Rollo claps the explorer on the shoulder.
Perhaps, we may. Care to join us for this next venture of helping the Giesel Riders deal with some invading tech-villagers?
When Gift looks Othalio, she sees its true form as much like its present one except with eight more spindly limbs apparently for burrowing (as it mentioned) rather than the semi-humanoid limits he's using for gesturing. It's not really a "shape shifter", just metaphoric, able to assume relatively crude shapes with its outer limbs and head. To express itself and to use tools and items created by humanoids, which it has quite a number of.
(Othalio's shoulder feels a bit like a rotten log when Rollo claps it but fungus creature doesn't seem bothered by the gesture)
Othalio considers, "So some high-technology Fendarion intruders? What reward awaits those who would vanquish them? Or perhaps keep them intact and see what might be done with them? Why they could be quite an invading force. And we have many planes available to invade from here. But still, you wish to close The Wall, which is understandable. And with this many gates together, perhaps only a true faction, like whoever built Fort Odran, could hold it. And naturally, some goody-two-shoes, like the Council For Dimensional Stability or something, will probably want to close this area and put an end to the fun. A day in the life of the multiverse." Pauses, takes out several long, brown sticks, resembling wanders. "By the ways, these are web-sticks, one charge each, works like the web spell but larger, stronger and dissolves those caught with acid. My people make them so I'm always selling them - though I only take other magic items. Also, this fruit-wine is excellent."
Gift walks off behind a rock.
::"Blue, I'm going to the Fendarions while I have this power running. You want to come?"::
If he comes she will hold his hand and they will port to Fendarions and quickly hids.
::"Do you want to snoop about while I do a scan"::
Arlo looked on as the two left. "Be alert, you two."
Rollo sighs as he watches Gift and Blue disappear.
Well, perhaps, we have time to discuss more of your travels, while we wait for them to return with more information.
Terex is just too slow to shout at Gift. Sure, she should be safe, but every time they went and poked that wyvern nest of a village there was a chance they'd go hurt someone else in their paranoia! Not to mention it would make it harder to convince them that the locals intended to bargain in good faith.
But speaking of bargaining, they still had to deal with Othalio. He wishes Rollo hadn't brought up the Fendarion village, but, well, they could work with it.
It's clear you've studied the planes a lot, the little dragon 'says' to Othalio, though he includes the rest of the group in his speech. We just think it's best for Wanthalia to not become an experiment in what Sigil would look like without an authority figure like the Lady.
That said, I think what we could most use help with in regard to the Fendarions is someone to keep an eye on the Wall for more interlopers while we're trying to treat with them. We would, of course, be willing to pay someone willing to do this, in addition to whatever could be found from the invaders themselves.
He drops the connection to Othalio and speaks only to the other party members. We don't want Othalio around when we try to negotiate a peaceful solution with the Fendarion village. It's going to be hard enough without introducing more destabalizing elements to that situation.
Of course. Someone has to watch your back he thinks to her, as he takes her hand.
Once they arrive, he says Happy to. Be careful. then he disappears and flies over toward the area, staying low and using available cover, since they may have nonvisual detection methods.
Blue and Gift
Since the closest Blue and Gift have actually been to the tech-village is the site of the battle with the robot animals, the two port to a point slightly behind it and stealthily approach. In 20-30 minutes of looking around, they find several things.
A few Fendarions outside the town talking about the situation. They're gathering resources by foot 'cause the town is conserving the energy in the batteries. The solar cells haven't been working to full effect for reasons they don't understand. They're looking for any sort of oily plant that could be used to craft plastics.
Inside the village, a smelt and other lower-tech fabrication system and the villagers seem to be slowly learning how to craft guns, simple engines and the sort of devices that could be made by a self-sufficient village. A lot of effort is being spent on the algae pools, which seem to require more maintenance than was expected. Also, there are rumors that the leaders are searching for allies - "but only the most holy types". The villagers spend a lot of time praying as well as reading their sacred text.
One thing Gift detects (before she falls into it) is a "psychic field", which now covers the center area of the village (where all of the more important buildings are). Your guess is it functions to both detect anything usual and could attack it. The psychic entity Gift battled earlier is now apparently operating on the physical plane. When viewed with Pierce-The-Veil, the field appears as a dark, roiling transparent cloud.
Only a few drones are in the air but lookouts are common and passive beam detectors as well. Occasionally also some psychic entity moves through the village, attempting to detect minds. So you stay a limited time and then return.
Back talking to Othalio.
Armaund takes up Terex' theme. "Yes, for various reasons, we would like all those attempting to exit from The Wall here turned back. You would be free to claim any belongings from those who resisted. This by itself could be lucrative but we can also offer a fixed fee plus a bounty for the more power entities. We now watch The Wall with many eyes and many kinds of eyes. As you see, we can come and go easily but we'd prefer to be elsewhere for a bit, before we return and seal the section, hopefully for good. "
Othalio makes a semblance of a smile and looks appraisingly at the party. The Council? Or Some equivalent. " Puts a hand-like appendage up, "Don't say anything, I talk too much, It is a characteristic of my race. I will say no more. Your proposition sounds like a most acceptable arrangement. I am willing to accept all I find from trespassers appearing here as well as a wage. And if you have trouble with the Fendarions, you can always call me. My ability burrow might come in handy. And if I find that something too big for even my talents has appeared, I assume I will be able to call on you as well..." It pauses, "So let us say, one month, 30,000 universal gold sovereigns and we have a deal.
::"Blue we have to go, there is a psychic entity and if it picks me up we are spotted, lets get back to the others"::
She drops off two spider drones and then ports them away.
Terex half-opens his wings in a tiny shrug. We'll just say we have our reasons. As for your fee...
He pauses for just a moment. This felt like the kind of being that expected a bit of haggling.
...it's rather steep for someone we've only just met. We have only our observations and your words to base an assessment of your capabilities on, you see. I'd say, based on what we know so far, we couldn't go higher than... 20000? Terex looks expectantly at the others.
20,500 with a monthly bonus of detailed reports.
Othalio haggles a small amount, apparently just for the fun of it, demonstrating some of its ability - burrowing, entangling, a selection of low-level wizard spells, but it then agrees to the terms, promising weekly reports ("A week can be a long time here"). It seems quite pleased with the deal. "Observing the coming and goings of things may it's own reward. But a further bonus to, I will do something the planar guardians apparently neglected. I will post threatening signs and portents directing all visitors to turn back. This service is free."
And so the agreement is made, Gift will assign a drone to watch Othalio on his duties and the group rejoins the Guardian Chirack and proceeds to the Guardian Conclave. This gathering takes place on a steep badlands-style plateau 50 miles South and East of The Wall.
Here, approximately 500 birds are gathered and already engaged in intense conversation, in both avian and common. The birds have a number of bird-scale stone-and-metal buildings they use for storage, including a large library containing their literature as well as texts from the humans and few books from other planes. With a lifespan of hundreds of years, their memories go back quite far, to when the dark ones came and earlier. Their claws and beaks have more hand-like properties than conventional parrots and they gain limited telekinetic powers as they grow older - thus they have ability to craft goods if they need to.
When the party arrives, no other birds seem to take notice of them, the conversations continue and Chirack says "Wait here" and flies to talk others. The birds seem to be having hundreds of interlocked debates on the current situation. After an hour or so of this, suddenly, the attention of the entire group seems shifts to party and Chirack returns, saying "You are the first outsiders to appear at the conclave in four hundred and eight three years. We are impressed by your power and your good deeds so far. But it would be well if you introduced yourselves to the group, so everyone can feel more comfortable with you. After that, we have ideas about where to look for information on sealing The Wall. Also, we will allow you access to our sacred library. But first, introduce yourselves.
Here, approximately 500 birds are gathered and already engaged in intense conversation, in both avian and common. The birds have a number of bird-scale stone-and-metal buildings they use for storage, including a large library containing their literature as well as texts from the humans and few books from other planes. With a lifespan of hundreds of years, their memories go back quite far, to when the dark ones came and earlier. Their claws and beaks have more hand-like properties than conventional parrots and they gain limited telekinetic powers as they grow older - thus they have ability to craft goods if they need to.
When the party arrives, no other birds seem to take notice of them, the conversations continue and Chirack says "Wait here" and flies to talk others. The birds seem to be having hundreds of interlocked debates on the current situation. After an hour or so of this, suddenly, the attention of the entire group seems shifts to party and Chirack returns, saying "You are the first outsiders to appear at the conclave in four hundred and eight three years. We are impressed by your power and your good deeds so far. But it would be well if you introduced...
Arlo looks up in wonder at the flocks of birdfolk chatting loudly above them. When asked to introduce themselves, the dwarf steps forward, projecting his voice up into the high reaches.
"Greetings. My name is Arlo Brighthammer. I'm a paladin, a holy warrior of the dwarven god Moradin. I have fought many battle against the forces of evil, and I hope to fight many more." Holding out his hand to the android, Arlo continued. "And I am here with my daughter, GIFT."
"Hi"
She waves at the flock.
"It's bring you daughter to work day, so don't mind me"
Terex sends the party a telepathic eyeroll. Gift, now isn't the time to be facetious. We're trying to make a good impression and I'm sure they've been watching enough to know you're just as important to our team as anyone else.
He then turns his attention to the gathered group. As many of them aren't in range of his telepathy, he clears his throat and does something he very rarely does... speak out loud.
"I am Terexaltherin." As opposed to the powerful baritone voice he projects via telepathy, it's clear that the little dragon is straining to make his high-pitched natural voice sound a bit deeper even as he almost-shouts to be heard by the whole gathering. "I'm skilled with many types of tools both mundane and magical, and a bit of a scholar."
::"Ot-O! Granpa Terex is all grumpy:::
Rollo cast Comprehend Languages as they advanced to the conclave. The Sage then listens intently to the Avian language, attempting to perfect the language.
The dhampir greets the Guardians with a bow deemed worthy of an important audience.
Greeting Guardians. I am called Rollo Qantas, arcane specialist--literally.
He winks at the others.
We are most honored to be invited to your conclave. Our pleasure to serve.
::"You know dragons. Always angry or sleepy. Probably got a bit of someone stuck in his teeth. But he's not completely wrong; you are an important part of the team. You're the one that holds us together."::
Drifting above the ground, Blue bows to the collected birds. "It is is always a pleasure to be among those who first mastered the air. Your kind are an inspiration to my own. As for myself, I fight with weapon and magic equally." he says, his flesh hand holding a baton that emits a short beam of focused light, even as his mechanical hand crackles with electricity. With a flourish, he puts the laser torch away and stops the flow of electricity from his hand.
Once the party gives their presentation, the Guardians fly in a complicated ritual shape, each passing by the various party members with some of them shouting greeting and good wishes. They then give a shriek in unison and go back to their discussions as before. At point, Chirak and several other birds approach you and describe what ideas the Guardians have.
The Guardians say they have gone over a number of area to visit and their highest recommendation is deep pit known as the heart of the world. Chirck quotes their ancient lore: "This world of Wanthalia, originated in an explosive flow of the four elements coming from nothing. But it was without purpose and intelligence until Eolan the Crafter (and his Celestial Family) adopted it and guided it to create the flow of abundant life the exists here. And life was good. However, Eolan foresaw that transplanar manifestation known as "The Wall" would manifest in a dangerous form in this plane and to protect Wanthalia and his work he dug to the deepest part of the world, extracted the heart of the tallest mountain, transformed it into a spirit and then that spirit, 'Heart's protection' transformed itself into the seal. After wards, he appointed the Guardians of The Wall to protect the seal and left the multiverse for unknown places." ... comments, "So we can't say what happened to this spirit, 'heart's protection' since the destruction of the wall. Those we send down this hole speak of a fierce animalistic presence that they fled from - or don't return at all. But with your considerable power, you may to be able to face the force or analyze the situation. If you wish, you analyze our library for a bit first."
The hole is only ten miles from the conclave and you are able to hike or fly there in a morning. The hole indeed leads straight down. It has strange grooves in it, like tree roots, so one somewhat awkward climb down into it. It also has an acrid, smokey smell to it - a smell that denote some form of devil but also could be an number of other things - it supposedly goes down ~15,000 feet, the height of the highest mountain in Wanthalia (2.5 miles).
She liked the Birds flying around and waved at the ones she wanted.
====
Then at the pit, she looked down it. Then ported throw a spider drone over its center and dropped it down. Bring it up its POV in a screen in front of her.
"Once I have a tack of the bottom I can port us all down there. Or you can take a the long way down."
Arlo's eyes lit up slightly at the prospect of a good-old underground hike, but when GIFT suggested the much faster and safer teleport, the dwarf nodded to himself agreeing that way was the best option.
The dwarf paladin walks over to his android daughter. "15,00 feet is a long way to teleport. Are you sure this can be done, dear?"
Rollo will want to study at the library if time permits.
"15,00 feet is a long way to teleport. Are you sure this can be done, dear?"
She slapped the comms unit,
"Walls are too thick, lost the signal."
Then Seeing her Dad's chest fall she says.
"I think your right Dad, this close to the wall, long Port may be too risky. It's 2.84 miles down. What we could do is Me,
Terex and Blue fly down slowly. While you and the others clime. If any of you fall, we will come in and catch you. Takes 68 seconds to free-fall down so there is time. How dose that sound.? "
"I think your right Dad, this close to the wall, long Porting may be too risky, so it's 2.84 miles down. What we could do is Me,
Terex and Blue fly down slowly while you and the others clime. Even if any of you fall we will come in and catch you. How dose that sound.? "
Arlo ponders then nods. "I see the wisdom in your words, daughter. Hope you flying-folk don't get too bored waiting for us. I could take a few hours."
Rollo will cast Levitate on those who cannot fly. He just jumps....
Terex spends some time in the library, but... surprisingly finds he just can't focus. His mind keeps returning to the discussion he'd had with Armaund the other day, and the feeling of something missing he'd been having of late. So he's glad enough to leave and go to the big hole.
That's... a deep hole, Terex comments unhelpfully as the group decides how to descend. Honestly, if we were confident in a way to slow down at the bottom, just falling and then slowing down near the bottom would be fastest. But given that the Dark Traders might have a guardian or something down here... a more controlled descent is better.
That said, he dives in, planning to stay ahead at about the edge of his telepathy range to give the slightest bit of forewarning with his darkvision if something is coming up as they descend.
Rollo begins floating light as a feather as the Sage falls slowly down the shaft. The dhampir takes out a book to read as he waits for landing....
"15,00 feet is a long way to teleport. Are you sure this can be done, dear?"She slapped the comms unit,
"Walls are too thick, lost the signal."
Then Seeing her Dad's chest fall she says.
"I think your right Dad, this close to the wall, long Port may be too risky. It's 2.84 miles down. What we could do is Me,
Terex and Blue fly down slowly. While you and the others clime. If any of you fall, we will come in and catch you. Takes 68 seconds to free-fall down so there is time. How dose that sound.? "
"As many twists and turns as they say that hole has, I imagine it'd take a lot longer to fall than that. Though I have no desire to find out from experience; pinballing off the sides all the way down isn't something I'd want to try." Blue puts in.
Terex and Rollo struggle with the bird's library for a couple days with the party continues to socialize with the chattering Guardians. They are interesting yet relate in a way that's distinct from humanoids (but seems somewhat familiar to Terex and Armaund). The library itself is organized quite differently from a human library, with the books seemingly endless collections of songs and scattered notes on this and this with references to other notes and tales, all in Avian (which Armaund speaks fluently but everyone else needs magic to read).
The Conclave actually will continue for a week or so, with some birds leaving and others coming to take their place. There are scribe/librarians who could help but they will occupied the entire time and a bit afterwards. So after a couple days, the decision is made to seek go to the hole.
Minna crafts a strong belay harness for everyone who's climbing down to use, along some mini-parachutes to cushion any falling. As the fliers descend first, they notice Blue is correct that the hole twists and turns enough that flying much ahead would be useless - and the harness system makes this climb essentially safe as well as speeding the process considerably.
So down the party goes.
After four hours, at approximately the 1.5 miles down, the hole twists to one side and Gift, the flier in the lead, sees two metal, gargoyle-shaped creatures holding nets become visible in a hidden area the twist creates, just as she comes within fifteen feet of them. One throws a net out, grappling her and the other flies a short ways out and nets Blue as well. The other party members are 20-30' behind these two lead fliers. Armaund immediately leaps down the tunnel, grabbing the net of and ripping it out of the hands of the creature holding Blue. .
She was outside the meeting walking around when she came across some of the village kids. They stopped the game of ball they were playing. A game that seems to be about getting it onto some kind of hoop, held high on sick stand.
A girl no more than 12 walked out of the group and looked up at her.
"My father says you and the birls are going to help us form the metal people."
Gift thought a moment.
"Yes we will if we can."
The girl seemed to want to ask something more but thought better of it.
Gift felt some ice needed to be broken.
"How do you play this game? I have not seen it like before."
The child seem to let her thoughts go now she had someone to explain things to. Gift could tell she was the kind of kid who liked being bossy.
"Maric show her"
Miric a boy of about 12 also spread his legs. They picked up the ball made from some kind of cloth, and ran at him, she slid between his legs then sprang up and tossed the ball at the hoop. It went in and the girl turned to look at Gift.
"Each team takes turns, you can't run with the ball you have to pass it until of your team runs over the halfway line. You can run, go between their legs and try and score by throwing the ball into the hoop. The deeper your spreader gets across the line the better chance of scoring. But. And she pushed Maric over. "If the other side pushes you spreader over or they touch you making your run, your team lost the ball and other side goes."
Gift got the idea,
"Can I have a try?"
The children giggled,
"Ya sore, you can be our spreader."
Gift took off jacket and spears and put them to one side,
Then went to one side, soon the ball was being passed from one member of her team to another. And the girl's que Gift ran across the line and spread her legs, the girl ran and was just about to go between her legs when two boys slammed into her and sent Gift tubing. She stood and dusted herself off.
"Well that was a hard knock."
On of the boys who had hit her was rubbing his shoulder.
"She is hev-y Bell"
The girl looked at gift. Gift got it now, they had been hoping to play a trick on her. Bell was just a little to slow to get between her legs before being knocked over. Gift fell back on the floor.
"O my side, you really hit me hard."
The girl smiled.
"Tell you what how about I try and score this time. You want to be the spreader Bell"
The girl could not refuse but she knew this outworlder would again be slow and lose the ball. The game started again and soon Gift nodded at the girl to make the run. She ran, she ran almost to the hoop. The other team someone wanted only to catch gift. So Gift ran, Gift seem incredibly Acrobatic, sliding jumping, and leaping over child after child. Bell's eyes went wide as Gift came down rolled, went between her legs came up and then missed the hoop. The kids fell about laughing and gift now looked wide eyes at the hoop. Bell came and slapped her on the back.
"Better luck next time, you want another go?"
Gift looked at the kid who was almost her hight,
"You Bet ya!"
She was standing on the wall of the cave one moment, on her back the next, a net folding in on her.
As the Robot came at her, instant kicked and she ported just outside the net. But she was still prone, she moved
As it went to attack she shifted her personal gravity and tumbled away.
She looked over and saw Blue also trapped.
"BLUE!"
I knew the Dark Traders must have left something here! Terex declares as the ambush springs.
He draws his shocking grasp wand and tries to dart past the gargoyles to flank them as the others come up behind him.
"GIFT!" Arlo tries his best to hurry down to help his daughter.
Arlo stumbles and goes bouncing past the combat happening on the ledge of the steep downward chute. Fortunately, after that, parachute Minna gave him opens and he's floating downward at a rate of 20' round.
The dwarf curses with frustration with every hit against the tunnel, until his parachute opens and he floats down past his GIFT, Blue and Terax.
"BLUE!"
As Blue struggles to get free, he looks across to Gift Gotta help her! With Armaund's help, he gets loose, and raises his arm to point at the gargoyle that had trapped Gift (whom, he notices, has already freed herself.) and fires at it.
+(x1.5)=19 (Total 35)
+(x1.5)=19 (Total 39)
Blue severely damages one of the creature and you can see a hint of what looks like in fear in the Gargoyles' reptilian faces as both creatures leap straight downward, stabilizing with their wings to skirt the rough, twisted stone walls of the down chute and zoom into the darkness.
As the creatures fly down, Armaund takes careful aim with his howitzer and destroys the creature Blue damaged, the explosion booming into the darkness.
Blue severely damages one of the creature and you can see a hint of what looks like in fear in the Gargoyles' reptilian faces as both creatures leap straight downward, stabilizing with their wings to skirt the rough, twisted stone walls of the down chute and zoom into the darkness.
While gently descending, Arlo awkwardly draws The Arlosword and swipes at the nearest gargoyle.
Terex rather doubts that his stinger would penetrate the metal 'hide' of these gargoyle-ish creatures, and he doesn't have time to use his wand, so he just watches them go sullenly. In a flash of self-insight he realizes that this is part of what's bothering him--these moments when he's forced to realize that his own natural abilities count for so little, his skills are so limited, that he mostly relies on magic tools to be helpful.
And deep down, he hates this feeling.
Shaking himself free of these thoughts he dives down after the fleeing gargoyle. I can sense invisible things! Let me be in front this time! he says to the rest of the group.
Gift sees blue getaway and as the gargoyle-ish creatures dive away she focuses on the undamaged one. Standing on the wall, her personal gravity holding her, she held her hand out and closed it, as telekinetic force reached out.
"And where do you think you're going!"
Rollo floats unerringly down and into the deep. The dhampir's blue eyes finding the darkness familiar.
As the two metal, gargoyle-shaped creatures suddenly attack them, Rollo cast Haste on the party!
"O poop!"
"This accursed tunnel is too small for me to fly in but we shouldn't let that creature escape, I think." says Armaund looking down from the small ledge.
"All right"
And she is gone, porting after the beat.
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Dimension Step (Su) 2xday
An elocater of 3rd level or higher can slip psionically between spaces as if using the fold space power, once per day. The elocater cannot bring any other creatures with her. Her manifester level for this effect is equal to her elocater level. At 6th level, the elocater gains a second daily usage, and at 9th level, she can use this ability three times per day.
Gift moved ahead of the Stone best and waited, this time she would spring the trap.
As it fells towards her, she is suddenly everywhere are once, so fast she is flanking herself.
She aimed most for its wings.
Terex flies hard to keep up with the creature, switching to his web wand as he thinks of what might be most useful. Before he can use it, though, Gift is all over the gargoyle thing smashing it up. Sighing, the little dragon refrains from webbing them both, instead waiting to see what happens next.
Blue hurtles after the gargoyle, trying to catch up enough to take a shot.