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Ordinarily such a powerful being of the ocean would draw Cyanea's respect, even awe...but this one was different. Whatever he was, he was not a friend, and the star-lit huntress had tracked Minos before. Almost instinctively, Cyanea reroutes the currents rushing past her to turn back toward this Oceanus in an attempt to subdue him.
I would say a road trip sounds great, except I've already had two 1500+ mile road trips in the last three months. So I'm set. ;) I hope yours is great, though!
Thinking quickly, Cyanea wriggles free and ducks between the largest of the fronds, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and the largest of the grasping strands.
Unnerved by the near-sentient undulations of the kelp fronds, Cyanea sends the waters around her into a churn, ready to loose a wave at the threat that grows at the corners of her mind.
Cyanea attempts to dart between the strands of kelp, looking for thin areas and seams of stone to follow...but fortune does not favor her. Unexpected currents push the seaweed in strange undulations, and fatigue begins to slow her movements.
The path was not exactly inviting, but Cyanea liked her chances better moving through the water than attempting to scale the stones. Carefully she darts through the gap, following the star-lit huntress and her quarry.
Fire. Of course. For several moments, Cyanea tries in a panic to pull sweat from her body and multiply it enough to put out the flames...before she realizes that the heat does her no harm. Except for concealing her way out... Fruitlessly, she attempts to dart for one door after another, each one disappearing just as she moves to set a hand on it. It is only the strength of her will that keeps her going, wasted effort after wasted effort taking their toll. Finally, though, luck is on her side - a door appears just to the right of where one had disappeared, and she ducks to pass through it, her shoulder leading the way.
Hey! Sorry, life got *way* real on me for a while and I had a bit much to keep track of. I'm down to join back in if you guys will have me, but if you'd rather continue it as a solo game for Ambrus, I totally get it. Either way, I hope it continues on awesome!
Steeling herself against the threat, Cyanea once again sends a torrent of water toward the creature; the air around grows noticeably more dry and harsh as she draws all the moisture from it to drive her attack.
Same. I play a GMPC in the game I run. When I roll for my GMPC my dice are on fire; when I roll for enemies, I can't roll for anything. Lucky for them. XD
She thought she was ready - but the minotaur's roar shakes Cyanea to her core. The ferocity of the sound leaves her shaking, and it's several moments before she manages to drag her hands into the long-familiar gestures of drawing water into a mighty burst.
Iroas hesitates, quivering in fear and huddling close to Cyanea's leg. Finally, though, she urges him forward with a none-too-gentle nudge of her calf, and the badger stomps ahead to protect his friend.
Cyanea accepts the offer of rest graciously - her father's gift had its advantages, but it was tiring when she had to call upon it so frequently. The chant and her exhaustion lull her to sleep almost instantly, and she sleeps soundly through the night. When she rises in the morning, she calls upon her customary watery shield; the raised image on its face once again glows, the light rising and falling with the priests' prayers. "I'm ready," she says simply, acknowledging her fear and letting it slip away into the background.
Cyanea accepts the ring, sliding it onto a finger and admiring the shining metal. "Of course. I can draw all the weapon I need from the very air around us - I don't much need to worry about weapons coming back, do I?" With a slight grin, she turns to the priest. "As for our quest...we are not fully certain of it yet ourselves, truthfully. All we know is that the Spear is tied with our fates, somehow. We were told so in a vision, from a trustworthy source."
Cyanea bows one more time to the weakened demigod and steps aside. "The temple, then. May Athena guide our way, and yours, Theseus." Once Ambrus is ready, she starts to scan the area surrounding the hall, searching for some sign of the temple that Theseus had spoken of.
It's all Cyanea can do to avoid softly moaning at the influx of power - whether from pleasure or pain, she can't say. Now this was starting to look more possible. "Thank you," she answers simply, bowing again with a concerned look at Theseus' emaciated form. "I have known Athena for only a short time, but she has guarded my way so far." The disk of water hovering around and over her left arm begins to swirl faster, and the shape dancing in faint relief across its surface glows softly with the grey light that had illuminated the hero-god. "I believe she will guard our way, as she has guarded yours. But I must know...is there anything we can do for you?"
Moving day is tomorrow! It should just take us the weekend to make the trip (at a casual pace, even), but if I miss posting over the next little bit it's because I'm a tiny bit distracted. What with the new city and new job and all. ;)
If even Theseus cannot face this First Minotaur...what are we supposed to be able to do? But if the visions had been correct, there was no other option...seeking the Spear was the only way. "We thank you, then," she answers with another bow of her head. "Where does the First Minotaur reside?" If a word like where even has any meaning here. "Or, how can we find him? What should we know about facing him? Does he have any kind of weakness that could give us some kind of advantage?"
The sight of the trapped hero-god renders Cyanea nearly speechless for several moments. Whatever she had expected, this wasn't it. Soon, though, she recovers herself and kneels down beside Ambrus in respect. "As my companion says. Any information you may have about this minotaur or a way to navigate the maze would be a great help."
"Why can't we let her go? She's proven to be a friend to us. There's no need for us to fight." The last words are strangely inflected, with just a hint of shrillness to them vastly different from Cyanea's usual deep alto. "Let her go back to her tower - the fight was her companions' choice, but she isn't a threat to us." She takes the figurine in her hands, turning it over several times. "I always wished I'd had some ability to examine magic auras. It would have saved me a world of trouble over the years getting shorted on items. But I agree the city is probably our best bet...still a long shot, but if there isn't a person with the ability to examine them then perhaps we can get some sort of item to help. Does that sort of thing exist?"
1) a magic item or 2) an NPC seem like the two best bets to me. I know the lantern of auras exists and could be used for that purpose; maybe tack on an added benefit of a bonus to Spellcraft/the ability to use Spellcraft untrained. Or I could start putting some points into Spellcraft to use with it.
Oof, that's the worst.
Still visibly uncomfortable with Ambrus' harsh words and treatment, Cyanea nevertheless lets him continue, although the pitiable screech of pain almost breaks her will. He did have a point - they knew the sirens' words carried a mystical power. This one was harmless, a friend even, but his mistrust of her was understandable, even if unwarranted. "Of course - here, let me attend to that," she replies at Ambrus' request for healing, moving and multiplying the sweat from his skin to cool and bind together his wounds. She moves to do the same for the bound siren as well, setting a hand as gently as possible on the broken wing. "I'm sorry," she murmurs as she draws close. "Your friends were trying to hurt us - I understand why he's suspicious, even if you've done nothing to deserve such ire. I'll keep him in check, and see that you're released when this is over."
Just to confirm, I'm not under a suggestion then? It's fine either way, I don't know that it'd change my response all that much.
"No...Ambrus, no! Let her be. She's no threat to us." There was nothing to fear from this creature, separated from her allies, broken wing curled against her chest, cowering behind the rough stone...
I don't...wait! It's the monsters! Berating herself for neglecting her earplugs and falling victim to the siren song, Cyanea bolts to her feet, attempting to step backward and get a clear shot at one of Ambrus' assailants. Iroas, with Cyanea out of the sirens' thrall, moves to face Ambrus with one of the sirens in between them, biting hard and attempting to pull the beast to the ground.
Wait...what? What's happening?
Cyanea stares into the face of the songstress, her hand rising to meet the caress with one of her own. I could listen to this forever...
"Ambrus...do you hear that?" But she doesn't wait to hear the answer. The melody was too compelling...she had to know what kind of incredible creature could be responsible for such a song.
Especially in situations where I'm going to have to roll the save no matter what, I'm good with you rolling saves for us. Whenever I GM play by post, my goal is always to take the party to the next point where I need their decisions, and I'm not choosing whether to make that save or not. And I'm ok with being botted in general if I haven't posted in a while - if I let myself fall behind it's on me that I miss decisions.
Thankful that diplomacy worked where aggression had not, Cyanea falls into line behind the soldiers, her head swiveling around rapidly to take in the sights of the necropolis - or the city, according to her hosts. This should be interesting.
Happy wedding-ing!
"Ambrus, wait...just wait a second." Flexing every bit of patience she possesses after her sleepless night, Cyanea steps forward. "I apologize for my companion - we have had a trying journey. We came because we heard rumor that there had been monsters seen here, as you said, including the minotaur my friend speaks of. We wished to help to defend against them in any way we could. What do we need to do to seek an audience with King Theseus, that we may enter his service?"
The circles under Cyanea's eyes are deep, and she rises to her feet with far less than her usual vigor, letting out a soft moan as she comes to her feet. "Yeah," she answers briefly, almost curtly. "Lost in a dark maze, pursued by unknown horrors - oh, wait, that's real life. The only difference in the dream was I knew where the monster was coming from." Carefully, she flexes her arms and winces, drawing her sweat in complex patterns around her skin. "I've slept on floors plenty before, and I've had plenty of bad dreams...but nothing like this. Come on - the sooner we go, the sooner we can get out of this place." ---------- Still dragging from her restless night, Cyanea is in ill humor as the guard blocks her way. She elects to let Ambrus lead the conversation - her words would have been far less kind. My purpose is to get in, get the Spear, and get the f*@* out. Move out of my way or I swear to all the gods I will move you.
As Nikolaus said, each point of burn inflicts non-lethal damage equal to your level, which only goes away with a night's rest. And I'd pay 4000 for spectacles of detect magic once we have it. :)
"Here, let me," Cyanea answers as Ambrus pulls out his healer's kit. "My father's gift does let me soothe wounds. It's different from herbal remedies or truly magical healing, more tiring, but I can take the brunt of it, or you can if you choose." After Ambrus is seen to, she tends to Iroas' wounds as well, visibly sagging slightly as she draws water over his wounds to close them. "I wouldn't say no to staying here for the night...as you say, sleeping in a place called the Necropolis doesn't sound like the best idea." Pulling a bedroll from her bag, she sets it against the wall and sits, using the wall as a backrest as she examines the ring. "Sometimes I do wish I was learned in proper magic, so I could examine this sort of thing...I have a feeling I've been scammed more than once because I couldn't confirm a piece's magic on my own. I suppose there'd be only one way to figure it out, and that'd be to put it on."
As Iroas bellows and struggles against his new-found bonds, his eyes become hard as the stones surrounding the cavern, and foam begins to form at his mouth from the exertion. Cyanea, seeing her companion struggling, draws on her own reserves of energy, digging deep and pouring every bit of power she can muster into her next burst of energy.
Thankfully Ambrus was free - now to make sure that thing didn't have a chance to recover its grip. "Iroas, go!" she calls out, loosing another burst of water as her companion bolts forward to bite at the monster. But the force of her torrent threatens to overpower her ability to hold it on course, and Iroas ducks an errant splash and misses his attack entirely.
Cyanea draws on the dampness of the underground cavern and the sweat from her own brow, multiplying and shaping it; Ambrus' call for help is punctuated by a loud whoosh as a stream of water rushes past him to barrage the "pot".
Cautiously Cyanea enters, motioning to Iroas to stay outside; he complies, though not entirely happily, dropping to his haunches huffily just outside the door. As Ambrus questions the man, she takes in her surroundings, looking for any detail that could explain the strangeness of this man and his son alone in such a strange place.
The boy's appearance had been sudden and startling...but he had appeared along with the owl-edged pot on the wheel, and it was the only hint that had appeared so far. "It is beautiful," she replies with as much smile as she can muster. "Your dad did a good job on it. Where is your dad? I'd like to ask him how much longer it will be before the pot will be fired and ready for me to take home if I buy it." She turns back quickly toward Ambrus and mouths a few words silently, still smiling for the boy's benefit. Be ready.
"Agreed. The minotaur is not going to be the only thing we have to worry about." The silence is unsettling - even in the middle of an empty ocean, there was a small sound of lapping waves, the distant cry of sea birds, the hubbub of a crew a few rooms away. Now, her light footfalls, Ambrus' heavy steps, and Iroas' clicking claws are all that echoes in the vastness of the agora. Keeping Ambrus close and Iroas closer, she begins to examine the stalls, searching for any kind of clue as to which direction the Spear might lie.
But that means...no, it couldn't mean... Cyanea holds her hand before her, tracing with her finger the image of a wooden owl that had rested in it, once upon a dream. Though the import of the experience increases tenfold, she can't help but smile slightly. Well, it's good to properly make your acquaintance, Athena. With preparations made, Cyanea waits for Ambrus' errand to finish. Her crew weighs heavily on her mind, but tracking down every sailor would prove impossible - there were a hundred inns in the city, and she'd already done everything she could to see that they were provided for. She settles for writing a long message to Mara, detailing the inventory that still needs to be liquidated from her ship's final cargo and how the proceeds would need to be distributed. She's more than capable, Cyanea reminds herself. If anything happens...she's got this.
It won't be that intense of a relocation for me, but it'll be a few states away, and the first time my husband and I have been separated this far from the rest of our families. I'm excited, though - a change of scenery will be nice.
Security management - I'm going from second in command to head honcho at my own site. I'm excited and terrified all at the same time, especially since it means relocation. XD
Got the promotion! Now to survive getting my replacement chosen and trained and relocating halfway across the country in a month. XD
"I know little of Iblydos' gods, but carrying her holy symbol surely couldn't hurt. Can you get one for me as well?" As Ambrus leaves, carrying Cyanea's coin with him, Cyanea remains behind, scouring the library for any information she can find on Athena - priesthood, symbology, anything that could be of use.
"So this monster, whatever it is, has the Spear? No chance of sneaking in and out with it none the wiser, then." The days of research and reading were making her head spin, but Cyanea keeps the impatience in her voice to a minimum, a skill she'd spent a long time cultivating for her crew's benefit. "I wonder, was there some kind of rite or incantation the adventurer used to invoke Athena's protection, or this 'shielding from its gaze'? Or is a simple prayer or speaking of her name enough?"
I was right. XD It was an even crazier week than I thought it'd be, but that madness should be finished with now, and I think the interview went well!
Fair warning, I have an awful week of work and a promotion interview ahead, and it's occupying a lot of my brain space. I'll do my best to keep my posting rate up, but if I ghost for a day or two that's why. |
