Justin just nods absent-mindedly in agreement as Karrin expounds on her book learning. And her other education. His mind is obviously working overtime. He keeps glancing back at Nari, to the pack where the seed waits to be planted, and tugging his goatee strongly enough to remove it if it were not so firmly attached.
Lady Meralindiel looks at the recumbent form slumped over Karrin's shoulder.
"What exactly is her symptoms? I could perhaps help if I knew what was going on. Come, let us go to the Fountain of Dancing. It's waters are healing, and it is a place of Power for me."
The ancient elven maid swirls her ivory-colored skirts and beckons them along. The group follows her to the open area where a day ago (had it been only a day? It seemed like an eternity ago) Lady Meralindiel had shown them where The Seed would be planted.
Travelling farther on, past the large tiered flowerbed, the group arrives at a fountain. a statue of Hanali Celani dances among gently bubbling waters that collect in a blue lapis pool below. Ancient elvish characters graven around the circumference mark this as the spot where Lady Hanali first touched the world and began her dance of making.
"These waters come from deep within the womb of the world. many have been healed by their power. Perhaps Nari's condition can be assauged here?"
"Well, it's difficult to explain. Exactly. She's a bit, conflicted." Justin says to the Lady, he glances at Isaac for confirmation that they want to trust their companion's 'secret' problem to this relative stranger.
"Justin's usin' the polite term teh say Nari's locked in a struggle in her brainbox between her calculatin', aggressive core personality and her meek but friendly second personality. At one time, they was separated with a psionic crystal- but it broke during a..."
Isaac stops himself and composes his answer a bit better.
"... during a risky rescue mission to save a man on Crux from the foul presence of whatever has afflicted itself upon the World Ash. Leaving her in the state she's in."
"So waddya think?" Karrin asks the lady, "Ya think ya can help her?"
Justin shrugs wryly.
"Yeah. What they said."
Justin's casual manner is obviously a (bad) cover for his concern for their seemingly frail elf -friend.
The asssembled party suddenly hears the mental communication of The Seed, Lauralia. Although not physically in the room with them, they all feel its presence
::Friends, perhaps I can be of assistance with the one known as Nari. I can sense her mind's fracture. It is something I do not think the healing waters can fix. My Planter, can you bring her to me? Perhaps I can enter her mind and help her heal her breach.::
"Wow that would be great mr or perhaps ms seed, we sure could use any help we could get."
Justin starts at the 'sound' of the voice in his head. He gives a lopsided smirk to no one in particular.
"Yes, thank you Lauralia." He adds aloud.
"What can we do to help?"
Stheno glances around at the other. "As long as it gives us another able body to bring to bear against our enemies then I am all for it. If it's not going to take too long that is, we need to be moving soon."
"Yes please." Seph agrees with the seed
As Nari is brought near the Seed, she droops and falls gently to the ground, seemingly asleep.
After what seems like a very long time, Nari opened her eyes. She instinctively crouched away in fear when she saw Meralindiel, but forced herself to not run and hide.
"What? Where? How did we get here?"
"I carried ya!" Karrin says kneeling down beside her elven friend and hugging her, "you got kind of weird there so we brought ya to the temple and the seed said it could heal your or something, and I guess it did! I'm thinking if the seed's that powerful as just a seed it gonna be a real powerful and mighty tree someday . . . these folks are real lucky to have such a great gift."
"I carried ya!" Karrin says kneeling down beside her elven friend and hugging her, "you got kind of weird there so we brought ya to the temple and the seed said it could heal your or something, and I guess it did! I'm thinking if the seed's that powerful as just a seed it gonna be a real powerful and mighty tree someday . . . these folks are real lucky to have such a great gift."
Nari hugged her back gingerly.
"So...it was the seed that was singing that song? It was....it was beautiful. And it knocked Sanna out completely. She's sleeping for now. Hopefully for a good long time. At least long enough to get to Sigil. I'm so sorry for being so much trouble," Nari said, hanging her head.
The normally quiet Ekuur comes forward, and looks Nari straight in the eyes, his own eyes very intense but not in a wild way. "Lauralie is wonderful, isn't she? What you experienced is what I knew the entire time I carried her. She has left a mark on my soul that I believe will be there forever. I have access to divine power that I hadn't had before: that of life and of growing things. It is astounding, frightening, and exhilarating all at once."
He pauses, and almost seems embarassed, backing off a bit. "Sorry, I did not mean to be so verbose. It is merely an experience that is very alien to me and the world I come from. Growing things are not the norm in my home."
"S'okay," Karrin says with a smile, "nobody's gonna be 100% all the time, that's we got teammates. You think I'm awesome all the time? I do pretty well for myself it's true but that's because I have such great back up. Like remember when we were dealing with those lizard guys a while back? Well those thing whooped me pretty hard and if I didn't have teammates around to pick up the slack I think they might have taken me out or something. It's like Torreen always said, 'doesn't matter how good you are it's your teammates that something something . . .' actually I can't remember how that went, but the point is the same, you need good teammates if you're gonna survive in this business. Also we all have different strengths and weaknesses, and we all need to work on improving, like me, you're not going to believe this, but I was once considered a bit of a blather mouth because I guess I just wouldn't shut up or something? And I'd be talking away about something and I could totally tell they wanted me to shut up because they kept saying "shut-up, for the love of god shut-up!", well that was something I totally improved. I can go hole stretches without saying anything! And I used to be really bad. I don't know why, I think it was cuz I used to live at a monastery or something and sometimes the monks couldn't talk because of god and such, and because they were the only ones to talk to, except the animals, I guess I had to bottle all that energy up and stuff. Well I could talk to the animals but they didn't talk back or anything. Like sometimes in the story books there are these talking animals, and some are magical, but others are transformed princes or something, but none of that at monastery. Just a bunch of normal animals . . . unless they could talk through their minds like you can, or maybe I couldn't hear what they were saying because my mind wasn't attuned or something, and I was talking away to them and they were trying to talk back and stuff but my mind just wasn't right to hear them. Wouldn't that have been neat!"
Karrin smiles, then frowns, "What were we talking about again?"
He pauses, and almost seems embarassed, backing off a bit. "Sorry, I did not mean to be so verbose. It is merely an experience that is very alien to me and the world I come from. Growing things are not the norm in my home."
"Oh I have some skills to help fix that if you want Ekuur, I used to have that problem you see, all you need to do is work on your inside voice, and then decided if what that inside voice says is worth sharing with the world, it's real complex, and my father taught me about it at the monastery for some reason . . . I don't remember why, but anyways it's a skill that I've found very useful later in life. The only problem with me is that I don't think very far ahead and so what usually ends up happening is I say the bit that I want at the start but then I remember some other things that are really neat as well and so I'll just keep talking and remembering stuff, and that's kind of useful sometimes, and other times not so much because I find myself just saying whatever, but the point is talking to much can be annoying to other people. But don't worry Ekuur, I don't find you annoying, you're not at all like some folks that just don't know when to keep quite."
Nari smiled shyly. "You're right Ekuur. It was the most beautiful music I've ever heard. I think you describe it well," she said softly.
"And you're right, Karrin. Teammates are important. And I...thank you. All of you. For helping me."
Having used up all of her social bravado, she did her best to fade into the background.
"Oh I have some skills to help fix that if you want Ekuur, I used to have that problem you see, all you need to do is work on your inside voice, and then decided if what that inside voice says is worth sharing with the world, it's real complex, and my father taught me about it at the monastery for some reason . . . I don't remember why, but anyways it's a skill that I've found very useful later in life. The only problem with me is that I don't think very far ahead and so what usually ends up happening is I say the bit that I want at the start but then I remember some other things that are really neat as well and so I'll just keep talking and remembering stuff, and that's kind of useful sometimes, and other times not so much because I find myself just saying whatever, but the point is talking to much can be annoying to other people. But don't worry Ekuur, I don't find you annoying, you're not at all like some folks that just don't know when to keep quite."
He pauses, and almost seems embarassed, backing off a bit. "Sorry, I did not mean to be so verbose. It is merely an experience that is very alien to me and the world I come from. Growing things are not the norm in my home."
"My thanks for your advice, Karrin. I shall remember that well, although as you've likely seen, I normally do not have the issue. It is just ... Lauralie is like nothing I have ever had the pleasure to experience before. At my home, before it was destroyed, the priests of the Temple of Sand and Flame had used the fire to cleanse the area and a small water spring to create an oasis in the heart of the sand wastes. That, to me, was the most amazing thing I had ever known. But the World Tree, and it's Seed, are beyond anything I could have ever imagined. This has been an exceptional experience."
Rhiannon watches on in stoic silence, though seeing the manner in which the group pulls together brings a smile to her face.
Seph though pleased for Nari waits for things to calm down a bit before approaching "I'm glad your Okay Nari." He tells her
As the group talks, Lady Meralindiel leads them down a side corridor to a secret door. Tracing a few runes on what seems to be just another space of corridor, an opening irises open, revealing a squad of well-armed guards. Lady meralindiel guestures and they move aside to let the party enter.
Upon a pile of soft pillows The Seed sits. Everyone inside the windowless room can feel its singing as a soft background in their minds.
::Nari, can you approach me?:: the embryonic godling asks.
Lauralia sings to Nari, the chorus of crystalline voices swelling in power
Nari:
She is back on Yggdrasil, standing on the furrowed bark. Yet, it is not Yggdrasil. The wood grain is different, the leaves a subtler shade of green. Several green-furred bipedal creatures stand about her, chittering softly. They look vaguely like squirrels mixed with foxes and elephants, and sport six appendages and three large eyes.
A voice comes from one of these creatures, one whose fur is shot with silver. A drooping trunk-like nose curls and uncurls as it speaks
"Have no fear Nari. I am Lauralia. You are still in Hanalindali, and I have yet to be planted. I thought that you would perhaps be more comfortable away from that city, so I brought you along a future potentiality to my maturity, or, I should say, one of my possible maturities."
The creature looks at Nari closely
"I can sense the fracture in your mind. I think that it has served you admirably in the past, but that circumstances have changed. It seems to me that your bifrucation is now causing you more grief than succor. What would you have me attempt?"
Nari:
The green-grey furred creature speaks again
"I can understand this, and I can see that Sanna is a fully-developed personality. still, she is part of you, for better or worse."
The creature blinks its three eyes in an odd fashion, one after the other then continues
"I could either try to merge Sanna and you together. This would create a gestalt personality, different from either, but leaving you with one personality for one body. That personality, unfortunately, wouldn't be either of you. The 'you' that you are would be forever lost. As would Sanna's 'you,' though the gestalt personality would have both of your traits and memories."
The triocular hexapod elephantine foxsquirrel blinks again
"I could also fashion a body for Sanna and split the two of you off. It is within my abilties to do this. Sanna could be repalced in a crystal as she was before, or given an actual flesh-and-blood corpus to inhabit. The choice would have to be yours."
The group sees Nari fall into a sort of waking trance. The singing of the Seed intensifies. Maelrin, towards the back, looks uncomfortable, as if the singing is grating on his nerves.
She took a deep breath. "I would gladly let her have this body if I could have a different one, but if I have to keep this one since I was born with it, then she should have a body of her own. A real flesh-and-blood body. She's a person. An awful, terrible person, but she's never had the chance to be anything else. She deserves a chance."
Justin smiles in relief with the rest as Nari wakes up, seemingly better for her nap. He adds a gentle squeeze to her shoulders during one of Karrin's verbose monologues. But otherwise deems it better to keep his own verbosity to himself. For now.
He gives Karrin an affectionate, lop-sided grin as she continues. He nods to Rhiannon when he notices her smiling at the interactions.
When faced with the seed, Justin taps his lips thoughtfully, a worried crease to his brow as he watches Nari.
He glances at their hosts, and notices Maelrin's frown. Since the look is decidedly out of place on the faces of their hosts, he notes it, but turns his worried attention back to the silent Nari.
Issac just nods to Nari's thanks, not wanting to ruin the moment as the seed sings.
Part of him is jealous; Yggdrasil's seed, a piece of the Source itself and this is the furthest he'll experience it, watching from without. But he shakes it off, keeping his face a respectful blank. There will surely be many more incarnations, many different Isaacs, with a chance to experience it for themselves. Now it's for Nari and Ekuur and it's time to be happy for them.
"Now, before we give this plane the laugh, cutters: anyone else got a murderous secondary personality I don't have the Dark on yet? Now's the time teh get it fixed if ye do.", he whispers in Planar Common.
"Nope," Karrin says looking through her disguise kit, "But some of us might have evil twins. If you ever stumble across a tiefling by the name of Carrin with a goatee be weary . . ."
Karrin gives the room a sinister look before smiling.
"Just kidding, who ever heard of someone called Carrin? Pretty silly name huh? I just made that up off the top of my head."
Justin smirks in poorly held mirth.
"Nah. I'm good." He whispers back, never taking his eyes off of the event unfolding before him.
"Although some people seem to think I have an impulse control problem. But I'm not sure what a seed can do about that." He adds, winking at Merle.
Justin:
The group hears Lauralia's mental voice again
::Please be patient, and watch over Nari please. I am going to attempt something that is going to take a lot of my attention and ... energy. I will not be able to communicate for the next few minutes. If you wish to observe, please concentrate, and you will see what Nari sees::
The group feels a swell in the background chorus and then a sudden stillness
Nari:
The possible-future Lauralia dweller speaks in her voice again.
"I have brought forth Sanna to speak with you. Together you should discuss what will happen. She cannot harm you, her image is non-corporeal. Please, both of you come to an agreement, and I will do my best to impliment your wishes."
Sanna stares at Nari
Merle and Seph both concentrate wanting to see what is happening
Issac just nods to Nari's thanks, not wanting to ruin the moment as the seed sings.
Part of him is jealous; Yggdrasil's seed, a piece of the Source itself and this is the furthest he'll experience it, watching from without. But he shakes it off, keeping his face a respectful blank. There will surely be many more incarnations, many different Isaacs, with a chance to experience it for themselves. Now it's for Nari and Ekuur and it's time to be happy for them."Now, before we give this plane the laugh, cutters: anyone else got a murderous secondary personality I don't have the Dark on yet? Now's the time teh get it fixed if ye do.", he whispers in Planar Common.
"Secondary? No, no secondary ones."
At Lauralia's words, Ekuur's closes his eyes and concentrates.
Sanna glares at Nari. "If I had my way I would have crushed you long ago like the bug you were supposed to be, but you just won't die. I need this body or there's no point to my existence."
"I've already said, I'm more than happy to let you have it. I hate the constant reminders of Lord Mai'im. I hate that I look so much like him. But I don't want to just die!" [i]Nari said, shrinking away from her evil counterpart.
"Hmm. Then we are agreed? If the tree creature can give you a new body, you will vacate this one and let me go back to Shalon to claim my rightful place?"
"Yes! I just want to leave my past in the past. I...I know I used you in order to survive, but I'm stronger now. I don't need you any more. And you don't need me to hide behind to keep your free will either. It's better for both of us to be able to be separate people now."
Sanna looked at Lauralia. "You can see for yourself that we are in agreement on this matter."[/i]
Nari:
Rhiannon glances at Karrin,Ekkur and Justin, understanding that thier bond with Nari is stronger than her own.
"Go on," she says, "I will stand guard."
Nari (and pals) spoiler:
"So be it. Sanna, I do not have the abilty to send you directly home. However, I imagine that Nari and her compatriots will be returning to my Mother after my Planting. There are many gates there, and I am sure my Mother's Children the Ratatosk will assist you in finding the right one."
The elder being starts to hum, raising his staff. The dozen-or-so similar creatures that had kept their distance begin to circle Nari. She notices that Sanna's image has disappeared.
Nari suddenly feels her spirit lifting out of her body. It isn't painful, but very disconcerting. She floats, disembodied, looking down at her elven visage standing as if in a trance. Then a whirl of sparking fog begins to form in the cirlce. A human-like female form begins to manifest. Nari looks into a pair of brilliant leaf-green eyes. The new body has pale skin, small rounded ears, and a shock of wild red hair.
She suddenly feels her spirit being drawn into this body. For a moment panic grips her, but then her vision flips and she is looking at her old elven form in front of her. She feels ... new, for lack of a better word. She takes her first breath, and it is like waking up from the best sleep ever. Even better, there is no dark presence lurking at the back of her mind.
The foxsquirrel elder stops humming
"It is done. Best of luck to you both. Nari, prepare to have your new body returned to Hanalindali."
The triocular foxsquirrels start to hum again, their greenish fur stirring in a sudden breeze.
Meanwhile ..
Sense Motive: (That was rolld into Per, right?)
Justin blinks in surprise at the seeds invitation, nods in gratitude to Rhianon's offer, and closes and eyes and focuses his breathing,...
As much as Isaac wanted to join in, a nagging feeling tickled the back of his skull- how did the wight know exactly where the Silver Rose was staying last night? And how did they know they had the Chrysagmir? He couldn't let himself lose focus, even for something so important.
DM:
Issac:
Nari group
DM:
Group
The group sits tensely as the room grows quiet. Lady Meralindiel and Jena sit quietly with their eyes closed, along with most of the party. Issac, Maelrin, Rhiannon, and wait with baited breath.
Issac's feeling of unease doesn't dissapate, but he can't figure out a reason for it.
Suddenly, there is a movement. Maelrin leaps to the pile of cushions the Seed sits upon, a wicked-looking black dagger in his hand. He places it against the smooth dark grain of Lauralia's dermis and snarls
" NOW! Give me the Chrysagmir! No tricks or the Seed and your friend die!"
Nari (and pals) :
"Something is going wrong in Hanalindali. I cannot refocus to bring us back."
Isaac holds up his hands in a placating fashion.
"All right, cutter, all right. Let's not be too hasty. Got it right here, just scan this, eh?"
He puts down his backpack (pulling out his helper monkey) and rifles through for a few moments looking for the Chrysagmir.
"Know I've got it stashed here someplace.... sodding pack's just full o' these priceless planar artifacts.. can you describe it? OH! Here we are..."
Bluff:
"Think fast, berk!"
Instead of pulling out the circlet, Isaac sends his kukri spinning for Maelrin's face!
Kukri (improvised thrown weapon):
"Lauralia, is there anything I can do to help you?" she asked, knowing the answer was probably nothing, but needing to ask anyways.