Charlie isn't the only one whose body has changed. Terri is a bit shorter than she was in the Estate, and her clothing is a cross between Renaissance Festival and comfortable.
"Oh no," she says, reaching up to her ears. There are no earbuds. No cords. "No no no," she rifles through her belt pouch. "My tunes."
She gives up, looks at the others, clearly at a loss. "No tunes," she says.
"wow" Kari breathes out. Her physical changes are minor, her black hair now tinged with green with slightly pointed ears poling through the braids, her skin undertones matching the green in her hair. Her clothes are... almost painfully eye catching. The white leather of the short sleeveless shirt and above the knee boots are treated to almost shine silver. A short skirt is a vivid red. Instead of the messenger bag she has an extra bag hanging from the shiny silver fanny pack and one thigh holster that holds her fans.
She hasn't seemed to notice her own changes either as she looks at Charlie with a smile, "I don't think this is a citadel but I love where you choose to land us. Maybe closer to Efeler?" She starts, her smile growing, "You have awesome horns!"
She gives up, looks at the others, clearly at a loss. "No tunes," she says.
Kari's delight is only slightly hidden as she winces, "No musical instruments in your bag? If so, it might magically play itself." She snaps her finger, checking what the estate tablet turned into, "Or maybe you can access it through the estate..."
Terri shakes her head. "No, although at least my Strange gun is...."
She reaches for her holster, which is instead a bow and quiver. "A bow and a bag of arrows."
Terri takes a moment to close her eyes and do some deep breathing. She starts to hum quietly, and visibly calms down.
"Okay," she says. "Better."
She does a slow turn, checking on the surroundings. "You look vibrant," she says to Kari. "And Charlie ... it suits you."
She hasn't seemed to notice her own changes either as she looks at Charlie with a smile, "I don't think this is a citadel but I love where you choose to land us. Maybe closer to Efeler?" She starts, her smile growing, "You have awesome horns!"
"I have what?" he asks. His hands go up to them and his eyes widen as the fingers slowly discover the true dimensions of them. "Is this why my head feels heavy?"
His face goes slack and he lifts up the hem of his robes to reveal the cloven hooves. "Great. I'm a man from Leng. Fantastic news."
Only then does he look up at the others. Most of his attention goes to Terry. Once he figures out that this is indeed Terry.
Your Estate tablets are now folding pocket mirrors; they don't quite have the same functionality, but with enough intent, you can find most of the same information you had access to previously, along with the ability to reach out to other Agents outside of this recursion, if needed.
"You look vibrant," she says to Kari. "And Charlie ... it suits you."
Kari pauses in pulling out what had been a small paperback from the waist pouch, looking down at her clothes. An eyebrow lifts, "Some part of my subconscious is having way too much fun." She says with a shake of her head, "Skirts are inappropriate for adventurers." She tries pulling it down a bit, which just works, but reveals skin between shirt and band.
His face goes slack and he lifts up the hem of his robes to reveal the cloven hooves. "Great. I'm a man from Leng. Fantastic news."
"Denizens of Leng have horns?" Kari asks, clearly only familiar with the tabletop versions.
Your Estate tablets are now folding pocket mirrors; they don't quite have the same functionality, but with enough intent, you can find most of the same information you had access to previously, along with the ability to reach out to other Agents outside of this recursion, if needed.
Kari figures out how to send a message, to Abby, 'You can still be there when we first see the Citadel. Because we are not there. Right recursion.'
"Village?" she asks the other two.
"What's a Leng?" Terri asks. "Is that like an Innsmouth?"
"Village?"
Terri nods. "Village," she says. She rolls her head to stretch her neck. A classic Terry-with-a-Y move.
"The Plateau of Leng was a place in the Dreamlands, and yeah, the denizens were basically satyrs. They hid their unnatural features with turbans and weird boots, but it didn't always work." Charlie grimaces, and his mouth is far too wide, giving him a disturbing, alien mien. He points to it. "They couldn't hide the mouths."
"Innsmouth is also from Lovecraft, but it was a fishing village in New England. The inhabitants were half-human, half-fish. So kind of like each other. I guess I should be happy I'm not a Deep One."
"And yeah, village." He sets off, wobbling a bit on his hooves like a teenager wearing high heels for the first time.
As your group gets its bearings and moves closer to the village, you hear sounds that can only be described as 'merry making'. The gates are wide open, and though there are two guards standing watch over the entrance, they merely smile and wave you in.
"Welcome, enjoy the festival!"
And what a festival it is. You have a basic understanding that the Seven Moons Jubilee is something celebrated all around Ardeyn; an annual seven-day event that features food, crafts, and spirits. Most of the festivities seem to be taking place in the central plaza of the village, ringed by stands selling goods, food, and drink. There also appears to be a circle set up specifically for wrestling, as a match is currently ongoing, with people cheering from the other side of the ropes.
The people you see at this festival are varied - humans, dwarves, a few elves, and someone who looks like they must be half giant. There are no other Satyr-types around, but no one seems to think Charlie is out of place.
"You must be from Hazzurrium," a feminine, but rather slurred voice greets you. It belongs to a dwarf woman who wandered over to you while you were taking in the village, stroking the very silky looking and elaborately plaited beard on her chin. Although she's talking to all of you, she's giving extra special looks, openly, to Kari and Terri. "Got all the fancy stuff of the city folk. I'm Dovna Thunderstone, and this is my friend…" she looks sideways, surprised to see that no one stands beside her. "Oy, Avira!"
Another dwarf woman ambles over, holding two very large mugs of something dark and strong enough to strip paint off a building. Like her companion, Avira also sports a very thick and soft looking beard, opting to keep it unplaited, but decorated with sparkly beads. Both women are short, sturdy, and not at all shy about the low cut of their shirts… or how much of their business is spilling out of the shirts.
"Avira, we've got some Hazzy visitors!"
"Ooooh, are you here to look at the star what nearly ruined the festival preparations?" Avira asks, handing a mug to Dovna.
As Dovna takes a very lengthy drink, Avira looks over the four of you, eyes landing on Charlie's cloven hooves and traveling upwards.
"Tall, horned, and hairy. You're jus' my type." She says with an exaggerated wink. "Y'ever tried Mountain Stout? It'll put hair on your chest… not that you need it, aye?" She giggles, a very feminine sound that's rather at odds with both her beard and her attitude.
"Ooooh, are you here to look at the star what nearly ruined the festival preparations?" Avira asks, handing a mug to Dovna.
"I'm glad it didn't ruin your fun," Kari says motioning to the everything, stepping forward just a tad. She shrugs, "Any chance we can get in to see Meena? She requested us. Well, someone like us."
"Tall, horned, and hairy. You're jus' my type." She says with an exaggerated wink. "Y'ever tried Mountain Stout? It'll put hair on your chest… not that you need it, aye?" She giggles, a very feminine sound that's rather at odds with both her beard and her attitude.
Charlie utters a very C-3PO-like "Oh my!" Then a shrug. "Yes, I think I would like a chest hair beer, please."
"City folks," Terri admits. "Seatt--er, large settlement."
Terri nods in general agreement with Kari. "Look at the star first, maybe beer later."
"City folks," Terri admits. "Seatt--er, large settlement."
Terri nods in general agreement with Kari. "Look at the star first, maybe beer later."
"If you two want beer, you can drink." Kari says, not wanting to discourage Charlie from interacting with the locals. "You could even ask around about Raya. I can never remember where exactly she moved to when she retired."
"If you two want beer, you can drink." Kari says
"Beer first, star later," Terri says. "Which way to the beer?" she asks Avira. "I can pick you up a Stout, Charlie."
"I'm glad it didn't ruin your fun,"
"Oh, it would take a lot more than a fallen star to ruin our fun, lassie," Dovna says, a beer stache now complementing her beard nicely. "Y'know, you remind me of a tree I climbed once."
"Oh Dovna, leave the pretty lady alo'en. Anyone here shootin' straight to business with Meena has no time for your leching." Avira elbows her friend with one elbow… while nudging Charlie with the other.
""Yes, I think I would like a chest hair beer, please."
"Beer first, star later," Terri says. "Which way to the beer?" she asks Avira. "I can pick you up a Stout, Charlie."
At this, Avira says "Nonsense, we offered, I'll fetch!" and dashes off with surprising grace considering both her stature and state of inebriation. The stall from which she procures two more mugs of beer is not far away, so she's back quick with extra drinks. She is very careful to stand as close to Terri as Terri will let her when handing over the beer.
"You could even ask around about Raya."
At this, Dovna's eyes brighten. "Raya Davies? Oh, she was fun. She and her lovely partner… who was it…"
"Sadie? Sarah?" Avira wonders into her mug as she tips it back to drink from.
"Sarah! Yes, loves, the both of 'em. Haven't drank with them since Graythorn."
"Whenever you're ready, Meera's over yon, just got done overseein' a pie baking and eatin' contest." Dovna gestures towards a stall across the plaza from where the chest-hair beer is, where an older woman is in deep conversation with a couple of humans and an elf.
"Thanks!" says Charlie, accepting the beer. At the nudge, he does what he can not to spill. Avira then gets a double-take.
Before leaving, Charlie sends a message to Sabine.
Hi. I realized after I left that you kind of asked me on a date.
I apologize for not reacting in the moment. As it turns out, that was the first time any woman had asked me on a date, so I hope you'll understand why I was unprepared.
I am looking forward to getting to know you better. While I find your knowledge intimidating and your command of theory fascinating, I hope to learn more about you as as person.
Unfortunately, this meeting is going to have to wait. I've accepted an assignment to Ardeyn of all places. I will contact you as soon as I return, and we can schedule. This also means I will be missing your class, and I am disappointed about that for a number of reasons.
I just realized how ridiculous and formal this sounds. I'm sorry. I'm used to writing either corporate emails, insurance reports, or stories about my favorite characters from one story going into another one. And it turns out, I'm the main character in this particular story. Or you are. Or we both are. And I don't know how to write that.
So instead, you're getting corporatespeak. I feel like I should say "circle back" at least once. So when I come back to the Estate, we'll circle back for coffee. There. That wasn't so bad.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Speck
"It's just a bad day, not a bad life." -- Mary Englebreit
P.S. That was actually my sign off on my corporate email account for years.
P.P.S. I understand if you don't want to have coffee with me anymore.
Brian's form has not changed. He's still...Brian. His clothing has changed from his normal corduroy sport coat over black t-shirt and jeans to a brown friar's habit.
At this, Avira says "Nonsense, we offered, I'll fetch!" and dashes off with surprising grace considering both her stature and state of inebriation. The stall from which she procures two more mugs of beer is not far away, so she's back quick with extra drinks. She is very careful to stand as close to Terri as Terri will let her when handing over the beer.
Terri very carefully takes her beer from Avira. "Thank you," she says, "I am fond of stouts. Cheers." She raises her mug to Avira and Dovna, taking the excuse to stand back half a step from Avira, and gives it a try.
"Oh, it would take a lot more than a fallen star to ruin our fun, lassie," Dovna says, a beer stache now complementing her beard nicely. "Y'know, you remind me of a tree I climbed once."
Kari looks down, "I think the color scheme is closer to a playground," apparently missing her own color with the garish clothing, "Or a tree in the winter, I guess." Kari says.
At this, Dovna's eyes brighten. "Raya Davies? Oh, she was fun. She and her lovely partner… who was it…"
Kari's looks over at the boys with a incredibly obvious, 'please find out more'
"Whenever you're ready, Meera's over yon, just got done overseein' a pie baking and eatin' contest." Dovna gestures towards a stall across the plaza from where the chest-hair beer is, where an older woman is in deep conversation with a couple of humans and an elf.
She waits to see if anyone wants to come with and if not heads over to the pie eating contest, waiting politely in the older woman's eye sight just far enough away to not look like she's eavesdropping.
Brian heads over to the pie eating contest along with Kari.
Sabine's response is not immediate, but comes within an hour of receiving Charlie's message.
I have written up and deleted a response to you several times now, and figure I should commit to sending something. Honestly, I didn't think you were going to reach out. I've handled this whole thing rather clumsily.
So, I'm flattered, and nervous as a bloomling. When I saw you'd signed up for my class, I promised myself I wouldn't do exactly what I did when we talked. It's like I completely forgot how to form proper sentences.
I would love to circle back with you, and I know just the place for us to find some truly delicious coffee. I understand that corporate speak is almost a whole language on its own based just on reading I've done. I'm excited to leverage some synergy with you.
Nin emel, Sabine
That's a very good quote to sign off with. Very optimistic. So here's one more for you: 'To be happy: Don't do whatever you like; like whatever you do'
If you knew how long this message took me to write, I think YOU would not want to have coffee with ME anymore. So let's say it didn't take me this entire hour.
Avira seems completely unperturbed about Terri taking a step back from her, but she also respects the space Terri's taking by not moving any closer.
"Sláinte!" Avira and Dovna raise their own mugs and take another drink.
"Or a tree in the winter, I guess."
"He was a tree in the winter!" Dovna says, and both dwarves chuckle and slap at each other's shoulders.
When Brian moves to follow Kari, Dovna gasps in exaggerated fashion and grabs her friend's shoulder.
"Lotan's teats, I hardly noticed yeh standing there!"
"Sorry lad, I thought maybe you were a dream, else I would have offered you a stout as well!" Avira says.
"He's Hazzy tall, alright." Dovna agrees.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Away from the commotion that is the pair of drunk and lecherous lady dwarves, the folks around Meena are much less drunk and more interested in the baking competition that must have just finished up in the last 15 minutes or so, judging by the remnants of the pies on the table, and the two children trying to reach up on the table to grab more to smear across their faces.
"Oh, I'm sorry, you've missed the contest, but you're welcome to try any of what's left." Meera says with a half hearted smile. It's clear her mind is elsewhere.
"Sláinte!" Avira and Dovna raise their own mugs and take another drink.
"Tierra del fuego." Charlie drinks, tasting the stout the way he learned he was supposed to 1000 years ago at the Washington Brewer's Festival.
"So, what can you tell us about Sarah and Raya?"
"So, what can you tell us about Sarah and Raya?"
"We were hoping to meet up with them and compare notes," Terri adds, taking another swig of her beer.
Since both Terri and Charlie took the women up on their offer for a beer, both Dovna and Avira are happy to continue conversing with them.
"Two humans who managed to keep up with us in a tavern, a rarity, aye." Dovna says genially.
"Talked a lot about working for the Estate. We met 'em here during a festival, actually. Sweet as pie, and Sarah even participated in a few wrestling bouts. Wasn't allowed to use anything but her wits and mitts, but she managed to get the better of a half-orckess." Avira recalls the two with a fond smile.
"Sarah seemed a little down last time they came 'round though..." Dovna frowns.
"Raya was sick, remember? I think Sarah was just worried."
"Oh aye," Dovna takes another drink. "Maybe that's why we haven't seen 'em since winter?"
"A half-orckess, that's quite a feat," Terri finishes her stout. "Arm wrestling injuries can be gruesome."
"If you haven't seen them since winter, they could be anywhere in Ardeyn," Terri laments.
"Do we need another round? Or am I drinking too fast?"
"Or a tree in the winter, I guess.""He was a tree in the winter!" Dovna says, and both dwarves chuckle and slap at each other's shoulders.
Kari smiles but it's clear to most anyone the joke went over her head.
"Oh, I'm sorry, you've missed the contest, but you're welcome to try any of what's left." Meera says with a half hearted smile. It's clear her mind is elsewhere.
After waiting a but to see if Brian is going to speak, Kari steps up to the older woman with a warm smile, "Actually we were sent here to help with your meteor problem?" She offers a hand, "I'm Kari, this is Brian, and our friends over with Dovna and Avira are Charlie and Terri." She stands up straight trying to look like she could actually do something to help.
Maybe it's time to try and get everyone together for an experiment.
"That goes back to Charlie's question earlier, what happens if a group is supposed to be translating together but they all have differing targets in mind? I mean I would think that would be the biggest hurdle in a mass translation, a thought wrench. Would the group break up and go their own ways or would could it foul the translation?"
'Thank you, Sabine. We have a meeting with Abby later today, can we meet tomorrow. Or after our mission if we get one?'
Let's meet tomorrow! Just message me when you're ready to go.
As soon as the group picks the mission to Ardeyn, Kari messages Sabine. 'I really appreciate your willingness to met on such short notice, but our pod is headed to Ardeyn to look into a meteor and leaving as soon as everyone gets their gear together. I really really didn't want to leave you hanging.'
A pause, 'Which is too bad because I just read about the reality seeds and would have loved to understand how a thought becomes a recursion.'
"Sorry lad, I thought maybe you were a dream, else I would have offered you a stout as well!"
Brian gives Avira a warm smile. "That's quite all right, he says as he moves after Kari.
While Terri and Charlie chat up Dovna and Avira, and Kari talks to Meera, Brian watches the crowd and takes in the ambiance.
"A half-orckess, that's quite a feat," Terri finishes her stout. "Arm wrestling injuries can be gruesome."
"If you haven't seen them since winter, they could be anywhere in Ardeyn," Terri laments.
"Do we need another round? Or am I drinking too fast?"
Avira squints her eyes after Terri speaks.
"Must be Hazzy speak, I can't understand a word yeh just said."
"Or maybe you're drinkin' too fast, the Stout going straight to that human brain waaaay up there!" Dovna jokes.
"Or maybe we do need another round." Avira says.
"Or maybe we don't." Dovna finishes her ale.
"Actually we were sent here to help with your meteor problem?"
Meera looks like she's about to collapse with relief. "Excuse me," she says to the other people at the table. She gestures that Kari and Brian should follow her a few steps away.
"Thank the Maker you've come, Agents. A star fell from the heavens just a few nights ago, I've almost had to call this whole festival off. I think the only thing worse than the monsters coming out from the crypt the last few nights would be the entire village, and any visitors, rioting against me." She shakes her head, looking tired. "What can I tell you, what do you need from me to see if you can put a stop to what's happening?" She looks between the two of you.
…Would the group break up and go their own ways or would could it foul the translation?"
Aleph furrows his brow. "Sorry, I thought I answered this one. If a group is traveling together with several targets in mind, it can cause different results. Sometimes, it doesn't matter as long as you're all trying to think about the same recursion destination, you'll all end up together in one place. Occasionally, with strong enough and separate enough thoughts, you end up in different locations in the same recursion." He pauses. "In a worse case scenario, a very unfocused group can end up in a recursion they didn't mean to go to. In a worse worse case scenario, everyone in the group is so unfocused that they all end up in separate recursions."
Her response comes about a half hour later. That's strange, I swore I just saw you coming towards the café, then leaving again. Maybe it was someone else.
I understand, missions come up on short notice and plans need to change. You could have told me this in person, however. If that was you. I wish you luck, and look forward to meeting you to discuss reality seeds when you return! They really are very interesting.
Terri blinks at the dwarven ladies in equal confusion.
"I'll just get some more beer," she says.
She goes off to the beer tent, and returns with four mugs (with a bit of difficulty). She is muttering to herself a bit as she returns "swear my hands were bigger"
She passes around the beer, and says, "So ... winter. Sarah and Raya could be anywhere on Ardeyn by now, huh?"
Terri takes a drink.
"A map of the area with the meteor location marked?" Kari starts, thinking, "Layout of the crypt. Descriptions of the monsters. Is there anyone in the town that has seen them..." Kari blanches, her voice dropping, "I hope no one has been badly hurt by them." She looks to Brian, checking if he can think of anything else that would be helpful.
"A map of the area with the meteor location marked?" Kari starts, thinking, "Layout of the crypt. Descriptions of the monsters. Is there anyone in the town that has seen them..." Kari blanches, her voice dropping, "I hope no one has been badly hurt by them." She looks to Brian, checking if he can think of anything else that would be helpful.
Brian adds "Our reports are extremely brief, so it would help if you could give us a brief summary of events."
"But mostly what Kari listed."
"So ... winter. Sarah and Raya could be anywhere on Ardeyn by now, huh?"
"Could be!" Dovna says, raising her newly acquired mug.
"My best guess would be Hazzurium. I know that Estate lot get up to most of their business there. A hub, as it were."
"A map of the area with the meteor location marked?" Kari starts, thinking, "Layout of the crypt. Descriptions of the monsters. Is there anyone in the town that has seen them..."
Meera pats Kari reassuringly on the shoulder. "A few injuries so far, mostly sustained in defense during the few attacks that have happened at night. Thank you for your concern."
She looks towards the hills in the north. "The Screaming Crypt is just up those hills, maybe half a day's walk from here. Most of what we've seen since the star fell have been spirits of wrath, and there have been rumors of demons out in the forests near the crypt." She looks back to Kari and Brian. "One of our oldest residents, Gez, hunts in that area and can probably tell you quite a bit more than I can, I'm afraid. He'll have maps of the area for you, and might even possess a map of the crypt itself, though it's been sealed for quite some time."
"We don't have much in the way of anything to offer folks from the Estate, but if your group needs anything, we've got a few odds and ends in my office for you to look over."
My mistake, forgive the assumption. Then yes, let's meet when you return. Just let me know. And I hope you enjoy Ardeyn; Citadel Hazzurium is an especially interesting place to visit. Plenty to do, see, smell, and eat there.
Aleph grimaces a little. "There are cyphers that can protect from that sort of thing - recursion anchors that prevent a person from being translated anywhere else for a time. Cyphers that unwillingly translate another person are, thankfully, on the more rare side. Unfortunately, that means that unless you're going into a situation expecting someone to use a cypher like that against you, there's not much of a defense against it." He pauses. "Fenwick specifically wouldn't have expected Mason to use it against him. They were close, at one point."
Kari waves over at the two drinking beer with the salacious dwarfs to come over. "Where would we find Gez?" Kari asks Meera. Making a quick introduction, "Meera offered to exchange any cyphers we have and was telling us about the spirits of wrath and possible demons stirred up by the meteor." She pauses to allow both to ask questions if they have any, "And directions to a hunter that might have some more precise details." Kari stumbles to a halt before asking how their own inquires went.
Hesitantly, "Does anyone know what happened to Ashley and set him off?"
"Thanks for the beer," Charlie says to the dwarves, before ambling over to Kari and Brian. "Can you describe the monsters you've been seeing?" he says to Meera.
"Ladies, thank you for the beer and conversation," Terri salutes the dwarves with her second beer, before following Charlie over to Kari and Brian.
"Spirits of wrath and demons both sound relevant and bad," Terri says, drinking more of her beer. "This is solid stuff."
Avira and Dovna both wave and thank Charlie and Terri for chatting with them, and that they're welcome back 'anytime' for drinks and chatting.
"Where would we find Gez?"
"He was actually just here a little bit ago, for the pie contest. So he must still be close by… " Meera says, looking around the stalls that ring the plaza. "Ah, there, the one with the beard. It'll be hard to miss him." She says with a fond smile.
Gez is tall, with a prominent belly and even more prominent beard. Meera was right - it'd be nearly impossible to miss him once you knew who you were looking for. He appears to be eating something-on-a-stick and laughing with the proprietor of the stall he's standing at.
"Can you describe the monsters you've been seeing?"
Meera gives a 'hmm' before responding. "It's hard to say, the attacks, so far, have only come at night. I've heard reports of spirits that wail in rage and pain, they don't seem able to pass the threshold of a home, but have attacked people outside at night. Further up in the hills, reports of demonic beasts, crawling on all fours with too many teeth for their mouths." She shivers a little.
"This is solid stuff."
Meera leans towards the mug of beer in Terri's hand, and wrinkles her nose. "I hope you don't have anywhere to be tomorrow morning." She says with a chuckle.
Citadel Hazzurium is a relatively safe place for Agents - that's where most of the Quickened Ardeyn natives tend to congregate. I would say, if you end up taking any trips outside of the Queendom, especially dining with the fae… be wary of what you eat. It should be safe, but I'm sure you've heard the myths of what faekind hide in their offers of hospitality.
"Does anyone know what happened to Ashley and set him off?"
"I would say that's Mason's story to tell, but… something tells me he won't be in a position to tell anyone stories for a while." Aleph says with regret in his voice. "And it's unfortunately very mundane. Ashley had cancer, and that's just one of those things cyphers can't really… fix. You can heal it for a time, stay its advancement, but Ashley was adamant that she didn't want to live her life by clawing her way from one remedy to the next."
He turns the lights up, slowly, so no one is overwhelmed by a sudden change in light. "Understandably, Mason didn't want to accept the choice she'd made for herself, and wanted to find something to bargain with that might allow him to… bring her back, I guess."
Kari listens to the description of the monsters. Quietly, so as to not disturb the festival growers, "I'd think gibbering mouther if it weren't for the legs, but wasn't there a mythos beast with the many mouths and teeth?"
She looks at the man pointed out by Meera, his height making him easy to spot. "Thank you, Meera." She pauses before she moves off to talk to Gez. "The only place we have to be is taking care of the monsters," a smile in her eyes when she sees Terri enjoying the brew, "but with any luck that will be before the brew sets in."
Kari wends her way through the crowd, checking out the options of meat-on-stick on offer and waiting for a natural break in the conversation to, "Hi. I'm Kari and I'd like to talk to you about monsters."
A pause, 'Which you probably didn't need me to tell you, sorry. Thank you' Somehow her embarrassment manages to transcend the simple text communication.
Meera leans towards the mug of beer in Terri's hand, and wrinkles her nose. "I hope you don't have anywhere to be tomorrow morning." She says with a chuckle.
Terri gives Meera a concerned look. Looks at the beer. Looks back at Meera. "It doesn't taste that strong," she says.
"Our timetable is solving your problem, so...."
Terry stretches in place as the lights come back up, and says, "In an odd way, it's nice there are tricks you can't do. Limits to all of this."
Meera nods when Kari thanks her, and says "I appreciate the Estate dispatching Agents so quickly. I know you all must have a lot to handle."
"It doesn't taste that strong,"
Meera looks at him appreciatively. "Well well, either you've got an iron stomach, or you're in for quite a surprise come morning. Or maybe you're a dwarf at heart." She says with a smile. "If your group needs a place to stay, tonight, I have plenty of room in my home. It's been years since the nest has been full, so to speak, and the two inns here will be full with visitors."
"Hi. I'm Kari and I'd like to talk to you about monsters."
Gez looks down at Kari, surprised to see her standing there. A lot of his stuff-on-a-stick has become stuck to his beard, rather than making it all the way to its intended final destination.
"I'm Gez, but I hope yeh knew that before opening that kind o' conversation around here!" His tone is good natured. He finishes his food, brushes most of the crumbs he can off his wide chest and belly, then offers his hand to shake. "Let's take this talk away from the fun."
There's a little copse nearby, still near the plaza but not within low-conversation range of other festival goers.
"What kind o' monsters did you like to talk about?"
In an odd way, it's nice there are tricks you can't do. Limits to all of this."
Aleph chuckles. "I know exactly the feeling you mean. With how many options just the Estate gives us, not to mention all of the fascinating worlds we can visit... it's comforting that there are still limits. Maybe humans need those."
There's a longer delay in Sabine's response this time.
We think that's part of why there are a smaller number of fantasy specific recursions. There are so many similarities between stories, they tend to converge into larger recursions.
Take care, and good luck in Ardeyn.
"I'm Gez, but I hope yeh knew that before opening that kind o' conversation around here!" His tone is good natured. He finishes his food, brushes most of the crumbs he can off his wide chest and belly, then offers his hand to shake. "Let's take this talk away from the fun."
There's a little copse nearby, still near the plaza but not within low-conversation range of other festival goers.
"What kind o' monsters did you like to talk about?"
Kari nods, motioning towards Meera. Then waving to get the attention of the other Agents so they can ask questions as well.
In the copse, Kari takes a moment appreciate the reduction in noise, before getting to business. "We got sent to help Meera and everyone with the problems at the Screaming Crypt. She said you were the best person to talk to about the area, maps, maybe even a layout of the crypt."
"Meera told us about the spirits that don't cross thresholds and toothy demons, but if you've seen anything else we'd love to know."
"We got sent to help Meera and everyone with the problems at the Screaming Crypt. She said you were the best person to talk to about the area, maps, maybe even a layout of the crypt."
Gez suddenly looks fearful, and lifts a necklace from underneath his shirt to kiss the pendant hanging from it. He looks from Kari, to the other Agents who followed her to speak with him.
"I don't think I’m the person to help yeh. I haven't been out much, been helpin' with the festival, you see… got no time for hunting up in the hills…" he shudders a little. "Keep your wits about you if you head out that way. When stars fall, they fall for a reason."
He excuses himself and walks away from you, in the opposite direction of the festivities.
Charlie seems to be oddly focused on the large man in a hurry to get away from your group.
As he focus on Gez, Charlie gets an odd tickle in your mind, like someone has reached their hand into his skull to poke directly at his brain.
He sees all of the ways in which the conversation could have unfolded, in a big jumble of noise and images.
"When stars fall, they fall for a reason..."
In Charlie's mind, Gez elaborates that ancient, and very powerful, qephilim were set in the heavens as stars. So what's fallen to Ardeyn is not a meteorite, or stone at all. It's a very powerful qephilim.
"Wait," says Charlie, talking more to Terri than anyone. "I dreamt this. It's not a meteor. It's a qephilim!"
"Well well, either you've got an iron stomach, or you're in for quite a surprise come morning. Or maybe you're a dwarf at heart."
Terri has a bad thought. "...this isn't the beer that turns you into a wolf, is it? Because that would be a problem."
"Thank you for the offer, we don't exactly have a place to stay."
Terri starts to finish off the beer--
"Wait," says Charlie, talking more to Terri than anyone. "I dreamt this. It's not a meteor. It's a qephilim!"
--managing not to splutter at this revelation. "A qephilim? Qephilim-like-an-angel qephilim?"
Terri thinks for a moment, starts giggling, and looks very surprised at herself. "Everyone said a star fell."
"What else happened in the dream?" Kari asks, not entirely sure what she did to turn the big man off so quickly, but not about to chase down someone so focused on disengaging.
"...this isn't the beer that turns you into a wolf, is it? Because that would be a problem."
"Thank you for the offer, we don't exactly have a place to stay."
Meera raises an eyebrow. "I haven't seen any wolves running around the festival yet; you should be safe."
She points her home out to you all - a modest two story building that sits very close to the plaza. It looks like it's in need of a roof repairing; but you see that the garden is in stunning shape and is tended to regularly.
"If you're out late, there's a key underneath the stone painted to look like a dragon."
--managing not to splutter at this revelation. "A qephilim? Qephilim-like-an-angel qephilim?"
Terri thinks for a moment, starts giggling, and looks very surprised at herself. "Everyone said a star fell."
"Yeah," says Charlie. "A morningstar!"
"What else happened in the dream?" Kari asks, not entirely sure what she did to turn the big man off so quickly, but not about to chase down someone so focused on disengaging.
Charlie frowns, an unattractive look on his newly alien features. "I don't remember. I might have been late to a test. Or I needed to pee."