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ELEMENTAL MADNESS PT 1

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Nov 29th, 2015
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  1. [22:40]P'tajha Kett reaches a hand up to fiddle with the device on her face, poking buttons experimentally in an attempt to figure out whether or not it's actually receiving any readings from the area. "...Can't tell if it's on're not, does it look on?" She turns her head up to face Bran, pointing the device in his direction.
  2. [22:40]P'tajha Kett ||It doesn't look on. It's not even beeping ominously.
  3. [22:41]Brannon Bavol blinks and gives her a noncommittal shrug. "Did you flip the switch on the side?"
  4. [22:41]Brannon Bavol: "Typically these things have switches. Or something."
  5. [22:42]P'tajha Kett squints at him. "Is there a switch on th'side?" She reaches up, and, after a moment, does indeed locate a switch. She flips it, and the little visor swings down, immediately beginning to hum faintly against her temple, the headset swinging down across her eyes. "Oh!"
  6. [22:43]P'tajha Kett: "Your aetherical glow looks rather charmin' t'day, love." She grins.
  7. [22:43]Brannon Bavol gives her a look of mock surprise. "You noticed? I think it's the new cologne."
  8. [22:44]P'tajha Kett: "Should market it like that, 'affects th'flow'f yer natural aether! Impress th'ladies in ways they can't even see!'"
  9. [22:45]Brannon Bavol: "Say, out of curiousity, what does the old arm look like?" He gestures to the arm hanging limply out of the middle of his coat."
  10. [22:45]P'tajha Kett tilts her head slightly, redirecting her gaze to his arm.
  11. [22:47]P'tajha Kett studies it for a long moment. "Dark," she says at last, her brow furrowing. "There's a trickle runnin' through, compared to th'rest."
  12. [22:48]Nenia Reynolt came through a clearing, treading carefully in the journey over, being armed with nothing more than a cane really.Admittedly, she was quite excited at the prospect of 'outsiders', despite the warnings and precautions of what outsiders would be -doing- with aetheric changes! As she came to the mouth of the Fount with opal crystals aglow, she slowed to a stop just behind the pair. It couldn't be-- could it? Mouth went agape for the moment, rather than speaking, "Ah-..." Words, Nenia, use them!
  13. [22:48]Brannon Bavol nods. "About what I expected. Bloody useless thing." He lightly thumps it's wrist. "Anyway! Shall we?" He gives Taj a big grin.
  14. [22:49]P'tajha Kett |One of Taj's ears flicks backwards at the sound of approaching footsteps, but a look of concern lingers on Bran for a moment before she turns to see the newcomer. "...Nenia?"
  15. [22:50]Brannon Bavol: Bran twists his neck as far as it'll go, looking back at Nenia. "Hoy there! Fancy meeting you here!" He gives her his usual grin.
  16. [22:51]Nenia Reynolt: "M-Miss Taj..! A-Ah-hah-!" Awkward laughs are awkward! She bounced in her step over with arms outstretched, but she pulled in, too shy to commit to anything. Really, woman! Shyly, she raised a hand to the blond. Twelve, she was terrible at names, it was so obvious! "H-Hello..!" None the less, the warm greetings came with such relief and warmth!
  17. [22:54]P'tajha Kett chuckles lightly at the girl's awkwardness. "S'been a moon or so, ain't it? Y'remember Bran?" She asks helpfully, incase that pause was one of being unable to recall a name, as it seemed.
  18. [22:55]Brannon Bavol: "I wouldn't blame her if she doesn't. I can't say -I'd- want to remember me."
  19. [22:55]P'tajha Kett snorts faintly. "Not with an attitude like that." She flashes him a smile.
  20. [22:55]Nenia Reynolt took a moment to wipe her face. She wasn't crying! It was just misty out or something! "N-No! Please don't say that--! That's terrible," she chuckled softly, "... The odds though...! I-I ah.. received an assignment to a-ah check on the two of you-..."
  21. [22:56]Nenia Reynolt: "I-I mean.. I didn't realize it would be you..! but! Ah.." She gestures vaguely, as if that would mean something.
  22. [22:57]Brannon Bavol: Bran flashes Taj a smirk before turning back to Nenia. "Oh? Those crotchety old conjurers couldn't just let us take care of things huh?"
  23. [23:03]Nenia Reynolt shrugged helplessly at that. Index fingers met to prod in a fidget, "A-Ah...Wuh-- I-I didn't realize you're working with them..? I-I'm sorry-- that--.. that must seem offensive not to have their trust." She sucked in a breath, trying to rebuild that crumbling, composure! "But um..! If it's not offensive, I can try to help--...?"
  24. [23:10]Brannon Bavol chuckles lightly. "Relax. It was in jest. We're glad to have you along."
  25. [23:10]P'tajha Kett laughs softly. "Not at all, thought it were passin' strange they handed this off to a pair'f outsiders in th'first place--guess it were 'cause they knew we'd have a babysitter." She gestures slightly. "Still though, ain't about t'say no t'help--" She glances in the direction of the Fount. "Th'readin's here are... well, somethin'."
  26. [23:11]P'tajha Kett: "...An' it's rainin', 'course."
  27. [23:11]Brannon Bavol: "It's the shroud. It might as well be perpetually raining."
  28. [23:11]P'tajha Kett makes a face.
  29. [23:17]Nenia Reynolt chuckled softly, "I'm sorry--." She blinked. Was she -really- apologizing for the weather? Nenia, please. Still, she stepped along, tiptoeing to look on ahead for.. what would be felt rather. "Wh-What exactly could they have you be looking for..?" She blushed some, "I-I was sort of rushed off..."
  30. [23:18]Brannon Bavol shrugs again. "Not a clue. As long as an angry elder primal doesn't come charging at us on horseback, I'll be happy."
  31. [23:19]Nenia Reynolt: ".. That's.. ah.. very specific...!"
  32. [23:21]Brannon Bavol: "Supposedly this place is linked to old Odin himself, so I wouldn't completely put it out of the realm of possibility."
  33. [23:24]Nenia Reynolt: "I-I'm not...!" She stammered, worried more about offending the man than anything! Nenia, please... She gulped,and boots carried softly to the shoreline. She peered on ahead. The place had ... always been sort of strange. What could be different..?
  34. [23:25]Brannon Bavol takes a few steps forward, splashing loudly through the shallow water. "Well, if you see any imposing figures donned in armor black as the night sky, do be sure to give us a warning."
  35. [23:29]Nenia Reynolt ||It wasn't registering right away. "Why would-- oh.." Theeere it was! Right, less than savory primal encounters. How on earth could she think someone may have been following them!
  36. [23:31]P'tajha Kett tuts softly at Bran's light badgering of the conjurer, and grins encouragingly at her. "They said somethin' about aetheric fluctuations, went so far as t'get a piece'f Magitek from th'folks in Mor Dhona." She taps the headpiece. "Some kinda advanced aetherometre."
  37. [23:38]Nenia Reynolt frowned, finally tredding into the water. She canted her head, "To.. help you see..?" She was fascinated! But no! Now was not the time...! She removed the flowered cane from its clip, and petals unfurled as she pointed the staff outwards. "I-I.. don't want to think someone's been tampering-..."
  38. [23:45]P'tajha Kett: "See th'aether, aye." She gestures slightly. "I ain't ever really used one'f these afore, but I kinda got a sense'f what'm seein'. STill, think'm just here t'record shite an' let th'experts make sense'f th'readin's." She tilts her head slightly. "Dunno if it's tamperin'. Could be, somethin' uh." She pauses. "Stirrin' up th'elementals? That's what yer whole Gridanian thing is, ain't it?"
  39. [23:48]Brannon Bavol watches the two women a bit absentmindedly. All of this is a bit out of his area of expertise, so he decided it better to let them handle the issue at hand.
  40. [23:54]Nenia Reynolt crinkled her nose with a thought. That provided some clarity. She vacantly nodded in her pondering, stepping forward onto dry land again, "I-It is.. yes. Their will and presence dictates much a-ah... but... Hearers--.. um.. individuals that are particularly sensitive to the Elementals, could better ascertain..." She shifted her footing, speaking to herself, "Too many must be afield for this.". Or, -or-, Nenia, you're jumping to conclusions!
  41. [23:56]P'tajha Kett shrugged mildly. "Well, whatever th'reason fer yer Hearers not comin' out fer th'job, 's gil in m'pocket, an' I ain't complainin'." She chuckles slightly, beginning to head towards the Fount itself, the headset beginning to detect a particularly curious knot of gnarled aether the closer they get to the centre.
  42. [23:56]P'tajha Kett avoids the fuck out of these Ked because ew.
  43. [23:56]Nenia Reynolt: "O-Oh... Right..."
  44. [23:57]Brannon Bavol makes a face at the ked as he walks past them.
  45. [23:57]Nenia Reynolt is too gentle of a babbu to show distaste for ked. But, really, who -would- like those!
  46. [23:59]P'tajha Kett pricks her ears up slightly as the headset hums a little louder, attempting to process an abrupt increase in data--and even Taj can feel the subtle vibrations in the aether--vibrations that, upon their arrival, seem to become slightly more erratic. The water elementals in the area are caught in a flurry of activity--rather than their usual meanderings, they appear to be circling the large crystal protrusion in the centre of the Fount--and perhaps more alarmingly, the very flow of around their ankles appears altered; it should be flowing downstream, but instead it seems to have abandoned its natural course and spins in a circle with the path of the elementals.
  47. [23:59]Brannon Bavol shivers lightly as they near the center of the fount, the oppressive aether of the area sinking into him deeper the farther in they go. He wrinkles his nose and lifts his hand up to his right shoulder, massaging it lightly.
  48. [0:01]P'tajha Kett: "...Wagerin' this ain't normal," she murmurs, as though almost afraid to startle the water elementals, who, for the moment, have either ignored, or are uninterested in their presence.
  49. [0:02]Brannon Bavol: "Whatever is going on here, I don't think it's good news. The air here feels...wrong."
  50. [0:03]Nenia Reynolt 's breath hitched. The aether felt so ....heavy! She looked down to her boots, and shook her head in an answer to Taj. Nenia cautioned a lift of her boot before gently stepping back into the unnatural current. Her gaze followed to the center, and back to the circling elementals. "...Very wrong..." she spoke quietly.
  51. [0:18]P'tajha Kett: "...Startin' t'think we better beat feet an' get someone more qualified t'say what's goin'--" Taj was cut off, however, as the elementals slowed in their circling, and eventually came to a flat, unnaturally still stop--and the water with it. In moments, it was a glassy mirror as though nothing else were disturbing it, and even the trickle of the falls in the back seemed muted, the aether in the area growing so thick as to almost completely muffle the sound of anything beyond the circle.
  52. [0:20]P'tajha Kett takes a step back, but she freezes again as the ripples from her movement spread over the glassy surface of the eerily still pond, and it's almost as though all eyes--if elementals -had- eyes--had turned on the trio.
  53. [0:21]Brannon Bavol narrows his eyes. "Yeah...we should, uh. Go."
  54. [0:24]Nenia Reynolt broke the eerie, placid waters, pointing a petaled staff forward. Gaze flicked to Bran, yes-- they should go, but could she handle this..? Anywhere else may have been manageable, but this..! She exhaled slowly, "You have your readings, yeah...?" As if that was encouragement for them to go!
  55. [0:29]P'tajha Kett: "Aye, think more'n enough fer'm t'work through. She takes another step, ignoring the way the water ripples and turns towards the path leading back the way they had come. "Ain't plannin' on stickin' 'round, are y'?" She glances back at Nenia--but almost as though in answer to her prompting, the water surges around their feet until a wall of rushing water curtains across the stream to bar their way back. "...Shite."
  56. [0:30]Brannon Bavol groans and runs a hand through his hair. "This is why I hate water." He mutters. In a flash, his hand is on the grip of his rifle, sling it around his shoulder to hold it ready at his side.
  57. [0:33]Nenia Reynolt sucked in a breath, instinctively casting a weave of blue around the three of them. "I-I don't think my answer matters much now-..." She frowned in regards to their safety though. Lids fluttered shut as winds whipped at the bottom of her coat and brushed along the waters. Nenia threw her staff out, willing a gust at the source of the despair.
  58. [0:38]P'tajha Kett ||Ripples flow over the water in the wake of the wind Nenia summons, and all the elementals begin, in tandem, to shake as though brushed by the breeze. They begin to cluster together, individual sprites rapidly beginning to coalesce into a large, whirling vortex that twists around the centre crystal and flows across it towards them, the air at its thickest with aether since their arrival. Taj grimaces, almost dizzied by the force, and she reaches up to tear the device from her head as >>
  59. [0:39]P'tajha Kett << whatever readings it has receiving make it hum incessantly. She pockets it carefully--neglecting to turn it off--and grips her book with one hand. "I take it this one ain't happy."
  60. [0:44]Nenia Reynolt gawked at the sight. It was hard to breathe too. Teeth clenched, "N-No..." She dared to step forward with haste and staff pointed out, "Something at the crystal--" She looked to each of them, making the foolish mistake to say, "Please get somewhere safe--.." Really, Nenia. -Really-. She chewed a lip to brave venturing forth, and mustering winds again. She already doubted a power over water here.
  61. [0:44]Brannon Bavol levels the barrel of his gun at the massive water elemental. Truth be told, he had no idea where exactly he needed to be aiming. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
  62. [0:52]P'tajha Kett: "Not that I don't think yer heart's in th'right place Nenia, but I think all this water-aspected aether floatin' about might be drownin' yer sense." She takes a step up beside the conjurer.
  63. [0:53]Brannon Bavol snorts at that.
  64. [0:54]Brannon Bavol steps up beside the two ladies. "So, why don't you tell me what I need to shoot at while you fix this?"
  65. [0:59]Nenia Reynolt flustered. Of course! She really should have known better, but the insistent fussing she'd have over others... especially with her own job! She had a flicker of a wonder if-- if the guild knew..! Nenia frowned at that-- only for the moment. There was work to be had, and help there with her. "Cores can be weakened--" Though, that tempest looked more like an amalgam, "a-ah .. subdued to better uproot.. the problem--.." Her gaze fell to the base. Would any of this matter, here of all places?
  66. [1:10]P'tajha Kett: ||Within the swirling twister, there did indeed appear to be a more dense structure, as though, rather than being hollow, the spout had formed around something. "Weaken th'form, we might be able t'get it separate again, put down th'sprites that form it, or 'least figure out what's callin'm all t'gether." She glances at Bran. "Think y'can get it's attention, let Nenia concentrate on, uh," she glances at the conjurer expectantly. "...whatever it is y'gotta do?"
  67. [1:13]Brannon Bavol gives her a toothy grin. "Getting something's attention is a specialty of mine, love." He draws back the hammer on his rifle. "Just say when."
  68. [1:14]Nenia Reynolt frowned that any harm would have to pass, but necessities! "I-I'll see what I can do to quell a-and... ah.. purify what's there-.." It's what she does! That frown pulled as she flicked a glance to Bran, "...Please be careful.."
  69. [1:19]Brannon Bavol snickers. "I don't know the meaning of the word, ma'am. Good luck, you two!" With that, Bran sprints forward, a loud crack breaking the relative silence of the Fount as a bullet tears out of the barrel of Bran's gun and into what he assume is the thing's "core."
  70. [1:27]P'tajha Kett pulls a handful of threads of aether from her book, weaving them quickly into a faint, emerald shield around Bran as he looses the first bullet--and the elemental promptly begins to howl. While the rapid spinning of the spout is enough to deflect the bullet from it's direct mark, the elemental seems aggravated nevertheless as it surges towards Bran.
  71. [1:29]Nenia Reynolt had little time to pout and fuss with the man. He took his shot. It caused for a flinch from the mage! Nenia coaxed the winds to her bidding once more to tangle with the oncoming tempest as she dodged to the side, more or less to get away from anymore loud cracks of gun fire!
  72. [1:33]Brannon Bavol sprints to the side as the elemental surges towards him, attempting to keep it focused on him, and not the two magic-wielding woman behind him. "Oi! A little wet behind the ears? Come and get me!" His quip is punctuated by another bullet ripping through the air.
  73. [1:38]P'tajha Kett ||The elemental was in no trifling mood; Nenia's winds were a distraction, slowing it from what it had, for the moment, determined to be it's focus--the gun-toting Hyur. Another unnatural howl ripped through the air as it turned to follow him. Taj weaves together a Miasma spell and flings it towards the massive elemental, hoping, at best, to slow it.
  74. [1:43]Nenia Reynolt was absolutely bemused with how Bran treated all this! And those quips! And the familiar weaves of Taj's magicks were something to be admired. The staff flicked out in another whip of winds as Nenia hopped to dry land and squint and where the circle of elementals once lay. She spared the pair another glance out of fret, then turned back to a staff pointed down at the waters. Nenia took a breath and lids fluttered shut as she tried to feel for familarity amidst such a heavy taint.
  75. [1:48]P'tajha Kett ||Likely, Nenia could sense two connections that the furious elemental was drawing anger from; one, a source within its core to be certain--but the other was well within the depths of the Fount, hidden at the back of the waterfalls. Only momentarily did the waters reach up after Nenia's feet as she hopped onto the shore, lapping furiously at the ground as though it had lost something. Taj kept her attention on the spout, flinging another debilitating spell within the churning water, weakening its protective barriers to enable Bran's bullets to wreak further havoc.
  76. [1:55]Brannon Bavol curses as another bullet misses it's mark, passing harmlessly through the waters of the elemental. He tucks his gun into the armpit of his right arm, and reaches into a pocket with his now free hand. He pulls out a small, metallic sphere roughly the size of a chestnut. Bran presses in a small button on the sphere and tosses it into the spout. After a short moment, the sphere erupts into a small concussive blast of aether.
  77. [1:59]Nenia Reynolt ||Her pale gaze flashed open again with her staff pointed in the way of the falls. She spared only a moment to shake herself of the daze, looking from the tempest to the falls, then back to the pair holding off the angry form. She yelped with the blast of aether, staggering further along the shore. She needed to take that opportunity despite being racked with confusion over such a device. What.. was that..! Nenia ventured further along the arm of land ,treading back into the shallow waters between the two sources. Surely, taking out the one harassing the pair would be doable before taking on the other? She had to try! Staff pointed towards the thrashing tempest, with a even exhale, she concentrated a culmination of nature's elements to blast into the spout.
  78. [2:20]P'tajha Kett ||The elemental's roar thunders from within it's rapidly deteriorating body; the combined efforts of Bran's explosive device and Nenia's rush of elemental aether causes the spout to ripple wildly, one flailing wall of water snapping out in Bran's direction.
  79. [2:26]Brannon Bavol barely has time to react as the massive tendril of water whips towards him. He throws himself to the side, tumbling across the shallow water in an attempt to get out of the way. He isn't quite fast enough, the whip strikes a glancing blow on his calf. He scrambles back to his feet, shrugging off the pain in his leg as he continues his strategy of running and firing.
  80. [2:29]Nenia Reynolt: "A-Ah..!" There was no time for words as water went whipping out at Bran. She winced when water connected. Throwing her staff back, She ripped winds from the air to tear back the shapeless form. She tore her gaze over her shoulder, so very mindful of what still remained. No, it was too far for now, she couldn't leave them like this, not with the core weakening so!
  81. [2:36]P'tajha Kett drags more threads out of her book and weaves a stoneskin spell around Bran as the cyclone rears up and surges towards him, thinner tendrils spearing out in his direction. She looks at Nenia and calls something out--though the words are lost amidst the keening wail of the elemental, her meaning is clear enough; concentrate on the task at hand, and she'll run interference in an attempt to take some of the pressure off of Bran. >>
  82. [2:38]P'tajha Kett leaps onto the rock and dashes across the top, calling down a field of shadows around the cyclone in an attempt to distract it, though, for the moment, all that serves to do is divert some of the spearing water tendrils in her direction.
  83. [2:43]Nenia Reynolt hesitated. But the worrying! She nodded with a frown, casting another spiraling wind at the tempest before she bolted for the falls. Nenia exhaled shakily. This was harder with other involved! She pointed her staff towards the falls, lids fluttering shut as she reached out through the heavy aether once again with a new determination.
  84. [2:46]Brannon Bavol continues his circuit around the large crystal in the center, alternating between taking potshots at the elemental and dodging it's numerous tendrils flailing after him. "You know, I can't tell if we're actually hurting this thing, or if we're pissing it off even more!"
  85. [3:01]P'tajha Kett: "Both!" Taj nimbly leaped to the side as the tendrils came her way, but she wasn't quite fast enough as one caught her in the side, the force of it throwing her from the rock and into the water. Fortunately, her book was dropped safely on dry ground, though the Miqo'te was spluttering as she pulled herself out of the water, turning her head towards the elemental in the event any further tendrils were coming her way. Fortunately, it seemed whatever Nenia was doing had taken it's attention even from Bran, and the creature, moving much more sluggishly than it had been began to slough towards the conjurer. Beneath the waterfall at Nenia's feet lay the apparent cause of the festering fury within the elemental; the bones of a small boar had been hidden by the fall, dead long enough that it was barely more than bone, an arrow protruding from the pile with the tell-tale fletchings of a poacher.
  86. [3:19]Nenia Reynolt gasped with an anomaly felt. A half-lidded gaze fell to the crashing falls. She gulped, sparing a brief glance over her shoulder to those she'd leave behind. Roaring falls drown out all else as Nenia ventured further to the source, and when her gaze fell to discolored bones, she fell to her knees. "Oh no..." Over and over again she murmured those words, resting the staff in her lap to take the arrow in hand.
  87. [3:21]Nenia Reynolt reached a hand out to the remains, extending her aether out to the distraught taint.
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