"I didn't let my bird get killed! I had nothing to do with that! Damn cockatrices.." Elthana starts out admonishing Sam, but then mumbles the last part as they find their way to the broken isles.
Finally getting off their transport, she looks around at the ruined cityscape that they landed nearby and the crystal crevasse. It was hard to take in, she'd never seen anything like it. She looks over to the rest of them, and heads over to the group to see if everyone is alright.
"Ok, ok... Hector's bird, then! It as Hector's fault. I concede..." Sam says in surrender. "Was just a joke... sheesh..."
Once upon "land" again Sam eagerly and happily climbs off the bird. First thing he does is check himself and his belongings to ensure that everything is still in the right place. In doing this he notices the magical transport bag has magically transported something to him... Well in truth he had noticed in flight but didn't want to risk checking it out then, what with the high winds, nosey dragonborn and cock cockatrices... Trying to be as subtle as possible, Sam examines what was in the bag. (Sleight of Hand? 22)
Sam quickly reads a bit of parchment and scowls, then palms something a bit more weighty before secluding it into one of his pouches. Looking around to make sure he has a quick moment, Sam pulls out his quill and adds something to the parchment before shoving it back into the magical transport bag... ((Will note DM on what he writes.)) Once that is done Sam will wander over to the others and see what is to be seen...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
IF Sam can corral the others together for a moment of privacy (one by one or in a group, I guess) Sam tells the others in the group that Hog sent a message that said "weird things are going on with the city, I don't think there's much time left, people have moved away a lot from the treasury but I saw something strange from up here, the seas have receded, way past tide out. I don't know what's going on..."
"The rest of the note was censored..." Sam points out.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
As soon as they land, Vin jumps down and runs across to the sled containing Neferox and beckons her out. She eagerly obliges, leaping off the sled and bounding around a bit, enjoying the freedom to move.
She then gives Vin a look that anyway observing couldn't fail to interpret. Never make me do that again!
"I can't guarantee that", he replies out loud whilst giving her a big hug. "We have to get back somehow too".
He then finally looks around the crystal crevasse they find themselves in as Sam takes the group aside for a moment to explain the contents of a letter he received from Hog.
"I guess that means no time for sightseeing, we should get moving right away", he says, looking at Elthana mostly. "Did Hector give anything away about these Kobold elders. Or the Good Witch he spoke of?".
Muir either to the group or only to Sam depending on how the message is delivered tells him "Tides are separating.....it is the realm of water. They approach the city. That is my guess. There was a portal out over the water in the shade of deep blue.....If Hog was mentioned this tell him the water realm approaches. I do not have history if they be friends or foes....someone should meet them in peace and perhaps they can help."
"Joking? I almost plummeted to who knows where.. jokes.. really?" She still looks angry about the whole deal.
As Sam relays what is going on, she scowls. "Sam, let me see that bag of Hog's, censoring my ass.." she mumbles that last part. If he gives it to her, she starts another parchment to send back..
Turning to Vin, "Well, we were more worried about the flight than anything, but he did talk about genocide with the kobolds and then, well, we mainly discussed our family? I'm sorry..I should have asked about the kobold elders or the good witch.. its just that I never expected to find him and its a bit of a shock."
"Plummeted to where? There was no ground below you. Once you thought to change where your gravity was you would have plummeted right back up into my waiting arms," Sam reassures Elthana.
---
"Yes," Sam replies to Elthana later. "Censoring..." Sam does not hand over the bag but rather hands over the parchment instead. As Elthana reads it Sam explains to the others "I let Sergor know I would not send anything else through the bag until I was sent proof that Hog was free and unharmed an able to send whatever he felt appropriate. Sergor is so far refusing this so I cannot send him your theory on the tides quite yet, Muir. I will not have one of our people held hostage by the Treasury and I will not negotiate with terrorists."
Elthana, reading the parchment, sees:
Sam I've managed to fashion those beast bits into a ring, it has potential to bear sn enchantment but I couldn't complete it without access to my workshop, ive left a place for you to mark the ring with one of your rune thingies, that might work for now. Sergor is keeping me here so that I can make sure the bag works properly. But weird things are going on with the city, I don't think there's much time left, people have moved away a lot from the treasury but I saw something strange from up here, the seas have receded, way past tide out. I don't know what's going on... Whatever was written after this appears to have been removed by some method that Sam is unfamiliar with, but further down the page Hog signs off with his name.
There is then a second parchment that reads:
I believe it would be pertinent to hand the bag over to Elthana, so that regular and informed updates can be made on your progress, I know how stubborn you can be Sam but you cannot argue with the sound reasoning that Elthana has been trained to give these kinds of detailed reports. -Sergor Hamilton
Below that in a much more rudimentary hand is a reply: "Nothing more comes from the bag until I am convinced Hog controls the other end and is free to say whatever he wishes when he sends notes our way. Not reports, not load stones, nothing. You know how stubborn I can be." Below that, once more in Sergor's hand, the last reply...
"be stubborn but not stupid. Give the bag to Elthana or your stubbornness will cost the city, you know what is at stake, focus on your mission. Hog is under no threat, the council have simply taken control of the only means of communication with a group endeavouring to save us. Do your damn job."
The others can read if Elthana passes the parchments around...
"Obviously securing Hog's safety and freedom to tell us what he believes we need know is more important than bowing to Sergor. Besides, our 'damn job' is to find a new load stone and we can do that without his wanna be dictator getting any damnable reports." Sam finishes.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
Sams retort to falling into his waiting arms gets a slight chuckle and a smile as she finally relaxes being on solid ground.
Elthana reads the note and passes it to whoever is nearest. Then glares at Sam. "Are you seriously in a pissing match with Sergor? Do you want to make sure your d*ck is bigger than his? Is that what this is all about?" She is fuming now. "I get it, my faction is the bad faction. Fine, you can all distrust me as you do my boss. But making sure that Hog has a nice bed to sleep in and can come and go as he damn well pleases is not what is important here. Saving the city is. Now, hand over the bag so I can communicate with him as needed. Unless you don't trust me either."
Muir wastes no time reading the note "Oh dear....oh dear indeed.....Uh Sam perhaps if you would rather an intermediary if you do not.....emmmm want Elthana to have the bag, would be to give the bag to myself? I know the trust in Sergor is not very high but perhaps you can put your trust in me to do what is right?"
Elthana is rolling now and turns her ire on Muir, "Oh, so you don't trust me either is that it? There needs to be an intermediary between myself and my boss? What the hell is that? I don't ask to be inbetween you and Master Goodall!"
Muir bows "Apologies Elthana. I simply meant that if the group distrusts Sergor so much that they'd rather have me act as the go between I would be happy to. I trust you wholeheartedly. I rescind my offer in a sign of faith in you"
Sam cracks his neck this way then the next to regain himself before continuing on. "It's Sergor I don't trust. Who else forced Hog to stay at the Treasury? Erased his words??" he asks. "Who brought the poison of this land home??"
"But I do trust you... If you believe in Sergor's actions then here," Sam says as he unties the magical bag and holds it out to Elthana. "You back Sergor? You back his ways? Then take the bag and be as responsible for his deeds as he is himself..."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
Vin simply watches the altercation between Sam and Elthana, and sees Muir try and help but ultimately back down.
"I haven't read the letter", he interjects. "And my memory of this Sergor is a bit fuzzy. But it seems to me that getting distracted by this right now is going to jeopardise the mission".
"It isn't going to matter who sends messages if the only one we have to send is that we failed. Now...er....pack it in?", he says starting a little forcefully but ending quite tentatively. And then chuckles at the irony of telling them to pack it in.
Elthana yanks the bag away from Sam her anger radiating off of her. But then the words reach her and she starts to deflate. "I... I don't agree with most of the things Sergor has done and I will tell him so, but for now I just want to save the people of Marblestead and now there might be this water issue? I just..." she hangs there a bit, the bag in her hands as she looks at her feet. She is feeling the weight of Sergor and his ways and his ostentatiousness or whatever the hell possessed him to put the Treasury in such a position in the first place. She looks at Sam.. almost a pleading in her eyes, but can't bring herself to say anything.
She turns away from him and to Muir, "Sorry I snapped at you." her voice is meek, very unlike herself, but things are weighing hard on the elf. The past events of the last week or so.. if any of you had said they didn't trust her she is sure she'd break and she is feeling that heavy right now.
As the group calm and begin to look around they find themselves sideways in between two shards of the shattered isle, within this crack they stand side on in a crevasse which serves as a stable for the smeagle's shielding them from the wind.
Griff stands on guard ready to fight at any moment, obviously still not trusting the situation, that is until the two dragonborn paladins begin to speak to him, trying to convince him of something without getting too close. Eventually it seems that Griff agrees with their request, though he does protest once or twice. He begins doffing his crystalline armour that signifies his station as a guard of the Djiini, and instead covers himself with a robe provided to him by Eaos.
Hector descends from his mount and leads it deeper into the crevasse, the others follow suit and you are all met by an air genasi covered in draconic tattoos. They give Hector a wave and a smile and begin talking to them in Auran, casting a wary look around to the group and especially toward Neferox.
"This man will look after the smeagles whilst we venture toward the mount upon which the elders sit, we will have to move trough the city and so I would like you all to keep close as to not invite panic. The nature of an entire oppressed nation and it's largest population being a race undergoing a continuing genocide attempt makes for an unwelcome reception to unknown outsiders... You're all with me so it shouldn't be an issue but I wouldn't like to test that theory if it isn't necessary... Does that seem reasonable to all? Any questions?" Hector asks the last bit a little hesitantly with a half glance to Muir, hoping indeed that the loxodon has no more questions, the flight over having been enough.
Sam, of course, let's Elthana take the bag and sits there and placidly lets her vent at him, of whatever it is. She is stressed. On Edge. It's not good and perhaps she needs to snap or shout or beat rocks or who knows? Whatever, Sam is there for it.
"I trust you," Sam repeats, more softly this time. "You're one of three people I trust. But you have a lot on your plate right now with the sister and the family and all. I thought maybe you didn't need trying to save Hog from a dimension away to the plate... But if you got this... I got you."
Sam looks to Muir as he rests a hand on Elthana's shoulder and nods to him. "We all got you."
"Questions?" Sam says, after Hector tells them all to behave. "Um, sure... Where are we? Why are we? How are we? Is anyone going to go after that lost smeagle? How far can one fall if there is no bottom? Do the cockatrices often attack like that? Cause everyone seemed unprepared. Were you prepared? Why did you not prepare us? And um... Did you thank Griff for saving your life back there? Because I didn't hear it if you did...."
"Did you hear it?" Sam asks Elthana.
"Did you?" he asks Muir.
"What about you guys??"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
Gewyn keeps his distance from the dispute between Sam and Elthana, seemingly nervous, though it's obvious he has thoughts on the matter. Afterward, he walks up to Elthana and says, "Hey, just wanted to say again, I'm glad you're safe. And... I trust you. I'm sure the others do too. Sam is probably just naturally inclined against any large financial institution. I know the treasury may have a bad rep, but as I'm sure you know, pretty much every organization is at least a little sketchy. Even the orphanages, it turns out! So keep your head up, because it sounds like we're heading straight into another crisis once this is resolved." Gewyn flicks her lightly on the forehead and then walks off to follow Hector.
"I'll stick close to you", Vin replies to Hector. "And Neferox will stick close to me", he adds, patting the hound on her flank. Neferox just stares at Hector, as if daring him to do anything to harm them.
"What say you answer all Sam's questions on the way? The smeagle Gewyn, Griff, Neferox and I were on had to work really hard to keep us from losing time, and I would hate to waste it's efforts just standing here", he says looking across to the smeagle with a tiny bit of guilt.
He can feel the tension, and hopes that keeping everyone moving forward towards their goal will at least delay what he sees as an inevitable blow up.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
"I didn't let my bird get killed! I had nothing to do with that! Damn cockatrices.." Elthana starts out admonishing Sam, but then mumbles the last part as they find their way to the broken isles.
Finally getting off their transport, she looks around at the ruined cityscape that they landed nearby and the crystal crevasse. It was hard to take in, she'd never seen anything like it. She looks over to the rest of them, and heads over to the group to see if everyone is alright.
"Ok, ok... Hector's bird, then! It as Hector's fault. I concede..." Sam says in surrender. "Was just a joke... sheesh..."
Once upon "land" again Sam eagerly and happily climbs off the bird. First thing he does is check himself and his belongings to ensure that everything is still in the right place. In doing this he notices the magical transport bag has magically transported something to him... Well in truth he had noticed in flight but didn't want to risk checking it out then, what with the high winds, nosey dragonborn and cock cockatrices... Trying to be as subtle as possible, Sam examines what was in the bag. (Sleight of Hand? 22)
Sam quickly reads a bit of parchment and scowls, then palms something a bit more weighty before secluding it into one of his pouches. Looking around to make sure he has a quick moment, Sam pulls out his quill and adds something to the parchment before shoving it back into the magical transport bag... ((Will note DM on what he writes.)) Once that is done Sam will wander over to the others and see what is to be seen...
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
IF Sam can corral the others together for a moment of privacy (one by one or in a group, I guess) Sam tells the others in the group that Hog sent a message that said "weird things are going on with the city, I don't think there's much time left, people have moved away a lot from the treasury but I saw something strange from up here, the seas have receded, way past tide out. I don't know what's going on..."
"The rest of the note was censored..." Sam points out.
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
As soon as they land, Vin jumps down and runs across to the sled containing Neferox and beckons her out. She eagerly obliges, leaping off the sled and bounding around a bit, enjoying the freedom to move.
She then gives Vin a look that anyway observing couldn't fail to interpret. Never make me do that again!
"I can't guarantee that", he replies out loud whilst giving her a big hug. "We have to get back somehow too".
He then finally looks around the crystal crevasse they find themselves in as Sam takes the group aside for a moment to explain the contents of a letter he received from Hog.
"I guess that means no time for sightseeing, we should get moving right away", he says, looking at Elthana mostly. "Did Hector give anything away about these Kobold elders. Or the Good Witch he spoke of?".
Muir either to the group or only to Sam depending on how the message is delivered tells him "Tides are separating.....it is the realm of water. They approach the city. That is my guess. There was a portal out over the water in the shade of deep blue.....If Hog was mentioned this tell him the water realm approaches. I do not have history if they be friends or foes....someone should meet them in peace and perhaps they can help."
"Joking? I almost plummeted to who knows where.. jokes.. really?" She still looks angry about the whole deal.
As Sam relays what is going on, she scowls. "Sam, let me see that bag of Hog's, censoring my ass.." she mumbles that last part. If he gives it to her, she starts another parchment to send back..
Turning to Vin, "Well, we were more worried about the flight than anything, but he did talk about genocide with the kobolds and then, well, we mainly discussed our family? I'm sorry..I should have asked about the kobold elders or the good witch.. its just that I never expected to find him and its a bit of a shock."
"Plummeted to where? There was no ground below you. Once you thought to change where your gravity was you would have plummeted right back up into my waiting arms," Sam reassures Elthana.
---
"Yes," Sam replies to Elthana later. "Censoring..." Sam does not hand over the bag but rather hands over the parchment instead. As Elthana reads it Sam explains to the others "I let Sergor know I would not send anything else through the bag until I was sent proof that Hog was free and unharmed an able to send whatever he felt appropriate. Sergor is so far refusing this so I cannot send him your theory on the tides quite yet, Muir. I will not have one of our people held hostage by the Treasury and I will not negotiate with terrorists."
Elthana, reading the parchment, sees:
Sam I've managed to fashion those beast bits into a ring, it has potential to bear sn enchantment but I couldn't complete it without access to my workshop, ive left a place for you to mark the ring with one of your rune thingies, that might work for now. Sergor is keeping me here so that I can make sure the bag works properly. But weird things are going on with the city, I don't think there's much time left, people have moved away a lot from the treasury but I saw something strange from up here, the seas have receded, way past tide out. I don't know what's going on... Whatever was written after this appears to have been removed by some method that Sam is unfamiliar with, but further down the page Hog signs off with his name.
There is then a second parchment that reads:
I believe it would be pertinent to hand the bag over to Elthana, so that regular and informed updates can be made on your progress, I know how stubborn you can be Sam but you cannot argue with the sound reasoning that Elthana has been trained to give these kinds of detailed reports. -Sergor Hamilton
Below that in a much more rudimentary hand is a reply: "Nothing more comes from the bag until I am convinced Hog controls the other end and is free to say whatever he wishes when he sends notes our way. Not reports, not load stones, nothing. You know how stubborn I can be." Below that, once more in Sergor's hand, the last reply...
"be stubborn but not stupid. Give the bag to Elthana or your stubbornness will cost the city, you know what is at stake, focus on your mission. Hog is under no threat, the council have simply taken control of the only means of communication with a group endeavouring to save us. Do your damn job."
The others can read if Elthana passes the parchments around...
"Obviously securing Hog's safety and freedom to tell us what he believes we need know is more important than bowing to Sergor. Besides, our 'damn job' is to find a new load stone and we can do that without his wanna be dictator getting any damnable reports." Sam finishes.
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
Sams retort to falling into his waiting arms gets a slight chuckle and a smile as she finally relaxes being on solid ground.
Elthana reads the note and passes it to whoever is nearest. Then glares at Sam. "Are you seriously in a pissing match with Sergor? Do you want to make sure your d*ck is bigger than his? Is that what this is all about?" She is fuming now. "I get it, my faction is the bad faction. Fine, you can all distrust me as you do my boss. But making sure that Hog has a nice bed to sleep in and can come and go as he damn well pleases is not what is important here. Saving the city is. Now, hand over the bag so I can communicate with him as needed. Unless you don't trust me either."
Muir wastes no time reading the note "Oh dear....oh dear indeed.....Uh Sam perhaps if you would rather an intermediary if you do not.....emmmm want Elthana to have the bag, would be to give the bag to myself? I know the trust in Sergor is not very high but perhaps you can put your trust in me to do what is right?"
Elthana is rolling now and turns her ire on Muir, "Oh, so you don't trust me either is that it? There needs to be an intermediary between myself and my boss? What the hell is that? I don't ask to be inbetween you and Master Goodall!"
Muir bows "Apologies Elthana. I simply meant that if the group distrusts Sergor so much that they'd rather have me act as the go between I would be happy to. I trust you wholeheartedly. I rescind my offer in a sign of faith in you"
"I TRUST YOU," Sam insists to Elthana... "I..."
Sam cracks his neck this way then the next to regain himself before continuing on. "It's Sergor I don't trust. Who else forced Hog to stay at the Treasury? Erased his words??" he asks. "Who brought the poison of this land home??"
"But I do trust you... If you believe in Sergor's actions then here," Sam says as he unties the magical bag and holds it out to Elthana. "You back Sergor? You back his ways? Then take the bag and be as responsible for his deeds as he is himself..."
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
Vin simply watches the altercation between Sam and Elthana, and sees Muir try and help but ultimately back down.
"I haven't read the letter", he interjects. "And my memory of this Sergor is a bit fuzzy. But it seems to me that getting distracted by this right now is going to jeopardise the mission".
"It isn't going to matter who sends messages if the only one we have to send is that we failed. Now...er....pack it in?", he says starting a little forcefully but ending quite tentatively. And then chuckles at the irony of telling them to pack it in.
Elthana yanks the bag away from Sam her anger radiating off of her. But then the words reach her and she starts to deflate. "I... I don't agree with most of the things Sergor has done and I will tell him so, but for now I just want to save the people of Marblestead and now there might be this water issue? I just..." she hangs there a bit, the bag in her hands as she looks at her feet. She is feeling the weight of Sergor and his ways and his ostentatiousness or whatever the hell possessed him to put the Treasury in such a position in the first place. She looks at Sam.. almost a pleading in her eyes, but can't bring herself to say anything.
She turns away from him and to Muir, "Sorry I snapped at you." her voice is meek, very unlike herself, but things are weighing hard on the elf. The past events of the last week or so.. if any of you had said they didn't trust her she is sure she'd break and she is feeling that heavy right now.
"Yes Vin, let's pack it in."
Muir places a hand on her shoulder “remember we are here to help carry your burden”
As the group calm and begin to look around they find themselves sideways in between two shards of the shattered isle, within this crack they stand side on in a crevasse which serves as a stable for the smeagle's shielding them from the wind.
Griff stands on guard ready to fight at any moment, obviously still not trusting the situation, that is until the two dragonborn paladins begin to speak to him, trying to convince him of something without getting too close. Eventually it seems that Griff agrees with their request, though he does protest once or twice. He begins doffing his crystalline armour that signifies his station as a guard of the Djiini, and instead covers himself with a robe provided to him by Eaos.
Hector descends from his mount and leads it deeper into the crevasse, the others follow suit and you are all met by an air genasi covered in draconic tattoos. They give Hector a wave and a smile and begin talking to them in Auran, casting a wary look around to the group and especially toward Neferox.
"This man will look after the smeagles whilst we venture toward the mount upon which the elders sit, we will have to move trough the city and so I would like you all to keep close as to not invite panic. The nature of an entire oppressed nation and it's largest population being a race undergoing a continuing genocide attempt makes for an unwelcome reception to unknown outsiders... You're all with me so it shouldn't be an issue but I wouldn't like to test that theory if it isn't necessary... Does that seem reasonable to all? Any questions?" Hector asks the last bit a little hesitantly with a half glance to Muir, hoping indeed that the loxodon has no more questions, the flight over having been enough.
Travin Tiller, Junk Dweller Bard, AURYN.
The Ironmaiden, Questionable Artificer, Descent into Avernus.
DM, Peacekeepers of Northmorrah
Muir opens his mouth and sees the looks on everyone’s faces and decides to close it
Sam, of course, let's Elthana take the bag and sits there and placidly lets her vent at him, of whatever it is. She is stressed. On Edge. It's not good and perhaps she needs to snap or shout or beat rocks or who knows? Whatever, Sam is there for it.
"I trust you," Sam repeats, more softly this time. "You're one of three people I trust. But you have a lot on your plate right now with the sister and the family and all. I thought maybe you didn't need trying to save Hog from a dimension away to the plate... But if you got this... I got you."
Sam looks to Muir as he rests a hand on Elthana's shoulder and nods to him. "We all got you."
"Questions?" Sam says, after Hector tells them all to behave. "Um, sure... Where are we? Why are we? How are we? Is anyone going to go after that lost smeagle? How far can one fall if there is no bottom? Do the cockatrices often attack like that? Cause everyone seemed unprepared. Were you prepared? Why did you not prepare us? And um... Did you thank Griff for saving your life back there? Because I didn't hear it if you did...."
"Did you hear it?" Sam asks Elthana.
"Did you?" he asks Muir.
"What about you guys??"
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
Gewyn keeps his distance from the dispute between Sam and Elthana, seemingly nervous, though it's obvious he has thoughts on the matter. Afterward, he walks up to Elthana and says, "Hey, just wanted to say again, I'm glad you're safe. And... I trust you. I'm sure the others do too. Sam is probably just naturally inclined against any large financial institution. I know the treasury may have a bad rep, but as I'm sure you know, pretty much every organization is at least a little sketchy. Even the orphanages, it turns out! So keep your head up, because it sounds like we're heading straight into another crisis once this is resolved." Gewyn flicks her lightly on the forehead and then walks off to follow Hector.
"I'll stick close to you", Vin replies to Hector. "And Neferox will stick close to me", he adds, patting the hound on her flank. Neferox just stares at Hector, as if daring him to do anything to harm them.
"What say you answer all Sam's questions on the way? The smeagle Gewyn, Griff, Neferox and I were on had to work really hard to keep us from losing time, and I would hate to waste it's efforts just standing here", he says looking across to the smeagle with a tiny bit of guilt.
He can feel the tension, and hopes that keeping everyone moving forward towards their goal will at least delay what he sees as an inevitable blow up.