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Holmes: Isadora is coming back from the strange sights at the Lake when Sebastian comes across her, having heard something was happening at the lake. Egani and his "friend" are not far behind.
Isadora: "Sebastian. I'm considering who to blame for this latest turn of events, since I haven't thought of anything yet to DO about it. Suggestions?"
Sebastian: Sebastian smiles, "Well, things seem to have gotten slightly worse with the arrival of your mother...?"
Egani: Overhearing, Egani makes a suggestion. "You are aware that that Salast person, to whom I've yet to be introduced, is doing stuff out there in the woods, right?"
Isadora grimaces. "Yes, well, she has a way of making rains of fire and rivers running blood seem like minor annoyances." She then quirks an eyebrow at Egani. "Aware, yes. He had the bad taste to disappear before I could remove him."
Sebastian: Sebastian sighs, "Ah, Salast... Well, at least I won't have to call in a specialist for him..."
Egani: "What exactly was Salast's role in camp before he took off?"
Sebastian: Sebastian gives Adrienne a "Tell him the real truth, or the official truth?"
Sebastian: look
Isadora: "Officially, an advisor. He was appointed to look out for Lord Marvars' interests, which he apparently expanded beyond the area of advice."
Sebastian: Sebastian looks uncharacteristically lost in thought. His usual sharp attention seems to have deserted him...
Holmes: The Captain of the Skyship Eridani Two, one Jeustian Kaltrain, a man of obvious Laan descent and noble demeanor approaches. He addresses Isadora as he approaches, "We can't leave today with the sky like this, Ladyship."
Isadora: "Are you provisioned for the delay, or will we need to make arrangements here? I'm, ah, working on the sky trouble."
Holmes: "Oh, we'll stay onboard and have plenty of supply. That's not a problem. It's just that anything outgoing will have to wait," he explains. "From here we're just going to head to Sarnak, and then back to Kaitaine. I wanted to ask: do you think that you'll need us to return here on the way back? I know your mother wants to head back, but to make a trip just for her..."
Isadora is torn between sympathy for the man and desire to get rid of her mother. "When will you next be here? I could try to convince her that the sky omens make a return trip impossible, so she'll have to leave now."
Holmes: Well, after Kaitaine we're planning on heading back to Sel-Kai. If we don't take her on our return trip then she'll have to wait for the next ship coming in about a week from Sel-Kai.
Isadora: A week? Isadora fights down stark terror. "I'll inform her that the goblin attacks make it too dangerous to stay, and you can't return as planned."
Holmes: "Ah, I see. Well, we stand ready to take her if she's ready to go whenever this...whatever it is, clears up," he says waving his hand in the direction of the White Wood.
Isadora: "A testament to your fortitude, my good man. Any other news, or shall I return to consulting with the scholar, here?" She gestures at Egani.
Holmes: Kaltrain replies, "Well, there's some big news in the Dye markets in Kaitaine, something to do with the Marqis of Greensward. But we'll not know the nature of it till we return to Kaitane as the announcement was made today I believe."
Egani: "Captain, I would like to dispatch a number of letters to be posted to persons in Sel-kai. To whom should I speak about this?"
Okhfels: Okhfels arrives, with a few of his men, plus Alshor in tow. He waves to them as he gets close to Isadora, indicating that they should hang back.
Holmes: The captain looks at Okhfels as he approaches, but responds to Egani. "Just bring them down to the ship along with payment, and talk to the quartermaster."
Okhfels: "Isadora, I need something from you."
Egani: "Thank you."
Isadora steps aside to talk to Okhfels. "What?"
Okhfels: "There's a man named Mitsis you have. Dhazari says he's a good scout. I want to take him to raid the goblins."
Isadora thinks a moment, then nods. "He's yours. It'll be dangerous, so I can clear him of his debt if he makes it back."
Okhfels: Okhfels nods.
Isadora: "Good luck."
Okhfels salutes and turns to go find the place of incarceration. He's een round long enough, he ought to know where it is by now...
Holmes: The captain turns to Egani, "That's a Sel-Kai accent. Where are you from?"
Egani: "Sel-Kai, sir. Quite recently."
Egani: "I am an inventor in the house of Count Phorik."
Holmes: "Your name isn't, by any chance, Egani, is it?" says the captain.
Egani starts. "It is! How would it come to be on the top of your mind?"
Holmes: "Well, there was an elf in Kaitaine who asked me to keep an eye out for a man named Egani. Something very strange about him, too..." he trails off.
Egani: "Truly? Was it one of my A'kesh brothers? They will be the recipients of some of my post."
Egani: "...strange about the elf or about me..?"
Holmes: "Well, that could be," he replies. "He was certainly of some order, though I'm not familiar enough with them all to say for sure which. The odd thing was about the elf. Somebody mentioned to me that he'd used a navigator to get to Kaitaine. In one jump."
Holmes: The implication is staggering. The cost of such a jump would be astronomical. Teleporting several thousand miles? It could only mean business of the most dire sort.
Egani: "You met him in Kaitaine?"
Isadora moves over to Sebastian and asks him quietly, "Something on your mind?"
Sebastian: Sebastian looks up, startled. His eyes seem a bit distant. He looks at Isadora as if trying to decide to tell her something, he shakes his head as if making a decision. "Oh, nothing..." It's clearly a lie...
Holmes: "I met him in Kaitaine, yes," continues the captain. "And I have to say... I deal with elves a lot, I really don't like their kind. And this one didn't seem to have your best interests at heart.
Egani: "How odd. I'd think that if anyone from back home were perturbed with me it would be Count Phorik. I disappeared with his house, after all."
Egani: "Do you have some arrangement in place to report back to him on my wherabouts?"
Isadora: "Come now. After all our time together, you can't tell me?" Isadora says to Sebastian.
Sebastian: Sebastian looks at Isadora again, a long searching look. "It is a personal matter, there are not many people I am willing to discuss personal matters with, my Lady." He smiles a bit sadly, "Occupational hazard..."
Holmes: The captain says to Egani, "Well, again I have no love of the elves. If you'd prefer it, I won't say anything. Though I get the feeling that I'll be asked."
Isadora: "Certainly," Isadora replies to Sebastian, a bit cooly. "One can't trust any odd person."
Sebastian: "Quite so. And there are other risks in trust..."
Egani: "Thank you captain. I will have to consider how to handle this information."
Isadora nods, a little hurt but absolutely unwilling to show it. She pays attention again to the captain and Egani, sure that he's causing some fresh trouble.
Egani: As the captain leaves, Egani addresses Isadora. "Um, I wonder if you know anything about how I would have a person apprehended in Kaitaine and brought here on the next ship? Is this something that can be done?"
Egani turns to Sebastion, "or you..?"
Sebastian: Sebastian looks up, still distracted. "Eh? Oh, yes... in Kaitaine? I might know some people..."
Isadora: "Sebastian is a better bet. I have few favors to call in at home, right now."
Sebastian: Sebastian thinks for a moment, "Yes, if you'll stop by my tent early this evening I'll be glad to provide some... advice on the matter."
Egani: "That would be most welcome. Thank you."

Holmes: Sebastian comes across Gennadi hanging around Speckler's storehouse. He seems down about something.
Sebastian: "Ah, my friend Gennadi, what is troubling you?"
Holmes: He looks up to see Sebastian, "Oh, nothing."
Holmes: He seems uncomfortable.
Sebastian: Sebastian simply raises an eyebrow elegantly and waits.
Holmes: Gennadi breaks down to the man a bit, "I was promised something, and I now have to wait."
Sebastian: "I have found that talking about disappointment can sometimes be relaxing. Are you interested in discussing it? I have an excellent bottle of wine in my tent, if you are interested of course."
Holmes: "It's..." he hesitates, "Zoora was supposed to initate me when the moon was full. She said I had to wait. That she had something else to do that night."
Sebastian: "I thought that initiation was a pretty important event... What could be so urgent that a delay was necessary?"
Holmes: "I don't know, but she seemed pretty bent on it whatever it was," he says looking out over the tents of the camp.
Holmes: "I'll take that drink, actually, if it's still offered," says Gennadi who needs something to break the monotony of his wait.
Sebastian: "Of course, just this way... By the way, have you seen Laura recently? She's a member of your religion, and she's apparently been rather busy with it recently..."
Holmes: "No, sorry," he says, "she was there the night before I was supposed to be initiated, and was promised initiation the next time Charon passes near."
Sebastian: "Oh, that's fine..." Sebastian waves Gennadi into his tent and pours him a drink. "Well, why don't we talk about your cult? I'm not really all that familiar with it, and I could probably use some broader horizons..."

Holmes: Several drinks later, Gennadi tells Sebastian, "Yes, it's true, some can change shape into cats. It's awesome to behold."
Sebastian: "Change into cats? Human-sized cats, or cat-sized cats?"
Holmes: "Either, I think, actually," he slurs. "But Andaras doesn't do these things lightly. He demands great sacrifices from his followers before he bestows his wisdom upon them."
Sebastian: "Sacrifices? Like what? A vow of obedience? A prized possession?"
Holmes: "Well, valuable things, like gold. Vows are required as well," he says. "Y'know I'm just new to this, i dono all of the ansers."
Holmes: "I think that Zoora likes me, though," he says winking at Sebastian. "I mean she's a little old, but still..."

Holmes: Okhfels strides with a group of men from the Kaitaine colony over towards the Rhiani camp, looking for the members of his heroband there. As he nears, Dhazari emerges from the hunters' ring of tents. "Hello, big man. What are you looking for?"
Okhfels: "I'm looking for some men brave enough to put their lives at stake to save us all from that goblin band out there."
Holmes: Dhazari looks at him skeptically. He has not joined Okhfels hero band himself. "Why not then stay here and defend our people? Why go and fight them on their ground?"
Okhfels: "Because they're doing something... something to those trees out there across the lake. Their sick yellow magic is going after the pure white magic of the trees, and after that, what? Those trees, they're holy, as I've been told. Isn't that true?"
Holmes: Dhazari frowns in disagreement, "Holy? More like damned. I saw the light, too. Our shaman says that some power of good is attacking the evil trees who throw off the yellow to protect themselves."
Okhfels: Okhfels is a little nonplussed at this. "Then why is the white on the bottom, where the trees are? Ah, never mind... it doesn't matter. I don't know about magic. The goblins are planning no good for any of us."
Okhfels: "And I'm going out there to do what I can about it."
Holmes: "Well, that may be true, certainly. I don't trust them being out their, either," says Dhazari. "But to split up the tribe right now...it seems unwise, no?"
Okhfels: "I'm not taking many. Only the sneakiest. Too many men coming, they would notice."
Holmes: "Makes sense. But those are the same men that I need on sentinel here..." Dhazari seems to want to help Okhfels, but also has to fend for his people. "Our warriors are not as good at scouting. Perhaps just Alshor?"
Okhfels: "Not as good? If you weren't a Rhiani I'd... well, I shouldn't say. But if Alshor is all you can spare, then I'll take him and thank you."
Holmes: "No, I mean the warriors of our Cay cult who have joined you. They're devout, but not great scouts. You can have Alshor, certainly. He seems to really enjoy the beating of that drum of yours," he says. "Oh, Mitsis is one of our best scouts, you know. He's been kept incarcerated in the colony for a couple of weeks now. If you were to speak to Isadora about him, I can vouch for him that he'd join you."
Okhfels: "Mitsis, eh? Alright... I'll do that."
Okhfels: Okhfels goes back to the colony, looking for Isadora. He knows how to find her, just sniff around for the smell of authority thinly spread over panic.

Holmes: The rhythmic thud of many goblin feet hitting the turf at he same time comes from over the hilltop as Okhfels men crawl carefully to the top to peer over the edge. The scene below disconcerts some of them. The goblins circle about a strange rock outcropping, and they have been going so long that a rut has started to form beneath their feet. The stone itself seems to be coming alive as they do so - an ugly gnarled and huge form.
Okhfels looks around for leaders, shamen, priests.
Okhfels: Okhfels has already told his men the plan. The fleetest runners will start a diversion, draw off as many of the goblins as they can with a feint. Okhfels will lead the rest to dash in, kill as many of the priests as possible, and then escape before the goblin horde knows what has happened.
Okhfels: It's not a particularly sophisticated plan. But then, it's Okhfels plan.
Holmes: Alshor, a man sensitive to spirits, points out the shaman to Okhfels. He has two assistants flanking him. Alshor whispers, "I have an idea. Those goblins have accumulated some of the spirit on each of them. I know how to summon spirits that can protect us from theirs. Should we retreat long enough to prepare?"
Okhfels: "I don't know... it looks like they're getting close to done with whatever they're doing. Do we have time for that?"
Holmes: "I think that the spirit will not emerge completely until sundown," says Alshor with a middling amount of certainty.
Holmes: He shrugs.
Okhfels: "Good." Okhfels is willing to trust him. "Let's do it, then."

Holmes: An hour later, Okhfels sits before a pile of snail shells. "Yes, just string them on this gut line, and I'll summon the spirit to them."
Holmes: Alshor seems confident as he starts his string.
Okhfels assists.
Holmes: As Okhfels picks one of the shells up, he crushes it accidentally. They are quite delicate.
Okhfels: "I'm not the best person to be doing this, Alshor."
Okhfels: "I have no skill for such things."
Holmes: "We must each make our own. Or the spirits will not help the maker," says Alshor encouragingly.
Okhfels: "I see."
Okhfels looks darkly at the pile of shells.
Okhfels thinks of Isadora, and Elahra, who are counting on him... and his men, who look up to him...
Okhfels picks up another snail shell, gingerly... knowing that there are not many of them here...
Okhfels licks his lips as he considers how to go about this...
Okhfels has a flash of insight
Okhfels throws down the fragments of the fourth snail shell in disgust. Everyone else is done with theirs.
Holmes: Alshor looks up at Okhfels, "Ah, you don't need it anyway, do you."
Okhfels: "We'll have to see. Come on... we have some shamen to kill."

Holmes: The sun dips near the horizon, and a ruckus comes from the other side of the hill across the bowl from where the goblins stamp about the rock. The shaman notes the Rhiani diversion and reacts.
Okhfels: Okhfels and the other marksmen in the group watch from the hill. Okhfels has the biggest crossbow in camp ready. There's no question of going down there... it's too dangerous. They're going to kill the priests with a hail of missile fire.
Holmes: The shaman orders his entire group of goblins to abandon their ritual and chase the diversion. They scream madly and rush off to chase the scouts.
Okhfels: Crouched on the hill, Okhfels raises his arbalest and lets fly with a two-foot long crossbow shaft, signalling the others that they are to fire down into the bowl at the shamen.
Okhfels: The bolt from Okhfels engine of destruction strikes like holy retribution, striking the shaman with the necklace of vertebrae right in the chest, incidentally severing the necklace cord, scattering the bones at his feet. A storm of arrows follows, landing among the other shamen, striking several of them down with well-placed or lucky shots.
Okhfels: Before any alarm can be raised, Okhfels and his men retreat into the sunset, knowing that the glare of the setting sun will prevent easy pursuit.
Holmes: As they head down the hill Alshor and the other men join back up with them, having evaded the goblin horde, "On the way back, I checked the rock. I think that they might be able to finish the ceremony without the shaman. Just possibly if any of them has any brains. Which..."
Okhfels: "Without the shaman... Damn..."
Okhfels: "They're too riled up to go back there. We'll just have to deal with whatever happens."
Holmes: "Ah, they are stupid creatures. They'll probably go home when the see their shaman dead," he agrees.
Okhfels: "I hope you're right."

Holmes: Egani sits in the boat, the huge rock preventing it from going anywhere, and watches as the Yellow that covers the forest expands very slowly.
Holmes: He notices the the event horizon of the yellow, though it colors everything, has just reached the eastern shore of Green Lake and creeps slowly over the boat.
Egani tries to feel a change.
Charles_Wotton is now known as Archelaus
Egani asks Aaron about discoloration phenomenon. "Does this mean anything to you?"
Holmes: "I cannot say," Aaron responds enigmatically. The yellow passes over Egani, but he doesn't feel a thing. Harmless, it would seem. He comes out of his reverie to note an incredible looking Rhiani woman dressed in some formal robe heading towards him.
Egani stands to greet the local.
Okhfels: Egani sits in the boat, the huge rock preventing it from going anywhere, and watches as the Yellow that covers the forest expands very slowly.
Holmes> He notices the the event horizon of the yellow, though it colors everything, has just reached the eastern shore of Green Lake and creeps slowly over the boat.
Aysha examines the rock
Aysha: "Who are you?"
Egani: "My name is Egani, good lady. And you?"
Aysha: "I am Aysha."
Aysha looks at the boat and rock with some puzzlement.
Aysha: "This is a strange travel arrangement. Why is this?"
Egani: "Actually, I'm curious about that too. We built this boat, but now there's a rock on it."
Egani: "I was going to break it up and move it off, but I got distracted by the yellow."
Egani: "Do you think the Yellow is good or bad? And for whom?"
Aysha looks at the yellow
Aysha: "I do not know it's purpose. My..."
Aysha sighs
Aysha: "The one that I now serve has sent me to investigate the disturbance."
Egani: "And what have you found out?"
Aysha: "
Aysha: Nothing, yet, I fear. I have just arrived."
Aysha moves to the rock and lays her hands on it
Egani: "If you think that you'd be interested in comparing notes -- not that we have much at this point, and working together, Aaron here," Egani gestures to a nine foot tall wood and brass automaton with birds fluttering about among the cogs of his chest cavity) "and I are putting together an investigative team. You might find benefit from working with us."
Aysha gives Egani a penetrating stare
Aysha: "Why should I trust you?"
Egani looks startled. "Um, why shouldn't you?"
Aysha: "I was... I am Rhiani. It is against my nature."
Aysha: "Would you trust me, a stranger?"
Egani: "Sure. People are by and large good."
Egani: "Obviously you could prove that you are one of the exceptions, but until that happens, why wouldn't I?"
Aysha shakes her head. "You must not have met very many people."
Egani: "Sure I have. I prefer to see the good in them."
Aysha moves closer to Egani
Aysha: "What do you see in me?"
Egani reddens a bit. "Well, you're very attractive, of course. But, I think you're not soft, the way some would assume without thinking. I imagine that you are capable of being pleasant or harmful."
Egani: "Right?"
Aysha lifts her shoudlers, rippling a bit.
Okhfels has quit IRC (Quit: Gnight all)
Aysha: "Often, I fear, they are one and the same."
Egani blinks.
Egani: "My wife said something very much like that just this morning."
Aysha bends down, gazing into Egani's eyes
Aysha: "Your wife? I do not see her here."
Egani: "Um, she's at home. I think."
Egani: "Have you seen my house? It's the only one around. Some of your people were interested when we first landed."
Egani: "...we could go there."
Aysha purrs
Aysha: "Yes. I would like that..."

Holmes: Isadora sits by the fire, having evaded her mother for the night. Sebastian, inebriated, sits not far off.
Holmes: Okhfels arrives back from his excursion, covered in sweat. Meaningful glances are passed about the fire.

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