Chapter Twenty: A Turn of the World

[jaydude]

After seeing the results of the kobolds' vote and listening to Miss Mary, Alisa extracted herself from the snow and turned to look at the others. "We may as well have a look at this place for ourselves. At the very least, it shouldn't do much harm."

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Otiorin Taletreader

Still recovering from the strangeness of the Turning of the World, and the further strangeness of Mary Madberry's snow-related shenanigans, Otiorin can't but be impressed about the readiness of two-thirds of the Kobolds wishing to make an attempt of continuing to live on the surface rather than retreating to their comfortable prior existence underground.
"If it is the will of the Kobolds of the Silver Sun to live above ground and stick at it, I'm all for helping in any way. And as for those of you who are nervous or afraid of remaining on the surface, perhaps you could build yourselves underground homes within wherever you make your homes. Until you feel safer and then you could reconsider, perhaps." he spoke up nodding affirmatively.

 

[Purr]

Otiorin Taletreader

"If it is the will of the Kobolds of the Silver Sun to live above ground and stick at it, I'm all for helping in any way. And as for those of you who are nervous or afraid of remaining on the surface, perhaps you could build yourselves underground homes within wherever you make your homes. Until you feel safer and then you could reconsider, perhaps." he spoke up nodding affirmatively.

This gets a resounding "OOOHH!!" from nearly every kobold who hears it!

"Yeah!" Nitwit the kobold ranger suddenly pipes up, his tail and ears raised in excitement. "I wanna den on uppy-ground ta see my sunny neighbors wif an' I wanna seekrit hidey-hole in downy-ground for when it rains! And other koboldies kin have da reverse!"

The chieftain of the kobolds nods at Nitwit but turns toward Otiorin. With a loudness unusual for a pipsqueak his size, the chieftain proclaims, "You heard it here first, tribe! Da sonny-son of all-super-duper Charmsring haz spoken! Dere will be uppy-ground dens fer you wanna-be sunny-buns an' downy-ground dens fer you old skool slitherers like me!" He glances once more at Nitwit. "An' fer you newborn weirdos who gotta have it both ways? Well, get ta buildin' an' diggin' because you gots twice da work. All hail OH-TEE! SONNY-SON OF CHARMSRING!"

The entire tribe raises their paws, turn toward Otiorin, and reply, "ALL HAIL OH-TEE!!"

"Yeah!" Nitwit adds in as he claps his paws together. ""Coz... why not both?"

Meanwhile, not far from Otiorin's side, a certain pretty brown-haired Ko monk is raising her hand up with the tribe and smiling proudly at Otiorin. Because you don't have to be a Nitwit to appreciate good ideas. =)

 

[Silanon]

Snow and votes. Hopes and fears. Tales of the past, and dreams of the future. There's a lot happening in this very room. Voices are raised, and silenced. One is introduced who did not need an introduction. And yet, with all those things to see, and hear, and consider, Aldrin looks unmoved. Like the mind is absent where his body surely is not. The mug, offered by Bria, is dropped and forgotten. His left hand, clenched tightly, envelops a fistful of snow. A trickle of the white iciness, melted, runs down his bare arm, and has, among all things here, caught his eyes' attention. A few drops at most, one following in the trail of the other. Downwards, ever downwards, it does not take a seer to know that much. Just like all lives, inevitably, end in death. But how, and along which path, that is the question. Where the first drop follows some unevenness of the skin here and there, lives also follow along partially foretold paths. And to see those unraveled - to know where lives and drops are headed before they turn this way or that - that is his gift. A diviner - so the hag mocked, just moments ago. And that he is. A true seer. One concerned with lives at stakes, not with names.

And thus, he did not answer, did not introduce her. Instead, he tried to see, just the same way he does now. Eyes fixated on a trickle of water, and, beyond explanations, a trickle of the present headed towards the future. For the others' eyes will be able to see how things are now, and how they might be - but only he can know what the future will hold. Riches or ruin - that is the question. A tribe's rise, or continued plummet. A chance taken by the world to change itself for the better, or one missed and forgotten for years to come. How many kobolds, after all, ever got to vote like these just now?

Riches or ruin. That is the question as the first drop slowly closes in on the elbow, from where there is no other path for it than to fall. His mind reaches out for his gift, his strength. Trying to break through the veil of the future yet another time in short order. For all he knows, it is the Gods' fickle attention that decides whether his search is answered or not. Whether he can get a glimpse of what lies ahead for those who desperately need a future after leaving their past behind. His hand tightens its grip further. His eyes stare on. Does he see a drop fall, or a future, revealed?

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Psychie Sherwood Silanon

There is always a cost when such requests are made by Those Great Beings Who Dwell From Beyond. Aldrin feels a portion of his magical stamina - his mental and spiritual bank - deplete temporarily as he reaches inside of himself and... asks as only a Seer can.

But first, some ground rules (hole-dwelling hobbits like ground rules. Get it? 8D ).

From the white-haired hobbit's experience, he knows that he can attempt this particular spell (Oracle) but twice per day. He is also aware that he can in no way interact with any cosmic replies he may experience. Each query into this strangest of ethers reveals a possible outcome. Aldrin has no way of knowing how far into the future this possible outcome might take place. Aldrin has also had these strange experiences take place right before his eyes even when he hasn't made any such requests; they have slipped into his dreams and nightmares and he has woken with complete clarity of what probably feels like chaos incarnate.

However, the information gives him an edge hardly anyone he has ever met can match. Plus, what he does with what he experiences is completely up to him. These are the things a certain white-haired sagely hobbit knows.

One more thing. For all of his efforts into performing this difficult and easy-to-disrupt trance, there is no guarantee of success; either Aldrin receives something for his efforts or he does not.

Once again, fortune is with him.

Spoiler

I rolled a 25 on the percentile dice. Success! 8D

Aldrin's five senses leave him like birds flying out of a forest fire. He no longer feels his feet holding him up inside of the Wayward Wagon. He feels no cold, hears no kobold shouting, and (possibly most savage to any drink-loving hobbit) has no sensation of taste from the brew he was given. Like all of Sharseya, Aldrin has left that all behind!

Aldrin Whitehair feels an airy lifting sensation - as if he is being gently but firmly pulled up and out of his body. What takes place afterward cannot be easily explained!

Dungeon Master note to Silanon: Now look to our Conversation for details. Remember to return to this post once you're finished there!

Then, without warning, Aldrin feels himself slammed back into his body with such incredible force it is as if an ogre had thrust him there with both hands. Now, Aldrin feels and senses everything his body can provide - sight, touch, smell, touch, and hearing!

There, in the Wayward Wagon, the Wayward Wanderers' smallest ally is returned to whence he came!

Perhaps some of the Wayward Wanderers see Aldrin in his quiet trance - but all of them hear a thunderous eruption from Gods-Know-Where as the empowered Highwind hobbit drops to his knees...

... or perhaps straight down on his noble face.

What do the Wayward Wanderers do?

 

[Psychie]

Oreleth looks over at Aldrin, both curious and concerned as to how the man is feeling. She crosses the distance between them and kneels down next to the little adventurer and says, "Welcome back from wherever it is that you went. You are safe, so take your time to recover before you try to speak. It's there anything I can do to help? Do you need something to drink, perhaps?"