Schnorzel looks to the animate wave which had returned to her after completing its order. Spirit of water please retrieve the throne, take it downstairs! Looking between the now burning corpse and the elemental "Spirit of earthen flame, Leave! escape this place and the magic corrupting you!
Layla is somewhat confused about whether Schnorzel thinks they are planning to eat her, or whether Schnorzel is planning to eat them, or just what she meant about betrayal and meals and allies, but the intense situation makes Layla brush aside her desire for clarity to a later time. For now she responds to Schnorzel's question about permission to gather items with a simple Goblin word,
"Yes."
Layla also translates Schnorzel's Goblin for the rest of the group mentally,
"Schnorzel says we might want to either heal or pour more water on the water spirit so it can dissolve more fires before it is destroyed. She also thanks you, Sunny, for taking care of her."
As fiery chaos reigns in the room above, Layla continues shepherding the others down the stairs ahead of her, except for Sunny and Schnorzel who are gathering items above.
In response to Ceru's question about whether Schnorzel and the elementals are our allies, Layla mentals,
"I sure hope so!"
If the water elemental surges back up the stairs past her, Layla would, on a strange hunch, reach out a hand toward it to see if she can pump some healing energy into it as it goes by.
When the strange arcane energies begin to explode in the room above, Layla ducks down on Scrappy's back in the stairway.
If she sees any sign of blue mist above or behind her, she would throw one of her two collected vials of green mist as a splash weapon on the steps behind her, in hopes of helping to counteract the blue.
I have arrived at the bottom but be careful there is some sort of acid pool that could burn your feet
she says looking trough the darkness inside the new room she landed inside
The stairs continue to spiral for quite some ways down - a rather disturbingly long ways down.
Unlike many of the passages above, these stairs are not sized for a large creature - one could (hypothetically) get a large or maybe larger creature into and through them, but it would be a difficult, painful process.
Beylinda can easily see in the darkness, but the curve of the spiral stairs limits her field of vision nonetheless.
Vitreous keeps his new lady friends company as he heads on down the stairs. He attempts to get some information out of them.
"So what are you doing here in this fiery fortress? What are your names, and why are there two of you?"
The brave band bravely runs away, heading quickly and deeply into the spiral staircase - the very, very long, deep spiral staircase.
As they descend, things calm down, and cool off, somewhat.
Vitreous, screwing up his courage, asks.
After you leave immediate danger and all seem like they might be in the tunnels, she finally finishes.
As Vitreous asks his questions, she finishes, and holds something colorful in her hands.
"Apologies, my dearest one." she says, quickly, before the obsidian-colored woman fully mentally translates what's being asked.
"We both were here from the beginning, Vitreous "Darling" Drimplegatto." the colorful one gestures to herself and the obsidian one. The latter purses her lips, but shrugs while the former continues.
"Indeed the knowledge of our names is something you once had, should'st thou care to recall it. You called me 'Father Husk', before I - apparently - was returned to life and reincarnated into this form - and before we came to this world." She glances at the obsidian woman, who nods, tersely, annoyed, but willing to accept that the other speaks more clearly than she.
"And she, Nuglet the Dark Knight, to thee and thy friends."
As she says this, her hand fiddles with a beautiful, exquisite looking card made from rich silks, showing terrible talons. Her face grows sad.
"I am sorry." she says. The obsidian woman holds a vicious look of triumph, tempered by annoyance and pity toward Vitreous. The colorful one continues, "I could hold this back no longer, though I at least delayed until we were no longer in danger."
As she speaks, the card rips itself from her tight grasp and slams into Vitreous' hands. Suddenly his magical bandoleer shreds itself, turning into its component scraps pieces, neatly folding itself at Vitreous' lap. All that was stored within it spills out into his lap, though a brief word on the part of the colorful woman - that you apparently once called Father Husk - stabilizes the contents, and prevents you from losing any of your stuff.
"Seemihlahr toh 'lin belint, ahnee off g'ose flue-ihdz t'at 'erelin mah-jeek 'er noo lintl moor t'an booze." the obsidian woman interjects, looking at the woman.
"However, if you wait, hopefully, I shall return it or something like unto it unto thee, only better. My deepest apologies - one cannot prevent the blessings of fate, once chosen, but one can shuffle or delay them a short time."
She looks genuinely remorseful. "Please, dear one, do not be angry. I pray that you give me several minutes before I can have something new for you. Rushing fate is... dangerous, and I do not wish to harm thee more than I have." she says, eyes large, clear, and pleading.
The colorful woman shakes her hair back from her face, causing it to shift into a royal blue color, and become quite short - enough so that it stands slightly from her head in an attractive mein. "As to your other question, this fortress was not always fiery. Further, though similar, 'tis not even the fortress you entered on thy great quest."
She glances. "I do believe that either the twisted goblin on the steed behind us - or Nuglet here - can explain adequately. Do you speak Sylvan my lo-, ahem, Darling?" the colorful woman asks.
"This... is Triddum. Like Gob-lin-ari'n," she explains, saying 'Golarion' poorly, "where you are from, but is Triddum instead."
"This tower is in a place called the Broken Lands. It is under and inside of the Pale Mountain. We are heading into the Deep Place - the Deep Lands - where the underside of the world keeps the spirits of the dark who flee the light. This is where proper Midori come from - that is what I a-... what I was, once - not your strange, mutants from Gob-lin-ari'n." she says with more than mild distaste.
"'Midori' is what your people call us- ... call them, I mean. We- urg, I mean they call themselves Goblin, but no one else says it properly. They all say Goblin, which, of course, means 'green <curseword involving fire, your mothers, and doing bad things>' - entirely different."
None of you (except Schnorzel and Shaedo) can actually here the difference. "Even those who claim that name from your Gob-lin-ari'n say the latter. Pathetic."
She suddenly looks, worried, at Vitreous. "Not you, my beautiful one!" she clarifies. "You are not, and cannot be 'pathetic'!"
She stops and takes a few steps back, but continues walking down when a harsh glare comes from the colorful one once known as Father Husk.
Turning even darker (you didn't know that was possible), the now-obsidian gnome once known as Nuglet says, "Anyway, we came to your world at behest of the Botfly, the Grand Feaster, the Eternal Fangs. Her High Priest is here - Jakk Tornclaw. He is undertaking a rite to bring both worlds into her charge, and grant all the goblins immortality. Immortality I once had... but that was, apparently, taken away from me."
"This is where we are headed, by the way. To Jakk's sanctum. The caverns under the Pale Mountain. It is where the final ritual will be complete, and all of our souls will be devoured by the Botfly."
The obsidian woman moves quickly to Vitreous, looks up, tears welling in her eyes. "Please forgive me, my lov-" she's interrupted, forcefully, by a swift cuff across the face - from the forehead, across the bridge of her nose to her cheek - from the colorful woman.
"Agh!" the obsidian woman cries, backing up. She nearly drops the coins, but they, remarkably enough, don't spill out of the bowl she grasps with her only hand.
"We had an agreement, and thou wilt stick to it." the colorful woman tells her.
The one once known as Nuglet balances the bowl entirely on her head, and uses her one arm to rub her face, muttering, glaring at the colorful woman.
Layla is very relieved that she and the others seem to have successfully escaped the chaos of the room above.
She takes note of Schnorzel riding behind her holding a bowl and a bag, Sunny hurrying behind Schnorzel holding a big platinum beetle, and the water elemental moving behind them holding a large throne. Weird.
No blue mist seems to have made it down the stairs behind them, at least not yet.
As she relaxes slightly, and starts to ponder her sudden new healing powers, she overhears some of the conversation between Vitreous and his ladies as they descend . . . and is suitably disturbed.
She mentals,
"So, wait... The Rainbow Lady is Father Husk??? And Obsidian Lady is Nuglet?? ... and they're leading us down to a place where some dark priest of a giant fly goddess is going to devour our souls?? ... And they're okay with this? ... Are you okay with this, Vitreous? ... 'Cuz, I'm not okay with this. ... Shouldn't we see what they can tell us about what lies below so we can go in with a plan to stop it?"
The colorful woman smiles sadly. As she speaks, her voice sounds in both your mind and ears.
"I was, indeed, once the one thou named 'Father Husk', Layla the Twin-Blade." A look of something lost crosses her face, though a wan smile accompanies it. "Though" she adds, "it seems that, though the first was never the most appropriate, the latter is entirely false now, as well."
"So, um... Mother Rainbow? Were you working with Nuglet for this dark fly goddess all along? And, uh.... what's with the sudden hanging all over Vitreous thing? No offense, Vitreous, but you have to admit it was sudden."
She blinks. Looking at Nuglet, she waves a hand, gently. The formerly named 'Father Husk''s eyes briefly turn into liquid emeralds with a faint glow, and Nuglet's reflects that color for the briefest of moments.
Nuglet looks startled, then asks a question.
"No, nothing important." the colorful woman says.
Then, in Common, she explains, "'Tis not the best line of inquiry at the present time, Layla." says the colorful woman just recently called Mother Rainbow. "Perhaps at another one, it will be... more appropriate." she says, properly.
"Please." she adds a moment later - despite that, it's not a request.
You get the impression that she's keeping something from Nuglet, as the latter seems to be - briefly - dazed.
Shaedo is the sort who is delighted by laughter, and would have started giggling and then laughing aloud right along with her friend. After a moment of care-free mirth, she would then telepath seriously, Truly though, Sunny- you should be- She would have stopped as she heard her friend screaming about the heat. Sunny! Layla- what's happening up there? She would be tempted to scurry back up to help out; however, she would likely slow down the group and be left behind- and the hall is quite steamy with the- water elemental!- dousing fires all about.
******************************************
The- the water spirit does seem to be helping us... She glances around for the blue mist, and sees none, Did Schnrozel- summon it? Shaedo would use her wand of cure light to give strength to the elemental to keep its strength up for dousing flames.
Her ability to scurry along the walls would be useful for reaching where-ever the elemental is at the moment.
*******************************************************
"Husk!! So- you're alive now!" Shaedo cries, the very image of joy and congratulations.
In the very same moment, she mentals to her allies, Can- Husk still hear our- mind talkin'?? Shaedo asks cautiously.
Then she hears Husk's voice in her mind- and ears! Yow!
Husk... you're still on our side, yes?? You agreed to help us, to fight against your master and- well that hasn't changed, with your- new body has it? -And is it the priest, or the god that's going to be devourin' souls an' such?
After listening to any response Husk gives, Shaedo discretely casts detect magic for any active spells or effects lingering on either Rainbow Husk or Nugles. to identify auras.
Also, this whole time, observing Nuglet, to see if she Shaedo can recognize any magical effects Husk may have placed on her. , and
A creeping sense of disappointment washed over Dijiron at the revelation that the women fawning over Vitreous were once Father Husk and the Black Knight they had just fought. Dijiron had never been a rat of romantic inclination unlike, say, Skivven the Seducer who charmed the Sylph princess into bringing the cool breezes to the Darklands. He was particularly disappointed in Father Husk. He seemed more...intelligent before.
Although, this revelation does lead to some interesting questions to explore. He was about to open his mouth when the quick-tongued Halfling had beaten him to the punch. His delight that another person in the expedition was taking to intellectual initiative was eclipsed by the disappointment that the two, strangely-colored women were insistent on keeping their secrets.
Shaedo's line of questioning was less scholarly but certainly more immediately important. When he saw her casting, he decided that information on both questions might be gleaned from her spell and decided to imitate her.
"This one," she indicates herself with a gesture, "said nothing about fighting 'my master' - as that would be fighting oneself."
She shrugs, her hair taking on a dark emerald hue and growing into a long braid, that is tossed, casually, over her shoulder.
Smiling, wryly, she says, "If, however, you refer to the Botfly... First, one would question why anyone would presume that I would worship prey." She shows her teeth. Quite a dangerous smile, despite being disturbingly lovely. "Second, one would note that the Botfly was at the root of all of my troubles. I, unlike others here," she gives a hard look at Nuglet, "would have no issue with her untimely demise."
------------
------------
------------
------------
Husk/Rainbow says something to Shaedo, and then to Dijiron.
As she speaks, she uses the same effect as before, causing the obsidian woman once known as Nuglet to seemingly glaze over for a few moments, before glancing around and focusing, purposefully taking the bearing of a proud rider... nevermind the darkening of her flesh.
"As to the question of souls," Rainbow/Husk says, "it does tend to be a bit maddeningly unclear." she glances, hard, at the obsidian gnome, who rolls her eyes. "To be fair, it's mostly because of ignorance." the colorful one-armed woman says, pettily, much to the obsidian woman's annoyance. "One's guess would be to presume that this Jakk is somehow harvesting souls instead of actually feeding on them, or feeding them to another. One would suppose that it would be to "feed" this ritual, in fact - a ritual across two worlds, such as this, empowering the magical plague which did ignite in the chambers above us, would require quite the power - far more than this 'Jakk' fellow is likely to have. Power that blood magic, soul magic, and the like would be hypothetically able to provide access to."
Vitreous looks like he got hit in the face with a poleaxe! He mutters,"My hair is white?"finally catching on to what Layla said earlier. He packs his broken bandoleer into his pack and with his new found strength shoulders his own pack so his gear is closer. He absently pets Snuffles the Donkey, as he continues with the group still with a lost and stunned expression.
Beylinda will continue to head down
Some fire burn as we head down but nothing major so far, i am continuing forward
On the ride down the steps, since her first line of questioning was deflected by Mother Rainbow, Layla asks Schnorzel in Goblin,
"So, Schnorzel.... First, be careful with that stuff you grabbed. Those black rock things caused some weird changes when they touched people before. ... Second, what did you mean before when you said something about you or us or someone being a meal?"
Layla also mentals to Beylinda and anyone else further up the donkey train than she,
"Hey, guys, I thought I saw another unconscious rider on Ooze's donkey with Ooze. Am I right? Who is it??"
Sunny scampers down the stairs doing her best not to run over any one while making best possible haste away from the burnin-ation behind herself.
All the while carrying the large silver beetle thing held high over head.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Husk/Rainbow sighs, heavily, and draws up her reigns and Rainbow, halting the donkey and forcing a stop of all who are behind her.
Looking at Dijiron, she adds,
She waves her one hand and quickly mutters some words.
"Mark well these words, all:" says Rainbow/Husk stopping briefly and focusing on Nuglet, voice resounding in both mind and ears in the language you most consider 'yours', strangely enough, "One can only modify so much information that she's physically or mentally received - whether she knows it or not - before it becomes obvious to any causal seeker or delver that this has happened. This is a conversation for another time. Lives - thine own, or others - may or may not depend on this secrecy. As one is not sure, one prefers not to push the powers of artifacts, magical anarchy, or gods to the breaking point. Discuss the states this one and I are afflicted with no farther at this time, and not until further research is accomplished and the other is no longer near, regardless of language or method used. One is aware of the state that I am in - all of the states that I am currently in. 'Tis... a complex situation, and I've no more power to waste on keeping her ignorant. One thanks thee for thy compliance."
She ceases to focus on the obsidian one-armed gnome-form Nuglet for a moment, and Nuglet instantly starts to stumble dazedly forward. A few moments later, she is entirely free from lingering effects.
To Dijiron, she adds,
"That said," notes Husk/Rainbow, "this" gesturing with her one arm towards Nuglet, "believes that the preist 'Jakk' will kill us all and devour our souls. I, however, believe that you all," she looks at Vitreous, pleasantly, "and espe-"... she cuts herself off, smiles*, straightens, and turns back forward, "ah-hem; that you all, she continues, have the ability to defeat him."
In an obviously self-controlled movement, she turns towards Vitreous, again. "Darling," she says, "for this to function correctly, I will need you to be willing to risk your life quite thoroughly. However, should you trust me, I believe that we can end this threat, quickly."
She turns back toward the front, and rubs her face with her hand.
"The place where we are going is ancient, and sacred to many, long before the botfly ever arrived. Though one has not been there myself - this is the first time I've seen this world -, with the gnome's assistance, I've been able to create a solid idea of what is there. Despite her belief to the contrary, this place was clearly not always theirs, nor even belonging to the same folk through the ages - too many different styles and conflicting purposes."
"The place of sacrifice is too high up from our exit point to reach normally. One should be able to drop you off, however, by a spell once we get close. The issue, of course, will be getting close enough for the spell to take you there. I can move up to six of you with myself. You choose which."
She breathes.
Ceru muses with some confusion that Rainbow asks "all" to mark these words but then addresses someone as "thee/thine/thou" which is an archaic singular form of "you," so then wonders who she's really talking to so then assumes that Rainbow is addressing Nuglet specifically. Especially as then Rainbow does address them in the plural later.
Her obsessing over the linguistics of her expression unfortunately distracts her from accurately discerning context or intent. Still, just does manage to pick up on one notable detail:
"Jakk? Who is this? Besides a priest who devours souls? Is he undead? Is he a devil worshipper?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Shaedo would have visibly shuddered at the use of the Aklo tongue.
***
Shaedo sheepishly bows her head, and sings a quiet song in Sylvan about the kind hand of a fairy queen who soothed the ills of a wanderer returned from the darkest woods. Aklo must always be balanced with the sweet music of Sylvan! So Hannya taught us.
Shaedo strives to hold her tongue on the topic of Husk being turned into Rainbow, but as usual, she feels the need to talk about something- so she seeks out a different topic.
So Schnorzel is some kind of powerful magic user, yes? It is no small feat to make elemental appear out of thin air! She pauses for a moment, Though considering where we are, how surprising is that, really? Is there a way we can link her up to our mind-talk web, if we're sure she's a friend?
Shaedo lets that thought marinate for a (brief) moment, and then turns her mind back to strategizing.
***
Shaedo narrows her eyes somewhat suspiciously. So long as Jakk has a mind he can be deceived, yes? She says, adding another dimension to Ceru's inquiry.
Are you sure there are no doubts, dear Husk?
And always the expert on conversational multi-tasking, Shaedo also comments on getting to the Place of Sacrifice. I can climb any vertical surface fast enough- if that'll help. Though the magical travel'll probably be faster...
Rainbow/Husk smiles, not unkindly.
"I'm not angry with you, Shaedo." Rainbow/Husk states.
"Please. Relax."
She smiles, pleasantly.
"As far as travel, should you have an easy method of traveling over one hundred feet across a cavern, fifty feet across a gap that is, itself, dozens of feet deep leading to magical run-off, and, upon crossing it, the ability to reach the top of another hundred-foot-high mesa, I'd be interested in hearing of it. It was my understanding you lacked the ability to move that far that quickly."
At Ceru's question, and then Shaedo's, Rainbow looks at Nuglet. "Yes, Nuglet. Tell us who Jakk is. All about who he is." She looks back. "Or perhaps you should leave it to the other Midori..." she trails off, amused, indicating Schnorzel.
Nuglet's eyes narrow, a frown creasing her face. Looking nervously at Vitreous, then down, embarrassed, she breathes, slowly.
Then, in Sylvan, "Jakk... is the sacred and blasphemous Midori high priest of our tribe and Coccam in general. Sacred, because he wields the power of immortality and the blessing of <i-g'o'b>* itself - the Bloated Fly. Profane because he's both male, and not Biru. Yet despite these handicaps, he was able to become the high priest and wield the power granted by <i-g'o'b>*, the power to grant immortality."
She breathes, heavily, for a few moments, darkening in anger and embarrassment, then mutters something very rapidly, in Midori...
... before rapidly and seamlessly switching back into Sylvan in a long, single sentence, "- but that really won't matter once he's dead, which is hopefully the plan."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Layla would be very curious to learn more about this Jakk, but in response to Mother Rainbow's suggestion that she can only magically transport six of them up to the platform to try to stop the ritual, she would speak up and mental,
"I'll certainly volunteer, if that's where I can be of most help."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As the last of the party mounts up and escapes Schnrozel begins riding to the stairwell when the smokebomb goes off. An aborted noise can be heard, lound and sharp, followed by coughing and wheezing.
Horse bursts from the cloud with little issue, the wardonkey unaffected by the light smoke.
Schnorzel sits on horse, rapidly breathing with a slight sheen on her brow, body tense and eyes focused on a far off point she seems to be in her own little world.
A very unpleasant one if the tone of her voice is to be understood.
The goblin looks in confusion stained with fear and disgust as she breaks from her fugue and looks to the Layla. there is a long pause before she speaks.
"I-I'm sorry, I.. I did not hear you. Please say it again? yes.. speaking would be good." The tentacled goblin states in Golarion goblin, the fear from her gaze coloring her speech.
She screams as the wall of fills the air, or tries to as her desiccated throat closes from the gasses and the unfair wear she had place on it after being unused for so long. Swirling faces and skeletal grins forming in the horrible cloud of.. th-the color.
Coughing and hacking she grips the reins in her hand and shudders violently as the invades.
plunging out of the smoke she feels relief I..I the didn't kill me it-" only to be crushed near instantly when she feels breath on her neck and low chuckling laughter from behind her. "No, you can't be real. you're dead I saw you." the tentacled goblin mutters to herself only half of it actually coming out as intelligible.
"Thalk'ran" She announces in a half whisper as the remembers one of the warriors under Nuglet's command. Cruel and capable with a knife he had been one of the warriors corralling the new worlds twisted and wretched Midori into a force of shock troops.
" Are you so sure on the other side of the pale mountain in the lands of creatures such as these are you so very sure it can't be me? But then we have other things to speak on than my existing or not." the voice chuckles darkly and the tentacled goblin grips the rein of her mount tighter.
"I saw you die, I don't want to remember but I saw it. I watched s-something kill you." she speaks still unbelieving
"and yet you hammer on this subject, yet fail to recognize that what you should be asking yourself is how are you sure? Perhaps you saw me. but did you do anything to ensure it? No perhaps the better question is why did you abandon me for the frail attentions of an outsider. A Non-Midori" The voice snaps out anger obvious in the tone.
"Bu-" her response is run over by the voices words as her vision blurs and Things best not seen fade into view.
"But then perhaps you always were a traitor to the Ígob, unable to grasp the bloatfly's glory. Always fought the attentions of your betters. Thalk'ren continues, half feral chuckles ending words.
"You were never my better, and your cowardice in your actions spoke it." the female goblin grinds out remembering the fools failed attempts at her.
"And I'm thankful I never did, mores the same how long have you been hiding what you really are how long has this face you now wear hidden from the world waiting to surface? A monster in the flesh of my kin, hiding with us until it isn't convenient for you to stay. Abandoning those you have held as kindred like so much trash."
"No, its not real, th-the creature it did it. I was always a midori, A biru before.." The tentacled one speaks, fright tearing at her voice as she looks up from her conversation to see one of the warriors she was traveling with speaking to her.
"You say these things, but are you so sure? The creature that slaughtered your squad leaving you the only survivor, the nature of your survival and the allies you now have. No I think the better explanation would be you abandoned the mask you had been holding and became the Abomination you truly are." The voice pauses for a moment, voice warping slightly as the visions in front of her clarify. vibrant glowing creatures perched on places throughout her vision.
"But then like so many things you know the tales of our people, true beasts have no names and abandon them only to take the names others give them as trophies. So tell me what were you called if your were a Midori before you an abberant?"
Schnorzel feels something fragile give way in her mind and the world drops into buzzing silence behind her. I..What am I?
She looks back to the creature that had spoken before, Layla if she remembered the introduction. She goes to speak and watches in only half concealed disgust as one of the vibrant many limbed things she could see crouching on surfaces and skittering from place to place crawls up the halfling's neck and rests on her forehead just over the left eye. They can't see them..
She responds to the woman, hoping to latch onto anything in order to distract from the things moving about the room, and the echo of mocking laughter she could still hear on the edge of her mind.
"I-I'm sorry, I.. I did not hear you. Please say it again? yes.. speaking would be good." The tentacled goblin states, the fear from her gaze coloring her speech.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Layla looks back at Schnorzel, concerned, and speaks in Goblin:
"You okay? I know you've been through a lot. You're our ally now, right?
Be careful with those black rocks in the bag. They caused fire and death and weird reincarnations and stuff when they touched people before.
Also, earlier, you said something about treating a meal like an ally, or something. I really wasn't sure what you meant. You know we're not planning to eat you, right?
You're not planning to eat us, are you?"
Sunny slows down.... coming to a halt in what ever room the group finds themselves in. She glances up, blinks, before gently setting aside the large, silver beetle thingy and looking about at her friends.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Schnorzel shudders slightly, "No.. I-I'm alright." The goblin says, still sounding brittle but whatever it was before that was gripping her had passed.
"I don't understand why you would consider me a 'ally'. I mean unless you are not here to seek vengeance for the invasion of your world. Killing our warriors and crippling our families to ensure your wrath is known.
I had voiced such concerns before, not that it matters as the only entrace to your world I have ever heard of is currently being consumed by combusting magic." The goblin says, still looking at the halfling in confusion.
"Such is the way of the world that the weak eat the strong."
The goblin considers for a moment once she finishes the sentence, an idea donning.
"Do you mean to say that your people do not cull the weak?" Schnorzel asks slowly, unsure if she is grasping the concept correctly
And yet, they still survive in those horrible lands. These creatures are monsters...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Layla continues her conversation in Goblin with Schnorzel...
"Uh...no. We protect the weak. It would be really evil to kill someone just 'cuz they're weak. That's kinda why we protected you, even though you're a gob.
We're not out for any kind of revenge so much as stoppin' bad stuff from happenin'.
So, yeah, don't go killing weak people. 'Cuz then we'll kill you."
Layla mentals all her allies...
"Okay, two things are becoming clear to me.
One, the blue gobs came from another 'world', and now we've left our 'world' and we might be stuck in their 'world'. Is that what you guys are getting? And... what's a 'world'?
Two, blue gobs are pretty awful, so don't show signs of weakness around Schnorzel or she might eat you."
Rainbow/Husk actually snorts, but then, smiles, kindly and pityingly.
She gestures to Schnorzel. In a language in your head - your native tongue, whatever that may be, she says, "That one is... broken... by many standards. The state you find her in now is a direct result of the very plague that has resulted from the meddling of this high-priest. The plague you may have noticed that every creature in this tower - save yourselves - was suffering from."
"'Tis a plague that fractures the mind and spirit. If one possessed of the infection survives, they become something other, as this creature has, and freed from any infection ever again. 'Tis both a gift and a curse from the Bloated Fly." Getting a look on her face, she adds, "Oh, and none of you are infected. Not yet. Neither is the broken one (as she survived it), and since our reincarnation, neither the one once known as Nuglet nor I hold it anymore."
She hesitates for a few moments. Then, frowning, and sincerely, she offers, "It is... also worth noting that... I was wrong. This high priest, Jakk Tornclaw, has placed his magic carefully, and powerful. They knew that this one was on the Golarion-side of the Tor, and knew what my capabilities were. These Midori were thorough and well-prepared. Though slip-shod in its construction," here, she smirks at a scowling Nuglet, before letting the smirk drop and giving an awkward shrug with a serious expression "t'was enough. One was blinded to the power surging through the tower, and would have remained so for as long as I was the Father Husk that you knew."
Rainbow/Husk nods toward Schnorzel. "T'was the very power of hitam rupees the broken Midori now carry - the sacred stones of the Bloat Fly - that are, according to Nuglet, considered 'ill-luck' by all the non-Midori. Of course, unless infected and ignited, they would do little unless swallowed or physically handled long enough."
She smiles, wryly. "It seems, in this case at least, t'was their own ill fortune. Clever fox-spirit." she nods at Shaedo.
----------------------
She looks at Layla. "As to 'world'... hm. Perhaps Dijiron would care to clarify? Or Shaedo tell a story? Or Ceru or V-Vitreous, the history of her people?" she slightly stumbles over Vitreous' name, but manages to push through*. Her hair turns into a burnished copper, and the Nubian skin flushes, noticeably.
----------------------
She runs a hand through her hair, leaving it a relatively normal brown, but ornately tied and bound into an intricately designed, tight bun. Her eyes become an arresting silver-blue. Her nails take on a pale fleshy color as she taps them on her face.
"Very well, then, I will speak."
She breathes, and arches an eyebrow in thought. "You know Garund, where we were? Avistan, far to the north? Vudra? Tian-Xia? Arcadia? Casmeron? The various bodies of water and islands in-between? All of these - all of the land and water you know - are part of a discreet, total, and mostly-self-contained location: Golarion. This 'Golarion' is a world. Golarion, of course, holds its moon."
She nods, sagaciously, as she mulls over what she's saying. Nuglet rolls her eyes, and makes a "blah-blah-blah" expression with her mouth, but says nothing**.
"Similarly, Golarion holds a fiery orb: the day-star you call the "Sun" - but Golarion is not the only world with our Sun, and our Sun is not the only sun. In fact, each star is a "sun" to any worlds near it. Some worlds are uninhabitable, while other worlds have many habitable places. Some stars have no worlds; while some stars have many."
"Golarion is one such world. Triddum is another; it has its own moon, it's own sun, and so on." She grins, happily.
"Beyond such elements, there are also other facets of existence. Gnomes do not originate from Golarion, nor any material place." She smiles at Vitreous, but also Ceru.
"Instead, they originate from the same place as the language you are so fond of, fox-spirit: Sylvan. However, the gnomes that are of the material fled this land, long ago. This is the source of-" she suddenly cuts herself off, glancing at Vitreous. "... many of the properties of gnomes that defy normative material existence." she finishes, clearly having skirted a topic. "Indeed, even your afterlives are similar worlds."
"I have never been to another world, before, though I know a few who have. This is... quite an adventure!" she grins. "I'm excited!" she starts to glance toward Vitreous, but turns away, quickly.
"Of course, Triddum and Golarion have been connected before, from what I can tell. Too long in the ancient past to really matter, but they have, in fact, seen folk from each other... as at least one of you, here, is proof of, though I doubt this is known to that one. 'Tis not, strictly speaking, known to me, though I have guesses. Regardless, there is much of this new world I do not know, but would seek out."
She thinks for a moment. "I... must say." she says. "One finds it most pleasant to be able to speak with those who will recall what they say later. Though I will miss being with my children - at least this me shall - at least I have interesting individuals to converse with, now, that will neither kill nor destroy me... though I must confess my disappointment that I become semi-human-like in the process." She sighs. "At least this form is tempered with both elven and halfling elements - among others - to it. 'Twould be nearly unbearable otherwise."
Her eyes turn a mournful purple, and her hair becomes long, straight, and a downcast black-blue. Her nails turn gray as she clicks them on her saddle, and her deeply tanned skin begins to turn relatively pale gray, and continues in that direction, slowly.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Sunny pads over and stands beside Horse and the little Goblin-ette seated there one.
She stands, smiling brightly at Schnorzel. (^_^)
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
In response to Rainbow Husk's description of the great distance between the ritual and the party, Shaedo grins, conceding in Sylvan, "Yeeessh... the magical transportation would be much faster!"
She thinks for a moment, considering her own resolve. Her ears perk up and she sits up straight and tall on Ramsy's back, with her decision.
"I- volunteer to go as well! If only- because the one thing worse than having to fight a demonic soul-eating Botfly is staying here, while my friends risk their lives- and all I can do is wait for them- and not know if they'll come back!"
Shaedo shivers as her tails floof and her ears flatten against her head. "So- I'll go if I'd be of use in the battle!"
Shaedo's violet eyes widen as her ears perk up again, and she turns to look behind her, hearing Layla's update on Schnorzel, blue goblins, and the question about the world.
Husk speaks first, and then Sunny. Shaedo listens, silent for once, deep in thought. Then, the fox finds her voice again, and answers the call to tell a story!
The nice thing about riddles, is that although they are tricksy, the answer is in the question! I've heard philosophers in Osirion, Katapesh and Jalmeray dispute the question- what is *a* world, what is the World? Everyone disagrees! The Elves think yet another thing, and so does every individual gnome I've ever spoken to about it! We're all *in* a world, everything we know is the world to us! So to go from one whole world to another- it's the kinda terrifying thing that makes poets go mad if they let it... It literally means leaving everything you know behind!
Shaedo sighs, and grabs onto one her tails, holding it for comfort.
"There is a story that illustrates this wonderfully. It is called The Three World Travelers and the Visitor from Afar." Shaedo hops up onto her feet, so she is standing on Ramsy's back. That way she can pantomiming the characters, giving each a unique voice, and even shifting into a matching form as each speaks. "*Ahem.* The story goes, there were once three well-traveled people sharing a meal on the crossroads around a camp fire. One was a human man who hailed from Tian Xia and was visiting Avistan for the first time. Another was a fiery gnomish lass, and the third was an ancient elf who looked not a day past youth. The man said, 'I have travelled far from an Eastern land. This Western land is strange. It is a whole other World.' After the man spoke, the gnome lass laughed at him. 'Your world is small, friend!' She cried, 'in my endless pursuit of new experiences to keep the fire in my hair, I have traveled all across Golarion! I have seen the whole world!' At that the ancient, youthful elf sniggered, 'you have seen merely half of it, my dear fire brand! I have lived for twice the years of both of you combined, and I am still a young elf. Golarion is merely a planet, Bright one, and Sovyrion, home of the elves, is another. For us, they together are the world!'
The other two looked at each other. They were surely humbled, but in sympathy they smiled at each other in good humor and rolled their eyes together at the haughtiness of the elf.
But then, all three gasped in fear, as the fire itself roared with laughter, and bursting from the flame, appeared a great Efreeti! The incredible fire spirit admonished all three travelers, 'mortal fools! None of you have seen even the smallest, most infinitesimal fraction of THE WORLD! There are countless planes, each one so vast, they may as well be infinite! In a life time spanning a thousand suns, I have seen all of them! The World, is many! THE WORLD is ALL THINGS!! Bwhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaaaa----AHAHAHAHA!'
(Hey, the genies always laugh manically in these stories!)
The three world travelers felt greatly humbled at this story, though the gnome in this saw an opportunity for a new experience, the human saw an opportunity to gain, and the elf saw a challenge... so one of them, I don't remember which, said, 'great genie! You have seen all things, so you must know all things. Would you say this is true?'
'Why yes, mortal fool! Why do you even need to ask such a foolish question!'
'Because it isn't true- if I can prove it to you, will you grant me a wish?'
'Bwahahaha! Very well! But if you fail, then I shall burn you to death where you sit!'
'You have seen all the planes as an immortal spirit, but you were only ever a being of plane of fire. Never have you lived the life of an elf, a gnome, or a man. You do not know the world as we see it. you do not know world! You do not know what it is like to be us, but our experience, our lives, our souls are a part of all things. Therefore, you do not know all things, your world is not all things. --- According to one version of the story, they then say--- 'There is only ONE who may say that, and it is not you, fire spirit.'
Aaaaannndd... that's where the story goes in different ways... in one version, the efreeti just laughs at them, and vanishes. In another, the efreeti is impressed, and grants them a wish, though claims it is merely out of pity for their small mortal minds, and then in another one, the efreeti is angered, and well, it doesn't end well at all! -I always like to say, if a clever vixen were there, she would have had a back up plan! A good trick is always really two or three. That's the real moral of the story! Besides all that world stuff, anyway."
Shaedo does not pretend her answer is final. She gladly hears what any others have to say. For her, the world is a manner of perspective, after all!
Rainbow/Husk nods toward Schnorzel. "T'was the very power of hitam rupees the broken Midori now carry - the sacred stones of the Bloat Fly - that are, according to Nuglet, considered 'ill-luck' by all the non-Midori. Of course, unless infected and ignited, they would do little unless swallowed or physically handled long enough."
"It seems, in this case at least, t'was their own ill fortune. Clever fox-spirit." she nods at Shaedo.
Rainbow/Husk nods toward Schnorzel. "T'was the very power of hitam rupees the broken Midori now carries that I was transformed and returned to life." she says, while she preens a bit, in a manner both pleased with and awkwardly uncertain of her knew form.
Moving on, she continues, "Hitam rupees are the sacred stones of the Bloat Fly that are, according to Nuglet, considered 'ill-luck' by all the non-Midori. Of course, unless infected and ignited, they would do little unless swallowed or physically handled long enough."
"It seems, in this case at least, t'was their own ill fortune. Clever fox-spirit." she nods at Shaedo.
-------------------------
"It is... also worth noting that... I was wrong. This high priest, Jakk Tornclaw, has placed his magic carefully, and powerful. They knew that this one was on the Golarion-side of the Tor, and knew what my capabilities were. These Midori were thorough and well-prepared. Though slip-shod in its construction, t'was enough. One was blinded to the power surging through the tower, and would have remained so for as long as I was the Father Husk that you knew."
"... but really, those are excuses. You were... correct: the tower, tor, and lands surrounding it are in great danger. Even if this mad scheme is accomplished, 'tis quite possible that everything 'twould be destroyed in an explosion of necromantic anarchy magic the likes of which two worlds have never seen."
The one-armed Rainbow-Husk nods, sadly. "One would have simply blindly permitted it to happen, incorrectly confident that my Tor was entirely stable, and all they sought was an eldritch surge from the well. Apologies, all." she shrugs.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
An interesting story, Shaedo, but I think there is a discrepancy in the translation of the key word in the story. World simply means planet. We hail from Golarion the Cage. Elves hail ultimately from Castrovel the Green, second form the sun. Anyone can also see Akiton the Red, the fourth planet, in the night's sky.
There are legends of technology that can transport people across planets but most, including me, dismiss such nonsense. No, what happened here is that magic transported us to another world. "Triddum" is not the name of any known planet or moon in our solar system which means that we were sent to another solar system or to another plane. Though we could also have come back in time to when the planets that created the Diaspora were destroyed.
No matter what, this was the work of powerful magic and could hold a great amount of secrets.
Dijiron finished his diatribe feeling pleased with himself until he suddenly hit himself on the head. Oh, I'm sorry, Shaedo. I didn't mean to invalidate your story. I just took issue with a definition. Another word might work better than "World."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Everyone talks so much, Ceru has trouble keeping up with it all. It's like there are four of her father in her room, and they're all lecturing in turn. She stays focused on the stuff she knows she should pay attention to, like what Jakk is about. And in focusing on that, she picks up on a few interesting tidbits. She catches what Nuglet says in particular about her relationship to Jakk but doesn't comment upon it for now.
When they get to discussing worlds, Ceru nods along with Dijiron. "The thing to take home is that the reason the blue goblins aren't like ours is because they're from somewhere else. If we are on another world now, neat! There will be so much to explore. I wonder what the food's like..."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Hm.
So... Right now... We're in Triddum, not Golarion? Is that right?
Which world did you originally live in, Mother Rainbow?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"New world?!",exclaims Vitreous snapping out of his daze!
Suddenly becoming business like, he digs around in his pack saddle and pulls out the prosthetic arm. "Um... Father Husk... It appears that this spare arm I'm carrying around may help you, in our new task of saving this world and ours. With your mental capacities, I imagine you'd be able to control it quite well."
Then turning to Nuglet," Oh. Nuglet..? Is that how you'd like to be known? I'm very sorry I don't have a spare arm for you as well. You are quite pretty though," stammers the gnome while blushing furiously.
Both Rainbow/Husk and Nuglet freeze, look at each other, and look at Vitreous, evenly. She briefly darkens in expression at the name "Father Husk", but that is quickly replaced by something that... swells...
Both women are breathing heavily.
There is a moment where the world seems to stop.
Her skin brightens, her hair taking on the aspect of a rainbow only enhanced by the new iridescence. One eye becomes gunmetal gray, shot through with streaks of bright silver, the other a brilliant green slowly shifting to blue and then purple near the iris with flecks of gold. A quick nervous *ticking* of her fingers across her saddle transforms each nail on her hand into a different color. Her newly ruddy skin gains a faint iridescent sheen, that is complemented by a sudden flush of heat and emotion.
"This... is your choice, Vitreous?" Rainbow/Husk looks at him, steadily. "One is to be your... 'part mechanical lady'? This is... " she searches for the correct term, then looks at him, evenly, "... this is your... wish-" she emphasizes the last term, clearly trying to get something across, "Darling?"
Nuglet slightly shakes her head, an even, stoic gaze - but one that is clearly somewhat worried as well... and deeply affected by his flattery.
The colorful woman cocks her head to the side.
"Or... are you... requesting... something else...?" she asks.
Nuglet looks at her briefly, before returning to stair at Vitreous.
She looks at him with intensity.
She purses her lips. Know this as well: we are both... creatures of strong passions, when ignited. Strong. Passions.
Of course, if you are simply requesting that I be your... wish fulfillment, I would have no problem with this.
She pauses, cocking her head to the side. "Regardless," she speaks at last, "whoever you choose will need a new name. As one said to the Twinbladed Halfling, the name 'Father' never truly fit (though it made no difference to me how you thought of me), and the name 'Husk' no longer does."
She glances at Nuglet. "And, I'd imagine, one so thoroughly changed as she would need a new name to rid herself of past... entanglements." she emphasizes the last word, looking hard at her, before returning to Vitreous.
[ooc]How, exactly, you spin your desires, and what, exactly, you say next (regardless of any Diplomacy or Charisma check it seems) is going to be exceedingly significant.
"I've never been so... umm... desired before. I've had the arm for quite a while and truth be told always used it as a prop for wooing. It was always a test to see if the lady was really interested or if she was talking to me out of pity or some ulterior motive."Taking a deep breath, his blush still burning his face, and not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings, especially not the obviously powerful and somewhat scary former spider monster, "I offer the appendage to you not in an attempt to curry favor or express a preference, if I'd had one that could fit the former knight I'd gladly give her it as well, but as a means to aid us in the upcoming battle, which the two of you seem to have quite a few fears about."
"Putting romance aside for the moment, I will volunteer to be transported to the top. Let me arrange a few pieces of equipment as my nifty bandoleer seems to have had an accident. He then digs around in his pack and puts his paper cartridges within easy reach to load more quickly. He also packs up a powder horn and some extra slow load bullets just in case.
Suny continue to stand before Schnorzel still smiling happily.
-----------------
Rainbow/Husk and the former Nuglet both look at Vitreous for a long, hard few moments.
Rainbow/Husk tilts her head back a little, eyes half-lidded, and nods, smiling slightly. A thoughtful look.
"Very well," she says in Sylvan, "in the spirit that 'tis offered, that of - literally - arming me for the coming battle, one accepts the very generous gift." She turns towards the former goblin. "This has settled nothing." the colorful one informs the latter.
Nuglet looks on with a nearly unreadable expression*, though she nods in acceptance.
Rainbow/Husk reaches out for the arm, smiling kindly, and accepts it from Vitreous with her one good hand.
"Hm. Incorrect presumption of handedness. A few pieces of scoring. Some awkwardly placed assembly. Easy fixes, once installed, and won't apply in stressful situations." she mutters, softly, looking over the piece.
Her inspection finished, she places the arm piece against her stump, and begins muttering a few phrases. She frowns, and tries a few again. After a couple of attempts, she grunts, hard, as if in pain.
She breathes, heavily, nodding. She looks at her mechanical arm, as it whirs and shifts, softly. She clacks the fingers into the palm, one after the other, slowly closing her hand; then she slowly releases. She shifts her arm around, somewhat, testing it. She nods in approval.
"By Lissala's whip, doth that sting." she says, panting. She looks around, excitedly. "I... felt that!" she looks at Vitreous, eyes slightly moist. She quickly blinks a few times, and shakes her head, her hair becoming a vibrant purple, and her eyes shining gunmetal green. She puts on a very professional face and nods at Vitreous.
Then she looks forward, nodding, slowly.
-----------------
As Husk/Rainbow, is muttering, Sunny, Schnorzel, and Layla all hear a strange sound...
Looking back up the stairs, Schnorzel sees a tremendously curious sight. A small, glass vial is falling down the stairs and cracking, or even shattering, as the green mist flows downward and the vial immediately reconstitutes itself, enough to continue its journey downward... toward... you.
-----------------
From the end of the corridor, you see a massive structure spread before you. It... it looks like you're about to exit tower stairs and directly into... a... porch? With a (literally) jade roof? Either way, there are clearly magical lights of all different colors (though most of them are soft white) placed in the ceiling beyond the corridor you are in, providing dim lighting in the large area beyond. And, further out still, there seems to be some sort of terrible flickering strong light coming from somewhere.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
*Reaction to DM's spoiler information...
(O_o)
"Okeys! Is runnin' times agin!" Sunny is now quite quickly getting everything she has together and looking a the nearest door ways out... And away from the stairs.
Ceru frowns at the conversation with Vitreous, knowing she shouldn't listen in, but she like all gnomes speaks Sylvan and she doesn't like secrets and she has very good hearing and she just can't quite help overhearing the conversation. And she finds herself concerned for her fellow gnome. She focuses her thoughts to send just a message to Vitreous. She knows she risks at least Husk overhearing, but she's actually okay with that.
Careful. I'm sorry! But I kind of overheard. I don't think Rainbow Husk and Dark Nuglet mean anything bad, I think they like you actually, but I think it's really strange and kind of creepy how much they suddenly REALLY like you. This is all magic influenced, remember. Plus, Nuglet said Jakk was her husband, so there's gotta be a whole bucket of complicated there. Not that you're not likable Vitreous, but every time I've seen people look at each other like that, it's not after suddenly waking up in a room after a shiver-dream and finding you're on another planet. We're in a place where reality's reshaping itself every moment, so you have to be careful about what you're getting attached to. Just... a concern from a fellow teammate. We'll all need to be super focused when we face whatever it is we face. I'm not gonna say anything else about it and I won't pay attention to it at all in fact, it's none of my business--save that as a team we have to look out for each other. That's all.
She leaves, heading down the stairs, following after Beylinda.
When she enters the next room with Beylinda....
Ceru looks with awe upon the shimmering lights, though she is also concerned about the more baleful light beyond. She squints, focusing on the weirder light beyond, trying to determine its source.
She also, for good measure, checks the floors and areas the lights might be obscuring, for traps.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As they paused on the stairs behind the Magical Vitreous Soap Opera, Layla took a good, hard look at Sunny's big platinum beetle.
Could it possibly be alive?
Then, when she notices the vial tumbling down the stairs towards them and the nifty way it keeps cracking and being fixed by the green mist, she responds to Sunny's cry both mentally and aloud...
"Oh! It's just my vial. . . followed by a bunch of green mist coming down the stairs behind us. We should be okay, I think."
Layla attempts to scoop up her vial at one of its 'fixed' moments as it bounces past her.
Layla would otherwise continue down the stairs without crowding those ahead of her.
She figures if the green mist is a big concern, mother Rainbow or someone will speak up in response to what she just said.
Focusing his concentration on Ceru he attempts to address only her.