After some rest, I can transform into an animal once more. This would merge all objects I have with my being- including the chamber, like I did in the tunnels. After I heal Sylrie, that is. John eyes Feather, the Pegasus Aria rode on. And, if absolutely required, Someone could ride on the winged horse to deliver the message. Although, I’d recommend not that option. We could also try convincing an animal to do it- I have many beast befriending spells- but it could be easily intercepted or distracted.
You say it’s like a battery? In that case, no wonder my spell didn’t work. But it seems almost, sentient- it contains no magical energy, whatsoever. John’s face sours, straight face becoming one of much Dislike. It‘s unnatural. It’s dangerous. If we can’t transport it, I vote to destroy it. I can only shape twice, and for an hour at a time, after all.
Aria glances at Feather. "Feather could get to Arcanix in...a little over a week and a half. Maybe a little less if she cut across part of the lake, but she can't go right across, she doesn't have the stamina, especially if she's carrying that."
She doesn’t have to carry it- she has to carry me. And I can become very small animals. John speaks up at me notion. Of course, we’d have to stop every hour to have me change back. And we’re only speaking if we have to. We shouldn’t be splitting up, not in our condition.
"Dot, the people of the Reaches have waited this long. Maybe too long fer Aundair to hear their cries. They've already succeeded from the country if talks from Greenheart are to be believed. But imagine being able to use this to help win battles in the war. Imagine turning the tide, because we dared! I'm sick of seeing me friends maimed and killed. I'm tired of this war. I'll fight fer as long as the Queen needs me, but this could be the key to unlocking everything. Imagine if we had a view into the minds of our enemies or a glimpse into the future. I'm just an ol' dog who's seen too many battles to count. But the last couple of days have taken their toll on all of us. Look at Kash, trembling still. Perci has not said a word since coming from back up from the caves. Sylrie can't see. Isuzu is lost. Even Kora has said this is dangerous. Maybe too dangerous! We're out of our element here. And now this...thing. It could be the thing that all this was worth it for. Worth losing Isuzu. Breaking our men, to bring back this! My vote is to go back. My apologies, Aria, but **** the Reaches. They can and have taken care of themselves. Thrane is taking control of our lands, Karnath is supporting them from the sea. King BOREland is bidding his time to pick us off and Cyre...the Six only knows what machines they are conjuring up."
To everyone gathers, this loud and impassioned speech from Sarge is completely out of character. He usually toes the line and is short and to the point. This is something else, a more forceful plea to walk away from their task, YOUR mission, to bring back this strange artifact to Arcanix. His face is red and spittle comes out of his mouth. His hands flay the deeper he gets into his speech.
The LT listens intently, biting her lip and squinting her eyes. This poor gnome woman has a weight on her that she wasn't expecting. Not this quickly. She stands tall and looks at the group.
"Then we decide together. As a unit. We have a mission to uphold. We could all be in danger of being court-martialed. But if this is as dangerous as Kora is suggesting, maybe it will be worth the risk. There is no easy choice here, but I will take full responsibility of whatever we decide. I am the XO here, so the fault will always be on me. But I trust each and every one of you. And your judgment."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
"With all due respect Sarge, I do not see the point of winning this war if we do so by abandoning fellow Aundairians who need our help. I can't in good conscience endorse a course of action that calls for us to get abandon our mission, especially for something that we don't even know if it will actually work."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Kora bites her lip, especially at Sarge's outburst, but maybe moreso at the LT's abdication of the chain of command. "Perci's not wrong," she says. "We came here not just on orders from the Queen, but to help our own people. We don't know what these are, and they could take years, maybe decades of study to reveal any secrets. And you know I'd rather take sword to the enemy than anything else."
"Kash is right, too. That hole in the ground is full of these things, and I doubt we explored much of the complex before it began caving in. Taking one and leaving the rest, that seems a dangerous idea, too."
"But the fact is, this is too important for us to ignore. Aundair's mages need to be told of this."
She looks up at the group, making eye contact with whomever is looking at her. "What if... I think we should put this crystal back in the ground," she indicates the cave, "Then collapse the whole thing, at the very least keep their slaves from crawling out, and keep others from getting in. Then we mark it well on a map, and send word to Arcanix. That can be one rider on a fast horse. They can send a team of mages. The rest of us can set about the business that brought us."
She pauses.
"I volunteer to take the message."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
"I agree with Kora's suggestion. These crystals blinded Sylrie and have messed with Kash in some way. They're very dangerous and we know nothing about them."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Aria listens to the discussion quietly, deeply conflicted. On the one hand, she was brand new to the unit, and felt like she didn't have much of a foundation for weighing in. On the other...the Reaches were her area of expertise, at this point. As Kora makes her suggestion, Aria listens to the responses...then speaks. "I don't wish to abandon the Reaches," she says softly. "They are also Aundair, and during my time here I have seen a great deal of good, and a great deal of people who do not deserve to be abandoned. By Siberys, my family lives here, in Varna, or at least many of them do." She glances at the crystal. "At the same time...they also are at great risk from this thing. I know I'm very new to this, and most of you probably don't trust me in the slightest, but I do care for Aundair. All of it." She bites her lip. "The fastest horse is Feather, she can fly over things the others would have to go around. And she'll be fastest with me. But I don't know...anything about the Inspired."
John stops Kash as he starts pushing away the chamber. Not now. Not yet. Calm yourself, and let us discover the complete dangers of this object, before you go off making hasty decisions.
And what are you going to do? Bury it? That just means it’s unguarded- that mind reader- He scowls- Could come back any time and get it back. The best possible option is to study it, and warn everyone.
Percival interjects, freeing Kash up. "John, we don't have the time to study it now. Nor do we possess the ability to do so without hurting ourselves. If we bury it and collapse the cave, no one will be able to come get it and that mind reader won't be able to leave. Not without digging himself out of a ton of rocks. Aria can ride Feather and contact the Arcanix, they'll know what to do better than any of us. This is the best thing we can do right now."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
I think differently. John states. It’s different than just burying it. If we can’t do much else, we should hide it- people might look near a collapsed tunnel.
"We're the only people outside of that tunnel who know that this thing exists. And even if someone else was to come looking for it, they would have to clear out all of the rubble and then find the spot that it was buried in. That's as hidden as it gets."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Kora nods to Perci’s comment. “There are a half dozen or more of those things in there already. We cannot take them with us. We have to bury them. One more, this one, won’t make a difference, to my mind. I would rather stay to guard it, but that is weeks of staying here, waiting. Even if we ask Aria to take the message.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
John backs away from the chamber, not having much of a choice in the matter. He visibly doesn’t want to bury it in the tunnels, but will let you do your thing.
((OOG I literally have nothing to say as you guys are RPing this... good job, though!
So, your decisions are this:
1.) Bury it in the cave
2.) Bury it somewhere else
3.) Somehow take it with you
4.) Take it to Arcanix
It looks like burying it somewhere is going to be one of those options.
The next thing you have to decide is how to get the message to where it needs to go.
1.) As a party
2.) As a Kora
3.) Get rid of Books...ahem as an Aria
4.) Some other means not spoke of yet
It seems like everyone wants to stay and fight in the Reaches if I am reading this all correctly. Sarge doesn't count, he's just never seen such a powerful object.))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
Johnothon takes a moment. He pauses, thinking for a while, before finally sighing. I... don’t know. I don’t know, and I dislike that. Best...best I can think of is... destroy the others. Look at what they did to Kash, and Sylrie. They’re horrible, unnatural things that can be used for weaponization. They’re tempting, with some sort of charming Magic, and have no magical energy whatsoever- a detect magic spell has no effect. And you said yourself, it’s a battery to the dreaming dark.
But destroying them would take a while, and too much effort for such a little thing. Not to mention the tunnels potentially collapsing as someone’s down there. I don’t know exactly what to do, and that makes me fear you’re right about burying them. But I still don’t want to leave them underground- the Goblins were crushing crystal into dust. What’s to say they can’t dig through some stone?
After some rest, I can transform into an animal once more. This would merge all objects I have with my being- including the chamber, like I did in the tunnels. After I heal Sylrie, that is. John eyes Feather, the Pegasus Aria rode on. And, if absolutely required, Someone could ride on the winged horse to deliver the message. Although, I’d recommend not that option. We could also try convincing an animal to do it- I have many beast befriending spells- but it could be easily intercepted or distracted.
You say it’s like a battery? In that case, no wonder my spell didn’t work. But it seems almost, sentient- it contains no magical energy, whatsoever. John’s face sours, straight face becoming one of much Dislike. It‘s unnatural. It’s dangerous. If we can’t transport it, I vote to destroy it. I can only shape twice, and for an hour at a time, after all.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
Aria glances at Feather. "Feather could get to Arcanix in...a little over a week and a half. Maybe a little less if she cut across part of the lake, but she can't go right across, she doesn't have the stamina, especially if she's carrying that."
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
She doesn’t have to carry it- she has to carry me. And I can become very small animals. John speaks up at me notion. Of course, we’d have to stop every hour to have me change back. And we’re only speaking if we have to. We shouldn’t be splitting up, not in our condition.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
"Dot, the people of the Reaches have waited this long. Maybe too long fer Aundair to hear their cries. They've already succeeded from the country if talks from Greenheart are to be believed. But imagine being able to use this to help win battles in the war. Imagine turning the tide, because we dared! I'm sick of seeing me friends maimed and killed. I'm tired of this war. I'll fight fer as long as the Queen needs me, but this could be the key to unlocking everything. Imagine if we had a view into the minds of our enemies or a glimpse into the future. I'm just an ol' dog who's seen too many battles to count. But the last couple of days have taken their toll on all of us. Look at Kash, trembling still. Perci has not said a word since coming from back up from the caves. Sylrie can't see. Isuzu is lost. Even Kora has said this is dangerous. Maybe too dangerous! We're out of our element here. And now this...thing. It could be the thing that all this was worth it for. Worth losing Isuzu. Breaking our men, to bring back this! My vote is to go back. My apologies, Aria, but **** the Reaches. They can and have taken care of themselves. Thrane is taking control of our lands, Karnath is supporting them from the sea. King BOREland is bidding his time to pick us off and Cyre...the Six only knows what machines they are conjuring up."
To everyone gathers, this loud and impassioned speech from Sarge is completely out of character. He usually toes the line and is short and to the point. This is something else, a more forceful plea to walk away from their task, YOUR mission, to bring back this strange artifact to Arcanix. His face is red and spittle comes out of his mouth. His hands flay the deeper he gets into his speech.
The LT listens intently, biting her lip and squinting her eyes. This poor gnome woman has a weight on her that she wasn't expecting. Not this quickly. She stands tall and looks at the group.
"Then we decide together. As a unit. We have a mission to uphold. We could all be in danger of being court-martialed. But if this is as dangerous as Kora is suggesting, maybe it will be worth the risk. There is no easy choice here, but I will take full responsibility of whatever we decide. I am the XO here, so the fault will always be on me. But I trust each and every one of you. And your judgment."
"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
"With all due respect Sarge, I do not see the point of winning this war if we do so by abandoning fellow Aundairians who need our help. I can't in good conscience endorse a course of action that calls for us to get abandon our mission, especially for something that we don't even know if it will actually work."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
"Whatever that thing is..... it's powerful, and dangerous.... and there are plenty more down there..." Kash points to the tunnel.
Skameros - Bugbear Barbarian - Out of the Abyss - By Kerrec
Follow your Arrow where it Points - Tabaxi Monk - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
Citron Pumpkinfoam - Fairy Monk - Project Point: Team Longsword
Kora bites her lip, especially at Sarge's outburst, but maybe moreso at the LT's abdication of the chain of command. "Perci's not wrong," she says. "We came here not just on orders from the Queen, but to help our own people. We don't know what these are, and they could take years, maybe decades of study to reveal any secrets. And you know I'd rather take sword to the enemy than anything else."
"Kash is right, too. That hole in the ground is full of these things, and I doubt we explored much of the complex before it began caving in. Taking one and leaving the rest, that seems a dangerous idea, too."
"But the fact is, this is too important for us to ignore. Aundair's mages need to be told of this."
She looks up at the group, making eye contact with whomever is looking at her. "What if... I think we should put this crystal back in the ground," she indicates the cave, "Then collapse the whole thing, at the very least keep their slaves from crawling out, and keep others from getting in. Then we mark it well on a map, and send word to Arcanix. That can be one rider on a fast horse. They can send a team of mages. The rest of us can set about the business that brought us."
She pauses.
"I volunteer to take the message."
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
"I agree with Kora's suggestion. These crystals blinded Sylrie and have messed with Kash in some way. They're very dangerous and we know nothing about them."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Kash will start pushing the crystal back in to the tunnel
Skameros - Bugbear Barbarian - Out of the Abyss - By Kerrec
Follow your Arrow where it Points - Tabaxi Monk - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
Citron Pumpkinfoam - Fairy Monk - Project Point: Team Longsword
Aria listens to the discussion quietly, deeply conflicted. On the one hand, she was brand new to the unit, and felt like she didn't have much of a foundation for weighing in. On the other...the Reaches were her area of expertise, at this point. As Kora makes her suggestion, Aria listens to the responses...then speaks. "I don't wish to abandon the Reaches," she says softly. "They are also Aundair, and during my time here I have seen a great deal of good, and a great deal of people who do not deserve to be abandoned. By Siberys, my family lives here, in Varna, or at least many of them do." She glances at the crystal. "At the same time...they also are at great risk from this thing. I know I'm very new to this, and most of you probably don't trust me in the slightest, but I do care for Aundair. All of it." She bites her lip. "The fastest horse is Feather, she can fly over things the others would have to go around. And she'll be fastest with me. But I don't know...anything about the Inspired."
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
John stops Kash as he starts pushing away the chamber. Not now. Not yet. Calm yourself, and let us discover the complete dangers of this object, before you go off making hasty decisions.
And what are you going to do? Bury it? That just means it’s unguarded- that mind reader- He scowls- Could come back any time and get it back. The best possible option is to study it, and warn everyone.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
Percival interjects, freeing Kash up. "John, we don't have the time to study it now. Nor do we possess the ability to do so without hurting ourselves. If we bury it and collapse the cave, no one will be able to come get it and that mind reader won't be able to leave. Not without digging himself out of a ton of rocks. Aria can ride Feather and contact the Arcanix, they'll know what to do better than any of us. This is the best thing we can do right now."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
I think differently. John states. It’s different than just burying it. If we can’t do much else, we should hide it- people might look near a collapsed tunnel.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
"We're the only people outside of that tunnel who know that this thing exists. And even if someone else was to come looking for it, they would have to clear out all of the rubble and then find the spot that it was buried in. That's as hidden as it gets."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
Kora nods to Perci’s comment. “There are a half dozen or more of those things in there already. We cannot take them with us. We have to bury them. One more, this one, won’t make a difference, to my mind. I would rather stay to guard it, but that is weeks of staying here, waiting. Even if we ask Aria to take the message.”
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
John backs away from the chamber, not having much of a choice in the matter. He visibly doesn’t want to bury it in the tunnels, but will let you do your thing.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
Kora shakes her head, “No, John, speak your mind. If we keep this one here, find a way to hide it, what would we do with those others?”
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
((OOG I literally have nothing to say as you guys are RPing this... good job, though!
So, your decisions are this:
1.) Bury it in the cave
2.) Bury it somewhere else
3.) Somehow take it with you
4.) Take it to Arcanix
It looks like burying it somewhere is going to be one of those options.
The next thing you have to decide is how to get the message to where it needs to go.
1.) As a party
2.) As a Kora
3.) Get rid of Books...ahem as an Aria
4.) Some other means not spoke of yet
It seems like everyone wants to stay and fight in the Reaches if I am reading this all correctly. Sarge doesn't count, he's just never seen such a powerful object.))
"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
Johnothon takes a moment. He pauses, thinking for a while, before finally sighing. I... don’t know. I don’t know, and I dislike that. Best...best I can think of is... destroy the others. Look at what they did to Kash, and Sylrie. They’re horrible, unnatural things that can be used for weaponization. They’re tempting, with some sort of charming Magic, and have no magical energy whatsoever- a detect magic spell has no effect. And you said yourself, it’s a battery to the dreaming dark.
But destroying them would take a while, and too much effort for such a little thing. Not to mention the tunnels potentially collapsing as someone’s down there. I don’t know exactly what to do, and that makes me fear you’re right about burying them. But I still don’t want to leave them underground- the Goblins were crushing crystal into dust. What’s to say they can’t dig through some stone?
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
I believe Kash collected some of that crystal dust FYI
Skameros - Bugbear Barbarian - Out of the Abyss - By Kerrec
Follow your Arrow where it Points - Tabaxi Monk - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
Citron Pumpkinfoam - Fairy Monk - Project Point: Team Longsword