Dotting as well
Helac, she seems to be manifesting something. Does one normally incant words?
No, Eroh. Some traditions might, as an aid to focus. There are also cerebromancers, who blend magic and psychic energies... but, no. This seems a simple clairsentience ability.
She seems... to be be using some sort of clairsentient psychic ability, Gedeon... at least, she has temporarily stopped running toward the cliff.
Turning back to the inside of the building and the woman on the stairs, Kind Kalashtar Kashaana. To the best of my knowledge... we only know that one ran from the building. We pursued at first to determine the noise, then to prevent her from going over the cliffs.
This was then the one you were trying to bring back?
Spellcraft
The halfling's sudden appearance breaks Tierney's momentary reverie. Immediately, he focuses on the little woman's rush toward the cliff. Is she trying to take her own life? he wonders momentarily as he concentrates on her incantation in order to make sense of her actions.
Nik'o and Kiana
Tierney's skin is chalk-white and flaky while his hair is coal-black and often looks greasy. His pupils are black against gray sclera. Often, he wears a hat or hood with no regard for the temperature.
During the journey, Tierney spent much of his time on deck practicing sword maneuvers. In conversation he is awkward and prone to odd questions and sudden changes of subject. The overall impression he gives is that he has limited experience in social situations and is not sure how to carry himself.
Kiana has been b~&!$ing about the cave for several days now. She arrived as a shipwreck victim midway through your passage, fortunately the captain took her on and made her work off her half-passage.
She has solid white eyes, dark skin, and a pair of feathered black wings. (See picture in profile).
Kiana's wings are spread, ready to fly up and investigate the source of light when the halfling runs out of the building toward the cliff. She snorts. "Those things have no wings... fool..." Her wings pop down with a boom and her body hurtles into the air as she flies lazily toward the edge of the cliff the halfling is running toward. She doesn't seem to concerned about the halfling falling. Then again, she is a very swift flyer.
She's going to die again isn't she?
Most likely, my bauble.
Wait. That one has WINGS! Can I go bother her, Helac?
No, Eroh. I think she is in the act of saving the red haired halfling... I wonder if that subset is suicidal... you don't see many.
Helac pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes for a moment, exhaling loudly. Gedeon... Revion... this is getting a little weird. This coming from the man that does not eat and converses silently with his pet rock... means something special.
Dame Kashaana... has Deenya shared much of... that one's history with you? He gestures towards the cliff to indicate the halfling.
Do you feel that, Helac?
Feel what?
Kiana does a loop and dives head first after the halfling. Then she slams her wings open in a booming sound that arrests her dive so that she falls down at the same rate as the halfling. "Greetings, red one. I am Kiana. Given that the city below is abandoned, and filled no doubt with monsters, perhaps you might want to return with me. My companions and I are sent to explore the city below. If you seek something in it, allies would be better than being alone, yes? After all, it may be infested with... humans." She thinks of the most disgusting thing they could find in the city. "Now, I can fly you back up, so we can talk and plan, rather than leaping head long into the abyss. But if you attack me when I attempt to do so, I will be forced to treat you as hostile. That would not be good for you, considering I can fly and you cannot. So, shall I return us to the cliff so we can talk?"
"She is able to slow her descent safely" Tierney says to no one in particular as he takes in the magic that the halfling woman cast. But her actions still confuse the magus and put him on edge.
Perception
Silently he wonders if the population of this place is addled and if that is the reason that his employer could not find anyone suitable for this assignment here.
Kiana awkwardly pats the halfling's shoulder. "No, I'm not from Khorvaire, I'm from a dead island. Murderous humans destroyed it when I was a child. When I find them, I will make it the rest of my life's worth to kill every single one of them." She says with a hard edge that leaves no doubt she is absolutely serious about it.
Kiana eyes the four newcomer's suspiciously, her fingers light on her bow as she does so, ready to draw and fire if they are hostile.
Tierney tries to take in what the halfling says but he finds the entire account very confusing. Why would someone kill her to foil evil forces? Raised from the dead? I still don't believe that is possible. No doubt, though, that she believes what she is saying. It must be the hysterics that made her open up like a floodgate.
Sense Motive
Warily, Tierney walks closer to the group that has gathered around the halfling. Without being obvious, he looks at Kiana's hand on her bow. He is still somewhat suspicious of her, wondering if she is not indeed part harpy.
Do you think the halfling is being honest?
She seems genuinely distraught. I don't think she currently has enough mental focus to lie effectively, Eroh.
Helac, dressed in well made but dark, worn hide, stows his morningstar on his belt but keeps his dark, wooden shield at the ready on his left arm, then walks a little closer to the winged woman and the halfling. With his right raised in an open palm, hopefully peaceful, gesture he stops just short of normal speaking distance, slowly brings his right fist to his chest as a salute, then slowly returns it to it's previous open palm position.
Thinking to himself If the halfling's speech and clothing are archaic, why does Deenya not look older?
Nodding to the Kiana, he focuses on the halfling. Do you remember the human Deenya?... She is the one who gathered others and is responsible for the ritual that has brought you back. Judging from your attire and speech... you may have been absent the world for a while. He tries to keep his face politely neutral, but a burn scar on his right cheek somewhat ruins the effect.
Boss...
Yes, bauble. I noticed Kashaana has not come over... to speak or great this one. Nor has... Deenya come out. Curious...
Gedeon, should we... invite them inside?... I think want to look at the space behind the now open Prophecy Door.
"And just who are you? It appears to me the distraught young woman was running from a scarred human with weapons... Not at all an unreasonable response, especially if the human has allies." Kiana steps between the halfling and Helac, the motion fairly obviously protective. Over her shoulder, she asks the hafling. "These... people... chasing you? That why you tried to throw yourself off a cliff?"
Perception
Tierney notes the interaction between the scarred human and the Kianna but does not draw close enough to be within range of melee. If there is bloodshed he wants no part of it, seeing no stake in it for himself.
What is that other woman doing? he wonders.
Tierney returns a nod to Nik'o. He is glad that he is here; the man showed himself to be rather sensible during the voyage to this place. Tierney hopes that Nik'o will be able to establish some rapport with Kiana and mollify her, if need be.
When Nik'o gives the questioning look, Tierney answers with a shrug that says "I don't know".
Helac begins to stare at the feathered woman in something close to disbelief. Yes. Let's assume the worst of the stranger with the scar. That sort of reasoning is akin to blaming the victim... because in this case, it is.
Changing modes quickly he barks to Gedeon, She... indicating the halfling, doesn't know Deenya. Which means someone is lying... and judging by emotional states, I am betting on the others. Finally taking note of the rumbling, Helac begins to shake his head and sighs. Lessons of endurance!
I thought I felt vibrations.
Helac's eyes become slightly unfocused for a moment as a look of consternation crosses his face. He turns and heads back to the building. There may yet be answers and trouble inside. Any who want to come, come.
Gedeon. Revion. I am beginning to think we should have just knocked... the Kalashtar unconscious and sorted it out from there. he projects vehemently.
The situation did not devolve into bloodshed and for that Tierney is relieved. But the sight of the hut gave him no confidence. Its cramped quarters would make fighting inside it difficult. On the other hand, that might make it all the safer. And his curiosity had been piqued.
With a glance to Nik'o and Kiana, Tierney followed Helac but was sure to leave a few paces between himself and the scarred stranger.
"Less about the scar, and more about the human." Kiana says with acidic intones. As Tierney moves to follow, she raises an eyebrow at him. "You know the human?" She asks, sounding a bit surprised.
Looking at the halfling. "So you were not being chased by the humans?"
"No. But I think there is something going on here that our employers left out. I want to know what is going on here." With a glance, he indicates the halfling and then the open door of the hut.
"No. But I think there is something going on here that our employers left out. I want to know what is going on here." With a glance, he indicates the halfling and then the open door of the hut.
Kiana nods, and takes her hand off her bow. "Well, it did look as if you were being chased, and when someone throws themselves off a cliff, it's usually to avoid something, not to go to something." She tilts her head and looks at the rumbling building. "So, it sounds like that building is going to explode, and everyone's going into it. Sometimes I wonder at people's sanity. We should take cover. Tierney, Niko, I suggest we take cover, rather than rushing into the building that sounds set to go boom." She looks at the halfling. "Kiana. That's Tierney, and Niko. They're not as bad as they look."
"No. But I think there is something going on here that our employers left out. I want to know what is going on here." With a glance, he indicates the halfling and then the open door of the hut.
** spoiler omitted **
"No. But I think there is something going on here that our employers left out. I want to know what is going on here." With a glance, he indicates the halfling and then the open door of the hut.
** spoiler omitted **
The rumbling clearly unnerves Tierney and he stands frozen in place. "What is going on?" he asks Helac. "Is this part of the manifest zone?"
From over his shoulder, Helac responds to Tierney's inquiry, while continuing toward and into the building. I am not sure. I'm going in to pull out four people... and possibly make them give us full truths as opposed to half.
An odd but familiar odor brings to mind a brief flash of a long-buried memory, then fades in less than a second as Helac is briefly slicked with a translucent, shimmering ectoplasm, seepage from the Astral Plane. The glistening substance evaporates after a few seconds.
Eroh, eyes out. They fooled us before... but now they will probably turn disagreeable.
Kiana's words make sense. But, at the same time, Tierney wants to know who or what is powerful enough to shake the ground beneath their feet. It is an unfamiliar position he finds himself in, unsure whether to go forward toward the unknown or back away from it.
Knowledge (planes)
Tierney stops abruptly when he sees the translucent pack. He wonders how wolves and rats are connected but his thoughts lead to no answers. With a flash, he draws his wakizashi and readies for carnage.
When the man runs down the stairs the magus shifts his gaze to him and assesses him to determine if he presents a greater threat than the ghostly beasts. Quickly, he decides that the spectral animals are the more dire opponents and returns his attention to them.
Kiana shakes her head. "You should find a place for cover, I have to go watch the backs of my moronic companions and make sure I can tell their relatives that they died bravely but stupidly." She huffs, skipping forward a foot or so off the ground, only landing to enter the door behind her companions.
Seeing the ghostly apparitions, and racks her brain for information, but nothing comes to mind.
Helac, isn't that a psychoportive aperture like the one the Yuan-ti used to get here in the first place?
Uhhmmm... maybe? I am a little focused... on the ghost animals. I am fairly sure I have not seen their like. Thank goodness Adharc is still outside, out of immediate harm's way.
And what does that... tell you, Halkelk? Helac asks with a dry inflection that could be interpreted numerous ways. However, he doesn't take his eyes from the writhing shapes beyond the door, knowing that may be the time when they choose to strike.
"Where did they come from?" Tierney asks while pointing to the spectral carnivores with his sword.
Kiana snorts. "I see no reason to mess with the ghost animals, unless someone has a better reason. And the rumbling has stopped. Unless someone has a good reason to be in here, I would suggest we leave."
She seems to be talking to her companions more than the new people.
"Aye, the doorway would serve as a choke point, should the beasts attack us" Tierney responds as be backs out the doorway. All the while, he keeps his eyes on the animals.