Numenera- In Search of Lost Gods IC

[Tacitus]

Kilian accepts his down payment and chuckles as he follows Gael out, "Aye, vittles would not go amiss. And if you manage to spill food all over yourself like I suspect you will, I've got a solution for that. Quite literally, actually. I could ask for divine providence in cleaning up messes, but that would be wasteful and wrong. So very wasteful. We may also need a few morsels for the road, maybe a few tools. Want to split the cost for some tools for tinkering with divine relics? I seem to have gotten mine eaten by a cat. Yes a bloody cat. No, you don't get details."

Spoiler

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Looking for a day or two of rations, just in case, and hoping someone might be willing to split the cost of a bag of light tools at 5 shins each. Might could do with some extra torches, but I've got 2 on hand.

[Warpwolf16]

The market is full of people both native and exotic selling wares. You spot at least three civil looking aeon priest wandering the stalls and a few non humans. Though after a while you hit the open food stalls with people hocking fresh fried or frozen meals, some pleasing to the eyes while others to the nose and some in neither category. Among the stalls are some beast as well alive and dead, each doing their own thing as merchants try and hock their meats. "Seskii! Rare seskii meat aged to perfection! Hard cheese good for the road! Exotic spices and salts from the salt merchants by the sea!"

Inside the aeon priest dwelling the acolytes move to work on small projects while another runs outside shouting. "I shall return with the guide! He shall know the way!" The mad aeon priest finally slumped into a chair placed behind him in expectancy of his collapse. One of the acolytes approaches those you stayed behind or returned in time. "If your belly aches or your thirst is great we can cater to your hunger with a simple meal, our kitchen is filled with food and staffed by one of our own."

Spoiler: ooc

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You can find what you can easily acquire. Weapons, armor, food, beast of burden.

[XIII]

"Our minds will serve well enough against any numenera, as will hedge magic against any nefarious stains on our garments. So, Master Kilian was it? You also claim to see without seeing as Drex does? What do you believe then? That stars are pinholes in the cover of night your god blankets over us to sleep? A parent is god in the eyes of a child, so as it is with us and the "gods"."

Brother Gael spits out the word "gods" as though it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. He speaks while searching for a place to sit and eat, for his stomach beckons him loudly.

[Q'telun]

Akira, having completed his minimal shopping needs, returns in time to witness the collapse of the mad priest. "I 'ppreciate the offer of a meal before we set off for parts unknown. If'n you can spare it, I'd gladly eat with you fine gentlemen."

[Anyr]

Kia likewise accepted the offered meal. No sense in passing up a free gift. But when the pair sat down to eat, those present might notice something strange: One Kia ate and drank far more enthusiastically than the other one. Normally their reactions were in such perfect synch as to be indistinguishable. Weird.

[Warpwolf16]

After a moment food was brought out for your enjoyment by the acolytes that featured heavily fish and mollusk in hearty sauces served with bread and cheese. "Our master should wake soon, until then please enjoy your meal." The acolyte looks to Kia. "Is something not of your taste miss? We could prepare something special for you." He looks concerned.

A hard knock can be heard outside as a acolyte scampers in and darts to a hidden room. A grunt can be heard as a tall tattooed man enters wielding a metal spear and simple armor of hides followed by a blueish seskii. "Hello gentlemen and ladies, I will be your guide for this journey. This is Blue my companion." He pats the seskiis head as its tongue lolled to the side at the attention.

[Anyr]

After a moment food was brought out for your enjoyment by the acolytes that featured heavily fish and mollusk in hearty sauces served with bread and cheese. "Our master should wake soon, until then please enjoy your meal." The acolyte looks to Kia. "Is something not of your taste miss? We could prepare something special for you." He looks concerned.

The less enthusiastic Kia looked a little surprised. She'd found nothing to complain about in the meal.

"Hmm? No, it's all delicious. I'm really enjoying it."

The other one, though, was quick to understand the acolyte's confusion. Again, it was a bit weird to see her so 'desynched' from her twin.

"Pay no mind to our different reactions. We both have exactly the same tastes. It's just that this is the first food I've eaten in over a week. I don't actually need to eat, you see: So I tend to go without, to help conserve our rations."

Ah, so this one must be the duplicate. This was the first time that she'd given herself away.

A hard knock can be heard outside as a acolyte scampers in and darts to a hidden room. A grunt can be heard as a tall tattooed man enters wielding a metal spear and simple armor of hides followed by a blueish seskii. "Hello gentlemen and ladies, I will be your guide for this journey. This is Blue my companion." He pats the seskiis head as its tongue lolled to the side at the attention.

Both Kias rose to greet the newcomer. She always liked to make a good first impression with her guides. Such people performed a vital service in this chaotic world.

"Glad to meet you, sir. If you don't mind my asking, how far will we be travelling?"

[Tacitus]

He collects some food good for travels and returns to the Aeon Priests and while sitting down to eat he responds to Gael's comment, "My god is one that has been forgotten. Things he has revealed to me do make me wary of other religions, but it is not something to be spoken of here. It would be most rude. My god revealed truths to me and elevated me from a mere boy into a fully grown man with the knowledge to acknowledge false miracles, to operate relics. I trust what I have seen. If another god shows me their own truth, I cannot deny that, but neither can I deny my own."

He looks to the guide when he enters and nods in greeting but does not rise from his food, "Good day, sir guide. Kilian Bohl, and you?"

[XIII]

Brother Gael sits and begins to consume the food in front of him with great joy, abandoning completely the appearence of the old cook he seems to be. Paying attention to Kilian, he speak in between bites, "There are people in the world so hungry, that God and the ultimate truth cannot appear to them except in the form of bread. Perspective is everything young deliverer! I sense that soon all of our perspectives will be shifted, one way or another..."

Continuing to devour his meal, refilling his plate twice, Brother Gael looks up at their guide and his seskii, "Delightful! Oh, how I love these creatures! Pure of heart and with the courage to boot!" Brother Gael stands from his seat and approaches the seskii with a piece of fish in hand, "May I?" He asks the guide, extending his hand with food towards the seskii, "I find it interesting that if you provide them with food, water, shelter, and affection they will think you are as a god. Unlike man, who believes if he is provided as such above others, he is as a god, no?"

Brother Gael lowers himself to the seskii's level, awaiting permission to feed the noble creature.

[Q'telun]

Akira simply raises his glass in greeting to the guide, busy devouring his fish, bread and cheese.

[Warpwolf16]

The guide nodded. "You can call me Zal Derek and go ahead Blue is friendly as can be." He scratches the Seskii behind the ear before nodding to the room. "I am told we are to travel west in hopes of finding a ruin that Jezzel Drex has found in old maps and 'revelations'. The trip will take two days if we take it easy by foot and hopefully avoid any problems." He pulled a map from his bag and rolls it out on the table showing the indicated route. "This time of year a group of margr can be found migrating and slaughtering around the mountains so we'll avoid that." Drex began to stir in his chair and slowly came too and began consuming the food infront of him. His ports sparked a bit and the smell of burning copper could be smelled.

[XIII]

Brother Gael feeds the seskii, his attentions now totally focused on the animal. He pays no mind to the conversation or people around him. From belly rubs to whatever games he can play with the creature, he may as well be gone.

[Q'telun]

Akira swallows a mouthful of food before leaning over the map and looking over the proposed route. "Glad to hear we're avoidin' the Margr. Though, you ever been near the area our employer is aimin' to get to?"

[Warpwolf16]

"A few years back but I saw nothing important. I was leading a herd for a local Shepard to another settlement," he replied as he rummaged though his bag. "Drax insist his sight beyond sight will show him more then our mortal eyes can see."

Drex awakens to the mention of his name. " I am ready brothers and sisters of creation! Let us be off!" He stands up as his robe slips free revealing his scarred flesh as his acolytes quickly clothe him in travel clothes and donning a wide be hat. He grabs a staff and strokes the ornate runes that cover its length.

Spoiler: gaels sight

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These runes glow brightlyto your vision and see phantom hands places on Drex shoulders

[Anyr]

Kia followed Drex's lead; Pausing only to grab a last mouthful of food. She was quick to voice her commitment to the mission at hand.

"Rghtkj smunf!"

...Probably should have finished chewing first.

[XIII]

The old man Gael grumbles at being interrupted from playing with the seskii. He stands and shields his eyes from Drex, even more annoyed now seemingly at the mere sight of the man. He makes his way to the doorway grumbling, "Shrouded... With steady stride... Colored by blood... Clear of mind... Proud... Church... Beasts... Shackle... Only ye... True blades..."

[Tacitus]

Kilian nods and stands to follow, "Then let us be away. Standing about is no way to uncover the mysteries of the divine."

[Q'telun]

Akira snags the last of his meal and deposits it into bread. "Well the pay's good, so I won't be complainin' if we turn out to be chasin' stars." He slings his travel pack over his shoulder, then looks around in confusion for a moment. Evidently giving up on finding what he's misplaced, he follows Drex out the door once the mad nano is ready.

[Warpwolf16]

Zal nodded and moved to exit the room. "I'll move to the edge of of town take your time." The man moves out followed by Blue while Drex strolled out of the workshop shouting to his acolytes to keep the chapel open and tend to his projects. As your party moves on you notice several aeon priest follow and move as Drex waves to them as they try to avoid him.

"Old friends of mine who dont see eye to eye anymore."

Zal is found on the edge of the settlement with Blue and four more seskiis bearing on their backs small packs. He waves happily before trying to keep two of his companions calmed and prevent him from running to the group. "I brought some companions! They need the training anyways!"

[XIII]

Brother Gael stops his mutterings when he notices all the glorious beasts gathered and he smiles ear to ear, "Oh, happy day! We could not ask for greater companions for our decent into the unknown!" Gael can be found fawning over the many seskii, learning their names and giving gratuitous belly rubs.

[Warpwolf16]

Zal laughs at Gaels reaction to the seskiis. "I have a small farm on the edge of town where my family raises and trains them for several duties including hunting, protecting, and acting as couriers." He pats Blues head before giving the seskii a treat then handing a few hard biscuits to Gael for his new friends. "I've had a knack for training and breeding seskii's and other animals since I was a boy, once we are back I wish you to come visit us and possibly pick one if you wish. You seem quite fond of our mutual friends." He checked his bags and his hounds before nodding muttering something. "The four dont have names, my daughter calls them Blinky, Stony, Toothy, and Sly." He points to each of the seskiis.

Drex gave a hearty laugh and tapped his staff on the ground. "So be it Zal but we must go! Night draws near and we should go before darkness cover these lands!" The priest began to walk giving praise to the fundamental forces of reality as his sockets sparked briefly. He moves as if he knows the way only to stop every few feet looking around questioningly but then laughs and continues on.

[Anyr]

And so the journey began. Kia settled automatically into her role as a guard. As she walked, two pairs of eyes scanned the surroundings. Her job was to protect this mad priest from any danger he might stumble into: And from the looks of it, he wouldn't be making that easy.

[XIII]

Gael take the treats excitedly, "No creature is as noble as the seskii, in this old man's opinion! My father made a living off excavating ruins and had a seskii companion of his own. He was family, and my guardian. His name was Rex..." Brother Gael pauses and swallows hard, choking on his own words, "Your offer is too kind and I graciously accept, should I survive this endeavor." Brother Gael's spirits seem dampened just as much as they were uplifted.

[Q'telun]

Akira falls to the back of the group, slowing down to a comfortable marching pace that can last all day. No sense in rushing and wearing himself out. As he walks, he keeps an eye on the seskiis' behavior, trusting them to notice any danger before the party does.

[Warpwolf16]

Zal smiles."Dont be so negative Gael! We shall all return! You might like my daughter." He looks at Drex and then back to Gael whispering "I think she has promise as a nano at the age of 8 but she speaks of fairies and spirits...I dont want Drex or the Priesthood to know. They'll rip her mothers teaching from her." He seems worried by the thought but whistles for his seksii's to move in formation to move on but Blinky stays near Gael.

You make it to a clear open path well trodded. Zal mentions it is a common path and it would be easier to take it to their destination but darkness is growing near and night can be a dangerous time in the Ninth World. Drex seems insistent of going onward but the mad nanos expectations seem in favor of a night without interuptions. Zal works moves to all the seksii's activating small glow globes emitting a dim light.

Drex seems infuriated and begins shouting. "I hired you to take us to the gate! I care not if your afraid of the dark or the abhumans! There is a goal that must be achieved." He begins tapping his staff heavily on the ground and pacing. "I see clearly in the night! Why cant you!" The priest screeches and begins to spasm as his muscles twitch like before in the workshop.

[Anyr]

"Sir, these relics you seek have been lying there for generations. Surely an extra few hours won't make any difference? Besides, we'll have a better chance of actually reaching them if we avoid unnecessary risks."

[XIII]

Brother Gael whispers back to Zal, "Ah, is she a natural psionic then? No worries, I never cared much for the Aeon Priests or their kind anyway. You have a friend in me, Zal. Mark my words, your little one should have a proper teacher eventually lest she end up like myself, mind peeled away and barriers between the in betweens broken where only eldritch horrors pour out to feast on your soul with no concept of compassion or humanity. Cold prying tendrils seeping into ones mind asking for blood and eyes, blood an.... I'm sorry, sometimes I lose my grip." Gael's voice rises and falls unnaturally and takes different tones randomly, his face shows his embarassment. Gael pats Zal on the shoulder and with a thud of his staff on the ground summons a globe of light at the top of his staff.

G"ael, annoyed with Drex, "Drex!!!.... Shut up, man and beast alike must rest and eat. My old bones ache anyway. Zal, you're the lead here, where shall we set up camp? And be thanksful that you do not see as we do..."

[Warpwolf16]

Zal nods. "Thank you Gael." He points to mound visible in the distance. "There, if we hurry we can get in the shelter we built a few winters back." He watches Drex slowly leave his state of mad shaking. "Its safe, theyre spaced evenly along the trail meant for travelers and herdsman." He starts walking, "lets not make to much noise since 'father' Drex had such a revelation." He whistles low as the seskiis move as a pack following Zal.

Drex pants heavily. "YES SLEEP! I REQUIRE REST!" The aeon priest grumbles and fidgets slightly as he leans on his staff slowly limping after Zal. Night has come completely as the moon is visible in the sky, a faint glimmer covers its horizon. Two seskii's move ahead their small glow globes bobbing in the distance but stop abruptly falling to the ground letting out a audible yelp that is soon covered by screeching.

[Q'telun]

"Looks like we aint gettin' any rest just yet." Akira slips his twin blades out of their holsters, and moves cautiously ahead into the darkness where they last saw the glowglobes, on guard against the horrors of the night.

[Anyr]

Like Akira, Kia also wielded two weapons: Albeit in a rather different way. One of her drew a heavy greatsword, and moved to follow her fellow Glaive. The other stayed back, with a loaded dart launcher ready to fire.