“Let us search the basement then,” Ellaeaanda agrees with the general consensus, “and deal with the Cinderclaws who have evicted the Bumblebrashers.” Looking over at Cerrus, she responds “As you wish. The hour is late indeed. But let us speak with the goblins first.”
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No cookies whatsoever? What were the treats in house bigpot?
Grandma Bigpot much preferred brioche - she said it was easier on her teeth. Cookies she got for Netkin as a young child tended to be left in a cupboard until they became so dry that stealing one once in a while was not quite the reward he sought.
She did, however, always insist that he should eat his proteins, and snacks as he grew up would consist of a bit of jerky or dry sausage to nibble on as he worked on his next invention. Cookies were only added if he was especially ravenous - or the child-like thrill of 'nicking' one when Grandma had her back turned.
“As you wish. The hour is late indeed. But let us speak with the goblins first.”[/b
"Greetings, friends... Friends?... Friends!"
"I believe we've quite cleared this floor, yes. Would you be so kind as to point us to the way downstairs, if you please? I believe you've got a bit of an invasion problem there too, is that correct?"
After heading to the mess hall to find the goblins, Ellaeaanda calmly interjects after Netkin’s bumbling request. “Secret ways Helba shared, through the hillside, to the west. But a guide to this entrance would be welcome in the morn.” She glances over at Calmont before addressing the goblin chieftain once more. “As Netkin says, focused we were on securing this citadel for you, and focused we shall be in recovering your home below. No time had we for justice. Mayhap we leave Calmont in your care?” It has become rather clear that the fire-loving halfling that is not Netkin will be more of a hindrance than an asset in rooting out the Cinderclaw cult. “To Breachill you can take him, to face the Town Council.”
Cerrus
Alak takes a quick look at the dedication in the book and a smile appears in his face. ”Not just any fellow hellknight, my friend. This was written by my father. He was working on a similar treatise for Varisian law before he past away.” He puts the book safely away. ”Thank you.”
Ellaeaanda
It is night time, around 8pm. For now the Bumblebrashers have settled themselves in the mess hall, on the other wing of the Citadel, and they have picked up the weapons they had dropped in the courtyard.
Ardoinel observes Alak's reception of the book and smiles himself, with a nod.
"I'm glad we were able to find it for you. Let us hope the ring is further below as well. And thank you again for your patience with us as we help you search."
He joins Ellaeaanda in returning to the Bumblebrashers.
"There are a few animals nesting in abandoned areas that we've left alive, but I figure you're as content to live and let live with them as they seemed to be with us. There's a pair of warg pups we ran into after driving what seemed to be their parent off. They don't seem to want to follow the older warg out of the citadel, and they received an offer of food with more curiosity and than fear. We thought you may want to know of them. I know wargs tend to seek out more...wicked groups of goblins to join for easy targets to savage and eat, but these pups don't seem to have learned that kind of behavior yet. Maybe you could be the pack that shows them a kinder way?"
" Don't hurt the pups! I really want to see if one can come with us. The female one seemed smart, and she was cute after all. If you can't manage her, I will give it a try. Nothing really hurt by trying it anyways right?" Resa says to the goblins, having nothing really more to do for the job they are currently here for. She didn't want to make herself seem anymore strange, but being able to see in the dark meant she was okay staying while it was getting dark.
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Netkin watches Resa with some pity. He certainly was no dog expert himself, and wouldn't want to sound too pessimistic, but just how hard they could resist their nature, he wasn't sure...
Though of course, there was no evidence that they couldn't, and one shouldn't just assume without really knowing...
It was all so complicated. You almost had to envy the Order of the Nail for their capacity to look at the world without seeing all of the grey bits that made it kaleidoscopic and unclear.
"If we want to rest before we go, is there a part of the citadel where we could have a little sleep in a safe area? Without bothering you too much, of course," he asks the goblins.
" Don't hurt the pups! I really want to see if one can come with us. The female one seemed smart, and she was cute after all. If you can't manage her, I will give it a try. Nothing really hurt by trying it anyways right?" Resa says to the goblins, having nothing really more to do for the job they are currently here for. She didn't want to make herself seem anymore strange, but being able to see in the dark meant she was okay staying while it was getting dark.
"Resa, I don't think they're the type of goblins to torment animals for fun," Ardoinel replies with a shrug. "Either way, I think the pups should be fine."
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Before bedding down for the night wherever the goblins suggest, Cerrus spends a bit of time collecting items for his pouch of esoterica - iron filings from nail; a leaf from ragweed plant; a scale from one of the odd turtle monsters; and several others. Cerrus mutters to himself as he meanders around the citadel grounds. "You never know when these sorts of things will come in handy."
At some point in the early evening, Cerrus inquires about Alak's plans once he finds what he is looking for. "Once you've found your family heirloom, what's next on your plan? Back to your Order?"
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After Ardoinel alerts the goblins to the presence of the warg pups, Ellaeaanda chimes in with further information. “A great bat roosts in peace if you but let it be,” her hand gestures vaguely towards the northwest corner, “and the bugbear Yolechta desires the same,” her arm swivels towards the direction of the bugbear’s realm.
Before she settles down to sleep for the night, she tilts her head slightly and fixes Netkin with an odd gaze, before finally pronouncing his fate. “In your future I smell freshly baked cookies.”
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Before she settles down to sleep for the night, she tilts her head slightly and fixes Netkin with an odd gaze, before finally pronouncing his fate. “In your future I smell freshly baked cookies.”
Netkin holds the elf's unblinking stare for as long as he can. The effect is unnerving. Maybe there's something on his teeth?
"Oh. Er," he does his best not to look too taken aback - and fails. "Thank you?..."
He gives her an awkward smile, and slowly turns his back on her. He's well aware that elves don't sleep, and he doesn't really want to open his eyes on someone blankly fixing him in the middle of the night.
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Resa nods, and seems satisfied with the answer the goblins gave her, and her friends information they know about goblins. She seemed relieved to be in the company of people who did not seem like bad people, and it had been a few taxing days.
"If noone minds, I can take an early watch, but only if you think we need it. There shouldn't be anything left to surprise us right?" If no watch order is made, she does try to stay up past everyone else, but stays quiet to not bother anyone. She knew some needed rest to regain their abilities.
She would wait until everyone else picked a spot, and while she didn't make it obvious, she did pick her spot a bit separate from the group in a nice dark corner, one that protected her on all two sides. Her next steps where to untie her head scarf and let her hair out, which was really something given it fell to her mid thigh area like a thick curly curtain, certainly making it much longer if it was wet or straighten, and anyone with dark vision could see why she kept her hair so piled up, as she had some pretty obvious horns that gave away her demonic nature. It also looked like it made laying down a chore, because they were not just pointed facing backwards, but seemed even a bit spiked along the edges.
Ardoinel tries to set up his bedroll and gear so there's some space between him and the others.
"I'm...used to taking precautions like this," he explains with a frown. "I don't want to accidentally smack any of you if my nightmares start me flailing around in my sleep...or accidentally spark a fire."
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Ellaeaanda simply sits down where she is, cross-legged, not bothering to find a better or more secluded spot. Seemingly unbothered by any commotion around her, she rests her palms up on her knees and stares blankly into space, as if meditating or looking at something unseen. It’s clear why some people mistakenly believe that elves don’t sleep, for she remains this way for the entire night. Only those close enough to her would eventually hear a quiet snoring that reveals that she does indeed sleep, but in an upright position with her eyes wide open.
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Ardoinel does indeed toss and turn in the night, and several times wakes with a start, but mercifully no mysterious fires spark from his dreams, but he clearly looks bedraggled when Helba offers him some breakfast.
"Thank you, Helba," he says politely as he takes the offered stew, gives it a few inquisitive sniffs, and then begins enjoying it.
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Netkin also tosses and turns in his sleep, occasionally mumbling (or reciting?) alchemical formulas. Perhaps to compensate, he is also the type of sleeper who is found still lightly snoring in his bed, with a trail of drool on the pillow, while everyone else is up and about. It takes some nudging before he wakes up.
"Em... Ah... Is it time to go?!" he rubs his eyes emphatically, and sighs. "Oh, how I miss my bed..."
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As she sleeps, so Ellaeaanda wakes, without any fanfare or fuss. With eyes already open, she simply stands and gratefully accepts some stew from Helba. The elf takes small, deliberate mouthfuls and chews slowly, as if she had all the time in the world.
“The sun rises and the cycle begins anew. But our destiny lies beyond the sun’s reach,” is her way of stating that she is ready to explore the basement. “Resa?” she turns to see if the rogue is awake.
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Netkin prepares some alchemical reagents before everyone else. It seems like some of the preparations have been done in advance - thankfully, the group doesn't have to stand too long to wait for him. He stores everything in his alchemist's toolkit.
”Here it is,” she states as she opens it. The door leads to a narrow passage way that fades into pitch darkness. ”Thank you for helping my bublebrashers, and good luck.”
"Thank you for showing us the way," Netkin peers into the darkness."Maybe we'll need a lantern of some sort...?" He asks his teammates.
Ellaeaanda retrieves a torch from her backpack, lights it, and hands it to Netkin. “Sun’s seed to unlit lands.” As she prepares to enter the dark passage she glances over at the dwarf-elf with a questioning look. “But perhaps Ardoinel has no such need?”
"You're right, I'm very blessed in that way, but be aware I'm no lithe ranger, so if I spot something, expect it to have spotted me as well. Or at least heard me tromping around," Ardoinel says with a sheepish shrug.
He takes point regardless, and enters into the passage.
After readying himself for the day and thanking Helba for the stew, Cerrus notices that the path forward is pitch black.s
"While I could also carry a torch, I am the most prepared when I can carry both my tome and my sword. Do you think one torch will be enough? Resa, can you see without light as well?"
Ardoinel returns to the group, trying to keep his steps moderately quiet.
"They've got a door. Don't know if it's locked or not, but we should probably gather to open it, if only to make sure whoever opens it isn't jumped by some guard on the other side."
"As I said, I didn't test it to determine, which is why I came back to get you and the rest of the group. If it IS, we'll want to be ready to bail whoever opens it out of trouble," Ardoinel replies matter-of-factly.
Resa was the last to wake up, having fell asleep last, so she was rushing to get he hair all back into place. Which given how long and curled it was, meant that she was just catching up when Ardoinel returned.
"I can look ahead a bit better, and maybe open the door if wanted. I... I can see in the dark. Its a small gift, but not always useful." Resa offers, still tucking some of her hair into her headband.
“Opening doors is your destiny,” Ellaeaanda calmly encourages Resa onwards.
"Cybôl!" Ardoinel retorts.
"Being able to see where other eyes can't is always useful, Resa. Besides, you're also lighter on your feet than I am, give yourself some credit!"
"Well I mean.. I don't want to overshadow anyone. But I can try!" Resa flushes a bit red at her companions encouraging words, as they have more faith in her than she did.
With all that, Resa would go into the corridor, and using her dark vision would spy for anything odd in the walls. Next, she would try to listen at the door for anything strange, and check it for traps and other issues. If nothing is found, she would then open it slowly and carefully and look around by peeping into the next room.
Resa would go back to the group and inform them of everything she noticed, including the fact the birds she saw didn't really react to her presence, either because they aren't real despite her thinking they are, or they are pets of some kind.
"They didn't really move, so maybe they can't see in the dark either? No telling, I'm not really good with nature stuff."
"I might know something of these birds. I just need to find a section of my notes. Just a moment."
Slipping past Resa to stand just into the hallway, Cerrus pages through his tome, looking for notes on specific species of birds. Then, he studies the birds carefully, hoping to have come across references to them in his travels.
Ardoinel raises an eyebrow at Resa's description.
"Birds? Underground?"
He thinks on what they could possibly be.
“Let us shed some light on the situation. One cannot see colors in the dark.” Taking the torch from Netkin, she advances into the hallway to provide some light for Cerrus to read his tome, while studying the birds herself in the dim torchlight.
"I think these are emperor birds. I thought they were extinct. How curious."
When the birds shriek and become agitated, Cerrus pulls out some dried meat from his pocket that he had planned to be a mid-morning snack and tosses down the chamber toward the birds. "We should avoid a fight if we can."
◆ Offer food
◆◆ Ready a Strike a bird attacks Cerrus
"Extinct in the halls of Taldor's nobility, maybe," Ardoinel adds. "but not in the Mwangi Expanse, where the Taldans imported them from. And not in Avistan's woodlands, where they were released after their masters grew bored of them. Another frustrating tale of the whims of nobles disrupting the balance of nature without care. At least we're lucky they haven't become as invasive as some other animals who were similarly kept as pets."
Ellaeaanda crumples lifelessly to the ground in a growing pool of blood.
"ELLAE!" Ardoinel exclaims as he sees the birds strike Ellaeaanda down, pushing his way to the front of the group.
He quickly pulls one of the potions out of his pack.
Then he crouches down, opens Ellaeaanda's mouth and trickles it down her throat.
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"Oh, they're from the Mwangi Expanse as well? That would make s-" Netkin abruptly lets out a shriek mid-sentence when one of the birds dives on Ellaeaanda, and rises again with bloody bits of flesh in its beak.
He squeezes past his teammates to help out, but is a bit too late. Ardoinel, in a few big strides, is already by the elf's side.
He still gets as close as possible in an attempt to give his Healing Potion to the wounded seer. If he cannot reach her, he places it in Resa's free hand instead.
"Ellaeaanda! Over here! Potion of healing!" he shouts over the birds' angry cries.
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After a moment, Ellaeaanda’s eyelids rapidly flutter open. “Not yet called,” she murmurs softly, wiping away the droplets of potion on her face as she gazes at the torch lying about a foot away. Remembering how the bird had flown directly at her source of light, and how it had ignored Resa in the dark, she reaches out and grabs the torch. “Later,” she responds absent-mindedly to Netkin while rising to her feet—though the wound still hurts badly, protecting her companions is her first priority. And so she hurls the torch away as far as she can, plunging the immediate vicinity into a darkness that favors dwarves and demons.