Besmarial doesn't sleep, and translates for Versey that he has some ability to perceive things without the need for light.
The rest of the day is quiet. At some point, though, Lum asks, "Not to pry or anything, but what are you people doing out here? I mean, I'm not complaining about you being here, but we don't get a lot of visitors, know what I mean?"
Darc just issues one word in response to Lum, in a matter of fact tone, not challenging, just a fact. "Fight."
The gnome doesn't dignify Eretria's response with any comment. He doesn't quite sneer at Darc (residual gratitude for being healed, likely). "There have to be easier places to find a fight."
"It seems like we keep running into things to fight. I prefer not to fight, but we do what we must to get rid of the evil in the world."
Sami inclines his head to acknowledge Lum's point. True, but we fight out of necessity, not because we wish to. The easiest path is usually not the most rewarding, my friend; we do what we must to, as Rashun said, get rid of evil.
Fighting is what I am best at. Might as well do some good with it.
Darc as the others talk, Darc resumes his position outside, a silent sentry watching the lands.
Darc as the others talk, Darc resumes his position outside, a silent sentry watching the lands.
The party is undisturbed through the rest of the day. Around nightfall the rain stops and the clouds move out of the area, leaving a beautiful starry sky. Nothing troubles the night.
The next morning, the wind is out of the east, it's bright and warm, and in general it's a better day than just about any you've had since leaving Cassomir.
Sami awakens even more curious than he was the night before. He eyes Versey and Lum, unsure if he could understand how the larger being may understand his question.
Versey was in a ship from...where, exactly? Beyond the skies? If we get to the power source for his ship - how will that help you get rid of the plants?
The question seems to be merely for the sake of slating his curiousity; he is still fully willing to help.
Lum chortles. "Ah, I never did tell you that. He's from Verces*--the story he gave was that his ship was out in the Diaspora** collecting stuff and they got hit by the falling star. They got from it before it hit us, but couldn't do more than land hard here. The survivors went to sleep, or something, to wait for rescue, but Versey woke up early."
Xavier continued to look lost. What the hells is Verces or Dias...dia..that other word you said? Oh, never mind. Just tell me when we are going and I'll get the camp together.
The fighter goes to watch outside. He didn't like problems he couldn't solve by hitting it.
Sami nods in contemplation, though he really had no idea whatthe gnome was talking about. Indeed, as my friend said - we will of course help; can we get underway today?
"Not the boat again" says Darc turning pale, "Can we travel overland?" he urges.
After a bit of discussion, the party sets out via the river. (The deciding piece of evidence was when Lum pointed out that the worst of the plants stayed out of the water.) Lum has some idea how to handle the boat, but Versey isn't terribly useful. He spends the time talking with Besmarial about what you're looking for, and what it's supposed to do.
Essentially (Besmarial eventually reports) Versey's ship was collecting specimens of various plants from little worlds. Some of those plants were ambulatory and quite dangerous, so the crew had a magical (or something) device that could call the hostile plants towards it from great distances and keep them tranquil. Because the plants were so dangerous, the device was not only powered by the ship, but it also had its own power source in case the ship's power failed. After the crash, ship's power mostly failed; there was just enough to put the crew to sleep, send out a call for help, and start to fix the ship. Versey doesn't know how it happened, but the power source was removed from the device soon after the crash and taken away. (The alien is sure that the power source is not very far from the ship, though.) The plants escaped and started to spread from the ship. Eventually, Versey's sleep box failed, and he woke up. He had no time to get anything from the wreckage, though, because the plants that were there came after him. He was able to outrun them and made it to the settlement.
Versey cautions you that the power source is quite dangerous to hold for any length of time. Besmarial has some trouble translating the concept; apparently, the power source shines with a light no one can see, that burns people up slowly from the inside. It's best to stay far away from it, and not touch it except in dire need. The control device holds it in a way that blocks the light, so it's safe once it's installed. (The control device is also quite large.)
Once more, with a decision made and a course set, Xavier is in high spirits again. He passes the time quietly fishing, softly singing drinking songs and when the mood takes her, asking Eretria about magic. She could tell that Magic obviously fascinated and scared him. He was particularly interested in Magic that either boosted or stole your Will.
He'd already made plain his desire to get a wand of Protection from evil and was determined to learn to use them.
Sami merely shakes his head at the absurdity of it all. In his previous life, he was a farmer, a fighter, and little else. This talk of other planets, ships that fly above the sky, and control devices was talk that he would have immediately dismissed if not for what he had already seen firsthand. That, coupled with the fact that the story was translated through a flying helmet that he could confidently call a friend was enough to make him listen intently to Versey's story.
So...the plan is to break our way through the plantlife so that Versey can repair the device, correct? Does Versey know if there's any advantage we can use over the plants? I would think that they'd be particularly vulnerable to fire; is there anything else that could drive them away or confound them?
Lum replies, "First thing is to get that source widget, then go for the ship. When Versey went to sleep, the control thingy was still working, so if we're lucky all it'll need is the source. Versey showed us how to brew up some weed killer stuff, and I still have a couple of flasks of it."
You have our thanks; this will help immensely. I'm not certain how many of these plants we'll face, but from what you said, we'll be far outnumbered. So...they're all slightly different, then? You mention that these are specimens from different worlds; is there some sort of controlling mind to them, or are they acting at random?
"Versey's got names for 'em, but I can't pronounce most of 'em. Far as any of us can tell, they're all independent actors. Don't know why so many went north, but the dwarves got it worse than we ever did."
It's late morning. With the wind out of the east-northeast, you've been trying to stay towards the middle of the river so you won't be blown into a snag or sandbar if a gust comes through. The river at this point is upwards of a quarter-mile across. Rashun is keeping an eye out for anything odd when he spots movement on the east bank, a bit over two hundred yards away.
There is something large and vaguely serpentine floating through the air over the scrub undergrowth. That doesn't begin to describe the disquieting way it moves--not the way it seems to swim through the air, but the quick and darting shifts in position that punctuate its progress. It's far enough away that you can't pick out much in the way of fine detail, and Eretria, Sami, and Darc in particular feel a twinge of something akin to the seugathi's effects on your minds.
It does not appear to be moving towards you at this point. What do you do?
Xavier looks over at the thing and knows this river is not going to help matters should whatever the thing was turn hostile.
We should probably get of the water. On the OTHER side of the river perhaps?
At this distance Xavier is unable to resolve any further details.
I want to see if I can find another way around it.
Taking 10..
Survival:17
Perception:26
Rashun, it's not in your way. You're sailing south down the Sellen, going with the current, preparing to turn west at the next tributary. It's on the east shore of the Sellen and doesn't seem to be moving in your direction.
The creature continues its peculiar locomotion northwards, showing no sign of interest in the party, and unless anyone does anything it eventually moves out of sight.
Darc watches the western shore.
Sami watches as the creature passes by, thoughts of that darkness invading his mind once again forcing him to clench his hands into fists and narrow his eyes in anger. He gives a satisfied nod as it leaves his field of vision.
Perhaps whatever that was doesn't like water; we can only hope. Lum, have you or Versey ever seen anything like that?
Versey's never heard of anything like that. Lum ponders a moment, looking in the direction it was last seen. "Never seen nothing like it before...might've heard of it, though. This one human showed up at the camp oh, twenty or thirty years ago, babbling about flying worms. He was in a bad way. The few priests we had were good enough to fix his body, but he never really got better. All it took was seeing something flying and he'd either curl up in a ball and gibber or run around frothing at the mouth."
"I say we avoid it. I don't want any unnecessary fights."
"Thought you lot came up looking for fights...hmph."
Sami nods solemnly, remembering the effects that the Seugathi had on his own mind. I agree - we should avoid it; we came here for fights of a more specific purpose, and to a specific end result. We can't lose time trying to chase down one of those creatures; besides - who knows how many are out there?
Xavier can hardly keep the smugness out of his voice, SMART Warriors pick their fights. Not rush headlong into battle against a foe they know nothing about.
"Versey you missed my earlier proclamation about trying to avoid fights it seems. Don't let it bother you though. We seem to attract trouble. You stay with us long enough, and you will find yourself in a fight."
Between sailing south with the current to where the Sellen is joined by the Dragonfly and running before the wind up the Dragonfly, the party covers a lot of ground before twilight approaches. It's around this point, as the light is fading, that you see a ruined jetty on the south shore of the Dragonfly.
Xavier notes the jetty.
Anybody keen to camp on dry land? I may be able to shoot us something different from fish, for a change.
Sami eyes the jetty, and then the shore around it, searching for any potential opposition.
He casts a sideways glance at Lum. Does this seem like the right path?