Ayo juggles her bundle of branches and accepts the strawberry with a grateful nod.

She listens to Ylis tell her tale and she smiles along to it, nodding and blowing air through her nose at the humorous moments as she moves about camp. As Randa walks alongside Ayo, Ayo shares an appreciative glance, then continues to work. She smiles at Randa. "It was nothing." She says quietly, bending over to pick up a branch. It is pretty clear by her expression and body language that she takes more than a little bit of pride at having saved a life. "How many people get to live out their dreams? Not many, I think. It was an honor to save a real hero." 

She looks up at the taller Randa. "How'd you like the necklace?" She says while pointing to hers hanging around her neck.

Dermot watches Ayo and Randa walk the camp grounds together and smiles approvingly. He goes back to painting the flower on Maggie's armor with a tad more enthusiasm. 

Galsariad's brow pinches and he approaches. "I rather think a gloomstalker is better found dead than alive." He crosses his arms. "The arrows were of Kryn make. Most people from around here know that the Dynasty patrols these lands as best as they can, but they call it the Wastes for a reason. Dangers are always in every shadow, behind every tree. Why, I am quite sure that something or... somethings are watching us from those very trees right now." Galsariad throws an uneasy glance over his shoulder at the small forest and rubs his arms. Feelings vulnerable, he will summon his Mage Armor, which clicks into being over his body, shrouding it in a semi-transparent purple energy shaped in the form of a Kryn soldier's plate armor. 

"As for this quest, it sounds like an opportunity for one to expand his understanding of the universe and develop skill in the arcane." He watches Ayo walking the camp with Randa. He gestures at Ayo. "She is eager to prove herself, which I suppose is a desire that resonates with me and explains both of our reasons for being here. Why are you here though? You mentioned 'being where you need to be', but what does that mean? Why were you in the vision? How did you get in the vision? It seems only a chosen few were allowed to see it." His eyes are piercing and he seems to be looking for signs of deception in Merek's response. 

Merek seems quite at his ease, his expression warm and genial. "Truthfully I'm not sure of the answers to those questions. I'm a traveler you see. I go where the wind takes me, and it has brought me here. Just as that necklace was discovered. I don't think where such things are involved, there can be much of a question of chance. I'm not sure what you believe, but I believe this much at least is meant to happen."

"When I've called my friend, we can take a look around the forest more easily. He is a bird, you see, and an eye in the sky might do well for us. Lets hope the Kryn have cleared the path for us, but as you say, we can't count on it. When I'm done with the ritual, I'll conjure my own armor as well. Tell me, why are you eager to prove yourself? and what would you consider to be proof of yourself?"

Quote from Erik_Soong >>

Ayo juggles her bundle of branches and accepts the strawberry with a grateful nod.

She listens to Ylis tell her tale and she smiles along to it, nodding and blowing air through her nose at the humorous moments as she moves about camp. As Randa walks alongside Ayo, Ayo shares an appreciative glance, then continues to work. She smiles at Randa. "It was nothing." She says quietly, bending over to pick up a branch. It is pretty clear by her expression and body language that she takes more than a little bit of pride at having saved a life. "How many people get to live out their dreams? Not many, I think. It was an honor to save a real hero." 

She looks up at the taller Randa. "How'd you like the necklace?" She says while pointing to hers hanging around her neck.

 

Randa stopped her placing a hand on Ayos forearm, " It was not nothing.  I owe you a blood debt and it will not be forgotten."

" It is....important."

" A hero? Me?  I am.....I spent the last ten years paying other blood debts both mine and my friends....but if I'm truly honest it was more than that.  It was revenge, and I indulged in it not only for myself but for them as well."

" I have helped others.....but I would not call that heroism.  Only Community."

She loosened her grip on Ayos arm.

" Sorry."

At the next question she looked down at the tooth and a wry half smile crooked her mouth but then fell away.

" I appreciate it.......but it makes me sad.....that fish could have lived another hundred years if we had not stumbled in there in playing games......don't misunderstand me.  I am very grateful to you.  But the necklace to me is a lesson and one I mean not to forget."

She uncoupled her short sword and scabbard from her belt, " She was made by my grandmothers mother, she never named her and I never got around to it myself.......but I think she should be known as Deliverance, and I would be honored if you would carry her."

She raised her eyes and took in her companions and then took in Ayos, " Our families fit well together."

DM: Heroic Inspiration for Randa, for a very touching post. 

DM: Merek, please give me a Deception or Persuasion Check, whatever applies, to support your response to Galsariad’s questions. 

Joy notices Entropy training and decides to join her, drawing her sword and practicing her swings as well. "There's something - ha! - calming about - ha! - repeating the same motion - ha! - over and over, " she observes haltingly, but with a smile. It allows her to forget her worries, even if just temporarily.

While grooming the animals, making sure they are clean and have no stray burs stuck in the furs, the bunny girl calls out,

"Hey Randa, maybe one of our friends or Ayo's know if the ring is ...ew! clean the meat off first! See if anybody knows if the ring is special."

Ylis makes fake gagging motions.

Galsariad narrows his eyes in suspicion at first, but after a moment of processing the answer, he hums and nods his head in acceptance. “I too am a traveler. I had only just arrived to Jigow a week ago from deep within the Kryn Dynasty and had joined the overly trusting Ayo and her crew just yesterday, same as Irvan. In this way, as travelers and as recent additions, we seem to be kindred spirits. I don’t believe in fate or destiny, not like Ayo does at least. I believe we make our own destiny and because the gods do not have a destiny set aside for us and the world caters to nothing, we must struggle to make that destiny for ourselves.”

He considers the question and how he will answer. After another moment to side Merek up, he answers. “It is uncommon for a drow my age to only just be beginning his arcane studies. Most people in the Dynasty have long since settled into their life’s work by this stage in their life. I am rather behind and quite a disappointment to my family. I suppose at the very least, accomplishing a feat so impressive as to have my family immediately accepted into one of the noble Dens would be what I seek. I only have to do something as grand as causing the Dwendalian Emperor to kneel at my feet and beg forgiveness for all of our people his soldiers have killed. No big deal. Heh.”

He watches Merek work his ritual with great interest. “I’ve seen summoner circles before, but I’ve never learned how to do one myself. Each one seems to be different. Is it because of the caster or the thing you are summoning?”

***

Ayo sets down her bundle of branches to accept the sword from Randa. She smiles at first, but Ayo seems uncertain on how to respond to the sudden seriousness of the conversation. She latches onto the topic that is a bit easier for her to work with to start. “Thank you, Randa, really. I will honor this gift by only using it as you would… or, at least as I think you would.” Her face falls to match the seriousness of Randa’s.

“What many people don’t realize is that Jigow is a city with more than 10,000 lives. It might seem like some backwater, and it kind of is I guess, but we are all a community. Nothing is wasted in Jigow. You might have different feelings on eating animals than us but the shark wasn’t just put there and then left to rot; it was used to feed about 500 people, and the giant octopus that my crew killed, and the little nippers you guys also killed fed hundreds more. Jigow is pretty far north, just a couple hundred miles from the everfrost line. Our winters are hard. The Festival of Merit is our final celebration for the year and a chance to enjoy the last opportunity to eat well before the snows come.” She looks down at her bundle of branches for a moment.

“I’ve been a hunter almost as long as I can remember. As soon as I could show my pa I could string a bow and sit still for hours. Jigow depends on people like my pa. You might not have wanted to hurt that shark, but our little city needed it. You and the shark helped our city and it means a lot to me and my people that you did.”

She fastens the sword to her belt, then picks up her gathered bundle. “I saved you because your friend, Joy, showed me that winning isn’t as important as doing what is right. Or maybe that winning isn’t winning as much as losing is winning when you lose for winning… reasons?” She grunts. “I’m not a philosopher. But when I saw Joy give up any chance at winning to save someone being attacked by sharks, I felt, ugh I don’t know, like my win wasn’t a good win. Like she beat me in a much more important, meaningful way or something. When I saved you from the shark, even though it meant losing the big race, it felt right. It felt like I wasn’t really losing.”

***

Entropy allows Joy to join in the kata, slowing her pace so that Joy can mirror the movements. Beads of sweat have formed on her forehead. Her movements are practiced and tight. Her sword does not waver even though she has grown tired from the exertion. Each swing is just as good as the one before it. “Repetition is the path to perfection. It is how your body learns to execute precise movements without burdening your mind. I can perform this exact swing in my sleep, just high enough to liberate most heads from their shoulders in one swipe.”

Entropy moves to a thrust with her blade. “HA! HA! Failure is often feared. Such people are weak. Failure is necessary to measure success by. HA! It is necessary to learn from. It is required to give us something meaningful to overcome. HA!” She stops and sheathes her sword. “Your failures haunt you. I see it. Good. Remember them, but do not allow them to paralyze you. Failures that rule us will stay our hand at the wrong moment and then the blood of the innocent will be shed. Let your failures walk with you and spur you to action, to kill before evil will kill others.” She looks at Joy with stern eyes, but not unkind. Instead, there is understanding there. “These words are easy to speak, hard to hear, and nearly impossible to live. They may take time to grow, but allow them to take root and think on them. And, perhaps, think of those failures and what will happen if you do not stop them in the future.” She bows to Joy, right fist over her chest. “May each death you mete out save 100 lives.”

***

Rumble seems to greatly appreciate being fawned over. It is appropriate that an amazing steed such as himself be doted after always by the two-legs.