Elthana puts her other hand to her forehead, "You're right. I'm sorry, just a lot to process. But in the same token, if Shenoh truly is the military might of this realm then they should have wards. Would be a way to test it?"
"All this is possible. It is also possible that Nivara has maintained the ruse of being Vox because she isn't all powerful. It is still a possibility that she tricked Vox into killing Lumithor and shattering the Shattered Isle before making her into an undead", Vin adds to the discussion. "And if it is dangerous for Elthana to visit Shenoh but that is the path we choose, maybe Elthana doesn't come, at least not openly", he adds, tipping an imaginary hat to Elthana.
"How will this stop me from thinking you all are conspiring against me when you talk about it when I'm not around and I walk in on you or catch little things here or there? I don't want to drive a wedge between us?"
Sam agrees with this though vehemently. "It seems to me that this would drive Elthana away from us more than anything else. Imagine tomorrow we all kept you in the dark about every relevant fact, how would you react Gewyn? Maybe we've been through enough that you would trust us... For a bit. But really, how long would that bit be? And if Nivara has access, would she not also have access to the trust or distrust and understand something was afoot?"
"And I will say too, you having the ability to mess with out memories and you seemingly jumping up to use it so quickly is... Troublesome."
Muir steps forward "My opinion....Well I....I will save you all from long winded explanation." Muir proceeds with a long winded explanation "I think Elthana should come back to our plane but not with Sam. Sam, your strength will be needed here to help Gewyn and Vin. I cannot provide that strength for them. Instead I would like to volunteer to go back with Elthana. We need to figure out things about the phylactery and insight into Nivarra. I believe Sergor can provide us with much we seek. Elthana has aided me with this and can continue to do so. We can also gather information about the clerics and report back. I don't feel comfortable messing with Elthana's brain and memories. It's a slippery slope. However, if none of this is acceptable to Elthana than my opinion is to change plans and seek out a different Djinn. Nivara knows we are going to Shenoh. There is nothing stopping her from detaining us through the word of "Vox Tronitor". I think to continue on with the original plan is folly."
Sam basically growls when Muir suggests he should not accompany Elthana but otherwise stays quiet and allows Muir to have his say. "Sergor can be contacted through the bag. If he has answers he's willing to give," Sam notes. "As can your druid contacts, no?"
"And if Elthana is most, if not only, at risk of revealing information while she sleeps and being in a different realm would prevent that, could she not simply sleep in your wooden door realm?"
After returning Vin's smile and listening to Muir's opinion, Elthana slips her hand into Sams. "I'm not leaving him." as she refers to the big oaf next to her, "And I really do not think we should split up. I think we could still communicate with our plane through the bag as needed. Speaking of, could I have it back please? Do you know who has it on the other side?"
She gives a sly smile, "I understand your worry about going to Shenoh, but at the same time, I would like to see what kind of reach she might have.. either she'll just let us do what we want, or we can see what she can do from her castle in the sky."
Sam blushes a bit, perhaps, when Elthana slips her hand into his but he gives it a soft squeeze and makes no other remark about it.
“Unless “Vox” had instructed Shenoh to arrest us and deliver you to Nivarra killing the rest of us…..”
"Perhaps this threat is a bit more clear to us now but has it not always been a threat since the moment we stepped into this realm of air?" Sam asks. "Nivara has been a step ahead so far and if he tactic was to use the Djinn and their faith in such a way she could have done so from day one. Not to say that the idea hasn't perhaps occured to her more recently but we've always known we'd have a lot of convincing to do..."
"All this is possible. It is also possible that Nivara has maintained the ruse of being Vox because she isn't all powerful. It is still a possibility that she tricked Vox into killing Lumithor and shattering the Shattered Isle before making her into an undead", Vin adds to the discussion. "And if it is dangerous for Elthana to visit Shenoh but that is the path we choose, maybe Elthana doesn't come, at least not openly", he adds, tipping an imaginary hat to Elthana.
"True that," Sam says with a nod to the kid. "We're assuming levels of power and control for Nivarra that we're just not actually sure she possesses. She could be holding onto her throne of lies by the last of her wits, for all we know. We need to act based on what we know and what we think is the best path, not out of assumptions and fears of how great and powerful our enemy may or may not be. I am reminded of a story about a great wizard who was little more than a mouse pulling strings behind a curtain... Ozzie Mouse or something like that?"
Vin listens as Sam has his say. It is mostly constructive, and he has some good ideas. Especially about Elthana sleeping in Muir's tree house. He is also a little surprised when Sam agrees with him on one of his points.
He looks to Gewyn, who is the last to speak openly about their opinion on the groups next move. Obviously his plan about altering Elthana's memory has not been met with much positivity, but there is still the matter of where they travel to next and if they split up.
Muir listens to the others and thinks they are not concerned enough "If the group wishes to continue with the original plan so be it. I will of course follow. I want to remind everyone that Morris told Elthana not to engage with Nivara until she is ready....She is a Lich who now knows our plans....." Muir leaves it at that and takes a seat
Vin looks to Muir, and totally understands where he is coming from, and yet, "We are only talking about going to see Shenoh. Nivara can't expose herself as a Lich in front of Shenoh, that would do the job for us. Right?".
Muir nods "Correct...What I meant was that I think you are all underestimating her power. She is a lich who has control of the God here...chained to a wall, undead with something else done to her. I am also reminding everyone of Morris' message because I think you are all underestimating the power and control Nivara has here. For how many years the Djinn's have done her bidding by sending her dead Kobolds. So my question is this.....why wouldn't Shenoh do her bidding when we arrive?"
Elthana nods to Muir, "Yes, I do not underestimate her power. Not one bit. She scares me, I will admit that. And I agree, I'm not ready to fight her. Honestly I was thinking we should all go back to our plane and try and rally help there as well, but I worry about the time difference. As for changing trajectory, is that even possible? You see how Ometyr is watching to make sure we don't veer off course, I don't know if we can change or not?"
"I'd be fine changing that if you want Muir, I also think we need to go there at some point, and sooner would give her less time to make things bad for us there? Maybe? I don't know. and if Vin can change how I look... maybe that will alter things for us. I don't know if Nivara knows what the rest of you look like."
Muir nods and thinks a moment "Let me think a different way about this if everyone is intent on going to Shenoh...." He paused a moment and rubs his head a bit "Ok if you are able to change your appearance it might give us a chance....I could shape shift into an animal or critter if things go badly....Perhaps one of us goes to speak in our steads as a diplomat of sorts. What else could we do to protect Elthana from a possible trap?"
"Ah, I see my honesty and transparency with what I can do, and my tentative offer to use it for the benefit of the group is being met with skepticism and distrust. Perhaps, Sam, you are suggesting I return to keeping secrets. No, no. It is a jest. And of course we can keep memory alteration as a back up. My card has already been played. If Nivara can read Elthana's mind, she now knows she can't 100% trust what she hears."Gewyn stands and paces.
"It may seem like a small thing, but consider. To her, this entire conversation may now be a feint, and we might be planning to do something different than what she expects. Or perhaps it is a counter-feint. Or a counter-counter-feint. Etc. And her knowing that we are thinking about this fundamentally changes the paradigm. She will unavoidably move from a state of certainty about our plan to a state of a coin-flip toss up. She can no longer fully commit to anticipating any one outcome fully without exposing herself to the risk of being wrong. We are free to take whatever course of action we want, and she will never know if and when she has been fed misinformation. So..." He stops and faces the others. "As to my vote on what we do from here. I say we continue on to Shenoh and play whatever cards we have at hand. Whether or not she can be trusted as an ally to the cause, there is work to be done there."
"Agreed!" Griff pipes up in support as gewyn puts a nice button in the subject. "I am also thinking Elthana is right, Ömertyr is being focussed on shenoh, to be turning him around now would maybe be making us lost in the vast..."
The evening winds on, Griff falls asleep once more and the group find that their own private training regimes nd distractions has improved their standing somewhat, though who knows to how much of an applicable degree.
In the middle of the fourth day, Ömertyr calls something out to the group, his voice shaking the pack, and startling the Rocs a little, Sam understands that shenoh is in sight, and with a point, Ömertyr directs Vin's attention to a pin prick in the vast blue sky, from the back of Ömertyr's head where the boy had been going his eldritch blast techniques vin watches as a ball shape becomes clearer and larger as the group approach.
Shenoh is shaped oddly, a spiked ball like the head of a Morningstar, it is not long before armoured Griffons, giant eagles and accompanying, similarly armoured riders approach, at their lead is a centaur looking creature with massive Pegasus style wings upon it's back. Ömertyr slows and answers some questions in giant to the Centaurus, (Pegataur?) and after a moment Griff clambers up and speaks auran to the entire group, having to shout as loud as he can over the winds.
"We will be landing under guard until I can be explaining properly" the aarakocra explains, and the group is led down to one of the spikes upon shenoh.
The spire reminds the group of the conical tree type formation that they left from upon Akiin, though this one has a large harpoon type launcher atop it which follows your path of travel as you are escorted to land. There is also no city surrounding the base, looking out from the landing platform jutting out from this spike in the landscape, the group sees absolutely nothing. Just smooth spherical landscape as far as the eye can see until another spire in the distance suggests the existence of other landing platforms. As confirmed from the look of the isle from afar.
Ömertyr sets down the pack and shrinks to his usual huge size, the rocs look concerned and distrustful of the guard and the armoured animals surrounding both of them and the group. The air is tense.
Vin stops his blast training as he watches the island of Shenoh get larger and larger until the armed escort comes out to greet them. He sticks close to Griff when he comes to talk with them, using his broom to fly alongside him.
"Where is the city? Is it underground or something?", he asks Griff.
Sam again questions how much control Nivara has over the Djinn. "Chained god or not, if she was actively having the Djinn hunt Elthana then we'd have faced opposition before now, no? And if Nivara only just learned our plans to go to Shenoh then she has had limited time to persuade Shenoh. They won't trust us to begin with due to us being outsiders and asking what we're asking and all but if Nivara was actively sending forces against us I doubt they would wait until we got close enough to try to convince anyone of anything..."
"As for you," Sam says, turning to Gewyn. "How comfortable would you be if you suddenly learned I could play in your mind? And had no hesitancy to do so? The fact you made the suggestion with no reservations or consideration that we may have concerns is kind of telling, don't you think? But you don't and likely won't, cause if you'd at least tried to see it from our side you wouldn't have brought it up so casually..."
Sam considers the idea of Elthana arriving in disguise and brings up some concerns to the others. "I don't think the hat, or any magic, is infallible," he offers. "What happens if Elthana's disguise is discovered? Either upon arriving or thereafter? We are going hat in hand, so to speak... Looking for trust and aid... How will they view us if we do so disguised, obviously not trusting them?"
Near Landing
As always, Sam translates forÖmertyr when necessary, and Sam relays the call of "Land, ho!" or, rather, "There's Shenoh!" when it comes. Sam quickly gathers up his kit and gear and readies himself for near anything. His familiar, Dottie the flying monkey, perches on his shoulder and looks about with a nervous serenity. They don't fully seem ready for anything except to take off flying or to duck into Sam's backpack and hide...
"Gewyn!" Sam calls out. "Game face on! I expect you may be doing most of the talking and convincing here? You're a lot better talking than Muir, anyway..."
Elthana glowers at Sam. "How can you berate Gewyn? He was just offering to help! I'm sure you don't know all I can do either, I don't sit here and list out my abilities, they come out naturally, and I for one appreciate his offer to do what he can! It is a good backup, if needed." And in a little softer voice, "Even if it is a little scary."
"As for the hat, I disagree. Nivara isn't welcome anywhere on this plane, you saw how people have reacted to me so far. Even Akiin knew who I was, and maybe Shenoh has had dealings with her as well. We don't know if they have been good or not, and I don't want that clouding her judgement, or putting us all at an unnecessary risk. I'm wearing the hat."
And as she says it, she turns to Vin, gives him a wink and dons the hat. The shadow elf disappears in front of you and is replaced with what appears to be a half-elf, with pale skin, black short cropped hair and piercing green eyes. Her clothing seems to match the clothes that Elthana had donned from the beginning, almost as though it was a uniform. "Well, I think I'm ready. You can call me Ira." Elthana's voice comes from the woman.
"Berate?" Sam starts to ask but is steamrolled over. "Help but..." and "Abilities?" are also talked right over without Sam ever really fully getting them out. By the time Elthana is ranting on about the hat and all Sam has already "noped" out of the "conversation" and checked out, instead going through a whole rainbow of emotions as he backtracks and tries to figure out when he became the bad guy here...
"Ira?" he asks, coming back around to the here and now. "Yeahhhhhhh, no. Someone else can do all the talking," he adds in a huff and gets ready to go... hoping he finds something to hit soon.
"shenoh is being completely, how you are saying... hallow?" Griff answers Vin as if that clears things up.
After landing and being presented with all of the guards within the spire, Griff waits for someone to say something, anything to break the tension. Muir makes great effort with the rocs and is able to calm them, much to the satisfaction and relief of some of the guards closer to the beasts, who had begun to look nervous, their hands on their hilts.
Griff finally steps forward and addresses the Pegataur in Auran, he approaches the conversation with militaristic fashion, giving a salute which takes his closed fist from his chest to his head to the air above him. The two converse back and forth for a moment, Griff definitely says "...shenoh..." At one point, and then "...Vox Tontritor..." A moment later. The Pegataur let's out an amused chuckle at whatever Griff had just said, but Griff doesn't lose face. He gestures toward the group and the Pegataur's attention turns to you all.
"My name is Vinghov. I have been informed, you speak trade language. Outsiders from another plane here to offer help to Thaeir. A curious story, What would possess you all to come here, in your own words" Vinghov asks whilst Griff keeps quiet. Those with higher insights would recognise a kind of test against whatever it is that Griff had already said.
Vin is a little taken aback as the Pegataur speaks the trade language, expecting Griff to have to do all the talking until they reached Shenoh herself.
He looks around at his companions, wondering if any of them had expected to negotiate for them right now, and then back to the very impressive looking lead guard.
"Yes we do. We've come to speak to your boss, Shenoh. She helped us in our travels in your plane, as have many others here, and on those travels we have come across information that we are sure would be of interest to her. Of interest to all who have the well being of this plane at heart", he says, trying to be honest but vague. Not sure how much to trust this Vinghov, and how much Griff had said beyond understanding that he mentioned Vox Tontritor.
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Elthana puts her other hand to her forehead, "You're right. I'm sorry, just a lot to process. But in the same token, if Shenoh truly is the military might of this realm then they should have wards. Would be a way to test it?"
“Unless “Vox” had instructed Shenoh to arrest us and deliver you to Nivarra killing the rest of us…..”
"All this is possible. It is also possible that Nivara has maintained the ruse of being Vox because she isn't all powerful. It is still a possibility that she tricked Vox into killing Lumithor and shattering the Shattered Isle before making her into an undead", Vin adds to the discussion. "And if it is dangerous for Elthana to visit Shenoh but that is the path we choose, maybe Elthana doesn't come, at least not openly", he adds, tipping an imaginary hat to Elthana.
Sam agrees with this though vehemently. "It seems to me that this would drive Elthana away from us more than anything else. Imagine tomorrow we all kept you in the dark about every relevant fact, how would you react Gewyn? Maybe we've been through enough that you would trust us... For a bit. But really, how long would that bit be? And if Nivara has access, would she not also have access to the trust or distrust and understand something was afoot?"
"And I will say too, you having the ability to mess with out memories and you seemingly jumping up to use it so quickly is... Troublesome."
Sam basically growls when Muir suggests he should not accompany Elthana but otherwise stays quiet and allows Muir to have his say. "Sergor can be contacted through the bag. If he has answers he's willing to give," Sam notes. "As can your druid contacts, no?"
"And if Elthana is most, if not only, at risk of revealing information while she sleeps and being in a different realm would prevent that, could she not simply sleep in your wooden door realm?"
Sam blushes a bit, perhaps, when Elthana slips her hand into his but he gives it a soft squeeze and makes no other remark about it.
"Perhaps this threat is a bit more clear to us now but has it not always been a threat since the moment we stepped into this realm of air?" Sam asks. "Nivara has been a step ahead so far and if he tactic was to use the Djinn and their faith in such a way she could have done so from day one. Not to say that the idea hasn't perhaps occured to her more recently but we've always known we'd have a lot of convincing to do..."
"True that," Sam says with a nod to the kid. "We're assuming levels of power and control for Nivarra that we're just not actually sure she possesses. She could be holding onto her throne of lies by the last of her wits, for all we know. We need to act based on what we know and what we think is the best path, not out of assumptions and fears of how great and powerful our enemy may or may not be. I am reminded of a story about a great wizard who was little more than a mouse pulling strings behind a curtain... Ozzie Mouse or something like that?"
Vin listens as Sam has his say. It is mostly constructive, and he has some good ideas. Especially about Elthana sleeping in Muir's tree house. He is also a little surprised when Sam agrees with him on one of his points.
He looks to Gewyn, who is the last to speak openly about their opinion on the groups next move. Obviously his plan about altering Elthana's memory has not been met with much positivity, but there is still the matter of where they travel to next and if they split up.
Muir listens to the others and thinks they are not concerned enough "If the group wishes to continue with the original plan so be it. I will of course follow. I want to remind everyone that Morris told Elthana not to engage with Nivara until she is ready....She is a Lich who now knows our plans....." Muir leaves it at that and takes a seat
Vin looks to Muir, and totally understands where he is coming from, and yet, "We are only talking about going to see Shenoh. Nivara can't expose herself as a Lich in front of Shenoh, that would do the job for us. Right?".
Muir nods "Correct...What I meant was that I think you are all underestimating her power. She is a lich who has control of the God here...chained to a wall, undead with something else done to her. I am also reminding everyone of Morris' message because I think you are all underestimating the power and control Nivara has here. For how many years the Djinn's have done her bidding by sending her dead Kobolds. So my question is this.....why wouldn't Shenoh do her bidding when we arrive?"
Elthana nods to Muir, "Yes, I do not underestimate her power. Not one bit. She scares me, I will admit that. And I agree, I'm not ready to fight her. Honestly I was thinking we should all go back to our plane and try and rally help there as well, but I worry about the time difference. As for changing trajectory, is that even possible? You see how Ometyr is watching to make sure we don't veer off course, I don't know if we can change or not?"
"I'd be fine changing that if you want Muir, I also think we need to go there at some point, and sooner would give her less time to make things bad for us there? Maybe? I don't know. and if Vin can change how I look... maybe that will alter things for us. I don't know if Nivara knows what the rest of you look like."
Muir nods and thinks a moment "Let me think a different way about this if everyone is intent on going to Shenoh...." He paused a moment and rubs his head a bit "Ok if you are able to change your appearance it might give us a chance....I could shape shift into an animal or critter if things go badly....Perhaps one of us goes to speak in our steads as a diplomat of sorts. What else could we do to protect Elthana from a possible trap?"
"Ah, I see my honesty and transparency with what I can do, and my tentative offer to use it for the benefit of the group is being met with skepticism and distrust. Perhaps, Sam, you are suggesting I return to keeping secrets. No, no. It is a jest. And of course we can keep memory alteration as a back up. My card has already been played. If Nivara can read Elthana's mind, she now knows she can't 100% trust what she hears." Gewyn stands and paces.
"It may seem like a small thing, but consider. To her, this entire conversation may now be a feint, and we might be planning to do something different than what she expects. Or perhaps it is a counter-feint. Or a counter-counter-feint. Etc. And her knowing that we are thinking about this fundamentally changes the paradigm. She will unavoidably move from a state of certainty about our plan to a state of a coin-flip toss up. She can no longer fully commit to anticipating any one outcome fully without exposing herself to the risk of being wrong. We are free to take whatever course of action we want, and she will never know if and when she has been fed misinformation. So..." He stops and faces the others. "As to my vote on what we do from here. I say we continue on to Shenoh and play whatever cards we have at hand. Whether or not she can be trusted as an ally to the cause, there is work to be done there."
"Agreed!" Griff pipes up in support as gewyn puts a nice button in the subject. "I am also thinking Elthana is right, Ömertyr is being focussed on shenoh, to be turning him around now would maybe be making us lost in the vast..."
The evening winds on, Griff falls asleep once more and the group find that their own private training regimes nd distractions has improved their standing somewhat, though who knows to how much of an applicable degree.
In the middle of the fourth day, Ömertyr calls something out to the group, his voice shaking the pack, and startling the Rocs a little, Sam understands that shenoh is in sight, and with a point, Ömertyr directs Vin's attention to a pin prick in the vast blue sky, from the back of Ömertyr's head where the boy had been going his eldritch blast techniques vin watches as a ball shape becomes clearer and larger as the group approach.
Shenoh is shaped oddly, a spiked ball like the head of a Morningstar, it is not long before armoured Griffons, giant eagles and accompanying, similarly armoured riders approach, at their lead is a centaur looking creature with massive Pegasus style wings upon it's back. Ömertyr slows and answers some questions in giant to the Centaurus, (Pegataur?) and after a moment Griff clambers up and speaks auran to the entire group, having to shout as loud as he can over the winds.
"We will be landing under guard until I can be explaining properly" the aarakocra explains, and the group is led down to one of the spikes upon shenoh.
The spire reminds the group of the conical tree type formation that they left from upon Akiin, though this one has a large harpoon type launcher atop it which follows your path of travel as you are escorted to land. There is also no city surrounding the base, looking out from the landing platform jutting out from this spike in the landscape, the group sees absolutely nothing. Just smooth spherical landscape as far as the eye can see until another spire in the distance suggests the existence of other landing platforms. As confirmed from the look of the isle from afar.
Ömertyr sets down the pack and shrinks to his usual huge size, the rocs look concerned and distrustful of the guard and the armoured animals surrounding both of them and the group. The air is tense.
Muir talks to the Rocs assuring them this is normal behavior when visiting unfamiliar places. He stays near the back with the rocs
Vin stops his blast training as he watches the island of Shenoh get larger and larger until the armed escort comes out to greet them. He sticks close to Griff when he comes to talk with them, using his broom to fly alongside him.
"Where is the city? Is it underground or something?", he asks Griff.
Before Shenoh
Sam again questions how much control Nivara has over the Djinn. "Chained god or not, if she was actively having the Djinn hunt Elthana then we'd have faced opposition before now, no? And if Nivara only just learned our plans to go to Shenoh then she has had limited time to persuade Shenoh. They won't trust us to begin with due to us being outsiders and asking what we're asking and all but if Nivara was actively sending forces against us I doubt they would wait until we got close enough to try to convince anyone of anything..."
"As for you," Sam says, turning to Gewyn. "How comfortable would you be if you suddenly learned I could play in your mind? And had no hesitancy to do so? The fact you made the suggestion with no reservations or consideration that we may have concerns is kind of telling, don't you think? But you don't and likely won't, cause if you'd at least tried to see it from our side you wouldn't have brought it up so casually..."
Sam considers the idea of Elthana arriving in disguise and brings up some concerns to the others. "I don't think the hat, or any magic, is infallible," he offers. "What happens if Elthana's disguise is discovered? Either upon arriving or thereafter? We are going hat in hand, so to speak... Looking for trust and aid... How will they view us if we do so disguised, obviously not trusting them?"
Near Landing
As always, Sam translates forÖmertyr when necessary, and Sam relays the call of "Land, ho!" or, rather, "There's Shenoh!" when it comes. Sam quickly gathers up his kit and gear and readies himself for near anything. His familiar, Dottie the flying monkey, perches on his shoulder and looks about with a nervous serenity. They don't fully seem ready for anything except to take off flying or to duck into Sam's backpack and hide...
"Gewyn!" Sam calls out. "Game face on! I expect you may be doing most of the talking and convincing here? You're a lot better talking than Muir, anyway..."
Before Shenoh
Elthana glowers at Sam. "How can you berate Gewyn? He was just offering to help! I'm sure you don't know all I can do either, I don't sit here and list out my abilities, they come out naturally, and I for one appreciate his offer to do what he can! It is a good backup, if needed." And in a little softer voice, "Even if it is a little scary."
"As for the hat, I disagree. Nivara isn't welcome anywhere on this plane, you saw how people have reacted to me so far. Even Akiin knew who I was, and maybe Shenoh has had dealings with her as well. We don't know if they have been good or not, and I don't want that clouding her judgement, or putting us all at an unnecessary risk. I'm wearing the hat."
And as she says it, she turns to Vin, gives him a wink and dons the hat. The shadow elf disappears in front of you and is replaced with what appears to be a half-elf, with pale skin, black short cropped hair and piercing green eyes. Her clothing seems to match the clothes that Elthana had donned from the beginning, almost as though it was a uniform. "Well, I think I'm ready. You can call me Ira." Elthana's voice comes from the woman.
"Berate?" Sam starts to ask but is steamrolled over. "Help but..." and "Abilities?" are also talked right over without Sam ever really fully getting them out. By the time Elthana is ranting on about the hat and all Sam has already "noped" out of the "conversation" and checked out, instead going through a whole rainbow of emotions as he backtracks and tries to figure out when he became the bad guy here...
"Ira?" he asks, coming back around to the here and now. "Yeahhhhhhh, no. Someone else can do all the talking," he adds in a huff and gets ready to go... hoping he finds something to hit soon.
Muir continues to reassure the rocs finding it easier than speaking logic to the others
"shenoh is being completely, how you are saying... hallow?" Griff answers Vin as if that clears things up.
After landing and being presented with all of the guards within the spire, Griff waits for someone to say something, anything to break the tension. Muir makes great effort with the rocs and is able to calm them, much to the satisfaction and relief of some of the guards closer to the beasts, who had begun to look nervous, their hands on their hilts.
Griff finally steps forward and addresses the Pegataur in Auran, he approaches the conversation with militaristic fashion, giving a salute which takes his closed fist from his chest to his head to the air above him. The two converse back and forth for a moment, Griff definitely says "...shenoh..." At one point, and then "...Vox Tontritor..." A moment later. The Pegataur let's out an amused chuckle at whatever Griff had just said, but Griff doesn't lose face. He gestures toward the group and the Pegataur's attention turns to you all.
"My name is Vinghov. I have been informed, you speak trade language. Outsiders from another plane here to offer help to Thaeir. A curious story, What would possess you all to come here, in your own words" Vinghov asks whilst Griff keeps quiet. Those with higher insights would recognise a kind of test against whatever it is that Griff had already said.
Vin is a little taken aback as the Pegataur speaks the trade language, expecting Griff to have to do all the talking until they reached Shenoh herself.
He looks around at his companions, wondering if any of them had expected to negotiate for them right now, and then back to the very impressive looking lead guard.
"Yes we do. We've come to speak to your boss, Shenoh. She helped us in our travels in your plane, as have many others here, and on those travels we have come across information that we are sure would be of interest to her. Of interest to all who have the well being of this plane at heart", he says, trying to be honest but vague. Not sure how much to trust this Vinghov, and how much Griff had said beyond understanding that he mentioned Vox Tontritor.