Journey Day 05 PM Bandit Aftermath

<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.

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