Sam shrugs, not bothered by the question. "Ten. Give or take. Though I think that is older for my sort than some others. Still, I didn't know them for long considering some of that time I was just a child. They were old. I came later for them than most have kids. They did what they could but we were poor with a long tradition of it passed down one generation to the next. When they passed... there wasn't much time between them... I took up with the local street kids and such and made do as I could. Nothing dramatic."
“Hmm so you didn’t know them long …again forgive me for this but you are certain they were your biological parents? Older parents having a baby is not uncommon but….” Muir let’s the last but hang in the air a bit
"Well I wasn't there when I was conceived... You see how the process works, when a man and a woman love each other very much they share a special kind of hug...." Sam is really a bit flabbergasted that he's going to have to explain the birds and the bees to an elephant but if the druid doesn't even know babies aren't there when they're being made....
"I don't suppose any child can be sure who their biological parents really are, eh?" Sam suggests. "Perhaps if we develop a test... a kind of D'ya No (yer) Ancestors test..."
Elthana's eyes go wide and she stares at Gewyn. "Can you? Do you? Is there an image of me that is much, much older... um actually skeletal with a bone crown?" If Gewyn is close enough, she'll grab ahold of his forearm with the urgency she feels.
Gewyn puts a calming hand overtop of the one Elthana has placed on his arm. "I'm sorry,"he says. "I can't see anything with it right now. When I try here... I go to a dark place, and I am watched. I fear whatever it is on the other side, for it is powerful indeed."
Elthana gives Gewyn a small smile as his calming touch is felt. It then falls a bit, "I understand, I really do. Don't go there, we can wait till we get back home. I don't want you hunted."
Vin thinks, and thinks, "Muir you said something about the planes around planes, like the ethereal right? That's what Gewyn saw before, didn't we already figure this out? When Akiin spoke of the shadowfell, I forget...
The things I found out about my parents is not a lot at all, apparently one is of the fire plane according to what Rynwell said. But I'm not a demon or anything, no offense Nef.
I tired to figure out where I came from but all I found was deadends and this odd book, I was going to ask Gewyn to have a look at."
Vin holds up a note book and offers it over to Gewyn, interested to see where this conversation is leading.
Elthana's past, Muir's theories, the extra plane adjacent to this one, he feels like things are getting worked out, like progress is being made.
Suddenly everyone feels a lurch as Spier Umar takes a bit of a dive, but it isn't enough for anyone to be thrown off their seats or hammock. A bit of a reminder that the floor is still uneven and swaying as the massive bird continues its flight path.
Muir shakes his head at Sam "Thank you for the birds and bees talk. I feel as if my Druidic training is now complete." Muir decides to turn his attention elsewhere then try to reason with Sam. He turns back to Vin and Elthan "Indeed Vin. There is a plane of existence that wraps around this one and our material plane. Perhaps, Elthana, this is where your siblings were sent....or worse. I saw a painting of a woman wearing an antler crown in the fire realm...I wonder...." Muir drifts off a bit before snapping to "Oh a book? What is the language? Maybe I could help?"
Gewyn holds up the notepad curiously, and inspects the words on it. He starts humming a tune to himself, waving his fingers back and forth as if conducting an orchestra while he focusses on the paper.
Gewyn looks a little surprised as he reads through the back half of the book. "Okay, I didn't know what I was looking at at first, but see all these descriptions of traits, mannerisms, gait, etc?" He reaches into the satchel by his side and pulls out a notebook of his own. He flips through a few pages and stops. He hums a tune and rubs at the paper with his palm. The ink on the page smudges around and then resolves into different words. He holds it up to Vin, revealing a very similar description of Ms Glasvain herself, written in Gewyn's hand.
"These are the kind of notes I take when I think it might be useful to wear their persona for a time. You mentioned earlier that there was a charm alongside it. My guess is that she's been using it to do a little impersonating of her own."
Vin looks from the book to Gewyn and back to Elthana too who had looked the book over previously, "I think, when we get back, I might need to find some of the people in the front of this book and confirm my suspicions, I think glasvain has been manipulating disadvantaged couples into giving their kids up to her orphanage..." With an embarrassed look over to Sam, he realises that most of these couples would likely have been residents of the Tangles. "Perhaps this is how I find my parents, but that can wait, for now we get this stone and save the city. Elthana, this revelation of yours is awful, but I'm glad you've still got a connection to Mori," Neferox nudges vin's side and the boy listens to an unheard comment before turning back to Elthana "Nef says that losing a child is one of the worst pains someone can go through, and if mori had to go through that three times... well, if there's anything we can do to help you? we'll keep an ear out for your brother too, right Nef?" The hound gives a shaky huff of agreement and then sways once more as Spier Umar takes another dive, the whole group grab onto something close by to steady themselves as the massive birds movements become momentarily erratic.
The group begin to hear the distant murmurs of shouting outside but cannot make anything out as the winds drag noise away before it can be properly heard.
Elthana is stunned to. And she thinks about the words she spoke to Mori when she found out and her heart aches.
"Apparently it hit Nivara really hard when she lost her brother. The way they described it, the woman went a bit insane trying to find ways to beat death. I think I was more of a last ditch effort while she continued to try and solve the puzzle of immortality. I am afraid to learn of all that she hurt or killed to get the answer she wanted. I know my history isn't exactly decent, but I never targeted good people." She sighs, unsure about her past, her present and her future. "The pain etched in Mori and Sergor's faces as they revealed their story... I'll never forget it."
"Never forget. No," Sam says sympathetically. "But you can't hold yourself responsible for other people's past. Best thing to do is live your future in a way to make yourself and them a little happier, a little prouder..."
The group dwell on this revelation for only a moment before everyone is suddenly thrown to one side of the room as Spier Umar continues to shift erratically.
The door bursts open and Griff enters out of breath, "we are being under attack... One chimera and three manticore, even though they were telling us not to be interfering, I am thinking that Gale and their crew are needing help!"
Vin wastes no time in springing off his hammock, grabbing his broom and darting out of the door followed loyally by Neferox. "Come on guys!"
Following Vin out of the backpack like abode fixed to Spier Umar's back, the group see Gale's crew already in battle with four flying beasts which crawl over Spier's back like parasites, every so often biting off chunks of feathers as they attempt to bring the beast to unconsciousness. Gale's crew are fighting back with everything they have, bows and arrows, lighting whips, and bladed weapons. One Aarakocra member of the crew (9) is savagely bitten and thrown across Spier's back, regaining their composure they start to head back toward the creature bow raised and arrow nocked.
Across Spier's back the group see three savage looking beasts with humanoid looking faces, their mouths distended into several rows of sharp teeth, a bristling mane extends down their lion like bodies ending in a tail of spines which swing threateningly, the beats are held aloft by sinewy dragon like wings.
Toward the head of Spier, the group sees one larger beast with three heads, one of a lion, one dragon, and one goat, it seems to be taking on Gale and his first mate, the black dragonborn (7), and everyone in sight is fighting for their lives.
Elthana grumbles as they leave their room thinking they took this slow bird so that they wouldn't have to deal with it, but honestly glad for the chance to do something other than wallow in her thoughts. Spinning her pole around she runs into the frey.
Seeing the closest manticore, she heads straight for it, past Griff and #5, doing her best to land some magical blows.
Attack: 28, Damage: 11 (She spends a ki point here to try and stun the beast, DC CON save of 15 or stunned)
Misses her second badly, unless stunned she'll try again
Gewyn feels almost a sense of relief as he jumps to his feet to head into battle. Why is that? He wonders, but then there is no more time for thought. He draws his new short sword with a flourish. The air around him starts to get... fuzzy. Like everything else around him is a blur in the background (Bonus action Mantle of Majesty).
Then he rushes forward, taking a swipe at the nearest creatures wing.
Both Elthana and Gewyn dart forwards and each lands a solid hit, though some kind of resilience within the beast shrugs off Elthana's stunning effects, causing it to instinctively duck her next attack.
Sam shrugs, not bothered by the question. "Ten. Give or take. Though I think that is older for my sort than some others. Still, I didn't know them for long considering some of that time I was just a child. They were old. I came later for them than most have kids. They did what they could but we were poor with a long tradition of it passed down one generation to the next. When they passed... there wasn't much time between them... I took up with the local street kids and such and made do as I could. Nothing dramatic."
“Hmm so you didn’t know them long …again forgive me for this but you are certain they were your biological parents? Older parents having a baby is not uncommon but….” Muir let’s the last but hang in the air a bit
"Well I wasn't there when I was conceived... You see how the process works, when a man and a woman love each other very much they share a special kind of hug...." Sam is really a bit flabbergasted that he's going to have to explain the birds and the bees to an elephant but if the druid doesn't even know babies aren't there when they're being made....
"I don't suppose any child can be sure who their biological parents really are, eh?" Sam suggests. "Perhaps if we develop a test... a kind of D'ya No (yer) Ancestors test..."
Elthana's eyes go wide and she stares at Gewyn. "Can you? Do you? Is there an image of me that is much, much older... um actually skeletal with a bone crown?" If Gewyn is close enough, she'll grab ahold of his forearm with the urgency she feels.
Gewyn puts a calming hand overtop of the one Elthana has placed on his arm. "I'm sorry," he says. "I can't see anything with it right now. When I try here... I go to a dark place, and I am watched. I fear whatever it is on the other side, for it is powerful indeed."
Elthana gives Gewyn a small smile as his calming touch is felt. It then falls a bit, "I understand, I really do. Don't go there, we can wait till we get back home. I don't want you hunted."
Vin thinks, and thinks, "Muir you said something about the planes around planes, like the ethereal right? That's what Gewyn saw before, didn't we already figure this out? When Akiin spoke of the shadowfell, I forget...
The things I found out about my parents is not a lot at all, apparently one is of the fire plane according to what Rynwell said. But I'm not a demon or anything, no offense Nef.
I tired to figure out where I came from but all I found was deadends and this odd book, I was going to ask Gewyn to have a look at."
Vin holds up a note book and offers it over to Gewyn, interested to see where this conversation is leading.
Elthana's past, Muir's theories, the extra plane adjacent to this one, he feels like things are getting worked out, like progress is being made.
Suddenly everyone feels a lurch as Spier Umar takes a bit of a dive, but it isn't enough for anyone to be thrown off their seats or hammock. A bit of a reminder that the floor is still uneven and swaying as the massive bird continues its flight path.
Muir shakes his head at Sam "Thank you for the birds and bees talk. I feel as if my Druidic training is now complete." Muir decides to turn his attention elsewhere then try to reason with Sam. He turns back to Vin and Elthan "Indeed Vin. There is a plane of existence that wraps around this one and our material plane. Perhaps, Elthana, this is where your siblings were sent....or worse. I saw a painting of a woman wearing an antler crown in the fire realm...I wonder...." Muir drifts off a bit before snapping to "Oh a book? What is the language? Maybe I could help?"
Gewyn holds up the notepad curiously, and inspects the words on it. He starts humming a tune to himself, waving his fingers back and forth as if conducting an orchestra while he focusses on the paper.
(Comprehend languages)
Sam is pretty sure he won that debate... He's unsure what exactly he and Muir were debating but he knows he won.
Gewyn looks a little surprised as he reads through the back half of the book. "Okay, I didn't know what I was looking at at first, but see all these descriptions of traits, mannerisms, gait, etc?" He reaches into the satchel by his side and pulls out a notebook of his own. He flips through a few pages and stops. He hums a tune and rubs at the paper with his palm. The ink on the page smudges around and then resolves into different words. He holds it up to Vin, revealing a very similar description of Ms Glasvain herself, written in Gewyn's hand.
"These are the kind of notes I take when I think it might be useful to wear their persona for a time. You mentioned earlier that there was a charm alongside it. My guess is that she's been using it to do a little impersonating of her own."
Vin looks from the book to Gewyn and back to Elthana too who had looked the book over previously, "I think, when we get back, I might need to find some of the people in the front of this book and confirm my suspicions, I think glasvain has been manipulating disadvantaged couples into giving their kids up to her orphanage..." With an embarrassed look over to Sam, he realises that most of these couples would likely have been residents of the Tangles. "Perhaps this is how I find my parents, but that can wait, for now we get this stone and save the city. Elthana, this revelation of yours is awful, but I'm glad you've still got a connection to Mori," Neferox nudges vin's side and the boy listens to an unheard comment before turning back to Elthana "Nef says that losing a child is one of the worst pains someone can go through, and if mori had to go through that three times... well, if there's anything we can do to help you? we'll keep an ear out for your brother too, right Nef?" The hound gives a shaky huff of agreement and then sways once more as Spier Umar takes another dive, the whole group grab onto something close by to steady themselves as the massive birds movements become momentarily erratic.
The group begin to hear the distant murmurs of shouting outside but cannot make anything out as the winds drag noise away before it can be properly heard.
"Wait... Neferox said what??" Sam asks, confused. "Did the hound just actually show sympathy towards someone not you??"
Elthana is stunned to. And she thinks about the words she spoke to Mori when she found out and her heart aches.
"Apparently it hit Nivara really hard when she lost her brother. The way they described it, the woman went a bit insane trying to find ways to beat death. I think I was more of a last ditch effort while she continued to try and solve the puzzle of immortality. I am afraid to learn of all that she hurt or killed to get the answer she wanted. I know my history isn't exactly decent, but I never targeted good people." She sighs, unsure about her past, her present and her future. "The pain etched in Mori and Sergor's faces as they revealed their story... I'll never forget it."
"Never forget. No," Sam says sympathetically. "But you can't hold yourself responsible for other people's past. Best thing to do is live your future in a way to make yourself and them a little happier, a little prouder..."
The group dwell on this revelation for only a moment before everyone is suddenly thrown to one side of the room as Spier Umar continues to shift erratically.
The door bursts open and Griff enters out of breath, "we are being under attack... One chimera and three manticore, even though they were telling us not to be interfering, I am thinking that Gale and their crew are needing help!"
Vin wastes no time in springing off his hammock, grabbing his broom and darting out of the door followed loyally by Neferox. "Come on guys!"
Following Vin out of the backpack like abode fixed to Spier Umar's back, the group see Gale's crew already in battle with four flying beasts which crawl over Spier's back like parasites, every so often biting off chunks of feathers as they attempt to bring the beast to unconsciousness. Gale's crew are fighting back with everything they have, bows and arrows, lighting whips, and bladed weapons. One Aarakocra member of the crew (9) is savagely bitten and thrown across Spier's back, regaining their composure they start to head back toward the creature bow raised and arrow nocked.
Across Spier's back the group see three savage looking beasts with humanoid looking faces, their mouths distended into several rows of sharp teeth, a bristling mane extends down their lion like bodies ending in a tail of spines which swing threateningly, the beats are held aloft by sinewy dragon like wings.
Toward the head of Spier, the group sees one larger beast with three heads, one of a lion, one dragon, and one goat, it seems to be taking on Gale and his first mate, the black dragonborn (7), and everyone in sight is fighting for their lives.
Elthana grumbles as they leave their room thinking they took this slow bird so that they wouldn't have to deal with it, but honestly glad for the chance to do something other than wallow in her thoughts. Spinning her pole around she runs into the frey.
Seeing the closest manticore, she heads straight for it, past Griff and #5, doing her best to land some magical blows.
Attack: 28, Damage: 11 (She spends a ki point here to try and stun the beast, DC CON save of 15 or stunned)
Misses her second badly, unless stunned she'll try again
Attack: 23, Damage: 7
Gewyn feels almost a sense of relief as he jumps to his feet to head into battle. Why is that? He wonders, but then there is no more time for thought. He draws his new short sword with a flourish. The air around him starts to get... fuzzy. Like everything else around him is a blur in the background (Bonus action Mantle of Majesty).
Then he rushes forward, taking a swipe at the nearest creatures wing.
Attack 21: Damage 8 magical piercing
Both Elthana and Gewyn dart forwards and each lands a solid hit, though some kind of resilience within the beast shrugs off Elthana's stunning effects, causing it to instinctively duck her next attack.