Darla runs up, hissing, then stops short as she sees the fear in Kaede's eyes. She gives one last honk at Kaede, then turns and waddles back. "What the heck was that, Darla!?! No one was going to leave you behind, I told you that. Geeze. I know your still upset about Slade, but you can't just attack people for no reasoWWW" Darla snaps at Jek and bites his hand. "Again!?!" To Kaede, he says "Sorry about her, she's going through some stuff. Anyways, what were we talking about."
Rum watches the scene with Darla and Lady Kaede unfold and a low growl escapes his throat as he shakes his head.
”I don’t know what it is. But ordinary goose or not, it will be the death of us in Subternea”, he says in reply to Wo-Dan.
”Friend Jek, you cannot seriously intend to bring Darla with us?! Where we are going we need to be able to employ subtlety and stealth. That is something Darla does not understand. Remember what happened when Ro opened that portal? Not even Slade could control her”.
Jek's eyes go wide, and he looks for Darla. He's relieved to see she's out of ear shot.
He says, softly "Rum, she is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. And she has lost a lot. We all have. I cannot leave her behind. Literally, she would probably just follow us if we even tried. But also, I promised her that she would always have a home with the Order of the Phoenix. While the order has been divided and we are forming a new group, the sentiment still stands. I cannot abandon her. I'll talk to her, tell her that this will need to be a stealth mission. She isn't usually too bad with being quiet, as long as she doesn't feel threatened. I'm working on something that could help us with that, too. Making all of us more stealthy, I mean. I feel like I'm close to a breakthrough, I hope. Let me go talk to Darla."
With that, Jek will go over to where Darla is sitting and glaring at everyone. He will talk softly with her. There's a lot of honking and hissing at Jek, and the occasional snipping at him as well. She'll eventually calm down and listens to what Jek is saying. Jek will reach out his hand, and she'll nudge it with her head. Then she curls up and ignores everyone until they are ready to leave.
Jek heads back to Rum and the others. "She understands now that we need to be stealthy. She might still behave unpredictable if she feels threatened, but I don't think she'll be a hinderance when trying to travel stealthily. I tried to get her to apologize to Kaede, but I don't think that's a fight we should push right now. Alright, so names. I like Twilight Phoenix, but what was it you called us before? Ardent Remnants? Hmm, I think I like that."
Rum thinks back to the animals the Twilight Embers left behind. He had definitely thought of Herbs and Spice as part of the Embers, and he felt their loss greatly. Jek obviously felt more again towards Darla, something he respected in his Lightless friend.
When Jek returns, he throws him an understanding smile.
"Very well friend Jek. You are obviously going to be a maverick here regarding this goose. Keep her close and we'll do our best bond with her. Maybe then she will calm down a bit".
"As for the name, shall we take a vote? Or wait and see if inspiration takes us".
Well beyond a minute, Kaede sulks in a distant corner. Unaccustomed to being treated that way, and by a mere animal, she’s royally (excused the pun) pissed off.
After calming down, she sits and meditates, awaiting further direction of how they’re to proceed with their mission. Whilst meditating, she can hear the voice of her father, whispering into her ear “If they stand behind you, protect them. If they stand beside you, respect them. If they stand against you, defeat them.” She would have to keep an eye on that goose, until she understood its intentions.
Wo-Dan is not pleased to see that this creature of Slade's is not only left free, but also a welcomed member of this group. The Leprechaun was potential danger enough to the balance of Hyboria, but this goose appeared to have the ability to influence the minds of others. It would bear close watching. He takes a seat whiling away the time until they should depart journaling all he has thus far observed to keep an accurate account for his masters. Not just of his retrieval of Slade, but all he has seen and learned of the members of the Auryn.
Rum looks around at the others in his new band. Tensions were already frayed and they hadn't got started yet. The fact of the matter though, was they were about to head into Subternea, a series of enormous caverns the size of continents filled with who knows what dangers. There would be plenty of time spent getting acquainted as they travelled.
He turns to Atreyu.
"I would like to pick up some supplies now I know the mission you are sending us on. I see you have our transport off Skyloft ready, but unless we can pick things up at Spook City, best we spend a little time now getting what we need", he requests as he surveys the Death Hawks and Rocs.
"If Subternea mirrors the land above, we will need some method of transport when down there, if we are not to spend months simply walking. I am assuming there are beasts down there that have been trained for this purpose? Land beasts would be good, but airborne even better. Perhaps there are more giant bats at our disposal? How about giant centipedes or spiders, they would work well underground?".
"To clarify, Arathim aren't much different than Gohma. The Garthim are...flesh golems...raised from the bodies of slain Arathim. The Skeksis reconstitute the dead Arathim into Garthim during and after every battle. It's not uncommon for you to kill four Arathim and wind up fighting a fresh Garthim immediately after that. They're big, strong, and hard to kill."
He then looks at Jek and answers his question.
"If I understand what she's talking about...because believe me she talks about some weird things...the Shard glows the same color when in a Gelfling's hand. For all of you, you'll have to use some other means of discernment...but a Gelfling just picks through the crystals down there until they find the right one."
Gandalf listens nearby and nods as Wo-Dan asks for his message to be passed on.
"It's all well enough, truth be told." Gandalf says. "The Mystics being beyond the Sphinx Gate where they cannot be touched, and their silence when we know some messages are being intercepted, may be a blessing in disguise. But, if I get the opportunity, I'll pass the information along."
Gandalf and Atreyu then watch in awestruck fascination as the goose begins to run about, act-a-fool, and create chaos like it owns the place.
"If you need time to grab supplies, I advise you do it now while you can. As for mounts...I'm sure there are plenty of awful things down there you can ride. There are villages in the underdark that will specialize in that sort of thing. Once you've found one, you can probably procure creatures trained for that terrain. For the record, flying near the ceiling on a bat may be as bad or worse than being near the floor."
With their supplies gathered, the newly formed Ardent Remnants found their way into the wooden carriage beneath the Roc and set off from Skyloft, flying over the edge of Celestia and gliding out over the Sea of Possibilities toward the northern most point of Hylia, what was now dubbed the Kandar Region. The great bird barely beat its wings as it let air streams and gravity do its work, taking it down from the warm heights of of Celestia and into the cool winds flowing down from the Northern Wastes. They sored for nearly two days non-stop, the great bird saving its strength by letting the winds carry them toward Spook City.
They sat down on the evening of the second day, near nightfall, or what equated nightfall now. The Roc beat its wings, bringing itself to a final stop along the broad beach of the ruined civilization, where destroyed buildings made of emerald and jade populated everything as far as they could see. The burned orange of the single sun reflected on many of the green surfaces and splashed across their bodies as they departed from the Roc and into the notoriously haunted city...
When Rum returns from gathering supplies to board the carriage, the eagle eyed amongst the Remnants might notice he sports some extra jewellery, and a slightly fuller backpack.
During the two day journey, he is happy to sit amongst the Remnants for short periods, preparing meals and spending mealtimes with them. He talks of what is to come and, if asked, what has come before. He will enquire as to the capabilities of those of the Remnants he has no knowledge of. As usual though, the majority of his time is spent meditating and training. He realised early on that with his ability to climb he could leave the carriage and sit on it’s roof, and he even ventured atop the Roc itself in order to find places to exercise and train in peace. Concentrating on his core and endurance, rather than speed and strength in such an environment, and ensuring he didn’t get blown from the enormous bird using the claws on his feet to anchor him to it’s huge feathers.
Arrival at Spook City
As he exits the carriage at their journeys end, he surveys the scene of the ruined civilisation. They had spoken on the way of the fact the city was said to be haunted.
“We should stick together in the city fellow Remnants, it may be haunted but I expect to find more than mere ghosts here. Perhaps there will even be someone to direct us to the entrance of Subternea”, he suggests as he makes his way towards the dilapidated emerald and jade buildings.
His keen eyes scan for sign of movement and his ears rotate with every sound looking to pick out any sign of life, or afterlife.
During the 2 day journey across the sea Wo-Dan made a point not only to study the map given to Jek by Gandalf, thus commiting it to memory, but also to make a copy for himself in his journal in case they should lose the original.
Wo-Dan steps down from the carriage and looks around at the decrepit buildings. He has certainly been in worse places, but not many. The stench of death hangs thick upon the air and he can almost swear the spirits of the restless dead walk the streets and alleys wether one can see them or not.
"Care should be taken here by all, this is a place steeped in age and violence beyond measure. Jek, I suggest you keep the goose close. A being such as her would make a fine treat for the living, and the dead."
Looking up at the sky he once again sees the single sun in its now solitary dance across the celestial paths. He hopes that they can return the lands to normal and end this soon.
"The entrance to Subternia lies in that direction," he points to the approximate location. "There we can find our way below the surface and truly begin our journey."
The city smells like death, like the moldering of eons. The bizarre colors of the jade and emerald constructions, the growing moss and mold on the walls and inside the doors sets the tone; this place, whatever it once was in a whenever long forgotten, hasnt' been home to anything living in a long, long time. Shadows skulk in the back of abandoned buildings. Bushes rustle. Something howls in the distance.
A brief look into the doors of any of these buildings reveal that many of them still have goods and wares inside...though how good they still are after centuries of abandonment is another matter...
As they walk through the city, more than once Rum catches a glimpse of one of the skulking shadows shifting and moving.
"Very sinister, fellow Remnants, with the shifting shadows that move with a will of their own. I wonder if this place was always called Spook City. Seems like a self fulfilling prophecy if it was", he says quietly with a little chuckle. Even whispering seems out of place in the city though.
He tries to open out his senses as they walk, letting his peripheral vision pick out any movement whilst his ears rotate every so often to pick out sounds. Normally he would move ahead, scouting out the area, but here he follows his own advice, to stick close. He looks behind him to check Jek has Darla under control, as Wo-Dan suggested.
He keeps moving in the direction Wo-Dan had pointed, staying in the middle of the streets as far from the abandoned buildings as possible.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Jek will try to see if there are more healing potions about.
During there travels, Jek will spend a good amount of time studying his book and practicing his new spell. He will also spend some time assessing his new, goddess given abilities. He will chat with his new compatriots to see what they can do and tells them of his capabilities. He'll ask about who can see at night, and who can't. And, most importantly of all, he'll introduce Darla to all of them, to try to acclimate her to the new group. "No more attacking people in the Remnants, okay. You are one of us, too. We're a team."
When they are about 10 minutes out from landing, Jek will sit down and start focusing, as he casts detect magic as a ritual. He'll follow the others out. At Wo-Dan's comment, he turns to Darla, who is next to him. "Okay, just like we practiced. Stay close and stay quiet." Darla gives a small nod and a soft honk, and stays close to Jek.
Perception for anything magical walk. 8 Advantage because of detect magic? 24
Lady Kaede sulks for most of the trip to Spook City, as the travel arrangements were "beneath" someone of her state, but when not sulking, she preferred to meditate and commune with the ghosts of her lost family.
Upon entering the city, Kaede will walk down the road like she owns the place, without a care in the world, not spooked at all. Ghosts are nothing to be afraid of, as they're merely the shadows of people who have moved on from this world to the next. She has a fierce grin behind her kabuto mask, but all you can see from the outside is two glowing red orbs where her eyes would be...everything else is in deep shadows. But her swagger shows a confidence that says 'make way, the beyotch is here'.
Wo-Dan watches the Lady strutting down the street in a manner not at all suited for such a dangerous place. Giving a whisper to the air in a strange language a gust of wind stirs his hair for a moment and he rubs his fingers against his temple.
After a few moments he growls in frustration as whatever he had done bears no fruit.
"Lady Kaede, I understand you have little experience in dangerous places, but surely you understand that it is unwise to charge into the unknown without an appropriate guard? Would you please stay close by where we can best protect you?"
Rum turns his attention back from the buildings when Wo-Dan breaks the silence, noticing Lady Kaede's confident strut.
"Confidence is a fine quality, Lady Kaede. And well earned from the little I have seen of you in action. But Wo-Dan is right, in a place like this, safety is in stealth or in numbers. And stealth is not an option for us all", he says, smiling at the not-quite-automaton that is his friend Oten.
He then goes back to searching the shadowy buildings, this time not just for sights and sounds, but a sense of the place.
“This place is teeming with aberrations, fellow Remnants. I am uncertain why they have not attacked. I wonder if, as in the Gohma nest, they are waiting on orders from another creature that controls them”, Rum says pondering.
”Or if there is something else out there they are afraid of, something we haven’t seen yet. Or perhaps they are waiting for nightfall, maybe even this twilight is enough to keep them at bay”, he ruminates.
”We should make haste, and stay out of the shadows and buildings”.
"There is much moving about in those buildings and an ominous light I don't care for the looks of. Best to stay out in the open where we may see anything coming to us."
He once again rubs his temple while whispering in that strange language.
"My eyes above will keep me informed if anything moves, but Rum? I would like your eyes open as well please."
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Wo-Dan nudges Rum, "That animal... it does not seem to be an ordinary goose. What is it? I know it was a companion to the Leprechaun...."
Kaede’s wisdom save to not further upset the golden goose: 22
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
Darla runs up, hissing, then stops short as she sees the fear in Kaede's eyes. She gives one last honk at Kaede, then turns and waddles back. "What the heck was that, Darla!?! No one was going to leave you behind, I told you that. Geeze. I know your still upset about Slade, but you can't just attack people for no reasoWWW" Darla snaps at Jek and bites his hand. "Again!?!" To Kaede, he says "Sorry about her, she's going through some stuff. Anyways, what were we talking about."
Kaede is frightened of Darla for 1 minute.
Rum watches the scene with Darla and Lady Kaede unfold and a low growl escapes his throat as he shakes his head.
”I don’t know what it is. But ordinary goose or not, it will be the death of us in Subternea”, he says in reply to Wo-Dan.
”Friend Jek, you cannot seriously intend to bring Darla with us?! Where we are going we need to be able to employ subtlety and stealth. That is something Darla does not understand. Remember what happened when Ro opened that portal? Not even Slade could control her”.
Jek's eyes go wide, and he looks for Darla. He's relieved to see she's out of ear shot.
He says, softly "Rum, she is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. And she has lost a lot. We all have. I cannot leave her behind. Literally, she would probably just follow us if we even tried. But also, I promised her that she would always have a home with the Order of the Phoenix. While the order has been divided and we are forming a new group, the sentiment still stands. I cannot abandon her. I'll talk to her, tell her that this will need to be a stealth mission. She isn't usually too bad with being quiet, as long as she doesn't feel threatened. I'm working on something that could help us with that, too. Making all of us more stealthy, I mean. I feel like I'm close to a breakthrough, I hope. Let me go talk to Darla."
With that, Jek will go over to where Darla is sitting and glaring at everyone. He will talk softly with her. There's a lot of honking and hissing at Jek, and the occasional snipping at him as well. She'll eventually calm down and listens to what Jek is saying. Jek will reach out his hand, and she'll nudge it with her head. Then she curls up and ignores everyone until they are ready to leave.
Jek heads back to Rum and the others. "She understands now that we need to be stealthy. She might still behave unpredictable if she feels threatened, but I don't think she'll be a hinderance when trying to travel stealthily. I tried to get her to apologize to Kaede, but I don't think that's a fight we should push right now. Alright, so names. I like Twilight Phoenix, but what was it you called us before? Ardent Remnants? Hmm, I think I like that."
Rum thinks back to the animals the Twilight Embers left behind. He had definitely thought of Herbs and Spice as part of the Embers, and he felt their loss greatly. Jek obviously felt more again towards Darla, something he respected in his Lightless friend.
When Jek returns, he throws him an understanding smile.
"Very well friend Jek. You are obviously going to be a maverick here regarding this goose. Keep her close and we'll do our best bond with her. Maybe then she will calm down a bit".
"As for the name, shall we take a vote? Or wait and see if inspiration takes us".
Well beyond a minute, Kaede sulks in a distant corner. Unaccustomed to being treated that way, and by a mere animal, she’s royally (excused the pun) pissed off.
After calming down, she sits and meditates, awaiting further direction of how they’re to proceed with their mission. Whilst meditating, she can hear the voice of her father, whispering into her ear “If they stand behind you, protect them. If they stand beside you, respect them. If they stand against you, defeat them.” She would have to keep an eye on that goose, until she understood its intentions.
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
Wo-Dan is not pleased to see that this creature of Slade's is not only left free, but also a welcomed member of this group. The Leprechaun was potential danger enough to the balance of Hyboria, but this goose appeared to have the ability to influence the minds of others. It would bear close watching. He takes a seat whiling away the time until they should depart journaling all he has thus far observed to keep an accurate account for his masters. Not just of his retrieval of Slade, but all he has seen and learned of the members of the Auryn.
Rum looks around at the others in his new band. Tensions were already frayed and they hadn't got started yet. The fact of the matter though, was they were about to head into Subternea, a series of enormous caverns the size of continents filled with who knows what dangers. There would be plenty of time spent getting acquainted as they travelled.
He turns to Atreyu.
"I would like to pick up some supplies now I know the mission you are sending us on. I see you have our transport off Skyloft ready, but unless we can pick things up at Spook City, best we spend a little time now getting what we need", he requests as he surveys the Death Hawks and Rocs.
"If Subternea mirrors the land above, we will need some method of transport when down there, if we are not to spend months simply walking. I am assuming there are beasts down there that have been trained for this purpose? Land beasts would be good, but airborne even better. Perhaps there are more giant bats at our disposal? How about giant centipedes or spiders, they would work well underground?".
Atreyu looks at Rum and nods.
"To clarify, Arathim aren't much different than Gohma. The Garthim are...flesh golems...raised from the bodies of slain Arathim. The Skeksis reconstitute the dead Arathim into Garthim during and after every battle. It's not uncommon for you to kill four Arathim and wind up fighting a fresh Garthim immediately after that. They're big, strong, and hard to kill."
He then looks at Jek and answers his question.
"If I understand what she's talking about...because believe me she talks about some weird things...the Shard glows the same color when in a Gelfling's hand. For all of you, you'll have to use some other means of discernment...but a Gelfling just picks through the crystals down there until they find the right one."
Gandalf listens nearby and nods as Wo-Dan asks for his message to be passed on.
"It's all well enough, truth be told." Gandalf says. "The Mystics being beyond the Sphinx Gate where they cannot be touched, and their silence when we know some messages are being intercepted, may be a blessing in disguise. But, if I get the opportunity, I'll pass the information along."
Gandalf and Atreyu then watch in awestruck fascination as the goose begins to run about, act-a-fool, and create chaos like it owns the place.
"If you need time to grab supplies, I advise you do it now while you can. As for mounts...I'm sure there are plenty of awful things down there you can ride. There are villages in the underdark that will specialize in that sort of thing. Once you've found one, you can probably procure creatures trained for that terrain. For the record, flying near the ceiling on a bat may be as bad or worse than being near the floor."
With their supplies gathered, the newly formed Ardent Remnants found their way into the wooden carriage beneath the Roc and set off from Skyloft, flying over the edge of Celestia and gliding out over the Sea of Possibilities toward the northern most point of Hylia, what was now dubbed the Kandar Region. The great bird barely beat its wings as it let air streams and gravity do its work, taking it down from the warm heights of of Celestia and into the cool winds flowing down from the Northern Wastes. They sored for nearly two days non-stop, the great bird saving its strength by letting the winds carry them toward Spook City.
They sat down on the evening of the second day, near nightfall, or what equated nightfall now. The Roc beat its wings, bringing itself to a final stop along the broad beach of the ruined civilization, where destroyed buildings made of emerald and jade populated everything as far as they could see. The burned orange of the single sun reflected on many of the green surfaces and splashed across their bodies as they departed from the Roc and into the notoriously haunted city...
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
The Journey to Spook City
When Rum returns from gathering supplies to board the carriage, the eagle eyed amongst the Remnants might notice he sports some extra jewellery, and a slightly fuller backpack.
During the two day journey, he is happy to sit amongst the Remnants for short periods, preparing meals and spending mealtimes with them. He talks of what is to come and, if asked, what has come before. He will enquire as to the capabilities of those of the Remnants he has no knowledge of. As usual though, the majority of his time is spent meditating and training. He realised early on that with his ability to climb he could leave the carriage and sit on it’s roof, and he even ventured atop the Roc itself in order to find places to exercise and train in peace. Concentrating on his core and endurance, rather than speed and strength in such an environment, and ensuring he didn’t get blown from the enormous bird using the claws on his feet to anchor him to it’s huge feathers.
Arrival at Spook City
As he exits the carriage at their journeys end, he surveys the scene of the ruined civilisation. They had spoken on the way of the fact the city was said to be haunted.
“We should stick together in the city fellow Remnants, it may be haunted but I expect to find more than mere ghosts here. Perhaps there will even be someone to direct us to the entrance of Subternea”, he suggests as he makes his way towards the dilapidated emerald and jade buildings.
His keen eyes scan for sign of movement and his ears rotate with every sound looking to pick out any sign of life, or afterlife.
Perception: 5+11=16 (Passive: 21)
During the 2 day journey across the sea Wo-Dan made a point not only to study the map given to Jek by Gandalf, thus commiting it to memory, but also to make a copy for himself in his journal in case they should lose the original.
Wo-Dan steps down from the carriage and looks around at the decrepit buildings. He has certainly been in worse places, but not many. The stench of death hangs thick upon the air and he can almost swear the spirits of the restless dead walk the streets and alleys wether one can see them or not.
"Care should be taken here by all, this is a place steeped in age and violence beyond measure. Jek, I suggest you keep the goose close. A being such as her would make a fine treat for the living, and the dead."
Looking up at the sky he once again sees the single sun in its now solitary dance across the celestial paths. He hopes that they can return the lands to normal and end this soon.
"The entrance to Subternia lies in that direction," he points to the approximate location. "There we can find our way below the surface and truly begin our journey."
The city smells like death, like the moldering of eons. The bizarre colors of the jade and emerald constructions, the growing moss and mold on the walls and inside the doors sets the tone; this place, whatever it once was in a whenever long forgotten, hasnt' been home to anything living in a long, long time. Shadows skulk in the back of abandoned buildings. Bushes rustle. Something howls in the distance.
A brief look into the doors of any of these buildings reveal that many of them still have goods and wares inside...though how good they still are after centuries of abandonment is another matter...
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
As they walk through the city, more than once Rum catches a glimpse of one of the skulking shadows shifting and moving.
"Very sinister, fellow Remnants, with the shifting shadows that move with a will of their own. I wonder if this place was always called Spook City. Seems like a self fulfilling prophecy if it was", he says quietly with a little chuckle. Even whispering seems out of place in the city though.
He tries to open out his senses as they walk, letting his peripheral vision pick out any movement whilst his ears rotate every so often to pick out sounds. Normally he would move ahead, scouting out the area, but here he follows his own advice, to stick close. He looks behind him to check Jek has Darla under control, as Wo-Dan suggested.
He keeps moving in the direction Wo-Dan had pointed, staying in the middle of the streets as far from the abandoned buildings as possible.
Jek will try to see if there are more healing potions about.
During there travels, Jek will spend a good amount of time studying his book and practicing his new spell. He will also spend some time assessing his new, goddess given abilities. He will chat with his new compatriots to see what they can do and tells them of his capabilities. He'll ask about who can see at night, and who can't. And, most importantly of all, he'll introduce Darla to all of them, to try to acclimate her to the new group. "No more attacking people in the Remnants, okay. You are one of us, too. We're a team."
When they are about 10 minutes out from landing, Jek will sit down and start focusing, as he casts detect magic as a ritual. He'll follow the others out. At Wo-Dan's comment, he turns to Darla, who is next to him. "Okay, just like we practiced. Stay close and stay quiet." Darla gives a small nod and a soft honk, and stays close to Jek.
Perception for anything magical walk. 8 Advantage because of detect magic? 24
Lady Kaede sulks for most of the trip to Spook City, as the travel arrangements were "beneath" someone of her state, but when not sulking, she preferred to meditate and commune with the ghosts of her lost family.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Upon entering the city, Kaede will walk down the road like she owns the place, without a care in the world, not spooked at all. Ghosts are nothing to be afraid of, as they're merely the shadows of people who have moved on from this world to the next. She has a fierce grin behind her kabuto mask, but all you can see from the outside is two glowing red orbs where her eyes would be...everything else is in deep shadows. But her swagger shows a confidence that says 'make way, the beyotch is here'.
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
Wo-Dan watches the Lady strutting down the street in a manner not at all suited for such a dangerous place. Giving a whisper to the air in a strange language a gust of wind stirs his hair for a moment and he rubs his fingers against his temple.
After a few moments he growls in frustration as whatever he had done bears no fruit.
"Lady Kaede, I understand you have little experience in dangerous places, but surely you understand that it is unwise to charge into the unknown without an appropriate guard? Would you please stay close by where we can best protect you?"
Rum turns his attention back from the buildings when Wo-Dan breaks the silence, noticing Lady Kaede's confident strut.
"Confidence is a fine quality, Lady Kaede. And well earned from the little I have seen of you in action. But Wo-Dan is right, in a place like this, safety is in stealth or in numbers. And stealth is not an option for us all", he says, smiling at the not-quite-automaton that is his friend Oten.
He then goes back to searching the shadowy buildings, this time not just for sights and sounds, but a sense of the place.
Perception: 6+11=17 (Passive: 21)
Insight: 1+11=12 (Passive 21)
“This place is teeming with aberrations, fellow Remnants. I am uncertain why they have not attacked. I wonder if, as in the Gohma nest, they are waiting on orders from another creature that controls them”, Rum says pondering.
”Or if there is something else out there they are afraid of, something we haven’t seen yet. Or perhaps they are waiting for nightfall, maybe even this twilight is enough to keep them at bay”, he ruminates.
”We should make haste, and stay out of the shadows and buildings”.
Wo-Dan nods in agreement with Rum.
"There is much moving about in those buildings and an ominous light I don't care for the looks of. Best to stay out in the open where we may see anything coming to us."
He once again rubs his temple while whispering in that strange language.
"My eyes above will keep me informed if anything moves, but Rum? I would like your eyes open as well please."