[Nexus] Reinholdt's Repository

[The Bushranger]

[Thinking With Portals]

Spoiler

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[Conjunction Junction]

I feel I should mention the guardian is still here in case anyone have forgotten it's presence. It just stare at the portal as it opens. waiting for orders.
From the ceiling above dust, dirt and swamp water starts to rain upon them.

[Conjunction Junction]

"Follow me." Ilpholin tells the guardian, in case that wasn't clear in the whole 'protect me' command she gave it earlier.

"Right outside the entrance of this place." She tells Becky. After all, this was all work towards a goal which isn't quite finished yet if Becky recalls.

She'll then step through the portal.

[Conjunction Junction]

The guardian follows her into the portal and they will end up outside where a group of rather surprised gnolls are waiting. It's the same group as before with one key difference, they all got large bat-wings which appears to have shocked them somewhat.

Becky quickly targets the portal, and through they go!
And, once through, she glowers at the Bat-Gnolls.

She has dust, dirt, and swamp water in her hair and on her tight leather ensemble.
She is not a happy shadowdancer.

[Reinholdt]

[Tomb Entrance]

Well Ilpholin's about as shocked as they are, though she certainly does a better job hiding it.

"Did you all become vampires while we were gone or is there something you'd like to tell me about?"

[Zefir]

[Tomb Entrance]

Zefir shakes off the last dust from his shoulder. Then he spoted the Gnolls.

"Well I didn't thought it works so well, but I still think you could have reanimated the dead one down there."

[Earl of Purple]

Tomb Entrance

"How would ressurecting, or even reanimating, one long-dead gnoll benefit the gnoll race as a whole? It won't. Just increase the population by one. This way, some gnolls can fly. That's beneficial, for me and the gnolls." Nephrim will turn away from Zefir and walk towards the gnolls. "Listen to me! Your wings are a gift from the Lord of the Air, Pazuzu! He is a powerful deity, and this act requires praise. I can teach you how to worship Him properly, should you wish it; or you can ignore what I say and be punished for accepting this gift without proper repayment, for that shall surely anger Him." Nephrim's speaking firmly and persuasively, but there's no mind-control involved.

[Shadowcaller]

[Tomb Entrance]

Still confused the gnolls seems somewhat hesitant at Nephrim's words until they notice the staff Ilpholin have in her hand. Slowly they start to talk among each other and eventually send forward the shaman they spoke to earlier.

"If new god did this we accept him and new chieftain. But we still allowed to worship spirits, right? To be safe." It says with a glance at Ilpholin, gesturing towards his new wings.

[Reinholdt]

[Tomb Entrance]

"Yes." Ilpholin says firmly, just in case Nephrim had other ideas.

"We will be taking some of you back with us to train, physically and spiritually so that you can better defend your village and worship your new god. However, I am aware the importance of protecting your village so, you will be sent help in this regards as your people study, lest other tribes dare think you weak." Ilpholin explains, getting it upfront now that some of them will be coming with them.

[The Bushranger]

[Tomb Entrance]

Becky...

...continues dusting herself off.

[Zefir]

[Tomb Entrance]

"Wisdom? He may be from the time this cave was build and could spare usefull informations about the staff and the gnolls history?"

Zefir answers her question.

"After all this dschinn we found there did a good job. He did give the Gnolls the wings, but I don't think his name was Pazuzu."

He says loud enougth so the shaman could hear him. Thenhe heads for Illophen.

"Oh you got the staff. We found a book with informations about it. Here."

If I remember right he still has the damaged book after all. Now dry.

[Earl of Purple]

Tomb Entrance

"If their language hasn't evolved to the point it's incomprehensible to him, maybe. But he could have been a common labourer and know nothing of any import at all. It was a risk I was not willing to take. Besides, this way I get to convert the gnolls and thus increase my own power in the eyes of Pazuzu. That demon was an agent of Pazuzu, doing His bidding." Or doing the bidding of somebody who ostensibly does His bidding. Nephrim turns to Ilpholin. "I would like to request that in future I not be paired with Zefir. When I accidentally tried to mind-control him, he got mad and we spent more time arguing than getting anything done. He can't accept that he's one of the few people around here that isn't a puppet to dance on the strings of a puppet-master whilst also not being a puppet-master himself." Although pairing them together might help control Nephrim's slight (or not) arrogance problem and assumption that mind control can be used for everything.

[Shadowcaller]

[Tomb Entrance]

"Yes, you are leader now so that would be fine." The shaman replies. "You pick out or shall I choose? They be honored to join chieftain in training." The other gnolls don't look as enthusiastic however. "Strong chieftain mean strong tribe."

[Reinholdt]

Tomb Entrance

Ilpholin takes the book Zefir offers her. Ah, so they did accomplish something. Even quite valuable with both this book and the wings.

"Thank you both." She tells Zefir and Nephrim with a nod.

For the time being, she'll decline to respond to Nephrim's personal request. This really isn't the place to bicker about stuff like that anyways. Not in front of the new recruits.

Instead she'll turn her attention to the shaman. "First... volunteers." She positions herself to talk to the tribe as a whole. Or at least those that were there. "Which among you wishes to become the strongest? Who desires to grow and lead your tribe to a shining new era? Those with the bravery to serve your people step forth now."

[The Bushranger]

Tomb Entrance

Becky seems to be satisfied with her appearance now. And so steps up to stand next to - and one step behind - Ilpholin, arms crossed, sizing up the gnolls.

Clearly she considers the others beneath her.

[Zefir]

Tomb Entrance

Zefir looks at Nephrim confused. The last sentence appear to be no good reason for her request.

"Yeah. 'accidentally'. And whatever you mean I 'accept' not being your puppet if that makes things easier for you."

He shakes his head and shrugs not knowing if that's what she meant.

[Earl of Purple]

Tomb Entrance

"Then behave like it. You act like a puppet who has enough control to be aware they're a puppet, and doesn't like it. You are not a puppet; accept that and stop behaving like a puppet that is aware it's a puppet." I think that makes sense; I've tried to make it clear but it's hard with so many puppets.

[Shadowcaller]

Tomb Entrance

Ilpholin might notice the fact that all gnolls here are male, all the female gnolls appear to be elsewhere.

As for the drow's offer there appear to be a minor argument between the gnolls wherever to join or not before finally a larger gnoll step forward.
"I join, tired of swamp." It says with a shrug.

Once it have stepped forward there is no lack of volunteers, in the the end there is about twenty-five that have joined in with Ilpholin.

The shaman looks a bit weary of the large numbers who is planning to leave the village but says nothing. "...anything else chieftain Ilpholin?"

[Reinholdt]

Tomb Entrance

"No. That will be all for now. We'll be in contact shortly." Ilpholin tells the shaman.

She turns to the rest of the group.
"We're done here for now. Let's go home."

[Zefir]

Tomb Entrance

Zefir just shrugs. What ever Nephrim means must be some demon or angle thing. He is no puppet and only works for Illphi to see his own goals going on. Or does she mean the fact that they all aren't real and that he is a puppet of someone sitting in front of a PC?

Either way Zefir will go home as well, but he will split from them to merge with his plot clone.

[Shadowcaller]

Tomb Entrance

"Wait!" She shaman suddenly exclaims as he turns to Nephrim. "What does your Pazuzu look like like? We know nothing of your god."

[Earl of Purple]

Tomb Entrance

"Of course you don't. Hold on." Nephrim closes her eyes and mutters a few words in Abyssal, the language of demons in her home cosmology. It opens a window to the Abyss above her head, through which can be seen a vast palatial chamber carved out of huge marble blocks and solid clouds. Sitting on an ornate stool is Pazuzu, a feathered humanoid with hands and feet that resemble an eagle's talons, though the hands are adapted to comprise of three fingers and an opposable thumb. His head is like that of an owl, though His bill is larger. Spread out behind Him are four large, feathered wings, with a massive wingspan. "Observe Pazuzu, Lord of the Sky, Master of Birds, Emir of the Air, Ruler of the Clouded Void and Commander-in-Chief of the Abyssal Air Force, my lord and master, He who gave you wings." Pazuzu waves halfway through His introduction.

[Reinholdt]

Tomb Entrance

Ilpholin watches passively for the time being. She personally thinks he's an ugly god, but eh. Could just be an Underdark thing. Never really got along with birds.

[The Bushranger]

Tomb Entrance

"Home sounds good," Becky mutters, still clearly disgusted at the mess she'd gotten soaked in. Then lowering her voice to whisper to Ilpholin. "Especially if it means I don't have to be looking at that."

[Shadowcaller]

Tomb Entrance

The shaman waves back weakly. "I see his holiness." He replies, looking up at the demon lord. "We... we shall build statue to his liking." The gnoll says with a nod.

[Reinholdt]

Tomb Entrance

Oh that's it! It wasn't Pazuzu who fought and bled and nearly got poisoned to death for these gnolls. It wasn't his idea to come and gather them into the fold. They should be worshiping her, not him.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Ilpholin says, bringing the staff down. It doesn't make a satisfying rap though. Probably only a squish. Stupid swamp. All the same her eyes flash as she looks over the gnolls and Nephrim.

"Pazuzu is the lord of air. Any gifts of the earth would be the highest insult to him. You may only worship him with your words. Give him the gift of your breath, nothing more."

[Earl of Purple]

Tomb Entrance

"Indeed, Pazuzu needs no statues. However, as His prophet and your new chief, a statue of Ilpholin would be appropriate. If, of course, she is accepting of such a thing?" Nephrim is hoping to please Ilpholin slightly with these words, making her the prophet of Pazuzu rather than herself. Or in other words, Nephrim has declined becoming the gnoll's religious leader and given the honour to Ilpholin, meaning also that Nephrim can't use the title to wrest control away from Ilpholin.

[Shadowcaller]

Tomb Entrance

The shaman shuffles his feet backwards as Ilpholin suddenly slams the staff into the ground. "Eh... of course chieftain. I meant no offense. We are just not used to gods that you can't make statues off." He gestures towards various idols which seems to have been enacted in honor to the spirits these gnolls worship.

"No offense at all, we follow chieftains commands. Oh yes."

[Reinholdt]

Tomb Entrance

"Errr... I suppose." She just wants everyone's undying love and adoration!
But she guesses a statue will do.
Not sure about being the whole priestess thing though.

But it's better than someone else getting a statue, that's for sure.
"Yes, if you are so inclined to build a statue, let it be of me."

[Shadowcaller]

Tomb Entrance

The shaman grins, that would make things so much easier. Who could worship something without an idol? That was just crazy.

"We shall if chieftain wants of course." He says with a short nod. "Big idol of her shall be placed right there between Hokori and Katagi." The gnoll points out a location standing between the two largest idols.

[Reinholdt]

Tomb Entrance

Hmm... Ilpholin wonders if she should tear down those other statues, but decides against it for the time being.

"Well. Good. Is there anything else before we leave?" Ilpholin asks, looking at the gnolls and Nephrim.

[Shadowcaller]

Tomb Entrance

The gnoll grins and shakes it's head. "No, no, nothing else. You can go now and return with better warriors, yes?"

[Earl of Purple]

Tomb Entrance

"Not that I can think of, Ilpholin." Nephrim smiles. It's quite a nice smile; the fact that the face it's on is that of a ten-year-old girl likely helps there.