Porthca Landing II: Lost & Found

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North East of Wyford | Camp:

Niradnam crossed his arms, "I'm trusting you all because you each seem to say the other is trustworthy." Egnaro merely continued to headbutt his elbow, seemingly oblivious to the tension around the campfire.
 
Tyrius looked between each speaker as the group started to talk amongst themselves about their new arrival. Seeing the way Niradnam had folded his arms and hearing the tone he used, the sorcerer could see he had a point.

Glancing towards Virra, Tyrius said in a quiet voice, "I can help too with teaching you how to disguise your magic. It's a shame you have to hide it, but the offer's there if you want it." Looking to Niradnam, Tyrius added, "I don't think we need to worry about anyone intentionally going around murdering innocent people. Ander is a holy man of Lathander and Magnolia is a holy woman of Yondalla. Ms Carabelli is a very talented Evocation specialist. Virra's Virra and Valerie has proven how adept she is at combat. I can't see anyone here deciding to just up and slaughter people. So for what it's worth, I'm fine with Rowanne coming along with us." Tyrius smiled, "So, sentient magic weapons. Any words of advice you can give on how to handle one? Should we really trust something if we cannot see where it keeps its brain?"
 
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Still sulking, Virra didn't quip back at Niradnam like she absolutely could have if she felt like it. Even Mags only got a mildly grateful nod out of her. But she was quickly brought out of her doldrums as Eliza passed her the lightning-tree wand and offered to help her practice with it, followed by Tyrius making a similar offer a moment later. "You guys," she squealed, getting to her feet and wrapping her arms around Eliza's shoulders in a spontaneous hug. "This is why you're both..." Suddenly she teleported a short distance away from the firepit and leaped up to give Tyrius a surprise hug from behind. "...My favourites," she finished.

With the wand in hand, she quickly dropped to the ground once again and began to brandish it. "Can we start now? Learning fake magic?" she asked her fellow conspirators, grinning.
 
"Oofff," exclaimed the suddenly squished half-orc. "I am sure Mr. Niradnam would love to help too." She said raising an eyebrow at the man, "It is completely on you if Virra gets into any kind of trouble with Rowanne because of her talents. You can make it right by helping her out now with your extensive experience hiding in plain sight."

Eliza turned back to the gnome, "Since you can hide your telepathy easily, let's first try matching what you can do with similar wizard spells."
 
Seeing Virra give Eliza a hug, Tyrius smiled, a smile that didn't even start to leave his face as Virra vanished before he felt a set of arms wrapping around him from behind as Virra finished her sentence.

Looking to Niradnam, Tyrius said, "If Niradnam is okay with that?" Tyrius said, realising that Eliza had just volunteered Niradnam's services and that the man himself hadn't had a chance to put in his thoughts on the matter. "It can be like a mini-Azarad all for you."
 
North East of Wyford | Camp:

With a sigh, Niradnam's shoulders sagged, "Unfortunately I don't know too much about them myself -- sentient magic items in general. Notes on them are rare, and some seem to claim that any magic item if it's around long enough has the potential to become sentient, while others say they're god-made items." The scholar rubbed his brow, "It's ... part of what makes research so difficult is that there might be ten different explanations and all of them not quite right, but not outright wrong either."

Seeing the scene had turned to magic discussions, Bangrigg licked his fingers from the bread before hopping to his feet, "Ah... you lot're talkin' magic. That's not really my thing. Think I'll join th' lass on patrol if it's all th' same to'ya." Hefting his weapon he looked around for Rowanne and on spotting her matched his step to hers. "Don't worry too much lass, think mostly everyone's gotten nervous now that we're really doin' this." Smiling up at her, "I dun' understand magic too much ... but I know it can be dangerous. Hopin' you can help th' few in this group who dunno anythin' while the spellflingers chatter."

Glancing towards Eliza as she seemed to still want to talk, Niradnam narrowed his eyes for a moment, "I have been trying to help." Hearing his name from Tyrius with a frown he looked between the wild mage, mystic, and wizard, "Fine. Fine! Virra, what all can you do. We all just saw the teleportation, but what else."
 
Ander excused himself from the others, leaving Rupert asleep on his bedroll that the piglet had curled around himself. He quietly goes over to where Magnolia was praying and sits down behind her, doing his best not to disturb her, He quietly mutters in halfling, "the gods must be workin' together to have brought this strange group a people all to one place."
 
Magnolia snorts at the coment, "that or a trickster is having his fun. If what they say is true then I must agree. I still don't understand why the sea itself would attack nobles..."

She pauses before continuing, "that's not why I asked you here though... Did you really hunt slavers like she said?"
 
Valerie listened to Niradnam as he explained what he knew about the protections of their target, frowning slightly as he mentioned 'sentient magic items'. Is the ring one such item? Could the ring be from here perhaps? Instead of voicing her questions, Valerie opted to just smile and nod. "Thank you, Mr. Niradnam!"

Her smile soon faded, however, as Rowanne took the stand. Valerie could not help but feel like every word of her speech had something to do with her actions the night prior, and felt a twinge of shame at concerning the older woman. She wanted to apologize and explain herself, but before she could have the opportunity, she was gone. She was quiet for the next few minutes as the camp broke out into arguments she did not wish to participate in and then magical discussions she had no hope of understanding, her thoughts lingering on the feelings of pleasure she had received from the ring the night prior at terrorizing the ruffians.

At some point in the midst of it all, Valerie stood up and returned to her camping gear, opening the cage to Wayne Jr.'s door and inviting him to hop onto her arm before walking a short distance away from the party. Finding a suitable spot, Valerie set her hawk companion onto a downed log and stoked his head. "Keep on your guard, Wayne Jr., okay? My senses are hardly as honed as yours." She took a seat down next to him before opening her right hand and gazing down at the ring, speaking softly. "Please... whatever you are, I need answers. I'm so lost and confused... I need to know if I can trust you."
 
Virra smiled at Niradnam, feeling vaguely like she came out on top in some kind of social combat. "Oh, what can't I do," she giggled. "So there's the teleporting, and the telepathy, and the telekinesis..." She let the wand float free of her hand like a balloon before dropping it back into her palm. "So two of those are hard to hide. For fighting I can attack people's minds, which doesn't look like anything until they start bleeding from their face and fall down out of nowhere. Half the time I use it with my bow so it makes more sense." Reaching behind her back, she unstrapped the tiny shortbow and brought it forward to rest on her lap. "And sometimes when I miss a shot, I can get the arrow to loop around and hit anyway, but I have to be really quick to do that. What else..."

She began to count on her hands. "If I concentrate on a creature for an hour I can find out roughly where it is, and if I hold an object for the same time I can figure out what it does. I can enhance my eyes to see through walls. I can sense things through the vibrations in the ground..." She snapped her fingers. "Oh, and also there's the thing where I can do pretty much anything a normal person can do -- knowing languages, picking up skills and stuff. But I usually just say I'm amazing and people don't ask too much about it."

Talking about her powers was quite fun, she realised. "So, do you guys know any spells like that? Just tell me what funny words to say and I can probably fudge the rest," she said, giving her new wand a couple of practice swishes and flicks.
 
North East of Wyford | Camp:

Watching Virra's display of abilities and discussion, Niradnam reached once more into his pouch and pulled out a book, flipping through the pages, "Honestly a few of those aren't too much of a stretch from typical magic. With teleporting there's a spell called 'Misty Step' which is quite popular. Short range teleportation, favored by mages to get out of bad positions in combat, the telepathy there's a simple spell called 'Message' which many learn to send secret messages." He glanced back at her wand, "Moving things about there's another simple spell called 'Mage Hand' -- and there are a few who can make it invisible as well." Thinking for a moment, "The ... face bleeding is a little more difficult, but if it can be hidden within combat I doubt it will stick out too much, but the arrow maneuvering ... hmm ... there were some at Azarad taught how to imbue arrows with a small level of magic. Perhaps that becomes your excuse. However," he tapped at the collar of his coat, "You don't have an Azarad pin which is the most telling part."

Closing his book he added, "The rest sound like they could be hidden under Divination spells -- 'Scrying', 'Identify', 'Truesight' and so on. Admittedly, most of my spell knowledge relies on rituals, not much that can be done in the heat of the moment unfortunately, so for your 'funny words' and wand motions will probably need to be taught by the other two," he nodded towards Tyrius and Eliza.
 
Fishing around in his component pouch at the mention of Message, Tyrius smiled. "Heh, Message happens to be one of the spells I memorised." Breaking the wire in half, Tyrius handed the other half to Virra, "It's probably safer - at least a little - to use components for this. A wand is a form of focus but can be used for many things. Not many spells use wire and if caught its safer to have that component which can help vouch for the fact that you were only casting Message, which is harmless, and not some mind altering magic." Twisting his own piece of wire to form a circular shape with two thinner straight pieces by which he held it, Tyrius smiled. "Sorcery is a little different to other magic but the way I cast Message, I cup the wire in my hand like this, then hold it in front of my mouth. I mutter into it as I wave my free hand over the cupped hand like this," Tyrius explained as he deliberately moved slower than normal so that Virra could see exactly what he was doing, "and whisper Siarad I Meddwl before pointing at my target."

Doing the movements over again, a little quicker but still not Tyrius' usual speed, Tyrius pointed to Virra and spoke into her mind, "See? Is that easy. How'd you feel?"
 
He looks a bit concerned, "not until recently." He reached into his pack and pulled out a small wooden sun on a string. He clutched the holy symbol tight. "Before I met these nice folks, I lived at a temple on a small island. I was a guard, but everyone were devoted followers of Lathander." He paused, thinking of how to put it. "I was escorting a group to the nearby town, and while we were away, someone came it and destroyed the temple and either killed or kidnapped all of the worshipers."

Ander looks away as he begins to tear up a bit. "Murder was such a foreign concept to me, that when I heard rumors of people dying in Porthca, I just assumed it had to be related." He looks slightly embarrassed. "When we were traveling earlier, we came across a group of bandits who turned out to also be slavers. We fought back and defeated them, only to find this," he holds up the small holy symbol, "amoung their effects. It belonged to one of the Sisters of Dawn who lived in the temple." He wrapped the string around his hand and squeezed the little wooden sun, "if there is any way that my family is being used as slaves..." he fades out as obvious anger begins to glow in his eyes.
 
Her face foes flush as Ander talks about his family being used as slaves, "we could find them you know... Your family... When we finish this tasks..."

Turning to face the man know as Ander, one who shared her view... She looked him in the eyes and spoke, "I Magnolia Underbow swear in Yondalla's name to aid you in the location and rescue of your family." Her eyes have almost a savage ferocity to them as she swears the oath.

Her hand goes to the amulet around her neck, as she starts to explain. Her eyes drifting to see a far away place, "in the Empire, slaves are common place. They are a measure wealth and power. I... Was part of a group of conspirators who stood against such things. Only one of us turned; they gave us all up. Afraid for our families safety we scattered to the four winds... That's why I came west... To protect my family..."
 
Virra crossed her legs and paid attention to Niradnam's crash course on arcane magic, wondering how much of it she could really apply without knowing the proper "components". Hopefully Rowanne would be just as clueless as she was. "See, that's the thing," she said when the topic of the Azarad pin was raised. "Even if I do pass myself off as one of you guys, I'm still not an accredited mage or whatever. So I'm only breaking the law a little less than before." She shrugged all the same, reasoning that a little knowledge would do her some good. She recalled some of those spell names from her pre-nomadic life, though she expected that actually mimicking them would be a pain to pull off properly.

She showed great restraint in not interrupting Tyrius while he explained what a focus was, though she couldn't suppress an unconscious, impatient shuffle. "My telepathy isn't 'mind-altering'," she complained as she took the wire, then quickly shut up as Ty's voice entered her head. "Oh, that's just weird," she responded, grinning as she cupped the wire to her mouth and began to clumsily lip-sync. "Am I doing it right...?"
 
North East of Wyford | Camp ???

Sitting with the ring for a few moments, Valerie started to shift into a strange dream-like state ... Valerie could still hear the others in the distance bickering, but it feels and sounds so far away ... There's a faint sound of the waves hitting the shore, calm and repetitive, seagulls crying as they fly past in the sky. Valerie sensed an answer to her question, there's a feeling of comfort, memories of being with her grandfather and safety he implied when she was young and alone...

The new sensation was worrying for a brief moment before she found it calming. Valerie had only seen the ocean once before, that first morning in Porthca, yet it felt oddly soothing and relaxing. Suddenly, she felt a presence she hadn’t felt in years. ”... Grandfather?” Her face felt wet, but she forced herself to focus. This is the first time I have ever received a response... I cannot squander it. She thought to herself for a moment before speaking. ”My friends’ enemy is an ancient force with powers similar to your own. I have held a fear in my heart for quite some time, so I am afraid I must ask... do you serve this enemy?”

The comfort and ease suddenly disappears, an almost painful level of anger instead replaces it, the sense of being in a raging storm, and the intense chill of the water.

The girl reeled at the unexpected mental barrage, clenching her fists tightly as she weathered the storm. ”I am sorry that I have offended you!” She steeled herself and called out to be heard over the chaotic maelstrom. ”I just want to be certain that my friends are safe!”

The storm lessened, returning to the peace of before, however a faint rumble still seemed to sound off in the distance. A strong wind blew, some of the waves sounding larger, coming and going, yet the seagulls still sounded in the sky. A mix of both danger and calm, a neutral feeling.

Still feeling a sense of unease in her stomach, Valerie supposed that a neutral response was better than a negative one. ”Yes... very well, I suppose that you are hardly the only factor in my friends’ safety.” Valerie was quiet for a moment as she tried to think of a question for this entity, until one suddenly slipped out. ”Why me? What is so special about me that I deserve such abilities?”

The sense of a pending storm washes over her, a distant rumble that grows louder and stronger, a feeling of wind whipping around, threatening to pull her from her feet.

Feeling the winds picking up, Valerie did her best to stand her ground as she considered what it could mean. As calmly and diplomatically as she could manage, she responded. "That is hardly an answer to my question, but very well. What is your purpose? Did Grandfather discover you?"

There's a delay after the questions as the sound of the storm eases down ... instead of mere sounds and senses, the dream returns to the strong sense of anger of before as she saw a focused storm -- not originating from the sea, but instead the land and moves out over the sea, lightning striking at the water as it churns, the water pushed away from the shore. After a moment it passes and the sense of Valerie's grandfather returns only to quickly fade, a strange heavy feeling of age and timelessness, a passing vision of the mountains around Emberhallow when they were younger, not rounded down and shaped by the elements and craftsmen. There's a blurry shape of someone, yet what shows sharply in her vision is a ring upon their finger ... a very familiar ring ...

”Your purpose is to drive back the Sea?” Valerie was beginning to sense a pattern in the visions being shown to her. So Grandfather was not the first in our line to possess the ring... most interesting. Why had he not told me any sooner of our legacy? Valerie almost felt like she did not wish to know the answer to that question. ”I see. Thank you so much for responding to my pleas, and for your patience at my questioning. I believe I only have one more question for you. What am I to call you? Surely there is a name that you prefer beyond ‘the ring’.”

For the first time since she'd owned the ring, and especially since attempting this vision, Valerie got the closest to hearing actual words as she'd ever managed, hearing on the wind carried the words in different voices, "The ... Vengeful ... Tempest ..."

Valerie was briefly startled by the sounds of the voices blowing in on the winds, but hearing the name, she grinned slightly. "That is a rather powerful name." She gave the strange entity a curtsy and a warm smile. "Thank you for speaking with me, Mr. Tempest, I believe I have taken up enough of your time for the moment..." She paused before asking hesitantly. "Can I contact you in this manner again? I can never be certain when I will be in need of your wisdom."

After her question, the feeling of calm returns, the noise of the others seems to have calmed at the moment, their conversation growing louder once more, as if water has finally drained from her ears. The sound of a shore fades ... Glancing down at her hand with the ring she found a layer of salt has begun to spread from it, covering almost up to her elbow. Upon moving it cracks and falls away, drifting into the air ...
 
Feeling the world return to normal around her, Valerie let out a breath she had not known she was holding. Upon seeing the coating of salt covering her bare hand and extending up the bracer of her armor, she stared at it for a moment before brushing it away, watching it fade away briefly, feeling for a moment as if she were still by the sea. Valerie looked over to her avian guardian and pet his head with a slightly trembling hand, trying to decide what to do with her new information. After a few minutes of sitting there quietly, Valerie sighed and put out a hand for Wayne Jr. to hop on to before heading off to rejoin the others. Reaching the camp, she walked over to her small encampment, putting Wayne Jr. back in his cage and slipping under her covers, hoping that sleep would bring her some sort of answers.
 
Ander's expression went from anger to sadness as he looked in to Magnolia's eyes. "Well then, the gods really must know what they're doin'. Bringin' us together ta put a stop to a bunch of slavers after what they've done just makes it a garuntee that we are gonna end their evil." A slight glow comes to his eyes as he smiles and places a hand on the halfling's shoulder.
 
Rowanne's steps were slow at first, but she picked up her pace when she realized no one was going to follow her. She said a quick prayer and the book in her hand began to glow. She caught part of of a conversation in Halfling and Common, she was a bit rusty in her Halfling vocabulary but she got the gist of what they were saying. 'So, he wasn't the only one to commit such a vile act, to slaughter innocent and holy people. If there are others out there like him then it is a good thing I'm coming along on this journey.' As she pondered their talk of murder and slavers the approach of Bangrigg started her. "I'm afraid I don't know too much about magic myself if I'm being honest. I'm more trained in the blade than I am in the arcane. I simply channel the power that Athena gives me. I don't question it. What I do know of magic I learned from being a Hunter." Rowanne looked back to the campfire. "I'll take first watch, if the others don't mind."
 
As soon as the hand touched her shoulder Mags flinched, fearing an assault. One that never came... Counter attack! Her brain screamed as she launched herself at the much larger man. Wrapping herself around his neck in a giant hug.

"Thanks Ander, they won't know what hit them!" Promptly detaching herself, "We should get back to the group.Hey do you and your pig want to play checkers?"
Without waiting for an answer she took him by the hand dragged him back to the fire and checkers.
 
Afternoon of the Fourteenth Day | Along the Road:
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    • Afternoon of the Fourteenth Day | Along the Road:

    The night prior finally everyone settled into their beds, the Alarm Niradnam had set never went off. Those that normally were the first up found themselves beaten by Niradnam, sitting next to the low flames of the campfire reading with a cat purring in his lap.

    Once breakfast was sorted and the camp packed up, travel commenced once more, guided by the notes of the research and information gathered from the library. The plains continued, however clumps of trees started to become visible further ahead, a guide of where the coast was, some of the forests Tyrius' father had at times entered and cleared out threats.

    Travel seemed mostly boring and dreary, a few conversation topics brought up but soon exhausted, some resorting to merely watching the clouds pass. However ... amongst the animals of the group, something had set them on edge -- Egnaro's fur and tail poofed out as he made a low growl, Wayne Jr. quickly dove into the safety of the covered wagon -- Banrigg paused in his steps, something apparently catching his attention as he looked up, Tyrius got a strange sense of foreboding as well and glancing up could see in the sky a sight that gave a sense of dread.

    Above the party, battling in the air, were five large creatures, their roars and cries echoing through the sky. Continuing to watch, it looked as though some of them were now toppling through the air, headed towards the ground, their combat continuing through the fall!
     
  • Index
    • Magnolia had been biding her time in contemplation of life and the making of a perfect grilled cheese, when Yondalla nudged her back to the real world.

    The quintet of creatures were locked in deadly combat. A pair of wyverns was an unusual sight, unless...

    "Heads up folks, that's a manticore wyvern territory battle if I ever saw one... Unusually to see two wyverns together unless they are a mated pair." Glad to have Yondalla's help, Mags watched in horror as they plunged to the earth in of them.

    She shouts a desperate warning to her friends, "watch out! These things are nasty, don't get between them. Get ready neither will let us walk away alive."
    Her crossbow was in hand and cocked, it'd been a while since she had to use it. Looked like today was the exception if they were going to get away with their skins.
     
    Ander made his way forward toward the brawling creatures. As he did so, he channeled the light of Lathander into his blade, along with the flames of the morning sun. He was ready for the beasts to get closer to him, and knew that as soon as they were in his reach, he would be able to take them down. As the more dragon-like creature landed in front of him, its awkward movements upon touching down left Dawnbreaker to go wide. Suddenly, Ander looked down to see a familiar mouse climb up his arm and touch the handle of his greatsword. The already glowing sword began to radiate power and Ander took that as a sign that the time to strike was now. He raised the sword above his head as he silently said a prayer, and Lathander guided his blade to strike the beast true. An explosion of flames and light came along with the slash and Ander stood back to see the creature set ablaze and fall at his feet. He smiled, satisfied that these creatures would not be able to harm anyone, and that his work here was done.
     
    Seeing the battling creatures, Tyrius felt the urge to use Expeditious to get closer. Instead he held off, figuring that keeping his distance was a smarter play. Hopping down off the cart, he moved just enough to be able to cast a spell at its greatest possible range and watched as three of the creatures shook violently as they were each hit with an intense pain in their ears. Catching his breath, Tyrius watched his friends start launching their own volleys of attacks at the grouped together enemies.

    Feeling a lot more hopeful as he saw a few of the creatures had succumbed to their wounds, Tyrius walked calmly forward before firing another shatter spell behind the wyverns that were still alive. Trying to plan out his next move in his mind, Tyrius soon realised it would not be necessary as the last of the wyverns fell to a giant spectral spoon.

    "Never thought I'd see a dragon-like creature get spooned to death," commented Tyrius with a grin.
     
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