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.

Log 05 Journey Day 03 PM

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