Volcano's Land - A New Beginning

Game Master Miner Cotren

"I am happy to be in chains" earlier on this page 47 is all she is referring to I believe

Edit: to be fair it was just in front of your personal guards at that point

My post before Ibinu said good luck. At least that is what Kallik is referring to. Not quiet the captain but Kallik doesn't see much of a difference.

Her tears returning as Ibinu's back disappears around the corner, she stands slowly. "Yes, youngly. I agree that would be prudent."

Making her way to Edoardo, she puts a hand on his shoulder, "Would you have someone arrange the proper burial for the inquisitor please?"

===Arrival of the message===

Nearly sprinting to their quarters, Inam stops just outside. 'Can't seem too eager, may scare him off....' She nods to Kallik as the oread passes and stands outside the door for a moment, shifting her weight back and forth on her feet. Finally, she passes through the door. Sitting as instructed, she listens.

'Yes, of course. He is right, Kallik surely knows that...poor Egret'

'Wait, what? What'd I do? But....where else would these powers come from? Etrah came from the forge itself'

Looking down to her sheathed blade, she mumbles "...with this sword." Glancing towards the phoenix perched on the bedpost, she receives no instructions. Slowly she begins to nod. "I...yes. I think I can do that. At least I am willing to try."

"I agree wholeheartedly we cannot allow this town to return to the way things used to be. The clergy can not be above the law! There must be a way to save this city. If it means I need to study a few more books, then it shall be done."

"It would be nice to get ahead of the turmoil for once...you know? Rather than just reacting to everything as it falls apart... So, what would be our best course of action now? Kallik mentioned the issues in the Dims...there's the discussion with the Watch captain...."

Falling silent, she looks to Ibinu for any reaction.

Watching Inam with an intense, unblinking stare as her companions discuss the issues at hand with hearth, and each other, Etrah struggles to keep from smiling.

'Yes, little one. Listen to the el. I can only teach you enough to be dangerous. You must learn when and how to use the powers you've been given. We gods move the pieces...our pawns...but the power to destroy and to save comes down to your choices. It all in your hands.'

Yeah, I saw that. Didn't know if there was something else.

Ibinu finally smiles as it seems both his friends are on the same page and just as frustrated as he.

He claps his hands together, "excellent! Then we shall go with you when you talk to the Guard Captain and once that is resolved in whatever result it may take, we can all head to the Dims to see what is going on. But please, before we leave, what do you know and how do you know it?

After Kallik fills in the details, he adds, "alright, so the Smiler wants the city destroyed. Maybe its destruction would save elenity, but probably not in any way that actually 'saves' it. I expect the Lady has been tricked as much as any."

He thinks for a second, "something popped up into my head over the last couple days. If the Smiler is a new evil god or at least one that isn't of this world, then it is very likely that there are other gods like it out there and I bet at least some of them oppose the Smiler. That might be a source we can seek to shut the Smiler down."

Pulling out her axe and holding it infront of her, "While my blood was being exchanged I went somewhere and this came back with me. I do not think I am insane but it has spoken to me. Last night I saw images in my mind of things I have never seen. In the tear in the center of the Steam Slums. If I am in chains the area should be easy to find due to the heat."

Letting her arm drop and the axe bump against her leg. Leaning against the door, "As to the Smiler I do not know anything beyond what was spoken of. Though I do not know how much of it should be trusted."

Were Seer's mentioned in this game or am I getting my stuff mixed up?

Ibinu's eyes go wide as he is immediately distracted away from the topic of the dims. He leans down to inspect the weapon closely, curiosity at maximum. "Hello? Can you speak? Can you only speak to Kallik? Are you being shy? Can you make any noises... or blink... or uh... do a flip to respond?"

Michan mentioned oracles to Ibinu right before he passed on. Oddly, none of you have seen any evidence of oracles in the Temple, and rarely (if ever) hear them even mentioned.

After a brief pause, you hear a high, clear C note reverberate from the axe, like a large tuning fork. Kallik, you feel the axe go back to sleep, tired from needing to communicate to any but you.

Ibinu claps his hand together in glee! "Okay Mr.... or Mrs. Axe, that will do quite well!"

He returns to his seat, "what images did you see and where should we start in the dims... wait, scratch that. We should talk to Dove. He would know a lot more about this than anyone else. Alright, let's go. Then we can take out two sylphs with one stone, if you pardon the slang." He gets up to leave.

Smiling at Ibinu's curiosity but the noise causes her response to die in her throat. Stepping away from the door, "That is a horrible saying. And it was an area with no snow. And if I am going to in chains please have Bian and Egret sent to me. If somehow I am not, which considering the way things work here wouldn't be that shocking then I will talk to them after we take care of whatever problem is happening in the Dims."

Falling silent a moment before speaking up, "There were a lot of those things there so you might want to have the guard come along."

You catch up with Dove near the edge of the sixth tier. He seems to be having a serious conversation with the Archpriest. Turning to you, he says, "The Archpriest was detailing the...strangeness with the High Inquisitor. To my ear it sounds less a religious episode and more...a fit of medical insanity. Is the inquisitor well- that is, 'well' considering his myriad assortment of mental issues?"

Quietly walking behind the two sylph's, letting them dictate the direction while she is lost in thought. Nothing has been right since coming to this city and far to many elen are dependent on her less than trust worthy.

Looking up at Dove and the Archpriest. Taking a few steps forward and making sure to catch Dove's eyes. Keeping her voice low enough that only the five around her are likely to hear her, "Agazi is dead and I think being prepped for a pyre. A lot happened after you left. Though I am more in support of your position now. Fiordelise apparently decided to share with her companions, but not the guard, that in an altered state I killed an ifrit I had had a previous altercation with."

Taking in a deeper breath before continuing, "I was tainted with the blood of the previous Blessed and this caused me to become increasingly violent. That is also why I attacked that guard the other day. I meant to confess to this but I wanted to insure that the taint was gone."

Waving a hand towards Ibinu, "He was able to help me with that."

Crossing her arms across her chest, "I leave my fate concerning that in your hands."

Unlike his normal glib responses, Dove takes his time replying. "I would need to hear more of this taint before I can make any sort of judgement of the situation."

He turns to Ibinu. "When you have a moment, perhaps later today, would you be so kind as to talk, sylph-to-sylph, of the technical details of your experiment? It would aid me in this endeavor."

He concludes, "In the meantime, the three of you are nothing if not...persistently virtuous. I do not anticipate you fleeing the city or anything of that nature. I am certainly not going to immediately throw you in jail and cause potential rioting before I understand all of the particulars. Is that reasonable?"

Ibinu grins, "ah definitely the right choice for the job, I appreciate you not making up your mind until you have more information. I'd be happy to chat. I can bring Culkin by too if you wish, he assisted with the procedure."

He looks over at Kallik, "okay, so we also have some information about a possible danger to the dims. We would like your assistance with it, either in information or anyone you know that could help us with our investigation."

"You are speaking of the tree and the rift, I assume? Or, more accurately, that is what I hope, for any other problems today would cause mental issues to begin manifesting in my own brain as well. What sort of assistance would you need? I'm afraid I'm not terribly well-versed in enormous plants or extraplanar phenomena."

Keeping silent as Ibinu and Kallik describe the situation, Inam nods to Dove. "As for me you have my word. I swear on The Warrior's blade, I'll not leave the city until you have made a decision."

Raising an eye, she mumbles "Tree? tree...OH RIGHT! That big thing that just appeared. Well, if you don't mind...what rift are you speaking of? Has it caused any harm or danger in the region?"

Having been unusually quiet since the mornings issues, Etrah speaks up. "Dove, I feel in my wings you were the right choice. I do hope my companions here earn the respect they seem to have garnered."

Frowning, he continues. "We must all strive to do what is right for all of elenity. Let us hope we find a righteous path to those ends. As for the tree, has anyone managed to find out where it came from or why it's come? Is it sentient?"

Dove's pale hands caress one another absently, playing over his silver and gold rings. "My apologies, I fear I used short-hand in an attempt to save time and only succeeded in drawing out the conversation. If I recall from Corporal--pardon, Captain these days--Odebie's report, you were all present for the first apperance of the mephits - those delightful monkey-faced gray beasts that belch steam on unsuspecting elen."

Though his speech pattern is still calm, he runs agitated fingers through his dark hair. "Well, they have come from some other plane, likely Volcano's given their 'heated' nature, and that...rift...hole...tear --whatever you wish to call it--seems to be getting bigger. We have no direct evidence of this, but that is only because the amount of mephits in the area prevents anyone from entering. I fear that whatever is keeping them within the borders of the former Steam Slums may fade soon, if for no other reason than the sheer volume of the creatures." He smiles and opens his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

Nodding at Dove's decision and quietly listening to everyone speak, "Thank you and I do not plan on leaving. The tree is a new Quiet Elder and not as big as a concern as the rift."

Turning to look at Dove, "That rift needs to be taken care of. It needs to be studied and removed. That is going to take a lot of elen."

The Archpriest says, "We lost a lot of our resources when all the inquisitors were killed, but I'll see who still knows their way around the library. Unless one of you wishes to go, I will request that the Medium makes contact with the Makers, to see what they know."

Ibinu jumps in, "no need for specialized expertise, just someone who knows the area well would be ideal."

Dove shrugs. "The Dims? I believe it could be said that I know the area well." He smiles to himself. "It would also save the hassle of finding a time to meet later - we could discuss more about your friend's ailment--or former ailment, as it were--along the way. Acceptable?"

Shrugging, "Sure."

Ibinu nods, ”that works perfectly.”

On the way he shares all he knows about the cursed blood, the discovery and research behind it, the effects he noticed on Kallik, the procedure and the observed results since.

"Yes, that would be wonderful." replies Inam.

As Ibinu dives into the physical, mathmatical, logical aspects of the disease and then the cure, Inam's eyes gloss over. Her thoughts drifting back to her apprenticeship at home.....her first attempt to make a shield.... 'How hard could it be? Flat...so big...handle....'

The horrendous mass of metal coalesces in her mind. 'Yeah...that was bad' she considers as a smile slowly appears on her face.

It is eleventh candle.

A pallid orange peaklight greets you as you descend the wide steps of the Temple. Though it is not currently snowing, two or three inches of white powder cover the ground as far as the eye can see, making a confection of Hearth. Several sylphan streetsweepers are shooing the snow away, but seem to be unprepared for the magnitude of the task, for it is still early in the winter season for the south.

Dove nods as Ibinu talks, saying very little, only one or two quiet questions. At the end, he simply says, in a low tone of voice, "It is truly a remarkable change. I would not have believed she was the same ele that Odebie described, barely able to restrain herself from attacking those that angered her. I'm afraid I still don't have an answer regarding her circumstances, but this will be on the forefront of my considerations when we are through at the Slums."

You are able to see the tree and its preternatural symmetry from several blocks away - it towers over the squat mud and plaster of the Dims. Its branches are now extending over the houses nearest to it, as if protecting them from a storm.

As you turn the last corner, you are surprised to see a small crowd gathered near the tree. Three dozen or more, they are all oreads - els, eles, and even a few children. Most of them are sitting quietly, looking toward the Elder. A few are softly singing - the sound has a low, thrumming quality to it. One or two of them notice you and nod, then go back to their contemplation.

There are no signs of the mephits nearby, though this area is on the border of the Slums, or very close.

Ibinu looks at Kallik or even Inam, waiting for them to do something as these are more likely to be receptive to her. The last time I tried to speak to an Oread I was brutally attacked...

An old oread ele, bent with age, stands up with the help of a younger oread, perhaps a granddaughter. Her deep-set brown eyes twinkle as she hobbles over, leaning heavily on a cane made of thick, unpolished wood.

She bows as far as her bent back allows. "Good bright to you." She looks at each of you in turn, her gaze penetrating and sharp despite her age. "You are the Blessed, yes? And I sense something else...hmm..." She takes a step closer to Kallik. She smells of wood dust with a faint hint of mildew. "Do you carry the spirit of one of the woodfolk with you? It is most strange to sense their presence so far away from Forest."

Stepping forward, she offers a smile. "We are indeed the blessed. As for the woodfolk...I don't know anything about that..." she replies, glancing towards Kallik for clarity.

Pressing on, "So...uh...you seem to know something about the appearance of this tree. If you don't mind my prying...what can you tell me of it? It seems out of place here."

Silently listening to Ibinu and Dove speak about her. Keeping behind them and glaring at the ground. I am a fool.

Realizing every one has stopped and glancing up at the massive tree then below at the gathering of oreads. Returning the bow and glancing at the Inam while at the lowest part of her bow. Smiling at the elderly oread, "I think so."

The old ele addresses Inam first. She smiles widely, showing several missing teeth, and a few green gemstones in their place. "I have no idea how it came to be here." She laughs, a sound both joyful and phlegmy. "All I know is that it is sacred - it is a Quiet Elder, like we have in the north." She turns back to the tree, her face beatific. "Or at least, it will be an Elder, if it survives this town, and whatever is happening..." She trails off.

Turning to Kallik, she takes both of your hands. You can feel the deep folds and wrinkles in her skin simply by the touch. Excitedly, she says, "Is that why you have come? To defeat these strange steaming creatures that plague the Elder-To-Be?"

Running her thumbs along the older oreads hands absentmindedly, "We need to learn more about them so that we can discover how to remove them."

She reaches a palsied hand to your face, not quite touching it. Eyes darting, as if searching for an answer, she says, "Surely you could talk to the priests, get them to cast some spell of protection on you! Without their fiery attacks, you can get in, and see what is happening - what these things are up to!"

As she says 'spell of protection' Ibinu realizes something. In his haste to deal with the idiocy from before, he ignored his own needs. He pulls a small vial from his bandolier and slams it back. "Oh yes, protection from the heat would be advisable I expect. If they can't assist us, maybe there is something we can purchase in a nearby shop."

Drinks potion CLW, CLW Elixir: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 and then finds a spot to sit down to mix another one up.

Seeing Ibinu drink his poltice, Inam suddenly recalls her own needs and begins rubbing her arms. After a few moments, she feels much better.

"Do these creatures need to be destroyed? Is there perhaps a way to reason with them?"

The elder looks surprised by your suggestion. "I haven't seen much of them, but when they do come by they throw themselves at the Elder-To -Be, and are summarily slaughtered. If you can simply talk to them, I'm sure that would be preferable to killing."

Going back to the Temple to see what spells are available?

Ibinu would advise going back, though he suggests taking into account how long this delay might take and a possible closer option. A gel, that is likely less effective, but if sold from a local shop would be much quicker. Fire Ward Gel

The Temple and the Slums are pretty close, so not too much of a delay. You'd have to go closer to the Makers, at the north edge of town, to find alchemical supplies (although Culkin might have some lying around)

Edoardo runs ahead of the group, promising he will round up a few priests ahead of your arrival. True to his word, Edoardo is standing in front of three young priests at the base of the Temple.

One of the priests steps forward. "It would be an honor to grant our Volcano-given protection to you for the day, Blessed." He bows, then all three priests step forward and chant in High Ifrit.

"Amor Domini Vulcunus, a meipso Spiritus illi me tangere."

You all have Fire Resist 10 for 2 hours. The priests have given you their fire resistance as part of the spell, to prolong the effect

Offering the elderly ele a shrug, "We have to learn what we can but thank you for the suggestion."

Resuming her place behind her companions. Silently accepting the blessing.

Ibinu smiles, "thank you very much for the blessing. We appreciate your willingness to add your own gift to help us."

As it washes over him he can't help but comment, "oooh that tingles... and is almost cooling!"

Any more questions for the elderly oread at the tree? Jumping right into the Steam Slums?

"As my companion said, thank you. We hope to use your gift wisely." adds inam with a curtsy.

Turning to Ibinu and Kallik, she frowns. "You know, we were quite rude at the tree. We spoke about it several times...but did any of us actually ask for its thoughts?"

Pointing an arm to Kallik, she adds "I mean...we walk around with a boulder all day long and did it ever occur to any of us the tree might be able to communicate?!"

Smiling at Inam and shaking her head, "Trees talk slowly and we do not have time for that. They are called Quiet Elders for a reason after all."

Assuming we're going back to the Slums like Ibinu suggested - perception check all!

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

You all make your way cautiously through the Steam Slums (perhaps now the Mephit Slums). Oddly, you see no sign of any mephits. From earlier, you gathered that the Elder-To-Be was killing any mephits who came near, which have have driven the remaining creatures into hiding.

My post keep being eaten. Sorry

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

Moving quietly behind the two sylph's while the return to the slums. Constantly looking around and ignoring those with her for the time being.

Once they reach the slums Kallik pulls out her new axe. Any advice?

Ibinu puts up his hand to hold everyone up. He peaks around a corner and then slips back to the group. ”um... there are two of those mephit things around the corner. The odd thing though? I think they are speaking High Ifrit, which I’ve been working um... well I was working with Eo to learn. I guess that’s another thing I owe that kid.”

He thinks wistfully for a second then continues, ”we should try to talk to them first, right?”

Clinching her jaw and quickly blinking away the tears that want to escape. Nodding at Ibinu, "You can try."

Perception: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (19) - 2 = 17

"Yes, if we are able to convince them to stop attacking the city...perhaps we could find a way to coexist?" replies Inam. Waving her hands about, she starts to summon up her sight, stopping midway. "Volcano, show me.....err...."

Glancing towards Ibinu, she quickly looks away. "Sorry, uh...after So Khong, it kind of became habit....I'm sure I will still use it at times, but I'd like to believe not all things are evil at first glance. That's...that's the right way to approach the world, right?"