Absinthe grins when she sees Trinia, then clasps her hands in front of her and executes a shallow bow to Jasan.
"Thank you for your welcome. Already, one can see by the company you keep that your hospitality is without peer in Varisia."
Segang looks awkward but hugs the little bard back, if briefly. Yes we are hear and we bring friends. It is good to see you doing so well Trinia. I like this ranch. It seems safe and wholesome, which is quite welcome with all the sickness, disease, and evil we have recently faced.
Jarha is fairly reserved and quiet, given the warm welcome given to the others by Trinia, who he does not know. He does give brief thanks: "Thank you for giving us shelter. It is good to be among allies in these troubling times. My name is Jarha, and I am at your service." The last comment is directed to both Jasan and Trinia.
Melianthe waits her turns patiently to embrace Trinia. "You are safe," she says, wonderingly and happily. "And yes, this fellow is our poor substitute for Cherias. He doesn't dance nearly as well," says Melianthe, laughing a bit, then grows a little more reflective. "Jarha is a solid friend and comrade." She bends down to be closer to the children's height and waves delightedly.
"Actually, Melianthe, I dance very well ," retorts Jarha, moving his arms over his head in an graceful flourish. "Dancing was very popular in my hometown," he continues, tugging previously hidden sleeves over his arms and his simple traveling robes transform before your eyes into garishly colored billowing pants and shirt. He spins in a circle, finshing with the comment, "Not much occasion to dance of late." He pulls the sleeves off and the simple robes return, as does his more restrained demeanor.
Melianthe claps her hands. "Well done! Very spirited. And that's the aura I've been smelling upon you, you sneak! Speaking of..." Melianthe flares her delicate nostrils and arches a brow at Trinia, sniffing at the cooking odors emanating from inside.
"Hello, Trinia .. nice to see your run toward something for a change."
Seren smiles and thanks the ranch owners and quickly looks to secure a quiet place to study.
After the merry reunion with Trinia and introductions to the rest of Jasan's family, they invite you inside for dinner: a delicious roast ham hock stacked with potatoes, parsnips, carrots and bread. Trinia tells you about her -- relatively quiet compared to yours -- last few months since you snuck her out of the city.
After the meal, with full stomachs and feeling warm and safe for the first time in as long as you can remember, you quickly look around for a place to lie down.
"You are welcome in my home as long as you need, though with this many people, space is limited," Jasan says, leading you into his basement. It is furnished with several beds, a long work bench, and an open central space. It is also warm, private and secure. "Just let us know if you need anything."
"Many thanks, Jasan," says Melianthe, "It's perfect." She lets Hloire out to wander about. "I've dreamed of having a well-furnished burrow like this for many years."
Jarha keeps himself occupied by being helpful, reconnecting with his years spent in service to others before joining this struggle. He helps with all the cooking, trying to pick up some rudimentary skill in that area . He also tries to use his abilities to be helpful to Jasan around the property on any repair and construction jobs.
Melianthe appears as shadows begin to lengthen in the afternoons, enjoying being on a nocturnal schedule for the first time in months. Each evening, she turns invisible and flies around to scout the area, but also to enjoy the cool night air and soaring beneath a grand dome of stars.
Absinthe soon starts spending more time with Vencarlo, training the rapier in the mornings and going through some form of intense training.
In the evenings, Melianthe may find occasion to spot the tiefling working out by herself in a radically different style; instead of the blade, this one focuses on a blend of kicks, punches, and launching bursts of magic.
Segang approaches Ab almost shyly and and asks I have noted that you are quick to counter attack and seldom caught off guard at the start of a fight. I would learn that skill from you if you will teach me?
Absinthe agrees to teach Segang if he wants, but suggests he might want to spend time learning from Vencarlo, instead.
"The man's not just a genius with the blade, he's an experienced teacher. I, for one, am learning a lot."
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In the darkness, one evening Seren grabs his pack and goes for a hike, waving cheerfully to the guards as he does so ... and as he has done so regularly for weeks.
This time, however once out of eye and earshot, he veers off in a different direction, headed to a small copse of trees with a tight thicket of undergrowth binding them together.
The wizard had spied it some time ago, but has spent weeks screwing up the courage to tackle this night.
Worming his way inside the thicket, he sets down his pack and pulls out the well-used black Nidalese tome and partner felt bag. Removing the nightglass from the felt bag, he looks at his shadow, which shivers with anticipation, moving of its own accord.
Behave yourself ... we're in this together now, you know
Staring into the nightglass, he finds the transition to the Shadow Plane easy and comfortable, his power level having increased significantly since his last visit.
Hello Darkness, my old friend ...
Seren smiles as he sings the old tune to himself.
Must stay grounded ... the compass cannot waiver.
Unlike last time, Seren doesn't go looking for anything. He holds out his hand and manifests the book, something he'd never been able to do before. Wavering with purple energy, he opens it and quickly flips to the back.
With a sigh, he finds what he is looking for ... the last third of it ... an area of the book that is filled with gibberish in his own word. It now appears with a second layer of purplish shadow ... forming letters in the Shadowtongue.
Hungrily, Seren reads as quickly as he can, his shadow hovering over him, long, cold claws settling on the illusionist's shoulder.
Seren find the book is packed with advanced shadow magic. Arcane and divine spells, reserved for the highest of priests in Nidal, tht allow the caster to take and form shadow stuff into whatever they need it to be.
For hours, he pours through the book ... learning, absorbing, pulling and all the while confident in his own ability, his moral compass, forgetting the fear that prevented him from looking at this before.
At the end, with a feeling of extreme satisfaction and the knowledge resident in his brain, he closes the book and sits back, looking up.
"SKREEEEECHHHH!!", the sudden, horrific sound causes Seren scrambles back in terror. Metal scraping on metal, as chains encompass the shadowy thicket he is in, echoing the real world. The chains move like snakes, probing searching.
Seren fumbles for the nightglass and grabs it just before the chains reach him. The wizard breaks his projection with the Shadow Plane, but not before he hears two things.
A cold voice simply stating, "FOUND YOU"
... and the lingering chuckle from his shadow that follows him back as he awakes in the thicket in a cold sweat.
Life at the Blackbird Ranch is quiet and the peace -- especially after the harrowing events in Korvosa recently -- helps rejuvenate your spirits. Days turn into weeks, and before you realize it, over a month of summer has passed since you fled Old Korvosa. The downtime allows you to retrain and refocus, but there is always a nagging feeling that you've still got something to accomplish.
While you keep busy with your own things, or helping out Jasan and his family around the ranch, Vencarlo remains engaged with his contacts back in Korvosa. He sends a discrete, coded message to Cressida Kroft, letting the Marshal know you've survived and are still working to aid Korvosa and her plighted citizens. She responds expressing relief that you are safe and well, and and assures you she and a few good people remaining in the city will do what they can to hold on until you find a solution to Queen Ileosa. She also sends along some aid in the form of a wand of sending and two scrolls of dream to help you keep in contact during your time abroad.
Neolandus remains hidden at the ranch, avoiding even stepping outside but for the rare occasion. He keeps mostly to his corner of the basement, where he collects intelligence and reports from the city, and confers with Vencarlo on strategies to curb the queen's power.
On a warm day in mid-Arodus, just as the season is starting to show signs of turning, Vencarlo gathers you in the den. "I sense you are in preparations to depart. Neolandus and I will remain here, helping where we can with refugees Cressida sends our way. Things are too tense in the city right now, but we will return." He nods and his eyes burn with the seriousness of his oath.
"For now, how do you plan to proceed? Neolandus suggests you locate Thousand Bones and see if he knows anything about Kazavon's fangs. The Shoanti are generally hostile towards Korvosa, but there are some," he glances at Segang, "who call the place home, despite the past. I hope Thousand Bones to be one of these."
I think it is for me to seek out Thousand Bones. I am of the people even though slavers sole my childhood and I was not raised with the people. I have met Thousand Bones before and it was a good meeting. I can hope he will deal with me again.
Melianthe chuckles at the dream scrolls. "Kroft forgot about my time as a shiver doxy, it seems," she says, still chortling.
Vencarlo nods, gripping Segang's knotty shoulder. "Good. How do hope to find him? The Cinderlands are a big place. Will you take the pass through Kaer Maga?"
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Absinthe, who had been studying her spellbook this morning finally closes the thin volume with a snap and joins the group.
"One is not well familiar with the comings and goings of the Shoanti, but … does anyone know where the blue dragon was supposed to have met its demise, or any other place of significance to it nigh Korvosa? If Shoanti still guard such a place, maybe we could make enquiries there."
That said, the Tiefling gives Vencarlo a very formal Tien-style bow.
"Honoured teacher. Might this humble one ask your blessing on this, our current venture? Your students must go forth, though they have much yet to learn."
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Vencarlo smiles and shakes his head at Absinthe, "Nay, the student has become the master... I am honored by your esteem, but you have quite surpassed my skills. And you have proven worthy of the mantle of Blackjack. You are welcome to those trappings you found in my academy -- Korvosa needs a new and vital hero in these dark times, and I am too old and scarred for the post."
There are three tribes of Shoanti dwelling in the Cinderlands, each of which has distinct traditions and unique lifestyles.
Lyrune-Quah (Clan of the Moon): The Lyrune-Quah are nomadic worshipers of Desna. A large group of Lyrune-Quah members often visit an ancient shrine to Desna called the House of the Moon.
Sklar-Quah (Clan of the Sun): The largest and most warlike of the Cinderlands Shoanti tribes, Sklar-Quah members endure dangerous trials before they become warriors.
Skoan-Quah (Clan of the Skull): The Skoan-Quah dwell in the easternmost regions of the Cinderlands, and frequently may be found at a place known as the Kallow Mounds. Many of their shamans, including Thousand Bones, have worked with Korvosa to try to build peace between their peoples; as a result the Skoan-Quah have been increasingly shunned by the other Shoanti. Yet since the Shoanti believe that the Skoan-Quah have the closest connection to the land of the dead and guard Shoanti ancestors from evil spirits, the other clans have grudgingly refrained from truly ostracizing the tribe.
"Ooh, Kaer Maga. That sounds like entertainment. Let's go that way!"
Seren's veil has become that of a Shoanti shaman. Over the past month, he has been honing in on their dialect and customs, looking for mannerisms to mimic and affect.
Perhaps we should start with the Skoan-Quah who dwell in the easternmost regions of the Cinderlands. They are the people of Thousand Bones.
"It would be good to see Thousand Bones again," says Melianthe. "Does anyone remember what Seren actually looks like?"
She turns to Absinthe with a mixture of a smirk and respect. "Congratulations, O Blackjack. It suits you. And thank you, Vencarlo, for entrusting us with these honors."
Jarha remains largely silent, as he did not meet Thousand Bones and he knows little of the Shoanti. He hangs in the background and prepares himself for travel. Upon arrival he used his Sleeves of Many Garments to adjust his clothing to match local dress, and he maintains it so, adjusting to resemble the garb of a simple traveling tradesman.
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Vencarlo smiles and shakes his head at Absinthe, "Nay, the student has become the master... I am honored by your esteem, but you have quite surpassed my skills. And you have proven worthy of the mantle of Blackjack. You are welcome to those trappings you found in my academy -- Korvosa needs a new and vital hero in these dark times, and I am too old and scarred for the post."
Absinthe bows her head deeply, and leaves the room for a while.
When she returns, she looks … subtly different. The stained chain mail has been exchanged for slick-looking leathers. In place of her usual weapon, a workmanlike blade with the gleam of mithral hangs from her belt. A cloak the colour of soot and shadows hangs from her shoulders, and an amulet lies gleaming on her chest."To the honoured teacher," the Tiefling says, again bowing deeply to Vencarlo, "the graduating student offers a pittance to remember her by. Such splendid gifts this one has received in addition to her training, and can offer only these pitiful replacements, so the master's hand need not be empty and his back not unguarded."
On Absinthe's outstretched hands lie her own mithral chain shirt and two rapiers; one masterwork and one mithral.
When Melianthe makes her remark, Absinthe cocks her head… then nods.
"One shall be honoured to take on the responsibilities of Blackjack. This is a new time for … me. A new phase of … my life. There will be changes."
Absinthe hesitates, then turns to Vencarlo… and puts on the mask of Blackjack.
The vigilante draws her new blade and lightly touches it to her forehead; a warrior's greeting.
"From one Blackjack to another," she says, a new tone in her voice, "I salute you."
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Vencarlo smiles, snapping out his own blade to return the salute. "You have my blessing. The hopes of all Korvosa's good citizens go with you, and the spirits of those lost in the unrest and pestilence wish for you to avenge them."
Standing to the xide Segang also salutes. A smile of pride forms on his lips for a moment.
"I think we're agreed that overland and then going upriver to Kaer Maga is the best route," says Melianthe. "As for the Cinderlands, that's unknown territory to me, but I suppose we can find a guide."
"We can travel through Abken--it's a Korvosan emigrant town. We might get news of Korvosa. Alternately, that may be reason to avoid it. What do you think, friends?"
"I think we might want to buy some mounts, or maybe a carriage and some draft animals," Absinthe says. "If not for speed and convenience, then as camouflage."
A war horse makes good sense for me. Segang states firmly.
"A carriage sounds great! Maybe some pillows and some curtains to keep out the sun ... should be nice for .. uh ... studying."
Seren smiles,
"Kaer Maga should be a great place to do some research on this freak blue dragon. They have some legendary libraries there and some gifted arcanists. Surely we could find some assets to look into on our way to find Thousand Bones."
The illusionist frowns for a moment, "The Cinderlands look really big on my map ... where should we look for this Skoan-Quah, Segang? The easternmost side is still huge!"
Blackbird Ranch being a horse ranch, Jasan has a number of horses available. He offers each of you a light warhorse to take on the journey, and can provide a pack horse or two if you need. He doesn't have a carriage, though, so if you want to do that you will have to purchase it.
RE: Melianthe... note that Harse is also a Korvosa trade town, albeit off the main routes. That, along with your magical communications with Cressida, means you're as updated on things in the city as you could be.
Kaer Maga is a good place to be killed. I'd avoid that den of evil if at all possible. If we go to the eastern Cinderlands we will find the Skoan-Quah, or they will find us I think. And they should know of Thousand Bones.
Jarha knows nothing about the region, so he simply says, "Whatever you all think is best is fine with me."
"I second Seren's suggestion of a carriage. I can sleep during the day, unless Seren hogs all the blankets. Who decided all of our magic wielders would be such shadowmongers?"
Melianthe thinks about Segang's suggestion. "Fair enough. Isn't it all dwarves and orcs that way? The Mindspin Mountains?"
She thinks a little further. "Segang...don't the Shoanti kill outsiders at times? I hope you're in good standing with this Quah."
"Seems the Shoanti lands are a good place to get killed, too," Absinthe remarks, dryly. "But then so's just about everywhere, so same old, same old."
"Seems that way, Blackjack," says Melianthe, nodding and grimacing.
"...I want a code name! Can I be 'Greywand'?"
"No, no, that sounds like a name for a sword," Absinthe says, shaking her head. "Hmm… How about… 'Night Jasmine'?"
"Too wordy," says Melianthe. "Oh, I know. Maybe we'll impress the Shoanti and get Quah nicknames. That always happens in the chapbooks. Which I don't read. Ever. I wasn't even aware they exist."
"So if we're not going through Kaer Maga, how do we expect to get up the Storval Rise? Through the Mindspin Mountains? That seems stupid. Let's go through civilization vice the drake and giant populated mountains."
There is the stairs...
"The Storval Stairs are equally uncivilized and dangerous. It is known that the safest path up is through Kaer Maga. Let's do that, even if you don't want to stop and research more about our goal while we are there and just want to wander the Cinderlands until someone finds us, it is inherently safer."
You and I have heard different things about the City of Strangers then. On the stair there are only giants...