After saying one final word, Rowan starts to blink repeatedly and holds his head in his hands.
"Gods...I can't see!"
Looking up, he slowly starts to see shapes. Auras from the rings and the crystal device, as well as his magical brethren. Blinking a few times, he starts to see the rest of the room, but in a strange sort of black and white.
"No..no.. wait. I think I just figured out what my ring does. I..I think I am seeing magical auras and seeing in darkvision...
This is quite the ring
Vigar stalks out from the room without a word. His ring still in his pocket. His knuckles white from the grip he has on his spear.
Eldrian turns away from the image as it dissapears and walks to a window. Fishing the ring box out of his pocket he opens it and examines the ring closer than previously making sure he missed no detail or small engraving that might be there.
He knew that he would be found and tortured but didn't try to run or hide and live on. I don't understand.
He places the ring on his left index finger and watches, turning his hand to face away from himself then towards himself. Perhaps he would find out what it did eventually. How did he know that each one would warn to our touch? Did he receive his own? Slipping the ring box back in his pocket but leaving the ring on for now he turns to Ikvvy. I didn't even know what I was really doing and somehow with a murderer searching for her I kept us hidden. It's going to get harder now.
"Ikvvy. Are you alright?"
Furnok slips the ring onto his finger and looks at the designs. Fine gifts, a ring and a keep with a solid force, I can do good buisness once I get some more experience under my belt.
Tassira rests her head in her arms, face down. Her shoulders are shaking.
When she looks up again, a few tears are running down her face. Her eyes are reddened.
Mom & Dad... they did all they could to keep me from my... monster of an uncle. They never told me where I came from, but I can see why they did.
She rubs the ring on her finger.
She tries to discern the powers of the ring.
While at the same time trying to activate it.
Brad shudders at the realization that Crispin foresaw his own torture and death, yet is reciting these words so calmly. "Damn it, old man, why didn't you do something about it? Why wait to bring us together until after you're dead?" None of it made sense. He didn't want to believe it. If he did, it meant his mother was truly dead, slain by Vors.
He looks around at the Twelve. Such a strange assembly of warriors, magicians, orcs, elves and angels that had come together. To Brad, it was undeniable evidence. This was no accident, and no hoax. It was destiny, and Marcos had the right of it. "I'm with you Marcos. I don't know if we're saving the world, and I don't really give a damn whether we save the empire. But this mage, Vors, is after us, and probably after whatever advantage he can get from the Storm. And I'm gonna to put a stop to it."
As he says this, he puts on his ring, accepting the truth of what had been said, and embracing his new destiny. "It's time we get answers and kick some butt. Who's with us?"
As Tassira rubs the ring, her vision briefly goes black & white.
She has no time to be surprised, because... the table looks sooooo comfy right now...
Maybe I should just take a little nap...
She lowers her head back onto her arms.
"Zzzzzzzz..."
And promptly falls asleep.
As Kariel's feathered wing comes down around her, her lips quirk into a smile.
"We're with you.", Arean answers from among her hounds. Standing, she growls. "Duty calls, for the world. Justice calls, against this hollow-hearted spelldrinker. And Vengeance calls, for our blood, taken for his power, his ambition. I'm no soldier, but I'm very good with secrets. And we'll have all of his..."
Arean had already put on the ring. Now she pondered it with focus.
Laughing, she muttered, "Oh, I'll have yours, too. Even if not today."
"We do need to stop the storm, but we need supplies, numbers, and experience. Ancona is very powerful and not even the 12 of us together could hope to stop him as of now. I say we need to first go to Furnoks's and I's respective inheritances, as both seem like they have supplies and knowledge we desperately need, then go investigate the places of interest he spoke of and try to learn what we can of the Storm. We should probably start with whatever is closest."
The rain is falling as Vigar makes his way to the open courtyard. Without any hesitation, He sheds his pack, shirt and picks up his spear. Taking an easy stance, he begins.
It started with Basic Spear thrusts.
It then became feints with thrusts alternating high and low.
High and Low thrust merged into swings, moving into a forward and backwards dance as the spear sings its own song into the wind, spinning above and around as Vigar moves into his own Dance.
A Dance taught by his own Grandfather.
The dance intensifies as the rain does, so fast and furious does Vigar spin, hops and dash that at times the rain fails to touch him at all but he doesn't notice.
A Dance Founded on Discovery of a Lost Twin.
Somewhere somehow his tears had already fallen, he weeps in the rain.
He weeps for Joy, Pain, Anger, Sadness, Europhia, Elation and strangely enough Anticipation.
A Dance of Discovering New Family.
He knows now why his powers whisper in his head and so much more vigoriously now.
Blood calls to Blood indeed
A Dance of Blood.
Steam rises from his body through his continous movement, not noticing that this time his trance and himself had already merged, his hair and eyes had turned white, his speed has increased, his power raised such that every thrust of his spear splits raindrops in its passage.
He dances for now in perfect Unision of Mind, Body and Soul.
A Dance changed.
A Dance of the coming Storm.
He'll meet it with his spear and .............newfound family.
"Ikvvy's and my inheritance are the closest, but mine will be the fastest to get to from this Ilse. I say we go there first."
"I'm game for wherever we choose. Having a fleet will aid in future travels, but having a stable support base may prove even more beneficial. I defer to the more strategic minded folks. I'm better with the tactical, close-in approach, anyways."
Furnok nods to Rowan.I agree, that is a good move, secure as much as possible right away.
Tassira continues to sleep in the conference room.
"We are safest together, we ought not scatter, new-mint princes to their wenching, nor princesses to the shops.", Arean jokes. "I was bound for nowhere that I cannot now go with any other, who might anticipate need for a healer and herbalist? And to this gathering, I can say: my healings are not limited to just medicine."
"The Library has its own rooms for visiting scholars. We could try to use those. Tassira and I also have our own dwellings here."
Rowan thinks for few moments, his eyes flitting every which way, thinking about logistics and strategies and the Storm.
"Here is what I propose. Tassira...Kariel could you wake her up.., Kariel, Vigar, Marrovak, Krag, and I go to Crispin's Castle. Furnok, Ikvvy, Eldrian, Arean. Marcos, and Braden go to Furnok's Castellan Keep. As it is farther, they will take longer to secure it, so when we are done with the Castle, we will meet them at the Keep, or somewhere in between, to regroup and to plan our next step. Hopefully by then, we can get our hands on some ways to communicate over long distances. Any objections or other ideas?"
"It's clear, some of you are not strangers to some others. But you are all strangers to me, so I will accept what arrangements anyone claims as wisdom.", Arean smiles, "Because I would make no such claim."
"Works for me. My skills lie in my senses, reflexes, and military experiences. However those are needed, I am glad to offer them up."
Marrovak sits, staring at his new ring. Seeing the others activate theirs, he turns to the magicians in the group.
"Can you see what my ring does?"
I agree, Rowan.
Before the discussion starts, she aswers her brother.
"Yes, I'm alright brother. It's just a lot to chew. A lot more than we expected, ain't it? Although there is something wrong."
Although they have been discussing about what to do next, Marrovak's request called her attention. She simply says what she would do in her case. "Focus your mind on it, Marrovaw. Imagine the ring is your eye, and try to see through it." She doesn't test her ring at the moment, addressing the more important subjects first.
"The division sounds good enough for me, Rowan, but maybe we should see what the distances are in a map, and then set up a rendezvous point."
Tassira shifts a bit in her sleep.
"mmm...fluffy..." She mumbles.
Her innocent smile hasn't yet left her face.
"Of course not. No one said anything about leaving tonight. We have time, otherwise we would have been warned about it. But we still have some time to make plans before going to bed." She looks at Tassira and Kariel. "By the way, since you're there, we are having a discussion here and we need every opinion on the matter, so if you are not going to wake up Tassira, I am." She waits to see if the woman will do anything.
Marrovak nods, and begins to focus.
Furnok furrows his brow as he concentrates on the ring.
Eldrian puts a hand on Ikvvy's shoulder. "Let the girl sleep. If activating the ring did it then she probably needs it, even if the timing is unfortunate."
Ikvvy manages to hold her feelings pretty well, although her eyes denounce her anger. Her brother's speech had made her avoid using anything harsher. Her voice carries no emotion when she speaks.
"Your call, then. Are you going to let her sleep in a table, like that? Do you think she will have a nice rest partially sitting on a table with her torso tilted towards a hard table?"
Feeling a little tired himself, both mentally and physically, Rowan says
"Ok fine. We can go to bed now and finalize plans tomorrow with clear and rested heads. I'll go put Tassira to bed."
Rowan gingerly picks Tassira up and takes her to her room at the inn, then goes back down stairs to go back to his own apartment. Maybe.
As he passes through the lobby, first collecting his folder and his weapons, he mutters to himself "Maps. I need maps. And my gear. And I'll have to tell Professor Shiral that I won't be able to go on that expedition. And where will I fit my books? Damn I wish I could afford a bag of holding."
Marrovak nods, and begins to focus.
Arean sets a charred hand on Marrovak's wrist, as warning and for permission, then lightly touches his ring.
"Just as there is more than one sort of creature, there is more than one sort of Alpha."
Furnok furrows his brow as he concentrates on the ring.Arean asks of the ranger, "By your leave?", before trying as she had for Marrovak.
Furnok nods and shows his ring to Arean.
Krag stands.
"Like all of you here I feel, no lies and no evil. I know this to be true. "
He removes the rings from around his neck and holds them in his hand.
"This storm is coming, you all understand what great danger this poses not only to us, but to our loved ones and the entire world, If this Villain's plans should succeed. He must be stopped and those who need protecting must be protected. Fate has brought us hear and blessed us with family we never knew we had. We must be prepared to stand and fight, face this evil head on. To defend, to protect and preserve. This storm is an echo, an echo of an old war coming back to haunt us. Let us not be still whilst ghosts of the past threaten us and endanger our future....
We are family! And family stand for each other"
Removing a dagger from his belt cut a line across his palm and as it bleeds on to the rings he clenches his fist and drops to one knee.
"I swear an oath on House Trin and Alenkine, on my Mother and Father, Brothers, on my Uncle I never knew and on my cousins here before, on these rings in my hand, on the bloodyhand of my ancestors."
Krag places a bloody ring on each index finger.
"I swear, I always stand for you, fight for you, my oath on my blood"
Well as far as family reunions go this one hasn't been too happy.
As he sees several people leave to sleep or what they willed Eldrian returns to the common room where this all started. He grabs another boul of soup and sits there quietly thinking
Tassira doesn't wake up as Rowan carries her to her room.
She spends the rest of the night tucked into her bed, dreaming of happy things.
Krag stands and opens his hand watching the wound heal.
.
Before Rowan leaves.
"Rowan, I will speak you in the morning. I know that area well"
Furnok will head off to sleep
Distractedly, Rowan answers "Excellent. I'll see you all in the morning."
Rowan leaves, still muttering about plans and whether or not he should bring a shovel.
.
"What do you say brother? Let's rest a bit?"
Arean smiles to herself, and lays out the silverware and napkins in foot-high formations, unmissable to any observer of the room, if they were present, or past...
In her room, she casts on each of her hounds Dream Feast, and lays back to sleep, muttering as she drifts off, "Mindurian..."
In the morning, she returns to the common areas dressed again in the plain robes of a traveling healer, the broad hat again sheltering observers from the sun which has risen in her eyes.
"Come, Chalimar. We must rest. I think we will have much to do."