The monster having just eaten the amulet begins devouring the entire table, much to the fright of Professor Hu who breaks his silence and patters invisibly toward the wwestern wall clanking as he goes having filled his robe with the rest of the unchosen items, the large monster looks into the room to the north with awe, it moves past everyone an phases through the glass wall and begins rifling through the archived items in search of gems and gold.
"Someone tell me what the hell is going on!? why you three attacked me? if you are even safe to remain here!?" Ginro cuts through the chatter from behind his protective wall, before switching to giant and barking at Ömertyr
Whilst Ginro takes those that attacked him to task, Vin changes the subject with Muir.
"Those creatures came out of the tree. How do you suppose that can be? Is it similar to your tree camp do you think? Are there likely to be more of them?", he asks. He is hopeful that getting Muir to concentrate on the mystery of the tree, and the dwellers within, will help take his mind off the rat.
Elthana is startled but not surprised by being shunted back with Ginro's wall of wind. She sighs and tries to collect herself. She feels all eyes on her and she doesn't know if she can lift her head to face them all. She is embarrassed, hurt, feeling betrayed...though just by her own fault. At Ginro's last words, she holds up her hands and finally lifts her face to look at him. "This is all my fault, I am so sorry this all happened." Seeing Gewyn's attempt to give her a hand, she tentatively smiles at him and let's him help her to her feet.
She finds she can't look anyone in the eyes. She stares at the ground as she tries to put into words what had happened. "While I was asleep, Nivara and I merged again. I was able to see the... the vast army she has acquired. I... it is so overwhelming... I couldn't fight her, I was too in shock. So she took the opportunity and well, took over my body. That's the best way I can explain it. I was a passenger in my own mind, seeing and hearing everything and having no way to stop it!" Tears start falling again, angry tears.
Finally she looks to Ginro, "Nivara attacked you, she poisoned our friend Sam here with lies to get him to join her and our giant friend has followed Sam's lead from the beginning. I don't ask your forgiveness, it is not deserved, but I want you to understand. This was Nivara's doing. All of it."
Muir looks at Vin confused. Muir comes to the realization that this must be a piece of Vin that went away when he died "Ah yes let me reexplain it. You see each of us have been given a trinket from our leaders. Sam here once again disregarded anything I have said in the past about his trinket summoning beings from the earthen realm.. I have told him that when he plants the acorn it opens a portal into the earth realm. It has happened several times. In fact when we met Griff, Griff was fighting earth realm dwarves, the dwarves came from Sam's previously planted acorn. As for Griff, Elthana's trinket is from this realm, so when she used it, it opened a portal to this realm....Something the former leader of the treasury failed to tell her.....I digress....Griff was sucked through into our world which is where we met him. Gewyn has a mirror that allows him to peak into other realms although I am not entirely sure yet how that works since Gewyn is Gewyn and doesn't share. You, as far as I can tell have not used anything given to you that has opened a portal. My doorknob opens into a meadow of sorts, assuming it is fae but I have not seen anything that suggests I have a portal key, since the Keepers were tasked with protecting the portals."
As Elthana first stands and starts to apologize, Sam reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder and reassure her that she was not alone. But his hand hesitates an inch or so before it makes contact...
"While you slept?" Sam asks, trying to confirm that bit of the story. "So Nivara has been in control since then?"
Elthana turns towards Sam as he talks to her and she sees that he stopped himself from putting his hand on her shoulder. She slumps a bit more at this and then nods.
Muir hears Elthana and wishes he could have done more to help but was being terrorized by Sam's mouse. He continues to answer Vin's questions enjoying someone taking interest
"The trees don't seem to disappear. When we came upon Griff that tree was planted before I had joined them but was there when we were making our way back to Marbelstead. The tree stays but the portals are only opened for a short time, but now that the main portals have opened and who knows what has come through, I am unsure how these trinkets will work back home...."Muir pauses a moment and wonders "Elthana's trinket is a portal here....What would happen if she used it here..."Muir then comes to the realization that Elthana still has the bag and with Nivara taking control of her he takes a step forward and says "Elthana I am sorry I was not more in tune with what has transpired but my thoughts" Muir pauses and peeks at Sam before back to her "have been elsewhere. The bag to Hog, may I have it please. If Nivara can control you......May I have it"
"You forgot you were becoming a man," Sam mutters in reply to Vin's answer.
Once Sam gets Elthana's reply, he slumps as well. He had thought perhaps Elthana hadn't actually been a member of the Whisper Council. He had thought she was still on his side. Turns out it was Nivara all along... With that realization Sam looks at the sword in his hand that had been chosen by Elthana. Well, chosen by Nivara. He isn't sure returning it to Elthana is correct, given that, so he just lets go of it and allows it to fall at his side. He then turns his focus to something he can hit... Vin is a tempting consideration but you can't blame a child for being childish, he supposed, and instead stalked after the closest of the hungry, hungry monsters.
Focusing on the closest first, the one eating the table, Sam attempts to grapple the creature (twice if neccessary) and drag it over to the hole the other one had created and shove it down there with it.
Grapple #1: 21 Grapple #2 (if needed): 15
So if either grapple is successful they are then dragged to the hole (if half Sam's remaining speed can get them there) until next turn where Sam will attempt to shove them down into it.
"The large one somehow entered the other room through the wall," Sam says to Ömertyr in Giant. "Tell the concussed one we'll need access if he wants us to deal with it..."
Muir adds another bit to Elthana "Again I apologize but this is becoming worse the longer we stay. We still don't know what has happened back home....We can't have Nivara getting her hands on this....I am sorry....."has a ah-ha moment on top of everything else turns back to Vin "Oh and I was not a part of the group nor were the Keepers a part of the council until recently. This is probably the other reason I do not have some trinket that opens portals....However, your former traveling companion who abandoned you all...Ebb was their name?....more than likely had a trinket....Did he tell you what was given to him by chance or use it?"
Having been dropped by Muir down the monster created hole, Ratatouille attempts not to fall... Or at least to fall upwards... The rat had seen others do it and so has the innate belief that all magical rodents with big ears and red pants have that they can do anything. Ratatouille, however, does not have the apparently required red pants, and falls like gravity intended.
Scooby the mastiff is still attempting to imitate a shepherd and is trying to encourage the monster still into the room, the one Sam is now trying to grapple and drag, into the hole...
Sam, as mentioned, is busy trying to grapple the one monster and push down them down the hole so is paying no attention to the chitchat about the bag or the portals. He would likely have some thoughts on the topics but just as likely they would be ignored anyway...
(Just wanted to update what the critters were doing...)
Sam grapples the monster successfully, and it starts wiggling and groaning saying something in goblin before it is dropped down the hole landing with a thud, the two monsters in the room below seem to greet eachother and then a smashing and crashing and crunching follows as they start eating their surroundings.
"Nivara is not in control now though? Can you prove that? Is there any way you can resist her?" Ginro asks Elthana directly, not yet lowering his defended.
This room free of monsters, Sam stalks out into the hall after the larger one to see if he has some way to access the room it entered. Scooby stays by his side ready for action...
Meanwhile, somewhere below, Ratatouille lands with a grace and poise known to few and immediately starts sniffing around looking for a way to return home...
Professor Hu runs out of time on his invisibility and reappears in the northwest corner of the room cowering in fear, as he sees Sam approach the door to the adjacent archive behind the glass wall, he begins taking a Keystone out of his pouches and hesitantly clanks over to Sam holding out the keystone.
"cause damage?" Professor Hu manages to question incredulously through his terror, glancing at ginro's bleeding face before unlocking the door and moving quickly out of Sam's way, "try not to touch any items, some are in there for their safety, and some fooOoor everyone elses"
Ginro studies Elthana's face as she figures out how to answer the questions, he focuses entirely on her even whilst remaining heavily injured himself, even whildt the safety of the items in the vault are at risk and holes are being eaten through his safe room.
Elthana feels Ginro's eyes boring into her as she catches her breath, trying to regain her senses. All of it was so much, the tears are slowing but she has trouble regaining her composure after crying so hard. She was losing it and she knew it. What was worse, it was in front of her friends and a Dijiin. How had it come to this?
Muir's question burns. The bag.. that's all he cares about? Has he any idea what she went through? She thought he was her friend. With burning eyes, she pulls out the bag from the folds of her clothes and whips it at him. "Here. Hope you're happy. Goodall wants to know why you haven't been visiting her in your tree."
Finally she lifts her face to Ginro, "Nivara is gone, she no longer has control. That was the first time she'd done that. Sleep seems to be the way I get weak and it is easier for her to push through my defenses. I saw... I saw the army she is building and through my terror she found a way in. I'm so sorry for what has transpired here.." she takes a glance at Sam as he walks away.
The bag hits Muir in the chest where he bobbles it a bit before catching it "I am sorry Elthana. I do care about what's happening to you but at the same time this is the second time Nivara has tried to foil our plans....She laid a trap with Mori because she knew we were coming and now we almost killed Ginro. I am sorry, but I do not know how to help you other than possibly using my tree, which I asked Ginro about before this all transpired. I am trying to help in the only way I know how without being accosted by members of this group."
Muir sticks his hand in the bag and realizes his blunder.....it doesn't hold anything "May I have the note?"
The monster having just eaten the amulet begins devouring the entire table, much to the fright of Professor Hu who breaks his silence and patters invisibly toward the wwestern wall clanking as he goes having filled his robe with the rest of the unchosen items, the large monster looks into the room to the north with awe, it moves past everyone an phases through the glass wall and begins rifling through the archived items in search of gems and gold.
"Someone tell me what the hell is going on!? why you three attacked me? if you are even safe to remain here!?" Ginro cuts through the chatter from behind his protective wall, before switching to giant and barking at Ömertyr
"Explain yourself!"
Whilst Ginro takes those that attacked him to task, Vin changes the subject with Muir.
"Those creatures came out of the tree. How do you suppose that can be? Is it similar to your tree camp do you think? Are there likely to be more of them?", he asks. He is hopeful that getting Muir to concentrate on the mystery of the tree, and the dwellers within, will help take his mind off the rat.
Elthana is startled but not surprised by being shunted back with Ginro's wall of wind. She sighs and tries to collect herself. She feels all eyes on her and she doesn't know if she can lift her head to face them all. She is embarrassed, hurt, feeling betrayed...though just by her own fault. At Ginro's last words, she holds up her hands and finally lifts her face to look at him. "This is all my fault, I am so sorry this all happened." Seeing Gewyn's attempt to give her a hand, she tentatively smiles at him and let's him help her to her feet.
She finds she can't look anyone in the eyes. She stares at the ground as she tries to put into words what had happened. "While I was asleep, Nivara and I merged again. I was able to see the... the vast army she has acquired. I... it is so overwhelming... I couldn't fight her, I was too in shock. So she took the opportunity and well, took over my body. That's the best way I can explain it. I was a passenger in my own mind, seeing and hearing everything and having no way to stop it!" Tears start falling again, angry tears.
Finally she looks to Ginro, "Nivara attacked you, she poisoned our friend Sam here with lies to get him to join her and our giant friend has followed Sam's lead from the beginning. I don't ask your forgiveness, it is not deserved, but I want you to understand. This was Nivara's doing. All of it."
Muir looks at Vin confused. Muir comes to the realization that this must be a piece of Vin that went away when he died "Ah yes let me reexplain it. You see each of us have been given a trinket from our leaders. Sam here once again disregarded anything I have said in the past about his trinket summoning beings from the earthen realm.. I have told him that when he plants the acorn it opens a portal into the earth realm. It has happened several times. In fact when we met Griff, Griff was fighting earth realm dwarves, the dwarves came from Sam's previously planted acorn. As for Griff, Elthana's trinket is from this realm, so when she used it, it opened a portal to this realm....Something the former leader of the treasury failed to tell her.....I digress....Griff was sucked through into our world which is where we met him. Gewyn has a mirror that allows him to peak into other realms although I am not entirely sure yet how that works since Gewyn is Gewyn and doesn't share. You, as far as I can tell have not used anything given to you that has opened a portal. My doorknob opens into a meadow of sorts, assuming it is fae but I have not seen anything that suggests I have a portal key, since the Keepers were tasked with protecting the portals."
As Elthana first stands and starts to apologize, Sam reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder and reassure her that she was not alone. But his hand hesitates an inch or so before it makes contact...
"While you slept?" Sam asks, trying to confirm that bit of the story. "So Nivara has been in control since then?"
Vin listens to Muir with a blank look on his face, showing that Muir was indeed right. He has no memory of any of this.
"I wonder how many more memories were lost when I...you know", he says. "So is the tree portal there permanently now?".
Elthana turns towards Sam as he talks to her and she sees that he stopped himself from putting his hand on her shoulder. She slumps a bit more at this and then nods.
Muir hears Elthana and wishes he could have done more to help but was being terrorized by Sam's mouse. He continues to answer Vin's questions enjoying someone taking interest
"The trees don't seem to disappear. When we came upon Griff that tree was planted before I had joined them but was there when we were making our way back to Marbelstead. The tree stays but the portals are only opened for a short time, but now that the main portals have opened and who knows what has come through, I am unsure how these trinkets will work back home...."Muir pauses a moment and wonders "Elthana's trinket is a portal here....What would happen if she used it here..." Muir then comes to the realization that Elthana still has the bag and with Nivara taking control of her he takes a step forward and says "Elthana I am sorry I was not more in tune with what has transpired but my thoughts" Muir pauses and peeks at Sam before back to her "have been elsewhere. The bag to Hog, may I have it please. If Nivara can control you......May I have it"
"You forgot you were becoming a man," Sam mutters in reply to Vin's answer.
Once Sam gets Elthana's reply, he slumps as well. He had thought perhaps Elthana hadn't actually been a member of the Whisper Council. He had thought she was still on his side. Turns out it was Nivara all along... With that realization Sam looks at the sword in his hand that had been chosen by Elthana. Well, chosen by Nivara. He isn't sure returning it to Elthana is correct, given that, so he just lets go of it and allows it to fall at his side. He then turns his focus to something he can hit... Vin is a tempting consideration but you can't blame a child for being childish, he supposed, and instead stalked after the closest of the hungry, hungry monsters.
Focusing on the closest first, the one eating the table, Sam attempts to grapple the creature (twice if neccessary) and drag it over to the hole the other one had created and shove it down there with it.
Grapple #1: 21
Grapple #2 (if needed): 15
So if either grapple is successful they are then dragged to the hole (if half Sam's remaining speed can get them there) until next turn where Sam will attempt to shove them down into it.
"The large one somehow entered the other room through the wall," Sam says to Ömertyr in Giant. "Tell the concussed one we'll need access if he wants us to deal with it..."
Muir adds another bit to Elthana "Again I apologize but this is becoming worse the longer we stay. We still don't know what has happened back home....We can't have Nivara getting her hands on this....I am sorry....." has a ah-ha moment on top of everything else turns back to Vin "Oh and I was not a part of the group nor were the Keepers a part of the council until recently. This is probably the other reason I do not have some trinket that opens portals....However, your former traveling companion who abandoned you all...Ebb was their name?....more than likely had a trinket....Did he tell you what was given to him by chance or use it?"
Having been dropped by Muir down the monster created hole, Ratatouille attempts not to fall... Or at least to fall upwards... The rat had seen others do it and so has the innate belief that all magical rodents with big ears and red pants have that they can do anything. Ratatouille, however, does not have the apparently required red pants, and falls like gravity intended.
Scooby the mastiff is still attempting to imitate a shepherd and is trying to encourage the monster still into the room, the one Sam is now trying to grapple and drag, into the hole...
Sam, as mentioned, is busy trying to grapple the one monster and push down them down the hole so is paying no attention to the chitchat about the bag or the portals. He would likely have some thoughts on the topics but just as likely they would be ignored anyway...
(Just wanted to update what the critters were doing...)
Vin just shakes his head in response to Muir, having no idea about trinkets or even who Ebb is, or was.
"Can't help, sorry", he says. He briefly wonders why Ebb abandoned them, but decides it isn't the time to go into that.
He waits to see how Ginro will react to Elthana's explanation and how Elthana will react to Muir's request to hold the bag.
Sam grapples the monster successfully, and it starts wiggling and groaning saying something in goblin before it is dropped down the hole landing with a thud, the two monsters in the room below seem to greet eachother and then a smashing and crashing and crunching follows as they start eating their surroundings.
"Nivara is not in control now though? Can you prove that? Is there any way you can resist her?" Ginro asks Elthana directly, not yet lowering his defended.
This room free of monsters, Sam stalks out into the hall after the larger one to see if he has some way to access the room it entered. Scooby stays by his side ready for action...
Meanwhile, somewhere below, Ratatouille lands with a grace and poise known to few and immediately starts sniffing around looking for a way to return home...
Professor Hu runs out of time on his invisibility and reappears in the northwest corner of the room cowering in fear, as he sees Sam approach the door to the adjacent archive behind the glass wall, he begins taking a Keystone out of his pouches and hesitantly clanks over to Sam holding out the keystone.
“If you don’t mind?” Sam asks, indicating the door. “I’d rather not cause more damage than needed to get to it…”
Sam motions for the professor to unlock the door but if they are too scared to get that close Sam’ll take the keystone and let himself in.
"cause damage?" Professor Hu manages to question incredulously through his terror, glancing at ginro's bleeding face before unlocking the door and moving quickly out of Sam's way, "try not to touch any items, some are in there for their safety, and some fooOoor everyone elses"
Ginro studies Elthana's face as she figures out how to answer the questions, he focuses entirely on her even whilst remaining heavily injured himself, even whildt the safety of the items in the vault are at risk and holes are being eaten through his safe room.
Elthana feels Ginro's eyes boring into her as she catches her breath, trying to regain her senses. All of it was so much, the tears are slowing but she has trouble regaining her composure after crying so hard. She was losing it and she knew it. What was worse, it was in front of her friends and a Dijiin. How had it come to this?
Muir's question burns. The bag.. that's all he cares about? Has he any idea what she went through? She thought he was her friend. With burning eyes, she pulls out the bag from the folds of her clothes and whips it at him. "Here. Hope you're happy. Goodall wants to know why you haven't been visiting her in your tree."
Finally she lifts her face to Ginro, "Nivara is gone, she no longer has control. That was the first time she'd done that. Sleep seems to be the way I get weak and it is easier for her to push through my defenses. I saw... I saw the army she is building and through my terror she found a way in. I'm so sorry for what has transpired here.." she takes a glance at Sam as he walks away.
The bag hits Muir in the chest where he bobbles it a bit before catching it "I am sorry Elthana. I do care about what's happening to you but at the same time this is the second time Nivara has tried to foil our plans....She laid a trap with Mori because she knew we were coming and now we almost killed Ginro. I am sorry, but I do not know how to help you other than possibly using my tree, which I asked Ginro about before this all transpired. I am trying to help in the only way I know how without being accosted by members of this group."
Muir sticks his hand in the bag and realizes his blunder.....it doesn't hold anything "May I have the note?"
Elthana glares back at Muir. "There isn't one."