Rissada - Session 44.7

In the Broken-Top Mines, as the party sets up a camp to prepare themselves for a rest to gather their strength, Na'nabi finds herself with a free moment to resume her talk to Engir and Kellan.

Engir jots quietly into some notes, observing the scattered purple fragments.
Kellan looks sullenly at the remains of the blue crystal.
Kellan: "Guess at least it's not dark like the other."
Engir: "True, true."
Na'nabi: "(It's still a loss, at least for now.)"
Kellan: "Someone's got to have busted one before. Trying to grab a bit of shiny or something. Maybe we can find some records."
Astrid Estion: "Tch..."
Engir: "Yeah, good point. As long as we remain careful in the future, the damage shouldn't last too long."
"As Ara said, the problem is the spirits of the place."
Astrid: "Hey, Na'nabi, loan me the wand."
"I'm going to go and scout ahead."
Na'nabi tosses the wand to Astrid
Na'nabi: "As you wish, miss."
Kellan: "Don't get yourself killed being reckless! That's the last thing we need, sister."
Astrid grabs the wand, levying it with the Jolt wand, and wanders off down the tunnel.
Kellan: "Na'nabiii. Copper for your thoughts?"
Na'nabi: "Copper piece?"
Engir: "The place is quiet enough, at least."
Kellan: "It's a saying. I'm not paying you to chat."
Na'nabi: "It'd be a nice bonus anyway."
Kellan: "You should pay me for that, really, if anything."
Na'nabi: "Let's not forget who owes who, now."
Kellan: "Okay, okay, so you should reduce my debt for it. All comes out the same."
Engir smirks, biting his lip.
Na'nabi: "...right, Engir!"
"It's a quiet spot, we could have some more storytime, you never finished your tale~"
Kellan: "Oh, hey, yeah. Let's hear more about formidable spiders and less-formidable vampires."
Engir looks up from his papers at Kellan, trying to keep a straight face.
Kellan grins shamelessly back at Engir.
Engir: "I suppose I said I could. I believe we were going to talk about the journey to Sakkel."
Na'nabi: "Right, I'll get comfortable."
Na'nabi casts her reducing spell on herself, sitting down next to Kellan with her cloak over her knees, smiling merrily.
Na'nabi: "Okay, I'm in position."
Kellan sits down under the crystal, scooting closer to Na'nabi with a grin.
Engir: "If I remember rightly, we bought a horse and cart, and started travelling north from Dubrov."
"Not long into that trip, we were attacked by a stampede of peculiar creatures known as owlbears."
Na'nabi: "Owl...bears? Like, a cross between an owl and a bear?"
Engir: "Quite. They have an insatiable hunger, and were chasing some wildlife."
Na'nabi: "I mean....they're an owl and a bird, so how would they...?"
Engir: "Magic. Literally."
"There's no nature involved."
Kellan: "Do you really wanna think that hard on it?"
Na'nabi: "I really don't."
Engir: "....anyway. after we stopped them, Astrid seemed to gather the affection of a pair of foxes, who took great delight in depriving us of our rations."
Na'nabi: "But they probably boosted your morale, having such nice creatures along for the ride."
Kellan: "Seems like she could use a pet, that one. Something even simpler than the big guy."
Engir: "They certainly did the poor girl some help, given how devastated she was at the time."
Na'nabi: "Want to elaborate?"
Kellan: "Yeah, what's her deal?"
Engir: "Well, recall I mentioned there was a potion that sealed Sirius's magic?"
"Sirius is Astrid's brother. She saw the man fall to depravity, manipulate the people around her, and then lose all his power as punishment for his sins."
"After that, Sirius didn't really have the will to continue with life."
Na'nabi: "Ouch..."
Kellan: "No wonder she was in a bad way..."
Engir: "She's never fully recovered. The last two days have been the best I've seen her."
"So, anyway, with the foxes along for the ride, we entered our first destination. An old town Tharrius mentioned that wasn't on the map."
"There was a wealthy elf living among the humans, and we too were welcomed as guests."
Kellan: "Elves, in Rissada? Besides the captain?"
Na'nabi: "That sounds...very uncommon, if she's being able to live with the humans."
Engir: "That's what we thought. We wanted to speak with her, so her servant took us to an inn to talk."
"It was strange, though. The food we ordered was hard as rock."
"The way that they spoke about affairs, though, something was off."
Na'nabi: "Off how?"
Kellan: "Sketchy people offloading stale food on you doesn't sound that meaningful. Especially as gullible as your group is, besides you lot."
Engir: "They were talking about the human and elf war, as if it was current."
Na'nabi: "Wasn't that like... more than half a millenia ago?"
Engir: "Indeed. They were worried about the town being attacked."
"Then they started eating the rock-hard food like it was nothing."
"At this point, I began to realise that the town was quite literally stuck in the past. That the people there were apparitions."
"Unfortunately, in doing so, I scared them off."
Kellan: "About time you ever reacted to something besides with steely calm. I was beginning to wonder if you were an inevitable."
Engir smirks.
Engir: "Exciting possibilities shake me far more than anything else."
Na'nabi: "Engir losing his cool is like a Valesian deciding to go hug Elves."
Kellan: "Hey, I'm sure that's happened once or twice. They can't all be raving crazies."
Engir: "Either way, there's plenty more signs of my weakness on this particular journey, I'm afraid."
"We managed to follow the servant to a ladder under a warehouse. It led to an ominously large sewer."
"I personally suspect that Rissada or Valesia might dump their waste there, but that is idle speculation."
Kellan: "You idly suspect that people dump waste in a sewer?"
Na'nabi: "That's what sewers are for. I mean, if it's ominously large, that can't be for just one teeny tiny town, can it?"
Engir: "Indeed. You have to see the scale and magic of the thing."
"Like, it's not directly connected to the city, or anything, but if you saw it..."
Na'nabi: "One of those magic sewers created by crazy wizards with very specific needs and wants?"
Engir: "That's how I feel."
"...anyway. I'm getting distracted by the mystery of it. There was something more important on the far end of those sewers... a shrine."
"Why it was among the sewers, I'm not sure, but to even find it, you had to walk across a bridge of faith."
Kellan: "Sure is one heck of a hiding place."
Na'nabi: "No one would look in a sewer. But what if one sanitation worker just stumled across this sacred shrine?"
Engir: "Like I said. The shrine was protected by a unique, invisible bridge."
Kellan: "He said it was magic. Who says there's sanitation workers there?"
Engir: "Only living humanoid we found was a wererat and an unconscious ally of Tharrius's. Orz."
"Though, there was a sewer beast nesting in there..."
Na'nabi: "Hang on."
"Go back to the last thing. Wererat?"
"What the hell is a wererat?"
Kellan: "You know werewolves, right?"
Na'nabi: "Yeah. But I thought it was just wolves."
Engir: "Was a boy that seemed to have mutated and had the power to turn into a rat. Honestly, I don't know the details and don't WANT to know."
Kellan: "Why would it just be wolves?"
Engir ponders for the moment, looking down.
Na'nabi: "I've only ever heard of werewolves."
Engir: "....Orz..."
Kellan: "What, you knew the wererat too?"
Na'nabi: "Who is this Orz?"
Engir: "No, she was attacked by it. But that's not... nevermind."
"I'll get to her story more, later."
Na'nabi: "Okay then, carry on. We were at nesting beast."
Engir: "There wasn't much to say about it, except that it's called an Otyugh. If I remember rightly, it releases scents to communicate."
"Back to the shrine. We arrived as a group there, with one Tharrius's two companions in tow, heavily wounded.."
Kellan: "Two companions? How many people were there?"
Engir: "Tharrius travelled with two partners. Members of the Rissadan Rogue's guild. A sniper and an assassin, Raza and Orz."
Kellan: "So, creepy mask guy and someone attacked by a wererat?"
Engir: "Yeah. A girl with a hood."
"Finding her was alarming, because we had no idea where Tharrius was at the time."
Na'nabi: "Did you eventually find out?"
Engir: "Indeed. That wily old man seemed to have it planned."
"The shrine we arrived at is one to Rissadan nobility, and its millennia long bond with the elves."
"Not only that, but it is a sacred shrine, only permitted for royalty and the clergy to visit."
Kellan: "So what, did you lot get kicked out?"
Na'nabi: "But you guys visited it anyway?"
Engir: "We didn't know that, until a pilgrim there told us. But he seemed all too ready for us."
"Fact was, he was working with Tharrius too."
"For a former Paladin, he really doesn't seem to care at all for rules or transparency."
Na'nabi: "Seems very un-paladin like."
"I thought Paladins were all goody two shoes who followed the rules."
"(Or, depending on your race, four or three shoes..)"
Engir: "Valesian Knights follow the rules, too."
Kellan: "So this fellow said he was a paladin so you let him drag you all over like puppets?"
Na'nabi: "They follow the wrong rules."
Engir: "Indeed, Na'nabi. My point is, rules don't make you a goody two-shoes."
Kellan: "(What race wears three shoes?)"
Engir: "And Kellan, the problem is, he really WAS a Paladin. You can confirm it yourself."
Na'nabi: "(Mutated treants?)"
Kellan: "Okay, okay. So you met this other guy while trespassing in a shrine hidden in a sewer, at the directive of someone who's maybe a paladin."
Engir: "Correct! Such is the nature of grand adventure, no?"
Na'nabi: "(Paladins follow pretty cool rules, anyway.)"
"Sounds like some sort of... quest of magic."
"Magical journey."
Kellan: "Yeah! Alright, so, what happened after that?"
Engir: "The Pilgrim told us the history of the town. It was a place where Humans and Elves could live in harmony; a sanctuary. But the war trampled over it, and the hatred of those involved erased its very name from history."
Kellan: "Where was this?"
Na'nabi: "A place where humans and elves could live together...didn't Buttertongue mention something about a place like that?"
Kellan: "No, where was this, draw me a map. The captain'll tell me if you won't. That sounds like something worth hearing."
Na'nabi: "This sounds like a place I wanna visit."
Engir: "Ikanda is... different. This place is directly between Dubrov and Sakkel."
"Truth is, no-one knew its name until we managed to exorcise and release the spirits of the place."
"...Tyrane. Remember Tyrane."
Na'nabi: "So how will we know we've found Tyrane, and not some other ruined village, should I go there?"
Engir: "It's directly on the road. Hang on, I should have a map."
Kellan: "Tyrane... Tyrane... Yeah, got it. Will do."
Engir roots through his bag, and pulls out a map, gesturing at the crossroad between Rissada, Sakkel and Dubrov.
Engir: "I would spread the name to those elves and humans who would listen."
Kellan: "I can help with that."
Engir nods at Kellan, and smiles.
Na'nabi: "As can I."
Kellan takes out a map of his own, marking the location and jotting a few notes.
Na'nabi: "...maybe I could even write a song about this."
"Music's a good way to reach people's hearts."
Engir: "An interesting snippet of knowledge we found there... the Elven princess Ilanda Uthindel.... she was slain by her own subjects in a fit of blind rage. They didn't even know it was her until too late."
Kellan: "Eh, 's hard to fight and think at the same time."
Na'nabi sings quietly to herself.
Na'nabi: "(Tyrane♪ Tyrane♪ Remember Tyrane....♪ )"
Engir: "Of course. But it's quite the chilling reminder of the dangers of war."
"That locket Anarod wears was a gift to us from the princess's spirit. Perhaps if we visit Unthindel, we should return it."
Kellan: "A dead elf princess gave her token to Anarod? Now there's a story."
Engir: "Naw, she gave it to Tisha."
Na'nabi: "He wooed a ghost princess?"
"I don't see Anarod wooing anybody..."
Engir: "I just gave it to Anarod to keep him out of trouble. Actually that very trouble happened shortly after we left Tyrane."
Kellan: "...I think I'll tell it that way anyway. Romance makes for a better story."
Na'nabi: "You gave him an amulet to avoid trouble, and then he got into trouble anyway?"
"That amulet sounds baaaad at its job."
Engir looks at Na'nabi, and sighs, trying to continue anyway.
Kellan: "Don't let him turn me into ice cream if he finds out."
Engir: "Heh, well, by that time you'll probably be well enough off to be out of his reach."
Kellan: "Na'nabi, you won't let him turn me into ice cream, right?"
Na'nabi puts an arm around Kellan, patting him on the shoulder.
Na'nabi: "It's okay, big stwong Nana will keep you safe from the mean Icecube."
Engir: "Either way, after we eased the spirits, the spell on the town lifted, and the true ruins showed. Sure enough, the wily old human was waiting with his hooded companion and the pilgrim."
Kellan grins mischievously, listening intently to Engir.
Engir: "Tharrius told us a little more about himself and his journey to bring the prince back into power. Apparently he was the one that chased the assassins away that one night."
"That was about the point where I most suspected him, but at this point we still had the same intent."
Kellan: "Chased away assassins?"
Engir: "Are you familiar with the story of the prince's 'assassination'?"
Kellan: "Heard it. What about it?"
Na'nabi: "I'm familliar with it."
"But..he's back now, though?"
Engir: "Right. Tharrius knew the whole time that he was alive. This was because he was present, and the two people sent to assassinate the prince were... Orz and Raza."
"He told the two of them what was going on, and they left. Tharrius took the Prince into hiding, and they left his badge and weapons with the rogues."
"Quite suspect if you remember that we found the very blades and badge at the Thaumaturge's guild."
Na'nabi: "Huh?"
"No...I don't remember that."
Engir: "This one is for Kellan."
Kellan: "Now there's a good story. Okay, that makes a little more sense now. But how'd the thaumaturges get 'em?"
Engir: "We met twice before, one of which was when I tried to sell some very valuable knives without knowing what they were."
"Now THAT I do think I have the answer for. That comes much later, though. After we reached the city."
Kellan: "Yeah, yeah, I can wait."
Na'nabi: "I feel like I'm missing out on something."
Kellan: "(That's not all the weird stuff they were selling, either. Eh, 'least Eora was happy.)"
Na'nabi: "(...what else were they trying to sell? ...and do I even want to know?)"
Engir: "Like I said, Na'nabi. We tried to sell the pirates some things we found from the Thaumaturges."
Kellan shakes his head vigorously.
Na'nabi: "(They didn't sell Eora that knife, did they?)"
Kellan: "(Noooo. She's had that for longer'n I've known her.)"
Engir: "( Actually she nearly sold _us_ it. I wish we bought it now, so we could destroy it. )"
Kellan: "She was just messing with you. Gauging your reactions. I don't think anyone could get that thing away from her."
Na'nabi: "...additionally, no one's seen her since we got here."
"...am I the only one who's at least a little concerned about what she could be doing?"
Engir: "I've been counting it as a blessing, but I confess I do worry."
Kellan: "She's not a fighter sort and not a diplomat sort, as I think you complained of. What do you expect?"
Na'nabi: "She could be doing... anything ."
"Maybe we should check on her."
Engir: "Same reason you don't leave your children alone by the medicine cupboard."
Kellan: "The captain'd be furious if we messed up your mission. Nothing to worry about."
Engir: "Right."
"Well, after Tyrane, Nalzij went with the former Paladin to find the prince. We, however, continued north to Sakkel."
"Now, then, Kellan. I believe you're an expert storyteller."
"Perhaps you can take the spotlight for a bit?"
Engir lies back, happy to shed the burden for a while.
Kellan: "Gladly so! Assuming nothing important happened on the way there..."
Kellan perks up, sitting up a little straighter.
Na'nabi: "Oh, you were there in Sakkel?"
Kellan: "Yeah, that's where we met the second time. Anyway!"
"I was in town doing some work of my own, when Engir and his crew arrived. I spotted them attempting to sell more bizarre wares to the local merchants, and stepped in to oversee everything. So, we spent the day doing business, myself keeping everything going smoothly, and all was well."
Na'nabi: "Did they try selling weird controversial things again?"
Kellan: "Yeah, something like that."
"But later... we found ourselves awoken in the dead of night by the most haunting of melodies, and left to see the townsfolk being dragged into the lake by the song of a siren!"
Engir huddles closer to the sleeping Arastalia.
Kellan: "After a length battle of blades and wits, we managed to speak to it and calm it, persuading it to learn new ways of searching for friends, and in the morning, a beautiful woman had appeared in her place."
Arastalia: "(M-mm...)"
Na'nabi: "Oh, what sorta beautiful woman? Was she okay?"
Kellan: "She sleeps right before your very eyes, having joined forces with our valiant heroes~"
Engir nods, smiling.
Na'nabi: "...yeah, I agree, she is a beauty. But I never knew she was a siren too..."
"So a siren, and a nephilim? She's full of suprises."
Engir: "Her Siren form manifested from her loneliness as a Nephilim."
Kellan: "She stood out as a person of exceptional destiny from the moment we laid eyes on her, indeed."
Engir: "That is also quite true."
"How many fortune tellers can glean someone's history from touch, without any evident use of magic?"
Kellan: "I, busy as I am, had to depart at once the following morning, without even the time for goodbyes. So, alas, I shall have to leave the rest of the tale to Sir Engir again."
Engir: "Thanks for that wand, by the way."
Na'nabi: "What a riveting tale telling."
Kellan: "Yeah, looks like it's come in handy. And I don't need 'em too much anymore, anyway."
Kellan settles back down with a grin at Na'nabi.
Na'nabi: "You people certainly have been on an incredible adventure."
Engir: "So, what Kellan did omit was my brother's state."
Kellan: "Yeah, 'cause it didn't make a bit of sense to me and I couldn't make much story of it."
Engir: "Fair."
Na'nabi smiles at Kellan and scoots closer, putting her cloak on his legs as a blanket, too.
Na'nabi: "That sounds...worrying?"
Engir: "With Nalzij away, a devillish sprite put him into a deep sleep. One he did not wake from for several days."
"In fact, Anarod was spirited away to the source of his nightmares and icy powers. Apparently, it was one month long consecutive nightmare."
Na'nabi: "Devilish sprite?"
Engir: "Haa. That's gonna take some explaining."
Na'nabi: "Explain away, please."
Engir: "Back in Dubrov mines, the thaumaturges paid tribute to an imp of sort."
"Anarod mockingly threw it a couple of coins. ...turned out that was still enough to create a damned pact."
"So the imp followed us and 'fulfiled' the pact by tormenting my brother in his sleep."
Na'nabi: "That's devils for you."
Kellan: "Can't say I'm surprised."
Na'nabi: "Try to twist their way out of all sorts of deals, and screw you over as much as they can."
Engir: "Done with that, it lured another of our number away. Dahlia. Keeping that group under control was damn difficult without Nalzij."
Na'nabi: "(Though my knowledge more covers demons, so...)"
"Was her pact "become a demon"?"
"She looks very demon-y to me."
Engir: "Beats me. I don't know what powers succubi offer."
"All I know is that she grew terrifyingly powerful terribly fast."
Na'nabi: "...succubi?"
"My mother was part succubus... and an actual succubus would probably offer her some sort of....night of passion~"
Engir rubs his forehead.
Kellan: "That can't be comfortable to wake up after."
Engir: "I can imagine. I'd prefer not to."
Na'nabi: "So a succubus seduced and corrupted Dahlia...then what?"
Engir: "Well, Dahlia managed to trick Astrid while she was drunk."
"Things spiralled out of control quite quickly... then came the fateful day at the Broken-Top crossroad."
Na'nabi: "That'll be a night to remember..."
"...oh right. Wasn't Dahlia...digging up her own grave? So...that means..."
Na'nabi shudders and scoots a little closer to Kellan.
Engir lowers his head.
Engir: "I'd like to continue the story at another time."
"I am not proud of that night."
Kellan puts an arm around Na'nabi, shuddering.
Na'nabi: "Yeah, I can imagine..."
Kellan: "Yeeaaaah I can see how that'd be better to continue later."
Engir: "...it was quick. ...too quick."
"Thank you."
Na'nabi: "Demons seem to have really messed this party up..."
"...yet the majority of this party has demon blood... curious."
Kellan: "You sure about that? I thought Astrid... eh, it's nothing."
Na'nabi: "Astrid is a Rakshasa blood, I'm...at least an amount of Succubus in me, Arastalia is half of some sort of demon."
"...right, Rakshasas are Devils, not demons."
Arastalia: "(Mmm... 'dae' with an 'a'...)"
Kellan: "She said daemon, not demon."
Na'nabi: "Right, yeah, forgot that, oops."
Engir rests a hand on Arastalia.
Engir: "(Resting okay?)"
Arastalia: "(...mmm...)"
Kellan: "Guess I'm the odd one out here, ehehe."
Engir: "I don't know, Anarod's blood is ice dragon tainted."
Na'nabi: "Which good outsider are you part of, Kellan?"
Kellan: "I'm not sure, really. But I have a suspicion... do you know of garudas?"
Na'nabi: "...no. I know more about the evil outsiders than the good ones."
Engir: "i've heard the tales."
"Dame Arastalia also had me study a lot about the divines."
Kellan: "A little more hawklike than angels, and known for their fervor."
Na'nabi: "Bird angels?"
Engir: "I would argue they fight like Azatas."
Na'nabi: "That sounds cool..."
Kellan: "Yeah, that sums it up as well as anything."
Na'nabi: "No wonder why you have those feathers."
Kellan: "Yeah, that's the basis for my guess. That and a few of my family's old rumors."
Na'nabi: "That's still pretty cool."
"Everyone here but... Engir? seems to have some special heritage."
Kellan: "He has his crazies."
Engir: "Mmhm. Well, our family is pretty special in its own way."
"Our blood is weird enough that mine fought back when I rejected it, too."
Kellan: "I still can't quite catch the details of that."
Na'nabi: "...can you explain that more, please?"
Kellan: "Doesn't sound like he gets it, either."
Na'nabi: "Kellan, what about me, does my heritage show?"
Kellan takes the opportunity to stare at Na'nabi.
Kellan: "...nope, can't say that part of it really does."
Na'nabi: "Kellaan, that was the part where you were meant to compliment me!"
Na'nabi pouts.
Kellan: "Hey, I was getting to it! Finding the right words to describe you takes a moment even for me!"
"Just because you aren't that kind of attractive doesn't mean you aren't a better kind!"
Kellan pouts back at Na'nabi.
Na'nabi: "Um...then...what am I like, Kellan?"
Kellan: "You're beautiful in a far more innocent way. I think you're fine just looking like a half-elf~"
Na'nabi blushes and looks away from Kellan.
Na'nabi: "Yeah...thanks, that's more what I was hoping for."
Kellan: "Yeah, well, I guess we should be finishing setting up camp. This place won't light itself."
Na'nabi: "No, it really DOES light itself."
Kellan idly places a few more violet crystal shards closer to each other, just in case it helps.
Engir rolls deeper into his folds, having dozed off some time ago.
Na'nabi takes out her bedroll.
Na'nabi: "Well, I guess it's time for snoozes...."
"Goodnight, Kellan♥~"
Kellan: "(Goodnight, Na'nabi~)"
Lit by the dim glows of the crystals, the group retires to the small tent, doing their best to rest and regain their strength, unaware but cautious of the trials that await them deeper in...