Chapter Eighteen: In the Shadow of the Maiden of Pain!

[Psychie]

Oreleth settles into a seat as she sets her mind to recount the events of the exploration into the caves. "There was a large group of giants in there, fourteen of them to be precise. The lead giant seemed to be able to sniff out Kaerri from her magic trident that she carries, and offered up a challenge to us through her. If we were to face off against four of the storm giants and win, this boss giant would agree to free all the kobolds. But, if we were to lose, we would have to agree to be their slaves, forfeiting our freedom and belongings to the giants, doing the bidding of the boss baddie."

She pauses, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "It may be possible for us to have pulled off this duel, but we learned later from these little guys that the four giants we were supposed to face would have strapped some of their captives to their bodies, making it impossible for us to attack them without running the risk of killing the very beings we were sent here to help. That would have made things really dicey, and I'm thinking it was a good thing that instead of fighting, Kaerri grabbed the captives and we ran for the hills."

"I wish we could have done more, and if there was a way to face off against them in smaller numbers, we would have been able to wipe them out. But against their massed force there was just no way for us to be able to take them on and win. Some battles are just best avoided."

Oreleth then looks to the rescued kobolds with a smile, saying, "Is there anyone hurt that is in need of a healer? If so, speak up and we will see what can be done for you. Then we can make some arrangements to feed you and get you to a safe place to rest."

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus Tag!

Sharseya in the Wayward Wagon - A moment with the kobold Tribe of the Silver Sun.

* * *​

The trio of kobolds rescued by the Wayward Wanderers stay near the entrance staring at their eager-looking brethren. Neither group moves. Both groups seem to be waiting for something.

Unlike their fellows, the trio are almost as dark as the darkness you rescued them from. In the magical lights provided by the Grand Pool, you can see dirt, dust, ickiness, and grime that covers each of the three from tip to tail.

Hesitantly, one of the kobolds in the tribe proper waves to the trio and equally hesitantly, each of the trio waves back. With the tribe watching and listening, one of the dirty trio turns to the other and sighs in relief.

"Good to see yas, Mitsy! Boy, when dat Stormy Lord picked yuh up by yer tail, I thought you wuz a goner fer sure!"

"Hey! I ain't Mitsy! Dats Mitsy!" snarls the insulted filth-covered kobold while stabbing a tiny claw at the third of the trio who silently but assuringly nods. For the span of one long breath, every single one of the kobolds besides not-Mitsy gasps, becomes rigid, and seems to briefly do their best impressions of living exclamation points as they all yell out in unison.

"WHAAAAAAT?!"

"Yeah! Dats right!" replies not-Mitsy. With crossed arms and an upraised chin, the offended continues. "By Bahamut, I thought we wuz friends!
Sure I'z all dirty, but how come you can't recognize me? Yer best buddy!"

The first kobold's muzzle and ears droop in sorriness.

Not-Mitsy rages on. "I know we wuz in a pickle, but see if I invite you to any of my parties again, Clonkers!"

"Hey!" replies the first. "I'm not Clonkers! Clonkers is over dere!" He points at one of the clean kobolds who enthusiastically waves to not-Misty from the crowd.

Every kobold besides Clonkers and not-Clonkers jumps up in unison and yells along with not-Mitsy who is the most-surprised of them all. Their yells echo off the walls as they say:

"WHAAAAAAT?!"

And so it goes. =)

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Otiorin Taletreader

The Half-elf moved within the Wayward Wagon to join his fellow Wanderers and the Kobold tribe that had previously been huddled in that crude dirt circle, looking dejected and broken-hearted.
"Please, friends, be at peace. Within this wagon, you will only find friends, as long as you don't get too close to our three Mimics. Use this room to rest and recover from your ordeal."

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus

"Please, friends, be at peace. Within this wagon, you will only find friends, as long as you don't get too close to our three Mimics. Use this room to rest and recover from your ordeal."

The moment Otiorin begins to speak, half of the entire tribe stops what they are doing and turn to the half-elf giving him their fullest attention while the other half tells those who haven't heard him to "pipe down" and "stuff a rug in it! Our dragon-guy's talkin'!" Then from chieftain to youngest, the kobolds take in his every word. One of them raises a clawed hand.

"Ya mean we kin walk around now?"

"We'd sure like ta see our guys, please Mister sir!"

"Yeah! Can we clean up our buddies, please? Da Stormy Lords didn't let us even pass gas wiffout permissions!"

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Otiorin Taletreader

Otiorin smiled benignly at the assembled Kobolds. "Please do, take your ease. Rest, recover, walk, sit, sleep even. If you want to pass gas, I ask you do it in moderation, there's more than a few of us here and a storm of farts could kill everyone here present.", he replied with a smile, "If it pleases you, you can wash off the mud and mess in this pool, it cleans itself."

 

[Silanon]

Mamapaw growls briefly which causes the younger cat's ears to flick upward. "This hobbit, my son, is Aldrin of Highwind. Aldrin? This is my youngest kit, Powerpaw - a gladiator by trade, a son of Beautiful Bastet by blessing!"

"Heya Aldrin-face!" He puts the barrels-become-buckets down in front of the trio of rescued Kobolds who step forward to sniff. They seem to like what they smell.

"Glad to meet you, Powerpaw. Had the pleasure of meeting the others in the tunnels - and of getting out there in one piece, I reckon." He turns towards Oreleth, offers a smile. "If it's alright, I'll stay aboard until the next stop, at least. I am gifted in some sense, but not with the blessing of flight. If there's need of healing, or other help, let me know. The Gods don't like their blessings be wasted, now do they?"

 

[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 ambles over to stand near Powerpaw, grinning at the mistaken identity issues. "Powerpaw's brought plenty of soap and towels," she offers, gesturing to the half-barrels the Felane had carried in. "Help yourselves. Oreleth, I'm going to find Lady Beatrice and let her know about our new guests. The two of us can probably come up with something in the way of accommodations." There aren't enough bedrooms for them all, or at least there weren't last time Kaerri checked, but after all they've been through, the kobolds'll probably be quite happy with piled-up blankets and pillows on the floor right here in the pool room. Or wherever else they will fit. Dinner is probably the more immediate question, one the shadowdancer is rather interested in herself.

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Psychie Sherwood Silanon

In the Wayward Wagon! Part 1 of 2.

Oreleth settles into a seat as she sets her mind to recount the events of the exploration into the caves. "There was a large group of giants in there, fourteen of them to be precise. The lead giant seemed to be able to sniff out Kaerri from her magic trident that she carries, and offered up a challenge to us through her. If we were to face off against four of the storm giants and win, this boss giant would agree to free all the kobolds. But, if we were to lose, we would have to agree to be their slaves, forfeiting our freedom and belongings to the giants, doing the bidding of the boss baddie."

She pauses, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "It may be possible for us to have pulled off this duel, but we learned later from these little guys that the four giants we were supposed to face would have strapped some of their captives to their bodies, making it impossible for us to attack them without running the risk of killing the very beings we were sent here to help. That would have made things really dicey, and I'm thinking it was a good thing that instead of fighting, Kaerri grabbed the captives and we ran for the hills."

"I wish we could have done more, and if there was a way to face off against them in smaller numbers, we would have been able to wipe them out. But against their massed force there was just no way for us to be able to take them on and win. Some battles are just best avoided."

Powerpaw the Fuzzy Goof becomes Powerpaw the Gladiator of Rhumia. The white-furred Felane broods as he listens to Oreleth's tale. Finally, his ears twitch as his furry tail slowly lashes back and forth with the moving of his mind.

He shakes his head, his silly-sounding voice lisping. "Storm giants? Makin' bad deals? Smashin' kobolds an' dere village? I don't gets it. I thought Storm Giants wuz da good guys here in Averlund?"

"They are a faction called the Storm Lords. We have no giant-kind in Rhumia," Mamapaw says as she sniffs her left paw and licks it clean.

"I tink you guys made da right choice. Ol' Wavey," Powerpaw glances respectfully at the green-gold trident glowing in Kaerri's hand, "I ain't caught him bein' wrong yet. Plus, you guys got all da kobolds out wiffout even fightin'! While I want tales of face-smackin,' dat y'all did dat really is sumthin!"

Mamapaw hands Powerpaw the Maul of the Titans. Even he leans into the weapon, familiar as he is with the six-foot hammer's great weight. Mamapaw then unclasps the mighty girdle about her waist. Kneeling down, she fastens it about her son's midriff. There is a click from the ornate belt and Powerpaw stands straighter, hefting the legendary maul now without trouble. Eyeing the maul's clean head with look of distaste (after all, a hammer is meant for Hammer Smacks and a clean hammer hasn't smacking anybody!), Powerpaw looks to the Wayward Wanderers and says, "You guys really gotta try dis ting in combat! Dere's nuffin' like it!"

"Glad to meet you, Powerpaw. Had the pleasure of meeting the others in the tunnels - and of getting out there in one piece, I reckon." He turns towards Oreleth, offers a smile. "If it's alright, I'll stay aboard until the next stop, at least. I am gifted in some sense, but not with the blessing of flight. If there's need of healing, or other help, let me know. The Gods don't like their blessings be wasted, now do they?"

Mamapaw and Powerpaw both shake their heads. Mamapaw places her claw-tips on her forehead. "They most certainly do not!"

"Yeah," Powerpaw nods. "Jus' wait until Bria sees you, Aldrin-face. I don't tink dere's a hobbit-face alive dat she doesn't get along wif."

 

[Purr]

In the Wayward Wagon. Part 2 of 2.

Oreleth then looks to the rescued kobolds with a smile, saying, "Is there anyone hurt that is in need of a healer? If so, speak up and we will see what can be done for you. Then we can make some arrangements to feed you and get you to a safe place to rest."

When Oreleth addresses the kobolds, at first they all quiet up and become very still and look upward as if in obedience to beings much, much larger than they. But then one by one, they look to each other and reality dawns on them. And with that reality, small smiles and relief. One of their number raises a claw (you don't know what her name is, but she has a small red feather along her brow and a slighty-crooked muzzle along with pretty gold eyes). "We don' need no healin'! We just need foods!" She points in the direction of the kitchen. "Da blindy human lady wif da silver fur went along wif Nitwit an' a few of the gals. They're makin' somethin'!"

"Yah," nods their chieftain. "Da Peaceful One took da Big Turtle Fella dat way," he points in the direction of the hall leading to the Master bedroom and Stewart's room, "somethin' about studyin' Come on, tribe!" he yells and is the first to lead the way. "Our guys need cleanin'!" To the delight of every scaly creature present (and some non-scaly, I'm sure), the kobolds grab up the supplies Powerpaw brought and begin to clean up the three rescued by Otiorin, Alisa, and Kaerri.

Psychie Powerpaw takes that moment to look to Oreleth. "What's our next steps, Boss Lady? Moar!"

 

[Psychie]

Psychie Powerpaw takes that moment to look to Oreleth. "What's our next steps, Boss Lady? Moar!"

Oreleth gives the kobolds a smile as they head off to get cleaned up and fed. She says, "Enjoy your bath and hot meals. We will find you some bedding to let you get some rest in a place of safety." The elf waits for the horde of little guys to leave before turning to look at the others. With a sigh, she says, "To be honest, I don't rightly know. I hate to leave these storm giants alone to cause more mischief, but before doing anything about them, we have to get the kobolds away from here and to a safe place. Once we get that done, we can look into coming up with an answer to the threat of the giants without getting us killed in the process."

"We'll need a plan to take down those giants, and I'm open to suggestions on how to do it."

 

[Silanon]

"I'm wondering if there's another way. In battle, they are a force to be reckoned with - so perhaps there is a weakness elsewhere. If they serve the darkness against their traditions, then there's a reason for that. Besides, I doubt that they'd easily bow their heads. If we remove the reason why they are fighting, then that'd eliminate the danger without the bloodshed. If there's a small, quiet place to be found" - he looks around, though the kobolds might not make that an easy demand - "I could attempt to call upon my gifts. See if past or future reveal more than what we know at present."

The seer offers that as if it is the most natural thing in the world. It is not - but at some point, repetitive wonders become familiar.

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Psychie Sherwood Silanon

Spoiler: Theology/Civilization

"Basil Poledouris- Theology/Civilization"

"Help yourselves. Oreleth, I'm going to find Lady Beatrice and let her know about our new guests. The two of us can probably come up with something in the way of accommodations." There aren't enough bedrooms for them all, or at least there weren't last time Kaerri checked, but after all they've been through, the kobolds'll probably be quite happy with piled-up blankets and pillows on the floor right here in the pool room. Or wherever else they will fit. Dinner is probably the more immediate question, one the shadowdancer is rather interested in herself.

Being acquainted-enough with the layout of the Wayward Wagon (click for the map inside the post), Kaerri is able to find the kitchen in no time at all. Entering, Kaerri finds the adjoining door to the Dining Room closed and this well-equipped place to be bustling with activity. About half a dozen kobolds, all clean with red scales shining, are up on tables, standing on chairs, or otherwise scooting around as directed by Lady Beatrice whose crown of white hair and a soft linen dress of purple and gold makes her rather easy to spot if one has working eyes. The smells of the kitchen alone are enough to create a fine appetite. Whatever is cooking beats anything served in the Adventurers' Guild's fine tables.

One of the kobolds carrying a bowl tugs on Lady Beatrice's dress and asks, "Like dis, milady?"

With care and grace in her every movement, old lady Beatrice pauses in her carrot-cutting to kneel down and feel around for the bowl. The kobold helps her find it. Beatrice brings the bowl to her nose, sniffs once, then dips her pinky finger in, and tastes the contents. "One teaspoon more of garlic and with it, three tablespoons of olive oil. Stir it well."

"Okey-dokey, milady!"

The kobold hurries off while Beatrice rises and cleans her finger. While the kobolds quickly notice Kaerri's arrival, Beatrice does not. Kaerri finds herself about 15 feet away as the kobolds move around together with an efficiency that few humans could match - unlike goblins or many of Sharseya's chaotic denizens, kobolds appear to work together quite naturally and are doing so now. The other tribemates of the Silver Sun peer at Kaerri curiously, especially her hair and eyes, but - apparently noting that the half-elf rogue is of the Wayward Wanderers - do not impede her movement in the kitchen nor do they challenge her in any way.

"Intriguing, my wielder," rumbles Wave the trident in Kaerri's mind, his golden tines shining atop and below his sea-green haft. His voice, rich and deep like the sea itself, rolls on without hurry. "The hapless tribe you have helped free has lost every home, every foot of land, and nigh every belonging they once called their own. Heretics though they be, they did not deserve the foul treatment at the rude hands of the Storm Lords. Their emaciated shapes imply they ate scraps at dawn and swallowed them down at dusk with the dust and grime under their swollen feet. And yet, here is Stewart's lady, putting together some grand yet simple Highwindian meal fit for the likes of captains of great sea-faring vessels and nobles of no small lineages. To treat these refugees with such care beyond their station - what do you say of this treatment?"

* * *​

The elf waits for the horde of little guys to leave before turning to look at the others. With a sigh, she says, "To be honest, I don't rightly know. I hate to leave these storm giants alone to cause more mischief, but before doing anything about them, we have to get the kobolds away from here and to a safe place. Once we get that done, we can look into coming up with an answer to the threat of the giants without getting us killed in the process."

"We'll need a plan to take down those giants, and I'm open to suggestions on how to do it."

"I'm wondering if there's another way. In battle, they are a force to be reckoned with - so perhaps there is a weakness elsewhere. If they serve the darkness against their traditions, then there's a reason for that. Besides, I doubt that they'd easily bow their heads. If we remove the reason why they are fighting, then that'd eliminate the danger without the bloodshed. If there's a small, quiet place to be found" - he looks around, though the kobolds might not make that an easy demand - "I could attempt to call upon my gifts. See if past or future reveal more than what we know at present."

Powerpaw and Mamapaw sit nearby listening to Oreleth and Aldrin with twitching ears and curled tails. Powerpaw reaches under the neck of his well-kept chain mail to scratch an itch with his sharp claws. He replies to Oreleth with a shrug of uncertainty. "Ya got me, Elfy-face. If only four of dem Storm Lords hadda good chance of turning ya all inta slaves, I don't tink we got da gear or da numbers ta go takin' on over a dozen of 'em! Dis kitty-face tinks we oughta focus on gearin' up an' learnin' ta fight like a team wif our new peeps here."

Mamapaw has her worried face on, her large red eyes round with concern. But that face doesn't stay long. "Praise Bountiful Bastet and Magnificent Mielikki that you did not take the Storm Lords on their own terms. To use the Kobolds of the Silver Sun as living shields upon their person! Why it is... it is..." The Felane lets out a growl followed by a violent spitting hiss that her own cat-people would probably not be distressed by, but when a 400+ pound Felane's ears go flat back while her face takes on a vision of total hatred, and that sound cuts through the Grand Pool, every kobold within hearing distance jumps up to run away. Mamapaw notices and immediately calms, waving her paws in apology. "Oh! I am sorry, my dears! We Felane have our hissy fits! It was not meant for you!" The kobolds pause in their running and simply wave and nod.

A coiled winged serpent the size of a housecat with rich purple scales and patient manner sits up from her perch on Luna's shoulder. "As Luna's father might say of the Storm Lords, 'since we cannot shorten their line, perhaps it is time to find a way to lengthen ours? What say you, Pyri?" The pseudo-dragon turns to Luna with an inquisitive expression.

All of the Wayward Wanderers plus guests (Alisa and Aldrin) are gathered together sans Kaerri. How you do add to the conversation?

 

[jaydude]

"As Luna's father might say of the Storm Lords, 'since we cannot shorten their line, perhaps it is time to find a way to lengthen ours? What say you, Pyri?"

Before Luna could speak up, Alisa did so. "I must confess that I'm not entirely familiar with that metaphor of yours." she said to the pseudo-dragon. "I'm assuming that you're saying we should try and get ourselves a bigger advantage over them?"

 

[Purr]

jaydude
"Indubitably," replies the tiny dragoness. Sparkle slowly crawls off of Luna's shoulder and gracefully makes her way to the poolside. Once there beside the glittering body of blue, she dips her deadly stinger-tail into the water. Then, she makes a line of water about half a meter long.

She points with an aged claw. "Before this line disappears, imagine how to make this line shorter." She pauses a moment. "One can slice the line into smaller pieces. Erase one part of the line or another. How does it look? And so on.

"But what is this?" Sparkle dips her tail into the water a second time. Parallel to the first, she creates a second line about a meter in length. "Now how does the first line look?"

"We appear to lack the ability to shorten the line of our enemy, so instead, it is my recommendation that we... must lengthen... our own."

Spoiler: Book recommendation

This is an adaptation from a chapter of Joe Hyams's excellent book, Zen in the Martial Arts in the chapter, "Lengthen Your Line." =)

 

[jaydude]

jaydude
"Indubitably," replies the tiny dragoness. Sparkle slowly crawls off of Luna's shoulder and gracefully makes her way to the poolside. Once there beside the glittering body of blue, she dips her deadly stinger-tail into the water. Then, she makes a line of water about half a meter long.

She points with an aged claw. "Before this line disappears, imagine how to make this line shorter." She pauses a moment. "One can slice the line into smaller pieces. Erase one part of the line or another. How does it look? And so on.

"But what is this?" Sparkle dips her tail into the water a second time. Parallel to the first, she creates a second line about a meter in length. "Now how does the first line look?"

"We appear to lack the ability to shorten the line of our enemy, so instead, it is my recommendation that we... must lengthen... our own."

Spoiler: Book recommendation

This is an adaptation from a chapter of Joe Hyams's excellent book, Zen in the Martial Arts in the chapter, "Lengthen Your Line." =)

Alisa nodded in understanding. "I can think of two ways to lengthen our line, so to say. We either gather more allies, or acquire some means to fight these Storm Giants with greater efficiency." she said.

Spoiler: OOC

Would Alisa know of any possible allies or means?

 

[Purr]

Powerpaw hears all this talk and his white fur ruffles up in excitement as he rapidly exclaims in an effort to be part of the solution.

"Yeah, yeah! But we kin shorten dere line wif da Maul of da Titans here! See, we smack 'em in da face, an' well, moar like we smack 'em on top'a da head, an' if we hit 'em hard enuff, they'll shrink from giant-sized... ta like... ogre-sized insteads... uhhh... Storm Ogres..."

The fighter-Felane's face scrunches up. "Ferget it. It sounded better in me head."

 

[jaydude]

Alisa managed an amused grin at Powerpaw's somewhat literal interpretation of the little dragon's metaphor. "If you do manage to strike one of the Storm Giants hard on the top of the head, I imagine that on its own will be of use to us."

She took a seat and crossed her ankles, returning to her previous train of thought. "We've got Mielikki's church within Highwind. I'm sure they'd be willing to lend us equipment as long as I'm traveling with the Wayward Wanderers, but I don't know what exactly they have on hand right now. There are the Highwind Rangers, whom I can't imagine sitting idle while there's a group of Storm Giants roaming this close to the city. The Druidic Circle's right out; they disappeared at the start of the war, and only with the aid of my goddess would I have any chance of finding them now. Other than those three, there's the Adventurers' Guild; I've associated with them on a couple of occasions in the past, and I might be able to rouse up a few contacts there, but they won't help us for free."

 

[Sherwood]

Luna can feel a bit of despair coming on. "If there was just some way to split them into smaller numbers! We could then whittle them down bit by bit. But this Lord Dunderhead seems pretty smart and will not fall for any simple trick. We would either need to get more allies on our side or find some means to split them up." She lets out a sigh. "I just don't see any way to make that happen."

 

[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

he kobold hurries off while Beatrice rises and cleans her finger. While the kobolds quickly notice Kaerri's arrival, Beatrice does not. Kaerri finds herself about 15 feet away as the kobolds move around together with an efficiency that few humans could match - unlike goblins or many of Sharseya's chaotic denizens, kobolds appear to work together quite naturally and are doing so now. The other tribemates of the Silver Sun peer at Kaerri curiously, especially her hair and eyes, but - apparently noting that the half-elf rogue is of the Wayward Wanderers - do not impede her movement in the kitchen nor do they challenge her in any way.

"Intriguing, my wielder," rumbles Wave the trident in Kaerri's mind, his golden tines shining atop and below his sea-green haft. His voice, rich and deep like the sea itself, rolls on without hurry. "The hapless tribe you have helped free has lost every home, every foot of land, and nigh every belonging they once called their own. Heretics though they be, they did not deserve the foul treatment at the rude hands of the Storm Lords. Their emaciated shapes imply they ate scraps at dawn and swallowed them down at dusk with the dust and grime under their swollen feet. And yet, here is Stewart's lady, putting together some grand yet simple Highwindian meal fit for the likes of captains of great sea-faring vessels and nobles of no small lineages. To treat these refugees with such care beyond their station - what do you say of this treatment?"

Kaerri replies in the same way. "I say, good on her! Makes me extra glad she's here. I've never been that badly off, but I do know what it's like to face prejudice from those who think they're better than me just because of my race. They may have lost every belonging they ever had, but Beatrice is making sure they don't lose, or at least regain, their self-respect."

She gave a little wave to the watching kobolds, then said aloud, "Excuse me, Lady Beatrice? I just stopped in to make sure you knew about our new friends -- which you obviously do! So, er, anything I can do to help before I rejoin the others? Though it looks like you all have everything well under control here."

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Psychie Sherwood Silanon

(In the Grand Pool with the majority of Kobolds of the Silver Sun.)

"The Druidic Circle's right out; they disappeared at the start of the war, and only with the aid of my goddess would I have any chance of finding them now."

(quotation marks mine)

Mamapaw big red Felane eyes open wide when she hears Alisa says this. She nods wholeheartedly to the Mielikkian Paladin. "I am afraid that applies to both of us!" says the Druid in your party.

Other than those three, there's the Adventurers' Guild; I've associated with them on a couple of occasions in the past, and I might be able to rouse up a few contacts there, but they won't help us for free."

Powerpaw rubs his chin. "Mebbe jus' goin' dere, we can spread da word about dese guys? Highwind's got a temple to dat giant-hatin' guy, Thor, right?"

"Aye," Mamapaw nods as she raises a single claw. "But what about our true quest - to stop Loviatar? While we fly back and forth to Highwind, fretting about Storm Lords we don't seem to be able to challenge, her plan continues to be in motion. What of our own? I believe we should take the path of wisdom - to choose one road instead of many."

* * *​

She gave a little wave to the watching kobolds, then said aloud, "Excuse me, Lady Beatrice? I just stopped in to make sure you knew about our new friends -- which you obviously do! So, er, anything I can do to help before I rejoin the others? Though it looks like you all have everything well under control here."

The silver hairs on Beatrice's head seem to leap up in surprise along with her expression. "Oh! Kaerri, is it? How long have you been standing there?" She points to a table not far behind her. Five great wheels of cheese, each the size of a small round shield, lay atop the sturdy table. "If you have the time, I need the cheese sliced up into smaller chunks then shredded into medium-sized bowls. Without the cheese, this recipe is a failure! Bria is busy in the other room with her mentor or I would ask her. Think you can do it?"

Kaerri's shadow seems to grin all on its own as it on a different posture than the Shadowdancer it belongs to while rubbing her hands. "Hey, boss-lady?" Eris the Shadow whispers very quietly. "I can lend a hand in that."

"Who is that?" Lady Beatrice looks up.

Spotted and surprised, Eris immediately returns her form to look exactly like the normal shadow she is pretending to be.

"Huh?" The busy kobolds about the room pause for a moment, peering and sniffing into the air. "I don't see nuffin'! Howzabout you?"

"Nuh-uh!" quips another.

They continue on, carrying, cutting, and cooking, like the little troopers sure in their duty.

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Otiorin Taletreader

With the sure and safe knowledge that the Kobolds were comfortable, the Half-elf sought out Bria and pressed a light kiss on her brow.
”I worried for you,” he said quietly, “when we escaped from that cave to find every living thing gone. But I knew you’d be alright. Had something happened to you, I swear I would have felt it.”
He touched his chest, over his heart, “Right here.”
Those words spoken, he turned his attention to the conversation about the Stormlords.
”The stealthy method we chose to liberate our friends was the best one. I don’t know giants, and I certainly don’t trust any lackey of Loviatar to keep an oath. Perhaps, if we‘d fought their four and won, they would have kept their side of the bargain. But then, maybe they wouldn‘t. Loviatar is devious and underhanded, who’s to say her underlings aren’t? As to what’s to be done about them, I have to agree. We know precious little of giants, much less of ones such as these who can scheme and plan so carefully. We’ll need to learn from those who know better of such things and make plans should our paths cross in the future. And I’m sure they shall, if we seek to foil Loviatar’s plans.”

 

[Kaerri]

The silver hairs on Beatrice's head seem to leap up in surprise along with her expression. "Oh! Kaerri, is it? How long have you been standing there?" She points to a table not far behind her. Five great wheels of cheese, each the size of a small round shield, lay atop the sturdy table. "If you have the time, I need the cheese sliced up into smaller chunks then shredded into medium-sized bowls. Without the cheese, this recipe is a failure! Bria is busy in the other room with her mentor or I would ask her. Think you can do it?"

Kaerri's shadow seems to grin all on its own as it on a different posture than the Shadowdancer it belongs to while rubbing her hands. "Hey, boss-lady?" Eris the Shadow whispers very quietly. "I can lend a hand in that."

"Who is that?" Lady Beatrice looks up.

Spotted and surprised, Eris immediately returns her form to look exactly like the normal shadow she is pretending to be.

"Huh?" The busy kobolds about the room pause for a moment, peering and sniffing into the air. "I don't see nuffin'! Howzabout you?"

"Nuh-uh!" quips another.

They continue on, carrying, cutting, and cooking, like the little troopers sure in their duty.

Kaerri grinned. "Just my companion, Eris. You might not see her -- none of you, I mean -- but she tends to stick close to me. And she's offered to take care of the cheese fo you, so you can count that as done." The shadowdancer nods at Eris and moves to the table. She starts to reach for her dagger, then pauses to look around. "Er, are there particular knives for this or can I just use mine? They're clean, I promise," she adds wryly. That was a lot of cheese; Kaerri figures she should at least help slice before running off and leaving Eris with the work.

 

[Psychie]

"Aye," Mamapaw nods as she raises a single claw. "But what about our true quest - to stop Loviatar? While we fly back and forth to Highwind, fretting about Storm Lords we don't seem to be able to challenge, her plan continues to be in motion. What of our own? I believe we should take the path of wisdom - to choose one road instead of many."

Oreleth nods. "We will warn the defenders of Highwind about the giants, but our main focus needs to be on stopping the plots of Loviatar. That path leads us to be able to save far more lives than dealing with the giants ourselves. By the time we get back to Highwind, the preparations that need to be made might be done for us to focus our efforts on the bridge that the hated goddess is using to wage war on our lands and our world. At the very least, we can sleep well knowing that the lives of the kobolds that were being persecuted have been saved, and none of our own lives were lost in the effort to do so."

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus

Spoiler: To Go Beyond

"Enya - To Go Beyond Pt 2 (audio)"

With the sure and safe knowledge that the Kobolds were comfortable, the Half-elf sought out Bria and pressed a light kiss on her brow.
”I worried for you,” he said quietly, “when we escaped from that cave to find every living thing gone. But I knew you’d be alright. Had something happened to you, I swear I would have felt it.”
He touched his chest, over his heart, “Right here.”

Strolling through the beautifully-bedecked corridors of the enchanted and enchanting Wayward Wagon, the mysterious rogue/sorcerer Otiorin searches for his lady love. There is no sensation to tell him that he and his fellows are powering forcefully through the afternoon Sharseyan skies to the awe and wonder of creatures below. Yet he knows for certain the Wayward Wagon is being pulled along by eight jade hippogriffs, each a massive construct more than equal to any stone golem he has ever heard of in the many tavern tales that have entered those slightly-pointed half-elven ears of his.

His way gently lit by golden lanterns mounted on wood-brown windowless walls with red carpeted floors under his feet, Otiorin senses before he sees the tell-tale tingle of magic in the air - magic separate and alone from this overdone carriage once belonging to Bilal the Rich. The door to the study is closed. And yet, to his elfish senses and roguish mind, it is hardly a barrier at all. There is the sure feeling of magic, alive and flowing, from the other side of the study door.

What could it be?

In as long as it takes him to take three breaths, the answer becomes clear to him, because the feeling of the magic which Gray Elves Sharseya over are not only attuned to but often born with, is so very familiar. Life magic!

In Otiorin's memory, there is but one source of this particular flavor of magic - it is Bria of the Ko.

Opening the door, Otiorin finds a scene before him he could not have expected and the door is proven to be a barrier of sorts after all.

He finds his lady love in the study... and she is not alone. But for a moment, perhaps there is no one else in the study, the wagon, the country, the continent, the very world to the sensitive half-elf but Bria? Only he can say. But here she is, surrounded by magic both visible and potent, colors of sky blue, cloud white, and grassy green - a grand nimbus of heavenly colors with the Last Healer gracefully in its center.

Otiorin moves to approach - and finds himself blocked by a first-unseen barrier of absolute force. It is as sorcerous as it is unyielding.
Perhaps for a moment, it is a touch torturous, for it allows him to see her there - standing quietly, arms outstretched opposite one another, her white-and-brown Ko robes unmoving with down, her brown eyes closed, her soft straight brown hair cascading down her back.

But he cannot approach, prevented as he is from magic far beyond his own ability to duplicate using either of his own two professions or using the gifts of the silver dragon blood that pump through his heroic heart.

Someone speaks in Celestial. Otiorin understands every word.

"We have company, Little Star."

The unseen male voice sounds old, pleased, and at peace. Otiorin then recognizes the voice of Auri, the "Endless One" as Bria has respectfully addressed him. He stands not far away, dragon-headed cane in hand, book in the other. He makes a point of raising the book to his eyes and turning away as if absorbed by the book's contents. As he does, he speaks a second time.

"Won't you let him in?"

Without opening her eyes, Bria's beautiful face turns in Otiorin's direction, and on her face comes a smile as sweet as sunshine. She offers only one welcoming word as reply.

"Always."

Her hands fall to her sides, the barrier falls away. Bria's eyes open to his, joining the rest of her expression in joy.

And Otiorin delivers the kiss he so desires to give!

”I worried for you,” he said quietly, “when we escaped from that cave to find every living thing gone. But I knew you’d be alright. Had something happened to you, I swear I would have felt it.”
He touched his chest, over his heart, “Right here.”

Gently, Bria takes Otiorin's same hand and brings it to her own breast, right over her heart.

Looking up into his eyes, she whispers. "Me too, my scoundrel." Then she wraps her arms around him and shares with him a heartfelt kiss.

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Psychie Sherwood Silanon

Meanwhile, back in the Grand Pool, Powerpaw is making an equally grand attempt at impressing his mother with what he can do now that he's a bigger and stronger Kitty-face than the kit he used to be!

"Hey Mom! Lookit dis! I kin stuff a whole roast turkey in my face an' eat it too! Watch! GLARGH! GURFFF! GLACCK! CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH! GULP!"

Mamapaw's ears and tail fall low as her eyes narrow. "How very becoming of you, son," she sighs as the kobolds stop what they are doing and gawk.