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Hepsubia doesnt fare much better than Zith, but for another reason.
She looks in awe at Effie's footwork, and lost in the spectacle, doesnt bother too much about making a conversation
She nearly manages to copy the efreetess graceful moves, then, beig a Bringer of Chaos and Cute Kittens, improvise a dance of her own
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Zithembe approaches the colorful array of scarves and clothes that marks the invisible stalker. "Good meeting," the shabti says with a bow, "My name is Zithembe, most recently from the Material Plane. Our host, the djinn, Jairo, tells me that you are a historian..."
He tries to connect his association with the Pathfinder Society with her interest in history, but may be speaking too much about himself.
Maria moves in quickly to save the historian, ”Excuse me Zithembe, I believe you are needed at the refreshments dispenser.”
Once he leaves she nods to Almoshtari, ”Sometimes these simpletons just don’t understand the genius of our exceptional intelligence. I was told though, that your comprehension of historical fact was beyond anyone else’s at this little soirée, what can you tell me about The Concordance of Elements, beyond the obvious that everyone knows, of course.”
She rattles of some basic but obscure historical facts if pushed to provide her own references.
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Hepsubia, thirsty from her dance, mix a few drinks (with reckless enthousiasm and a total disregard for safety. As usual.)
Dubbing whatever the glass (the biggest she could find, of course) content a "Djinn Tonic", she drinks it
Bottoms up, like Effie!
before dancing again.
Way more erratically than before.
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Ji downs one of Hep's Djinn Tonics and comments that she ought to make them a little stronger. But when she goes back to dancing, he quickly realizes that in her thin frame, the alcohol likely has a much stronger effect than on him. Either way, he decides that maybe it's time to join the fun.
"May I have this dance?" he asks the crazy bringer of chaos and giant kittens. Unfortunately, he's not much of a dancer, and instead opts to combine some acrobatics and martial arts he picked up in his travels, trying to make it look like dancing while avoiding kicking his lovely elven partner in the face, of course.
Effie and Vivek make a fine pair as they wheel about on the dance floor, with the ifrit shifting the performance into an impromptu tango. Though certainly not a practiced dancer she nevertheless gives it her all and by the time that the number is done, she and Vivek have accrued quite the little audience comprised of several gala attendees in addition to Holan-Ji, the Grandfrogger, and Hepsubia.
"And you're certain you've never formally danced before?" Vivek teases as he takes a bow and then gestures towards the refreshment table. "Could've fooled me!"
Once the two have procured some refreshments, talk finally turns to matters of archaeology and artifacts - such as the Untouchable Opal. When Effie casually mentions the opal, Vivek's eyes widen a bit.
"My, that's a name you don't hear mentioned often - especially not by a visitor from the Material," he muses as he sips his beverage. "So, the Untouchable Opal is the prison of Ranginori, the Duke of Thunder and the benevolent counterpart of Hshurha, the Duchess of All Winds," the veela goes on to explain. "Millennia ago, the evil lord of water, Kelizandri, conspired with the other nefarious lords to trap their good counterparts into four gems. The artifacts were scattered across the multiverse and no one knows where they are now. There are, however, many academic arguments about how to unlock them should they be found."
Here, Vivek pauses and glances around before lowering his voice. "But just as a heads up, such discussions are treasonous to Hshurha, so any documentation about the subject would surely be carefully guarded and discreetly marked. If you're looking such a thing, you might want to look for documents marked with a storm cloud inside an intricate wreath of lightning bolts - it's one of Ranginori’s sacred sigils."
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While Effie works her charms on Vivek, Zithembe peers around until he spots what looks to be a ghostly amalgamation of brightly colored ribbons and beaded fabric flapping around. Reasoning that this must be Almoshtari, he moves to engage the invisible stalker in conversation.
"Greetings, Zithembe of the Material Plane," the stalker answers politely, jiggling her beads and ribbons a little as she does. While at first she does deign to listen to the shabti as he attempts to make conversation, she seems to quickly grow bored.
"Mm, yes, hmm. If you'll allow a few words of advice, Zithembe of the Material Plane, it's this - the study of history is just as much about listening to others as it is documenting...or sharing...what you have learned," she remarks.
From the sidelines Maria can see that Zithembe is having trouble getting anywhere and so she's quick to swoop in and direct her jade ally to go get something to drink while she takes over. Maria's overtures get a much better reception - maybe Almoshtari just wanted to be the one to do all of the talking?
"Oh, yes, well, I don't want to sound too boastful but it's true that I seldom encounter other historians with my particular level of understanding," she gushes, much more animated than before. "And it's such a nice change of pace to meet a fellow history aficionado that has the patience to listen."
"All that said...I’ve heard about the Concordance, but I don’t know much," the stalker admits. "It is supposedly a covert operation based on the elemental planes, though their agents travel to other planes as well. They claim to be protectors of the planes, but I can’t say what their true motives are. They very well might be the elemental lords’ spies in disguise, hiding behind an innocuous facade."
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After being surreptitiously banished to the refreshment table by Maria, Zithembe quickly checks in to make sure that Holan-Ji and Hepsubia are behaving themselves...which they are, as much as can be expected. The pair are cavorting out on the dance floor; much less elegantly than Effie did with Vivek but perhaps just as entertaining.
Satisfied for now, the shabti scans the crowds until he finally spots a djinn matching Fairuza Bereket's description, hovering near the edge of the gala, dressed in bright but monotone robes, her appearance impeccable. As he approaches, she glances his way and acknowledges his greeting with a brief smile and a curt nod.
"Yes, that's correct. And you are...?"
Once further introductions are made, Fairuza seems content to make polite but warm conversation about her work inside the Azure Halls, as well as answer questions. When the subject of the Untouchable Opal comes up, she thinks for a moment.
"Hmm. I'm afraid that I don't have much to tell you that you likely don't already know, but if you're looking for some research leads, maybe I can help you. Have you heard of the Cloisters of the Hidden Breeze? Many prefer to study at the Azure Hall of course, but with most of it closed to the public until the grand re-opening, you might want to look into other options. The Cloisters are dedicated to Pulura and while it isn’t the most prestigious of the temples in the Godsward, it boasts an impressive collection of historical documents about the planes."
Here, Fairuza glances over at the dance floor where Holan-Ji and Hepsubia are doing...whatever it is that they're doing, cavorting and kicking and flailing about and shudders.
"How can anyone call that mess of chaos dancing? The pretty ifrit and Vivek, now that was a proper dance! Isn't she a friend of yours? I thought that I saw the two of you arrive together, along with some other people."
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Not particularly concerned about making a good impression or hobnobbing with the other gala attendees, Holan-Ji and Hepsubia have a grand old time out on the dance floor. While Hepsubia's moves quickly begin to grow rather erratic and uncoordinated thanks to the wonders of alcohol, Holan-Ji actually manages to impress a few folks with his own brand of dancing that's really half dance and half martial arts.
"WOO! Those are some SICK MOVES!" Vivek hoots from over by the refreshment table, causing several of the other attendees to either laugh or simply roll their eyes before going on about their business.
In the midst of his 'sick moves', something near the edge of the gala catches Holan-Ji's attention. A lady gnome with frizzy orange hair and colorful clothing stands looking up at a tree with a look of utmost consternation on her face; in her hand is a piece of string that leads upward into the tree and disappears.
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Holan-Ji's a bit surprised that someone actually likes his "sick moves," but he's more surprised to see a gnome staring up into a tree. He wraps up his performance with a one-handed hand-stand, his legs pinned together and his other arm glued to his side. It's a much harder pose than if splaying one's legs for balance, but he holds it for a few seconds, not even straining to do so, and then drops to his feet.
"C'mon, Hep, let's talk to a gnome. I bet she's more interestin' than our Mr. Stuffy," he says with a joking smile and a jerk of his thumb toward Zithembe.
"Evenin' ma'am," he greets the frizzy haired gnome. "Uhh, I gotta ask. What's up with the string?"
Of course, he was probably supposed to know that this is Lineji Niarndu. And he would, if he'd been paying attention to the blah blah about the guests instead of enjoying multiple helpings of Jairo's goodies.
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"Effie? Yes. We have traveled together for a little while," the shabti answers. "She lived in a circus during her youth and has quite a few tricks up her sleeve, but entertaining is definitely her strong suit."
--<>--
Zithembe circulates back to his companions--the more socially reliable ones, at least--and confers with them. "Fairuza mentioned another library to me. I am not certain if she was trying to say something without saying it, or if it is simply a red herring, as they say, but she mentioned the Cloisters of the Gentle Breeze as an alternative library to the Azure Hall. It stands on the Godsward."
"Good evening? It's not even noon!" the gnome remarks rather waspishly, eyeing both Holan-Ji and Hepsubia with an obvious air of distrust. "Can't you tell by the lights?"
"This is what happens when you let tourists and primes just wander around wherever they want," she adds in a huff under her breath. "They don't bother to learn anything about where they are or where they're going!"
Her attitude doesn't seem to get any friendlier even when Hepsubia puts on a bit of charm. "Jamila? Hmph...maybe I have, maybe I haven't...who are you that wants to know?"
Meanwhile, Holan-Ji stares curiously up at the tree and now that he's closer he can see that the string in the gnome's hand leads to a kite that seems to have gotten stuck. Clearly this tree must be a particularly fearsome species of kite-eating tree, known far and wide for gobbling up innocent kites that happen to come their way. It looks like the gnome is way too short to get up there and retrieve it herself, which probably isn't doing any wonders for her disposition.
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"The circus, really? Well, that explains her gracefulness a bit," Fairuza remarks, looking genuinely impressed. "She and Vivek are definitely a good match, then. Of course he loves to be the life of the party or close to it, so he always tends to gravitate to others with a similar sort of charm."
Fairuza notices that Zithembe's attention seems to be shifting elsewhere and smoothly comments, "Anyway, please don't let me keep you. It was a pleasure meeting you and I do hope that you find what you're looking for."
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In one of these "close your eyes for two minutes and you'll miss it!" moments, Lil" Hep is up and down the tree, giving the Kite to Holan_Ji
I know you could have go up the branches, Holan, but then I would have to help you coming down because you would suddenly be stuck and mewling. So it's easier and simpler this way. Here, give it to the lady.
It quickly becomes apparent that the lady gnome has quite the mercurial disposition for as soon as it becomes clear that Hepsubia is moving to retrieve her kite, her attitude completely shifts.
"Oh my gosh! Thank you for getting that for me! You really didn't have to and you did," she squeals, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet. "Well, it looks like I was wrong about you two after all. My name is Lineji Niarndu, curator over at the Azure Hall."
Lineji does a weird little wobble that seems meant to be a curtsy, now all smiles.
"I wish I could do something to pay you back...oh but wait, you had a question, didn't you? Maybe that can be my returning of the favor!"
After you give a little description of Jamila she makes a big show of looking around for a few moments before lowering her voice. "Okay, I might've fibbed a little. I don't know any jannies named Jamila personally but I recently saw a janni matching that description speaking with a dark-haired suli man in the Godsward district. They were near the Cloisters of the Hidden Breeze, a temple of Pulura. Don't know what they might've been up to but it sounds like it probably wasn't any good!"
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Ji sees Hep scurry up the tree, but then he blinks and suddenly she's back down on the ground, kite in hand!
"Hahahah!" he laughs indulgently and honestly. "Yep, that's exactly what woulda' happened, 'specially if I was in my big cat form. Thanks for gettin' it down, and keepin' me from lookin' bad," he says with a wink.
He gives his best Tien-style bow to the happy little gnome and thanks her for the tip about the janni.
"We should prolly' go tell Z 'bout this," he says to Ms. Chaos-n-Kittens as he (tries) to lead her back to the more socially reliable team members.
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Effie gives Vivek a sweet smile and whispers "Thank you so much for the advice. And even moreso for the dance! I hope we can do it again soon. Perhaps you can teach me more moves?"
She rejoins the party, and goes looking for other dignitaries. Seeing most of the pathfinders engaged, she seeks out Ghassan the surly djinn archivist.
"Hello, unless I am much mistaken you are the renowned archivist Ghassan El-Amin, are you not? I am Effie Gee, a pathfinder from the prime material. I have an interest in the people and artifacts of the elemental planes. I am sure you have noted my heritage." Effie smiles again, coyly. Not that it should count for anything, and I sure hope they don't hold it against me.
"It is pleasing that the Azure Hall is getting the attention it deserves. Its fame extends even to the prime, and I am delighted to be able to meet one of the scholars who make it the institution that it is!"
Effie hopes flattery will get the surly djinn to open up.
Noting that the rest of her companions still seem to be occupied with other guests - or their own amusement - Effie excuses herself from Vivek's company to approach Ghassan El-Amin.
Unsurprisingly the djinni is largely keeping his distance from most of the other gala attendees, seemingly content to simply observe the goings-on from the fringes, which makes him easy to spot. Dressed in dark clothing and sporting a raven on his shoulder, Ghassan cuts quite a professional and slightly intimidating figure. Still, he acknowledges Effie's attempt at conversation with a nod and somewhat-pained smile.
"Thank you. Tthese sorts of things are...not really my forte; I would much rather be working than playing socialite. No offense intended you or the other attendees, of course. But there is some satisfaction to be gained in having the efforts of myself and my colleagues recognized," Ghassan replies. "Especially if such recognition extends even to the Material Plane."
Though Ghassan is clearly a bit stiff and awkward, he seems find himself relatively at ease while conversing. Effie's patience eventually pays off; as she gradually nudges the topic towards things such as the Untouchable Opal Ghassan has quite the bit of information to share.
"Curious about the imprisoned elemental lords? I would take care who you ask such dangerous questions. Fortunately for you, I mean you no ill will, and I do happen to have information for you. Ranginori, the lord of air, is trapped in the Untouchable Opal. Lysianassa, the lord of water, is trapped in the Gasping Pearl. Atreia, the lord of fire, is trapped in the Garnet Brand. Finally, Sairazul, the lord of earth, is trapped in the Moaning Diamond. According to legend, there's an intelligent book detailing how to free them from the gems. Hshurha doesn't want that knowledge out there so she's had her agents tracking it down for centuries, to no avail. Personally, I'm unsure if it actually exists. It may just be a rumor. It's such an obscure myth that even the book’s name is now lost to time."
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Maria works her way around the room, trying her luck with their contacts.
She tries to strike up a conversation with Fairuza about her experiences with a library catalog system, as well as sharing about the crazy trip they had to Heaven to search for an obscure book.
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Next is Ghassan El-Amin. She will play to his introvert side and hope he enjoys calculating the value of things.
"I get it, I hate these parties too. I'd rather be home with my artifacts, right?"
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And then the gnome. Oh that one is easy. Gnomes love inventions and creations and... Brigh, Maria's patron deity. She smiles at the kite, "Ah excellent work there using the teachings of Bry. May I ask what your experiment is all about? I can guess that the tree catching the kite might have been a variable you weren't expecting. Would you like my assistance with your next experiment?"
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And lastly she chats it up with Vivek Vallathol, hoping to share some of her experiences exploring dangerous ruins.
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The Grandfrogger watches his companions zip back and forth like tropical birds during mating season. Slowly he takes another cup of tea from the refreshment table and sips its contents. More mint. Perhaps it's the local flavor. Or maybe there's a surplus and they're sticking it in everything to get rid of it...
Maria also works to make the rounds among some of the guests; she does manage to make a favorable impression with everyone she speaks with.
Fairuza ultimately doesn't have any additional information to share but the pair do have a pleasant chat about some of the differences between Heaven and the Plane of Air. She can't help but chuckle when talk turns to libraries and research.
"You're with the, ah...statuesque gentleman Zithembe, correct? It certainly seems as though you're all quite dedicated to your research...and for some of you, having fun. At any rate, I mentioned to him that you might want to have a look at the Cloisters of the Hidden Breeze since most of the Azure Hall is still closed."
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Though Ghassan initially offers a long-suffering sigh to see Maria approaching almost immediately after Effie takes her leave, he does warm to the elf's invitation to discuss artifacts. Eventually, the conversation turns to the Untouchable Opal.
"Hrm. You're the second person to mention this particular topic today," Ghassan remarks with a raised eyebrow. "Are you-no, actually, I don't want to know. But I can tell you that information about such things is all but anathema to Hshurha, Duchess of All Winds, so it'll be guarded well. If you insist on nosing around, I would keep an eye out for anything marked with a storm cloud enclosed within a wreath of lightning bolts - one of Ranginori's sacred sigils."
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When Maria approaches Lineji she receives a rather bristly, distrustful look much the same as the one Hepsubia and Holan-Ji were initially greeted with.
"Oh no, those nice people just got my kite back for me. Are you here to stick it back up in the tree again??"
But the gnome's disposition quickly relaxes when Maria gently - and apparently genuinely - inquires about what experiment she might've been conducting.
"Well, ah...there wasn't really an experiment...not much, anyway. I just thought it would be fun to bring my kite out here since it's almost like flying one on the Material Plane, what with the trees and artificial gravity and such. But you know, now that you mention it, I wonder if a person could built a kite or other small flying object that you could steer remotely, to keep it away from trees and buildings and things? Oh, do you got a quill and parchment?? I need to write this down!"
After some confab and plans to meet again later to further refine this new experiment, Lineji nods with satisfaction. "Perfect! Now we just need to do some research of schematics...oh but the Azure Hall is still closed for, like, another week. Maybe the Cloisters of the Hidden Breeze would have some, though? I've not been there lately but it's not a bad place to look around if you can't get into the Azure Hall for whatever reason."
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Last but certainly not least, Maria approaches the vivacious Vivek, currently between conversations as he hovers around the punch bowl.
"My! A second lovely and new face? This is my lucky day," the veela greets her with a genuine, if slightly mischievous smile. "Want to dance? Hmm? Not much of a dancer? Ah, that's a shame...but that's okay, I enjoy beautiful minds just as much as beautiful moves!"
Though he's probably not really Maria's type, Vivek is happy to chat about a number of things and appears to greatly enjoy Maria's tales of dangerous ruins and other exotic locales. "My my my, you're quite well-traveled, aren't you? Are you with the charming Effie, by any chance? Fantastic dancer and she also had some similar questions. You know, I actually don't know very much about the Concordance of Elements - they're supposedly quite secretive. Rumor has it that they're protectors of the planes but who really knows if that's true? They could just as easily be spies for the reigning elemental lords!"
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After the more social of you have made your rounds everyone begins to slowly make their way back to the refreshment table to discuss what you've learned. Except for the Grandfrogger; he's been doing a fantastic job of simply people-watching and enjoying the mint tea.
Hepsubia also manages to get a good recommendation from Lineji on a good place for candles, incense, and all other manner of smell-goods: The Melt Harvest, found in the Silversky Markets.
As you and your companions gather, you have a feeling of being watched. Looking around, you notice that Fairuza seems to be paying close attention to your group though she's doing a fair job of being surreptitious about it.
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Maria begins flipping through her journal of notes as the others begins sharing what they learned. When they are done she exhales slowly through her nose, "Well, I guess it is good to know everything I learned mirrors what you all learned. At least no one was lying about their vague information. I'd suggest our first course of action to be some further research at the Cloisters of the Hidden Breeze."
Effie has no problem spotting Jairo; she manages to catch his eye and waves him over to join you for a moment.
"Enjoying the gala, my friends? Ah, you're curious about the Cloisters! They're dedicated to Pulura, the empyreal lord of constellations and homesickness. As such, they're open to visiting pilgrims and curious travelers alike. The founding missionaries built it as a refuge for the lonely, the homesick, and the lost," he explains.
"The Cloisters are not as popular as other local churches, such as Gozreh’s House of Infinite Strata, but they offer just the perfect amount of isolated quietude for contemplation and research."
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"Welp, looks like it's time to head out, then," Holan-Ji says with some relief at being able to escape the soiree. Not that he didn't have fun dancing with The Totally Awesome Lil' Hep, but the food really wasn't that great. Too much mint.
He gets a pointer from Jairo about some street food that's on the way to the Cloisters, since that seems like their next stop. With Jairo's description of how the place offers "isolated quietude for contemplation and research," the big man is planning for some nap time on a full tummy while the smart ones dig through old dusty books.
But his plans might have just gotten foiled. As they get ready to head out, he notices that Fairuza seems to be paying close attention to the group.
"Don't look at her, but Fairuza's,... Hep, I said don't look at her. {sigh} Fairuza's watchin' us. She thinks she's bein' sneaky, and we won't notice. Ain't she one o' the ones that told us to go to these Cloisters? Think we oughta go anyway?"
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I have an quick errand to go for, in the Silversky markets. Won't be long, promise. Just an urge, an impulse I have to follow, you know me by now. If I can't go , I'll send a fetcher.
Though now alerted to the fact that you seem to have attracted Fairuza's attention for some reason, there doesn't seem to be much to be gained from attempting to confront her publicly at the gala - especially since she wasn't the sole tip-off suggesting that you might want to visit the Cloisters of the Hidden Breeze. And so you opt to proceed there as planned, albeit perhaps forewarned and a little more on your guard.
After bidding Jairo farewell for now - he still has some business to conclude at the event - you return to where you parked your flying carpets. However rather than immediately head off to the Godsward you instead opt to take a detour up to the Silversky Markets so Hepsubia can make a purchase. It's not too far out of the way and besides, the day is still young and you have plenty of 'daylight' left to visit the Cloisters.
Acting on directions that Hepsubia got from the gnome Lineji, you eventually make your way to a small shop on a (relatively) quiet street by the name of The Melt Harvest. For anyone that opts to accompany Hepsubia inside, you discover that the business deals in candles, incenses, and scented soaps carved into charming shapes. Your ever-unpredictable companion seems to know what she's looking for and it (perhaps thankfully) doesn't take long for her make her purchases.
However, as you all make your way back down the side street to your parked carpets, two dog-sized lizards with horns and crackling scales emerge from the shadows to block your way, accompanied by a small floating orb of fire.
"Դուք պետք է հեռանաք այս տեղից: Դուք այստեղ ողջունված չեք," one of the lizards hisses.
"You should leave this place. You are not welcome here."
"დიახ, წადი სახლში და დაივიწყე შენი ვიზიტი აქ," nods the second lizard.
"Yes, go home and forget your visit here."
You recognize these as a variant form of shocker lizard, elementally-infused and noticeably more intelligent if they're capable of speech.
This is a fire wysp, a tiny elemental being known for being curious and supportive to their allies - up to and including laying down their own lives.
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Of course, Hepsubia gets into the Melt Harvest shop with a planned list of things to buy, and gets out with many more things she bought on a whim
Here, I know it's probably not anyone's birthday, but I bought each of you some candles and incenses: sandalwood, amber and musk for Zith, mix of flowers and amber for Effie, sea moss, hibiscus and driftwood for Grandfrogger, nuts, flowers and rice for Maria (with a bit of coconut, I hope you like it!) and lavender, mint and catnip for you, Holan Ji!
Hepsubia gives to each one of her partners a set of 6 candles (and/or incenses), before being rudely interrupted by some fiery creatures
Some kind of big lizard, and a fire wysp! It's quite protective of its allies, to the point of being a maniacal, genocidal, suicidal ball of fire!
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"Oh thank you Hep! How sweet of you!" Effie graciously accepts the gift, inhaling the scent deeply.
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Outside, confronted by the strange creatures, Effie replies to the fire wysp: "Ufuna silibale ngokundwendwela iMelt Harvest, tshomi? Kulungile. Siza kuba sendleleni ngoko. Endleleni egodukayo."
Effie can barely contain her surprise. She looks to her colleagues a little confused. "Um. It wants us to leave and forget we were here. I don't know how I understand it but I can speak to it!"
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"One more of those skewers, please. Yeah, that one," Holan-Ji says to the old sylph lady at the kebab cart, pointing to the skewer with the biggest chunks of monitor lizard meat.
Of course, being true to himself, he'd opted not to follow Hep into the candle shop. Instead he'd followed his nose to a more enticing scent, that of grilled meats, onions, peppers, and huge slices of mushrooms. He'd already eaten three whole skewers when Hep returned with his gift.
"Aww, 'fanks, Hep!" he says around a mouthful of food as he carefully gives her a hug in thanks, the last of the skewer of lizard meat and veggies in his hand.
At Hepsubia's and Effie's warning, he disentangles himself from the elf and turns to the newcomers. He looks meaningfully at the meat in his hand and back to the shocker lizards. "Awwwkwaarrd. But I ain't sharin' with strangers." As if to prove his point, he inhales the whole thing and tosses the empty bamboo stick into the alley. Wiping the grease from his mouth with the back of his huge hand, he grins at the newcomers.
"Now, where were we?"
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Maria raises her eyebrows at the candle and is about to question how Hep knew about her love of coconut that is made impossible to enjoy due to her allergy to them, which makes the coconut scented gift one of the most thoughtful ones in her life. But then they are interrupted.
She turns to the jerks and hopes someone can translate their odd language. In the meantime, she tries to identify them.
"Hmmm, a very elemental infused variant form of a shocker lizard. Sentient too, odd. And a fire wisp. What did they say exactly, Hot Shot? They want us to leave the alley, the city, the elemental plane? Maybe we can just apologize and move on with our primary task."
The wysp and one of the lizards seem like they're satisfied with whatever Effie had to say...but the second lizard slowly shakes its' head.
"არა...თქვენ ტოვებთ ქალაქს. დატოვე ქალაქი და წადი სახლში. დაივიწყეთ თქვენი კვლევა. Ან კიდევ."
"No...you leave the city. Leave the city and go home. Forget your research. Or else."
While this is going on, those of you with some knowledge of such creatures quickly and quietly compile what you know. Hepsubia recalls that wysps don't have any particular defenses to speak of, while Maria knows that they also don't have any resistances to anything.
Maria also recalls that lizards such as these have no resistances or weaknesses. She also knows that they posses the ability to deliver short range electrical shocks or, if more than one lizard is present, combine their powers for a more powerful and wider-range shock. These variants in particular can also do the same thing with steam, which deals fire damage.
Electrified steam lizards can deliver an electrical shock to a single opponent within 5 feet. This attack deals 1d8 points of nonlethal electricity damage to living opponents (Reflex save for half). Additionally, if two or more lizards are within 20 feet of each other, they can work together to create a lethal shock once every 1d4 rounds. This effect has a radius of 20 feet, centered on any one contributing lizard. All creatures within that radius take 2d8 points of lethal electricity damage for each lizard contributing to the shock, to a maximum of 12d8. A Reflex save halves the damage.
Electrified steam lizards can let forth a burst of super-heated steam. This ability functions as the Shock ability in all ways, except that it deals nonlethal fire damage. If a group of steam lizards works together to create a lethal blast, the steam persists in the area for a number of rounds equal to the number of participating lizards. The steam does not deal ongoing damage, but it obscures sight as per Obscuring Mist. The limitation of once every 1d4 rounds applies to both the cooperative Shock ability and the Steam Burst; the lizards may use one of these two abilities once every 1d4 rounds.
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Effie nods slowly as the elementals continue. "Oh ndiyabona. Ewe, ngokuqinisekileyo asifuni nayiphi na ingxaki. Kuthekani ngokugqibezela ukuthenga kwethu, emva koko singahamba? Ukuthenga kuvakala ngathi kumnandi ngakumbi kunengxaki!" She nods, smiling.
"They want us to actually leave the city. No problem right?" Effie looks at her companions and winks conspiratorially. "I mean we're obviously going to leave, so, everybody be cool. No need for violence."
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"Soooo, we're leavin'? Okay. If you say so," he says with a shrug to Effie. "You guys back out o' the alley, and I'll cover the rear in case these folks change their minds."
He looks at Zithembe. "I won't start anything. I promise."
But then he turns back to the trio of outsiders. "But if they start somethin', I'll finish it for sure. Those lizard kebabs were tasty. I wonder how lizard that cooks itself tastes?"
The two lizards and the fire wysp consider Effie's words (and her translation of everyone else's) and...seem to be satisfied with it. Bright as they may be compared to their more typical kin, it seems that these lizards aren't that bright.
"კარგი თქვენ ყველანი წადით, დატოვეთ ქალაქი, შეინახეთ სიცოცხლე," the two lizards rumble.
"Good. You all go, leave city, keep lives."
Suddenly, the fire wysp floats forward, speaking with a crackling and popping sound that somehow sounds strangely melodic.
"მადლობა! ჩვენ ნამდვილად არ გვინდოდა ბრძოლა, თუ არ დაგვჭირდებოდა," it chimes. "მას შემდეგ, რაც თქვენ ყველანი ძალიან ლამაზები ხართ, შეგიძიათ სტივი კისერზე ჰქონდეთ მიბმული! Გმადლობთ კიდევ ერთხელ!"
One of the lizards twists its head around and snaps through the strings of a small pouch that had been tied around its neck. As the pouch falls to the ground, the lizard gently picks it up in its mouth and tosses it over to you. Then, the trio turn and head off in the opposite direction. Before they're completely out of earshot you hear the wysp comment, "რომ კარგად ჩაიარა, არა?"
"Thanks! We didn't really want to fight if we didn't have to."
"Since you're all so nice, you can have that pouch tied around Steve's neck! Thanks again!"
"That went well, didn't it?"
Inside the pouch you find a stylized lantern covered in runes, with a small reddish-orange gem socketed into it. A second gem, this one transparent, also rests inside the bottom of the pouch.
This is a Keylight Lantern. A keylight lantern is wreathed with elemental runes. When lit, it gives off light as per a typical lantern, but the shifting flame gives its user a +2 competence bonus on Perception checks to find secret doors. In addition, once per day, the lantern's bearer can fling the oil as a splash weapon that functions as a flask of acid, except that its damage type is random among acid, cold, electricity, and fire.
Each keylight lantern has an indentation where an elemental gem could fit. If an elemental gem is slotted in the lantern, the damage type is fixed based on the gem's element - acid for an earth gem, cold for a water gem, electricity for an air gem, and fire for a fire gem. The lantern's bearer may choose to expend the elemental gem to infuse the oil with its energy. If she does so, the next time she throws the oil, it functions as per Fireball, centered on the square (10d6 damage, Reflex DC 14 half) instead of as an acid flask. The damage type of the fireball matches the damage type associated with the elemental gem.
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"Oh, how lovely" Effie remarks as the elementals leave gifts. She smiles and nods in thanks.
After they've left Effie frowns at her colleagues. "Well now I feel bad for tricking them. But I suppose it was better than shooting them dead in a fight, right?" She perks up, realising it was for the best.
"Zith was right, they wanted us to stop our quest. Almost certainly agents of the evil elemental lords. But they were so nice! Sometimes, good people do bad things I think." Trying to take her mind off that uncomfortable thought, Effie adds: "Can anyone tell what these things do?"
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Maria smiles, "Oh Hep, there are many different colors of lanterns and each have their own magical power."
She hands the items to Zithembe who is usually next in line to attempt identifications.
Turning to Effie, "That is correct. Lying is wrong, but killing is worse so you have to balance the evils out. I, for one, am very happy IF a simple lie can keep us from harming others. I don't like killing, especially someone who is just doing a job and not inherently evil."
She glances at the cat, "Even if they smell delicious."
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"Sometimes good people do bad things." Heh. Yeah. I wanna think I'm a good person. I mean, we all do, don't we? But I've done a lot of bad things. A lot. And the bad ones were were verrrry baaaad.
"And bad people can do good things, too." he says quietly as the team departs the alley behind him and he remains to cover their rear.
"Eh, gotta' kill to eat," he answers Maria's discussion with a shrug. "It's the natural way o' things."
"Unless you can choose not to. And if you can, you're a better person than a lot of us," Holan-Ji finishes and falls silent as he returns to his earlier contemplation of his own nature.