Volcano's Land - A New Beginning

Game Master Miner Cotren

Emotions barely restrained, Sequoya focuses on maintaining control, though every instinct screams at her to attack with unrelenting fury.

Reaching behind her and touch the now silent blade. Glancing around and seeing the chicken and the statue. Locking her fingers into fists tight enough to draw blood with her nails.

Glaring at the Declarative. I take a day to deal with Egret.. One day were I'm not paying attention and this is where it lands me... No clue what is going on...Krz?...

Answering Inam and ignoring--or perhaps not even noticing--the oreads' anger, the Declarative states, "We are making lenses to direct the light of Moon toward the east. If you can aid in this endeavor of crafting, do so. When the time is right, you will travel to the Eastern Front. With Moonlight and peaklight combined and the presence of you Champions of Volcano, and we shall see the Dark dissipated and destroyed."

Ibinu thinks for a moment, "Well that is certainly an ambitious plan. How do you expect to reflect peaklight and may we look over how it all works? I'm a bit of a crafter myself and would be quite intrigued to see the inside workings."

"My crafting is limited to making the holy armor of The Warrior." advises Inam. "But I would appreciate a chance to look over your designs...your plans as well."

'Is it possible they have changed their ways? That would be a huge benefit to all...though it's also possible this is all an elaborate trick. They may be in fact harming all to save themselves....'

"Ask the texts such questions." You detect a faint, contemptuous emphasis on the word. "An hour of contemplation approaches. I must ready myself."

keep in mind none of you have heard the word "hour" before, this world uses 'candle'

The Declarative stands, and claps her hands once. Instantly, Ky La opens the wooden entrance door, gesturing for you to come with him.

It is tenth candle.

Ibinu thinks to himself, 'our contemplation approaches', I wonder what they are contemplating. This is a weird little deal they have going here. Well, let's get on it then.

He leads the way out the door, "Thank you kindly for your time, we are off to uh ask the texts some questions then."

"What did the Declarative say?"

Following Ibinu, Inam stops short of the door. "The uh...texts they will answer us right? It's not like we're actually talking to a book, is it?"

'I've received answers from my tomes...but never been answered by them'

"Huh? Oh, he said he had to prepare for contemplation and we were to ask the texts. Does that make sense to you, KyLa?"

"The Declarative thinks in...old ways, do you understand?" Humming and hmming as he walks, Ky La says, "What would you call, in your language, those who tend to books, and knowledge?"

when you answer 'librarian'

"There, you see? Can you believe I could have forgotten that word? Well, the Declarative has given you access to some of our...librarians, does that clear things up?"

"Oh, yeah that makes a bit more sense."

"Thanks for clearing that up. Would have looked silly talking to the books..."

Inam, Etrah pecks at you irritably, as if to remind you he is still a chicken.

Ibinu rolls his eyes, "No sillier than half the stuff we do. Anyway, let's be off and go learn some things."

The word ENTER. watches you leave.

Down winding stair and twisting hall, and down again to dry stone corridors. Ky La leads you to a long series of doors, all painted blue, all numbered in golden Ifrit numerals.

"What did you say? You wanted to learn about the focusing lenses?"

assuming you say 'yes'

The inquisitor takes you to a door marked XXIII. "I will wait for you here, yes? Just ask you questions clearly, yes?"

inside

A sylph of sallow complexion is sitting among piles of books, many opened and carefully laid upon one another. He is obviously blind, like the sylph who earlier taught you about celerity.

Hearing the door open, he stands up, and looks vaguely toward the door. He says nothing, seemingly waiting for some cue.

For Mishipeshu, Krz, and Etrah -- look over your character sheets and see what you think you would want to use -- a skill or ability or a save of some kind -- this could be your abilities or theirs. Go ahead and make a roll and we'll see who recovers from the word of the Declarative, and who does not.

Ibinu, to make it clearer, you believe that all you need to do is ask this "text" a question, and he will go on and on about a subject, similar to the other blind sylph you met on the streets.

Petting Etrah's tiny head, Inam smiles. "You are such a cutie."

Following Ky-La and nodding, Inam steps through the door. Eyeing the sylph for a moment, she speaks. "Hello there. We are here to learn the specifics of the focusing lens and how it works."

Recalling the warning, she considers the situation before asking her first question. "Will any living beings be harmed or sacrificed in the creation of this lens?"

Ibinu nods his head, Tis a good place to start.

The text goes into great and boring length about the creation of the lenses, which seems to be more mathematical than sacrificial. Details about coarseness and granularity of the sand ground and melted for the glass...the equations for the curvature, concavity, thickness of lens...and an exhaustive calculation of the candles of elenwork it will require, including transportation of the lenses to a proper altitude for optimal focusing.

nothing seems sinister within these procedures.

”Where will they need to be placed to focus peaklight.”

Nodding to Ibinu 'Smart questions.'

"Also, how does this process harm The Dark?"

Growling and biting her her tongue. Could be a trick. Make it stronger.... Krz?

will save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Krz comes back to you. Somber in tone now, all laughter exhausted,

They're all telling the truth. Those lens things will destroy the Dark. I don't know what else they will do...I couldn't...couldn't see...

Ibinu, you are shown a map of the construction plans - an elegant arc of six building sites, each roughly 250 miles apart; the path starts at the base of Volcano, arcing up and north, then to Light, then steeply down, south and east, directly to the heart of the Eastern Front.

Inam, you are treated to a lengthy exposition on the harmonics and other properties of peaklight and moonlight, and how existing slightly out of phase with one another, these combined forces--like waves during a storm--can combine to a strength greater than merely additive; this effect, magnified by the precise curvature of the lens...etc...

Ibinu and Kallik understand this lecture better, with their skills in arcana and the planes. The hypotheses seems sound in theory.

inam, this uses your "shared will" for the day with Etrah

etrah uses inam's will vs charm: 1d20 + 10 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 10 + 4 = 29

Suddenly bursting into flaming plumage, Etrah's buckaws become "-other servant of Volcano ever suffering such indignities, I've certainly never heard of it!" He pauses. "Ah, good. Now, remind me what we're doing here again? I cannot focus quite as well in that...other form."

Ibinu pats the phoenix on the head with a mischievous smile, "Maybe you chose the wrong god to serve? I could put in a good word if you wanted to shop around."

He turns back to the librarian, "What would either light do if it hit an el?"

With a smile, Inam pinches Etrah's left cheek. "Good to see ya again! Thought maybe you liked being a breakfast machine." Adding a wink for good measure, she turns back to the 'text'.

With a muffled yawn, she sighs. 'All these numbers and big words...is it possible this is completely safe for all? Would the Moon really be changing it's ways?' Suddenly, the sylph's eyes light up. 'Did we actually cause change in a god?!' her eyes turning to her companion sylph, she smiles 'Could we change his too? No more sacrifice at all perhaps?'

'OH! What if this creature is lieing though? Could it really be speaking the truth?!'

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

The text says that the answer to Ibinu's question is unknown, but the focus beams of light will be high in the air for the first five lenses, only coming toward the ground the action by the focus of the sixth and final lens.

Inam, you do not spot any falsehoods in these scholarly sylphs, just dry recitations of compiled facts.

”What exactly is the darkness and how do we know the light will murder it?”

The text stands slack-jawed. Ky La ducks his head in, a listening expression on his face, "You asked about the Dark, eh? If you want that prized knowledge, you would have to give up an equal secret, you see?" He gestures to Ibinu. "Like how to conjure the piercing fire of the Cauldron Lady, perhaps?" To Inam, "Or the ancient recipe for true obsidian armor?" He glances toward Kallik, then turns away, uninterested. "Would you believe Moon already knows the Fey and their kin and their wildness well enough?" He says ha several times.

Krz chimes angrily at the insult, out loud; Ky La ignores it regardless. To Kallik only, the fey-raised elen says, They don't know everything. Moon might know about Lies and Gems, but I think Knives might still surprise these camouflaged, cowering creatures.

Mishipeshu remains as a statue for now

Ibinu chuckles, ”Hah, always games. I don’t believe that is my information to share, perhaps my allies would trade a tidbit. ANYWAY. Ibinu, could I have a word in private?”

Guessing you mean Inam there Ibinu? Or did you want a private word with yourself? ;-P

Turning back to the text, she raises her voice. "HEY! Would the dark have a chance to change it's ways before the slaughter?"

At Inam's question, Ky La frowns and inquires sharply, "A jest, surely? Do you consider it a wise stratagem to inform the enemy right before a strike? To give them time to prepare, defend, or perhaps ruin our plan?"

Ibinu dismisses the 'joke' with a little glare at Inam, "Of course not. That wasn't even a good joke. I'll have to talk to my friend later about the appropriate times to insert levity."

He turns back to the book/librarian/text/person/robot, "When will the lenses be completed and when will this operation begin?"

After fifteen or twenty minutes of estimates and explanations of estimates, the text gives a range of two to three rites required for construction.

it is middle of Snowrites, so the earliest this could be completed would likely be the end of Warrites (the next month), but more likely Rainrites or Whirlrites.

It is eleventh candle.

Ibinu gives a *hmmm* and then sighs, "Well, we have time to plan at least. Let's go find some food, I'm famished. I think we'll need to take a trip to the front at some point too, scope it out for the best plan there."

"What kind of food do you like?" He seems genuinely curious, rather than reflexively interrogative.

”I’m interested in knowing what the sylph here eat and just generally what your local dishes might be. This town is... different.”

'Joke?'

Keeping quiet as Ibinu handles the talking points, Inam smiles at the mention of going to the fronts. 'Good! We can try to get them to see the error of their ways after all!'

Reaching back, she pets Etrah again. "In his current state, he prefers a bit of bugs. The fresher the better. Maggots tend to go down well it seems."

Failing to see the green tinge to the fowls feathers, she continues "Personally, I'm curious to see what your local cuisine offers. Standard thing for me are pasta, but I'm not opposed to trying something new."

inam, this uses your "shared will" for the day with Etrah

[dice=etrah uses inam's will vs charm]1d20+10+4

Suddenly bursting into flaming plumage, Etrah's buckaws become "-other servant of Volcano ever suffering such indignities, I've certainly never heard of it!" He pauses. "Ah, good. Now, remind me what we're doing here again? I cannot focus quite as well in that...other form."

You look back at a phoenix, somehow frowning with his beak. "We are not amused, Champion."

As to the question of cuisine, the answer is: brains.
Fried beef brains, scrambled crow's eggs, and some kind of purple potato, mashed.

it is surprisingly good, if you choose to eat

You are in a restaurant with glaring celeric lights and smooth ceramic seats, strange and sliding to sit in. Everything is polished and clean, and done in shades of off-white. Disembodied sylphan voices--three female singers, pleasant enough harmonies--sing from a ghost sound player, powered by the intrusive wires that seem to come from every wall of every building in Light.

"Do you like it?" The inquisitor asks. He takes small, intermittent sips of his water, complete with a smiling wedge of starfruit, imported from southern River.

In the tone of light conversation over scrambled brains, Ky La asks, "Isn't it interesting how readily all of these sylphs succumbed to our sweet Madness? How hungry they were for a god that considers them more than kindling for a cauldron?"

Ibinu tries a bit of everything and then devours the brains, "This is quite good."

He thinks for a bit, "Well, look at us. We both gravitated to the strongest gods as well. Maybe it is just in our nature."

With a noncommittal hmm? Ky La changes the subject. "So do you have an answer for us? Will you help the lens creation? Will you go to the Front when it is time to destroy the Dark?" The questions seem to rush out of him, unbidden.

Ibinu looks up and smiles, "Well, I'd like to say we would be happy to help as our intent is definitely safety for all el-kind, but I think a decision of this magnitude requires at least a nights sleep to think it over."

The inquisitor huffs. "Must you insist on making sense? Fine then, where would you like to go, now that lunch is concluded?"

"Well, I personally would like to get a closer look at how Celerity works and all that. Knowing something is quite different from experiencing something. After that, maybe go check out the lens creation place to see if we can help with that process. Of course, I'm up for other things too if my companions want to do something else."