Terexaltherin doesn't really want to do any growing of the samples. Huh... if we had a way to move them to another plane, that might work, given how they're designed specifically for this plane... I'm not volunteering my library, though!
The thought has both humor and horror attached.
But given how <Shimmer> reacts to them, that may be hard to pull off. Maybe if we open a portal ahead of time an lure them into it?
Minna describes having been through a serious of painful relationships with various adventurers, most recently with the infamous Fentor Fizzlebrow, who betrayed The Organization and has been marauding through the planes finding material to feed an artifact he owns (but other earlier affairs also).
<Shimmer> could create a different demi-plane from the library, one with very similar characteristics to the present plane and with a laboratory and growth media inside. It would be a dangerous operation. But until, unless you have more of the worm to work with or proceed a different way, Rollo's hunches will have to remain hunches.
Minna describes having been through a serious of painful relationships with various adventurers, most recently with the infamous Fentor Fizzlebrow, who betrayed The Organization and has been marauding through the planes finding material to feed an artifact he owns (but other earlier affairs also).
Strandel nods with a sympathic ear. "Mortal men can be so brutish."
I don't know about making a lab, but do we have a better option? Terexaltherin begins uncertainly. If we do it we should definitely anchor ourselves well away from here. But even if we do, what more do we hope to discover? What can we do with the information? Can we actually do something about cutting the worms off from what they're aimed at on this plane?
Gift sounded conciliatory.
::"Terexaltherin sorry but you did not grow up in a world where scientific methodology was at its core. So I understand why you would want answers before facts. But one can't jump to a conclusion, one must do the research to get the facts and then build working hypotheses on that. Let me put it like this, to defeat one's enemies one must understand them. In this case the warms. Warms that have amazing capabilities and are amazingly resilient. But I have a theory, one I hope to test. That we can turn strengths into weaknesses. But to do that I need to analyze their genome. To identify how they are able to be so resilient. When you ask, can we actually do something about the worms well once we have done the leg work we will know or at least know more about how to do just that. So As for a lab, the best one I know of is my mother's. If everyone is happy too, I can planes jump us there and we can start"::
Minna comments "I certainly hope Fentor is still mortal, especially if we meet again. Maybe a brute but not a man but one my kind. Still, I have known men... Cerdric hurt me when he vanished... but he wasn't a brute I'd say"
In reply to Terex' comment, Armaund says, "I haven't looked at the aura in detail but I have a simple guess too concerning this planar weakness you say they're feeding on - it's connected to the formless of the Tarnuviens. Their "fixedness" is being drained - or something like that. If analyzing the worms is tricky, we could visit one of their cities. See whether the worms are somehow getting energy from them. Or maybe organize the Tarnuviens to make war on the worms. " and in response to Gift "I've never been scientist but the humans I lived with for years had the start of science and I admit it can be the best way to proceed - if it's safe. We can test our various hypotheses"
Minna comments "I certainly hope Fentor is still mortal, especially if we meet again. Maybe a brute but not a man but one my kind. Still, I have known men... Cerdric hurt me when he vanished... but he wasn't a brute I'd say."
Strandel smiles a secret smile and nods as Minna goes on about her past relationship woes.
Terexaltherin broadcasts a mental eye-roll, with enough context interwoven to make clear he's annoyed at Gift's condescending tone.
I've lived more of my life off my home plane than on it by now, Gift. I know what science is, he states. The same telepathic undercurrent suggests he's also thinking he's lived longer than her.
I guess I wasn't being clear. Armaund seems to have gotten what I mean, though. Are there alternatives that could help us learn what we need? I'd rather go study what's going on with the Tarnuviens and see if it matches our hypothesis rather than risk messing up and unleashing another plane-eating worm on the multiverse.
Gift takes a moment, processing.
::"Terexaltherin, I know that tone, your thinking, how can this android little more than a year old, tell me an old wise Dragon what is best? I understand your viewpoint I do. I understand your cousen when it comes to science. It's scary stuff, Planes where science rules are rare in the multi. Most planes run on magic and intuition, Gods, and mortals' gut feelings over this idea of hard peer-reviewed facts. So much safer to work in your magical tower for eons and figure out in secret how to SHAZAM things into being. I understand that many magical beings may have an inherent biose to science they may be unaware of. Distrust toward science is the norm in the planes. There is a reason why we scientists are called the 'God Learners' It's because of the sheer power of science, even gods can be deconstructed. And many find that worrying"::
She sounds conciliatory when she says.
::"Terexaltherin it's okay you can trust science, it's only another form of magic really. I will just take a few cells, extract the RNA and DNA, place it in a gene sequencer, then take that data and model the warms in C-Space, a simulation I can then run simulated tests on. Once I have done this the sample will be destroyed, I really can't make it any safer."::
Terexaltherin may be older but Gift had the sensitivity of... well of an Andriod.
Terexaltherin telepathically broadcasts a sigh. No Gift, you don't understand at all. Haven't you looked around my library before? Does it look like the abode of someone afraid of science? If anything my caution comes from spending a lifetime being bite-sized to so many things.
That said this is just the kind of suggestion I was hoping for. A simulation should hopefully get us the information we need without the risk of growing worm tissue--though I wouldn't put it past the Dark Traders to encode a virus into the DNA just to protect against analysis.
So, maybe we can split efforts? Gift and maybe Minna could work on analysis and simulation, while Armaund, Rollo and I could go investigate the connection between the Tarnuviens and what the worms are doing? And Strandel, I'm not sure which side you'd go better with.
"Cayden! They always bicker like this?" Strandel thumbs over to the pseudodragon and android, while still listening to Minna.
"I guess I could go and help the dragons. It's always a good 'rule of thumb' to help good dragons. No offense, ladies. Let's let the smart, pretty ladies orchestrate their Sciences." The satyr offers.
She takes Terexaltherin sigh.
She was just over a year old and to her being sighed at by the old was a constent. Yikes!! her mum and dad were always doing it. Just because she changed her body design again.
::"Well it seems we have a plan at last. Mr Strandel we do not bicker, we discuss and debate, and sometimes we even food fight. But as a team, we always have a plan. Minia let us 'pretty ladies' go do work in the lab."::
That last line went with an undertone of 'Men!'
Armaund smiles and says "Excellent, a plan" and sniffs the thin mountain air
Minna, in response to Strandel "Oh yes, our group debates everything marvelously well and I always feel included" and as the group is starting the simulation... she grabs Strandel and say "don't think you will get out of working that easily ... I have a new trick, I am going to merge your senses with Gift's simulation program and you will get to experience this science first hand, my horny friend.
And Minna is able to work a bit of magic that allows even the most scientifically illiterate characters to understand the simulated worm. So working together the party discovers a fair amount about the worm's mechanism (details of growth and general biology). The things are very hardy and indeed consume something like the metaphysical solidness of this plane - this manifests as a temptation to live entirely within a sort of realm of appearances.
There are two ways to stop this that immediately suggest themselves - one is for the Tarnuviens to reclaim their form and substance somehow. The other is to produce some "counterfeit" version of "solidness". Though exactly how to accomplish the second approach is uncertain.
And once everything is done, Armaund comments "So now off to one of those cities, I think. What approach should we use?"
Gifts internal mainframe is running the worm sim. The vast quantum calculations little her mind like waterfalls of data. While other parts of her mind are linked to testing programs. Dipping in and out like brilliteen fish. The others got it to see it by Minne's link to the hive mind like this. The sim worms munching by a waterfall. Overhead Gift cyberspace form looked down. When her mind voice when it comes has a little echo the other parts of her internal AI respond as well.
::"Fascinating really just fascinating. What an organism, it feeds on a plans substrate of fundamental hyperlinks. The very holographic strings that hold the fundamental forces. Realy then this is all about reversing the polarity of energy flow. Ether we switch it or divert it. By utilizing 'shimmer' a sixth-dimensional being. We could craft a synthetic version of "solidness" by making a temporary hyper-dense-Proto plan, and attracting the worms to it. It's probily how dark traders get them from plan to plan. If got them to bite so to speak, this would then free up this plans subsrater of solidness for the Tarnuviens to reclaim their form and substance. The problem is how do we do both at the same time?"::
She seems enthralled by them.
Minna, in response to Strandel "Oh yes, our group debates everything marvelously well and I always feel included" and as the group is starting the simulation... she grabs Strandel and say "don't think you will get out of working that easily ... I have a new trick, I am going to merge your senses with Gift's simulation program and you will get to experience this science first hand, my horny friend.
And Minna is able to work a bit of magic that allows even the most scientifically illiterate characters to understand the simulated worm. So working together the party discovers a fair amount about the worm's mechanism (details of growth and general biology). The things are very hardy and indeed consume something like the metaphysical solidness of this plane - this manifests as a temptation to live entirely within a sort of realm of appearances.[/ooc]
The satyr winces once again as his brain becomes altered yet again. But this time, Strandel is marveling at the information being slowing absorbed by his fey brain.
"Oh, WOW!" Minna's 'horny' friend exclaims. "It's like some kind of Direct Teaching. Forget the eyes and go straight into the long-term memory! As a bard, I can clearly see it's value! This process would revolutionize formal education as it's currently known!"And once everything is done, Armaund comments "So now off to one of those cities, I think. What approach should we use?"
"Ah. Another city. Hopefully not one so choked with air pollution as Sigil is!" Strandel made a face of disgust.
Minna is happy with her work.
"So then we best get started"
she slings her weapon around her back and holds out her ands.
"Lets make a ring"
Strandel awkwardly steps forward to take the android's hand.
Her hand is cold, like stone.
All right, we should be able to go into a city... pretty much as we are, though we might draw more attention than we really want, Terexaltherin comments. Maybe just tell a story about being travelers from another city? With their shapeshifting and assuming roles that should be pretty easy to pull off.
So, are we information gathering while we're there or are we wanting to start changing things? We could lay some groundwork for presenting them with a grand quest like we were talking about before coming if we think that would help. Make sure to remind me to look into portable power sources for <Shimmer> when we get back to Sigil, though.
As Terexaltherin tests on her shoulder. She takes Rollo's hand, Minna and the others hold hands and she Psi-ports them to the target location.
In response to Terex, Armaund says, "Information gathering unless something presents itself, I'd think."
And then the party gathers together and teleports to the outskirts of the most Northern of the cities you previous observed.
On these outskirts, it's very easy to stay fairly hidden and observe. Moving carefully towards the center, what you observe is alternatively desolate and chaotic. The buildings and fields that you mostly seem like well tended ruins of a mid-to-high-tech society. However, maybe every quarter mile or so you find an elaborate party, a mock battle, a scientific experiment, a lecture or some similar scene be conducted by groups Tarnuviens. You guess the various scenes are drawn from Tarnuvien history but done in a simplistic, even juvenile way. Occasionally the scene stops and one of them pleads for nutrient and it becomes scene of pleading and wheedling with everyone saying they have no source for more but occasionally sharing with those having less. Altogether, the groups seems bored yet desperate. Still, your knowledge of Tarnuvien history, gotten from the library, tells you that some of scenes have a seriousness to them, a serious effort to resolve historical and philosophical questions, even if these are unresolvable for creatures that have only one need, which cannot be met.
Armaund mutters, "How, how? How can we return these creatures to the natural world?"
As they arrive Gift swings her weapon around and givers the party as they move. Scanning passed them with its scope. As 12 of her tiny drones take to the air, like incests and sawm around them some distance out.
::"Ill take the back"::
Then as they move and see the odd events playing out.
::"It seems a like a collective act of faith"::
"You know, what always help me become endeared to a community is playing a little tune on my pipes", Strandel suggested. "It looks like these folks are literally starving for entertainment."
As the party enters the (unnamed so-far) city , Gift sends out her drones and they find similar scenes outsider your route as well. The various "performances" seem fairly random but you see hints hear and there of coordination. Continued observation may lead to more information...
Strandel begins a magnificent performance a short ways away from one of the larger gatherings the party finds. As he performs, the Tarnuviens gather around, fascinated by the performance and seeming to drink it up and become more substantial.
The satyr plays various beautiful melodies on his panpipes, invoking far away places and mythic locales.
Rollo wanders toward once of the larger groups that are performing. The Sage listens for quite a while before creating the very scenes mentioned by using his illusion magic.
In the fairly desolate cityscape around him, Strandel spins a tail of a wholly different, vibrant world while Rollo makes it seem real. After a minute of this, Strandel can feel the group of Tarnuviens around him coming more alive and stabilizing but he also feels a tremendous drain of his own vitality from this effect.
As this is happening, Gift notices one Tarnuvien in particular leave the group and begin running in straight line towards the center of this "city".
Gift jumps into the air and follows
::"We have a runner, I bet its heading to the powers that be, giving chance by air"::
Strandel plays music that evokes his first home, The First World. Songs of noble Seelie courts and foul Unseelie marauders fighting heroic battles while describing the epic beauty of forest, sweeping fields of grass, and boundless shorelines.
After a minute of music...
As Strandel plays, the Tarnuviens listening, maybe about 50, take on a certain fey aspect more solid and yet more wild... As this happens an even larger group gathers, maybe 500 looking with curiosity (Armaund on the mind-link ::Finally an effect but what do we do with it?.
During this time, the "runner" continues straight toward the city center, about half an hour by foot away. They're skirting the larger "scene"
Strandel continues to play his beautifully evocative melodies, using a bardic performance in doing so. The satyr is enjoying the fact his music might be making more fey!
Strandel consider for a moment and then tries to invoke a party atmosphere, which possibly/hopefully leading to a massive wave of debauchery and orgies, using a bardic performance to power it.You have to make new fey somehow..
The sublime satyr will also use a channel positive energy charge and shoot it outward as he plays, to see if it has any effect.
Terexaltherin follows after the runner as well, 'saying' to the party as he does, This may be a Dark Traders agent. Gift, we should try to keep stealthy while we follow him, he might lead us to their base of operations here if he is an agent and doesn't know we're following.
::"Understood Terexaltherin, pulling back, I will track them from high as long as I can, good luck."::
She pulls back and heads to height,
stopping then using her scope
Over the next hour:
Gift and Terex follow the runner to the city and they stop and talk to another Tarnuvien who had previous had to form of a small cat.
That second Tarnuvien again take the form of a cat and vanishes through some tunnels.
Meanwhile,
Strandel consider for a moment and then tries to invoke a party atmosphere, which possibly/hopefully leading to a massive wave of debauchery and orgies, using a bardic performance to power it.You have to make new fey somehow..
Strandel succeeds in inspiring a joyous, fey hedonism into all of his listeners, imbuing them with the mythos and energy of the first world. The Tarnuviens take on beautiful and vibrant physical forms and enrich their senses in all ways.
At the end, one of the celebrants admits to hunger and gradually group begins talking of the need to eat and realize their have gone years without the joy of touching food. The energy Strandel expends actually manages to make Rollo's illusions tangible the Tarnuviens eat and drink them with gusto.
::"Terexa my drone will not get there in time"::
The satyr soaks in the applause and praise of the new fey Tarnuviens.
Well, my new teammates. I can play some more if needed, but I can't produce any food for my new race, of which they shall now be known as Strandeliens. I'll play some more until we get some better ideas., Strandel thinks over the hivemind.
"MY BEAUTIFUL STRANDELIENS!!" The bard shouted over the crowd. "Shall I play some more?!"
With that, Strandel plays more mythic fey melodies, using a bardic performance.
Over the next two hours...
Strandel sings, entertains and inspires his newly awaken "Strandelelians" and there are many marvelous festivities though also a bit of grumbling for lack of food and a few honor duels (that are quickly settled).
At the end of the two hours, Armaund appears suddenly in dragon form with the carcasses of about a dozen scrawny goats and deer. After the shock of his appearance fades, there is much rejoicing and food for the group for about two days (and then "the dragon" disappears as quickly as it appeared).
During that time also, other quite few other Tarnuviens come, observe and leave and it seems the other Tarnuvien "scenes" now often reflect the situation of the newly arrived Strandelelians - but still this is small number of change Tarnuviens and already they are a challenge for the party to handle.
Stranded walks among his Strandelelians, answering questions and tries to convince one of the more beautiful females to assist him in a live demonstration of their new reproductive organs.
Seeing no real threats Gift comes back down and lands. She finds a small wall, resting her rifle against it. She sits watching what is goings on. Every now and then she surfaces scans a mind. She also scans the airwaves to see if anyone is transmitting. All this time her minuscule drones fly around the city mapping it.
::"Terexaltherin has gone after our runner. Other than that this please seems secure."::
Leaning back on the wall she looks like she is looking at the sky, But in fact, she is scanning the feeds from her drone. The four she always has around her and the 12 mappings the city. She also revied the memories her 'mother' had hidden from her. The ones from her past life before she was reprogramed to be a dutiful daughter and protector.
Of late Gift sounds a little colder than before, her body form is that of a woman now, and she seems more reserved, in inclosed in herself.
More detached. There seems to be more than the mission on her mind.
Terexaltherin doesn't quite dare get close enough to hear what the two tarnuvians say. He waits for the one to depart before cautiously approaching the tunnel the other one disappeared down.
I'm going to be very careful exploring this, he informs Gift. Then he activates his "don't notice me" effect and creeps into the tunnel, wary of traps as he goes.
::"I'll have a drone close Terexa, if you get any trouble let us know."::
Terex follows the second tarnuvian through the tunnel for about 300 feet and it leads to the surface - the trail shows the creature changed form every 100 feet, ending with the creature taking the form of a bird and apparently flying off (not being visible anywhere). The trail is cold and Terex has no choice but to return to where the party is considering the newly "born" Strandelelians.
As Strandel encourages a number to further ecstatic experience, Minna helps others to produce some of the bare implements they need for basic survival (while fending off the advances of the more enthusiastic Strandelelians) and Armaund gathers a bit more food with the comment, "Game is scarce here, I don't want to exhaust all the food in the immediate area so I'm forced to go further afield. And feel like we need to think about the next step soon, however much enjoyment the present may bring."
As Terexaltherin comes back.
::"Ya lost them, Terex I'm shocked, they must have some skills to lose you. There is another way, give me a few hours and I may be able to pinpoint them"::
Shapeshifting like this is really useful, Terexaltherin admits, a little jealously. He shares the image of the Tarnuvian's tracks switching forms.
I suppose I should have anticipated it, though. Still it gives us a warning--someone knows we're here, and will probably act against us.
When Terex arrives back at what is now the Strandelelian camp, Armaund remarks, "Yes, I'm sure we're being watched. I or you can sense anything that comes near but with so many curious onlookers, how do we find the actual enemy? (perhaps Gift has some ideas?) I'm occupied with gathering food for our new group - who at least seem to be growing stronger and more confident. And I must hand it to Ari, the Strandel has provided an energy we needed. Still, I think he could teach his followers other skills as well. But we will make do." At which point he again leaves to hunt food for the camp.
::"That I do Armaund, that I do, well you best be on and get em fed."::
She then finds a spot away from the others and sits. she sets her drones up to keep an eye on things and then goes hunting.