighs, stretching his wings. His sing-songing raspy, almost but not quite squeaky voice answers "Verrrrrry well. But I want berrrries." he protests, turning to look at Jyslin accusingly.

The priestess smirks, and pats the pouch at her waist. "I promise."

With a harrumph, the little dragon coils himself, then launches up into the air, wings beating at the sky to claw and climb his way further up ... and then with a shimmer that starts at his nose and ripples down his length to his tail, Neosodos disappears. And after only a very little while even the beat of his wings is gone, leaving no sign whatsoever of his passage.

<OOC> Syval says, "AFK for phone, almost done."

Syval's shoulders sink in quiet relief as Neos gets the task ahead of Jyslin and as the mottled pseudodragon takes flight, the therianthrope focuses on him and thinks, <Thank you, Elder Brother.>

Walking fully back into camp once the little wyrm is out of sight, the young wizard takes a deep breath of air flavored by the witch's cooking fire and looks around the remaining women. "We're almost there now. Half a day's journey, or about that much, and we'll be at White Bog's edge."

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry for the wait."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smooches. "NP."

<< Berrrries! >> Neosodos replies as he flies away, beyond even his reach of mindspeech to perform the scouting mission asked of him.

Jyslin and Andie both nod. "Yes. About that. And time is very tight. Come, sit, and eat. Once Neosodos returns, we should get moving as quickly as possible."

<OOC> Syval laughs!

"It's done? Let me get my bowl, then," Syval responds before hastily ducking over to his tent to retrieve his breakfast dishes. No fancy levitation this time; the small displays of Art might be cute, but the young man's hands are faster.

"It is still the 29th of Marpenoth," he reminds as he brings his wooden bowl to the communal pot for food. "That's time enough to get almost to the core by nightfall if your domain is with us. One full day to scout the coven and deal with them, another to rest and prepare for the month-ending alignment. Truthfully I've never been to a bog before," Syval confesses with something of a smile. For some reason he seems to be looking forward to it.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Neos knows what he wants. :)"

One the bowls are provided, Andie serves up breakfast and then cleans things up as they eat. "I cannot promise the domain will be with us, which is why I am as concerned about our timing as I am. But we can only do what we can do."

Jyslin shrugs. "We amble around the Dread Bogs all the time, back home. A lot different than plains, or jungle. A lot of uneven grounds, high water table, frequent sinkholes and pooling water. I haven't been to this one, but the water can often go stagnant, leading to insect infestations. There are salves," she looks to Andie, then back to the others, "that can convince the insects to go elsewhere. But they aren't universally effective. Some things are just too stubborn. And watch out in the water for leeches, or worse."

Honoria frowns, clearly discomfited by this. But this is where they're going, what they are going to be doing. "This is going to be messy." she mock-complains. She cleans her armor and gear every night, regardless. But she can still be less than thrilled.

"A great deal of humidity will be trapped within. Expect things to feel a great deal hotter, and for perspiration to be less effective at body cooling as a result." Andie offers as advice. Of course a hybrid green dragon is unlikely to care at all, and the lady knight has magical armor that will cut the worst of that.

"That doesn't sound so different from Delzimmer's floods then. The rainy season always brings plenty of mud, water, and insects along with its snakes. I wouldn't mind if we could make some scaletail and roast insects tonight for meat," Syval considers hopefully. He can't help grinning a bit at the lady knight's only half-joking discomfort. "I don't charge for cleaning Art," the young wizard reminds as he settles in to eat. After a few bites his attention shifts inquiringly to Andie. "What of the horse? And how are you feeling?"

<OOC> Syval says, "I'm good pausing after this pose for rest. That'll be my last good one for tonight. It took a little longer because I forgot to write down "scaletail" in my notes."

<OOC> Syval says, "It's a local Delzimmer dish of snake or lizard filleted into strips, typically fried in a spiced oil as a street food, but it's also smoked and dried as a trail ration. According to the Forgotten Realms wiki, there is a good chance if you three went shopping for cheap meat rations in Delzimmer that's what you got. Especially as October shouldn't be terribly far into the dry season so I'd think there were still plenty of them around to catch."

<OOC> Syval would have brought some among his own rations at least. He certainly doesn't mind them. "Apparently roasted boar will in a hundred years or so be imported from Luiren, so I guess they're not really a thing here - which seems odd. I thought boars lived basically everywhere below the frost line."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "They do."

<OOC> Syval says, "Hmm :Ia Then again, monster ecosystem too. I should remember what else is out there and probably eats boar."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li tucks in dragon.

<OOC> Syval should bed prep, then much appreciates. :)

<OOC> Syval says, "Gah, wrong button."

Neosodos returns to the party; Andie is the first to know this, as she has been paying attention to her link to the tiny dragon, and she looks up from her seat astride the horse even as the tiny drake ripples back from invisibility to normal and flies down to gracefully land upon the witch's shoulder. <>

This draws some rather excited commentary from Andie and Honoria, whom clearly know what this means. But Jyslin clearly does not. << Quite amazing. I had thought the last herd long passed from the Shaar. Did they seem safe, Neosodos? >> his witch mistress inquires.

<< So far as I could tell, yes. As you will remember, their kind are not easy prey. The natural animals seem to know this and are not bothering them. I saw no sign of other threat. There seemed to be four dams and three stallions. I could be mistaken, but I believe the leader of this herd is the largest of the dams. Her mark was the most pronounced. >>

<OOC> Syval says, "Are they a magical critter I might have heard of in my studies (K:Arcane)?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It is within the realms of possibility."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "They are in fact a magical and a critter."

Syval rolls K:Arcane (1d20+13) and gets 31 (18)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li applauds.

<OOC> Syval says, "Magical critters are my speciality and historically I've used trips like this to study. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Lay it on me. What's so special about them despite being so rare?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hunnuli are an exceedingly rare - believed to now be extinct - breed of magical horses. They were noted for being larger and stronger than standard horses, as well as vastly smarter. And legends imply that they were able to bond with magically-gifted riders, becoming a sort of familiar, complete with telepathic communication, and a wellspring of additional magical energy."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Their nickname was 'witchsteeds'"

<OOC> Syval glances at Honoria.

Syval turns his head in surprise to the little drake. "You saw witchsteeds? They haven't been sighted in the Shaar for years - the High College thought they were extinct."

"It'd be a helpful miracle if we had the time and means to tame one. They'd make a far better mount than what we have," the young wizard considers with a baleful look to Andie's distant horse.

<OOC> Honoria glances back> "Mmmm?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Admit, one would be a fitting mount for you, and smart enough not to spook from Jyslin and I."

<OOC> Honoria nods. "OK. This is true. Yes."

Honoria mentions, "Hunnuli are also very fast, and have incredible endurance. But they tend to only accept and bond with very special riders. Even in my time they were rare."

Andie considers this. "Perhaps, then, we should make a point of trying to track the herd after we are finished in the bog? Then we would not lose time on our deadline, and we could take the time in an encounter with the herd to prove our good intent and wait patiently for them to come to trust us enough to allow our approach."

Jyslin glances around to the others, and draws some context clues together. "OK. Magical horses of some such? Sorry, I've never heard of them. 'Witchsteeds' sounds very interesting." She looks pointedly at Andie, who holds up her hands palms out.

"I did not name them. None of my sisters did, either. Though if I recall correctly, Autreanne did bond with one."

Honoria nods at this. "Indeed she did. And that mare survived through the entire war and our retreat up into the mountains. I, of course, cannot know how long the mare survived thereafter."

"Hunnuli are larger, magical horses that are supposed to be like natural familiars; intelligent, magically-charged telepaths like our Eldritch Wyrm," Syval supplies for the priestess. "Beyond that their abilities are wizard speculation, but since we have a couple experts here maybe you three can tell us more while we travel?" he suggests to the witch and princess with a smile that's not entirely magnanimous. Oh yes, the young mage will definitely be taking notes.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Scribble-scribble-scribble! :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Knowledge is power! In the Electrum Circle I can sell this information."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So also money! :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Which can become spells, supplies, food, raw materials for enchantments... so yes - power."

Andie and Honoria seem happy enough to share what they know. "From what I saw, yes. The hunnuli are very intelligent. Autreanne's mare was the natural leader of all of our horses throughout the retreat. The only competition were a few of the holy mounts. I cannot say if her dominance was helped by Autreanne's power and influence or not, but no mere horse however well trained could hold a candle to her. She was also able to telepathically communicate even with those who were not their bonded riders. I also witnessed that hunnuli carry loads half again as great as my own warhorse with ease, and maintain greater speed and endurance while doing so."

Yep. Honoria speaks very, very highly of the pretty, pretty horsies. She might have a bit of a fangirl crush on them.

"I must admit that we were never entirely sure whether Azuth summoned them from another realm, or created them by magically altering natural horses." Andie explains. "The first stallion was bonded to Dastian, one of Azuth's first holy blades. They were never very numerous, but by the time we left Raurin, there were thousands of them."

The witch shakes her head. "Many, many died during the Great War, slain on both sides of the conflict. And they seemed to become very depressed after the war ended. Their birthrates plummeted. I thought they were all gone. The last hunnuli I saw or read of was bonded to Volthuma Tredes."

<OOC> Syval giggles. "Ooh she's a horse girl. Honoria would get along so swell with Karen."

<OOC> Syval says, "Who for that matter would make a half-decent roamer without a lot of tweaks."

<OOC> Syval says, "That last one's not a name I'd recognize right?"

<OOC> Syval recalls belatedly the idea of a dragon mount and considers that a Hunnuli might be needless competition. :Ia

Syval rolls K:Religion (1d20+6) and gets 11 (5)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Volthuma Tredes is a legendary, if not outright mythological, figure of a wizard of great power loyal to Selune who went on a massive crusade against the forces of Miclante (god of the dead), especially the undead and his fire giant shaman."

<OOC> Syval says, "Around when was that, according to the legend?"

<OOC> Syval says, "And no relation of the fire shaman to the Raurin genies, or are the descriptions possibly compatible?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Newp. No relation. Genies are creatures from Beyond (the planes); fire giants are one of the breeds of giants (hill, stone, frost, fire, cloud, storm are the classics)."

Syval pulls a wooden tablet from his pack and listens studiously while quietly scratching away with his stylus. The wizard smiles a bit at Honoria's clear enthusiasm for the magical creatures and gives a small nod to Andie at the mention of his obligate patron. "Azuth's teachings aren't specific on that as far as I remember; they're simply credited to him. Hunnuli did exist within the Shaar going back for centuries but owing to their speed and selectiveness it was rarely more than lone sightings - similar to unicorns. After a long enough time without any being seen I think it was assumed they were extinct; living this far out I can begin to see why. They must keep distant from any signs of civilization."

Turning a skeptical eye towards the immortal witch Syval adds, "Don't tell me you actually met Volthuma..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And Tredes was supposedly from around 3k years ago."

Andie meets Syval's gaze and smiles. "I promise. I won't tell you that." But she does not say it is true.

Hey. She's immortal. Neosodos is old enough to have met him, so surely his mistress could have as well.

Jyslin just rolls her eyes. She still has not made all of her peace with Andie's immortality.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hehe! This actually seems like a nice FTB spot and it's late enough for winding down tonight, yes?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles. "It's not a bad spot, no."

<OOC> Syval hugs. "Thank you for another nice session. You kept me busy between poses doing note updates tonight." :)

<OOC> Syval says, "I'm having to get a little more organized with OneNote. Maybe I'll start learning hotkeys at some point too."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Heehee. I need to learn OneNote hotkeys, too. I use it a lot for work. And it seems most places still lean heavily on O365, so I'll likely keep that up."

<OOC> Syval says, "It's the gold standard for students too since schools have been picking up Office accounts for students. Cloud storage of documents must be nice; no more rewriting an essay because of a hard drive failure..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nodnods.

<OOC> Syval says, "I've Googled the hotkeys a couple times and there are quite a few. It looks pretty powerful, I just haven't learned more than a small handful."

<OOC> Syval gets settled. "Ahh, now to shift mental gears back to dragon therianthrope things."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li pets. "Yus."

<OOC> Syval debates testing Ghost Sound...

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry I can't offer much for setting. That was easier from in front than behind. Thankfully this arrangement shall eventually pass."

Syval pulls a wooden tablet from his pack and listens studiously while quietly scratching away with his stylus. The wizard smiles a bit at Honoria's clear enthusiasm for the magical creatures and gives a small nod to Andie at the mention of his obligate patron. "Azuth's teachings aren't specific on that as far as I remember; they're simply credited to him. Hunnuli did exist within the Shaar going back for centuries but owing to their speed and selectiveness it was rarely more than lone sightings - similar to unicorns. After a long enough time without any being seen I think it was assumed they were extinct; living this far out I can begin to see why. They must keep distant from any signs of civilization."

Turning a skeptical eye towards the immortal witch Syval adds, "Don't tell me you actually met Volthuma..."

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

Andie meets Syval's gaze and smiles. "I promise. I won't tell you that." But she does not say it is true.

Hey. She's immortal. Neosodos is old enough to have met him, so surely his mistress could have as well.

Jyslin just rolls her eyes. She still has not made all of her peace with Andie's immortality.

<OOC> Syval says, "Yes, I still have backscroll. Were we not doing an FTB here?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, if you were going to test Ghost Sound, this seemed like the place?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But we can just tromp along and work on that at camp tonight."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li fetches water while she works on composing.

<OOC> Syval says, "I'll add to this then. That works."

<OOC> Syval yawns a little." "Sorry, post-dinner lazy caught up with me for a moment. Good news is I'm feeling a bit more centered again.

<OOC> Syval *"

The green-haired wizard holds his gaze on Andie then shakes his head with a dry smile. "Well then, in another 3,000 years you can say you met us." After finishing his notes the wooden tablet is closed and slipped back into its pouch, then Syval scans the sparse woodlands around them. "Before we get too far this morning there is a spell I'd like to test. It should be about as loud as all of us shouting, so it's better to cast when we're ready to move."

"Well, we're ready to move now. So let's go ahead and go." Andie offers. She glances ahead at Jyslin "Keep and eye and a nose out, please. If they draw close to us, I would prefer to find a way to peacebly encounter them rather than run them off." The woman who smells like magical tiger and the man who smells like the half-dragon he is would be the challenges with that effort; they're intelligent, not noseblind or stupidly reckless.

That said, everyone spreads back out and gets ready to go, waiting while Syval makes the attempt at his spell.

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh, before I hit send, should I Will check for this?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No stress. No need."

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you for confirming. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "If this was in a conflict scenario, with consequence for failure, the answer would be yes."

<OOC> Syval says, "And that would be separate from a Concentration check (if applicable), yes?"

Adjusting his pack to one side, the young mage dips his head in appreciation then closes his eyes and focuses inwards. First he seeks out the familiar spark deep within his mind and grasps hold of it. Outside, his form thickens and scales with the therianthrope's transformation back into the weredragon form he'll likely hold again until well past sunset. It's a transformation that's gotten smoother and faster with practice but remains at best an act of concentration and effort. Syval releases a few large breaths when the shifting stops and at first gingerly flexes his wings until the post-shift tenderness fades.

Then after a long pause he speaks a word that hisses naturally past his serpent-like tongue and rumbles around thorny teeth. Neos alone is likely to understand it.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes."

<OOC> Syval says, "And if it's alright with you I shall leave the DM to portray the result as she feels fit since your resident drake-o-mage just cast a full-powered dragon roar via Ghost Sound (CL8=32 humans' volume which is the example dragon roar)."

<OOC> Syval says, "He is thinking 'well my normal spell is about as loud as 4 people so this so be as loud as 4, maybe 8, and a muted mini-dragon roar would be fitting."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh hah. I have an unassigned sorcerer cantrip slot. Something to fill in later."

And out amidst the trees some fifty feet away emerges a full-throated draconic roar. There might be some dragons that can roar louder; that would be a question for those that know them better. But it is not at all the 'miniature and muted dragon roar' Syval is expecting.

The dragonic hybrid will be a bit surprised, even shocked. And his mental instinct connects that sound with the one he 'hears' only in his mind every time he embraces his spark and his memory-shadow of the vision.

It should come as no surprise that the horse chooses this moment to take off like a shot. It takes Honoria every bit of effort she has to restrain the beast and not let this become a pell-mell chaos.

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh no I just realized something hilarious... XD"

<OOC> Syval says, "Dismissing a spell is a free action but you must speak "words of dismissal, which are usually a modified form of the spell's verbal component.""

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "And Syval didn't practice the councelation words."

<OOC> Syval says, "I might not know those words. Do I know those words? Did the spell come in a pair, so to speak--"

<OOC> Syval says, "Exactly."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He should know them. He has not practiced them. So I think it's worth asking the dice gods how good of a job he does at properly pronouncing them."

<OOC> Syval says, "Which kind of check would you like?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Spellcraft to recall, and Linguistics - Draconic to pronounce."

<OOC> Syval says, "I don't have separate Linguistics skills per language, so that's a general Linguistics check?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus"

Syval rolls Spellcraft (1d20+13) and gets 14 (1)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li oofs.

<OOC> Syval says, "I am a teensy bit distracted. It'll burn itself out in... oh only 7 more rounds. <.< >.>"

Syval jumps as much as anyone else when that terrible din fills the trees and turning in the direction of the roar he hastily fans down with his hands while trying to shout down a dismissal. Actually hearing the young mage is probably a lost cause until his spell ends.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hmph. That pose would have a lot more life if I had a language to use for incantations Not having one for wizard spells gets in my way here. I should Google for one later."

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry the pose is small and kind of junky."

Andie struggles not to be flung from the saddle and trampled as the horse continues to panic. In that condition she can do little to assist. But Neosodos launches himself from her shoulder up into the air and then glows momentarily as he hisses out - in his tiny dragon voice - the Word which commands the magic to stop. It's a targeted pulsewave that Syval can feel as it brushes the edge against him, snuffing out his spell and silencing the noice.

This at least allows everyone to reflect on this while order is restored. Wow, what a mess.

And yet Neosodos mindspeaks to Syval. << Well done, Little Brother. Next time, perhaps, practice your cancellation Words as well as Activation. But well done. >>

The green-scaled mage looks up in surprise when the roar stops without his help, only to relax when he realizes what the Eldritch Wyrm has done. Syval turns aside and coughs sheepishly, eyeing the terrified stallion rather than the pseudodragon. << The human Art for that doesn't work, I see... >>

<< 'Words' for activation, Little Brother. 'Words' for deactivation. >> Neosodos explains. << Practice both. >>

with silence restored, Honoria is able to fully control the horse, and its wild-eyed panic subsides to sheepish confusion, and then finally to slump-shouldered if brief exhaustion. Neosodos then returns to Andie's shoulder and curls around her. "I think your experiment worked out a bit better than you planned, yes, Syval of Amlar? Still, congratulations. Perhaps a bit further away, next time, if you do not mind?"

The guilty mage rests his bardiche upon his shoulder to raise both hands placatingly as he shakes his head, but even so there's an excited buzz of sorts at the edge of the dragonoid's features. "If I had known it would be that loud I would not have cast it. My normal magic is a whisper compared to that -- by Azuth's beard, the Journeyman who taught me didn't cast that loud..."

Syval checks himself before he starts /actually/ smiling and looks with concern between the witch and her mount. "Are you okay up there?"

Andie checks with Honoria, and then turns back to Syval. "We are, now. Thank you for asking. Let's get started. Our apologies, Jyslin, for making everything more complicated."

And off they go. Yet even as the small party regathers themelves and gets started, a new sound is added, this time coming from the southeast. A low, basso thundering. Subtly, the earth beneath feet, claws and hooves vibrates. And then come shrill, neighing challenges. And the clear blue sky above crackles with lightning, shockwaves across the heavens.

Andie reacts swiftly. "Scatter!" she cries.

Of course the party is pretty scattered already. But the reason for the witch's concern becomes evident as the source of the vibrations becomes clear: a charging herd of almost completely night-black horses, each one of them easily half-again as tall and broad as the battle-hardened barbarian pony upon which Andromeda sits. And largest of them all, leading the charge, comes one mare whose coal black coat sparkles as lightning crackles across the eyes and shoots down from her hooves to join those of the others.

The sound, ever so real, of a dragon's raging roar sounded. And this herd did not flee, but as actually charged out and is shouting their challenge at the beast, as if prepared to do battle!

<OOC> Syval looks around innocently and whistles. "Uh... Eldritch Wyrm, you're up." O:);;;

Any hope of a smile slips from Syval's face as he hears the rising thunder of the herd as well. "Oh no..." he bemoans before hastily running behind the nearest and largest tree he can find on short notice and tucking his wings in close. On a quick thought a moment later, the apprentice mage hastily recolors his High College red robes into a less eye-catching woodland brown.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hurray Prestidigitation. :D"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Color cantrip. Yus. Very handy."

<OOC> Syval says, "Not changing the scales though. That's going too far. u_u"

<OOC> Syval taps the pause button.<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li snugs dragon.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Mad hunnuli! Mad hunnuli herd! Run for your lives!"

<OOC> Syval says, "And you know what's even funnier? Syval'd originally planned on trying the spell in human form first."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But trying to spark-cast it?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Yes. Of course that'd be more difficult."

<OOC> Syval says, "It's a skill he'd like to develop eventually, since spending all his time in hybrid form isn't desirable."

Displaying aplomb and intelligence, the charging hunnuli bank and wheel, never letting themselves slow down enough that anyone would dare approach or obstruct them, and it is patently clear to every member of the tiny party that they have been spotted and assessed. While the massive black horses do not see the dragon they are seeking, they do smell him, and their wheeling brings them back around and aimed straight for Syval and his tree.

Which is when the madcap dash of the heavily-armored Honoria brings her up in front of Syval, shield raised but no weapon at hand as she erupts in light and bellows forth a commanding shout: "Stop!"

The herd splits in twain and chargies around Honoria, the tree, and the dragon hybrid between them, before rejoining and wheeling back around, finally slowing as they trot forcefully, still sparking but no longer crackling with doom's own hellforge of power.

Honoria winces as the lead mare's mindvoice shouts mightily and nearly levels her. << We heard the dragon prepare to attack, and came to help! Why, then, lady knight, do you dare defend this foul creature in its ill intent, as it even now attempts to disguise itself and pretend at humanity?! >>

<OOC> Syval says, "That's audible to me as well, yes?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "'audible'. Yes. But you're catching the 'backwash'; the majority of that mental force is being directed right at Honoria."

Syval grimaces at Honoria's reaction to the mindvoice and casts a betrayed glance at his tree before steps out into the open, relaxing his posture enough that his wings half-open as he jabs his bardiche into the ground and its Azuth pendant jingles against the haft. Sensing the moment's fragility he doesn't dare step close to the herd nor the lady knight. Even so the young man can't help staring a little at the mythical creatures.

<OOC> Syval folds his arms. "They better not mess with my lady knight."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li grins.

Still wincing, a gauntleted hand raised to press against the side of her head, Honoria speaks powerfully in spite of and through her pain. "I swear to you, honored hunnuli, that this dragon means and intends no harm at all, and is not pretending at humanity. He is in fact a hybrid, and what you heard was not his roar of challenge or ill intent, but a mistakenly-enhanced magical creation of sound, I believe wrenched from his own memories. I swear this on my life and my sacred honor."

And then Honoria moves back in front of Syval's changed position and kneels down, shield still in front of her but head hung low in submission, and awaits the judgement of the herd ... and the herdmistress herself.

The herdmistress trots forward and stops, lowering her muzzle to wuffle at Honoria's hair. She then turns her head, wuffling again towards Syval consideringly. << A hybrid, you say? >> This time the voice is the herdmistress alone, and not nearly so mind-shatteringly forceful. << None such as that have been seen in many herds upon herds. >>

Now that the herd is not attacking, the lightning abates across sky and ground. Their eyes become warm, rich and impossibly dark blue horse's eyes. But now all can see that each bears the same mark upon the left foreshoulder: a jagged white lightningbolt pattern.

<< We come to aid, not to condemn. If this creature is truly no threat to those in need, we leave it in peace. >> the herdmistress promises.

<OOC> Syval ponders...

Syval looks down with a moment's worry when Honoria kneels to the Hunnuli and his features betray a tense watchfulness until the herdmistress speaks. When she offers absolution he dips his head in gratitude. "The only aid we could ask is for safe passage to the White Bog as we seek the hag coven in its depths. My apologies for the fright caused by my miss-cast Art."

<OOC> Syval says, "Eh, I can't quite thread that needle. That'll be a job for a later pose."

The herdmistress trots a couple of steps closer, wuffling at Syval curiously. << Mmm. Learning your way. >> She looks up towards Andie, still astride the - by comparison - tiny barbarian war pony, and the tiny dragon resting on her shoulder with wings spread in the sunlight. << Apprenticed to a proper teacher, then? Good. >> That massive black head bobs up and down, demonstrating her approval.

<< Not yet a master of your wings, then? >> the herdmistress questions in good seeming humor.

Assured that the crisis is averted, Honoria climbs back to her feet as the headache slowly ebbs, the pained expression not as dominant on her features. "I thank you, great Hunnuli, for sparing me and my companion." she intones formally.

The herdmistress turns and bumps Honoria's chest with her nose. << Lady knight, your kind are quite rare these days. Perhaps even as rare as we of the herd. We would not eliminate such as you if there were any other choice. >> The herdmistress then looks around and questions, << Where then is your steed? I see only the one, and it far too small for your size and mighty armor. >>

Honoria answers softly. "My dearest friend was left behind across more time than I can tell the herd, and I have found no new companion. We have traveled afoot, save now for the lady witch, who due to exertion required aid if we were to make our deadline."

The herdmistress considers this for a bit, looking around the party and then back to her herd. << So it is as the young hybrid has said? You go to the bog, to confront the hags and their coven? >> When Honoria nods, the herdmistress continues. << Can your hybrid do the shifting of forms yet? Easier, then, to carry when its heels do not puncture the ribs. >> She gazes out past Andie. << And you can tell your tiger woman that we will not stomp on her, so long as she does not try to eat us. >>

<OOC> Syval snickers. "Now Jyslin gets to feel included."

<OOC> Syval says, "I don't completely follow what you mean by "Easier then to carry when its heels do not puncture the ribs.""

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Dragon feets has rear-facing/heel-pointing claw points."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Put a dragon hybrid onna horsie, and the normal riding position means attempts to nudge the horse will instead open up its flesh."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh! I thought she was talking about me shifting fully dragon for Honoria to ride. Thank you."

Syval coughs under his breath before shaking his head as the comment jabs at his pride. "You are right that I am still learning - the wings and the magic side of dragons. I have full control of my human form, the rest is coming with practice."

"And I am a male wizard," he clarifies.

<OOC> Syval had to bite back a few far more provocative ways of saying that 2nd paragraph.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles.

<OOC> Syval says, "Yeesh that pose took me longer than I thought."

<< Of course then, Mister Wizard. >> the herdmistress offers, without a trace of irony in her mental tone. << As we understand it from the Memory, the changing of the shape is an uneasy feat. Perhaps, then, you should begin that effort? Soonest done, soonest we can leave. >>

What? Did they forget to explain that the hunnuli will be transporting the party to the bog? Whoops! Well, now everyone knows.

Honoria gasps at this. Then she steps forward, resting her gauntleted hand gently upon the mane and neck of the herdmistress. "We cannot thank you enough for your kindness. Might I ask which of you might be willing to serve, however briefly, as my mount?"

The herdmistress bobs her head up and down forcefully. <>

<OOC> Syval says, "Welp I did ask for that..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Or tried at least, yes. :)"

"It's as you say," Syval affirms as he reaches back for his bardiche and grips it supportively before mentally releasing the grip upon his spark. The transformation back from hybrid to man is slow but comparatively uneventful, and the apprentice's robes fade back to their natural red at about the same time - their brief disguise expiring.

While Honoria goes to fetch her saddle, saddle blanket and more the herd moves amongst the party, sniffing experimentally. One of them sidles up to Syval after what seems pretty clearly to be some 'discussion' to which the two-legs are not privileged.

Another approaches Andie and then bows her head respectfully. << Sister, it is an honor to see one of your family again. Might we humbly suggest that you send your little friend on his way? He will not be able to keep up with us, he should not hurt himself trying. Allow him to return to his herd. >> the hunnuli advises.

Jyslin too is approached and sniffed by the remaining hunnuli, until one of their number chooses her as well. << Rest assured, Sister's mate, we understand your blended nature and do not fear you. We will carry you safely to the bog as quickly as we can. What training have you in the riding of our lesser brethren? >>

Honoria returns with saddle blanket, sattle and bridle, and gently, even reverently puts on and adjusts each for the hunnuli herdmistress. Then she sets about helping Andie down, transferring her saddle and gear to the volunteered hunnuli, and then getting the witch back up on the much bigger, much taller horse. Some assembly required, there.

Jyslin's strength and agility allow her to leap up and land lightly bareback on her hunnuli, and she settles quietly, petting the mane. "I will let you steer yourself, honored ally."

Honoria does then check to see what aid the change-weakened wizard may require before daring to mount the herdmistress so that their ride may begin.

<OOC> Syval says, "Nice pose. :) Do you mind a pause here for the night?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li snugs. "Nope. Do you?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Only as far as I'd like to keep going if I weren't too tired."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li tucks in dwaggin.

<OOC> Syval says, "Lucky Jyslin... it's been a while I'm sure but she at least learned to ride a horse before."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "True that."

<OOC> Syval is probably going to relax the herd by totally farking up 'climb on a saddle and don't fall off'.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, it'll be a blanket, not a saddle; we only have the two, AFAIK."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li kisses. "Nini."

<OOC> Syval says, "I've got a bit of bed prep first. Are you off to rest now?"

<OOC> Syval kisses back. "Sleep well and pleasant dreams."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li buffs dwggin scales.

<OOC> Syval reclines. ~u~

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah yes, the part where I'm getting on a horse for the first time..."

<OOC> Syval yawns and laughs. "Wishful thinking I suppose. I'll need to be a little more alert for this. Not sure how it's 8PM already..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li scritches dragon.

Once he's shifted into human form, Syval spends a moment catching his breath from the shock of transformation then looks up to the Hunnali waiting on him and bows his head politely. "Be at ease. I don't bite in either form." Then, taking his bardiche from where he jammed it into the ground, the stocky mage ties the weapon over his shoulder and approaches from the side. It takes a little fiddling with his robes first but with a practiced hop the green-haired weredragon mounts as well. He's had at least some practice

Once she has seen everyone safely mounted and under control, Honoria smoothly and gracefully mounts the herdmistress and then leads the way. What follows, then, is largely a blur for any not used to such rapid transport. The hunnuli herd thunders across the ground until they are up to speed, and then they progressively start sparking again, and they start running up the sheets of lightning they create until they are flying, if only a dozen feet or so off the ground.

To those riding it feels no different, as the enormous horses' bodies still bunch and compress and spring open, running flat out simply without the earth itself beneath their hooves. But once they are charging across the air itself, the hunnuli pick up speed, continuing to an almost ludicrous degree. The herd crosses three quarters of a day of travel in a mere few hours, coming to a halt outside the bog's outermost wooded perimeter before the highest point of sun for the day, and they do so unwinded, as though this feat is of no import whatsoever.

The herd and their passengers do seem to ride past or above several of what might have been potential encounters, including a band of gnarled and twisted giant-sized humanoid creatures whom attempt to intercept the herd with launched rocks and spears but fail. Once the herd lands it takes them a while to slow down and come to a halt so that their passengers can then disembark and work to remove the saddles and bridles and blankets, setting the hunnuli free once more.

<< We would be of little use within the bog. But since this is thy domain, we shall leave you to it. Perhaps we shall return in one moon to see if you have been successful. Travel well, and go with the blessings of your faiths, one and all. >> the herdmistress sends, before gathering up her four-footed people with a sharp neigh, and charging off across the grasslands.

<OOC> Syval will imagine he passed some of the trip sating his curiosity with his mount. "If you don't mind we can fill in a little of that offline to fill out my notebook with Cool Horse Facts."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You can feel free to come up with a list of questions you'd have asked, and I'll do my best to answer them in proper hunnuli non-herdmistress manner. ^_-"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I'm really super proud of myself for deciding that the hunnuli are 'unnatural' enough that the boss of a herd is a mare, not a stallion. That just tickles me all kinds of shades of lavender."

It's a bracingly fast trip and the singularly unique experience isn't lost on the wizard at the back of the herd. By the time the Hunnuli stops and it's time for everyone's disembark, Syval slides off wide-eyed and visibly a bit buzzed. Whether from excitement or a stray spark from the lightning road is hard to tell.

<< Elder brother, >> he thinks with a discrete look towards Neosodos, << How fast was that journey compared to normal dragon speeds? >> Then aloud he says foremost to his mount, "Thank you for your aid and the honor of your visit."

Watching the herd literally thunder away, the wizard takes his bardiche again in hand and stretches out from the long ride before shutting his eyes and restoring his half-draconic transformation.

<OOC> Syval laughs. "Credit to you that I barely took notice. They're clearly sentient so I assumed at that point they'd organize as they please."

<< There are dragons that can fly faster. But none can maneuver so well as a hunnuli, save the very, very small. Like myself. >> Neosodos answers. << The larger dragons can travel faster by reaching higher, to the thermal inclines. But they can only do so because of both their enormous wings and their massive sizes to stabilize them. Else they would be tossed about like spare baggage, as I would if I tried. >>

It takes the party about fifteen minutes to reorganize themselves in no small part due to a need to change their progress and pattern. Now that they have reached the bog they will be staying in closer order. Without a horse to handle they can do so well. But Jyslin will range ahead of the party a bit - remaining within easy sightline - to scout the right paths. Once again, it does seem that Syval will be traveling at the rear, but this time 'the rear' is only five or so feet back from the middle.

"I know the racket I make is less than ideal." Honoria offers to Jyslin and Andie before they begin.

Andie merely shrugs. "It is what it is, Honoria. I would no more ask you to walk these paths unarmored than I would ask Syval to shed his scales. Those about whom I am most concerned will know we are coming and where we are regardless of mere silence."

As the party begins moving into the bog, Syval will of course notice the increase in temperature - slight, at first - but also the increase in humidity in the air. His draconic nature luxuriates in this, leaving him feeling loose-limbed and at ease on a subconscious level he has not experienced before. And the shaded presence of trees all around seems to speak to something deep, deep inside his soul.

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh that's a fascinating thought. Fly up to the jetstream to get a wind speed boost. Now that'd really be fast travel."

<OOC> Syval says, "Do I have a sense for where the primordial magic deeper in the bog is located? I assume that's our heading?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You're kinda steeping in the outer bounds of it from the moment you step inside the bog, because the bog is (comparatively) so small."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But yes, there is a 'brighter' center to it, and that does seem to be the direction Jyslin is heading. She doesn't __seem__ to discuss with Andie or converse to plan, but she does seem to still know where she's headed."

<OOC> Syval says, "50 miles wide seems pretty big to me. That's some potent magic to be felt like that at 25mi. :>"

<OOC> Syval, excited wizard.

<OOC> Syval , also excited dragon.

<OOC> Syval says, "Just to check: Google's showing me bogs are generally sparse in trees and heavy in moss and peat. Is the White Bog then more open and spacious than the foothills we'd been trekking through earlier, or is it more swampy with a canopy of brackish-adapted trees spread overhead?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Again, we seem to have had some issues of understanding. We have been skirting the low-lying hills of the foothills; so we haven't been traveling through light forest. We have been traveling through open grasslands with intermittent copses or lonely trees."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That being said, here in the bog, at the outskirts you have big, healthy, heavy-canopy jungle trees. Further in you will find boggier conditions, fewer interspersed trees, a slightly thinner, higher canopy. The bigger trees will become infrequent, but subsequently taller and more massive, with higher upper canopies but fewer layers of canopy."

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry I didn't mean 'yesterday' earlier, more 'when we brushed the edge of the Toadsquat'. Really I was thinking of the Weathering Heights I'm ICly familiar with for what forest looks like. Thank you for clarifying. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "I started googling "bog" and now I'm down a rabbit hole of bogs vs. fens vs. swamps vs. marshes. I'll play with that more later and set aside RL definitions."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Also, there will be a sort of fog closer in to the heart and northern edge, owing to the fact that the water here is the assemblage of a plethora of tiny - thusly map-invisible - streams coming down out of the Toadsquats and down into here."

"If it helps, lady knight, I can color your armor to better match our surroundings," Syval offers as they walk. The bog is unfamiliar territory to him and its sights and sounds both give him plenty to adjust to , even as the stocky mage seems to find no difficulty in keeping his footing over tree roots and through sloppy peat. Catching a glimpse of bright insect life he even smiles a bit. "This is a nice bog so far. It's like an apothecary store in here."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah~, so we're in a fen. :D"

<OOC> Syval says, "Alas, too small for dragons to swim down. Note to self: invent innertube."

<OOC> Syval could probably lash a couple waterskins together to make one for Neos at least.

"There is good reason why I chose the territory of the bogs and swamps." Andie murmurs from a little ways off, though she does not try to insert herself into the conversation.

Honoria glances at Syval and shrugs her shoulders with clanking. "None of that will dampen the noise I make in moving. And I think changing the color of my armor would only make me ... not quite me?" She smiles, though. "I do not think a store would let everything roam free."

Andie chuckles at that. "No. But Syval is not far wrong. A vast array of the greatest natural healing agents come from plants and animals found in places like this, or in the deepest jungles. They are the wellsprings of life. It is a lot of what Mai and I have in common, and why Vitarie loved to visit us both."

The dragonoid can't help but grin, and flashes more teeth than he probably means to. "The gentle brook visiting the jungle and fen witches? Selune sorted you all right," he remarks in amusement. "The insects here can also be used in glow ink, and they cost a great deal once they travel as far as Delzimmer. Plenty more than healing effects exist in this place. I've sometimes wondered if the Halruaa chapter has a more developed apothecary tradition. Delzimmer's always seemed a little light."

<OOC> Syval says, "I am an idiot. ^_^;"

<OOC> Syval says, ""White Bog /Woods/""

<OOC> Syval says, "So yes, there are plenty of trees here."

<OOC> Syval says, "So woods with a foggy fen-to-bog transition in the middle? Like a tonsured forest?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li laughs.

<OOC> Syval says, "Apparently from my brief reading so far, ignoring valley bogs, bogs are elevated by peat accumulation in a river-fed fen until it's too tall. Then with only rainwater to feed it the soil pH changes and you go from lively weed-filled fen to mossy anaerobic peat bog. Valley bogs form when the soil is naturally acidic and river-fed, and take all this with a grain of salt because I still have a lot of reading to do and that's before anything gets translated into Shaar terms where magic is a normal thing."

<OOC> Syval says, "'Elevated mound of peat surrounded by trees' makes me think of a tonsure though. :D"

"I rarely visit Halruua." Andie admits. "And that despite that they have one of the largest fresh water swamps in all of the Shaar. Nevertheless, I can say that they are not shy about apothecary tradition. But they are less inclined to it than one might think. Their representation of the other faiths, outside of Azuth, are limited, and they are ... ill inclined towards witches."

And though Andie does not explain this, witches are the font from which constantly revitalized knowledge of and appreciation for alchemy and apothecary traditions flow, and most often and most directly into the divine traditions than the arcane.

Honoria just snorts at this and shakes her head. "Only fools pick fights with witches. Sometimes necessary, but never wise."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh! Educational moment please: what was the High College's position on apothecary and alchemy traditions?"

<OOC> Syval says, "I recall potion brewing is more of a witches thing than in PF standard, but there's some apothecary/alchemy knowledge outside that for things like glow ink at least."

<OOC> Syval says, "And poor witches, they get a bad rap. Blaming Shakarn and Cantare's group for that one."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Within civlization, yes, there's a lot of negativity or unease about witches, and yes, Shakarn as the Betrayer, and Cantare and the 'wild witches' did not help that."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The High College respects apothecary and alchemical traditions as knowledge worth preserving. But it is rare amongst their teachers that they have someone considered authoritative enough to teach it to a high degree. They often bring in cultists to teach higher classes for those few students who show an aptitude and interest. Or send them out to classes with those specialists."

<OOC> Syval says, "I see! So pursuit of that knowledge isn't frowned upon like necromancy (it's not zenemas), its original teachers just aren't well regarded. :)"

<OOC> Syval $u$

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah good, I do have a single rank in Craft: Alchemy. That plus class skill from Wizard should reflect a full but not focused study of the matter."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "It is not frowned upon. But they openly acknowledge those with the real talent for it are few and far between amongst arcane traditions. They do their best to support those who find themselves called to it, but they do so by looking outside of just themselves."

<OOC> Syval says, "Actually that's something I should integrate more into my background. My wandering would have been good for ingredient gathering as I've mentioned before, and well, green dragon. If there's any color that'd take an interest in magic plants..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It would be like those choosing to study engineering and mechanicals. They would bring in gnomes or dwarves with acknowledged skill at such things."

<OOC> Syval says, "A dwarf at the High College must feel horribly out of place. XD"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Indeed."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "In no small part because dwarves have no arcane tradition of their own."

<OOC> Syval says, "E-yup."

<OOC> Syval also ICly likes the idea of turning 'cheap thing' into 'expensive thing'. Thus, Craft: Alchemy.

"After Shakarn and the Great War some of that is warranted," Syval opines from the rear, "But it is good to know the truth of the matter a little better. If the true nature of witches wasn't lost at the tattered edge of Maenast legends, the Electrum Circle at least would view you all more properly I think."

"I'll admit alchemy was never my best subject but it is the easiest tradition to earn a living from. The challenge is in knowledge and gathering - the preparations aren't so bad." Here the dragonoid cringes lightly and adds, "But I will still leave the making of bombs to the gnomes. Drunken urine is a terrible ingredient."

<OOC> Syval says, "History lesson: phosphorus was first isolated and identified by alchemists who distilled it from urine. A common means of gathering urine for these experiments (and later production) was to leave a bin outside the local tavern."

Andie does not bring up that the gnomes cannot hold a candle - quite literally - to the craftings of a witch of Talos. Andie has seen the transparent gelatin they create, and its aftermath.

"Any path, any tradition, can lead to those who misuse it." Andie offers honestly. "There have been dark knights. Fallen holy blades. Wizard who embrace zennemas. Shadowy assassins. Yet none of these quite evokes fear in mortals as does the lone witch on their outskirts." She shrugs. "I have always believed it comes as much from a lack of true understanding - so uncommon are we, and so often held far away from them - that the worst rumors spread, and are never dispelled, feeding on one another."

<OOC> Syval says, "Is there a witch of Talos? <.<"

<OOC> Syval finished Googling as a refresher. He seems like a deity who wouldn't get a lot of devotees in civil circles.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But not everyone in the world is civil."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There's a coven of his called the Destructoria. Yes. Talos has witches. Not many, even compared to other faiths in the Shaar. But he has them. And they are scary as fark."

"I think you speak truth," Syval agrees. "Most Delzemaer at least aren't inclined towards open trust of things we don't understand. There are plentiful enough evils about the Trader's Way and Weathering Heights to teach that lesson. And as to witches specifically, you witches of Selune are somewhat the exception. Most witches and warlocks I've read of were cursing farmers or disappearing children, not teaching alchemy."

"Hags do not help, rare as they may be." Andie admits. For indeed the hags are witches, too. And they can and do steal children, curse farmers, and much worse. "It likely also does not help that witches find it very difficult to explain themselves to others who do not follow their ways. And what they do say will often make little sense without that basis." Does make one wonder how one trains to be a witch, doesn't it?

<OOC> Syval reaches over and hits the pause button. :)

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you for the session this morning. We covered some nice ground. ^_^"

[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 20 Hunnuli

2022-02-02T00:50:23Z

VanyaDoll2:

The conversation between the two dragons continues on for perhaps another half an hour before they both decide they're done. Neosodos returns to just quietly contemplating his mistress, communing with her as she restores her magical power.

Jyslin comes out from the tent at the dragonoid's summons and takes her watch, checking with him about what has been detected - not much - and then shoos him off to get some sleep of his own. She then later wakes up the princess knight to take her own turn.

When everyone awakens the next morning and Andie works on breakfast Honoria mentions to everyone that Jyslin should probably take a sweep a bit to the south of their line of travel this morning, as she saw something going on earlier in that direction. Since nothing came near the campsite, the lady knight stayed quiet and let them pass. "It looked like a gathering, perhaps a small herd, of rather large creatures. Large horse sized, war horses or the like."
<OOC> Syval says, "Is there a steady wind blowing away from the mountains that'd put the creatures up-wind?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There's a moderately steady wind blowing towards the mountains."

Syval's sandals crunch softly on underbrush as he ducks beneath a branch on his way back from the privacy of the woods. To attentive senses the young man's gotten more comfortable in the wilds since they first set off. "That's a strange sight this far along the Toadsquat," he considers with a light frown. "Maybe they're stock for the barbarians we met."
<OOC> Syval facerubs. "Sorry for the short pose. I think my mind's shutting down a bit for bed now."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smooches. "S'okay. We can pause here and pick up another time. It IS 9pm at this point."
<OOC> Syval was thinking to add a concerned look towards Jyslin at the prospect of her wandering off alone again. Her being downwind would have helped. Upwind means getting close to things.
<OOC> Syval says, "Correct me if I'm wrong, we're now on morning of 29th of Mar, day 20 of travel, and about half a hex from the White Bog?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. Not much for notes this morning but I'm going to try to keep things accurate this time."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li snugs.
<OOC> Syval hugs back.

Syval's sandals crunch softly on underbrush as he ducks beneath a branch on his way back from the privacy of the woods. To attentive senses the young man's gotten more comfortable in the wilds since they first set off. "That's a strange sight this far along the Toadsquat," he considers with a light frown. "Maybe they're stock for the barbarians we met."

The wizard looks to the sleeve of his robes as they blow south towards the rising slopes of the mountain range then he casts a wordless glance to Jyslin. Moving downwind with her scent ahead of her, Syval might not be keen on their roamer making another excursion alone.
<OOC> Syval says, "There, same pose as before with a little more subtlety and substance in a bonus paragraph."
Jyslin frowns. "I don't want whatever it is following or shadowing us where we won't smell them coming." she comments. Honoria doesn't do anything by scent, but she does understand the concern and she nods. "Hence why I mentioned it."

Though Jyslin seems quite prepared to trek off and investigate Andie speaks up. "I think not, Jyslin. We have other options." She looks down at the small drake curled up on one of the fire ring stones, soaking up the heat. "Would you mind, Old Friend?"

The dragon uncoils himself languidly and sighs, stretching his wings. His sing-songing raspy, almost but not quite squeaky voice answers "Verrrrrry well. But I want berrrries." he protests, turning to look at Jyslin accusingly.

The priestess smirks, and pats the pouch at her waist. "I promise."

With a harrumph, the little dragon coils himself, then launches up into the air, wings beating at the sky to claw and climb his way further up ... and then with a shimmer that starts at his nose and ripples down his length to his tail, Neosodos disappears. And after only a very little while even the beat of his wings is gone, leaving no sign whatsoever of his passage.
<OOC> Syval says, "AFK for phone, almost done."

Syval's shoulders sink in quiet relief as Neos gets the task ahead of Jyslin and as the mottled pseudodragon takes flight, the therianthrope focuses on him and thinks, <Thank you, Elder Brother.>

Walking fully back into camp once the little wyrm is out of sight, the young wizard takes a deep breath of air flavored by the witch's cooking fire and looks around the remaining women. "We're almost there now. Half a day's journey, or about that much, and we'll be at White Bog's edge."

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry for the wait."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smooches. "NP."
<< Berrrries! >> Neosodos replies as he flies away, beyond even his reach of mindspeech to perform the scouting mission asked of him.

Jyslin and Andie both nod. "Yes. About that. And time is very tight. Come, sit, and eat. Once Neosodos returns, we should get moving as quickly as possible."
<OOC> Syval laughs!

"It's done? Let me get my bowl, then," Syval responds before hastily ducking over to his tent to retrieve his breakfast dishes. No fancy levitation this time; the small displays of Art might be cute, but the young man's hands are faster.

"It is still the 29th of Marpenoth," he reminds as he brings his wooden bowl to the communal pot for food. "That's time enough to get almost to the core by nightfall if your domain is with us. One full day to scout the coven and deal with them, another to rest and prepare for the month-ending alignment. Truthfully I've never been to a bog before," Syval confesses with something of a smile. For some reason he seems to be looking forward to it.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Neos knows what he wants. :)"
One the bowls are provided, Andie serves up breakfast and then cleans things up as they eat. "I cannot promise the domain will be with us, which is why I am as concerned about our timing as I am. But we can only do what we can do."

Jyslin shrugs. "We amble around the Dread Bogs all the time, back home. A lot different than plains, or jungle. A lot of uneven grounds, high water table, frequent sinkholes and pooling water. I haven't been to this one, but the water can often go stagnant, leading to insect infestations. There are salves," she looks to Andie, then back to the others, "that can convince the insects to go elsewhere. But they aren't universally effective. Some things are just too stubborn. And watch out in the water for leeches, or worse."

Honoria frowns, clearly discomfited by this. But this is where they're going, what they are going to be doing. "This is going to be messy." she mock-complains. She cleans her armor and gear every night, regardless. But she can still be less than thrilled.

"A great deal of humidity will be trapped within. Expect things to feel a great deal hotter, and for perspiration to be less effective at body cooling as a result." Andie offers as advice. Of course a hybrid green dragon is unlikely to care at all, and the lady knight has magical armor that will cut the worst of that.

"That doesn't sound so different from Delzimmer's floods then. The rainy season always brings plenty of mud, water, and insects along with its snakes. I wouldn't mind if we could make some scaletail and roast insects tonight for meat," Syval considers hopefully. He can't help grinning a bit at the lady knight's only half-joking discomfort. "I don't charge for cleaning Art," the young wizard reminds as he settles in to eat. After a few bites his attention shifts inquiringly to Andie. "What of the horse? And how are you feeling?"

<OOC> Syval says, "I'm good pausing after this pose for rest. That'll be my last good one for tonight. It took a little longer because I forgot to write down "scaletail" in my notes."
<OOC> Syval says, "It's a local Delzimmer dish of snake or lizard filleted into strips, typically fried in a spiced oil as a street food, but it's also smoked and dried as a trail ration. According to the Forgotten Realms wiki, there is a good chance if you three went shopping for cheap meat rations in Delzimmer that's what you got. Especially as October shouldn't be terribly far into the dry season so I'd think there were still plenty of them around to catch."
<OOC> Syval would have brought some among his own rations at least. He certainly doesn't mind them. "Apparently roasted boar will in a hundred years or so be imported from Luiren, so I guess they're not really a thing here - which seems odd. I thought boars lived basically everywhere below the frost line."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "They do."
<OOC> Syval says, "Hmm :Ia Then again, monster ecosystem too. I should remember what else is out there and probably eats boar."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li tucks in dragon.
<OOC> Syval should bed prep, then much appreciates. :)
<OOC> Syval says, "Gah, wrong button."
Neosodos returns to the party; Andie is the first to know this, as she has been paying attention to her link to the tiny dragon, and she looks up from her seat astride the horse even as the tiny drake ripples back from invisibility to normal and flies down to gracefully land upon the witch's shoulder. <>

This draws some rather excited commentary from Andie and Honoria, whom clearly know what this means. But Jyslin clearly does not. << Quite amazing. I had thought the last herd long passed from the Shaar. Did they seem safe, Neosodos? >> his witch mistress inquires.

<< So far as I could tell, yes. As you will remember, their kind are not easy prey. The natural animals seem to know this and are not bothering them. I saw no sign of other threat. There seemed to be four dams and three stallions. I could be mistaken, but I believe the leader of this herd is the largest of the dams. Her mark was the most pronounced. >>
<OOC> Syval says, "Are they a magical critter I might have heard of in my studies (K:Arcane)?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It is within the realms of possibility."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "They are in fact a magical and a critter."
Syval rolls K:Arcane (1d20+13) and gets 31 (18)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li applauds.
<OOC> Syval says, "Magical critters are my speciality and historically I've used trips like this to study. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Lay it on me. What's so special about them despite being so rare?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hunnuli are an exceedingly rare - believed to now be extinct - breed of magical horses. They were noted for being larger and stronger than standard horses, as well as vastly smarter. And legends imply that they were able to bond with magically-gifted riders, becoming a sort of familiar, complete with telepathic communication, and a wellspring of additional magical energy."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Their nickname was 'witchsteeds'"
<OOC> Syval glances at Honoria.

Syval turns his head in surprise to the little drake. "You saw witchsteeds? They haven't been sighted in the Shaar for years - the High College thought they were extinct."

"It'd be a helpful miracle if we had the time and means to tame one. They'd make a far better mount than what we have," the young wizard considers with a baleful look to Andie's distant horse.

<OOC> Honoria glances back> "Mmmm?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Admit, one would be a fitting mount for you, and smart enough not to spook from Jyslin and I."
<OOC> Honoria nods. "OK. This is true. Yes."
Honoria mentions, "Hunnuli are also very fast, and have incredible endurance. But they tend to only accept and bond with very special riders. Even in my time they were rare."

Andie considers this. "Perhaps, then, we should make a point of trying to track the herd after we are finished in the bog? Then we would not lose time on our deadline, and we could take the time in an encounter with the herd to prove our good intent and wait patiently for them to come to trust us enough to allow our approach."

Jyslin glances around to the others, and draws some context clues together. "OK. Magical horses of some such? Sorry, I've never heard of them. 'Witchsteeds' sounds very interesting." She looks pointedly at Andie, who holds up her hands palms out.

"I did not name them. None of my sisters did, either. Though if I recall correctly, Autreanne did bond with one."

Honoria nods at this. "Indeed she did. And that mare survived through the entire war and our retreat up into the mountains. I, of course, cannot know how long the mare survived thereafter."

"Hunnuli are larger, magical horses that are supposed to be like natural familiars; intelligent, magically-charged telepaths like our Eldritch Wyrm," Syval supplies for the priestess. "Beyond that their abilities are wizard speculation, but since we have a couple experts here maybe you three can tell us more while we travel?" he suggests to the witch and princess with a smile that's not entirely magnanimous. Oh yes, the young mage will definitely be taking notes.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Scribble-scribble-scribble! :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Knowledge is power! In the Electrum Circle I can sell this information."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So also money! :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Which can become spells, supplies, food, raw materials for enchantments... so yes - power."
Andie and Honoria seem happy enough to share what they know. "From what I saw, yes. The hunnuli are very intelligent. Autreanne's mare was the natural leader of all of our horses throughout the retreat. The only competition were a few of the holy mounts. I cannot say if her dominance was helped by Autreanne's power and influence or not, but no mere horse however well trained could hold a candle to her. She was also able to telepathically communicate even with those who were not their bonded riders. I also witnessed that hunnuli carry loads half again as great as my own warhorse with ease, and maintain greater speed and endurance while doing so."

Yep. Honoria speaks very, very highly of the pretty, pretty horsies. She might have a bit of a fangirl crush on them.

"I must admit that we were never entirely sure whether Azuth summoned them from another realm, or created them by magically altering natural horses." Andie explains. "The first stallion was bonded to Dastian, one of Azuth's first holy blades. They were never very numerous, but by the time we left Raurin, there were thousands of them."

The witch shakes her head. "Many, many died during the Great War, slain on both sides of the conflict. And they seemed to become very depressed after the war ended. Their birthrates plummeted. I thought they were all gone. The last hunnuli I saw or read of was bonded to Volthuma Tredes."
<OOC> Syval giggles. "Ooh she's a horse girl. Honoria would get along so swell with Karen."
<OOC> Syval says, "Who for that matter would make a half-decent roamer without a lot of tweaks."
<OOC> Syval says, "That last one's not a name I'd recognize right?"
<OOC> Syval recalls belatedly the idea of a dragon mount and considers that a Hunnuli might be needless competition. :Ia
Syval rolls K:Religion (1d20+6) and gets 11 (5)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Volthuma Tredes is a legendary, if not outright mythological, figure of a wizard of great power loyal to Selune who went on a massive crusade against the forces of Miclante (god of the dead), especially the undead and his fire giant shaman."
<OOC> Syval says, "Around when was that, according to the legend?"
<OOC> Syval says, "And no relation of the fire shaman to the Raurin genies, or are the descriptions possibly compatible?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Newp. No relation. Genies are creatures from Beyond (the planes); fire giants are one of the breeds of giants (hill, stone, frost, fire, cloud, storm are the classics)."

Syval pulls a wooden tablet from his pack and listens studiously while quietly scratching away with his stylus. The wizard smiles a bit at Honoria's clear enthusiasm for the magical creatures and gives a small nod to Andie at the mention of his obligate patron. "Azuth's teachings aren't specific on that as far as I remember; they're simply credited to him. Hunnuli did exist within the Shaar going back for centuries but owing to their speed and selectiveness it was rarely more than lone sightings - similar to unicorns. After a long enough time without any being seen I think it was assumed they were extinct; living this far out I can begin to see why. They must keep distant from any signs of civilization."

Turning a skeptical eye towards the immortal witch Syval adds, "Don't tell me you actually met Volthuma..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And Tredes was supposedly from around 3k years ago."
Andie meets Syval's gaze and smiles. "I promise. I won't tell you that." But she does not say it is true.

Hey. She's immortal. Neosodos is old enough to have met him, so surely his mistress could have as well.

Jyslin just rolls her eyes. She still has not made all of her peace with Andie's immortality.
<OOC> Syval says, "Hehe! This actually seems like a nice FTB spot and it's late enough for winding down tonight, yes?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles. "It's not a bad spot, no."
<OOC> Syval hugs. "Thank you for another nice session. You kept me busy between poses doing note updates tonight." :)
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm having to get a little more organized with OneNote. Maybe I'll start learning hotkeys at some point too."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Heehee. I need to learn OneNote hotkeys, too. I use it a lot for work. And it seems most places still lean heavily on O365, so I'll likely keep that up."
<OOC> Syval says, "It's the gold standard for students too since schools have been picking up Office accounts for students. Cloud storage of documents must be nice; no more rewriting an essay because of a hard drive failure..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nodnods.
<OOC> Syval says, "I've Googled the hotkeys a couple times and there are quite a few. It looks pretty powerful, I just haven't learned more than a small handful."

<OOC> Syval gets settled. "Ahh, now to shift mental gears back to dragon therianthrope things."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li pets. "Yus."
<OOC> Syval debates testing Ghost Sound...
<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry I can't offer much for setting. That was easier from in front than behind. Thankfully this arrangement shall eventually pass."
Syval pulls a wooden tablet from his pack and listens studiously while quietly scratching away with his stylus. The wizard smiles a bit at Honoria's clear enthusiasm for the magical creatures and gives a small nod to Andie at the mention of his obligate patron. "Azuth's teachings aren't specific on that as far as I remember; they're simply credited to him. Hunnuli did exist within the Shaar going back for centuries but owing to their speed and selectiveness it was rarely more than lone sightings - similar to unicorns. After a long enough time without any being seen I think it was assumed they were extinct; living this far out I can begin to see why. They must keep distant from any signs of civilization."

Turning a skeptical eye towards the immortal witch Syval adds, "Don't tell me you actually met Volthuma..."

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

Andie meets Syval's gaze and smiles. "I promise. I won't tell you that." But she does not say it is true.

Hey. She's immortal. Neosodos is old enough to have met him, so surely his mistress could have as well.

Jyslin just rolls her eyes. She still has not made all of her peace with Andie's immortality.

<OOC> Syval says, "Yes, I still have backscroll. Were we not doing an FTB here?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, if you were going to test Ghost Sound, this seemed like the place?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But we can just tromp along and work on that at camp tonight."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li fetches water while she works on composing.
<OOC> Syval says, "I'll add to this then. That works."
<OOC> Syval yawns a little." "Sorry, post-dinner lazy caught up with me for a moment. Good news is I'm feeling a bit more centered again.
<OOC> Syval *"

The green-haired wizard holds his gaze on Andie then shakes his head with a dry smile. "Well then, in another 3,000 years you can say you met us." After finishing his notes the wooden tablet is closed and slipped back into its pouch, then Syval scans the sparse woodlands around them. "Before we get too far this morning there is a spell I'd like to test. It should be about as loud as all of us shouting, so it's better to cast when we're ready to move."

"Well, we're ready to move now. So let's go ahead and go." Andie offers. She glances ahead at Jyslin "Keep and eye and a nose out, please. If they draw close to us, I would prefer to find a way to peacebly encounter them rather than run them off." The woman who smells like magical tiger and the man who smells like the half-dragon he is would be the challenges with that effort; they're intelligent, not noseblind or stupidly reckless.

That said, everyone spreads back out and gets ready to go, waiting while Syval makes the attempt at his spell.
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh, before I hit send, should I Will check for this?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No stress. No need."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you for confirming. :)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "If this was in a conflict scenario, with consequence for failure, the answer would be yes."
<OOC> Syval says, "And that would be separate from a Concentration check (if applicable), yes?"

Adjusting his pack to one side, the young mage dips his head in appreciation then closes his eyes and focuses inwards. First he seeks out the familiar spark deep within his mind and grasps hold of it. Outside, his form thickens and scales with the therianthrope's transformation back into the weredragon form he'll likely hold again until well past sunset. It's a transformation that's gotten smoother and faster with practice but remains at best an act of concentration and effort. Syval releases a few large breaths when the shifting stops and at first gingerly flexes his wings until the post-shift tenderness fades.

Then after a long pause he speaks a word that hisses naturally past his serpent-like tongue and rumbles around thorny teeth. Neos alone is likely to understand it.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes."
<OOC> Syval says, "And if it's alright with you I shall leave the DM to portray the result as she feels fit since your resident drake-o-mage just cast a full-powered dragon roar via Ghost Sound (CL8=32 humans' volume which is the example dragon roar)."
<OOC> Syval says, "He is thinking 'well my normal spell is about as loud as 4 people so this so be as loud as 4, maybe 8, and a muted mini-dragon roar would be fitting."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh hah. I have an unassigned sorcerer cantrip slot. Something to fill in later."
And out amidst the trees some fifty feet away emerges a full-throated draconic roar. There might be some dragons that can roar louder; that would be a question for those that know them better. But it is not at all the 'miniature and muted dragon roar' Syval is expecting.

The dragonic hybrid will be a bit surprised, even shocked. And his mental instinct connects that sound with the one he 'hears' only in his mind every time he embraces his spark and his memory-shadow of the vision.

It should come as no surprise that the horse chooses this moment to take off like a shot. It takes Honoria every bit of effort she has to restrain the beast and not let this become a pell-mell chaos.
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh no I just realized something hilarious... XD"
<OOC> Syval says, "Dismissing a spell is a free action but you must speak "words of dismissal, which are usually a modified form of the spell's verbal component.""
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "And Syval didn't practice the councelation words."
<OOC> Syval says, "I might not know those words. Do I know those words? Did the spell come in a pair, so to speak--"
<OOC> Syval says, "Exactly."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He should know them. He has not practiced them. So I think it's worth asking the dice gods how good of a job he does at properly pronouncing them."
<OOC> Syval says, "Which kind of check would you like?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Spellcraft to recall, and Linguistics - Draconic to pronounce."
<OOC> Syval says, "I don't have separate Linguistics skills per language, so that's a general Linguistics check?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus"
Syval rolls Spellcraft (1d20+13) and gets 14 (1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li oofs.
<OOC> Syval says, "I am a teensy bit distracted. It'll burn itself out in... oh only 7 more rounds. <.< >.>"

Syval jumps as much as anyone else when that terrible din fills the trees and turning in the direction of the roar he hastily fans down with his hands while trying to shout down a dismissal. Actually hearing the young mage is probably a lost cause until his spell ends.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hmph. That pose would have a lot more life if I had a language to use for incantations Not having one for wizard spells gets in my way here. I should Google for one later."
<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry the pose is small and kind of junky."
Andie struggles not to be flung from the saddle and trampled as the horse continues to panic. In that condition she can do little to assist. But Neosodos launches himself from her shoulder up into the air and then glows momentarily as he hisses out - in his tiny dragon voice - the Word which commands the magic to stop. It's a targeted pulsewave that Syval can feel as it brushes the edge against him, snuffing out his spell and silencing the noice.

This at least allows everyone to reflect on this while order is restored. Wow, what a mess.

And yet Neosodos mindspeaks to Syval. << Well done, Little Brother. Next time, perhaps, practice your cancellation Words as well as Activation. But well done. >>

The green-scaled mage looks up in surprise when the roar stops without his help, only to relax when he realizes what the Eldritch Wyrm has done. Syval turns aside and coughs sheepishly, eyeing the terrified stallion rather than the pseudodragon. << The human Art for that doesn't work, I see... >>
<< 'Words' for activation, Little Brother. 'Words' for deactivation. >> Neosodos explains. << Practice both. >>

with silence restored, Honoria is able to fully control the horse, and its wild-eyed panic subsides to sheepish confusion, and then finally to slump-shouldered if brief exhaustion. Neosodos then returns to Andie's shoulder and curls around her. "I think your experiment worked out a bit better than you planned, yes, Syval of Amlar? Still, congratulations. Perhaps a bit further away, next time, if you do not mind?"

The guilty mage rests his bardiche upon his shoulder to raise both hands placatingly as he shakes his head, but even so there's an excited buzz of sorts at the edge of the dragonoid's features. "If I had known it would be that loud I would not have cast it. My normal magic is a whisper compared to that -- by Azuth's beard, the Journeyman who taught me didn't cast that loud..."

Syval checks himself before he starts /actually/ smiling and looks with concern between the witch and her mount. "Are you okay up there?"

Andie checks with Honoria, and then turns back to Syval. "We are, now. Thank you for asking. Let's get started. Our apologies, Jyslin, for making everything more complicated."

And off they go. Yet even as the small party regathers themelves and gets started, a new sound is added, this time coming from the southeast. A low, basso thundering. Subtly, the earth beneath feet, claws and hooves vibrates. And then come shrill, neighing challenges. And the clear blue sky above crackles with lightning, shockwaves across the heavens.

Andie reacts swiftly. "Scatter!" she cries.

Of course the party is pretty scattered already. But the reason for the witch's concern becomes evident as the source of the vibrations becomes clear: a charging herd of almost completely night-black horses, each one of them easily half-again as tall and broad as the battle-hardened barbarian pony upon which Andromeda sits. And largest of them all, leading the charge, comes one mare whose coal black coat sparkles as lightning crackles across the eyes and shoots down from her hooves to join those of the others.

The sound, ever so real, of a dragon's raging roar sounded. And this herd did not flee, but as actually charged out and is shouting their challenge at the beast, as if prepared to do battle!
<OOC> Syval looks around innocently and whistles. "Uh... Eldritch Wyrm, you're up." O:);;;

Any hope of a smile slips from Syval's face as he hears the rising thunder of the herd as well. "Oh no..." he bemoans before hastily running behind the nearest and largest tree he can find on short notice and tucking his wings in close. On a quick thought a moment later, the apprentice mage hastily recolors his High College red robes into a less eye-catching woodland brown.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hurray Prestidigitation. :D"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Color cantrip. Yus. Very handy."
<OOC> Syval says, "Not changing the scales though. That's going too far. u_u"
<OOC> Syval taps the pause button.<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li snugs dragon.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Mad hunnuli! Mad hunnuli herd! Run for your lives!"
<OOC> Syval says, "And you know what's even funnier? Syval'd originally planned on trying the spell in human form first."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But trying to spark-cast it?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Yes. Of course that'd be more difficult."
<OOC> Syval says, "It's a skill he'd like to develop eventually, since spending all his time in hybrid form isn't desirable."
Displaying aplomb and intelligence, the charging hunnuli bank and wheel, never letting themselves slow down enough that anyone would dare approach or obstruct them, and it is patently clear to every member of the tiny party that they have been spotted and assessed. While the massive black horses do not see the dragon they are seeking, they do smell him, and their wheeling brings them back around and aimed straight for Syval and his tree.

Which is when the madcap dash of the heavily-armored Honoria brings her up in front of Syval, shield raised but no weapon at hand as she erupts in light and bellows forth a commanding shout: "Stop!"

The herd splits in twain and chargies around Honoria, the tree, and the dragon hybrid between them, before rejoining and wheeling back around, finally slowing as they trot forcefully, still sparking but no longer crackling with doom's own hellforge of power.

Honoria winces as the lead mare's mindvoice shouts mightily and nearly levels her. << We heard the dragon prepare to attack, and came to help! Why, then, lady knight, do you dare defend this foul creature in its ill intent, as it even now attempts to disguise itself and pretend at humanity?! >>
<OOC> Syval says, "That's audible to me as well, yes?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "'audible'. Yes. But you're catching the 'backwash'; the majority of that mental force is being directed right at Honoria."

Syval grimaces at Honoria's reaction to the mindvoice and casts a betrayed glance at his tree before steps out into the open, relaxing his posture enough that his wings half-open as he jabs his bardiche into the ground and its Azuth pendant jingles against the haft. Sensing the moment's fragility he doesn't dare step close to the herd nor the lady knight. Even so the young man can't help staring a little at the mythical creatures.

<OOC> Syval folds his arms. "They better not mess with my lady knight."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li grins.
Still wincing, a gauntleted hand raised to press against the side of her head, Honoria speaks powerfully in spite of and through her pain. "I swear to you, honored hunnuli, that this dragon means and intends no harm at all, and is not pretending at humanity. He is in fact a hybrid, and what you heard was not his roar of challenge or ill intent, but a mistakenly-enhanced magical creation of sound, I believe wrenched from his own memories. I swear this on my life and my sacred honor."

And then Honoria moves back in front of Syval's changed position and kneels down, shield still in front of her but head hung low in submission, and awaits the judgement of the herd ... and the herdmistress herself.

The herdmistress trots forward and stops, lowering her muzzle to wuffle at Honoria's hair. She then turns her head, wuffling again towards Syval consideringly. << A hybrid, you say? >> This time the voice is the herdmistress alone, and not nearly so mind-shatteringly forceful. << None such as that have been seen in many herds upon herds. >>

Now that the herd is not attacking, the lightning abates across sky and ground. Their eyes become warm, rich and impossibly dark blue horse's eyes. But now all can see that each bears the same mark upon the left foreshoulder: a jagged white lightningbolt pattern.

<< We come to aid, not to condemn. If this creature is truly no threat to those in need, we leave it in peace. >> the herdmistress promises.
<OOC> Syval ponders...

Syval looks down with a moment's worry when Honoria kneels to the Hunnuli and his features betray a tense watchfulness until the herdmistress speaks. When she offers absolution he dips his head in gratitude. "The only aid we could ask is for safe passage to the White Bog as we seek the hag coven in its depths. My apologies for the fright caused by my miss-cast Art."

<OOC> Syval says, "Eh, I can't quite thread that needle. That'll be a job for a later pose."
The herdmistress trots a couple of steps closer, wuffling at Syval curiously. << Mmm. Learning your way. >> She looks up towards Andie, still astride the - by comparison - tiny barbarian war pony, and the tiny dragon resting on her shoulder with wings spread in the sunlight. << Apprenticed to a proper teacher, then? Good. >> That massive black head bobs up and down, demonstrating her approval.

<< Not yet a master of your wings, then? >> the herdmistress questions in good seeming humor.

Assured that the crisis is averted, Honoria climbs back to her feet as the headache slowly ebbs, the pained expression not as dominant on her features. "I thank you, great Hunnuli, for sparing me and my companion." she intones formally.

The herdmistress turns and bumps Honoria's chest with her nose. << Lady knight, your kind are quite rare these days. Perhaps even as rare as we of the herd. We would not eliminate such as you if there were any other choice. >> The herdmistress then looks around and questions, << Where then is your steed? I see only the one, and it far too small for your size and mighty armor. >>

Honoria answers softly. "My dearest friend was left behind across more time than I can tell the herd, and I have found no new companion. We have traveled afoot, save now for the lady witch, who due to exertion required aid if we were to make our deadline."

The herdmistress considers this for a bit, looking around the party and then back to her herd. << So it is as the young hybrid has said? You go to the bog, to confront the hags and their coven? >> When Honoria nods, the herdmistress continues. << Can your hybrid do the shifting of forms yet? Easier, then, to carry when its heels do not puncture the ribs. >> She gazes out past Andie. << And you can tell your tiger woman that we will not stomp on her, so long as she does not try to eat us. >>
<OOC> Syval snickers. "Now Jyslin gets to feel included."
<OOC> Syval says, "I don't completely follow what you mean by "Easier then to carry when its heels do not puncture the ribs.""
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Dragon feets has rear-facing/heel-pointing claw points."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Put a dragon hybrid onna horsie, and the normal riding position means attempts to nudge the horse will instead open up its flesh."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh! I thought she was talking about me shifting fully dragon for Honoria to ride. Thank you."

Syval coughs under his breath before shaking his head as the comment jabs at his pride. "You are right that I am still learning - the wings and the magic side of dragons. I have full control of my human form, the rest is coming with practice."

"And I am a male wizard," he clarifies.

<OOC> Syval had to bite back a few far more provocative ways of saying that 2nd paragraph.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles.
<OOC> Syval says, "Yeesh that pose took me longer than I thought."
<< Of course then, Mister Wizard. >> the herdmistress offers, without a trace of irony in her mental tone. << As we understand it from the Memory, the changing of the shape is an uneasy feat. Perhaps, then, you should begin that effort? Soonest done, soonest we can leave. >>

What? Did they forget to explain that the hunnuli will be transporting the party to the bog? Whoops! Well, now everyone knows.

Honoria gasps at this. Then she steps forward, resting her gauntleted hand gently upon the mane and neck of the herdmistress. "We cannot thank you enough for your kindness. Might I ask which of you might be willing to serve, however briefly, as my mount?"

The herdmistress bobs her head up and down forcefully. <>
<OOC> Syval says, "Welp I did ask for that..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Or tried at least, yes. :)"

"It's as you say," Syval affirms as he reaches back for his bardiche and grips it supportively before mentally releasing the grip upon his spark. The transformation back from hybrid to man is slow but comparatively uneventful, and the apprentice's robes fade back to their natural red at about the same time - their brief disguise expiring.

While Honoria goes to fetch her saddle, saddle blanket and more the herd moves amongst the party, sniffing experimentally. One of them sidles up to Syval after what seems pretty clearly to be some 'discussion' to which the two-legs are not privileged.

Another approaches Andie and then bows her head respectfully. << Sister, it is an honor to see one of your family again. Might we humbly suggest that you send your little friend on his way? He will not be able to keep up with us, he should not hurt himself trying. Allow him to return to his herd. >> the hunnuli advises.

Jyslin too is approached and sniffed by the remaining hunnuli, until one of their number chooses her as well. << Rest assured, Sister's mate, we understand your blended nature and do not fear you. We will carry you safely to the bog as quickly as we can. What training have you in the riding of our lesser brethren? >>

Honoria returns with saddle blanket, sattle and bridle, and gently, even reverently puts on and adjusts each for the hunnuli herdmistress. Then she sets about helping Andie down, transferring her saddle and gear to the volunteered hunnuli, and then getting the witch back up on the much bigger, much taller horse. Some assembly required, there.

Jyslin's strength and agility allow her to leap up and land lightly bareback on her hunnuli, and she settles quietly, petting the mane. "I will let you steer yourself, honored ally."

Honoria does then check to see what aid the change-weakened wizard may require before daring to mount the herdmistress so that their ride may begin.
<OOC> Syval says, "Nice pose. :) Do you mind a pause here for the night?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li snugs. "Nope. Do you?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Only as far as I'd like to keep going if I weren't too tired."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li tucks in dwaggin.
<OOC> Syval says, "Lucky Jyslin... it's been a while I'm sure but she at least learned to ride a horse before."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "True that."
<OOC> Syval is probably going to relax the herd by totally farking up 'climb on a saddle and don't fall off'.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, it'll be a blanket, not a saddle; we only have the two, AFAIK."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li kisses. "Nini."
<OOC> Syval says, "I've got a bit of bed prep first. Are you off to rest now?"
<OOC> Syval kisses back. "Sleep well and pleasant dreams."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li buffs dwggin scales.
<OOC> Syval reclines. ~u~
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah yes, the part where I'm getting on a horse for the first time..."
<OOC> Syval yawns and laughs. "Wishful thinking I suppose. I'll need to be a little more alert for this. Not sure how it's 8PM already..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li scritches dragon.

Once he's shifted into human form, Syval spends a moment catching his breath from the shock of transformation then looks up to the Hunnali waiting on him and bows his head politely. "Be at ease. I don't bite in either form." Then, taking his bardiche from where he jammed it into the ground, the stocky mage ties the weapon over his shoulder and approaches from the side. It takes a little fiddling with his robes first but with a practiced hop the green-haired weredragon mounts as well. He's had at least some practice

Once she has seen everyone safely mounted and under control, Honoria smoothly and gracefully mounts the herdmistress and then leads the way. What follows, then, is largely a blur for any not used to such rapid transport. The hunnuli herd thunders across the ground until they are up to speed, and then they progressively start sparking again, and they start running up the sheets of lightning they create until they are flying, if only a dozen feet or so off the ground.

To those riding it feels no different, as the enormous horses' bodies still bunch and compress and spring open, running flat out simply without the earth itself beneath their hooves. But once they are charging across the air itself, the hunnuli pick up speed, continuing to an almost ludicrous degree. The herd crosses three quarters of a day of travel in a mere few hours, coming to a halt outside the bog's outermost wooded perimeter before the highest point of sun for the day, and they do so unwinded, as though this feat is of no import whatsoever.

The herd and their passengers do seem to ride past or above several of what might have been potential encounters, including a band of gnarled and twisted giant-sized humanoid creatures whom attempt to intercept the herd with launched rocks and spears but fail. Once the herd lands it takes them a while to slow down and come to a halt so that their passengers can then disembark and work to remove the saddles and bridles and blankets, setting the hunnuli free once more.

<< We would be of little use within the bog. But since this is thy domain, we shall leave you to it. Perhaps we shall return in one moon to see if you have been successful. Travel well, and go with the blessings of your faiths, one and all. >> the herdmistress sends, before gathering up her four-footed people with a sharp neigh, and charging off across the grasslands.
<OOC> Syval will imagine he passed some of the trip sating his curiosity with his mount. "If you don't mind we can fill in a little of that offline to fill out my notebook with Cool Horse Facts."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You can feel free to come up with a list of questions you'd have asked, and I'll do my best to answer them in proper hunnuli non-herdmistress manner. ^_-"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I'm really super proud of myself for deciding that the hunnuli are 'unnatural' enough that the boss of a herd is a mare, not a stallion. That just tickles me all kinds of shades of lavender."

It's a bracingly fast trip and the singularly unique experience isn't lost on the wizard at the back of the herd. By the time the Hunnuli stops and it's time for everyone's disembark, Syval slides off wide-eyed and visibly a bit buzzed. Whether from excitement or a stray spark from the lightning road is hard to tell.

<< Elder brother, >> he thinks with a discrete look towards Neosodos, << How fast was that journey compared to normal dragon speeds? >> Then aloud he says foremost to his mount, "Thank you for your aid and the honor of your visit."

Watching the herd literally thunder away, the wizard takes his bardiche again in hand and stretches out from the long ride before shutting his eyes and restoring his half-draconic transformation.

<OOC> Syval laughs. "Credit to you that I barely took notice. They're clearly sentient so I assumed at that point they'd organize as they please."
<< There are dragons that can fly faster. But none can maneuver so well as a hunnuli, save the very, very small. Like myself. >> Neosodos answers. << The larger dragons can travel faster by reaching higher, to the thermal inclines. But they can only do so because of both their enormous wings and their massive sizes to stabilize them. Else they would be tossed about like spare baggage, as I would if I tried. >>

It takes the party about fifteen minutes to reorganize themselves in no small part due to a need to change their progress and pattern. Now that they have reached the bog they will be staying in closer order. Without a horse to handle they can do so well. But Jyslin will range ahead of the party a bit - remaining within easy sightline - to scout the right paths. Once again, it does seem that Syval will be traveling at the rear, but this time 'the rear' is only five or so feet back from the middle.

"I know the racket I make is less than ideal." Honoria offers to Jyslin and Andie before they begin.

Andie merely shrugs. "It is what it is, Honoria. I would no more ask you to walk these paths unarmored than I would ask Syval to shed his scales. Those about whom I am most concerned will know we are coming and where we are regardless of mere silence."

As the party begins moving into the bog, Syval will of course notice the increase in temperature - slight, at first - but also the increase in humidity in the air. His draconic nature luxuriates in this, leaving him feeling loose-limbed and at ease on a subconscious level he has not experienced before. And the shaded presence of trees all around seems to speak to something deep, deep inside his soul.
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh that's a fascinating thought. Fly up to the jetstream to get a wind speed boost. Now that'd really be fast travel."
<OOC> Syval says, "Do I have a sense for where the primordial magic deeper in the bog is located? I assume that's our heading?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You're kinda steeping in the outer bounds of it from the moment you step inside the bog, because the bog is (comparatively) so small."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But yes, there is a 'brighter' center to it, and that does seem to be the direction Jyslin is heading. She doesn't __seem__ to discuss with Andie or converse to plan, but she does seem to still know where she's headed."
<OOC> Syval says, "50 miles wide seems pretty big to me. That's some potent magic to be felt like that at 25mi. :>"
<OOC> Syval, excited wizard.
<OOC> Syval , also excited dragon.
<OOC> Syval says, "Just to check: Google's showing me bogs are generally sparse in trees and heavy in moss and peat. Is the White Bog then more open and spacious than the foothills we'd been trekking through earlier, or is it more swampy with a canopy of brackish-adapted trees spread overhead?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Again, we seem to have had some issues of understanding. We have been skirting the low-lying hills of the foothills; so we haven't been traveling through light forest. We have been traveling through open grasslands with intermittent copses or lonely trees."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That being said, here in the bog, at the outskirts you have big, healthy, heavy-canopy jungle trees. Further in you will find boggier conditions, fewer interspersed trees, a slightly thinner, higher canopy. The bigger trees will become infrequent, but subsequently taller and more massive, with higher upper canopies but fewer layers of canopy."
<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry I didn't mean 'yesterday' earlier, more 'when we brushed the edge of the Toadsquat'. Really I was thinking of the Weathering Heights I'm ICly familiar with for what forest looks like. Thank you for clarifying. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "I started googling "bog" and now I'm down a rabbit hole of bogs vs. fens vs. swamps vs. marshes. I'll play with that more later and set aside RL definitions."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Also, there will be a sort of fog closer in to the heart and northern edge, owing to the fact that the water here is the assemblage of a plethora of tiny - thusly map-invisible - streams coming down out of the Toadsquats and down into here."

"If it helps, lady knight, I can color your armor to better match our surroundings," Syval offers as they walk. The bog is unfamiliar territory to him and its sights and sounds both give him plenty to adjust to , even as the stocky mage seems to find no difficulty in keeping his footing over tree roots and through sloppy peat. Catching a glimpse of bright insect life he even smiles a bit. "This is a nice bog so far. It's like an apothecary store in here."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah~, so we're in a fen. :D"
<OOC> Syval says, "Alas, too small for dragons to swim down. Note to self: invent innertube."
<OOC> Syval could probably lash a couple waterskins together to make one for Neos at least.
"There is good reason why I chose the territory of the bogs and swamps." Andie murmurs from a little ways off, though she does not try to insert herself into the conversation.

Honoria glances at Syval and shrugs her shoulders with clanking. "None of that will dampen the noise I make in moving. And I think changing the color of my armor would only make me ... not quite me?" She smiles, though. "I do not think a store would let everything roam free."

Andie chuckles at that. "No. But Syval is not far wrong. A vast array of the greatest natural healing agents come from plants and animals found in places like this, or in the deepest jungles. They are the wellsprings of life. It is a lot of what Mai and I have in common, and why Vitarie loved to visit us both."

The dragonoid can't help but grin, and flashes more teeth than he probably means to. "The gentle brook visiting the jungle and fen witches? Selune sorted you all right," he remarks in amusement. "The insects here can also be used in glow ink, and they cost a great deal once they travel as far as Delzimmer. Plenty more than healing effects exist in this place. I've sometimes wondered if the Halruaa chapter has a more developed apothecary tradition. Delzimmer's always seemed a little light."

<OOC> Syval says, "I am an idiot. ^_^;"
<OOC> Syval says, ""White Bog /Woods/""
<OOC> Syval says, "So yes, there are plenty of trees here."
<OOC> Syval says, "So woods with a foggy fen-to-bog transition in the middle? Like a tonsured forest?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li laughs.
<OOC> Syval says, "Apparently from my brief reading so far, ignoring valley bogs, bogs are elevated by peat accumulation in a river-fed fen until it's too tall. Then with only rainwater to feed it the soil pH changes and you go from lively weed-filled fen to mossy anaerobic peat bog. Valley bogs form when the soil is naturally acidic and river-fed, and take all this with a grain of salt because I still have a lot of reading to do and that's before anything gets translated into Shaar terms where magic is a normal thing."
<OOC> Syval says, "'Elevated mound of peat surrounded by trees' makes me think of a tonsure though. :D"
"I rarely visit Halruua." Andie admits. "And that despite that they have one of the largest fresh water swamps in all of the Shaar. Nevertheless, I can say that they are not shy about apothecary tradition. But they are less inclined to it than one might think. Their representation of the other faiths, outside of Azuth, are limited, and they are ... ill inclined towards witches."

And though Andie does not explain this, witches are the font from which constantly revitalized knowledge of and appreciation for alchemy and apothecary traditions flow, and most often and most directly into the divine traditions than the arcane.

Honoria just snorts at this and shakes her head. "Only fools pick fights with witches. Sometimes necessary, but never wise."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh! Educational moment please: what was the High College's position on apothecary and alchemy traditions?"
<OOC> Syval says, "I recall potion brewing is more of a witches thing than in PF standard, but there's some apothecary/alchemy knowledge outside that for things like glow ink at least."
<OOC> Syval says, "And poor witches, they get a bad rap. Blaming Shakarn and Cantare's group for that one."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Within civlization, yes, there's a lot of negativity or unease about witches, and yes, Shakarn as the Betrayer, and Cantare and the 'wild witches' did not help that."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The High College respects apothecary and alchemical traditions as knowledge worth preserving. But it is rare amongst their teachers that they have someone considered authoritative enough to teach it to a high degree. They often bring in cultists to teach higher classes for those few students who show an aptitude and interest. Or send them out to classes with those specialists."
<OOC> Syval says, "I see! So pursuit of that knowledge isn't frowned upon like necromancy (it's not zenemas), its original teachers just aren't well regarded. :)"
<OOC> Syval $u$
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah good, I do have a single rank in Craft: Alchemy. That plus class skill from Wizard should reflect a full but not focused study of the matter."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "It is not frowned upon. But they openly acknowledge those with the real talent for it are few and far between amongst arcane traditions. They do their best to support those who find themselves called to it, but they do so by looking outside of just themselves."
<OOC> Syval says, "Actually that's something I should integrate more into my background. My wandering would have been good for ingredient gathering as I've mentioned before, and well, green dragon. If there's any color that'd take an interest in magic plants..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "It would be like those choosing to study engineering and mechanicals. They would bring in gnomes or dwarves with acknowledged skill at such things."
<OOC> Syval says, "A dwarf at the High College must feel horribly out of place. XD"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Indeed."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "In no small part because dwarves have no arcane tradition of their own."
<OOC> Syval says, "E-yup."
<OOC> Syval also ICly likes the idea of turning 'cheap thing' into 'expensive thing'. Thus, Craft: Alchemy.

"After Shakarn and the Great War some of that is warranted," Syval opines from the rear, "But it is good to know the truth of the matter a little better. If the true nature of witches wasn't lost at the tattered edge of Maenast legends, the Electrum Circle at least would view you all more properly I think."

"I'll admit alchemy was never my best subject but it is the easiest tradition to earn a living from. The challenge is in knowledge and gathering - the preparations aren't so bad." Here the dragonoid cringes lightly and adds, "But I will still leave the making of bombs to the gnomes. Drunken urine is a terrible ingredient."

<OOC> Syval says, "History lesson: phosphorus was first isolated and identified by alchemists who distilled it from urine. A common means of gathering urine for these experiments (and later production) was to leave a bin outside the local tavern."
Andie does not bring up that the gnomes cannot hold a candle - quite literally - to the craftings of a witch of Talos. Andie has seen the transparent gelatin they create, and its aftermath.

"Any path, any tradition, can lead to those who misuse it." Andie offers honestly. "There have been dark knights. Fallen holy blades. Wizard who embrace zennemas. Shadowy assassins. Yet none of these quite evokes fear in mortals as does the lone witch on their outskirts." She shrugs. "I have always believed it comes as much from a lack of true understanding - so uncommon are we, and so often held far away from them - that the worst rumors spread, and are never dispelled, feeding on one another."
<OOC> Syval says, "Is there a witch of Talos? <.<"
<OOC> Syval finished Googling as a refresher. He seems like a deity who wouldn't get a lot of devotees in civil circles.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But not everyone in the world is civil."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There's a coven of his called the Destructoria. Yes. Talos has witches. Not many, even compared to other faiths in the Shaar. But he has them. And they are scary as fark."

"I think you speak truth," Syval agrees. "Most Delzemaer at least aren't inclined towards open trust of things we don't understand. There are plentiful enough evils about the Trader's Way and Weathering Heights to teach that lesson. And as to witches specifically, you witches of Selune are somewhat the exception. Most witches and warlocks I've read of were cursing farmers or disappearing children, not teaching alchemy."

"Hags do not help, rare as they may be." Andie admits. For indeed the hags are witches, too. And they can and do steal children, curse farmers, and much worse. "It likely also does not help that witches find it very difficult to explain themselves to others who do not follow their ways. And what they do say will often make little sense without that basis." Does make one wonder how one trains to be a witch, doesn't it?
<OOC> Syval reaches over and hits the pause button. :)
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you for the session this morning. We covered some nice ground. ^_^"

[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 20 Hunnuli

2022-02-02T00:49:37Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "The conversation between the two dragons continues on for perhaps another half an hour before they both decide they're done. Neosodos returns to just quietly contemplating his..."

Category:Rp log

2021-03-14T14:49:49Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "Category page for Shaar RP logs."

Category page for Shaar RP logs.

Journey Day 05 Bandits

2021-03-14T14:48:52Z

VanyaDoll2: VanyaDoll2 moved page Journey Day 05 Bandits to Journey Day 05 AM Gifted Bandits

#REDIRECT [[Journey Day 05 AM Gifted Bandits]]

Journey Day 05 AM Gifted Bandits

2021-03-14T14:48:51Z

VanyaDoll2: VanyaDoll2 moved page Journey Day 05 Bandits to Journey Day 05 AM Gifted Bandits

Jyslin does manage to hear some distant evidence of a conflict, but nothing comes of that here at the camp. None of that trouble - whatever it may be - comes for the party. Four hours later, Jyslin slips back into the tent, awakening Andie with a kiss before curling up to get more sleep herself.

Andie and Neosodos exit the tent and take their own place on watch, allowing the tiny dragon to make a circuit or two before he settles with her for a morning's memorization before the first rays of the sun as it finally crests the horizon.

As the party does finally stir for breakfast, all will discover a fresh wind blowing down along the hilly grasslands, sweeping across the white-capped Toadsquats with a decided chill which does bring on thin wisps of fog.

A full night's rest later, Syval rouses from his personal tent with a light grumbling as he seeks out the warmth of the cooking fire and unrolls a map from his scroll pouch. The dragonoid hisses and rattles threateningly, though Neos will understand him to have mildly asked, "Is it colder today to everyone or just me?".
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Knew what I wanted to say but had to rearrange that last sentence a few times to get it right. I imagine draconic to be a somewhat alarming noise to the ears of humans, and probably mammals in general. Honoria wasn't the only one who got comfortable with Andie's translation spell."

<OOC> Syval says, "Bah, connection hiccup. Looks like I didn't drop though."
----
Still glowing as she usually is when communing with Neosodos, Andie arches an eyebrow as she opens her eyes to regard the rest of the group, from Jyslin starting the morning meal to Honoria packing up her tent already. "Yes. Yes, it is colder today. If you give me but a few more moments, I will renew the translation spell. Please, be patient."

Jyslin looks up at the sound of spoken draconic and frowns. "Too bad you can't do that mindspeech thing that Neosodos does. That would be handy, and scare away less game."
----

<OOC> Syval does have that on his list!
----
Syval clears his throat sheepishly and turns his attention back down to his map upon realizing he was not, in fact, understood by most of the party. But it doesn't take the drake long to confirm their heading by the meager landmarks around their campsite, even with the fog, and he casts his eyes back to the communing witch and wyrm. Mindspeech is certainly on the young dragonoid's list of skills to learn, perhaps even today, but first there's magic to watch and it's made all the more mesmerizing through the lens of his new senses. Judging by the way Syval stops blinking as he looks on, Andie might be able to charge admission.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "By the way what's our normal breakfast and lunch been? I forgot to take notes and I figure we've run out of the loaf from earlier."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Probably something akin to the scrambled eggs and biscuits from that 1700s cooking show?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Lunch is probably jerky, trail mix, and some dried fruit and veggies, all easily walk-and-chew-able?"

<OOC> Syval nods. "That makes sense. I was imagining something like a hoecake/Johnny cake/journey cake for bread as flour is energy-dense and fairly versatile. Can be wheat, oat, bean, nuts, corn, or other sources too. Cheeses too if I remember right."

<OOC> Syval should do more research into that. It's something he knows very little about actually.

<OOC> Syval says, "Pemmican was definitely common in the Americas but I've got no clue what would be the norm in a biome like we're in. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "*US, not sure about the broader Americas as for tribal cuisines."

<OOC> Syval says, "Also, fantasy setting. Who knows how well some plant and animal products keep here."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "In general, the way they do iRL. But there are non-normal plants and animal products, and those are up to us."
----
Soon enough Jyslin is delivering breakfast, starting with a triple portion for the very hungry draconic humanoid. She lays Andie's on the other woman's plate at her knee while the communing goes on. Once everyone is served Jyslin then eats her own and cleans up, then breaks down her tent and packs up her things and Andie's.

Once Andie is done communing, she then lets her still-golden-glowing eyes flutter open. "I assume no one minds if I renew last night's translation spell?" Her gaze flickers over each party member, and when none objects she invokes the same spell, with the golden glowing hand floating over to touch each of them. "I will remind everyone: if we have a dangerous encounter, the spell could be dispelled. Just remember that." As convenient as it can be, it is not perfect.

As much as he enjoys the show of Andie's communion food does beckon too and with Jyslin thoughtfully giving him an extra portion (or two!), the dragonoid happily digs in. Dinner was already a long time ago!

Once he wipes off his mouth and magicks his dishes clean with a minor spell, Syval looks back over to the rejuvenated witch. "That's still far better than nothing. Have you learn anything about that bracelet?"
----

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Halp."

<OOC> Syval ?

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I am not recalling the bracelet. From which?"

<OOC> Syval says, "We found it "yesterday" morning among the gnoll corpses. One of them had a severed forearm with a bracelet firmly attached - nearly sliced my finger off trying to remove it. Turns out it's abjurative and necromantic, has a command word to enlarge and shrink, and it's very sharp on the inside."

<OOC> Syval says, "Andie confirmed it blood bonds, which is more than I could tell, and offered to study it."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Ah. Right. Thank you. That helps."

<OOC> Syval had a note to ask about it this morning. ^_^

<OOC> Syval also had a note to ask Neos at lunch about mindspeech so you beat him to it.

<OOC> Syval says, "*has"
----
"I have." Andie answers. "We can discuss it as we travel." she promises, rising to her feet at last to gather her own pack and then her dragon as they assemble and begin again.

After Jyslin scouts the area, eventually finding evidence of the battle from the middle of the night, the group continues onward. Andie then resumes her storytelling. "The bracelet is one that bonds with the wearer when a particular ritual is performed, including the casting of a spell to charge its powers." she explains. "Doing so will cause the bracelet to shrink down on any wearer to bite into their flesh. From then on, its powers will told hold on the bearer's body for as long as they live. And, as you noticed, will preserve the body perfectly after death, preventing decay. Handy, that.

Andie continues after a bit. "The bracelet is a protective item, hence its focus on abjuration magicks. It grants the bearer a boost to any armor or armor-like protection worn, and bolsters luck in overcoming the unexpected. Its greatest power is that twice per day it can be called upon at will to unleash the effects of a Personal Barrier spell upon the wearer."

----
After storing his breakfast dishes and the little wedge tent he calls home, Syval straps his bedroll to the top of his pack and stands as well to join the group. There's an awkward pause before the dragonoid tries several different ways to don the straps without getting the bag stuck on either wing but eventually, by completely unhooking both straps and passing it over his head, Syval manages... to jam it against the long and stiff frill running the length of his spine. Pulling his backpack around with a heated grumble the transformed wizard swings it awkwardly over one shoulder and looks to Neos in exasperation. "This body is not nearly so useful for hauling."
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Huh, and ironically a furca or similar construction, perhaps fashioned off my bardiche (!), might be a mundane improvement here."

<OOC> Syval says, "Phone."
----
Honoria steps over to lay an armored gauntlet gently on Syval's shoulder. "Might I offer an unorthodox suggestion?" she inquires, waiting for permission before speaking of this. "Your arms and shoulders are in front of your wings. I suspect you could turn the pack around, and wear it instead across your chest rather than your back. And if we invert its structure, you should be able to unclasp the pinions to drop it from your body in a crisis situation to get it out of the way in a hurry."

Andie pauses at this and turns to watch the discussion. "Not an unreasonable suggestion. I believe I could also summon a Tenser's Magic Disc. But then I would be layering spells on Syval." She smiles tightly. "Permission would be required."

Jyslin has ranged ahead and has nothing to do with this discussion. Neosodos looks on from Andie's shoulder and huffs, nodding. "I do not carry anything, myself. Even my hoard is in the magical cavern."
----
Given a wealth of ideas Syval thinks over them before settling on Andie. "If the cavern is that safe, why not store my pack there? Why not store all our camp supplies there? Water and small supplies I can carry on my belt, same as before."

Andie nods. "The cavern is safe. But it does mean you need me to open it before you can retrieve anything." That could be inconvenient or problematic, and as always it seems Andie feels it is vital that Syval knows those risks before making his final decision. But she is clearly willing to open it back up so he can drop his pack inside if that's what he chooses.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Remind me how long it takes to open that portal, please? Is it just a command word?"
----

"I don't think I'll miss my tent until nightfall or my mess kit until meals," the dragonoid responds as he glances to Honoria. "I would think we should all store such rarely-used things in the cavern; with lighter loads we'll travel more quickly. You already open the portal each night at least."

----

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Command phrase and a physical action."
----
"I do not believe my pack is slowing me down." Honoria offers. She may not travel ultimately lightly, but she is not overburdened, either. By comparison, Andie seems to travel with nothing more than a side-slung satchel, a couple of belt pouches and her stave.

Once Syval has made his decision, Andie nods and sets down her satchel, murmuring the command phrase as she hoists it up from the ground to over her head, causing it to reveal the portal to that space beyond. Once Syval is done, she closes it as she usually does every morning, and they can continue their day's journey.

Interestingly, Jyslin has not shown up at all during this entire situation. There has been no sign of her at all.

----
"Suit yourself," Syval grants to the knight, not fully trusting her to act without his approval. Once he steps back out prepared for the journey, the green-scaled were-dragon looks considerably more comfortable, having trimmed a couple small items from the ties of his belt as well in exchange for his coil of rope. Still bare-chested with his bardiche resting against one shoulder, he seems to have fit all the essential provisions for himself - at least for the day's hike. Lifting his head to the wind he sniffs lightly at it before addressing the women. "Thank you for waiting. Now let's hurry on. It seems Jyslin has left us behind. Andie, you can tell me the rest about the bracelet."

----
"The bracelet is one that bonds with the wearer when a particular ritual is performed, including the casting of a spell to charge its powers." Andie explains. "Doing so will cause the bracelet to shrink down on any wearer to bite into their flesh. From then on, its powers will told hold on the bearer's body for as long as they live. And, as you noticed, will preserve the body perfectly after death, preventing decay. Handy, that.

ndie continues after a bit. "The bracelet is a protective item, hence its focus on abjuration magicks. It grants the bearer a boost to any armor or armor-like protection worn, and bolsters luck in overcoming the unexpected. Its greatest power is that twice per day it can be called upon at will to unleash the effects of a Personal Barrier spell upon the wearer."
----

<OOC> Syval says, "You can skip over actually explaining it since it's already in your above pose -- ninja cat! XD"

<OOC> Syval says, "Would I know what Personal Barrier is?"

----
Syval listens thoughtfully to the witch's explanation and then he smiles. "Well that is helpful. Is it still removable once bonded or is it latched like we found it with or without the command words?"

As Syval finishes his examination of himself and his finished bonding with the now-armband, Andie hisses softly. "Damnit." Then she looks up at Honoria and Syval. "Well, you were right to be concerned, it seems. Jyslin is pinned down and injured. Neosodos cannot get a clear look at the attackers, but he can see evidence they are also armed with nets." Which means they could take Jyslin prisoner, or even hostage. Not great news.

----
Honoria frowns. "I have not my mount, to ride to her aid and defense." And she delivers it as such a straight line, too; clearly if she had a mount she would do just that right this instant. That's apparently just what a lady knight does when a companion is in danger.

----
Syval looks dourly over at the news, knowing further just how difficult the sharp priestess is to wound, much less surprise. "That I can assist, but only enough for two of us to ride. How far out is she?" he asks of Andie.
----
Andie turns and looks in a very specific direction towards the mountains to the south south-east. "Almost three miles." With her ability to perceive what Neosodos is seeing, she has a very specific bead on the situation. She glances back at the other two and sighs. "Summon the mount, Syval. If the two of you can ride it, go as fast as you can. I will find a way to keep up." The witch does not explain what she intends, or whether she believes it will work. It is as if she does not believe she has any other choice.

What must be done.

----
The dragonoid fishes a small bit of horsehair from the pouch at his waist then extends his arms and shakes them out as he grips his bardiche and points it level to the ground. "Very well," he replies and begins to weave through the air. There's no time for debating details.

In truth the conjuration is the most difficult spell the wizard knows and it's noticeably longer and more intricate than the lesser tricks of magic he's commonly performed before. As the spell reaches its zenith with the risen chants of his voice there's a feeling of distorted reality as the air by Honoria bends and warps before disgorging ex nihilo the form of a light horse complete with bit, bridle, and riding saddle. Barely is the casting complete when Syval pulls another bit of hair from his pouch and restarts the spell anew, summoning a second mount for himself.

----

<OOC> Syval uses Mount (full-round) twice as to make a pair of light horses, both 2hr duration.

<OOC> Syval says, "This actually uses all of my normal spell slots in the span of 5 minutes and I don't think I'd cast a single one until just now."

<OOC> Syval still has Enlarge Person for what ... oh wait.

<OOC> Syval says, "No, no play continues. That's /clever/ but it's not a solution for this problem."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li mm?
----
Once the two are mounted and ready to go, Honoria somewhat impatiently finally gives rein to her summoned mount and charges off in the direction indicated by Andie, leaving the dragonoid to keep up as best he is able; she is an excellent horsewoman, truly gifted, and rides as if she was born to it.

Chances are she was.

After Syval gets going, Andie summons forth her own spell, one she greatly prefers not to use like this. The golden feather she holds aloft is shredded to mere flecks of down, clinging to her robes as she launches into the air and flies in pursuit of the horses. She keeps her speed down, not wanting to arrive without the others.

When the group arrives at the destination, all but one of them can quickly make out the situation. Honoria is sadly having trouble, as dark as it has become. She can make out shapes and movement, but not much else. The dragonoid can make out what appears to have been the site of a battle, with chopped and hacked bodyparts representing what appear to be a dozen or more gnolls, along with a few smaller, less hairy figures. Also visible to him are drag marks leading back towards a low rock formation between two hillocks about one hundred feet to the south. Earth and turf have been disturbed around the combat site.

As Andie comes to a landing beside Syval and his mount, she grabs for Honoria's shoulder before the woman can charge off towards the site of the battle. Moments later the figure of Neosodos ripples into being on Andie's shoulder. "Jyslin held them off as long as she could. But they pinned her down. They were clearly prepared for a spellcaster, as they hit her with silence to prevent casting; I could hear nothing of their fight. Their weighted nets were reinforced; she was unable to slice through them before they gassed her."

Yet the dragon does not seem distraught. Instead, he points a talon towards the rock formation. "They are under cover, there. Obviously, I advice caution."

Andie takes all of this in, and her face draws rather tight. "That anyone could be out here, setting up a trap like this, and prepared to take on and take down a significant warrior and spellcaster like Jyslin? This bods rather ill." She does not immediately give orders, but waits to see what everyone has to say first.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Why is it dark? I thought we set out at breakfast?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Because I'm an idiot who lost track of previous poses."

<OOC> Syval hugs. "To your credit it has been more than a night and a day since we started this "day"."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So yes. It is before mid-day. And if you guys would not have stopped normally, you can assume Neo dive-bombed you invisibly and mindspeech-shouted at you to stop."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Since if you had continued, you'd be stuck in the silence, and within the area of combat the enemy was clearly prepared to engage."

<OOC> Syval says, "Is the rock formation roofed as in a cave or open as in a valley?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "From what you can see from where you are, you would guess it is largely open, like a 'wall' composed of boulders pushed together, by man or by fate."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There might be a 'duck down' space around its base somewhere. But not a full-on roofed structure."

----
Bringing up his own horse, Syval pulls back on the summoned beast's reigns to halt it then dismounts. The conjured horse isn't combat-trained as much as the polearm-wielding mage might prefer it, and now he trusts the stability of his own legs more - even if they bend a bit oddly.

"Aye, like they know of us and have reason to be hunting," he considers while passing a dark look between the ancient princess and the witch. "I've only a spell of enlargement left which should last most of a battle but with numbers we'll need a way to thin them." Looking back at the rocks between the hillocks, the dragonoid strokes his chin then turns to Andie and Neos. "Do they keep watch upon the hills? Perhaps we can mount them from the east and west then charge down one slope after you rain fire from the other. I would not think their mage cast Silent upon his own camp."

----
"I would assume they can see you. All of us, now." Neosodos comments. "If we then turn around and split up, they are sure to keep watch over us. And if we move to take the high ground, they will react. Perhaps even to kill Jyslin."

Andie's eyes hood at this, clearly pained. But she shakes her head. "As much as I do not wish to allow that to happen, we cannot allow that threat to keep us from taking proper action. If these forces truly did set up and prepare for us, then they must be aimed directly at one of us or the other."

Honoria frowns at this. "Could they be Cantare assassins, here already since my awakening?" she asks.

Andie shakes her head. "I do not know. I would not have thought so. But I would not have thought any could be targeting us like this. Something has kept me from seeing any sign of this, until now."

Honoria then asks, "What are they, then? What did you see of them, Neosodos?"

The Eldritch Wyrm ruffles his wings a bit. "I saw humans, or at least what looked like humans to me. And what appeared to be kobolds." And then Neosodos adds something else. "Most of concern is that ... I could not smell them. I assume neither could Jyslin, which is how she was tricked, and trapped."

----
Syval's eyes narrow and he turns sniffs the air. "They're warded, then? We've only to do with what we have. We either charge the front or try another tact and if they see us, then there's no use in tricks except giving them too many to focus on."

"What an odd alliance between kobolds and humans... Perhaps we can make them listen to their betters, and cause some internal strife?" the dragonoid wonders as he casts an eye to the Eldritch Wyrm more his senior.

----

<OOC> Syval says, "I am also getting a crazy idea of stress-testing my Spark a bit but am I right in assuming that's not something I can reach in a typical full-round action?"

<OOC> Syval knows it's getting easier but wasn't sure it was single-round WIS check yet, much less actually using it after tapping in.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The DC would not be easy, and there would be clear consequences for failure. But you could try."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "With that info, do you want to change any?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Nope."

<OOC> Syval says, "Not feeling that desperate yet I don't think."

<OOC> Syval wants to hear Neos' council on the matter first, and he's not feeling so well-mastered of his draconic nature as to make himself a big target like that given a choice.

<OOC> Syval takes a little afk to roll out dough.

<OOC> Syval says, "Wow this was so much easier than the first time. 6_6"
----
"Without knowing the nature of their bond or leadership, I have my doubts how well we could pick apart their structure." Neosodos answers. He doesn't like it, but that's the simple truth. "The humans, at least, we can assume speak Shaaren. Assuming they were humans. But the kobolds? Kobold and goblinoid are the best choices there." And not one of those present has proficiency in those tongues.

Andie draws the fours' heads together. "I recommend," she murmurs softly, "we split up. Syval, Honoria, neither of you is very stealthy. I recommend you both choose a path of approach from here, up the middle. I can still fly for a short time, and Neosodos can both fly and stealth better than any of us. I will go east, Neosodos west, and then come in from their sides while they are generally busy dealing with the two of you."

Andie reaches out, wrapping her hand around the blade of Syval's polearm, murmuring a spell that causes it to glow with a crackling fire-like aura of red, orange and gold. Then she lays her hand upon the dragonoid's throat, murmuring again as she inscribes a flickring fiery rune of light into his scales. "When you are ready, you can activate this. It will give you one great and mighty shout. Good luck to you both."

That said, Neosodos disappears again, and flies off heading west from what little Syval can sense of his scent. Andie nods to both he and the lady knight, and then lifts off and flies to the east.

And that leaves the two of them. Honoria mounts once more, and prepares herself, sliding down the face plate of her helm as she steadies her shield and sets her lance in the stirrup. She waits for Syval to make his decision ... and then she gives a squeeze of her thighs and the magical mount leaps into action, charging forward!
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Spoke a little too soon and tore dough while trying to tidy up some edges. Fixed now. :P"

<OOC> Syval says, "Kobolds don't speak Draconic in the Shaar?"

<OOC> Syval debaaaaates...

----
Syval nods grimly to Neos' reply. Not what he was hoping but what he expected, and so Andie outlines the only path left for them: an all-out attack as each of their strengths allow. The dragonoid steels himself for what is to come, resolved even so much that his usual fascination is absent as the witch applies enchantments first to his blade and then to the towering wizard's leathery throat. Their battles so far have been surprises and instinct in the moment; for once there's time to think first, and knowing the odd assortment in the cave were able to capture Jyslin doesn't help.

An acrid breath vents out Syval's nose once the spells are in place and he nods to the witch and the wyrm. "Once this is done we'll have a hearty lunch to prepare from their spoils. First pick goes to Jyslin," he replies before turning to face the open ground before the twin hillocks. A glance is given to Honoria and a trusting smile at seeing the lady knight fully in her element and in her own way at ease. Syval tightens the grip upon his bardiche, feeling the new band upon his arm as his scales swell, then his talons scrape the dirt as he sets off charging in her wake.

----

<OOC> Syval will save Enlarge Person for another time.

<OOC> Syval says, "Though that would have made for an intimidating appearance."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ack that was the airplane mode button >_<"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li eep. Doesn't seem to have screwed up things too much.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You COULD Enlarge Person before you charge. Just making that clear. I specifically made the Shout spell a rune tattoo so that it wouldn't preclude you from speaking a spell before using the Shout. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Aye, the reason I didn't enlarge myself is my newfound appreciation for squishiness. Makes me hit harder and further but also makes me a bigger target, and historically I'm a mite delicate."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "Fair. Just wanted to be sure we discussed your alternatives before we moved on."

<OOC> Syval says, "OOCly, no clue whether that's wise. ICly, I blame Syval not having a reference for how much sturdier he now is with a dragon's hide and a magical buffer atop it."

<OOC> Syval says, "Also how long does Personal Barrier normally last?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Personal Barrier lasts for one round per caster level. So perhaps a minute at most, FYI."

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you. Crackers in the oven FYI. I may need to afk in 7 and 14 minutes to tend them but it should be quick."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "OK.

<OOC> Syval says, "And sorry to keep piling but once you get a chance later, say during my turn, could you let me know over Discord what my stat tweaks should be for this new form + bracelet-buff?"

<OOC> Syval afk #1.

<OOC> Syval returns and crosses fingers for the second and crucial bake.

<OOC> Syval afk #2.

<OOC> Syval says, "And I now have fresh crackers. ^_^"
----
Just as the party splits up and prepares their charge a magically-augmented voice calls out in Shaaren from about the location of the rocks. "We have the tigress woman hostage!" comes the shout. "We are prepared to ransom her back to you, safely."

Those words, at least, halt Honoria's charge as she turns to the others, unsure how to proceed. It is not for her to negotiate like this, for she does not even know quite what the party has to give, let alone if they are willing to part with any of it. And it occurs to her that it must be something specific; why else go to all of this trouble?

Andie lands on the rocky hillocks of the mountainous foothills to the east and above them, and then calls out, "What do you want for her safe return?"

There is no sign of Neosodos, and Honoria is looking to Syval questioningly, not sure what to do here.

----
Syval halts as well but his eyes glare in distrust towards the rocks as his tail lashes behind him. In a lifetime among the thronging marketplaces and guild intrigue of a merchant city, the dragonoid is no stranger to ransoms, even honorably upheld, but so far from the judges' justice the idea is more sour than the acrid tinge on his breath. "Be prepared to hear a price we can't pay," he speaks quietly to the lady knight.
----
"Everything you gathered from the hill giants." comes the answer, after a bit. It seems as though however they are projecting this guy's voice is requiring renewed efforts. So it must be something pretty minor.

At that answer, Andie considers rather than popping off right away. But Syval is sure to have an immediately negative reaction, given that would include both Honoria - or at least her statuette - and the tomes he has been studying and isn't done with.

But that is the price they name. Can anyone figure out why?
----

<OOC> Syval says, "The plot thickens..."

----
The dragonoid indeed clenches his teeth to bite back his first choice reply but then, after a moment's thought, the green drake relaxes and turns almost cordial. "You expect us to bargain such terms with a voice among shadows? Come out. Show us your face and that you truly have the payment you're offering still alive. Let's barter in the open if we're doing honest work."
----

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Like a good stew"

<OOC> Syval isn't sure if he'll qualify as a green dragon or a brass one if he pulls this off...
----
"Fair is fair, whatever the heck you are." comes the shout back. "You want to see what we have in the open? Then you bring out what you have, too." It would seem they are at least willing to pretend they would agree to such a thing, but only if the party is equally willing to approach the idea.

Honoria, for her part, does not realize that she or her statuette would become part of the bargain. She's just watching what is going on, waiting for the signal to act.

Andie, for her part, is definitely open to this. Clearly she has no real attachment to anything they found, whereas her attachment to Jyslin cannot likely be overestimated.

----
"You'll see that my companion and I rushed over with neither packs nor supplies," Syval points out as he jabs the spiked butt of his bardiche into the ground and spreads his arms, palms up. "You're looking at all of it we carry now with us, and if you know us so well, you know we've no hidden archers or net throwers hidden beyond this clearing - unlike you perhaps. Come, is not the Silent spell enough?"

----
"One of you has magical transport. There's no way you left everything behind when you were already moving today." Comes the call-out. Apparently while they may not know everything, they know quite a bit. Enough to draw some solid conclusions.

Since the dragonoid is the one who answered the negotiations, Andie remains silent and lets him continue. Best not to show division in their ranks or any confusion, at least. And perhaps, as this continues, a certain very stealthy little drake can find his way to somewhere vital. Or at least try.

----
"Believe what you please but if you won't deal plainly with your face in the sun, at least speak plainly. If we had behind a spare saddle and a hooded lantern, those things we won't need until long past we've had time to ride back, would trifles like that really sway you?" Syval's nostrils flare as an empty hand slides to the scroll pouch hanging from his belt, resting upon it. "Perhaps you're looking for a map?"

----
"All of it, whatever you are. No games. We're not debating with you what it is we are after." the negotiator calls out. "You want your woman back. We want what you took from the hill giants. Fair and even trade. You going to make that deal? Or not?"

----
"A fair trade indeed, if a voice among rocks can be called a man of his word," Syval sooths as he reaches a hand back and scratches the base of his neck frill. "You're willing to wait then, for me to depart, retrieve the pittance from our camp, and return again? You are strange and unclear bandits, indeed."

----

<OOC> Syval frowns thoughtfully. :Ia
----
"Clearly, you want the woman dead. And if that is what you want, so be it. Just you remember: the obsidian blade is all your fault." comes the shout. At those words Andie gasps painfully, quivering in place with impalacable horror.

"We know you have everything here. We know you didn't leave anything behind. Now. Make your choice: ransom? Or body recovery?"
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Huh. Note to self: Jyslin's weak to obsidian. They have really done their homework."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods.

<OOC> Syval wishes he'd had time to learn mindspeech from Neos right about now. ^_^;

<OOC> Syval could check on the slippery wyrm. This is as much as stalling tactic as it is trying to create an opening.

----
"Stay that knife or the neck it cuts may as well be your own," Syval cautions blandly, not sharing in Andie's horror or at least not betraying it through his voice. It's a help that the dragonoid's face no longer shows expressions in the human way. "With a dead hostage you'd get nothing from us and then we both get nowhere. And stop that nonsense while you're at it," he glares. "You're right that we have magical transport to our camp but that is not the same as having everything present. Even magic takes time."

The dragonoid passes a glance to Honoria then says, "Andie if you please..."

----
Neosodos rolls Stealth (1d20+22) and gets 25 (3)
Human Bandit 1 rolls Perception (1d20+12) and gets 15 (3)
Human Bandit 2 rolls Perception (1d20+12) and gets 23 (11)
Human Bandit 3 rolls Perception (1d20+12) and gets 21 (9)
Human Bandit 4 rolls Perception (1d20+12) and gets 20 (8)
Kobold 1 rolls Perception (1d20+14) and gets 20 (6)
Kobold 2 rolls Perception (1d20+14) and gets 20 (6)
Kobold 3 rolls Perception (1d20+14) and gets 20 (6)
Kobold 4 rolls Perception (1d20+14) and gets 34 (20)
Kobold 5 rolls Perception (1d20+14) and gets 33 (19)
Kobold 6 rolls Perception (1d20+14) and gets 17 (3)
Kobold 7 rolls Perception (1d20+14) and gets 18 (4)
Kobold 8 rolls Perception (1d20+14) and gets 32 (18)

<OOC> Syval says, "Daaaang. <.<"

<OOC> Syval says, "Moments like this I think I appreciate why 5e came up with a group roll mechanic for stealth/perception."
Neosodos rolls Not Exactly Perception (1d20+18) and gets 36 (18)
Kobold 4 rolls Reaction Roll (1d100+0) and gets 24 (24)
Kobold 5 rolls Reaction Roll (1d100+0) and gets 33 (33)
Kobold 8 rolls Reaction Roll (1d100+0) and gets 62 (62)
Neosodos rolls Coin Toss (odds (events)/1d100+0) and gets 50 (15,35)
Neosodos rolls Coin Toss (odds and evens) (1d100+0) and gets 100 (100)
Neododos rolls Initiative (1d20+7) and gets 20 (13)
Neosodos rolls To Hit Touch AC (1d20+11) and gets 29 (18)
Kobold 4 rolls Initiative (1d20+6) and gets 13 (7)
Kobold 4 rolls To Hit (1d20+6) and gets 8 (2)
Kobold 5 rolls Initiative (1d20+2) and gets 10 (8)
Kobold 5 rolls To Hit (1d20+4) and gets 13 (9)
Kobold 8 rolls Initiative (1d20+2) and gets 20 (18)
Kobold 8 rolls To Hit (1d20+4) and gets 20 (16)

<OOC> Syval waves a little flag, 'Go Wyrm, Go!'
Andie rolls 'Casting' Check (1d20+28) and gets 30 (2)
Andie rolls Damage (16d6+32) and gets 86 (5,2,3,2,2,5,2,4,4,4,1,5,3,6,4,2)
----
"And still you keep lying, reptiloid." the angry voice calls out. "You had already packed up camp and begun movement for the day. That is why the weretigress was out scouting and patrolling." There's another pause. "Enough games! Bring it out, or she dies!"

Unseen by any, a certain tiny drake has stealthfully scarpered around and floated down beyond said wall, finally catching sight of the gathering of humans, kobolds, and one lovely if battered weretigress. Of course, Jyslin has healed the damage she took, but she'll want a bath after this, assuming the black stone blade against her throat doesn't end all of her concerns.

It is only the sight of that blade that causes Neosodos to hesitate. But he can tell with the way 'negotiations' are going that this is far more likely to go badly than to go well. He can feel Andie's upset and fear, and knows enough of his 'little brother' to know he's feeling inflexibly grumpy and wants to smash something Not that Neo can blame him. The little drake has several options ...

... but that list of options is quickly narrowed to nearly nill, as one of the kobolds grunts out in a barking voice, pointing towards where Neosodos is hiding. Two others twist towards that location and prepare to take action. It's now or never.

Neosodos leaps to wing, and aims his still-invisible body at Jyslin, tiny claws extended ahead of him. The three kobolds snap into action, each trying to intercept the Eldritch Wyrm. Of the three who have somehow pierced his camouflage, stealth and invisibility, only one is quite fast enough off the mark to make good an attempt at intercept ... but the best he can do is grab hold of the drake as Neosodos reaches Jyslin. The other two wave their arms wildly but miss.

And none have been paying attention to the line figure of the redhead perched up on the side of the hills. She cannot see of her own eyes anything that transpires. But through her familiar's senses Andie is very well aware of what is transpiring ... and the moment the drake sends her the telepathic message, she raises her staff in the air and drops its spike-tipped butt into the very stone ...

To those out on the rolling plains beneath the stone abutment there is only the peripheral vision of Andie's movement, and then the sight of a huge column of flame some forty feet in diameter coming down out of the heavens, over a hundred feet high. Even in broad daylight the column of flame is so bright it dazzles and bewilders, and it strikes so suddenly that there are barely even any cries. Just the shocked silence of a dead aftermath.
----

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "If we were playing at the table, I'd then explain some of what just happened. As the pose makes clear, Neo snuck in. Three kobolds spotted him. When he realized he had been spotted, that made up his mind; they'd capture him, too, unless he acted right then. So instead of subtle sneaky crap, he instantly made the decision to do the very reckless; he leapt for Jyslin, made contact, and cast Augmented Fire Resistance on her, even as he commanded Andie to unleash Flame Strike (which for her is augmented). His theory being that as her familiar, he would be largely immune to the damage; with his spell on Jyslin, she should be nearly as resistant as he is. But they would not be - in his estimation - as prepared for that level of fubar."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And for the record, we're paused here expressly so that you can pose reaction to what has already transpired. *hug*"

<OOC> Syval says, "Well Bilbo's lesson was "do not laugh at a live dragon". Syval's may be "do not *%@# with a witch"."

<OOC> Syval enjoyed your pose. Now on to replying...

----
Syval's eyes flick skyward as a bright light illuminates his face, banishing the shadows from the easterly sun. Just as quickly an arm comes up to shield himself and the dragonoid grunts from the daze. The air breathes hot and parched in a soot-choked exhale that gusts out from the hillock valley, buffeting and whipping at his robes as he shouts to Honoria, "That'sssss our sssignal!" Waiting just a breath longer for the wind to ebb, the draconic wizard regathers his bardiche and runs forward.

----
Honoria takes that cue clearly and charges on foot, leading the way with her shield raised, sprinting up the rocks to get around the baked and still-steaming stone wall. That should make it easy to follow her footsteps.

When Syval can finally get up the hill and around the corner, looking down into the tiny valley holdfast where the hostage takers were hiding, what he finds is - predictably - devastation. The stone actually shows blast shadows in the shapes of the humans and kobolds who were there. Smoking bones and heaps remain on the stone. And while the stone is not molten, it steams and hisses in the dry gusting air.

But, most interestingly, one figure lies huddled in the midst of all of this. Golden to red scales glistening brightly in a shaft of sunlight, Neosodos lies sprawled on top of another figure. The only still-whole humanoid body in that space.

Said figure slowly climbs to her feet, long ashen blonde hair falling around herself as she scoops up the dragon and stands, looking around blinking somewhat owlishly. Jyslin touches her throat and grimaces, silvery light spilling from her fingers to close the wound opened there as the former wielder of an obsidian dagger twitched while being erased from existence by incredible fury.

Andie comes walking slowly down the stone hillocks and stands where she can see in, nodding as she sees both her best friend and her familiar apparently unharmed. "Glad to see that crazy planned work, Neosodos. Well done, my friend.

----
There are certain things one becomes accustomed to seeing as a wizard studied within Delzimmer's halls. Erratic flashes of magic, powerful spells, and great fiery bursts of the Art, especially from the evoker's demonstrations or better still the Archmage's annual displays. Syval's open shock then is a testament to how utterly Andie flames smote the hillock valley.

The dragonoid waves a hand before his face and coughs while wishing if only for a moment that his scales were red instead of green. "Saints on the hills and stars in the spheres..." he mumbles in awe. "Well woven. Andie I think you got all of them."
----

<OOC> Syval spent longer than he should have to confirm that "celestial spheres" is what that old geocentric model called the things the stars stuck to. The "firmament" is a specifically Jewish version from a older and more deeply flawed astronomy model that was apparently old enough to include a flat Earth.

<OOC> Syval says, "Spherical Earth models being comfortably 2500 years old in western traditions and proven experimentally within 200 years of that, most famously by Eratosthenes."
----
Honoria too seems impressed, if less wordy. She seems to see no need to give voice to her feelings, however profound they may be. Still, she watches in awe and feels no need to interrupt.

Andie glances up at Syval and nods. "I certainly hope so." Looking again to Jyslin and Neosodos, she leans upon her staff, sagging just a bit. "I am just glad it worked. That is definitely not something we have planned for or practiced."

Neosodos climbs up onto Jyslin's shoulder and then unfurls his wings, looking around himself for a bit before he nods firmly. "They are all gone. Good. That should mean the eyes cannot see, here." Then he glances towards Andie, waiting until she gives a slight nod, before he turns to look at Syval and Honoria. "This group was being manipulated and controlled by another, far distant, controlling one's mind directly and unrelentingly, and watching through all of the others."

And then Neosodos looks directly at Syval. "And whomever it was, I believe it is at least partially draconic." The unspoken 'little brother' follows.

----
Shaking loose of some of his shock as he first looks to Jyslin to affirm the ever-healing priestess is unharmed, Syval then turns his attention to searching the bandit camp, and firstly weaves a familiar sign through the air to summon magic before his eyes while intoning its incantation.

He's only just begun to search when Neos' words give him pause and the dragonoid frowns at the dire implication. "That explains how petty bandits knew of our journey... Control magic over distance is no small feat, and that means also they've been scrying upon us?" he guesses, looking questioningly back to the witchy core of the party. "What else do you believe about it?

----
Neosodos looks intently back at Andie, and she sighs and nods to her familiar. "The problem being, I do not believe it was magical control." She frowns, climbing carefully down the hillock until she reaches Neosodos and Jyslin, gathering the woman into her arms as the dragon climbs to the witch's shoulder instead.

After a hug, Andie takes hold of jyslin's head between her hands and stares deep into her eyes, focusing as hints of flame flicker around her red hair. Curiously at least, her staff remains upright without any care given to it whatsoever, as if it is merely waiting for its mistress' hand once more. After a few minutes Andie then releases Jyslin, sighing just a bit. "It seems their benefactor chose not to link to Jyslin, so its pawns in the area would seem to be gone, along with its perceptions."

That explained, Andie starts climbing back up and out of the small bowl depression with nary a care to whatever might remain of them. Jyslin glances around and then follows. Syval will find fading remnants of magic now ruined and lost, including what would appear to have been a collection of varied potions, and two caster's foci. Yet whatever might have been gained by their defeat is gone, blasted to nothing by Andie's spell and fury.

And then Neosodos adds, "I believe their master was using the Gift, rather than magic.

A dragon of some stripe - any stripe - with the capital-G Gift? Is that even possible?!
----

<OOC> Syval says, "I don't suppose there's a little bandit treasure horde that's been melted into a single solid lump of metal anywhere either?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Not that you're seeing, no."

<OOC> Syval says, "Agh I'm drawing a blank. What's that other term for Honoria besides 'knight'?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "chevalier?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sometimes anglized as cavalier"

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you!"

----
Syval takes a slow deep breath in response to Neos' answer and lets it out long and hot. If he were red it would probably be smoking, instead it just smells like rotten eggs. "A dragon with a Gift? And it has an interest in us... or should I say, Honoria?" he asks with a knowing look to the knight nearby, though not one of recrimination. It's a foregone conclusion that he's not giving the chevalier up, even to such a great threat. He's far too attached.

"Would that we were only dealing with perytons... Is it related then to the voice we heard after all, or was that thing distinct?" he asks next, thinking through their troubles while busying his senses to prod and sift ashes in search of the shining glint of freshly-molten metal. Gold or silver might do his mood best now but the wizard would even settle for bronze.

----
"In us, at least. Or in something you managed to gather from the hill giants." Andie answers. It doesn't have to be Honoria; there was plenty else gathered from them. But obviously Syval's attachment to the chevalier certainly encourages his perception that she clearly would be that subject or target.

Syval's search will turn up some solidifying puddles of metal, but most appear to be evidence of weapons and armor. There may be small puddles that were previously coin, but they are small and likely mixed in with the rest of the mess.

Andie glances over her shoulder at Syval, and nods. "It is quite possible. May even be likely. I am not sure. But I do not believe that voice was the effect of a spell. So I would say it seems more likely than any other answer I have thought of as a possibility."

Hoonoria, meanwhile, asks only, "Why would a dragon, let alone one that somehow has the Gift, want of anything to do with me? Was I somehow in the care and hoard of such a being for a long time, and then stolen away and sought to be returned?"
----
The scaled wizard turns away dejectedly from the messes he uncovers, surrendering to the hassle it would be of separating out the valuable from the base anew. Perhaps if they were poorer and closer to home, but not with bags of coins, golden stones, and a chest of ingots in their possession.

"Though you were somehow able to cancel it out, which is a thing no Art can do to a Gift," Syval catches in the witch's reply, his mind attuned to matters of magic even if distracted. "That is a trait of your witch's primordial magic? I fear we'll need much more of it, that thing will not give up so easily. Wards even - to keep away its prying eye and however it infected the mind of that bandit."

Then to Honoria the dragonoid turns, only to stop when he realizes his tails dragged upon the ground enough to gather soot. Curling it around in front of himself, the young wizard grabs the hem of his robe and uses it like a rag to wipe the scales clean, his eyes and attention now aimed downwards as he replies, "I'm not a dragon expert, but no matter what his favorite collection is, you are of nearly priceless value. Forget for a moment your arms and statue, which are enough on their own and could rarely find their equals in these days. Your age for one thing and your blood for another." Deeming himself cleaned enough, Syval drops his tail and looks back to the knight eye-to-eye with a somber seriousness. "I think there are at least four witches who would pay a legendary price for you. Among the hill giant's horde we found everything I showed you in the cavern including your statue. That thing was either after a couple old spell books, a sundered blade which in its prime held a great enchantment but now is much-diminished, it wanted a simple map, or it wanted you."
----

<OOC> Syval says, "That's better. Ignore that first one."

<OOC> Syval also talked himself into an epiphany towards the end there but will save it for next round. Others should have room to speak.
----
Andie nods. "There are only a very rare few spells I am aware of that were ever crafted sufficiently to interfere with the Gift. All of them are very powerful and exceedingly rare." Yet another not so subtle hint that Andie is a good bit more than 'just a witch' despite any and all protestations to the contrary. "However, whatever it was it has not reached out to try to contact us again. At least, not that I have detected. If we are right to put that incident and this together, it moved on from attempting to contact us to commandeering others to use them as proxies against us."

Jyslin, curiously enough, is remaining pretty mum on the whole thing. She was the one who interacted with them the most, but her mind is clearly on something else, and worrying at it like a sore tooth. She may hear the conversation, but her mind is clearly not on it.

Neosodos concurs with most of Syval's assumptions. "Pardon. But was not the crate of ingots also found with the bags that included Honoria's statuette? I have not examined any of these things in great detail. Little Brother seemed to have all of that well in hand." And though it is unsaid, clearly Neo also considered these things 'Syval's hoard' and was respecting its privacy accordingly. Hooray dragon politics.

Honoria does not have a lot to say after Syval lays out his line of logic and conclusions on her - or her statuette - being the item of interest. It is still hard to wrap her mind around just how long it has been. She was never of much value or interest to dragons before; being so now just seems wrong. "I am sorry for the trouble caused." she offers softly as they walk down the hillock and return to the rolling grasslands.

Time, it seems, for their journey to resume.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Honoria inspected the chest's contents not too long after her awakening right? I recall that vaguely but don't have it in front of me at the moment."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Answer: Yes. She has examined them."

----
"Then perhaps it's best we didn't follow, as it would have tried to take what we have by force and the further we stay from it, clearly the better," Syval considers before nodding to Neos' point. "Yes, and while none had the look of precious metals to me, perhaps it's time to examine them closely when we stop for the night."

But in the blasted, ashen depression between the two rocky hillocks the talk is running on, and once Honoria begins to depart from it the dragonoid takes his cue and begins to follow her, though not before casting a concerned glance to the abnormally self-absorbed priestess - one he hopes for the red-headed witch to catch.

"Don't apologize for things which aren't your doing," Syval chides the knight lightly upon catching up and dropping his voice to be less easily overheard by the others. "You're traveling in the company of a witch, a were-tiger, a wyrm, and a wizard with green dragon blood. That trouble follows you was clear when I first summoned you, and not a concern or I would have kept you in the statue. Until Andie complains as the leader of this party, I plan to keep you this way."

----

<OOC> Syval feels bad for neglecting Jyslin here but is hoping Andie can handle that for him as she seems to so far.
----
"We can certainly try." Andie offers to Syval without argument when he recommends that they take a longer, harder and perhaps better lit look at the ingots and other treasures found from the hill giants. Syval's starter hoard.

Honoria regards Syval for a bit, listening to what he has to say, and then merely nods and shrugs. "I simply would not wish to have known that Jyslin or another would die like that just because others lusted after me, or my statuette." Of course as a princess she likely faced at least some degree of the same thing in her life before her protracted 'time out'.

"So, we are agreed that we are not turning around, and that we are pushing back away from the edge of the range itself." Andie reiterates, as she and Jyslin lead the way back into the grasslands, looking to return to their previous distance away from the Toadsquats. The witch does seem to be paying close attention to Jyslin, but they do not appear to be talking. There are a few long looks, but nothing more.

"I don't see how turning back towards Delzimmer or that map mark buys anything for us. If you're set to continue towards the White Bog I'm still set to follow, one gold piece per day," Syval replies.

----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 05 AM Gifted Bandits

2021-03-14T14:48:28Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "Jyslin does manage to hear some distant evidence of a conflict, but nothing comes of that here at the camp. None of that trouble - whatever it may be - comes for the party. Fo..."

Journey Day 04 PM Dragon Form

2021-03-14T14:39:32Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "With the mental shielding ward in place on the group, none are bothered with the taunting mindvoice again that day, as they hike steadily eastward with a prompt step, everyone..."

With the mental shielding ward in place on the group, none are bothered with the taunting mindvoice again that day, as they hike steadily eastward with a prompt step, everyone seeming to have decided it best to maximize the distance they put between themselves and that voice. By mutual agreement the party pushes on for a few extra hours as things darken, only finally making camp as the last remnants of light are fading over the horizon. The group has not quite made it a full 12 miles, but it is close to ten, which is most of a full day's journey on this terrain without a road to follow.

Setting up the camp has become rather a simple and automatic affair, with tents and watchfly assembled first, then camp- and cook-fire assembled next, and finally the opening of the satchel beneath the watchfly just to assure if it rains the cavern does not become flooded. Jyslin sets to skinning the rabbits caught earlier and spits them, making roast bunny as that will go faster than attempting to cook up a stew since everything is running late tonight.

Once all three tents and the watchfly are assembled, Honoria settles down once more, peeling off her armor and going through a night's care for the invaluable gear with a reverence that shows clearly the value she places in it. Neosodos leaves her to her work and thoughts and returns to Andie for a while, since he has been away most of the day at this point.
----
Syval as is his want disappears into the satchel for study in the dim cavern but not before stopping by Honoria and offering, "<If you'd like answers to your questions earlier, you may visit me in the cavern. We have time for talk now.>"
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh I am a disorganized fool! There was a hooded lantern in the cave the entire time. Honoria could have lit that yesterday!"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li grins.

<OOC> Syval figured he'd take a moment to organize his inventory while awaiting your next pose.
----
"< You can do your studying. I will finish my task and join you soon. >" Honoria answers; it is the first time she has not immediately turned to meet his gaze when she spoke with him, a clear sign of how intent she is on the task at hand.

As such, it is about thirty minutes later when Honoria enters the cavern wearing only her gambeson and other undergear, though she still keeps her belt with sword and collapsed lance, and carries her shield. One might even imagine she would bathe with that shield at hand. The tall crown-braided woman glances around the cavern again as she enters, then moves to Syval's side based on the outline afforded by the light from the fire through the cavern's open doorway. Then she sits down, quietly, so as not to interrupt if he is still studying. She does lay down her water skin between them.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Could you please remind me how your lance looks collapsed down? We're not talking ruyi jingu bang 'stored in the ear' but somewhere in between I take it."

<OOC> Syval says, "And I'm going to guess a white gambeson, just because? :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hunh? Whut?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "THe lance collapsed down by telescoping; so the blade head folded in and then it telescoped down to an oddly-shaped thick rod of about 2-2.5 feet in length, which is then shoved through a loop on her belt."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ruyi Jingu Bang is the original "collapsing staff" of Chinese myth that began the trope, e.g. Dragonball's Power Pole. That one the wielder literally stored tucked inside his ear because it could shrink down to almost nothing."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah thank you."

<OOC> Syval says, "And just to ensure I understood PF's fractional preparation RAW right, it'd take me 15m to prepare the Light cantrip leaving me a little time to begin work on another page of the spellbook, right?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "At a minimum to do the starting decyphering, even if not yet the transcription/rewriting in your own book."
----
In what may be a refreshing change for the strange mage, the knight finds Syval reading peaceably from a spell book while occasionally writing in a smaller soft-covered book beside it with an ink pen, though how the mage is doing it is another question to solve. The spell book's cover and pages are frayed and burnt, missing some of their arcane characters.

Syval pauses his study as Honoria approaches and unscrews the metal tip from his simple wooden stylus, allowing the excess ink to drain back into the little vial beside him. Fair enough his own bardiche is resting beside him and as he looks up with a welcoming smile there's no concern taken with the knight's weapon or shield. If anything he'd be more surprised if she arrived without it. "<Don't mind all this, I was just passing time,>" he assures, and the firelight gives a faint shine to his eyes. "<Sorry if it's too dark over here but tonight we have a lantern.>"

Fishing into the pouch at his waist, Syval pulls speaks an incantation then touches his hand to an object at his side. Faint light begins to shine within the darkness, building and growing to the brightness of a torch yet steady and stable, without heat. Suitably, the green-haired mage enchanted the body of a hooded lantern.

Now better able to be seen, he turns himself to face the ancient knight and straightens his robes, allowing her to start.
----

<OOC> Syval says, ""*resting at his side..." less repetitive that way."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Just checking: is this your lantern? Or the one from the hill giant treasure?"

<OOC> Syval says, "From the hill giants."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Luckily for you I decided NOT to make that what I had originally intended. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "It was stored in the cavern and I'm in the cavern, so it seems a more appropriate prop than a plain stone or one of the golden rocks."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Though you'd have been warned beforehand that it was magical in that case. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Thankfully I do have the modicum of caution to inspect things for magic after acquiring them, though come to think of it that would be less well instilled in the Shaar since it's so very rare to find permanent magical enchantments."

<OOC> Syval says, "Still, worth checking just in case for how quick the procedure is. You were considering a trap lantern or a genie perhaps?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Not a djinni. But ... something. Yes."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li was considering an efreeti, or perhaps a demon lamp.
----
Honoria raises her hand and covers her eyes as the lamp flares to life, shielding her eyes so that she can adjust slowly to the stark contrast. Once she has adjusted, she turns to regard the mage curiously. "You ... you are actually able to see the pages, to study the spells, in the dark?" Sure, she saw the shine of his eyes, but she had not yet realized the extent of the ability. Not consciously at the last.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "My that would have been hazardous. And thinking about it now I would have enjoyed using a golden rock, but the social fun of using a lantern as a Light source won over appreciation for shiny."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nodnods. "Not a problem. I like it. And hooded, you can eventually use a continual light spell and just shut the hood to damp it when you wish."
----
Syval takes his bardiche in one hand and threads its pommel through the ring of the lantern, lifting and placing it some distance to the side to dim the light and place it a little more upon himself, though it still stretches shadows across half of his face. The young wizard nods as he sets his bardiche down then sets to the last tidying of his books, tucking the reassembled stylus into his travel spell book and returning the larger one to rest beside a similarly damaged twin. "Yes, I need very little light to see by. The campfire is plenty and outside when the moon is out I can see as well as in the day -- and no, it's not a spell," Syval replies in a plain, informative tone.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "This is how you know I'm still an apprentice mage, or rather that I never needed to use Light for myself: I didn't enchant a rock and drop it into the lantern's oil pan to that effect. I enchanted the lantern body so it's stuck always on."

<OOC> Syval says, "*"dim the light and position it a little more..." So much poor wording from me tonight."

<OOC> TEST

<OOC> Syval says, "Could you say something
<OOC> for me please? I'd like to test my audio trigger."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li tests.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I then test like this, too."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ack you caught me just as I was typing something. Nevermind the test for now then. Thank you for helping."

<OOC> Syval realizes after a moment's thought that it must be dead silent in a cavern this size save our voices and the movements of our clothes and carried gear. There's no water, nothing passing through the portal, not even any bats. (finished message)

<OOC> Syval swears he did not mean to make visiting him so ominous for Honoria.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There is a very tiny bit of ambient sound that filters in through the doorway, and from the cellar door to the above. But it's only the very tiniest bit. Insect crawling sorts of things."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh yeah the unnatural looking mage who speaks in tongues studying spells in a pitch black cave and inviting the princess into talk... self-awareness check, failed."

<OOC> Syval says, "*in to talk"

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you for the clarification. Now then, sorry. Didn't mean to distract from your pose."
----
Honoria seems to show no overt concern over this, simply nodding. "I would not have expected that. I know that Jyslin can do that, but then I happen to know how, and why." She knows the priesthood of Selune well, even if she herself did not follow that path. "I assume your own ability is not from the same source? Perhaps some item of the Art? Or a minor spell you have mastered?" He's a mage, after all.
----
Syval shakes his head. "Nothing of the sort. I was born with it, same as the hair and the eyes, though I remember realizing when I was a kid why everyone kept so much extra light around them at night so perhaps it's something I grew into - like being eye-level with you," he notes with an appreciative smile. "I can't imagine someone like me looked any more normal during your time, you don't have to be polite about it." The young man scratches his neck awkwardly. "You had magic in your birth too, right? You're not 'just' a princess?"
----

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Probably going to be my last; it's pretty much bedtime."

<OOC> Syval says, "Sad but true for me too. I'm getting ready for bed in the background. There's never enough moonlight for these."
----
Honoria is not used to those she considers near her own station bringing up the nature of her birth and height; most just tend to pretend it just is what it is and its reason and nature do not matter. But she does incline her head a bit, nodding. "Yes. There was something of magic about my birth, or at least a blessing laid upon me that was not upon most of my house. I was the third born of my family, and I was born upon the ninth of Ches." A great many threes, and in a land as superstitious as the Shaar - when those superstitions actually hold weight and value and importance, because they are real and they work! - that's a big deal.

"By the time I was seven I was already taller than my eldest sibling." Stronger too, not long thereafter, but Honoria doesn't bring that up. "Sister Autreanne was said to have been present at my birth." Well, it could be worse or weirder: she could have said Autreanne was the midwife at her birth!
----
"Thrice-blessed then," Syval infer succinctly with a smile that's kind to the news and even a little envious. And since Honoria has given her answer the young man returns the favor, though as he does his smile slips back a bit. "Seems Chipira had plans for both of us, though only Andie may know mine and she's not sharing. I'm what I guess you can call ''touched''; no blessed, no cursed, no divine tap on the little baby nose. Somehow... I've got green dragon in me. The rest all comes from that," the wizard confesses with a glance upwards to the striking green of his hair.
----
The tall golden blonde's soft grey eyes widen noticeably at that description. "I ... No. Just doubly-blessed." Clearly she is intimidated or affected by that particular turn of phrase. "Chipira and Selune both, at least where I am concerned." Honoria admits. She is the goddess of Destiny, after all, and this young woman quite clearly has a destiny.

But when Syval mentions that he is touched by a green dragon, she visibly tenes up and stares intently. There's real concern there. "Touched ... by a green dragon. That seems ... terrible, and dangerous." It's a frakking dragon. Amongst humans, 'when dealing with dragons: don't!' The lady knight considers this; still concerned. But there's something else going on, some other calculus she's not talking about. "I have never heard of anyone 'touched' by dragons, save to be destroyed."
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Agh I forgot to write the full name of the Delzimmer academy in my sheet. What's it called again? And it's part of the... ''Wizard's Alliance''? "Magical Alliance?""
----
Syval tenses as well when Honoria first reacts, but then relaxes at least somewhat when she doesn't run or draw a weapon. "Nor have I, nor has any book in any library I've scoured for most of ten years, but it's what I am. The others know already but didn't see fit to tell me - the witch's plan I'm sure. I only discovered it myself two days ago." The day before Honoria's rebirth.

The young mage scratches uncomfortably at his neck as he pauses before deciding to get everything else out in the open. He may as well. "You asked earlier how I ended up studying at the Academy. Well, because it's the only place you go in this region if you have potential in the Art. My parents were woodcutters in the Forest of Amlar, large and magical woods to the west filled mostly with elves and much more dangerous things. Druids had found me in the woods as an infant and brought me to the nearest human settlement. They adopted me and when I was growing up a wizard visited to conduct a magic test on all the children. I passed so I got sent to the wizard's academy in Delzimmer, at the edge of this mountain range. We're about four days' walk east of it now - we only just set out before finding you."
----
There is in this pause a brief return of happiness from the dragon-touched young man. Honoria needn't worry that her company is a welcome one, even with the language barrier. "I was about... six when I began study. Most of the other kids were nobles from your class and while I wasn't the worst one my skills with the Art never compared to the brighter students - much less the teachers. Yet..." Syval spreads his arms, gesturing to himself and all he entails. "I grew as if I were part giant, I can see in the dark as well as an elf, I have hair like no race of man, and I've never in my life needed a healing poultice, splint, or cleric's aid. You've seen that in our earlier fights," he recalls and shows his hand before the light. "I healed fine from the gnolls in less time than it took Jyslin to return from scouting, I nearly cut my finger off on the bracelet we found, and I've broken a bone enough times when I was younger. Never needed more than a few minutes before I'm right again."
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Pulled afk by phone?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No. I'm hunting through Discord logs trying to find the name we gave for the Academy."

<OOC> Syval laughs. "You too, eh? I tried and failed. "Academy" is all I got. Perhaps we didn't name it."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. If you've already looked and have not found anything, then I'm going to assume we haven't named it in full yet. So we need to probably create the Delzimmer page and start putting notes at least on its talk page on these things as a central reference."

<OOC> Syval says, "How about the alliance name?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li would say the school is called The High College, a play on education, and Azuth's title of the High One.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The alliance that exists regionally would, I think, be best named the Electrum Circle. Which includes the wizards at the academy, but also others in the region."
----
Honoria just shakes her head a bit, confounded. She's genuinely not sure how to take all of that in and deal with it. "I would imagine, Syval, that given how rare your very existence might be, and given that it ties to things that are distinctly beyond human ken, that if either of them were aware of your nature, they would have had little if any advice for you in handling it, and so hinged their efforts on the only dragon amongst them. One whom, I note, you do not seem angry at or disappointed in." Her perspective is skewed, certainly, but hers is one that has seen much, and knows witches intimately.

"So your parents as you knew them adopted you. And you know nothing truthfully of your origin, save that the druids found you and brought you to the human settlement. Interesting indeed." As to his supposed classless stature, she seems to pay it no mind whatsoever; her own nobility was ash before it was beyond the dust of history, after all. He is human - if also draconic - and that is all that matters to Honoria.

"From what little I know of dragons - they avoided the war, and I certainly had no time to seek them out - tells me that they have known magic since before humanity even existed. They are the eldest race, before elves, giants, dwarves. The only other thing I know of their magic is that it was always described to me as being inborn within them, a very part of their blood, breath and thought." All the hyperbole of mythology ... or is it?

"Other things you describe ... it is curious." Honoria makes a face. "I am no expert. But they are things I have seen and heard of relating to Children of Selune ... or the Reavers of Malar."
----
Syval frowns lightly at the knight's mention of Andie and Jyslin but leaves the point alone. He has more to say it seems but nothing positive. The young man nods to her assessment of draconic magic and their history. "From what I've read and from what Neos has explained, they're the oldest of races with Art, if it can share a name with what humans do. We have a 'spark'," he explains, setting a hand to his breast. "It's easier I'm sure for Neos but I'm learning how to touch mine. It's a connection to the Weave, like what I feel casting a spell the academy's way but from the inside, and dragon 'casting' is supposed to be like speaking. Art and primordial are the same for them."
----
"Are you thinking of the Gift? Like the Daerrynae?" he asks, furrowing his brow lightly in thought. It may not be surprising that the wizard knows those word in Maenast. "Who are the Reavers of Malar?"
----
Honoria nods along, listening as Syval explains what he feels inside, how it works and how Neosodos has explained it. "Indeed. Draconic Art, so far as I know, is primordial." But at the mention of the Daerrynae Honoria visibly tenses, and this time she backs up, shaking her head. "Nay. Nay, never that." She sighs. "Reavers of Malar are the coin's other face to the Children of Selune. Manbeasts of ravening and bloodlust. Like the werehyenas. Even the Cantare would not treat with their like. One of a very few things upon which both sides agreed."
----
That draws a definite reaction from the young wizard and Syval eyes the blonde knight curiously. "Well dragons have little kin to werehyenas or the Reavers of Malar then, but perhaps being from similar time their magicks are similar. Do the Daerrynae mean something different in your time than in mine? Any writings on them that survived are very scarce, most would call them myth." But not, it seems, the green-haired wizard.
----

<OOC> Syval works on bed prep.
----
Honoria shakes her head. "I mean only that you ... you are not a dragon." She gestures towards Syval as if this should be self-evident. "Just as, neither is Jyslin a tiger. And yet, she also is. And she feels what a tiger feels. Knows what a tiger knows. And her body thrums with the magic of that synergy and bond, able by nature itself and without any study to do the same: to know scent as no woman ever could, to see in the dark, and to heal impossibly quickly if not slain by her wounds." Honoria shrugs. "Perhaps ... perhaps like the Reavers, or the Children, you are ... as you said, touched. Human, and dragon. But like those, that leaves you then with a choice to face."

As for the Daerrenae, Honoria sighs. "I ... I know not much of the First Created." She admits. "But what we do know is that theirs is a terrible power, to be feared rightly. They are supposed to be gone, but there were rumors - perhaps merely campfire tales, but I heard them nonetheless - that some of their ilk survived still." There is still a fear there. "But ... I also heard, just once. I heard Shakarn say that Autreanne's great power came as much from her Daerynnae blood as from the Art." And as much as she idolizes Autreanne, she is afraid of her, too.
----
"I'm not afraid of power," Syval assures with an even conviction, something he's thought on more than once in the short time since discovering his inner spark. "I've searched most of my life for what was different about me and where my magic came from. A chromatic green is only a little better than it being a fiend but that's still an answer for me, and we've a long and dangerous journey ahead of us. We'll need whatever power's in my little wyrmling spark if we're to reach our destination."

The young man shifts in his seat and crosses his legs. He smiles in a small way but eagerly and proudly in a way that warmly lights his eyes. "Touching it is getting easier already, in just a few hours of practice rather than struggling over incomprehensible tomes for years just to summon a weak flicker of light... I can tell it's in my nature, that it's the right way for me to reach the Weave." Syval glances to the glowing lantern, perhaps judging how long its enchanted light will last. "Would you like to stay for a demonstration? I can't guarantee it will work but over lunchtime... I think I learned how to transform."
----
Honoria listens to and considers what Syval has to say. "It is not so much about fearing power, Syval of Amlar. It is about fearing the prices of power. For some do not make themselves known easily, and they are vast and terrible. Especially when that power is from something beyond human ken." And can there be anything more beyond human ken than something that is of dragons? "I cannot advise you better than that. The choice is and always will remain yours. And I will respect it, and you." Of course, Honoria is a princess and a knight; the old fables talk about those who dare to charge and spear dragons with their lances.

That's all bunk, though, right?

"Trasnsform." Honoria takes that in, rocking a bit. "So, more like Jyslin than not." She thinks, mulling it over. "I would think you would want someone with you. If it will not be Neosodos, then I will stay and watch. There may be nothing at all I can do to help. But if it goes wrong, I can go out and call him."
----
"The only thing going wrong should be that I can't... or I breathe poison gas. You may want to move aside, just in case," Syval admits thoughtfully as he takes hold of his robes and slips them off his shoulders before pulling his arms free to bare himself from the waist up. "Forgive me, but I don't want new wings making new holes in my clothes."

The small green gem hanging from Syval's neck glints in the arcane lamplight as the young man gives Honoria an apologetic though not shy smile before tucking his arms in his lap and closing his eyes. The apprentice mage lets out a slow breath then begins the mental process of meditating upon his spark.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Will take-10 = 21 (+11)"
----
Honoria moves well off to the side, putting herself much closer to the exit and its available fresh air. Then she resettles and waits, remaining quiet; she wouldn't want to be the reason for him having a problem.
----
Syval really does seem to be getting the handle on this, at least in the quiet of the cavern. It takes him several minutes, but he is able to clear his mind, until finally there is only the void ... and the spark.

And the roar.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Will take-10 = 21 (+11) (again)"
----
The spark continues to be slippery, but Syval - after an initial moment of frustration - manages to keep himself calm enough to just methodically breathe through and keep trying until finally he can seize the spark and hold onto it. The roar sounds louder, reverberating through his body - or so it feels like, as the energy suffuses him. That glint of potential and possibility, awaiting his effort. His intent. His will.

The young mage continues past the roar, affected less by it with each visit and as he's begun coming to terms with its presence. This time it's not only a foreign terror but a stunning display of his heritage. Whether or not the roar is something he could match with time, this time there's a feeling of kinship. Wary, frightened kinship, but kinship nonetheless.

And this time Syval tries to bring that out, taking hold of his spark and channeling it in the same way he had in the field before but this time without resistance. He lets it flood and fill his body and where scales itch to sprout from his skin he lets them, where horns press to break out the back of head he lets them, and where the spark surges at the skin of his back he lets it. The question now is how much of a transformation the draconic neophyte can accomplish, and how much truly changes.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Will take-10 = 21 (+11) (unless otherwise noted)"

<OOC> Syval will be taking 10 on everything that he can focus uninterrupted on.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "In this case, there's a potential consequence for failure. So we have to roll. If your focus wavers and you don't pick the right thing, you get a result you haven't planned for."

<OOC> Syval says, "That's only a criteria of take-20 I thought? Where you assume 20 because you can retry without penalty as long as you need."
Syval rolls Will (1d20+11) and gets 15 (4)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li re-reads. "You are correct. So long as you are in no immediate danger and not being distracted, you can choose to take 10.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And while we are using Will, we are not using it as a saving throw."

<OOC> Syval says, "That said I'm not disputing if this moment deserves a roll instead of a take-10, just commenting on the justification. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Thus you have both. Use whichever is most suitable."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "50/50 shot; give me a percentile roll, please."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ooh, tension..."
Syval rolls Percentage (1d100+0) and gets 94 (94)

<OOC> Syval says, "The fact that Honoria is watching has nooothing to do with what just happened. <.< >.>"
----
A few minutes of additional focus allows Syval to sift through the 'facets' beneath the 'surface' of the spark until he can find the one that to his mind feels like the hard edges of a scale. And when he finally puts his will into that facet of the spark, he can feel the sensations erupting through is body, those curious hints from before: the scrape of scale edges along the inside of his skin; pressure along his spine at the base which is making sitting uncomfortable. More pressure along the shoulders and back. And aching along the jaw and brow.

The transformation truly releases when an image comes to the forefront of Syval's mind, blotting out almost all other conscious thought. The mental image of a green scaled biped with claws on hands and feet, digitigrade legs, a mighty tale and voluminous leather wings, a reptilian head at the end of an only slightly more elongated neck. Some kind of blend of Syval's human form and the imagined form of a mighty green dragon.

What follows is a good several minutes as bones snap, tendons pop and twist, muscles tear, bulk up, and surge. Scales rip through flesh and then spread to cover the body. The spine lengthens, twisting painfully, aching, causing a tremendous headache as the pressure then rips out through cheeks and jaw. There is no way to contain the cry which then goes raw and twists into a roar of pain as the body is transmogrified.
----

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Fortitude saving throw, please?"
Syval rolls Fortitude (1d20+8) and gets 14 (6)

<OOC> Syval says, "*mighty tail :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Syval blacks out for a bit."

<OOC> Syval says, "Uh-oh. I think you captured everything I could say for the transformation itself so your pose again as I come to afterwards?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Give me one more Will check; I want to see if something in particular happens while you're out."

<OOC> Syval says, "Certainly doesn't make sense to take-10 on this one. For one I'm out cold. For two it's not the moment for taking things easy. :)"
Syval rolls Will (1d20+11) and gets 19 (8)
----
Syval blacks out as the pain overtakes his mind. There is no way for him to know how long he is out before finally he becomes aware of his surroundings once more. He is lying face -- no, wait. He is lying JAW-down on the cavern floor. And as his mind comes back to him, he can smell ... dragon. Two sources of dragon. And his consciousness can clearly detect the presences of dragons in the area, both the one he senses from above the cavern, and those beyond the doorway.

And he can small warm blood. A human. A woman. And magical metal.

The wizard's consciousness returns reticently with a dull ache hanging upon it in a way that makes thoughts distant and sluggish at first. Slowly, through a haze, the smells and feelings of the cavern return to him. There are the two dragons - yes those were there before. There is cold, unyielding stone - he must have fallen forward somehow. And there is blood, human blood, a woman's blood--

Syval's eyes snap open with a start and the rest of his mind comes crashing back together alert and panicked as a cold feeling of dread creeps up his spine at what he's about to find. "Honoria?!"
----

<OOC> Syval smiles at fresh lentil soup and offers a bowl. "Careful, it's piping hot."
----
But one of those dragons ... is right here.

SYval's voice is mangled and confused, his mouth not responding as it should. It sounds more like a wordless bellow. It most certainly does not manage either Shaaren or Maenast, let alone Draconic.

"< Rest easy, Brother. Easy. You are fine. Changed, as should be, but fine. And the lady knight is as well. She does not heal such that you do. She tried to catch you as you fell, and cut herself upon your horns. Once I was here to look after you, she had Jyslin clean and dress the wound. "> a soft and familiar voice offers in Draconic, which translates as smoothly as ever.

Neosodos moves around a bit gingerly, putting himself into the view of those big eyes of Syval's. "< Nod your big head if you can understand me? >" he asks and waits. Once confirmed, he nods as well. "< Alright. Let's try this more slowly with some concentration and intention. Remember: your instincts are for a bipedal humanoid body. You are bigger, now. Bulkier. Stronger. With large wings on your back, a tail coming off your spine longer than your legs, claws on all four limbs. Lay there a bit. Wiggle each muscle. Learn the feel of them, the nerves that go with them. Get a sense of all of what you are. Then start deciding how to move without tripping yourself. >"

Neo doesn't have a lot of advice; he's never seen a //bipedal dragon// before. Sorry.
----
Syval's relief betrays itself in the way tension drains from his body at the Eldritch Wyrm's noiseless answer. Honoria's safe, if a little scratched up. The wizard's breathing comes in quick puffs but they're already slowing when he nods to the mottled red and golden drake, looking up at him for the first time.

Closing his eyes, he does as instructed, finding Neos' guidance natural to follow. Maybe it's the transformation but the elder dragon's expansive 'voice' carries a weight of wisdom that makes it easy to trust.

Moving one body part at a time along the same paths as his earlier meditation, Syval focuses himself, feeling and then testing his head, core, limbs... oh, wow. Those are very new.

Before anything greater, the transformed wizard tries simply to move his hands by his shoulders and push himself up onto his hands and knees.
----

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No. He's talking, now. Hence the quotes instead of << >>"

<OOC> Syval says, "Er, whoops. Me misreading, thank you for correcting."
----
More aware of changes in balance and such, Syval is able to then push himself up, and now he is well above the tiny drake still offering his guidance. "< Good job. One last reminder: when you start moving your lower half, try to remember to think about tail position. Honoria is back there, watching you, and that tail of yours is not exactly harmless. I think she's out of range, but not if things go wrong. >" Neosodos offers. "< Also, sitting down is likely to feel different, now that you have a tail. Just ... try to be prepared to adapt. >"

When Syval rises, Honoria speaks up in Maenast, not able to understand the Draconic being spoken. "< Syval, are you alright? Neosodos, is he alright? I could not understand his speaking earlier. >"
----

<OOC> Syval internally facefaults. The one place he was hoping she was not. Really hoping that tail came out *above* the belt but pretty sure it didn't...
----
Syval grunts as he rises off the cool rocks and takes a chance to look at his arms, his hands, his... claws. The dracomage turns his head around, far around, at the sound of Honoria's voice. He nods in reply, not yet trusting his own voice, then promptly goes cross-eyed at the snout protruding from his face.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "So~ many things to get used to."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li grins.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li is happy she could entertain you. :)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li is leaving this in your han -- er. Claws.

<OOC> Syval says, "They're still hands I think. They're either hands or talons. Claws are just the nail part."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "They're hands unlike any you've ever had before."

<OOC> Syval says, "I still have all five digits?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes."
----
Honoria watches this, and as he turns his head around to look Syval can actually see her still sitting by the door out of the cavern. She waves a hand when he is looking, but then she sees him crossing his eyes and puts her hand down, waiting. Clearly he and Neosodos have things they need to work out.

Neosodos watches Syval working things out, and he waits to see what comes next.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "What comes out if I try to speak Draconic now, since it's not a language I consciously know how to speak?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Give me a Lnguistics check."
Syval rolls Linguistics (1d20+6) and gets 13 (7)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He's gonna mangle it a bit. Still hasn't adjusted to his new mouth-shape. But. He will find he can now make some of the sounds Neosodos is making, which he's pretty sure he never could have before. He just needs to practice."
----
"< Sorry, I-- >" What comes out is hopelessly distorted Maenast and Syval stops after only a second before turning back forward to sigh. Then he tries to get his feet under him and sit back, only to have the base of his tail press against the cavern floor and bend him forward uncomfortably. The weredragon grunts and pushes himself back up, then gives up trying and flops onto his side, coiling around in frustration while his tail curls inwards. It leaves him half-facing the blonde knight, well enough that his head only turns a little to face her properly.

Syval snorts in annoyance and glances back to Neosodos. "< Tell her I'm okay please. This new body needs practice. >" These noises too come out mangled but less than the Maenast and to a native ear they may pass for Draconic.
----
"< You need practice speaking it. But we can do that, now. >" Neosodos offers. Then he crawls around the side-curled dragon-man and gets within range so that he can mindvoice to both of them as-needed. << He promises that he is OK. Mildly frustrated right now as he is trying to figure out how to sit or recline comfortably. And the change in jaw shape and tongue is making a hash of his ability to speak clearly. He can hear, however, and welcomes questions. I will ... translate. For now. >>

Honoria sighs a bit. "< So long as he is alright, I can wait however long is necessary. Thank you for coming to help >" she responds in Maenast to the helpful little drake.

<< He is my brother, and my responsibility. I knew he would do this eventually. I had not realized he was quite ready to make the attempt. >>
----
Syval gives Neosodos a brief look but doesn't voice his first thought audibly. "< Are you alright? Did I hurt you? >" he asks first and foremost to the knight.

The drake transmits the question as asked. << He wants to know if you are alright. He wants to know if he hurt you. >>

Honoria smiles ruefully. "< Not intentionally, Syval of Amlar. When you fell, unconscious, I tried to catch you. Foolishly, I was not expecting your fin to cut my arm. >" She then gestures to the bandage on her arm. ""
----
Syval nods to acknowledge the answer and only then checks the side of his arm. He'd been expecting sharp claws on his hands but not the arm itself to be edged. Another grunt follows. Much to learn.

Dragging himself along the floor, he turns to face more towards the woman and shift back to his hands and knees. This time instead of making a try for sitting he awkwardly puts the sole of one foot on the ground and eases weight onto it, wiggling the joints and trying to make sense of what feels like standing permanently on his toes. It's strange but not so disorienting that the other foot doesn't follow in similar fashion, leaving Syval crouched in a coiled kind of way that, if he were trying, would be well-suited to dashing straight ahead.

It also gives both of his wings room to breath and the twitch of their tips before fanning wide betrays the weredragon's abrupt notice of them in a larger way. In dragon terms at least, his expression is the very picture of baffled wonderment. It is all so much to take in.
----

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Not your arm. Your head."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Green dragons have a spiny head/neck/back frill."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh sorry I misread that. My fin cut her arm not a fin on my arm."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Right."

<OOC> Syval nods. "Good, I was imagining head frill. That makes sense now."

<OOC> Syval is feeling an acrobatics check in his near future.

<OOC> Syval says, "While also realizing that sitting, in any way, does not come naturally to this form."
----
"" Neosodos explains in draconic for Syval's benefit. "< So you are indeed a blend of man and dragon. Humanoid in basic shape - still two arms and two legs, and meant I believe to stand on only the two rear legs. You may find it easier to run very quickly if bent forward and running on all fours. But as you can see, you can stand on two feet, and have working hands with five clawed fingers including a clawed opposable thumb. >"

Yes. The little dragon has spent time while Syval was unconscious studying his shape. So there.

"< You are green, and have the spined frill starting at the fore of your upper brow and proceeding back and down from head along neck past shoulders and along your back to the base of your tail. It ends there. As I mentioned earlier, your tail is longer than your legs by a bit. >" Neo considers this a bit. "< You may find it comfortable to curl your tail beneath you to make a seat. I have never done so, but I am not quite structured as you are. I do know that I do not mind resting my head and body on my tail when lying down. >"

OK. Granted, maybe practicing speech should be first. But Neo is trying to cover the bases. "< You have not expelled your breath, yet, which is good. >"
----

<OOC> Syval says, "May I Acrobatics to stand up to a crouch?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sure."
Syval rolls Acrobatics (1d20+3) and gets 9 (6)

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh my me that's one of my bad stats."
----
"" Syval grimaces while replying to Neos. The act of balancing on his legs as they are takes concentration that distracts the young man from more talking but soon enough he grows bolder. Having already spent a lifetime on two feet helps even if the new feet are weird and his wings and tail are both trying fervently to pull him off balance. The green-scaled dragonoid pushes against the cave floor and balances up on two feet alone.

And he's barely up at all before toppling over sideways with another grunt.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Assuming that one fails."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yeah."
----
"< Good plan, that. >" Neosodos answers. And he does not laugh as Syval topples over when attempting to stand. Neither, it should be noted, does Honoria.
5r"< You alright? Ready to try again? >" the little drake inquires.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "It's okay. You can laugh on the inside. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Not while using mindvoice I can't. That would be hurtful and cruel."
Syval rolls Acrobatics (1d20+3) and gets 21 (18)

<OOC> Syval says, "What's funny is this is *almost* a situation for Competitive to trigger but I'm the only one making Acrobatics checks to stand upright. :P"

<OOC> Syval may revise that trait later on. It's not as good a fit now as it was at draft time, though it still has some justification.

<OOC> Syval says, "Pass/Fail?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That should be a success."
----
"< The cave broke my fall, >" Syval mutters as he pushes himself back onto his hands and knees and tries to find his balance once more, quicker, impatiently, but also more determined.

And this time... he's up, albeit still crouched forward with his arms out at his sides for balance. "< This... feels strange but I think I can get used to this. >" It's about that time that the dragonoid tilts his head downwards and truly looks at the rest of himself. "< Wow, I got /big/. >"

The drake transmits the question as asked. << He wants to know if you are alright. He wants to know if he hurt you. >>

Honoria smiles ruefully. "< Not intentionally, Syval of Amlar. When you fell, unconscious, I tried to catch you. Foolishly, I was not expecting your fin to cut my arm. >" She then gestures to the bandage on her arm. ""
----
Syval nods to acknowledge the answer and only then checks the side of his arm. He'd been expecting sharp claws on his hands but not the arm itself to be edged. Another grunt follows. Much to learn.

Dragging himself along the floor, he turns to face more towards the woman and shift back to his hands and knees. This time instead of making a try for sitting he awkwardly puts the sole of one foot on the ground and eases weight onto it, wiggling the joints and trying to make sense of what feels like standing permanently on his toes. It's strange but not so disorienting that the other foot doesn't follow in similar fashion, leaving Syval crouched in a coiled kind of way that, if he were trying, would be well-suited to dashing straight ahead.

It also gives both of his wings room to breath and the twitch of their tips before fanning wide betrays the weredragon's abrupt notice of them in a larger way. In dragon terms at least, his expression is the very picture of baffled wonderment. It is all so much to take in.
----
"" Neosodos explains in draconic for Syval's benefit. "< So you are indeed a blend of man and dragon. Humanoid in basic shape - still two arms and two legs, and meant I believe to stand on only the two rear legs. You may find it easier to run very quickly if bent forward and running on all fours. But as you can see, you can stand on two feet, and have working hands with five clawed fingers including a clawed opposable thumb. >"

Yes. The little dragon has spent time while Syval was unconscious studying his shape. So there.

"< You are green, and have the spined frill starting at the fore of your upper brow and proceeding back and down from head along neck past shoulders and along your back to the base of your tail. It ends there. As I mentioned earlier, your tail is longer than your legs by a bit. >" Neo considers this a bit. "< You may find it comfortable to curl your tail beneath you to make a seat. I have never done so, but I am not quite structured as you are. I do know that I do not mind resting my head and body on my tail when lying down. >"

OK. Granted, maybe practicing speech should be first. But Neo is trying to cover the bases. "< You have not expelled your breath, yet, which is good. >"
----
"" Syval grimaces while replying to Neos. The act of balancing on his legs as they are takes concentration that distracts the young man from more talking but soon enough he grows bolder. Having already spent a lifetime on two feet helps even if the new feet are weird and his wings and tail are both trying fervently to pull him off balance. The green-scaled dragonoid pushes against the cave floor and balances up on two feet alone.

And he's barely up at all before toppling over sideways with another grunt.
----
"< Good plan, that. >" Neosodos answers. And he does not laugh as Syval topples over when attempting to stand. Neither, it should be noted, does Honoria.
5r"< You alright? Ready to try again? >" the little drake inquires.

"< The cave broke my fall, >" Syval mutters as he pushes himself back onto his hands and knees and tries to find his balance once more, quicker, impatiently, but also more determined.

And this time... he's up, albeit still crouched forward with his arms out at his sides for balance. "< This... feels strange but I think I can get used to this. >" It's about that time that the dragonoid tilts his head downwards and truly looks at the rest of himself. "< Wow, I got /big/. >"
----

<OOC> Syval says, "The benefits of having 2 world files. :)"
----
"< Yes. Are are taller and a good bit broader than you were. >" Neosodos answers in Draconic. He then translates for Honoria, who nods. Hence why she is no longer taller than Syval while in her armor.

"< Do you still want to come out the door, to show yourself to Jyslin and Sister Andie?" the lady knight asks in Maenast, curiously. She can go get them, if he would prefer.

"< Once I can take more than half a step without falling, >" Syval suggests in a distracted and delicately spoken way as he fails to make eye contact. He may be up but it's taking much conscious effort to stay that way. "" he gets out in his second language, hoping to be at least half understood in his newly grating and hissing voice.

Neosodos explains, "< That will be harder, currently, brother. Your entire head, jaw, and tongue have been reshaped. >" Syval will begin to understand why Neosodos sounds the way he does when he speaks Shaaren, or does Maenast aloud rather than by mindspeech.

Honoria works it out as best she can when Syval attempts Maenast. "< That will help, yes. Though I suppose if you reverted back, that would make it easiest. >" The speech part. Not the 'learning and adapting to his growing potential' part. And clearly the lady knight understands that.
----
"" the transformed mage deadpans to Neos and flicks his tongue for emphasis. An annoyed snort follows, frustrated at his own difficulties, as he tries to stand a little bit straighter and take steps. "< I'll worry about turning back after I am used to this, >" he concludes still distracted but settled in mind. The power, the senses, the completeness... even for as awkward as the form is it also feels right, and there's no denying the improvements.
----
"" Honoria offers, though there might be an edge of frustration in her voice. She has just half-lost one of the people who actually talks with and understands her. She's having to get translations through Neosodos. She doesn't love that, but such is life, one supposes. She can deal.

So as it is, Honoria and Neosodos hang around, trying to be supportive but also out of the way, while Syval continues to struggle with his balance and movement, guaging his own strength, and struggling to speak and be understood. The senses are definitely an extra trip and a half.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Remind me please what I'm dealing with beyond the dragon-radar?"

<OOC> Syval says, "And the extra body parts. <.<"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Scent. Full infravision (darkvision based on heat signatures). Improved hearing. Taste will also be whacky tabacky."
----
It's something to watch at least that time does show improvement for the young dragonoid, though he seems more reluctant to experiment with speech than with motion. More progress is made in walking than talking, which only fuels the prideful mage's bias. But then a look towards quiet Honoria in her newly mind-bending appearance as a radiant mass of body heat and magic smells, with no one beyond the cavern to speak to, and Syval's encouraged to try again... at least somewhat. Honoria herself may have the dragon's share of the work in deciphering his new and very toothy accent.

"< Rrrrright... I think I can walk well enough not to fall now, >" Syval assesses of himself once he's finally had enough of practicing, or perhaps has simply grown hungry. Looking down again at his massive body, bare-chested and covered just from the waist down by his robes, he doesn't bother even trying to pull them back up upon his shoulders and merely walks over to his discarded things and bends down - carefully - to collect his bardiche. It's certainly no harm now that his magical focus has always doubled as a walking stick.
----

<OOC> Syval also considers, dragon-body. Not much to see from the front anyway as long as he keeps his belt on... and maybe even then. 6_6

<OOC> Syval chalks up to 'weird dragon things' and leaves it for later journal writing.
----
Neosodos waits until Syval is ready, and then he pushes off and launches himself into the air, taking a long circuit of the basement space before then sweeping out through the doorway into the campsite beyond, right past Honoria. The lady knight nods to the dragonid, and then steps out of the cavern and awaits his own exit.

The scents from the campsite are strong, and most particularly is the scent of the thick stew that Jyslin has apparently prepared, still bubbling over the firepit. When Syval makes his way out - forced to tuck down his wings against his body before he can do so - Jyslin is seated near that fire, watching since Neo and Honoria just came out. She flinches a bit as the fire's light illuminates Syval's emerald hue quite clearly. Syval will be able to literally smell the tiger on ier, in her, as he exits, as well as a much keener sense for the magic upon her (items) and within her very person.

Andie is standing beyond the fire, a bit harder to see with the infravision because of it. But her scent is crystal clear, and with it comes a bit of a hammerblow of truth, for the witch is steeped in magic, like a veritable font of the stuff. There's enough to tell that she does wear and carry powerful Art, but all of that pales to Andie herself. Andie does not smell afraid, nor does she gasp. She simply watches intently, almost as if she knew this would happen and is just waiting to see which potentiality Syval will follow from here.
----
Once he clears the threshold Syval rises back to his half-crouch and allows his wings to fill out the space behind him while his tail, easily missed in his shadow, lifts enough to keep itself out of the dirt. From the scales lit a toxic green in the reddened camp light to the pointed frill and gracefully interlocking scales it's unmistakable exactly what the young mage now is. The rich night air bids him to take a deep breath and Syval's eyes move with a predatory sharpness they didn't have before as he picks out their sources: the stew pot, the tiger priestess, the mouth-watering treasure of Art that is the witch...

The dragonoid turns to Neos and mutters for his translation, "< Relax, I'm still me. >" Then he turns to Jyslin and repeats, however roughly, the same message in Common.

Thankfully Jyslin has years of experience understanding Neosodos when he speaks Shaaren, so she does not immediately pack it in with frustration when Syval makes the attempt. Even still, she is clearly working at it a bit, and this was a short message.

"I knew you smelled like dragon. But I had no idea which type." is the first thing Jyslin has to offer, after which she pretty much immediately is bopping her gaze between Neosodos and Andie accusatorily. Because she's betting they both knew, and neither one bothered to tell her!

"That he was touched by green dragon essence I knew. But even he cannot know how he will choose to follow his own path in that knowledge." Andie responds. "Neither then can I know, beyond certain signposts that lie in his future." Yep. Even with a precognitive witch in the party, there is still free will, if only because she refuses to allow there not to be.

Jyslin nods at this. "Alright. I assume, then, that his own pattern is not moon-tied?"

Andie shakes her head. "I do not believe it to be so, no. Indeed, unless I am entirely mistaken I believe the only outside impetus that might influence his urge of shape could be primordial magic as an attractant of a sort."

Yeah. Jyslin lets that one go without comment. Instead? "Are you hungry? Dinner is done."

For her part, Honoria gets translations thanks to Neosodos, and so keeps up. Her own conversational contribution is simple. ""

And so the group will get to settle in and eat. Hooray. There are likely to be a few mishaps - an eager and uncoordinated tail slapping something, a wing in the way of someone else, whatever - but everything can and will work out. The real question now becomes: since the dragon is out of the bag, as it were, what to talk about now?
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Whoever put a dragon inside a bag was one brave, brave gnome."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li smirks. "Clearly, it was meant to be an allusion to 'cat out of the bag'.

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh of course. I did the same trick with "dragon's share" instead of "lion's share" earlier. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nawdnawd.

<OOC> Syval says, "For how much effort Honoria has in translating my Maenast versus how much I have in speaking it. Whereas a lion's share is most of a thing, I figure a dragon's share is all of it (unless they're feeling generous)."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li gigglesmirks.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I think that's likely accurate."
MAIL: Mailbox purged.

<OOC> Syval says, "And am I wrong to assume Jyslin will not be sitting near me by choice while Honoria will, regardless of my form, be within wing- and tail-bumping range?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Mmm. Jyslin wants to sit where she can keep an eye and nose on you. So she's likely sitting opposite you. Honoria is more than likely close-ish to you while trying not to crowd. She's expecting Neosodos to actually be between the two of you, as his tiny frame means he's less likely to get bopped around, and he's then in range for translations all around."

<OOC> Syval says, "Just how I was imagining. :D"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And Andie seems largely unconcerned."

<OOC> Syval says, "Does that mean Andie's tossing berries over the stew pot for him to catch out of the air?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jyslin is doing that. :)"
----
Jyslin gets a look that's made harsher than intended by Syval's newly draconic features when she admits to knowing his smell. It's what he'd expected and evidently he doesn't like having been kept in the dark. His tail swishes behind him as the dragonoid turns his sandy eyes upon Andromeda and meaning to give her the accusatory look. But before he can start in with the all-knowing, slim-saying witch, the party priestess wisely offers food - and shifted as he is, the smell of it is /intense/.

"< Me too, >" Syval huffs and tables anything further for after he's had a chance to fill his belly. What follows is as much of a fall as it is a sit that's probably leaving dragon-shaped butt-prints in the dirt when the mage stands back up. As imposing as his new body might be, the young drake is very much still learning it. Luckily opposable thumbs can still hold spoons.

Picking out the solid bits to eat first, Syval's noticeably slower at eating with his new form, and not taking any long slurps of the broth as he goes either - a process extended more by periodic pauses to apologize to the armor-clad knight at his side whenever she's bumped or tapped by an errant extra limb. While he does manage, it gives the rest of the circle more time than usual to chat amongst themselves.

"<Hey. How do you drink without lips?>" the wyrmling asks discretely to the wyrm.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Overall tone of Syval eating because I got too wrapped up in details: dour. Andie will have gotten more looks, but noticeably only Andie."

<OOC> Syval says, "And phone..."
----
Said eldritch wyrm is happy to explain, "< Longer neck. Extend, tilt jaw, use gravity, and tongue to guide. >" Neosodos then demonstrates, moving as slowly as he can to let Syval get a good look, and then demonstrating more than once. But the weredragon does in fact have lips; they're just not quite as elastically flexible as human lips were. He can learn to do it more like a human with some practice. "< Also, water skins can squirt, which is handy. >"

Honoria does not seem to mind overmuch the various bops and boops and thuds from wild extra limbs. It's not exactly all fun and games, but she has already seen his struggles and she gets it. She does eventually scoot just a bit further away, to help both of them. But she never complains.

Jyslin is generous with the food and happy to move around serving others. That she only gets the one glower allows her to realize that most of Syval's grouchy is with Andie, and she gets where that is coming from, even if she is very defensive about her lover and friend. She gets enough of his why that she genuinely feels this is up to Andie to address as Andie sees fit.

Witch business.

Andie, for her part, seems largely unbothered by Syval's intermittent glowers. That is not to say she is unaffected, or does not care, but she does not allow it to change who she is, how she is, or what she's doing. She eats her meal. She chats amiably with everyone about their journey thus far, and their plans for the evening and the next day. In essence, she is leaving it entirely in Syval's hands - claws? - as she always has: if he wants to know, he can ask. And when he does, how he does will determine what she answers with. But for now: dinner!
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Back. Sorry about that."

<OOC> Syval got an infodump about an exciting new TV episode with a foundling and JPEG compression algorithms and CoVID maternity wards. ^_^;

<OOC> Syval isn't so sure why someone would seek out that kind of entertainment these days but to each their own.
----
Once Syval skims his stew of nearly all its solids it takes a bit of struggle and trial to pour the flavored broth into his mouth but with Neos' guidance the dragonoid eventually manages. Then as always he takes Jyslin's offer for seconds while listening to the chatter. Human or not the mageling still has quite an appetite, but at least it doesn't seem to have gotten larger.

Once his bowl is empty for the last time and Syval's tongue is licking it clean - oh hey, it's forked - the dragonoid lets a long breath out his nose and wraps his tail around his lap, somewhat more tranquil on a full stomach. Then his eyes pass placidly around the fire to see first if any of the others have something to say.

After more silent staring here and there, which is totally non-productive, Neosodos snorts and launches himself up into the air, flapping his wings to stay just above the fire and the empty stew pot, placing himself distinctly in the middle of everyone - and thusly in range of all of them.

<< That is ENOUGH! >> the Eldritch Wyrm begins, quite forcefully as he opts for mindspeech with everyone. << Our lives depend upon each other and the trust we build. I realize some of us have known each other longer, and learned a certain way of being. But my little brother here hasn't learned that way. And right now he has no way to build any trust, because all of us - myself included - are being unhelpful prickly pears! >>

The fire-glowing drake pushes himself around to face Andie directly, and resumes. << I know you have your reasons - many of them - to keep your own counsel. But it is time you EXPLAIN those reasons to Little Brother where they affect him. Not every scales-damned secret. But those that affect HIM. >>

Andie does not look at all cowed by this, but she does listen and does not outwardly scoff, either. "Enough, Neosodos. Your point is made. I may not care for how you made it, but I acknowledge the point has validity." She glances around the fire at everyone, and then sighs. "May I have everyone's permission to cast a spell that should alleviate linguistic challenges, for the moment? It should last several hours, and make this easier on everyone. I would prefer, if we have this larger conversation, that we do it openly. I think everyone deserves to hear, and be heard."
----
Syval reacts with more surprise as he realizes the wyrm is mindspeaking not just to him but the entire campsite at once. The dragonoid watches and waits for Neos to say his piece, then looks purposefully to Andie to signal his agreement with what's said for him. His scaled brow tightens at the mention of a language spell but the transformed mage nods at her offer.

Once everyone has agreed Andie summons forth her magic, creating a spectral hand of golden light and then sending it around the circle at the campfire, touching each member of the party in turn until all have been contacted, the soft intermittent golden firefly halo around each of them remaining visible evidence of the spell.
----
"This spell will assure that each of us hears anything communicated by anyone else in our native language for as long as the spell remains." She nods to Syval, and Neosodos. "It should even correct for physiological accents."

Honoria beams brightly as she hears Andie's words in Maenast, the first words not from Neo or Syval that she has understood since awakening. It is a relief.

That done, Andie sits back down, and folds her hands in her lap, her staff resting against her shoulder. "So, I suppose I shall begin, if no one minds. Syval is clearly questioning what I knew, and when I knew it, and why I did not share it." She lifts her emerald gaze to his. "The truth is that I know a reasonable bit about where you come from, how, and why. It is ... a thing of witches." True, if not all of the truth. "The moment I met you, laid eyes upon you, that much I knew." And, if he thinks back, she did share some of that during their first meeting.

"I knew that you had draconic power within you, which you had barely tapped into. But I did not explain to you what it was, how it was, why it was, or how to progress further." Clear enough? Andie shrugs. "I did not do so for two important reasons. First: I am, whatever else I may be, a human witch, of human power and human deity. My jurisdiction in such matters is to human things. And this, though it now affects a human, is a thing of dragons. Over it, I have no authority. It is not my place to explain it. Indeed, if I tried I suspect I would color my explanation with human prejudices and points of view. And that would be unfair."

Andie sighs. "The second reason is a thing of all witches: what I say, and how I say it, can change someone's Fate. I can nudge someone onto a line, or away from it. I try hard to do this as little as possible, and to align myself with what I see as that person's truest desire and aims: to help them to the path their heart as already chosen." She gestures towards Syval. "But in your case, I risked pushing you towards what I might want, because I can see so little of what lies before you - tied as you are to things draconic - that my advice would by nature be colored as much or more by me than by your truest self."
----
Syval waits for the spell to take effect and then listens through Andromeda's offered explanation. He does spare a glance to Honoria and his tail flicks in a show of happiness for her that doesn't manifest in his expression. A shift of wind wafts smoke across his face and the dragonoid snorts gruffly to clear it, blinking a couple times before he replies. Through the spell the young man is gruff and scratchy in a way that's made surreal by the sound and timber being fully disconnected from his voice. Given the choice he's speaking in his more natural Draconic.

"I don't care about fortunes or witch prophecies, Andie, and I don't think I asked for them. What's any of that grand nonsense have to do with telling me I somehow have dragon in my blood, and /green/ dragon at that? Because my ''truest desire'' certainly wasn't for you to hide that from me while leading me along with breadcrumbs until I ran into it on my own."
----
Andie sighs and shakes her head. "Do you somehow imagine, Syval, that I do not know that?" She gesture to the entire group in a rounded way. "That is why I did what I could: I spoke my vision to you, in hopes it would fire your imagination and convince you to join us despite any misgivings you might have about a witch and her rather witch-like priestess companion." Yes. She is admitting she baited him. "Doing so brought you along, and made sure I could put you into company with the one being I knew I could trust to help you, who would know the most about what you needed to learn, while not being of mind to slay you, or consume you and your power."

With that, Andie gestures towards Neosodos. "Had you remained in Delizimmer, there would have been nothing I could do. I am not so much overbrimming with draconic allies. And I genuinely feared if you somehow accidentally found your own pathway to your power before you got that help, you would draw down upon yourself a doom you would be unable to escape. Traveling with us is dangerous, but I believe with Neosodos' help we can manage to keep you out of range of those more inclined to snuff you out for existing, while you learn how to control and fully embrace your potential and your own path."

Andie shrugs, and sighs. "I did not give you the answers you sought by myself. But, I gave you the open opportunity to find them, from one who could understand them best, and whom would not imbue those answers with any of my prejudices. In four days, Syval, you have learned more about yourself than you have in the last ten years. And while I did not give those answers to you from my own mouth, I did make sure it happened."

Andie frowns as she can see Syval is still not getting on board with this. She is frustrated, and frankly more than a little pissed off. Who is this pup to try to lecture her about the performance of her duties as a witch. "Like it or not, Syval, there are rules. Rules that witches and others must obey. They are not terribly numerous, but they are the kinds of rules that if one breaks, there is no appeal. No excuses. Just punishment. As a human witch, my domain is and must remain humanity. I am not permitted to interfere with the things of elvendom, except insomuch as those of elves involve humans. And I can never teach anyone, human or elf or anything else, the ways of elven magic and power. Should a human witch do so, a doom nearly beyond imagination will befall that witch from the elven pantheon."

Andie gestures to Syval. "In your case, I cannot presume to speak to you of draconic power and magic. It is not in my purview. If I did so, I would be assuring not only my own doom, but yours and most anyone with you as well. I care not how pissed off you may be, I have no intention of dealing with righteously enraged iron dragons."
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Ack. Friend I haven't spoken to in almost a month found me online out of nowhere. Timing... XD;"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hugs. "S'okay. I'm not impatient."
----
The dragonoid across the campfire continues to frown but now in contemplation as he mulls over the witch's explanation. His wings draw in and the end of his tail flicks. "You couldn't even tell me that dragon was involved?" he asks, his tone mellowed by understanding but still prodding for greater satisfaction. "Or that at least you knew, but couldn't tell me?"
----

<OOC> Syval hugs back. He missed dessert. Whoopsie. ^_^;

<OOC> Syval checks the time, ponders briefly, and decides to dessert anyway. He can stay up a little late tonight.

<OOC> Syval says, "Nice pose. That one works. :)"
----
Andie shakes her head. "If there had been no other option, perhaps I could have suggested that you seek out a dragon to help explain the mystery I sensed of you." She gestures again at Neosodos. "But I had another option. So I took it. That avoided any of us having to take that risk, and assured that the education you received would be unbiased by the limitations of human understanding. Or fear."

"You really couldn't even say just that you knew?" Syval echoes with a disbelieving snort as he folds his arms. "You witches have your reputation for good reason. Though an apology would be nice..." Looking aside back to the Eldritch Wyrm, the green wyrmling regards him with only light reproach by comparison. "And what of you, Neos? Were you somehow bound to the same human laws as her?"
----

<OOC> Syval leans back cozy and offers cuddling.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li cuddlenestles.
----
Neosodos snorts at that and shakes his head. Long necks make that look funky and amusing. "No. But also, I am not a witch. I had to get to know you, figure out what you did and did not understand. What you were ready for. There are stories of those who discovered their draconic blending in the wrong way, and were driven mad. Or were consumed by a true dragon before they could come into their own. " Both have reiterated what clearly seems to be a sticking point for Syval: it has been only four bloody days. They should be nearly strangers to one another. They are not, and grace be it. But they are moving incredibly quickly.
----
Syval lets out a dry, barking sort of chuckle, at the wyrm's answer as much as his look. "Yes, I imagine if I had been some high-born nobleman's son this would have be quite the scandal. How fortunate my only mark from the gods is what's before all of you now. Remarkable that /this/ is enough to drive people mad. It doesn't feel maddening..." the dragonoid considers as he looks down upon himself and spreads his wings.
----
During first watch, Syval and Honoria can practice, so long as they are not actively clanging weapons together. This gives the transformed weredragon a chance to further learn the physics of his new body. As he continues to do so he will slowly find certain instincts kicking in, as if pushing at them makes them unlock. The effect is not instantaneous, but he is learning how to walk, how to move, how to swing his weapon, how to crouch and hop. Nothing yet on how to flap those wings usefully or fly, but it's coming together.

Meanwhile, Syval will get a chance to watch Honoria moving through her own paces, and will quickly be able to recognize what instinct alone from the fight with the gnolls makes clear: she is as much above the skill of the caravan guard leaders he has known as they are beyond a boy playing with a hewn limb in imitation of a shield. She moves with a grace and power in that heavy armor that makes it seem as though it weighs no more than mere cloth. And her fighting is very regimented, ordered, and direct, her shield an equal part of her battle not just in defense but in offense as well.

After about three hours of their watch Syval will pick up a scent drawing closer to the camp. The scent is musky and rich, a single source. Instinct alone right now will not tell him what he has smelt, but his eyes pierce the darkness more than well enough to tell that about two hundred feet from camp a tiger has crept through the tall grass, following a scent. The tiger circles the camp stealthfully for several minutes, and at one point does draw closer to about fifty feet, nearest to the tent where Andie and Jyslin lay. But after only a few more minutes the tiger seems to decide that whatever it wants, it will not find it here. The animal wanders back into the high grasses, and soon disappears entirely.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Poor kitty was just looking for a date tonight."

<OOC> Syval says, "''I smell female cat! <3''... ''Wait, no, just humans... ._. ''"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Ayep. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "There couldn't possibly be a female cat in the tent. And besides, bipeds tend to react negatively, and I'm not that hungry."

<OOC> Syval says, "Plus there's Syval about. He tends to have a warding effect on opportunistic critters whether he likes it or not."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Right now? Most definitely."
----
Having settled down after his admittedly one-sided practice with Honoria, Syval turns his head towards the darkness of the grassy hills and smiles quietly. His training was instructive and badly needed, but hardly good for the young drake's pride. That the stealthily stalking stripes are caught by his eyes, much less his nose, leaves a warm feeling in the pit of his chest. Once he recognizes the tiger for what it is he doesn't watch it closely, allowing the cat to be curious and sniff around.

Once the tiger wanders off, Syval stretches out and chuckles softly, loud enough to be caught by his fellow watcher. "I think I cost Jyslin a date. A curious tiger just passed by," he remarks mirthfully.

Honoria chuckles just a bit, shaking her head. "I do believe she will not mind that price paid." the lady knight offers. It does seem she is aware of the context betwixt priestess and witch. "If she is quite so interested, I will let her know of it when we change watches. Are you feeling more stable, now?" she questions.
----
"I am. Thank you for your help," Syval affirms as he nods, just in case Honoria can't see it in the dark. "This body has instincts. It's not so hard to use - it just needs a little practice to wake up." With the warm evenings even on the northern side of the Toadsquat Range, the dragonoid still hasn't done anything about being topless and he takes a moment to look over his arm again, studying the thick talons of his hand. "No making fists though - if my bardiche didn't have a wide haft I'd have cut my hand by now."
----
"Well, I must admit I have not seen a dragon in this shape before. I presume, however, that they rarely bother with weapons beyond might, muscle, magic and their own bodies." That's Honoria's guess, but she's not an expert. "I would agree, though; you were moving much better at the end than the beginning." The lady knight smiles. "Rest well, Syval of Amlar. I will wake our replacement, and see you in the morning."

That said, Honoria heads to the tent Jyslin shares with Andie, lightly rubbing the ashen blonde's shoulder, and then exits to find her own tent and lie down. A few minutes later, Jyslin comes crawling out of her tent and offers a nod towards Syval as she circles the camp, getting a good look and a good sniff of the area. Mmm. Syval was right about the male. Poor guy.

----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 04 Noon The Voice

2021-03-14T14:28:37Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "A bit over an hour later Syval is gently awakened by the touch of Jyslin's hand and offered his own wooden bowl filled with stew. The group sits and eats, and then prepares th..."

A bit over an hour later Syval is gently awakened by the touch of Jyslin's hand and offered his own wooden bowl filled with stew. The group sits and eats, and then prepares themselves to resume their journey. Another three hours and they will be in position to head south towards the mountains if they still intend to go that way.

Syval borrows Neosodos long enough to make introductions between the Eldritch Wyrm and Honoria, and the two proceed to converse as the journey resumes. The conversation remains polite and eager as Honoria welcomes having another to talk with, and the pseudodragon seems to enjoy getting to talk with her further, no longer just listening in on her conversations with young Syval.

During the journey, Jyslin does manage to scare up a few small prey by ranging well ahead of the group, and brings them back slung over her shoulder, obviously intending to keep them for dinner later that night.

Finally the group reaches a point where they are visibly directly north of the low-lying hills between the Weathering Heights and the beginnings of the rest of the Toadsquat mountain range. And just as the group turns, starting towards the mountains, a voice as mighty as the mountains and seemingly ten times as old booms not through their ears, but through their minds. << One so young as to be nigh nonexistent, yet touched with the Ancient, mortal yet blooded to the immortal, walks with one that should not be, gone lo many years past and bereft of all ties save that of faith and destiny. One of the children of immortal blood, older even than I, bonds himself to another who would hide all she is, all she knows, all she ever might be from everyone, even those closest to her. Indeed, sometimes most so to those closest. And another who has forgotten more than she may ever remember, her repetitious cycle at last ended having come fullest circle to walk glistening in the moonlight of her heart's deepest calling, bound with a love so deep there is no name for it but that. And what, then, would five such as these want here? Come then to unearth that which has remained hidden, perhaps? >>

And it is only as the voice fades, pausing at least, that Syval can come to realize that this mindvoice speaks, just like Neosodos' ... in that language he has never been taught, yet which his blood knows as true as sunlight.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "While I'm remembering it, something else I should have been doing along the way was jotting our daily progress on a map of the region I'm carrying in my scroll case."

<OOC> Syval says, "The little things you realize you'd be carrying (along with a lighter-weight travel spell book) when you dive into the equipment pages. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Not relevant here, just wanted to mention."
----
Syval stops abruptly and looks around the group once the voice finishes speaking, hoping to catch similar reactions of surprise, confusion, or worry. The young man's heard /dragons/ in his head recently and that was something even bigger. "Tell me the rest of you heard that," he bids nervously.
----
Each of the women, and the tiny dragon, each bob their head in answer to Syval's openly-spoken question, though Honoria is last as Neosodos translates for her. "< It spoke in a language I did not understand, and yet my mind insisted on hearing it in the Queens' Tongue. >" Honoria offers.

Jyslin bristles at this. "I don't know why, but my instincts say whatever 'said' that is a long, long way off. How or why would it, could it reach so far?"
----
Syval passes Neos a look, bidding the drake to translate for Honoria as he replies to both women together, "It must have spoken mind-to-mind, not just a telepathic voice or Message." The young man's gaze turns warily towards the distant valley. "Old dragons are supposed to be capable of speech like that from miles away - some of them. And it seems to know a /lot/ about us... Divination, hopefully."

The green-haired mage holds fast to his bardiche as he sighs a tense breath then turns to the witch-touched woman nearby. The normally stalwart wizard is rattled though he tries not to show it clearly. "Well Andie, would you like to answer it?"
----
Andie chuckles wryly and shakes her head a bit. "Being entirely honest, Syval? No. I would prefer not to answer it at all." Yet her tone of voice does seem to imply that she is not really convinced that is much of an option. After all, if it can reach out this far, can they even begin to guess how far away they would have to go to get away from it? Or how to block it from their minds. "What it already knows of each of us is far more than I find comfortable, let alone comforting." She is the one rumored strongly to be hiding many, many secrets.

Jyslin considers Neosodos, then Syval, and then turns to Andie. "Do you know of anything else, other than a dragon, that could reach so far?" she finally asks.

Andie makes an ugly face of displeasure. But she does not remain silent. "In truth? Yes. I do know of a few. None would be something at all safe, pleasant, or likely to ally with mere humans, whatever our potentials."
----
"Anything doing it's at least as strong as one, and seems to be toying with us," Syval weighs in as he shoulders his bardiche, regaining some of his composure while scanning the faces of the group. Honoria and Neosodos are given particular attention. "So do we carry on despite whatever that is, or turn our tails because a big voice asked a question? That 'X' isn't going anywhere but it will be a month or more before we return this way - if we can leave at all now. Either way it didn't give a name but it did say hello; I'll answer if no one else is willing. Better to be honest; it might know the answer already."
----
Honoria frowns momentarily. "< I may find no comfort or peace in the thing's conversation. But I too feel an answer must be given, for good or for ill. Nevertheless, I yield to the wisdom of others. I am no mind-speaker, no wizard, no witch, nor even a priestess. >"

Neosodos ruffles himself, clearly disturbed by the communication. << It feels great in power and presence, but though it sends thoughts in Draconic to me, and well-spoken, it does not feel draconic in truth. I cannot help the impression it is playing some game. >>

Andromeda nods. "I too feel that we must respond. But I also concur that it feels as though it is playing a shell game of sorts, half-exposing our own truths simply to put us off-balance and hide its own."

Jyslin frowns at that. "I have no idea. I just don't like it."
----
Syval snorts lightly and raises a brow at the witch's reply, agitation fueling his impatience. "Well then lets be done with it. If the fates are on our side it's more illusion than substance; if not we'll deal with our lot as it comes. Try talking back or think really hard. It asked a question - it has a way to listen."

Raising his hand for an incantation, the young wizard summons a magical lens before his eyes and looks round the group - searching just in case for something more nearby.
----

<OOC> Syval casts Detect Magic and does as written; looking around for anything magic that's not us within the 60ft reach of my vision.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li should totally make the actual PC be the one to respond. But I will relent, this time. :)

<OOC> Syval says, "I was worried that might be your thought process... This party's got 5 PCs even if it's only got 2 players, think of it in mushing terms not tabletop. ICly we're all sentient and most of us (looking at you Neos) are sapient. And Syval looked to Andie twice because she's the group leader; this is her journey they're all along for their own reasons."
----
All of the group seems to concur, and Andromeda sighs. "I assume that to be very true." she opines. << Very well then. We are eventually headed to White Bog Wood. But we came across a map, one which indicated something to be found in the valley between the Weathering Heights and the Toadsquats. We were just starting in that direction to investigate when you reached us. >>

The mindvoice steps itself down just a bit, as if aware that it was engendering headaches unnecessarily earlier. << So intrepid, the explorers, to come seeking the unknown out of mere happenstance. Definitely an eclectic band, and so much moreso when led by a witch. So rare to find one willing to stand out front and point, rather than hiding behind them all and whispering in their ears to move her puppets forth. >>

Andie clearly looks furious at the implications of the message, for all that it may be a truth of a sort. <>

A basso mental chuckle follows at that. << So, you wouldst spar with me of word and thought, young witch? Brave indeed. Perhaps almost as reckless as the young wizard already considering his path in the Art a mistake. >>
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry. That came out crabbier than I meant it. I think I'm tired from work."

<OOC> Syval says, "Also, poses well done. Really nice intro for this voice. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Now is this a conversation we all hear or just Andie?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "All of you. Just as before."
----
"Reckless to take knowledge where it can be found, and make more progress in days than in years? The wizards at the academy wish they had my potential. Not all your barbs land true," Syval retorts, emboldened by his own conviction.

<< And what progress is it, young mageling? You finally discover and become aware of what has been your destiny all of your life, and you assume it is the only path ahead. Instinct and might are handy things. But they can be mere sand and chaff. The truest might is learning, wisdom and experience. >> the mindvoice intones.

Andie looks at Syval, and then at the rest as she weighs some option in her mind. But the first to respond is Neosods, as the diminutive drake intones, << I do think that is enough of teasing the boy. As you have already said, it is his path to discover. If you had the wisdom you claim you value so highly, you would know to get the Hells out of the way and let him find his own way. Light the many paths, and let him make his own choices. >> An answer which, perhaps, makes it clear just how the Eldritch Wyrm himself is handling Syval's awakening.

Meanwhile, Syval can clearly see that Honoria is bristling, visibly angry in a way she has never displayed before, not even in battle.
----
The green-haired wizard seems almost ready to pass another defiant rebuff to the ominous voice before he notices the knight at his side. He frowns with a look of concern. "<Honoria, what's wrong?>" he asides in their shared tongue.

Honoria turns and meets Syval's eyes, and then her own gaze unfocuses as her own mind-voice sounds within the conversation. << For one who pretends to great wisdom and insight, you clearly lack the truest measure of either. You insult and toy with others for your own amusement, and have not even the most basic honor to stand and face those you would insult and belittle. I have known the mighty and the impossibly wise, and never did they conduct themselves thus. If you wished to throw down the gauntlet of challenge, you have done so. And I am more than woman and knight enough to pick it up and bloody your lip in turn. >>

Neosodos snorts in amusement at this, clearly approving of the lady knight's audacity and ferocity of spirit.

Andromeda presses her fingers to the bridge of her nose and sighs. THen she lifts her gaze and looks across the group, meeting each person's eyes individually. Then her mind-voice is added to the conversation once more. << It seems quite clear you have a wish to antagonize us. I presume the intention is to draw us in so that you can attack us. Frankly, we are not interested. >>

That said, she looks to the group once more, and sits down, gesturing the others to gather around as she lays her staff across her lap, and then gestures with her hands, runes starting to appear, drawn one by one until they form a circle around which the group can gather. She then extends her hands outward to grasp hands offered to her, hoping it seems to close the circle of hands - and claws? - around the circle as a warm golden glow builds about her, then slowly creeping out and flowing over the others from her hands outwards.

The glow ebbs and twists, as the mind-voice is dampened but keeps 'shouting' more and more forcefully, yet that force is blunted time and time again as the glow builds. It seems pretty clear the witch intends to ward the party against the mind-voice and its taunting.

Nothing yet has been said, however, about their continued exploration.
----
Syval smirks in mirror of the drake at Honoria's sharp rebuttal and with that his concern evaporates. Turning to the witch he looks back, staring and waiting for the inevitable moment of insight from the woman. Instead, she sits down.

Tilting his brow at the curious display he watches the runes form of something not of the Art, then sits down at her side to take his place somewhat curiously, resting his bardiche upon his shoulder. Grasping hands to form the ring, the green-haired mage listens to the voice growing more violent as it's softened and deprived of audience. It's small, but Syval eventually lets out a sigh. "Nice spell, Andie. What say you - time to leave this big-mouthed headache behind?"
----
Once the spell is completed, Andie sighs and rolls her shoulders, relaxing. The warm golden glow surrounding everyone in the party slowly seeps down beneath the skin and takes residence there, as the mindvoice is muted entirely.

Then the witch finally looks up again, meeting Syval's eyes. "Glad you approve. I do not know truly what that thing would want, what threat it could pose. But given how it seemed intent upon manipulating us, and our emotions, I decided it best we make our decisions free of its influences."

Andie shrugs slightly. "Sadly, I cannot be sure in which direction it lies, where it would have tried to guide us. So we could stumble upon it entirely unknowing." A moment's wry, wintry smile. "But this way whatever decisions we make are our own. To your earllier comment, Syval, I am still curious what it is the likes of hill giants would feel compelled to make a map to that would be stationary enough to make a map at all worthwhile. But if we go, we do take on the risk that location could in fact be the source of that mental voice, whatever that may be."

Jyslin groans. "Can't say I much like anyone or anything toying with my mind. And what it said about me. About all of us." She shakes her head. "I'm not playing that game. But if we're going ahead, I think I should scout the way."
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Where is Neos at the moment?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He climbed down Honoria's arm, wrapped his tail around her wrist and wrapped his forepaws around Syval's wrist in turn as those two held hands. He's probably in the process, right now, of climbing back up onto the lady knight's armored shoulder."

<OOC> Syval says, "Hehe, now isn't that a cute image. Cat-dragon stretched out between them. Good drake, so he can still translate for her then."
----
Syval nods to Jyslin's assessment. "It knows more than it should, whatever it is. That wasn't simple illusions, and it did mention ''unearthing that which has remained hidden''. We're still a full day's travel north of that mark. That's two days at least before we're back here - three perhaps before we're on our way," the young mage considers, looking back to Andie while weighing their options. "How long can this mute spell of yours last?"
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Goodness already past 8PM..."
Andie nods. "I will have to renew the spell several times over that period. And while maintaining it, I cannot refresh my own spells daily as I would normally." So there is a definite price to be paid, here.
----
Honoria listens to the translations from the little drake on her shoulder and then speaks. "< This is not my world. Nothing that I knew then is going to help now. But from what I recall of our spellcasters during the war, it can be a most dangerous thing when they cannot refresh their spells. And to be fair, as curious as this map may be, it could turn out to be nothing any of us would value. >" Honoria clearly feels beholden to the group and will not suggest too strongly a course of action, but she does seem to be leaning towards advising they move on and just put the mindvoice behind them entirely.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Phone again"

<OOC> Syval says, "Back again. ^_^;"

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry about that. No accounting for timing sometimes."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li heh.
----
Syval frowns at the seriousness of Andie's warning. From one caster to another, the implication's clear. "It would be better if we could scry ahead or scout with a safe means of escape. Not refreshing your spells is the same as having no spells at all, and I only stand to get stronger the longer we travel..." Folding his arms across his chest the young man shuts his eyes and thinks deeply for several seconds before at last he opens them and addresses the group.

"I say we move on. We can come back later once we're better prepared. Something so deep in the mountains isn't going far."
----

<OOC> Syval hand-wringing on a decision that is at once simple and difficult.

<OOC> Syval says, "So few reasons to pursue that map yet it's still tempting."

<OOC> Syval was torn by a desire to have whatever valuable thing might be at the X but it lost to desires for other, more reliable things.
----
Andie is aware that it is her decision, but she clearly feels she wants to hear everyone's feelings. She nods to acknowledge Syval's reasoning, without trying to correct him. He's right, to an extent, but her spell repertoire is pretty hefty, likely more than he is thinking it is. And she has items which do not rely on her spell slots to function. Yet still his points are valid enough, if not overriding to her.

Jyslin shrugs. "If we all decide to go, I will scout ahead. But if we decide not, I'm very OK with that. I may enjoy exploring and learning more, but I can do that as much across plains as into the mountains and hills."

Neosodos looks around the group, and then nods his little reptilian head. "< Preferrrrrr we go. Leavvvvve voice alone. Ignorrrrre hill giant poop. >"

With everyone having spoken, Andie nods. "Very well, then. Let us move as far along our path as the remaining afternoon and evening allow."

----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 04 AM Gnolls

2021-03-14T14:24:23Z

VanyaDoll2:

The night is a relatively quiet one, which does offer Syval more of an opportunity to consider his meditations and their revelations. Jyslin is easy enough to awaken for the mid watch, and as normal she then awakens Andromeda for the morning watch before lying down for more rest herself.

That morning watch is disturbed, however, just an hour or so before dawn when an invisible magical hand shakes Syval's shoulder forcefully and then moves on, awakening Honoria and Jyslin in turn as well. It is in the pre-dawn hour, mostly still dark but with hints of the sky lightening above ... and a wrankling scent wafts to Syval's nose. Something musky, unclean, and multitudinous is approaching.
----

<OOC> Vanya says, "Can we finish the last scene we had going there before starting up a new one?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I thought we were done?"

<OOC> Vanya sighs. "We're on two different pages then. No, but if you want I guess we can off-screen the rest."

<OOC> Vanya says, "We stopped for the night at the climax where Syval opened his mouth and... <nothing>. It sounds like an acid splash might be what came out, personally I'd flavor that as coming out like a weakened breath weapon with the damage (and spread) of an acid splash without being a literal orb of acid. No answer on whether Syval retained enough connection to that spark to do it successfully or whether he lost his connection afterwards, and no answer on whether there were any other effects he'd notice upon opening his eyes since that energy was described as flowing all throughout him and certainly seemed to add vigor."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. I went to bed last night thinking we were done. Probably because I was tired."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The actions he took are actions that should lead to the execution of a spell. Preferably it should be something from his innate arcane caster spell list. And his visualization and the word he chose would define which spell would result. IIRC, you basically said that you figured the word was something more like 'rar'?"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Yes, that or the nearest dragon equivalent to it."

<OOC> Vanya says, "As a Sorc2 his spell list is meager so like I said last night, not much matches his intention. It'd be a breath weapon if that were possible."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Or maybe it just comes out as a roar. *shrug*"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The problem is, 'speaking a word' is not an activation for breath weapon. It was an intention of a spell. Which is why I am stuck."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Which is probably why my tired brain last night threw up its paws and decided the scene was done, because I couldn't think of what the frell to do."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So I think the best option is the acid blast cantrip. It fires from his throat, because his throat is that of a chlorine-gas-breathing green dragon."

<OOC> Vanya says, "I would have thought 'focus raw magic to the mouth and exhale' was a formula for breath weapon. That's his intention, not a coherent sentence."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Acid blast works then."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And since it was unfocused, his intent wasn't really solid, it kinda falls apart and he loses connection thereafter."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But before he did, he managed to cough up a cantrip of acid."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But this time, no hot sweats and exhaustion, beyond being a little tired. Normal tired."

<OOC> Vanya snickers. "That's good then, thank you."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Syval will count that, and he was worried the connection would slip when he tried to play with it. Still a spontaneous cantrip without its somatic component. That's "special"."

<OOC> Vanya says, "I think that gives me all I need for last night's scene now. On to my pose in the present..."
----
Syval rouses from a start from the pad he'd been sleeping on and grabs the bardiche at his side as he looks around and tries to get his bearings. The mage's nose wrinkles unpleasantly and he moves, quietly, to stand up. Thankfully the bodyguard isn't one for noisy armor, and wears even less to bed in the foothills' warm climate.

As Syval rises up, eyes scanning the dark pre-morning, Jyslin emerges from the tent she shares with Andie doing much the same. Honoria is the least silent of the group, arising from her bedroll smoothly already arrayed in her armor, proof that she never took it off the night before.

Andie inches in amongst the other three and speaks very softly. "Neosodos slunk off a bit. But before he did so, he said he could smell nearly a dozen creatures approaching from the northwest."

Jyslin turns her head in that direction, breathing deeply, and then nods slowly as a bit of a growl enters her throat. "Gnolls."

Honoria grimaces a bit in the darkness. "They'll estimate they have us outnumbered three or four to one. I imagine they will make the attempt on us." She doesn't seem terribly concerned by this; it's all just calmly matter of fact to her.
----

<OOC> Vanya says, "This is a silly problem but I am actually not sure what, culturally, would be normal to wear under a sarong. It seems like it'd make a breechcloth redundant and they're essentially braies already."

<OOC> Vanya didn't take good enough clothing notes for Syval, and should revisit them anyway for whatever's normal fashion in Delzimmer.

<OOC> Vanya says, "Ack and copied over my partial pose >.<"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li yerf.
----
As he makes his way over to the group and leans in to listen, Syval straightens the clothes about his waist and peers off towards the stench wafting into camp, putting his nose to the wind like Jyslin. The young man at first grimaces at the scent, then yawns heavily and rolls his shoulders causing the lethargic joints to pop softly. "I'll go in front. I need some exercise," he states blandly before tightening the grip on his shaft and stepping towards the smell to place the party at his back.
----

<OOC> Vanya corrects that his sheet doesn't list his (wizardly) claws and afks for phone.
----
Honoria lays a gauntleted hand lightly on Syval's shoulder once he has translated that for her. "< You have a chevalier with you, Syval of Amlar. Perhaps you could allow me to lead, to do what it is I am meant to do? >" She glances at the women, but apparently dares not presume to tell either a witch nor a priestess what to do or how to do it. And then she leans down to pick up her shield, securing it to her arm firmly. She gathers her helm and slides it down in placeas she readies herself to go forth.

Syval stops and considers the knight, weighing her request before relenting with a nod. "< We'll go together then. >"
----

<OOC> Vanya says, "Sorry for short, still on phone."
----
Prepared, Honoria jogs out towards the enemy, guided as best she can manage in the barely lightened darkness as her baraj comes singing free of the scabbard at her hip. Sword and shield fully ready, the lady knight commander is prepared to meet the enemy she can barely make out.

Just as Honoria is closing on the gnolls, guttural cries can be heard as the bestial hyena-men catch wind and sight of their prey, not nearly as hampered in darkness, and they charge.

The moment the gnolls charge, a single silvery glowing object falls from the air, coming from above and behind, and strikes into the chest of one of the gnolls, casting more than enough illumination to make it possible for normal human eyes to pick them all out. And then their charge is met, as axes strike that heavy shield, ringing soundly and rebuffed, the lady knight wading into the opponents she can now see with supreme confidence, calling out wordlessly to challenge their ire and draw them to her.

There are eleven gnolls.
----

<OOC> Vanya says, "And back, thank you for waiting."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Should I roll anything or just charge into the fray?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No need to roll anything before you charge as you see fit. But just as an FYI, Honoria is outright unflinchingly tanking against the entire gnoll horde."

<OOC> Vanya says, "I'm less impressed because they're gnolls but it is still very pretty to watch. Not that she has them all to herself..."
----
Not one to be left behind Syval runs out to enter the fray, swinging his bardiche back and high as its blade is shrouded in a green arcana before its wide edge whips forward in an iridescent arc to cleave through the nearest gnoll in time with a primal yell. Lacking any armor or shield of his own, the mage shows no more fear than the chevalier at joining the melee, only staying at two steps' distance to give his polearm room. The opening swing is completed with relish and the blade comes swiftly back in preparation for another, casting a threatening arc for any gnolls that dare to approach them.
----
Gnoll #01 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 25 (17)
Gnoll #02 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 19 (11)
Gnoll #03 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 18 (10)
Gnoll #04 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 20 (12)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 28 (20)
Gnoll #06 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 23 (15)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 15 (7)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 28 (20)
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 22 (14)
Gnoll #10 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 26 (18)
Gnoll #11 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 11 (3)

<OOC> Syval says, "Heh, had to show me up, did you? Look at you all fancy and changing the green text."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So now if I just change to specify who they are rolling against, that should be enough."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, according to my notes, you closed to melee and flanked them after they had swarmed Honoria."

<OOC> Syval says, "We can probably track that in OOC too."

<OOC> Syval says, "According to my backscroll that's what I did too, but~"

<OOC> Syval leans in and nose kisses. "I know a tired cat who shouldn't be over-exerting herself on a Friday night. She should be relaxing."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, gridwise, only 8 can surround a person. So, 1-8 are on Honoria. 1,4,6 are on the side where Syval can reach, and Flank/attack. That leaves 9-11 to peel around on Syval this round, plus any of 1,4,6 who choose to turn and face him rather than Honoria."

<OOC> Syval gasp. "Hex gnolls!"

<OOC> Syval says, "Andie I think one of your cousins may be near."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus. I needed to denote them using only one character space."

<OOC> Syval says, "As a reminder, reach + combat reflexes so anything closing on me will have to work for it. I apologize in advance for all the extra rolls that causes."

<OOC> Syval says, "Hopefully this is like, a gnoll circus trope or something."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, Jyslin's action for the round was her Light spell on the arrow. Neo should go last, IMO. So, Andie's action for the round ... she's not going to risk blasting away with the two of you in the mix. So, witch missile it is."
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG (8d4+8) and gets 33 (3,2,3,3,4,4,3,3)
Andie rolls Witch Missle Target (1d11+0) and gets 11 (11)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So B goes away. Or falls to the ground, smoking. Same difference."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I think given the layout, Neo will attempt to sneak up on A."
Neosodos rolls Stealth (1d20+23) and gets 30 (7)
Gnoll 10 rolls Perception (1d20+2) and gets 12 (10)
Neosodos rolls To Hit on Gnoll 10 (1d20+10) and gets 16 (6)

<OOC> Syval says, "And just to confirm C was the gnoll I dropped with my charge, aye?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Unfortunately, Neo's tail does not penetrate."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No. I'm going to assume that either 4 or 9 is the one you dropped. Pick one."

<OOC> Syval says, "4. It's funnier in Chinese that way."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So 4 is dead. B is dead. 9 has an arrow in him that is glowing. And 2 has been hacked and bashed to paste (eventually) by Honoria."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, start of round 2, Syval, A and 9 are trying to close around you; AoOs please."

<OOC> Syval says, "I'd lick my lips but the stench of gnoll is overpowering and I'm still pretty sleepy."
Syval rolls Bardiche (1d20+10) and gets 25 (15)
Syval rolls Bardiche (1d20+10) and gets 23 (13)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 13 (6)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 8 (1)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Those both hit."

<OOC> Syval says, "And hopefully this'll teach me not to choke up when facing something without a hill giant's back hide to protect it. Hopefully. :)"
Gnoll #01 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 11 (3)
Gnoll #03 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 13 (5)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 10 (2)
Gnoll #06 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 17 (9)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 25 (17)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 20 (12)
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 16 (8)
Gnoll #10 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 13 (5)

<OOC> Syval says, "Me and my 11 AC just ate a bit. (Charge -2 penalty) (re)"

<OOC> Syval says, "I saw to-hit rolls but nothing afterwards."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, all three of those hit. Rolling damage."
Gnoll #06 rolls DMG to Syval (1d8+6) and gets 9 (3)
Gnoll #09 rolls DMG to Syval (1d8+6) and gets 13 (7)
Gnoll #10 rolls DMG to Syval (1d8+6) and gets 12 (6)

<OOC> Syval says, "Wow, 34. I actually feel that."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li is pretty sure you felt all of those. :)

<OOC> Syval says, "Now at 31/65 HP."

<OOC> Syval says, "Gnolls definitely hit harder than goblins."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles. "Yes. Yes they do."

<OOC> Syval says, "Who's go?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Syval, you have three Gnolls on you at 5' range. My plan is to roll Honoria next, and then you, unless you object."

<OOC> Syval says, "Go for it."

<OOC> Syval says, "To confirm: A, 9, 1, and 6 are all within 5' of me so that's 4 gnolls not 3?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Right. But one of those is confronting/attacking Honoria, not you."

<OOC> Syval says, "Copy. :)"
MAIL: Mailbox purged.
Name set.
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 sword1 (1d20+18) and gets 26 (8)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 sword2 (1d20+13) and gets 19 (6)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 shield1 (1d20+21) and gets 23 (2)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 35 (19)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "All of those hit, the 19 is a crit, rolling to confirm."
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 29 (13)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hits."
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 sword1 (1d10+8) and gets 15 (7)
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 sword2 (1d10+8) and gets 10 (2)
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 shield1 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 shield2 (2d6+16) and gets 22 (5,1)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And #1 is pasted. Another one bites at the dust."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Your target?"
Vanya steps back 5' SW and swings defensively at A.

<OOC> Vanya says, "Ack. >.< Syval does that, not Vanya. Forgot about the rename."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Wait how -- oh! Because it booted my second connection. Oy vey."
Name set.
Syval rolls Bardiche_Def (1d20+6) and gets 24 (18)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 12 (5)

<OOC> Syval says, "+10 -4 (Defensive Fighting) to-hit, FYI."

<OOC> Syval says, "Also +1 HP, now at 32."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. #10/A is 'bloodied'."

<OOC> Syval says, "Wow, 25 damage and still standing? Stur-dy critters. That's the one I hit for 13 earlier on an AoO right?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That's the one you hit with 8 during your AoO"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So damage total done so far is 20"

<OOC> Syval says, "Ahh, I meant to aim it at the more wounded one, which I guess would be 9 then."

<OOC> Syval says, "Whatever. Not a big deal. Drive on. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Uhm ... Neo will make an attempt on .... #10."
Neosodos rolls To Hit on Gnoll 10 (1d20+10) and gets 14 (4)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Poor Neo is not rolling well to hit tonight."

<OOC> Syval says, "I'm getting his good rolls tonight."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie will witch missile #6, if no one minds?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Not complaining over here."
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG (8d4+8) and gets 29 (1,3,4,1,4,1,3,4)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Which is not enough to kill that one. but he is definitely feeling it and smoking heavily."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Also, might be worth marking your #9 with a yellow highlight; he's the source of the light."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He has a glowing arrow stuck in him."

<OOC> Syval says, "And I am very entertained by that."

<OOC> Syval says, "Not that he's likely to move far enough from the group that it matters. We can... make sure of that. O:)"

<OOC> Syval says, "And belatedly c_c that one of these things tanked 29 damage and is still standing."

<OOC> Syval says, "I have severely misjudged their HD."

<OOC> Syval says, "I thought they had around 10-15 HP each. I'm off by a wide margin. Also more impressed by Honoria's tanking."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "None of them have rolled a 20 on her. And with her AC, they have to in order to hit her."
Jyslin rolls to hit Syval touch AC (1d20+15) and gets 31 (16)
Jyslin rolls healing on Syval (2d8+3) and gets 11 (6,2)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Syval is healed for 11 hit points, as a sprinting (charging) moonpriestess 'attacks' him with a cure moderate wounds spell"

<OOC> Syval says, "Ack! Surprise cat love! (43 HP)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you, Jyslin. ^_^"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, back to our gnoll friends."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. One AoO from Syval for A. #9 is 5' stepping back and throwing a javelin."

<OOC> Syval says, "Since I used Fighting Defensively on my own turn I'm free to attack without it while retaining the +2 AC, correct?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Still with me?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "New round. So if you're fighting defensively, then do that. I believe you CAN still make AoO while fighting Defensively."

<OOC> Syval says, "New round but not the beginning of my next turn I mean and the +2 AC lasts "until the start of [my] next turn", hence the question."
Syval rolls Bardiche (1d20+10) and gets 17 (7)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 10 (3)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "I'm just saying that so long as fighting defensively does not mean you cann't take AoO, then go for it."

<OOC> Syval says, "It makes no mention so away we go. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Syval hacks at #10 as he closes. #10 will be making his attack roll. I need to adjust #9's for his missile weapon."

<OOC> Syval says, "And looks like Total Defense /does/ prevent taking AoO explicitly so that reinforces that Fight Defensively allows."

<OOC> Syval says, "Cripes, A isn't down? c_c"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You missed him by 1."
Gnoll #03 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 21 (13)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 12 (4)
Gnoll #06 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 24 (16)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 10 (2)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 15 (7)
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval javelin (1d20+6) and gets 26 (20)
Gnoll #10 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 16 (8)

<OOC> Syval says, "Ahh, okay. That makes more sense, thank you."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oy blin"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Honoria continues to tank away. But Syval ... ouch."

<OOC> Syval says, "If you were trying to present a persuasive argument for my adopting Mage Armor, you have succeeded. :D"

<OOC> Syval says, "<- 15 AC w/ Defensive buff"
Gnoll 06 rolls DMG Syval axe (1d8+6) and gets 11 (5)
Gnoll 09 rolls DMG Syval javelin (3d8+18) and gets 30 (7,3,2)
Gnoll 10 rolls DMG Syval axe (1d8+6) and gets 7 (1)

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh my me that's not a sound effect you hear very often."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Wait."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I forgot to confirm that critical hit."
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval javelin (1d20+6) and gets 14 (8)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And ... did not confirm."

<OOC> Syval wipes brow with all 15 AC.

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you for catching that so I didn't have to, literally."
Gnoll 09 rolls DMG Syval javelin (1d6+6) and gets 7 (1)

<OOC> Syval says, "So is that 25 damage to me?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK, So 7, 7, and 11. 25 damage for this round."

<OOC> Syval says, "18 HP"

<OOC> Syval says, "My go now?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes. Your action?"
Syval steps 5ft SW and swings defensively on A.
Syval rolls Bardiche_Def (1d20+6) and gets 16 (10)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 17 (10)

<OOC> Syval says, "+1 HP, now 19."

<OOC> Syval says, "Aww, pretty swing, but a miss."
Neosodos rolls To Hit on Gnoll 9 (1d20+10) and gets 18 (8)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Good job, Neo."

<OOC> Syval passes the good dice back to Neos under the table. <.< >.>
Goll 09 rolls Poison save (1d20+7) and gets 21 (14)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Damnit. Bastard made it."
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 sword1 (1d20+18) and gets 29 (11)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 sword1 (1d10+8) and gets 9 (1)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 sword2 (1d20+13) and gets 16 (3)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield1 (1d20+21) and gets 38 (17)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield1 (1d6+8) and gets 12 (4)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 26 (10)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield2 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. #6 is decased."

<OOC> Syval says, "Round 3: 6 Gnolls remaining..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie is going to split her missiles. She's sending one at #3, and the rest at #8"
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG #3 (1d4+1) and gets 3 (2)
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG #8 (7d4+8) and gets 27 (4,2,2,4,1,4,2)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So now we are down to 5 gnolls remaining. #3 is off the board."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jyslin is going to try to take out #10, here, since he is the only one in 5' range of her."
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 right1 (1d20+16) and gets 32 (16)
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 right1 (1d6+8) and gets 11 (3)
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 left1 (1d20+16) and gets 21 (5)
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 left1 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And we drop A/10. Down to 4 gnolls remaining."

<OOC> Syval says, "A is dying the death of a thousand cuts over here."

<OOC> Syval says, "12 on 5 and alas not one Grease was cast this day."

<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you~ Jyslin. And if she steps correctly she might even block future javelin throws from 9."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. 9 is aiming javelin @ Syval. 5,8,7 are attacking Honoria. Because of course they are."

<OOC> Syval says, "Hey if I was that close I'd take a swing too..."

<OOC> Syval says, "*Ahem* I mean, 'oh no! Those vile gnolls!'"
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval javelin (1d20+6) and gets 14 (8)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 9 (1)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 24 (16)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 21 (13)

<OOC> Syval says, "My last round was defensive so AC is 15. The javelin misses barely."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So ... Syval. Your call."

<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry, was prepping the rice. I'm torn between the theatric and the effective..."

<OOC> Syval says, "Is the spear I took dead on (20, unconfirmed crit) still (1) embedded in me or immediately nearby and (2) still largely in one piece?"

<OOC> Syval says, "I'm tempted to return to sender."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Javelin."

<OOC> Syval says, "Javelin sure. Thin spear."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And ... it should be nearby, yes. Since it wasn't a crit, I'm going to say it's not actually embedded."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh wait a tick, I actually don't know how to throw one..."

<OOC> Syval forgot Wizards don't get Simple Weapon Proficiency. Oh embarrassment.

<OOC> Syval says, "Ah what the heck he still deserves it. I do not care. -4 penalty I will live with."

<OOC> Syval says, "Well then, I'll Move to pick it up then give it a chuck back where it came from. Incoming on 9."

<OOC> Syval says, "+8 RAB so that's +8 -4 = +4 to-hit for 1d6 (Medium javelin) + 4 (STR) + 1 (Arcane Strike) = 1d6+5 damage?"
Syval rolls Bloodied Javelin (1d20+4) and gets 5 (1)
Syval rolls BlJavelin (1d6+5) and gets 11 (6)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. Miss."

<OOC> Syval says, "Natural 1 miss no less."

<OOC> Syval says, "Also 20 HP, +1 healing."
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #08 sword1 (1d20+18) and gets 34 (16)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #08 sword2 (1d20+13) and gets 16 (3)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield1 (1d20+21) and gets 33 (12)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 36 (20)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #08 sword1 (1d10+8) and gets 16 (8)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield1 (1d6+8) and gets 10 (2)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield2 (1d6+8) and gets 14 (6)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "8 is ded."

<OOC> Syval says, "Honoria is carrying this encounter. This is so~ going to skew the loot splits later. :D"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li ponders. I think Jyslin is going to step in on 7 and slash. Little Neo is going to try to stab #9.

<OOC> Syval says, "Go for it!"
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 right1 (1d20+16) and gets 30 (14)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 right1 (1d6+8) and gets 14 (6)
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 right2 (1d20+11) and gets 22 (11)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 right2 (1d6+8) and gets 14 (6)
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 left1 (1d20+16) and gets 31 (15)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 left1 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 left2 (1d20+11) and gets 27 (16)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 left2 (1d6+8) and gets 13 (5)
Neosodos rolls tail strike Gnoll #09 (1d20+11) and gets 15 (4)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sadly, Neo misses. Oh. Wait! Neo gets flanking/surprise!"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "7 is ded."

<OOC> Syval :D

<OOC> Syval says, "And then there were 2..."
Gnoll #09 rolls Save vs. Poison (1d20+7) and gets 12 (5)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And ... Gnoll #09 slumps to the ground."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, 5 is the only Gnoll still standing. And as this is the end of round 4, he just fell out of rage and is exhausted. Poor bastich."

<OOC> Syval says, "He came to his senses just in time to realize his defeat. <3"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie is just not the 'exterminate them all' sort, so I can't see her bothering to use her attack this round to blast his arse. So, ding ding, Round 5."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And before we resolve any further, he needs to make Fortitude save."
Gnoll #05 rolls Fortitude (1d20+7) and gets 19 (12)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He does not collapse. Morale check, lonely gnoll ..."
Gnoll #05 rolls Morale (1d20+1) and gets 7 (6)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yeah. He's running away. Or trying. As he is already exhausted, he's not going to get very far."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Your call, Syval. Are we giving chase?"

<OOC> Syval says, "I am, absolutely. Whether there's anything to catch after I reach him is another matter. He's not teleporting after all."

<OOC> Syval says, "Once he retreats do I have a clear line straight to him to Charge?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. He's running away past Neo. So, I'm going to have Neo stealth and strike as he passes by. He will get 15 feet. So he is within a full move of Syval."
Neosodos rolls Stealth (1d20+18) and gets 29 (11)
Neosodos rolls tail strike Gnoll #05 (1d20+15) and gets 35 (20)
Neosodos rolls tail strike Gnoll #05 (1d20+15) and gets 33 (18)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Crit confirmed."
Gnoll #05 rolls Poison save (1d20+7) and gets 26 (19)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Whoof. Even with the penalty for the crit, he pushes it off."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Care to charge?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Wow. Does that leave him flanked to me?"

<OOC> Syval says, "And gladly, yes. Charge moves at up to 2x Move so I'm charging him with my bardiche pulled back for an arcane power attack. This one's catharsis..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "When you catch him? Yes."

<OOC> Syval says, "1d20+10 +2 (Flank) -2 (Pwr) + 2 (Charge) = 1d20+12 to-hit. 1d10+6 (STR.5)+1(Arcane)+6(Pwr) = 1d10+13 damage"
Syval rolls Bardiche_PwrChg (1d20+12) and gets 20 (8)
Syval rolls Bdc_PwrChg_Damage (1d10+13) and gets 23 (10)

<OOC> Syval says, "Also 21 HP."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And he's deceased."

<OOC> Syval says, "Did my math wrong on the rice. It'll be 5:30 before it's done then I still need to cook fish. I forgot about pre-heat time for a cup of water."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That leaves #9, sleeping. I regret to inform that Neo intends to slice his throat."

<OOC> Syval says, "Which is actually perfect. By then we should be back into posing where there will be gaps. :)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Eh I'm satisfied now. He earned 9."

<OOC> Syval says, "I was going to behead him if no one else got there first. This'll be a little dragon bonding for us."
----
After the battle finally ends, Jyslin goes jogging out into the night, sweeping the area, making sure there are no more where these came from. Honoria checks first on Syval, clucking disappointed at him. "Syval of Amlar, wise wizards do not purposefully put themselves in the heart of combat, especially not in ways none of their compatriots can defend them." Andromeda approaches, shaking her head slightly. "The bleeding appears to have stopped. I can help speed things up, but I am sure you will be fine soon. Glad to see the damage is not worse." Neosodos vents some of his frustration and anger on the unconscious Gnoll #09, clawing out his throat quite viciously before the poison can fade and allow him to rise.
----
Jyslin returns after about twenty minutes. "I do not see any sign of more trouble. But the scent of these bodies will surely draw predators. We might be best to move on." In this case, she does not seem terribly inclined to search these targets, but taht does not mean there is nothing to be found. She does make a point of retrieving her glowing arrow from the body of Gnoll #09 once Neosodos is done, extinguishing the silvery light from around it before wiping it off, cleansing it, and then returning it to her quiver along with her bow as her mysterious 'handles' disappear up her sleeves once more.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Sanity check, normal HP for people around Delzimmer would be 10-20 HP for non-combat occupations and 30-40 for most fighting ones like guards and mercenaries?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Id est, I've taken enough wounds to drop most people and even kill a few of them?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sure"

<OOC> Syval grins. "I know what she actually did but it is amusing to think Honoria got so incensed that she said that in Common."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Obviously, that was in Maenast. Sorry."
----
Injured from a multitude of gashes, cuts, and one deep wound where a javelin passed his side, Syval looks more than slightly worse for wear as he flicks his bardiche aside to clear its blade of blood then thumps the sturdy weapon pommel-first into the dirt. Panting, he winces before doubling forward as a hand goes to his largest wound. Though it was easily lost in the heat of battle, even with Jyslin's timely healing the young mage has wounds enough to drop most people - or even kill them. Instead the bloodied young man is visibly pained but still mobile. If there's one consolation it's that most of his clothes aren't on to be dirtied.

"<I'll be fine. Never said I was a great mage - the bardiche has always been more comfortable to me. You're okay? >" he replies through gritted teeth even as he pushes himself back up straight with a grunt then looks out upon the field of dead bodies, spotting even through the dark Neos' diminutive and angry form. The little creature's ferocity earns an approving smile and in the quiet after battle, he walks the bloodied grasses, turning over corpses with his foot while checking them briefly for anything of value.
----

<OOC> Syval probably does not know the word for 'bardiche' and just said 'blade' or something like it actually.

<OOC> Syval is not doing a thorough investigation because dead gnolls /stink/ but he'll look for the big, the obvious, or the shiny.
----
"" Honoria answers. Jyslin glances between the two and shrugs. "Do you want me to bind those wounds or heal them?" apparently unaware that Andromeda also offered. The redhead says nothing more.

Neosodos finishes venting his frustrations and then rolls about in the grass, cleaning himself off fastidiously before he returns to his mistress none the worse for wear.

As many attacks as there were, only Syval seems to have taken any harm this early morning, other than the gnolls themselves.

A cursory examination turns up that each of the gnolls has leather pouch amulet around his heck which smells particularly foul in some unclean way. In addition, though their weapons are not of poor manufacture, they are none of them masterwork, let alone magical. Most can also be found to have had a sack, though most of the contents would not be of much interest to the group. There are perhaps a couple hundred bronze pieces between them. Also one of them has a human man's crudely severed yet oddly preserved hand and forearm in his pouch, with a wide bracelet around the wrist which appears to be made of some curious blue metal.
----
"Not much in this mess of course," Syval grumbles to himself as he checks body after body before spotting the large bulge in one gnoll's pouch. "Now what is in... ..."

"Eww." The mage grimaces in disgust before holding the limb up for the group. "This looks valuable, with the arm off it at least." By the time Jyslin returns and checks on the group, the green-haired young man's wounds have, to a one, closed, sealed, and covered over with new skin, though from a distance the dried blood still makes things look much the same. Moving once again comfortably, Syval shakes his head to Jyslin's offer. "I'm fine. Just need to wash. You want to do a rite for this or should I just pry it off?" he asks, showing the priestess what's left of an earlier gnoll conquest.
----
Jyslin sniffs. "It ... well. It smells like gnoll. But not like rot." Which is weird. It's a severed arm; it should definitely show signs of rot. But it does not. "If we can get the bracelet off, yes, let's bury it properly. Can you ask Honoria to lend a hand with the tents while you and I see about this bracelet?" As stated, they really should move on.
----
Syval nods. "It can't come with us anyway; the smell would give us away," he affirms before turning back to Honoria and gesturing the knight towards the campsite. "<We're leaving before this smell attracts predators. Can you help Andie pack the camp?>"
----

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Let's see how luck you are. What's your craft again?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Which one?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Craft skill specializations"

<OOC> Syval says, "Jewelry 8, Calligraphy 5, Alchemy 5."

<OOC> Syval says, "So which Craft skill do you want?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jewelry, definitely."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "See if you can figure out where the catch might be, some way to get it open."
Syval rolls C:Jewelry (1d20+8) and gets 12 (4)

<OOC> Syval says, "Me and my not-taking-10 nonsense. One day I shall learn...!"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Apparently not. Must be very cleverly concealed."

<OOC> Syval says, "Well that's what STR checks are for..."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Go ahead."
Syval rolls Strength (1d20+4) and gets 17 (13)
----
The lady knight nods and after cleaning her shield and sword she follows the lady witch and her familiar back to the campsite to help break things down and pack things up.

Jyslin tries to help Syval examine the bracelet, trying to get it open or off the severed arm. They cannot seem to find a catch, and then Syval tries to force it open. In that process he manages to slice through the arm with the bracelet. He also manages to almost completely sever one of his own fingers; the bracelet itself is thoroughly unimpressed by all of this.

"OK. Maybe resist the urge to try to break things that are pretty visibly magical in unknown fashion next time." Jyslin's tone implies that might be a lesson Syval slept through back at the Academy, at least in her opinion.

Jyslin does not offer to heal the finger, but lets Syval heal himself up in his own time. Meanwhile, she does take the severed arm pieces and buries them, placing a rite over them, and leaving the bracelet in Syval's care.

When the priestess returns, she heads over to help put the finishing touches on getting everything packed up, their campsite brushed away almost as if it had never been. And then the group heads off as dawn finally rises.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "c_C"

<OOC> Syval says, "I was actually trying to pull it off the arm, like... past the wrist? But off is off, so okay."

<OOC> Syval says, "Surprisingly sharp little ting."

<OOC> Syval says, "*thing"

<OOC> Syval says, "Since I haven't done a full 8hrs sleep plus fresh preparation do I still have whatever spell slots were unused since yesterday morning?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes."
----
Syval winces at the painful process of freeing the bracelet and shoots Jyslin a mild glare. "If you have a better solution next time you can try," he retorts before tucking the bracelet into his belt and walking back into camp cradling his newly injured hand. The green-haired mage mutters an incantation to himself to summon a spell from the previous day's preparations and, with a glow of cleansing green light, the dirt and blood covering his body melts away, leaving the young man once more clean before dressing.

Not having for sleeping on the warm and dry night it's not long before Syval has his pack shouldered and is looking much like he did the morning before, minus a little residual grumpiness.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Once we're underway and a ways away from our old campsite I'll tuck in behind Jyslin and Detect Magic to study the bracelet while we walk unless someone wants me for anything."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Appraisal; you can also roll on C:Jewelry if you want to pump the bonus/lower the DC. And a Spellcraft; you can throw in a K: Arcana if you want for similar reasons."

<OOC> Syval says, "Is that either or, or run all of them for max effect?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "All, for max effect, as you see fit."

<OOC> Syval says, "Not sure why I wouldn't then. Here goes~!"
Syval rolls Appraisal (1d20+9) and gets 24 (15)
Syval rolls C:Jewelry (1d20+8) and gets 13 (5)
Syval rolls Spellcraft (1d20+8) and gets 19 (11)
Syval rolls K:Arcane (1d20+9) and gets 25 (16)
----
"Honestly, I was going to pull a knife and see about dismembering to get it off." Jyslin admits; if Syval wants to be crankypants with her, she doesn't much care. What's done is done. Once she has her rather large pack up on her shoulders, the moonpriestess weretigress takes the lead as the group heads off. Honoria seems to naturally gravitate beside Syval, likely owing to the fact that he seems to be the only one who can talk to her and understand her.

True, Neosodos can. But he hasn't been trying.

The bracelet is magical - as expected. Close examination turns up a few interesting curiosities. The first of these is that the curious blue metal is in fact some kind of magical construct all on its own: blue crystal - quite possibly either colored blue glass, or actual sapphire - hardened by magic to act as if it were finesteel. That alone makes it very, very valuable in the right market. But with sufficient study Syval can also determine that it has some magical properties beyond its construction, relating to abjuration and necromancy, along with the usual enchantments for duration.
----
"Well, here's another one for the cave," Syval murmurs to himself. This sun is up, the path is clear, and he's got a shiny new and very valuable trinket to study. Thankfully it doesn't take much more than that to cure the young wizard's mood. With plenty of time yet ahead of him, he also fiddles about with the bracelet's edges in a renewed search for its elusive latch.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "If so permitted, taking-20 on Craft: Jewelry to figure out how this slips on and off. Again unless someone wants to talk to me. :)"
With another hour of study, Syval is eventually able to figure out a few interesting tidbits, the first of which is that the edgers of the bracelet are ''intentionally'' sharp, meant to actually bite into the flesh of the wearer; the assumption, given some of the magic being sensed is that this powers the necromantic magicks of the bracelet. By managing to find, and then read the runes in the odd material, Syval can command the bracelet to 'open' and then 'close'; when it opens, it grows nearly two-hundred percent in size, making it easy to slide on. Given readings on the matter the young wizard can be marginally certain the bracelet will then adjust when commanded to close, to stop when it properly fits the new wearer.

<OOC> Syval says, "Hmm, opportunities for bad decisions abound..."

<OOC> Syval says, "There's nothing more I can learn from further study of the ring's magic correct? My study caps at auras unless it's a spell I already know?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Bracelet"

<OOC> Syval says, "Bracelet sorry. Typo."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Unless you have Identify, or a lot of magical experimentation."

<OOC> Syval thumbs up. "Thank you. Wanted to make sure my limited OOC knowledge matched Syval's somewhat greater IC knowledge on how studying magic stuff works."
----
Inwardly Syval smiles a bit when he figures out how to make the bracelet grow and shrink back to its normal size but the young man stops short of actually putting it on just yet. The necromantic aura is... well, necromantic. Besides it's sharp. "What a strange item..." Lifting his head, he turns to the resident witch of the group and hails, "Andie, do you know anything of necromancy? This odd bracelet is glowing with it, and abjuration. It's got a sharp edge that seems to cut in on purpose, maybe blood powered."
----
Andie turns and reaches a hand back for the bracelet, examining it closely. "Probably blood-bonded. A not uncommon practice for some esoteric protective items. Necromancy does not always mean relating to undeath. It can also relate to magicks of life. I will need a few hours to study it to determine more. But I can tell you, I do not sense an implicit threat in the bracelet."
----

<OOC> Syval says, "I'm sorry I forgot to ask before, what are the parameters for the Shave cantrip?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Parameters?"

<OOC> Syval says, "Casting time, V S M, duration?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Thank you. That clarifies."
----
Syval strokes his chin thoughtfully at the redhead's answer, then pauses and frowns as he scratches at the scruff on his cheek. The gnolls interrupted his morning shave too. "Take your time then. Would blood-bonding prevent us from taking it back off until we die like it's old owner?"
----
"Not generally, no." Andie answers. "However, that's not impossible. It happens sometimes." Always be scrupulously honest; lives can depend upon it. "I should be able to confirm that risk, or discount it, after my examination." Andie offers.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "You know I just realized... I haven't used a single wizard spell slot in..."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ever actually. I've just been using study time to change my day's cantrips. I should be more cognizant of that."

<OOC> Syval says, "There's nothing for me to study over lunch. :D"
----
The green-haired mage nods back at the offer and the young woman's counsel. "Have fun studying then," and he seems to actually mean it. Then out of consideration for the one woman in earshot who didn't follow, Syval turns to Honoria and summarizes, "<Necromancy and abjuration magic. Andie thinks it's safe and connects to the wearer's blood, but it needs more study.>"
----
Honoria listens, glancing towards the bracelet and then back to the mage in question. "" she admits. "" She thumps her gauntleted hand upon the large shield on her arm. "< Gardinaria was attuned and bound to me, and has never failed me. >"
----
"<Your shield?>" Syval infers, realizing that not once so far had the normally curious mage inspected the chevalier's arms and armor. Well, no time like the present. "<What enchantments does your equipment have?>"
----

<OOC> Syval yawns a little. "D'aww. So little time now that we're into the RP part again. This evening flew."

<OOC> Syval is good for a little longer but probably not a lot longer.
----
Honoria considers Syval for a bit. "< Well, surely a wizard would know better than I? >" she asks. Not that she won't answer, but she's entitled to say that her own descriptions will be anecdotal and thusly maybe not up to Syval's desired accuracy.

"< My armor is the least of the magicks crafted for me. Chevalier Plate armor was crafted to be very light, closely and personally fitted to the wearer. It is reinforced, and made of the finest metals and craftsmanship. It also has spells upon it which enable me to find comfort in any temperature or condition. I can also sleep in the armor without the usual discomforts, though I must still remove it for proper ablutions. >" Honoria explains.

"< Gardinaria is the strongest magic made for me. She was not just fitted to me, but bound to me in ritual during her shaping and crafting. She is lighter than her size would demand, and incredibly resilient. She will even slowly repair herself if she succumbs to damage, unless she is destroyed. >" Clearly, Honoria sounds quite proud of this.

"< Gardinaria protects from magic and the like, as well as physical harm. And she is expressly handy against flights of arrows. >" Important for a knight leading campaigns against mounted horse archer barbarians of the tribes, to be sure. "< Gardinaria is always aware of threats around us, and warns me to act. >"
----
Syval looks to the knight's enchanted equipment as Honoria speaks to each. Not having truly done so before the young man's gaze is attentive and insightful, spotting the venting and noting the joinings between intricate bronzework and the armor's remarkably thin steel base. "< Amazing, >" the mage breathes in a hushed reverence. It's yet another affirmation that the young woman is someone truly special from a far-off time. "< Armor crafted like yours is almost unheard of in this time even before Art is put upon it. I saw a little of your shield's magic when I was studying the bracelet, >" Syval confesses with an amused chuckle. ""
----
Honoria looks curious at Syval and shrugs. "" She clearly does not even know enough about magic to recognize hyperbole. "< The magicks of my weapons are simple, by comparison, I am sure. My sword is a guardian's bane blade. My lance is, as you have seen, crafted to condense itself for ease. The ring upon its base is bound to the ring upon my right hand. And the lance itself is a shocklance. >" The terms used, here and there, are hard to translate, and may require consultation with Neosodos.
----
"< All things of great rarity and value in this day, but... my Maenast maybe is not so good. I understand most of the Art upon your weapons, >" Syval confesses. "< And you received all of that as a knight commander? >"
----
Honoria shakes her head. "< No. The blade and lance I had before the campaigns of the war began. The armor I earned upon graduation as Knight Commander. Gardinaria was completed during the retreat. >" she explains. Since she does not know another language that she can share with you to help with training and translations, she leaves it to you to ask for clarifications, or get help from Neosodos.
----
"" the green-haired mage admits enviously as he shows his bardiche and part-time walking stick. "< Some wizards do learn how to imbue Art into the object bound to them but it's an advanced skill and almost none choose to bind a weapon as their focus. I doubt if I will achieve that - their Art is... >" Here Syval pauses, trying to find a word for his thoughts. "<Wrong for me.>"
----

<OOC> Vanya says, "Phone."
----
Honoria listens and at first she does not question. She has already proven she knows nothing of the modern world, and little of the Art. She certainly is no authority on either. But she is bright enough to be curious, so she asks, "< The Academy's Art is wrong for you? Then how did you end up studying with them? What path will you seek now? >"
----

<OOC> Vanya says, "Back. Sorry for the wait."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "NP. *snugs*"
----
Syval tilts his head back and looks up for a few seconds at the sky overhead as he gathers his thoughts. Little might the chevalier know how far back the answer stretches. "< It's a long story. Ask me after we've made camp, that would be a good time for it. For now, it's because the Academy is the /only/ path of arcane study even if they are far from knowing everything about the Weave. >"
----
Honoria seems non-plussed by this, but she says nothing. Chances are she views this as not being her business to speak. Given that the others do not speak Maenast - other than Neosodos - they have nothing to add on the modern state of such things.
As the group continues largely quietly, with minimal commentary, Neosodos remains quite visible on Andie's shoulder, glowing brilliantly as the walking witch is visibly communing with her familiar. After about three hours journey, Jyslin holds up a hand to bring the group to a halt, then slinks off very carefully through the tall grasses, moving about two hundred yards further east and a bit north. Then she kneels down, checking something, before lifting her hand and waving the group closer.
----
Syval will be aware that something has died up ahead. As the group gets close enough, the others will bear witness to what at first appear to be the fallen, dessicated corpses of a group of children numbering eight. Only more careful examination will finally reveal that these bodies were not in fact human, but gnomish, and the bodies show clear evidence of vicious and terrible wounds, both with massive and blades and savage biting and gnawing.

Syval tightens the grip on his weapon and scans their surroundings when Jyslin halts the party, then advances to the priestess' position with half an eye upon the surrounding grasslands. He frowns at the findings and crouches down to study the bodies more closely. "The gnolls or something else?" he asks to Jyslin.
----
Vanya rolls Perception (1d20+12) and gets 26 (14)
----
"Gnolls. Six to eight days." Jyslin offers, sighing softly. "I do not know how their bodies specifically decay. I don't have the experience to judge any better than that." It is the first time anyone has ever mentioned aloud that different species in the Shaar actually decompose differently. But gnomes are inherently magical, and in a way different from either dragons - which no mortals can honestly comprehend - or elves, which no humans are generally privy to understanding. "Little guys fought hard, but they were vastly overmatched in numbers, and couldn't make up for that with their nature magic."

Andromeda, looking over the site of the heinous murder, simply lowers her eyes. "I know we are all tired. But I would appreciate it if we could agree to bury them."

At her words, Jyslin shucks her backpack and carries it a distance away, then comes back with two spades. "Sorry. These are the only two I have."

Honoria extracts a shovel from her own gear, and prepares to assist. "< You died with honor, ancient friends of the land. May you return to it, and find some measure of peace. >" she murmurs.
----

<OOC> Vanya says, "Phone again"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Back again."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "WB."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Thank you, and that should be it for the day I think."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li has managed to finish most of what I will need to do in the kitchen, too.

<OOC> Vanya says, "Hmm, and I never did sort out Syval's pack for the journey. He's familiar with back country but also not one to carry a lot of what he won't need."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Wow 12lb for a folding shovel, 8lb for a regular one. I mean, my light load is 100 pounds but still..."

<OOC> Vanya says, "I suppose my bardiche doesn't serve as much of a shovel either."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Not a good shape for it unless I'm just trying to break up soil."
----
At the suggestion Syval stabs his bardiche into the ground, leaving it upright, and drops his own pack as well before fishing out a fourth shovel for the group. "Fine by me. The gnolls must have stalked this area if they found us both almost a ten-day apart," he considers nonplussed before shouldering his tool and looking back to the group's priestess. "Where would you like the holes?"
----

<OOC> Vanya figures there are enough uses for a shovel that it'd be odd not to have one for himself.
----
Largely without words, the group is able to work, scarring the turf to mark out eight separate graves, and then each can work on digging two of them. The soul is relatively easy to dig into once the turf itself is peeled away, but it is heavy and not rock free. Thankfully the group of four includes three who are quite strong enough to work any larger rocks free; only Andie seems to struggle with this, but she tends to work around them until someone can spend a minute or two to help her lever one out and get it clear.

Once the holes are dug, Andie calls forth an unseen servant and asks it to carry each body's remnants to a separate grave. Andie then - quite generously - tasks the unseen servant to refill each grave with the dirt and stones that have been extracted, and return the sod to cover each one.

"As creatures of nature, this is their way, to be left to renew the cycle of life and become one with it. If we knew their names, I could try to task a sparrow to carry a message of their loss. But at least this way they can be lain to rest." Andie offers. Jyslin lays rites upon each one, not claiming their dead for Selune, but imbuing the ground with enough of her goddess' power that they will not be easily or haphazzardly raised as undead.

Honoria is the one to mention, "< Perhaps we could move a bit away, and everyone might appreciate a rest? >"
----
Syval casts his own incantation once the grave sites are dug and one by one passes a simple cleaning spell across the group and their tools. His own part in the rites is one of quiet observation though a somber frown does tug his lips. The young man is no stranger to death but neither is he inured to it.

At the knight's question he looks over and thinks for a moment then nods before turning back to the others. "We should move away, then take a rest over lunch."
Andie looks towards young Syval, and Jyslin as well, and both nod. "Sounds good." the priestess offers. The group can then move back to the south away from this site, and then set up camp. Once Andie has put up the fire put - as usual - Jyslin starts on cooking, and Honoria sits quietly, rubbing, cleaning and checking over her own gear in great and fastidious detail. For her own part, Andie sits very quietly, slowly stroking her hands over Neosodos' scales as he lays across her lap, until at last the drake slides out from under her hands and slips into the grasses, disappearing as is his want.

Syval helps pitch tents to offer the group shade from the mid-day heat then turns away from the rest and sits down beside his bardiche, overlooking the grassy hills they'd just passed in what is loosely the meditative pose Andie had shown him earlier. His breathing comes deeply at first then slow and regular as he focuses inward, tuning out the camp.
----

<OOC> Vanya says, "Will take-10: 21"
----
As Syval focuses his mind and meditates, he is finding it easier and easier to blot out the distractions of the world, find that inner emptiness, and within it the spark of that essence. And reaching for it is also becoming easier, more stable; it is, bit by bit, becoming less slippery.

None of that makes this easy. Especially in that moment when he finally grasps it, the roar sounds through him, echoing, thrumming with that memory of rage, and his mind is again awakened to those draconic presences. Without the cavern being open, the sense is only of those here on this side of the Shaar. But that also makes the feel of them more immediate, more real.

And there is surprise - but likely not shock - that Neosodos has made his way all the way around and across camp and is barely a foot or so away from the mageling.

The thought does come to Syval's mind to break his meditation and address the Eldritch Wyrm. 'So there.' 'Yes, I figured it out.' 'Of course I know we're alike.' Choices, feelings, mingled pride and indignation at the small yet powerful drake, but with a breath the dragon-touched mage pushes them aside. The openness of doing this where Neos can see him is statement enough. And so he holds his mind pointed in the inside-out way of peering into his core and through it seeing the world. There's one dragon soul he can sense which is friendly, the one by his side. The rest and especially the frozen heart of the mountain range high above, he'd rather avoid.

Yet in its own way the oppressive sense of the other dragons close upon him is invigorating, motivating. It wouldn't do to stumble around like a freshly hatched wyrmling with such an audience. Even a lesser dragonoid still has his pride. So Syval doesn't rush nor draw away, soaking in the light and energy from his spark before once more reaching out this time with confidence and mind settled to grasp it.
----

<OOC> Vanya says, "Will take-10: 21"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Brief afk to start soup."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "What's he trying to do with it? He has hold of it; holding it is what brings the sense of dragons and the roar. He has managed not to let go. Now he wants to do a thing."

<OOC> Vanya says, "And soup's on."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Ah sorry. I thought passing the roar and grabbing it were two stages. This time... something inward. Focusing on that enhancement and vitality it seemed to offer before. Is that an option?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sure."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Wow 15 minutes. That was longer than I thought it."

<OOC> Vanya doesn't have this soup making down as tightly as he thought.
Name set.

<OOC> Syval also fixes that. Dang adiscon.

<OOC> Syval says, "Read: Trying not to startle the party and prompt too many questions before he explains to Honoria tonight."
----
Holding the spark firmly - resisting its urges to slip away - Syval can feel the many aspects of 'draconic-ness' simmering, and he must sift through those, seeking out a path. Looking for the path to enhancement and vitality, what Syval finds wells up within him, threatening to erupt; and with it he can feel great physical changes at hand, held off by a knife's edge of will given his desire not to 'show off' in front of others just yet. He can almost feel the hard, ridged edges of jade-hued scales scraping along the inside of his skin, an ache at his jaw and sides of his head, a raw bubbling power within his throat ...

How far will this spark go? There are likely to be only two ways to find out: give in and find out first hand, or consider asking Neosodos.
----
Tension, constraint, pressure... Seeking more of the invigorating rush of power from his spark, Syval's instead now trapped by his own form. It's a brief moment after he reflexively squeezes back upon the spark's urge to burst past his control once freed to flow but it's a shock that feels longer. There's far more here than the simple potential of enhancement magic, the wizard's most familiar realm of transmutation Art, and as that moment passes he gives in once again to abandon and his desire to know, to /be/ whatever the spark makes him.

Turning the same time he opens his eyes, Syval smiles proudly at the mottled red-orange pseudodragon beside him.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "(Assuming that passes.)"

<OOC> Syval says, "Almost time for me to take my dinner afk."
----
As Syval holds the change at the brink, examining it, seeking to understand it, he will be able to find an instinctual understanding: easiest for him, right now, would be letting it loose, transforming into some sort of human/dragon hybrid. His instincts can tell him that doing so will almost certainly result in devastation to clothing worn above the waist, as wings will rip free of his back and shoulders, and a tail will be taking care of most of what he might be wearing below the waist.

Some adaptation and preparation may be in order.
----
Syval can also tell that tipping in a different direction would be transforming into a fully draconic shape. His sense is that his draconic essence is young, and thusly smaller by comparison. Not nearly so tiny as Neosodos, but still smaller than the usually massive male is likely to find happy.

Once Syval manages to wrestle his way back from the edge, carrying his connection with the spark back to the real world is difficult - it is still slippery - but it is not impossible. This time, at least, it is not a mere moment's time and then lost. And as his eyes open, taking in once more that outside world, the head of the Eldritch Wyrm peeks up above the grass, golden orbs watching the human quite closely. "< Much better, Brother. >" that voice sounds in his mind. This time he can tell instantly that the 'sounds' of those thoughts are not those of Maenast, nor Shaaren, but that other language that his mind comprehends instinctively.
----
Satisfaction and anticipation fill the young dragonoid's mind at his accomplishment and more still, what the near future holds once he can explore more freely. It shows no doubt in his mind if not in his face as Syval takes a deep breath of the grassy air while looking back with his sandy eyes of lesser luster. It might be ambitious but having heard the wyrm in his tongue there's an urge to respond in kind. Still keeping his connection to the slippery spark, Syval tries next to guide its flowing energy through the same path the voice took in his mind while carrying a thought. Hopefully Neos will receive it.

<>
----

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li did include in her pose '... in his mind'; for the record.
----
Neosodos tilts his little dragon head to the side in a curiously feline gesture, and then bobs it in acknowledgement. "< Not the Art, so much as the human way of doing it. >" the drake's mindvoice replies gently. "< It will, I am sure, take a bit to unlearn the old ways, and discover the new. But you have begun. >"

The drake turns those eyes towards the mountains, and then back towards his 'brother'. "< Now that you have begun embracing this power, you will be sensed by other dragons at a much farther range. And if you enter into their claimed territory, you can be assured they will respond. Some very unkindly. >" Hey, not all dragons are asshats. But entirely too many of them are likely to have little patience for a monkey with delusions of scalykind.

"< If you want to learn the draconic path to magic, I recommend reviewing your notes for spells, and feeling out in your mind what draconic word, or words, sum up the smell. Then give that a try. >"
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Da, like I said I assumed that was post-translation from speech. I blame the "" marks maybe. Either way, corrected now."

<OOC> Syval says, "*sum up the spell?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Uhm. Yeah. Whoops. Bad DM. Typo."

<OOC> Syval says, "What do you think of using <<>> for telepathy and "<>" for non-Common speech? That's closer to what I've used in the past and helps distinguish them from one another."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. But how to delineate 'telepathy in foreign language' ?"
----
Syval follows the pseudodragon's gaze, feeling acutely what he's eyeing. << Yes, that one I don't want to disturb. >> But the advice on advancing his magic is encouraging and brings the young man back to a rosy view of the future. Yes, he has much to study and practice...

<< How will I know the reach of their territory? >> He asks, judging prudence worth more than curiosity.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Not sure for that one. I'd be willing to cross that bridge when we come to it since telepathy so far is point-to-point so we don't have to care about whether someone other than the recipient can understand it."

<OOC> Syval says, "Say if Neos does a party-wide telepathy, we'll be writing it in English, then just tag before or afterwards the language he's "speaking" if it's not Common? I'm open to ideas there if you want to cover that ahead of time."
----
<< Awareness. >> Neosodos responds. << Open nose, open mind. You will know their territory boundary is close long before you get there. >> And the young mageling who is awakening to his draconic nature can well understand that said dragons will be equally as aware he is coming long before he gets there.

Draconic surprise of a dragon is - at a minimum - not an easy or happenstance thing. Assuming it is possible at all.
----
Syval nods in understanding of the answer and the importance behind it. It's something he perhaps won't learn so much as feel. << Your voice sounds much better like this, Neosodos. It's less scratchy than your Common. >> Unsaid but equally understood is that it matches Neosodos the Eldritch Wyrm better than his cat-sized pseudodragon body.
----

<OOC> TEST

<OOC> Syval pokes his connection. "Still good."
----
The little drake snorts, blowing out his feeling. << Dragon mouth, even tiny dragon mouth, not made for human words. >> he admits, mildly frustrated. << Most are surprised I can talk at all. >> He churrrs.

Syval chuckles in sympathy for the drake. << You don't seem one for talk. I haven't heard a word of old Maenast from you since I woke Honoria. >>

<< Because you have been spending time with her, not close enough to me. >> the Eldritch Wyrm explains. << Unlike my larger cousins, the range of my mind-voice is proportionately smaller. There are some that can send their voices into minds a mile away or more. But not me. >> Which doesn't mean he hasn't been keeping up on what the two have been saying to one another. He has ears, most definitely.

<> Syval responds. << Have you even introduced yourself? >>
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Phone?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li shares red (beef & kidney beans) chili. "Sorry. I missed the flash and di d not realize you had posed. My bad."

<OOC> Syval says, "Aww. Welcome back with dinner at least."
----
<< My spoken Maenast is no better than my spoken Shaaren. >> the little drake admits. << And most find it rude to perch on someone I do not know. >> After all, he is Andie's familiar, even if he is happy to be friends with others. << Have any nice berries? >> he inquires, teasingly.

<< None that I found on this morning's walk. Maybe if we pass near woods by night fall, >> the green-haired mage replies with amusement. << And your spoken Maenast would be understood. She is from 60,000 years in the past and I am the only person she can talk to right now. I don't know what she thinks of /green dragons/ but she likes witches; I don't think she would complain at your company. >>

<< Well then, you make introductions, Brother. Explain to her about my mind-voice. She accepts, and I will gladly come for a visit and we can talk. >> Politeness counts! Especially when one is a dragon to be introduced to a princess who is also a bad-ass lady knight.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "FYI, I don't *think* I've mentioned the princess thing in earshot of the party yet, though it is still true. :)"

<OOC> Syval has ICly tried to keep that to himself out of respect for Honoria and owing to the trouble it could cause getting too far out.
----
<< As you wish, >> Syval relents with a nod. Clearly the young man favors a more direct approach, but such is acceptable to him. Looking back towards the distant snowcapped mountains, he lets his mind coil back to his draconic nature and the spark he's still gripping. << This is getting easier with use, I may be able to speak like this as we walk soon. >> Then recalling the raw, bubbling feeling low in his throat he adds darkly, << The next band of gnolls we meet I plan to douse with acid. >>
----

<OOC> Syval is feeling just a little~ caustic over how that ambush went.
----
<< Keep in mind, Brother, that if your breath is that of the color of your hair, it will not be liquid. It will be vapor, and that spreads quickly, easily. Make sure none of us are anywhere in front of you, unless you want us drowning in our own blood as our lungs dissolve. >> Damned pretty picture the drake paints.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "And speaking of dragon traits I hope there were enough opportunities to show that Syval snorts like Neos since well before either of them met. There are little dragon traits he has by nature besides the big obvious ones."

<OOC> Syval says, "Ohhh right, D&D represented green dragon breath as a toxic gas not liquid acid didn't it? I sometimes forget that's a detail not all sources agree upon."

<OOC> Syval says, "Whoo, warning assiduously noted."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Black dragons spit liquid acid. Every dragon should be different. So."

<OOC> Syval says, "Yeah PF flattened them a little and gave the line vs. cone but identical damage mechanics of just simple elemental. That makes things more interesting."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Every type, rather. Hopefully you knew what I meant."

<OOC> Syval says, "So fire can ignite stuff, ice/cold can freeze, acid melts gear (and people), poison gas attacks breathing (and skin?) directly, electric of course plays by its rules and gets really nasty near water."

<OOC> Syval says, "K:Arcane to know whether a green dragon's breath is known to persist, and if so how long?"
Syval rolls K:Arcane (1d20+9) and gets 17 (8)

<OOC> Syval won't take-10 because distracted by talking + spark-tending.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You don't know huge details. But generally green dragon breath is heavier than air. So it would hang around. How long depends in large part on local weather conditions - especially wind - and volume."

<OOC> Syval says, "Oh dear..."

<OOC> Syval says, "Side-note, that feels like an excellent weapon for an evil creature and one with appropriate weight."

<OOC> Syval says, "Not to be used near anything one would consider a friend."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Also note: he's resistant to gases in human form; immune in hybrid or dragon form."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Design of dragon lungs."
----
Syval's eyes swell at the reminder, almost enough to lose the grip on his spark. << Good warning... I'll make sure not to test that in the cavern. It would never leave. >>
----
<< It would fall. But it could be minutes, even hours. >> Neosodos answers honestly.
----

<OOC> Syval says, "Green dragon lungs specifically?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And one of the metallics as well."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But yes. Those who are like greens, only."
----
<< I'm glad my earlier meditation didn't work, >> Syval confesses while awkwardly scratching his hair. << Thank you for the lessons, Neos. I think now I'll try to rest before lunch is ready. I'll introduce you to Honoria when we travel again. >>

<< Certainly. >> Neosodos offers, and then he melts back into the grasses and disappears ... to sight. Syval still has a very good idea of where he is the whole way back to Andie's lap.

Syval grins quietly to himself, enjoying the new little perk to pin down the infamously elusive drake. Then finally he relaxes the grip on his spark and lets it settle as it chooses to before laying back and shutting his eyes. He'll have a few minutes perhaps before lunch is prepared and the gnolls did interrupt some good rest.

----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 04 AM Gnolls

2021-03-14T14:24:03Z

VanyaDoll2: VanyaDoll2 moved page Journey Day 04 Gnoll And Voices to Journey Day 04 AM Gnolls

The night is a relatively quiet one, which does offer Syval more of an opportunity to consider his meditations and their revelations. Jyslin is easy enough to awaken for the mid watch, and as normal she then awakens Andromeda for the morning watch before lying down for more rest herself.

That morning watch is disturbed, however, just an hour or so before dawn when an invisible magical hand shakes Syval's shoulder forcefully and then moves on, awakening Honoria and Jyslin in turn as well. It is in the pre-dawn hour, mostly still dark but with hints of the sky lightening above ... and a wrankling scent wafts to Syval's nose. Something musky, unclean, and multitudinous is approaching.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Can we finish the last scene we had going there before starting up a new one?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I thought we were done?"
<OOC> Vanya sighs. "We're on two different pages then. No, but if you want I guess we can off-screen the rest."
<OOC> Vanya says, "We stopped for the night at the climax where Syval opened his mouth and... <nothing>. It sounds like an acid splash might be what came out, personally I'd flavor that as coming out like a weakened breath weapon with the damage (and spread) of an acid splash without being a literal orb of acid. No answer on whether Syval retained enough connection to that spark to do it successfully or whether he lost his connection afterwards, and no answer on whether there were any other effects he'd notice upon opening his eyes since that energy was described as flowing all throughout him and certainly seemed to add vigor."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. I went to bed last night thinking we were done. Probably because I was tired."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The actions he took are actions that should lead to the execution of a spell. Preferably it should be something from his innate arcane caster spell list. And his visualization and the word he chose would define which spell would result. IIRC, you basically said that you figured the word was something more like 'rar'?"
<OOC> Vanya says, "Yes, that or the nearest dragon equivalent to it."
<OOC> Vanya says, "As a Sorc2 his spell list is meager so like I said last night, not much matches his intention. It'd be a breath weapon if that were possible."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Or maybe it just comes out as a roar. *shrug*"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The problem is, 'speaking a word' is not an activation for breath weapon. It was an intention of a spell. Which is why I am stuck."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Which is probably why my tired brain last night threw up its paws and decided the scene was done, because I couldn't think of what the frell to do."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So I think the best option is the acid blast cantrip. It fires from his throat, because his throat is that of a chlorine-gas-breathing green dragon."
<OOC> Vanya says, "I would have thought 'focus raw magic to the mouth and exhale' was a formula for breath weapon. That's his intention, not a coherent sentence."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Acid blast works then."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And since it was unfocused, his intent wasn't really solid, it kinda falls apart and he loses connection thereafter."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But before he did, he managed to cough up a cantrip of acid."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But this time, no hot sweats and exhaustion, beyond being a little tired. Normal tired."
<OOC> Vanya snickers. "That's good then, thank you."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Syval will count that, and he was worried the connection would slip when he tried to play with it. Still a spontaneous cantrip without its somatic component. That's "special"."
<OOC> Vanya says, "I think that gives me all I need for last night's scene now. On to my pose in the present..."
----
Syval rouses from a start from the pad he'd been sleeping on and grabs the bardiche at his side as he looks around and tries to get his bearings. The mage's nose wrinkles unpleasantly and he moves, quietly, to stand up. Thankfully the bodyguard isn't one for noisy armor, and wears even less to bed in the foothills' warm climate.

As Syval rises up, eyes scanning the dark pre-morning, Jyslin emerges from the tent she shares with Andie doing much the same. Honoria is the least silent of the group, arising from her bedroll smoothly already arrayed in her armor, proof that she never took it off the night before.

Andie inches in amongst the other three and speaks very softly. "Neosodos slunk off a bit. But before he did so, he said he could smell nearly a dozen creatures approaching from the northwest."

Jyslin turns her head in that direction, breathing deeply, and then nods slowly as a bit of a growl enters her throat. "Gnolls."

Honoria grimaces a bit in the darkness. "They'll estimate they have us outnumbered three or four to one. I imagine they will make the attempt on us." She doesn't seem terribly concerned by this; it's all just calmly matter of fact to her.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "This is a silly problem but I am actually not sure what, culturally, would be normal to wear under a sarong. It seems like it'd make a breechcloth redundant and they're essentially braies already."
<OOC> Vanya didn't take good enough clothing notes for Syval, and should revisit them anyway for whatever's normal fashion in Delzimmer.
<OOC> Vanya says, "Ack and copied over my partial pose >.<"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li yerf.
----
As he makes his way over to the group and leans in to listen, Syval straightens the clothes about his waist and peers off towards the stench wafting into camp, putting his nose to the wind like Jyslin. The young man at first grimaces at the scent, then yawns heavily and rolls his shoulders causing the lethargic joints to pop softly. "I'll go in front. I need some exercise," he states blandly before tightening the grip on his shaft and stepping towards the smell to place the party at his back.
----
<OOC> Vanya corrects that his sheet doesn't list his (wizardly) claws and afks for phone.
----
Honoria lays a gauntleted hand lightly on Syval's shoulder once he has translated that for her. "< You have a chevalier with you, Syval of Amlar. Perhaps you could allow me to lead, to do what it is I am meant to do? >" She glances at the women, but apparently dares not presume to tell either a witch nor a priestess what to do or how to do it. And then she leans down to pick up her shield, securing it to her arm firmly. She gathers her helm and slides it down in placeas she readies herself to go forth.

Syval stops and considers the knight, weighing her request before relenting with a nod. "< We'll go together then. >"
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Sorry for short, still on phone."
----
Prepared, Honoria jogs out towards the enemy, guided as best she can manage in the barely lightened darkness as her baraj comes singing free of the scabbard at her hip. Sword and shield fully ready, the lady knight commander is prepared to meet the enemy she can barely make out.

Just as Honoria is closing on the gnolls, guttural cries can be heard as the bestial hyena-men catch wind and sight of their prey, not nearly as hampered in darkness, and they charge.

The moment the gnolls charge, a single silvery glowing object falls from the air, coming from above and behind, and strikes into the chest of one of the gnolls, casting more than enough illumination to make it possible for normal human eyes to pick them all out. And then their charge is met, as axes strike that heavy shield, ringing soundly and rebuffed, the lady knight wading into the opponents she can now see with supreme confidence, calling out wordlessly to challenge their ire and draw them to her.

There are eleven gnolls.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "And back, thank you for waiting."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Should I roll anything or just charge into the fray?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No need to roll anything before you charge as you see fit. But just as an FYI, Honoria is outright unflinchingly tanking against the entire gnoll horde."
<OOC> Vanya says, "I'm less impressed because they're gnolls but it is still very pretty to watch. Not that she has them all to herself..."
----
Not one to be left behind Syval runs out to enter the fray, swinging his bardiche back and high as its blade is shrouded in a green arcana before its wide edge whips forward in an iridescent arc to cleave through the nearest gnoll in time with a primal yell. Lacking any armor or shield of his own, the mage shows no more fear than the chevalier at joining the melee, only staying at two steps' distance to give his polearm room. The opening swing is completed with relish and the blade comes swiftly back in preparation for another, casting a threatening arc for any gnolls that dare to approach them.
----
Gnoll #01 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 25 (17)
Gnoll #02 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 19 (11)
Gnoll #03 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 18 (10)
Gnoll #04 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 20 (12)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 28 (20)
Gnoll #06 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 23 (15)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 15 (7)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 28 (20)
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 22 (14)
Gnoll #10 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 26 (18)
Gnoll #11 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 11 (3)
<OOC> Syval says, "Heh, had to show me up, did you? Look at you all fancy and changing the green text."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So now if I just change to specify who they are rolling against, that should be enough."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, according to my notes, you closed to melee and flanked them after they had swarmed Honoria."
<OOC> Syval says, "We can probably track that in OOC too."
<OOC> Syval says, "According to my backscroll that's what I did too, but~"
<OOC> Syval leans in and nose kisses. "I know a tired cat who shouldn't be over-exerting herself on a Friday night. She should be relaxing."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, gridwise, only 8 can surround a person. So, 1-8 are on Honoria. 1,4,6 are on the side where Syval can reach, and Flank/attack. That leaves 9-11 to peel around on Syval this round, plus any of 1,4,6 who choose to turn and face him rather than Honoria."
<OOC> Syval gasp. "Hex gnolls!"
<OOC> Syval says, "Andie I think one of your cousins may be near."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus. I needed to denote them using only one character space."
<OOC> Syval says, "As a reminder, reach + combat reflexes so anything closing on me will have to work for it. I apologize in advance for all the extra rolls that causes."
<OOC> Syval says, "Hopefully this is like, a gnoll circus trope or something."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, Jyslin's action for the round was her Light spell on the arrow. Neo should go last, IMO. So, Andie's action for the round ... she's not going to risk blasting away with the two of you in the mix. So, witch missile it is."
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG (8d4+8) and gets 33 (3,2,3,3,4,4,3,3)
Andie rolls Witch Missle Target (1d11+0) and gets 11 (11)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So B goes away. Or falls to the ground, smoking. Same difference."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I think given the layout, Neo will attempt to sneak up on A."
Neosodos rolls Stealth (1d20+23) and gets 30 (7)
Gnoll 10 rolls Perception (1d20+2) and gets 12 (10)
Neosodos rolls To Hit on Gnoll 10 (1d20+10) and gets 16 (6)
<OOC> Syval says, "And just to confirm C was the gnoll I dropped with my charge, aye?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Unfortunately, Neo's tail does not penetrate."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No. I'm going to assume that either 4 or 9 is the one you dropped. Pick one."
<OOC> Syval says, "4. It's funnier in Chinese that way."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So 4 is dead. B is dead. 9 has an arrow in him that is glowing. And 2 has been hacked and bashed to paste (eventually) by Honoria."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, start of round 2, Syval, A and 9 are trying to close around you; AoOs please."
<OOC> Syval says, "I'd lick my lips but the stench of gnoll is overpowering and I'm still pretty sleepy."
Syval rolls Bardiche (1d20+10) and gets 25 (15)
Syval rolls Bardiche (1d20+10) and gets 23 (13)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 13 (6)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 8 (1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Those both hit."
<OOC> Syval says, "And hopefully this'll teach me not to choke up when facing something without a hill giant's back hide to protect it. Hopefully. :)"
Gnoll #01 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 11 (3)
Gnoll #03 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 13 (5)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 10 (2)
Gnoll #06 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 17 (9)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 25 (17)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 20 (12)
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 16 (8)
Gnoll #10 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 13 (5)
<OOC> Syval says, "Me and my 11 AC just ate a bit. (Charge -2 penalty) (re)"
<OOC> Syval says, "I saw to-hit rolls but nothing afterwards."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, all three of those hit. Rolling damage."
Gnoll #06 rolls DMG to Syval (1d8+6) and gets 9 (3)
Gnoll #09 rolls DMG to Syval (1d8+6) and gets 13 (7)
Gnoll #10 rolls DMG to Syval (1d8+6) and gets 12 (6)
<OOC> Syval says, "Wow, 34. I actually feel that."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li is pretty sure you felt all of those. :)
<OOC> Syval says, "Now at 31/65 HP."
<OOC> Syval says, "Gnolls definitely hit harder than goblins."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles. "Yes. Yes they do."
<OOC> Syval says, "Who's go?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Syval, you have three Gnolls on you at 5' range. My plan is to roll Honoria next, and then you, unless you object."
<OOC> Syval says, "Go for it."
<OOC> Syval says, "To confirm: A, 9, 1, and 6 are all within 5' of me so that's 4 gnolls not 3?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Right. But one of those is confronting/attacking Honoria, not you."
<OOC> Syval says, "Copy. :)"
MAIL: Mailbox purged.
Name set.
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 sword1 (1d20+18) and gets 26 (8)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 sword2 (1d20+13) and gets 19 (6)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 shield1 (1d20+21) and gets 23 (2)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 35 (19)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "All of those hit, the 19 is a crit, rolling to confirm."
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 29 (13)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hits."
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 sword1 (1d10+8) and gets 15 (7)
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 sword2 (1d10+8) and gets 10 (2)
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 shield1 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 shield2 (2d6+16) and gets 22 (5,1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And #1 is pasted. Another one bites at the dust."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Your target?"
Vanya steps back 5' SW and swings defensively at A.
<OOC> Vanya says, "Ack. >.< Syval does that, not Vanya. Forgot about the rename."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Wait how -- oh! Because it booted my second connection. Oy vey."
Name set.
Syval rolls Bardiche_Def (1d20+6) and gets 24 (18)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 12 (5)
<OOC> Syval says, "+10 -4 (Defensive Fighting) to-hit, FYI."
<OOC> Syval says, "Also +1 HP, now at 32."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. #10/A is 'bloodied'."
<OOC> Syval says, "Wow, 25 damage and still standing? Stur-dy critters. That's the one I hit for 13 earlier on an AoO right?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That's the one you hit with 8 during your AoO"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So damage total done so far is 20"
<OOC> Syval says, "Ahh, I meant to aim it at the more wounded one, which I guess would be 9 then."
<OOC> Syval says, "Whatever. Not a big deal. Drive on. :)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Uhm ... Neo will make an attempt on .... #10."
Neosodos rolls To Hit on Gnoll 10 (1d20+10) and gets 14 (4)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Poor Neo is not rolling well to hit tonight."
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm getting his good rolls tonight."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie will witch missile #6, if no one minds?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Not complaining over here."
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG (8d4+8) and gets 29 (1,3,4,1,4,1,3,4)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Which is not enough to kill that one. but he is definitely feeling it and smoking heavily."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Also, might be worth marking your #9 with a yellow highlight; he's the source of the light."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He has a glowing arrow stuck in him."
<OOC> Syval says, "And I am very entertained by that."
<OOC> Syval says, "Not that he's likely to move far enough from the group that it matters. We can... make sure of that. O:)"
<OOC> Syval says, "And belatedly c_c that one of these things tanked 29 damage and is still standing."
<OOC> Syval says, "I have severely misjudged their HD."
<OOC> Syval says, "I thought they had around 10-15 HP each. I'm off by a wide margin. Also more impressed by Honoria's tanking."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "None of them have rolled a 20 on her. And with her AC, they have to in order to hit her."
Jyslin rolls to hit Syval touch AC (1d20+15) and gets 31 (16)
Jyslin rolls healing on Syval (2d8+3) and gets 11 (6,2)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Syval is healed for 11 hit points, as a sprinting (charging) moonpriestess 'attacks' him with a cure moderate wounds spell"
<OOC> Syval says, "Ack! Surprise cat love! (43 HP)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you, Jyslin. ^_^"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, back to our gnoll friends."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. One AoO from Syval for A. #9 is 5' stepping back and throwing a javelin."
<OOC> Syval says, "Since I used Fighting Defensively on my own turn I'm free to attack without it while retaining the +2 AC, correct?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Still with me?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "New round. So if you're fighting defensively, then do that. I believe you CAN still make AoO while fighting Defensively."
<OOC> Syval says, "New round but not the beginning of my next turn I mean and the +2 AC lasts "until the start of [my] next turn", hence the question."
Syval rolls Bardiche (1d20+10) and gets 17 (7)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 10 (3)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "I'm just saying that so long as fighting defensively does not mean you cann't take AoO, then go for it."
<OOC> Syval says, "It makes no mention so away we go. :)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Syval hacks at #10 as he closes. #10 will be making his attack roll. I need to adjust #9's for his missile weapon."
<OOC> Syval says, "And looks like Total Defense /does/ prevent taking AoO explicitly so that reinforces that Fight Defensively allows."
<OOC> Syval says, "Cripes, A isn't down? c_c"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You missed him by 1."
Gnoll #03 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 21 (13)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 12 (4)
Gnoll #06 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 24 (16)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 10 (2)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 15 (7)
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval javelin (1d20+6) and gets 26 (20)
Gnoll #10 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 16 (8)
<OOC> Syval says, "Ahh, okay. That makes more sense, thank you."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oy blin"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Honoria continues to tank away. But Syval ... ouch."
<OOC> Syval says, "If you were trying to present a persuasive argument for my adopting Mage Armor, you have succeeded. :D"
<OOC> Syval says, "<- 15 AC w/ Defensive buff"
Gnoll 06 rolls DMG Syval axe (1d8+6) and gets 11 (5)
Gnoll 09 rolls DMG Syval javelin (3d8+18) and gets 30 (7,3,2)
Gnoll 10 rolls DMG Syval axe (1d8+6) and gets 7 (1)
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh my me that's not a sound effect you hear very often."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Wait."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I forgot to confirm that critical hit."
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval javelin (1d20+6) and gets 14 (8)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And ... did not confirm."
<OOC> Syval wipes brow with all 15 AC.
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you for catching that so I didn't have to, literally."
Gnoll 09 rolls DMG Syval javelin (1d6+6) and gets 7 (1)
<OOC> Syval says, "So is that 25 damage to me?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK, So 7, 7, and 11. 25 damage for this round."
<OOC> Syval says, "18 HP"
<OOC> Syval says, "My go now?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes. Your action?"
Syval steps 5ft SW and swings defensively on A.
Syval rolls Bardiche_Def (1d20+6) and gets 16 (10)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 17 (10)
<OOC> Syval says, "+1 HP, now 19."
<OOC> Syval says, "Aww, pretty swing, but a miss."
Neosodos rolls To Hit on Gnoll 9 (1d20+10) and gets 18 (8)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Good job, Neo."
<OOC> Syval passes the good dice back to Neos under the table. <.< >.>
Goll 09 rolls Poison save (1d20+7) and gets 21 (14)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Damnit. Bastard made it."
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 sword1 (1d20+18) and gets 29 (11)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 sword1 (1d10+8) and gets 9 (1)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 sword2 (1d20+13) and gets 16 (3)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield1 (1d20+21) and gets 38 (17)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield1 (1d6+8) and gets 12 (4)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 26 (10)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield2 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. #6 is decased."
<OOC> Syval says, "Round 3: 6 Gnolls remaining..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie is going to split her missiles. She's sending one at #3, and the rest at #8"
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG #3 (1d4+1) and gets 3 (2)
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG #8 (7d4+8) and gets 27 (4,2,2,4,1,4,2)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So now we are down to 5 gnolls remaining. #3 is off the board."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jyslin is going to try to take out #10, here, since he is the only one in 5' range of her."
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 right1 (1d20+16) and gets 32 (16)
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 right1 (1d6+8) and gets 11 (3)
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 left1 (1d20+16) and gets 21 (5)
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 left1 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And we drop A/10. Down to 4 gnolls remaining."
<OOC> Syval says, "A is dying the death of a thousand cuts over here."
<OOC> Syval says, "12 on 5 and alas not one Grease was cast this day."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you~ Jyslin. And if she steps correctly she might even block future javelin throws from 9."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. 9 is aiming javelin @ Syval. 5,8,7 are attacking Honoria. Because of course they are."
<OOC> Syval says, "Hey if I was that close I'd take a swing too..."
<OOC> Syval says, "*Ahem* I mean, 'oh no! Those vile gnolls!'"
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval javelin (1d20+6) and gets 14 (8)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 9 (1)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 24 (16)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 21 (13)
<OOC> Syval says, "My last round was defensive so AC is 15. The javelin misses barely."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So ... Syval. Your call."
<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry, was prepping the rice. I'm torn between the theatric and the effective..."
<OOC> Syval says, "Is the spear I took dead on (20, unconfirmed crit) still (1) embedded in me or immediately nearby and (2) still largely in one piece?"
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm tempted to return to sender."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Javelin."
<OOC> Syval says, "Javelin sure. Thin spear."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And ... it should be nearby, yes. Since it wasn't a crit, I'm going to say it's not actually embedded."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh wait a tick, I actually don't know how to throw one..."
<OOC> Syval forgot Wizards don't get Simple Weapon Proficiency. Oh embarrassment.
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah what the heck he still deserves it. I do not care. -4 penalty I will live with."
<OOC> Syval says, "Well then, I'll Move to pick it up then give it a chuck back where it came from. Incoming on 9."
<OOC> Syval says, "+8 RAB so that's +8 -4 = +4 to-hit for 1d6 (Medium javelin) + 4 (STR) + 1 (Arcane Strike) = 1d6+5 damage?"
Syval rolls Bloodied Javelin (1d20+4) and gets 5 (1)
Syval rolls BlJavelin (1d6+5) and gets 11 (6)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. Miss."
<OOC> Syval says, "Natural 1 miss no less."
<OOC> Syval says, "Also 20 HP, +1 healing."
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #08 sword1 (1d20+18) and gets 34 (16)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #08 sword2 (1d20+13) and gets 16 (3)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield1 (1d20+21) and gets 33 (12)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 36 (20)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #08 sword1 (1d10+8) and gets 16 (8)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield1 (1d6+8) and gets 10 (2)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield2 (1d6+8) and gets 14 (6)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "8 is ded."
<OOC> Syval says, "Honoria is carrying this encounter. This is so~ going to skew the loot splits later. :D"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li ponders. I think Jyslin is going to step in on 7 and slash. Little Neo is going to try to stab #9.
<OOC> Syval says, "Go for it!"
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 right1 (1d20+16) and gets 30 (14)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 right1 (1d6+8) and gets 14 (6)
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 right2 (1d20+11) and gets 22 (11)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 right2 (1d6+8) and gets 14 (6)
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 left1 (1d20+16) and gets 31 (15)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 left1 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 left2 (1d20+11) and gets 27 (16)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 left2 (1d6+8) and gets 13 (5)
Neosodos rolls tail strike Gnoll #09 (1d20+11) and gets 15 (4)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sadly, Neo misses. Oh. Wait! Neo gets flanking/surprise!"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "7 is ded."
<OOC> Syval :D
<OOC> Syval says, "And then there were 2..."
Gnoll #09 rolls Save vs. Poison (1d20+7) and gets 12 (5)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And ... Gnoll #09 slumps to the ground."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, 5 is the only Gnoll still standing. And as this is the end of round 4, he just fell out of rage and is exhausted. Poor bastich."
<OOC> Syval says, "He came to his senses just in time to realize his defeat. <3"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie is just not the 'exterminate them all' sort, so I can't see her bothering to use her attack this round to blast his arse. So, ding ding, Round 5."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And before we resolve any further, he needs to make Fortitude save."
Gnoll #05 rolls Fortitude (1d20+7) and gets 19 (12)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He does not collapse. Morale check, lonely gnoll ..."
Gnoll #05 rolls Morale (1d20+1) and gets 7 (6)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yeah. He's running away. Or trying. As he is already exhausted, he's not going to get very far."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Your call, Syval. Are we giving chase?"
<OOC> Syval says, "I am, absolutely. Whether there's anything to catch after I reach him is another matter. He's not teleporting after all."
<OOC> Syval says, "Once he retreats do I have a clear line straight to him to Charge?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. He's running away past Neo. So, I'm going to have Neo stealth and strike as he passes by. He will get 15 feet. So he is within a full move of Syval."
Neosodos rolls Stealth (1d20+18) and gets 29 (11)
Neosodos rolls tail strike Gnoll #05 (1d20+15) and gets 35 (20)
Neosodos rolls tail strike Gnoll #05 (1d20+15) and gets 33 (18)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Crit confirmed."
Gnoll #05 rolls Poison save (1d20+7) and gets 26 (19)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Whoof. Even with the penalty for the crit, he pushes it off."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Care to charge?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Wow. Does that leave him flanked to me?"
<OOC> Syval says, "And gladly, yes. Charge moves at up to 2x Move so I'm charging him with my bardiche pulled back for an arcane power attack. This one's catharsis..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "When you catch him? Yes."
<OOC> Syval says, "1d20+10 +2 (Flank) -2 (Pwr) + 2 (Charge) = 1d20+12 to-hit. 1d10+6 (STR.5)+1(Arcane)+6(Pwr) = 1d10+13 damage"
Syval rolls Bardiche_PwrChg (1d20+12) and gets 20 (8)
Syval rolls Bdc_PwrChg_Damage (1d10+13) and gets 23 (10)
<OOC> Syval says, "Also 21 HP."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And he's deceased."
<OOC> Syval says, "Did my math wrong on the rice. It'll be 5:30 before it's done then I still need to cook fish. I forgot about pre-heat time for a cup of water."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That leaves #9, sleeping. I regret to inform that Neo intends to slice his throat."
<OOC> Syval says, "Which is actually perfect. By then we should be back into posing where there will be gaps. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Eh I'm satisfied now. He earned 9."
<OOC> Syval says, "I was going to behead him if no one else got there first. This'll be a little dragon bonding for us."
----
After the battle finally ends, Jyslin goes jogging out into the night, sweeping the area, making sure there are no more where these came from. Honoria checks first on Syval, clucking disappointed at him. "Syval of Amlar, wise wizards do not purposefully put themselves in the heart of combat, especially not in ways none of their compatriots can defend them." Andromeda approaches, shaking her head slightly. "The bleeding appears to have stopped. I can help speed things up, but I am sure you will be fine soon. Glad to see the damage is not worse." Neosodos vents some of his frustration and anger on the unconscious Gnoll #09, clawing out his throat quite viciously before the poison can fade and allow him to rise.
----
Jyslin returns after about twenty minutes. "I do not see any sign of more trouble. But the scent of these bodies will surely draw predators. We might be best to move on." In this case, she does not seem terribly inclined to search these targets, but taht does not mean there is nothing to be found. She does make a point of retrieving her glowing arrow from the body of Gnoll #09 once Neosodos is done, extinguishing the silvery light from around it before wiping it off, cleansing it, and then returning it to her quiver along with her bow as her mysterious 'handles' disappear up her sleeves once more.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Sanity check, normal HP for people around Delzimmer would be 10-20 HP for non-combat occupations and 30-40 for most fighting ones like guards and mercenaries?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Id est, I've taken enough wounds to drop most people and even kill a few of them?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sure"
<OOC> Syval grins. "I know what she actually did but it is amusing to think Honoria got so incensed that she said that in Common."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Obviously, that was in Maenast. Sorry."
----
Injured from a multitude of gashes, cuts, and one deep wound where a javelin passed his side, Syval looks more than slightly worse for wear as he flicks his bardiche aside to clear its blade of blood then thumps the sturdy weapon pommel-first into the dirt. Panting, he winces before doubling forward as a hand goes to his largest wound. Though it was easily lost in the heat of battle, even with Jyslin's timely healing the young mage has wounds enough to drop most people - or even kill them. Instead the bloodied young man is visibly pained but still mobile. If there's one consolation it's that most of his clothes aren't on to be dirtied.

"<I'll be fine. Never said I was a great mage - the bardiche has always been more comfortable to me. You're okay? >" he replies through gritted teeth even as he pushes himself back up straight with a grunt then looks out upon the field of dead bodies, spotting even through the dark Neos' diminutive and angry form. The little creature's ferocity earns an approving smile and in the quiet after battle, he walks the bloodied grasses, turning over corpses with his foot while checking them briefly for anything of value.
----
<OOC> Syval probably does not know the word for 'bardiche' and just said 'blade' or something like it actually.
<OOC> Syval is not doing a thorough investigation because dead gnolls /stink/ but he'll look for the big, the obvious, or the shiny.
----
"" Honoria answers. Jyslin glances between the two and shrugs. "Do you want me to bind those wounds or heal them?" apparently unaware that Andromeda also offered. The redhead says nothing more.

Neosodos finishes venting his frustrations and then rolls about in the grass, cleaning himself off fastidiously before he returns to his mistress none the worse for wear.

As many attacks as there were, only Syval seems to have taken any harm this early morning, other than the gnolls themselves.

A cursory examination turns up that each of the gnolls has leather pouch amulet around his heck which smells particularly foul in some unclean way. In addition, though their weapons are not of poor manufacture, they are none of them masterwork, let alone magical. Most can also be found to have had a sack, though most of the contents would not be of much interest to the group. There are perhaps a couple hundred bronze pieces between them. Also one of them has a human man's crudely severed yet oddly preserved hand and forearm in his pouch, with a wide bracelet around the wrist which appears to be made of some curious blue metal.
----
"Not much in this mess of course," Syval grumbles to himself as he checks body after body before spotting the large bulge in one gnoll's pouch. "Now what is in... ..."

"Eww." The mage grimaces in disgust before holding the limb up for the group. "This looks valuable, with the arm off it at least." By the time Jyslin returns and checks on the group, the green-haired young man's wounds have, to a one, closed, sealed, and covered over with new skin, though from a distance the dried blood still makes things look much the same. Moving once again comfortably, Syval shakes his head to Jyslin's offer. "I'm fine. Just need to wash. You want to do a rite for this or should I just pry it off?" he asks, showing the priestess what's left of an earlier gnoll conquest.
----
Jyslin sniffs. "It ... well. It smells like gnoll. But not like rot." Which is weird. It's a severed arm; it should definitely show signs of rot. But it does not. "If we can get the bracelet off, yes, let's bury it properly. Can you ask Honoria to lend a hand with the tents while you and I see about this bracelet?" As stated, they really should move on.
----
Syval nods. "It can't come with us anyway; the smell would give us away," he affirms before turning back to Honoria and gesturing the knight towards the campsite. "<We're leaving before this smell attracts predators. Can you help Andie pack the camp?>"
----
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Let's see how luck you are. What's your craft again?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Which one?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Craft skill specializations"
<OOC> Syval says, "Jewelry 8, Calligraphy 5, Alchemy 5."
<OOC> Syval says, "So which Craft skill do you want?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jewelry, definitely."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "See if you can figure out where the catch might be, some way to get it open."
Syval rolls C:Jewelry (1d20+8) and gets 12 (4)
<OOC> Syval says, "Me and my not-taking-10 nonsense. One day I shall learn...!"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Apparently not. Must be very cleverly concealed."
<OOC> Syval says, "Well that's what STR checks are for..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Go ahead."
Syval rolls Strength (1d20+4) and gets 17 (13)
----
The lady knight nods and after cleaning her shield and sword she follows the lady witch and her familiar back to the campsite to help break things down and pack things up.

Jyslin tries to help Syval examine the bracelet, trying to get it open or off the severed arm. They cannot seem to find a catch, and then Syval tries to force it open. In that process he manages to slice through the arm with the bracelet. He also manages to almost completely sever one of his own fingers; the bracelet itself is thoroughly unimpressed by all of this.

"OK. Maybe resist the urge to try to break things that are pretty visibly magical in unknown fashion next time." Jyslin's tone implies that might be a lesson Syval slept through back at the Academy, at least in her opinion.

Jyslin does not offer to heal the finger, but lets Syval heal himself up in his own time. Meanwhile, she does take the severed arm pieces and buries them, placing a rite over them, and leaving the bracelet in Syval's care.

When the priestess returns, she heads over to help put the finishing touches on getting everything packed up, their campsite brushed away almost as if it had never been. And then the group heads off as dawn finally rises.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "c_C"
<OOC> Syval says, "I was actually trying to pull it off the arm, like... past the wrist? But off is off, so okay."
<OOC> Syval says, "Surprisingly sharp little ting."
<OOC> Syval says, "*thing"
<OOC> Syval says, "Since I haven't done a full 8hrs sleep plus fresh preparation do I still have whatever spell slots were unused since yesterday morning?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes."
----
Syval winces at the painful process of freeing the bracelet and shoots Jyslin a mild glare. "If you have a better solution next time you can try," he retorts before tucking the bracelet into his belt and walking back into camp cradling his newly injured hand. The green-haired mage mutters an incantation to himself to summon a spell from the previous day's preparations and, with a glow of cleansing green light, the dirt and blood covering his body melts away, leaving the young man once more clean before dressing.

Not having for sleeping on the warm and dry night it's not long before Syval has his pack shouldered and is looking much like he did the morning before, minus a little residual grumpiness.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Once we're underway and a ways away from our old campsite I'll tuck in behind Jyslin and Detect Magic to study the bracelet while we walk unless someone wants me for anything."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Appraisal; you can also roll on C:Jewelry if you want to pump the bonus/lower the DC. And a Spellcraft; you can throw in a K: Arcana if you want for similar reasons."
<OOC> Syval says, "Is that either or, or run all of them for max effect?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "All, for max effect, as you see fit."
<OOC> Syval says, "Not sure why I wouldn't then. Here goes~!"
Syval rolls Appraisal (1d20+9) and gets 24 (15)
Syval rolls C:Jewelry (1d20+8) and gets 13 (5)
Syval rolls Spellcraft (1d20+8) and gets 19 (11)
Syval rolls K:Arcane (1d20+9) and gets 25 (16)
----
"Honestly, I was going to pull a knife and see about dismembering to get it off." Jyslin admits; if Syval wants to be crankypants with her, she doesn't much care. What's done is done. Once she has her rather large pack up on her shoulders, the moonpriestess weretigress takes the lead as the group heads off. Honoria seems to naturally gravitate beside Syval, likely owing to the fact that he seems to be the only one who can talk to her and understand her.

True, Neosodos can. But he hasn't been trying.

The bracelet is magical - as expected. Close examination turns up a few interesting curiosities. The first of these is that the curious blue metal is in fact some kind of magical construct all on its own: blue crystal - quite possibly either colored blue glass, or actual sapphire - hardened by magic to act as if it were finesteel. That alone makes it very, very valuable in the right market. But with sufficient study Syval can also determine that it has some magical properties beyond its construction, relating to abjuration and necromancy, along with the usual enchantments for duration.
----
"Well, here's another one for the cave," Syval murmurs to himself. This sun is up, the path is clear, and he's got a shiny new and very valuable trinket to study. Thankfully it doesn't take much more than that to cure the young wizard's mood. With plenty of time yet ahead of him, he also fiddles about with the bracelet's edges in a renewed search for its elusive latch.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "If so permitted, taking-20 on Craft: Jewelry to figure out how this slips on and off. Again unless someone wants to talk to me. :)"
With another hour of study, Syval is eventually able to figure out a few interesting tidbits, the first of which is that the edgers of the bracelet are ''intentionally'' sharp, meant to actually bite into the flesh of the wearer; the assumption, given some of the magic being sensed is that this powers the necromantic magicks of the bracelet. By managing to find, and then read the runes in the odd material, Syval can command the bracelet to 'open' and then 'close'; when it opens, it grows nearly two-hundred percent in size, making it easy to slide on. Given readings on the matter the young wizard can be marginally certain the bracelet will then adjust when commanded to close, to stop when it properly fits the new wearer.
<OOC> Syval says, "Hmm, opportunities for bad decisions abound..."
<OOC> Syval says, "There's nothing more I can learn from further study of the ring's magic correct? My study caps at auras unless it's a spell I already know?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Bracelet"
<OOC> Syval says, "Bracelet sorry. Typo."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Unless you have Identify, or a lot of magical experimentation."
<OOC> Syval thumbs up. "Thank you. Wanted to make sure my limited OOC knowledge matched Syval's somewhat greater IC knowledge on how studying magic stuff works."
----
Inwardly Syval smiles a bit when he figures out how to make the bracelet grow and shrink back to its normal size but the young man stops short of actually putting it on just yet. The necromantic aura is... well, necromantic. Besides it's sharp. "What a strange item..." Lifting his head, he turns to the resident witch of the group and hails, "Andie, do you know anything of necromancy? This odd bracelet is glowing with it, and abjuration. It's got a sharp edge that seems to cut in on purpose, maybe blood powered."
----
Andie turns and reaches a hand back for the bracelet, examining it closely. "Probably blood-bonded. A not uncommon practice for some esoteric protective items. Necromancy does not always mean relating to undeath. It can also relate to magicks of life. I will need a few hours to study it to determine more. But I can tell you, I do not sense an implicit threat in the bracelet."
----
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm sorry I forgot to ask before, what are the parameters for the Shave cantrip?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Parameters?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Casting time, V S M, duration?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Thank you. That clarifies."
----
Syval strokes his chin thoughtfully at the redhead's answer, then pauses and frowns as he scratches at the scruff on his cheek. The gnolls interrupted his morning shave too. "Take your time then. Would blood-bonding prevent us from taking it back off until we die like it's old owner?"
----
"Not generally, no." Andie answers. "However, that's not impossible. It happens sometimes." Always be scrupulously honest; lives can depend upon it. "I should be able to confirm that risk, or discount it, after my examination." Andie offers.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "You know I just realized... I haven't used a single wizard spell slot in..."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ever actually. I've just been using study time to change my day's cantrips. I should be more cognizant of that."
<OOC> Syval says, "There's nothing for me to study over lunch. :D"
----
The green-haired mage nods back at the offer and the young woman's counsel. "Have fun studying then," and he seems to actually mean it. Then out of consideration for the one woman in earshot who didn't follow, Syval turns to Honoria and summarizes, "<Necromancy and abjuration magic. Andie thinks it's safe and connects to the wearer's blood, but it needs more study.>"
----
Honoria listens, glancing towards the bracelet and then back to the mage in question. "" she admits. "" She thumps her gauntleted hand upon the large shield on her arm. "< Gardinaria was attuned and bound to me, and has never failed me. >"
----
"<Your shield?>" Syval infers, realizing that not once so far had the normally curious mage inspected the chevalier's arms and armor. Well, no time like the present. "<What enchantments does your equipment have?>"
----
<OOC> Syval yawns a little. "D'aww. So little time now that we're into the RP part again. This evening flew."
<OOC> Syval is good for a little longer but probably not a lot longer.
----
Honoria considers Syval for a bit. "< Well, surely a wizard would know better than I? >" she asks. Not that she won't answer, but she's entitled to say that her own descriptions will be anecdotal and thusly maybe not up to Syval's desired accuracy.

"< My armor is the least of the magicks crafted for me. Chevalier Plate armor was crafted to be very light, closely and personally fitted to the wearer. It is reinforced, and made of the finest metals and craftsmanship. It also has spells upon it which enable me to find comfort in any temperature or condition. I can also sleep in the armor without the usual discomforts, though I must still remove it for proper ablutions. >" Honoria explains.

"< Gardinaria is the strongest magic made for me. She was not just fitted to me, but bound to me in ritual during her shaping and crafting. She is lighter than her size would demand, and incredibly resilient. She will even slowly repair herself if she succumbs to damage, unless she is destroyed. >" Clearly, Honoria sounds quite proud of this.

"< Gardinaria protects from magic and the like, as well as physical harm. And she is expressly handy against flights of arrows. >" Important for a knight leading campaigns against mounted horse archer barbarians of the tribes, to be sure. "< Gardinaria is always aware of threats around us, and warns me to act. >"
----
Syval looks to the knight's enchanted equipment as Honoria speaks to each. Not having truly done so before the young man's gaze is attentive and insightful, spotting the venting and noting the joinings between intricate bronzework and the armor's remarkably thin steel base. "< Amazing, >" the mage breathes in a hushed reverence. It's yet another affirmation that the young woman is someone truly special from a far-off time. "< Armor crafted like yours is almost unheard of in this time even before Art is put upon it. I saw a little of your shield's magic when I was studying the bracelet, >" Syval confesses with an amused chuckle. ""
----
Honoria looks curious at Syval and shrugs. "" She clearly does not even know enough about magic to recognize hyperbole. "< The magicks of my weapons are simple, by comparison, I am sure. My sword is a guardian's bane blade. My lance is, as you have seen, crafted to condense itself for ease. The ring upon its base is bound to the ring upon my right hand. And the lance itself is a shocklance. >" The terms used, here and there, are hard to translate, and may require consultation with Neosodos.
----
"< All things of great rarity and value in this day, but... my Maenast maybe is not so good. I understand most of the Art upon your weapons, >" Syval confesses. "< And you received all of that as a knight commander? >"
----
Honoria shakes her head. "< No. The blade and lance I had before the campaigns of the war began. The armor I earned upon graduation as Knight Commander. Gardinaria was completed during the retreat. >" she explains. Since she does not know another language that she can share with you to help with training and translations, she leaves it to you to ask for clarifications, or get help from Neosodos.
----
"" the green-haired mage admits enviously as he shows his bardiche and part-time walking stick. "< Some wizards do learn how to imbue Art into the object bound to them but it's an advanced skill and almost none choose to bind a weapon as their focus. I doubt if I will achieve that - their Art is... >" Here Syval pauses, trying to find a word for his thoughts. "<Wrong for me.>"
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Phone."
----
Honoria listens and at first she does not question. She has already proven she knows nothing of the modern world, and little of the Art. She certainly is no authority on either. But she is bright enough to be curious, so she asks, "< The Academy's Art is wrong for you? Then how did you end up studying with them? What path will you seek now? >"
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Back. Sorry for the wait."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "NP. *snugs*"
----
Syval tilts his head back and looks up for a few seconds at the sky overhead as he gathers his thoughts. Little might the chevalier know how far back the answer stretches. "< It's a long story. Ask me after we've made camp, that would be a good time for it. For now, it's because the Academy is the /only/ path of arcane study even if they are far from knowing everything about the Weave. >"
----
Honoria seems non-plussed by this, but she says nothing. Chances are she views this as not being her business to speak. Given that the others do not speak Maenast - other than Neosodos - they have nothing to add on the modern state of such things.
As the group continues largely quietly, with minimal commentary, Neosodos remains quite visible on Andie's shoulder, glowing brilliantly as the walking witch is visibly communing with her familiar. After about three hours journey, Jyslin holds up a hand to bring the group to a halt, then slinks off very carefully through the tall grasses, moving about two hundred yards further east and a bit north. Then she kneels down, checking something, before lifting her hand and waving the group closer.
----
Syval will be aware that something has died up ahead. As the group gets close enough, the others will bear witness to what at first appear to be the fallen, dessicated corpses of a group of children numbering eight. Only more careful examination will finally reveal that these bodies were not in fact human, but gnomish, and the bodies show clear evidence of vicious and terrible wounds, both with massive and blades and savage biting and gnawing.

Syval tightens the grip on his weapon and scans their surroundings when Jyslin halts the party, then advances to the priestess' position with half an eye upon the surrounding grasslands. He frowns at the findings and crouches down to study the bodies more closely. "The gnolls or something else?" he asks to Jyslin.
----
Vanya rolls Perception (1d20+12) and gets 26 (14)
----
"Gnolls. Six to eight days." Jyslin offers, sighing softly. "I do not know how their bodies specifically decay. I don't have the experience to judge any better than that." It is the first time anyone has ever mentioned aloud that different species in the Shaar actually decompose differently. But gnomes are inherently magical, and in a way different from either dragons - which no mortals can honestly comprehend - or elves, which no humans are generally privy to understanding. "Little guys fought hard, but they were vastly overmatched in numbers, and couldn't make up for that with their nature magic."

Andromeda, looking over the site of the heinous murder, simply lowers her eyes. "I know we are all tired. But I would appreciate it if we could agree to bury them."

At her words, Jyslin shucks her backpack and carries it a distance away, then comes back with two spades. "Sorry. These are the only two I have."

Honoria extracts a shovel from her own gear, and prepares to assist. "< You died with honor, ancient friends of the land. May you return to it, and find some measure of peace. >" she murmurs.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Phone again"
<OOC> Vanya says, "Back again."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "WB."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Thank you, and that should be it for the day I think."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li has managed to finish most of what I will need to do in the kitchen, too.
<OOC> Vanya says, "Hmm, and I never did sort out Syval's pack for the journey. He's familiar with back country but also not one to carry a lot of what he won't need."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Wow 12lb for a folding shovel, 8lb for a regular one. I mean, my light load is 100 pounds but still..."
<OOC> Vanya says, "I suppose my bardiche doesn't serve as much of a shovel either."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Not a good shape for it unless I'm just trying to break up soil."
----
At the suggestion Syval stabs his bardiche into the ground, leaving it upright, and drops his own pack as well before fishing out a fourth shovel for the group. "Fine by me. The gnolls must have stalked this area if they found us both almost a ten-day apart," he considers nonplussed before shouldering his tool and looking back to the group's priestess. "Where would you like the holes?"
----
<OOC> Vanya figures there are enough uses for a shovel that it'd be odd not to have one for himself.
----
Largely without words, the group is able to work, scarring the turf to mark out eight separate graves, and then each can work on digging two of them. The soul is relatively easy to dig into once the turf itself is peeled away, but it is heavy and not rock free. Thankfully the group of four includes three who are quite strong enough to work any larger rocks free; only Andie seems to struggle with this, but she tends to work around them until someone can spend a minute or two to help her lever one out and get it clear.

Once the holes are dug, Andie calls forth an unseen servant and asks it to carry each body's remnants to a separate grave. Andie then - quite generously - tasks the unseen servant to refill each grave with the dirt and stones that have been extracted, and return the sod to cover each one.

"As creatures of nature, this is their way, to be left to renew the cycle of life and become one with it. If we knew their names, I could try to task a sparrow to carry a message of their loss. But at least this way they can be lain to rest." Andie offers. Jyslin lays rites upon each one, not claiming their dead for Selune, but imbuing the ground with enough of her goddess' power that they will not be easily or haphazzardly raised as undead.

Honoria is the one to mention, "< Perhaps we could move a bit away, and everyone might appreciate a rest? >"
----
Syval casts his own incantation once the grave sites are dug and one by one passes a simple cleaning spell across the group and their tools. His own part in the rites is one of quiet observation though a somber frown does tug his lips. The young man is no stranger to death but neither is he inured to it.

At the knight's question he looks over and thinks for a moment then nods before turning back to the others. "We should move away, then take a rest over lunch."
Andie looks towards young Syval, and Jyslin as well, and both nod. "Sounds good." the priestess offers. The group can then move back to the south away from this site, and then set up camp. Once Andie has put up the fire put - as usual - Jyslin starts on cooking, and Honoria sits quietly, rubbing, cleaning and checking over her own gear in great and fastidious detail. For her own part, Andie sits very quietly, slowly stroking her hands over Neosodos' scales as he lays across her lap, until at last the drake slides out from under her hands and slips into the grasses, disappearing as is his want.

Syval helps pitch tents to offer the group shade from the mid-day heat then turns away from the rest and sits down beside his bardiche, overlooking the grassy hills they'd just passed in what is loosely the meditative pose Andie had shown him earlier. His breathing comes deeply at first then slow and regular as he focuses inward, tuning out the camp.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Will take-10: 21"
----
As Syval focuses his mind and meditates, he is finding it easier and easier to blot out the distractions of the world, find that inner emptiness, and within it the spark of that essence. And reaching for it is also becoming easier, more stable; it is, bit by bit, becoming less slippery.

None of that makes this easy. Especially in that moment when he finally grasps it, the roar sounds through him, echoing, thrumming with that memory of rage, and his mind is again awakened to those draconic presences. Without the cavern being open, the sense is only of those here on this side of the Shaar. But that also makes the feel of them more immediate, more real.

And there is surprise - but likely not shock - that Neosodos has made his way all the way around and across camp and is barely a foot or so away from the mageling.

The thought does come to Syval's mind to break his meditation and address the Eldritch Wyrm. 'So there.' 'Yes, I figured it out.' 'Of course I know we're alike.' Choices, feelings, mingled pride and indignation at the small yet powerful drake, but with a breath the dragon-touched mage pushes them aside. The openness of doing this where Neos can see him is statement enough. And so he holds his mind pointed in the inside-out way of peering into his core and through it seeing the world. There's one dragon soul he can sense which is friendly, the one by his side. The rest and especially the frozen heart of the mountain range high above, he'd rather avoid.

Yet in its own way the oppressive sense of the other dragons close upon him is invigorating, motivating. It wouldn't do to stumble around like a freshly hatched wyrmling with such an audience. Even a lesser dragonoid still has his pride. So Syval doesn't rush nor draw away, soaking in the light and energy from his spark before once more reaching out this time with confidence and mind settled to grasp it.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Will take-10: 21"
<OOC> Vanya says, "Brief afk to start soup."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "What's he trying to do with it? He has hold of it; holding it is what brings the sense of dragons and the roar. He has managed not to let go. Now he wants to do a thing."
<OOC> Vanya says, "And soup's on."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Ah sorry. I thought passing the roar and grabbing it were two stages. This time... something inward. Focusing on that enhancement and vitality it seemed to offer before. Is that an option?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sure."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Wow 15 minutes. That was longer than I thought it."
<OOC> Vanya doesn't have this soup making down as tightly as he thought.
Name set.
<OOC> Syval also fixes that. Dang adiscon.
<OOC> Syval says, "Read: Trying not to startle the party and prompt too many questions before he explains to Honoria tonight."
----
Holding the spark firmly - resisting its urges to slip away - Syval can feel the many aspects of 'draconic-ness' simmering, and he must sift through those, seeking out a path. Looking for the path to enhancement and vitality, what Syval finds wells up within him, threatening to erupt; and with it he can feel great physical changes at hand, held off by a knife's edge of will given his desire not to 'show off' in front of others just yet. He can almost feel the hard, ridged edges of jade-hued scales scraping along the inside of his skin, an ache at his jaw and sides of his head, a raw bubbling power within his throat ...

How far will this spark go? There are likely to be only two ways to find out: give in and find out first hand, or consider asking Neosodos.
----
Tension, constraint, pressure... Seeking more of the invigorating rush of power from his spark, Syval's instead now trapped by his own form. It's a brief moment after he reflexively squeezes back upon the spark's urge to burst past his control once freed to flow but it's a shock that feels longer. There's far more here than the simple potential of enhancement magic, the wizard's most familiar realm of transmutation Art, and as that moment passes he gives in once again to abandon and his desire to know, to /be/ whatever the spark makes him.

Turning the same time he opens his eyes, Syval smiles proudly at the mottled red-orange pseudodragon beside him.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "(Assuming that passes.)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Almost time for me to take my dinner afk."
----
As Syval holds the change at the brink, examining it, seeking to understand it, he will be able to find an instinctual understanding: easiest for him, right now, would be letting it loose, transforming into some sort of human/dragon hybrid. His instincts can tell him that doing so will almost certainly result in devastation to clothing worn above the waist, as wings will rip free of his back and shoulders, and a tail will be taking care of most of what he might be wearing below the waist.

Some adaptation and preparation may be in order.
----
Syval can also tell that tipping in a different direction would be transforming into a fully draconic shape. His sense is that his draconic essence is young, and thusly smaller by comparison. Not nearly so tiny as Neosodos, but still smaller than the usually massive male is likely to find happy.

Once Syval manages to wrestle his way back from the edge, carrying his connection with the spark back to the real world is difficult - it is still slippery - but it is not impossible. This time, at least, it is not a mere moment's time and then lost. And as his eyes open, taking in once more that outside world, the head of the Eldritch Wyrm peeks up above the grass, golden orbs watching the human quite closely. "< Much better, Brother. >" that voice sounds in his mind. This time he can tell instantly that the 'sounds' of those thoughts are not those of Maenast, nor Shaaren, but that other language that his mind comprehends instinctively.
----
Satisfaction and anticipation fill the young dragonoid's mind at his accomplishment and more still, what the near future holds once he can explore more freely. It shows no doubt in his mind if not in his face as Syval takes a deep breath of the grassy air while looking back with his sandy eyes of lesser luster. It might be ambitious but having heard the wyrm in his tongue there's an urge to respond in kind. Still keeping his connection to the slippery spark, Syval tries next to guide its flowing energy through the same path the voice took in his mind while carrying a thought. Hopefully Neos will receive it.

<>
----
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li did include in her pose '... in his mind'; for the record.
----
Neosodos tilts his little dragon head to the side in a curiously feline gesture, and then bobs it in acknowledgement. "< Not the Art, so much as the human way of doing it. >" the drake's mindvoice replies gently. "< It will, I am sure, take a bit to unlearn the old ways, and discover the new. But you have begun. >"

The drake turns those eyes towards the mountains, and then back towards his 'brother'. "< Now that you have begun embracing this power, you will be sensed by other dragons at a much farther range. And if you enter into their claimed territory, you can be assured they will respond. Some very unkindly. >" Hey, not all dragons are asshats. But entirely too many of them are likely to have little patience for a monkey with delusions of scalykind.

"< If you want to learn the draconic path to magic, I recommend reviewing your notes for spells, and feeling out in your mind what draconic word, or words, sum up the smell. Then give that a try. >"
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Da, like I said I assumed that was post-translation from speech. I blame the "" marks maybe. Either way, corrected now."
<OOC> Syval says, "*sum up the spell?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Uhm. Yeah. Whoops. Bad DM. Typo."
<OOC> Syval says, "What do you think of using <<>> for telepathy and "<>" for non-Common speech? That's closer to what I've used in the past and helps distinguish them from one another."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. But how to delineate 'telepathy in foreign language' ?"
----
Syval follows the pseudodragon's gaze, feeling acutely what he's eyeing. << Yes, that one I don't want to disturb. >> But the advice on advancing his magic is encouraging and brings the young man back to a rosy view of the future. Yes, he has much to study and practice...

<< How will I know the reach of their territory? >> He asks, judging prudence worth more than curiosity.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Not sure for that one. I'd be willing to cross that bridge when we come to it since telepathy so far is point-to-point so we don't have to care about whether someone other than the recipient can understand it."
<OOC> Syval says, "Say if Neos does a party-wide telepathy, we'll be writing it in English, then just tag before or afterwards the language he's "speaking" if it's not Common? I'm open to ideas there if you want to cover that ahead of time."
----
<< Awareness. >> Neosodos responds. << Open nose, open mind. You will know their territory boundary is close long before you get there. >> And the young mageling who is awakening to his draconic nature can well understand that said dragons will be equally as aware he is coming long before he gets there.

Draconic surprise of a dragon is - at a minimum - not an easy or happenstance thing. Assuming it is possible at all.
----
Syval nods in understanding of the answer and the importance behind it. It's something he perhaps won't learn so much as feel. << Your voice sounds much better like this, Neosodos. It's less scratchy than your Common. >> Unsaid but equally understood is that it matches Neosodos the Eldritch Wyrm better than his cat-sized pseudodragon body.
----
<OOC> TEST
<OOC> Syval pokes his connection. "Still good."
----
The little drake snorts, blowing out his feeling. << Dragon mouth, even tiny dragon mouth, not made for human words. >> he admits, mildly frustrated. << Most are surprised I can talk at all. >> He churrrs.

Syval chuckles in sympathy for the drake. << You don't seem one for talk. I haven't heard a word of old Maenast from you since I woke Honoria. >>

<< Because you have been spending time with her, not close enough to me. >> the Eldritch Wyrm explains. << Unlike my larger cousins, the range of my mind-voice is proportionately smaller. There are some that can send their voices into minds a mile away or more. But not me. >> Which doesn't mean he hasn't been keeping up on what the two have been saying to one another. He has ears, most definitely.

<> Syval responds. << Have you even introduced yourself? >>
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Phone?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li shares red (beef & kidney beans) chili. "Sorry. I missed the flash and di d not realize you had posed. My bad."
<OOC> Syval says, "Aww. Welcome back with dinner at least."
----
<< My spoken Maenast is no better than my spoken Shaaren. >> the little drake admits. << And most find it rude to perch on someone I do not know. >> After all, he is Andie's familiar, even if he is happy to be friends with others. << Have any nice berries? >> he inquires, teasingly.

<< None that I found on this morning's walk. Maybe if we pass near woods by night fall, >> the green-haired mage replies with amusement. << And your spoken Maenast would be understood. She is from 60,000 years in the past and I am the only person she can talk to right now. I don't know what she thinks of /green dragons/ but she likes witches; I don't think she would complain at your company. >>

<< Well then, you make introductions, Brother. Explain to her about my mind-voice. She accepts, and I will gladly come for a visit and we can talk. >> Politeness counts! Especially when one is a dragon to be introduced to a princess who is also a bad-ass lady knight.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "FYI, I don't *think* I've mentioned the princess thing in earshot of the party yet, though it is still true. :)"
<OOC> Syval has ICly tried to keep that to himself out of respect for Honoria and owing to the trouble it could cause getting too far out.
----
<< As you wish, >> Syval relents with a nod. Clearly the young man favors a more direct approach, but such is acceptable to him. Looking back towards the distant snowcapped mountains, he lets his mind coil back to his draconic nature and the spark he's still gripping. << This is getting easier with use, I may be able to speak like this as we walk soon. >> Then recalling the raw, bubbling feeling low in his throat he adds darkly, << The next band of gnolls we meet I plan to douse with acid. >>
----
<OOC> Syval is feeling just a little~ caustic over how that ambush went.
----
<< Keep in mind, Brother, that if your breath is that of the color of your hair, it will not be liquid. It will be vapor, and that spreads quickly, easily. Make sure none of us are anywhere in front of you, unless you want us drowning in our own blood as our lungs dissolve. >> Damned pretty picture the drake paints.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "And speaking of dragon traits I hope there were enough opportunities to show that Syval snorts like Neos since well before either of them met. There are little dragon traits he has by nature besides the big obvious ones."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ohhh right, D&D represented green dragon breath as a toxic gas not liquid acid didn't it? I sometimes forget that's a detail not all sources agree upon."
<OOC> Syval says, "Whoo, warning assiduously noted."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Black dragons spit liquid acid. Every dragon should be different. So."
<OOC> Syval says, "Yeah PF flattened them a little and gave the line vs. cone but identical damage mechanics of just simple elemental. That makes things more interesting."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Every type, rather. Hopefully you knew what I meant."
<OOC> Syval says, "So fire can ignite stuff, ice/cold can freeze, acid melts gear (and people), poison gas attacks breathing (and skin?) directly, electric of course plays by its rules and gets really nasty near water."
<OOC> Syval says, "K:Arcane to know whether a green dragon's breath is known to persist, and if so how long?"
Syval rolls K:Arcane (1d20+9) and gets 17 (8)
<OOC> Syval won't take-10 because distracted by talking + spark-tending.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You don't know huge details. But generally green dragon breath is heavier than air. So it would hang around. How long depends in large part on local weather conditions - especially wind - and volume."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh dear..."
<OOC> Syval says, "Side-note, that feels like an excellent weapon for an evil creature and one with appropriate weight."
<OOC> Syval says, "Not to be used near anything one would consider a friend."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Also note: he's resistant to gases in human form; immune in hybrid or dragon form."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Design of dragon lungs."
----
Syval's eyes swell at the reminder, almost enough to lose the grip on his spark. << Good warning... I'll make sure not to test that in the cavern. It would never leave. >>
----
<< It would fall. But it could be minutes, even hours. >> Neosodos answers honestly.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Green dragon lungs specifically?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And one of the metallics as well."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But yes. Those who are like greens, only."
----
<< I'm glad my earlier meditation didn't work, >> Syval confesses while awkwardly scratching his hair. << Thank you for the lessons, Neos. I think now I'll try to rest before lunch is ready. I'll introduce you to Honoria when we travel again. >>

<< Certainly. >> Neosodos offers, and then he melts back into the grasses and disappears ... to sight. Syval still has a very good idea of where he is the whole way back to Andie's lap.

Syval grins quietly to himself, enjoying the new little perk to pin down the infamously elusive drake. Then finally he relaxes the grip on his spark and lets it settle as it chooses to before laying back and shutting his eyes. He'll have a few minutes perhaps before lunch is prepared and the gnolls did interrupt some good rest.

----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Journey Day 04 Gnoll And Voices

2021-03-14T14:24:03Z

VanyaDoll2: VanyaDoll2 moved page Journey Day 04 Gnoll And Voices to Journey Day 04 AM Gnolls

#REDIRECT [[Journey Day 04 AM Gnolls]]

Journey Day 04 AM Gnolls

2021-03-14T14:23:53Z

VanyaDoll2: Created page with "The night is a relatively quiet one, which does offer Syval more of an opportunity to consider his meditations and their revelations. Jyslin is easy enough to awaken for the m..."

The night is a relatively quiet one, which does offer Syval more of an opportunity to consider his meditations and their revelations. Jyslin is easy enough to awaken for the mid watch, and as normal she then awakens Andromeda for the morning watch before lying down for more rest herself.

That morning watch is disturbed, however, just an hour or so before dawn when an invisible magical hand shakes Syval's shoulder forcefully and then moves on, awakening Honoria and Jyslin in turn as well. It is in the pre-dawn hour, mostly still dark but with hints of the sky lightening above ... and a wrankling scent wafts to Syval's nose. Something musky, unclean, and multitudinous is approaching.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Can we finish the last scene we had going there before starting up a new one?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I thought we were done?"
<OOC> Vanya sighs. "We're on two different pages then. No, but if you want I guess we can off-screen the rest."
<OOC> Vanya says, "We stopped for the night at the climax where Syval opened his mouth and... <nothing>. It sounds like an acid splash might be what came out, personally I'd flavor that as coming out like a weakened breath weapon with the damage (and spread) of an acid splash without being a literal orb of acid. No answer on whether Syval retained enough connection to that spark to do it successfully or whether he lost his connection afterwards, and no answer on whether there were any other effects he'd notice upon opening his eyes since that energy was described as flowing all throughout him and certainly seemed to add vigor."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. I went to bed last night thinking we were done. Probably because I was tired."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The actions he took are actions that should lead to the execution of a spell. Preferably it should be something from his innate arcane caster spell list. And his visualization and the word he chose would define which spell would result. IIRC, you basically said that you figured the word was something more like 'rar'?"
<OOC> Vanya says, "Yes, that or the nearest dragon equivalent to it."
<OOC> Vanya says, "As a Sorc2 his spell list is meager so like I said last night, not much matches his intention. It'd be a breath weapon if that were possible."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Or maybe it just comes out as a roar. *shrug*"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The problem is, 'speaking a word' is not an activation for breath weapon. It was an intention of a spell. Which is why I am stuck."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Which is probably why my tired brain last night threw up its paws and decided the scene was done, because I couldn't think of what the frell to do."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So I think the best option is the acid blast cantrip. It fires from his throat, because his throat is that of a chlorine-gas-breathing green dragon."
<OOC> Vanya says, "I would have thought 'focus raw magic to the mouth and exhale' was a formula for breath weapon. That's his intention, not a coherent sentence."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Acid blast works then."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And since it was unfocused, his intent wasn't really solid, it kinda falls apart and he loses connection thereafter."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But before he did, he managed to cough up a cantrip of acid."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But this time, no hot sweats and exhaustion, beyond being a little tired. Normal tired."
<OOC> Vanya snickers. "That's good then, thank you."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Syval will count that, and he was worried the connection would slip when he tried to play with it. Still a spontaneous cantrip without its somatic component. That's "special"."
<OOC> Vanya says, "I think that gives me all I need for last night's scene now. On to my pose in the present..."
----
Syval rouses from a start from the pad he'd been sleeping on and grabs the bardiche at his side as he looks around and tries to get his bearings. The mage's nose wrinkles unpleasantly and he moves, quietly, to stand up. Thankfully the bodyguard isn't one for noisy armor, and wears even less to bed in the foothills' warm climate.

As Syval rises up, eyes scanning the dark pre-morning, Jyslin emerges from the tent she shares with Andie doing much the same. Honoria is the least silent of the group, arising from her bedroll smoothly already arrayed in her armor, proof that she never took it off the night before.

Andie inches in amongst the other three and speaks very softly. "Neosodos slunk off a bit. But before he did so, he said he could smell nearly a dozen creatures approaching from the northwest."

Jyslin turns her head in that direction, breathing deeply, and then nods slowly as a bit of a growl enters her throat. "Gnolls."

Honoria grimaces a bit in the darkness. "They'll estimate they have us outnumbered three or four to one. I imagine they will make the attempt on us." She doesn't seem terribly concerned by this; it's all just calmly matter of fact to her.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "This is a silly problem but I am actually not sure what, culturally, would be normal to wear under a sarong. It seems like it'd make a breechcloth redundant and they're essentially braies already."
<OOC> Vanya didn't take good enough clothing notes for Syval, and should revisit them anyway for whatever's normal fashion in Delzimmer.
<OOC> Vanya says, "Ack and copied over my partial pose >.<"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li yerf.
----
As he makes his way over to the group and leans in to listen, Syval straightens the clothes about his waist and peers off towards the stench wafting into camp, putting his nose to the wind like Jyslin. The young man at first grimaces at the scent, then yawns heavily and rolls his shoulders causing the lethargic joints to pop softly. "I'll go in front. I need some exercise," he states blandly before tightening the grip on his shaft and stepping towards the smell to place the party at his back.
----
<OOC> Vanya corrects that his sheet doesn't list his (wizardly) claws and afks for phone.
----
Honoria lays a gauntleted hand lightly on Syval's shoulder once he has translated that for her. "< You have a chevalier with you, Syval of Amlar. Perhaps you could allow me to lead, to do what it is I am meant to do? >" She glances at the women, but apparently dares not presume to tell either a witch nor a priestess what to do or how to do it. And then she leans down to pick up her shield, securing it to her arm firmly. She gathers her helm and slides it down in placeas she readies herself to go forth.

Syval stops and considers the knight, weighing her request before relenting with a nod. "< We'll go together then. >"
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Sorry for short, still on phone."
----
Prepared, Honoria jogs out towards the enemy, guided as best she can manage in the barely lightened darkness as her baraj comes singing free of the scabbard at her hip. Sword and shield fully ready, the lady knight commander is prepared to meet the enemy she can barely make out.

Just as Honoria is closing on the gnolls, guttural cries can be heard as the bestial hyena-men catch wind and sight of their prey, not nearly as hampered in darkness, and they charge.

The moment the gnolls charge, a single silvery glowing object falls from the air, coming from above and behind, and strikes into the chest of one of the gnolls, casting more than enough illumination to make it possible for normal human eyes to pick them all out. And then their charge is met, as axes strike that heavy shield, ringing soundly and rebuffed, the lady knight wading into the opponents she can now see with supreme confidence, calling out wordlessly to challenge their ire and draw them to her.

There are eleven gnolls.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "And back, thank you for waiting."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Should I roll anything or just charge into the fray?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No need to roll anything before you charge as you see fit. But just as an FYI, Honoria is outright unflinchingly tanking against the entire gnoll horde."
<OOC> Vanya says, "I'm less impressed because they're gnolls but it is still very pretty to watch. Not that she has them all to herself..."
----
Not one to be left behind Syval runs out to enter the fray, swinging his bardiche back and high as its blade is shrouded in a green arcana before its wide edge whips forward in an iridescent arc to cleave through the nearest gnoll in time with a primal yell. Lacking any armor or shield of his own, the mage shows no more fear than the chevalier at joining the melee, only staying at two steps' distance to give his polearm room. The opening swing is completed with relish and the blade comes swiftly back in preparation for another, casting a threatening arc for any gnolls that dare to approach them.
----
Gnoll #01 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 25 (17)
Gnoll #02 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 19 (11)
Gnoll #03 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 18 (10)
Gnoll #04 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 20 (12)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 28 (20)
Gnoll #06 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 23 (15)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 15 (7)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 28 (20)
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 22 (14)
Gnoll #10 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 26 (18)
Gnoll #11 rolls to hit (1d20+8) and gets 11 (3)
<OOC> Syval says, "Heh, had to show me up, did you? Look at you all fancy and changing the green text."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So now if I just change to specify who they are rolling against, that should be enough."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, according to my notes, you closed to melee and flanked them after they had swarmed Honoria."
<OOC> Syval says, "We can probably track that in OOC too."
<OOC> Syval says, "According to my backscroll that's what I did too, but~"
<OOC> Syval leans in and nose kisses. "I know a tired cat who shouldn't be over-exerting herself on a Friday night. She should be relaxing."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, gridwise, only 8 can surround a person. So, 1-8 are on Honoria. 1,4,6 are on the side where Syval can reach, and Flank/attack. That leaves 9-11 to peel around on Syval this round, plus any of 1,4,6 who choose to turn and face him rather than Honoria."
<OOC> Syval gasp. "Hex gnolls!"
<OOC> Syval says, "Andie I think one of your cousins may be near."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus. I needed to denote them using only one character space."
<OOC> Syval says, "As a reminder, reach + combat reflexes so anything closing on me will have to work for it. I apologize in advance for all the extra rolls that causes."
<OOC> Syval says, "Hopefully this is like, a gnoll circus trope or something."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, Jyslin's action for the round was her Light spell on the arrow. Neo should go last, IMO. So, Andie's action for the round ... she's not going to risk blasting away with the two of you in the mix. So, witch missile it is."
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG (8d4+8) and gets 33 (3,2,3,3,4,4,3,3)
Andie rolls Witch Missle Target (1d11+0) and gets 11 (11)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So B goes away. Or falls to the ground, smoking. Same difference."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I think given the layout, Neo will attempt to sneak up on A."
Neosodos rolls Stealth (1d20+23) and gets 30 (7)
Gnoll 10 rolls Perception (1d20+2) and gets 12 (10)
Neosodos rolls To Hit on Gnoll 10 (1d20+10) and gets 16 (6)
<OOC> Syval says, "And just to confirm C was the gnoll I dropped with my charge, aye?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Unfortunately, Neo's tail does not penetrate."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No. I'm going to assume that either 4 or 9 is the one you dropped. Pick one."
<OOC> Syval says, "4. It's funnier in Chinese that way."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So 4 is dead. B is dead. 9 has an arrow in him that is glowing. And 2 has been hacked and bashed to paste (eventually) by Honoria."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, start of round 2, Syval, A and 9 are trying to close around you; AoOs please."
<OOC> Syval says, "I'd lick my lips but the stench of gnoll is overpowering and I'm still pretty sleepy."
Syval rolls Bardiche (1d20+10) and gets 25 (15)
Syval rolls Bardiche (1d20+10) and gets 23 (13)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 13 (6)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 8 (1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Those both hit."
<OOC> Syval says, "And hopefully this'll teach me not to choke up when facing something without a hill giant's back hide to protect it. Hopefully. :)"
Gnoll #01 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 11 (3)
Gnoll #03 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 13 (5)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 10 (2)
Gnoll #06 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 17 (9)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 25 (17)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 20 (12)
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 16 (8)
Gnoll #10 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 13 (5)
<OOC> Syval says, "Me and my 11 AC just ate a bit. (Charge -2 penalty) (re)"
<OOC> Syval says, "I saw to-hit rolls but nothing afterwards."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, all three of those hit. Rolling damage."
Gnoll #06 rolls DMG to Syval (1d8+6) and gets 9 (3)
Gnoll #09 rolls DMG to Syval (1d8+6) and gets 13 (7)
Gnoll #10 rolls DMG to Syval (1d8+6) and gets 12 (6)
<OOC> Syval says, "Wow, 34. I actually feel that."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li is pretty sure you felt all of those. :)
<OOC> Syval says, "Now at 31/65 HP."
<OOC> Syval says, "Gnolls definitely hit harder than goblins."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chuckles. "Yes. Yes they do."
<OOC> Syval says, "Who's go?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Syval, you have three Gnolls on you at 5' range. My plan is to roll Honoria next, and then you, unless you object."
<OOC> Syval says, "Go for it."
<OOC> Syval says, "To confirm: A, 9, 1, and 6 are all within 5' of me so that's 4 gnolls not 3?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Right. But one of those is confronting/attacking Honoria, not you."
<OOC> Syval says, "Copy. :)"
MAIL: Mailbox purged.
Name set.
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 sword1 (1d20+18) and gets 26 (8)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 sword2 (1d20+13) and gets 19 (6)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 shield1 (1d20+21) and gets 23 (2)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 35 (19)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "All of those hit, the 19 is a crit, rolling to confirm."
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #01 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 29 (13)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Hits."
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 sword1 (1d10+8) and gets 15 (7)
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 sword2 (1d10+8) and gets 10 (2)
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 shield1 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)
Honoria rolls DMG Gnoll #01 shield2 (2d6+16) and gets 22 (5,1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And #1 is pasted. Another one bites at the dust."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Your target?"
Vanya steps back 5' SW and swings defensively at A.
<OOC> Vanya says, "Ack. >.< Syval does that, not Vanya. Forgot about the rename."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Wait how -- oh! Because it booted my second connection. Oy vey."
Name set.
Syval rolls Bardiche_Def (1d20+6) and gets 24 (18)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 12 (5)
<OOC> Syval says, "+10 -4 (Defensive Fighting) to-hit, FYI."
<OOC> Syval says, "Also +1 HP, now at 32."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. #10/A is 'bloodied'."
<OOC> Syval says, "Wow, 25 damage and still standing? Stur-dy critters. That's the one I hit for 13 earlier on an AoO right?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That's the one you hit with 8 during your AoO"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So damage total done so far is 20"
<OOC> Syval says, "Ahh, I meant to aim it at the more wounded one, which I guess would be 9 then."
<OOC> Syval says, "Whatever. Not a big deal. Drive on. :)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Uhm ... Neo will make an attempt on .... #10."
Neosodos rolls To Hit on Gnoll 10 (1d20+10) and gets 14 (4)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Poor Neo is not rolling well to hit tonight."
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm getting his good rolls tonight."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie will witch missile #6, if no one minds?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Not complaining over here."
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG (8d4+8) and gets 29 (1,3,4,1,4,1,3,4)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Which is not enough to kill that one. but he is definitely feeling it and smoking heavily."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Also, might be worth marking your #9 with a yellow highlight; he's the source of the light."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He has a glowing arrow stuck in him."
<OOC> Syval says, "And I am very entertained by that."
<OOC> Syval says, "Not that he's likely to move far enough from the group that it matters. We can... make sure of that. O:)"
<OOC> Syval says, "And belatedly c_c that one of these things tanked 29 damage and is still standing."
<OOC> Syval says, "I have severely misjudged their HD."
<OOC> Syval says, "I thought they had around 10-15 HP each. I'm off by a wide margin. Also more impressed by Honoria's tanking."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "None of them have rolled a 20 on her. And with her AC, they have to in order to hit her."
Jyslin rolls to hit Syval touch AC (1d20+15) and gets 31 (16)
Jyslin rolls healing on Syval (2d8+3) and gets 11 (6,2)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Syval is healed for 11 hit points, as a sprinting (charging) moonpriestess 'attacks' him with a cure moderate wounds spell"
<OOC> Syval says, "Ack! Surprise cat love! (43 HP)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you, Jyslin. ^_^"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, back to our gnoll friends."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. One AoO from Syval for A. #9 is 5' stepping back and throwing a javelin."
<OOC> Syval says, "Since I used Fighting Defensively on my own turn I'm free to attack without it while retaining the +2 AC, correct?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Still with me?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "New round. So if you're fighting defensively, then do that. I believe you CAN still make AoO while fighting Defensively."
<OOC> Syval says, "New round but not the beginning of my next turn I mean and the +2 AC lasts "until the start of [my] next turn", hence the question."
Syval rolls Bardiche (1d20+10) and gets 17 (7)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 10 (3)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li nods. "I'm just saying that so long as fighting defensively does not mean you cann't take AoO, then go for it."
<OOC> Syval says, "It makes no mention so away we go. :)"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Syval hacks at #10 as he closes. #10 will be making his attack roll. I need to adjust #9's for his missile weapon."
<OOC> Syval says, "And looks like Total Defense /does/ prevent taking AoO explicitly so that reinforces that Fight Defensively allows."
<OOC> Syval says, "Cripes, A isn't down? c_c"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You missed him by 1."
Gnoll #03 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 21 (13)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 12 (4)
Gnoll #06 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 24 (16)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 10 (2)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 15 (7)
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval javelin (1d20+6) and gets 26 (20)
Gnoll #10 rolls to hit Syval (1d20+8) and gets 16 (8)
<OOC> Syval says, "Ahh, okay. That makes more sense, thank you."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oy blin"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Honoria continues to tank away. But Syval ... ouch."
<OOC> Syval says, "If you were trying to present a persuasive argument for my adopting Mage Armor, you have succeeded. :D"
<OOC> Syval says, "<- 15 AC w/ Defensive buff"
Gnoll 06 rolls DMG Syval axe (1d8+6) and gets 11 (5)
Gnoll 09 rolls DMG Syval javelin (3d8+18) and gets 30 (7,3,2)
Gnoll 10 rolls DMG Syval axe (1d8+6) and gets 7 (1)
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh my me that's not a sound effect you hear very often."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Wait."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I forgot to confirm that critical hit."
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval javelin (1d20+6) and gets 14 (8)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And ... did not confirm."
<OOC> Syval wipes brow with all 15 AC.
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you for catching that so I didn't have to, literally."
Gnoll 09 rolls DMG Syval javelin (1d6+6) and gets 7 (1)
<OOC> Syval says, "So is that 25 damage to me?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK, So 7, 7, and 11. 25 damage for this round."
<OOC> Syval says, "18 HP"
<OOC> Syval says, "My go now?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes. Your action?"
Syval steps 5ft SW and swings defensively on A.
Syval rolls Bardiche_Def (1d20+6) and gets 16 (10)
Syval rolls Bdc_Damage (1d10+7) and gets 17 (10)
<OOC> Syval says, "+1 HP, now 19."
<OOC> Syval says, "Aww, pretty swing, but a miss."
Neosodos rolls To Hit on Gnoll 9 (1d20+10) and gets 18 (8)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Good job, Neo."
<OOC> Syval passes the good dice back to Neos under the table. <.< >.>
Goll 09 rolls Poison save (1d20+7) and gets 21 (14)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Damnit. Bastard made it."
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 sword1 (1d20+18) and gets 29 (11)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 sword1 (1d10+8) and gets 9 (1)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 sword2 (1d20+13) and gets 16 (3)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield1 (1d20+21) and gets 38 (17)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield1 (1d6+8) and gets 12 (4)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 26 (10)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #06 shield2 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. #6 is decased."
<OOC> Syval says, "Round 3: 6 Gnolls remaining..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie is going to split her missiles. She's sending one at #3, and the rest at #8"
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG #3 (1d4+1) and gets 3 (2)
Andie rolls Witch Missle DMG #8 (7d4+8) and gets 27 (4,2,2,4,1,4,2)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So now we are down to 5 gnolls remaining. #3 is off the board."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jyslin is going to try to take out #10, here, since he is the only one in 5' range of her."
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 right1 (1d20+16) and gets 32 (16)
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 right1 (1d6+8) and gets 11 (3)
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 left1 (1d20+16) and gets 21 (5)
Jyslin rolls to hit #10 left1 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And we drop A/10. Down to 4 gnolls remaining."
<OOC> Syval says, "A is dying the death of a thousand cuts over here."
<OOC> Syval says, "12 on 5 and alas not one Grease was cast this day."
<OOC> Syval says, "Thank you~ Jyslin. And if she steps correctly she might even block future javelin throws from 9."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. 9 is aiming javelin @ Syval. 5,8,7 are attacking Honoria. Because of course they are."
<OOC> Syval says, "Hey if I was that close I'd take a swing too..."
<OOC> Syval says, "*Ahem* I mean, 'oh no! Those vile gnolls!'"
Gnoll #09 rolls to hit Syval javelin (1d20+6) and gets 14 (8)
Gnoll #05 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 9 (1)
Gnoll #07 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 24 (16)
Gnoll #08 rolls to hit Honoria (1d20+8) and gets 21 (13)
<OOC> Syval says, "My last round was defensive so AC is 15. The javelin misses barely."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So ... Syval. Your call."
<OOC> Syval says, "Sorry, was prepping the rice. I'm torn between the theatric and the effective..."
<OOC> Syval says, "Is the spear I took dead on (20, unconfirmed crit) still (1) embedded in me or immediately nearby and (2) still largely in one piece?"
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm tempted to return to sender."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Javelin."
<OOC> Syval says, "Javelin sure. Thin spear."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And ... it should be nearby, yes. Since it wasn't a crit, I'm going to say it's not actually embedded."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh wait a tick, I actually don't know how to throw one..."
<OOC> Syval forgot Wizards don't get Simple Weapon Proficiency. Oh embarrassment.
<OOC> Syval says, "Ah what the heck he still deserves it. I do not care. -4 penalty I will live with."
<OOC> Syval says, "Well then, I'll Move to pick it up then give it a chuck back where it came from. Incoming on 9."
<OOC> Syval says, "+8 RAB so that's +8 -4 = +4 to-hit for 1d6 (Medium javelin) + 4 (STR) + 1 (Arcane Strike) = 1d6+5 damage?"
Syval rolls Bloodied Javelin (1d20+4) and gets 5 (1)
Syval rolls BlJavelin (1d6+5) and gets 11 (6)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. Miss."
<OOC> Syval says, "Natural 1 miss no less."
<OOC> Syval says, "Also 20 HP, +1 healing."
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #08 sword1 (1d20+18) and gets 34 (16)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #08 sword2 (1d20+13) and gets 16 (3)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield1 (1d20+21) and gets 33 (12)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield2 (1d20+16) and gets 36 (20)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #08 sword1 (1d10+8) and gets 16 (8)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield1 (1d6+8) and gets 10 (2)
Honoria rolls to hit Gnoll #05 shield2 (1d6+8) and gets 14 (6)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "8 is ded."
<OOC> Syval says, "Honoria is carrying this encounter. This is so~ going to skew the loot splits later. :D"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li ponders. I think Jyslin is going to step in on 7 and slash. Little Neo is going to try to stab #9.
<OOC> Syval says, "Go for it!"
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 right1 (1d20+16) and gets 30 (14)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 right1 (1d6+8) and gets 14 (6)
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 right2 (1d20+11) and gets 22 (11)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 right2 (1d6+8) and gets 14 (6)
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 left1 (1d20+16) and gets 31 (15)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 left1 (1d6+8) and gets 9 (1)
Jyslin rolls to hit #07 left2 (1d20+11) and gets 27 (16)
Jyslin rolls DMG #07 left2 (1d6+8) and gets 13 (5)
Neosodos rolls tail strike Gnoll #09 (1d20+11) and gets 15 (4)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sadly, Neo misses. Oh. Wait! Neo gets flanking/surprise!"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "7 is ded."
<OOC> Syval :D
<OOC> Syval says, "And then there were 2..."
Gnoll #09 rolls Save vs. Poison (1d20+7) and gets 12 (5)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And ... Gnoll #09 slumps to the ground."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, 5 is the only Gnoll still standing. And as this is the end of round 4, he just fell out of rage and is exhausted. Poor bastich."
<OOC> Syval says, "He came to his senses just in time to realize his defeat. <3"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Andie is just not the 'exterminate them all' sort, so I can't see her bothering to use her attack this round to blast his arse. So, ding ding, Round 5."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And before we resolve any further, he needs to make Fortitude save."
Gnoll #05 rolls Fortitude (1d20+7) and gets 19 (12)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "He does not collapse. Morale check, lonely gnoll ..."
Gnoll #05 rolls Morale (1d20+1) and gets 7 (6)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yeah. He's running away. Or trying. As he is already exhausted, he's not going to get very far."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Your call, Syval. Are we giving chase?"
<OOC> Syval says, "I am, absolutely. Whether there's anything to catch after I reach him is another matter. He's not teleporting after all."
<OOC> Syval says, "Once he retreats do I have a clear line straight to him to Charge?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. He's running away past Neo. So, I'm going to have Neo stealth and strike as he passes by. He will get 15 feet. So he is within a full move of Syval."
Neosodos rolls Stealth (1d20+18) and gets 29 (11)
Neosodos rolls tail strike Gnoll #05 (1d20+15) and gets 35 (20)
Neosodos rolls tail strike Gnoll #05 (1d20+15) and gets 33 (18)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Crit confirmed."
Gnoll #05 rolls Poison save (1d20+7) and gets 26 (19)
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Whoof. Even with the penalty for the crit, he pushes it off."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Care to charge?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Wow. Does that leave him flanked to me?"
<OOC> Syval says, "And gladly, yes. Charge moves at up to 2x Move so I'm charging him with my bardiche pulled back for an arcane power attack. This one's catharsis..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "When you catch him? Yes."
<OOC> Syval says, "1d20+10 +2 (Flank) -2 (Pwr) + 2 (Charge) = 1d20+12 to-hit. 1d10+6 (STR.5)+1(Arcane)+6(Pwr) = 1d10+13 damage"
Syval rolls Bardiche_PwrChg (1d20+12) and gets 20 (8)
Syval rolls Bdc_PwrChg_Damage (1d10+13) and gets 23 (10)
<OOC> Syval says, "Also 21 HP."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And he's deceased."
<OOC> Syval says, "Did my math wrong on the rice. It'll be 5:30 before it's done then I still need to cook fish. I forgot about pre-heat time for a cup of water."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That leaves #9, sleeping. I regret to inform that Neo intends to slice his throat."
<OOC> Syval says, "Which is actually perfect. By then we should be back into posing where there will be gaps. :)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Eh I'm satisfied now. He earned 9."
<OOC> Syval says, "I was going to behead him if no one else got there first. This'll be a little dragon bonding for us."
----
After the battle finally ends, Jyslin goes jogging out into the night, sweeping the area, making sure there are no more where these came from. Honoria checks first on Syval, clucking disappointed at him. "Syval of Amlar, wise wizards do not purposefully put themselves in the heart of combat, especially not in ways none of their compatriots can defend them." Andromeda approaches, shaking her head slightly. "The bleeding appears to have stopped. I can help speed things up, but I am sure you will be fine soon. Glad to see the damage is not worse." Neosodos vents some of his frustration and anger on the unconscious Gnoll #09, clawing out his throat quite viciously before the poison can fade and allow him to rise.
----
Jyslin returns after about twenty minutes. "I do not see any sign of more trouble. But the scent of these bodies will surely draw predators. We might be best to move on." In this case, she does not seem terribly inclined to search these targets, but taht does not mean there is nothing to be found. She does make a point of retrieving her glowing arrow from the body of Gnoll #09 once Neosodos is done, extinguishing the silvery light from around it before wiping it off, cleansing it, and then returning it to her quiver along with her bow as her mysterious 'handles' disappear up her sleeves once more.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Sanity check, normal HP for people around Delzimmer would be 10-20 HP for non-combat occupations and 30-40 for most fighting ones like guards and mercenaries?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Id est, I've taken enough wounds to drop most people and even kill a few of them?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sure"
<OOC> Syval grins. "I know what she actually did but it is amusing to think Honoria got so incensed that she said that in Common."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Obviously, that was in Maenast. Sorry."
----
Injured from a multitude of gashes, cuts, and one deep wound where a javelin passed his side, Syval looks more than slightly worse for wear as he flicks his bardiche aside to clear its blade of blood then thumps the sturdy weapon pommel-first into the dirt. Panting, he winces before doubling forward as a hand goes to his largest wound. Though it was easily lost in the heat of battle, even with Jyslin's timely healing the young mage has wounds enough to drop most people - or even kill them. Instead the bloodied young man is visibly pained but still mobile. If there's one consolation it's that most of his clothes aren't on to be dirtied.

"<I'll be fine. Never said I was a great mage - the bardiche has always been more comfortable to me. You're okay? >" he replies through gritted teeth even as he pushes himself back up straight with a grunt then looks out upon the field of dead bodies, spotting even through the dark Neos' diminutive and angry form. The little creature's ferocity earns an approving smile and in the quiet after battle, he walks the bloodied grasses, turning over corpses with his foot while checking them briefly for anything of value.
----
<OOC> Syval probably does not know the word for 'bardiche' and just said 'blade' or something like it actually.
<OOC> Syval is not doing a thorough investigation because dead gnolls /stink/ but he'll look for the big, the obvious, or the shiny.
----
"" Honoria answers. Jyslin glances between the two and shrugs. "Do you want me to bind those wounds or heal them?" apparently unaware that Andromeda also offered. The redhead says nothing more.

Neosodos finishes venting his frustrations and then rolls about in the grass, cleaning himself off fastidiously before he returns to his mistress none the worse for wear.

As many attacks as there were, only Syval seems to have taken any harm this early morning, other than the gnolls themselves.

A cursory examination turns up that each of the gnolls has leather pouch amulet around his heck which smells particularly foul in some unclean way. In addition, though their weapons are not of poor manufacture, they are none of them masterwork, let alone magical. Most can also be found to have had a sack, though most of the contents would not be of much interest to the group. There are perhaps a couple hundred bronze pieces between them. Also one of them has a human man's crudely severed yet oddly preserved hand and forearm in his pouch, with a wide bracelet around the wrist which appears to be made of some curious blue metal.
----
"Not much in this mess of course," Syval grumbles to himself as he checks body after body before spotting the large bulge in one gnoll's pouch. "Now what is in... ..."

"Eww." The mage grimaces in disgust before holding the limb up for the group. "This looks valuable, with the arm off it at least." By the time Jyslin returns and checks on the group, the green-haired young man's wounds have, to a one, closed, sealed, and covered over with new skin, though from a distance the dried blood still makes things look much the same. Moving once again comfortably, Syval shakes his head to Jyslin's offer. "I'm fine. Just need to wash. You want to do a rite for this or should I just pry it off?" he asks, showing the priestess what's left of an earlier gnoll conquest.
----
Jyslin sniffs. "It ... well. It smells like gnoll. But not like rot." Which is weird. It's a severed arm; it should definitely show signs of rot. But it does not. "If we can get the bracelet off, yes, let's bury it properly. Can you ask Honoria to lend a hand with the tents while you and I see about this bracelet?" As stated, they really should move on.
----
Syval nods. "It can't come with us anyway; the smell would give us away," he affirms before turning back to Honoria and gesturing the knight towards the campsite. "<We're leaving before this smell attracts predators. Can you help Andie pack the camp?>"
----
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Let's see how luck you are. What's your craft again?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Which one?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Craft skill specializations"
<OOC> Syval says, "Jewelry 8, Calligraphy 5, Alchemy 5."
<OOC> Syval says, "So which Craft skill do you want?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Jewelry, definitely."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "See if you can figure out where the catch might be, some way to get it open."
Syval rolls C:Jewelry (1d20+8) and gets 12 (4)
<OOC> Syval says, "Me and my not-taking-10 nonsense. One day I shall learn...!"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Apparently not. Must be very cleverly concealed."
<OOC> Syval says, "Well that's what STR checks are for..."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Go ahead."
Syval rolls Strength (1d20+4) and gets 17 (13)
----
The lady knight nods and after cleaning her shield and sword she follows the lady witch and her familiar back to the campsite to help break things down and pack things up.

Jyslin tries to help Syval examine the bracelet, trying to get it open or off the severed arm. They cannot seem to find a catch, and then Syval tries to force it open. In that process he manages to slice through the arm with the bracelet. He also manages to almost completely sever one of his own fingers; the bracelet itself is thoroughly unimpressed by all of this.

"OK. Maybe resist the urge to try to break things that are pretty visibly magical in unknown fashion next time." Jyslin's tone implies that might be a lesson Syval slept through back at the Academy, at least in her opinion.

Jyslin does not offer to heal the finger, but lets Syval heal himself up in his own time. Meanwhile, she does take the severed arm pieces and buries them, placing a rite over them, and leaving the bracelet in Syval's care.

When the priestess returns, she heads over to help put the finishing touches on getting everything packed up, their campsite brushed away almost as if it had never been. And then the group heads off as dawn finally rises.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "c_C"
<OOC> Syval says, "I was actually trying to pull it off the arm, like... past the wrist? But off is off, so okay."
<OOC> Syval says, "Surprisingly sharp little ting."
<OOC> Syval says, "*thing"
<OOC> Syval says, "Since I haven't done a full 8hrs sleep plus fresh preparation do I still have whatever spell slots were unused since yesterday morning?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yes."
----
Syval winces at the painful process of freeing the bracelet and shoots Jyslin a mild glare. "If you have a better solution next time you can try," he retorts before tucking the bracelet into his belt and walking back into camp cradling his newly injured hand. The green-haired mage mutters an incantation to himself to summon a spell from the previous day's preparations and, with a glow of cleansing green light, the dirt and blood covering his body melts away, leaving the young man once more clean before dressing.

Not having for sleeping on the warm and dry night it's not long before Syval has his pack shouldered and is looking much like he did the morning before, minus a little residual grumpiness.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Once we're underway and a ways away from our old campsite I'll tuck in behind Jyslin and Detect Magic to study the bracelet while we walk unless someone wants me for anything."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Appraisal; you can also roll on C:Jewelry if you want to pump the bonus/lower the DC. And a Spellcraft; you can throw in a K: Arcana if you want for similar reasons."
<OOC> Syval says, "Is that either or, or run all of them for max effect?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "All, for max effect, as you see fit."
<OOC> Syval says, "Not sure why I wouldn't then. Here goes~!"
Syval rolls Appraisal (1d20+9) and gets 24 (15)
Syval rolls C:Jewelry (1d20+8) and gets 13 (5)
Syval rolls Spellcraft (1d20+8) and gets 19 (11)
Syval rolls K:Arcane (1d20+9) and gets 25 (16)
----
"Honestly, I was going to pull a knife and see about dismembering to get it off." Jyslin admits; if Syval wants to be crankypants with her, she doesn't much care. What's done is done. Once she has her rather large pack up on her shoulders, the moonpriestess weretigress takes the lead as the group heads off. Honoria seems to naturally gravitate beside Syval, likely owing to the fact that he seems to be the only one who can talk to her and understand her.

True, Neosodos can. But he hasn't been trying.

The bracelet is magical - as expected. Close examination turns up a few interesting curiosities. The first of these is that the curious blue metal is in fact some kind of magical construct all on its own: blue crystal - quite possibly either colored blue glass, or actual sapphire - hardened by magic to act as if it were finesteel. That alone makes it very, very valuable in the right market. But with sufficient study Syval can also determine that it has some magical properties beyond its construction, relating to abjuration and necromancy, along with the usual enchantments for duration.
----
"Well, here's another one for the cave," Syval murmurs to himself. This sun is up, the path is clear, and he's got a shiny new and very valuable trinket to study. Thankfully it doesn't take much more than that to cure the young wizard's mood. With plenty of time yet ahead of him, he also fiddles about with the bracelet's edges in a renewed search for its elusive latch.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "If so permitted, taking-20 on Craft: Jewelry to figure out how this slips on and off. Again unless someone wants to talk to me. :)"
With another hour of study, Syval is eventually able to figure out a few interesting tidbits, the first of which is that the edgers of the bracelet are ''intentionally'' sharp, meant to actually bite into the flesh of the wearer; the assumption, given some of the magic being sensed is that this powers the necromantic magicks of the bracelet. By managing to find, and then read the runes in the odd material, Syval can command the bracelet to 'open' and then 'close'; when it opens, it grows nearly two-hundred percent in size, making it easy to slide on. Given readings on the matter the young wizard can be marginally certain the bracelet will then adjust when commanded to close, to stop when it properly fits the new wearer.
<OOC> Syval says, "Hmm, opportunities for bad decisions abound..."
<OOC> Syval says, "There's nothing more I can learn from further study of the ring's magic correct? My study caps at auras unless it's a spell I already know?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Bracelet"
<OOC> Syval says, "Bracelet sorry. Typo."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Unless you have Identify, or a lot of magical experimentation."
<OOC> Syval thumbs up. "Thank you. Wanted to make sure my limited OOC knowledge matched Syval's somewhat greater IC knowledge on how studying magic stuff works."
----
Inwardly Syval smiles a bit when he figures out how to make the bracelet grow and shrink back to its normal size but the young man stops short of actually putting it on just yet. The necromantic aura is... well, necromantic. Besides it's sharp. "What a strange item..." Lifting his head, he turns to the resident witch of the group and hails, "Andie, do you know anything of necromancy? This odd bracelet is glowing with it, and abjuration. It's got a sharp edge that seems to cut in on purpose, maybe blood powered."
----
Andie turns and reaches a hand back for the bracelet, examining it closely. "Probably blood-bonded. A not uncommon practice for some esoteric protective items. Necromancy does not always mean relating to undeath. It can also relate to magicks of life. I will need a few hours to study it to determine more. But I can tell you, I do not sense an implicit threat in the bracelet."
----
<OOC> Syval says, "I'm sorry I forgot to ask before, what are the parameters for the Shave cantrip?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Parameters?"
<OOC> Syval says, "Casting time, V S M, duration?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Thank you. That clarifies."
----
Syval strokes his chin thoughtfully at the redhead's answer, then pauses and frowns as he scratches at the scruff on his cheek. The gnolls interrupted his morning shave too. "Take your time then. Would blood-bonding prevent us from taking it back off until we die like it's old owner?"
----
"Not generally, no." Andie answers. "However, that's not impossible. It happens sometimes." Always be scrupulously honest; lives can depend upon it. "I should be able to confirm that risk, or discount it, after my examination." Andie offers.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "You know I just realized... I haven't used a single wizard spell slot in..."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ever actually. I've just been using study time to change my day's cantrips. I should be more cognizant of that."
<OOC> Syval says, "There's nothing for me to study over lunch. :D"
----
The green-haired mage nods back at the offer and the young woman's counsel. "Have fun studying then," and he seems to actually mean it. Then out of consideration for the one woman in earshot who didn't follow, Syval turns to Honoria and summarizes, "<Necromancy and abjuration magic. Andie thinks it's safe and connects to the wearer's blood, but it needs more study.>"
----
Honoria listens, glancing towards the bracelet and then back to the mage in question. "" she admits. "" She thumps her gauntleted hand upon the large shield on her arm. "< Gardinaria was attuned and bound to me, and has never failed me. >"
----
"<Your shield?>" Syval infers, realizing that not once so far had the normally curious mage inspected the chevalier's arms and armor. Well, no time like the present. "<What enchantments does your equipment have?>"
----
<OOC> Syval yawns a little. "D'aww. So little time now that we're into the RP part again. This evening flew."
<OOC> Syval is good for a little longer but probably not a lot longer.
----
Honoria considers Syval for a bit. "< Well, surely a wizard would know better than I? >" she asks. Not that she won't answer, but she's entitled to say that her own descriptions will be anecdotal and thusly maybe not up to Syval's desired accuracy.

"< My armor is the least of the magicks crafted for me. Chevalier Plate armor was crafted to be very light, closely and personally fitted to the wearer. It is reinforced, and made of the finest metals and craftsmanship. It also has spells upon it which enable me to find comfort in any temperature or condition. I can also sleep in the armor without the usual discomforts, though I must still remove it for proper ablutions. >" Honoria explains.

"< Gardinaria is the strongest magic made for me. She was not just fitted to me, but bound to me in ritual during her shaping and crafting. She is lighter than her size would demand, and incredibly resilient. She will even slowly repair herself if she succumbs to damage, unless she is destroyed. >" Clearly, Honoria sounds quite proud of this.

"< Gardinaria protects from magic and the like, as well as physical harm. And she is expressly handy against flights of arrows. >" Important for a knight leading campaigns against mounted horse archer barbarians of the tribes, to be sure. "< Gardinaria is always aware of threats around us, and warns me to act. >"
----
Syval looks to the knight's enchanted equipment as Honoria speaks to each. Not having truly done so before the young man's gaze is attentive and insightful, spotting the venting and noting the joinings between intricate bronzework and the armor's remarkably thin steel base. "< Amazing, >" the mage breathes in a hushed reverence. It's yet another affirmation that the young woman is someone truly special from a far-off time. "< Armor crafted like yours is almost unheard of in this time even before Art is put upon it. I saw a little of your shield's magic when I was studying the bracelet, >" Syval confesses with an amused chuckle. ""
----
Honoria looks curious at Syval and shrugs. "" She clearly does not even know enough about magic to recognize hyperbole. "< The magicks of my weapons are simple, by comparison, I am sure. My sword is a guardian's bane blade. My lance is, as you have seen, crafted to condense itself for ease. The ring upon its base is bound to the ring upon my right hand. And the lance itself is a shocklance. >" The terms used, here and there, are hard to translate, and may require consultation with Neosodos.
----
"< All things of great rarity and value in this day, but... my Maenast maybe is not so good. I understand most of the Art upon your weapons, >" Syval confesses. "< And you received all of that as a knight commander? >"
----
Honoria shakes her head. "< No. The blade and lance I had before the campaigns of the war began. The armor I earned upon graduation as Knight Commander. Gardinaria was completed during the retreat. >" she explains. Since she does not know another language that she can share with you to help with training and translations, she leaves it to you to ask for clarifications, or get help from Neosodos.
----
"" the green-haired mage admits enviously as he shows his bardiche and part-time walking stick. "< Some wizards do learn how to imbue Art into the object bound to them but it's an advanced skill and almost none choose to bind a weapon as their focus. I doubt if I will achieve that - their Art is... >" Here Syval pauses, trying to find a word for his thoughts. "<Wrong for me.>"
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Phone."
----
Honoria listens and at first she does not question. She has already proven she knows nothing of the modern world, and little of the Art. She certainly is no authority on either. But she is bright enough to be curious, so she asks, "< The Academy's Art is wrong for you? Then how did you end up studying with them? What path will you seek now? >"
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Back. Sorry for the wait."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "NP. *snugs*"
----
Syval tilts his head back and looks up for a few seconds at the sky overhead as he gathers his thoughts. Little might the chevalier know how far back the answer stretches. "< It's a long story. Ask me after we've made camp, that would be a good time for it. For now, it's because the Academy is the /only/ path of arcane study even if they are far from knowing everything about the Weave. >"
----
Honoria seems non-plussed by this, but she says nothing. Chances are she views this as not being her business to speak. Given that the others do not speak Maenast - other than Neosodos - they have nothing to add on the modern state of such things.
As the group continues largely quietly, with minimal commentary, Neosodos remains quite visible on Andie's shoulder, glowing brilliantly as the walking witch is visibly communing with her familiar. After about three hours journey, Jyslin holds up a hand to bring the group to a halt, then slinks off very carefully through the tall grasses, moving about two hundred yards further east and a bit north. Then she kneels down, checking something, before lifting her hand and waving the group closer.
----
Syval will be aware that something has died up ahead. As the group gets close enough, the others will bear witness to what at first appear to be the fallen, dessicated corpses of a group of children numbering eight. Only more careful examination will finally reveal that these bodies were not in fact human, but gnomish, and the bodies show clear evidence of vicious and terrible wounds, both with massive and blades and savage biting and gnawing.

Syval tightens the grip on his weapon and scans their surroundings when Jyslin halts the party, then advances to the priestess' position with half an eye upon the surrounding grasslands. He frowns at the findings and crouches down to study the bodies more closely. "The gnolls or something else?" he asks to Jyslin.
----
Vanya rolls Perception (1d20+12) and gets 26 (14)
----
"Gnolls. Six to eight days." Jyslin offers, sighing softly. "I do not know how their bodies specifically decay. I don't have the experience to judge any better than that." It is the first time anyone has ever mentioned aloud that different species in the Shaar actually decompose differently. But gnomes are inherently magical, and in a way different from either dragons - which no mortals can honestly comprehend - or elves, which no humans are generally privy to understanding. "Little guys fought hard, but they were vastly overmatched in numbers, and couldn't make up for that with their nature magic."

Andromeda, looking over the site of the heinous murder, simply lowers her eyes. "I know we are all tired. But I would appreciate it if we could agree to bury them."

At her words, Jyslin shucks her backpack and carries it a distance away, then comes back with two spades. "Sorry. These are the only two I have."

Honoria extracts a shovel from her own gear, and prepares to assist. "< You died with honor, ancient friends of the land. May you return to it, and find some measure of peace. >" she murmurs.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Phone again"
<OOC> Vanya says, "Back again."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "WB."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Thank you, and that should be it for the day I think."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li has managed to finish most of what I will need to do in the kitchen, too.
<OOC> Vanya says, "Hmm, and I never did sort out Syval's pack for the journey. He's familiar with back country but also not one to carry a lot of what he won't need."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Wow 12lb for a folding shovel, 8lb for a regular one. I mean, my light load is 100 pounds but still..."
<OOC> Vanya says, "I suppose my bardiche doesn't serve as much of a shovel either."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Not a good shape for it unless I'm just trying to break up soil."
----
At the suggestion Syval stabs his bardiche into the ground, leaving it upright, and drops his own pack as well before fishing out a fourth shovel for the group. "Fine by me. The gnolls must have stalked this area if they found us both almost a ten-day apart," he considers nonplussed before shouldering his tool and looking back to the group's priestess. "Where would you like the holes?"
----
<OOC> Vanya figures there are enough uses for a shovel that it'd be odd not to have one for himself.
----
Largely without words, the group is able to work, scarring the turf to mark out eight separate graves, and then each can work on digging two of them. The soul is relatively easy to dig into once the turf itself is peeled away, but it is heavy and not rock free. Thankfully the group of four includes three who are quite strong enough to work any larger rocks free; only Andie seems to struggle with this, but she tends to work around them until someone can spend a minute or two to help her lever one out and get it clear.

Once the holes are dug, Andie calls forth an unseen servant and asks it to carry each body's remnants to a separate grave. Andie then - quite generously - tasks the unseen servant to refill each grave with the dirt and stones that have been extracted, and return the sod to cover each one.

"As creatures of nature, this is their way, to be left to renew the cycle of life and become one with it. If we knew their names, I could try to task a sparrow to carry a message of their loss. But at least this way they can be lain to rest." Andie offers. Jyslin lays rites upon each one, not claiming their dead for Selune, but imbuing the ground with enough of her goddess' power that they will not be easily or haphazzardly raised as undead.

Honoria is the one to mention, "< Perhaps we could move a bit away, and everyone might appreciate a rest? >"
----
Syval casts his own incantation once the grave sites are dug and one by one passes a simple cleaning spell across the group and their tools. His own part in the rites is one of quiet observation though a somber frown does tug his lips. The young man is no stranger to death but neither is he inured to it.

At the knight's question he looks over and thinks for a moment then nods before turning back to the others. "We should move away, then take a rest over lunch."
Andie looks towards young Syval, and Jyslin as well, and both nod. "Sounds good." the priestess offers. The group can then move back to the south away from this site, and then set up camp. Once Andie has put up the fire put - as usual - Jyslin starts on cooking, and Honoria sits quietly, rubbing, cleaning and checking over her own gear in great and fastidious detail. For her own part, Andie sits very quietly, slowly stroking her hands over Neosodos' scales as he lays across her lap, until at last the drake slides out from under her hands and slips into the grasses, disappearing as is his want.

Syval helps pitch tents to offer the group shade from the mid-day heat then turns away from the rest and sits down beside his bardiche, overlooking the grassy hills they'd just passed in what is loosely the meditative pose Andie had shown him earlier. His breathing comes deeply at first then slow and regular as he focuses inward, tuning out the camp.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Will take-10: 21"
----
As Syval focuses his mind and meditates, he is finding it easier and easier to blot out the distractions of the world, find that inner emptiness, and within it the spark of that essence. And reaching for it is also becoming easier, more stable; it is, bit by bit, becoming less slippery.

None of that makes this easy. Especially in that moment when he finally grasps it, the roar sounds through him, echoing, thrumming with that memory of rage, and his mind is again awakened to those draconic presences. Without the cavern being open, the sense is only of those here on this side of the Shaar. But that also makes the feel of them more immediate, more real.

And there is surprise - but likely not shock - that Neosodos has made his way all the way around and across camp and is barely a foot or so away from the mageling.

The thought does come to Syval's mind to break his meditation and address the Eldritch Wyrm. 'So there.' 'Yes, I figured it out.' 'Of course I know we're alike.' Choices, feelings, mingled pride and indignation at the small yet powerful drake, but with a breath the dragon-touched mage pushes them aside. The openness of doing this where Neos can see him is statement enough. And so he holds his mind pointed in the inside-out way of peering into his core and through it seeing the world. There's one dragon soul he can sense which is friendly, the one by his side. The rest and especially the frozen heart of the mountain range high above, he'd rather avoid.

Yet in its own way the oppressive sense of the other dragons close upon him is invigorating, motivating. It wouldn't do to stumble around like a freshly hatched wyrmling with such an audience. Even a lesser dragonoid still has his pride. So Syval doesn't rush nor draw away, soaking in the light and energy from his spark before once more reaching out this time with confidence and mind settled to grasp it.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Will take-10: 21"
<OOC> Vanya says, "Brief afk to start soup."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "What's he trying to do with it? He has hold of it; holding it is what brings the sense of dragons and the roar. He has managed not to let go. Now he wants to do a thing."
<OOC> Vanya says, "And soup's on."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Ah sorry. I thought passing the roar and grabbing it were two stages. This time... something inward. Focusing on that enhancement and vitality it seemed to offer before. Is that an option?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sure."
<OOC> Vanya says, "Wow 15 minutes. That was longer than I thought it."
<OOC> Vanya doesn't have this soup making down as tightly as he thought.
Name set.
<OOC> Syval also fixes that. Dang adiscon.
<OOC> Syval says, "Read: Trying not to startle the party and prompt too many questions before he explains to Honoria tonight."
----
Holding the spark firmly - resisting its urges to slip away - Syval can feel the many aspects of 'draconic-ness' simmering, and he must sift through those, seeking out a path. Looking for the path to enhancement and vitality, what Syval finds wells up within him, threatening to erupt; and with it he can feel great physical changes at hand, held off by a knife's edge of will given his desire not to 'show off' in front of others just yet. He can almost feel the hard, ridged edges of jade-hued scales scraping along the inside of his skin, an ache at his jaw and sides of his head, a raw bubbling power within his throat ...

How far will this spark go? There are likely to be only two ways to find out: give in and find out first hand, or consider asking Neosodos.
----
Tension, constraint, pressure... Seeking more of the invigorating rush of power from his spark, Syval's instead now trapped by his own form. It's a brief moment after he reflexively squeezes back upon the spark's urge to burst past his control once freed to flow but it's a shock that feels longer. There's far more here than the simple potential of enhancement magic, the wizard's most familiar realm of transmutation Art, and as that moment passes he gives in once again to abandon and his desire to know, to /be/ whatever the spark makes him.

Turning the same time he opens his eyes, Syval smiles proudly at the mottled red-orange pseudodragon beside him.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "(Assuming that passes.)"
<OOC> Syval says, "Almost time for me to take my dinner afk."
----
As Syval holds the change at the brink, examining it, seeking to understand it, he will be able to find an instinctual understanding: easiest for him, right now, would be letting it loose, transforming into some sort of human/dragon hybrid. His instincts can tell him that doing so will almost certainly result in devastation to clothing worn above the waist, as wings will rip free of his back and shoulders, and a tail will be taking care of most of what he might be wearing below the waist.

Some adaptation and preparation may be in order.
----
Syval can also tell that tipping in a different direction would be transforming into a fully draconic shape. His sense is that his draconic essence is young, and thusly smaller by comparison. Not nearly so tiny as Neosodos, but still smaller than the usually massive male is likely to find happy.

Once Syval manages to wrestle his way back from the edge, carrying his connection with the spark back to the real world is difficult - it is still slippery - but it is not impossible. This time, at least, it is not a mere moment's time and then lost. And as his eyes open, taking in once more that outside world, the head of the Eldritch Wyrm peeks up above the grass, golden orbs watching the human quite closely. "< Much better, Brother. >" that voice sounds in his mind. This time he can tell instantly that the 'sounds' of those thoughts are not those of Maenast, nor Shaaren, but that other language that his mind comprehends instinctively.
----
Satisfaction and anticipation fill the young dragonoid's mind at his accomplishment and more still, what the near future holds once he can explore more freely. It shows no doubt in his mind if not in his face as Syval takes a deep breath of the grassy air while looking back with his sandy eyes of lesser luster. It might be ambitious but having heard the wyrm in his tongue there's an urge to respond in kind. Still keeping his connection to the slippery spark, Syval tries next to guide its flowing energy through the same path the voice took in his mind while carrying a thought. Hopefully Neos will receive it.

<>
----
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li did include in her pose '... in his mind'; for the record.
----
Neosodos tilts his little dragon head to the side in a curiously feline gesture, and then bobs it in acknowledgement. "< Not the Art, so much as the human way of doing it. >" the drake's mindvoice replies gently. "< It will, I am sure, take a bit to unlearn the old ways, and discover the new. But you have begun. >"

The drake turns those eyes towards the mountains, and then back towards his 'brother'. "< Now that you have begun embracing this power, you will be sensed by other dragons at a much farther range. And if you enter into their claimed territory, you can be assured they will respond. Some very unkindly. >" Hey, not all dragons are asshats. But entirely too many of them are likely to have little patience for a monkey with delusions of scalykind.

"< If you want to learn the draconic path to magic, I recommend reviewing your notes for spells, and feeling out in your mind what draconic word, or words, sum up the smell. Then give that a try. >"
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Da, like I said I assumed that was post-translation from speech. I blame the "" marks maybe. Either way, corrected now."
<OOC> Syval says, "*sum up the spell?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Uhm. Yeah. Whoops. Bad DM. Typo."
<OOC> Syval says, "What do you think of using <<>> for telepathy and "<>" for non-Common speech? That's closer to what I've used in the past and helps distinguish them from one another."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. But how to delineate 'telepathy in foreign language' ?"
----
Syval follows the pseudodragon's gaze, feeling acutely what he's eyeing. << Yes, that one I don't want to disturb. >> But the advice on advancing his magic is encouraging and brings the young man back to a rosy view of the future. Yes, he has much to study and practice...

<< How will I know the reach of their territory? >> He asks, judging prudence worth more than curiosity.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Not sure for that one. I'd be willing to cross that bridge when we come to it since telepathy so far is point-to-point so we don't have to care about whether someone other than the recipient can understand it."
<OOC> Syval says, "Say if Neos does a party-wide telepathy, we'll be writing it in English, then just tag before or afterwards the language he's "speaking" if it's not Common? I'm open to ideas there if you want to cover that ahead of time."
----
<< Awareness. >> Neosodos responds. << Open nose, open mind. You will know their territory boundary is close long before you get there. >> And the young mageling who is awakening to his draconic nature can well understand that said dragons will be equally as aware he is coming long before he gets there.

Draconic surprise of a dragon is - at a minimum - not an easy or happenstance thing. Assuming it is possible at all.
----
Syval nods in understanding of the answer and the importance behind it. It's something he perhaps won't learn so much as feel. << Your voice sounds much better like this, Neosodos. It's less scratchy than your Common. >> Unsaid but equally understood is that it matches Neosodos the Eldritch Wyrm better than his cat-sized pseudodragon body.
----
<OOC> TEST
<OOC> Syval pokes his connection. "Still good."
----
The little drake snorts, blowing out his feeling. << Dragon mouth, even tiny dragon mouth, not made for human words. >> he admits, mildly frustrated. << Most are surprised I can talk at all. >> He churrrs.

Syval chuckles in sympathy for the drake. << You don't seem one for talk. I haven't heard a word of old Maenast from you since I woke Honoria. >>

<< Because you have been spending time with her, not close enough to me. >> the Eldritch Wyrm explains. << Unlike my larger cousins, the range of my mind-voice is proportionately smaller. There are some that can send their voices into minds a mile away or more. But not me. >> Which doesn't mean he hasn't been keeping up on what the two have been saying to one another. He has ears, most definitely.

<> Syval responds. << Have you even introduced yourself? >>
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Phone?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li shares red (beef & kidney beans) chili. "Sorry. I missed the flash and di d not realize you had posed. My bad."
<OOC> Syval says, "Aww. Welcome back with dinner at least."
----
<< My spoken Maenast is no better than my spoken Shaaren. >> the little drake admits. << And most find it rude to perch on someone I do not know. >> After all, he is Andie's familiar, even if he is happy to be friends with others. << Have any nice berries? >> he inquires, teasingly.

<< None that I found on this morning's walk. Maybe if we pass near woods by night fall, >> the green-haired mage replies with amusement. << And your spoken Maenast would be understood. She is from 60,000 years in the past and I am the only person she can talk to right now. I don't know what she thinks of /green dragons/ but she likes witches; I don't think she would complain at your company. >>

<< Well then, you make introductions, Brother. Explain to her about my mind-voice. She accepts, and I will gladly come for a visit and we can talk. >> Politeness counts! Especially when one is a dragon to be introduced to a princess who is also a bad-ass lady knight.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "FYI, I don't *think* I've mentioned the princess thing in earshot of the party yet, though it is still true. :)"
<OOC> Syval has ICly tried to keep that to himself out of respect for Honoria and owing to the trouble it could cause getting too far out.
----
<< As you wish, >> Syval relents with a nod. Clearly the young man favors a more direct approach, but such is acceptable to him. Looking back towards the distant snowcapped mountains, he lets his mind coil back to his draconic nature and the spark he's still gripping. << This is getting easier with use, I may be able to speak like this as we walk soon. >> Then recalling the raw, bubbling feeling low in his throat he adds darkly, << The next band of gnolls we meet I plan to douse with acid. >>
----
<OOC> Syval is feeling just a little~ caustic over how that ambush went.
----
<< Keep in mind, Brother, that if your breath is that of the color of your hair, it will not be liquid. It will be vapor, and that spreads quickly, easily. Make sure none of us are anywhere in front of you, unless you want us drowning in our own blood as our lungs dissolve. >> Damned pretty picture the drake paints.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "And speaking of dragon traits I hope there were enough opportunities to show that Syval snorts like Neos since well before either of them met. There are little dragon traits he has by nature besides the big obvious ones."
<OOC> Syval says, "Ohhh right, D&D represented green dragon breath as a toxic gas not liquid acid didn't it? I sometimes forget that's a detail not all sources agree upon."
<OOC> Syval says, "Whoo, warning assiduously noted."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Black dragons spit liquid acid. Every dragon should be different. So."
<OOC> Syval says, "Yeah PF flattened them a little and gave the line vs. cone but identical damage mechanics of just simple elemental. That makes things more interesting."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Every type, rather. Hopefully you knew what I meant."
<OOC> Syval says, "So fire can ignite stuff, ice/cold can freeze, acid melts gear (and people), poison gas attacks breathing (and skin?) directly, electric of course plays by its rules and gets really nasty near water."
<OOC> Syval says, "K:Arcane to know whether a green dragon's breath is known to persist, and if so how long?"
Syval rolls K:Arcane (1d20+9) and gets 17 (8)
<OOC> Syval won't take-10 because distracted by talking + spark-tending.
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "You don't know huge details. But generally green dragon breath is heavier than air. So it would hang around. How long depends in large part on local weather conditions - especially wind - and volume."
<OOC> Syval says, "Oh dear..."
<OOC> Syval says, "Side-note, that feels like an excellent weapon for an evil creature and one with appropriate weight."
<OOC> Syval says, "Not to be used near anything one would consider a friend."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Also note: he's resistant to gases in human form; immune in hybrid or dragon form."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Design of dragon lungs."
----
Syval's eyes swell at the reminder, almost enough to lose the grip on his spark. << Good warning... I'll make sure not to test that in the cavern. It would never leave. >>
----
<< It would fall. But it could be minutes, even hours. >> Neosodos answers honestly.
----
<OOC> Syval says, "Green dragon lungs specifically?"
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And one of the metallics as well."
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "But yes. Those who are like greens, only."
----
<< I'm glad my earlier meditation didn't work, >> Syval confesses while awkwardly scratching his hair. << Thank you for the lessons, Neos. I think now I'll try to rest before lunch is ready. I'll introduce you to Honoria when we travel again. >>

<< Certainly. >> Neosodos offers, and then he melts back into the grasses and disappears ... to sight. Syval still has a very good idea of where he is the whole way back to Andie's lap.

Syval grins quietly to himself, enjoying the new little perk to pin down the infamously elusive drake. Then finally he relaxes the grip on his spark and lets it settle as it chooses to before laying back and shutting his eyes. He'll have a few minutes perhaps before lunch is prepared and the gnolls did interrupt some good rest.

----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Log 05 Journey Day 02 PM 2

2021-03-14T14:13:15Z

VanyaDoll2: VanyaDoll2 moved page Log 05 Journey Day 02 PM 2 to Log 05 Journey Day 03 PM

#REDIRECT [[Log 05 Journey Day 03 PM]]

Log 05 Journey Day 03 PM

2021-03-14T14:13:14Z

VanyaDoll2: VanyaDoll2 moved page Log 05 Journey Day 02 PM 2 to Log 05 Journey Day 03 PM

After doing his part to help make camp Syval disappears as he's want to do through Andie's satchel portal, this time setup in open air thanks to the dryer weather of the day. Not needing to pitch tents has also saved time the mage seems intent to use promptly for his purpose.

It might be a surprise then when he steps back through the portal again only a few minutes later, holding a piece of crudely marked animal hide. "There was a map in the hill giant's belongings. I think I solved how to read it," he announces in typically direction fashion while opening the page towards the light of the campfire for the others to see.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Thank you. That makes things easy for me. ^_^"

<OOC> Vanya says, "And unless Andie's been casting Summon Ranger Fire we've been putting a big honking signal to anything in the area. :P"

<OOC> Vanya says, "(Ranger fire = Dakota fire hole = fire made in a hole with an air vent.)"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Not that we're trying to hide from humans so that's fine."
----
Jyslin looks up from the campfire and the meal being cooked there, and then stands to walk over and look at the map. Her gaze is piercing and direct, as she then glances around the area, taking note of the relative positions of various landmarks. "For what it's worth, I think you're right. I think it does line up well enough to be followed, if we choose to do that." That said, the priestess smiles at the mage and heads back to her cooking.

Honoria walks over, looking at the map. "< That is definitely not your handwriting, Syval of Amlar. You are a mage, and no mage could survive with such poor writing. Something you captured from someone else? >" she queries.

Andie is sitting quietly scritching and petting a lap full of pseudodragon and does not seem to feel it necessary to check this out. "Since you have spent the most time studying it, Syval, you have had the most time to consider what to do with that information. So, what is your feeling? What are your intentions?"
----
<OOC> Vanya is idly amused Honoria calls him a mage without any other thought behind it. Most mages don't carry a bardiche or look much like him.

<OOC> Vanya says, "Also yay she's still around. :D"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "What else should Honoria call him but a mage if he casts arcane spells?"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Puzzling?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The puzzling thing, to her, is the green hair. But you're a wizard, 'arry, so she just assumes you're funkotastic."
----
"< Yes, in the cache of hill giants we encountered, along with your statue and other things. I can show you after we're done here, >" Syval offers to the displaced knight. He passes a nod to Jyslin then turns to Andie while tapping a point on the map marked with an X. "This map marks a location about a day south of where we'll cross tomorrow, in a valley between the mountains. That's dangerous territory and it's out of our way, but it seems important to the hill giants. It might be a camp full of more, or it could be a ruin they plundered, or their storehouse. I wouldn't recommend it with the four of us, but now we have Honoria." The green-haired mage shrugs with half his features shadowed by the light of the fire. "Regardless, it's not my choice."

Then back to the blonde knight, Syval turns and traces along the map to show it in more detail. "< The path on this map passes less than one day east of us, then south by one day of travel into a low place between the mountains. Do you know this area at all from your time? Was anything there? >"

----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Fair. :)"
----
Andie nods. "We'll think about it. We do not have to decide until tomorrow, after all. Good of you to bring it up."

Jyslin opens her mouth, as if she is preparing to say something, when Andie speaks. As soon as the witch speaks Jyslin's mouth closes and she goes back to cooking.

Honoria looks at the map, and then around at their surroundings carefully, considering the details. "< Our camp and path were far from here, at the other end of the Toadsquat range. Sister Autreanne knew of a place, and was guiding the refugees there for safety. Sister Shakarn had created the Sensions of the Slain during the waning days of the war as a barrier, to watch our backs and keep the Cantare" (she pronounces this 'kan-tar-ray') "from hunting us down. >"

Honoria studies for a bit longer, and then offers one more thought. "< I do recall some of the scouts mentioning that there was a starfall at this end of the range. But Sister Autreanne admonished that we had no reason to pursue the Tear. So I do not know exactly where it might have fallen. >"
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "May I may some knowledge checks to translate what Honoria just said? I OOCly followed very little of that so I'm not sure how much I should know ICly."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, you know that Sister Autreanne is one of the Sisters Alvameer. So, Sister Shakarn sounds like that must be another of them, and an ally of Autreanne."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And a Geography check might help you recall maps you have seen with hills labelled as Sensions of the Slain."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Yes, Shakarn was mentioned as one of the good sisters and Cantare as a bad one. Sensions of the Slaid, starfall, and Tear have me lost though."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Starfall I can figure out was like a meteor impact but it's a big leap to assume those are the same in Shaar."

<OOC> Vanya says, "I'll start with Sensions of the Slain then. :)"
Syval rolls Geography (1d20+5) and gets 7 (2)

<OOC> Vanya says, "I really ought to be taking 10... ^_^;"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So you'll take ten. Got it. And +5 will get you a 15. So you can recall that there's a ring of hills around the base of the far Eastern end of the Toadsquats called/labelled on maps as the Sensions of the Slain."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "So, out beyond White Bog, where y'all intend to stop."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Oh yup! So there are!"

<OOC> Vanya says, "She... okay wow, /created/ them. That speaks volumes."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Starfall is pretty much exactly what you think it is."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "What it //means// is a different story; there's lots of STUFF with it. But yes, it's a meteor making landfall through the atmosphere."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Do you have ranks in either Occult or Religion?"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Exactly my thought. In RL a starfall just means 'hey, really crappy (or possible high purity) iron'. These days it's pretty awful quality but in the "bronze" age some iron weapons were made with what was apparently meteoric iron."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Of course /steel/ weapons were made in the bronze age too. It's a coarse delineation. And yes, ranks in Occult but not Religion. Blame Oghma mostly."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Give me a K: Arcana, and a K: Occult."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Lesson learned here. I'm taking-10 on both if allowed. +9 Arcane is 19, +7 Occult is 17."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Given starfall was mentioned, you do recall that there is a mention in some lore about the 'Tears of Selune' relating to some ancient symbol for her faith you've never seen - only read descriptions of - that was apparently only used by witches, supposedly showing her surrounded by eight motes of light called tears."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Also, you know enough to know that starfall is very valuable for the reasons you've already mentioned. In the Shaar, magical arms and armor are most often made from starmetal - meteoric iron made into steel."

<OOC> Vanya says, "<.<"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Ooh..."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Seems an odd thing for hill giants to mark, but appealing possibility."
----
"" Syval considers and begins to turn back to the red-head, only to whip back to Honoria with a start as he catches something belated. "< Wait- what do you mean Sister Shakarn "created" the Sensions of the Slain? That's an entire hill range, and it's /further/ east than we are from the Great Rift. >"

Honoria takes Syval's excitable reaction in stride quite calmly, and just arches an eyebrow. "< I realize my mother tongue is not yours, Syval of Amlar, but I said what I meant, and you have repeated it in other words that mean the similar thing. I mean precisely what I said: Sister Shakarn created the Sensions of the Slain. >"
----
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. But yes, she is that blythe about it."
----
"< That... must have taken a lot of magic, >" the mage considers in awe, though as the spell passes he's left to shake his head. "< Too much of your history lives on in minor old books. What a waste of education the Arts are these days... But why are they to the east of the Toadsquat Mountains? Were you not pursued to the east from the Great Rift before arriving at these mountains? >"

----
<OOC> Vanya says, "15m warning on my side."
----
Honoria says nothing about modern education, since she knows nothing about it and cannot judge one way or the other. But when questioned about her own history, that is something she can discuss and does. "< We fled south from the Ringwell, to the Fort. From there, we fled up into the mountains following the Rouge River. Our enemies had found the Fort and pursued us towards the River. That is when Sister Shakarn raised the Sensions of the Slain to guard us. >"
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Oh hey! "Ruins of Falkirk!" Right on your map!"

<OOC> Vanya says, "That'll make life easier later on, not that Syval is aware of it."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Where's the Ringwell? Would I know that?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Nope. You would not."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And there's nothing marked on the map with that name."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Rouge River I'm sure has changed names too... but a "rusted" river sounds pretty rouge in color."
----
Syval furrows his brow in thought then replies, "< Those aren't places on any map I've heard of, but perhaps later you can show me by the terrain where it might be today. Thank you, >" he adds with a nod, "< I'll translate what you shared for Andie. >"

Then turning to the witch with her familiar the young mage summarizes simply, "She said a starfall happened on this side of the range in her time - that mark may also be a Tear." Syval doesn't bother to elaborate further; if any of them will know what that means, it'll be the witch and the priestess of Selune.
----
"Interesting news." Andromeda responds honestly. She continues to pet and scritch Neosodos, who does not outwardly respond to any of this talk, even though Syval knows the pseudodragon understands all of what has been said, even if not necessarily all that it implies. "I would not have imagined that hill giants would have an interest in such things, or a use for them. But I suppose it is always possible they might instead want to give that knowledge to someone else for something that they do want." Her assessment seems to imply that hill giants would have no use for the metal themselves.

Jyslin herself says nothing, but she does pay pretty close attention to all that is being said. There's definitely something going on behind those green eyes, but she is apparently not ready to share any of that just yet.
----
Syval nods back to the witch's assessment. "And it may have been a landmark for them. If that's all, I'll retire to the cavern until dinner," the green-haired mage concludes as he rolls up the map as best that can be done with the animal hide parchment and turns to Honoria with a smile. "< Come, I can show you the other treasures we found. >" Giving the blonde knight a moment to reply, he then leads the way through the satchel portal and into Andromeda's cavern.
----
Honoria bows respectfully to the ladies and then follows into the cavern's opening, pausing once inside to look around at the structure itself. "< Natural stone, but worked. Close to the surface. And definitely a bit more humid. >" she comments, as she lays down her shield then lays her helm atop it. Then she carefully adjusts the blade at her belt while taking a seat to look over the other treasures found.

"< Interesting. I have tools and materials for the care of my armor and weapons. They may be of some use in helping to clean up the pieces of this sword. >" She eyes the books but does not touch them, even if offered, leaving spellbooks to the mage without question.
----
Having now ventured inside more than a couple times, Syval's grown familiar with the cavern and treats it accordingly, setting his own supplies in a pile to shed himself of their weight, and even resting his bardiche among them. The green-haired young man takes a moment to stretch before doing anything else. "< If you can do it without causing more damage to the poor old thing, you may do so. Can you sense the magic it still has on it? In its prime the enchantment must have been... very, very big. >" Here again perhaps is a chance to teach the Delzmaer a better word in Maenast.
----
Honoria's recommendation is "< Significant. >" She also agrees that if she takes her time and is patient, she can likely do so without doing any further harm to the blade, though she does admit that she lacks the means to attempt a reforging, even if she felt she had the skill to achieve it properly.

Of the other non-magical items gathered, one other earns her attention: the broken crate of metal ignots. "< Have you the talent, Syval of Amlar, to call forth light to your will? >" she asks, while examining one of the ingots extracted from the broken crate.

"< You said you found all of this in the care and keeping of hill giants? >" the blonde lady knight inquires as she seeks confirmation. "< These were clearly not made by hill giants. They may not be gold or silver, but they are valuable. >" And with added light, she can examine them in greater detail.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Oh right, it's a little dark in here isn't it? XD"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "For those who don't have innate darkvision/low light vision ... yes. :)"

<OOC> Vanya #MundanePeopleProblems

<OOC> Vanya can't find a good antonym to #DarkvisionProblems.

<OOC> Vanya says, "I love that Syval /would not even think of that/. Though I should belatedly asks since light may be filtering from the portal, am I seeing with low-light (in color) or darkvision (black-and-white)?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "low light"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Of all the ways for Honoria to notice Syval's innately abnormal... Takes the woman he just met alone into a dark cave."
----
"< Yes, but we also found human remains from a> peryton <attack upon a wagon, along with the two spell books you see here, so their horde was made partly from those captures.>" Syval furrows his brow in surprise at the question and looks over, visibly puzzled. Then realization dawns upon him. "< Oh, can you not see well? I know the spell but cannot cast it now. I would need to study it from my spell book in the morning, and by then there's no use. You do not have any connection to the Weave or the divines, then? >"

"< No more than any other woman, no. I am a knight, not a witch like your Andie, or a priestess like your Jyslin. Nor am I a wizard like yourself, Syval of Amlar. That has always been more than sufficient for me. >" Honoria answers. She doesn't seem insulted, but she does seem to be curious, perhaps confused as to why he would ask this.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Shaar has paladins, yes?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "The Shaar has holy blades. That would be their equivalent."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Thank you."
----
"< You may call me 'Syval' unless the title is more comfortable for you, >" the young man offers, finally chaffing a little under the formality. Though with Honoria's entire demeanor it at least felt natural. ""
----
Honoria looks upon Syval curiously, and then merely nods. ""

That said, Honoria gestures at her armor. "< It is true that such armor as mine is rather unusual. But it is not beyond the ken, nor does it require my own Art to make it so. >" The lady knight smiles a warm, nostalgic smile. "< Such suits as these were awarded only to those who graduated to knight commander rank. >" There is a deep and abiding pride, there. It was clearly an achievement for her to reach that rank.

"< If you desire to study the arcanum I carry, I would be happy to allow that. I do recognize that one must study the Art as it is found to learn more and find one's own paths. That was spoken of many times. >" Honoria adds.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "How long again were we reckoning this trip? 20 days + off-road penalty + half-speed foraging... about 2 month was it?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Somewhere around two months, yus."
----
Giving a wizard a new bauble to study? Why yes, 60,000 years later, that still works. "" Syval admits with an appreciation that shows in his face and voice more than his words. "< But the journey before us is still plenty long. We've about two months to travel and aren't even half a tenday from where we set off. >" Here the mage even chuckles a little as he realizes the irony. "< If we were heading the other way we could have you to civilization in no time. >"

The blonde knight shakes her head a bit. "" Honoria shrugs her shoulders easily in that armor. "< Sister Autreanne said that by becoming the statuette, I would be hidden from all those who were hunting me and sought to destroy me. That even her Sisters would not know that I would return. But now I am back, and walking the Shaar again. I must assume that even if no mortals are yet seeking my heart's blood, the Sisters that yet remain who damned Falkirk must know I have returned, if not how or why. I know not what protections Sister Autreanne may have placed upon me, how obscured I might be from their Sight. They could be even now scrying to find me, to send their assassins for me. >"
----
Syval takes the dour portent calmly and looks around the cavern before shrugging as well. "< Then I hope they bring nice equipment. We have room for much more in here. Good then, that we shall be far from any wagon trails at least until the seasons turn. >" Choosing the same comfortable spot of floor he'd used the previous night, the green-haired mage seats himself and offers with a gesture for Honoria to do the same. It's pleasantly warm and humid in the cave without being oppressively so and spared both the harshness of sun's rays and the plague of insects crawling and crying about them. The little treasure basement with its simply-hewn stairs is a relatively tranquil and quiet place - and at least to the wizard with all his unwizardly, even unhumanly quirks, it offers a relaxing measure of privacy.

Dim light from the campfire catches upon his sand-colored eyes and makes them shine in the dark. "< When I activated your statue it gave me a vision - of you I think. I saw a witch, and a city destroyed. I think that may have been Falkirk and your Sister Autreanne. >"
----
Honoria presses her hand to her chest as a gasp escapes her. "" It clearly pains Honoria terribly, to the point of agony, even now after years more spent in war before her entombment within the statuette. She makes no mention of the circle of witches who called down the meteor strike from the heavens to devastate her home.
----
"< If the vision you saw showed an impossibly youthful, impossibly beautiful, almost alien woman of strawberry blonde hair and radiantly silver-green eyes who stood near as tall as a gnoll and projected calm authority to humble queens, that was Sister Autreanne. Still is, I imagine, wherever she may be. >" Honoria finishes.

Syval nods. "< Than that was her. You describe her well, >" he notes with a smile that's sympathetic for the young woman's plight. It's not something he can relate to, not really, but--

A distant but all-encompassing roar echoes in the young man's head, like a wave of dread given voice. His smile slips and turns to a somber frown and the apprentice wizard recoils slightly as he nods again. "< That was terrible... I don't know where your Falkirk is but once we've reached Andie's destination in the White Bog we can discuss our next course. I'm only bound to her in trade as a guard for the journey, but I doubt after such a long time that fate would have put us both in this witch's path without a reason. >"
----
Honoria raises her gaze to Syval briefly, then looks back down, simply nodding. "< I understand. You may also choose to return me to the statuette, except when I am needed. Such would be your right, and would be more likely to make it impossible for my enemies to find me, and you and the group. >" She's not necessarily advocating that solution, but perhaps honor dictates she at least get it out in the open.

Or maybe she's just avoiding some other topic of conversation?

"< Do you wish me to guard you, now, while you study? >" Honoria asks. She doesn't want to interrupt later, while he's actually studying, so she had better ask now. Even in the dark.
----
The offer seems to surprise Syval, as if he were expecting something else. "< You may if it pleases you, you won't bother me. Or you can visit the others in camp. It may be safer from your enemies to keep you in the statue, but your presence also helps protect us from the dangers we're likely to find on our journey. The perytons, for instance, >" the young man replies, giving the idea the courtesy of mention but not much more. "< And you've been in there a long time already. >"
----
"" That said, Honoria stands up smoothly and walks towards the entrance, leaving Syval to his studies alone and quiet.
----
After about half an hour of meditation, Syval manages to quiet everything and reach inside himself, finding again that glittering emerald spark of energy. This time, as he reaches for it, as the roar sounds, he resists the bone-deep panic that wells up, and forces down the tension that fear raises, sticking with his meditation. And there, now grasped within his mental 'hand', is an essence that is at once utterly alien, and completely a part of him, if unknown, unfathomed, nigh-incomprehensible.

And in that moment, Syval can feel that energy, that essence, throughout his body, awaiting his will. Strength and health far in excess of what any would expect. Resistance to other forces, like sleep spells, acid, paralytic effects. The ability to see where little or no light is available. And more. Not the vast presence of a Charindol. But something more than human. Something alien.

And something instinctually magical. And a part of his mind opens, blooming like a flower, as words he has heard he now knows he did not hear in Shaaren, nor in Maenast. They were in another language. A language he never studied, has never heard spoken. But a language that is as much a part of him as the thrum of blood in his veins.
----
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "How's my writing? Inspiring enough?"

<OOC> Vanya cheek smooches and goes back to typing.

<OOC> Vanya says, "Do I have the same sense of Neos' location this time too?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yus. And the other presences."
----
Feeling the emerald energy flood through his mental hand and suffuse his body encourages Syval to hold tightly to it like a lifeline. Whatever he's grasping, the "core" of his connection to something deeper and larger than himself, the feeling is one of completeness. It could last a second, it could last an hour. The dragon-touched mage neither knows nor cares as he at once holds tight the spark while willing himself to accept its presence in every part of himself. The flash in his mind overshadows the physical rush, like deaf ears that suddenly could hear in a language that was his before birth, sounds that resonate in his marrow, and with eyes that blind, turned inwards, and separated uncountable distance by the magic of a portal can still clearly "see" the presence of Neosodos and other larger dragons...

Dragons. The word appears in Syval's head, not as a sound or as a word, but as a shape - from inside. The featureless, endless emptiness of his mind that fills the gaps between thoughts and memories, and holds the emerald spark at its center; that's what it all is, what /he/ is. The mind of a dragon, the spark of a dragon, the innate sense of the other dragons' presences... Slowly, carefully, Syval makes firm his grip upon the spark, testing it for solidity, then tries to return to his body and the cavern while maintaining the connection. Neos had explained the nature of dragon magic - voice, speech, gives shape to it - no rituals or spells, on witchcraft or Art. If he can hold it, if he can retain it, the green-haired dragon mage faces himself turns himself to an empty section of wall and speaks.
----
[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]

Log 04 Jyslin Andie Syval Journey Day 02-03

2021-03-14T14:12:16Z

VanyaDoll2: VanyaDoll2 moved page Log 04 Jyslin Andie Syval Journey Day 02 PM to Log 04 Jyslin Andie Syval Journey Day 02-03: Includes Day 2 PM + Day 3

The evening meal is largely quiet, with only a few conversational gambits largely covering confirmation of watches and a check-in from Andie merely asking after Syval in hopes that his study of the partially ruined spellbooks is going well and proving enlightening, without much effort made to fish for or demand greater depth. That done, Syval is given the first watch, which does give him a chance to ponder more on the thoughts and awarenesses awakened within him.

The rains have finally stopped, even the heavy misting having given up, which should allow the ground to start to resolidify a bit. There does not seem to be anything or anyone moving out there beyond the camp. The one exception to this turns out to be that after about an hour and a half Neosodos reappears beside the seated wizard, grooming and preening a bit. He does not attempt mindspeech right away, but he is present and clearly making a point of being visible rather than his usual talent of disappearing into cover.
----
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "For the record, you do not have to interract with Neo if you do not wish to. But I stop here to offer you the opportunity to make up your own mind about that. If you do not interact with him, then I will continue with the evening's watches and night encounter rolls."
----
Syval reaches over and strokes the pseudodragon's head with a few fingers, looking curiously at the normally stealthy wyrm. That he's shown himself at all, and isn't curled up against Andie sleeping, probably means the ancient little drake wants something.
----
Jhiao Ting Li rolls 100 (1d12+0) and gets 11 (11)
Jhiao Ting Li rolls random encounter check (1d12+0) and gets 4 (4)
Jhiao Ting Li rolls random encounter check (1d12+0) and gets 5 (5)
Jhiao Ting Li rolls random encounter table (1d100+0) and gets 43 (43)
Jhiao Ting Li rolls large natural animal (1d100+0) and gets 44 (44)

<OOC> Vanya eyes.
----
Said ancient little drake pauses in his preening to turn his head all the way around and up, over his shoulder and past his wing to the slightly glowing eyes of the young mageling. "< More a question of whether you want something? >" he offers silently in mindspeech. No need, then, for Syval to voice his questions for anyone else. No need, either, to ask if he does not wish or if he is not ready. Just, honestly, Neosodos choosing to be present for the young man, to offer him his chances, his choices to make on his own.
----
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "FYI: If you choose not to ask anything or offer any linguistic response, you can just include waking Jyslin for her watch at the end of your pose. :)"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Oh hey, my eyes glow in the dark."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I'm figuring if you're staring out into the darkness ..."

<OOC> Vanya hadn't thought about what form Low-Light Vision would take, much less Darkvision.

<OOC> Vanya says, "I keep forgetting that I have that second one."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Yet more reason I'm Definitely Not Normal (tm)."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Huh... how do we reckon time for the watches?"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Ack overwrote my pose >.<"
----
Syval responds in the negative, thinking rather than speaking it and returns his attention to the wilderness, letting his mind wander. If Neos has nothing to ask then for now he has nothing to share. And so the first watch passes quietly for the pair until, glancing over to the cold embers of the campfire then up at the stars, Syval judges the first 4 hours of night to have passed and gets up to visit Andie and Jyslin's shared tent. It takes a few seconds in the dark to identify the moon priestess between the two long-haired women but once he does the green-haired mage taps her lightly on the foot, then makes his way to his own tent for rest.
----
Jhiao Ting Li rolls random encounter table (1d100+0) and gets 25 (25)
Jhiao Ting Li rolls evidence encounter table (1d100+0) and gets 1 (1)
Jhiao Ting Li rolls tiny natural animal (1d100+0) and gets 31 (31)
----
At that touch Jyslin turns over, catching sight of Syval as he is departing, and murmurs softly, "Thanks. Anything to report?" She doesn't dash after him, but she isn't long before coming out of her tent and making her way to the 'watch fly', settling down there, folding herself into a lotus position with hands resting on her knees. After only a few moments her bright green eyes flicker open, a pale silvery glow around them heralding her own ability to see into the night. She glances down at the dragonet beside her, and nods as he then flutters over and crawls through the tent flap to rejoin Andie.

There will be no sign of its passage, but later in the middle of Jyslin's watch she gently but firmly discourages a group of three large gorillas showing at least some curiosity in the temporary human encampment. Hours later, Jyslin crawls back into her tent and sends Andie to take watch. That too seems to pass without any fanfare, though she does gently but firmly remind Neosodos to bury the bones of the squirrel he caught.

By the time morning truly rolls around and everyone is awake, Andie has a small pot of porridge with bits of meat and vegetables and gladly spoons out some to share with her companions. Breakfast conversation does include Jyslin mentioning the approach of those gorrillas, though she is reasonably convinced they won't be back.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "And bread started for dinner. Back again."

<OOC> Vanya grins.
----
As is his want Syval's day begins with studying his spell book over his bowl of breakfast porridge. The young wizard is largely unresponsive to the morning's conversation if he's paying attention at all but one page at a time throughout the meal he flips his way through the several pages which matter most to him and eventually closes the cover. To mark the end of his morning preparations, the young wizard mutters an incantation together with a hand gesture and dashes the accumulated dust and dirt from himself in a small burst of magic - though he could still use a morning shave.

As the group gathers up their things and decamps, Jyslin makes a comment to Syval somewhat off-handedly. "I like that you're as fastidious as you are, Syval. Obviously, I do not know it. But Andie might? I'm not sure. I just recall that there is an arcane cantrip that can grow or regrow hair, and I believe it is reversible. I've heard that some use it to shave."

Andie chuckles at Jyslin's comment. "Well, that is all true. I confess I generally prefer the old-fashioned way of trimming hair, since I do so little of it. But it works quite well, and I do know the original form of the cantrip. I have used it a few times, when injury has left me, or someone else, lacking the hair I believed was proper."

Neosodos makes that curious wheezing chuckle sound of his as he climbs up onto Andie's shoulders for the day's journey ahead.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Neos is over here thinking #MammalProblems"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Mmmm. Pretty much. :)"
----
Syval quirks his brow and absentmindedly runs a hand along his cheek, feeling the day's stubble. "That would save me from shaving, and might help if we need to blend in somewhere." But really, the pair just offered him a new spell. Who is Syval to turn down a new spell? "Can you teach me that over lunch? For now I'll use the old-fashioned way, then we can try to rouse that ancient chevalier," the young mage suggests before gathering his pack and weapon to make a quick stop at the stream nearby.
----
Andie considers Syval for a few moments, and nods. "When we stop for lunch, I will pen down the notes I have on the spell. As you have seen, I do not study a spellbook, but I can write one out. Then you can study the spell this evening, until you can translate my own writings to your own." the witch offers.

Indeed, though it is rarely languished upon, that is largely the point of writing one's own spellbook: each mage's notes for a spell will be uniquely different, to suit his or her own mind. It is the reason why it can be a challenge for another to learn from those notes and come to understand the spell, and the reason why teachers - and academies like the one in Delzimmer - take so much time to stress writing one's own spellbook. It's not about just 'having one's own copy', but about having a copy adapted to the nature of one's own mind and thought process.

Jyslin quirks an eyebrow curiously at Syval's other mention. "Mmm. Awakening the statuette? That could prove very interesting. I take it the Maenast lessons are going well between you and Neosodos?"
----
"Well enough," Syval responds with a nod before disappearing into the underbrush, leaving Neos to answer the rest for him. And it's indeed several minutes before the young mage emerges again to rejoin the group but he does so freshly cleaned and presentable by proper Delzmaeran standards.
----
"Annnnd off we go." Jyslin offers as Syval returns. She lets him take his usual place at the head of the group and follows beside Andie as they continue their journey. The journey lapses largely into quiet, although now and then one of the women may pick up a tune, humming or singing softly. They do not let themselves give true voice to anything, preferring to avoid interference or drawing attention from the surroundings. Neosodos remains pretty quiet, largely sunning himself now that said sun is out, unimpeded by rain and clouds. He might even be purring very softly.
----
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. So, give me a 1d12 pls?"

<OOC> Vanya says, "What happened to waking the statue?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "I thought we were waking the statue later? I must have misunderstood the pose. My apologies."

<OOC> Vanya says, "I'd meant 'I'll go shave then we wake the statue'. Did you interpret that to mean over lunch?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Yeah. That's what I'd done. My apologies."

<OOC> Vanya says, "It's fine, we can do it during our mid-day rest instead."
Syval rolls 12%xn (1d12+0) and gets 12 (12)

<OOC> Vanya says, "Ignore the % there. That was a regular d12. ^_^;"

<OOC> Vanya tests just to make sure.
Syval rolls 12%xn (1d12+0) and gets 7 (7)

<OOC> Vanya says, "Yup. Normal d12."

<OOC> Vanya says, "And are we in grassy foothills once more or have we moved close enough to the mountains to be in more woods?"
----
Syval for his part is moving with a clearer mind and calmer purpose than he was yesterday. Whatever shook him about their treasure trove has abated given a day's journey. He seems on the whole to be back to normal, still walking through backcountry with a pure comfort at odds with his city upbringing. But then for a wizard, there are many things atypical about the young man.
----

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Grassy foothills, unless you wanna check out the location on that hill giant map. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. Phone."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Ack right. I was so distracted by meditation I forgot about that. XD Still we're not so far out we can't detour tomorrow, right?"

<OOC> Vanya lost track of the days since we encountered them. She should keep a little journal for Syval.

<OOC> Vanya says, "Ack. And that right there shows I've fallen out of character. *I should keep a little journal OOCly."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Sorry. Back from phone."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "This is the morning after the morning after the fight with the giants. So just one day past thus far."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And yes. That should mean that you could still detour tomorrow and not be backtracking any."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Good. Two days east and one day south is the location so that's right on schedule."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "My cousin's hubby has been mobilized for Wednesday."

<OOC> Vanya says, "I'd heard some Natty Guard were deployed there. Fingers crossed that it's just a lot of standing around."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "And napping on the capitol rotunda floor."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Yes, that too. XD"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Alright. So, first check of the day is 'not a frakking thing'. Give me a percentile for that 7 check, pls."

<OOC> Vanya insert photo of sleeping all over an MRAP here.
Syval rolls 100%xn (1d100+0) and gets 80 (80)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. And another percentile for the Territorial Encounter, Threat Tier 2 pls?"
Syval rolls 100%xn (1d100+0) and gets 88 (88)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Time Travel!"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Oh boy are we going to show up before Hazard jacked the Foundry?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "No. But we might have A Moment when the statue is activated."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Delicious. That was my second guess."
----
The morning and early mid-day pass with not much of great interest. Various wildlife are about, but nothing of significant note and nothing that decides to take executive notice of the small party of seeming humans moving through the area, either because they do not care or because they have no desire to involve themselves with these dangerous monkeys.

Since the plan already established included settling for a longer than usual lunch break, with writing efforts as well as magical muckery, Jyslin makes a point of picking out a low hillock, and then she gets out that small pot as Andie sets up another fire pit.

While the ashen blonde priestess starts up a bean-based stew, drizzling in a bit of goat's milk to thicken it up along with strips of meat and chopped fresh vegetables, Andromeda produces a lap desk, quill and bottle of ink and starts working on writing out the notes for the cantrip discussed earlier. Neosodos remains visibly on her shoulder during this process, glowing slightly; the impression clearly given is that they are in tandem, Andie literally studying the cantrip from Neosodos and then writing it out for Syval.

But at least Andie did open her satchel before she started writing.
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Do you mind a short pause for food here?"

<OOC> Vanya says, "It's just~ about noon time now."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Nah. Not at all. Then I can think about getting something myself."

<OOC> Vanya reaches over and taps the pause button.

<OOC> Vanya bites a thumb nail thoughtfully.
----
After helping to prepare the light noon camp to wait out the heat of the day over rest and food, Syval disappears into the satchel portal for only a few moments before returning with the ornate golden statue held carefully in his hands. Moving away to a clear spot of grass, he glances first to Andie then to Jyslin, just in case, before setting his attention upon the inscribed plaque at the figurine's base. The young mage takes a breath, says a small prayer, then recalls to mind his recent lessons from Neos and speaks, "Honoria."
----
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Linguistics check, pls. Don't roll a 1. :)"

<OOC> Vanya says, "If that summons an anti-paladin we can probably work with that too."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li taps dragon on the nose. :)
Syval rolls Linguistics (1d20+6) and gets 7 (1)

<OOC> Vanya says, "Are you kidding me XD"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li chortles.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li writewrites.

<OOC> Vanya buckles his seatbelt.
----
Every time Syval has practiced that word, that name, it has merely been his voice. He may have been shaping a previously unfamilair pronunciation of a word he is used to reading, not speaking or hearing, but there was nothing else more exceptional than that. Just exactly what is to be expected.

This time, that is not what he hears. And most definitely not what he feels.

He readies himself, hears the word in his own mind, and then ... then his tongue tangles a bit around his teeth, for lack of a better description. The word comes out mangled. With an annoyed grimace the mageling frowns, and tries again. This time when the word escapes his lips ... it resonates. It's less about sound and more about a sort of preternatural shockwave reverberating from the statuette ...

In a moment the rolling, lushly tall-grassed plains backed by the nearby mountains are gone. Instead Syval finds himself standing ... no. Glancing down, he is not standing. It makes no sense - it should never even be possible! - but he is instead astride a powerfully built but compact warhorse. The plains all around are dry and sere, and midday has given way instead to twilight. It is a darkened twilight, for the brilliant silvery light of the moon is utterly absent, Selune's radiance lost on the night he knows - not knowing how - is that of the New Moon.

In the distance, just barely discernible in the twilight grey is a large and impressive walled city with towering spires. As he listens to the panting of the beast beneath him, a snatch of sound wafts his way, as raised voices chant ominously, their voices given untold power by the fury of their intent. Outlined, limned in golden light shimmering to scarlet, four figures hold hands as the light grows around them. And as those hands are thrown up to the sky, the greatest moment of their distant voices, a flaming bolt of light streaks out of the heavens, splitting into a spreading array as it heads directly for the city.

The last thing Syval experiences before the scene fades out to blazing white is the tremendous shockwave of devastation as the swarm of meteors crash down on the city, crushing all of its might to naught, wiping it away and with it all those within.

The whiteout flash recedes, and Syval is still not back at the midday campsite, though the sun is high overhead, now. The winds whip around, biting cold, and the urge to look around brings clarity to the vision of sitting once more astride a warhorse, wearing metal chilled by the cold while facing a lone woman on the mountainside, standing on the ground and thusly lower yet with a presence that bespeaks as if she towers over all around her. Instinct says this mighty woman with pale, almost glowing skin, shimmering silvery grey-green eyes and almost pink red-blonde hair hanging to her hips, dressed in simple homespun grey robes and holding a simple tall white stave is far taller than she ought to be, even if she is not taller than Syval astride the warhorse. There is something almost alien about her beauty and humanity.

A mighty and resonant, beautiful voice speaks, and Syval knows what she is saying, even as a part of him is aware that this is spoken Maenast, uttered by one to whom it is native, mother tongue, rapid and fluid and graceful without hesitation or concern. "< The final word has been given, Honoria. The only chance for rebirth lies with the seeming impossibility of the royal blood finally reclaiming the City. The attacks of those who have dared brave the Sensions of the Slain have not been for the rest of the refugees. Nor even for me. They have been for you, to finally render that impossible. As we have learned the details of the curse laid down, they have learned that you yet live, and they will not rest. >"

This vision then too fades away, and finally Syval is sitting once more on the grass of the hillock, apart from the midday camp with the sun warm on back and shoulders. And now, standing astride the small marble and gold figurine, stands a woman in full armor and regalia, just like the statuette itself. A baraj rides her hip in scabbard on baldric, while a two-headed flail hangs on the other hip, heads clipped to the belt. A medium-sized shield of shimmering silvery metal covers her left side and arm, a helm currently tucked beneath her right arm. A vibrant golden mane of hair is artfully arranged in a crown braid about her head, her torso girded with silvery metal of breastplate, paldrons and vambraces decorated with details of bronze, over a knee-length vented shirt of mail. A towering lance of metal stretches to a hight of ten feet, clutched in her right hand and stepped to her armored boot as the woman looks calmly down at the green-haired mageling.

"< You have summoned me, then? Name your self, stranger of the green hair, and tell me then the date of the stars. What would you have of Lady Honoria of Falkirk? >"
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Awesome pose, many colors. Nice transitions and pretty knight desc. Especially noteworthy that she's armored in a region as warm as here (assuming it was back in the day.) The one thing that was a stumbling block was all the color words used for the tall unnatural woman in grey robes. I'd compact it a little before submitting it to the editor. Solid A. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "That multitude of color words for that woman was entirely on purpose. She's supposed to seem weird, enigmatic, and striking."
----
Syval was prepared for many things before he activated the statue: fire, lightning, a monster or angry ghost. The mage was in no way prepared for a sudden journey through the past and it's only as Honoria makes her introduction that the young man settles back into his mind and back into the present, but with fresh impressions of fire, frost, and words of ominous portent ringing. The current of wind shifts across the grassy hillock as he presses the ground and stands, rising to his full tree-like height before her. There's nothing royal in Syval's own lineage or attire, and at most the token gemstone worn around his neck, but the woman's bearing and the weight of her history resonates with a deeply-seated well of pride that might - he now realizes - be something more than human. The sandy-eyed mage meets Honoria's gaze evenly with a commanding posture, neither shrinking nor pressing upon her as he answers, "Syval of Amlar. "

The proud blonde woman's almost nut-brown skin pales a bit and she wobbles on her feet as Syval lays out just how long it has been ... and she manages to translate it despite any vagaries of his accent. "< Thirty ages past. All that even knew of us must be long dust and gone. >" she murmurs breathlessly. ""

"< Nearly, but some records have survived. We call your time The Great War,>" and no doubt Syval needn't explain why. His face softens in a sympathetic smile and he offers a hand upon her pauldron to help steady the woman before gesturing back towards the rest of the campsite where Jyslin is cooking. "< Come, sit. Lunch will be ready soon. >"

Syval rolls Linguistics (1d20+6) and gets 23 (17)
----
<OOC> Vanya applies the 23 to his earlier "Honoria" re-attempt, just for his own satisfaction.
----
The lady knight looks past the emerald-haired male towards the nearby campsite ... and she freezes stock still. "" She follows Syval the short distance, but her entire attention now seems to be riveted upon the women and the small slightly glowing drake at the campfire. She glances towards Syval momentarily, and then back to both women, bowing to them both. "< Sister Rashia. I am honored that you would be present for my Rebirth. >" She glances then at Jyslin. ""

Andie does not initially react to Honoria's words - she is busy, at the moment. But she does pause after she finishes a sentence on the scroll, allowing her emerald eyes to flick up to the blonde lady knight. "Hello. My name is Andie."

Jyslin is more aware, more tuned in to all of this, but clearly non-plussed by the spoken Maenast. "I am sorry. I do not know quite what you said." She rests her hand upon her own chest. "I am Jyslin Brenlas of Selune." The moonpriestess then looks to Syval, hoping he understands enough to help with translation, at least until Neosodos isn't busy communing as he seems to be just now.
----
Syval grimaces a little as Honoria walks face-first into the language barrier and does his best to translate as he comes up beside her. "< Your language, Maenast, survives in writing now. We can all read it but Neosodos, the Eldritch Wyrm there, speaks it best,>" he asides to her while indicating the conspicuously not hidden pseudodragon before next translating for Jyslin. "< She says her name is Jyslin Brenlas of Selune... and she doesn't speak Maenast. Then she, >" gesturing to Andromeda, "< Said her name is Andie. >"

Turning back to the witchy pair Syval translates the reverse, slowing and emphasizing both names to help Honoria catch his intention. "She called you Sister Rashia, and is honored you're here at her rebirth. And said you look like Sister Aurtreanne."
----
<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Two attempts at K: History"
Syval rolls History (1d20+5) and gets 14 (9)
Syval rolls History (1d20+5) and gets 7 (2)

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "OK. Too focused, not twigging on the names."
----
Honoria looks at Syval rather confused. She listens intently to his translations, and then looks at the others, still seemingly bewildered. "" Instead, she claps her right fist over her heart, still holding the lance. ""

As the lady knight introduces herself, both Andie and Jyslin give her a nod of greeting. Andie offers, "You can tell her that I am honored to have been present for her Rebirth, and bid her Dawn's Light."

Jyslin blushes a bit, interestingly, at Syval's translation. "I am sure my own appearance would be but the palest immitation of Autreanne. You can tell her, Syval, that I am a mere wandering moon priestess and Daughter of Selune as a tigress." Then she glances at the pot over the fire. "You can also tell her that lunch is about ready. If she has a bowl, she should get it out. Assuming she can eat? She smells it, but I cannot be sure."
----
"< Yes I'm surprised to be traveling with one too but it seems the fates have plans for this journey, >" Syval admits, taking a moment between translations to speak for himself. This time the Common is spoken first. "She is Lady Honoria Penspiras, and greets you both." Then back to the displaced knight, "< Andie is honored to be present for your Rebirth and bids you Dawn's Light. Jyslin is... embarrassed I think, and says she's just a wandering moon priestess - and Daughter of Selune as a tigress. She also says lunch is about ready. Do you have a bowl? You must be hungry by now. >"
----
"< Blessed indeed. >" Honoria responds when Syval explains about Jyslin. She chuckles, though, when he asks if she has a bowl and insists she must be hungry. "< Not many, I think, would summon me for something so simple as lunch. Yes, Syval of Amlar, I have a bowl. >" she agrees.

Honoria makes some curious twisting motion with her hand upon the half of her lance, and it collapses down to a baton a mere eighteen inches in length, which she then slides into a loop and cup hanging from her hip. She takes the time to work the straps of her shield and then removes it, then takes a knee as she lays it down very respectfully, laying her helm upon it. Then she reaches behind herself, pulling off her backpack and setting it down before opening it to get out gear, removing a deceptively simple nested mess kit. As she removes the bowl to offer it over, however, one might be able to catch sight of a coat of arms worked across the underside of each piece which would seem to match that shown quite prominently across her shield, and the hint of gold along the rim of each as well.

Jyslin takes everyone's bowls and fills each, then returns it before doing the same for her own and then removing the pot from the fire, filling it with water and leaving it to sit and soak while they eat. "I hope everyone enjoys."

Before she eats, Andie casts a simple cantrip to dry the parchment she has been writing on, and then rolls it up and offers it to Syval. "As requested, Syval. If any of my notations are too abstruse, please let me know. I'll do what I can to help."
----
With everyone turning to lunch Syval goes back to his own pack to retrieve his plain wooden bowl, and along the way spots the golden figurine still sitting nearby in the grass. A little surprised he picks it up and moves it to campsite so the valuable relic isn't unwatched.

Accepting the witch's paper with a nod, the young mage smiles, in a somewhat better mood now than when they first made camp, and tucks it into the fold of his robes for later. "Thank you, Andie. Can you speak Maenast with Neos'? Unless she has magic for it, I think it will be a long time before we can teach her common."

Then Syval turns back to Honoria while taking quiet note of the clear wealth and status shown by her belongings. A knight she is indeed. "< Truly there's no need for you now. This was a... test? >" he tries, and as his accent no doubt betrays, his grasp of Maenast is not of native fluency. "< I'm glad you came out instead of a fire-breathing beast. And this way we have time to talk. >"
----

<OOC> Vanya yawns and stretches out. "Good scene so far. How are you doing?"
----
The lady knight indulges in a bit of warm, belly-level laughter at that. "< Nay, Syval of Amlar. No fire doth I breathe, unlike yon Neosodos' much larger cousins, or the Phoenix. I know not why you would wish something so simple as to talk with me, but I welcome my rebirth nonetheless. >" That said, at least for now, she just eats the food with calm relish and gusto. Y'know, almost as if it might be the first food she has tasted in sixty-thousand years.

Andie meets Syval's gaze consideringly. "I might be able to weave a spell to assist with that. But I do agree she is likely to find learning modern Shaaren to be a challenge."

"Well maybe we can teach her fighting words first and worry about the rest later," the green-haired mage considers before turning attention to his own bowl of hot food. He glances over and smiles with some amusement at the knight's manner of eating then nods his head towards her. "I think she likes your cooking, Jyslin."

In consideration of Honoria's enjoyment (and his own appetite) Syval puts further conversation with the armored woman on hold, leaving room for the others to chime in if they choose.

The moon priestess smiles at Syval's observation, clearly pleased that the mysterious lady knight frome eons past appreciates her cooking. She simply nods, without interjecting further, feeling no reason to do so. Honoria wouldn't understand her, after all.

Andie and continues eating her own stew without interjection. Meanwhile Neosodos, no longer glowing or communing, is amusing himself by watching all of the humans with open and avid curiosity. No one is offering him poison berries or strips of meat right now, so he will amuse himself instead.
----
Though his attention is more upon his own meal, Syval does spare a glance for the little pseudodragon. Once he reaches the bottom of his bowl, he turns it up to make sure the last bit of broth drains into his mouth before deeming it empty and cleaning wave of magic. "< Honoria, do you know anything about the magic that bound you to your statue? >" the young mage asks, breaking the silence to indicate the golden figure nearby. "< Is there a time limit for how long you can spend outside of it, or are you 'free' now? >"

----
<OOC> Vanya says, "Related: would I feel any sort of magical connection to Honoria having activated her figurine?"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "When you have the statuette in hand? Yes, vaguely."
----
Honoria considers the question and Syval carefully, but does not rush to answer, instead leading it all mull in her mind while she too finishes the last of her lunch. She then carefully - and quite mundanely - cleans her bowl with bits of grass and dirt, and then rinses out with a splash of water before putting everything away in a neat and orderly fashion.

"< I do not know, Syval of Amlar. What I do know is that Sister Autreanne devised the plan, and had the statuette constructed. She asked of me my permission, explaining her reasoning. And I agreed. The ritual was of her doing. What little she explained to me was that I would be gone from the world, leaving only the statuette until it would be found by someone in the future, and I could be reawakened then, having escaped the notice of the Tribes. It would be assumed that I had died. >"

All of that explained, the lady knight considers Syval carefully for a bit. ""
----
<OOC> Vanya says, "How old does Honoria look? I may have missed that in her desc."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Older than Syval. But still moderately young. Say ... 23-24?"
----
The young mage nods as he processes her answer. "< Then we should keep it with us and safe. You mentioned Sister Autreanne before when you saw Jyslin, and Mai when you saw me. Who were they? >" he asks next. Syval's making no attempt to translate for the witch or priestess this time. That job may fall to Neos if they're curious.

There's really no other word for it; when Syval asks his question, Lady Honoria just stares at him disbelievingly. She quite clearly cannot fathom how he could not know this.

What a difference sixty-thousand years can make?

"Syval of Amlar, are you telling me that you do not know the names of the Sisters? The immortal witches? The M ---" Honoria is interrupted by a bit of a coughing fit, here. She pulls a flash of water from her belt and drinks from it as she struggles to regain her control.
----
<OOC> Vanya laughs. "That K: Occult check is beyond me then. Clearly I didn't use my library card enough."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Well, part of it is that she is referring to them by their ancient, oldest names."

<OOC> Vanya says, "And I wasn't looking /that/ deeply into ancient history. Some things were lost. :)"

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Specifically, she is referring to them by their names as they then became the names/titles of their Olde World barbarian clans."

<OOC> Vanya nods along and prepares to learn History.

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li hopes you liked her being cut off in her mild diatribe by the coughing fit. :)
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Syval has the grace to look apologetic at the reaction garnered from his simple question. Fortunately for Honoria, the widely read apprentice has spent more than his share of time with some truly ancient texts, and then of course came Andie - /days/ with Andie. "< You're referring to the Eight Sisters? The Sisters Alvameer? >" he guesses, hoping to arrest her shock. "< As I said, your time exists as old writings now. I know of them for their connection to the Vizerai but didn't learn them by name. My studies were more focused... though Andie and Jyslin seem to know them, >" the young mage notices.
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<OOC> Vanya says, "I did. That was a nice touch."

<OOC> Vanya says, "I don't do enough little things like that. Talking in RL is never so smooth and plain."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Can you give me a perception check, pls?"

<OOC> Vanya says, "Ooh that's a rare one."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li says, "Or Sense Motive; whichever is higher."

<OOC> Vanya says, "Per 12, SM 11. XD"
Syval rolls Perception (1d20+12) and gets 16 (4)

<OOC> Vanya says, "Some day I will learn the value of take-10. That day was not todya."

<OOC> Vanya says, "It wasn't today either."

<OOC> Jhiao Ting Li deletes line from pose.
----
Honoria recovers and listens to Syval curiously, simply shaking her head. "Yes. The Sisters Alvameer." She glances at the other women for a few long moments, and then back to Syval. "The Sisters are -- well, I suppose 'were'? the Queens of the Eight Tribes. They are -- were? -- the leaders of the War." Which would probably be why she finds it so impossible to understand how those of this time might not know.

And maybe something else.
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"< Rashia and Aurtreanne were on your side then, >" Syval infers. "< They don't have a presence in these times. No history I read recorded what happened to them. I think most at the Academy of Delzimmer don't believe they existed. A lot got lost in 60,000 years, >" he notes, somewhat sourly. Honoria isn't alone in feeling the loss of so much knowledge. Dragon-blooded... better records would have made his search so much faster. In 60,000 years he /can't/ have been unique...

Syval stops and takes a deep breath, forcing it out his nose hotly as he pulls his mind back on topic, namely the golden-haired knight before her. "< Which side was Mai on? >"

Honoria nods. "< Yes. Autreanne, Rashia, Vitarie and Shakarn. >" She shudders at that last. "< Cantare, Arachi, Mintassa and Mai were arrayed against us. They, and their tribes. >" the lady knight answers.
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[[category:rp log]]
[[category:shaar]]
[[category:jyslin]]
[[category:andie]]
[[category:syval]]
[[category:honoria]]