One of the boulders stands, two thin gangly rock legs elevating it to about 3ft tall, it's boulder shell leans back and two glowing eyes peer at Sam from within the void of the boulder that is now revealed,
It replies;
Tree? Fairy? Portal? These things we do not know.
Mmmmmh reality... This is not terran? Explains the burnt smell..
It looks around at the group resting, some of them looking at the boulder creature with interest, before it continues.
You are squishy, like dwarf? Yes. We are Geonid, from Terran, rock and cave and ground yes?
The creature extends two rocky but slender arms from the void of its internal being and touches the ground, it's eyes glowing intensely for a moment.
This not Terran, this rock saw strange creatures. And fire?, melt rock. Yes.
As the rest of the group watch Sam interact with this small creature, it doesn't seem to show signs of hostility, though it does look around and produces two rocky slender arms from within it's shell, to touch the ground before dangling there awkwardly.
Elthana continues to listen to Sam and the boulders, and after Sam tries to placate them, she leans over and says, "Might not want to say the word harm over and over if I were you, just in case their dwarvish isn't real fluent." and she winks at him.
She then addresses the boulders herself.
In dwarvish, "Pleasure to meet the two of you. Vibrations are wrong here you say? My friend is probably right about how you have somehow traveled through a portal to our plane. We will do what we can to help you, unless you know how to get back?"
She thinks of the wind that was brought forward at the last tree and how it disappeared on its own, starts wondering if it is lingering or made its way home.
"Their Dwarvish is better than mine," Sam replied to Elthana a bit sheepishly, reflexively speaking in common to her... He all but blushes when he realizes and switches back to the Dwarvish.
"I did not know you knew this tongue," Sam says to Elthana, once again speaking Dwarvish. "Good... good."
"Squishy? Well yes. Compared to a rock, yes," Sam says in reply to the Geonid. "The thing between you two... Going from the ground up into the sky... That is a tree. Usually they are wood but this one seems to have changed...."
"What were the strange creatures like? Do you mean the spiders? The creepy, ickly eight legged things that attacked us? Or something else? Did the creatures have the fire or were they fire?" Sam asks, looking for clues.
Gewyn grabs a cloth from his pack and soaks it in the stream before walking over to Vin and collapsing against the wall beside him, opposite Elthana. He hums a tune to himself and flicks the cloth once before draping it across his forehead. He sighs in relief as magically cooled water trickles down his forehead and temples. At Elthana's question, he leans forward and looks across Vin at her.
"I suppose you are right..." He hesitates for a long moment, trying to pick his words. "Vin is in danger. More so than the rest of you. The hag that is attacking people in their sleep is after him. Has some grand plan for him I think." He looks down, and then pulls out his mirror. "Truth is, ever since we came to the corrupted woods, I've discovered this mirror doesn't always show me my reflection. Instead it's like I am looking into an ethereal world where everything is not quite there. Except for some things that seem to exist there and there alone. Like on the night when Nef was attacked in his sleep. Curious, I looked into the mirror, and I saw the hag. I tried to help, but the magic I tried didn't affect the wicked creature."
He idly scratches at his ankle
"I've been too afraid to use it like that since, but for one time with Muir. But when we were fighting those spiders just now, I knew I would find them in the mirror. That's how I knew the last one was coming for Sam. I found it. But the hag also found me. And it taunted me, telling me that we are playing right into its hands. That Vin is to be a sacrifice." Gewyn pants, short of breathe from his little monologue, and flips the damp cloth on his forehead.
The boulders continue conversing with Elthana and Sam, it's quiet companion raises a little curious at the developing scene but still observably scared and hiding;
Pleasure to meet too, skinny pointy ear dwarf.
At Elthana's question of if they could return, the Geonid turns to face the tree, it's hand stroking the symbol covering the now fully petrified oak.
Cannot pass, though symbol suggests we should be able yes? Tall dwarf say this is tree? Feel like rock, maybe different word if we travel different plane like pointy ear dwarf say so, yes?
When Sam asks about the creatures the Geonid nods.
Spider many leg, yes many leg come here, but many leg not fire, no. Ground is fire, old fire make rock melt, long time ago, leave black glass in wall yes?
At Gewyns reveal of information Neferox eyes Vin and then shoves herself between Vin and Gewyn barking aggressively at the tiefling, and attempting to push vin further away from him.
Gewyn leans his head back against the cave wall, too tired to flinch away from Nef, though he does reach into one of his pockets for something. "Bark at me all you want, Nef. Just don't let Vin fall asleep."
Before Gweyn's revelation Vin was enjoying his rest and watching Elthana and Sam talk with the strange new rock creatures. They don't seem harmful and if anything just scared. Vin smiles as they begin to talk and reveal themselves. He wonders if their world and his own might become closer after this. Perhaps he can even be one of the first to explore their world. Lots of mysteries surround them. He says to Sam, "I wonder if the trees you make are similar in some way to the druid tree that we rested in that one night."
As Gweyn reveals that Vin has been the target all along. Vin doesn't resist Neferox pushing him away from Gweyn but he seems so confused. The half-elf looks to Nef and there is certainly some kind of conversation between the pair. There is a sense of great tension as neferox continues to back up and push Vin further away from his friends. The boy has a good head on his shoulders and seems to be trying to calm her. However, he looks panicked a bit and trying to keep it together. The black hound continues to get between him, Gweyn and the others with her instinctual reaction to any threat to Vin. For his part the young man says "Uhhh, we need some context. Just... keep your distance for now." he warns as Neferox seems ready to attack anyone who gets too close. "Why am I the target? For that matter, how does the hag even know about me? This doesn't make any sense."
Gweyn is currently being glared at by Neferox. A low growl of warning as Vin talks. She doesn't seem too keen on any conversation but seems to tolerate the conversation while Vin seeks answers.
Muir curiously watches the interaction of Neferox and Vin. He wonders how much does Vin know and what has Neferox kept from him.....He decides to find out "Perhaps Neferox knows more of the hag and how they know about you. We know that Neferox is more than a dog and the power you have, Vin, isn't one that you are born with. This also is not your first life cycle...I know there are magics to bring the dead back to life who have crossed beyond the veil but perhaps the magic failed and the hag.....maybe there is a correlation there?"
Elthana smiles at the comment from the rocks about being a pointy eared dwarf. But her attention is quickly shifted from the strange boulders to Gewyn and Vin.
"What? Why Vin? And Gewyn, he needs rest, how can he keep going on without rest? Can we watch over with the mirror? How does that work and how did the hag taunt you and tell you vin was to be a sacrifice? None of this makes sense."
Completely dumbfounded by this news, the spider thing, not as much cause she knew something was going on there, but she keeps looking from Nef to Vin and then Muir adds his two cents.
"Um, not his first life cycle? I know there's something not right with Nef, but Vin too?" Elthana closes her eyes and rests her head on her knees, not sure she can take much more of this. How were they to protect the boy? Who is the boy?
Sam is enraptured by the Little Rock Dudes and continues speaking Dwarvish with them.
"Wait... You know the symbol? Know what it means?" Sam asks the Geonid, aware there's some todo about Vin and Nef going on but muchly ignoring it to deal with these creatures instead. "Could you tell me?"
"Ground is fire? This ground here?" Sam asks, putting his hand on the ground in front of him. "Are you talking lava? Hot, liquid stone from deep in the ground? Are you saying there was lava here? Recently?"
This symbol, old symbol, older than Terran but meaning is same, symbol says "mouth"
The second Geonid stands now, looking to the group and reacting to the apparent stress.
The first Geonid continues.
We go, find use for Geonid yes? No way back here, not yet, find dark cave, rest, Geonid good at rest, peaceful. yes.
The second Geonid, which has not yet spoken stands hesitantly and walks carefully over to Elthana, apparently sensing her frustration it pats her gently on the head and looks warily at the display of aggression from Neferox toward Gewyn, and to a certain degree, now Muir.
"The hag spoke to me when I visited that ethereal plane through the mirror, though she remained just out of my sight. She, or it, seems to roam that ethereal plane, and preys on sleeping people..." he nods to Nef, "... and demonic dogs, from within. THAT is why we... why Vin can't be allowed to fall asleep."
Gewyn pants, a little out of breath, and lets his eyes close for a moment. He quickly wills them back open again and tilts his head upright, wiping away a few beads of sweat from his pale red forehead.
"Mouth?" Sam asks, a bit surprised. "Like to eat something? What would it be eating? What does the symbol do?"
Seeing the second Geonid come out of it's shell, so to speak, Sam immediately calms his voice a bit and looks to that one. "It's ok. They're working something out but we're all friends. It'll all be fine..."
"We go, huh? Do you mean you go with us? We'd be happy to bring you with us until we find a way for you to get back home... But we may not always be in caves like this," Sam says, tickled at the idea of the two joining the group, if that is what it meant...
"Opening..." Sam repeats, thinking over things. "Between here and where? Where you came from? You said the symbol suggests you can go through, does the symbol suggest where you would end up?" Sam is trying to recall if all of the symbols had been identical or each different. He should have been paying more attention to them but he couldn't even see the first two symbols, thought the others were nuts for saying there was one. "Or do you decide where to go as you go through? Sorry... I obviously have never used these... openings you speak of. These doorways. I would appreciate if you could tell me how one does use them? The ones that are working, of course..."
"Oh, I see. You want US to leave. We will, we will," Sam assures. "And once we solve the problems with the portals we should come back and make sure you get back where you wish to be... But I must warn you, we have never been here before. We know there are giant spiders around here. We think an actual giant up higher... It could be dangerous for you here if they realize you are not just rocks. I do not want anything to happen to you two..."
Geonid not know how end up here, how use portal, maybe accident brought Geonid here, hmmm go back is not problem, cave is cave, Geonid stay, Geonid find and rest.Geonid also hide, live long, many legs not find, yes?...
Sam gets the general impression that these things don't know much of anything really, and they seem quite lazy in their movements, their speech, their attitude. Looking around it takes particular interest in the stream of water, hesitantly touching it and observing the water drip from its chunky stone clawed fingers.
Elthana is unsure how she feels about being patted on the head, but gives the genoid a smile as she knows it means no harm. She pats the spot next to her in case the creature wants to get off it's rickety looking legs. Then turns back to the conversation.
"Well what do we do? Can we go to the ethereal plane and hunt this hag down?" Elthana looks closer at Gewyn, "Are you feeling ok?"
"The Geonids," Sam says absently to anyone nearby, his focus still on the creatures, "Seem to be saying the symbols on the tree indicate an opening... To other realms. Though they don't seem to know how to use them?"
In Dwarvish:
"I don't think the spiders will disturb you if you hide when they are around. Mostly the creppy things only go after things n their webs. Stay on the ground and I think you may be safe from them," Sam theorizes...
"That? That is water. Do you not have water where you come from? It is usually harmless. Just do not get into it unless you can swim..." Sam advises. "It mostly stays where it is or flows as it already is unless something else interupts it."
Back in Common.
"Were all the symbols the same, on the trees?" Sam asks the others. "This one seems to have accidentally brought the Geonids. Rock creatures. The prior one seemed to have brought a strange wind with some intelligence? Maybe if the symbols were different we could figure out which symbol does what?" Sam pulls out a golden acorn and studies it as closely as his eyes will allow, looking to see if there is any indication upon the different acorns themselves of these symbols.
Back into Dwarvish:
"I am sorry if my growing the tree somehow accidentally brought you here. It was not my intention. If and when we solve this puzzle I will return and if I have a way for you back I will let you know... And you can choose then if you wish to return or not," Sam tells them. "In the meantime, please stay safe. I would be saddened if anything happened to you..."
Finally Common again...
Sam looks around to the others and sees they are distracted by something else entirely. "Umm, they seem harmless and besides suggesting the symbols indicate a passage of some kind they don't seem to have much more for us. There was something about old fire and black glass but... Anyway, what you all atither about??"
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One of the boulders stands, two thin gangly rock legs elevating it to about 3ft tall, it's boulder shell leans back and two glowing eyes peer at Sam from within the void of the boulder that is now revealed,
It replies;
Tree? Fairy? Portal? These things we do not know.
Mmmmmh reality... This is not terran? Explains the burnt smell..
It looks around at the group resting, some of them looking at the boulder creature with interest, before it continues.
You are squishy, like dwarf? Yes. We are Geonid, from Terran, rock and cave and ground yes?
The creature extends two rocky but slender arms from the void of its internal being and touches the ground, it's eyes glowing intensely for a moment.
This not Terran, this rock saw strange creatures. And fire?, melt rock. Yes.
As the rest of the group watch Sam interact with this small creature, it doesn't seem to show signs of hostility, though it does look around and produces two rocky slender arms from within it's shell, to touch the ground before dangling there awkwardly.
Elthana continues to listen to Sam and the boulders, and after Sam tries to placate them, she leans over and says, "Might not want to say the word harm over and over if I were you, just in case their dwarvish isn't real fluent." and she winks at him.
She then addresses the boulders herself.
In dwarvish, "Pleasure to meet the two of you. Vibrations are wrong here you say? My friend is probably right about how you have somehow traveled through a portal to our plane. We will do what we can to help you, unless you know how to get back?"
She thinks of the wind that was brought forward at the last tree and how it disappeared on its own, starts wondering if it is lingering or made its way home.
"Their Dwarvish is better than mine," Sam replied to Elthana a bit sheepishly, reflexively speaking in common to her... He all but blushes when he realizes and switches back to the Dwarvish.
"I did not know you knew this tongue," Sam says to Elthana, once again speaking Dwarvish. "Good... good."
"Squishy? Well yes. Compared to a rock, yes," Sam says in reply to the Geonid. "The thing between you two... Going from the ground up into the sky... That is a tree. Usually they are wood but this one seems to have changed...."
"What were the strange creatures like? Do you mean the spiders? The creepy, ickly eight legged things that attacked us? Or something else? Did the creatures have the fire or were they fire?" Sam asks, looking for clues.
Gewyn grabs a cloth from his pack and soaks it in the stream before walking over to Vin and collapsing against the wall beside him, opposite Elthana. He hums a tune to himself and flicks the cloth once before draping it across his forehead. He sighs in relief as magically cooled water trickles down his forehead and temples. At Elthana's question, he leans forward and looks across Vin at her.
"I suppose you are right..." He hesitates for a long moment, trying to pick his words. "Vin is in danger. More so than the rest of you. The hag that is attacking people in their sleep is after him. Has some grand plan for him I think." He looks down, and then pulls out his mirror. "Truth is, ever since we came to the corrupted woods, I've discovered this mirror doesn't always show me my reflection. Instead it's like I am looking into an ethereal world where everything is not quite there. Except for some things that seem to exist there and there alone. Like on the night when Nef was attacked in his sleep. Curious, I looked into the mirror, and I saw the hag. I tried to help, but the magic I tried didn't affect the wicked creature."
He idly scratches at his ankle
"I've been too afraid to use it like that since, but for one time with Muir. But when we were fighting those spiders just now, I knew I would find them in the mirror. That's how I knew the last one was coming for Sam. I found it. But the hag also found me. And it taunted me, telling me that we are playing right into its hands. That Vin is to be a sacrifice." Gewyn pants, short of breathe from his little monologue, and flips the damp cloth on his forehead.
The boulders continue conversing with Elthana and Sam, it's quiet companion raises a little curious at the developing scene but still observably scared and hiding;
Pleasure to meet too, skinny pointy ear dwarf.
At Elthana's question of if they could return, the Geonid turns to face the tree, it's hand stroking the symbol covering the now fully petrified oak.
Cannot pass, though symbol suggests we should be able yes? Tall dwarf say this is tree? Feel like rock, maybe different word if we travel different plane like pointy ear dwarf say so, yes?
When Sam asks about the creatures the Geonid nods.
Spider many leg, yes many leg come here, but many leg not fire, no. Ground is fire, old fire make rock melt, long time ago, leave black glass in wall yes?
At Gewyns reveal of information Neferox eyes Vin and then shoves herself between Vin and Gewyn barking aggressively at the tiefling, and attempting to push vin further away from him.
Gewyn leans his head back against the cave wall, too tired to flinch away from Nef, though he does reach into one of his pockets for something. "Bark at me all you want, Nef. Just don't let Vin fall asleep."
Muir steps up near Gewyn just in case Nef decides to act before Vin calms it down
Before Gweyn's revelation Vin was enjoying his rest and watching Elthana and Sam talk with the strange new rock creatures. They don't seem harmful and if anything just scared. Vin smiles as they begin to talk and reveal themselves. He wonders if their world and his own might become closer after this. Perhaps he can even be one of the first to explore their world. Lots of mysteries surround them. He says to Sam, "I wonder if the trees you make are similar in some way to the druid tree that we rested in that one night."
As Gweyn reveals that Vin has been the target all along. Vin doesn't resist Neferox pushing him away from Gweyn but he seems so confused. The half-elf looks to Nef and there is certainly some kind of conversation between the pair. There is a sense of great tension as neferox continues to back up and push Vin further away from his friends. The boy has a good head on his shoulders and seems to be trying to calm her. However, he looks panicked a bit and trying to keep it together. The black hound continues to get between him, Gweyn and the others with her instinctual reaction to any threat to Vin. For his part the young man says "Uhhh, we need some context. Just... keep your distance for now." he warns as Neferox seems ready to attack anyone who gets too close. "Why am I the target? For that matter, how does the hag even know about me? This doesn't make any sense."
Gweyn is currently being glared at by Neferox. A low growl of warning as Vin talks. She doesn't seem too keen on any conversation but seems to tolerate the conversation while Vin seeks answers.
Muir curiously watches the interaction of Neferox and Vin. He wonders how much does Vin know and what has Neferox kept from him.....He decides to find out "Perhaps Neferox knows more of the hag and how they know about you. We know that Neferox is more than a dog and the power you have, Vin, isn't one that you are born with. This also is not your first life cycle...I know there are magics to bring the dead back to life who have crossed beyond the veil but perhaps the magic failed and the hag.....maybe there is a correlation there?"
"Born of fire, and forged of this plane..." Gewyn mutters, head leaning back but eyes locked on Neferox, wary of her reaction.
Elthana smiles at the comment from the rocks about being a pointy eared dwarf. But her attention is quickly shifted from the strange boulders to Gewyn and Vin.
"What? Why Vin? And Gewyn, he needs rest, how can he keep going on without rest? Can we watch over with the mirror? How does that work and how did the hag taunt you and tell you vin was to be a sacrifice? None of this makes sense."
Completely dumbfounded by this news, the spider thing, not as much cause she knew something was going on there, but she keeps looking from Nef to Vin and then Muir adds his two cents.
"Um, not his first life cycle? I know there's something not right with Nef, but Vin too?" Elthana closes her eyes and rests her head on her knees, not sure she can take much more of this. How were they to protect the boy? Who is the boy?
Sam is enraptured by the Little Rock Dudes and continues speaking Dwarvish with them.
"Wait... You know the symbol? Know what it means?" Sam asks the Geonid, aware there's some todo about Vin and Nef going on but muchly ignoring it to deal with these creatures instead. "Could you tell me?"
"Ground is fire? This ground here?" Sam asks, putting his hand on the ground in front of him. "Are you talking lava? Hot, liquid stone from deep in the ground? Are you saying there was lava here? Recently?"
Dwarvish;
Lava, yes, lava. Long time ago. Long time.
This symbol, old symbol, older than Terran but meaning is same, symbol says "mouth"
The second Geonid stands now, looking to the group and reacting to the apparent stress.
The first Geonid continues.
We go, find use for Geonid yes? No way back here, not yet, find dark cave, rest, Geonid good at rest, peaceful. yes.
The second Geonid, which has not yet spoken stands hesitantly and walks carefully over to Elthana, apparently sensing her frustration it pats her gently on the head and looks warily at the display of aggression from Neferox toward Gewyn, and to a certain degree, now Muir.
"The hag spoke to me when I visited that ethereal plane through the mirror, though she remained just out of my sight. She, or it, seems to roam that ethereal plane, and preys on sleeping people..." he nods to Nef, "... and demonic dogs, from within. THAT is why we... why Vin can't be allowed to fall asleep."
Gewyn pants, a little out of breath, and lets his eyes close for a moment. He quickly wills them back open again and tilts his head upright, wiping away a few beads of sweat from his pale red forehead.
In the language of the dwarves...
"Mouth?" Sam asks, a bit surprised. "Like to eat something? What would it be eating? What does the symbol do?"
Seeing the second Geonid come out of it's shell, so to speak, Sam immediately calms his voice a bit and looks to that one. "It's ok. They're working something out but we're all friends. It'll all be fine..."
"We go, huh? Do you mean you go with us? We'd be happy to bring you with us until we find a way for you to get back home... But we may not always be in caves like this," Sam says, tickled at the idea of the two joining the group, if that is what it meant...
Dwarvish;
Hmmm word wrong, word 'mouth' yes. but dwarf word not good, mouth like... Opening yes?
It considers Sam's misunderstanding as an offer, and seems to roll the ideas back and forth in its rocky brain.
Hmmm, no. We Geonid go, friend dwarf leave cave, Geonid stay yes. Or of friend dwarf find Terran, Geonid go home, maybe, maybe...
Dwarven:
"Opening..." Sam repeats, thinking over things. "Between here and where? Where you came from? You said the symbol suggests you can go through, does the symbol suggest where you would end up?" Sam is trying to recall if all of the symbols had been identical or each different. He should have been paying more attention to them but he couldn't even see the first two symbols, thought the others were nuts for saying there was one. "Or do you decide where to go as you go through? Sorry... I obviously have never used these... openings you speak of. These doorways. I would appreciate if you could tell me how one does use them? The ones that are working, of course..."
"Oh, I see. You want US to leave. We will, we will," Sam assures. "And once we solve the problems with the portals we should come back and make sure you get back where you wish to be... But I must warn you, we have never been here before. We know there are giant spiders around here. We think an actual giant up higher... It could be dangerous for you here if they realize you are not just rocks. I do not want anything to happen to you two..."
Dwarvish;
Geonid not know how end up here, how use portal, maybe accident brought Geonid here, hmmm go back is not problem, cave is cave, Geonid stay, Geonid find and rest. Geonid also hide, live long, many legs not find, yes?...
Sam gets the general impression that these things don't know much of anything really, and they seem quite lazy in their movements, their speech, their attitude. Looking around it takes particular interest in the stream of water, hesitantly touching it and observing the water drip from its chunky stone clawed fingers.
Tall dwarf! What this thing?
Elthana is unsure how she feels about being patted on the head, but gives the genoid a smile as she knows it means no harm. She pats the spot next to her in case the creature wants to get off it's rickety looking legs. Then turns back to the conversation.
"Well what do we do? Can we go to the ethereal plane and hunt this hag down?" Elthana looks closer at Gewyn, "Are you feeling ok?"
"The Geonids," Sam says absently to anyone nearby, his focus still on the creatures, "Seem to be saying the symbols on the tree indicate an opening... To other realms. Though they don't seem to know how to use them?"
In Dwarvish:
"I don't think the spiders will disturb you if you hide when they are around. Mostly the creppy things only go after things n their webs. Stay on the ground and I think you may be safe from them," Sam theorizes...
"That? That is water. Do you not have water where you come from? It is usually harmless. Just do not get into it unless you can swim..." Sam advises. "It mostly stays where it is or flows as it already is unless something else interupts it."
Back in Common.
"Were all the symbols the same, on the trees?" Sam asks the others. "This one seems to have accidentally brought the Geonids. Rock creatures. The prior one seemed to have brought a strange wind with some intelligence? Maybe if the symbols were different we could figure out which symbol does what?" Sam pulls out a golden acorn and studies it as closely as his eyes will allow, looking to see if there is any indication upon the different acorns themselves of these symbols.
Back into Dwarvish:
"I am sorry if my growing the tree somehow accidentally brought you here. It was not my intention. If and when we solve this puzzle I will return and if I have a way for you back I will let you know... And you can choose then if you wish to return or not," Sam tells them. "In the meantime, please stay safe. I would be saddened if anything happened to you..."
Finally Common again...
Sam looks around to the others and sees they are distracted by something else entirely. "Umm, they seem harmless and besides suggesting the symbols indicate a passage of some kind they don't seem to have much more for us. There was something about old fire and black glass but... Anyway, what you all atither about??"