World of Eninn: Rise of the Tyrant II

[kariokie]

Shae

Shae snaps into action, not because she feels any less overwhelmed, but because she has to. Catherine's arms around her cause her to inhale sharply. "Uh." Blinking once, she rapidly takes in the scene. She drops her sword. Her right arm reaches around Catherine and quickly undoes the strap holding the shield to her left arm – that arm now swelling painfully around the leather binding anyhow. The shield clatters to the ground.

Stepping forward, her right arm still around Catherine, Shae's left hand then whips out and grabs the huge mastiff by the back of the neck. "No. Bad dog. Sit!" Her face, already pale, goes stark white with the exertion of moving the injured arm, but she firmly holds the huge dog by the scruff of its neck, pulling it back and down to get it to sit. "I got him, Maeslyra."

[EvilRoeSlade]

Catherine

Thesre. Upon that simple foreign utterance, the beast hops off the elf mid-lick (Shae's hand could scarcely budge its powerful body) and peers at the wand in her hand. Seeming to understand its meaning it then gives Maeslyra a stern and disapproving look. Good. Now help her up. Haruch dir uron. The immense dog pads behind Maeslyra and begins nudging her back, easily able to provide a stable and unyielding surface to rise on as it is nearly equal to her standing height even on all fours. Sorry for startling you like that, says Catherine though she's incapable of concealing her immense amusement. I've learned to control them pretty well, but that doesn't mean they're golems. Sometimes my own feelings influence their actions.

She's leaning against Shae, still caught up in victory revels and completely lacking in inhibitions.

[dauphinous]

Maeslyra

Maeslyra moves quickly out of the way of the dog, wishing to have nothing to do with it. She ignores Catherine and takes Vandrel's hand to rise, only then realizing she still has the wand pointed at the dog. The wand goes back into her pack and she finishes carrying through on her intentions. She looks to Shae, saying quietly just one word, "Healing". Whatever she's feeling at the moment, it is being carefully restrained in every way. The pulse of divine energy flows from her just a few seconds later, then she moves off to go retrieve her cat.

Spoiler

Show

Sacred Purification, which heals 8 hit points.
It reads like the bad guys are all very, very dead. If that is not the case, Maeslyra will wait, either for them to slip away or for someone to coup de grace them.

[Rapscallion]

Sunduval

Sunduval will stand and rest his hands on hips as he feels the divine energy wash over him. He will doff his helm and run a gauntleted hand over his hair as he smiles at Maeslyra. " what spell was that you cast from your wand? I feel almost impervious to their blows. Please thank your deity in your evening prayers from me. While I am a man of the Sungod, I do not stand alone against this enemy. My thanks friends for your interventions spells, arrows and song."

[kariokie]

Shae

Everyone's words seem like they're coming from a hundred miles away again. Blinking, Shae lets go of the dog once it moves away from Maeslyra. She nods absently when the elf says a word and leaves, though she's not quite sure what the word was. The pain leaves her arm, though, only the slightest twinge to remind her of the ettin's blow.

All the while she can feel the warmth of Catherine against her.

Suddenly, she can hear again. The world comes into focus and stays that way. Shae exhales, and slowly releases Catherine. "Uh. Work. To do." She leans down and collects her sword, cleaning it as best she can before sheathing it again. She returns her shield to her back, and then sets about making sure the ettin and ogres are dead. Finally she starts to collect together anything of value from them that she finds, or that anyone else points out.

[Santanya]

Vandrel

Vandrel frowns, stepping directly between the dog and Maeslyra, shoving it away from her if it does not get the picture. "Control your beasts," is all he says to Cathrine stepping away from it and assisting Maeslyra.

The girls reactions to things boggled him. She grew sick over human but apparently took joy in anything else. That was worse that even Maeslyra's views.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Catherine

Her reverie broken, Catherine stares at Maeslyra. Again she had been spurned, this time when she had tried to apologize. Which meant of course that her apology hadn't been accepted, and in the worst possible way. It makes her feel like an awkward little girl. Shae's apparent rejection only bruises her ego further.

Excuse me, she says quietly. But it isn't a beast, and it isn't my job to control it. It's a being of good from the celestial realms that came here to aid us in our battle, and it deserves your respect. I don't see why the two of you are getting so upset over it, it just wanted to give Maeslyra some kisses and got a bit carried away.

[Lost Sage]

Godwin's satisfaction watching the last Giant fall is almost palatable. wow! we did i...

Smack!

The kiss from Catherine snaps him away from the scene. The nearness of the beautiful young woman stops any other thought as hormones kick in. He smiles, but Catherine is already gone and hugging Shae. The adrenaline, relief, and flash of desire have left him speechless - a rare occurrence. The bard blinks once,... twice,... and finally brings the world back into perspective. nope, not going down that road. been there.... done that.... not going again. He watches, somewhat dazed, at the interplay between the teenagers and the elves. It's familiarity completes the process of coming back to himself.

The bard slowly stows his short bow back into position across his pack. "Whatever else" he says to the others in tones of reconciliation "We make an incredible team. I've heard of entire caravans being wiped out by one of those things... and we faced four."

"Diversity is very powerful. We have a lot of it. But it doesn't make getting along and easier." he finishes, looking back and forth between the elves and Catherine.

[Eratosthenes]

The Forest Somewhere West of Clydemaark
Midday, Thursday, 18th of Springdawn 1556

The giants do not stir as Shae begins poking and prodding thru their meager belongings. The clubs the creatures were using were nothing more than small trees, uprooted and converted to weaponry. In one case roots and dirt still cling to one end of the makeshift club.

Amongst the hideskin pouches of the ogres can be found bits of bone, feathers, and indiscernible bits of dried meat.

The ettin has a much larger pouch slung across its back. Within is a veritable cornucopia of assorted 'treasures': a pouch containing about a five pounds of small pebbles, a haunch of wormy meat, a large silvery cloth - encrusted with what can only be dried slime and mucous - that could be a cape or cloak or poncho, a small well-chipped bust of some old bald man with black stones set around the neck, a moderate sized leather coin purse (containing about 200 gold coins), a half-rotten woven basket, and a partially eaten duck.

[kariokie]

Shae

For now, she avoids the conflict. First, she's not really up to it. The fight has filled her head with horrible somethings, left her drained, and with a strange feeling of dread.

And she can't fault anyone or take a side. Animals should behave. They shouldn't leap on people. It must have been frightening for Maeslyra, and then humiliating when Sunduval and Catherine found her reaction amusing. But the dog meant no harm, nor did Catherine. There wasn't really a clear right or wrong. So, like so many of Shae's earlier conflicts with others, it was just a thing that needed to happen. They could clear the air, or they could decide to suck it up and move on, but they couldn't just avoid it. Anyhow, it didn't need her involvement.

Shae brings over and lays out all of the contents of the bags, even the items that seem worthless, like the bag of pebbles and the half-eaten duck. She throws the haunch of maggoty meat down with a satisfied grin, the same one she'd get when she'd pin down one of her less martial brothers and see how close to their face she could get a string of drool without actually hitting them. It actually makes her feel normal for a second, the gross, playful malice of the act. She squats down and begins looking over the mucous-coated cloth. When there's a break, she looks up and interjects, "What's magical, what's valuable? My money's on the duck. Uh. Half-duck."

Spoiler

Show

Knowledge (Arcana): (1d20+8)[15]

[dauphinous]

Maeslyra

"Protection From Evil." Maeslyra gives the response to Sunduval as she walks away. It takes a few moments to convince her cat to climb down from the tree, but Nimaia gets the calm from Maeslyra and jumps down. Only to be scooped up into Maeslyra's arms. "Yes, you did the right thing, Nimaia," she murmurs soothingly. "They were much bigger than you. There is no shame in being afraid of things larger than you whose intentions seem hostile."

Maeslyra gives Catherine a completely neutral gaze. "First, do not tell me who or what deserves my respect. Second, I may not feel remorse for killing these creatures, but joy is not an appropriate response to the death of sentient beings. Third, you do not have the liberty to dictate to me how I perceive anything."

She turns away from Catherine, uninterested in pursuing the issue. She casts Detect Magic and takes a look over the objects Shae has brought over.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Catherine

Catherine's lip trembles, and she darts over, standing in front of Maeslyra. Wh-what are you talking about? That's completely unfair! We won! We're alive! Why don't I have a right to be happy about that? Do you expect me to be miserable every time we win a battle? What have I done to deserve this treatment? We've bled together! We should be friends!

Catherine bursts into tears and runs away, finding a tree to hide behind.

I just want to be friends, is that too much to ask for? To be friends with my allies?

[dauphinous]

Maeslyra

"That one," Maeslyra leans around Catherine and points to the cloth, "is magical. Weak Evocation. That's it. Must be a cloak or cape or something." She watches the little girl run off without waiting for any other sort of input and rolls her eyes. "Honestly, Shae, I am not trying to upset her on purpose. I am just not good with children." A pause, and a half a smirk forms on her face. "Or dogs."

She peers down at the cloth on the ground and wrinkles her nose in disgust. "Is that...snot?"

[kariokie]

Shae

"Damn. I thought it would be the maggots you noticed." Shae pulls off her gloves for a minute, using the heels of her bare hands to rub her eyes. "Speaking as the other child of the group – and don't pull that 'you are very wise, young one' bulls--- – no, you're no good with kids. You had me on edge from day one. You're a very… there's a lot of you there, you know? Very charming. Very powerful. You're a person who… well, people want to be liked by you, Maeslyra. And you don't like many people. It's not easy."

"Same time, Catherine told me she'd suck it up. That saving the world or whatever the hell we're up to was more important than worrying about every time you or Vandrel hurt her feelings. Frankly, I don't want to spend the next two weeks chasing her behind a tree every time she loses a fight." Shae shrugs, pulling back on her gloves. "I don't have a solution. I really don't. I'm just saying, there's two sides."

[dauphinous]

Maeslyra

Blowing out a breath through her mouth, Maelsyra nods. "Yes, two sides," she says with some measure of resignation and sadness. "I know that. Does she? Maybe. Maybe not." She shrugs lightly. "You've seen my temper. I know it's there and I am making the effort to control it. All change takes time. And that is not something I can explain to her. It is also not your problem."

She turns to look in the general direction that Catherine went. "It should not be that only one person here can connect with her, but that seems to be the case. She is not really so different from me, actually. Take away the..." she casts about for the right word, "innocence? No, that isn't really the word for it. Naiveté, I suppose. But there is a lot that I've come to see in me that is in her, too." This statement only seems to sadden her a little more. She begins to turn away, then stops, looking at Shae. "I am truly sorry that you always seem to have to be in the middle. That is not my wish, but I strongly suspect that I will only make it worse at this point."

Nimaia starts purring and bumps her head up against her elf's chin.

[Lost Sage]

Godwin

The bard purses his lips. Uncertain if he really wants to get involved any further. He feels for Catherine. He knows what it's like to be banging against that sort of personality. His more conservative instincts tell him to leave it alone. But that part of him that jumps out of windows is as strong as ever, and not likely to chance being left out of something as unpredictable as this.

Godwin walks slowly over the tree Catherine is behind. Giving the girl time to have that first good cry. When he gets there he doesn't walk around the tree, but just to the side, neither looking at her nor turning his back to her.

"Catherine." He makes it a statement, not a question - an honest, open voice without judgement.

"Do you like cats?"

Having gained the girl's attention he turns to look in her direction. Giving her as much attention as she is giving him.

"I'm not talking about the playful kittens... Or the kind that jump in your lap or rub against your legs. I'm talking about the older ones that sit in the windowsill, disdainfully watching the comings and goings of mere mortals through their domain. Well..., Maeslyra is like a cat. She has been watching this world for longer then all of us humans have even lived... all of us combined. She has a lot of wisdom. But the wisdom she doesn't have is remembering what it's like to be a kitten playing with a ball of yarn. Us children must really get on her nerves sometime."

"But you know... if you just let the cat be. Give it respect and go about your business as best as you are able. Eventually you'll come to an understanding. That understanding is useful in more ways then you can expect. At least, that's what I've found."

"But please!" the bard says looking directly at Catherine with worried grin "Don't tell Maeslyra I compared her to an old cat sitting on a windowsill!"

[kariokie]

Shae

"Sometimes you have to make things worse to make them better. A good throwdown might do wonders. These skirmishes do f--- all. Anyhow," Shae pauses, figuring how to make this sound benign as it can, since it was addressing a rather private conversation in public, "it's fighting dirty I can't stand, not fighting itself. People should go on and get mad if they want. Anything less feels dishonest. If I'm a jackass, someone should tell me. Then I'll put them in a headlock and we'll reach a new level of understanding."

She grows more serious, standing and walking towards Maeslyra, jerking her head off to the side. A few steps away, she says quietly, "Listen, it's best if I don't talk to Catherine, I think. You're no idiot, you've caught what these guys haven't. If I talk to her, I'm being the friend she so desperately wants, but I have another motive. One she very obviously has no interest in. Until I can be the… until I can be just the friend she wants, I think it's best if I steer clear. Otherwise it's like lying."

She notices Godwin then, and points, "Anyhow, looks like Godwin's dealing with it. The good thing about Catherine is I don't think she cares much what's said, so long as it's in a nice tone." A smile starts to break across Shae's face and she explains herself further, "That's a polite way of saying: if I'm ever crying behind a tree and you send Godwin to talk to me, he'll probably come back missing half his teeth. Nice guy, incredible knack for saying the exact wrong thing to me." She rubs her eyes again, tired. "Maybe that's more about me than him, though. Anyhow, I'm talking your ear off. I'll go get to work. Got a snotcloth to pack." The word 'snotcloth' makes her eyes dance in merriment, and she scans Maeslyra's face for the disgusted look she knows is coming.

[dauphinous]

Maeslyra

Some of what Shae says about herself snaps a piece into place for the elf. She nods and starts scritching her cat. Then she shrugs quite lightly, almost unnoticeably. "I would prefer not to fight with Catherine at all." She glances off again to where she can now see Godwin. "I should talk to Godwin sometime soon, I think." It is said generally as if she perhaps didn't mean for it to be out loud.

She does not fail to disappoint with an expression of distaste at the mention of the 'snotcloth'. But then she smirks. "I can clean it up. Vandrel," she turns and scans for him, then waves and calls to him in Auran. Then she turns back, now grinning and casts Prestidigitation, setting to the task of cleanup.

[Eratosthenes]

Forest West of Clydemaark
Midday, Thursday 18th of Springdawn 1556

Once cleaned, the cloth reveals itself to indeed be a cloak. The material is silvery, with gold him. On the inner lining runes are stitched into the cloth around the border.

Shae examines the now clean clothing, but cannot discern its function or purpose.

[kariokie]

Shae

"Have no idea what this is, aside from a big old ettin hanky." Shae folds up the cloak and hands it to Maeslyra. "Let me know if you figure it out." She eyeballs the remaining goods and grabs the bag of coins and the bust, taking them to the horses.

Bootsie bounds over to greet her. "Yeah, I saw you. Good dog, keeping those pesky horses in line." She carefully puts the bag and the bust in Godwin's saddle bags, then sets to checking over and calming the horses, preparing them to depart.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Catherine

Catherine composes herself eventually. A mean old cat, hmm? She giggles tiredly, and then sighs. She's so beautiful, wise, confident. I wish I could be a little more like her, but I'm not an elf and that will never come to be. So I guess I feel like I can only be at peace with her if she would... look at me once in a while, make me feel like I exist, tell me I did a good job instead of telling me that I enjoy the death of my enemies. That's so not fair! Ugh. She rises up. I still don't feel like I'm a part of this group. All that's keeping me here is that I don't have anywhere else to go. Without friends I'll have nothing and then I'll probably die or live life as though it were a shadow of death. But thank you Godwin. Thanks for cheering me up even when I act like a baby. She gives the bard a quick but firm embrace and a peck on the cheek.

I've made up my mind that that's the last time I'll cry. Even a noble can't expect to be respected unless they deserve respect. Her eyes still bleary, she moves back to her horse, standing beside it and waiting to leave, only assisting the others if requested to.

[dauphinous]

Maeslyra

With the cloth now clean, and shoved into her hands, Maeslyra runs her fingers over it and shakes it out again. A single eyebrow lifts as she examines the hem and realizes what she's holding. "Now this," she mutters mostly to herself, "this I could use." She folds the cloak up and stuffs it in her pack, intending to discuss its power and disposition with the others later.

She looks around and notes that this matter seems to be well in hand. After dropping the cat gently to the ground, she moves over to where Vandrel is and gets in his way, not letting him go anywhere without a kiss.

[Lost Sage]

Godwin

"Uh, you're welcome" replies Godwin to Catherine's thanks and hug. yup, and that's a little closer then i am comfortable with.

The bard does his best to ignore the lingering feeling of the hug as he walks back to the others. what i need... is five solid nights in Capaal. but i'm not likely to get them am i? instead, i'm wondering through trees with some crazy women fending off two-headed monsters that want me for breakfast.... huph, so who's crazy here?

He walks over to Turin and notes a new bulge in his saddle bags. Investigation yields a bunch of gold, which is welcome, and an oddly shaped lump resembling a bald head, which is not. The bard takes the head over to Shae. "You want to find out if anything is inside?"

Spoiler

Show

Godwin will keep the black stones from around the bust's neck after they break it - who knows....

[Rapscallion]

Sundvual

Sunduval will stand watch looking around this latest battlefield and replaying his fight over in head. he will smile at Maeslyra's response and nod.

After the treasure is collected he will remount Sunchaser and head off slowly in advance of the group at a slow gallop.

"Vandrel, do you think we backtrack their trail to fond out more about these massive creatures ?"

[kariokie]

Shae

After she checks over the horses, Shae washes her face and hands, then leans her head against Annabelle's flank like she did when she was younger. Sighing deeply, she closes her eyes. A wave of regret fills her, a deep longing for a life she had just a year ago. As quickly as the melancholy overwhelms her, she pushes it away. Keep moving, Shae.

She helps Catherine on to her horse with just an extended hand, keeping her eyes averted, pretending to be intensely interested in something far away. Godwin's invitation is met with a nod. Shae takes the bust, places on a bit of hard ground, and whacks it with her mace until it cracks. It's a satisfying feeling, to have such a deliberate physical effect on the world, but it's fleeting. Shrugging at the rubble she's left in her wake, she returns to her horse and mounts up, swinging her leg over the horse in a fluid movement. "Don't think we should get distracted tracking these guys back. This is the rough, no one out here for them to hurt if there's others. If they have a lair it could be days away, anyhow. Let's just get to where we're going." The shorter this trip was, the easier it would be.

[Santanya]

Vandrel

Vandrel observes and keeps an eye on their surroundings as the others deal with the reminents of the giants, making no attempt to get away from Maelsyra when she comes to him. He stands with her, quietly observing. He looks at the bust, peering for a few minutes to try to remember the face of the bust. He does however chuckle as Shae destroys the is. "Take the gems," he suggests at they move back to the horses.

"I would have to agree with Shae," Vandrel says as he remounts, then helps Maeslyra mount the horse. "They are not our quarry right now. Hopefully their lair is far away," he adds as he settles in for the ride. "And in the opposite direction from where we are travelling."

He starts the horse back towards their, staying slow until everyone is under way, then continuing on at a normal pace.

[dauphinous]

Maeslyra

"I normally do not condone the destruction of artwork, but that isn't really art anymore." Maeslyra nods and settles in behind Vandrel. I have to remember to recharge the stone on the bow again tonight. And to check Nimaia's claws for damage. Alas for privacy. She snuggles in against Vandrel and sighs lightly, then starts ruffling his hair absently.

[Eratosthenes]

Continued Travels
Early evening, Thursday, 18th of Springdawn 1556

Leaving behind the corpses to fertilize the forest, the group presses on. Travel is slower, as no roads or paths exist to follow. Landmarks and the sun above are the only sign to go by.

Near the end of the day, the party wanders into a clearing. Ahead lies the ruins of an old tower. Little is left of it. Stones and masonry lie scattered about. In the open space, between the group and ruined tower, a small figure leans over the corpse of a small wild pig. The figure looks like an old wizened halfling with buck teeth. Dressed in simple cloths and holding a large scythe, with one hand it is dipping its headband into an open gash of the slain pig.

Without really noting the groups advance, the short figure begins speaking in a melodious language, lilting and musical, yet haunting and somehow terrifying. He goes about his work on the pig after placing the now wet-and-bloodied hat upon his head, tearing off skin and fur to get to the underlying meat.

{
In Sylvan:

Spoiler

Show

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,
Jack dipped his wick in a poor pig’s neck.
And lo came six fine strapping talls,
Eager to let ol’Jack make fall!

}

[dauphinous]

Maeslyra

Lifted from her reverie by a change in the horse's pace, Maeslyra is peering over Vandrel's shoulder when they come upon the scene. It's bizarre in so many ways that she just accepts it and turns back to the others. "The gist is that he knows we're here."

She otherwise waits. Its intentions are completely murky, and Godwin is more skilled with negotiations of most sorts, anyway.

[Lost Sage]

Godwin

Godwin doesn't understand the language, but identifies it as Sylvan the woodland tongue. The halfling's behaviour is certainly strange enough, but they are the visitors here, not him.

The bard dismounts and leads Turin to within 15 feet of the odd person
"Greetings. We're visitors here. Perhaps you could tell us something of the way ahead?" he asks respectfully in common.