The Summit Road Campaign Thread

Taran leaves the door to Roiin's cell open as he moves to the next, hoping River follows. 

"W-we c-can tr-travel sep-seperately," Taran says not looking at Liira, "B-but he is-isn't the en-enemy, h-he's a v-victim. I... I c-can't j-just leave h-him... I-I c-can't."

Tools with adv 20 and Guidance 2

As Taran pops the lock on Cell 3, he sees it opens on an empty cell.

Taran moves on to Cell #1

Lockpicks: 11 and Guidance from River 4

The door opens on another bare cube of a cell, this one holding a boy of about ten, regarding the door with a calm patience you wouldn't expect in a ten year old. "Ah," he says with a nod, regarding Taran with unsurprised eyes and clearly a great deal more mature then his ten years would suggest. "There you are. I thought you were late, but time is difficult in dreams, and mine wasn't particularly clear."

"crr He's the enemy. crr Not crr Just a kid."

Vishal sigh at everything before once again speaking to Taran in his mind, opening up his emotions to the rogue, showing how scared, anxious, and worrisome the bard really is right now. 

Taran flinches at Vishal's voice in his head.

 
Focusing on the too mature child in front of him, Taran places a hand on his sword. "W-Who are y-y-you? Wh-What d-d-do you w-w-want?"

The boy regards Taran calmly, seemingly unworried by the blade. "My name is Ilaan. And I have been waiting for you to come, ever since I dreamed of you." He lets a quick smile flit across his face. "I'm making you nervous, aren't I. Because I'm not upset, or confused, or in any other way acting like a normal little boy." He glances down at himself, the smile turning sad for a moment before vanishing. "I am not a normal little boy-but of course you figured that out already."

"O-Our e-enemies u-use dr-dreams." Taran says not moving a muscle, "Y-You dr-dreamed us, a-a-and a-are in o-our ene-enemies str-stronghold. Th-That m-means y-y-you c-could b-be one of th-them... A-And y-y-you h-haven't s-s-said wh-what you w-w-want."

Ilaan folds his hands. "I do not dream what others do. In fact, that is how I fight-by dreaming, by having my own dreams. Although I suppose mine are...stranger than most," he muses thoughtfully before raising his eyes to look Taran directly in the eye. "And I want to leave this place, of course. I dreamed you would come. All of you."

Caelius watches Ilaan before looking to the rest of the group, worry on his face. He signs

"I-I d-don't kn-know how to t-tell if s-someone is p-possessed, other th-than the g-golden e-eyes l-like the ch-chosen." Taran responds, then he turns to the strange child, "I-If y-you dr-dreamed the f-future and u-us t-taking y-you from h-here... H-how d-did y-you pl-plan on c-convincing us?"

"I didn't say I dreamed you taking me from here, only that I dreamed you would come, and that I wanted to leave," Ilaan points out with a faint smile. "It got murkier after that-I don't see all the future, only certain events. But I did think I'd let the kalashtar next door do some of the explaining and convincing." He angles his head at Cell 2. "Her quori spirit and I...spoke."

Taran looks over at Liira. 

"C-Could y-you open th-the cell and t-talk to her? I-I'll k-keep an e-eye on him." Taran keeps his hand on his sword hilt, ready to move at the first sign of danger.

Liira nods and moves to the last cell while Tiem watches, saying to Taran, "Is it not a little strange to be so suspicious of this child, who while by no means trustworthy, is still ambiguous in his loyalties, yet plan to alter the entire mission to break out the Chosen boy?"

Lockpicking: 25+2

Liira opens the cell to reveal yet another bare cube of a cell, this one holding a serious looking kalashtar in a meditative position on the floor. She doesn't move or open her eyes as the door opens, and Liira clears her throat. "Likashtai, stop the wise kalashtar crap and get up."

Likashtai opens her eyes with a faint smile. "Hello."

"I-It is," Taran admits to Tiem, not taking his eyes off Ilaan, "B-but h-he sc-scares me. H-Helac i-is a v-victim, a-and d-doesn't s-seem dangerous h-himself. I-Ilaan... I-I d-don't kn-know what y-you are, a-and i-if y-you are as p-powerful a-as y-you cl-claim y-you c-could hurt m-my fr-friends. I-I w-want t-to help you, b-but f-first I-I n-need to kn-know you aren't a-a tr-trap. I-I'm s-sorry."

"I never claimed to be powerful," Ilaan says softly. "I dream freely, which the Inspired believe make me dangerous. Sometimes, my dreams come true. I've learned how to figure out which ones do that. That's all." He folds his hands, apparently content to wait. "My only power comes from my ability to do something most of you likely take for granted, and the reason for that ability...whatever it is."

Tiem watches Ilaan curiously.

Liira leans back, beckoning Vishal over. "Hey Vishal, could you come use your mind voice? Pretty quick way to reassure her this is real and check her own loyalties."

"I-I d-don't take fr-freedom f-for gr-granted. B-but a-all m-my dr-dreams are o-of the p-past, s-so th-they've al-already been tr-true." Taran says quietly. "I-I h-hope th-this turns out t-to b-be a g-good dream, in-instead of a b-bad one." 

Vishal sends a psychic message to Likashanti, 

“Hello. My names Vishal. Ilana, the prisoner next door, said your spirit can vouch for them. Regardless we’re here to rescue you.” 

Likashtai looks up sharply, her own eyes flashing pale green. "I see...hello Vakri," comes a slightly absentminded female voice in his mind just a little different from Likashtai's voice. "I am Kashtai, Vishal. I thought it would be best for us to speak directly for a moment. I have spoken with Ilaan, it's true. While a strange boy with an even stranger connection, he is no tool of the quori. I will do my best to reassure Likashtai of your sincerity, but just as you cannot trust I am truly Kashtai-although perhaps Vakri can help with that-she is having trouble parsing truth from illusion."

As Kashtai speaks in Vishal's mind, he feels a sudden surge of certainty that this is indeed Kashtai, and not an illusion or trick.