Chapter Seventeen: Taking the Fight to Loviatar!

[Psychie]

Oreleth waits for everyone to be safely on or in the Wagon before giving Mamapaw the ok to take to the air once more. "Don't fly straight towards te last known position of the ogres or the ogre magi; they may have ranged weapons capable of damaging the Wagon. Once we are clear of the area, we can find these Highwind Rangers that our Lady Paladin is looking for, and get these brave kobolds back home where we can find out what needs to be done to help them."

With that, she returns to her position of keeping watch with an arrow knocked and ready to fire. These ogres will find that the Wanderers are no easy targets.

 

[Kaerri]

Kaerri bursts out laughing. Bria's act doesn't fool her, and probably few others. "I'm not that bad!" she exclaims in tones of offense that are at least as fake as Bria's stagger. But she kicks her speed into higher gear all the same, despite the armload of loot she's got. Bria cooking for everyone could only be a good thing, and besides -- they do need to leave as quickly as possible. Scrambling up into the wagon, she heads inside and dumps her load in a corner of the pool room within for later sorting, then pokes her head back out the door to keep an eye on things while not taking up more space outside than necessary (there's a lot of people here now, after all). Pretty similar to the position she'd been in when they first spotted the ogres, actually.

"From the look and sound of things, I'd guess the rangers are trying to keep the ogres away from us, or at least the kobolds and Lady Alisa here," she notes. "If so, us heading for them will be the last thing they want just now. Unless you already had a plan with them to meet up somewheres away from the site of the action?" she asks Alisa.

 

[jaydude]

Alisa watched the kobolds finally get on the wagon with the thought that it was about damn time, and that she should probably be grateful to Otorin for speeding the process along. With the ogres choosing that moment to make their presence known, she naturally joined the group of individuals already on the wagon.

Spoiler: OOC

Now that I'm able to rejoin this game after my somewhat busy weekend, I'm going to retroactively have it so that Alisa boarded the wagon shortly after most of the kobolds did, and before Otorin, Izzy and Nitwit, since I feel that, logically, that's what she would have done. For the sake of not causing OOC friction, I'm just going to assume that Mammapaw and Otorin didn't say anything to her before she got onboard, seeing as such words would be redundant and meaningless.

Also, I've kinda lost track of who has and hasn't introduced themselves to Alisa. So I'm just going to refer to all the other characters by their given names.

Once she'd found some space in which to stand, the paladin found herself speaking to both Oreleth and Kaerri.

"I had no plans as such." she said in reply to the rogue's question. "As for meeting up with them again, it would be nice, but I can always do so at a later time if there are more important things to deal with right now. They know me, and they'll know that my absence is not necessarily an indication of my death."

She gave the group of kobolds a glance, indicating what she meant by 'more important things', before looking at Kaerri again. "That said, we - that is to say, me and the Highwind Rangers - were looking into the matter of the ogres and their armaments. Perhaps once we're all out of this forest, we could look into talking with them? I can see that you are no friends of the ogres yourselves."

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Tag! =)

Bria hops back aboard, the last to go. Then suddenly, bright haggard bolts of blue lightning zip from inside the trees as Mamapaw commands the Wayward Wagon skyward! Dangerous hunks of rock and parts of smashed trees follow, all too short to cause you any harm. In moments, you are all slicing through the evening Sharseyan sky leaving the grounds you were on and the fierce drumming of the cruel horde of ogres behind!

Alisa finds that entering the Wayward Wagon's lone door is a simple undertaking - but taking in what her senses experience upon entering is another matter altogether! The huge room she enters is, her senses tell her, bigger than the wagon itself! Dominated by a glowing blue pool of refreshing, rushing water, the place is large enough to hold dozens of people all in great comfort. A single empty throne surrounded by wine bottles and glasses sits at one edge of the pool while various furs and fine furnishings round the rest. It is as fine a place as one can imagine winding down after a stressful encounter.

"Jus' lookit dis place!" One of the kobolds exclaims. "It's like... whadda dey call it? A 'man-shun?'"

"Neat, huh?" replies Nitwit as he adjusts his leather tunic.

In short, this is the Wayward Wagon!

* * *​

High above Shandra's Evergreen with Healer Bria and Druidess Mamapaw outside in the drivers' seat, the remainder of the Wayward Wanderers find themselves free to wind down from their escape inside the wagon proper and into the familiar place most of you know as the Grand Pool.

Powerpaw plops down beside a pile of huge leather sheaths and the few bags that he and Kaerri managed to collect from the lightning-torched corpses of the Dumbstumps. "Bouncin' Bastet! Lesee what we gots!"

Spoiler: Loot!

In all, you have collected 6 new-looking Large-sized Greatswords with belts and sheaths (meaning greatswords for Large-sized creatures like Minotaurs, Ogres, or Felane - too big for Medium-sized creatures to wield without a -4 "to hit" penalty). Each is some 8 feet in length. Upon close inspection, each of them turn out to be masterwork quality - far and above what ogres are able to forge since most can't forge at all.

Weight: 12 lbs.
Damage: 3d6
Damage Type: Slashing
Weapon Type: Two-Handed, Martial
Cost to make: Somewhere around 350 gold pieces each.

Each of the bags contains the following:

Spoiler: Bag 1 - This bag clacks and clatters.

A delicate and shiny Highwindian hairpin carved from white wood in an old wooden case at least 50 years in age (value 1 g.p.).
12 stick-pins topped with tiny pearls bound together by a long string. They appear gnomish-made (value 5 silver each - 6 g.p. total).
4 large, fat sticks with worn cloth-covered ends - apparently used for drum-beating. Can double as clubs in a pinch value 1 silver piece each - 4 s.p. total).

Spoiler: Bag 2 - This bag moves slightly.

Worms! Lots and lots of curly, squiggly, brown and green worms! About 6 pounds (2.7 kg) worth of the disgusting things! It is no secret that ogres like to dine on the things so this is the equivalent of some Dumbstump's packed lunch!

Spoiler: Bag 3 - This bag jingles and rustles.

A Highwindian chain shirt (light armor) topped with a hauberk of green and white with the royal symbol of the hippogriff on its breast. It is grimy and mud-caked, but otherwise in good condition.
A bottle of slightly-cracked glass with pink cloudy liquid inside. The cracks are obviously from its time being in here rolling around with the metal armor.
Two fine daggers with cracked leather sheaths clearly of Dwarven-make.

Spoiler: Bag 4 - This bag pleasantly jingles with the sounds of coins.

All combined together in Highwindian currency.
245 gold pieces
88 silver pieces
35 copper pieces

* * *​

She gave the group of kobolds a glance, indicating what she meant by 'more important things', before looking at Kaerri again.

In that glance, Alisa sees something she did not see before. The leather quiver in Izzy's claws is not only old and far too large for a kobold, but she now sees are runes about its mouth. Runes writ in the ancient language of wood creatures humans know as Sylvan. This language is one most often used by Mielikkians and wood-lovers for the foes of the woods hardly ever deem it worth learning, much to their ignorance.

Spoiler: Cap'n

Otiorin would have noticed these too and perhaps made a note of them before he returned the item to Izzy. My pardon for forgetting to add this detail before; I meant to.

Now in the safety and comforts of the Grand Pool inside the Wayward Wagon, what do folks do? =)

 

[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

Kaerri yanks her head back inside the wagon reflexively to avoid the lightning bolts. They don't seem close enough to be a danger, but why take chances? She peeks out a time or two more until she's sure the wagon has reached a safe altitude (and isn't that a strange thing to be thinking?), then focuses her attention within rather than without. She joins Powerpaw at the pile of loot and starts sorting. "Hey, Luna, can I get that Detect Magic again now that we aren't rushed?" ((Luna had run over to the looting group to cast it earlier, but I don't recall a response as to what was what, and possibly it was just some pointing at magic things that weren't inspected at the time?))

She looks into another bag. "Ew! Anyone got use for a buncha worms? If not, I'm tossing the bunch outside."

She sets the cracked bottle of pink, cloudy liquid carefully aside. "Whatever that is, it probably oughta get used soonish before the bottle gives up the ghost."

The carved wooden white-wood hairpin in particular catches her eye, but until there's a formal divvying of loot, it won't do to claim it, though she rather wants to. More for its beauty than its monetary value, or whatever magical properties it may possess (if any).

 

[jaydude]

An aside, taking place before and during Alisa's conversation with Oreleth and Kaerri...
The paladin of Mielikki cast an impressed look at the interior of the Wayward Wagon once she stepped into it. She'd heard of the saying 'looks bigger on the inside', but she had never before seen such a literal interpretation of said saying. And then there was a small pool in the room...it must have taken some high-level magic to produce such effects.

She glanced towards the bags of loot that Kaerri and Powerpaw had retrieved, figuring that she'd take a closer look later on. The quiver Izzy had with him - specifically the Sylvan runes set around the mouth - drew her attention more easily. Remembering how the kobold had retrieved it from the underbrush with the intent of using it as a pre-emptive bribe, she asked herself how a creature of caves and the underground could come into possession of such a thing. With no answers forthcoming for a moment, she made a mental note to ask someone about it later on, perhaps once she was done with the current conversation.

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Psychie Tag!

There was something about Bria and something about that especially pulled at Lady Paladin Alisa. Bria goes outside into the whipping winds high above Shandra's Evergreen and in moments, she's back inside. Despite the cold of the evening, she's hardly shivering at all.

Spoiler: Cap'n

Due to his closeness with Bria, Oti knows that Bria wears a wonderful Ring of Warmth on her left hand which staves off the most chill of winds. A twisting band of copper topped with a round warm-colored ruby, the pretty little thing shines from her finger where there is light enough to see it. She is hardly ever without it. Who said Healers weren't wise, right?

The kobolds, led by Nitwit, meander in one little group "oohing" and "aahing" at the cavernous room that is too big to be here.

"Oreleeeth?" Bria waves and calls from across the huge sparkling Grand Pool. "Mamapaw wants to know where it is we should be headed?" Then she takes one glance at Kaerri and shrinks. "Ew! Worms!"

What do the Wayward Wanderers do?

 

[Psychie]

Oreleth slips the arrows she is holding back into the quiver, saving them for when they will be needed. She looks over at Bria and says, "That's a good question. Do we try to come in contact with the Rangers, or should we continue on with our efforts to help these little guys? From what I remember being told about these Rangers, they are not ones to sit idle when there are bad guys out there to hit, so if we are going to speak with them, it had best be done now or we will lose our chance. Thoughts on this, anyone?"

 

[Purr]

Bria walks around the edge of the blue pool while absently admiring its welcoming blue waters. She offers to Oreleth, "I agree with what Kaerri said earlier. Kaerri, Powerpaw, and I have been in a fellowship before and I think she knows the Highwind Rangers better than both of us?" Her brown hair twirls a little as she looks to Powerpaw. The muscled cat who is at least three times Bria's mass overhears this and nods as he draws an ogre-sized greatsword from its sheath and examines it closely.

"From the look and sound of things, I'd guess the rangers are trying to keep the ogres away from us, or at least the kobolds and Lady Alisa here," she notes. "If so, us heading for them will be the last thing they want just now. Unless you already had a plan with them to meet up somewheres away from the site of the action?" she asks Alisa.

Powerpaw rumbles from his furry chest as cats oft do. "Yah. Kaerri knows Highwind better dan any Kitty-face, me an' Mom includeds."

Then Bria eyes a certain squirming bag and says, "Before anyone gets any destructive ideas, could we please deposit the little squirmies in that bag into the forest next time we land?"

Powerpaw grins at this opportunity. "Aw, Bria! If dey're grossin' you out, I could jus' eat 'em right here, right now!"

"Aaaah!" Bria grins and cringes at the thought. She waves at Powerpaw as if doing so would dispel his thoughts.

"I'm jus' joshin', Bria! I bet dem ogres wuz keepin' em fer noms!"

"Oh yeah," Nitwit casually adds as he continues his stroll with this fellows. Without thinking, the small fellow says, "Dumbstumps eat worms all'a time when dey can't find meat like us kobolds!"

There is an awkward silence before a certain tiny purple psuedo-dragon curled around Luna's shoulders speaks up with her grandmotherly guiding voice. "Ah, we were talking about the Highwind Rangers and whether or not to meet them?"

"Right!" Powerpaw smiles, his sharp fangs joyously showing. "Den we can get around ta askin' our stowaways an' Miss stabby-sword here what her story is?" He points a black claw Alisa's way.

"Oh!" Bria bounces once in surprise as she realizes she remembers the newest human among your acquaintance. "Um, welcome to the Wayward Wagon, Miss Alisa! Did you want something to eat or drink?"

 

[Sherwood]

Luna says, "Well, we came out here to help the kobolds, so shouldn't we continue on with that goal? Then we can see to the Rangers, and while we are all at it, we can get to know Lady Alisa and see just what she wants to do."

Spoiler

Level: 13
Class: Wizard
Hit Points: 74 +1d6
Action Points: 11 / 10
Diamond of Fate: 1

Armor Class: 18 - 24 Mage Armor II. +2 from Ring of Force Shield
Touch AC: 14 Flat Footed: 22

Initiative Bonus: 2
Fortitude Save: +6
Reflex Save: +7
Will Save: +16

Base Attack: +6 / +1
Melee: +4 / -1
Ranged: +8 / +3

Mage Armor II and Protection From Arrows active; duration of 13 hours

Spells memorized:
Cantrips (4): Mage Hand, Light, Detect Magic, Read Magic
1 (7): Magic Missile x4, Shield x2, Unseen Servant
2 (7): Web x2, Protection From Arrows, Glitterdust x2, Scorching Ray
3 (6): Haste x2, Fireball x2, Slow, Lightning Bolt
4 (5): Empowered Scorching Ray x3, Ball Lightning
5 (5): Cone of Cold x3, Empowered Fireball x2
6 (4): Chain Lightning, Maximized Lightning Bolt x2
7 (2): Prismatic Spray, Mage Sword

+7 damage to all Evoker spells

 

[jaydude]

Hearing the attention elsewhere turn to her, Alisa turned to regard the others in reply.

"Bria, was it?" she asked with a smile as warm as that granted by the monk's ring. "I'm fine for now, but thank you for the offer."

She looked at Powerpaw, the one who'd voiced the thought of getting to know her.

"My name is Alisa Virtanen of Highwind, and I am a paladin of Mielikki. I was working with the Highwind Rangers to look into the matter of the ogres, namely the fact that they've come into the possession of arms and armour of steel. Not something very common to their kind." she said matter-of-factly, taking up the role of the quintessential paladin. "I was travelling with a group of half a dozen rangers earlier today, when we were set upon by a force of the ogres. They were accompanied by a half-dozen of their mages, and one of their number possessed a mysterious drum that was able to shake the earth with its beat, and was used to send me flying."

"I was separated from the rangers, and they made to flee and melt into the forest, as is often their way. I would have rejoined them, but a sign from my goddess directed me to a collection of bushes, where I found Izzy and his fellow kobolds. They claimed to be protecting some holy ground, but before I could get all the details, another group of ogres came across us. I opted to try and draw them away from the kobolds' holy ground, and that's where you all came into the picture."

Her story explained, Alisa turned to Luna and Oreleth. "I wouldn't bother trying to find the rangers within this forest. With so many well-armed ogres here, they will not want to linger. By now they will have disappeared into the trees, and if they had any business with us, they would have gotten a message to us before we took to the sky." she said.

"As for my plans..." she said, looking at Luna. "...barring any commands or signs from Mielikki, I can accompany your group for the moment. I have my own reasons for being in this forest, and while the Highwind Rangers will take joy in my confirmed survival, I can always visit them later on. They are based in the city, after all."

 

[Psychie]

Oreleth nods. "I believe I understand. We are here to help these guys, too. So that would make our destination up to Nitwit and his people here." She turns to the kobold and asks, "So my friends, where do we go from here? How can we be of help to your people?"

 

[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

Kaerri sighed regretfully at Bria's request concerning the bag of worms. Much as the half-elf shadowdancer wanted to just chuck the thing out the door and let it fall where it might, Bria's way was probably more respectful to all involved, including whoever might be underneath the worms. Carefully, she sealed up the bag of worms and pushed it far into the corner of the room.

She still hadn't received any answers about what in the rest of the loot might be magical, and it was obvious that the conversation had now diverged too far from her question to bother with repeating it again (at least for now). Annoying, but she was new to the group, and it was larger than she was used to, so maybe that's just how they worked. If they kept on ignoring important questions (and knowing which items were magical was important -- especially if they were cursed!), she'd start being more pestersome.

In the meantime, she shoved the weapons (and their belts and sheathes) against the wall next to the worm bag, then put the rest of the loot back into their original bags and left them against the wall next to the weapons, but on the far side from the worms so as not to confuse the bags. Except for the slightly cracked glass bottle -- that, she kept in her hands for now. Putting it back into the bag didn't seem safe. If they'd been out in the field, without a response from anyone else she'd've stashed everything in her backpack for safekeeping (except the too-big greatswords, of course). But inside the wagon was plenty safe enough.

Spoiler: Loot!

In all, you have collected 6 new-looking Large-sized Greatswords with belts and sheaths (meaning greatswords for Large-sized creatures like Minotaurs, Ogres, or Felane - too big for Medium-sized creatures to wield without a -4 "to hit" penalty). Each is some 8 feet in length. Upon close inspection, each of them turn out to be masterwork quality - far and above what ogres are able to forge since most can't forge at all.

Weight: 12 lbs.
Damage: 3d6
Damage Type: Slashing
Weapon Type: Two-Handed, Martial
Cost to make: Somewhere around 350 gold pieces each.

Each of the bags contains the following:

Spoiler: Bag 1 - This bag clacks and clatters.

A delicate and shiny Highwindian hairpin carved from white wood in an old wooden case at least 50 years in age (value 1 g.p.).
12 stick-pins topped with tiny pearls bound together by a long string. They appear gnomish-made (value 5 silver each - 6 g.p. total).
4 large, fat sticks with worn cloth-covered ends - apparently used for drum-beating. Can double as clubs in a pinch value 1 silver piece each - 4 s.p. total).

Spoiler: Bag 2 - This bag moves slightly.

Worms! Lots and lots of curly, squiggly, brown and green worms! About 6 pounds (2.7 kg) worth of the disgusting things! It is no secret that ogres like to dine on the things so this is the equivalent of some Dumbstump's packed lunch!

Spoiler: Bag 3 - This bag jingles and rustles.

A Highwindian chain shirt (light armor) topped with a hauberk of green and white with the royal symbol of the hippogriff on its breast. It is grimy and mud-caked, but otherwise in good condition.
A bottle of slightly-cracked glass with pink cloudy liquid inside. The cracks are obviously from its time being in here rolling around with the metal armor.
Two fine daggers with cracked leather sheaths clearly of Dwarven-make.

Spoiler: Bag 4 - This bag pleasantly jingles with the sounds of coins.

All combined together in Highwindian currency.
245 gold pieces
88 silver pieces
35 copper pieces

That done, she stood up, brushing her hands, and joined the others' conversation. "Good to have you along," she nodded at Alisa, and waited for the kobolds, particularly Nitwit, to explain their situation in more detail.

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus Tag!

(Part 1 of 2): Of Paladins and Healers.

"My name is Alisa Virtanen of Highwind, and I am a paladin of Mielikki.

"I was separated from the rangers, and they made to flee and melt into the forest, as is often their way. I would have rejoined them, but a sign from my goddess directed me to a collection of bushes, where I found Izzy and his fellow kobolds.

Powerpaw rears back his furry head and laughs, his chuckle sounds child-like and goofy despite the clear muscles, armor, and warrior-ease he carries himself with. It may be a speech impediment. "Hay, Kaerri! Bria! Anudder Paladin of Likki-face!"

"Powerpaw!" Bria turns and shakes her finger in warning. "Your mom is going to get you if you don't start calling the Maiden of the Forest by her proper name! Mielikki!" Bria happily approaches Alisa with a bounce to her step. "You're a paladin! No wonder I feel a connection with you!"

Spoiler: Mood music

"Lazy Days" by the one and only Enya! =)

And there it is again. When Bria's earthy-brown eyes meet Alisa's sky-blues, there is an immediate understanding between the two women. In Sharseya and in realms beyond and across time everlasting, there are basically three kinds of people. Those who do not believe or hold value in the gods, those who say they do (whether or not they act in a matching manner ranges from individual to individual), and lastly and by far the rarest, there are those of absolute faith - of such complete conviction - as to not be able to imagine a life without their deity's constant presence in it. I am not talking about blind faith; I mean faith with open eyes matched with facts both undeniable and objective in nature. More than once, Alisa has heard Mielikki's very voice in her mind, in her dreams, and (I leave this next up to Jaydude) with her own ears as Mielikki currently resides in Earthhome, the temple of Mielikki in Highwind.

That there is a real goddess in the city is not a thing that can be disputed. That she is, was, and always has been an eternal friend of a very, very chosen cannot be disputed by paladins like Alisa Virtanen or Brendoran Killaneson or High Priestesses like Gwendolyn of the Fangs of the Forest Mother, the current head of the mortal order just under Mielikki herself in Highwind.

That Bria of the Ko is not of Mielikki is instantly obvious to someone like Alisa just as much as Alisa's difference in faith is sunny-day-clear to someone like Bria, the Last Healer. Alisa has only heard of the monk order of the Ko who live in a nearby mountain range on a mystical mountain called Phoenix Mountain. Their friendly relationship with Highwind is no secret to anyone though the monks themselves be often naive in the ways of city-goers, they hold many secrets, and they are good-hearted to the very last. Whatever it is the Ko believe, beholding this young brown-haired lady whose deeply peaceful and rare and utterly harmless demeanor appears bare for all to see is reason enough for anyone in Alisa's boots to see that Bria's convictions are just as absolute and unshakable as Alisa's own. To deny their love for whatever it is they believe is like trying to say the sun in the sky is not real.

That Alisa is having a similar effect on the Last Healer is not something Bria chooses to hide. That kind-hearted smile gets wider as if she has met an old friend she just hasn't met before. "It's so good to have you with us! Oh, how I wish Bren were here! He's a paladin of the Mistress of the Forest too! Kaerri!" Bria turns and waves to the strawberry-blonde-haired shadowy half-elf. "Did you hear? Alisa here is a paladin! She's no novice either! I can feel it too!" But somehow Alisa gets the feeling it is not through Bria's hands these feelings are felt. Turning back to Alisa, Bria reaches out to put her hands on Alisa's perhaps in some Ko monk expression or tradition. "We've met Mielikki! She's such a sweetheart!"

"Hay, Bria!" Powerpaw interrupts. "You mind gettin' over here an' tellin' us what's magic an' what ain't? Kaerri's gotta funky pink potion over here!"

"Oh!" Bria excitedly offers Lady Paladin Alisa along. "Shall we see together?"

 

[Purr]

(Part 2 of 2): Of Elves and Kobolds and a certain daughter of Bastet.

Oreleth nods. "I believe I understand. We are here to help these guys, too. So that would make our destination up to Nitwit and his people here." She turns to the kobold and asks, "So my friends, where do we go from here? How can we be of help to your people?"

Nitwit jumps up and raises his paw. "Oh! I'm a Ranger! I kin takes us ta our tribe-land! Er, well, what dere is of it."

Izzy looks tired and relieved. "Yah, mebbe you'd better do da talkin', Nitwit. Looks like you knows dese people."

"Oh, da Wayward Wanderers?" Nitwit smiles and flaps his arms causing his leather armor and wooden weapons to rattle. "Dey's great! Dey don't treat me like a slave or nuthin'! In fact, nobody in Highwind does! Dey even gave Skiviks a job! He's helpin' a big, big sage now!"

Several of the kobolds gawk at this. "He is?! Our Skiviks?!"

"No ways!"

Izzy grabs his snout and shakes his head in disbelief. "But dey gots him in chains or sumptin, right? He's workin' fer free, right? Dere's always a catch!"

"No, no! No catch!" Nitwit waves his little hands and smiles widely and with much hope up at the Wayward Wanderers. "Dey treats us good! I gotta job too in Highwind! I'm a guard!"

"You'se a guard?!"

"Dey trust yuh? A scaley-face like us? To guard?"

"Well, what're ya guardin'?"

"Right now, you dopes an' ding-dongs! See, da Wayward Wanderers are here ta help us wif... Da Curse!"

All of the kobolds recoil and fall as if a physical force had hit them.

"But... but... dats da Evil Lady's domain! Whut kin dey do against da Evil Lady, huh?"

The massively-muscled ogre-sized maul-wielding cat-warrior in the corner with Kaerri jumps up and yells out a threatening roar so mean and so nasty, it holds none of his speech impediment and every bit of his bloodthirsty resolve! "I'LL TELLYA WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO! WE'RE GONNA SPANK LOVIATAR-FACE! WE'RE GONNA SMACK 'ER RIGHT IN DA FACE! WHEN I GET MY PAWS AROUND HER NECK, I'M GONNA--! RAWRAWRAWR!!" The creature becomes a mass of tearing, chomping, throttling, clawing, rending whirlwind of fur and claws.

"Oh dear," Bria waves. "Everyone stand back. He's gone all spazzy-kitty."

Immediately, all of the kobolds pause at this barbarically-savage display and know it for what it is. "Ohhhh!" The new guy looks at the Wayward Wanderers. "I gets it! You wants... payback!"

"Yeah!" Nitwit says. "Da Maiden of Pain did 'em wrong! SUPER-wrong! An' now dese heroes wants ta help us break Da Curse along wif da Evil Lady's face! I'll go an' tell Miss Mamapaw where our tribe iz!" Nitwit's feet slap against the immaculate hardwood floor as he races off to the Wayward Wagon's front door to do just that.

That leaves Izzy and the kobolds staring at you guys. Nitwit is back in a flash. "Hay, uhhh," the red-skinned reptilian points to any of the Wayward Wanderers. "Could'ya be so kind as ta tell us all... uh... just what da Evil Lady did ta you? I mean... he sure is angry!" Powerpaw only starts to chill out when Bria calls his name as she gets closer to the Felane and Kaerri.

"Yeah!" The other kobolds crowd around. "She make you all slaves too?"

"Yeah! She boil your friends?"

"Uhh, she feed yer family to da Dumbstumps?"

The new guy makes painful picking motions. "I bet she plucked yer scales off! One by one!"

He gets smacked soundly across the back by another. "Dey don't haaave scales, y'dummy!"

"Oh, right! So, she took yer scales from ya?"

Izzy covers his eyes as Nitwit nudges the new guy into silence. "I bet da Evil Lady did alla dat an' worse! Huh?"

By this time, the Wayward Wanderers sans Mamapaw are gathered around the edge of the Grand Pool as Bria begins to cast her orison of Detect Magic. The Ko Monk gets Powerpaw to quiet down enough to listen to the rest of you. "Shhh," Bria's naturally-soft voice and well-meaning demeanor flow with a magic all of their own.

"WHA?!"

The bond between warrior and healer is no typical bond and it becomes clear as Powerpaw glares at the source of the sound, only to immediately soften when he sees it is his best friend - a person who would never do him any harm and bring him every good she could. Her words are slow, true, and come from her rather large heart. "Save your power for Loviatar's minions, Fuzzy Goof. You're surrounded only by friends here! C'mon! It's story time, I think!"

"RRRrrrr... fine. Haz it yer way, Bria!"

"Okay!"

Taking that as clear invitation, Bria gingerly plops down beside him and rests against his furry body. Soon, the Felane warrior relents. He brings his attention to whomever wants to pick up the tale as he begins to pick through the loot with Bria silently pointing and whispering details to Powerpaw, Kaerri, and anyone else interested.

Of course, by no means are the stalwart and intrepid adventurers indebted to the kobolds as to tell them anything. But if they choose to as the Wayward Wagon soars through the evening skies above the many troubles of Shandra's Evergreen, they most certainly may.

What do the Wayward Wanderers do?

 

[jaydude]

Powerpaw rears back his furry head and laughs, his chuckle sounds child-like and goofy despite the clear muscles, armor, and warrior-ease he carries himself with. It may be a speech impediment. "Hay, Kaerri! Bria! Anudder Paladin of Likki-face!"

"Powerpaw!" Bria turns and shakes her finger in warning. "Your mom is going to get you if you don't start calling the Maiden of the Forest by her proper name! Mielikki!" Bria happily approaches Alisa with a bounce to her step. "You're a paladin! No wonder I feel a connection with you!"

And there it is again. When Bria's earthy-brown eyes meet Alisa's sky-blues, there is an immediate understanding between the two women. In Sharseya and in realms beyond and across time everlasting, there are basically three kinds of people. Those who do not believe or hold value in the gods, those who say they do (whether or not they act in a matching manner ranges from individual to individual), and lastly and by far the rarest, there are those of absolute faith - of such complete conviction - as to not be able to imagine a life without their deity's constant presence in it. I am not talking about blind faith; I mean faith with open eyes matched with facts both undeniable and objective in nature. More than once, Alisa has heard Mielikki's very voice in her mind, in her dreams, and (I leave this next up to Jaydude) with her own ears as Mielikki currently resides in Earthhome, the temple of Mielikki in Highwind.

That there is a real goddess in the city is not a thing that can be disputed. That she is, was, and always has been an eternal friend of a very, very chosen cannot be disputed by paladins like Alisa Virtanen or Brendoran Killaneson or High Priestesses like Gwendolyn of the Fangs of the Forest Mother, the current head of the mortal order just under Mielikki herself in Highwind.

That Bria of the Ko is not of Mielikki is instantly obvious to someone like Alisa just as much as Alisa's difference in faith is sunny-day-clear to someone like Bria, the Last Healer. Alisa has only heard of the monk order of the Ko who live in a nearby mountain range on a mystical mountain called Phoenix Mountain. Their friendly relationship with Highwind is no secret to anyone though the monks themselves be often naive in the ways of city-goers, they hold many secrets, and they are good-hearted to the very last. Whatever it is the Ko believe, beholding this young brown-haired lady whose deeply peaceful and rare and utterly harmless demeanor appears bare for all to see is reason enough for anyone in Alisa's boots to see that Bria's convictions are just as absolute and unshakable as Alisa's own. To deny their love for whatever it is they believe is like trying to say the sun in the sky is not real.

That Alisa is having a similar effect on the Last Healer is not something Bria chooses to hide. That kind-hearted smile gets wider as if she has met an old friend she just hasn't met before. "It's so good to have you with us! Oh, how I wish Bren were here! He's a paladin of the Mistress of the Forest too! Kaerri!" Bria turns and waves to the strawberry-blonde-haired shadowy half-elf. "Did you hear? Alisa here is a paladin! She's no novice either! I can feel it too!" But somehow Alisa gets the feeling it is not through Bria's hands these feelings are felt. Turning back to Alisa, Bria reaches out to put her hands on Alisa's perhaps in some Ko monk expression or tradition. "We've met Mielikki! She's such a sweetheart!"

"Hay, Bria!" Powerpaw interrupts. "You mind gettin' over here an' tellin' us what's magic an' what ain't? Kaerri's gotta funky pink potion over here!"

"Oh!" Bria excitedly offers Lady Paladin Alisa along. "Shall we see together?"

Alisa had wondered what it was that had drawn her towards Bria. As it turned out, it was the recognition of another individual with nothing less than complete faith in a higher power. It was a different one to that of the paladin - she didn't even know who or what the monks of Ko paid obeisance to - but she could certainly respect that kind of genuine devotion.

And apparently Bria could as well, judging by her behaviour around Alisa.

The paladin's smile became one of curiosity when Bria mentioned both another of Mielikki's devoted, and a previous meeting with the goddess. She considered asking more about these two subjects, but then Powerpaw was calling the monk over, apparently wanting her help with identifying any magical items among the loot. She asked if Alisa wanted to join her.

"Why of course." Alisa replied, eager to spend more time around Bria.

Nitwit jumps up and raises his paw. "Oh! I'm a Ranger! I kin takes us ta our tribe-land! Er, well, what dere is of it."

Izzy looks tired and relieved. "Yah, mebbe you'd better do da talkin', Nitwit. Looks like you knows dese people."

"Oh, da Wayward Wanderers?" Nitwit smiles and flaps his arms causing his leather armor and wooden weapons to rattle. "Dey's great! Dey don't treat me like a slave or nuthin'! In fact, nobody in Highwind does! Dey even gave Skiviks a job! He's helpin' a big, big sage now!"

Several of the kobolds gawk at this. "He is?! Our Skiviks?!"

"No ways!"

Izzy grabs his snout and shakes his head in disbelief. "But dey gots him in chains or sumptin, right? He's workin' fer free, right? Dere's always a catch!"

"No, no! No catch!" Nitwit waves his little hands and smiles widely and with much hope up at the Wayward Wanderers. "Dey treats us good! I gotta job too in Highwind! I'm a guard!"

"You'se a guard?!"

"Dey trust yuh? A scaley-face like us? To guard?"

"Well, what're ya guardin'?"

"Right now, you dopes an' ding-dongs! See, da Wayward Wanderers are here ta help us wif... Da Curse!"

All of the kobolds recoil and fall as if a physical force had hit them.

"But... but... dats da Evil Lady's domain! Whut kin dey do against da Evil Lady, huh?"

The massively-muscled ogre-sized maul-wielding cat-warrior in the corner with Kaerri jumps up and yells out a threatening roar so mean and so nasty, it holds none of his speech impediment and every bit of his bloodthirsty resolve! "I'LL TELLYA WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO! WE'RE GONNA SPANK LOVIATAR-FACE! WE'RE GONNA SMACK 'ER RIGHT IN DA FACE! WHEN I GET MY PAWS AROUND HER NECK, I'M GONNA--! RAWRAWRAWR!!" The creature becomes a mass of tearing, chomping, throttling, clawing, rending whirlwind of fur and claws.

"Oh dear," Bria waves. "Everyone stand back. He's gone all spazzy-kitty."

Immediately, all of the kobolds pause at this barbarically-savage display and know it for what it is. "Ohhhh!" The new guy looks at the Wayward Wanderers. "I gets it! You wants... payback!"

"Yeah!" Nitwit says. "Da Maiden of Pain did 'em wrong! SUPER-wrong! An' now dese heroes wants ta help us break Da Curse along wif da Evil Lady's face! I'll go an' tell Miss Mamapaw where our tribe iz!" Nitwit's feet slap against the immaculate hardwood floor as he races off to the Wayward Wagon's front door to do just that.

That leaves Izzy and the kobolds staring at you guys. Nitwit is back in a flash. "Hay, uhhh," the red-skinned reptilian points to any of the Wayward Wanderers. "Could'ya be so kind as ta tell us all... uh... just what da Evil Lady did ta you? I mean... he sure is angry!" Powerpaw only starts to chill out when Bria calls his name as she gets closer to the Felane and Kaerri.

"Yeah!" The other kobolds crowd around. "She make you all slaves too?"

"Yeah! She boil your friends?"

"Uhh, she feed yer family to da Dumbstumps?"

The new guy makes painful picking motions. "I bet she plucked yer scales off! One by one!"

He gets smacked soundly across the back by another. "Dey don't haaave scales, y'dummy!"

"Oh, right! So, she took yer scales from ya?"

Izzy covers his eyes as Nitwit nudges the new guy into silence. "I bet da Evil Lady did alla dat an' worse! Huh?"

By this time, the Wayward Wanderers sans Mamapaw are gathered around the edge of the Grand Pool as Bria begins to cast her orison of Detect Magic. The Ko Monk gets Powerpaw to quiet down enough to listen to the rest of you. "Shhh," Bria's naturally-soft voice and well-meaning demeanor flow with a magic all of their own.

"WHA?!"

The bond between warrior and healer is no typical bond and it becomes clear as Powerpaw glares at the source of the sound, only to immediately soften when he sees it is his best friend - a person who would never do him any harm and bring him every good she could. Her words are slow, true, and come from her rather large heart. "Save your power for Loviatar's minions, Fuzzy Goof. You're surrounded only by friends here! C'mon! It's story time, I think!"

"RRRrrrr... fine. Haz it yer way, Bria!"

"Okay!"

Taking that as clear invitation, Bria gingerly plops down beside him and rests against his furry body. Soon, the Felane warrior relents. He brings his attention to whomever wants to pick up the tale as he begins to pick through the loot with Bria silently pointing and whispering details to Powerpaw, Kaerri, and anyone else interested.

Of course, by no means are the stalwart and intrepid adventurers indebted to the kobolds as to tell them anything. But if they choose to as the Wayward Wagon soars through the evening skies above the many troubles of Shandra's Evergreen, they most certainly may.

What do the Wayward Wanderers do?

Accompanying Bria, Alisa took the opportunity to listen in and learn more about the Wayward Wanderers and their previous involvement with the kobolds, as well as the kobolds themselves.

She gave a sigh of relief when Bria was able to calm Powerpaw down; whatever past events had made him capable of such rage had clearly been traumatic. Meanwhile, the mention of a 'Curse' and 'Evil Lady' intrigued her, and for the moment she decided to hold off on questioning Bria in order to hear the story for herself.

 

[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

Of course, by no means are the stalwart and intrepid adventurers indebted to the kobolds as to tell them anything. But if they choose to as the Wayward Wagon soars through the evening skies above the many troubles of Shandra's Evergreen, they most certainly may.

Since no one else had spoken up, Kaerri did.

"Well, I actually just joined up with these guys myself, but they come highly recommended. My sister's a cleric of Mielikki," she grinned at Alisa, "and I've known Gwen a long time now, as adventurer time goes. So I'm all for spitting in the eye of Mielikki's worst enemy, any chance I get. Plus, Loviatar put a nasty set of curses on a friend of mine after he took out one of her 'bridges' -- and she was working with some of Highwind's enemies to get that curse laid, too. So you might say it's sort of personal for me because of what she's done to my friends."

Kaerri glances around at the others of her party. "As for everyone else, if they don't mind me speaking for 'em, the Wayward Wanderers are planning on taking out another of Loviatar's 'bridges' so's to disrupt her plans and help get Mielikki's husband back into things down here, or at least closer to it. Which it may be that Loviatar found out about it, because she sent someone to ambush them in a shop right here in Highwind and curse them all right outta this plane! O' course, you can't keep a good party down, so they're back now, and more determined than ever to mess her up but good. And Mielikki asked Gwen to ask me if I'd tag along, if they wanted me, so here I am."

 

[Psychie]

Oreleth chuckles. "Well, any enemy of the Maiden of Pain is a friend of mine. You should have seen what she did to us. We got zipped to a snowy wasteland, drained of our experience, and if that wasn't bad enough, she body-swapped us around! It was a rude surprise to discover that I was in someone else's body. Lucky for us, we were able to break the curses one by one and returned home. We still have plans to take out the connection between our worlds and end the war, but it will take the sages in Highwind some time to prepare for that part of our adventure."

 

[jaydude]

Alisa listened to both Kaerri and Oreleth, before nodding.

"After what's happened to Mielikki, I'm the furthest thing from a friend of Lovitar's." she said. "As long as you're opposing her and I'm not called away for another purpose, I'll help you however I can."

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Tag!

Alisa listened to both Kaerri and Oreleth, before nodding.

"After what's happened to Mielikki, I'm the furthest thing from a friend of Lovitar's." she said. "As long as you're opposing her and I'm not called away for another purpose, I'll help you however I can."

With Bria lying on him as if he were some great childrens' stuffed animal, Powerpaw relaxes, stretches, and flexes, causing the fur on his muscled arms and legs to bristle momentarily. For those who watch, he is careful not to move his door so as to disturb the concentrating Ko monk among you.

"Soo yashai!" Bria exclaims as her left hand gracefully moves from a twisting fist to lightly opened fingers.

Spoiler: If your Character speaks Celestial...

... you understand the meaning behind Bria's spirited exclamation.

"Praise the heavens!"

A soft golden glow emanates from her unpainted fingertips as she leans over the collected items you have gathered before her. Immediately, she whirls to her left causing the big cat upon whom she is laying down on to stir suspiciously.

"Oreleth..." Bria's tone becomes a little sad and then cautious as she lowers her voice to almost a whisper. She stares and stares at the pile of ogre-sized greatswords. "I see now hidden runes on their shiny surfaces. I see... what they read now. These blades are made in Erythnul's name, the gnollish god of slaughter and Loviatar's ally, though some say lover."

Spoiler: Dungeon Master note for all

Alisa and anyone with five or more ranks in Religion know who cruel and savage Erythnul is, if they don't have any direct experience with him and his already.

"They..." Bria sniffs, "...slice more deeply... when used against creatures of goodly nature... like... us." She indicates everyone in the room. (DM notes: 6 Large-sized greatswords +1/+3 vs. Good-aligned creatures. Does an additional d6 magic damage against Good-aligned creatures with every successful strike.)

Spoiler: Jaydude

Having learned this, your character's Paladin training highly encourages the use of the paladins' Detect Evil ability for reasons I'm sure you can imagine without my assistance! Heh!

Powerpaw looks from Bria to Kaerri and then to Oreleth. Oreleth can see in his feline blood-red slitted that the desire to do something about these swords is strong and getting stronger. He also appears to doubt that he's the only one who feels this way.

"Oooooh!" Bria turns and beams as the golden glow from her fingertips reflects in her peaceful brown eyes as they behold the hairpin.

"I recognize this imprint! This is one of Henrietta's Hallowed Hairpins from the market square, except this one is...
probably Oti's age?" She winks at her handsome half-elf. She reaches over and holds it up. It is a delicate and shiny Highwindian hairpin carved from white wood in an old wooden case at least 50 years in age (value 1 g.p.).

"This hairpin will magically keep in place any hairstyle to which it is affixed. However, Henrietta was known to loathe the undead. According to books I studied in the Church-fortress of Saint Cuthbert, is said that any corporeal undead creature to whom this pin is stuck into will not be able to transform into any type of incorporeal matter. Ever since I read that, I've always wanted to see if it is true!" (DM notes: In actuality, this is a +3 Hairpin, 1 h.p. piercing damage. Treated as both a Good/holy and silver weapon for purposes of Damage Reduction)

She examines this matched set and draws an immediate conclusion. The two fine daggers with cracked leather sheaths clearly of Dwarven-make ready to put magic but otherwise have no special abilities. (2 +2 Daggers in old and ill-kept Masterwork sheathes. The blades themselves could look much finer with a little bit of sharpening, care, and polish.)

"Now how about these? Nope, nope, nope. The coins appear unenchanted too.

Spoiler: Dungeon Master notes

Bria does not believe these items contain magic:

All combined together in Highwindian currency:
245 gold pieces
88 silver pieces
35 copper pieces

12 stick-pins topped with tiny pearls bound together by a long string. They appear gnomish-made (value 5 silver each - 6 g.p. total).

4 large, fat sticks with worn cloth-covered ends - apparently used for drum-beating. Can double as clubs in a pinch value 1 silver piece each - 4 s.p. total).

A Highwindian chain shirt (light armor) topped with a hauberk of green and white with the royal symbol of the hippogriff on its breast. It is grimy and mud-caked, but otherwise in good condition.

However, the next item is a completely different story!

Here, Bria takes her first good look at the item.

A bottle of slightly-cracked glass with pink cloudy liquid inside. The cracks are obviously from its time being in here rolling around with the metal armor.

One sniff and the Ko Healer immediately cups her nose and mouth closed. "Kaerri! Don't inhale!"

Without inhaling, Bria takes from her pouch a small rolled-up-and-tied white item and immediately seals the container as tightly as she can with what turns out to be a clean cloth bandage. "Oh, tell me you didn't breathe any of that!"

In this moment, Luna the Wizardess recalls in intense detail the highly-engaging classes in her native Summerset at Boccob's "Knowledge College" involving the Transmutation school of magic. Nowhere in the college, including in the Evocation school, where would-be Sorcerers, Bards, and Wizards more terrified than in the Transmutation School.

To blast a dozen people into the next life with a single raging Fireball? No problem! Disintegrate someone out right? Death instantaneous! But permanently transform someone else into some loathsome creature no one else will recognize and be denied the use of magic altogether until the spell is dine away with, if ever? Among Luna's classmates that year, this was almost universally agreed-upon as a fate worse than death (as the students of the Necromancy often lamented)!

So who knows what might be going through the wizardess's mind when Bria carefully leans forward, flask in hand, peers at Kaerri, nods very confidently, and says...

"Yep. You inhaled."

Kaerri's hair begins to grow and lengthen in front of your very eyes!

Her half-elven skin, hair, and eyes begin to slowly shift from color to color as if traveling down the cascading colors of the rainbow! Shade after shade, bright pink into sunny yellow, fireball-orange into cherry red into grape purple and so on, the colors change from moment to moment as if undecided where they will stop - if indeed they do!

Kaerri's ever-faithful trident chooses that moment to glow brightly in green and shining gold. The smell of salt water fills the air around you as a deep voice, rolling like the sea, states in a chiding tone.

"Well done, my wielder!" congratulates the weapon with no small amount of salt. His tone is like that of an old friend teasing another - full of amusement and yet lightly tinged with the relief that Kaerri is not suffering from any serious harm.

"How your mother and father will be pleased to see adventuring life has changed you upon your next meeting. Not to mention everyone else who shall surely recognize you and gawk in marvel across the realms."

Powerpaw appears to be doing just that. "Kaerri-face! Dis iz great! Sumbuddy get her a mirror!"

What do the Wayward Wanderers and Alisa do? =)

 

[jaydude]

"Oreleth..." Bria's tone becomes a little sad and then cautious as she lowers her voice to almost a whisper. She stares and stares at the pile of ogre-sized greatswords. "I see now hidden runes on their shiny surfaces. I see... what they read now. These blades are made in Erythnul's name, the gnollish god of slaughter and Loviatar's ally, though some say lover."

"They..." Bria sniffs, "...slice more deeply... when used against creatures of goodly nature... like... us." She indicates everyone in the room.

Alisa gave a little involuntary shudder when she heard that tidbit, before looking at the greatswords as though they were poisonous serpents. She focused her Mielikki-gifted senses upon them, wondering what she'd find.

Spoiler: OOC

Based upon the GM's advice, I'm going to go ahead and use Detect Evil here.

"This hairpin will magically keep in place any hairstyle to which it is affixed. However, Henrietta was known to loathe the undead. According to books I studied in the Church-fortress of Saint Cuthbert, is said that any corporeal undead creature to whom this pin is stuck into will not be able to transform into any type of incorporeal matter. Ever since I read that, I've always wanted to see if it is true!"

"I'm not particularly vain regarding my hair, but that sounds like it could be useful as a throwing needle if we ever encounter any undead." Alisa commented.

Here, Bria takes her first good look at the item.

A bottle of slightly-cracked glass with pink cloudy liquid inside. The cracks are obviously from its time being in here rolling around with the metal armor.

One sniff and the Ko Healer immediately cups her nose and mouth closed. "Kaerri! Don't inhale!"

Without inhaling, Bria takes from her pouch a small rolled-up-and-tied white item and immediately seals the container as tightly as she can with what turns out to be a clean cloth bandage. "Oh, tell me you didn't breathe any of that!"

In this moment, Luna the Wizardess recalls in intense detail the highly-engaging classes in her native Summerset at Boccob's "Knowledge College" involving the Transmutation school of magic. Nowhere in the college, including in the Evocation school, where would-be Sorcerers, Bards, and Wizards more terrified than in the Transmutation School.

To blast a dozen people into the next life with a single raging Fireball? No problem! Disintegrate someone out right? Death instantaneous! But permanently transform someone else into some loathsome creature no one else will recognize and be denied the use of magic altogether until the spell is dine away with, if ever? Among Luna's classmates that year, this was almost universally agreed-upon as a fate worse than death (as the students of the Necromancy often lamented)!

So who knows what might be going through the wizardess's mind when Bria carefully leans forward, flask in hand, peers at Kaerri, nods very confidently, and says...

"Yep. You inhaled."

Kaerri's hair begin to grow and lengthen in front of your very eyes!

Her half-elven skin, hair, and eyes begin to slowly shift from color to color as of traveling down the cascading colors of the rainbow! Shade after shade, bright pink into sunny yellow, fireball-orange into cherry red into grape purple and so on, the colors change from moment to moment as if undecided where they will stop - if indeed they do!

Kaerri's ever-faithful trident chooses that moment to glow brightly in green and shining gold. The smell of salt water fills the air around you as a deep voice, rolling like the sea, states in a chiding tone.

"Well done, my wielder!" congratulates the weapon with no small amount of salt. "How your mother and father will be pleased to see adventuring life has changed you upon your next meeting. Not to mention everyone else who shall surely recognize you and gawk in marvel across the realms."

Powerpaw appears to be doing just that. "Kaerri-face! Dis iz great! Sumbuddy get her a mirror!"

Alisa gave a little start when Kaerri's hair starting growing, and then the woman began physically going through all the colours of the rainbow.

"What in the world?" she asked, looking at the bottle. She'd heard enough from Bria to figure out that it was responsible for whatever was happening.

"Any idea when it's going to stop?" she asked the monk once the trident had finished with its sarcastic rebuke.

At least Kaerri didn't seem to be in any danger, for the moment anyway...

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Otiorin Taletreader

Otiorin had taken the role of host, offering the assembled kobolds something to drink or eat and warning them about Arfy, Barfy and Snarfy, but lending an ear to the conversations amongst the bigger folk. When he heard the talk about the 'Dumbstump' swords, it wasn't for the first time he wished Bronze was still in their numbers. The doughty smith would have rendered those dolorous blades down into delicate cutlery and napkin rings fit to grace a king's banquet table.

But that moment of sadness was replaced with mirth as he watched Kaerri's misadventure.
"Oh dear, Kaerri! I'm not sure if we should call you 'Rainshadow' or 'Rainbow' now?", he chuckled, indicating she might wish to glance at her appearance in the mirrored surface of the pool.

 

[Sherwood]

Luna covers her mouth with her hand to hide her smile as she thinks about what is going on with Kaerri. With my knowledge of Arcana, I'm sure that I've come across this in my texts before. I wonder, is it in my book? She quickly pulls out her Callen Encyclopedia of Averlundian Adventures and begins to flip pages as she looks for the right entry.

 

[Psychie]

Oreleth gives a startled sound as she sees the, what? Curse? Take effect on the half-elf woman. At least, it seems that she is not being harmed by this . . . whatever happened to her. Lets hope it is not permanent. Seeing Luna take out her book and do some reading gives her a bit of relief. "Fear not, good Kaerri. If anyone can find the answer for your current dilemma, it is our good wizard, Luna. Hopefully it is a simple fix within our power to apply."

 

[Purr]

Sherwood
Upon Luna's shoulder, most people tend to miss a certain quiet yet very observant old miss - Sparkle the Pseudo-dragon. Being each other's familiars, they aid one another almost automatically and this moment is another such opportunity. The old dragoness delves into her own mind, heavy and rich with all of its own experiences, and tries to aid Luna with her own knowledge.

Spoiler: OOC

Sparkle is attempting to use the Aid Another action with Luna's Arcana roll.

Her purple d20 (did you really expect another color for her?) rolled an 11 which is enough to beat the DC of 15 so Luna gets to add another +2 to her Skill check (now at +23).

Unrelated note. GIFs are fun! 8D

I rolled Luna's orange d20 and came up with a 9 which gives a grand total of 32! Verrry nice, Sherwood! This results in the following... result. Heh!

Luna feels an unobtrusive "touch" inside of her mind. The aging lady dragon, Sparkle, has come a'knocking with thoughts of her own concerning strange magic of Transmutation school power. "Pyri," sayeth she in her cool and straightforward manner, "when I was your father's familiar, there was a secretive archmagi he held to the highest respect. You know of him - the incomparable Archmage Marthallen - once regarded as the oldest of the half-elves and the wisest of their kind. Archmage Marthallen warned your father of the existence of this very spell - for it is indubitably the pinnacle of self-transformational magic on all of Sharseya and the dearest dream of any true child of the Transmutation School of Wizardry. Being a Master Illusionist and no archmage, your father never learned it, and yet, here it is... a single sample... before us now." Sparkle curls her tiny foreclaws in great satisfaction of simply being here in this moment.

While Luna's own knowledge is enough to come to a comprehensive answer, that Sparkle has reached the same conclusion perhaps brings added certainty to the matter. Besides... how many others in the Wayward Wanderers would even know of the secret existence of this most-incredible spell possessed only by the archmagi, the most studious of druids, and the greatest of sorcerers? The 9th level spell called... Shapechange!

Luna knows that she will have to cast a Detect Magic cantrip of her own and study the potion for 3 Rounds to be absolutely sure, but using knowledge alone, there is no other magic that alters the physical forms of creatures - including all Polymorph-style spells, with this manner of potency! That the magic appears to lie in a cracked container is incredibly unfortunate, but Luna can feel right in Bria's sealing the crack. The item cost of the spell alone (a jade circlet worth a minimum of 1,500 gold pieces - a mandatory requirement definitely not covered by the Eschew Materials Feat!) virtually cries out for the need to not waste this incredibly-potent potion!