Chapter Nineteen: The Fate of the Tribe of the Kobolds of the Silver Sun!

[Purr]

"My apologies, master Stewart. I did not mean to disturb or startle you. I just was enjoying the sights enough that I didn't wish to break the spell with unneeded speech." Oreleth smiles at the old man as she shifts in the bench. "But however much I would enjoy sitting here with you for a time, there is something I did come out here to ask you. We are in need of finding a chalice, one that is quite remarkable in its beauty and value as a gift to someone that might be able to help out our kobold passengers find a new home. Is there something like that in the Wagon somewhere that you know of?"

Stewart waves off Oreleth's apology as being no matter to a gentleman like him. But his eyebrows do raise when she mentions a chalice. "A chalice? With beauty and value? Is that all?" He thrusts his chin toward the Wayward Wagon's only door. "There are decent number of such vessels in the kitchen. Crystal! Steel! Darkwood! None are enchanted as far as I am aware, but value and beauty defines much of what Bilal the Rich was after before you did Sharseya a favor and rid us all of he and his dastardly deeds.

"I do have a request of my own. Could we land sometime within the hour, please?" He indicates the mighty jade hippogriffs. "Leading these four kingly winged treasures on is more fun than I deserve, but I tire from the effort. Having no destination and not knowing these parts, I am hesitant to set down without your assistance."

* * *​

"If you're asking how we can track her down, I wouldn't know," Alisa replied apologetically. "Whether by my goddess or other sources, I've never exactly been given any reason to try. All I know is that once, while I was resting in the Evergreen, I heard someone laughing and swearing foul oaths in what I suspect to be Druidic. And I can't think of anyone but our Mary who would use that language in such a vulgar manner."

"But unless I should hear such a thing again, I would imagine we'd have little choice but to wait for her to approach us," she continued on, laying out her thoughts on the matter. "What is it you would seek to gain from a meeting with her anyway?"

Oscar has his tiny black nose buried between pages of a book twice his size as he answers. "There are parts in Shandra's Evergreen avoided by even the most intrepid of forest denizens. Some parts hold dens containing death, others hold natural mysteries, while yet others hold secrets. One such latter part is a great patch of territory the Highwind Rangers have dubbed... Goliath's Wreath. It is called such because this stretch of woods is surrounded by a great circle of seemingly-permanent fog that shrouds and protects it by day and night. To house a tribe of kobolds is your goal, yes? Goliath's Wreath is certainly large enough to provide dwelling for hundreds of those small folk.

Oscar ceases his reading and sits back, heavy in thought. "However... Goliath's Wreath contains a secret it is said not even the Druids of the Green Circle know, for at the Wreath's only entrance lies a grove where a lone old woman dwells. Tis Miss Mary Madberry herself and she allows none to gain entry into Goliath's Wreath.

"As for the use of the drinking vessel, I see here that I must amend my previous statement. When I said the cup is 'preferably crafted of some material meant to ward off evil,' I should instead inform you that the cup must be crafted of some material meant to ward off evil." Oscar nods at all of you with great confidence. "You are not only adventurers, but highly-skilled adventurers. It only appears natural to me that you will find precisely what Miss Mary Madberry requires in order for you to gain entry to Goliath's Wreath where many have utterly failed and fallen before, Hill Giants included. That is the entirety of the third practical option I place before you.

"Which of my three plans do you like the most? Or do you have a fourth?"

 

[Kaerri]

"Goliath's Wreath?" Kaerri speaks up. "As in, Goliath the bulette? I've heard of him. Doesn't sound all that safe for our kobold friends, but if we can convince the contrary Miss Mary, then maybe she'll be a kind of guardian all by herself. As for finding her, I s'pose we'll just need to go to the this foggy place and circle 'round until we find either her or the entrance she guards. You're sure they'll be safe with her, though? Alisa's description isn't very encouraging."

She pauses, then asks, "Is it a circle of fog, or a hemisphere? Asking 'cause if it's just a circle, surely someone would've flown over and seen inside by now."

The shadowdancer listens to Oscar's amendment and nods. "We'd better clarify that for Oreleth and Stewart, too. If we can track down such a cup -- if there isn't one already in this wagon -- then that seems the fastest way of getting the Silver Sun tribe into a safe place on solid ground. Not that I'd mind them living with us, but I'm sure they want a home of their own, not a borrowed one, however nice. And they can work on their reputation with Highwind from there, right? So in the long-term they could at least visit within the city without permits or escorts or whatnot. Speaking of which, may I hereby formally ask you to do that search through your tomes you offered earlier? After all, we might not find the right cup, or Miss Mary might prove too stubborn, and if you've got the time now, I'd as soon not waste it."

She grins. " 'Course, if you don't have the time just now (and it did sound like a big job), can you at least put it on your to-do list? And if it turns out we're successful in securing Goliath's Wreath after all, then we can at least use your research towards further Silver Sun-Highwind relations."

 

[jaydude]

She pauses, then asks, "Is it a circle of fog, or a hemisphere? Asking 'cause if it's just a circle, surely someone would've flown over and seen inside by now."

Alisa gave a shake of her head. "There are Hill Giants and Ogre Magi within the area who like to take potshots at anything they see flying around. The latter have lightning spells, and they're also aligned with the Black Fang. I imagine that anyone who tried to scout the area from above before was either driven off or blasted out of the sky."

 

[Purr]

Speaking of which, may I hereby formally ask you to do that search through your tomes you offered earlier? After all, we might not find the right cup, or Miss Mary might prove too stubborn, and if you've got the time now, I'd as soon not waste it."

Kaerri Oscar reaches up and pats the huge volume his nose is reburied into. As he reads, he provides a pleased response. "That process, my dear Shadowdancer, has already begun.

He pauses long enough to scratch his neck with his little claws. "Concerning Miss Mary Madberry, the answer may not lie in the written word. Many are the mysteries that have never been put to pen, and I do not imagine anyone has ever sat down to write a book with a forest hermit of her history."

Oscar turns to the party. "Do you know where to find Goliath's Wreath?"

jaydude Silanon
(OOC: Alisa and Aldrin do. No need to roll for those two.)

 

[jaydude]

Oscar turns to the party. "Do you know where to find Goliath's Wreath?"

Alisa gave a nod of her head. "I should be able to guide us there."

 

[Kaerri]

Alisa gave a shake of her head. "There are Hill Giants and Ogre Magi within the area who like to take potshots at anything they see flying around. The latter have lightning spells, and they're also aligned with the Black Fang. I imagine that anyone who tried to scout the area from above before was either driven off or blasted out of the sky."

Kaerri nods. "Yeah, I've met my share of those. I guess I was thinking about before the war, but maybe it wasn't like that then. And probably a bit far for the gaelriders. Still, something we should keep in mind on our own way there. Maybe we'll want to set down a little early and go in on the ground, do you think? Or just keep our eyes peeled for bad guys so's we can handle 'em if they do turn up."

Oscar turns to the party. "Do you know where to find Goliath's Wreath?"

Alisa gave a nod of her head. "I should be able to guide us there."

"Sounds like we're on track to find us a cup made of something to ward off evil, then find Miss Mary, then do some negotiating." Kaerri offers it as a half-question. She's not the leader, after all, but the leader's outside so she's just going for consensus among those present. "Maybe you could go out and check with Oreleth and Stewart, Alisa? To clarify about the cup and maybe get us on our way towards Goliath's Wreath."

 

[jaydude]

"Sounds like we're on track to find us a cup made of something to ward off evil, then find Miss Mary, then do some negotiating." Kaerri offers it as a half-question. She's not the leader, after all, but the leader's outside so she's just going for consensus among those present. "Maybe you could go out and check with Oreleth and Stewart, Alisa? To clarify about the cup and maybe get us on our way towards Goliath's Wreath."

Alisa would have spoken some words of agreement and then gone to find Oreleth, but stopped when a thought occurred to her. "Before we commit to this plan, should we not talk to the kobolds first?" she asked. "They are the ones whose fates are up for discussion here; it seems only fair that they should be permitted involvement in the decision process."

 

[Kaerri]

Spoiler: Kaerri Rainshadow, Shadowdancer

^{Art by Peritwinkle}
Character sheet
Hit Points: 99/99
Armor Class: 27
Touch Armor Class: 17
Shadow Illusion: 3/3
Shadow Call: 2/2
Shadow Jump distance: 80/80 feet
Defensive Roll: 1/1
Rogue Talent Resiliency: 1/1
Stinger -- uses of Slow remaining: 3/3
Charm of Bastet -- uses of Cat's Grace remaining: 1/1
Action Points: 14

"Whoops!" Kaerri said, but it was directed at herself. "You're so right! How about instead we find a safe place to set down and have dinner? A lot of them are helping get it ready and I don't want to interrupt that." She looks at the kobolds present, one in particular. "Does that sound good, Nitwit?"

 

[jaydude]

Alisa managed a little grin at how Kaerri had reacted to the realization of her mistake. "If it makes you feel any better, I myself only considered it now," she assured the half-elf. "If you still want me to talk to Oreleth and Stewart, I can ask them to land the wagon somewhere."

 

[Kaerri]

Kaerri nodded. "Sounds good to me, if it's good by the rest. Thanks!"

 

[jaydude]

Purr Psychie

Alisa nodded, then headed up to the top of the wagon where Oreleth and Stewart were sat down. The presence of the storm surprised her - being inside the wagon had prevented her from hearing it - but she still approached the elf and the wagon driver.

"Kaerri thinks we should set down somewhere for dinner," she said to the pair of them.

 

[Psychie]

Oreleth nods, saying to Alisa, "Stewart was just saying he was getting tired and was needing a break, so setting down for dinner is probably just what we need right now. Master Stewart, lets find a place to set down and get some food in you."

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Psychie Sherwood Silanon

She looks at the kobolds present, one in particular. "Does that sound good, Nitwit?"

The little wilderness adventurer is kneeling down over another a younger, even smaller kobold, and is evidently helping this kobold polish up the little silver amulet hanging around her neck. Looking rather busy, Nitwit turns, and looks up wide-eyed at Kaerri. She can instantly tell that he has been distracted by all manner of other things. He is quick to please as he barks up at her, "Uh, yeah! Sure! Whatever you guys tink is good is... uh... good!" He gives an enthusiastic thumbs-up while looking about as if wondering what he has missed.

The younger kobold hops up beside him and shows Kaerri her now-gleaming little silver amulet. "It's so pretty! Isn't it pretty?" she asks the intrepid half-elf.

Purr Psychie

Alisa nodded, then headed up to the top of the wagon where Oreleth and Stewart were sat down. The presence of the storm surprised her - being inside the wagon had prevented her from hearing it - but she still approached the elf and the wagon driver.

"Kaerri thinks we should set down somewhere for dinner," she said to the pair of them.

"Kaerri. I keep hearing that name," Stewart rubs his forehead. "I do not know what she has done or where she has been. I simply cannot help but feel she has been doing a lot of it at a lot of places!"

Oreleth nods, saying to Alisa, "Stewart was just saying he was getting tired and was needing a break, so setting down for dinner is probably just what we need right now. Master Stewart, lets find a place to set down and get some food in you."

Stewart keeps his eyes forward as he continues to steer the great hippogriffs as the wind and rain buffet the Wayward Wagon. "You won't find me arguing to that! Lady Alisa, might you offer a spot we could set down in that will keep us out of this squall?"

Does Alisa reply with an offer to aid Stewart? If so, what is she looking for in a place to set down?

What is everyone else up to?

 

[jaydude]

Stewart keeps his eyes forward as he continues to steer the great hippogriffs as the wind and rain buffet the Wayward Wagon. "You won't find me arguing to that! Lady Alisa, might you offer a spot we could set down in that will keep us out of this squall?"

Does Alisa reply with an offer to aid Stewart? If so, what is she looking for in a place to set down?

"I can certainly help you find one," Alisa replied, moving to stand next to Stewart and then looking out for a suitable place. Preferably somewhere with tree cover, and was close to a source of water for the hippogriffs.

 

[Kaerri]

The little wilderness adventurer is kneeling down over another a younger, even smaller kobold, and is evidently helping this kobold polish up the little silver amulet hanging around her neck. Looking rather busy, Nitwit turns, and looks up wide-eyed at Kaerri. She can instantly tell that he has been distracted by all manner of other things. He is quick to please as he barks up at her, "Uh, yeah! Sure! Whatever you guys tink is good is... uh... good!" He gives an enthusiastic thumbs-up while looking about as if wondering what he has missed.

The younger kobold hops up beside him and shows Kaerri her now-gleaming little silver amulet. "It's so pretty! Isn't it pretty?" she asks the intrepid half-elf.

"It is!" Kaerri replied with a grin. "Very shiny now, too." She turns to the older kobold. "Nitwit, we're trying to find a place for your tribe to live, since you can't go back to the old place. We think we've found a place in the forest that should be safe, but there's some stuff we need to do to get access and permission first, and it might not work out. But on the other hand, Oscar there -- see the critter in the crystal ball? That's a red panda, and his name is Oscar, and he knows a lot and is a pretty important guy in Highwind -- Oscar will be looking through all Highwind's rules and stuff to see if he can find an alternative place for you within Highwind. But you've been there, you know most people there won't understand that there's some good kobolds as well as all the bad ones they're used to fighting against. So he might not be able to find something there." She smiles comfortingly. "But don't worry. We're happy to have you all staying in the wagon until we can find you your own place, OK? We won't just abandon you somewhere where bad guys can get at you again. But if there's something you or someone else in your tribe wants to say, please speak up? It's your lives we're talking about, you should have a say in what's going on."

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Psychie Sherwood Silanon

"I can certainly help you find one," Alisa replied, moving to stand next to Stewart and then looking out for a suitable place. Preferably somewhere with tree cover, and was close to a source of water for the hippogriffs.

Finding tree cover is not a problem for Alisa except for two things - she is not used to seeing Shandra's Evergreen, or any part of Sharseya really, from hundreds of meters in the air and she knows certain parts of the forest are best avoided despite their tree cover. The first issue causes the most trouble in the beginning as Alisa has to figure out precisely where the Wayward Wagon is from an aerial perspective, but figure it out she does despite the distant storm wreaking noisome havoc over the forest to your north. Not once, but three times, she is able to find tree cover that she knows better than to set down in as the first two are near the active lairs of nasty woodland beasties and the last is rumored to be haunted by sources Alisa can trust.

Needing a water supply for the hippogriffs turns out to be far less of a problem as Stewart points out that the hippogriffs are not real hippogriffs, but stone golems made from solid jade! Thus, the only water they might require would be to clean them off from the green debris of the forest. Hippogriffs are the symbol of Highwind and these creatures, Stewart tells Alisa, are gifts to the Wayward Wanderers from the liege lord of the land himself, King Thayne Wildegard and his lovely queen, Dayna.

In time, Alisa finds a sweet-looking glade where the canopy is tall and the branches and leaves are wide. Stewart shows that the Jade Hippogriffs can do more than fly - they can hover! Slowly, the Wayward Wagon magically descends into Shandra's Evergreen. As you descend, both Oreleth and Alisa note that the grassy knoll below you appears untouched by any creatures and is absolutely covered in mossy blankets of wet-looking yellows, oranges, pinks, and reds - great masses of soft wildflowers that are rare to find in such bright clusters. All around you and above the wildflowers, the rain has brought its cleansing shine to every branch and leaf in sight surrounding you all in a peaceful panorama of gentle greens that sparkle like miniature suns and heavy browns from the trunks and roots of woods older than many a Highwindian, including Alisa of Mielikki.

Alisa, having adventured in these parts for no small amount of time, has been told as a horse-rider to avoid trampling such clusters of wildflowers, for they are often sacred to some of Shandra's Evergreen's oldest creatures. A single hoof-step from any one of the huge hippogriffs made of solid stone will most certainly result in a crushing stomp that will hopelessly flatten anything under it. Or will it? Not all tales of the forest are true - many are just strange yarns woven to pass the times and increase the wonder of a woodland that holds more marvels than any forest on the continent of Averlund, so the sages say.

Oreleth, being a wood elf from the ancient towering trees of the enchanted and faraway Forest Eternal, is not nearly as attuned to Shandra's Evergreen and does not know this place's suggested secrets, including that of the wildflowers.

Stewart, being no woodsman, continues to slowly descend. He is paying more attention to not smashing into the trees and less attention to the ground Alisa has found, but there is a little time yet to ask him to land or hover, should Alisa give voice. What does Alisa do?

Also, once you have made the decision to land or continue to hover, what do Oreleth and Alisa do from there?

* * *​

"It is!" Kaerri replied with a grin. "Very shiny now, too." She turns to the older kobold. "Nitwit, we're trying to find a place for your tribe to live, since you can't go back to the old place. We think we've found a place in the forest that should be safe, but there's some stuff we need to do to get access and permission first, and it might not work out. But on the other hand, Oscar there -- see the critter in the crystal ball? That's a red panda, and his name is Oscar, and he knows a lot and is a pretty important guy in Highwind -- Oscar will be looking through all Highwind's rules and stuff to see if he can find an alternative place for you within Highwind. But you've been there, you know most people there won't understand that there's some good kobolds as well as all the bad ones they're used to fighting against. So he might not be able to find something there." She smiles comfortingly. "But don't worry. We're happy to have you all staying in the wagon until we can find you your own place, OK? We won't just abandon you somewhere where bad guys can get at you again. But if there's something you or someone else in your tribe wants to say, please speak up? It's your lives we're talking about, you should have a say in what's going on."

Not only does Kaerri the rainbow Half-elf get Nitwit to "oohing" and "ahhing" as she indicates the magical crystal ball and the friendly and highly unusual beings on its other side, but she ends up with an audience of about twelve of the Kobolds of the Silver Sun who hang on her every word right along with Nitwit. The moods of the kobolds rise and fall and rise again to Kaerri's summary, their reptilian ears flicking as they look at Kaerri as if she, too, is some sort of sage. Nearby, Mamapaw and Powerpaw watch and listen with easy looks on their Felane faces.

"Ohhh," Nitwit covers his muzzle with his claws in worry. "I ain't no speaksy-person! I'm just a wittle Ranger! Whaddo I dooo?" Nitwit paces nervously as his fellows give him room.
"Hay, Ranger-face?" Powerpaw, who cannot help but naturally tower over every kobold in the room - the tallest of their folk doesn't even reach his chest, points a claw of his own in the direction of a single figure many kobolds are gathered around. "Mebbe ya wanna take dis up wif yer big boss?"

"Ooooh!" Mamapaw nods to her son.

"Yeah! Great idea! Thanky, mister Power-face!" Nitwit runs off with the group of his fellows tagging close behind eager to hear how it all works out.

"No prob, wittle guy!"

About that time, yet another leather-clad kobold appears from the doorway that leads to the kitchen. She has a small brass horn in her tiny hands which she blows about four times before she can get her lips right. Then she looses a trumpeting blast loud enough to get most folks' attention in the Grand Pool. "Hear ye, hear ye!" says she. "Yummies are about ta be served! But if ya ain't gathered around that there poolie-pool, you ain't gettin' nuttin'! So sayin's da cook an' queeeen of da kitchen, Missus Beatrice! Oh! An' one more thing!"

"Moar?" Powerpaw mutters with eagerness.

The proclaimer breaks into a hustle to get a good seat around the Grand Pool's edge. She yells at the top of her lungs. "Last one sittin' is gonna get cold fooood!"

"AHHH!"

This creates an instant frenzy as every kobold from chief to teeny stampedes or gets carried straight for the pool's edge. The Grand Pool has plenty of room for every single being to have a spot, but darned if the kobolds are going to be the last and get cold food. Think about it! When was the last time any of these poor folks besides Nitwit had warm food? Nitwit meets up with their chief and you can hear him gabbing.

So... does anyone want to go outside to see who among Oreleth, Alisa, and Stewart get cold food? =)

 

[Sherwood]

Luna stands and smoothes out her scarlet dress with her hands and says, "I suppose I'll go and check on the others up top and tell them about the food being ready. Save a spot for me to sit!"

She then heads up to the top of the Wagon to share said information with the last three of their party. "Hey guys! Soups on. And you'd better hurry or else you'll get cold food by proclamation of Lady Beatrice!"

 

[jaydude]

Alisa, having adventured in these parts for no small amount of time, has been told as a horse-rider to avoid trampling such clusters of wildflowers, for they are often sacred to some of Shandra's Evergreen's oldest creatures. A single hoof-step from any one of the huge hippogriffs made of solid stone will most certainly result in a crushing stomp that will hopelessly flatten anything under it. Or will it? Not all tales of the forest are true - many are just strange yarns woven to pass the times and increase the wonder of a woodland that holds more marvels than any forest on the continent of Averlund, so the sages say.

"Don't land on the wildflowers," Alisa would say kindly - yet firmly - to Stewart once she noticed them. "Some of them tend to be quite sacred to the oldest creatures of this forest."

Her eyes scanned around the glade, looking for a part of it that was both free of wildflowers and large enough to accommodate the Wayward Wagon and its winged, half-avian train. Once it had landed, then she'd go down and join the others.

 

[Silanon]

The sudden rush for food - some might expect a halfling to be among the first to leave, eager to fill a grumbling stomach. Instead... the one called Whitehair shows little reaction, just like during the last moments of conversation. His brows betray a mind deep in thought - the eyes look elsewhere, beyond the wagon's rooms. Aldrin's huddled against the nearest wall - a body shaken by sudden visions and pain, cowering as if expecting another strike of unexplained insight. One hand is slowly raised - first towards the mouth to check that the frost is truly gone, then further up to check for nosebleeds that sometimes come along with those visions. But regardless whether his fingers come back red or not - he forces himself back to his feet, and forward towards the orb left where it was.

"The staff", he says without regards to the other words that have just been spoken. Some of those, he caught. Others escaped his ears, or at least his mind. But regardless, none are of much importance, compared to the vision he just witnessed.

"The staff", he repeats, and kneels down in front of the orb, making sure that he has the attention of those in their far-away place. "Watch it closely. I've seen it on a bridge of ice; between our world and its demise. Who holds it... might decide someday whether the balance of power tips one way - or the other. And... just like I've seen it, the enemy has done the same. And seen me, too. Watch the staff closely."

For a moment, he pauses. "And those who wield it - be wary of the raging inferno of flames. One day, it might engulf you - and devour you, unless you are prepared."

He suddenly coughs - as if only now realizing that his throat was dry all along. And then , towards no one in particular in the room, he adds: "I'll take the cold meal, then. I believe there are questions."

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Psychie Sherwood Silanon Tag!

"Don't land on the wildflowers," Alisa would say kindly - yet firmly - to Stewart once she noticed them. "Some of them tend to be quite sacred to the oldest creatures of this forest."

Her eyes scanned around the glade, looking for a part of it that was both free of wildflowers and large enough to accommodate the Wayward Wagon and its winged, half-avian train. Once it had landed, then she'd go down and join the others.

Glancing once to Oreleth, Stewart does precisely as requested... only to find there is not place free of wildflowers and large enough for the Wayward Wagon to land! Stewart's aged hands guide the reins along in a manner that is as much experimental as it is experienced with living mounts until the hippogriffs come at rest while still in the air. There they stand in mid-air about a human adult's height from the wildflowers, not disturbing the delicate beauties in the least.

Somehow, the Wayward Wagon does not fall out of the air. Slowly, gently, flapping their wide stone wings in an alternating fashion, the Wayward Wagon remains aloft. The hippogriffs appear to look around (though Alisa and Oreleth notice that they appear to be simply mimicking the ways of the living creatures they were modeled after - whomever put these stone golems together was far, far from apprentice-level in their mastery.

"There we are!" Stewart allows himself a tired smile filled with relief. "Oreleth? Shall we go inside or is there aught else to do before?" Stewart's gaze drifts to the flower and trees all about you - indeed, you are now in a hard-to-find spot that does not seem traveled by land-bound forest creatures nor seen easily by eyes in the air.

* * *​

"The staff", he says without regards to the other words that have just been spoken. Some of those, he caught. Others escaped his ears, or at least his mind. But regardless, none are of much importance, compared to the vision he just witnessed.

"The staff", he repeats, and kneels down in front of the orb, making sure that he has the attention of those in their far-away place. "Watch it closely. I've seen it on a bridge of ice; between our world and its demise. Who holds it... might decide someday whether the balance of power tips one way - or the other. And... just like I've seen it, the enemy has done the same. And seen me, too. Watch the staff closely."

For a moment, he pauses. "And those who wield it - be wary of the raging inferno of flames. One day, it might engulf you - and devour you, unless you are prepared."

If there are two curiosity-driven creatures among you, they are the Felane. Powerpaw and Mamapaw both peer over to Aldrin as he speaks and while he does, they exchange confused and interested looks. Neither speaks until Aldrin is finished. Then...

...Powerpaw raises a claw in the air. "Uhhh, hey! How'd you know all dat, hobbit-face? You some kinda cleric?"

Mamapaw of Rhumia adds, "Your ties to the gods must be deep to ascertain such favors? Can all of your hole-dwelling people do this?"

 

[Silanon]

...Powerpaw raises a claw in the air. "Uhhh, hey! How'd you know all dat, hobbit-face? You some kinda cleric?"

Mamapaw of Rhumia adds, "Your ties to the gods must be deep to ascertain such favors? Can all of your hole-dwelling people do this?"

The halfling slowly shakes his head, but it takes a few, thoughtful moments for words to follow. "They can't" - he answers the last question first - "or we would be less famous for our comfy homes, and more famous for our deeds far away from the hearths. There are others like me - there must be - but amongst all of those people I met, be it halfling or not, no one shared the same burden. I trust that it's the gods that guide me - at least, when my visions and hunches guided me somewhere, they allowed me to follow what I understand of their teachings. But... who knows. A cleric is rewarded for their devotion. Me? I never asked for the hand I was dealt. All I do is drift along, trying to use what I was blessed with for good."

 

[Sherwood]

"The staff", he repeats, and kneels down in front of the orb, making sure that he has the attention of those in their far-away place. "Watch it closely. I've seen it on a bridge of ice; between our world and its demise. Who holds it... might decide someday whether the balance of power tips one way - or the other. And... just like I've seen it, the enemy has done the same. And seen me, too. Watch the staff closely."

Luna looks at the halfling with open interest. Some of what he said hints art what they know about the bridge that Loviatar has established. Thanks to the curse leveled on the party before, she knows from personal experience of the icy land that the Maiden of Pain calls her own. But what is the staff that Aldrin is speaking of? How does it affect their fight against the bridge?

 

[jaydude]

Alisa's request that Stewart try to avoid landing on any wildflowers felt foolish when it turned out there was nowhere else they could land under such circumstances.

"If I'd spotted those wildflowers from above, I wouldn't have recommended this place as a landing spot," she admitted to Stewart, before looking back up at the sky. "Think we could find another place? Or can these hippogriffs and this wagon stay aloft indefinitely?"

 

[Purr]

"If I'd spotted those wildflowers from above, I wouldn't have recommended this place as a landing spot," she admitted to Stewart, before looking back up at the sky. "Think we could find another place? Or can these hippogriffs and this wagon stay aloft indefinitely?"

Stewart's wrinkled face and silvery features rise into a good-natured grin. "And how pray tell could you have seen, much less recognized, a flowerbed of any kind with the rough weather about and the woodlands that disguise this place? Unless you have eyes like a falcon's," he gestures toward the driver's seat and the huge bulk of the wagon, "and the ability to see through wood and stone, I do not comprehend how anyone could have seen these wildflowers at all."

The old steward nods, clearly glad to have Paladin Alisa of Mielikki along. "Even in my youth, I doubt I could have noticed such a thing in clear weather. That you spotted it at all borders on the amazing."

Spoiler: For Jaydude.

jaydude While Stewart's admiration is true, Alisa is one of few characters about able to to do so. Others like Powerpaw or Bria would not have even gotten a die roll, but because of the background and history you chose for Alisa, she did. =)

 

[jaydude]

Stewart's wrinkled face and silvery features rise into a good-natured grin. "And how pray tell could you have seen, much less recognized, a flowerbed of any kind with the rough weather about and the woodlands that disguise this place? Unless you have eyes like a falcon's," he gestures toward the driver's seat and the huge bulk of the wagon, "and the ability to see through wood and stone, I do not comprehend how anyone could have seen these wildflowers at all."

The old steward nods, clearly glad to have Paladin Alisa of Mielikki along. "Even in my youth, I doubt I could have noticed such a thing in clear weather. That you spotted it at all borders on the amazing."

Alisa managed a smile at Stewart's words, glad for the reassurance. "I learned to take notice of these things at a young age," she admitted.