Edie is still pumped up!
Even with a nap, Edie is still energetic and... full of life. When she notices the rest of the party hasn't made it to the van yet, she wanders back into Deb's and looks for them, attempting to not interrupt any conversations and blinks a few times before quickly taking out her phone and totally recording the bird doing the singing.
She sends it to someone with a manic grin.
Bella is slightly amused by the antics of the raven though she seems distracted.
Starwing however sighs...she is a much better singer.
Bella asks,"So what idea for getting me in some sort of armor? I do have the spell Mage Armor but if you have a idea it would free up that slot."
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The more familiar option is darkleaf cloth. It's much more flexible than leathers and hides, but I can only get it to move so well. The other... well that's where it's interesting. There's a skymetal called djezet. Curious thing, no matter what it's a liquid. I've heard of ways to alloy it to make an unusual suit of armor from it.
"Interesting...what would be the cost of both options? Also would there be a way to try both options before we go ahead with it?
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Klyto pauses.
Darkleaf should be easy enough. Most mid to high quality shops will have some. Costs 775 g retail, or I can put it together for a quarter of the price. Downside is with my workload you're looking at 3 months until it's done.
A moment passes.
Djezet would cost almost four times as much, if you can find it. And honestly while I can start finding materials, patterns, and so on now actually making it is beyond me right now. I gotta tell you, though, if it does what it's rumored to do it'll be worth the investment.
"Both sound interesting for any mage, but sounds like Mage Armor will still be required for a good while."
Edie is not bouncing but definitely more relaxed and full of life than yesterday.
"Deb, could I please get some coffee and some moar more bacon? I think I need a bit more to eat before we get on the road."
The tiefling blinks a few times then smiles to the rest of the team once she realizes they are talking about better armor. "GOOD Morning!"
"The local coffee or the imported, hon?" asks Deb. "Wouldn't be surprised if you got a taste for the draconic stuff last night."
She thinks about that for a moment, then giggles. "I didn't mean it like that, but..."
Edie is still exuberant!
"The stuff from last night, but with a little cream and sugar, please" Edie chimes in happily, almost fighting the urge to break out into spontaneous dance. "It's okay, I'm a grown woman and folks can wonder if they want to."
With an almost conspiratorial grin she nods to Klyto. "Coffee was A-MA-ZING!"
Then she takes a glance at Keeyan, raising an eyebrow before then glancing at Bella before shrugging. "To each their own. Means when we run across material we'll have more material for you to work with when you smelt it down, right?"
"Correct! I'll just try to stay behind the armored folk. I can bestow Blessing of the Faithful on you as needed. And if I get attacked I can call on Cayden Cailean for protection, or Adoration to try and completely stop the attack...."
Deb grins. "I'll get a pot brewin'."
It isn't long before she's back with a plate of bacon, but before she sets it down, the not-Starwing raven is hopping in her direction.
"...This is for you, right?" she asks Edie. "I don't want the bird getting it if it's for you."
Keeyan chuckles when he notices the antics of the other Raven. "Hey Klyto! That bird ain't going to be able to fly if it keeps eating like that!"
"It's definitely for me, and if the bird sings again I might consider giving him a piece." Edie notes, giving the raven a Look.
Edie Gonna Cut a Bird if the Bird tries to take *her* bacon.
"Yes...most Ravens are intelligent."
Edie is fair!
Edie carefully tears up one strip of bacon into beak-sized nibbles and places them on a napkin, keeping her other hand on her plate to prevent a sneak attack .
She then slides the pre-torn bacon over to the raven.
"Be a lot easier if I understood you, or if you understood me. Could be awkward if we get into something dangerous." she comments idly while nibbling on a piece.
Edie is accepting
"It'd be kind of neat to learn, and probably a lot easier than Abyssal. That changes every thirty seconds if you're not careful, and you kind of have to growl at it to get it to stay coherent." Edie notes absently, chewing on a piece of bacon.
"Bella, what do we know about the area we're heading up to, are there any local laws/restrictions/etc we need to be aware of? Any cultural taboos?" the tiefling inquires after a few more moments of thought.
Bella is quiet for a moment," Take human redneck ignorance and xenophobia...mix in some Elven elitism and fear of modern technology and culture. Also add in some crazy Sun cult. There is a reason I ran away."
Edie is waiting eagerly for coffee.
"Do they believe in firearms/bows or magic? Will they attack us if we go to help? Is this potentially a feud like the Hatfields and the McCoys?" Edie inquires, then pauses for a moment.
"Do we need to worry about them trying bs shenanigans to make it seem like you want to stay?"
Bella responds,"Bows and magic yes. Firearms no. We may have to leave as soon as we drive off the orcs. I dont know where these or s came from...I have not been there for like 30 years. After we drive off the orcs we should be ready for anything."
"You might have problem as you are a creature of shadow...the whole Sun Cult thing tells them Darkness is bad."
With his newly awakened acceptance of a deity Keeyan is concerned. "You say 'Sun cult'? Is it a senseless thing? Or do they worship a real Deity? Sarenrae of Iomedae come to mind.... or do they have a different name?"
"I'm sorry to ask, and feel free to just tell me to shut it if this is insensitive."
"As far as I can tell the Sun Cult has no relation to Sarenrae or Iomedae. Or any commonly known gods. It is very lawful with strange rules and harsh punishments."
Edie is pretty sure she hasn't heard of a SunCult!
"...don't take this the wrong way, but... aren't elves normally a bit more... free-willed than being all orderly-like?" Edie inquires as she waves over to Deb to get her coffee and take a sip from it.
Deb does indeed bring the coffee .
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Bella is a little confused..."Why would I take offense that elves enjoy freedom and don't need thousands of laws in books to make us civilized?" she shrugs, "While They think they are the 'One True Way of Elven culture...I have learned they are a twisted and corrupt version of Elven culture. Personally I think there might be a devil behind this cult...I can't prove it though. I am only passingly familiar with planar studies."
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"Thanks Bella, and I think you may be right. I haven't studied religions or anything. I really need to change that to be a proper priest! My interests until now have been mainly magic and engineering. And a little on tech of course. But I understood elves to be.... Whimsical might be the best word I can think of. ?? But everything I've heard about cults indicates danger. They take away everything about the individual and imprint their ways."
"The cultists aren't going to like us showing up. We'll need to be ready for trouble right away. They might try to take Bella, get her to join them. But they'll probably just try to get rid of the rest of us."
"Can't help overhearin' ya, hon," says Deb, looking quizzical, "but it sounds like you're lookin' at saving a cult that wants to hurt y'all?"
Edie sorta gets it?
"Deb, it sounds like family. Hate 'em, love 'em, y' still gotta try to help 'em out until ya can't do it anymore?" the tiefling comments as she sips at the coffee in appreciation.
Deb shrugs. "Had a brother that believed in that for everyone but himself," she adds. "Eventually I told him that if he wanted to see me again he'd have to make the trip to visit me first, instead of the other way around, and you know what happened? Haven't seen him in five years."
Deb's face bunches up a little as she heaves an irritated sigh. "Family's complicated."
Edie is sympathetic!
"Yup. Haven't talked to most of mine in a while, either. Turns out looking like something that crawled out of an extraplanar portal kind of kills the 'kinship' vibe, who woulda thunk?" Edie commiserates with Deb -- and by extension also Bella.
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Bella shrugs,"Family is who you love and who loves you back. Blood is meaningless...you make your family."
Keeyan listens but tries to stay silent, at first. The others apparently had bad experiences with their families. His had been fine, until they left him on this world..... But that had been the plan, right? What was that saying he had heard from a classmate he dated a couple of times? "You pick your friends, and loved ones. Right?"
"But you can't pick your friend's nose," chimes Deb, helpfully.
"Basically yes. But I know I one day I would have to go back and confront the past. Maybe some seeing me come back with strength and grace might inspire someone who is questioning the faith to also break free."
"Unless you are REALLY good friends!" Keeyan chuckles and replies to Deb's addition.
"And that's why I chose Cayden Cailean. Freedom! To worship, or not. To stay, or go. To drink and party! Or not. Even whether or not to make a stupid decision, or not. There is no 'Break free' from his worship. If you want to, you just walk away...."
Edie has a Sunday-style contemplative moment...
"If I wasn't keen on the teachings of the Ibis Matron, I'd be easily swayed to Cayden's cause. Unfortunately, Cayden wasn't there to help when I was going through a rough spot in my life, and Shei was, providing me with some support when I needed it desperately." Edie notes absently. "She's about self-actualization, personal freedom, and the wheel of life..."
"Let's go.
Edie is *almost* set!
The tiefling finishes the one cup of coffee than looks at Deb hopefully.
"Any chance I can get some of that 'to go', and a small bag to put the remainder of my bacon in to munch on along the way?" she inquires, pulling out another gold coin warily -- she doesn't want to overpay but Deb's been taking good care of her (and the team) this viist.
"I'm good with whatever seat reclines a little bit and has space for my tail and wings. Not calling shotgun, though, I wanna nap on the way up and shotgun's supposed to help with navigating."
Deb nods and retrieves a Styrofoam cup and a matching small box to put Edie's leftovers in (whilst the bacon-loving raven attempts to get them for himself).
Whatever configuration they settle on, soon they're on their way, several thousand gold pieces richer and a good chunk of mithral in tow. Overall, the mission was a strong success!
...Which only puts a damper on the whole thing as, about an hour into the trip, Klyto feels the natural vibrations of his vehicle cut in half or so, and fairly quickly realizes that they're slowing down. Attempts to hit the gas do nothing, and in fact, the van is quickly not making any noise of its own but the bump of the tires on the road.
He can still probably coast for another few hundred feet-- the land here is mostly flat, with swamplands on either side-- but that's about all he's getting out of this van at present.
What do you do, Klyto?
Bella will get out to stretch her legs and keep a lookout.
As Klyto pops the hood, he recoils as a belch of smoke rises from the engine; his knowledge of vehicles is substantial enough that what he sees makes him frown.
The rental shop clearly didn't keep up with their oil changes.
The short version?
That engine's totaled.
Bella, meanwhile, takes a look around.
This section of swamp is... familiar, slightly. Something about the tilt of that little tree, the layout of that bit of wetlands... it's been a few decades, but she feels she's seen this place in passing before. It's far from her ancestral home, however, and she likely doesn't remember the specific path back from here. She knows they didn't live less than several miles from the main roads.
But at least you know you're close...-ish.
Klyto does not have cell service out here.
Cars on this particular path are rare. You don't see any coming up the path behind you at present.