"What? No... No, no no no. Not you! Your not the one that was supposed to follow me!" Byron slumped back, defeated.
"-Observation- You are disappointed -Consolation- You will get it next time -Term of Affection- Honey" Said the robot patting Byron on the shoulder exactly three times with clockwork precision.
"-Designation- Mother will make everything all right."
"What's wrong? Having the same problem I did?"
"Uh, well not exactly. This was one of the creature I made in the other world while fighting Alex but just not the one I wanted... So yes, I guess it is the same."
"Though I don't think the situation is hopeless. All of my creations were connected. I'll just have to figure out how to use this one to pull the others through as well."
Kyomi looks on interested.
If only he knew a way to make my sister flesh and blood again.
On the spores
1. The spore samples taken from those affected appear dormant and do not spread or contaminate other organisms.
2. Your prayers guide you to 'diminish plant' however this only seems to kill off the surface spores and clear up the occasional cough.
3. You discover an insidious divine component to the spores, it may take either very powerful magic(wish) or divine intervention to remove the spores.
4. It appears that the spores seem to respond more strongly to the presence of people than beasts as if focused on them.
On the tattoos
1. You discover this process is actually quite easy to dip into and a basic tattoo(1/day shift) requires only three materials. Tattooing needles, a full or new moon, and a sample of blood from the intended animal.
2. You would need the actual blood or ichor from the intended animal, transforming yourself or others to do so will not work although might allow you to let them see what they'd look like as another race.
3. Partial transformation and chimeric tattoos are more complicated but possible.
Sixth discovers that Andoran and their 'free press' spread news t an alarming speed however it is equally easy to spread disinformation or conflicting reports. This is a valuable lesson to him.
Kyomi and Oraine have been more distant from each other than usual with Oraine spending more time around Byron and his constructs.
Canim watches the proceedings with Byron with amusement, but hides it by burying his nose into his books. He was behind on studying, anyway.
Cilian smiles to himself at Byron's 'mother', but doesn't say a word.
Looks like gnomes are made when two golems find true love.
When they arrive at the city Cilian quickly leaves the group with the words.
"I'll be back shortly."
After leaving he will go to the nearest hive of criminal activity looking for any 'jobs' that might need doing. He also looks to see if there are any Crimson Assassins rumors, or people going around.
Kyomi has been very distant after the day of the orb events and the niht that followed, she seems deep in thought a lot of the time.
"I'll be back shortly as well, Byron can you look after Oraine for me wile I am gone, I need to go to the Temple of Calistria. If you need me I will be there, if not back here."
She packs some things then heads out, but before she talks to her sister.
"Oraine stay with Byron I wan't be long, you will be safe with him, keep out of trouble, this city is not safe for you."
She makes her way to the Temple, stopping at some shops, then once at the temple seeks out the head priestess.
She nods and waves
"See you later Sister mine, Im going to talk to Byrons new made man"
"Hello Mother, you know I think Byron likes a bed time story before he go's sleepy byebyes, and a glass of milk"
she giggles
She will keep out of site and hid wile in the city, Or keep still and look like a dolly.
"-Information- Story -Category- Bed time... Calibrating whimsey to %15.
The golem brought its hands up as if it were holding a book.
"Long carbon chains form the base-" The robot began as it went into a rather long, but all be it whimsical, explanation of this history of several diseases in cattle.
Finnigin sees everyone leaving again and just gives up trying to keep them all together. He smiles at Balik and waves goodbye to everyone. Then he heads back to the inn they stayed at before. Along the way he talks to some of the townsfolk to see what is being said about the Avorals and tried to see if any information is being spread about the other 4 hotspots.
Afterwards he heads to the library to read up on Rovagug and Avorals. He tries to find any information he can out about what his companions have been discussing in books. He reads about Golems, summoners, changelings, and anything else he has time to peruse before heading to the inn that evening.
Over the course of the evening he has a few drinks and some food. He watches the entertainment waiting until his companions complete their business in town. If there are no tales of legendary heroes, he takes the stage to compose one of his own.
With nothing much to do on the city, Sixth lean against the wall in some large street, with Seventh and his wings hidden in an obscure alley, until they need to sleep or something happens.
Finnigan and Sixth are able to sell off the scrounged gear from the Avorals for a few hundred gold each.
Cilian notes that there are several rumors about the town of a decidely dark nature, while there is a great variation on who the 'enemy' is it is immediately clear that this town and likely the country are looking for a target. He does glean one common thread the surviving Avoral appears to be sticking to an attacked by strangers on the road theme. Although no clear description yet as he claims to have been drugged.
Kyomi comes back, she seems less troubled but some how more focused.
She go's and has a talk with her sister.
Kyomi
"The dream was true, our mother was not our mouth, mine was who was in the dream"
Oraine
"Really and me the same? "
Kyomi
"No another, not her but another, but they could not tell me who, they said the reading was inconclusive, two mixed and befuddled to know. "
Oraine
"But not the one we called mother?"
Kyomi
"no another. We may have to do it in the right temple to know."
Oraine
"This sister explains a lot, like way that pig hunted down our family and did what he did to use and them. Our parents not of blood must have been given us to raise, as sisters. Even if not of blood this changes nothing, we are sisters.
Kyomi
"Yes sister mine, always and forever and what was done to use and then will be avenged."
Oraine
"Agreed and now more than ever, because you know what this means, now we have a new subject to hunt sister."
Kyomi
"yes, The ones behind the pig, the ones that put him up to it. We will make them suffer, I would make them dolls for you to play with sister, to brake as you see fit."
Oraine go's over and hugs her sister
"Your the best sister in the whole wide world"
Komi hugs back.then says.
"Get yourself dressed in a nice outfit, I am the guest of honour at the temples orgy tonight, I will need you to keep a eye on things. They said they would have dungeon for paying types. I don't want any rich fool over doing it and dropping dead tonight. We shall be in full dominatrix out fit, I even got you a tiny whip."
Oraine speakers with joy.
"Show me o show me, I'm going to have so much fun, I aways wanted to...
The rest of the conversation is to explicit to write dear readers but believe me, it's shocking in the extreme, the things you can do with, a pear of pliers, a sheep,some herring, and industrial strength lard. Shocking.
Kyomi says to the group.
"Me and my sister have been invited to a gathering at the temple of Calistria this evening, we well be be there all night. But do not worry we will be back tomorrow. Have a good evening bye for now."
She says heading off her sister tucked away.
"We're a long way from Galt, friend. We need to get moving soon."
Byron fiddled with his pendent. Staring intently at the dawnflower.
"Yes we should proceed to a temple of Sarenrae. We will probably have the most luck there."
Byron glanced back to his new creation and exhaled deeply.
"You are going to catch way too much attention. Perhaps we could disguise you."
"-Surprise- A night out on the town? -Exclamation point- And I get to dress up for it? -Indulgence- I must put on my face."
The golem began literally adding to his own face. Moving pieces around and adding bits from other places to his cheeks. By the end it had a face that was no longer recognizable as a cobalt but not similar to anything else ether.
It wrapped itself in a coat Byron fetched for it. Covering up most of its body.
"-Declaration- Now Byron, hold mommies hand -Insistence 20%-"
The most popular and influential temple is the Temple of Iomedae throughout Andoran and you could likely find a decent priest there.
Byrong and his golem make their way into town to find a competent priest. Dismayed at not being able to find a temple to Sarenrae, he goes to the temple of Iomedae.
Should have known there wouldn't be a temple to Sarenrae in these backwaters. Brute force is much easier to understand.
The golem grabbed Byron's coat grinding his movement to a halt.
"-Maxim- If you havent anything good to think then don't think anything at all.
Byron was stunned.
You can hear my thoughts?
A short -Confirmed- responded.
Byron felt uneasy at the notion but he pressed on, agreeing in his mind that he would try to think better thoughts. The golem released him and they continued through town.
"Sure, I have no problems with priests, specially the good ones. They tend not to like Seventh, tough, but it won't be a problem."
The distance to Innsmouth is a day and a half ride away on the average horse. A message can be sent in half a day or less as Andorans postal service is very swift.
At the temple of Iomedae after a few questions you can find an older fellow who resembles pale leather wrapped around a steel frame.
"How can I aid you sirs" He stands in a near salute.
"Well it's a long story but to sum things up we experienced some 'Divine Intervention' in the form of direct communication from a god and we need to make sure it isn't some agent of evil tricking us to do something incredibly evil."
"AND me and the little halfling here" - he points to Finnigin - "got some kind of diabolic disease that we need to get investigated, if you are able to."
Sixth tries to measure the old man, to see if he's a wise fellow that could take on some truths.
Once at the temple she will walk in, saying little, but looking around, unless they spot who she is v her aura she will let the others talk.
Cilian goes back to the tavern, and checks up on how the rest of the group is doing.
Comes back to the tavern late. She's dressed in yellow and blacks and seems to have got a new wasp tattoo.
Canim is in the tavern, greedily slurping down some meat-related bar food.
Kyomi sits down next to Canim.
"Nice to see you, Canim, I hope you had a good day. I should have thought to ask you to the temple orgy tonight, there was a woman so fat she had to be careered in by for bearers. She was a Mage to, I think you would have got along. Do you like, flagellation, she was quit keen "
She orders a glass of wine, places it in from of her but dos not touch it after that.
"On another not, I discovered with her help, I have a small talent for magic myself"
"Hah, no. The sheer mechanics are mind-boggling! I prefer the corruption of those that most would consider attractive. To debase themselves before me."
The small form of Kyomi nods with the slightest of electromagnets at hos words.
"Then Canim you would love to have meet a local noble woman I meet last night, in mask of course, who finds it most attractive to debase and corrupt young local noble men who's names I did not of course hear. Young noble men who foolishly borrow to much money form her. Last night she was debasing two such, by making them dress up like slave girls and well. I want go into details but it involved a small fish pond full of mud and some very burly looking female gladiators with appendages. I think you would have found it amusing and more to your liking for such things. I myself spent most of my night in the dungeon working on my whip skills. I'm getting quit good."
She takes out a finely made whip and places it in the table. Then smiles at the pale looking trader eating on the table next to them. And mouths to him soundlessly
"very good"
She looks back at Canim.
"So Corpulent mage, have you seen the others in our band. This town is getting a little stale and it would be nice to see new places"
Canim laughs "now that is funny"
"as far as the others go, I haven't seen many of them about. Might have seen the gnome poking around a bookstore, I wasn't paying a lot of attention though."
|
Balik resumes a regular round of evening supper at the inn, exchanging news and plans with her comrades, and spending much of the night on the wing, communing with the local birds, gathering the goings on through the local regions (from the perspective of birds-eye interest). In the mornings she returns to the inn, and snatches several hours rest.
"shame, but they probably over other things to do. So I wanted to ask you, wile at the temple I picked up the knack of reading magic. Well To be blunt do you know how to wright magic scrolls! I was thinking it would be useful to have a few. "
She looks at the others in the room wile saying this to him.
"Yes of course. A mage who can't scribe spells is an odd mage indeed. At least among those of us who learned from books."
"To be honest I know little of magecraft, the magics I have come as part of my nature Canim. Could you tell me the kind of magics you could scribe and use they may be?"
She unwinds her whip and winds it back up again., spacing it away in the folds of her clothing.
"mostly spells to attack with."
"I know this may sound rude, and my must get this a lot from lady's, but could I see your spell book, I believe that's what it's called. "
She says with a joking smile.
Sixth and Byron spend nearly an hour helping the older priest recovery from a near coronary at their revelations. After several rituals to test them and their statements he can only say, "What was seen was what was. Your affliction is not of this world and my goddess is looking into it."
Canim and Kyomi enjoy their conversation at the tavern, and are rather awkwardly interrupted several times by very elderly folk commenting on what a lovely couple they make. It is clear the rest of the tavern does not share the same view, as most make moon-eyes at Kyomi and glare daggers at Canim.
"Certainly. Let me know if you can't read something."
As the old ones come over and talk to them she smiles and nods.
"Thank you, that is most kind, we are not yet web but I'm hopping to get him away from his books long enough for use to. But you see he's family think I'm just a gold digger, after their future. Really I just don't see where they get that idea from, it's true love I tell you, so now, cut off we live poor and happy. Is that not right Canim dear.. good Heath and long life to you."
The whole the wiles she smiles discreetly and demurely at some of the more wealthy males in the tavern.
Takes his spell book she starts to read to herself the magics in it.
'Thank you dear I will"
"yeah, if you happen to come by other spell books, maybe you could let me learn from them too. "
"I'll keep my eyes open for any dearest "