Personally, I'm more interested in the temporary dual track, but that's because I always like a bit of intrigue, where charisma and intelligence rule the day!
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"Certainly," replies Linokashtai to Karrn, bowing her head slightly, "I am here to help."
Linokashtai purses her lips slightly at the rude guffawing of the captain. She considers Jam's words and says, "I do not think that they would listen to us preaching at them, especially with the threat of violence and expectation of reward from their own Count Barabbas. Even if they are just fearful... it would take more than outside persuasion." She considers it, looking upwards as she considers out loud, "To make them think their cause is not worth the trouble, it would mean undermining their Count. Make his word impossible for them to trust. If he says they are not going to go hungry under him, starve them. If he says they will see glorious battle, give them inglorious capture or humiliating defeat. Then inside, morale would start to break. The problem is that it would require time." Her eyes turn to Jam, "It is your idea. How do you think we ought to plant the seeds of doubt? Three score of their numbers moving north, though-" She has he psicrystal point to where Karrn had described and slowly trace upwards on the map with consideration, "That seems like a more immediate threat than planting seeds can deal with, but it is good to also think in the longer term."
Linokashtai takes Karrn Winehorn's hand when it is offered to her. "Thank you, sir," says Linokashtai. She places her psicrystal on the table, having it scurry over to the map so that it can point out the path that the party took on their travels as she relays the events as they happened. She tonelessly paraphrases what Lydia had already told to Bradford Winehorn, with the psicrystal pointing out any geographical features that are mentioned during her story.
"I am Linokashtai. I was a military advisor," says the psion blandly, "We sent the rider to greet Lord Winehorn, to inform him of a potential bandit threat while our party went to get more information. Now we're back at our hometown with more information than we had previously." She pauses a moment in consideration and says, "It could be beneficial for us to have the chance to speak to Lord Winehorn. We have reason to believe that there is more to this threat than simple thieves."
Linokashtai has nothing with which to take a swing at the fleeing beasts, and so she moves back towards the others in camp. Her shoulder slump miserably when she sees the fight that transpired, lamenting tonelessly, "To be honest, the main reason I wanted the binds untied was so that if we could not repel the beasts that you'd be able to flee. Seems cruel to allow bound men to be eaten by cats." She crosses her arms. Mistakes! Mistakes! Mistakes! her psicrystal chastises mentally, while Lino says as she holds out a hand to feel the rain coming in, "Just my luck. What happened?"
Taking note of the creatures' formidable mental defenses, Linokashtai instead attempts to shoot it with a bolt from her crossbow. This is why I was never on the front lines, she thinks miserably as the bolt flies into the brush.
She loads another bolt.
Linokashtai continues trying to think the nearest cat to death, strain on her face.
"They're displacer beasts," she lets the others know, "They are difficult to target."
There's a crackle in the air around Linokashtai's eyes as she focuses on the nearest of the cats as she pours extra focus onto the psionic assault.
She loads her crossbow and says of the prisoners to Syrus with a grimace, seeing how easily the cats are injuring her allies, "Free them! We may need the extra hands."
Linokashtai concentrates for a moment and there is a shimmer around her as she manifests inertial armour, she moves towards the cats to try and get within 30 feet of them and draws her crossbow.
Linokashtai holds anything that Aljohar needs holding, occasionally making comments, though her perspective on the matter is purely academic, so she seems disinclined to touch anything.
"I've had enough war," agrees Linokashtai, sounding a bit more tired than usual at the thought, "I know what it is to feel directionless without it, though. It has a way of taking hold of who you are. And there are people who crave a direction, no matter how harmful it is to themselves and others. Hm. A shame. So who is this glorious war to be waged against? Or has Barabbas not disclosed this?"
Linokashtai says to Pol when he stands up, "We aren't attacking unless you pose a danger to us. It makes no tactical sense to raise a weapon to us. We can help you."
Linokashtai concentrates to create inertial armour around herself, just in case things go awry.
She moves out of her hiding spot a bit in order to get a better vantage point, though she keeps her hands up in front of herself so that anyone who sees her knows she's not trying to pose a threat, and her crossbow is resting at her hip. Lino speaks over the mind link with Lydia, I'll be ready to attack if Aljohar's speaking goes awry.
Linokashtai prepares herself mentally for battle, making certain that her psicrystal is with her and paying attention.
At Aljohar's direction, Linokashtai starts towards the east. She keeps Lydia in the loop so that the shifter knows the rest of their positions, indicating the direction Aljohar went and the direction she is going.
Due warning, Linokashtai transmits over the mindlink, While you may already have heard, those of us approaching do not have the lightest feet.
Linokashtai nods silently, even though Lydia can't hear it, and then gestures for the others to follow her, doing her best to sneak closer to the camp.
Linokashtai whispers the information that's passed to her by Lydia into Aljohar's ear. She looks over towards Karl after he asks his question and simply shrugs. By her tight-lipped expression, she just doesn't want a whisper carrying all the way to the vintner's ear. No Yellow Bow? He seemed like more skilled than the rest of the rabble here. Four of them, it should not be difficult to overpower while we have the jump. I am staying back with Aljohar and the others until you are ready for us to approach and assist.
Linokashtai focuses while Lydia heads over, to try and speak telepathically with the Shifter before she's out of the range to establish the mindlink. Should Lydia accept, she holds up her hand to indicate all non-Jamorin party members wait. If Lydia accepts the mindlink: Tell me when you are ready and I'll pass that along. It is clear you are being stealthy and if I follow, I will likely give away your location. It will be easier to communicate like this.
Linokashtai keeps her psicrystal with her to help her watch for anything unusual.
Linokashtai nods once and says, "I can only push Horace so hard. But I think he will be fine for the duration of the pursuit. I would rather face a smaller squad ready to face us than a very large group who is unaware of our presence. Surprise brings only so much benefit." She nods to Lydia and says, "I will follow your lead."
"They may have something else there," says Linokashtai. She pauses a moment and continues, "Or they think they can lead us that way into an ambush or into losing speed. They may know we are seeking out smaller groups, since we've been trying to cut off smaller splinters so far."
Linokashtai keeps her eyes open as she rides Horace down the road. Should it be brought to her attention that the bandits have split off, she remarks, "Four or five we may be able to intercept." She tries to remember if either of these path goes anywhere noteworthy.
Agreed with Treppa. I am down for continuing.
"This looks nice. I appreciate the details on my own game board, but if I ever need another one designed, I'll know where to check," says Linokashtai. "If that's some work that Randall might accept, since he may consider himself beyond crafting the Twenty Square soldiers."
Linokashtai nods towards Lydia and sends her own psicrystal out to stand guard at the entrance to the barn. Before going to bed, she sets up her game so that others may play a short match, though she makes more effort to draw Aljohar's attention to it. She will not play long, though, before she is ready to sleep.
"Hm, I thought the fountain was lovely. But you are right. It is not creative to just copy an image. At least that is what my reading on art history would suggest," says Linokashtai, shrugging lightly and then turning her attention to this discussion of Jam's tripping a horse and Randall's wish to see a demonstration. "Performance art. Are you up for it?" she asks Aljohar.
"A sculptor?" repeats Linokashtai, raising her eyebrows slightly. "Is there are particular focus for your work? Might I have seen anything that you've sculpted before? I am not very creative, but I admire creativity in others." She continues nibbling at the food that she was provided, actually seeming genuinely interested in this artwork thread of conversation.
Linokashtai concentrates for a few moments, recognizing the name, "ir' Vandameer? That's an old line. The southern foothills is where Lord Vandameer is, correct?"
Lino says in reply to Lydia's question about the rock, "It must be from the Black Caps." She eats her food politely and slowly, not really one to engage in much conversation, but if nobody else offers anything up, she lets them know a rough timeline of what happened: Bandits attacked their town, they found out approximately where they were coming from, and have been tracking them since. Her news from town is quite uninteresting, including statements such as: "The library got a new shipment. That was nice." "I've noticed more root vegetables in the marketplace lately." "There are more painted horses this year than last."
Linokashtai's eyes almost light up for a moment and she says, "I have a game." Then she realizes that Aljohar is speaking to Lydia and then says, "Oh. No. Nevermind. That's a good idea, to show our appreciation. I think it's best to stay in the barn."
Linokashtai approaches as well, dismounting from Horace as well and leading her lazy horse forward. She rubs her face lightly, clearly getting tired, but says nothing for the time being in order to let Aljohar talk to the woman and for the woman to answer the questions.
"If we can stay in the barn tonight, it will be good, since we will only need to watch the door. And it's relatively defensible, though it would be best to avoid a combat situation altogether," says Linokashtai, considering Lydia's words. "I do not need luxury to sleep."
Linokashtai shrugs lightly and says, "The more information we can get the better, of course." The psion looks to her friend, "You may be more suited to being likeable than me, of course, Aljohar. I'll stay back, but if you would like to carry my crystal I'll be able to know what's happening."
Linokashtai follows Aljohar's lead and stays mounted on Horace, going through the events of the day in her mind and keeping on guard. She places her psicrystal on her shoulder so that she may add its senses to her own.
Linokashtai nods and says, "That is better than what I would have written." She nods to Thenji's request to escort the prisoner back to town as well, adding, "It may be hard to get back in contact with us once you're back, but if anything important comes up, I'm sure you will find a way."
"Of course I brought paper," says Linokashtai to Aljohar, "I have many pages remaining in my journal. Do you need a pen as well? I have ink and a pen."
"I have little else I wish to know from him, aside from perhaps some information about their squad compositions," suggests Linokashtai. "If there are many who are magically inclined."
Linokashtai does not much react to Syrus's admission that he knows these men, just nodding quietly with no change of expression. She tended not to react with surprise at any sort of news in the past, though, always seeming as if she either knew or suspected. In reality, it did not matter whether she knew a thing or not (and in this case she certainly does not), she just preferred to keep the illusion of being informed or connected. It does not look good when someone's talent is information and they know nothing.
"Our soldier drew first when you robbed a person under his protection and there was no hesitation to cut him down. The expectation that you could get in and out without a fight in a town with so many veterans shows a lack of knowledge of the area, or a complete lack of calculation or intelligence," says Linokashtai, rubbing her chin. "If your Barrabas is truly a 'veritable Grendle' then I expect he did not give you the orders to enter our hometown. And I expect that you had a lesser leader with you to make such a foolish call." The psion shakes her head and looks troubled still, "I expect your offer would sound tempting if we lacked honour or decency. If that's a comfort. Fighting in war is different than stealing from civilians during peacetime." She pauses a moment to consider, "Such things are matters of ideology, though. Can you tell us anything about the 'soldiers' in your company?"
Actually, for languages, I'm not sure what I should have picked up; Lino should get 3 bonus languages for high Int, but I'm not sure what list to choose from. I have Common (default), Quori (default), Draconic (bonus) and Riedran (bonus), but not sure what else is on a Kalashtar's bonus language list if anything.
At Aljohar's quip about knowing the language of angels, Lino nods her head once or twice and says, missing the humour, "Yes, I suppose it does make sense. You're certainly pious enough." Linokashtai considers Jamorin's words for a few moments, with a bit of a troubled look. She then nods. "Ah, yes, Jamorin, that's good thinking. I can do the same. Then we can compare notes, and be certain to remember it accurately," says Linokashtai. She stares momentarily at the sheet of paper to commit it all to memory.
"So we are considered enemies, then? And not merely a mark? That's troubling," says Linokashtai, flatly.
"Does anyone here read elven?" she asks, glancing around at the others. "That might be it. A translation may be handy."
"I can read some languages," says Linokashtai, "Not as many as I would like to. Unfortunately, I'm not trained in interpretation."
Linokashtai nods and says as she climbs down from Horace, "It's better to have information than not. My crystal is able to 'see' in the dark, but it's not really proper sight, and it's short ranged. I would not recommend it as a watch except in a pinch." She approaches to take the thing back from Lydia, taking its legs again and putting it back in her pocket. She focuses a moment on using Know Location and Direction in order to be certain on their position so that she can log it. "Thenji, maybe you can get the information." She gestures towards the unconscious bandit, "Then yes, it may be best to send him back on his way."
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