Badhbh's page

Badhbh is drawn to the abyss below.

Only the perpetual waves and surface currents from the awesome falls broke the illusion that he could drop and fly and keep on plunging through air...

His reverie is broken when the unthinkable happens, Air catches him off guard, punishing him for his dalliance with the water below. He had strayed closer to the cliffs than he realised and a huge updraft momentarily rocked him. He adjusted quickly but was forced to resign himself to the currents and quickly ascend.

He takes the opportunity to assuage his interest in the citadels at the top of the falls, swooping as low as he dares over each in turn.

Anything of note?

Badhbh is already a fair distance away when he hears Burne's words, clearly carried on the wind.

Plausible deniability

Can I double check, River runs outwards from Volcano? So we are approaching from the lower end of the waterfall?

"You invite us to go 'round the bend'?

Badhbh smiles wryly and hops from one foot to the other before cocking his head and flitting off in the direction the el indicates, he does not return the bow.

Badhbh hops back from the el. Not wanting to seem to intimidate him or force action.

"Curious"

The travelers approach the bank of the river and as Nempura's craft draws up Badhbh lands, transforming a few feet off the ground and dropping nimbly onto the balls of his feet on the riverside.

His hair, in contrast to Nempura's, seems to fall in messy slow motion around him, caught in eddies that no-one else can feel.

"There are fewer boats than I expected." He seems to finish Nempura's last sentence.

This morning's craft has a slightly raised platform in the prow, Badhbh starts the morning crouched there, on his haunches, breathing the wind. Around mid-morning the boat... caught a rock just below the surface?... a fluke current?... a dodgy note in Nempura's song?... maybe Badhbh just imagined the momentary shiver. It was enough.

Badhbh was on the wing in a moment.

Badhbh has been conspicuously vacant over the trip. He is on wing for hours at a time, only returning to the shaped water when absolutely necessary. Often even flying ahead and then waiting in the bank for the others.

When forced to ride on the boat he is clearly uncomfortable. Most obvious is his silence, almost eerie after so long with his constant background whistling and twittering. Next comes the stillness. Badhbh crouches in the centre of the boat, eyes fixed on the horizon ahead, as if ready to leap at a moment's notice. Away from the water, into the air.

Each evening he seems to return to himself a little. But it is clear to anyone that is taking an interest that time spent on water is harming Badhbh. If pressed he will be nothing but appreciative of Nempura's efforts, thanking her for the new experiences. He will not utter a negative word.

Hi all. I'm really sorry. I've finally got a move date and it's caught us by surprise. I'll get a post up now but it might be a few days until I can get signal again (no WiFi at the New castle)

Sorry for going dark on you.

An el, looking a little bedraggled, stumbles on to the track. Behind him Badhbh... Acrobatics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20 ...cartwheels into view.

His sharp eyes immediately spot the wagon headed back the way they had come, surrounded by refugee undines.

"Best hurry, safety in numbers on the road... Are we walking now then?"

He grabs a sticky rice cake, evidently left by the thankful undines and begins to pick at it. Darting crumbs to his lips with deft fingers. Something catches his eye in the basket and he lifts a large jewel close to one of his globe like eyes, letting the dim light catch its facets.

"Now that's no rice cake..."

Level up

1d10 ⇒ 9 HP

+1 BAB

+1 Will Save

My Claws now count as magcal and ignore DR/cold iron DR/silver

With Woodland Stride I can move through any sort of undergrowth at normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.

Skills: 5 points (+1 free) (+1 FCB)
+1 Ride
+1 Perception
+1 Know.:Nature
+1 Acrobatics
+1 Sense Motive

+1 Craft:Engineering

+1 Know.:Geography

Feat Dirty Fighting

Perception: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 11 + 2 = 25

Tracking: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 1 = 9

I've thrown in a track test as well, nice to use a class ability every now and then :p

By the time Badhdh returns, the refugees have left yeah? Gives you a chance to hide the loot...

Whoop! I missed this, thanks DM. I'll start looking into my level up. Anything I need to know about leveling up in your games?

I want to take this moment to thank you all for a great game so far September/October brings with is a return to teaching and its been a hell of a year so far. It's really nice to be able to indulge in bit of escapism with you three.

Thank you.

Badhbh doesn't miss a beat. As Nempura shows her skills he beats his wings hard to gain some altitude before swooping off in the direction the fleeing el took.

I'm heading over the river

Badhbh reaches the line of trees on the river bank and, pausing ever so briefly on a low hanging branch to make sure he is still the centre of attention, swoops over the water.

I'm headed for the river, they're dangerously dehydrated, someone could get hurt! I've only moved 30ft as I assume that they are slow and Badhbh would not be moving at full speed anyway. Move me up if they will follow faster, I've still got my flight speed.

Badhbh continues his hopping, fluttering, pied piper act. Trying to draw the husks towards the water.

My plan is to kite the dregs around a bit while you peeps hopefully deal with the boss. Hopefully, maybe, when our thirsty friend goes down they'll follow.

@GM Are we still next to the river? Is it frozen over?

Badhbh flaps about clumsily, half true flight, half just hopping about. Always just just of reach of the clasping, papery hands. Making sure to stay close enough to the drygrief to keep an eye on things. Towards the river?

Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Magical weapons... wonderful

Badhbh lets a out a series of loud cries, both to warn the others and to attract the shriveled elles.

How has the voiceless undine reacted?

"Caw!"

Reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

Badhbh swoops low to land near one of the snowy lumps and, still in bird form, hops closer to inspect the odd shapes. If nothing is apparent he will peck lightly at the shapes, investigating with his razor bill.

Badhbh will stay airborn for now, turning spirals in the air.

Is there anyone else around? How far is the road blocked for?

At the mention of a trap, Badhbh drops wordlessly off the back of the wagon and takes to his wings. Beating hard to gain some height and survey the immediate area.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

So......

We're forming a band. Right?

Despite his grump the possibility of creating something and improving its design has Badhbh like a fish on a line.

"Like this?"

He scratches a rough design in the dirt castanets?

Badhbh is up early and takes to the wing without much ceremony or preamble. He spends longer than normal hunting yet still returns with empty talons. This does nothing to assuage his mood.

Just as he is picking through his meagre breakfast, comprised mostly of yesterdays leftover forage, Freya approaches.

"Wouldn't you just burn wood up? I'd hate to see my work go up in smoke."

He tears a bite out of a succulent leaf and speaks through the pulp

"What did you want anyway?"

Badhbh does not have a good night, he tosses and turns restlessly. His dreams are dark and relentless.

He is moving at speed through a landscape like oil on water, dark swirls on an incomprehensible landscape; but repeatedly snaps back to where he started. He twice wakes up with the feeling of falling clutching wildly for something that was never there.

By the time his watch is due he is thoroughly disgruntled, and not a little surly.

"Maybe."

After a moments pause Badhbh hands the reigns to Kapelo and nimbly slides into the back of the wagon

"Is that what this Yorse wants? To be hidden away? He... It... They seem pretty attached to you Freya. There has to be a reason for that. Trust your instincts. Go with the flow."

There is another pause, Badhbh's internal battle rages...

"You talk like you know 'my people' like we're all the same, one hive. I don't judge you by the actions of ifrits I have known or stories I've heard. Your kind are no better than mine!

But I suppose the truth is that you are right. Lots of Sylphs would be very adept at hiding Yorse away, they've been hiding their whole lives one way or another. Sylphs have hidden themselves so well for so long lots have lost themselves..."

He trails off.

"Trust yourself Freya. Stop looking to authority or tradition."

He reaches out and grabs a flower from the side of the road, its colour is gone and the fluffy seeds are ready to disperse. Badhbh plucks a seed and offers it into the air. It quickly wafts away out of sight.

You've broken from the masses. But even the smallest seed can grow strong roots"

Rather than blowing the rest of the seeds he absently drops the remains and they are dashed beneath the cart wheel. A few seeds drift away but the flower is utterly destroyed.

"We should keep moving."

Badhbh's head snaps, cocking to one side as he hears the voice.

"Fuel. Food is fuel. And who are you? Can you hear me as well as speak? ...are you in the orb that Freya is carrying?"

"Is anyone else hearing that? Freya?"

Morning all.

Sorry, needing to arrange to move house with some haste and it's sapping my noggin. I'll get something up in the next few hours.

GM, many happy returns to your little one!

Loux

Badhbh briefly narrows his black shiny eyes at Freya.

"Fine. OK. Fine."

He shrugs, his voice artificially light, there is not truth to the motion.

You don't know me. Grabbing a shiny thing and fleeing, that's you. Not me. Personal insults don't suit you.

The rapport that had begun to build between them as they worked together seemed to dissolve into the air.

DM, I don't know how much Badhbh could realistically achieve with his limited resources, or how Kapelo would react. I may have just tried a piece of junk to his wrist.

Also, I forgot to include it in my earlier post would it be ok to retcon Badhbh snaffling a pound or so of flour before we left the mill?

"Wood's just what I had to hand. I don't think oaks much of a craftsman to be honest. Too grounded. You'd have to ask him yourself. I'm no artist...

He holds his creation out at arm's length and turns it, smiling.

"...just trying to be helpful. Do the ifriti create much?"

He gathers Nempura's kelp leather and begins to tie.

"Thanks Blue. Freya, could you just give me a hand... Hold that piece while I... That's great. Thank you."

If Freya is happy to lend a hand, they work together for a while.

"Kapelo, may I borrow you? I made this for you, it's no replacement and it's crude, but it should give you some small functionality."

As he speaks Badhbh ties his creation to Kapelo's injured hand it is a pair of articulated wooden fingers to replace his own.

"They are not pretty and do not have full movement but you should be able to grip better at least, under gloves no-one should notice if you don't want them to..."

------------------------------------

Badhbh listens to the others discussing tactics and lethality. Before adding his own thoughts.

"So we get attacked in the dead of night. But being the ingenious tacticians we are" he nods towards Freya "we are ready for them! We spring awake!" Badhbh leaps to his feet and brandishes his dagger in a fair imitation of Kapelo's fighting stance. Flipping his blade over he deftly catches the tip and bangs the side of the waggon with the handle. "Being kind, noble, honourable elle's we subdue our assailants without harming a hair on their chinny-chin-chins." He specifically does not look at Nempura.

"Then what? We take them with us to their city, feeding them all the way? Tie them up to starve beside the road? Let them free to come at us again? I'm as wary as anyone to avoid killing. But if it comes to it I'm not sure we have much of an option. No-one held back back at the shrine. When it comes to it, we need to live. This is not a game."

After a lovely breakfast and as they are preparing to move out Badhbh will transform and scout the road ahead, flying high to avoid unwanted attention.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29 I'll use one chunk of wildshape, so an hour round trip out and back. Doing the same in the afternoon if necessary, not sure of the timings/distances or what he'll find.

Once he has returned and fed back his findings assuming he hasn't found anything that needs immediate attention he settles onto the backplate of the wagon, feet dangling, and begins to whittle at the sticks he has collected. He is focussed on function over form and slowly the form of two fingers emerges.

Craft:Engineering: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Noted

Badhbh narrows his eyes at his lumbering friend.

"Yeah, you're probably right. They may have finished combing their hair and polishing their armour by now."

He is obviously joking, it is also clear that he is developing a lot of respect for their new travelling companions.

As they return to the mill
Badhbh will let Oak present the forage, he needs no credit.

"I don't know much about these routes, I go where the wind takes me.
Téim leis an sreabhadh. Where do we go now, how do we get there from here? We have a Temple to tear down."

Should I know who Graanite Paw is?

"I hope you find your ears soon friend."

There is a glint in Badhbh's eye, but he manages to keep the smile off his face.

"So we go with the wind, forllow the currents. I just wish it felt less like being underwater. I don't like being pulled. Still, I hope this ifrit realises what he's pulling on."

Badhbh deftly straps his spear to his pack and draws a dagger, roughly stripping and shaping the sticks he had collected. Punctuating his remarks with the blade.

Sorry for the radio silence

It seems so long ago that it was just the two of us, foraging together in the wilds, before Hearth, Kapelo, whatever this is... but what has it been? A rite? 6 weeks? A lifetime?

"I don't know Ohkwarikó"

A moment of silence as they search, Badhbh is poking through the underbrush with the but of his spear, plucking berries, edible flowrers and small mushrooms with a darting hand and storing them.

Suddenly he leaps, his feet have taken the form of raptor talons and snatch at nothing as his prey scuttles away. They carry on like this, the lythe and the ploding, the unreliable and the consistent, for some time.

"It's been called a godling. But I don't know what that means. Whether it's a fragment of a god, a god's child, a new god," Great Father Sky returned. "I don't know. I know it needs our help though. I held it and it didn't feel dark, it felt... right somehow. Besides, we don't have a lot of choice with this sleeping sickness running rampant. I... have you had any more dreams? That feather?"

Badhbh bends and gathers some sturdy looking sticks, about an inch in diameter.

Survival(Foraging): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

That's a shame. Good to say something early though.

Badhbh gives Freya a nod of acknowledgement and a smile,

"you're on!"

If Freya agrees
They proceed to spend some time passing the stone back and forth taking turns to play the game. Not a warrior, but good with her hands.

Intently watching Freya, Badhbh addresses Nempura,

"Back in the village I saw a lot of rope made from river plants. Is that plant rare? Does it take long to make? Would you be able to make me some? Say... this thin and as strong as possible?"

2mm

When time comes to settle down for the night Badhbh will bed down as hih in the mill as possible, preferably on the roof under the stars if there is a flat area. He will volunteer for the last watch, dawn.

Badhbh smiles wistfully at Nempura's question.

"The waters move you with their currents, no? Push you from here to there. The air makes water seem like stone. Up there I am the master of my movements. It's like I'm dancing with the air, our movements complement each other. I can use wind to speed myself or halt my motion, currents give me height or allow me to glide. Every time I fly I can feel myself getting stronger, I'll take you up there one day if you like. One day I will stay up there, higher and higher."

--------------------------

Once they have eaten, in that natural lull that invites self reflection and contemplation, Badhbh sits and thinks. He serches for a moment in a pocket and withdraws a stone disk about the size of a large coin with a deft flick of his fingers the disk is air born. But at the apex of its flight, just when it should be falling, it stops, hovers for a moment and begins to orbit Badhbh slowly.

After a few orbits Badhbh's spindly fingers drob a gold piece onto the disk as it passes. He carries on dropping coins onto the stack every few passes.

Dex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

The stack is only 3 coins high when a coin catches an edge and they all fall to the ground.

Stones don't fly

He catches the stone and offers it up. It is clear that this is just a little game that Badhbh has developed to occupy his hands while he thinks.

"My record is twelve, but tonight it's three to beat. Who's game?"

GM: Sylph info says...

"Alien
Creativity can replace sleep."

Does this literally mean that I can not sleep as long as I'm being creative instead? Would mentally devising a contraption count?

"My people?

Ah, you mean the Scattering? the Misfortune? the Godless?"

He takes a seat on the ground by the fire, his tone melancholic

"My people are all cladhaire, Blue. We work for other's prestige while mocked or pitied. It is Pity-ful. Have you ever seen a Wing Blue? One of the ancient sculptures of my people?"

He absentmindedly traces the outline of one of the great sculptures in the dust with a long finger as he talks

"Beautiful. I suppose they were holy places once. Divine. My people are so able, so capable. And yet we cower in cities making and sending, always making and sending away. We were something once, we held our own. Great sky is hidden from us but it is time my people stopped feeling sorry for ourselves and found our pride once more."

At that moment there is a sound of metal on leather cloth? metal? as Kapelo strikes Freya to end their duel. The sound seems to carry, deafening, in the moment of silence.

more of a runner than a fighter after all

"Your blades are beautiful Blue. They seem so impractical and yet you are so deft with them, perhaps you should challenge Kapelo?

Your not quite sure if he is joking

Magpie is indeed impressed by Nempura's blade work.

If anybody cared to watch his hunt they will have seen that the water was the last place he looked. He circled long over the green before turning to the blue. Even then, his forays are tentative and he does all he can to keep his feathers dry.

The truth is that if he wasn't keen to impress upon new companions his usefulness, he would rather go hungry than enter the water.

-----------------------------

When he has caught the two fish he transforms once more into Badhbh

"You handle those... is knives the correct term?... with a lot of skill. May I hold one?"

Are they particularly ornate? Could you give me a rough description.

Just then the sparring begins and Badhbh move over to watch. He shows no particular bias, but is a very load and vocal audience.

From what I can work out Freya ran from the last fight, I wonder how capable she really is.

There's also performance combat if you're into such things

As they travel and Nempura's song forms, Badhbh does his best to join in even trying to harmonise. He is not loud or imposing, again the sound seems to be almost subconscious.

Sing: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (6) + 0 = 6

This is probably for the best, has has not got Nempura's skills.

------------------------------------------

Once they stop for the evening he will hop of the wagon

"I'll see what I can find to fill the pot Blue."

With a skip and a jump Badhbh leaps and Magpie appears once more, pumping wings hard to gain height. He begins to circle over the surrounding country, looking for prey.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28
Survival: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Anything he manages to find and catch will be returned and placed gently at Nempura's feet. He then takes to the air again to find more.

"I suppose you'll definitely eat lunch together, just not how you planned. We'll all be eating together for a while now..."

Head out and neck extended into the breeze, Badhbh seems quiet as the wagon rolls on. If any come close enough to notice though, they would hear that he is alternately humming or whistling. No specific melody or noticeable tune, but what his uncle always described as his 'busy whistle.' Repeating certain refrains a few times before abandoning them for new ones.

Despite his idle and carefree manner he is always watching: the road ahead, behind, the rolling countryside to either side. This is not nerves or anxiety; he knows it pays to be aware.

When they return to Freya's house Magpie once again takes elen form.

Badhbh helps pack the wagon, leaving the others to decide what supplies are needed but helping where he can.

He cocks his head and observes as Nempura pens her signs.

Such a sheltered life... she has not seen what I have, the way the powerful distain those they percieve to be powerless.

As she hammers up the signs he breaks his silence

"Soineanta. The world is not full of noble elen Nempura, weakness invites predation. Once people realise how helpless these folk are, their possessions will be the least of their worries. I think we need something a little stronger. How about this..."

he takes some parchment himself and in a tight, almost printed, hand writes his own sign.

"What is the name of this place again?"

DANGER
PLAGUE
The Village of Vi Thanh is hereby placed under strict quarantine until further notice.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

"Freya, does the church have any way of marking notifications as official? Some sign or symbol? One of these on the road as we leave, half a candle out, should put people off."

When the wagon rolls Badhbh will be stood on a side plate, hanging onto
the struts of the cover and embracing the wind on his skin. Any dust that is kicked up seems to swirl around him but never make contact.

Having moved throught the vilage with Nempura, checking houses only to find more comatose els, Magpie comes to rest on a fencepost beside the river.

He watches head cocked as Nempura slips effortlessly into the water. The way the constricting liquid seems to compress her clothes to her body and paste her hair to her head makes his skin crawl. He feels the pull of the air, the desire to move upwards, freedom. A moment later and he launches upwards. A call echoes across the unnaturally quiet village

”Caa…”

As he sprirals upward his eye is caught by a torch reflecting fitfully from a pool. The pool beside the shrine where the orb was... born?

Badhbh lands at the Kalyeer family shrine in el form, stepping over to where the earlier fire consumed the shards of Ky La. He crouches and blows the ashes aside and his fingers sift through the cinders, he is surprised to find that the inqquisitor's talisman and robe are intact. He holds them for a moment.

Not mine. Not anybody's. Maybe I can return them!

He packs the acoutrements away carefully in a side pocket of his rucksack, alongside several nuggets of molten glass from the fire.

Moments later Magpie is perched once more on the fencepost, watching for Nempura's return.

Having seen that Novalie has been made safe and properly comfortable, Badhbh follows Nempura outside to check the village.

He pauses on the threshhold of Freya's house, crouches a momment as if to insppect the hearth, then leaps skyward. As his bare feet leave the ground he is already changing, his form contracts dark feathers form, then some bleach. Magpie pulls hard and accelerrates into the sky.

The draw of the air is strong, he longs to fly, swoop and soar, up, up. Up... But he has others in need now, not yet. He glides on hight for a few seconds surveying the buildings bellow, looking for any movement.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12

This done he swoops back down and flaps around Nempura (and the others?) flying from house to house, window to window. Looking for signs of life.

You can't prove that Badhbh was going to shave you while you slept and you never will!

Well now I feel bad. I was torn when it was Nempura, "we can't just leave her here!" But now that it's Novalie (given meta circumstances) I'm fine about leaving her...

What a bad sylph.

Haha, I wondered how we were going to get around that one.

Nempura, that's quite a poker face! I assumed you'd arranged something with the GM.

GM, you are not awful!

Badhbh leaps nimbly back as Nempura falls. He flicks looks around the room, clearly unnerved.

"This is not good, not good at all"

When Freya reads the note he leaps to the window

"Everyone in the vilage? Droch áird chúgat lá gaoithe! 'Another one of us,' it seems we are tied together in this then..."

While the others tend to Nempura he returns to where he first stood

"...but why Nempura, if Ky La has this power, why not put Kapelo to sleep... Have any non undine folk been affected? What about the brackish water? Does she still hold it?"

It is clear that Badhbh is rattled, out of his depth. His mind is leaping from thought to thought without following any to their conclusion.