Dawn of a New Day

[AthasianLaborer]

Ande sits there with her eyes closed as she sends her view to the blast site "Hmmm, oh, she's mourning" without opening her eyes, she turns an ear west "Tell me, do you hear wailing on the wind?  If you do, I know it's source, a fair elf maiden cries in the blast zone, she has hair of golden red, wears light armor that I have seen on other elves of the south and an obsidian blade not unlike Niachi's rests next to her.  I know without question this one will intend me no mercy.  Shall we collect her or leave her to harry us as her assumed mate did to me last night?" she says as she turns to face the direction HurK was last in.

"Coden, Niachi, Quila, what say you all?" she asks as she blinks her eyes and shakes her head to reset her view.

[Niachi]

While digesting their host's information, he responds to their concerns. The winged hexaped on his shoulder chitters and rests a tiny paw on its chin, as if likewise thinking. It winks in the general direction of HurK, Ande, and Quila.

"This ...Xerichou chose me. Not Psurlon related, not some crawling fiend. NOT a snack. The multiple sharp jags on its face are...(his eyes roll back in his head for a moment) psionic focusers. An intellegent telepathic scout. Seen a flock of them debone a b'rohg with precision. In their larval stage they produce valuable compounds. Eating them is pissing away gold. We are a lifelong bonded pair. Standard mage companion...

Anywho. Ande, Can we do any mental scrying on this mourner's motives? Xerichou have only the destructive attacks, I think... How are we to collect her? I can web her up, more easily if she's immobile, yah. Least we won't need to waste spells to translate. Other ideas?"

[DM Bob]

The tohr duo currently have little more to report. Mushrooms are obviously alive in some manner, but even the kreen understand little of fungi. While larger shrooms are somewhat more common here, they tend to be more uncommon in the Tablelands due to the dry, excessive heat, which hosts smaller, short term mushrooms and slime molds. Some rubbery ear shaped caps, "halfling ears," are found near Nibenay and Gulg and often find their way into soups & stews where water is more common.

Ande looks ahead mentally to the area she and Quila had left last night. She sees something she was not quite expecting.

A beautiful elven woman with golden-red hair kneels facing east in the middle of the flattened grasses under where the wormhole had exited. She has tears streaming down her face, and her mouth moves as in speech or perhaps song. But due to this being clairvoyance and not clairaudience, the speech is as if on mute. A large, well-crafted obsidian blade lies to her right and she wears tribal wear similar to the elves that range the Tablelands. The maiden has a few pieces of light armor on, dark chitin and leather, with a mid skirt that shows unarmored legs.

[Attilius]

Sept 22, 2023 4:38:34 GMT -12 Niachi said:

...While waiting for their hosts to debrief he responds to their concerns.

"This ...Xerichou chose me. Not Psurlon related, not some crawling fiend. NOT a snack. The multiple sharp jags on its face are...(his eyes roll back in his head for a moment) psionic focusers. An intellegent telepathic scout. Seen a flock of them debone a b'rohg with precision. In their larval stage they produce valuable compounds. Eating them is pissing away gold. We are a lifelong bonded pair.

Anywho. Quila, can you please ask Ande to return?"

He sits. The winged hexaped on his shoulder chitters and settles down to listen. It winks in the general direction HurK and Quila.

"Right! Of COURSE!" The massive psion says trying to play off his worm abhorrence while relaxing his shoulders

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Eslyk awakes and gets ready with some stretching exercises and jumps here and there before getting closer to Niachi - "Nice!" - smiling at the familiar and at him - "How did you befriend it? I didn't know you have such a skill"

[OOC: 45/99 PSPs]

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

"I say, bag and tag. Ask questions later. I do not believe in coincidences in such a large savannah. And if this elf found the exact place where her companion blew into the Gray, well, you can bet your feathery funnybone on it she will know how to find you. You saw no further mobats? Actually let me check in as well."

Quila concentrates for a second then tugs on her psionic senses and in her mindscape forms an image of the grassy and muddy area she was the night before with Ande. She puts her Sight near and concentrates on trying to get more than just a visual remote view so she can glean some more information.

(OOC: I first miss my power check for Clairvoyance, 17 on 19 -- but adjusted for the 7 or so miles between us and the crashsite I have a -2 or -3 penalty, second time it works with a 1. I use Power Manipulation, 3 on 14, which gets me both Clairvoyance and Clairaudience on the location. PsP: -15, 107/122)

[DM Bob]

Quila sees much the same, except now she's able to make out what she's singing in Elvish.

Why were you born when the ash was falling?
You should have come to the flame’s calling,
Or when grapes are green in the cluster,
Or, at least, when lithe swallows muster
For their far off flying
From summer dying.

Why did you die when the aprig were cropping?
You should have died at the fig dropping,
When the locust comes to trouble,
And the wheat-fields are sodden stubble,
And all winds go sighing
For sweet things dying.

[Poem modified and stolen from A Dirge, by Christina Rossetti]

It happens that you're seeing the end of the song, however, as she stands and speaks towards the sky in common...

"Kurt'ta'all, for all your merits, your undoing was believing you'd figured it all out. As my pawn, I hope your sacrifice finds me the revenge I so dearly seek."

She takes her blade in her right hand and holds her left palm out towards the heavens. A flash of light & fire swoops out of the eastern sky... a bird of flame lands upon her wrist as an austringer commands.

"Has the bait been taken, my pretty? Does Graytch yet stir from his hidey-hole in the South?" She sneers.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

"Oh, oh. Oh!" Quila exclaims with the faraway gaze of the seer still upon her. "I have the name of the elf now. His name was Kurt'ta'all, does that ring a bell? Apparently he was the pawn of this elf lady. She's on the look for revenge. Not for you so much Ande, but revenge on Graytch, someone hidden in the South."

Quila will keep her power active to see whether she can learn more. She will try to figure out what the creature is, and concentrate on memorizing the obsidian blade (or any other unique outstanding item the elf maiden is carrying or wearing).

[DM Bob]

She does seem to have jewelry worn, all very high quality. A copper or brass necklace with what looks to be a large ruby can be seen. The obsidian blade also looks incredibly well made, a noble woman's weapon if you were the betting type.

The flaming bird screeches a reply that you simply cannot understand.

The elf woman merely smirks and states,

"Well, it's about damned time. I hope the other pieces fall into play as well. The thrill of the hunt, eh, Vurre?"

She scratches the top of the flaming bird's head, unaffected by the heat.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Quila relates all this to her companions and keeps her sensing active to notice what the woman will do next, or where she moves next, and by what way.

(OOC: PsP 104/122 after the 2nd round)

[Attilius]

HurK grabs his hunting pack and says "Someone going to open a portal to her so we can get some answers or we focusing on our dead halfling friends..." he trails off

[AthasianLaborer]

At HurK's prompting, Ande finds a wall and ensures there's nothing fragile/valuable on the other side of it before closing her eyes and extending her right wing talon palm up towards the wall. 

Clairvoyance will view the same locale as she first saw the mourning maiden, once she sees her

The Pocket Dimension will open like a net held by Ande, roughly 5' in front of her (assuming the wall is 2' thick and she's 1' from it).

The Exit Wormhole will open immediately adjacent to the open portal of the Pocket which will close as soon as the quarry is bagged.

The entry Wormhole will be targeted at opening a chute right under her feet.  If she's moving, Ande will be timing the open with the placement of the elf's leading step.

Clairvoyance rolled a 12 needing under 16
Pocket Dimension rolled a 15 needing under 20
Wormhole rolled a 2 needing under 15

-83 PSP across 3 rounds (15 for Clairvoyance for 3 rounds total, 20 for 2 turns of Pocket Dimension and 48 for the Wormhole chute) I will double check that when I grab the rolls.

Once the quarry is bagged, Ande will turn to the party "Do we wait to question the corpse or do we risk exposing Nirik-Tohr to the violence of this mercenary?  We can wait to interrogate her until later and go check in on our friends in the Seed too!"

[Niachi]

"Tactics? We -"

The low pop of a Wormhole opens in Ande's grip.

"What just happened?"

[AthasianLaborer]

Sept 22, 2023 13:27:43 GMT -12 Niachi said:

"What just happened?"

"I have collected the mourning elf maiden, if we don't wish to interrogate her corpse, we should gather round and make suggestions on course of action with least hesitation"

Ande wills the Pocket Dimension door to glow so the gathered party can know where she'll emerge from.

She looks about, waiting for suggestions.

[DM Bob]

[Closing thread. See combat thread.]