Heavy is the Head - Campaign thread

Lam recognizes those voices and turns around, still holding Frederico, to join Sha and Saoirse. He watches Saoirse’s face to try to get a better sense of what Leonor and João are saying, since he only understands the names and no other parts of their Elvish. Confusion and bewilderment are both present on his face, but he continues to hold Frederico protectively as he listens to tell if the fairies were the only ones coming or if there is still more out there.

- Futu! 

Saoirse had been so certain that it would be enemies emerging from the forest that her initial reaction was to curse loudly in Infernal. It was a good thing that no one else here understood that language. She stows her weapons in one swift movement, exhales and finally gives a relieved smile to João and Leonor. She's about to answer back in Elvish, but feeling Lam's gaze, she turns to Common instead.

- Good gods, I'm so relieved to see you both in one piece. Are Kurt, Karla and Kristoff around, too? - She waits for the two fairies to answer, and then she translates what they have said so far. Then she continues - Let's turn to Common okay? Not everyone here can speak Elvish. We finished all the Nothics, yes - she glances briefly towards Hemlock, not sure herself if the Nothics were alone or not, nor that they should worry telling the kids in case they weren't.

When the fairies react to seeing Esmerelda, she approaches them and puts a hand on each of their shoulders.

- No, none of this was your fault. While I do hope you think twice next time before chasing enemies as you did today with Captain Jonah and his men, what is at work here is bigger than any of us, and definitely not your fault. But don't loose hope. We'll go to Rhys and Cylence, and to whoever else we need to reach, to see what to do now. Trust us on this. We will not stay idle and let whoever is behind this triumph.

She stops there and turns to see Sha working his healing magic, hoping that his abilities will help Esmerelda. 

Hemlock only relaxes slightly when João and Leonor appear, his focus remaining on the trees around them and to a lesser extend on the still form of Esmerelda. His body is still swathed in stars and casting a glow around him.

"Those foul creatures were not alone. The forest itself spoke to me, warned me that their masters are still out there somewhere. Two of them", he warns the others before he looks to the fairies. "Saoirse is right, you are not to blame, but you must stay close. And so must the others, we need to know where they are". He doesn't want to frighten them, but he needs to make sure they do not get hurt by whatever is still out there. He feels the guilt of what has happened, for if it was Vince that sent these things, then it is they who are to blame.

As Sha-Gravis runs forward and attempts to heal Esmerelda, he moves alongside and tries to reach out and touch the natural world around them to beseech it for help in healing one of it's own.

The silver light of Sha-Gravis' healing energy seems to pulse through Esmerelda's withered form, and down through jer root into the ground. Her humanoid features, however, seem to rapidly fade, and her mountain laurel hair suddenly looks just like any other mountain laurel in the underbrush, as the face fades. Sha can feel his healing energy moving through the ground away from him though, and knows that something is happening beyond what meets the eye - something full of life. When Hemlock touches the natural world, the laurel bursts into bloom, and the nearest tree creaks in its bark, and the scent of the flowers and the move of the bark speak a subtle language known to Firbolgs, wordless but clear in its meaning. The plants tell Hemlock:

 João: "Tu pronunciación es terrible. Probablemente todavía no pueda entenderte."

Leonor: "closing you! You're not even tried! But how you know there are two more, and not just a false from the monstros?"

Hemlock's twinkling form finally seems to properly relax and long sigh escapes his lips.

"Esmerelda will be ok. She has returned to her mother tree, and will grow anew", he says sounding relieved.

As Leonor asks her questions, he sits down on the floor and massages the soil with his hands. "Do not worry, I believe I understand", he says with a smile. "You are welcome to all the help we can give, and we are grateful you came back for us. I know there are more because the forest told me so. My kind have a special bond with the plants and trees and animals, and being a druid augments those abilities. Makes them stronger", he explains.

"Now, how far are we from Village Tree? We need to move quickly, but safely".

Sha-Gravis feels the combination of his and Hemlocks magic pulse through Esmeralda… he looks around at his friends and the younglings, it’s only been a short time but the events they’ve weathered through!  He would gladly give his life to save any one of them, and the same should be true for living for them too.  Sha shakes off his feelings of personal guilt and doubt, there will be time to face that later.  He stands a little taller as he sets down his personal burdens, he cleans the ichor off Alptraum his fur and clothing.  He even manages a smile, looking at the younglings, "Você é amado." -sylvan

Leonor and João don't quite seem to know how to handle this beautiful sentiment fromma near-stranger, even one they admire so much. They both blush, but also smile - they're happy to hear Sha say this. "Obrigado", Leonor manages after a few seconds.

"You just met them like two days ago, right? Or is there something I'm missing, friend?" Saffron seems genuinely curious in the question directed at Sha-Gravis.

Village Tree is quite near, less than a mile further along the path. The rest of the journey there is uneventful, but for what conversation you have along the way. A mile is more than long enough for Lam's arms to start to ache with Frederico's weight, but his protective pride will not let his muscles fail.

As you approach the great tree, a nuthatch (small songbird) runs up along the bark and then flies up towards the canopy. The lift descends shortly after, with Tesfaye standing alone on it, with an armload full of bandages and a healing potion, and a small cot with four handles for carrying Frederico. "Oh my tides I'm so glad you're all OK! Karla told us all about how you fought off a whole army of HMC folks - I believe she is enamored with you by the way, Lam, she may have used the phrase "rippling muscles and luscious mane" in her recounting of the tale - and that you swayed their leader to make him an ally at the same time! Does that mean that our trouble with them is over? Depths I hope so. Esmerelda and Semmer let us know that you were ambushed by monsters again already on the way here, but that you seemed like you could handle it. I'm so glad to see that you did. Can i do anything for you to help now? Anyone injured, besides Frederico? His father is really quite worried, and grateful. Communal lunch is being prepared now, by the way, so plenty of food for us when we get up there. Don't worry about your mechanical acquaintance sharing sensitive information, by the way. Apparently he and Tecelao-Raiz have something of a history, and decades to catch each other up on. So he's well distracted." Tesfaye finally pauses to breathe, and compose themself. "Sorry, I worry about you all."

You can pull a lever to send the lift upwards whenever you're ready.

By the time they reach the Village Tree, Lam is exhausted and hungry- still, his spirits seem to lift the moment they all see their Tortle friend. One of the things Lam does as he listens to Tesfaye’s tale is set Frederico down on the cot, then breathe and stretch his arms. He seems to be gearing up to pick the cot right back up, but he will need help carrying Frederico anywhere else on the cot once they reach the top of the lift. When Tesfaye describes what Karla said about him, Lam looks to his other friends, the faintest blush of embarrassment present on his face. When they ask, “Does that mean our trouble with them is over?” Lam searches his friends’ faces for confirmation of his first instinct- Viconia hasn’t been dealt with. Neither has Strixwell. There will still be trouble.

When lunch is mentioned, Lam’s eyes light up. When Tesfaye is done speaking, he says, “It is good to see you, Tesfaye.” He seems ready to go up whenever everyone else is- or to continue talking to Tesfaye where it’s less likely for others to hear.

Saoirse's expression brightens when they reach Village Tree and the already familiar lift descends to meet them. And it brightens even more when Tesfaye appears, all geared up to help Federico. She even laughs a little when the Tortle mentions what Karla said about Lam. But when they mention Federico's father, her expresion changes, as she is reminded that althought they did save the boy's life, they didn't brought him back as healthy as she would have wanted him to. What would the reactions be once the lift brought them up? What would the centaur that chastized her for teaching the kids to fight have to say to this? She had dreamed of going back to Village Tree and keep training the kids. But should she do it after all that had happened?

Trying to focus on what was being spoken, she answered Tesfaye:

- I'm a little injured, but never mind. We'll be resting shortly, so I can tend to my wounds then. Regarding the HCM, perhaps it's better if we speak once we are in the Tree? Not sure I can't even trust the birds flying next to us right now. 

With a tired sigh, she approached the lift, in a clear sign that she's more than ready to go up.

As they journey Hemlock is quite pensive and withdrawn, and although he does smile at Tesfaye when he appears all ready to help, the feeling behind it is tinged with worry. Even Karla's description of Lam isn't enough to truly break him out of his reverie.

He should have been glad that Fitz was not going to be an issue, but it really didn't mean much after they themselves have been responsible for Vince likely finding out about the Crown. He was exactly the sort of person that they should have been concealing it from.

"I am well thank you, my friend", he replies to Tesfaye. "Tell me, is Rhys back?", he asks his friend as he too makes his way onto the lift.

Leonor and João don't quite seem to know how to handle this beautiful sentiment fromma near-stranger, even one they admire so much. They both blush, but also smile - they're happy to hear Sha say this. "Obrigado", Leonor manages after a few seconds.

"You just met them like two days ago, right? Or is there something I'm missing, friend?" Saffron seems genuinely curious in the question directed at Sha-Gravis.

As the moment of relief washes over Sha-Gravis that Esmeralda will live, it is a subconscious reflex.  He knows the love of a parent, he believes it is what Esmeralda would want them to hear.  Now being asked, he just smiles, sometimes having felt loss teaches you to cherish what’s important.  “I think we need to say what we feel, encourage one another.  Not always hold back for no reason.”  Sha gives Saffron a look, and a smile with a twinkle in his eyes.

When they see Tesfaye Sha hurries over to help with his supplies…

"Rhys got back a little while ago, not more than half an hour ago, just after Esmerelda ans Semmer came up and told us you all were close behind. He's been talking to people and trying to keep spirits up and tempers down since.i really admire him - so.powerful  and yet so committed to a peaceful life for him and his people. You know he held off scores of HMC folks himself during the prison break, and yet none of them were seriously injured. That control is beyond amazing. Still, he's helping people in the kitchen and playing all humble. At least  when he's not a million different impressive beasts he acts humble. I think he really means it. Leadership via humility... somebody should write a book on it, I'd read that. Oh! What were those monsters and what did they want?"

"Nothics. And me, I think. My past is named Vince and the Thieve's guild, and I think it's hunting me down. I know je used Nothics sometimes. Three fewer now, and good riddance."

As they go up, the fire genasi is silent and lost in thoughts, watching the valley and not paying much attention to the group. But something Tesfaye says seems to wake her up. 

"Rhys got back a little while ago, not more than half an hour ago".

She turns around to look at Tesfaye first, and at the party then. Half an hour? The same half an hour it had taken them to reach the Tree? After an attack by Nothics?

- Half an hour ago? What a ... coincidence.

But was it? Was it a coincidence?

"Just after Esmerelda and Semmer came up "

Wait, what? Esmerelda? That just couldn't be. They had seen her almost dead around that time. 

"You know he held off scores of HMC folks himself during the prison break, and yet none of them were seriously injured."

Oh, hells.

She remembered once again what she read in Tux's journal, about Rhys having met the Crown bearer and she felt a shiver. Somethin wasn't quite right here. 

- And Cylence !? Is he back too? - she asked, with a tinge of anxiety in her voice.

Cylence and Rhys were like water an oil. If one of them was compromised, she hoped that at least that meant that other wasn't. Should they seek Cylence, or even worry for his wellbeing, if he still hadn't return to the Tree?

At the revelation that Esmerelda had returned a short time ago, Hemlock's hackles raise. When he had been in the fight with the Nothic, he had done something unexpected, and he wondered whether it was something he could again.

He reaches out with his mind towards Saffi, trying to speak to her directly, rather than use speech.

"I hope you can hear this, Saffi. Please do not react. Esmerelda was killed by the Nothics, she cannot possibly be here as well. Are there others who can change appearance like you can that work for Vince? I am not certain if I can hear a reply in my mind, I have not done this before. We need to be discreet though", he sends telepathically.

Yeah, Cylence got back just before you all did. He literally stepped off of the lift right as I stepped onto it. Honestly, I find him pretty scary. Glad he's on our side, you know what I mean? He'd make a formidable adversary. Why? Need to talk to him about something?

Saffron's eyebrows shoot up when Hemlock speaks in her mind, and she scowls at the question. Then she squints for a moment, focussing, and Hemlock and Saoirse both hear her voice clearly in their minds. 

<I think you both can hear me. I tried to get the others, too, but can't open my mind to so many at once (yet). I should be able to keep this mental link going for 3 hours, though. So don't get too excited by your little telepathic breakthrough, Mr starshine. But... yeah, Vince has other shapeshifters working for him. doppelgangers. He doesn't quite trust them fully, that's part of why he wanted to take control of me young. A doppelganger trained by him, who owes him.everything. That's what he wanted me to be. I won't give him the satisfaction. Yeah, it's possible that anyone up there has been replaced. Or down here, for that matter.>

(psychic whispers soulknife feature. Free tekepathic cominicstion between Hemlock, Saoirse, and Saffi for 3 hours.) Saffron glances meaningfully towards Tesfaye.

Neither of them is particularly experienced at telepathy or hiding it, so both Hemlock and Saffron are obviously making faces at each other and wiggling eyebrows as they stare at each other.

Lam has been lost in thought. Rhys came back recently, but Esmerelda and Semmer came just before him. But it was just a little over a half hour ago that they saw Esmerelda and what the nothics did to her. The first time Tesfaye mentioned Esmerelda coming back, Lam had assumed she had to have done that before the monsters, but that didn’t even make sense if he thought about it more. He looks to his friends’ faces to see if they are realizing any of the same things as him, and it looks like… maybe…? Saoirse looks like she might be connecting some dots that he is missing, and Hemlock and Saffron… are making really confusing faces he doesn’t know how to make sense of.

As he’d been staring at everyone with a furrowed brow for more than a few moments, he works to make his face neutral and betray less of his confusion. He still looks like he is trying to put something together in his head. He turns to Tesfaye and asks, “Are Esmerelda and Semmer here now?”

Saoirse opens her mouth to answer Tesfaye, but in that moment se receives Saffi's telepathic link and the words she was about to say die in her mouth out of surprise. She tries to hide this by faking a cough and ends up saying:

- Uh, sorry. I might be a little more hurt than I though. A little heal will be good after all, my friend. Ah, I just asked about Cylence because we haven't seen him for so long that I was worried about him. It's good to know that he's here.

She then remains silent and turns again to look at the Valley, and as she does this she answers Saffi and Hemlock.

"We need to warn Sha and Lam too, before we speak with anybody else. That Esmerelda must be one of the doppelgangers. And if there is one, there could be more. I'm not sure about Rhys, perhaps he isn't one, but I sincerely do not trust him anymore, with his arrival to Village Tree happening so shortly after the attack. Didn't you say that the Nothic had two other allies, Hemlock? Could he be one of them? Not sure, but I've been on edge about Rhys since we learned that he met the Crown bearer. He might be under the Crown's influence. And did you hear Tesfaye? That Rhys didn't hurt the HMC seriously? Would he if we where in league with them somehow? No, he would play his part as an ally of Village Tree, but do no real damage to them. Of course, I might be very mistaken...but we gotta be careful and do not disclose more information than the strictly necessary with anyone".

The genasi stops a moment to consider her own words, and adds.

"That includesTesfaye, you are right, Saffi. Though I swear, I'll burn Vince to ashes if he has hurt them. Do you think we could have a little gathering, just the six of us, before going to eat and rest? Just to coordinate what we'll say?"

 Finally, she says:

"This telepathic link is really useful, by the way"

"I had no idea you could do this, Saffi. It does put my ability into perspective that is true, although I am still shocked by it. I wonder if it has anything to do with the gem that...never mind", Hemlock says, stopping when he realises he might have been about to divulge information Saffi is unaware of.

He stands on the lift staring out into the woods, trying to stop his eyes shifting to those he was talking to.

"Yes, there were two others that were not those things we fought, nor humans, dwarves, or elves either", he adds over the mental link. "I will try and let Sha and Lam know what is going on as well, please try and cover for me by speaking out loud".

He turns back to the others on the lift, after the overly long pause, "I am glad there will be food, I would have gladly helped in the kitchen myself", he says aloud, before attempting to reach out to Lam, and then Sha, repeating the same message to each.

"Be calm, this is Hemlock. I seem to have developed the ability to speak into others minds, although possibly not hear replies in the same manner. It might have to do with Hamza's gem", he starts before continuing. "Do not let anyone know I am speaking to you in this manner, outside of Saoirse and Saffi. Esmeralda returning is impossible, at that time we know she had been attacked and had gone back to her mother tree. Saffi says Vince has the services of dopplangers much like herself. We are worried Esmerelda is one, and as Rhys returned at the same time, he is suspect as well. Those of us who have just returned together should stay together".

" please try and cover for me by speaking out loud".

 Saoirse tries hard not to nod to Hemlock, and turns towards Saffi:

- So. Saffron Gale. How does it feel returning to Village Tree after the way you left?

The changeling arches a single eyebrow and stares at her as she says telepathically: "Really? Was that the best topic you could think of? Couldn't you just say something about the weather?"

The blood hunter's just looks uncomfortable, and replies:  "Sorry ... I got nervous okay!?"

"Can you two be quiet in here for a moment? I am trying to think to Lam and Sha. Are you hearing what I am saying to them? Are they hearing this? Oh dear this is confusing!", Hemlock admonishes the other two, finding it really difficult to focus on who is hearing what.