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"Yeah, I figured that out too. SHe's not just an elf, she's an elf starting at roughly OUR age." He admits "Honestly, Betzolte? I'm thrilled for her. I hope she enjoys a long happy healthy life. Course, with Kassen now endangered from her rapist ,who I haven't mentioned to her yet, though I need to, happy may not be her state when she gets the news." His joy dims
"That makes it worse!" Betzolte retorts. "Almost ANY magical being who makes bargains like the one you did like to give you what you wish for with some twist that makes it bad...and now that your mom's not just an elf, but a young one too...Grobradon, that means she's going to have to watch you grow into an old man and pass away while she's still young."
She frowns. "I know...I know what Halk did to her was horrible and you blame yourself as a product of that but...she still loves you! Give yourself some credit, you've made yourself into a man she can be proud of, regardless of how you came into the world."
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"Oh Sweet Desna! Are you guys trying to get roles in a Chelish Opera?" She had never watched a Chelish Opera. Obviously. She was a halfling and if she had been in Cheliax she'd be in chains, but the drama levels were beyond reasonable.
"The milk is already spilled, girls. Grobadon did what he thought was right and both him and his mother are happy with the results. Perhaps it was ill advised and so on and so forth, but they are grown up enough to deal with their sh...stuff when they have to." Argh, damned Pa and his rules about not swearing.
"Sooo, how about we focus and stop searching for a horn in a horse's head?"
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Moon blinks and smiles, ”So, I do nice things for your mom and I get kisses? I can work with that.” She looks like she is planning a string of good deeds when Betz ruins the mood.
”That makes it worse! … Grobradon, that means she's going to have to watch you grow into an old man and pass away while she's still young."
She rounds on the dwarf. ”Nonsense! Losing people isn’t a nefarious torment, it’s life. I’ll be dead for a century before my mother sees old age. Grob, I’m sad to say, will likely live only half as long as I do, IF we don’t get killed in the next two weeks. That’s life. Should I not…” She quickly amends the lewd thing she was going to say, Damn, that was a good kiss. ”not be with him because he’s likely to die before me? Shouldn’t I enjoy the time we do have instead of dreading the time we won’t? And finally… would you stop busting his b@ll@cks, I’ve got a better use for them!” Moon clamps a hand over her mouth - in as much shock she said it as anyone might have been hearing it.
Don’t apologize – own it. She puts her hand down and adds, ”My internal monologue periodically chooses to speak.” Then she point to Erigga, "She's right."
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Grobradon chuffs at Moon's theory, and is ready to admit that would probably work.
But Betzolte's worry for his mother is of another sort, though still touching. He ends up nodding at Erriga's support , in that he is old enough to make stupid mistakes freely and now it is DONE. And Moon's defense of him is ... well, a lot more than touching.
"Betzolte, I appreciate you looking after my mom in your own way. Hell, maybe that long after I'm gone you and she will be friends for dwarves don't die of old age for a long time either. But I've known I might die before mom even before this depending on how orc blood dominated or didn't, or at the least I'd be ancient by the time most were middle aged. But it's like Moon and Erigga said, it's done, and we all lose people. Mom's already lost friends, she was a survivor of.. well, you know. Not everyone does survive. She also knows I age faster. It'll hurt, but ..she'll grieve aNd then know joy again."
"In the end, it's not the amount of years in your life, it's the amount of life in your years" His normally gruff and indifferent expression isn't there right now, his red flecked green eyes soft, "I'll die one day, maybe tomorrow, maybe decades later under a tree's shade, but when I do, I'm gonna go down roaring."
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Sleep comes quickly when you finally arrive back at Arnama's home with Awyn in tow. When you awake, the sun is up. Dale is up already, cooking breakfast. Arnama and Meep, though, are still fast asleep. After eating and getting ready, you head out to run the errands you had planned, buying a cold iron weapon and picking up the nails you asked for from Braggar and talking to you mother about a lot of what has happened in the past month and a half among them. The mayor's head maid greets you when you arrive at Mayor Uptal's house and leads up to your mother's room. She looks as if she hadn't slept well, indeed, you can't recall seeing her in a more disheveled state as she sits up in bed with her loose hair hanging however it pleases over her back and shoulders. A bowl of hot cereal with honey and fruit preserves sit untouched on a tray in her lap as she stares into it. When the door opens, she looks up as the maid announces your arrival. "Please call if you need anything," the middle-aged woman says before closing the door behind you.
Moon takes a chair and watches her mother stare at her uneaten breakfast for a moment. “It may be the last thing on your mind, mother, but you should try to eat. It is often a comfort when things have gone wrong. It can ground you.”
Ellianna flinches when you speak, but then nods before taking a few bites of the oat pottage. After a minute or so, she puts the spoon down and stares into the bowl again. "How long have I been blind? How long have you been someone strong and capable? How did I miss you turning into the person I wished I could be," she asks. "My siblings are right. I'm nothing more than the Brat of Dallion, so how did you turn out so much better than me? Was it your father?"
Moon has had years to consider how she could have turned out so differently from either of her parents. Some parts of the truth would sting her mother too much to say. Ellianna was already beating on herself, Moon didn’t need to join in. “To borrow some Dwarven wisdom… people are molded and forged. Some become decorative or beautiful. Some are shattered when their tempering fails. Others become tools or weapons.” She doesn’t quite laugh, “As you can guess, I believe I am one of the latter… Hardship, mother, is what forged me – and it’s been a long process.” Knowing her mother wouldn’t let that comment stand unexplained, she continues, “My hardships were: never being Elven enough for a’Shaeyel, never being Human enough for Kassen, and definitely never being Minkaian or daughter enough for Temue. From all this came the hardship of isolation, being a misfit toy. There was no place in this world for me, so I was forced to make one. That is how Akechi Moon came to be.” She quickly changes pace. “But don’t think there weren’t good things in my metal as well. As Braggar, our smith, would say, “you can’t forge a good sword out of bad iron.” Our elven family has embraced me despite my pedigree. I have had - and do have - friends, and mentors, and teachers. The values you and Temue taught me have played no small part as well.” Moon falls into silence, letting the other woman weigh it all. She was surprised her mother aspired to be other than she was… that was an idea that was going to take getting used to. Ellianna had always projected she was exactly where she wished to be.
Ellianna listens and winces when Moon calls herself a toy. For a long moment, she's quiet. "Moon, I'm so sorry. I failed you. I failed you as your mother. I-- I treated you like a doll. I realized that when I started thinking about how I would dress you up and was more concerned with how you looked and how you presented yourself rather than about how you felt. I know you and Teowyn don't think it's my fault, but it is! If-- If I hadn't wanted to drag you back. If I hadn't wanted to make you a doll again, I wouldn't-- They wouldn't have died. They wouldn't have been killed. Ardyll, Galaeron, Halueth, Lyari, and Simimar wouldn't have been murdered and butchered. I'm sorry Moon. I'm so sorry!" She sobs into her hands, and for several long minutes she weeps. When she exhausts herself and her tears, she lowers her hands again and looks to you. "What did-- What did you mean by Temue not seeing you as enough of a daughter," she asks.
Some hooks have to stay in the flesh.
“Not to correct you, mother, but I said it isn’t all your fault. You bear some responsibility, as do I. But the majority of the blame falls on the murderers, not their victims. As for your failings… we all fail, a lot. The better question for you, right now, is what are you going to do about it? You have people here, survivors, and they will be looking to you for strength and to lead them. Me being a ‘doll’… that’s not important.” Moon couldn’t disagree with her mother’s assessment of their relationship. But with war coming and a whole bunch of dead and traumatized elves in town, hashing out Ellianna’s mis-steps as a parent was less than useless. If they lived past the next full moon, it might be worth a discussion. She needed to get her mother to focus, to stop beating on herself so she could make decisions that mattered for her people. But it didn’t seem like that was going to happen until some of Ellianna’s personal questions were answered, so reluctantly Moon digs in – maybe giving Ellianna an example of her father’s parenting would make her feel a bit better. “Temue hates Avistan and Avistanis. He hates my profession. He hates that I have mentors and friends here. He hates that I don’t behave as a ‘proper’ Minkaian woman should. In his mind, I think that means subservient and unquestioning, but we never discussed it. Simply put… I wasn’t good enough for him. He told me I dishonored his name and I’m worthless. So, between the two of you, his ‘parenting’ was worse, by leagues.” In speaking that truth, Moon realized she had moved past grief over her father. Now it was a dry-eyed recitation of facts.
Ellianna stares in disbelief as she hears what Akechi Temue had told their daughter. For the first time since she woke from being knocked out by one of her own entourage, an emotion besides pain, grief, and guilt shows in her eyes. Incandescent rage burns in the depths her eyes like witches' fire. She clenches her jaw as she moves past the disbelief and throttles her anger as her mind starts to work again. "I suppose that should teach me to be more careful about whom I share a bed with," she mutters. "Can you tell me what's going on here, Moon? I think I need to know that before I can make any decisions about what to do."
As Moon well knew, properly channeled, anger was an asset. She didn’t want her mother to spiral in rage… but the rest of the story might come out and it was better if Ellianna heard it from her daughter, not some chatty local. “Temue is gone… he left town. He waited until I was away on a mission then slunk away. He sold the house, all the furniture, and everything of mine that had any value. He stole the gems out of some of my clothes and your gifts to me, I’m sorry to say. Anything else of mine, he just destroyed out of spite. Fortunately, I have some magically gifted friends who were able to repair much of the damage. For the time being I’m staying with Arnama until my own house can be built.”
Moon tries to quickly transition to the military situation. “When we go about the village, you’ll notice the locals are building defenses. We are expecting an assault on the town, at the next full moon. Until your capture, we thought we were ‘just’ fighting a hag or witch, a group of ogres, and four tribes of goblins. The two most worrisome tribes are the ones that fight with giant spiders and the others are were-creatures. Somewhat less worrisome is the tribe that are skilled sailors, but that means they can bypass our fences and attack from the heart of town. After what happened to you, we now know the enemy has cast a wider net and an orc marauder and some of his folk have joined their ranks. We suspected the enemy had spies in town. Last night, Unseelie surrounded one of our ally’s home with a dome of vines. When the vines came down, the house and everyone inside was gone. In addition to everything else, the enemy have some fae on their side.” Moon lets that sink in. “We’re hoping to get some Seelie help, if we have time. While the townsfolk fortify defenses, some of us are going into the woods to skirmish with the enemy, disrupt their plans, kill their leaders if possible, and do anything to force this alliance to come apart before the full moon.” She looks at her mother soberly, “That’s where things stand. If you know anything about the Fae that would help us, or have any suggestions that don’t involve me abandoning this town to slaughter… I’m willing to listen.”
As you tell your mother about what happened, you can she her physically throttle the urge to shout "he did what," when you tell her about how he'd not only abandoned you, but had also destroyed everything you owned while taking anything of value from the various gifts you'd been given over the years. She listens to the rest, her expression calm, but you can see the rage and bitter resentment on your behalf seething in her eyes. "I guess everyone just leaving is out of the question," she says, sounding more like herself. "No, I may not be all that good of a person, but I don't think I could abandon these people either, even if they weren't the people that helped you after what happened." She sighs as she things about what she knows. "Music and song are beloved by most fey. Some like gifts of cream and honey, others favor beauty and purity, so may ask for a lock of hair from a fair maiden. A few prefer to be entertained, though I think all of them crave entertainment to some extent." She shrugs as she looks you in the eyes. "That is all I can really say with any certainty. Do you have an idea of what kind of fey you may be looking for or facing?"
To Ellianna’s first statement, Moon confirms her assumption. “It’s winter and many of these folks have nowhere else to go. They’d rather defend their homes than flee.” Moon manages to both laugh and become sober about the lock of hair. “Grob and Ethufel made a deal with a Fae ‘prince’ to help their mothers. Part of the cost was a lock of my hair, Meep’s, and Talliree’s. I don’t know anything else about him… but I can find out. Speaking of which…. As for the Unseelie, we don’t know anything yet. But Grob and Olmira, our druids, are looking into it. Whatever they find, I’ll share.” Moon hates doing it, particularly given the death toll already, but Kassen had few allies and too many enemies. “Mother, I know a’Shaeyel is far from here and the concerns of men… but the blood of our house was spilled here. Do you think Great Aunt Aerilaya would consider sending help to Kassen?”
Ellianna is shaken both by what you have done and what was implied in Awyn's tale, but at least she isn't falling back into that self-flagellating despondency from earlier. "I can send a letter to ask, but even if she does agree, House Dallion isn't a large house. I don't know if she could gather enough help to send here in time to do any good. She may decide it's better to send someone to get you and I out of here instead of risking still more lives." She puts a hand over yours as she looks you in the eyes.
"Moon, if she does do that, I'll follow where you lead. I think you've proven yourself to be far better at this sort of thing than I am, and I trust you know better than I what our chances are."
Moon wasn’t surprised by Ellianna’s assessment of what House Dallion could or couldn’t do. She knew it was a faint hope but she had to give it a try. “Please contact her and, at least, let her know what happened here – to our House, you, and Kassen. Also, please ask her to not demand I leave these people. I’ll have to disobey her, and I’d rather not do that.” She considers the rest of her mother’s words and her hand. She squeezes it in appreciation. “Mom, I can’t make that decision for you… you are the head of our family with seven more elven lives hanging in the balance. But I’ll give you my assessment. The ‘heroes of Kassen’”, she says somewhat tongue in cheek, “are going to take the fight to the Fangwood. If we fail to substantially break up this alliance or fail to kill their leaders, and/or we all die in the woods… the enemy will descend on Kassen in force. These are brave people but most are not warriors. I’ll be very surprised if the town can survive that kind of assault… especially with were-creatures in the mix. If we fail to break the enemy or fail to return, then – a week or so before the full moon – you should consider escaping. Adding more bodies to the pile won’t do anyone any good. And if it comes to that, I would beg a favor of you. Despite her objections, take Awyn with you… whether she wants to go or not. She’s had enough horror for one lifetime. I’d like her to have a long life where she can find some sliver of happiness.”
"I will see what aid Aunt Laya can send, and I will let her know that you intend to stay and do what you can for these people, but Moon, please, if it looks hopeless, run. What you have told me about adding bodies to the pile applies to you, too," she says as tears well up in her eyes. She sniffles and wipes them away before continuing. "And I will take Awyn along if we have to flee, but please, don't make me have to light a candle for you." She wipes away her tears again and puts on a smile. It's a ghost of the one she normally wears, the one that dazzles everyone in the room, but it is a smile, nonetheless. "Besides, I still want to meet your friends," she laughs.
Moon replies, "My plan is to add enemies to the pile and not die. Beside I've got a 'date' with Temue in the spring that I don't want to miss. So, if I can live, I will." She adds, "We'll have to arrange something so you can meet my friends... and a couple people who are more than that."
Ellianna’s smile fades as Temue is brought up again, but at least it seems she's mostly back to her old self. She wraps you in a hug and kisses you on the cheek. "Be safe, my little Moonbeam," she whispers in your ear.
Maidie's look of concern does not diminish as Grobradon adds more details to the tale. She shoots a worried look at Moon and Meep when she realizes that their hair is now in the fey prince's possession.
When the arguments erupt, she waits for the worst tempers to subside before speaking up.
”Your motivations and intentions were noble, Grobradon, and it’s true that there is no sense in arguing about what has already happened. But Betzolte is right. A lock of hair can be a powerful component in both enchantment spells and curses. It can also make it easier to scry on someone from afar. I’d feel a lot safer if we got those locks back, but I understand if that’s not an option. After all, it would likely mean that your mother’s transformation would be reversed.” she say softly.
”And you are right that druids are more knowledgeable about the affairs and powers of the fey than wizards. I think we had better consult both Holgast and Olmira about this.”
”However, it’s the third lock of hair that is the most interesting in this tale. I think Talliree just moved to the very top of the list of who might be Ganny Black Tongue’s missing daughter. What did you say or do to get her to hand over her hair?”
"Well, we waited until she completely sobered after she woke up, explained the oath, and Talliree agreed to help Eth and my mothers. I do not recall the exact words because it was over a week ago. But she was finally sober, and agreed and I was thrilled. Everyone who donated did it freely. So as long as the Rabbit Prince holds his side of the bargain let's not muck with it."
A thought "Not necessarily related, but I did notice something in her hut; A silver medallion with intricate, geometric knotwork and a raven's feather hanging from the beaded cord looped through its center. It felt fae touched. I thought it was Talliree's so I left it be. Now I'm not so sure. It might have been from this Granny Black Tongue. I don't know, as a rule I don't go stealing stuff just because it is curious, not from Townsfolk. Feel free to knock on her door and ask if you can look at it."
"We're NOT Telling Holgast, or ANYONE else outside this circle about my mom yet" Annoyance creeps in his voice, "Like I said at the start of this: I don't want the whole damned town knowing my mother's situation just yet. I said that at the start. I told you folks this in TRUST." He repeats what he said at the start of this. "Olmira has been told about this mostly because she figured it out. If Holgast figures it out on his own, I'll deal with that later."
A breath "Erigga is right, we need to focus. And as horrible as it sounds, I don't think we can help Eth now. I think we need to take out the were tribe before the wrong moon rises, and yes I'd like Halk extra SPECIAL dead."
Maidie's brow furrows deeper.
"We should definitely try to get another look at that medallion. And we'll need to have another talk with Talliree, preferably while she is sober, to find out where she got it. And how much she knows about her heritage. After all, we might be mistaken and the hag's daughter is someone else entirely."
She faces Grob's annoyed tone with stonefaced calm.
"All right. We'll consult with Olmira and just ask Holgast to use his library for research without mentioning specifics. Keeping information tight is wise under any circumstances. I think we should try to learn as much as we can about hags and their offspring before going to see Talliree. "
"Getting Talliree when she's sober could a narrow window of opportunity," Grobradon states with some concern, "She's a mess, and if she is who you think she is, that could be a reason to drink to be sure. I'm not sure it's our priority right now, but at one time or another it should be looked into now that we know more."
He ponders involving Holgast indirectly "I still don't like drawing the attention of others either. Olmira saw enough clues and guessed what was what. Holgast might do the same. So please try to be discrete." He looks at both wizards hopefully "And thank you for understanding."
"Now, I need to go tell my mother Halk lives and I'm not looking forward to watching the understandable fear in her eyes grow. Fortunately," A grateful look to Moon, "She'll be safe thanks to the elves." The half orc considers "Now, one thing we all seem to agree on is that we need to take the war to the enemy, the were tribe seems to be the priority at first? Did I get that right?"
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Grobradon chuffs at Moon's theory, and is ready to admit that would probably work.
But Betzolte's worry for his mother is of another sort, though still touching. He ends up nodding at Erriga's support , in that he is old enough to make stupid mistakes freely and now it is DONE. And Moon's defense of him is ... well, a lot more than touching.
"Betzolte, I appreciate you looking after my mom in your own way. Hell, maybe that long after I'm gone you and she will be friends for dwarves don't die of old age for a long time either. But I've known I might die before mom even before this depending on how orc blood dominated or didn't, or at the least I'd be ancient by the time most were middle aged. But it's like Moon and Erigga said, it's done, and we all lose people. Mom's already lost friends, she was a survivor of.. well, you know. Not everyone does survive. She also knows I age faster. It'll hurt, but ..she'll grieve aNd then know joy again."
"In the end, it's not the amount of years in your life, it's the amount of life in your years" His normally gruff and indifferent expression isn't there right now, his red flecked green eyes soft, "I'll die one day, maybe tomorrow, maybe decades later under a tree's shade, but when I do, I'm gonna go down roaring."
"Aye, you and Moon have a point there. Keep forgetting same things happen to elves with their aiuvarin kids. Sorry," Betzolte replies, her face flushing red as she buries it in the fur lining of her winter coat out of embarrassment.
"Well, we waited until she completely sobered after she woke up, explained the oath, and Talliree agreed to help Eth and my mothers. I do not recall the exact words because it was over a week ago. But she was finally sober, and agreed and I was thrilled. Everyone who donated did it freely. So as long as the Rabbit Prince holds his side of the bargain let's not muck with it."
A thought "Not necessarily related, but I did notice something in her hut; A silver medallion with intricate, geometric knotwork and a raven's feather hanging from the beaded cord looped through its center. It felt fae touched. I thought it was Talliree's so I left it be. Now I'm not so sure. It might have been from this Granny Black Tongue. I don't know, as a rule I don't go stealing stuff just because it is curious, not from Townsfolk. Feel free to knock on her door and ask if you can look at it."
"We're NOT Telling Holgast, or ANYONE else outside this circle about my mom yet" Annoyance creeps in his voice, "Like I said at the start of this: I don't want the whole damned town knowing my mother's situation just yet. I said that at the start. I told you folks this in TRUST." He repeats what he said at the start of this. "Olmira has been told about this mostly because she figured it out. If Holgast figures it out on his own, I'll deal with that later."
A breath "Erigga is right, we need to focus. And as horrible as it sounds, I don't think we can help Eth now. I think we need to take out the were tribe before the wrong moon rises, and yes I'd like Halk extra SPECIAL dead."
At the mention of not telling Holgast, Betzolte snorts.
"Heh, even when we were his apprentices we didn't tell him half the stuff we learned since he spent most of his time leaving us to our own devices. He was more observant than he let on, his letter I got during the Quest proved that, but he's generally the type to keep to himself anyway. We won't say anything to him, and if he does figure it out on his own, I reckon he's the last person who'd spread it around anyway."
Maidie's brow furrows deeper.
"We should definitely try to get another look at that medallion. And we'll need to have another talk with Talliree, preferably while she is sober, to find out where she got it. And how much she knows about her heritage. After all, we might be mistaken and the hag's daughter is someone else entirely."
She faces Grob's annoyed tone with stonefaced calm.
"All right. We'll consult with Olmira and just ask Holgast to use his library for research without mentioning specifics. Keeping information tight is wise under any circumstances. I think we should try to learn as much as we can about hags and their offspring before going to see Talliree."
"Getting Talliree when she's sober could a narrow window of opportunity," Grobradon states with some concern, "She's a mess, and if she is who you think she is, that could be a reason to drink to be sure. I'm not sure it's our priority right now, but at one time or another it should be looked into now that we know more."
He ponders involving Holgast indirectly "I still don't like drawing the attention of others either. Olmira saw enough clues and guessed what was what. Holgast might do the same. So please try to be discrete." He looks at both wizards hopefully "And thank you for understanding."
"Now, I need to go tell my mother Halk lives and I'm not looking forward to watching the understandable fear in her eyes grow. Fortunately," A grateful look to Moon, "She'll be safe thanks to the elves." The half orc considers "Now, one thing we all seem to agree on is that we need to take the war to the enemy, the were tribe seems to be the priority at first? Did I get that right?"
"Aye, you've got it in one, Grobradon."
Betzolte clap her hands together.
"Alrighty! 'Aim high, plan well and strike while the iron's hot' as Torag says. Let's get hammerin'!"
Once the discussion is over, Maidie heads straight to Holgast's tower .
Like they did so often when they were just apprentices, they slip into the cluttered library and begin pouring through the books. If Holgast is around, Maidie explains that they just need to check a few things pertaining to recent events, without going into details.
While the others go for their visits and researches, Erigga returns to her exercises and efforts to fortify the town.
Moon returns to town just before evening falls. She is nearly chilled to the bone. It is only nearly because tussling with 70 pounds of juvenile leopard tends to keep you somewhat warm. After a good wrestling match where the leopard chose to merely bat the ranger around without using her razor-sharp claws, their burgeoning relationship was established. Moon was surprised at how responsive the cat was to her commands. Clearly, the stories of Fangwood Leopards did not focus on how clever the big cats were… maybe that was the secret to their success. Moon was even able to examine the cat’s kill – under feline supervision. But the goblin corpse didn’t hold any secrets.
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So, as they trudge back into town with the cat practically brushing Moon’s thigh, the ranger trips and falls for the third time. Or rather, the cat bats her ankle at the ideal moment so Moon faceplants into the snow. She rolls over and looks at the cat. ”Can we stop that now? Please don’t make me look like a fool in town.”
The cat licks a paw and ignores the argument. Moon hopes that means she’ll comply.
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"Aye, you've got it in one, Grobradon."
Betzolte clap her hands together.
"Alrighty! 'Aim high, plan well and strike while the iron's hot' as Torag says. Let's get hammerin'!"
He nods, glad they all agree on that.
..........
”Can we stop that now? Please don’t make me look like a fool in town.”
The vulture lands on a tree branch, at an area thin enough that if the cat were to climb, the branch would surely break allowing the carrion bird to fly off again.
It observes the Ranger being tripped with avian amusement.
You find your mother, Coldanna, still at Arnama's home, helping however she can. She is happy to see you, though she keeps from wrapping you up in a hug, perhaps aware of the potential to spark rumors that neither of you want flying around."Hello Grob! Are you having a good morning, so far," she asks.
"Been better," He says honestly, but he manages a smile, "How about you, getting along with other elves?"
"I think I am," Awyn says, though she sounds unsure. She shrugs just like she always has whenever she was feeling out of her depth, which wasn't all that often while you were growing up. She takes a closer look at you and frowns. "Are--" she begins to ask, but shakes her head as she remembers she's not supposed to be your mother. "Is something on your mind?"
"Lot of things," Grob admits, and he makes sure they are alone, "I've got bad very disturbing news about the enemy, and I worry if I tell you it will ruin what joy you're having. I know you've got a lot to get used to already... one thing I CAN tell you is that .. most of my friends now know your backstory and.. your other name. I kind of had to because Eth's home and family have been sucked into the first world aka Faerie land by nasty forces."
Coldanna grows visibly uneasy as you tell her about the bad news and that her secret's out among your friends. She covers her mouth as her eyes go wide at the news about Ethulfel's and his family's disappearance."G-grob, w-what's going on? Why--" she shakes her head and composes herself. "No, if you knew what was going on with the Umbradas, you'd tell me. This news about the enemy, tell me. I may not like it, but I've had to face a lot of things I don't like over the years."
"You have," He agrees, "Every drop of courage I have I learned from you. How you faced your fears and your challenges. And its unfair of me to give you a new life only to bring up old foes like this. Halk lives."He moves to take his mother's hand, rumors be damned, and lend his support if she needs it. "I'm going to kill him, or have him killed. Either way you'll be safe. Moon has made arrangements for you."
Coldanna's eyes narrow in confusion as she doesn't recognize the name at first, then they widen in fear as she pales and begins to shake. You catch her as her knees buckle. For a long moment, she just stands there, held up by you, as she tries to work through the emotions the knowledge that her rapist still lives."W-we thought he was dead, or at least gone," she whispers. "Please, Grobradon, don't let any of the girls fall into his hands. I-- I don't know what I'd do if one of them had to go through what I did."
She takes in a deep breath and steadies herself on her feet as she looks up into your face.
"I guess Moon asked her mother and the other elves to take me with them if things look dire. I-- I should thank her, but--" Her face crumples and she buries her head into your chest as she weeps.
He gives her a hug, "I didn't want to tell you" her son confesses, "Maybe I shouldn't have...but ...then if I didn't and you learned from another I figured you might never forgive me. And yeah... but new name, new self aside, you are who you want to be in this life. Don't let the elves tell you how you HAVE to be."
"Th-that's not why. I-I-I don't want to lose you, or Moon, or Meep, or anyone else," she mumbles into your chest. "Besides," she hiccups as she laughs, "If my own brother couldn't make me into something I'm not at my lowest, what makes you makes you think a bunch of elves could do it now?"
"Well, there we go," Grobradon says at the last part "That's where I got that stubborn streak. I don't want to lose me either, and when we save Kassen you'll be coming back to it." And he'll make sure of that If she wants anyway "Really, don't worry about me ,or Moon. We're survivors and all my friends look out for each other."
Coldanna wriggles to get her arms free and wraps you up in a hug as well."I know you do," she says in that same voice she's always used to comfort you when you were feeling down or upset. "I want you to be careful, Grob. I want to see what kind of children you will have someday. I want to see the amazing things you will do, so don't die. Please, don't die. But, if you get the chance, break him," she tells you, her voice turning dark and low with bitter, long held hatred.
"If I can kill him and make it hurt, I will. If I can only kill him? I'll do that. But I may piss on his corpse before I burn it." He promises.
Coldanna laughs at that as she holds you a little tighter. "What, and poison the plants and trees," she teases. "I thought you would rather leave him for the crows and ravens."
Now that gets him laughing "You got a point. Anyway, he'll be extra dead." Assurances
"That's my boy," Coldanna says as she pats your back. She holds you a little longer before letting go and wiping her tears away. "Tell Moon and Meep-- Tell all of them I want to see them come back whole and alive. I love you, Grobradon. Come back safe, alright?"
"I will, all of it. I'll tell them what you said, and I'll come back. We are all of us, stronger than we were. It may have started for most of us getting the everflame out of a crypt, but now WE are the fire. We're going to burn so bright it'll light up legends." He is rarely given to such dramatic talk, but he believes it.
"That's all any mother can ask for," she says. "Just remember I want some grandchildren of yours that I can tell those legends to."She hugs you again and stands on her toes to give you a kiss on the cheek.
"Take care, Grobradon. I'm sure you have a lot more to do before you leave town, again."
He returns the hug, accepts the kiss on the cheek with fondness, and lets her go, "I do. Now, go have fun... I hear it is what young people do." Wryly, and he heads out
As you leave, Coldanna stares at you baffled for a moment before realizing she does look a little younger. She shakes her head and gets back to helping out around the house while Arnama and Dale are busy helping with the town's defenses.
You don't get far into your research before you find other information that distracts you from delving deeper into the subject of hags. You do learn some information. Green hags are by far the most common, followed by annis hags. Hags also form groups known as covens with other hags or even witches of other races. These covens allow hags to cast spells they may not otherwise be able to.
The knowledge you find on Ganny Black Tongue in particular, however, is far more thorough. From the records that Holgast has gathered, you learn that she is hundreds of years old and first appeared in the Grungir Forest in the Land of the Linnorm Kings. After being driven out by the Whitescale Clan and a Linnorm that she had tried to trick, she made her way through Varisia, where she orchestrated several tragic events, including the corruption of a Desnan priest that eventually resulted in the destruction of the caravan he was a part of and the desecration of a shrine to the Starsong. She then made her way through the Hold of Belkzen and eventually settled in the Fangwood about four hundred years ago.
Since then, she's been relatively inactive, though she it is noted that she often manipulates the local demi-human tribes to do her biding. While it has never been confirmed, it's strongly suspected by the authors of the records you find relating to her existence in the Fangwood that the original ogre members of the Grul Clam were all her offspring, and that those ogres that show a talent for magic are likely her children or grandchildren. The most recent record is penned by Holgast himself and is over thirty years old, and corroborates Betzolte's tale from when she was a young dwarven girl. It tells about two young boys that snuck off into the woods, only for one of them to come back mad and screaming about a black-tongued crone with skin as pale as the moon and a skull-like visage. Sadly, the missing boy was never found and a year later, the other boy disappeared as well, another victim of the hag, Holgast speculated.
Beyond her history, you also learn that Ganny Black Tongue is a moon hag named for her most striking feature, a long tongue that is as black as pitch and contrasts with her moon-pale skin. Her gaunt features make her face look like a skull with thin, wispy strands of white hair. She has one black eye, and the other is larger and red. She wears layers of rags and pelts that make her look hunched and twisted, and carries a gnarled staff of blackened elm. Records from her time in the Fangwood mention her having a fey companion, a wicked sprite named Thistlewing that gleefully does her bidding. From the illustrations you find of her, you recognize both her and the sprite as the beings you saw in your dream last night.
Despite being fairly well-known and for so long, Ganny Black tongue has survived in large part thanks to her caution and the spells she weaves to hide her home and her knowledge of not just the Fangwood, but of the paths between that allow her to escape any pursuit easily. Almost everyone that has tried to hunt her down has failed, and the few that are suspected of succeeding have never been seen from again.
After thumbing through several books on prominent fey, you find only one mention of someone like what Grobradon described. A fey lord who hides both his form and face beneath a dark cloak who is often accompanied by pookas, fey rabbits and hares, and various kinds of rabbit-folk, some more human than others. While the entry speculates they are part of the Autumnal Court and the Seelie Court, there's nothing concrete to back it up.
Much like with hags and The Rabbit Prince, you don't find much on changelings. They are the daughters of hags and are often ostracized by other children and communities for being odd, even unnerving, in manner and speech. Many have heterochromatic eyes, with green and blue or blue and purple being the most common. You find lots of superstitions and questionable methods of determining if someone is a changeling from the somewhat odd to the humiliating to the outright dangerous.
They appear to be members of their father's race, are often pretty, and are always called by their mothers when they come of age. What happens after that is never mentioned.
As it turns out, a lock of hair can be used for a lot of spells. Scrying and other kinds of divination are among the most common and innocuous uses, but it doesn't take long for you to find darker and more disturbing uses. Potions that allow one to take on the form of the person that the lock came from, spells that can control the body, rituals that damn the person to the Hells, the Abyss, or Abaddon, curses that change the person into something else whether that be another race or a different kind of creature entirely, and it only gets worse from there. Of particular note is that fey often use hair as currency for favors. There is also a lurid entry about how one could make a love potion using a lock of hair from the person that is to be the object of affection for the imbiber.
Your tireless efforts and willingness to pitch in has a very dramatic effect on those that witness your work. The townspeople working on Kassen's fortifications move more quickly, seem more energetic, and even look more hopeful. Half of the girls that are, or were if the looks Gloriana Mora gives them are anything to go by, a part of that gang of girls that had been bullying Meep come up to you at the end of the day and apologize for what they did and ask if you could tell Meep they'd like to apologize to her as well.
Unfortunately, Olmira isn't able to give you much more information than what Maidie was able to find in her research in Holgast's library.
After a long day of research and preparing for the next foray against the horde gathering to smash Kassen, Maidie and Betzolte gather everyone to go to Talliree's home. The run-down cabin is much like Grobradon remembers it, though it does appear that his efforts to clean the place up the last time he was here have born some fruit as the mess that was still there when he left has been lessened considerably when a slightly tipsy Talliree Yndercook lets you all in.
"W-what can I do for you," she asks before hiccupping. The fox lying on one of now clear chairs in the kitchen just shakes her head like a disappointed parent.
Once the discussion is over, Maidie heads straight to Holgast's tower .
Like they did so often when they were just apprentices, they slip into the cluttered library and begin pouring through the books. If Holgast is around, Maidie explains that they just need to check a few things pertaining to recent events, without going into details.
When they arrive at Holgast's tower, Betzolte pounds on the door.
"HOLGAST!" she calls, suspecting the old wizard may still be asleep. "DON'T MIND US, WE'RE DOING SOME RESEARCH FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE TOWN!"
She follows Maidie in and cracks her knuckles as she begins seeking out and stacking books, taking them down from one pile flipping through them and stacking them in another, one-by-one. She tries to take the opposite angle of whatever approach Maidie is using, hoping between the two of them they can fill in whatever gaps they find in one source with knowledge from another.
After a long day of research and preparing for the next foray against the horde gathering to smash Kassen, Maidie and Betzolte gather everyone to go to Talliree's home. The run-down cabin is much like Grobradon remembers it, though it does appear that his efforts to clean the place up the last time he was here have born some fruit as the mess that was still there when he left has been lessened considerably when a slightly tipsy Talliree Yndercook lets you all in.
"W-what can I do for you," she asks before hiccupping. The fox lying on one of now clear chairs in the kitchen just shakes her head like a disappointed parent.
Betzolte tries to stifle any disapproving looks that might creep onto her face during the conversation. Even the nuanced dwarven perspective on alcohol would say this woman had a problem, and with no clan or kin to help pull her out of it, she deserved pity rather than scorn. But she'd be lying if she'd said the mess was unbecoming.
"We...have some questions for you, and possibly some news. You may wanna sit down."
She looks at the fox and raises an eyebrow. With the suspicions they now had, she figured this was no ordinary pet, but she doesn't say anything yet.
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When the door opens, you find a pillow flying at you with some speed. While it doesn't hurt, getting knocked on your backside is more than a little humiliating.
"I'm not so deaf that you need pound my door down to get my attention," Holgast tells you, every inch the grumpy wizard. Whether or not the old mage was asleep, he is wearing a thick, pink robe with a pair of bunny slippers and a pointed night cap with a poofy ball at its tip.
Unfortunately, you don't find anything more on hags, Ganny Black Tongue, or spells and other magic that utilizes hair, but you do find a good bit more on The Rabbit Prince and changelings.
The Rabbit Prince is a fey lord, a wyldlord to be more specific, that is a member of the Seelie Court and the Autumn Court. While his name is not known, he is more properly known as the Prince of Dancing Leaves, and the book advises not calling him The Rabbit Prince. He received the appellation for the loyalty he receives from various rabbit-kin, such as pookas, leporines, and various other lagomorphic races for freeing the White Rabbit Queen of Auruic Woods. He is rarely seen without one of them by his side. There have been numerous sightings all throughout Avistan, but most of them are in the woods around Lake Encarthan and in Varisia.
Curiously, one book on fey etiquette that has a very misleading title mentions how to seek an audience with the Prince of Dancing Leaves. Build a fire in the middle of a fairy ring and dance around it. It also mentions he likes offerings of tea with honey and sweetbreads.
You find that changelings are the daughters of hags, and that hags will try to orchestrate things so that their daughters grow up bitter and feeling unwelcomed. When a changeling comes of age, the hag will either wait for or cause some event that will send them to their lowest point, then call them. Using the lures of curiosity and finally finding a place they belong, the hag mother will draw her daughter to a place of her choosing and, with a coven of fellow hags, perform a ghastly ritual that twists the changeling into a hag if she chooses to embrace the wickedness of her heritage or, if the changeling refuses, sees her sacrificed by torture to her mother's mysterious patron.
In one journal that was apparently misplaced, you find Holgast was speculating that Talliree is likely a changeling, given how she appeared on the Yndercook's doorstep one night without warning and that strange things seemed to happen that kept her from growing close to anyone. The disappearance of her parents seven years ago, shortly after she came of age herself, only added more evidence for his suspicions as does her turning to drink, which may dull the pull of a hag's calling.
Talliree looks at Betzolte for a moment before smiling and laughing a little.
"Sit down? Why would I need to do that," she asks.
She pays the scavenger bird little mind. It didn’t look fae or even particularly unusual. Moon brushes herself off and continues. At the gate, she waves to the guard.
The cat pushes closer to Moon and eyes the guard dubiously, warning him off with a low growl and a hiss.
Moon explains the rules quietly to the cat she’s calling Histya, ”Don’t eat him. In fact, don’t eat most people in town. We’re going to our den to meet our litter mates. Be nice to both of them. Then, you need a bath to get that blood off you.”
The guard on duty waves and starts to make a joke about the cat following Moon when Histya growls at him.
"Your friend isn't going to try eating anyone, right," he asks a bit nervously. This cat isn't anything like the animals that follow Olmira around.
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The ranger smiles, "Probably not... but I wouldn't try petting her. She tore up a goblin scout at my enclosure. Would you tell Captain Wisslo when you see him?"
Moon and Histya continue on to Arnama's house. After a brief introduction to Moon's mentor, she takes the cat into the bath for a thorough cleaning and to look her over for ticks... And so it happens that Meep, coming home a bit later (from what activities we cannot say), is directed to the bathroom where she finds Moon nude in the bathtub with a very large cat that seems to enjoy warm water and finds bubbles curious.
Moon holds up a staying hand. "Before you get nervous... this is not a dog or a horse."
"Uh, right. I'll let him know," the guard assures Moon. Before she gets around the corner, she sees a runner heading off for the guard captain's office.
Arnama is more than a little surprised to see Histya. Fangwood leopards are rare enough that most go their whole lives without seeing one, but now it appears that one has decided to become companions with her student.
Meep, after spending some time practicing her archery and sparring with some of the guards, walks in and wonders why Arnama told her she needed to go to the bathroom. She freezes when she sees Histya and Moon in the tub together.
"Sh-she's a cat, right? A really big cat," she says when Moon tells her that Histya isn't a dog nor a horse.
The cat takes a big wet paw and swats a bubble slowly moving down the side of the tab, then smells her paw.
"She's a pretty big cat, yes. She's just becoming an adult, so she'll get bigger. Meep, this is Histya. Histya, this is Meep." Moon pats the cat to ensure she has her attention. "Meep is our litter mate and a good goblin... so claws off, teeth off. OK?"
She regards the leopard closely, trying to make sure the cat understands. After a few moments, she is satisfied. She looks to Meep, "Let her smell your hand but don't stare at her. It'll be OK. She needs to know your scent." Moon subtly leans forward... just in case.
The information she finds on Ganny Black Tongue and spells involving hair sends equal amounts of shivers down Maidie's spine.
"This is worse that I thought...and I was plenty worried to begin with. I really wish they had not given up that hair, but there is not much we can do about that now, except be prepared for trickery and that we may be watched at any moment." she says to Betzolte before diving into another book.
Doing her best to remain calm in the presence of the large predator, Maidie smiles nervously at Moon and Histya. "Made a new friend, i see....that's good, we'll need all the help we can get." she says before they head off to Talliree's.
Increasingly paranoid, Maidie casts see invisibility and detect magic as they approach Talliree's house. She scans the surrounding trees for any sign of hidden fey spies or anyone else keeping watch on the house.
Inside, she keeps her magical detection going, seeking to locate the amulet Grob mentioned, intent on analyzing it's aura. After Betz makes the introduction, she says.
"Because we need to have a serious conversation. There are important questions we need to ask you, and I have a feeling you'll find the topics difficult to talk about." she says, trying to show concern for the young woman's wellbeing, but only managing to sound like a gruff parent.
The Vulture watches her and the new cat leave, for about twenty paces, then flies to the gate, perched a distance away, before soaring through the village.
He is tempted to land before Moon, transform, and surprise her. Might still, but she's got a new friend of feline nature, and things would be awkward if the new companion decided scavenger bird was on the menu.
Instead, he gets to enjoy flight, and get a literal birds eye view of Kassen. This is amazing. He chose vulture because while they're not loved, most folks don't see them as immediate dangers as they might a bird of prey, nor game like they might a duck. Lastly, the vulture is an ugly thing, but graceful as hell in motion. In some ways he can relate.
As long as he avoids ravens or crows feeling territorial, he should be fine.
He tries to get a tactical lay out for Kassen, noting the work Erigga and others have already done, but looking for paths or weak points he might not notice on the ground. He's also on the look out for anything worth noting.
And, if he spots his Uncle, and the man isn't looking up? He lets rip with the classic bird poop and sees if he can get a hit on the guy then fly off before spotted.
It seems that the work to fortify the town is coming along nicely. The only glaring weakness you can see is from the Tourondel River that divides the northern part of town from the southern part. However, you also see that Renet's Steel is busy forging long lengths of chain that are being measured against the width and depth of the river.
As luck would have it, you do see your Uncle Colbin with his wife and your two cousins walking towards the Seven Silvers. While your aim could have been better, it's still good enough to splatter vulture poo all over the fancy winter clothing he wears. By the time he begins to scan the sky for the cause of his sartorial disaster, you are long gone, gliding over the Fangwood south of town. His cursing, however, is audible for at least a half-mile.
You do find the amulet that Grobradon had described lying on the half-cleared kitchen table. You do not see anything that would suggest anyone is scrying on Moon, Meep, or Talliree, however.
Talliree's smile turns into a narrow-eyed glare as Maidie's tone breaks through the drunken haze she's in. She sits down, but the feeling in the room has turned decidedly frosty as she crosses her legs.
"Well," she asks, sounding much more sober than she did just a moment ago.
Grobradon the vulture cheers himself with his hit, even as he makes a note about the river. At least the chain is in effect. If he sees his mother below, he tries to observe how she is getting along with other elves and how they get along with her.
After all, he speaks their language now.
You don't find the elves or your mother out and about as you enjoy your time in the skies.
The aura coming off the medallion is odd. You get the feeling of something old and powerful imbued within it, but the aura isn't anything like what Betzolte saw last night, at least not as far as how powerful it appears to be. However, you do think there's something placed upon it to obfuscate what enchantments the medallion holds.
A silver medallion with intricate, geometric knotwork and a raven's feather hanging from the beaded cord looped through its center. The feather has an iridescent sheen to it that makes it clear that the feather is from no ordinary raven.
Wishing Ethulfel was here to lead the conversation with his easygoing manner, Maidie tries to swallow, but feels her mouth has suddenly gone dry. She realizes that she would rather face down another skeletal champion than the hard-faced woman sitting across from her.
The odd medallion increases her discomfort. She'd feel a lot safer if that thing was tugged away in a lead-lined lockbox, but for now, she could only hope it did not allow their enemy to control Talliree's mind or scry on the conversation.
"As you probably know, Kassen is under threat of invasion from goblinoid tribes that have somehow united against us. Over the past weeks, we have learned that there may be a more sinister force behind this threat." she begins, then pauses, weighing her words carefully.
"We have also learned that for some reason, a fey prince has taken a special interest in you. Perhaps you recall that Grobrandon and Ethulfel came by to ask for a lock of your hair?"
Deciding to ease into the topic rather than lay out the full extent of their suspicions, Maidie says.
"Have you experienced anything strange since your adoptive parents went missing? Voices calling out of nowhere? Objects appearing or disappearing? Mysterious vision or feelings you can't quite place?"
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Erigga knew nothing about this Talliree, so she remains silent at the beginning and watches Maidie lead with the questions. So, as it happens she wasn't great at everything. It made sense actually. If you spend too much time over dusty tomes, it means you will slack on time actually talking to folks.
She is tired and really needed a bath after spending the day helping with the fortification. She could do with a drink or two. She leaves her shield by the door and then moves past Maidie, tapping on her arm. "Hold your thoughts, just for a minute, uh?" She flashes Talliree a simple smile. A tired one.
Betz meant well to ask her to sit down, but now the room was crowded with people, the woman sitting on a chair, and to Erigga, this whole scene seemed way too much like an interrogation room.
So she hops on a chair with the ease of someone used to deal with homes meant for folks twice of their size. She pulls two glasses from the table. Quick sniff on them. One for her and one for Talliree. Another sniff on the bottle nearby and that was enough to burn her nose and send shivers through her back. Good stuff. If you want to poison yourself, that is.
One glass is pushed towards Talliree. She raises the other, downs it all at once, clicking her tongue after that. Like a big girl. If her Ma was around, her Pa would pretend not to be proud. Should the already tipsy woman have another drink? Most likely not, but their goal this day was getting answers, not make an intervention. "I'm new to town, Miss Talliree. I'm Erigga. Here to help like these folks. Can we sit? And talk? We are not ganging up on ye, Miss."
"Folks are doing what they can to help Kassen." She says, discreetly showing the woman her own hands, calloused and bruised by the day's work. "In any way they can, of course, and these questions Maidie is asking could really help." She fills her glass again and slides it towards Maidie. Nodding encouragingly to her. If they wanted this Talliree's help, they needed to come as equals and not riding on high horses.
Talliree's attention to turns to Erigga as the halfling steps in. Her expression softens as she listens to the straightforward farm-girl turned mercenary. A look of shame flashes across her face as Erigga mentions how the town is rallying to help each other.
"Alright," she says in a much softer tone. "I'll hear you out."
She looks confused for a moment when Maidie mentions a fey prince taking an interest in her, but her confusion turns to worry as Maidie asks if she recalls giving a lock of her hair to Ethulfel and Grobradon. She nods before Maidie continues, and pales as Maidie asks her about strange happenings.
"H-how--" she starts to ask, but stops as she looks around at the people gathered in her house. "W-where's Eth? H-he'd be here if he knew you were coming. Where is he," she asks as the first tendrils of panic begin to take hold and she starts to stand up. The fox leaps from where she'd been laying and knocks Talliree back into the chair by jumping into her belly. The two of them lock eyes for a moment before a terrified Talliree hugs her familiar and looks at Maidie.
"I-- I have. Lots of strange things have been happening since my parents vanished."
Betzolte holds her tongue as Erigga works her charms and her own expression softens too as she sees how much even this implication has rattled her.
"You...hadn't heard then. I'm sorry. Ethufel and his family...near as we can tell they're away with the fairies. Their whole homestead somehow got...pulled into the First World just last night. And we think it might be the work of...hammer and tongs there's no good way to say this...your biological mother. The one that left you here for your parents to find. We think she's the mastermind behind the impending attack...and she's using it as a way to get her hands on you."
Talliree closes her eyes shut and begins to shake her head in futile denial.
"No. No. No," she repeats over and over again.
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Grateful for her friends assistance in conveying the difficult news, Maidie feels her heart aching for Talliree as she reacts to their words.
"I know it's painful to hear. We just want you to know that none of this is your fault, that you are not alone and that we will do everything in our power to help you." she says as softly as she can manage. Then she falls silent, waiting for the young woman to regain some of her composure.
"Aye," Betzolte says, getting up and going over to Talliree. She comes up behind her and offers her a firm, gentle hug. "It don't matter whose womb you came from, you're as Kassen as we are, and Dranngvit curse all of us if we let some arrogant old fey slagdam take one of ours!"
It takes Talliree some time to regain her composure. Betzolte's hug helps, and the odd herbalist tentatively reaches up and grabs the dwarven wizardess' arm after a moment.
"The voice started the night after my parents disappeared. At first, it was quiet, and I could ignore it, but after Ethulfel left for Tamran, it grew louder and louder. Hemlock showed up a little after that, but even with her help, I couldn't keep the voice out. One night, I thought about just-- just ending it, but I was scared. I'd heard others talk about liquid courage, so I stole a bottle of whiskey, and I got drunk, and I couldn't hear the voice anymore," she laughs, a mad, broken sound. "Hemlock didn't like it, but I wasn't trying to-- well..." She shrugs and looks at the fox she holds in one arm. "Y-you're not going to let her take me, right," she asks quietly.
"Damn right!" Betzolte says. "That's why we're here, to make sure you're alright and so we can help protect you from her."
She looks over at Hemlock and back to Talliree.
"Tell us about Hemlock, she looks like a very special fox."
At that, Betzolte offers the fox a scritch behind the ears.
Hemlock looks at Betzolte's hand for a moment before deigning to be scratched and petted by the dwarf. Her wagging tail betrays how she really feels about the attention, despite the airs she puts on.
"Um, she's-- she's my familiar," Talliree answers before asking on of her own. "How did you figure out which hag gave birth to me?"
”It has been like assembling a jigsaw puzzle in the dark, with half the pieces missing. At first, we thought we were just dealing with a ruthless and ambitious goblin warlord, but gradually, we have uncovered clues and bits of evidence that point to someone more sinister behind all our recent misfortunes” Maidie says, as she can’t help be slightly impressed Talliree has figured out a hag is her real mother.
”I promise you, we will do everything in our power to end this menace once and for all. From what we have learned, this particular hag has spread her terror all over Avistan for centuries.“
She glances at the strange medallion again.
”Where did you get that? It’s old magic and cloaked in some spell that hides it’s true purpose.”
"So have you been learning a bit of magic? All wizards are mages, but not all mages are wizards, after all," Betzolte asks.
He begins to see why Olmira might seem a bit odd. She hears animals talk around her all the time, he suspected that. But how often had she actually been an animal, and seen man's world in all its vain pretense.
too much time as an animal, I might start to think borders on a map are down right silly.
He ponders going to Arnama's house to see how Moon and the new cat are doing but for now seeks out Olmira. If he doesn't see her, then he might redirect.
Talliree looks over at the medallion and her eyes darken with sorrow.
"My mother gave that to me the night before she and my father disappeared," she says. "She told me it would keep me safe. I know there's some magic on it, but I could never figure out what it did. It always seemed that it was like a calm river, seemingly docile, but immensely powerful."
She blinks as Betzolte asks her about learning magic and she nods.
"I'm not a wizard or anything. I didn't even know how to cast spells until Hemlock taught me."
Moon and Histya continue on to Arnama's house. After a brief introduction to Moon's mentor, she takes the cat into the bath for a thorough cleaning and to look her over for ticks... And so it happens that Meep, coming home a bit later (from what activities we cannot say), is directed to the bathroom where she finds Moon nude in the bathtub with a very large cat that seems to enjoy warm water and finds bubbles curious.
Moon holds up a staying hand. "Before you get nervous... this is not a dog or a horse."
Arnama is more than a little surprised to see Histya. Fangwood leopards are rare enough that most go their whole lives without seeing one, but now it appears that one has decided to become companions with her student.
Meep, after spending some time practicing her archery and sparring with some of the guards, walks in and wonders why Arnama told her she needed to go to the bathroom. She freezes when she sees Histya and Moon in the tub together.
"Sh-she's a cat, right? A really big cat," she says when Moon tells her that Histya isn't a dog nor a horse.
The cat takes a big wet paw and swats a bubble slowly moving down the side of the tab, then smells her paw.
"She's a pretty big cat, yes. She's just becoming an adult, so she'll get bigger. Meep, this is Histya. Histya, this is Meep." Moon pats the cat to ensure she has her attention. "Meep is our litter mate and a good goblin... so claws off, teeth off. OK?"
She regards the leopard closely, trying to make sure the cat understands. After a few moments, she is satisfied. She looks to Meep, "Let her smell your hand but don't stare at her. It'll be OK. She needs to know your scent." Moon subtly leans forward... just in case.
Meep looks from Moon to Histya and back again, clearly not feeling very sure about this. Still, she does trust Moon and slides forward while carefully not looking at Histya and slowly holds her hand out for the cat to sniff.
"Like this," she asks Moon as she focuses on the ranger.
Moon keeps a close eye on the leopard who constantly glances between Moon and the prey-sized goblin even as she slowly moves her head over to sniff the green arm. Her thick whiskers twitch. She chuffs at Meep's arm, gives it a smell and then slowly moves her head away. Moon relaxes. "Good job, both of you."
Meep slowly pulls her arm back, clearly intent on not seeming like some tasty treat. She quirks an eyebrow at Moon as she takes in the scene more.
"Umm, why is she in the tub? Were you taking a bath and she just hopped in," Meep asks.
Moon chuckles. "No, I'm just leading by example. She needed a bath and I wanted to make sure any wounds she has are clean and kill any bugs on her."
"Oh," Meep says before glancing at Histya then looking back at Moon. "Do you want any help," she asks.
"We're all done except for the drying, I think. Thanks for the offer."
"I can still help," Meep says. "I'll go get the towels."
She comes back a minute later with a few towels and a change of clothes for Moon. The stack of cloth is nearly as tall as she is.
"Arnama said that you might want these, too."
Moon grins at the massive stack. "Very helpful, thank you." She lets Meep help dry the cat, always keeping herself in a spot to intercede.
Meep smiles as Moon takes a towel and starts to dry Histya off. Meep takes one as well and slowly approaches the big cat. As she begins to learn Histya's boundaries, she grows more comfortable around the newest member of the band.
"Moon, are you okay," she asks after Histya is dry and the ranger is dressed.
Moon cocks her head at the curious question, "Yes. Why do you ask?"
"It's just-- I feel like there's been a lot going on, and you almost lost your mother. Goblins don't really care about that sort of thing, other than how they can use it to lord it over others, but I know that family's important here," she says before looking away. "And-- and I was there when you buried the elf before we saved your mother and the other elves. I-- I talked to Father Prasst about what had happened to me one day when you were out. He said it wasn't good to bottle things up, and I was-- I am worried that you might be doing that."
”Yes, well Father Prasst is Avistani and that is a very Avistani way to think. I’m not ‘bottling’ my emotions, I’m channeling them towards something useful. I’m mad about what happened to my people and Ethufel’s family. And I’m sad for Teowyn and sad about Ardyll. Some day I’ll grieve… But right now I’m directing all of that emotion into a desire to hunt down our enemies. I’m going to kill a lot of people, Meep… all of them, if I can manage it.”
Meep thinks about what Moon has said.
"Um, you mean all of the bad guys, right," she asks nervously.
"Yes, the bad guys."
"Oh, good," she says, clearly relieved. "Er, sorry, still learning T-Tal-- Tal-- Still learning Common."
"I didn't say which people so I wasn't clear."
"Would it be possible for this medallion to be hiding you from this hag?" She asks, breaking her own silence. "Ahn... sorry if this was a stupid question... I know nothing about magic."
"It is," Talliree answers. "It also seems to keep things away. I've noticed that fey and spirits don't really come close to my home. Neither do animals."
"Wherever it came from, there is no doubt it's potent and complicated magic. May I examine it closer?" Maidie asks as she prepares to cast detect magic again and take a more detailed look at the medallion.
"Betzolte, what do you think? You were always better at tinkering with magic items."