Renew the Pact: N'pacier Atol'ciel, p6
Log Info
- Title: Renew the Pact: N'pacier Atol'ciel, part 6
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Thurid, Zaxx, Braelnoir
- Place: The Desolation, N'pacier Atol'Ciel
- Time: Friday, April 23, 2021, 2:04 PM
- Summary: The shared memory continues, the Ancient Magii arguing their points of view, or simply arguing. More limitations are proposed, including an intelligence to enforce and adapt to the strictures they create. In addition to the ancient practitioners, their modern representatives are struggling. Lars ends up casting a Charm Person on Firestarter to make her more cooperative, which Thurid notices. Zaxx and Braelnoir, still enchanted, don't. The vision abruptly ends as the necromancer leaves, taking with her the famililar that was witness to the events. Thurid accuses Lars and he dissembles. Catacaustic provides a way to summon the little serpent, and the group departs. Success?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thurid 7'1" 249 Lb Giantborn Female Bright-eyed, muscular, blond Giantborn woman. Braelnoir 5'11" 146 Lb Human Female A tall, pale Acanian woman, branded in silver. Zaxx 5'2" 152 Lb Shadow Elf Male Compactly built, bald man with dark skin and pointy ears. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- NPCs of Note -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Lars Human Male A very _charming_ bard, Mr Feels the Eels Firestarter Hobgoblin Female An orange Arvek Nar, hobgoblin Catacaustic Quetzalcoatl Unknown A giant rainbow coloured snake with reflective wings. Akalis A wizard, cloaked in a black robe with a half mask, by Thurid Hirrhurr Fizzlefuse the Jollyhaired Male A rainbow haired, gnome transmuter, by Zaxx Jaenvo of the Mercurial Form Veyshanti Female Extravagant trappings, Rings, and a golden scarab, by Braelnoir Firguzz the Giant Halfling Male A hedge wizard, organizer of the assembly of mages, by Lars Inkurgru Shadow Elf Female A necromancer, with a winged serpent familiar, by Firestarter -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Fizzlefuse pshaws as he throws his head back, his goatee wiggling about as much as his tremendous nose is shiny. Underneath, the mul is incredulous. Here yet not, the spitting image of his mother belabors fundamentally powerful and primordially important topics fraught with meaning. With a big lucht who strongly reminds of a certain cherub of bewildering repute! The fae points out, "The usual or is any one of you up for a change? Elemental lines, ties of benefitial and less so spells, aligns of mist and solids? Para elements, anybody? We could reorganize the whole...?" The wildly gesturing platformer blinks as he talks himself into a rant, not quite sure of a word to end this on just right, because this is clearly before "kaboodle". Fizzlefuse blinks once again, "Excellent. No more division of illusion from other arcanity! That is marvelous!" He cannot help but rub his little hands in anticipation.
"So the pleadings of the God Botherers are to be elevated to our equal? What of the questioning, binding, and manipulation of outsiders? Does that fall under the Arcane, or 'the Divine?'" The Mul'niessa's sneer is evident, even moreso when she finishes her thought, "What are the gods but overpowered spirits? It was through observing their faithful we determined how to link and siphon life force. Pathways they carefully preserved when they struck down the Kulthians for coming too close."
Inkurgru waves her hand as if clearing a smell, then sets the fingertips of her left on the table, lightly supporting her weight. "And what if we know 'The Divine' or 'The Wyrd' rites. We should never heal, never manipulate minds and perception, just forget those observances and techniques?"
"A Permanence ritual." Inkurgru looks at Jaenvo, still frowning, her eyes still hidden behind smoked lenses. Her glittering snake watches the movements of the golden scarab, but does nothing that would add conflict. "Instead of a tap on a ley-line to continually power the spell. I would still want to be able to do that at times." She pets her serpent, "Let me think about it."
"Well I can think of additional classifications," Firguzz harrumps, stepping one foot up on the table so he can pose dramatically. He points his staff, symbols appearing in the air, representative of the categories he names, "Along with Illusion, perhaps Conjuration, Evocation, Transmutation, Enchantment." He's clearly taking inspiration from those present, "Necromancy, Un..."
"You would further sub-divide what I know!" The Mul'niessa interrupts, snarls at Firguzz, "then ban it too? Have the stones to say 'we wish you gone' instead of 'you may stay but practice none of what you know'."
"Then each category might have a balance." Suggests the masked one, finally. "Just as water douses fire, and negative energy annuls positive, spells too would have relationships. Some practitioners might be stronger with some than others, some might strike a balance, but mastery of all would be beyond reach." she says then, tapping her fingertip upon the table. She nods in quiet agreement with the topic of permanance, "The weave of reality ought be afforded opportunity to heal, to return to its natural state after a work is done, yes..." she agrees then in principle. "Though, it need not be the same natural state." she adds then. "Take, for example of healing wounds or transmuting matter. While an individual can naturally exist in stable conditions of both wounded and unwounded, soil can be muddy or parched, and so it would not cause undue fraying of the threads for these effects to become permanant. Conversely, to create an area of supernatural darkness, or to expand a beings abilities beyond what their race is capable of, or to create arcane fire or pools of mutagenic aether? These are not in the design, and would tear at it were they allowed to persist unchecked."
The Veyshanti considers her little scarab; a lecherous ex husband, an overbearing mistress, a conquered arch enemy... or, possibly an actual bug, depending on which, if any, rumors are true, "Now, now.... we're still in the planning stages, darling." she asides to the Mul'niessa. That said, Jaenvo then turns to look to Akalis, then Firguzz, "Let perceptive magics remain unfettered." she says, shifting her position slightly to consider her reflection in her familiar's shell, "All benefit from percieving what they are working with, rather than trying to memorize the workings of all reality when casting a spell."
The scarab is set to her bosom ere it returns to it's place at her throat and she wonders, "What about those with magic of the blood? Clearly, we can constrain the formulae for magics going forward, but what of those who are born to the gifts as magic works now? Would be have them bound by Geas, or should we expect a pogrom to be next upon the docket?"
She holds up a hand, "I present this now, as what we chose to impose must eventually be enforced, somehow... to prevent potential upstarts from casually undoing what we would ultimately have wrought, and it's best we know how far we will be willing to go."
Fizguzz is in distress, and where the 'giant' halfling stands there is odd double vision. The wizard himself, the image shared by Catacaustic, who is looking around with an imploring expression, focusing on Jaenvo and Inkurgru, an anxious pleading in his voice. "Please, consider these thoughts, don't reject them outright."
Also in his place is the underpinning image of Lars, who also looks around the assembled and is frantically looking at his script. His words are distant, hard to make out. Faint and far away, "This isn't the script! Where is this coming from? The memory? Is this what really happened?" He's rapidly scribbling in the margins, attempting to keep up.
Together, they are a blurr.
"And what is the opposite of wood, indifferent to one and consumed by the other, iron? Iron is immune to both except at extremes of time or temperature." Inkurgru throws out. "Would new practicioners be handicapped by misleading categorizations, seeking unknown opposites when there are none? Even the elemental planes are barely pure at their centremost before they become contaminated with entities adapted to that material. Chaos forms to brief order which entroy decays back to chaos without bulwarks. Everything at best is meta-stable. A powerful enough spell might ignite the atmosphere or unravel all reality."
"Inkurgru, I understand your interest in theories, but what are your thoughts on Jaenvo's thoughts, on the limitations?" Fizguzz interrupts. This draws another look that could kill.
The inky Mul'niessa strokes her serpent, "So not only limit minds by losing knowledge, diminishing the rituals, but limit those with an inborn affinity to bend the world to their will? This proposed 'resting and healing' is nothing more than letting the natural magics re-distribute themselves to some equilibrium. Areas of high, low, or no magic could just as easily be created with the right constructions. The anti-magic materials could be used to make sinks, or artifical leylines. Perhaps imbed a bead of one in the forehead of all who seem threatening, anything further is to abdicate authority to some entity, and whom do you trust?"
Akalis shakes her head at the mul, "I swear, if I were to tell you the sky were blue you would argue until you were." she sighs, and takes a step back from the table, pacing back and forth for a moment, voluminous robes swirling about her ankles as she does, and she taps her fingertip to the mask as she thinks and thinks.
"I simply used water and fire as an example. The schools of magic would not be so simple as the four classical elements. Not opposites then, but mirrors. Conjuration and Evocation, Divination and Illusion, Abjuration and Necromancy." she says then. "And while a god botherer as you so eloquantly put it might have ease calling upon healing conjurations, they may not be able to so readily pluck forth bolts of fire from the ather to strike enemies." she suggests, and then shakes her head.
The concept of inborn magic and policing, however, she has a more concrete thought on. "A great work." she says simply, and then pauses, turning to each of the others in turn, to be sure that she has their attention. "We would work these rules into the weave of magic itself, with a great work. Perhaps the greatest ever done, at least since the gods walked their creation. Like reinforced threads that keep the whole from coming apart, arrest any tears."
Brae is very much a 'make your own choices' sorta gal, and she is only entertaining this mess because Lars usually has good intentions. There's a lot of this conversation that's rubbing her wrong, but she's trying to get this right, for him...
Jaenvo turns her attention to the Mul'niessa, "Iron is less indifferent than you'd think, but, you make a good argument, dear Inkurgru."
The Veyshanti turns back to the halfling, on the Mul's rebuttal, then back to Akalis as she makes her own. She folds her arms again, shifting weight to her other hip, "You've clearly put thought into that, darling. You didn't seem the purging type..." She starts to pace her slow circle again, "Your 'rules' will need to be flexible enough to both endure the progressive shift of the world's workings, and to adapt into new spellweaves."
She eyes her colleagues evenly, "Chaos and chance are relentless, and we're all familiar with the ambitions of those Outside, their machinations will eventually create problems extant magics will be unable to cope with." She holds up a delicate finger, "That said, such a solution -will- introduce... bypasses, because it must, though likely still costing such an abitious caster greater effort toward their design."
"It's purple," The inky Mul'niessa says, waving her hand above her head with a snap of her fingers. And then the sky is purple. It may be a simple illusionary dome over the immediate area, tinting the hue, a change to way the water molecules refract, or shift in the weather to cause a thin layer of cloud to darken it. Enough to make a point, she snaps her fingers again, "When I want it so. Whatever it wants otherwise."
"Inky please, consider it." Fizguzz says, "A great work where our names would be remembered for all time. The re-structuring of magic, the Saviours of the Sundering. Our thoughts, our words, would be immortalized. Every subsequent mage would owe their talents and skills to our decisions. We will have re-shaped the world, would could ascend ourselves as Gods, for this second act of creation."
The halfling giant and human bard are very animated, again acting in conflicting ways. First Fizguzz is making several large gestures at the Mul'niessa, spreading his arms, wringing his hands, sheaft-shaking them at her, the beckoning. Open, conciliatory gestures. As this goes on, Lars is visibile as a hazy after-image, writing Akaris' words, then Jaenvo's. Once he seems to catch up, he is faintly audible, "'Star, Babe, where's this coming from? Can't we have them agree? Read it like it's written."
"I hate you," drifts quietly across the assemble. Firestarter's words, before they are drowned in her acting out the memory as Magus Inkurgru, "You argue to my ego which is pleasing but irrelevant, I have no need of your approval." She snorts, looking at the Veyshanti, then the half-masked one, "And you're right, I would debate this endlessly for my own amusement. My concern is myself, and how you would curtail me. If this is only to limit our successors, debilitate their abilities so their spells are short term, short effects, of limited range, little different than artillery shots, I'm willing to engage in a second act of creation, and re-weave reality."
GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (17)+10: 27 GAME: Thurid rolls spellcraft: (18)+6: 24 GAME: Braelnoir rolls perception: (3)+12: 15 GAME: Braelnoir rolls spellcraft: (8)+3: 11
"I agree, the rules will need to change with time..." Akalis says then, "Even we cannot begin to fathom what may come to pass in countless aeons." she agrees then, and paces a bit more. "The weave will need a mind. A living mind." she says then, as she thinks about it a while longer. "We could weave ourselves into the work." she finally suggests then. "Each representing an aspect... though we may disagree more often than we see eye to eye... such disagreements might breed change when change is required. Such as it is now." she finally suggests to the others.
Thurid behind the mask breaks character for a moment, and her gaze turns to Lars. But something about the import of the meeting, the memories, drags her back into character before she can speak again.
Braelnoir continues her performance as everything is proceeding apace and above board, despite her personal take on a conversation from a thousand years ago.
Jaenvo cants her head a mite at Akalis's suggestion, "So... that's the answer, is it?" She looks to Inkurgru, "Clearly, which is why you'll dive right into this." Not that she's all that much less self-serving, "Otherwise, you'd have to wonder how much of this... convocation would take interest in your doings afterward. That your reasearches would be stymied before you reached whatever goal you set for yourself." She has a certain smirk to her lips, either to further poke the necromancer... or at the prospect of, in essence, holding sway over changing a fundamental force in the world, even amidst the committee. Because the end of the game approaches, otherwise, and the Veyshanti still wants to play.
There is a script, which everyone has and has been following. It has directions, in a vague sense, identifying 'begging gestures' without going into detail. Minor discrepancies, a word different here or there, a sentence out of order, or missing. Each character is 'off' a little, Fizguzz described as a giant, presiding fatherly over the situation when he is a halfling, anxious for accord and to assert his relevance. Hirrhurr Fizzlefuse the Jollyhaired has a dramatic arrival, and then silence.
The biggest difference is Inkurgru the Necromancer, given a very sympathetic treatment in the script which is contradicted by the memory. Described as beautiful, it's implied she's alluring, while her acted attitude has a harshness which ruins it. Her contempt shines through in a way that reminds all she's of superior stock and knows it. In the script, she's aloof, but concedes. In this memory, much more combative.
Perhaps something in Firestarter's subconscious guided her to select this character. Perhaps something else.
"All right, I agree," Inkurgru says, the agreement faint and in Firestarter's voice, while the image of the Mul'niessa mouths, 'Are you Crazy?'. Both together, "Our minds merged for all time. A grand alternate immortality where our combined consciousness oversees the application of all magic." She sounds calm, they both sound calm, the image is pointing contemptuously, 'I can't imagine a more horrendous fate!'.
Each participant hears her opinion of them.
Akalis: "Coward"
Hirrhurr: "Showoff"
Jaeno: "Egotist"
Fizguzz: "Ignoramous"
Inkurgru steps back, arms wide. A darkness spreading out behind her, up against the wall. Her shadow grows long and tall behind her. She's heard clearly, enunciated loudly by Firestarter, only one word different, "I'll always stand with(against) you."
Fizguzz and Lars are both clearly upset, a blurry superposition, attempting to update and elucidate the script. "We can come to an agreement, wait. All is not lost but will be if we don't. There are other options, an imprint of our intellect perhaps, a magical doppleganger. Inkurgru!" A pause, "Is something interferring?"
Fizguzz and Lars look to the audience, where the giant quetzacouatl rests. It's a blinding light.
The dissonence shakes Thurid's composure, and she staggers back- having almost entirely lost herself in the character, she reaches up for a mask which is not there and then blinks in confusion. "Stop interfering!" she calls out to, well, both Fire and Lars. "The past is the past, it happened how it happened, the map is not the territory, and your script is not the event." she calls out to lars. "Don't let your hate for him cloud you, let the Wyrm's memories guide you." she calls to Fire.
And then she is pulled back into it, Akalis again, "If you will not volounteer, I will do it alone." Akalis speaks, then, "I surrendered my ego when I took on the station of Emmisary, if you are too proud to give of yourself, then I will." she says then.
GAME: Thurid rolls diplomacy: (13)+8: 21
Braelnoir's attention wavers as all the discord sounds off around her, and she looks to the rest, "C'mon, now, how we gonna get this done if'r gonna be at each other over every little thing?" sounding a bit irritated, but not at Lars, who gets a faint smile. Everyone else gets a look and she sighs before getting back to it.
Jaenvo's response to the Mul'odrama is a wry smirk, "Mirror." she replies, pointing an accusing finger, tip glowing an almost incandescent pink blazing against the shadows as runes writhe along her limbs, "You act as if your slurs are in any way not fit for you, too. You said yourself, you'd argue circles just for your own entertainment, anything else be damned. Ego, and foolishness, and even now you're making a grand display as if any one of us couldn't match it. And, what -is- with the study of necromancy, darling? Wanting to transcend the time you were born to? Could you be.... -afraid- to die?"
She curls that hand, ready to snap her fingers, "What else have you if this fails? When magic bleeds away, and the earth crumbles to dust around you?"
Zaxx grumps at all this conceptualization and other nittygritty he should understand better, but the words read easily enough. The gnome character he is supposed to act is so energetic, so fast, so hectic. He only tries to find his focus momentarily, but so much talk flies around. The gnome overlaid mul ahums and combines a few comments and interjections into one, "As we limit durations, we have to allow a limited amount of permanency. Mana flow and mana expenditure, we can gauge those and scale them against another. One can bring the solution of another, and the increased mana usage can be handled thusly." He gestures dramatically, rubs his nose and snaps his fingers, "We let mana seep into the Ean plane from the others. This will destress. Other, more malleable planes can balance a more rigidly structured Ean plane. How about that?" He snaps with a browwiggle, "You're already goddesses. So focus, please." He glances at Akalis, "We are emmissaries, all, because mastership demands servitude to the cause and effect of what one happens to master, or rule."
"Do... do as she says, 'Star." Lars voice drifts faintly under the scene. Fizguzz is leaning on his staff, forward, towards Akalis, then looks to Inkurgru. "It all fades. You've seen the God's damage. Do not flee from this injury, stand with us. Remake the world anew Inky, please."
"I will throw every block I can in your way!" The silver and black Mul'niessa snarls, stabbing a finger at Thurid, "So full of false humility as you carve yourself the goddess throne. And you!" Jaenvo gets a haughty harrumph, "As if I could endure all my miniscule flaws writ so large in all of you."
"It is more than 'mere necromancy' as you so always dismiss it. It is the understanding and manipulation of life forces, the transition from inert to animate. The reversal of decay. Determining the attachment points of the soul, how magic transitions to energy to matter back to magic in its feedback cascade. Esoteric possibilities that will be eliminated in the constraints you propose, where I'll be less able to think with you in my mind than I am with you in the room!"
She stares next at Fizzlefuse. The Mul'niessa seems to be listening without hostility. "Interesting. That technique would be of use. I was hoping for more theory, and less," she waves her hand around, "whatever these plans are. Build a prison for all magic workers but leave me out of it."
She crosses her arms.
The shadow behind Inkurgru grows larger, spreading out to envelope the whole wall. At the same time, Catacaustic's corner grows even more blinding. The light fully envelopes the Quetzacouatl. Long shadows are cast from everyone, harsh streaks across the ancient keep's flagstones. People are becoming silhouettes, with highlights of colour, an eye, part of their mouth. The edges of them wavering like mirages under the intense glow. Everything is rendered in silver and shadows.
Inkurgru steps back into hers. She's absorbed. She vanishes, along with her shoulder serpent. The light flashes, erasing everything.
When vision returns, the rainbow snake is reared up, reflective wings spread, angling the light away. "The memory ends there."
Thurid shakes her head a bit after the scene finally fades to light and dark, and she's left briefly dumbstruck by the whole experience. She flexes her hands in front of her face, as she grows accustomed to her own body once again, and then shakes her head. "It seems they didn't come to an agreement, in the end." she says then. "At least, not here, not at this time." she adds a moment later.
She looks to Lars, "You might have had more success if you didn't force people into liking you. Are we done here? I'm concerned if we spend much more time in one another's company, one of us will be walking back to Alexandria."
Zaxx taps that platform boot indignantly, "Please, lady, Skull Island is for pirates..." The horned gnome sighs exasperatedly and stops himself midgesture. The mul-again crossbowman lowers his arms and rumbles, "A wild encounter. Surely an experience, Mighty Catacaustic."
"There's a whole page and a half more, where they agree and work out the rules..." Lars says, staring at his script, sounding dumbfounded. "That's the way it was supposed to go, that's what happened? Wasn't it? We have the rules, they must have been successful..."
The bard looks around, "should I... strike it out? Should we try again?" He looks up at the giant snake.
"They were not in accord." Catacaustic says, "as neither are you. That is how it ends."
Braelnoir shakes her head to try and get the scene back into a scene. She frowns and massages her temples as Thurid begins her admonishment, then looks the Jotun's way, "What're ya talkin' about?"
There is a look to the rainbow serpent, then back to Lars.
"He cast a spell to ovveride someone's will in the midst of the performance." Thurid informs Braelnoir simply, and then looks back to Lars, "I have a guess at who was the target." she adds then, folding her arms across her chest. "You are a slavemaster." she says, simply, "Though you try to skirt the line of what you feel you can get away with. I helped you in this mission because I believe it is important. But you, little man, are not." she glowers over at him.
She turns her attention back to the serpent, "You witnessed this, did you not? Did they come to meet again, on another occasion?" she asks.
"I'm sorry I screwed it up Lars," Firestarter says, hugging him.
"No, it wasn't you babe." Lars says, oblivious to her attention, almost in shock. He then utters words almost unthinkable, for a bard, "Something was wrong with the script."
He glances a Thurid, the giant snake, Braelnoir, back at Thurid, Braelnoir again, "Just a little something to help her act." His voice trails off.
"The other sserrpent, wass witnessss." Catacaustic hisses in everyone's minds. "They were interrupted. They met again, without Inkurgru. Sshe made her own path."
Zaxx nods over to the giantkin priestess, "What the lady says, maestro. You are losing points here." He does a headbow to Catacaustic, "Thank you for telling us."
Braelnoir's frown deepens and her mind seems to be somewhat at odds with the accusatory tone of Lars's little game. It's not his fault, really.
There is another look amongst the lot, as she drifts toward Lars and 'Star, "Well, now... least we got us some good intel." She sets a hand on Lar's shoulder, then looks over hers to Thurid Zaxx and Catacaustic, "Where we go from here, then?"
"Another serpent?" Thurid asks Catacaustic, "Might you know where we could find this other serpent now? If they also bore witness, we might glean more information by speaking with them." she muses then. For now, her gritted teeth the only sign she's aware of Fire and Lars' antics.
Lars relaxes a little when Braelnoir joins his side. He glances at Zaxx, his gaze lingering for a moment, then nods slowly. He suddenly smiles brightly, picking up where, "Well, it is good Intel! Great job everyone."
"And I think Thurid has the right idea, get back as fast as we can. And if you like, how about dinner, my treat, drinks too. We can update the script, tell the Society, get paid. Great success!"
Catacaustic moves, light shimmering off scales. There is a hissing sort of laughter inside everyone's heads, "We do not live that long."
The snake lets this thought sink in, and when it seems like it will be the final word, there's a... thought, an understanding. A slight tweaking of a known spell. "They can be summoned."
Thurid casts Lars another side-eyed glance, but turns back to the Serpent. "I will call upon them, but I will need rest and time to commune with the Mountain to ask the favor." she says, and then dips her head respectfully. "You have been a great help. Will you and the other serpents be well on this island, now that it is in the sky? It was our meddling that raised it again, so I would see you to safety if you desire." she says.
Zaxx was an indentured servant for thirty years. The slave and coercion part does strike a few unwelcome notes.
Braelnoir looks back toward winged serpent as Thurid broaches her next question. She rolls her shoulders and awaits the answer, considering.
Her attention is broken on Lars's suggestion and she grins, "Food'n drink sounds like a right grand idea, luv!"
Braelnoir was a child soldier for most of her life, plus she's had to face people enslaved by magic. She's realllllly not gonna be happy when that spell breaks.
But until the spell drops it's more 'nah, say it ain't so, my best buddy Lars a slaver? It can't be'.
Zaxx snarls, "We have to discuss this with one of the archmages. An Elunite of rank will not hurt, either. The maestro knows of hospitality, being a man of savvy like few others. He can surely assemble a banquet which pleases such esteemed guests?" The mul smacks Lars' back in a comradely fashion.
"I will be fine." Catacaustic says, the hissing feeling like it's trickling over every ridge on the brain, flowing around inside the skull. "They will need a lift down."
The very large, glittery, rainbow serpent seems skeptical that the Jotun would be able to help. The other snakes are larger than her, and there are ten. "Thiss one can carry them down. How will you asssissst?"
Lars is slapped, which makes him stagger. "Careful there my man, I'm not a big tough guy like you." He tells the smaller Mul'niessa. He's put his script away, taking out a scroll and unrolled it. He looks up, at Zaxx, then Thurid, "An Elunite? Esteemed Guests? What guests? Huh? Are we taking the snakes with us? I could bring... one? I guess? I was thinking the Ox, or some upscale place near the Explorer's Guild."
He takes out a piece of chalk, "I need to mark the points, then we can go."
Thurid nods again, "If you have it in hand, that puts my mind at ease." she says. As Lars goes back to preparing the teleport spell, Thurid goes and fetches her hammer, hefting it up to rest on her shoulder, and then waits.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+16: (15)+16: 31 (Lars UMD) GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d100: (47): 47
Zaxx sorts out the bard's accoutrements and straightens him up, "You see, I would not have thought of the upscale place, right. Your savvy wins our day, maestro!" He harumphs, "I know the basics of a relocation apparatus, but actual cast spells not so much."
Braelnoir lets Lars work as she again regards the serpent with curiosity and respect, "Take care, now." she offers with a little smile, then, "An' thanks fer everythin'." She folds her arms and brings her hand up to her chin. Hmmmm.....
Lars is sorted out and straightened up. He crouches down and marks a wide magic circle, and then draws a pentagram within it. A cocentric circle is made, with some arcane symbols between. In each pentagram point, he marks a letter. Finally right in the middle he marks a rough drawing of a fire-place. A well known hearth in the Explorer's Guild.
He stands, beams a smile at Catacaustic, "Thank you very much for your assistance and the memories, and letting is into your home. It's very beautiful, and it was even more so in the past. The rememberance of how it was must be a comfort. So... you never did say if you were a girl snake. Would it be all right for me to visit you again?"
The mental hiss is definitive, "No."
Lars says, "ah... you sure?"
Very definitive, "Yesss."
"Ah, okay then, well nice meeting you. We'll get out of your hair. Feathers. Scales. Um, we're going. Everyone we're going, get on the points." Lars waves at the pentacle, picking a spot for himself between Braelnoir and Firestarter. "Everyone link hands."
He chants the eldrich phrases. He gets it in one.
Zaxx barely manages a courteous parting thanks to the enspelled mind.
Braelnoir shudders again as there is the unique feeling of transport, but her footing is as steady as her lunch was. She casts an eye about the room and, "Well, now, that's a trip I wa'nt expectin' ta take this mornin'!" she groans with a stretch, flaking scorched false-dragon scabs about.
Map
https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=mn1anysnkpd
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "So, Summon Monster 2 or 3, you could use to summon the snake."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "something high enough to get you a celestial snake"