Thanks, Arabeth and Lesith.
GM Angelina, thank you, and I sent you a PM. :)
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My sincere apologies, Angelina and group, but I will not be able to continue playing due to my current commitments, both on and off the boards. I wish you all well, in game and in your real lives. :) Thank you for the opportunity to play alongside you.
Natanja was ready to respond to the Captain's subsequent question when Cernan spoke up and answered it. She merely gave a brisk nod in agreement and remained silent.
Oko squawked and ruffled her shimmering, white feathers before settling back down. The gunfire was overly dramatic as seemed to be Azmaria's way. Natanja wondered how a captain of the guard would take such a show and waited for his response. As she waited, Natanja silently pondered her own knowledge of such things after Azmaria had her say.
Thanks, Eli. Didn't mean to step on toes, just thought it was a good time to have Natanja act. :)
Her voice was as husky as always when she addressed the leader of the guards. "I am called Natanja. My cousin, Eli, has shared with you all that we know or have seen. We certainly cannot tell you their numbers, only they may be assembling even now as we speak. If you have seasoned scouts who may scatter and gather information then perhaps you may choose to do so. We had to ensure the safe return of Gina to her kinsman and have made our report to you. What more can we aid you with at this time, Captain Ronald?"
The faint scent of smoke can be detected now they are ensconced in the Captain's chamber.
Natanja, having stood silently to the side of Eli in the Captain's chamber, reached across her tall cousin and took hold of the strings of the sack and pulled the cargo of dead imps away, dropping the bag to the floor. There was no need to further unsettle the Captain of the Guard. Oko stood unblinkingly on her shoulder.
Best of luck on the boards, Vincent. Happy gaming!
After new year sound good. Thanks for checking in GM Angelina. All the best to you and yours.
Happy Festive Season. Peace and best wishes to all.
Congratulations on returning home and having your family back together. Enjoy your Thanksgiving. :)
Well wishes to you all. Hope baby's anemia clears up soon (and baby boy grows stronger and stronger) ... and you feel better, too. Thanks for letting us know. Hang in there, Angelina and Eli!
Hi! And adding to the general well wishes.
Congratulations, Angelina and Eli. And welcome to the world to your baby boy. :)
Sending positive thoughts your way, Angelina & Eli. Good luck and hope you and your little one will be fine/safe/well.
I'm sorry to hear about GM Angelina. May she feel better soon.
Any support Nat can give her cousin Eli. ;)
"Could someone bring me some apples or something else good to eat, I'm tired of rations." "Will do, Azmaria. Hopefully we won't be too long with the Treekeeps."
A dishevelled Natanja with Oko on her shoulder stood silently, supporting her cousin Eli, as he spoke with the Treekeeps in their kitchen. When he was done, she added quietly/discreetly,
"Also, Mistress Alice, Master Bob, is there perchance a nobleman by the name of Hawkthorn residing here in Vigilant, or some nearby town? I am unsure if he is a man of some note but his crest is that of a hawk." GM Angelina:
After her dawn meditations were completed with Oko and the wagon prepared as well as the group, the kin set out to Vigiliant.
Oko took to the sky to keep an eye from there for threats, obstacles or other signs of movement etc.
The pace would be taxing, but Eli had said it was doable, with the healers' aid.
Thank you, GM Angelina. :)
Looking across at Chap, Natanja simply replied, "It is best for casters, like myself, who are required to give prayer and make reflection, be permitted to do so come dawn and then the party may leave, properly prepared for the hard journey to Vigilant."
Just going by Chap's most recent posting: I'm not sure when her watch will be over, but there are some of us that need to pray to prepare our spells for the day and that is done at dawn for an hour. Depending on when Chap is suggesting the party leaves, if it is before dawn ... It might prove problematic for some (including Natanja) ... So, can those casters then prepare their spells as they ride their mules at the brisk pace that is being suggested? I just need that clarified, please, GM Angelina. Thank you. :)
Natanja votes to stay, rest/sleep and head out in the morning after prayers and meditations (for those like Nat who undertake them at dawn).
Natanja roused from her deep sleep to the commotion in camp. She pushed her copper hair from her eyes and, standing, looked around, noting Chap and Arabeth brandishing weapons, Azmaria protecting Gina and Rex growling. She remained silent. Instead, her golden eyes swiftly scanned the dark surrounds as Oko flew up to her shoulder and did the same.
Natanja does feel a certain attachment to Gina also, being she found and healed her. But if Azmaria has "adopted" her, via storywise in game, then Natanja will have no issue if Azmaria wants Gina to ride with her only. And Eli, Nat will join you in trying to track down the mysterious Sir Hawkthorn (owner of the signet ring) when the group returns to Vigilant.
Unlike Marius, however, Natanja needs Oko to renew her spells each morning. A shaman must commune with her spirit animal each day to prepare her spells. While the spirit animal does not store the spells like a witch's familiar does, the spirit animal serves as her conduit to divine power (A spirit animal is a creature chosen by a shaman to serve as a conduit, allowing her to more fully access the magic of her spirit on a daily basis. The shaman's spirit animal also grants her special powers). So if Oko is sent ahead and we have to travel at least two days, Natanja will not be able to prepare new spells or use her spirit magic class feature. I can't see how Nat will agree to that. ;)
Matching her voice to Eli's lowered one, Natanja responded to the information he had shared with her, "We also have the spare mule purchased by Arabeth. It carries her larger items but Gina is small and light and the mule should be able to carry her also." "If we push so hard on the first day, we will need healing to keep at the pace prescribed to reach Vigilant in two days time. It is fortunate that we have a number of healers among the kin." "...I suppose it would be too wishful to hope that we could learn more by going back to sleep." "I hope you may be right, cousin Cernan, and the lady will visit our dreams and guide us anew." In terms of the discovered items via information from both Arabeth and Eli, Natanja pondered the signet ring with the hawk motif.
Looking down at the child again, Natanja stroked her cheek and asked gently, "Gina, the fancy man who wore the big shiny ring and came for the summer festival, do you remember what his name was? Or what other people may have called him as he moved about the village?" She paused to allow the child to answer, if she could. A short time later, she asked her cousins about the crest, "Anyone seen this hawk crest before or know of it?"
No worries, Eli. :) Not a spontaneous healer, but Nat has prepared CLW for the day... and can again upon the morrow. She also has a partial wand of CLW with 9 uses remaining (if we need further healing).
We have an extra mule (via Arabeth). Can't Gina simply ride that mule on return to Vigilant?
Natanja reached out and let a strand of Gina's pale hair slide through her fingers. "Thank you, sweet one. You have lovely hair, too. I hope my hair does not frighten you any longer. You may touch it any time you feel worried and need some reassurance." Oko watched silently from Natanja's shoulder. The spirit hawk tilted her head now and then and made slow movements attempting to gauge the interaction and conversation. "Oko has pretty feathers, as well. But they are comfortingly warm to the touch and will not burn." Once the child was done with touching her hair and/or Oko's feathers, Natanja stood to her full height and smiled at the Sister Azmaria. "You have provided good care for her this day, Azmaria. I thank you, cousin." And then, in a more discreet fashion, asked, mindful of the nearby child whose parents had died with the other townsfolk, "Was anything of note discovered during the retrieval of the bodies? Was discussion had as to what steps we will take next?"
"Would you like to touch my hair? It isn't actually fire, little one. It floats on the breeze like a curling flame, but it is not warm or hot to the touch." GM Angelina:
Natanja made one more attempt to help the child understand. "There is something in my blood. Different to yours and some of those of my kin assembled, here. My hair is affected by that magic and essence inside my blood. Maybe in time, this will make more sense. You are still young, and you have much to learn and experience." She forgot how difficult it could be to explain to a child in a way they could readily understand. Her brother died so long ago ... Natanja gave a low, melancholy sigh before collecting herself and gently smiling at Gina.
Natanja watched the child wipe her nose and tears on the Sister Azmaria's gown and gently shook her head at the action. Gina's question about her hair caught Natanja slightly by surprise, but it was not the first time a human had asked her about her obvious/prominent igneous features.
"Well, little one, I inherited the colour and movement of my hair from a distant ancestor. I am an Emberkin and the fire-magic we wield manifests itself in our outward appearance. Like you inherited your colouring from your family, my divine bloodline has shaped me as I appear. Does that make sense, Gina?" Natanja wondered why the child had not made mention of the faint smell of smoke that followed her everywhere she went or the golden eyes. Speaking of the Flame Spirit would wait for another day.
While the group were still congregated a little distance from the burial cairn, Natanja advised them that the weather would remain warm and dry over the next day -- a boon for any traveller. *****************************************************************
Nodding at the vigilant Sister Azmaria standing by Gina's side, Natanja gently cupped the child's face for a brief moment and pressed on with her quiet inquiry, "Aye, little one. I am sorry for your loss and sadness. It is a lot to bear for one so young. But, tell me, do you feel any better since last night? You were seriously wounded, Gina. Did the rest and sleep help? I examined you this morning, as you slept and before I left to track, and you seemed improved, child."
A little time later, Natanja moved toward the young girl she had found close to death beneath the bed and rubble. She was standing beside the Sister Azmaria and clutching at her skirts. Crouching down beside her, so she could be eye level with the child, Natanja gently smiled and smoothed away her hair. "How are you feeling, Gina? I am sorry I was gone for so long."
Natanja, with Oko on her shoulder, moved quietly into the clearing, with her two tracking companions. The return walk back into the town proper was a quiet one. The search had proved fruitless in many obvious ways. But perhaps there was something there they just couldn't grasp, yet. She noted the ceremony was about to start and stood beside her kin, her eyes fixed on the burial cairn; the words of those who would speak for the dead filling the space as the sun fell and coloured the sky. She gave her own silent prayer, Eth, may their spirits soar, like sparks on the wind. When Marius and Poterol gave their respective accounts of what their search had and had not revealed, Natanja simply added, "The tracks were not covered over or removed, we could determine that much. The perpetrators either flew away or were magically transported, it would seem. Unless they are somehow hiding in the village, invisible to the eye, were burned in the fire or transformed themselves into some kind of woodland creature, we cannot find sign of their presence or movement." Natanja looked up at the sky and silently observed the wind/breeze and noted any clouds or tell-tale signs, hoping to gauge the weather on their return trip to Vigilant.
Is Kayahidye still with us? Haven't heard from her in a while. And GM Angelina, I was rping what we were given re our search/tracking results - sorry. But thanks for the clarification.
Marius & Poterol: "I agree with you, cousin. The lack of tracks of any kind but those of small creatures is worrisome. I wish we had known more before coming to Endurant. If only Angelina had provided us with detail. I suppose that is not her way." Natanja looked toward the sun in the sky, gauging the time that had lapsed since they first started out. "When we return to the logging camp, we shall speak with the child. When we left, she was still sleeping and I did not want to disturb her rest and recovery. Gina knows me, and perhaps will answer our inquiries without fuss or suspicion." Eth, may it be so. "I wonder what our cousins have accomplished since the morning. I heard some say they wanted to talk with the child. We need to come together and agree on the next course of action, not only for her sake, but for our own as well."
Marius & Poterol: "What do you two think is the best play if we really do find nothing?" Natanja silently pondered her cousin's question. Occasionally Oko would make a sound when sensing a fleeting mood or emotion but the spirit hawk kept her vigil on the Emberkin's shoulder. "My mind aches at the thought of finding naught in our search. But if it were up to me, I'd go back to Vigilant, locate the uncle of the little girl, deliver her unto him, report to the city watch what we have discovered here and then I suppose we sleep and dream to hear instruction from the mysterious Angelina. She bids us go to some place and we go. It seems she is to set our course and we bide." Natanja's hair lifted with the breeze and it moved ever so slowly as if it were flame against the sky. "We are many cousins - strangers in main - with varied opinion. We can go in circles with talking. We should select a leader and entrust them with governing. I am not saying we are children in need of rules and instruction at every turn. Guidance and direction are key. We are a fire that requires tending, lest the breeze blows sparks in all direction and creates a wildfire." Natanja's soft, throaty laughter broke the otherwise quiet of the village outskirts and lightened the earnestness of her words. "I am not looking to be the only voice heard above all other. What would you see happen, Marius? Poterol?"
A trackin' we shall go - For Marius and Poterol only: With Oko returned and sitting perched on her shoulder once more, Natanja turned her golden gaze to either side of her -- looking at Marius and Poterol busily scanning the surrounds. "It is good to work beside trackers with skill equal to mine, although I can't bear admitting to such out aloud." There was amusement behind the golden-glowing eyes as if she was partly teasing her male cousins. "All I have discovered are rabbit tracks, possibly some squirrel." Natanja ran a hand through her fiery-hued hair. She sighed quietly and pushed her gaze around the town perimeter before her. When she spoke again, her voice was lower and huskier than usual, "Mayhap they were clever and could remove traces of their movement or move about without leaving tracks. Or they could fly ... It seems strange, does it not that, even for a small town, that there are no signs of general foot travel around the perimeter ... "
Happy Anniversary, Kiwyn. :) And thanks for the info/direction, GM Angelina.
Angelina, has Oko returned to Natanja after her flight to scout from above? Just trying to sort out timing of each activity as I'm unsure how long Marius, Nat and Poterol are out looking for tracks. Thanks. :)
Lesson for the day: Do not give an 8 year old a holy gun to hold. ;)
Natanja will accompany Marius into the woodlands and surrounding wilds to look for tracks. She will leave Gina in the capable hands of one of the other healers in their group. "But if the imps weren't working alone - and they obviously weren't - something has to have left a trail. If it moves, it can be tracked. We just have to find the right trail to follow." "If you'd be amiable to my assistance, cousin Marius, I have decent experience in tracking the wilds, and offer my company and service."
Having said her piece, Natanja decided to return to the logging camp and look in on the sleeping child. As she approached the door to the cabin, she cast Guidance upon herself -- hoping some of Eth's divine wisdom would flow into her. Finding the child still asleep, and watched over by one of the cousins, Natanja moved quietly to her side and laid a gentle, healer's hand on her brow to test her temperature and then began her general inspection of Gina.
The slight cough was worrisome but not uncommon when one was trapped in smoke for some time. She was so slight and possibly dehydrated due to the smoke inhalation and the length of time she was trapped under the bed and rubble. Natanja gently brushed aside some of her hair and drew the covers higher around the child. She returned to the others still talking about the imps and their next course of action and informed them of her examination of Gina. "These secondary and minor ailments should clear up with time, fresh air and some nourishment. The healing magic we performed on her last night seemed to have healed all the worst of her burns and injuries. I've left her to sleep for now -- the child needs the rest to recover as well."
Natanja nodded at Eli's answer and had a quiet word to Oko. "Try and find one of these creatures from the sky, beloved. But do not fly out too far." Oko lifted into the air -- climbing 120 ft up, buoyed by a fair wind. She then proceeded to fly out 180ft across the surrounding areas of Endurant. Then returned to Natanja.
********************************************************************* Having listened to the various theories on why the imps attacked and destroyed an entire village, Natanja had remained silent for the most part. After Oko lifted into the sky and gone to search from the air, Natanja added her own thoughts to the others, "Either there was something here they wanted to find and destroyed the village to cover their tracks. Or this was a distraction for us -- like the scuffle on the road coming to this place -- the one who summoned them may want us otherwise engaged and not wholly tracking them or scrutinising their agenda."
Even if we all returned to Vigilant, a few of us could enter the town, make discreet inquiries into "Uncle Max" and find him and hand over Gina to his care (once we know he's okay to care for her) and leave a warning with him. I say this because of Eli's concerns that we will be blamed for Endurant's demise somehow ... especially if we enter and disclose as a group of 14. Just thought it might be another option ...
After her shift watching over Gina was complete, Natanja and Oko went to sleep. Awaking before dawn, Natanja cleaned/washed up as best as she could and took her turn as watch over her kin and the village surrounds. Upon dawn, Natanja sat on a grassy patch, legs crossed, facing the rising sun, Oko perched on her lap, and they communed in quiet contemplation for an hour, Natanja preparing her spells for the day. Eth, grant me guidance and grace. (Opening her eyes, anyone who would look into Natanja's eyes will see they are a brighter golden hue and notice the soft pale-golden halo surrounding Oko's entire body even in the early morning light.) Once her morning meditation was complete, she returned with Oko to check on Gina, but found the little girl still sleeping and watched over by one of the cousins, so she slipped out of the logging cabin and crossed paths with Eli. "Over what distance do you want Oko to fly and look, cousin?"
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